XCOM 2 is free to try for week

XCOM 2 is free to try for a week

If you've never fought a guerrilla war to liberate Earth from some alien tyrants before, boy have I got some good news for you. 2K is hosting an XCOM 2 free trial on Steam (and Xbox One, if you fancy being tactical from the sofa) so you can send the alien overlords packing for free between now and April 30. 

It's good timing, as XCOM: Chimera Squad is out today. It's a direct continuation of XCOM 2, with human and alien soldiers working together to keep the peace and melt anyone who isn't a fan of this interspecies alliance. It's a standalone affair, so you don't need to have played XCOM 2, but you still should—it's one of the best strategy games on PC.

XCOM 2 is available for free now, and you'll be able to play until April 30 at 9:59 am PT. If you don't manage to finish your campaign up before the clock runs out—it's not a short game, but I believe in you—then you can throw some cash down and continue where you left off. It's 75 percent off right now, so you can pick it up on the cheap.

Most of the DLC is on sale, too, including the excellent War of the Chosen expansion. It's integrated into the main game, giving you an alien nemesis to deal with and a trio of factions to ally with, each with their own unique skills. It's the best way to play XCOM 2, so I highly recommend picking it up if you enjoy the base game trial. 

Good News Gaming : KK Slider Cover and Real Life- RPG

Good News Gaming: KK Slider Covers And A Brilliant Real-Life RPG

Plus, a group of Halo: Reach players finally get an easter egg after 10 years of trying, and a stunning Dishonored 2 run.

It's time for another episode of Good News Gaming, where we bring you fun, cool, quirky, and hilarious things happening in the world of video games to make sure your spirits are high and there's a smile on your face.

This week we have news on a Halo Reach trick-jump that has been 10 years in the making. That's right, one dedicated group of players has been trying to get to an easter egg for 10 whole years, and their determination has finally paid off. It wasn't easy, especially since the mission where it is located is designed to put the player on the back foot by throwing an overwhelming number of enemies at you, but they got it done and the video is very impressive.

Speaking of things that are impressive, having had their buddy's bachelor/stag party canceled, a group of ingenious friends decided to make the most of a bad situation and put together a fun alternative. That alternative was a real-life RPG for their pal to play, complete with a remote-controlled car and GoPro feeds, friends acting like characters in the games, dungeons to explore, enemies to battle, and much more. It's really amazing.

In the tech world, Nvidia has released a plug-in that pretty much removes all background noise and make voice audio coming through a mic crystal clear. This will undoubtedly change the lives of folks that stream and create videos but have to deal with noisy environments. Of course, if you happen to do a lot of video calls and meetings, it's handy for that too.

Total Journey of Mortal and his Team Soul

PUBG: Indian PUBG Mobile Team Soul Mortal's Talks About Team & His Journey So Far

Naman Mathur ( Mortal )

SOUL MORTAL is the top Indian PUBG Mobile player and streamer. Naman Mathur aka SOUL MORTAL is 22 years old Indian graduate who decided to play PUBG Mobile from the year 2018. Initially, he was a Mini Militia player who used to stream the same on his YouTube channel.

"Who is Mortal?"

Soul Mortal is an Indian PUBG Mobile player who is also a YouTube streamer. From the early days of his college life, Mortal decided to stream and engage people – to lift the Indian gaming community to a new level – and to influence people to choose 'gaming' as a career option.

"Games Mortal Used to Play in His Earlier Phase"

Soul Mortal used to play PS1, PS2, and other mini-games like Contra, Mario, Dangerous Dave, GTA San Andreas, Counter-Strike etc.

His Youtube career started with mobile game Mini Militia. In 2015, he started playing Mini Militia and simultaneously started doing online streaming for the same game.

"Mortal's Family Reacted to his Gaming Hobby"

Like most of the Indian parents, Mortal's parents were also against his passion for gaming. They believed that gaming would give nothing and advised him to focus on his graduation.

When Soul Mortal started his career in gaming, he was doing his B.Com from the state university. As the syllabus and stress in his graduation were not that high, so he started taking YouTube more seriously.

When the reporter asked Mortal, "Why PUBG Mobile is so famous in India?", he said:

"I wouldn't have been there if there was no PUBG Mobile."

The graphics, intensity, concept, and the excitement of the PUBG Mobile made it so famous in India. According to Soul Mortal, apart from the graphics, the idea of communication – talking in the game with teammates and opponents, is what made it unique in the gaming world.

"As an Indian, we love to talk. When the same concept of communication meets the high graphics and the intensity of the game, it is obvious that the same will grow rapidly in the community", he added.

When Mortal Realized He Was Good At Gaming

At the beginning of his YouTube career, Soul Mortal used to upload "Tips and Tricks to Excel at PUGB Mobile".

The same concept influenced people and the gaming skills of this 21 years old boy went viral. His video on teaching people who to get most out of the game got more than 1 Million YouTube views and the same appreciation motivated him to work and start his career as a professional gamer.

The first SUPERCHAT of Soul Mortal on YouTube

When Mortal started playing PUBG Mobile, he got his first super chat of Rs 40. The super chat came with a message, "Keep going, we are with you. We love your gaming skills."

The efforts of Soul Mortal made him a celebrity. When he reached 500K subscribers on YouTube, he got a super chat of Rs 10,000 which was his highest super chat at that time.

Team Soul 

Logo ( Team Soul)

At Present, Team Soul has 5 members 

1.Soul Mortal 

2. Soul Viper

3. Soul Aman

4. Soul Regaltos

5. Soul Sagwan

Nintendo schedules Splatfest for 'Splatoon 2' on May 2

Nintendo schedules Splatfest for 'Splatoon 2' on May 2

While Nintendo is finding it tough to put enough Switch consoles on shelves right now due to the spike in demand, the company has decided to highlight an old favorite: Splatoon 2.

Nintendo has scheduled a special event for the game on May 2 specially for those who are looking for a break from playing the turnip markets in Animal Crossing: New Horizons.

The week-long special Demo Event is scheduled to start on April 29 and during this period the players will be allowed to try modes including Turf War, Ranked Battle and Salmon Run competing against other people in the demo or players who own the full game. Nintendo has also decided to put the game on sale during the event, slashing the price from $59.99 to $39.99. The company is also offering a free seven-day trial of its online services in order to allow the people try the multiplayer.

After the conclusion of the Demo Event, Nintendo will launch a new Splatfest. It may be recalled that the “last” of these special community events was scheduled by Nintendo in July. Players will get the option to support either Team Mayo or Team Ketchup for two days between May 22 and May 24, beginning and ending at 6 PM ET.

When Nintendo launched Splatoon 2 in 2017, it was dubbed by many as an excellent evolution of the company's Nintendo’s squirt gun shooter and the demo and new event is expected to introduce new Switch owners to its unique brand of action.

Sony Surprises Fan with Free Game

Sony Surprises Fan with Free Game After Sending PS4 in for repairs

Who doesn’t want a little sunshine in these trying times, right? That’s exactly what’s happened to one gamer who sent in his PS4 console for repair, and got something a little extra when he got it back.

Reddit user  pnut88 sent in his PS4 console in mid-March, and due to the global COVID-19 pandemic, it took Sony a tad longer to send it back. Well, when they finally did, pnut88 got a little surprise with not only a letter apologizing for the delay but a new game as well! We reached out to the gamer and got a few images of the console, letter, and more. Check out images of the letter and game (MLB: The Show 2020) below. Note, PSN User name blurred out to protect the user.

According to pnut88, he got the console back on April 17, and he had to pay $164 to get his console sorted out. Mind, it’s not just any console, but a God of War themed one, even.

This bit of good news doesn’t end here, however, pnut88, who’s not a big MLB: The Show player, is sending out the free game to another Reddit user who plays MLB: The Show 19 with his wife.

Oh, in case you’re wondering, pnut88 never emailed/complained to badger Sony about his console, which means Sony just sent it in as a sign of goodwill for the long wait.

Super Mario Maker 2 adds World Maker Mode

Super Mario Maker 2 adds World Maker mode for building entire games

Nintendo has announced what it describes as the final update to Super Mario Maker 2, and it comes with a huge new feature: a World Maker mode that lets you design a map and string multiple courses together, Super Mario World-style. Each world can contain up to five levels, and eight of the worlds themselves can be combined, meaning you can create your own 40-level Mario game.

The update also includes the addition of several new enemies and power-ups including the frog suit from Super Mario Bros. 3, the power balloon from Super Mario World, and a mushroom that turns characters into their Super Mario Bros. 2 sprites and lets them throw items around.

Nintendo will release the update for free on April 22nd. It’s unfortunate that Super Mario Maker 2 won’t receive any more content, but the ability to build an entire new Mario game isn’t the worst way to sign off.

Pubg Mobile new update 0.18.0 is coming.

PUBG Mobile: Best features in PUBG Mobile 0.18.0 Update

• A list of 5 new features expected in the PUBG Mobile 0.18.0 update due to arrive in global servers on 24th April 2020.
• The new features include a revamped map, that has already been released in the game's Chinese version

PUBG Mobile 0.18.0 Update is going to be out soon. Its beta version has already been launched. The new update, which will bring in a lot of new features, will be of around 2GB size. The official release date for the new update is yet to be announced, but we can expect it to arrive around 24th April 2020.

The leaks have unveiled that there will be no Erangel 2.0 again in the 0.18.0 update. But the developers have added a revamped version of Miramar, a new Evoground mode, new features in training mode, and much more.

Top 5 features in PUBG Mobile 0.18.0 Update

Here are the top 5 features coming in PUBG Mobile 0.18.0 Update:

#5 Scope in Winchester 94

Win94 is a sniper rifle that can be found in Miramar. But the only drawback of this weapon is that it cannot be equipped with any scope.

Win94 will now come with a pre-attached 2.7x scope that will make it a more potent weapon. The damage inflicted by this gun is more than that of Kar98, which makes it a lethal weapon to use.

#4 New Character Andy

Character Andy

A new character, Andy, is added in the game that will have its own outfit set and emotes. Andy is a male character and will be effective in EvoGround mode except in TDM.

His ability is to increase the drawing and putting away speed of the guns to a certain extent. The speed of guns can be increased by levelling up the character to its highest level of 10.

#3 Jungle Adventure Mode

Jungle Adventure Mode is a limited time mode introduced in the Sanhok map.A lot of hot air balloons have been added to the map where the players can hop and fly. This way, the players can spot theie enemies easily, and would also get to know the next location of their airdMode

#2 Safety Scramble Mode

Safety Scramble Mode

Safety Scramble Mode is a new EvoGround mode that has been added in the game to counter the camping done by the players.

In this mode, an Inner Blue Circle has been added in the play zone that will not let players camp inside it as they will take damage equal to the damage inflicted by the next phase's Blue Zone.

The Safety Scramble Mode resembles the Bluehole Mode that was introduced in PUBG PC in PUBG Lab.

#1 Miramar 2.0

Instead of releasing Erangel 2.0, PUBG Mobile added a new Miramar 2.0 map in the game, making some visual changes to the classic Miramar map.

It has already been released in Game for Peace, which is the Chinese version of PUBG Mobile.

New features like Racing Ramp, Golden Mirado, Vending Machine, and Water city are added to the new Miramar 2.0 map.

Pubg Mobile Arctic Mode update launching on 16 April

PUBG Mobile Arctic Mode update launching today: To bring new mechanics, drones and more

PUBG Mobile's upcoming update will finally bring the much-awaited Arctic Mode. Here's everything you can expect.

PUBG Mobile is constantly rolling out new updates in order to make the game better for both newcomers as well as the existing players. The new modes and features added via the updates help to generate the hype among the users. At the time of the ongoing coronavirus lockdown, more players are now spending time in-game and there could be no better time to launch the awaited Arctic Mode. The company has now officially announced that the new mode will be made available to the users starting today , April 16. Here's what you can expect.

Tencent Games has been teasing the new mode for quite some time now via PUBG Mobile's social media handles on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook. Now, the mode is finally here and it has been implemented in the snow map, Vikendi. In order to play the new mode, the users just need to ensure that the game is up-to-date. Players can do this by heading over to the Google Play Store or Apple App Store on their Android or iOS smartphones.

Arctic Mode will be available under the EvoGround game mode section in PUBG Mobile starting today . The new mode will require the players to maintain their body temperature as it will gradually drop and reduce the player's health. When playing in Arctic Mode, every player will have a meter that shows their body temperature. Apart from looking out for the temperature meter, players will have to fight against other players to score points.

In order to maintain body heat, the payers can follow these guidelines:

•  lighter to create an indoor fire, then forage for branches to keep the fire alive

• Hunt wild chickens, collect the meat and cook it to be eaten and restore body temperature
• 
  
• Use resources such as the heater and health packs

Apart from this, the users will also get to use snowboards in the map to travel to different destinations in the huge map. PUBG Mobile has now also added drones to the game, which will allow players to scout their surrounding areas in order to get an advantage over the enemies.

Fallout 76 Wastelanders Update : Full Patch Notes

Fallout 76 Wastelanders Update: Full Patch Notes

The patch for Fallout 76's new Wastelanders update is now live, offering a big new story expansion and tons of other adjustments.

Fallout 76 has released its free Wastelanders update, offering some big gameplay changes alongside bug fixes and other adjustments. The centerpiece of Wastelanders is the addition of NPCs, but there's much more to it than the addition of human quest-givers, as detailed in the patch notes.

This update brings all versions of the game up to 1.3.0.23, and the download size for the update is rather large--70 GB for PS4 and Xbox One, 54 GB for PC through the Bethesda launcher, and 68 GB for PC through the just-launched Steam version. If you began your game through the Bethesda launcher, you'll carry over any progress and Atomic Shop items to Steam, but Atom balancs and Fallout 1st memberships won't transfer.

Wastelanders adds a new main quest focused on NPCs and factions, including instanced areas where only you and your multiplayer companions can impact the surroundings. You'll build rep with Settlers and Raiders to open up new gear and quests. It also introduces new repeatable quests, new companions, and lots of quality-of-life improvements.
You can check out the full patch notes below.

Fallout 76 Wastelanders (v1.3.0.23) Patch Notes

NPCs and Dialogue

A whole host of new people have arrived in Appalachia, seeking their fortunes or just a safe place to live. These NPCs can be found all over the place. Some of them you can talk to and have interactive conversations.

• The mechanics of dialogue are similar to Fallout 3 – you have a variety of choices, S.P.E.C.I.A.L. checks, and options available to you contextually.

• A single player response can have any number of choices available, if there are more choices than fit the display you can scroll down to see them all.

• Additionally, full conversations have been added to many of the original NPCs of Fallout 76—characters like Rose, MODUS, and the Grafton Mayor (and more) can be engaged in dialogue.

A New Main Quest

The arrival of new people in Appalachia means there are many new adventures to be had. Wastelanders brings an entirely new story to Fallout 76 that you can uncover and explore as you complete new main quests.

• Just outside of Vault 76, you can dive into the Wastelanders story and meet Lacey and Isela, who will guide you to experience the Wayward quest line.
• At level 20, the full main quest opens in Sutton. It will get you acquainted with the two largest factions in Appalachia – the Raiders and Settlers.
  • During the Main Quest you will have to pick which side you work with, but for quite some time you can do quests for both factions until you hit a point of no return.
• The original Fallout 76 main quest is still available, but expect new touches of life. Both with new NPCs and full dialogue with existing NPCs.
• Please Note: To accommodate new quests and story content, some new no-C.A.M.P. zones have been added to locations in the world.
  • If your C.A.M.P. was in one of these areas and can no longer be placed, you will be notified on joining a world, and you will be able to move your C.A.M.P. for free.

The Raiders

The Raiders are in part survivors that fled Appalachia, who have now returned to reclaim land they believe is rightfully theirs. They’ve built a base of operations, called Crater, at the Crashed Space Station.

• Initially, if you encounter Raiders in the wild they will be hostile and attack you. Even in Crater, expect a chilly reception—their vendors won’t deal with you, and they’ll bring the opposite of the welcome wagon.
• Eventually, you will learn more about them and can broker a peace with them (and if you want, their friendship in time).

The Settlers

The Settlers are a collection of survivors gathered by some construction workers from the Washington D.C. area. When they heard there was land, they caravanned to Appalachia and repurposed existing structures at Spruce Knob to construct Foundation.

• The Settlers are happy to speak and trade with you right away. Like the Raiders, you can get to know the Settlers better over time and become an ally to them.
• Ward will offer a Daily Quest that can help you make a good impression with these new-comers.

Read our article about Wastelanders Factions to learn more about the Settlers and the Raiders.

Gold Bullion and Faction Reputation

Wastelanders features some new exciting weapons, armors, and other items. You can unlock these items via the new Gold Bullion system.

• After completing the Main Quest, you will gain access to Gold Bullion, a new in-game currency.
  • Gold Bullion can be gathered by exchanging Treasury Notes at Gold Press Machines, up to a daily limit.
  • Treasury Notes can be earned from Wastelanders daily quests and by completing Public Events.
  • Gold Bullion can also be purchased directly from a vendor in the Wayward using Caps, up to a weekly limit.
• There are three Gold Bullion Vendors: One at Crater, one at Foundation, and another in a location you’ll unlock during the main story. Each vendor will offer you a different set of new Wastelanders items in exchange for Gold Bullion.

Faction Reputation

• Some of the Wastelanders gear is only available as you become better friends with the Settlers and Raiders through the new Reputation System.
  • Gain reputation with these factions by completing story quests for them, making in-game decisions, and by doing their daily quests.
  • Items you can get this way include weapons like the Gauss Shotgun or Gauss Minigun, C.A.M.P. items like Farmable Tiles, and even the yummy Appalachia treat—Pepperoni Rolls, among others.
• Read our article about the Wastelanders Reputation System to learn more.

Allies

Another exciting addition to Wastelanders, Allies are NPCs you will encounter in the world who can move into your C.A.M.P., help protect it, and keep you company.

• Allies also provide adventuring opportunities through daily quests they offer.
• Two of the Allies are unique. Both have a mini-quest line, romance opportunities, and offer the chance to really get to know some interesting characters.
  • Once you reach level 10, strike out to the Ash Heap or the Mire in order to meet them!
• Learn more by reading our article about Allies in Wastelanders.

Repeatable Events and Daily Quests

Event: Riding Shotgun

• Riding Shotgun is a new event at Big Bend Tunnel East. Take part by speaking with Vinny Costa near the entrance to the Tunnel. He offers the event every so often, so check in with him regularly if you want to help him out.
  • Merchants from the Blue Ridge Caravan want to pass through Big Bend Tunnel with their wares, but devious Blood Eagles are lying in wait, hoping to make an easy score.
  • Successfully defend the Caravan as the merchants make their way through the Tunnel, and you will be handsomely rewarded.

Public Event: Radiation Rumble

• Radiation Rumble is a challenging new Public Event that will appear on the map at Emmett Mountain Disposal Site.
  • A group of Scavengers have set their sights on mining the precious ore found deep within Emmett Mountain Disposal Site, but they’ve been backed into a corner by treacherous glowing creatures.
  • Balance your time between defending the Scavengers and venturing out to help them mine ore, and they’ll give you a stake in the profits—but remember wear your Hazmat Suit!

Catch additional details about the new Wastelanders Events in this article.

New Daily Quests

• There are four new daily quests available in Wastelanders: Two from the Raiders at Crater, one from the Settlers at Foundation, and one more that you’ll discover as you play through main story quests.
  • The Raider dailies alternate, with one of the two available to you each day.
  • All four dailies can be completed to earn Treasury Notes, XP, Caps, and some loot.
  • Daily quests from the Raiders and the Settlers will also award you with some reputation for your efforts.

New Enemies

Floaters

• Floaters are returning creatures from previous Fallout games. They come in three variations: Flamer, Freezer, and Chomper.
• They aren’t particularly tough, but when they swarm in with their Super Mutant brethren, they can really change a battle.

Wendigo Colossus

• The elusive Wendigo Colossus is a terrifying monstrosity rumored to only rear its head in areas hit by atomic fire.
• They are seriously tough, and even a hearty adventurer will find it challenging to square off with one alone. If you plan to hunt down a Wendigo Colossus bring friends—lots of them!

Blood Eagles

• Bloodthirsty and cruel, the Blood Eagles are a group of human miscreants fueled by chems, who treat the Wasteland like their personal playground.
• Even more frightening are their numbers. Bands of Blood Eagles have sprung up throughout Appalachia, so keep your weapons close and be ready to defend yourself.

Cult of the Mothman

• No one is quite sure what these mysterious cultists are up to, but they’ve recently begun inhabiting a few existing locations in Appalachia.
• Stay on your guard if you encounter these cultists in the wild. You can be sure that they won’t let you or anyone else get in the way of their. . . rituals.

Explore New and Updated Locations

• We’ve created a number of new locations that you will discover, such as the Watoga Underground, The Deep, The Wayward, new Blood Eagle and Mothman Cultist camps, and more.
• Additionally, with the return of people to Appalachia, many have already left their mark on the world. They’ve transformed many existing locations, like the Crashed Space Station, Spruce Knob, and WV Lumber Co., among others, to better suit their needs

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Art and Graphics

• Day/Night Cycle: Daytime has been lengthened from 8 to 13 game hours, so that you have more sunshine while you quest, craft, and explore. Dusk, dawn, and nighttime have been shortened accordingly.
• Lighting: We’ve made significant improvements to all aspects of our lighting and rendering systems to bring additional realism and contrast to the game world.

General Updates

• Vault 94: As mentioned in a previous announcement, Vault 94 and its Missions have been shut down along with the release of Wastelanders.
  • Many of the item rewards that you could earn by completing Missions, including Strangler Heart Power Armor Plans, are now available through the Gold Bullion system.
• Nuclear Winter: The Storm now automatically constricts based on the number of players who begin a Nuclear Winter Match. This should help players get to the fun of a match more quickly and spend less time in matchmaking queues.
  • This change was originally implemented in Update 16, but was reverted after community feedback that the automatic constriction was happening too often. We’ve since made improvements in this area and have brought this change back with the Wastelanders update.

Quality-of-Life Improvements

Quest U.I. Updates

Quests have received significant user interface improvements in today’s update. Here is a summary of the adjustments we’ve made:

• All of your quest markers will now appear on the map.
  • Inactive quests show up as black map markers, and quests you’re actively tracking will display the yellow markers you’re already familiar with.
  • Main quests display square markers, while side, misc., and daily quests show diamond-shaped markers.
• Clicking a quest marker on the map will display a pop-up showing more details and a description of that quest.
  • There are three new options on this pop-up that you can select to mark the quest as active, make it your only active quest, or show the quest in your Pip-Boy.
  • When viewing a quest in your Pip-Boy, you can now choose to show that quest’s location on the map.
• New options are available that you can toggle to customize what types of quests are marked as active when you start them. Find these in the Game Settings Menu
• You can find some more details about these changes in this article on Fallout.com.

Additional Quality-of-Life Improvements

• Legendary Enemies: A notification now appears and sound effects play when a legendary creature regenerates to full health during combat.
• Nuke Zones: Spawning into an active Nuke Zone when you join a world is no fun! From now on, if there’s an active Nuke Zone at your login location, you will receive a prompt offering you the option to leave the current world and search for another.
  • You will be protected from Radiation for a short period of time while you make your decision to stay or leave.
  • This protection will end early if you move, attack, or take damage.
• Press and Hold: When viewing many types of pre-placed items in the world, you can now press and hold your interact button to quickly make use of those items without entering your Pip-Boy.
  • For Example: You can press and hold the interact button to quickly equip and favorite weapons you find, consume an aid item, or learn a plan or recipe.
  • If you’d prefer, you can still press the interact button without holding it down to add that item to your inventory.
• Public Events: The descriptions of Public Events on the map now include a suggested player level.
• Radio Host: A new arrival named Julia has taken to the airwaves to host Appalachia Radio. Tune in to catch her quips in between tracks.
• Search Perks: The functionality of “Search” Perks, like Scrounger and Pharma Farma, is now automatic. You no longer need to press a button to manually search containers for bonus supplies. You will get a friendly Vault Boy notification when your Perk has kicked in.

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Bug Fixes

The Wastelanders update brings close to 1,000 fixes for bugs that were previously affecting the base game, including many that were reported to us by the Fallout 76 community. Since that list is so lengthy, we’ve highlighted a selection of fixes that we thought you might want to know about or may find interesting as you prepare to head back into Appalachia.

C.A.M.P. and Workshops

• Auto-Scrapping: The following items no longer scrap automatically when using the Scrap All Junk button, since they are ingredients in crafting recipes.
  • Bleached Dogwood
  • Bloatfly Gland
  • Bloodbug Proboscis
  • Cooking Oil
  • Digested Goo
  • Mole Rat Teeth
  • Mr. Handy Fuel
  • Radscorpion Stinger
  • Stingwing Barb
  • Tick Blood Sac
• Billboards: Reduced the C.A.M.P. budget cost of many Neon Billboards by 50%.
• Lights: The Mid-Century Disc Lamp now correctly illuminates downward.
• Scrapping: The Tinker’s Workbench now generates components when scrapped.
• Scrapping: Urban and Forest Scout Armor pieces now generate components when scrapped.
• Turrets: Addressed an issue that could prevent Turrets from firing at enemies in close range.

Combat

• V.A.T.S.: Entering V.A.T.S. while firing an automatic weapon no longer causes the weapon to stop firing.
• V.A.T.S.: Frag Mines can now be destroyed by shots fired in V.A.T.S.

Items

• Auto Grenade Launcher: The Heavy Barrel mod no longer incorrectly states that it increases damage.
• Baseball Grenade: Now requires 2 Cork to craft in addition to its other components, and no longer requires a Baseball.
  • Baseballs now automatically scrap when using the Scrap All Junk button.
• Baseball Grenade: Damage increased to bring Baseball Grenades in line with other types of Grenades.
• Bolt-Action Weapons: Players no longer get stuck aiming down sights after pressing the button to aim down sights while chambering a round in a bolt-action weapon.
• Buffout: Fixed an issue causing Bufftats to count toward Buffout and Mentats-related Challenges.
• Cultist Blade: Damage increased so that the Cultist Blade is now slightly stronger than the Machete at every level.
• Disease Cure: Can now be sold to Vendors for Caps.
• Eyebot Helmet: Crafting an Eyebot Helmet now requires a Military Circuit Board instead of an Assaultron Circuit Board.
• Fusion Core: Fixed an issue that could deplete a Fusion Core in the player’s inventory when exiting Power Armor.
• Gatling Laser: Reloading a Gatling Laser early no longer causes multiple Fusion Cores to be loaded, which could prevent the player from firing other weapons.
• Gatling Weapons: Firing a Gatling Laser or Gatling Plasma with a fully charged Fusion Core no longer empties the magazine after just a few shots, or prevents the magazine from being topped off when reloading.
• Handmade Rifle: The Stinging Magazine mod no longer holds more ammo than intended, and now has an ammo capacity of 25.
• Harpoon Gun: Legendary Harpoon Guns can no longer incorrectly spawn with the Explosive attribute.
• Legendary Armor: Solar and Thorn Armors can now correctly spawn with the Unyielding legendary attribute.
• Legendary Weapons: The +250 Damage Resistance While Reloading legendary attribute no longer causes a legendary weapon’s primary attribute to stop functioning.
• Magazines: Tumblers Today Issue #2 now correctly grants the player the ability to find extra Bobby Pins in Bobby Pin Boxes, and the effect’s description has been updated to match.
• Meat Hook: Now only benefits from unarmed Perks, and is no longer incorrectly affected by one-handed melee Perks.
• Molotov Cocktail: Now requires 2 Glass to craft in addition to its other components, and no longer requires a Beer Bottle.
  • Beer Bottles now automatically scrap when using the Scrap All Junk button.
• Plasma Grenade: Explosion visual effects now more closely match the Plasma Grenade’s explosion radius.
• Psychotats: Fixed an issue causing Psychotats to count toward Buffout-related Challenges.
• Rad-X Diluted: The description no longer states that it suppresses Mutations.
• Salvaged Assaultron Head: Fixed an issue causing the Salvaged Assaultron Head to deal the same amount of damage at every charge level.
• Scout Armor: The Forest Scout Armor Mask can now be worn with other types of headwear.
• Shovel: Now correctly benefits from two-handed melee Perks.
• Strangler Heart Power Armor: Acid attacks from players wearing Strangler Heart Power Armor no longer cause performance issues or crashes.
• Strangler Heart Power Armor: Power Armor Chassis with Strangler Heart pieces equipped can no longer be dropped.
• Tesla Rifle: Is now correctly categorized as an Energy Weapon in Workbenches, rather than a Heavy Weapon.
• The Action Hero: The Gold .50 Cal Paint from the Atomic Shop can now be applied to The Action Hero.
• Ultracite Fusion Core: Can no longer incorrectly be used as Fusion Cores for Power Armor.
• Ultracite Plasma Cartridge: Increased the amount of ammo created when crafting Ultracite Plasma Cartridges from 60 to 120 to better match other types of Ultracite ammo.

Mutations

• Carnivore: Now correctly doubles the benefits of consuming pre-packaged meats, like Cram and Salisbury Steak.
• Herd Mentality: Fixed an issue that prevented players with Herd Mentality from sharing Perks despite having enough points in Charisma.

Perks

• Butcher’s Bounty: Can now correctly trigger when searching dead Hermit Crabs.
• Crack Shot: Description corrected to state that the Perk’s benefits apply while aiming down sights, rather than “while sighted.”
• Long Shot: Description corrected to state that the Perk’s benefits apply while aiming down sights, rather than “while sighted.”
• Luck of the Draw: Can now correctly trigger when firing the Gatling Plasma, Gatling Laser, and automatic weapons.
• Luck of the Draw: Fixed an issue that prevented fanfare from appearing on-screen when Luck of the Draw Rank 2 triggered.
• Perk Sharing: Now only considers a character’s base Charisma. Bonus Charisma provided by Chems, gear, Perks, and other effects no longer incorrectly count towards Perk sharing.

Quests and Events

• Always Vigilant: The quest timer has been reduced from 30 to 15 minutes, and a 2-minute timer has been added to repair Rover.
• Cop a Squatter: No longer restarts every time the player logs in if they have already completed it that day.
• Ecological Balance: Amy’s Note now remains in the player’s inventory after completing the quest.
• Miscellaneous: Fixed an issue preventing the “Clear the Flooded Trainyard” misc. quest from appearing to players at the Flooded Trainyard in Cranberry Bog if someone had already completed the quest in that World.
• Miscellaneous: The “Kill a Wendigo while wearing a clown costume” misc. quest, it will no longer reappear to a player every time they log in if they have already completed it.

User Interface

• Compass: Location markers in the Compass now more consistently match their orientations in the game world.
• Notifications: Fanfare and the list of rewards earned now correctly appear on the screen after completing a Daily Quest.
• Notifications: The number of Caps earned now correctly appears on the screen after completing a quest or event.
• Pip-Boy: Fixed a visual issue causing some Legendary Weapons to occasionally display incorrect attributes in their Pip-Boy descriptions after logging out and back in.
• Revive: Diluted and Super Stimpaks can now be used to revive downed players.
• Settings: The World Radios volume slider in the Audio settings menu now correctly affects Jukebox audio.
• Social: Large friend lists have been optimized. Players should no longer experience in-game hitching as a result of having a very large friends list.
• Social: Entering an invalid or nonexistent name into the Social Menu no longer prevents the player from interacting with other in-game menus.
• Sorting: Scrapping an item no longer causes the player’s inventory list to re-sort.
• Vending and Trade: Players can now sell items for up to 30,000 Caps through their Vending Machines or direct trade.
• Workbenches: Pressing the exit confirmation button when leaving a Workbench no longer causes the player immediately re-enter the Workbench.

Thoughts on the Final Fantasy VII Remake

Random thoughts on the Final Fantasy VII Remake

In a week full of VALORANT coverage, Animal Crossing: New Horizons events and League of Legends and the NBA 2K Players Tournament hitting ESPN, I didn't expect the Final Fantasy VII Remake to take up as much of my time as it did.

I'm a big Final Fantasy fan, and FFVII is one of my favorites from the series. I've completed the original about a dozen times. That said, it's an evergreen game; I wasn't going to miss out on anything by playing it a day from now, or a week from now, and everything else on my docket was a *right now* kind of deal, you know?

But I made the mistake of firing up our review copy of the FFVII Remake the night before release, and I just. Kept. Going. The combat is challenging, the reimagining of areas I memorized in my childhood is mesmerizing, and the constant question of what's new and what's next drove me to some sleepless nights (with apologies to my wife and our puppies).

What follows is a stream of consciousness from the first 8 ½ chapters of the game, from leaping off the train at the start to a fair stopping point for avoiding spoilers for new and old players.

I'd seen it a bunch of times already, but that guy stomping on Aerith's flower still gets me way more tilted than I have any right to be.

The soldiers' outfits pretty much confirm that XCOM and Final Fantasy exist in the same universe.

Showing the Materia slots in the weapons is a small but oh-so-nice touch.

Cloud being a jerk without dialogue options to be nicer like in the original hurts me a bit. Wedge is so wholesome. Stop hurting my son's feelings.

As my colleague Emily Rand said during our demo, Heidegger had a major glow-up.

I'm only a half-hour in, and if Barret never screamed again, I would be so, so happy.

Not sure how I feel about this newfound romantic tension with Jessie. If she goes from just one of the gang to a love interest, that'd be a huge swerve on the original.

"Look, I'm involved in things." Same, Cloud. Same.

Really like the adjustments to how the reactor went down and the humanizing of it. The fact that the group was just OK with people getting hurt in the original game never sat well with me. To that point, seeing Shinra employees living in the slums really hits you. They aren't some far-off villain anymore whom you never see humanized.

Chapter 3. I have finally run into a graphical thing I don't like. Gwen's mouth animations, at least on the pre-release patch, remind me of Mass Effect: Andromeda's. Her facial contortions will haunt me when I sleep.

The one-on-one "missions" like the one with Tifa are such a great addition. This is what the remake is all about: making connections with characters you didn't have before. Character-building missions and the quests to flesh this out were really cool concepts.

"Sorry to keep you thirsty boys waiting" is a hell of a line, Jessie. No one will take that the wrong way at all.

The reappraisal of Cloud as a guy looking for a quick buck rather than someone who seems like a legendary mercenary is a welcome change. It makes it clear that this guy just kinda popped up out of nowhere, which feeds into ... well ... future stuff! Spoilery stuff. If you know, you know.

Wedge is way, way, way faster than I gave him credit for. Crazy stamina, too. 10/10 would squad up again.

Best FPS Single Player Games

Best FPS Single Player Games :-

We recommend the following games for anyone who wants to sit alone and blast monsters or other deserving bad guys. They may include multiplayer modes, but we chose these games and put them in this section because we think they offer the best singleplayer campaigns around.

Dusk

Release date: 2018
Developer: David Szymanski
Link: Steam, GOG

One of our highest-rated shooters of last year, Dusk is a riff on classic FPS games, with clear influences from Quake, Doom and Half-Life. If you worried first-person shooters had gotten too slow since the '90s ended, this is probably the game for you. Set across three campaigns, you'll play with a fun and often ludicrous armoury—the Riveter, for example, which launches exploding rivets at your foes. It's more than just a throwback, though, filled with memorable, varied levels and a genuinely good little horror-themed story.

Bulletstorm

Release date: 2011
Developer: People Can Fly, Epic Games
Link: Steam

Bulletstorm is an incredibly well-made score attack shooter that’s a little different than everything else on the list. The energy leash, the ability to kick enemies and the fast player movement give you plenty of scope to put together cool, flashy combos and to use your armory creatively. The sweary, deliberately immature script, put together by comic book writer Rick Remender, matches the over-the-top action perfectly. It's now available in an upgraded Full Clip Edition on Steam, complete with optional embarrassing Duke Nukem appendage, though the price tag of £30/$50 is eyebrow-raising for a six year-old game, considering the old version would still be perfectly fine had the GfWL stuff been patched out of it. 

No leaves forever

Release date: 2000

Developer: Monolith

Where many classics play better in our memories than on our modern PCs, No One Lives Forever holds up brilliantly today thanks to the garish ‘60s art direction, a fine arsenal (from a petite .38 Airweight with dum dum rounds to lipstick grenades and a briefcase missile launcher), as well as remarkably sophisticated AI. Monolith wraps it all up in endlessly inventive level design and writing so consistently hilarious that it created its own genre—the comedy FPS—and hasn’t been outdone since. If only there was an easy way to download it on digital platforms today. 

Black Mesa

Release date: 2020
Developer: Crowbar Collective
Link: Steam

Half-Life: Alyx's level designer only played around five hours of the original Half-Life before dropping it for fan remake Black Mesa instead. And for good reason. What started as a mod homage to the original game blossomed (very slowly) over 15 years into a full blown reinterpretation. Built in Source, Half-Life 2's familiar physics make for more complex puzzles and explosive combat at a much larger scale. The early chapters of Black Mesa actually feel like the world-rending, panicked disaster the low-poly original was gunning for. It's a goddamn nightmare, and that's all before getting to Xen, a total reimagining of the Half-Life's worst bits. Xen is practically its own game now. Using the long jump module to fly around lush alien rainforests and through Vortigaunt labor camps is thrilling, tragic, and awe-inspiring. Xen feels truly alien, and fully integrated with the greater Half-Life mythos. It's as creative and surprising as anything Valve would make themselves. Black Mesa is canon.  

Famous detective game Sherlock Holmes are free on Epic Store for limited time.

Close to the Sun and Sherlock Holmes: Crimes and Punishments are both free on the Epic Store

This week's free games on the Epic Games Store will each put you in the role of a sharp-minded sleuth. The first is the Bioshock-styled horror game Close to the Sun and the second is one of the best detective games on PC, Sherlock Holmes: Crimes and Punishments. 

Close to the Sun is a first-person mystery that involves Nikola Tesla (of all people) trapping you on his gigantic ship, the Helios. You play as investigative journalist Rose as she boards the quarantined ship in search of her sister, unknowingly getting tangled in the secrets of the Helios and its inhabitants. 

The second free game, Sherlock Holmes: Crimes and Punishments, puts you into the role of Mr Holmes in six crime investigations. Frogwares has been making Sherlock Holmes games for years, but Crimes and Punishments is the best of the bunch. 

Close to the Sun and Sherlock Holmes: Crimes and Punishments are both free to download until 8 AM PT / 4PM BST on April 16. To claim both the games you'll need to sign in to your Epic Store account and click on the downloads link for each one.  

EA getting charity tournament with FIFA 20

EA Getting Soccer Pros Together For FIFA 20 Charity Tournament

Electronic Arts is rounding up 20 as-yet-unannounced real-life footballers for a special FIFA 20 tournament (April 15-19) as part of its Stay Home, Play Together COVID-19 charity relief campaign.

The players are from big clubs like Chelsea, Roma, Real Madrid, Ajax, and other teams such as Liverpool. No word if a Juventus player will have to represent Piemonte Calcio in the game. EA says it'll divulge more on the players involved via the game's official Twitter account.

As part of the pros' tournament and the Stay Home, Play Together campaign (which also involves other EA titles such as Apex Legends and Madden), EA is donating $1 million to Global Givings' Coronavirus Relief Fund. The tournament will also feature ways for the community to donate.

Pubg Mobile Season 13 Royals Pass Leaks

PUBG Mobile Season 13 Royale Pass Leaks: Toy Playground Theme, Rewards, Launch Date and More

It is expected that the ongoing season will end around May 12 with the new season 13 beginning around May 13.

We are still about three weeks away for the

ongoing PUBG Mobile season to finish. However, details of season 13 are already out in the open. If the information shared by reliable YouTuber Mr Ghost Gaming is true, then we can expect the next season to have a new theme inspired by toys.

According to a video shared by the YouTuber, the next season will be titled ‘Toys Playground’ and will have most of the skins and clothing inspired by your childhood memories. Expect a lot of colourful stuff happening all around and by the looks of the video, there will be some Power Rangers inspired sets and some of them look a lot like Gundam robots.

The video confirms a new colourful gun skin for the Vector which seems to take inspiration from Lego. A similar skin can be seen for the P92 pistol. The 100 RP (Royale Pass) reward will be a complete set as it is with all seasons. This time there will be a choice between two sets, the Lava Superman or the Flash Superman. As I mentioned earlier, these sets look a lot like they have been inspired from Power Rangers.

There’s also something called the ‘Tribal Treasure’ which includes a cool looking outfit with a Ram skull as a headgear. There are also some other items like a leather set with some padding, a unique headgear, a parachute skin, an AUG skin and more.

Lastly, a new character might be introduced with season 13. Andy seems to be a magician but we are not sure as to what exactly his abilities will be. There are also some new voice chat commands that will be added with the upcoming season. It is expected that season 12 will finish around May 12, so we can expect season 13 to drop around May 13. There is also news that update 0.18.0 will also introduce a refresh to the Miramar map.

For more info, check out the video below: