Thursday, 16 April 2020

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.

Wednesday, 15 April 2020

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

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.

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.

Monday, 13 April 2020

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.

Sunday, 12 April 2020

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.

Saturday, 11 April 2020

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.

Friday, 10 April 2020

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:

Hellpoint (horror game) launch delayed

The launch of horror game Hellpoint has been delayed due to the coronavirus

Hellpoint is a horror sci-fi Souls-like set aboard the space station Irid Novo, a once-bustling hub of human activity that's now overrun by hostile aliens from another dimension. A February trailer was thoroughly dark and unpleasant in all the right ways, but unfortunately the April release date it delivered isn't going to work out.

"In light of the unprecedented events facing the world, we have been forced to postpone the launch of the game," Cradle Games creative director Matt Boudreau said. "We plan to use the additional development time not just for polishing, but also to address the feedback we’ve gathered and make Hellpoint an even better gaming experience for everybody! The feedback of the community had such enthusiasm and energy."

The Souls-like gameplay aboard a derelict space station is enhanced by Hellpoint's "Quantic system" that makes minor adjustments to the game world every time you die, and also triggers events based on the station's 21-hour rotation around a black hole. It also supports local and online co-op and PvP multiplayer.

Hellpoint doesn't currently have a set release date, but the delay should be relatively short, as it's now slated to be out by the end of June 2020. It's available for wishlisting on Steam

Gears 5 currently giving an offer

Gears 5 is currently free on Steam and Windows 10

Gears 5 is temporarily free on both the Windows Store and Steam, meaning you can probably complete the campaign and dabble in multiplayer without spending a cent. The offer runs until April 12, so you've got until the end of Sunday to get involved.

The offer is part of Microsoft's Xbox Free Play Days, which is usually an initiative restricted to Xbox Live Gold or Game Pass Ultimate members. While that appears to be the case if you're playing on an Xbox One, the rule doesn't apply if you grab the game on Steam. So, go on then, grab away.

It's a good time to get acquainted with the game's multiplayer component. The new Operation 3 Gridiron update rolled out earlier this month, introducing a gridiron inspired mode that vaguely takes the form of capture the flag.

Also, if you play the game between now and April 20 you'll get a Batista Bomb execution and in-game skin. It's based on Dave Bautista, an actor and professional wrestler. You can check out footage of it below.

Thursday, 9 April 2020

Valorant had brakes the record

Valorant had a record-breaking day on Twitch

Riot’s latest game had a record-breaking day on Twitch — despite the fact that it isn’t even out yet. Yesterday the studio’s new shooter Valorant launch in a limited closed beta, and viewers flocked to watch streams of the game. According to Twitch, the game broke the “single-day hours watched record in a single game category” with 34 million hours watched. Meanwhile, the game hit a peak concurrent viewer total of 1.7 million, which is second only to the 2019 League of Legends World Championship.

One of the main driving factors behind Valorant’s huge day is the way the closed beta works. In order to get a key to play, viewers had to watch specific streams on Twitch. Riot recruited many of the biggest shooter players on the platform, including the likes of Jaryd “summit1g” Lazar, whose stream topped more than 200,000 viewers at one point. Other big-name streamers included Timothy “TimTheTatman” Betar, Félix “xQc” Lengyel, Imane “Pokimane” Anys, and Guy “Dr Disrespect” Beahm.

Valorant — which blends elements of Overwatch and Counter-Strike — is slated to launch in full later this summer on PC. It’s Riot’s first major PC release following a decade focused on the continuously popular strategy game League of Legends.

Stats of League after Week 9

Who are the Overwatch League coaches' top teams after Week 9?

The Dallas Fuel finally made their return in the second weekend of online-only games for the Overwatch League, and it was an extremely Dallas Fuel kind of series. First, the boys in blue got 3-0'd by the Los Angeles Gladiators, who seem to be shaping up as potential championship contenders. After that, though, the Fuel recovered and eked out an exciting 3-2 win against a quality Los Angeles Valiant team. As a result, they're moving on up in our weekly Overwatch League coaches poll.

Meanwhile, the San Francisco Shock made a convincing return to form, beating the Valiant 3-1 a week after losing to both Los Angeles teams. The Philadelphia Fusion took care of business as well, but are any of them capable of knocking off the Seoul Dynasty as the coaches' top team?

The Overwatch League coaches poll is built off the responses from coaches from across the Overwatch League. Voters rank the teams from best to worst, and those votes are compiled into aggregate rankings. The coaches poll will come out weekly during the OWL season.