Numskull Designs announced their official Fallout 76 merchandise range. The first online game of the franchise from Bethesda Softworks will launch on November 14th for PC, Xbox One and PlayStation 4. If there’s a birthday near or you’re in need of Christmas gifts, this might be what you’re looking for. Of course you can also add these products into your own Fallout collection and prepare you for the adventures in the wasteland!
The folks from GameMill Entertainment announced, that Nickelodeon Kart Racers is available now for Xbox One, PlayStation 4 and Nintendo Switch. In this multiplayer racing game you can select your favourite character from iconic Nickelodeon series like SpongeBob SquarePants, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, Rugrats, Hey Arnold! and more. You can play the local multiplayer or battle mode with up to four players on 24 different tracks.
“The anticipation for Nickelodeon Kart Racers has been amazing,” said Mark Meadows, Partner of GameMill Entertainment. “Bringing so many different characters together in one game has been fun and challenging. We are overjoyed to see how excited people are and we can’t wait for players of all ages to join The Slime Grand Prix!”
Nickelodeon Kart Racers is available to purchase for $39,99 on Xbox One, PlayStation 4 and Nintendo Switch.
Between this year’s Call of Duty: Black Ops 4 and last year’s Call of Duty: WW II, the franchise seems to be moving away from the fast pace of previous titles and back to more grounded gameplay of early games. This year’s iteration is the first without a singleplayer campaign, opting instead for the series’ first battle royale mode called Blackout. Combined with the traditional multiplayer modes and the ever-popular zombie mode, Treyarch is hoping their triple threat will conquer the busiest video game launch season of the year.
Story
Call of Duty: Black Ops 4 is the first game in the franchise to dispense with a singleplayer campaign, but not the story completely. Instead, the story has been moved to Specialist HQ where players get small cut scenes in exchange for playing tutorial missions for each specialist and a bunch of bot matches. Black Ops 4 is supposed to serve as the bridge between the events of Black Ops 2 and Black Ops 3. In practice, the story is vague and barely understandable to anyone new to the franchise. It’s bad enough that I would have preferred if Treyarch just embraced the fact they were making a Call of Duty game in the Black Ops universe with no singleplayer campaign and just skip the story all together. The only bright spot in the story is the hilarious, over top performance by the AI version of Sergeant Frank Woods.
On the other hand, the state of the zombie campaign is a lot better. The two main storylines are entertaining. The writing is still a bit cheesy at times, but I think it’s always been part of the mode’s charm. The constant banter between the players gives the mode a lot of character, though players will hear a few lines over again in the course of a long game of zombies.
Gameplay
Call of Duty: Black Ops 4 marks the return of the Pick 10 and the Specialists systems. The infinitely flexible Pick 10 system has aged incredibly well and still ranks as one of my favourite class systems in an FPS. This year’s specialists are a diverse bunch. Each one offers two skills on a short and long timer, with the longer timer skill essentially serving as a fourth killstreak. There’s definitely a specialist for every playstyle, such as the support friendly Crash and the flanker’s friend Seraph.
The movement system in Black Ops 4 is possibly the best in the series so far. Running around the map and climbing into windows is incredibly smooth. The pacing is quicker than last year’s Call of Duty: WWII, but still grounded enough for older Call of Duty fans to feel right at home. The game easily ranks as one of the smoothest FPSes I’ve played in a long while.
Considering Call of Duty started the trend of automatic health regeneration, I was rather surprised that Black Ops 4 opted for a new health system. Now players are given a syringe that will regenerate all the player’s health over a few seconds. The syringe has a short cooldown, meaning players can’t tank shots either. It’s a great system that offers players the tough choice between reloading and regenerating health during tense firefights.
The game has opted for a slightly more team-based, casual friendly appeal. The scoreboard has been reformatted to reward players for participating in combat instead of landing the final blow. While this probably won’t change the kill/death ratio obsessed community overnight, it’s a small change that helps new players feel like they are contributing to the match. This feels like the logical next step to Call of Duty’s existing point based scorestreak system.
Call of Duty: Black Ops 4 offers a mix of old favourites and new maps. The old maps have been left untouched save for a facelift to bring them up to modern standards. The new maps are a solid mix of close quarter brawls and long hallways for tense sniper battles. It appears that the series’ emphasis is now on larger mixed area maps, versus the small pure close quarter battle maps that players have a love/hate relationship with.
Treyarch is hopping on the battle royale bandwagon this year, offering a new Blackout mode that pits players against each other in small teams or a free for all. Instead of choosing their guns and perks, players parachute onto a massive map with main areas taking design cues from some of Black Ops most beloved levels. Perks, weapons, and equipment are scattered around the map that is quickly closing in on the players. Call of Duty’s fast paced gunplay translates well to the mode.
Call of Duty: Black Ops 4 offers two separate zombie campaigns consisting of two missions each. While the two campaigns share the base gameplay, perks, potions, and guns; each campaign starts with its own set of plot-appropriate special weapons that are eventually unlocked for the other campaign. The new missions have a ton of content beyond fighting zombie waves that get increasingly more challenging. Without many hints, players will need to experiment, or use a walkthrough, to find all the Easter Eggs in the level. The levels are designed well, with few cheap chokepoints and a lot of neat little challenges scattered throughout.
The weapon balancing is clearly a work in progress. On the PC, the dual SAUG 9mm combo and, to a slightly lesser degree, the Paladin sniper rifle currently need a nerf. From what I hear from console players, they are faced with a separate set of issues due to the lack of mouse and keyboard. It might be time for Treyarch to follow Blizzard’s lead and balance the PC and console versions of the game separately.
Right now, the network situation needs some work. During the beta, Black Ops 4 ran at 60hz up and down. Currently, the game client sends data at 60hz, but receives at 20hz. The set up is not ideal for competitive first person shooters, and many of Black Ops 4’s non-battle royale competitors are running at least 60hz up and down. In all fairness though, Acitivision-Blizzard’s other big competitive shooter Overwatch was in a similar situation on launch and later upgraded to 60hz up and down. Launches for big games means a crush of players during the first week with a quick drop in player count in following weeks. Managing a finite amount of server resources to ensure a good experience for all players during that initial surge is a challenge. What’s not excusable is the fact Treyarch hasn’t been clear on what their plans are to sort this matter out. They’ve announced they will be rolling out improvements in the coming weeks but have been a vague on what these improvements actually entail. As of publishing, there is talk that this improvement is a bump up to 30hz for some servers, but it’s still a far cry from 60.
The PC port quality is excellent. Beenox has done a fantastic job making sure PC players can tweak almost every aspect of the game. I like the fact the game’s tiered menu that offer the usual options with an advanced menu just underneath to let players have finer control over the game. It’s a small detail, but I noticed fact Call of Duty: Black Ops 4 lets me use the caps lock key without actually triggering the caps lock. I don’t know what sort of black magic happened, but I wish more games would do it.
Visuals
Call of Duty: Black Ops 4 doesn’t change too much graphically besides the usual upgrades to take advantage of the latest and greatest hardware. The near futuristic art style looks excellent, though admittedly a few gun designs would probably be immediately booted from a firearms designer’s desk for not being practical. The maps offer a good variety of locales to keep things fresh. Classic maps like Firing Range have been given a visual update and look excellent.
Audio
The audio experience in Call of Duty: Black Ops 4 is good. The music is the usual hard rock tracks we’ve come to expect from the series. The voice acting is solid. The sound effects have a nice punch to them. Sound directionality is not bad but could be improved. With a pair of headphones and a virtual surround sound set up, I had no problem figuring out exactly where shots were coming from, but footsteps generally felt more muffled in comparison. It’s not much of an issue for busy modes like Team Deathmatch where all the action drowns a lot of footsteps anyways, but it’s a bit frustrating for quieter modes like Blackout.
Overall
Call of Duty: Black Ops 4 is the perfect example of small, steady improvements year after year on a long running franchise to keep it fresh enough to bring in old players without completely alienating the fan base. The return to the more grounded gameplay is sure to bring older players into the fold. The improved movement system and the new Blackout mode are excellent. The game is suffering growing pains though. The guns need some balancing and the netcode needs to be bumped back to 60hz as soon as possible; however, even with these issues, I’ve still had an absolute blast with Call of Duty: Black Ops 4.
Capsule Computers review guidelines can be found here.
Action-packed classic arcade style multiplayer with vertical orientation arriving on eShops October 29th
Bristol, United Kingdom, October 15th, 2018 – Ground Shatter and Ant Workshop today announce that classic arcade-style, multiplayer fighting game, SkyScrappers, will release on Nintendo Switch on the 29th of October with exclusive vertical “Tate” mode and is available to pre-order now.
There exists a secret group of international risk-takers who seek sky scrapers planned for demolition to use as their playground, as they fight one another and race skyward through falling debris before the building crashes to the ground… or they do.
SkyScrappers thrusts players into the heart of exploding sky scrapers, where they must race, scrap and scale their way up crumbling brickwork in the ultimate daredevil race to the top. Players must time their ascent to navigate treacherous debris and utilize falling platforms, while attacking their opponents to force them to the bottom. SkyScrappers includes two-four player local multiplayer and single-player campaigns, with a range of modes to master.
Working proudly in conjunction with seasoned publisher, Ant Workshop, to bring SkyScrappers to the Nintendo Switch; Ground Shatter are excited to introduce a brand new and exclusive vertical Tate mode developed exclusively for the platform.
Ground Shatter Director, James Parker said, “In many ways the Switch is the natural fit for SkyScrappers. With its pick-up and play controls and couch multiplayer, it’s never been easier for a group of friends to grab a JoyCon and jump into the high-rise action. And the new vertical Tate Mode finally brings to realisation the authentic arcade experience that we’ve craved since we came up with the game.”
Teaming vertical gameplay with hand-held, one-stick, two-button controls and an incredible 90s style arcade soundtrack; SkyScrappers fuses a retro style with stunning graphics and platform optimization to create a perfect classic arcade game for the modern era.
SkyScrappers is available to pre-order now on EU, US and AU Nintendo Switch eShops and GroundShatter Director, James Parker is available for interview requests.
About Ground Shatter
Ground Shatter is a contradiction, treading the line between abject cynicism and unfettered positivity; free-spirited iconoclasm and searing professionalism; with one foot in the seaside arcades of the past and the other in the cutting edge technology of the now.
About Ant Workshop Ants – tiny, strong, focussed, good at working with others to achieve their goals and often with a nasty bite. Some of these characteristics (not so much the bitey ones) are also shared by Ant Workshop, a small independant game developer and game design consultancy based in Edinburgh, Scotland.
Latest Update Includes Gambit, Sentinel, and Nightcrawler Alongside Other Additions for Popular MARVEL Mobile Game
LOS ANGELES (October 23, 2018) – Netmarble Corp. has added three all-new characters as part of a hotly anticipated update to its Super Hero mobile game, MARVEL Future Fight. Starting today, players will have the opportunity to earn fan favorites from the X-Men comics – Nightcrawler, Sentinel, and Gambit.
In addition to the highly anticipated X-Men characters joining MARVEL Future Fight, several new improvements are now live, including new costumes for existing characters (Angel, Emma Frost, X-23, and Magneto) and several characters (Magneto, Gambit, Nightcrawler, Sentinel, Angel, Emma Frost, X-23) now capable of realizing their potential. Players can also look forward to an all-new real-time Giant Boss Raid against the giant Sentinel menace, Master Mold.
Additional updates to MARVEL Future Fight include:
Character types can be upgraded to maximum type affinity with the new growth system.
Multiple defeated characters in the Conquest can be selected and revived at once
Auto Repeat can be turned on during a stage
Tier-3 Advancement animation can be viewed again
Sender of the alliance support will be displayed
World Boss Invasion Co-op Quest rebalanced
MARVELFuture Fight recently celebrated its third anniversary, hosting special in-game events for its audience of more than 86 million players around the world. The game is currently available worldwide in the App Store® and Google Play™.
Netmarble Corporation strives to entertain audiences of all ages around the world by providing great mobile gaming experiences. Established in Korea in 2000, Netmarble is one of the fastest-growing mobile game companies and consistently ranks as a top mobile developer and publisher worldwide. With more than 5,000 employees, Netmarble has been producing and servicing some of the most successful mobile games including Lineage 2: Revolution, MARVEL Future Fight, Everybody’s Marble, and Seven Knights. As a parent company to Kabam, a top mobile game developer in massively multiplayer free-to-play games, and the largest shareholder to Jam City, a leading casual social game developer, Netmarble has a strategic partnership with CJ ENM Corporation, Asia’s largest entertainment company, Tencent Holdings, Asia’s largest internet company, and NCsoft, a prominent MMORPG company. More information can be found at http://company.netmarble.com
App Store is a trademark of Apple Inc., registered in the US and other countries. App Store is a service mark of Apple Inc. Google Play is a trademark of Google Inc.
Monsters Awaken in World of Tanks: Mercenaries This Halloween
October 24, 2018 — As the witching hour approaches, monsters will rise to cause havoc on the battlefield! As ferocious Monster Tanks are beginning to awaken from their otherworldly slumber as Halloween draws closer, there’s only one way to keep these beasts at bay. At the end of October, World of Tanks: Mercenaries players on PlayStation®4 and Xbox can look forward to fighting monsters with monsters and exploring everything new in Update 4.7.
When there is no more room in tank hell, monsters will roam the earth. Monsters Awakened is coming from October 26 through October 29, a special mode that pits monster against monster in thrilling supernatural deathmatches! Eight Premium tanks, including the terrifying new Wraith Panzer 58 and Bog Horror, will receive special ‘Awakened’ forms. These unique forms give the tanks unnatural powers, a monstrous new look and allow them to be used to fight for their afterlives in the spooky Grim Graveyard map! If players don’t have the Premium tanks, the ghostly Spectre tank will be available to use exclusively in the Monsters Awakened mode for a limited time.
Before October is over, Update 4.7 will bring new updates and content to World of Tanks: Mercenaries! New maps and a villainous new gang of Mercenaries will be implemented with this latest big content update, along with a host of other exciting changes. Stay tuned for more information when this update lands on October 30.
World of Tanks: Mercenaries already has over 700 tanks, and we’re not planning on slowing down with the release of new ones! The Soviet Tech Tree will also be expanding with a new roster of high tier tanks when Update 4.7 deploys. Eight new heavy hitters from Tier VIII to Tier X will be available to work towards, with the Object 430U, K-91, Object 705A, Object 277, Object 268 v4, Object 705, Object 257, and IS-M all stepping up to represent the best in Soviet engineering.
And when all the Monster Tanks have returned to their eternal slumber and October is done, November will bring even more special content and surprises! World of Tanks: Mercenaries will be celebrating Veteran’s Day and Tanksgiving with huge XP bonuses, there’s a new nation on its way, and amazing discounts are coming to mark Black Friday and Cyber Monday at the end of the month.
World of Tanks: Mercenaries receives new content updates every Tuesday, so there’s always fresh content to explore when you return to the battlefield! When Update 4.7 launches on October 30, update your game client while logged into PlayStation Network or Xbox Live to dive in to the latest version of the game.
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About World of Tanks: Mercenaries
World of Tanks: Mercenaries is a team-based massively multiplayer online action game dedicated to armored combat, created by Wargaming West in Chicago, USA. Players immerse themselves in fierce 15-v-15 tank combat with opponents from around the world, and can fight it out on more than 90 different maps, and take command of their preferred vehicle out of over 700 tanks from 10 different nations. For the first time in the history of the World of Tanks series, a new Mercenaries line allows players to forsake nationalities and take the wheel on a new range of powerful tanks, exclusive to the console experience.
World of Tanks: Mercenaries is played by more than 17 million players worldwide and is available on all generations of PlayStation®4, Xbox One, and Xbox 360. World of Tanks: Mercenaries can be downloaded for free by all PlayStation Network and Xbox Live account holders, with stunning 4K resolution and HDR support on PlayStation®4 Pro and Xbox One X. The epic, story-driven campaign mode War Stories can also be played for free, with regular episodic stories giving players the chance to rewrite history in immersive single-player and co-operative battles.
Wargaming is an award-winning online game developer and publisher headquartered in Nicosia, Cyprus. Founded in 1998, Wargaming has grown to become one of the leaders in the gaming industry with 4000+ employees and offices spread all over the world. Over 200 million players enjoy Wargaming’s titles across all major gaming platforms. Their flagship products include the massively popular free-to-play hit World of Tanks and the strategic naval action game World of Warships.
The company’s dedicated unit, Wargaming Mobile, is forging collaborations to deliver new mobile experiences alongside their in-house game development.
Storm Boy: The Game Flocks to Consoles, PC, Mobile on Nov. 20
Classic Australian Children’s Book Comes to Life
SYDNEY, NSW – Oct. 23, 2018 – Storm Boy: The Game, an adaptation of the novella exploring the friendship between a child and his pet pelican, soars to Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Windows PC, Mac, iOS, and Android on Nov. 20, 2018.
Based on Colin Thiele’s beloved 1964 children’s book, Storm Boy: The Game is an interactive telling that allows players to experience this classic story in a new medium, taking control of the eponymous protagonist and his amiable pelican companion, Mr. Percival, as the pair explores the lush natural beauty of the Coorong lagoon and South Australia’s majestic coastline.
Developed by Blowfish Studios, this adaptation recreates key moments from the tale while also introducing a variety of entertaining and relaxing mini-games to relish. These activities include sailing, bird feeding, sand surfing, cockle hunting, playing fetch, drawing, and more.
“Our team is proud to translate Storm Boy into the world of games and provide players with a new way to enjoy this heartfelt story, whether they grew up with it or are experiencing it for the first time,” said Ellen Jurik, Storm Boy: The Game’s director, Blowfish Studios. “We can’t wait for everyone to see what we’ve done and are happy to announce our Nov. 20 release date.”
About Blowfish Studios Blowfish Studios is a Sydney-based Australian independent game developer and publisher. The team strives to release original multiplatform games with diverse feature sets that appeal to a broad audience, and to have fun in the process!
3D Realms and 1C Entertainment Bring Ion Maiden to Consoles Q2 2019
Joining Forces for Both Ion Maiden and an Unannounced FPS Based on the Original Quake Engine
DALLAS, TX – October 23, 2018 –3D Realms, the developer of classic first-person shooters including Duke Nukem and Shadow Warrior, will collaborate with global PC and console publisher 1C Entertainment to bring Ion Maiden to Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4 and Xbox One in Q2 2019, in addition to the previously announced Steam release. Both companies will also collaborate on a new unannounced FPS based on the original Quake engine coming to all the same platforms as Ion Maiden.
Ion Maiden’s exclusive multi-hour preview campaign is available on Steam Early Access for $19.99 in English, French, Italian, German, Spanish and Russian. The retro first-person shooter developed in the Build engine, which powered Duke Nukem 3D, Blood, and Shadow Warrior, will simultaneously release on all platforms Q2 2019 in both digital and physical formats. In this prequel to 2016’s Bombshell, Shelly has to take down transhumanist mastermind Dr. Jadus Heskel.
While Ion Maiden utilizes a classic engine, Early Access players have still found the modern staples they’ve come to expect, including headshots, more physics and interactivity, widescreen support, controller support and auto-saves. 3D Realms and 1C Entertainment are taking the best of both worlds and cooking it all into a bloody stew.
1C Entertainment is responsible for the popular RTS series Men of War, the fantasy tactical role-playing games King’s Bounty, and World War II flight simulator series IL-2 Sturmovik. Collaborating with 3D Realms promises to bring both teams’ creative powers together and deliver the high-quality content gamers know both companies for.
“Presenting games like Ion Maiden to all of 3D Realms’ fans is our number one priority,” said Mike Nielsen, CEO of 3D Realms. “Partnering with 1C Entertainment means we can make our dedicated community happier by bringing Shelly to consoles.”
“I was always a fan of the old-school classic FPS titles Duke Nukem 3D, Blood, Max Payne and Shadow Warrior, so I am super thrilled to partner with a legendary studio such as 3D Realms,” said Nikolay Baryshnikov, CEO of 1C Entertainment. “As a global publisher, our goal is to bring top-quality titles to all the gamers around the world, and our cooperation with 3D Realms is a great addition to our portfolio. For me personally, it’s a kid’s dream come true.”
About 3D Realms Founded 30 years ago, 3D Realms was the publisher, developer and creator of many legendary gaming franchises, most still going strong: Wolfenstein 3D, Duke Nukem, Shadow Warrior, Max Payne and Prey.
About 1C Entertainment 1C Entertainment is an international group with offices located in Warsaw, Gdansk, Prague, Budapest and Moscow and operating in the segments of game production, distribution and services for video game developers. The company releases video games for all platforms through its global network of partners digitally and in retail. 1C Entertainment has successfully launched over 100 game titles including critically acclaimed series – IL-2 Sturmovik, King’s Bounty, Men of War and Space Rangers. Recent releases include such games as Ancestors Legacy and Deep Sky Derelicts.
Radical Power Disc Slinger Windjammers Now Available on Nintendo Switch
Season 2 of the Competitive Flying Power League Begins Today, First Major of the Season Scheduled for December
PARIS – Oct. 23, 2018 – Dotemu, the developer and publisher specializing in remastering and reintroducing classic games on modern platforms, today releases the Windjammers in partnership with Blitworks on the Nintendo Switch via the eShop for $14.99, and we cannot recommend checking out the launch trailer strongly enough:
Windjammers’ Nintendo Switch version offers a near identical emulation of the original 1994 release, adding five incredible game modes (Arcade, Infinite, Local Versus, Online Quick Match and Ranked Match). Compete for top dog status on the game’s global online leaderboards and challenge anyone, anywhere – Windjammers is the ultimate on-the-go competitive experience taking full advantage of the Nintendo Joy-Cons and the simple but rewarding two-button design.
The Switch’s play-anywhere capabilities are also a perfect opportunity to get extra practice ahead of jumping in to Season 2 – a bastion of top-tier competitive Windjammers esports action featuring disc slinging athletes from around the world await. Tournament organizers can register on Smash.gg/wjfpl and be part of the Flying Power League. The first Major of the season will be NEC 19 in Philadelphia, December 14-16, 2018 (https://smash.gg/tournament/northeast-championship-19/).
A cult classic sport among arcade and NEOGEO fans, Windjammers’ courts host battles of reflexes and strategy between two players as they fling discs toward their opponent’s goal while defending their own. Windjammers’ easy-to-pick-up mechanics quickly introduce substantial depth, rewarding both newcomers and veteran players who learn advanced levels of play with fast-paced, exhilarating matches.
Dotemu is a french video game company specializing in modern releases of beloved retro games. Our mission is simple: give every gamer access to yesteryear’s classic video games on today’s platforms, including PC, mobile, console and more. Working alongside the world’s most cherished and recognized publishers, the Dotemu team has produced a number of global top-sellers across both PC and console, including Wonder Boy: The Dragon’s Trap, Windjammers, several games in the Ys series and more. Founded in 2007, Dotemu leverages its considerable technological know-how to maintain the original spirit of classic games while giving them a second life as rediscovered gems for a new generation of gamers.
GEAR UP & GET READY TO BATTLE THROUGH FRACTURED LANDS
Unbroken Studios Announces Season 2 Launch and Free Weekend
Los Angeles, CA — October 23, 2018 – Unbroken Studios announced today that Season 2 for Fractured Lands, a first-person shooter, last-one-standing game, will launch on November 6th. Fractured Lands breaks the mold with Season 2 by putting a spin on several new features. As vehicles in Fractured Lands are some of the most powerful and important weapons in the game, the new season will add the long-awaited semi-truck, a squad battle game mode, and 100 new customizations – stay alert, there is also one that is more than meets the eye!
In Fractured Lands players will find themselves behind the wheel of a customizable vehicle in a desolate desert. Take your bare-to-the-bones vehicle and upgrade them by searching and collecting weapons fuel and parts throughout the game. Use what you can in this post-apocalyptic setting, it might be your only chance for survival. Fractured Lands breaks the mold with an arsenal of customizable vehicles and weapons that will have players fighting to see who is king of the road.
After the Season 2 launch, players will get a chance to dive into battle during the Fractured Lands Free Weekend taking place November 8 through November 11.
ABOUT UNBROKEN STUDIOS
Unbroken Studios is a Los Angeles-based team, made up of 40+ veteran video game developers with proven track records in building best-in-class games, across all platforms, for the world’s largest publishers. Thee studio’s list of credits include some of the most memorable game experiences from the last twenty years including blockbuster franchises such as Battlefield, Call of Duty, Medal of Honor, and God of War.
