As Part of the Final Content Update for the Game, Players Can Now Enjoy New Narrative Content and Further Customize Their Experience
On December 6, Discover the Epic Collaboration Between Assassin’s Creed Valhalla and Destiny 2!
From December 15 to December 19, Assassin’s Creed Valhalla Will be Accessible for Free to All Players
AUSTRALIA – December 2nd, 2022 – Today, Ubisoft announced that the final content update for Assassin’s Creed® Valhalla, is available on Xbox One, Xbox Series X | S, PlayStation®4, PlayStation®5, as well as Windows PC on the Ubisoft Store, the Epic Games Store and Steam. Players can also subscribe to Ubisoft+ to access the game. With more than 20 million players around the world, Assassin’s Creed Valhalla has been on an incredible journey for the past two years. In this final content update, players will discover the end of Eivor’s story with The Last Chapter and meet the charismatic Assassin’s Creed Mirage’s character Roshan in Shared History. On December 6, players will be able to custom their experience with a Destiny 2 crossover partnership. Finally, from December 15 to December 19, everyone will be able to play Assassin’s Creed Valhalla for free, during a Free Weekend.
The Last Chapter is a new free quest bringing an intimate end to Eivor’s adventures. This epilogue ties up some of the storylines established during the game. Players will reunite with key characters, historical figures, old friends and enemies, while discovering new adventures and memories which will wrap up the incredible story of Eivor. The Last Chapter is an end game content, requiring players to have completed certain parts of the Assassin’s Creed Valhalla narrative. **
As part of this final content update, players will also get the opportunity to cross path with Roshan, Basim’s mentor, voiced by the Emmy-winning actress Shohreh Aghdashloo. In the Shared History free quest***, Eivor discovers they share a common enemy. Moreover, a highly requested combat feature from our community has been implemented giving players the option to fight with Eivor’s hood on. Players can enjoy the wonder of intensity of combat while keeping their Assassin style****. Two brand new skills have also been added to Eivor’s collection: Slide Focus and MasterChef.
On December 6, Assassin’s Creed Valhalla players will discover an exciting crossover partnership with one of the most iconic video game licenses: Destiny 2. New purchasable cosmetics will be available in Assassin’s Creed Valhalla, including a character and weapons packs inspired by the Destiny 2 universe. In addition, Destiny 2 players will also be able to enjoy some iconic cosmetic items from the Assassin’s Creed franchise.
Additionally, from December 15 to December 19 everyone will have the opportunity to play as Eivor and start their Viking Journey across Norway and England during a Free Weekend on Assassin’s Creed Valhalla. *****. Finally, as we celebrate 15 years of Assassin’s Creed, we are happy to announce that all Assassin’s Creed Valhalla players will be able to claim the Young Ezio Legacy Outfit for free, via Ubisoft Connect, on December 21.
For more information about Assassin’s Creed Valhalla, please visit assassinscreed.com/valhalla.
** For players to access The Last Chapter, a few conditions need to be met. These include completing all the pledges of all territories in England, as well as the mythical arcs of Asgard and Jotunheim, eliminating all the targets of the Order of the Ancients, upgrading the settlement to level 5 and constructing the Jomsviking barracks.
*** For players to unlock Shared History, they need to have completed the Grantebridgescire arc in the main quest storyline.
**** Note that this option is cosmetic only and does not impact stealth or detection.
***** More information on the Free Weekend will come later.
About Assassin’s Creed
Since it first launched in 2007, the Assassin’s Creed series has sold more than 200 million games worldwide. The franchise is now established as one of the best-selling series in video game history. Recognized for having some of the richest, most engrossing storytelling in the industry, Assassin’s Creed transcends video games, branching out into numerous other entertainment media.
About Ubisoft
Ubisoft is a creator of worlds, committed to enriching players’ lives with original and memorable entertainment experiences. Ubisoft’s global teams create and develop a deep and diverse portfolio of games, featuring brands such as Assassin’s Creed®, Brawlhalla®, For Honor®, Far Cry®, Tom Clancy’s Ghost Recon®, Just Dance®, Rabbids®, Tom Clancy’s Rainbow Six®, The Crew®, Tom Clancy’s The Division®, and Watch Dogs®. Through Ubisoft Connect, players can enjoy an ecosystem of services to enhance their gaming experience, get rewards and connect with friends across platforms. With Ubisoft+, the subscription service, they can access a growing catalog of more than 100 Ubisoft games and DLC. For the 2021–22 fiscal year, Ubisoft generated net bookings of €2,129 million. To learn more, please visit: www.ubisoftgroup.com.
Sofia, Bulgaria / Sydney, Australia, December 2nd, Anno Domini 2022: Less than one week to go, Sovereigns! Knights of Honor II: Sovereign is launching on December 6th, 2022 (December 7th, 2022 AEDT), and now it’s time to shed light on the multiplayer part of the game. Lead your chosen medieval realm to honour and glory with up to 6 players – each one controlling its own kingdom, caliphate, duchy, or republic. It’s up to you to either play against each other or cooperate, forming alliances or betraying your friends at just the right moment…
If you want to deep-dive into every aspect of the game, check out our Dev-Streams on YouTube: https://bit.ly/3Wvt5EO
Knights of Honor II: Sovereign allows you to play for dozens of hours in a single game in the sandbox mode – or speed things up a little in multiplayer, choosing from one of five game modes:
First Blood: Eliminate another player by conquering all of their provinces.
Peasants Rush: A brutal battle for territorial control. The first team or player to expand their territories to a selected number of provinces and establish control over them wins.
Destroy Kingdom: You must defeat a randomly selected kingdom, as well as being the one to strike the final blow.
Greedy King: Become the wealthiest sovereign by filling your kingdom’s treasury quickly – by any means necessary.
War for Goods: The most masterful mode, requiring conquest to gain rare resources from other empires, as well as economic development to construct buildings and forge upgrades. The goal of this mode is to provide a set number of unique goods for your kingdom.
Knights of Honor II: Sovereign is launching on PC on December 6th, 2022 (December 7th, 2022 AEDT). Get it on Steam: https://thqn.net/koh2-steam
About Knights of Honor II: Sovereign Choose your kingdom and be the king as you wrestle over control of Europe in this fresh take on medieval real-time grand strategy. Knights of Honor II: Sovereign includes all the depth players desire while being the gate-way game to the grand strategy genre, presenting the world as a living, breathing miniature, alive and ripe for the taking. Choose your royal court carefully and determine the destiny of your people, be it riches, conquest, intrigue, trade, or defeat! Raise armies to defend your lands or take war to the enemy – even jump into battle directly in action-packed RTS combat. The path is open: become the true Sovereign of your people.
Features:
Accessible Grand Strategy – From religion to city development, experience exciting depth with better approachability than ever
Real-Time Gameplay – Medieval Europe comes alive, no turns needed
Royal Court – Appoint Marshalls, Clerics, Merchants, Diplomats, and Spies to exert your will across the land
RTS Battles – Directly lead your armies in riveting RTS combat
Robust Multiplayer – Join with multiple friends to take on the challenges of medieval Europe
Notes for Editors: Review codes for Knights of Honor II: Sovereign are now available, please get in touch with us to request yours!
About Black Sea Games
Black Sea Games® Ltd. is an independent game development company based in Sofia, Bulgaria, founded in November 2016. Their mission is to create hard-core games that will entertain you over and over again. Black Sea Games believes the best gaming experiences are coming from challenging the players with meaningful choices, while giving them the freedom to create (and share) their own in-game stories. Whether it is a “sandbox” or an “open world”, these are just words. You would know they did their job right, when you feel like: “Ah,… just one more hour”.
Anime. The backdrop and inspiration for plenty of video games. While I’m being pretty selective about it, I found some titles that I thoroughly enjoyed (Samurai Champloo, Elfen Lied, Claymore, etc). When it comes to gaming, anime aesthetics is an angle that sometimes works but it is also a double-edged sword. If the game is good, then that angle comes as the icing on the cake. When the game is bad, it’s just another argument of why the game sucked in the first place.
What we have now in our hands is Gungrave G.O.R.E, a shooter loosely based on the anime series from 2003. You gotta admit that the premise is pretty interesting. A character that has risen from the dead (and caries his own grave wherever he goes), with supernatural skills and a burning desire to take down a crime syndicate. And if the story was all that it matters, we would stop right here. But let’s delve deeper into the gameplay, visuals, and all the other mumbo jumbo.
Story
So what do we have here? Apparently, there is a drug called SEED and almost everyone is addicted to it. It destroys one soul (it’s never specified how, though), and the crime syndicate known as Raven Clan is its main distributor. Raven Clan is also led by Gando. Wait, who? But let’s not stop there. There is also Mika and she is the one that formed the El-Alcangel hunting organization but there is also another seed hunter called Quartz and someone called YENSEN the Boostmaster. His bio says that (I kid you not) he is “a killer who enjoys slaughtering”. Dear Lord.
If you’re even more confused now, that’s perfectly fine because I am as well. The story is a jumbled mess that somehow assumes you have an intimate knowledge of all the characters that the game keeps introducing every now and then. It is like starting a 15-season show at season 7 and trying to comprehend the basics in the very first episode, but that simply won’t work.
Gameplay
This is where things get a tiny bit interesting. The first level of the game is an absolute chore of a tutorial but after you push through that slog, you can work on some freedom in combat and how to approach the enemies. Comboy system, special skills, counter attacks……it’s all good until pretty soon you realize that the enemies are incredibly dumb and copy-pasted. There is little variety in them and most of the time they will just stand in one spot like they’re absolutely fearless (but again, no. That’s just bad AI).
The enemies behave exactly the same regardless of difficulty, the only difference is that your shield meter might drain a bit faster on anything other than easy. It is also incredibly easy to get stun locked, get locked in with manual aiming, and sound might randomly cut off just because. At least there is some variety in bugs if anything.
Visuals
The game looks good, I’ll give her that. Colorful, flashy, and without being hard on the eyes. But that’s all there is really. The level design is bland and generic although I can say that the boss design is a bit above average. And that’s really the highest praise I can give to anything in this game. It’s not amazing, and it’s not engaging but it goes just a bit above the bare minimum. One thing that also bugs me about the level design is that even though all the levels follow the premise of “go from point A to point B through this set of mostly linear corridors”, the game still finds a way to ruin it even more. There is always a yellow marker around you showing where to go, even when your next route is painfully obvious.
Audio
Insufferable voice acting, characters that overreact and emphasize words when there is no need for it. Oh and let’s not forget an incoherent mishmash of techno and metal music that will randomly make its appearance throughout your gameplay. Just as it will randomly cut off. Not to mention the insane design choice of using Mika as some sort of narrator as you play. Her interjections are anything but helpful and it’s usually things like “the enemies are approaching”, “watch out”, “be careful” etc. Absolutely unnecessary and distracting. It’s kind of impressive how the game fails at every aspect here even in these segments where the bare minimum is needed.
Overall
As I played through Gungrave G.O.R.E, I was a man on a mission. The mission was to find at least one angle, one thing about the game that would make it worth your while. If the highest praise that I can give is “it looks good sometimes, I guess” then this is a waste of everyone’s time. What’s funny is that to this moment, I still have no clue what this game is trying to be. The tone (and the game identity) is all over the place. The game’s idea of difficulty is to gradually add more and more enemies as time passes, even though they pose no challenge ever. Even the decent visual design that went into bosses is kind of wasted since your whole strategy boils down to not just stand in one spot and spam bullets in their direction. The game is a definition of a hard pass.
Capsule Computers review guidelines can be found here.
From the creators of XCOM comes a new adventure set in the darker side of Marvel; as The Hunter, lead a team of heroes spanning across the Marvel Universe in this revolutionary tactical RPG
Sydney, Australia – December 2, 2022– 2K and Marvel Entertainment announced that Marvel’s Midnight Suns is now available worldwide on Windows PC via Steam and Epic Games Store, PlayStation®5 (PS5™) and Xbox Series X|S. The PlayStation®4 (PS4™), Xbox One and Nintendo Switch™ versions of the game will be available at a later date.
Created by Firaxis Games, the legendary studio behind the critically-acclaimed, world-renowned XCOM and Civilization franchises, Marvel’s Midnight Suns combines the rich story, character relationships, customization, and progression of an RPG with the tactical strategy and combat mechanics of a revolutionary new card-based tactics game.
Marvel’s Midnight Suns launched to critical acclaim, with VGC awarding it at 5 out of 5, calling it a “modern strategy classic;” PC Gamer said it was “completely brilliant” and scored it an 88 out of 100, and Rock Paper Shotgun called it “one of the best super hero games full stop.”
“The Firaxis team has created a remarkable game in Marvel’s Midnight Suns,” said Jay Ong, Executive Vice President at Marvel Games. “Marvel authenticity and love for our characters permeates every battle, decision, and interaction. It’s a dream come true for any Marvel fan who ever fantasized of being able to not just fight alongside legendary Marvel heroes, but to live among them as well.”
“We’re thrilled to have Marvel trust us with their universe to create something brand new in Marvel’s Midnight Suns,” said David Ismailer, President at 2K. “This game represents some of Firaxis’ finest and most ambitious work yet, and we are excited for players around the world to experience Marvel’s Midnight Suns.”
Set in the darker side of the Marvel Universe, players will forge unbreakable bonds with legendary Marvel Super Heroes and dangerous supernatural warriors in the fight against the world’s greatest threat yet…the demonic forces of Lilith and the elder god Chthon.
“From the explosive action of the battlefield to the unfolding mysteries of the Abbey, we are so excited for players to explore the darker side of the Marvel Universe,” said Bill Rosemann, VP & Creative Director, Marvel Games. “Firaxis dug deep into the Marvel Vault, chose to spotlight characters that they truly love, and poured their hearts into expertly delivering their vision of the rising stars that are the Midnight Suns.”
“I can’t overstate how excited we are to finally bring Marvel’s Midnight Suns to our fans, whether you are a hardcore Marvel comics reader or a longtime tactics veteran,” stated Jake Solomon, Creative Director at Firaxis Games for Marvel’s Midnight Suns. “Thank you to everyone who has joined us on our journey to bring this game to life.”
Marvel’s Midnight Suns features a compelling story and revolutionary card-based tactical strategy gameplay including:
Your Marvel Adventure. You are the Hunter, the first customizable original hero in the Marvel Universe. Lead a legendary collection of heroes that span across the Avengers, X-Men, Runaways, and more as you customize your team, tailor your selection of abilities to suit your playstyle and unlock iconic outfits that will delight any Marvel fan.
Explore the Darker Side of Marvel. Rise up against the demonic forces of Lilith and experience an immersive personal story that brings familiar heroes to an unfamiliar world, filled with the supernatural and the mystical. The stakes are higher than ever as you face-off against fallen versions of iconic Marvel characters and attempt to stop Lilith from reviving her evil master, Chthon.
Live Among the Legends. See heroes in a new light and unlock additional abilities as you develop relationships and strengthen personal bonds outside the field of battle with some of your favourite Marvel Super Heroes such as Iron Man, Wolverine and Captain Marvel. Dive deep and explore the Abbey – your very own mystical secret base – as you explore the grounds and uncover its hidden mysteries.
Fight and Think like a Super Hero. From the creators of the critically-acclaimed tactical XCOM series comes a new engaging and deeply customizable card-based battle system that rewards clever thinking with Super Hero flair. Team up with your fellow heroes, assess the battlefield and launch devastating iconic attacks against the forces of darkness.
Marvel’s Midnight Suns will be available in four editions: Standard Edition, Enhanced Edition, Digital+ Edition, and Legendary Edition:
The Standard Edition will be available for $89.95* on Windows PC via Steam and Epic Games Store. It includes the base game;
The Enhanced Edition will be available for $109.95* on PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X|S. It includes a next-gen optimized version of the game for next-gen consoles and five premium cosmetic skins**;
The Digital+ Edition will be available for $124.95* on PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, and Windows PC via Steam and Epic Games Store. It includes 11 premium cosmetic skins**. PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X|S SKUs include the next-gen optimized version of the game for next-gen consoles;
The Legendary Edition will be available for $149.95* on PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, and Windows PC via Steam and Epic Games Store. It includes the Marvel’s Midnight Suns Season Pass**containing 23 premium cosmetic skins for the base game and 4 post-launch DLC packs, each featuring a new playable character, new missions, new enemies, and additional character skins.
For more information on Marvel’s Midnight Suns, visit www.midnightsuns.com and sign up for the 2K newsletter, become a fan on Facebook, subscribe on YouTube, follow on Twitter and Instagram, and join the conversation using the hashtag #MidnightSuns.
Marvel’s Midnight Suns is rated M by the Australian Classification Board. Firaxis Games is a 2K studio. 2K is a wholly owned publishing label of Take-Two Interactive Software, Inc. (NASDAQ: TTWO).
*Based on 2K’s suggested retail price. Actual retail price may vary. See local store for info.
**Premium skins must be used with the equivalent in-game character. Characters may require unlocking through gameplay. For digital orders, Season Pass content and the premium skins will be automatically delivered in-game upon release. For physical orders, Season Pass content and premium skins will be delivered via code in box to be redeemed in game and available upon release. Terms apply.
Headquartered in New York City, Take-Two Interactive Software, Inc. is a leading developer, publisher, and marketer of interactive entertainment for consumers around the globe. The Company develops and publishes products principally through Rockstar Games, 2K, Private Division, and Zynga. Our products are currently designed for console gaming systems, PC, and Mobile including smartphones and tablets, and are delivered through physical retail, digital download, online platforms, and cloud streaming services. The Company’s common stock is publicly traded on NASDAQ under the symbol TTWO.
All trademarks and copyrights contained herein are the property of their respective holders.
About 2K
Founded in 2005, 2K develops and publishes interactive entertainment for video game consoles, personal computers, and mobile devices, with product availability including physical retail and digital download. The Company is home to many talented development studios, including Visual Concepts, Firaxis Games, Hangar 13, Cat Daddy Games, 31st Union, Cloud Chamber and HB Studios. 2K’s portfolio currently includes several AAA, sports and entertainment brands, including global powerhouse NBA® 2K; renowned BioShock®, Borderlands®, Mafia, Sid Meier’s Civilization® and XCOM® franchises; popular WWE® 2K and WWE®SuperCard franchises; as well as the critically and commercially acclaimed PGA TOUR® 2K. Additional information about 2K and its products may be found at2K.com and on the Company’s official social media channels.
Statements contained herein which are not historical facts are considered forward-looking statements under federal securities laws and may be identified by words such as “anticipates,” “believes,” “estimates,” “expects,” “intends,” “plans,” “potential,” “predicts,” “projects,” “seeks,” “should,” “will,” or words of similar meaning and include, but are not limited to, statements regarding the outlook for the Company’s future business and financial performance. Such forward-looking statements are based on the current beliefs of our management as well as assumptions made by and information currently available to them, which are subject to inherent uncertainties, risks and changes in circumstances that are difficult to predict. Actual outcomes and results may vary materially from these forward-looking statements based on a variety of risks and uncertainties including: risks relating to our combination with Zynga; the uncertainty of the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic and measures taken in response thereto; the effect that measures taken to mitigate the COVID-19 pandemic have on our operations, including our ability to timely deliver our titles and other products, and on the operations of our counterparties, including retailers and distributors; the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on both consumer demand and the discretionary spending patterns of our customers as the situation with the pandemic continues to evolve; the risks of conducting business internationally; the impact of changes in interest rates by the Federal Reserve and other central banks, including on our short-term investment portfolio; the impact of inflation; volatility in foreign currency exchange rates; our dependence on key management and product development personnel; our dependence on our NBA 2K and Grand Theft Auto products and our ability to develop other hit titles; our ability to leverage opportunities on PlayStation®5 and Xbox Series X|S; the timely release and significant market acceptance of our games; the ability to maintain acceptable pricing levels on our games; and risks associated with international operations.
Other important factors and information are contained in the Company’s most recent Annual Report on Form 10-K, including the risks summarized in the section entitled “Risk Factors,” the Company’s most recent Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q, and the Company’s other periodic filings with the SEC, which can be accessed at www.take2games.com. All forward-looking statements are qualified by these cautionary statements and apply only as of the date they are made. The Company undertakes no obligation to update any forward-looking statement, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise.
Get into Trouble as Franklin and Lamar with Bonuses on Double Down and Short Trips
Plus, Triple Rewards for Lamar Contact Missions and Pursuit Races, Discounts on Weed Farm Businesses, and More This Week
Friends don’t let friends lose a tense standoff — that’s the lesson of Double Down, where Franklin and Lamar come together to fight off a squad of attackers armed with shotguns and unlimited lives. Whichever side you end up fighting for, both teams earn Triple Rewards for the next seven days.
2X GTA$ and RP on Short Trips Visit the Smoking Room in the back of Record A Studios and hit some of Lamar’s strongest proprietary product for an out-of-body experience like no other: swap lives with Franklin and Lamar for a bit and help LD Organics find its foothold in the Los Santos legal cannabis market in Short Trips, paying out 2X GTA$ and RP to all this week.
Free Black LD Organics Tee for Completing All Three Short Trips
Complete all three Short Trips and emerge from the haze healthy and happy to collect the Black LD Organics Tee, added to your wardrobe before December 16.
3X GTA$ and RP on Lamar Contact Missions
Lamar is also a born-and-raised stickup artist. Get in touch or answer his calls, and complete Lamar Contact Missions this week to cut your teeth on street-level crimes and earn triple the usual GTA$ and RP in one fell swoop.
2X GTA$ and RP on Biker Sell Missions
Despite the best efforts of local activists, not all substances have been decriminalized in the state of San Andreas. That means there’s still plenty of money to be made. Completing Biker Sell Missions of all sorts will net you Double Rewards, all week long.
Get the Turquoise Beat Off Earphones
In addition to the obvious fiscal incentives, complete any single Biker Sell Mission by December 7 to receive a pair of Turquoise Beat Off Earphones for your efforts.
3X GTA$ and RP on Pursuit Races Forget traffic laws — Pursuit Races ask you to abide by a different code of conduct, weaving in and out of oncoming traffic to avoid squad cars on your tail and get ahead of fellow racers at the same time. Find your own way to the finish line to earn Triple Rewards through December 7.
2X Nightclub Warehouse Stock Production Speed Warehouse Management is a skill all its own — visit the computer terminal in your Nightclub’s office to move staff around and take advantage of doubled Warehouse Stock Production speeds across all asset classes, all week long.
This week also marks the return of several Jobs to GTA Online, namely The Vespucci Job (Remix), Collection Time, Resurrection, and Trading Places (Remix).
Only on PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X|S
Premium Test Ride: Grotti Turismo Classic Visit Hao’s Special Works anytime this week to upgrade eligible vehicles and see for yourself what the next generation of automotive engineering can do for you. This week, get familiar with the specs and controls of this week’s Premium Test Ride, a super-charged version of the Grotti Turismo Classic.
This Week’s HSW Time Trial
Once you’ve crammed a full suite of upgrades into your HSW-eligible vehicle of choice, take in the sights and sounds between Ron Alternates Wind Farm and Elysian Island to see if you can beat your personal record in this week’s HSW Time Trial.
Premium Deluxe Motorsport Showroom
Peruse Simeon’s Premium Deluxe Motorsport showroom to see his latest weekly selection of legitimately sourced vehicles, including a collection of veritable classics with 30% off their regular sticker price:
Declasse Yosemite (30% off)
Bravado Gauntlet Classic (30% off)
Dinka Jester Classic (30% off)
Bravado Youga Classic (30% off)
Dewbauchee Specter
Luxury Autos Showroom Visit the Luxury Autos showroom window, but don’t smudge the glass while getting a closer look at the Truffade Nero (30% off) and Pegassi Tempesta. Compare stats, and buy either (or both) cars right from the showroom.
Try Out the Pegassi Tezeract, Dewbauchee Rapid GT, and Obey 9F Cabrio While you meander around the car meet, feel free to give this week’s Test Rides — the Pegassi Tezeract, DewbaucheeRapid GT, and Obey 9F Cabrio — a trial run around the Test Track’s painted course and push their limits in Scrambles and Time Trials, all at no personal cost.
This week’s Prize Ride goes to all car meet members who manage to place Top 3 in a Pursuit Race for five days in a row. Determined competitors who complete this challenge will win the Vapid GB200, the pit bull of the rally-racing world known for its considerable power, unpredictable temperament, and the fear it strikes into suburban pedestrians.
On The Diamond Casino Podium: The Enus Windsor Drop The Lucky Wheel in the lobby of The Diamond Casino & Resort is the perfect meeting place. Not only is it within walking distance of the bar and gift shop, but it also affords you the opportunity to win various prizes, including the Enus Windsor Drop whirling alluringly on the podium nearby.
GTA+
GTA+ Members can claim a free Buckingham SuperVolito helicopter and Penthouse Suite 1 atop Eclipse Towers. Plus, get a free Apartment Style change for any of the three Penthouse Suites at Eclipse Towers, as well as:
Guaranteed Panther Statue target once per week on The Cayo Perico Heist
50% extra GTA$ on The Fleeca Job, The Prison Break, The Humane Labs Raid, Series A Funding, and The Pacific Standard Job
Free Utility Vests and Bulletproof Helmets, plus the Still Slipping Tie-dye Tee and Cap
2X Car Meet Rep on all LS Car Meet Races
Additional Member bonuses
Visit the GTA+ website to check out all the GTA+ Membership Benefits available through December 12. To learn more about how to make the most of your GTA+ Membership, check out the GTA+ Guide.
Discounts:
Set your grow operation up for less this week: Weed Farm Businesses — plus their Upgrades and Modifications — are all 50% off, while Biker Business Resupply costs are 40% off through December 7.
Once you’ve completed all three Short Trips, visit the Requisitions Officer inside your Agency this week to pick up the Organics Finish Upgrade for the Micro SMG at 50% off. Meanwhile, Hairstyles, Tattoos, and Weapons released as part of Lowriders are all 40% off.
Converting and customizing eligible vehicles at Benny’s Original Motor Works costs 50% less this week, while upgrading to Benny’s Bespoke Wheels and adding Hydraulics are both 40% off.
In addition to the above, players can boost their roster of rides by taking 30% off the following vehicles:
Truffade Nero
Bravado Youga Classic
Declasse Yosemite
Bravado Gauntlet Classic
Dinka Jester Classic
Överflöd Zeno
Mammoth Patriot Mil-Spec
Nagasaki Shinobi
Western Reever
Enus Jubilee
Prime Gaming Benefits GTA Online players who successfully connect their Rockstar Games Social Club account with Prime Gaming will get GTA$125K just for playing anytime this week. In addition, by playing anytime before December 7, Prime Gaming members will receive a one-time log in bonus of GTA$500K. Those who are also GTA+ Members will receive an additional GTA$500K on top of this bonus.
All bonus GTA$ will be deposited into your Maze Bank account within 72 hours at the start of the next weekly event. To ensure access to future benefits, make sure to visit Prime Gaming and sign up.
STOCKHOLM – Dec. 1, 2022 – Starting today, Raw Fury is kicking off the most festive time of the year with a flurry of new announcements, gameplay reveals, and so much more! From now until December 24, Raw Fury will unwrap new surprises for both its currently available titles and those games still to come in 2023 and beyond.
Kicking off Raw Fury’s month of celebration, fast-paced rhythm FPS GUN JAM’s playable demo, which premiered briefly at October’s Steam Next Fest, returns to Steam today and will be available through the end of the year! Carefully match your shots to the beat pattern and fight off hordes of tranced-out troopers to survive a musical dystopia and restore freedom to the masses.
The coming weeks will feature even more new announcements, releases, demos, and content updates… but we’ll keep those a surprise for now. All we can say is that players on PC, consoles, and even VR headsets are getting gifts this time around. And if you must peek in one bag, perhaps you’ll glimpse a glittering, snow-covered holiday demo for friends everywhere to enjoy together.
Raw Fury is a boutique indie (un)publisher founded in 2015 by Jonas Antonsson, Gordon Van Dyke, and David Martinez. We do not care about genres or mechanics. We care about experiences and emotions. We want to help developers make magic.
It’s been a while since I saw the first trailer for Evil West back when it was announced. It looked very promising, perhaps a bit too much. Fast forward to the present time, the game is finally in our hands. It’s the fast paced action game combining shooting and brawling that I wanted it to be with some caveats. With that out of the way, let’s take a deeper look at how everything falls in place.
Story
In the old, wild, weird west, vampires are a real thing. To combat them, a secret organization was created. Named after its founder, the Rentier Institute was able to harness the power of steam and electricity to create weapons that instill fear among the vampire ranks. A group of rogue vampires fear that humanity has gone too far, and they then decide that it’s time to conquer humanity once and for all. As one of the last capable field agents from the institute, Jesse Rentier must confront the vampire menace.
This is a great premise for an action game; a properly characterized “cowboy” secret agent facing hordes of powerful undead creatures using a variety of steampunk contraptions in the wild west. Unfortunately, the story leaves a lot to be desired. After the first few stages which set up the war against the vampires, the writing takes a deep dive in quality, and it feels mostly like filler until the final stages where it picks up the pace again.
Gameplay
Evil West may look like an over-the-shoulder third person shooter (TPS) at first glance, but that’s not the case at all. Your pistol and rifle act more like support weapons: They’re mainly used to interrupt distant or flying enemies. There are other ranged weapons that you can acquire, sure, but they have a cooldown period between each use and are more of a tool for crowd control or when facing bosses. Jesse’s main weapon is the versatile Rentier gauntlet, which you’ll use to punch, eviscerate and electrify enemies. In fact, Evil West shares a lot of similarities to games like the newest God of War – questionable game design choices and all – but it never devolves into a QTE fest – it gives full control to the player even if it’s mind numbingly boring at times. Surprisingly, the combat feels a lot like a beat ‘em up with precise controls and cool mechanics.
Missions play out like you’d expect from a modern action game which means that there’s a lot of exploration, skills to unlock as you level up and also some “puzzles.” This RPG-esque foundation that Evil West uses is a very simple blueprint of “go from point A to B while taking slight detours to gather money, skill “scrolls” and notes from characters that try to give more flavor and context to what’s happening overall. What this means in practice is that there’s a considerable amount of downtime between waves of enemies. Also, the player has no agency when choosing how to engage enemies. Sometimes you can see them prancing inside a corral like cattle. You draw your rifle and shoot only to be met with an invisible barrier. You need to literally jump the fence to start a brawl. Once enemies are defeated, you go back to pressing switches, pushing carts so they’re neatly positioned to be used as bridges or watching some cutscenes and dialogues. Sometimes I almost dozed off as I was looking for the next glowing platform to climb.
The good news is that the combat is fairly good, even if it’s repetitive and somewhat limited; a few stages in and you’ll have all the basic tools that you’ll be using for the rest of the game. Take the zapper function of your gauntlet for example; you can use it to pull or dash towards enemies stunning them on contact. It’s an essential ability that allows you to isolate some enemies or even use it as an evasive maneuver. Trust me when I say that you’ll be using the zapper a lot throughout the game especially on harder difficulties. It’s a cool ability, and it also helps the combat feel fast and fluid. What’s disappointing is how the skill tree is set up so that new abilities are mostly upgrades or variations of the base ones. Enemies are varied in design but not that much in regard to their moveset. Evil West’s estimated playthrough is 15 hours, meaning that will encounter the same enemies over and over again. This, coupled with an unimaginative set of skills for your character and also how battles play out in such a similar fashion almost made me give up halfway through. The solution for my dilemma was cranking the difficulty up to hard; battles became less predictable that way. The amount of enemies thrown at you and their damage output was also increased. This provided me with a good challenge that kept me invested until the end. Boss battles are few, but they are well designed and fun.
Visuals
Evil West features simple but beautiful graphics with sprawling and varied areas that feature awe inspiring vistas. The lighting and fog effects are very well done fitting the game’s themes to a T. Textures are detailed and crispy for the most part. Jesse’s model is intricate and cool looking although the same can’t be said about the rest of the cast.
Audio
The sound design is also well done but a little lacking in ambient sounds. The soundtrack is mostly quiet “wild west music” which is disappointing to a degree. As for the sound effects, I expected more variety and impact. Jesse’s and Edgar’s voice-overs sound cool and appropriate. All I can say about the rest of the cast is that they are able to land their lines well enough.
Overall
Evil West offers an interesting take on the “weird west” concept. Its mix of TPS beat ‘em up-shooter gameplay is something that I definitely want to see done more often. Despite suffering from padding issues and unimaginative level design, Evil West’s combat is solid and fun.
Capsule Computers review guidelines can be found here.
Follow the story of the Ninjutsu Research Club’s struggle to become an official club – Event Story Pre-Registration Reward, Pyroxene x1,200 – New Students: Iroha, Kaede, and Michiru
SEOUL – Dec. 1, 2022 – On Wednesday, Nov. 30, NEXON Korea Corp. (CEO: Jung-Hun Lee) announced an update to their latest story event, “An Unconcealed Heart,” for subculture game Blue Archive, developed by its subsidiary company Nexon Games (CEO: Yong-Hyun Park).
This event story follows the Ninjutsu Research Club in its journey to become recognized as an official club. Sensei attends to oversee the scrimmage between Allied Hyakkiyako Academy and Gehenna Academy. In addition, players who pre-registered for the event will receive Pyroxene x1,200 if they log in before Thursday, Jan. 5.
Three new students have also been added. Gehenna Academy’s Iroha is a mystic-type Special Student and battles from atop the T.S. Toramaru when she uses her EX Skill. Toramaru fires an artillery shell every 15 seconds to deal damage to a single enemy proportional to its ATK. The shell then splits up to deal the same amount of damage to multiple enemies.
Kaede is an explosive-type Special Student affiliated with the Allied Hyakkiyako Academy. Her EX Skill grants a shield proportional to her Healing to allies within range for 16 seconds. Michiru, affiliated with the same academy, is a mystic-type striker who shoots a firework straight at an enemy when she uses her EX Skill. The firework deals damage proportional to her ATK to the first enemy it hits and deals continuous Burn damage for 20 seconds.
Further details regarding Blue Archive’s event story update, “An Unconcealed Heart,” can be found on the official homepage and community.
Blue Archive Official Forum: [LINK] An Unconcealed Heart Event PV Video: [LINK] Blue Archive Official Twitter: [LINK] Blue Archive Official Facebook: [LINK]
About NEXON Co., Ltd.
Founded in 1994, NEXON Co., Ltd. (Nexon) (3659.TO) is a company engaged in the production, development and operation of online games and Virtual Worlds. First listed on the Tokyo Stock Exchange in December 2011, Nexon was placed on JPX400 in 2015 and added to the Nikkei Stock Index 300 in 2017. In 2020, Nexon was added to the Nikkei 225. Nexon currently has more than 45 live games on multiple platforms including mobile and available in more than 190 countries. Major game franchises include MapleStory, KartRider and Dungeon&Fighter. In 2021, Nexon completed the acquisition of Embark Studios AB, a company based in Stockholm, Sweden, developing multiple projects for global release.
Today, PlayStation Australia is happy to reveal the PlayStation Plus Monthly Games for December. Battle other gods in mythical brawls in Divine Knockout: Founder’s Edition, which launches directly into PlayStation Plus. Take on galaxy-saving quests and make tough decisions in Mass Effect Legendary Edition and venture through a post-apocalyptic kung-fu fable in Biomutant.
These titles will be available for PlayStation Plus Essential, Extra and Deluxe members to add to their game library from Tuesday, 6 December until Monday, 2 January. The PlayStation Plus Extra and Deluxe Game Catalogue lineup for December will be announced later this month.
Let’s take a closer look at each of the Monthly Games.
Divine Knockout: Founder’s Edition | PS4, PS5
Launching directly into PlayStation Plus, this third-person platform fighter adds a whole new dimension to the genre. Damage enemies to make them vulnerable, then smash them out of the arena in a unique, third-person perspective. Choose from one of 10 playable gods to hurl boulders as Hercules or wield Mjolnir as Thor. Then battle across diverse arenas with their own mechanics to master. Play 3v3 Arcade mode with friends to explore a variety of game modes, or duke it out in hardcore 1v1 and 2v2 Duels. DKO features cross-play and cross-progression. This Founder’s Edition unlocks DKO and bonus content for the game, plus a DKO-inspired skin in Smite.
Mass Effect Legendary Edition | PS4
Relive the legend of Commander Shepard in the highly acclaimed Mass Effect trilogy with the Mass Effect Legendary Edition. Includes single-player base content and over 40 DLC from Mass Effect, Mass Effect 2, and Mass Effect 3 games, including promo weapons, armours and packs — remastered and optimised for 4K Ultra HD. Experience an amazingly rich and detailed universe where your decisions have profound consequences on the action and the outcome.
Biomutant | PS4, PS5
Mix melee, shooting, and mutant ability action in this open-world, post-apocalyptic kung-fu fable RPG. A plague is ruining the land and the Tree-of-Life is bleeding death from its roots. The Tribes stand divided. Explore a world in turmoil and define its fate – will you be its saviour or lead it to an even darker destiny? Re-code your genetic structure to change the way you look and play. Mix and match parts to create your own unique slash, crush, and pierce melee weapons, revolvers, rifles, shotguns, and more. The PS5 version features native 4K and HDR support and three different graphics modes.
Last chance to download November’s Monthly Games
PlayStation Plus members have until Monday, 5 December to add Nioh 2, Lego Harry Potter Collection, Heavenly Bodies to their game library.
PlayStation Stars
This month, PlayStation Plus members can earn additional points for playing through our PlayStation Stars loyalty program. Simply redeem, download and play titles from the December Monthly Games line up, and get 50 points.
PlayStation Plus Spotify Playlist
Also, check out our PlayStation Plus monthly games-inspired playlist on Spotify, which will be refreshed with new songs every month.
To find out more about the updates to PlayStation Plus head to PlayStation.com.
Icy Trae Young heats up wintertime with a flurry of great shooting in Season 3, where players can explore a winter wonderland, experience holiday events, chill with new 2K Beats debuts, unwrap new rewards, and so much more
Today, 2K revealed that NBA® 2K23 Season 3, featuring new icy content coming to MyCAREER and The W*, is bringing winter and the holiday spirit to fans this Friday. Season 3 also features music from Grammy Award winning producer Hit-Boy with Dom Kennedy, plus Lil Pump and Jovaine make their 2K Beats debut.
In NBA 2K23 Season 3, Atlanta Hawks’ All-Star guard Trae Young shows off his cold-blooded approach as winter comes tothe court, bringing an avalanche of new rewards and content and turning The City (PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X|S) and The G.O.A.T Boat (PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, and PC) into a winter wonderland for players to ice out the competition. More updates include:
MyCAREER additions include a festive version of the North Pole and holiday events to experience in The City and the G.O.A.T. Boat, new chilly courts and arctic artwork, and a special Santa outfit as a Level 39 reward for players on PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X|S or Level 40 on PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, and PC. New Core Badge Patterns are exclusive to PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X|S players who reach Level 40. Additionally, earn rewards like Ski Goggles, Trae Young 2 “Forever Young” Shoes, a Magic Carpet vehicle, and even more.
MyTEAM offers up all new rewards, including Free Agent Damian Lillard as the Level 1 reward for simply entering the Season menu, and Trae Young as the first Galaxy Opal Level 40 reward. Additionally, for the first time in 2K23, Beyond Level 40 returns with more agendas and opportunities to improve teams. Also, Tim Duncan and Julius Erving are now available to those who have collected the entire Eastern or Western Conference’s Trophy Case, with 15 more Centerpieces and other rare Trophy Case event cards available this Season.
The W* additions include refreshed challenges, updated Community rewards such as the Dream Logo MyTEAM Card, and Vicki Johnson Coach MyTEAM Card. NBA 2K23 continues its roll out of the 60 WNBA player jerseys coming to the City and the G.O.A.T Boat in MyCAREER. Season 3 brings Dallas Wings star Arike Ogunbowale, New York Liberty standouts Natasha Howard and Sabrina Ionescu, and Washington Mystics Elena Delle Donne and Natasha Cloud’s jerseys onto the court.
2K Beats continues to bring the hype with new music additions, including the latest track from Grammy Award-winning producer Hit-Boy and Dom Kennedy and the 2K Beats exclusive in-game debut of new tracks from Lil Pump and Jovanie. Additionally, the NBA 2K Producer Series adds beats from well-known producers Kosine and JohnG. Players can record their own verses over these new beats while playing through the game and share it on social media.
For all the details for Season 3 of NBA 2K23, check out the latest Courtside Report. NBA 2K23 is currently available for PlayStation 5 and PlayStation 4, Xbox Series X|S and Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, and PC platforms. For more information, please visit the game’s official website.
Developed by Visual Concepts, NBA 2K23 is rated PG by the Australian Classification Board.
