We’re Giving Away A Death Stranding Limited Edition PS4 Pro

Get ready to rebuild America with a Limited Edition PlayStation 4 Pro console inspired by Death Stranding, a game developed by Kojima Productions that will be released this coming Friday, November 8, 2019. You can check out our full review to get a deep dive on the gameplay and storyline.

How can you enter the giveaway? You need to make sure that are following GameSpot on Twitter and like and reply to tweet below. One (1) winner chosen. UK only, no purchase necessary, ends November 10, 2019. See rules for details.

Good luck!

from GameSpot – Game News https://www.gamespot.com/articles/were-giving-away-a-death-stranding-limited-edition/1100-6471210/

Smash Bros. Ultimate 6.0 Update Brings Terry Bogard Along With Big Patch Notes

Super Smash Bros. Ultimate is getting even bigger again, with a new fighter and a new patch to come along with him. This update adds Terry Bogard from the Fatal Fury and King of Fighters series to the smashing mix, and Nintendo has now released official patch notes with a smattering of other changes and updates.

The patch notes (below) bring a dozen new Spirits to the Vault shop, slips more features to the Battle Arena, and prepares for the upcoming Simon and Incineroar figures, among some other tweaks. There have also been a variety of balance changes to fighters, with adjustments made to Donkey Kong, Kirby, Jigglypuff, Robin, King K. Rool, Incineroar, and Hero. These fighter updates have been given their own dedicated section.

As a fighting game character, Terry largely imitates a move set familiar from his own games, from a parry counter to special cancels. His Final Smash combines three special moves–the Triple Geyser, Power Dunk, and Buster Wolf. The DLC that includes him also includes a number of alternate outfits, as shown in the patch notes below.

The Terry Bogard Challenger Pack is available for $6 a la carte, or as part of the $25 Fighter’s Pack. That pack still has one more fighter to reveal–but Nintendo has already announced that more are on the way afterwards.

Super Smash Bros. Ultimate Ver. 6.0.0 Update (November 6, 2019)

  • Offline
    • The following spirits will appear in the Shop on the Vault menu:
      • Andy Bogard
      • Joe Higashi
      • Kim Kaphwan
      • Geese Howard
      • Ryo Sakazaki
      • Kyo Kusanagi
      • Iori Yagami
      • Haohmaru
      • Nakoruru
      • Athena Asamiya
      • Ralf & Clark
      • Tockles
        • The Tockles spirit will appear on the DRAGON QUEST Spirit Board in the DLC Spirits menu.
          Note: To play on a Spirit Board in the DLC Spirits menu, you must purchase the appropriate downloadable content.
  • Online
    • The following features have been added to Battle Arena mode:
      • The arena type “Elite Only” has been added.
      • Arenas that a friend has created can now be found by going to Join Arena → Friends’ Arenas, regardless of visibility.
      • The host player can now change some rules without having to shut down the arena.
      • The option “Random Battlefield and Ω Form” has been added to the stage settings.
      • You can now send set messages to each other inside an arena.
  • General
    • Added support for the upcoming Simon and Incineroar amiibo figures.
    • The following downloadable content will be usable after purchase:
      • Terry + King of Fighters Stadium
      • Ryo Sakazaki Wig + Outfit
      • Nakoruru Wig + Outfit
      • Iori Yagami Wig + Outfit
      • Akira Wig + Outfit
      • Jacy Wig + Outfit
    • You cannot make videos of replays that contain DLC you have not purchased (fighters, stages, music, Mii Fighter costumes, etc.).
    • Game balance adjustments have been made.
    • Several issues have been fixed to improve gameplay experience.
    • Fixes and changes to fighters have been made.

Fighter Adjustments (Update 6.0)

FighterMoveChange
Donkey KongSide Tilt AttackExtended launch distance.
Donkey KongNeutral Air AttackIncreased power.

Increased attack range.

Donkey KongNeutral SpecialExtended fully charged launch distance.

Shortened the charge time until reaching max charge.

Donkey KongUp SpecialIncreased the speed that super armor activates when using the move on the ground.

Made it easier to hit multiple times when hitting an airborne opponent when using the move on the ground, and extended the last attack’s launch distance.

Donkey KongDown SpecialIncreased attack speed when using the move on the ground.

Reduced vulnerability when using the move on the ground.

KirbyNeutral Attack 1Increased attack speed.
KirbyUp Smash AttackExtended launch distance when hit in the low-damage range.
KirbyNeutral Air AttackIncreased attack speed.

Extended launch distance when hit in the high-damage range.

KirbyUp Air AttackIncreased attack speed.

Increased power.

Extended launch distance.

KirbyNeutral SpecialReduced start time for Inhale.

Made it harder to disrupt Kirby’s Copy Ability.

JigglypuffAir DodgeReduced vulnerability.
JigglypuffMoving Air DodgeReduced vulnerability.
JigglypuffDown Air AttackShortened the landing time after using the move.

Reduced vulnerability when landing after using the move.

JigglypuffForward ThrowAdjusted launch angle.
JigglypuffNeutral SpecialShortened the charge time until reaching max charge.
JigglypuffSide SpecialIncreased the duration of the damage animation when the move hits.

Increased the opponent’s downtime when shielded.

RobinSide Tilt AttackExtended launch distance.
RobinNeutral Air AttackIncreased attack speed.
RobinNeutral SpecialShortened the time it takes to change to a more powerful spell.
RobinSide SpecialExtended the duration of the fireball.

The duration of the pillar of fire is not affected.

RobinOtherIncreased the recharging effect smash attacks have on the Levin Sword.
King K. RoolNeutral Air AttackReduced vulnerability when landing after using the move.
King K. RoolForward Air AttackIncreased power of the high-damage range.

Increased attack range of the high-damage-range attack and increased the duration.

King K. RoolUp Air AttackIncreased the amount of time hit detection lasts.

Extended launch distance for the high-damage range.

King K. RoolNeutral SpecialIncreased attack speed.

Made it easier to vacuum up the Kannonball.

Shortened the time needed to shoot out the vacuumed Kannonball.

Extended launch distance when hit with the Kannonball.

King K. RoolDown SpecialReduced vulnerability when the counter succeeds.

Increased the range the counter counts as a success.

Increased the high-damage range.

IncineroarNeutral Attack 3Increased power.

Extended launch distance.

IncineroarForward Air AttackIncreased the amount of time hit detection lasts.

Decreased power for the latter half of the time hit detection lasts.

IncineroarDown Air AttackMade it easier to trigger a meteor effect when you hit with the high-damage range.
IncineroarNeutral SpecialIncreased the power at the beginning of the move.

Increased the range at the beginning of the move and increased the duration of the move.

IncineroarDown SpecialIncreased the amount of time the damage-reducing pose is effective.

Extended launch distance of the flames after receiving an opponent’s attack.

Reduced vulnerability when receiving or not receiving an opponent’s attack.

HeroNeutral SpecialAfter Kafrizz hits a fighter or the stage and explodes, Gravitational Pull or Pocket will have no effect on the explosion.

from GameSpot – Game News https://www.gamespot.com/articles/smash-bros-ultimate-60-update-brings-terry-bogard-/1100-6471208/

Terry Bogard Is Now Available On Super Smash Bros. Ultimate

In a recent Super Smash Bros. Ultimate presentation, series creator Masahiro Sakurai revealed that DLC fighter Terry Bogard is out today, November 6.

Terry Bogard joins Ultimate after originally appearing as the brawling protagonist in 1991’s Fatal Fury for Neo Geo. Much like Street Fighter‘s Ryu, Terry fights a lot like a traditional fighting game character compared to the rest of Ultimate’s roster. He always faces his opponent, and special moves like Burning Knuckle, Crack Shoot, and Rising Kick can even be performed using their original command inputs for greater strength, benefiting those who still maintain that muscle memory.

The rest of Terry’s moveset will be familiar to anyone who’s ever played with the blonde fighter in any number of Fatal Fury and King of Fighters games before. The Somersault Kick is a new move for Ultimate, but everything else will be instantly recognisable. He can even parry into a counter attacking uppercut, and cancel into special moves that lead to devastating combos. There’s also a shorter range Power Wave that he can use when airborne.

Terry’s Final Smash begins with Triple Geyser before transitioning into Power Dunk and Buster Wolf, combining three special moves into one powerful attack. He also adopts a new mechanic for Ultimate, whereby a “Go!” icon will appear next to his attack damage once it rises above 100%, allowing him to use more powerful versions of Power Geyser and Buster Wolf as super special moves that are high risk, high return.

There are also numerous color variations, and Terry has taunts that use both old and new voices. A new King of Fighters coliseum-style stage is also introduced as part of the character pack. The edge of the screen is walled off in this stage, forcing you to break through in order to knock your opponent off, making it much more like a traditional fighting game stage. There are a total of 20 cameos included in the background of the stage, too, pulling from Fatal Fury and other Neo Geo titles, with characters like Terry’s arch nemesis Geese Howard appearing, as well as the likes of Andy Bogard, Billy Kane, Athena Asamiya, and Goro Daimon. Sakurai noted that Mai is not included because “Smash is for good boys and girls of all ages.”

On top of all this, there are 50 tracks worth of music included that pulls from SNK’s entire library of video games. Sakurai also revealed that Simon, Chrom, and Incineroar Amiibo are launching on November 15, and update 6.0 for Ultimate adds Battle Arena improvements–including the option to send pre-set messages to opponents–and an added option to play Battlefield/Final Destination form randomly.

Terry Bogard’s Challenger Pack launches today, November 6, for $6. He’s also included as part of the $25 Fighter’s Pass, which still has one more unrevealed fighter to add to the game.

from GameSpot – Game News https://www.gamespot.com/articles/terry-bogard-is-now-available-on-super-smash-bros-/1100-6471206/

Yooka-Laylee Dev Isn’t Making A New Banjo-Kazooie Game

Over the past few days, rumors and speculation have been swirling around developer Playtonic Games, the creators of platforming series Yooka-Laylee. The indie studio is, of course, comprised of numerous ex-Rare employees who previously worked on the Banjo-Kazooie games.

The rumors speculated that the studio was either making a new Banjo-Kazooie title, or that it had been acquired by Microsoft. As it turns out, neither of these is true.

Playtonic did recently hire ex-Rare artist Ed Bryan, and he did tweet a picture of a Microsoft bag with the caption: “Well, I never really had any plans to use this again.” But the rumors spiralling out from this tweet were overblown.

The Yooka-Laylee creator has set the record straight, releasing a statement to assure fans that Playtonic isn’t making a new Banjo-Kazooie game, and that it remains an independent studio.

No Caption Provided

So there you have it, there will be no new bird and bear game from Playtonic. The studio did, however, recently release Yooka-Laylee and the Impossible Lair, a 2.5D platformer that changes the formula of its 3D predecessor. In GameSpot’s Yooka-Laylee and the Impossible Layer review, Allesandro Barbosa said, “The Impossible Lair is definitely a better attempt at capturing the magic of platformers than Yooka-Laylee’s first crack at it, but it’s still not remarkable. If you’re itching to return to a bygone era, then The Impossible Lair might scratch it. Just don’t expect much beyond that.”

from GameSpot – Game News https://www.gamespot.com/articles/yooka-laylee-dev-isnt-making-a-new-banjo-kazooie-g/1100-6471205/

Microsoft Reiterates “When It’s Ready” Approach For Halo: The Master Chief Collection On PC

Halo: The Master Chief Collection is coming to PC, but instead of each title within the package launching at once as it did on Xbox One, the titles are being released and sold individually. Some people are wondering when the games will be released, and now Microsoft has reaffirmed that it is taking a “when it’s ready” approach to the launch schedule.

Responding to someone on Twitter, Halo community director Brian Jarrard pointed out that Microsoft never committed to a firm release schedule for each game in the package. “We’ve never said anything about all the games arriving on PC this year,” he said.

The current plan is for the first title, Halo: Reach, to release by the end of 2019, though even this is not locked in. “We’ve been consistently saying they’re ready when they’re ready. We certainly hope Reach arrives by end of year but much depends on flighting outcomes–when it’s ready, it’ll launch,” Jarrard said.

After Halo: Reach, the Halo games in The Master Chief Collection will release in chronological order: Halo Combat Evolved Anniversary, Halo 2 Anniversary, Halo 3, Halo 3: ODST, and finally Halo 4. It’s understandable that some would feel frustrated that it’s taking so long for the Halo games to come to PC. On the other hand, Microsoft does not want to repeat the mistakes of Halo: MCC’s terrible launch on Xbox One, so taking the time to make sure the releases come out well seems like the right course of action.

The release of Halo: Reach appears to be coming up soon, as Microsoft recently published the system requirements for the game. Microsoft held the first beta test for Halo: Reach on PC earlier this year while another round of testing is going on right now.

Similar beta tests, or “flights” in the Halo parlance, will be held for each of the other upcoming games before their official release. You can sign up for the free Halo Insider program for a chance to get into the beta tests.

Halo: Reach is also coming to Xbox One in The Master Chief Collection, though a specific release date has not been announced.

As for the next all-new Halo game, Halo Infinite is set for release in Holiday 2020 as a launch title for Project Scarlett. Microsoft will also hold beta testing periods for Halo Infinite, though no firm details have been announced regarding this.

from GameSpot – Game News https://www.gamespot.com/articles/microsoft-reiterates-when-its-ready-approach-for-h/1100-6471203/

Lord Of The Rings MMO Adds Seventh Expansion, Featuring New “Visions” Feature

Just like Blizzard’s World of Warcraft, the Lord of the Rings MMO continues to receive new expansions many years after release. The newest expansion for The Lord of the Rings Online is called Minas Morgul, and as its name suggests, it takes players to the dark and scary Dead City.

Intriguingly, the expansion’s narrative focuses on discovering untold “secrets and visions of the Second Age.” That’s curious because the Second Age is also when Amazon’s Lord of the Rings TV takes place, though the game and the show do not appear to be connected (more on that later).

“Players will infiltrate the city and visit other places of lingering evil in the region, such as the Houses of Lamentation,” reads a line from the press release. “With the defeat of Sauron and destruction of the One Ring, the remnants of Mordor’s armies struggle in the power vacuum, and it will be up to players to help ensure that the last traces of evil are routed from Middle-earth.”

When players visit the “Mordor Besieged” location, they can use Isildur’s shade to “participate in the visions of the Second Age.” In these visions, players will take on the role of a hero in a similar class to their own as they experience the events of the Second Age.

The new Minas Morgul expansion also raises LOTRO’s level cap to 130 and adds seven new instances. A new 12-person raid featuring Shelob the spider as the enemy is also included, as are 250 new quests. The Stout-axe Dwarf is being added as a new playable race.

The Minas Morgul expansion costs $40 USD for the standard version. The Collector’s Edition costs $80 while the Ultimate Fan Bundle runs you $130. Go to the LOTRO website to learn more about the various bundles.

LOTRO is developed by the Boston-based Standing Stone Games, which took over development on the game from WB Games Boston (formerly known as Turbine Inc.).

Amazon’s own game development studio is developing a free-to-play Lord of the Rings game that is based on the Lord of the Rings books. The game is separate from the Amazon show, despite Amazon working on both the game and the TV program. It remains to be seen what impact, if any, Amazon’s Lord of the Rings MMO will have on LOTRO.

Minas Morgul is the seventh expansion for LOTRO. It follows Mines of Moria (2008), Siege of Mirkwood (2009), Rise of Isengard (2011), Riders of Rohan (2012), Helm’s Deep (2013), and Mordor (2017).

No Caption ProvidedGallery image 1Gallery image 2Gallery image 3

In addition to this new MMO, Daedelic Entertainment is making a Lord of the Rings game that focuses on Gollum.

from GameSpot – Game News https://www.gamespot.com/articles/lord-of-the-rings-mmo-adds-seventh-expansion-featu/1100-6471201/

Call Of Duty: Modern Warfare Weapon Tuning Update On The Way

Call of Duty: Modern Warfare got off to a great start with record-breaking sales and generally positive review scores. However, some players have remarked that the weapon balance isn’t exactly where it should be. Specifically, players are reporting that the M4 rifle and 725 shotgun are currently too powerful, and are negatively affecting the experience.

Modern Warfare’s multiplayer co-director, Joe Cecot, wrote on Twitter to confirm that “weapon tuning” changes are coming to the game in a future update. He did not say which weapons specifically will be addressed, but given the volume of feedback regarding the M4 and 725, it seems likely those weapons will be nerfed or changed in some capacity.

Some players have discovered that the 725, when augmented with special equipment, can actually act as a sniper rifle. Cecot replied to a video documenting this with the eyes emoji, which suggests the 725 may get nerfed in the new update to come.

There is no word yet on when the weapon tuning update will be released, but keep checking back with GameSpot for the latest.

Modern Warfare launched on October 25, and it needed just three days to bring in more than $600 million in sales. Its sales over its first three days were better than every other Call of Duty released during this generation of consoles.

Looking forward, developer Infinity Ward has plans to support Modern Warfare for a long time to come, beginning with a Battle Pass system that will add new cosmetic rewards on a regular schedule. The Battle Pass isn’t available yet but Activision says it will be live later in 2019.

from GameSpot – Game News https://www.gamespot.com/articles/call-of-duty-modern-warfare-weapon-tuning-update-o/1100-6471197/

Everspace 2 Surpasses Funding Target, Will Get Challenging Endgame Content

Everspace 2 has achieved its funding goal in the final two days of its crowdfunding campaign, ensuring that the sequel will get made.

The development team has thanked the community that supported Everspace 2’s Kickstarter in a blog post, stating that because of the support of backers they can now “make Everspace 2 the way we always wanted to: together with you, our fans and without having to cut important features or content from our core vision.”

The Kickstarter, which is now closed, made €503,478 from 7,979 backers, flying past Rockfish Games’ goal of €450,000 in the final 48 hours of the campaign. The campaign managed to clear its first stretch goal of €500,000 as well, which promises to add an area known as The Ancient’s Rift–“complete different rift challenges, survive as long as you can and unlock precious rewards, loot and experience.” This is an endgame zone that will challenge expert players.

The original Everspace released in 2016 on PC, and eventually made its way to consoles. Everspace 2 has been announced for PC, PS4 and Xbox One. While the original came to Switch, Nintendo’s console is not mentioned on the Kickstarter page, and on the Kickstarter’s FAQ Rockfish Games explain that the sequel is too technically advanced for Nintendo’s system. The sequel will offer a persistent open world, a 20-hour campaign, and a story that continues on from the first game. The team is estimating a Steam Early Access release in September 2020, and a full release for all platforms by the end of 2021.

Everspace 2 was playable at PAX West earlier this year, where we compared it to “Diablo in space“. It combines space shooting with some more terrestrial combat, and all your shooting and scavenging is in service of securing the best loot. A prototype demo will be sent out in December to backers who pledged €40 or more.

from GameSpot – Game News https://www.gamespot.com/articles/everspace-2-surpasses-funding-target-will-get-chal/1100-6471193/

Red Dead Redemption 2 PC Update Addresses Crashing Issues

Red Dead Redemption 2‘s release on PC did not go exactly to plan, with players reporting severe crashing problems that in some cases caused the launcher to fail to open.

Rockstar Games has now released an update that apparently fixes a handful of issues related to crashes and other problems. The November 5 update fixes problems related to the Rockstar Games Launcher and Red Dead Redemption 2 itself. There were crashing problems with Red Dead Redemption 2 on the Epic Games Store, too, and these have also been addressed.

You can see a rundown of the November 5 patch notes for Red Dead Redemption 2’s PC version below, as posted on the Rockstar Games support site.

Red Dead Redemption 2 PC Patch Notes [November 5]

  • Fixed an issue that resulted in the Rockstar Games Launcher returning the error “The Rockstar Games Launcher failed to initialize” on startup
  • Fixed an issue that resulted in the Rockstar Games Launcher preload decryption getting stuck and not completing
  • Fixed an issue that resulted in the Rockstar Games Launcher returning the error “The Rockstar Games Launcher exited unexpectedly” when launching Red Dead Redemption 2
  • Fixed an issue that resulted in crashes when starting the Rockstar Games Launcher from the Epic Games Launcher
  • Fixed an issue that resulted in the Rockstar Games Launcher returning the error “Unable to launch game, please verify your game data” when launching Red Dead Redemption 2 from the Epic Games Launcher

Crashing problems aren’t the only issues affecting Red Dead Redemption 2’s PC version at launch. People on Reddit have reported problems related to audio and FPS drops.

Red Dead Redemption 2 is available for PC now on Rockstar’s own launcher, as well as the Epic Games Store and other outlets. It won’t release on Steam until December, however.

from GameSpot – Game News https://www.gamespot.com/articles/red-dead-redemption-2-pc-update-addresses-crashing/1100-6471192/

Need For Speed Heat Is Out Now On EA Access, Here’s How To Get It

Need for Speed Heat officially launches on November 8, but the racing game is playable right now for subscribers to EA Access and Origin Access on PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and PC.

This is the full version of Need for Speed Heat, though there is a timer that limits gameplay to 10 hours. As with EA’s other “Play First” trials, all gameplay progress carries forward to the full game should you decide to pick it up. Additionally, EA/Origin Access subscribers save 10 percent on all EA digital content, so that knocks the price down from $60 USD to $54 USD.

EA Access costs $5/month or $30/year, and you can cancel any time.

Need for Speed Heat is an open-world racing game set in a fictional version of Miami called Palm City. There are more than 100 cars in the game, but no loot boxes.

GameSpot recently got some hands-on time with Need for Speed Heat, and our own Will Potter came away eager to play more. For more on his thoughts, check out GameSpot’s recent preview, “Why You Should Be Excited To Play Need For Speed: Heat.”

from GameSpot – Game News https://www.gamespot.com/articles/need-for-speed-heat-is-out-now-on-ea-access-heres-/1100-6471189/