At the Computer Entertainment Developers Conference (CEDEC), Capcom showcased Resident Evil 7 in the form of several videos. As can be seen below, the game uses Photogrammetry, a graphics technique which is used to create very dense photographic data directly from any 3D object which results into highly detailed in-game assets.
The developers also revealed that they used 140 DSLR cameras and a 100 of them were used for full body scanning and the remaining 40 were used for facial capture. The developers also re-confirmed that the engine now fully supports physical based rendering pipeline which enabled them to develop materials that react differently according to the light source.
Capcom also showed off several in-game character models and hair rendering technology. All in all, we are deeply impressed with what Capcom is doing with Resident Evil 7. The game’s controversial change in direction, radical change in gameplay mechanics and the developer’s commitment to photorealistic graphics seem to be doing be more good than bad for the series.
Resident Evil 7 launches on the PS4, Xbox One and PC in January 2017.
Bugbear Games’ Wreckfest, their demolition derby racer that has been available to play for PC players for a while now thanks to Steam Early Access, will be finally making its way over to consoles- Bugbear have announced today that the game will be launching on Xbox One and PlayStation 4 in 2017.
Bugbear also confirmed that pre-ordering the game will enable you to play it early- fans who pre-order the game via Bugbear’s website will be given access to the game’s beta on PS4 and Game Preview on Xbox One. The final release of the completed game, meanwhile, is expected to be in Spring 2017.
There will be more coming from the studio, as well- Bugbear have announced a new physics based PC racer called Stuntfest, which they describe as “a wacky vehicle-based physics playground that will enable you to create your own mischievous levels using the easy-to-use in-game editor and then trying to accomplish all sorts of crazy ragdoll stunts.” It is due to launch on Steam Early Access this Fall. You can check out a teaser trailer for it below.
Turtle Rock Studios’ Evolve Stage 2 has received the second portion of its “Shear Madness” event – a co-op map which pits four players against enemy AI. Dubbed Operation The Deepest Dark, it sees four Hunters teaming up to battle wildlife and other horrors. The Queen of Gorgons has essentially taken over a Wraith facility and it’s up to your team to stop her, although her rapidly hatching minions don’t make things easier. There’s even a neat little story behind it to solve the mystery of the Queen’s arrival on the planet of Shear.
Evolve Stage 2 is currently available on Steam as a free to play and acts as a re-launch of the initial 4 vs. 1 PvP title from 2015. Though your previously purchased and unlocked skins carry over from before, it’s now possible to earn everything by simply playing through the game. Several skills and the overall progression have been reworked as well to accommodate the free to play experience.
We don’t know a whole lot about Resident Evil 7 just yet – in spite of Capcom sharing a lot about the game, there is still plenty that’s shrouded in mystery – but the game’s January 2017 release is rapidly approaching, and that means that even without Capcom sharing information themselves, some of it will come to light anyway.
For instance, take Resident Evil 7‘s ESRB listing (via NeoGAF) - it reveals some new information about the game to us. Notably, it reveals the protagonist’s name, as well as his primary motive for doing what he is doing. “This is a survival-horror game in which players assume the role of Ethan, a man searching for his missing wife in a derelict mansion. From a first-person perspective, players explore the environment and use pistols, shotguns, flamethrowers, explosives and chainsaws to kill mutant creatures. Combat is accompanied by realistic gunfire, screams of pain, and exaggerated blood-splatter effects. As players progress through the story, cutscenes can depict instances of gore and intense acts of violence: a character’s arm dismembered by a chainsaw; a man’s leg taken off at the knee with a shovel; a character impaled through the face with a shovel. Some areas also depict mutilated corpses with exposed organs/viscera. The words “f**k” and “sh*t” are heard in the dialogue,” the rating reads.
Most of that is known stuff already (or at least stuff that we would have expected), but I suppose we do learn some new story details there. That, plus this serves as confirmation of Capcom’s earlier assertion that Resident Evil 7 will have combat, after all. Source: Rheena.com
With the PlayStation 4 Slim leak now conclusively being a thing, we are learning more and more about the new upcoming console that should be announced and released at Sony’s PlayStation Meeting in early September. We already know that what the console looks like, and that it comes with a new, slightly updated DualShock 4 controller- and now, thanks to more information shared by Twitter user shortman82, we have more information on both.
shortman82 confirmed that the PS4 Slim doesn’t come with the PS4 4.0 firmware update- or at least, the one he has doesn’t. The console is, in his experience, very cool and very quite, which makes for a nice change from the existing PS4 models, which are either too hot, or too loud, or both. He also said the DualShock 4 is a bit better built in this iteration, with better build quality, especially for the triggers, and that the controller feels more solid- whatever that means.
He also made some clarifications about the additional light bar that has been reported on, noting that it’s not exactly another light bar as much as it is the touchpad having a transparent strip that you can see the lightbar through. He also confirmed that console’s battery seems to be longer lasting (though to the best of his knowledge, it is using the same battery as the original DualShock 4 model), and that it now lets players select how they want the controller to interact with the console.
These are all small things, and on the whole, it doesn’t seem like the PS4 Slim will be a major departure from, or improvement on, the existing models. Still, these small quality of life improvements are likely to be well received. Source: Rheena.com
Duke Nukem is making a comeback of sorts. A countdown site emerged earlier today that seemed related to the macho first person shooter hero (with “happy 20th anniversary” blazoned near the top) and there were already theories that this would be a re-release of the first Duke Nukem from 1996.
According to a Reddit user who spoke to an unnamed source, this is Duke Nukem 3D: World Tour. A number of screenshots were also provided showcasing enhanced visuals. Other features that are apparently (as in, not totally confirmed) include co-op play and online multiplayer deathmatch. Nerve Software is also apparently in charge of development.
We’ll know for sure if the announcement is real but until then, take even the attached screenshots with a grain of salt. The last we saw of Duke Nukem in any significant video game form was Duke Nukem Forever, the long-in-development FPS from 3D Realms before it went bankrupt and transferred rights to Gearbox Software. And no, it was not worth the wait.
Will this supposed remake fare better? Stay tuned in the coming weeks to find out. Source: Rheena.com
The Wii’s ultimate legacy with hardcore gamers may be one of potential wasted, but what those gamers often miss is that it made arguably one of the most influential contributions to the modern gaming market of all gaming machines. Motion controls have now become a mainstay of all devices- Nintendo’s own 3DS and Wii U use them, Sony’s PlayStation Vita and PlayStation 4 utilize them, VR solutions on the market such as Oculus Rift, HTC Vive, and PlayStation VR utilize them, and even mass market devices like smartphones and tablets use them.
Motion controls, in other words, are here to stay, and each device has some form of them at this point- so it shouldn’t come as much of a surprise that Nintendo’s upcoming NX will include the functionality, too- especially given that Nintendo pioneered the functionality to begin with.
Let’s Play Video Games, a site formed by ex-Destructoid alum, and previously responsible for accurately leaking Until Dawn: Rush of Blood, is reporting (via NeoGAF) that according to their sources, the Nintendo NX, which will be in line with Eurogamer’s leak of the device, will feature Wii-like controllers for the detachable controllers that the rumor mentioned. They will support basic motion control, similar to the Wii Motion Plus, and will have a form of localized haptic force feedback, which will differentiate the kind of vibration feedback the player receives from the game. It also sounds like Wii Remotes will be supported for multiplayer purposes, too- at least to begin with.
All of this sounds like fairly standard and expected stuff, so I can’t say I am too surprised or scandalized by any of it. Nintendo’s NX is due to be launched worldwide in March next year, and an announcement is allegedly due this Fall, most likely some time in September. Source: Rheena.com
Bungie’s Destiny is preparing to shift on to current gen consoles only when Rise of Iron releases in September. As noted by the developer previously, events like Iron Banner and Trials of Osiris will not be available to previous gen owners going forward.
In fact, in a new weekly update, Bungie outlined exactly when Trials of Osiris would end for Xbox 360 and PS3 players. The final event will take place on August 26th and ends on August 30th. Past this point, you’ll have to upgrade to the Xbox One or PS4. It also noted that even current gen players will need Rise of Iron to continue playing Trials of Osiris.
Furthermore, current gen console owners will not be able to play Trials of Osiris after the weekend of September 2nd. The event will only return on September 30th, 10 AM PDT – roughly 10 days after the release of Rise of Iron on September 20th.
Have you upgraded to current gen in anticipation of Destiny’s next expansion? Let us know in the comments. Source: Rheena.com
Ubisoft has announced the closure of two free to play titles – Ghost Recon Phantoms and The Mighty Quest for Epic Loot – in the coming months. Ghost Recon Phantoms will be shut down on December 1st with Ubisoft Singapore thanking fans for their support. The developer noted that audience outreach simply wasn’t strong enough. “Unfortunately, GRP was not as successful as we had hoped for, so we had to make the decision to close the game. This decision wasn’t easy for us and we tried to find other ways. But in the end we decided to close the game and focus on other projects.”
As for The Mighty Quest for Epic Loot, the reasons were fairly similar – the game wasn’t as popular as the publisher Ubisoft wanted. Subsequently, it will be shutting down in October. “Unfortunately, Mighty Quest for Epic Loot was not as successful as we had hoped for, so we had to make the decision to close the game. This decision wasn’t easy for us and we tried to find other ways. But in the end we decided to close the game and focus on other projects.”
Unfortunately, there don’t seem to be refunds for Ghost Recon Phantoms’ micro-transactions. What are your thoughts on both games’ closures? Let us know in the comments. Source: Rheena.com
The final DLC pack for Call of Duty: Black Ops 3 will indeed be called Salvation, as was already rumored – and it will be launching on PlayStation 4 on September 6, concluding post launch support for Treyarch’s hit game right ahead of this November’s launch of Infinite Warfare.
“Without a doubt, this is the most epic season of DLC that we’ve ever created for fans of Multiplayer and Zombies,” said Mark Lamia, Studio Head, Treyarch. “At this point it goes without saying, that Zombies has been a true labour of love for the studio and I’m proud to say that this will be a defining and epic experience for the fans who have joined us over the last 8 years.”
Salvation will feature four new multiplayer maps (including one returning from Treyarch’s World at War), as well as the conclusion to the Zombies mode storyline.
“With the release of Zombies as an Easter Egg in 2008’s Call of Duty: World at War, Treyarch set forth on a journey – or, really a conversation – with fans and Revelations is the final punctuation mark,” said Jason Blundell, Director of Zombies, Treyarch. “The secrets we laid out years ago will finally make sense – we’ve been waiting a long time for this.”
Sounds like something fans cannot miss. Call of Duty: Black Ops 3: Salvation is going to launch on September 6 on PS4, with a release on Xbox One and PC to follow a month later.
Over the years, we’ve seen a number of unique first person shooters but many of them have a tough time surprising players with their gameplay. Respawn Entertainment’s Titanfall 2 is a follow-up to one of the more unique shooters and according to single player designer Mohammad Alavi in conversation with AusGamers, you’ll be doing things never done before in video games.
“And you’ll never do the same thing twice it is very unique from beginning to end. Not just unique in what came before it, but unique in the sense that you’re going to be doing things in Titanfall 2 that you haven’t done in a video game before and I promise you you’re not going to be able to do in any game coming out this fall either. I know that’s a bold statement but I can confidently say that.”
Titanfall 2’s multiplayer is currently undergoing a open tech test and will see its second weekend starting tomorrow. Respawn has also revealed changes that will be coming based on player feedback and there’s already enough hype for the single-player campaign. It’s out on October 28th for Xbox One, PS4 and PC. Source: Rheena.com
One of the big omissions in Destiny is matchmaking - there is no matchmaking for Destiny‘s various Raids. Given that the raids are among the best bits of content in the entire game, and that they form the bulk of end game activities in the title, this means that realistically, for a lot of players, there is no point in playing the game if they don’t have some friends also interested in playing it.
“We are absolutely listening, and we’re absolutely thinking about stuff, and we are also absolutely prioritizing the things that we want to do. So we’ve prioritized, in a lot of cases, giving players new adventures and new experiences. And then things like private matches, this is the right time to bring that into the game. So, I think it’s just about us trying to make the things that we think are the most impactful for each release. And constantly looking at stuff that people are talking about,” Steve Cotton of Bungie said to Metro UK in an interview. Asked specifically about the possibility of matchmaking for raids, Cotton said, “[It’s not off the cards.] We’ve been thinking about that a lot.”
This surely comes as good news to a lot of Destiny fans- the lack of matchmaking in raids has been one of the biggest issues with the game that has continued to be one of the big deficiencies of Destiny that have gone unaddressed. Hopefully with Destiny 2, this is no longer a problem. Source: Rheena.com
Tom Clancy’s The Division has seen its share of issues, ranging from the glitches to an unsatisfying single-player experience and shallow end-game. Massive is aware of this and has revealed more information on update 1.4 which will make sweeping changes to the overall experience.
In a new blog post, Massive said that update 1.4 will focus on balancing Gear Sets and weapons, providing a solo player experience, balancing the Dark Zone and PvP, focusing on time to kill and enemy difficulty, providing more relevant loot drops to the player, resolving currently known issues and providing Quality of Life changes (like removing the slow walk from the BoO to the Terminal and allowing weapon skins to not take up inventory space).
Update 1.4 will be out in October (with a special State of the Game presenting more information on September 13th) and it’s different from the upcoming Survival DLC with Massive focusing more on improving the overall experience rather than adding more new content. As a result, the Last Stand DLC has been delayed from Holiday 2016 to early 2017. Stay tuned for more information on upcoming changes with The Division in the meantime. Source: Rheena.com
One of the most promising upcoming indie games is The Turing Test, a game set on Europa, one of Jupiter’s Galilean moons, which promises to be a devilishly tricky first person puzzle game. Recently during a sit down with Howard Philpott of Bulkhead Interactive, who are developing the game, he answered some question about the title.
The Turing Test is going to launch on Xbox One and PC as a timed exclusive - he was asked about the reasoning behind this decision, asking him why a PS4 version was skipped. Philpott explained that Microsoft’s enthusiasm and support for the project led to the choice.
“It’s a timed exclusive on Xbox One, Microsoft really love the game and have really supported our studio get the game to their console first,” he said. “The game was developed on Steam, hence the simultaneous release on PC and Xbox One. We may look to other platforms in the future!”
He also confirmed that the game would run at 1080p and 30fps on the Xbox One, though PC players naturally get to pick and choose their own resolution and framerate. “The game currently runs at 1080p 30fps. On PC you can completely tweak framerates and resolutions to suit your system,” he explained.
The Turing Test will launch on Xbox One and PC this month. Source: Rheena.com
Nintendo continue to release snippets of gameplay for The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild, showing off tantalizing snippets of what the eagerly anticipated upcoming action adventure game will look like. The newest one of these gameplay video clips was just shared, and it gives us a look at some of the weapons, as well as their associated mechanics, in the game.
The video was shared via Facebook, Twitter, and other social media outlets (and for some reason, it looks really washed out- Nintendo really need to do something about color correction in their videos). It’s not much, but for information starved Zelda fans eagerly awaiting the release of the game next year, even this will probably be enough. It also helps that what is shown looks tantalizingly great.
The Legend of Zelda:Breath of the Wild will be launching in 2017 for Wii U and the Nintendo NX, and more information on it is expected at the Nintendo NX reveal event. Source: Rheena.com
PSN is known for not exactly being the most secure online service in the world- in fact, there have been an increasing amount of reports of late that individual accounts are being compromised. The problem is endemic, but it’s easy to address, too- basic security functionality, such as two step authentication (already available on competing services Xbox Live and Steam) would go a long way towards resolving the problem.
And now, two step authentication is finally available on PS4- it had been made available on PS3 earlier this year, but Sony’s current generation console finally gets it too. “Passwords can be compromised if you use the same password for multiple accounts, click on malicious links, open phishing emails and other methods. If your password is compromised and becomes known to someone other than yourself, your account will still require a verification code to gain access when you activate 2-Step Verification,” Sony’s explanation for the feature reads.
Hopefully, the introduction of this functionality means that the amount of individual and widespread hacks that PSN is still troubled by will go down over the coming weeks and months. Source: Rheena.com
Respawn Entertainment’s Titanfall 2 had its first recent tech test and the feedback was less than stellar. In between complaints about Bounty Hunt, many expressed annoyance with the changes to Titan mechanics (particularly the health and overall time they took to acquire), the overall player speed and much more.
The developer has since addressed many of those complaints in an official update. It noted that the final game would have faster wall-running and in-air speed for players while also stating that, While investigating this point, we discovered some unintended side effects that were causing players to lose momentum while wallrunning.” Expect this to be addressed in the final game.
Also, Respawn will re-introduce the gain of Titans through the same passive meter from the first game. Originally, players could only gain Titans by completing objectives but it doesn’t quite work out when you have to be adept at killing and there aren’t enough AI bots like the first game.
It also noted that more maps would be showcased (alleviating fears that many maps were like Homestead from the tech test), Titan dashes would recharge faster and so on. The second round of tech tests begins tomorrow and lasts till August 29th with the full game out on October 28th for Xbox One, PS4 and PC. Source: Rheena.com
Oh, Hitman, what happened? From what was on track to be one of the greater Hitman episodes in the series, developers IO Interactive have taken a back step in this latest stealth adventure in Episode 4: Bangkok. Though this episode isn’t necessarily bad and won’t diminish the fun factor completely, there are a few key points the developers have overlooked when going forward in this episodic structure for the series.
One major abrupt change is that there’s less of a focus on the open sandbox that had made the other episodes so enticing. The absence of that really changes the dynamics of this entire episode, which isn’t exactly a bad thing, but it doesn’t make it great either. I enjoyed past episodes, such as Paris, that had some nice open areas to explore and find out just what was hiding around the bend. It made the world feel more alive and definitely more interesting. Yes, Bangkok is still open, but the problem is that most of the focus will be centered around a luxury hotel called Himmapan. This is where Agent 47 will be taking out a large portion of his murderous mayhem and this is where most of the story will take place.
Himmapan is truly a luxury and fun to explore, and you’d better love exploring it because that’s where you’ll be spending a great deal of time for the overall short experience of this episode. Luckily the hotel is a beautiful and well worth the initial discovery. Everything about Himmapan screams luxury, from the walls that are crawling with numerous details to the elegant fixtures around every bend, it made me kind of jealous that I wasn’t a businessman myself set up in a nice place such as this.
Within this hotel Agent 47 is assigned to kill Jordan Cross. Cross is the lead singer of a band who was accused of murdering his girlfriend while at the same time trying to cover up the whole incident. What makes this character more interesting than previous assignments would be the situations the characters find themselves in. Did Cross kill his girlfriend or not? It’s not expressly explained. Though Cross does have an edge that doesn’t make him look exactly innocent and pure, there are still questions there as to wonder if Cross really is guilty of the crimes he’s accused of. That puts a spin on the entire focus of the setting.
Though this hotel is the only real place to explore within the game, it’s still interesting to walk down its halls, peer around every corner, and figure out the best locations for killing, while at the same time exploring what Himmapan has to offer in its vistas. Once you’ve gotten used to the surroundings, it’s fun to go off the main story path and find out what you can discover throughout the hotel; conversations that no ears should hear, embarrassing conversations between people, and just fun moments for you to enjoy on this all-too-serious mission-style game.
One of the drawbacks of this new episode are indeed its callbacks to previous episodes that are becoming rather stale and overly played out. From unreachable landscapes similar to the Paris episode to regurgitated kills, and similar AI that just doesn’t want to switch up the pace, the experience may become stale at times. Though the developers did in fact implemented a good feel of the people and their culture within this episode (as they had in the past), the focus around the hotel and forcing these people in one larger-than-life building could be bland and overwhelming at times.
Bangkok’s music is focused and just right for this type of stealth/action game. The music hits the right notes just at the perfect time. Overall, Hitman Episode 4: Bangkok is a fun, albeit little, addition to this episodic adventure. Though it does have its flaws such as the limited world to explore, it still carries the same tight gameplay from previous episodes. Bangkok feels like a side mission compared to previous episodes when it comes to scale, however there are some unique moment that are worth discovering.
THE GOOD Tight gameplay and interesting new twists to the narrative.
THE BAD The hotel makes the game cramped. There isn't a whole not of "new" here.
FINAL VERDICT Hitman Episode 4: Bangkok takes a few steps backwards compared to the previous episodes. Source: Rheena.com
Still embroiled in the Vault management cluster that is Fallout Shelter on mobiles? Bethesda continues to update the game with update 1.7 adding a bunch of new things to do. Along with Weekly and Special Event Quests, players will gain access to new quests for sending Dwellers out into the wilderness. Nuka-Cola Quantum is also available for skipping quests if you’re so inclined. With Nuka-World (the final DLC for Fallout 4) coming next week, the update also adds mascots Bottle and Cappy by completing a Special Event quest. Tapping on the mascots whenever they visit will reward you with Caps and Nuka-Cola Quantum.
Finally, there will be new challenges and objectives for Dwellers in the Vault to help earn additional resources. If you’re still inclined to see how long you can last in the Wasteland, then check out update 1.7 today. Fallout 4’s Nuka-World DLC will be out on August 30th for Xbox One, PC and PS4 in the meantime. Source: Rheena.com
The resolution wars this generation are a bit ridiculous- people are more obsessed about the lines and dots their consoles can display on the screen, rather than about the games themselves. And yet, I suppose, for a lot of fanboys, news such as this continues to serve as fodder.
Deck13, best known for Lords of the Fallen, a rather competently made Dark Souls clone from a few years ago, are now going to be translating that same formula to a dystopian science fiction setting with their upcoming game The Surge – and speaking to WCCFTech about the upcoming game, Deck13’s Game Programmer Torsten Fock-Herde confirmed that the Xbox One version of the game will be running at 900p, while the PS4 version is going to be at a full 1080p. Deck13 also confirmed that though they did evaluate the possibility, The Surge will not be supporting DirectX 12- for now, they are sticking to DirectX 11.
Microsoft really can’t get the Xbox One Scorpio out fast enough- after all, that console, which is currently projected to be the most powerful console ever made at the time of its release, will help Microsoft bridge this kind of gap with third party games. The Surge is due out in 2017 on Xbox One, PlayStation 4, and PC. Source: Rheena.com
