New Games

New Games


Best Buy has a CyberPowerPC with Radeon RX 580 for only $679

Posted: 20 Jun 2017 01:00 PM PDT

If you're spotting fewer deals in recent days on GPUs, particularly of the GTX 1070, RX 480, and RX 580 variants... you're not imagining things. Cryptocurrency mining is all the rage with skyrocketing prices on Ether, Bitcoin, et al. and they are inadvertently driving up demand and stock of these high/mid-range GPUs as well.

Today, Best Buy is offloading two CyberPowerPC gaming desktops, one of which is incredibly attractive in pricing. The now $679.99 Gamer Ultra Desktop comes with an AMD Ryzen 5 1400, a Radeon RX 580 (rebranded higher-clocked Polaris GPU), 8GB of RAM, a 1TB HDD, and plenty of ports and outputs you'd expect from a new desktop (USB 3.1, DisplayPort, even an ancient PS/2 port (uh what) are included.

Considering the Radeon RX 580 is currently selling for over $400 on eBay, this is a pretty good deal - whether you keep the GPU or part it for inflated value thanks to the mining craze.

CyberPowerPC Desktop Deal

Conversely, Best Buy is also offering a FX-4300 equipped desktop with a RX 460 as a budget gaming machine. It's not a bad price but we think you'll get a much better bang for your buck by going with the $680 Ryzen 5 + RX 580 combo.

Supplies appear to be limited, but in general, if you live in a major metropolitan area you should be able to order online and pick-up in store - that's our recommend step to secure a unit before it goes invariably out of stock.

Best Buy has a CyberPowerPC with Radeon RX 580 for only $679 screenshot

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Pen Pineapple Apple Pen guy leads first real world Layton puzzle

Posted: 20 Jun 2017 12:00 PM PDT

To help promote the upcoming Layton’s Mystery Journey: Katrielle and The Millionaires’ Conspiracy for 3DS, Level-5 teamed up with SCRAP (real escape games) to make a "puzzle-solving event that challenges users around the world to solve 50 puzzles that appear on the internet and in special locations in 10 countries, including Japan, the U.S., the U.K., South Korea, and Australia" from June 20 to September 21, 2017.

The first puzzle is about the viral video PPAP (Pen Pineapple Apple Pen). The event has already begun and you can get started from the Layton World website. There was also a regular ole game trailer showing off the game's story and some puzzle gameplay. It looks more interesting than the original Layton games, and not only because it features a talking bloodhound (but that may be one of the larger reasons).

Pen Pineapple Apple Pen guy leads first real world Layton puzzle screenshot

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The new Bubsy better suck or I'm quitting video games forever

Posted: 20 Jun 2017 11:00 AM PDT

[Normally I'd pooh-pooh someone hoping for a game to be bad, but Manchild makes too damned strong of a case for Bubsy being butt-garbage that I can't make a reasonable argument against him. If you're going to revive a series, why change what it's all about? So sit back and take in all the shitty platforming nostalgia! Wanna see your work on the Front Page? Write a Cblog, dang it! - Wes]

I've been waiting my entire adult life to write an article about a new Bubsy game. I just never knew it until today.

I'm going to keep this short and sweet. If the new Bubsy doesn't suck ass, I'm quitting video games forever.

The new Bubsy better suck or I'm quitting video games forever screenshot

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Days Gone's dynamic world sets it apart, but I need more convincing

Posted: 20 Jun 2017 10:30 AM PDT

You probably know Days Gone as "the game with the absurd zombie hordes." Me too.

That was the big talking point a year ago, during last E3, and we covered it in-depth. This year's show brought another hands-off demo opportunity and a different angle. Literally!

Behind closed doors, Sony Bend Studio showed the same mission you saw during the on-stage presentation (embedded below) but played it during a different time of day, with different weather. Those changes had far-reaching repercussions on the mission's ebb and flow and its overall pace.

This year's talking point? The game's dynamic weather isn't just for show (though it does look great).

Days Gone's dynamic world sets it apart, but I need more convincing screenshot

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New study claims that gaming affects the penis in two different ways

Posted: 20 Jun 2017 10:25 AM PDT

You're gonna want to stick your dick in the popcorn for this one: A new study published in the Medical Journal of Sexytime Medicine suggests that people who "chronically abuse" videogames are less likely to bust a groove prematurely, but overall these guys will crave less sex than their non-gaming bros. In an interview with Vice, the lead researcher (who is a gamer) believes the stress caused by intense gaming makes us less likely to want figure out the vaginal pythagoras after emerging from the man-cave. Hmm.

The study was conducted by scientists in Italy, who definitely know about these things because Sex and City taught us that those guys can fuck like magical ligers. They surveyed a few hundred men who responded to two respected online survey methods, where the findings were then correlated for causation. Here's a data bloop from the study:

From June 18, 2014 through July 31, 2014, 599 men 18 to 50 years old completed the questionnaires. One hundred ninety-nine men reported no sexual activity during the previous 4 weeks; four records were rejected because of inherent errors. The remaining 396 questionnaires were analyzed, with 287 “gamers” (playing >1 hour/day on average) and 109 “non-gamers” providing all the required information. We found a lower prevalence of premature ejaculation in gamers compared with non-gamers (mean PEDT score = 3.57 ± 3.38 vs 4.52 ± 3.7, P < .05, respectively). Analysis of the IIEF-15 showed no significant differences between gamers and non-gamers in the domains of erectile function, orgasmic function, and overall satisfaction. Median scores for the sexual desire domain were higher for non-gamers (median score [interquartile range] 9 [8–9] vs 9 [8–10], respectively; P = .0227).

Interquartile Range sounds like where Squirtle and the fam go on hay rides.

New study claims that gaming affects the penis in two different ways screenshot

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Agents of Mayhem feels like a boiled down Saints Row

Posted: 20 Jun 2017 10:00 AM PDT

I've been hooked to Volition's Saints Row series ever since it underwent a major tonal reboot with Saints Row: The Third. The series may have been a victim of diminishing returns as of late -- you can only jump over the proverbial shark so many times -- so I was hoping the spin-off, Agents of Mayhem, would be the boost this formula needed. 

Reading Steven's preview a few months ago, I was excited to play the game myself during E3. After spending an hour with it, my excitement has tempered a bit. Despite the admirable reach of its gameplay, Agents of Mayhem feels like an insular experience. 

Agents of Mayhem feels like a boiled down Saints Row screenshot

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Get a free Golden Overwatch box on Twitch Prime

Posted: 20 Jun 2017 09:30 AM PDT

Starting today, Overwatch aficionados can claim a free golden loot box if they're signed up for Amazon Prime. As part of Twitch's Prime Loot program, anyone who's linked their Twitch and Amazon Prime accounts together can claim the loot box, which is guaranteed to contain at least one Legendary cosmetic item for Overwatch.

To claim the loot box, you'll need to click the crown icon on your homepage at Twitch.Tv and click "Get Code." You'll then need to head to Blizzard's code redemption page and log into your Blizzard account. If you're attempting to claim the code for PS4 or Xbox One, you may need to link your console version to Battle.net. The golden loot box is only available for a limited time, though I wasn't able to find a hard end date.

This isn't the first time a Blizzard game has been part of Twitch Prime's promotion, as the program launched with a HearthStone cosmetic item. Twitch's blog page promises that eligible members will also receive five free normal Overwatch loot boxes in both August and October, and additional promotions for HearthStone and Heroes of the Storm are in the works. Unfortunately, the gold loot box won't contain any seasonal items, but I noticed mine didn't have any duplicates for a change. Good luck!

Get a free Golden Overwatch box on Twitch Prime screenshot

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Put some trust into sci-fi horror Distrust

Posted: 20 Jun 2017 09:00 AM PDT

It's hot in the UK, right now. Damn hot! So even though this is the third wintery game I've played already, right after Kona and The Wild Eight, I'm actually okay with it as long as the illusion keeps me cool.

Luckily, Distrust also happens to be a neat concept that has kept me entertained for hours. Even in its current demo form, Distrust's mix of This War of Mine survivalism and FTL's forceful progression makes for an interesting B-movie horror game.

Put some trust into sci-fi horror Distrust screenshot

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Retroid records episode 3 tonight

Posted: 20 Jun 2017 08:45 AM PDT

Hey everybody,

We're rolling along, matching colors and fighting gravity in this week's episode of Retroid. Tonight's topic will be puzzle games, stuff like Tetris, Columns, Puyo Puyo, Dr. Mario, Bejeweled, basically anything where blocks or blobs are shuffled or falling into a container. 

My guests this time are Alex Ryan, Topher Cantler, and Jonathan Holmes. We'll also be talking about some of the retro remakes that were revealed at this year's E3, including Shadow of the Colossus, Mario and Luigi Superstar Saga, and Metroid: Samus Returns.

If you'd like to leave us a question you can do so below in the comments or send them via twitter @RetroidPodcast. And please let us know what other topics you'd like us to discuss, as this week's show topic was suggested by a listener.

Retroid records episode 3 tonight screenshot

Crash Bandicoot mascot suit returns in goofy new workout trailer

Posted: 20 Jun 2017 08:30 AM PDT

Remember those Crash Bandicoot TV advertisements in the 90s, the ones where a guy wears a Crash Bandicoot costume? I do, and so does Vicarious Visions who decided to take a nostalgia trip in the latest advertisement for Crash Bandicoot N. Sane Trilogy,  

As many times as I saw those commercials, I never actually owned or even rented Crash Bandicoot when I had the original PlayStation. I mostly used it play 2gether and WWF CDs and occasionally played Spice World and the first level of PaRappa the Rapper (because I couldn't beat it). Some part of me wants to say "they're just doing it as a gimmick to get more press" but sometimes it's best to stop being so cynical and just enjoy things.

Crash Bandicoot mascot suit returns in goofy new workout trailer screenshot

Black Mesa suffers another delay, Xen to be added in December

Posted: 20 Jun 2017 08:00 AM PDT

The development path of the fan made Half-Life remake, Black Mesa, has been rocky. Being greenlit on Steam years before actually appearing on the service, Crowbar Collective, the dev team behind the game, has been promising to add the infamous "Xen" levels from the original title for almost as long as the mod has been in existence. While they are still dedicated to doing that, it looks like we won't be getting them during their originally planned summer window.

According to a post on the Steam community forums, Black Mesa's final content update should arrive sometime in December. The devs shared some screenshots of their work in progress and made note of a few updates coming to the game today.

Most of that is relegated to better lighting and some color correction to unify all of the different chapters of the game, so its not the most exciting read. Its still wonderful that Valve has allowed this game to exist when so many other companies are insistent on shutting down fan projects. Hopefully for Crowbar, they can finally put an end cap on their tribute to one of gaming's most influential titles.

Summer Media Update [Steam Community]

Black Mesa suffers another delay, Xen to be added in December screenshot

Discord is interested in working with Nintendo on Switch chat

Posted: 20 Jun 2017 07:30 AM PDT

Any MMO or hardcore MOBA player is probably aware of, or has used, some form of third party voice chat like TeamSpeak or Discord at some point. It seems like every new raid group I jump into has a preference, and Discord is one of the programs that I see pretty frequently.

As you may have heard the Switch voice chat situation is a bit of a mess right now, and Discord wants to step in to provide an app for the system. When asked by a fan a rep responded " I hope so," and that they want users to upvote the concept on their feedback forums, presumably to show Nintendo for leverage.

That said, the idea of having any sort of third-party chat program on the Switch is slim at best given that Nintendo wants people to pay for the service. Yes you read that right, chat options are spliced into their paid online system that's set to go premium sometime in 2018.

For now you can probably just stick to using a third-party app on your smartphone anyway.

Discord [Twitter]

Discord is interested in working with Nintendo on Switch chat screenshot

South Park's E3 demo was somehow the most ridiculous one yet

Posted: 20 Jun 2017 07:00 AM PDT

Last September, I hit rock bottom as a games writer. Against my better judgment, I let Ubisoft strap a fart machine to my face for a demo of South Park: The Fractured but Whole. Bad call. Terrible. Just awful, really. Deals are not my art form.

I saw South Park again last week at E3. This time proved to be less invasive but somehow entirely more ridiculous. When I say that, I mean it kept with the trademark South Park humor in a perfectly on-brand way. "Yeah, Classi with an I and a little dick that hangs off the C which fucks the L out of the ASS." You know, that kind of stuff.

South Park's E3 demo was somehow the most ridiculous one yet screenshot

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Could the Switch end up being a shmup machine? Danmaku Unlimited 3 is coming for it

Posted: 20 Jun 2017 06:30 AM PDT

I don't know if I'm being selfish when it comes to what I want to see on the Switch. The fact that so many indie developers flocked to the Wii U and not enough big studios is what ultimately led to its demise (among other Nintendo related reasons). The Switch is off to a much better start so it's way too early to predict how the market will go, but for now, there's a healthy mix of both worlds.

Another genre is set to make a mark on the system soon -- shoot 'em ups (shmups). Developer Doragon Entertainment has announced that Danmaku Unlimited 3 will arrive on the Switch sometime this year, sporting 60fps visuals, an ultra-wide mode, and everything else from the PC edition that's currently on Steam.

Would you believe that Doragon is a Canadian-based operation mostly consisting of one individual? It's crazy how far indies have come, and how well westerners have co-opted genres typically reserved for Japanese studios.

Could the Switch end up being a shmup machine? Danmaku Unlimited 3 is coming for it screenshot

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Frostpunk lets you put kids to work to keep society happy

Posted: 20 Jun 2017 06:00 AM PDT

I've never been too fond of simulator games since I tend to ruin everyone's virtual lives in The Sims, or set out to create death coasters in Roller Coaster Tycoon. God games never quite have enough of an emotional draw to keep me invested for more than an afternoon, so I'll check out completely once I've pushed the game environment to its extremes. 11 bit studios' Frostpunk aims to change that. 

When the virtual environment is already dealing with extremes, Frostpunk asks whether or not you'll get attached enough to care about the remnants of society. While I'm still not sure about that yet, what I did glean from my hands-off time with it at E3 was that I really dig the idea of a game letting me write all sorts of new child labor laws. 

Frostpunk lets you put kids to work to keep society happy screenshot

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Hitman's Prologue can be yours for free

Posted: 20 Jun 2017 05:30 AM PDT

If you've been dying to try out Hitman, you'll now get the chance to do so without dropping any cash. IO Interactive has announced that the Prologue chapter will be going free to celebrate their newfound independence. You'll be able to grab it on PC, PS4 and Xbox One, so if you own some form of gaming console or a competent PC, you're in luck.

The CEO of IO, Hakan Abrak, had this to say: "I'm proud to announce that our first hello as an independent studio is to invite all gamers to play the beginning of HITMAN for free. There is a lot of love out there for HITMAN and with this offering we hope that many more will fall in love with the game. We believe that this is Hitman at its best. So jump in and give a try."

Hitman's Prologue can be yours for free screenshot

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Review: The Mage's Tale

Posted: 20 Jun 2017 05:00 AM PDT

VR is such an untamed wild right now, and a lot of people don't want any part of it.

Where else could you find a first-person dungeon crawler that takes place in the same universe as Bard's Tale, and sort of bridges the gap between the third and upcoming fourth iteration?

Review: The Mage's Tale screenshot

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Konami is holding a massive PSN flash sale right now

Posted: 20 Jun 2017 04:35 AM PDT

Konami might not be the same company it once was, but it went out with a bang with Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain: A Hideo Kojima Game.

It's also currently half off (now $9.99) as part of a Konami PSN flash sale, which also includes a few other gems like the Metal Gear Solid HD Collection (or all three entries broken up into bits), Zone of the Enders 2 HD (PS3), Metal Gear Rising, and Hard Corps: Uprising.

Among all of the other big budget stars I feel like I need to pitch Hard Corps, which was developed by Arc System Works (and helmed by the great Daisuke Ishiwatari). It's one of the most beautiful 2D shooters I've played in years, and deserves to be in the general gaming conversation more than it is.

Konami [PSN]

Konami is holding a massive PSN flash sale right now screenshot

Hatsune Miku: Project Diva Future Tone DX announced for PS4

Posted: 20 Jun 2017 04:30 AM PDT

The latest issue of Weekly Famitsu has revealed Hatsune Miku: Project Diva Future Tone DX for PlayStation 4.

Currently set to be released in Japan for November 22, the game will be receiving a physical release, and will contain the songs and modules from Hatsune Miku: Project Diva Future Tone along with additional new content.

Hatsune Miku: Project Diva Future Tone DX announced for PS4 screenshot

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The Talos Principle VR shows that Croteam gets virtual reality

Posted: 20 Jun 2017 04:00 AM PDT

Lots of people who I just know would dig The Talos Principle slept on it. Whenever puzzle games come up in conversation, I try to sell them on the idea of a philosophical first-person puzzler about AI and eternal life, and the words never seem to flow correctly. They don't quite get the appeal, and I don't blame them. It's one of those games you kind of need to discover for yourself, of our own accord.

I'm hopeful The Talos Principle VR can win over new players. The calm, contemplative, non-linear nature of this game is an inherently good fit for VR, and it's also quite long. We could use more substantial virtual reality titles. Based on my hands-on at E3, things are headed in the right direction.

The Talos Principle VR shows that Croteam gets virtual reality screenshot

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Diablo III will finally get the Necromancer next week

Posted: 20 Jun 2017 03:45 AM PDT

While initial fan reception to Diablo III wasn't exactly glowing, people seem to have come around to the game after the release of its expansion, Reaper of Souls. Much to my surprise, the Necromancer class wasn't added to the game for that expansion. How do you leave out such a pivotal player from Diablo? That just feels wrong.

Thankfully next week, on June 27, players will finally be able to raise the dead with Diablo's prematurely greying corpse re-animator. The Necromancer will be priced at $14.99/14.99 € and will require the Reaper of Souls expansion on PC to play (PS4 and Xbox One players don't need to worry about that bit). The pack will also grant access to additional character slots, some new stash tabs on PC, a portrait, banner, sigil, accent and pennant, a brand new pet and some cosmetic stuff for your pets.

Diablo III will finally get the Necromancer next week screenshot

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Major Nintendo Switch update adds fixes, new features

Posted: 20 Jun 2017 03:30 AM PDT

Ah, system updates. The great flood of "miscellaneous fixes and improvements," that essentially boil down to "we fixed a security exploit." But not this time. No, Nintendo has a real live update for the Switch in the form of version 3.0.

Now you can sign up for a news channel for a specific game (Miiverse is back in an undead PR type of way!), better friend list concessions, a "find controllers" option, more user icons, external audio options, and a fix for a pesky HDMI input change bug.

Take a gander at the full patch notes below if you're not satisfied. As for me, I mostly just want the Virtual Console, a better, faster eShop, and true folders.

Version 3.0 [Nintendo]

Major Nintendo Switch update adds fixes, new features screenshot

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The Crew 2 feels like a do-over in the best possible way

Posted: 20 Jun 2017 03:00 AM PDT

Ubisoft is doing some genuinely cool, surprising things with The Crew 2. As someone who dug the heck out of the flawed but rewarding free-form original, I couldn't be more pleased.

For instance: that world-bending Inception shit from the cinematic trailer? That's actually in the game! (In a limited capacity, as shown in the embedded video starting at 2:53.)

Not only can you drive cars, bikes, boats, and planes, but you can also freely swap between them at any point without pausing or losing your momentum. This sequel's potential as a sandbox built for goofing off with friends or strangers is ridiculous. In terms of story progression, there are headquarters for street racing, pro racing, off-road, and freestyle. You won't need to do them all.

At one point, I flew my plane over a highway, morphed into a car, and went for a sick landing. Things did not go well for me. But they could have! That's the beauty of a game like this. You can get dumb with it.

I went hands-on with the open-ended racer at E3 and it made a great first impression. It's still set in the United States (albeit a redesigned US), and you can still roam from coast to coast with other players, but everything's so much prettier, more fully realized, and faster. It felt like a do-over.

The zoomed-out map looked familiar at first, but closing in on New York City brought out new details with a 3D cityscape to browse through. Picking a spot and then teleporting to it took no time at all. It's a substantial step up. There's an across-the-board feeling that you're always on the move, with little to no downtime between exploring, events, setting up a crew, or swapping out vehicles.

My main takeaway from 15 minutes or so with The Crew 2 is that this is the game fans originally wanted along with some extras they didn't know they needed sprinkled on top. There are still ways it can all go wrong -- nailing the vehicle handling across all the disciplines won't be easy, and the last game's loot system and story weren't too hot -- but man. Man. I'm looking forward to playing this in a real-world setting, because even Ubisoft's "guided tour" style hands-on demo was great fun.

There are a lot of other racing games due out between now and early 2018, but I kinda just want to hold out for The Crew 2. I can't see myself having anything other than a good time with it.

The Crew 2 feels like a do-over in the best possible way screenshot

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Watch real life 'scientists' battle in the new Futurama: Worlds of Tomorrow trailer

Posted: 20 Jun 2017 02:30 AM PDT

I still have no real idea what Futurama: Worlds of Tomorrow is actually going to play like, but I will continue to write about it since publisher Jam City keeps putting out awesome trailers for it.

In this latest one, we get to see Neil DeGrasse Tyson, Bill Nye the Science Guy, Stephen Hawking and George Takei get in an argument over how important they are to the series. Oh, there is also a release date of June 29, but I'm more jazzed about new Futurama animation.

Watch real life 'scientists' battle in the new Futurama: Worlds of Tomorrow trailer screenshot

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Final Fantasy creator's new game is Terra Battle 2

Posted: 20 Jun 2017 02:00 AM PDT

Mistwalker has had a history of mixed success in its roughly 13 years as a studio.

Although its produced acclaimed works like Lost Odyssey and Blue Dragon, some of its projects never hit the level of financial success that founder (and creator of Final Fantasy) Hironobu Sakaguchi dreamed of. That all changed with the wildly popular Terra Battle on mobile devices, much to the chagrin of the hardcore RPG community. Well, for those of you who were hoping that Sakaguchi would go back to his roots and deliver another epic JRPG, you'll have to wait a while longer -- his new project was just confirmed by Famitsu as Terra Battle 2.

That said, "Terra World," was teased in the same breath, which could very well be a PC/console RPG. Given that the full reveal is coming very soon on June 22, we'll know more then. Until that time, let this simmer.

Terra Battle 2 [Famitsu via Siliconera]

Final Fantasy creator's new game is Terra Battle 2 screenshot

Relive the glory days with this .hack//G.U. Last Recode tease

Posted: 20 Jun 2017 01:30 AM PDT

Back before SAO was the talk of the town, there was .hack. All the way back in the early 2000s this PS2 era RPG series leveraged the MMO angle all the way to the bank as Bandai gave us an anime and four games to consume. Along with the Square Enix-esque naming conventions came a lengthy narrative that spanned multiple games, and it's coming back in the form of the .hack//G.U. Last Recode remaster on PC and PS4.

Confused yet? Just remember that this is the G.U. trilogy, the series that followed the OG .hack games, and that even though the term MMO is thrown around at will it's actually a single player game. If you've played them in any capacity before you'll probably dig the remastered trailer below -- otherwise you're likely just going to come out  more confused than ever.

Bandai Namco has announced that it will be coming to PS4 and Steam later this year in the west.

Relive the glory days with this .hack//G.U. Last Recode tease screenshot

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Overwatch's moon monkey finally has his own map

Posted: 20 Jun 2017 12:00 AM PDT

Today's Overwatch patch brings some big changes to the game, apart from the new Horizon Lunar Colony map that's now available on all three platforms. It seems that every major patch also tinkers with the hero balance, and this one's no exception.

The biggest change is the welcome addition of a new map to the rotation. In Overwatch's lore, the Horizon Moonbase was a peaceful research facility working on all manner of scientific pursuits, including primate intelligence augmentation. We first saw the facility way back in March 2016 when the "Recall'" short film was released. Unfortunately, the monkeys became smart enough to question why they should be experimented on and overthrew the scientists, taking over the colony for themselves. It's where Winston grew up, but he chose to side with humanity and left his fellow primates behind when he escaped to Earth.

The new map is an assault type with two capture points, similar to Volskaya Industries or the Temple of Anubis. Attackers begin in a room with an enormous telescope pointed at Earth, and every character has something to say when they look back at home. Most of the facility is indoors, but there's a small section where the heroes can head outside. This section has lower gravity and muffled sound, and offers a significant change to the status quo. It's a shame this section isn't larger, as some interesting strategies open up when every jump takes you 30 feet in the air. Fortunately, low-gravity options are being added for those who want to experiment with the feature in custom games, and it's also being added to the Arcade mode temporarily as a new brawl type.

In addition to the new map, a few tweaks were made to Roadhog, Reaper, and McCree. One's better, one's worse, and one stayed about the same.

Overwatch's moon monkey finally has his own map screenshot

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A new Shadow of Mordor patch may lead to Shadow of War save imports

Posted: 19 Jun 2017 05:30 PM PDT

There's a new patch for Middle-earth: Shadow of Mordor and no one seems to know what it does. Update 1.10 released today and it's mostly substantial in size -- reports indicate about 6GB on PS4, 2.27GB on Xbox One, but only 8.1MB on PC. Most curious, developer Monolith and publisher Warner Bros. haven't made any mention of this patch's function.

For context, Shadow of Mordor released in September 2014. Its most recent update on PlayStation was in October of last year when it received 4K support for the PS4 Pro. Ever since then, it has been all quiet with regard to this game.

Of course, Monolith has been busy with another Lord of the Rings title, the upcoming Shadow of War. This is rampant conjecture, but this update might be affiliated with Shadow of War in some way. The most obvious reasoning would be that it allows for imported saves from Shadow of Mordor, so that players can continue the battle against their most memorable nemeses.

This idea is more than just a pipe dream for a semi-weird reason. At the time of the Shadow of War reveal, GamesRadar interviewed Monolith creative vice president Michael de Plater. When asked whether the new game would allow for imported saves, Plater said "Oh, I don't remember what we're allowed to say about that" before asking a nearby PR rep. When he returned, his official comment was "We're not saying anything at this time."

Given the full picture, it's easy enough to infer that Shadow of War very well may support legacy saves. If it's true, it's the kind of thing that's likely being saved as a marketing beat and who knows when that might be. We reached out to Warner Bros. representatives about the 1.10 update and they hadn't responded at time of publishing. (To be fair, we emailed them very late in the day.) We'll update this post, if/when we receive a response.

Shadow of Mordor 1.10 Patch [reddit]

A new Shadow of Mordor patch may lead to Shadow of War save imports screenshot

MMO News

MMO News


Amazon Games Reimagining Breakaway Warriors

Posted: 20 Jun 2017 05:01 PM PDT

Amazon Games has begun a new public alpha phase for Breakaway Warriors, and this time they’re focusing on community feedback.

Key in this update is an updated roster of Warriors, created to give players more unique and ownable characters. This includes changing Spartacus to Argus, Anne Bonny to Kyra, and Morgan Le Fey to Korryn.

The latest build also focuses on improving character movement, balancing the gold economy, refining Buildables, and changes to ability use. You can find more details at the developer blog linked below.

The post Amazon Games Reimagining Breakaway Warriors appeared first on MMOHuts.

Vainglory Summer Season 2017 and Update 2.6 Arrive June 21

Posted: 20 Jun 2017 04:41 PM PDT

Super Evil Megacorp, creators of Vainglory, the world's leading mobile esport, is kicking off its Summer 2017 esports season tomorrow, alongside the launch of the game's 2.6 update. The competition this summer will heat up even more following North American team Cloud9's triumph at London's O2 during the first-ever Unified Western Live Championship. Vainglory's Update 2.6, which also launches tomorrow, will introduce new hero Grace, and new skins for Skye, Samuel, Koshka and Reim.

Also beginning with the Summer season that starts tomorrow and continuing through the remainder of Vainglory's 2017 esports calendar, ESL, the world's largest esports company, will produce regularly scheduled broadcasts of Vainglory's professional league, the Vainglory8, after the two companies joined forces in May to bring mobile esports to the iconic O2 for the first time ever. Vainglory8 Summer 2017 is one of the most anticipated seasons yet, featuring top performing teams from across Europe and North America such as the recently crowned Unified Western champions, Cloud9 and Team Solomid (NA), as well as Unified Western runners-up G2 esports and Fnatic (EU).  ESL's broadcasts of the Vainglory8 Summer 2017 Season kicks off this weekend from June 24-25. Viewers can tune into the Vainglory Twitch channel, YouTube channel, or Facebook page to check out all of the action.

Further raising the stakes leading into Worlds later this year, Vainglory welcomes ROX Armada of South Korea, previously Invincible Armada, to the Vainglory competitive community. The ROX Tigers, a professional League of Legends gaming team, are a powerhouse in the esports industry, making it as far as the semifinals in the 2016 League of Legends World Championships. ROX Orcas, a professional Overwatch gaming team launched in December 2016 and has already made strides in the competitive Overwatch scene. ROX Armada will be made up of some of Vainglory's top esports professionals, including World Champions Eutaek "Mango" Jeong and Hyeonjun "Druid" An, and new team member Junyoung "Engineeus" Choi. To celebrate the newly formed team, ROX Armada will premiere for the first time at the Amazon Mobile Masters Tournament Series in New York at KCON on June 23 against North American powerhouses, GankStars, Tempo Storm, Tribe, Cloud9 and NRG.

"As one of the top Vainglory esports teams in the world, we're excited to see Invincible Armada compete under the new banner of ROX Armada,"said Bo Daly, Co-Founder & President of Super Evil Megacorp. "South Korea is known for its dominance in esports and the Vainglory competitive scene is no different. With ROX Armada's roster at full strength, the upcoming East Asia competitive Vainglory8 season will be the most exciting yet."

Invincible Armada, now ROX Armada, most recently took first place in both the Vainglory8 East Asia Spring and Winter Championships. The team was also crowned the first-ever Vainglory World Champions in December 2016 at the TCL Chinese Theatre in Los Angeles. In previous seasons, Armada, won VIPL Season 3, the VGL Korea Summer Championship and the Samsung Galaxy Vainglory Invitational at E3 2016.

Vainglory generated incredible growth throughout the last year in terms of active players, esports views and overall community engagement. Vainglory tripled its active player community on Android and generated more than 450 million minutes of competition watched on streaming platforms, 1 billion matches played, and leagues in North America, Europe, Japan, China, Korea and Southeast Asia. Vainglory is forging the path for mobile games as they shift from short-session, standalone gaming toward deep, shared experiences.

Vainglory8 Summer season kicks off this weekend in the West from June 24-25. Viewers can tune into twitch.tv/vainglory to check out all of the action. Just prior to that, five North American teams compete against ROX Armada in Amazon's Mobile Masters tournament, streaming live at 10:30am ET on June 23 on twitch.tv/amazonappstore.  The East Asia Vainglory8 league in which ROX Armada will make their professional debut will kick off on July 1st local time. The Korean broadcast will be streamed on http://play.afreecatv.com/vainglorykr.

The post Vainglory Summer Season 2017 and Update 2.6 Arrive June 21 appeared first on MMOHuts.

Dead by Daylight Now Available on Console

Posted: 20 Jun 2017 03:35 PM PDT

The hugely successful PC game Dead by Daylight is out now in North and South America on PlayStation 4 and XBOX One, with a following release later this week for European territories including the U.K., France, Germany, Italy and Spain. Developed by Behaviour Digital and published by Starbreeze Studios, Dead by Daylight has sold over 1.8 million copies worldwide.

Dead by Daylight: Special Edition is available now at select retailers for PlayStation 4 and Xbox One. Also available as a digital purchase on the respective platforms, the Dead by Daylight: Special Edition contains the following:

  • All main Killers and Survivors together with main Maps
  • Killer: The Hag
  • Killer: The Doctor
  • Survivor: Ace Visconti
  • Survivor: Feng Min
  • Killer Outfits
  • Survivor Outfits
  • Map: Léry's Memorial Institute
  • Map: Backwater Swamp

Dead by Daylight is an asymmetrical multiplayer (4vs1) horror game that casts one savage Killer and up to four Survivors that desperately try to survive a terrifying nightmare. Survivors play in third-person with a strong situational awareness to avoid being caught, tortured and slayed. The Killer plays in first-person, focused on hunting down and killing their victims. Released on PC in June 2016, Dead by Daylight has already sold more than 1.8 million copies on the digital distribution platform Steam and became an instant favourite with streamers on Twitch and other streaming platforms.

The post Dead by Daylight Now Available on Console appeared first on MMOHuts.

Neverwinter Shroud of Souls Update Available on Console

Posted: 20 Jun 2017 03:16 PM PDT

Today, Perfect World Entertainment Inc., a leading publisher of free-to-play MMORPGs, and Cryptic Studios announced the Shroud of Souls update for Neverwinter: The Cloaked Ascendancy is available today for Xbox One and PlayStation®4. The last surviving member of the Cloaked Ascendancy warns adventurers of a dragonborn necromancer shade wielding an evil artifact with the ability to summon an army of wraiths. The River District is once again threatened in the latest update to the free-to-play MMORPG based on the Dungeons & Dragons franchise, which brings quality of life improvements to Strongholds guilds, co-op and competitive gameplay.

After perishing in an attempt to steal the "Shroud of Souls" from its vault, the dragonborn necromancer returns as a shade manipulating a spectral force to overwhelm the city. Heroes of Neverwinter must now end this undead uprising before Morlanth can recruit even more powerful sprits for her legions. The Loadouts feature, Strongholds upgrades, including a customizable Guild Hall as well as a new "Marauders" event and more come to Neverwinter in the Shroud of Souls update.

New features in this release include:

  • New Story: The Cloaked Ascendancy has fallen, giving way to a new foe with plans to raise a spectral army to her side. Adventurers must traverse areas rife with evil spirits to overcome this powerful necromantic threat.
  • New Loadouts Feature: Adventurers can now create gear Loadouts to suit all of Neverwinter's activities. Whether it's dungeon delving, skirmishes, Strongholds, or PvP; quick swapping Loadouts will get players between the activities they enjoy faster than ever.
  • Strongholds Marauders: Building off of The Cloaked Ascendancy's dynamic "The Illusionist's Gambit" skirmish, this new Siege event pits adventurers against several waves of enemies. After they're defeated, players will be able to continue defending their Stronghold or take their current rewards to bolster its advancement.
  • Customizable Guild Halls: Customizable Guild Halls give adventurers an all-new social space to call their own with dozens of customizable options where they can showcase their guild's achievements in Neverwinter.

Also coming to Neverwinter on all platforms this week is the Protector's Jubilee (June 20 – 27). The city will be decked out with confetti and festive decorations to celebrate the game's fourth anniversary. During Protector's Jubilee, adventurers can celebrate Neverwinter's latest milestone by completing special quests for rewards throughout the Sword Coast. This year's festivities will yield brand new incentives for players, including the chance to earn a Jubilee Unicorn, Shadow Dragon Throne, Firebreathing emote or furniture for the Great Hall. Plus, Lord Neverember will reward all of the city's brave adventurers with free giveaways throughout the week.

The post Neverwinter Shroud of Souls Update Available on Console appeared first on MMOHuts.

SMITE Patch 4.11 Overview (Code of Chivalry)

Posted: 20 Jun 2017 02:47 PM PDT

SMITE offers an overview of Patch 4.11, which introduces Cu Chulainn and the new Code of Chivalry event.

The post SMITE Patch 4.11 Overview (Code of Chivalry) appeared first on MMOHuts.

SMITE Black Knight & Noble Knight Osiris Skin Preview

Posted: 20 Jun 2017 02:42 PM PDT

SMITE showcases the Black Knight Osiris and Noble Knight Osiris skins, part of Patch 4.11.

The post SMITE Black Knight & Noble Knight Osiris Skin Preview appeared first on MMOHuts.

Team Racing League Steam Early Access Trailer

Posted: 20 Jun 2017 02:33 PM PDT

Team Racing League, a team-based 3v3 racing game, announces its upcoming early access and free single player demo.

The post Team Racing League Steam Early Access Trailer appeared first on MMOHuts.

Lineage 2 Classic (EU) – Zaken Update Now Live

Posted: 20 Jun 2017 02:06 PM PDT

Lineage 2 Classic continues to evolve and EU official server has just received new content update "Zaken" named after the main new epic Raid Boss – a mighty demonic pirate.

Only top level players are able to enter Zaken's ship and get out alive with countless treasures – top-grade equipment and a special "epic" earring. Along with other high-level content like new locations and new ways of enhancing gear, the game offers easier EXP for beginners and new achievements.

The publisher, 4game platform, invites everybody to try the update during free access weekend from June 23 20:00 to June 25 23:59 CEST.

The post Lineage 2 Classic (EU) – Zaken Update Now Live appeared first on MMOHuts.

Mount & Blade II: Bannerlord E3 2017 Hands-On Preview

Posted: 20 Jun 2017 01:25 PM PDT

Now that the madness of E3 2017 is finally petering out, I have had a chance to collect my thoughts. And those collected thoughts drew me to one conclusion. That hands on time with Mount & Blade II: Bannerlord was the most fun part of E3 for me. Maybe I should tell people about the experience? Well my sentient half-mad subconscious, I believe you've talked me into it. Let's dive into E3 one more time to talk about just how good the medieval combat experience is in Mount & Blade II: Bannerlord!

The Arena

The combat experience in Mount & Blade II: Bannerlord can be seriously overwhelming. Trying to learn what the heck is going on while commanding 30+ units in a warzone would be a hellish experience, even for a multi-year gaming press veteran like myself. Luckily the first step of TaleWorlds Entertainment's demo was the arena. Not unlike WWE's Royal Rumble, you get thrust into a rather large flat arena to do battle against 34 (or so? I can't remember the exact number) of AI combatants. Your goal is to survive to the last man, perhaps racking up a few kills in the process for bragging rights. But you've only got a shield, a sword, and six or so throwing axes to make it happen. And yes, weapons and shields have durability, so use them wisely.

For starters I'll get it out of the way, this is not some braindead AI we're talking about. You can't run in and bash them to death without resistance. While maybe 1/6 times this can actually net you a quick kill, at least half of the time you will end up with a kick to the gut that sends you defenselessly spiraling to the ground. Instead you have to analyze the situation and take appropriate counter-measures to each scenario. Is the AI using a sword and overly aggressive? Bash their head in with your shield when they pull back to attack you and then don't ever give them time to recover. Raining arrows from afar? Use your shield to close the gap, or beat them at their own game with well-timed throwing axes, then charge them when a well-placed axe makes them falter. Get double teamed by a spearman and sword and board warrior at the same time? Die like a dog. There's a reason those damn Romans/Greeks conquered so much of the known world haha. This combo basically got me every time, and I still haven't figured out a good counter measure for it! The AI is smart enough that the spearman will actually hide behind the swordsman's shield, and stab past his makeshift ally to constantly deal out damage to you. Color me impressed.

After two extremely poor showings, I got the knack for combat. It's very jarring at first, but feels second nature once it all suddenly clicks. While ranged attacks like archery and axe throws act like any TPS would albeit with far more noticeable gravity pulling the projectiles down, the melee is an all new experience. By aiming the camera you can aim your melee swings, or move your shield into position to intercept attacks. This can feel like rubbing your belly and patting your head at the same time at times as you might click the block button before you tilt your camera, or tilt your camera but be in a refractory phase after doing an action and unable to block in time. The whole thing is a very cerebral experience that leaves an immensely high skill ceiling for players to master through hours of gameplay.

Another nice touch was that you can even pick up gear of fallen enemies to use as your own. This became key in my final arena playthrough as I cycled through my entire gear set about three times before finally getting downed in the final three due to the spearman, sword and board combo. The AI is very skilled, and once you engage in combat there is no real opportunity to turn and run away effectively. If you engage, you have to go in with the mentality that you or the enemy isn't leaving the battle. But there's a ton of tricks you can pick up to tilt the encounter in your favor. Well timed kicks can push them off balance, or if you have a shield handy you can slam it in their face to push them back. Both leaves you very vulnerable to counter attack though, so use them sparingly. Also during one confusing point I accidently equipped two shields before proceeding to bash my foe into the ground, using them as blunt weapons. Finally there is a combo attack system in which if you time your strikes alongside your vision tilt, you can chain one attack after another for a brutal combination with virtually no downtime between swings. Even knowing I could do it, I barely managed to use it in actual combat once or twice. Clearly it exists to separate hardy veterans and punish novices still getting their feet wet.

I'm still kind of grumpy that I didn't get a chance to complete the arena. I feel like it's a mandatory prerequisite to be able to handle yourself and perform well once in actual combat.

 

Battle Demo Part 1 – Mounted Cavalry Command

Just as I was starting to get my bearings with melee combat, it was all thrown out the window as I mounted up for part 2 of the experience, an actual cavalry battle on horseback equipped with a spear, sword, and shield. Surprisingly the horse riding came more naturally to me than the combat system. The controls are as simplistic as possible with holding back (s) as your means to slow down, continuously holding forward as a means to speed up, and all the aiming and attack systems carrying over the same as in the arena.

However, that's not to say mounted combat is in any way easy. Landing a well-placed spear thrust was hard enough against a stationary target in the arena. Trying to hit a moving target while on a horse charging forty MPH is a whole new level of insanity. I wouldn't mind a jousting practice mode to get the hang of it, as learning to do so in the middle of combat is too much. But that said, you can only do so much as a commander. Knowing how to use the F keys to boss around your subordinates is the subtle but real skill of these large scale battles.

Commanding units will feel very familiar to Total War players. My recent experience with Total Warhammer in particular made this system feel right at home. Just imagine you are the lead commander of a squadron in Total War, and you will instantly get what is going on here. You can tell your units to spread or tighten into formation, follow you into battle, line up and charge forward into an enemy, retreat and spread out, or focus effects on guarding you should you be seriously wounded.

What makes perfecting this system truly challenging is that your horse leaves your NPC followers' horses in the dust. You have to keep this in mind or you will find yourself alone and charging into a hail of archer fire. Getting it just right so that a few of your NPCs take the initial blunt of the charge is the key to maximizing your usefulness on the battle. Of course with all the chaos going on, there is quite a bit of luck to this. You never know when someone is going to shoot an arrow into your horse's eye and send you hurtling to the ground after all. Your horse has a separate HP system, as does all enemy mounted units, so keep that in mind when going in for an attack. If you can down an enemy commander's horse, you will have a much easier time circling around to pick off the less mobile and isolated target.

My initial four charges broke the enemy's lines horribly, before I got too wrapped up in the battle and rammed my horse straight into a hillside. With enemy units quickly approaching from behind, I lacked the time and momentum to pull a perfect Mario Kart style 3 point turn, and asked my guide how to dismount. Dismounting doesn't change your roll as a commander. I was still able to utilize my cursor and commands to line up my squadron to pick off the bulk of the approaching enemies. I only had to dirty my blade on a single foe before the entire pack of goons were dead around me. Utilizing the commands at distance, I ended the match without ever even making visual confirmation of the enemy commander following. Truly knowing the combat system is secondary to knowing how to properly command your forces.

 

Battle Demo Part 2 – Mounted Archery Khuzait Ambush

I took like a duck to water in the second round of mass combat as I took on the role of a Khuzait mounted archer commander. Mounted archery is extremely challenging, but if you have a steady hand and proper timing, you can dish out insane destruction on your foes. With archery you have a few seconds after pulling back the bowstring to ensure a tight aiming reticle. If you hold the bowstring any longer, your reticle will expand at a rapid pace, ruining your accuracy. You can still fire it off if there is a large enough pack of enemies, but since you are only packing a little over 40 arrows for a battle, I recommend making every shot count.

The interesting mechanic of mounted archery is that you can only reasonably fire decent shorts off to your left. Being that your right hand is pulling back the bowstring, it makes logical sense that this is the case. But in the heat of combat it becomes challenging to both keep your squadron on point while always keeping your enemy target on your left side. Even worse, at one point I was over eager and found myself sandwiched between the two main enemy forces in a crevice between sand dunes. With enemy mounted spearmen charging at me from the right side, the only counter measure at my command was to charge forward, take evasive maneuvers, and hope no straggling soldiers would break my horse's momentum.

A nice feature that was present in last year's demo made its return here. Each shot you fire off and land will showcase the damage dealt and to what it was dealt. But for bragging rights, they will also tell you the difficulty of the shot you landed. Even if you only dealt 30 damage to an enemy horse, that 13 difficulty rating will boost your moral pretty fast.

It was during this battle that I got a real sense of how awesome the real-time physics rendering is in the demo. An enemy mounted spearman broke free from the chaos and picked up a huge amount of speed to charge at me. At about 10 meters I managed to land an arrow right into the horse's eye for over 150 damage (most of my arrow shots were doing about 18-40 damage, and point blank spear stabs about 50-90 for reference). The horse died on impact, and the poised spearman went flying to the ground just short of reaching me. That's so satisfying!

Between my keen aim and well commanded squadron, the second demo battle was a complete route. It was over in barely a minute, and I still had about 5 arrows left with no targets to put them in. Back to the Total Warhammer comparison, if a battle becomes too one sided or key commanders become injured, the enemy will enter a routed state and begin to flee. Once all surviving enemies are in a routed state, the battle ends. I imagine this will become key in multiplayer combat at launch as you will need to carefully control the loss of units versus kills while keeping all your commanders safe and sound to maximize the power that morale has over the battlefield.

 

Battle Demo Part 3 – Mounted Cavalry Hard Mode

Having seen my action combat and RTS skills in action, Frank gave me the greenlight to challenge the first battle a second time… only now on hard mode. The AI, already formidable before, upped their game to levels I simply couldn't match. Two mounted squadrons ran cross patterns through my ranks, thinning them out in nasty fashion before the ground infantrymen even had an opportunity to clash. I managed to separate and slay one of the mounted squadron's captains to sway the battle back into our favor, but my crossbowmen were left unprotected and a prime target for the other mounted enemies in the meantime.

While in my first run I found I could run through the enemy's backline nearly unscathed, the archers taught me a valuable lesson in charging solo on hard mode. My horse was sliced to shreds by the barrage of arrows before a wayward infantry unit stalled me long enough for the second mounted commander to run his spear through me at high speed. The spear strike likely would have been an instant kill had I not pulled back and made an evasive dash to the side, but even still I lost 60% of my health from that single strike. I called my squadron back for one final charge, only to find while circling the outskirts of the battle that only five or six horsemen of my original twenty-five answered my call.

Together the six of us made a brutal last stand against overwhelming odds, sending the main line of infantry spearmen and another group of crossbowmen fleeing from our presence. But as I turned to charge once more, I found myself completely alone behind enemy lines. My remaining squad had gotten caught up in the ranks of the fleeing enemies, unable to return to formation. With the meter at the top of the screen indicating the battle was about to be lost, I desperately charged the second remaining squadron of crossbowmen. I fell to three back to back arrow strikes before ever getting in spear length of the squad. My remaining units immediately fled as my death was the final straw to break our morale.

 

Closing Thoughts

Mount & Blade II: Bannerlord's mounted combat and squadron commands met and exceeded my expectations. I never felt like I lost due to shoddy unresponsive controls. It was clear that my inexperience was my downfall, and that the difficulty curve present would make even veteran gamers like myself have to work at the game to overcome the odds. The sound effects, physics, and pacing of battles all meshed together into a beautiful massacre that I feel I was only barely able to appreciate at its fullest. There's clearly an immense amount of depth to be found here, and the better you get at it, the more that awaits for you to discover and master. With so many factions' fighting styles to learn and learn to fight against, I could see myself playing Mount & Blade II: Bannerlord for hours without tiring. Gritting my teeth as I face off with superior players in deadly combat time and time again.

Despite the amazing state the game is clearly in though, TaleWorlds still feels it has a long way to go before its ready. They aren't even teasing a release date. So we'll all have to sit on our hands and bide our time until the day comes that they feel it's ready.

If you want to see more of the combat in action, be sure to check out our interview with Frank Elliott here.

The post Mount & Blade II: Bannerlord E3 2017 Hands-On Preview appeared first on MMOHuts.

Vainglory Grace Reveal Trailer: Embrace Your Redemption

Posted: 20 Jun 2017 10:19 AM PDT

Vainglory reveals Grace, a warrior of Light who uses a heavy mace and shields to protect her allies.

The post Vainglory Grace Reveal Trailer: Embrace Your Redemption appeared first on MMOHuts.

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