It's in the blood

With Redfall, I keep going back to the beginning. In my review-in-progress from the start of this week, I opened with the game's introduction, because it paints quite the picture: a town overrun by vampires, some so powerful they can blot out the sun and freeze the oceans in place. It's a good horror set-up: you are the livestock, penned into the town of Redfall, and you will either fight or be food.

It's not too long after the introduction that I started to feel those drives fall by the wayside, though. There are pieces of Arkane Austin here, from imme??????????????????????????rsive elements and storytelling to a generally interesting stylistic direction. But it all falters under the weight of bugs, repetition, locked-off doors, and a loop that didn't do much for me.

//www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZwY9IncC6XI

Redfall (PC [Reviewed], Xbox Series X|S)
Developer: Arkane Austin
Publisher: Bethesda Softworks
Release: May 1, 2023
MSRP: $69.99 (also on Game Pass)

Arkane Austin's Redfall is set in the titular town, which has been overrun by a cabal of vampires. There are both normal, blood-sucking vampires who can fly, rip, tear, and do short little teleports around the area. But your focus, as either a solo player or a crew, is on the small group of vampire ringleaders. They, along with their cultist followers and a private military hired to roll in and destroy corporate evidence of wrongdoing, are the primary villains and objectives you'll be going after in each part of Redfall.

Vampire slayers for hire

To do this, you'll need to pick a character and assemble the team. Redfall has some good character design, but in play, each one felt a bit lacking. Part of this problem is you get a decent amount of exposition through co-op, so I didn't learn too much about my character playing solo; when the fog-spewing vampire Miss Whisper taunted my character Remi about never seeing her brothers again, that was the moment I learned she had brothers.

[caption id="attachment_377471" align="alignnone" width="640"] Screenshot by Destructoid[/caption]

It's possible I missed that story in the massive amount of text in Redfall, because there is a lot. Some of it is very good! A lot of it is also world-building, like a l??ist of names for kitchen duty at the church or the same Aevum clinical trial pamphlet I'd seen a dozen times. Combine a bevy of text th??at could be important or mundane with a world that doesn't pause for you, and most times I was just shoving paper into my character's pocket and moving on. Which is a shame, because when the narrative clicks, I do think it has some interesting moments.

These are mostly in the main missions of Redfall, which will feel the closest to an immersive Arkane game. You'll have an objective (which I frustratingly had to keep setting as a personal waypoint so I could see it on my HUD compass), and several potential avenue??s of approach. There's a barn with intel on one of the vampire gods inside, defended by a sniper tower, turrets, and a ton of guards. Maybe you sneak in through an old bootlegger's tunnel, or you take out the UV lights keeping ??the vampires out and take advantage of the ensuing chaos.

Routes and openings

Immersive sims are one thing, but games with multiple paths or options are what I often relate to Arkane. And there are hints of that here in Redfall. The aforementioned mission is just one case; in a church in the game's second area, while knocking out a safehouse mission, I found a locked door that led to the attic, with environmental art making me wonder what could possibly be up there. But after turning? the church over several times, I couldn't find the key. As it turns out, I needed to accept a main mission later on in the story's flowchart, which would then open the pathway to said key.

This felt indicative of a larger internal conflict of Redfall for me: while alternate pathways sometimes exist, other times and more often, you just need a key. A lot of Redfall, really, is going to a place, shoot??ing vampires/cultists/PMC soldie??rs, picking up an objective, and returning to a safehouse for the next mission.

[caption id="attachment_376690" align="alignnone" width="640"] Image via Bethesda[/caption]

While the main missions provide some larger, more elaborate areas, the side and safehouse missions are where this repetition is really felt. Many of them involve going to a place and shooting something, whether it's a weak point on a giant wicker effigy or special-class vampire, or even multiple waves of enemies while defending a location. None of these stood out in particular, even the side missions linked to the characters found around the hub areas for each major zone of Redfall. Shoot a vampire, pick u??p a skull or item, a?nd return.

Really, Redfall feels mostly like a shooter, both in co-op and solo play. You can feasibly sneak around, but there are barely any options for stealth takedowns (or for vampires, stakedowns). Aside from the few times the story asked me to keep it quiet, Redfall was mostly a firefight.

Lock and load

So how is Redfall as a shooter? It's got a decent number of guns, and many usual suspects. Some, like the shotg??un and sniper rifle, feel good. Others, like handguns, felt a bit off. My favorite chunk of the arsenal was the vampire-specific weaponry?. The flare gun is a neat addition, and the UV beam cannon adds an interesting weapon type. My absolute favorite, far and away, is the stake launcher. See, vampires can be put into a stunned state with normal bullets, but need to be fully done away with through petrification (through UV or sunlight), fire, or a stake to the heart.

The stake launcher says, "Why not launch the stakes into their heart?" And it really works. I love the power of it. The bulkiness of it. Racking stakes into the launcher port feels good, and even the little touches like the key on the body of the launcher ??add this DIY aspect that I love. Stakes offered an interesting dynamic; they're incredibly powerful, often able to one-shot normal vampires, and quickly deal with heftier varieties. But ?it's slow to reload, low in ammo capacity, and only really dispatches one enemy at a time.

[caption id="attachment_376681" align="alignnone" width="640"] Screenshot by Destructoid[/caption]

Though I love the stake launcher, other guns don't feel as compelling to me. An assault rifle is an assault rifle. Aside from its rate of fire or cosmetic upgrades, that gun type just goes up in damage over time. Most of the weapons, outside the gold tier, give you pretty numbers-based upgrades, like boosts to accuracy or reload speed. They don't feel very compelling, when other loot-driven shooters frequently offer more interesting upgrades that visibly and tangibly affect how you play. Often in Redfall, I was just l??ooking to see if the number went up, and scrapping the lesser.

Built for blood

This carries over into skills and levelling up, too. Some upgrades for each character's ab?ilities feel a bit meaningful, like adding an extra healing circle of Remi's ultimate, centered around the robot dog Bribón. But other options in the tree include upgrading ammo capacity, a very boring upgrade, or an upgrade for reviving teammates, which did nothing for me in solo play. It felt like there was a whole third of the ability tree I purposefully ignored.

Skills, themselves, can also feel lackluster in single player. I personally gelled a lot with my chosen vampire slayer, Remi, and her tool set. But it's a pretty straightforward set that, looping back to a previous section, doesn't open up a lot of interesting traversal options. I feel like these abilities probably all shine better together in co-op, which I played a few hours of for this review but ducked out of after, since co-op story progress only goes towards the host's file. There, skills could shine in?? concert with one another a bit more.

These tools also just feel unnecessary, as Redfall's shooter nature really just encourages taking out the enemy. Options for traversal, scouting, and other effects are nice, but I mostly just found myself in shootouts. And enemies died so fast (on the normal difficulty setting) that I rarely had time to set up some elaborate plan. Those plans often couldn't predict the wackiness of Redfall, either.

Hitch in the system

It's here I should probably talk a bit about the technical state of Redfall. It is, like many games released nowadays, in a state of flux. During the review process, I had a really tough time getting Redfall to run well on my PC. A day-one patch and driver update have since, at le?ast somewhat, rectified that; I'm no longer on Low settings. I do still get very noticeable texture pop-ins and loading ??hitches.

[caption id="attachment_376685" align="alignnone" width="640"] Screenshot by Destructoid[/caption]

Enemies glide across the ground, characters T-pose, stealth detection doesn't always work leading to comical ring-around-the-rosie moments, and objects float in mid-air. At one point, my robot dog Bribón had completely disappeared from the game. As I was finishing Redfall for this review, objective markers for a completed mission were stuck on my screen. With live game development being the norm, I expect that months from now, many of these issues will be addressed. Some might be a bit more baked-in than others, but having already seen some technical tune-ups while reviewing, it feels like it's trending t??hat way.

I'm curious to see if post-launch updates and additions can bring something to this game, as they have to so many before it. But even in those situations, that means waiting on updates and hoping. And I'm also not sure if technical fixes alone will solve all of my hold-ups with Redfall.

A world of darkness

Despite all this, there are parts of Redfall I do enjoy. The stake launcher, for one. The general look and feel of this world is in??credible, and reflects a lot of ??what I like about Arkane's world-building in general. This coastal town has some great areas that look visually impressive, with psychic blasts tearing open the side of a house and twisting hallways bending through the creepy tunnels of a vampire nest. Little moments, like stepping through a movie theater screen into a new area, feel really great.

The classic vampire horror vibes are good. With long claws and menacing silhouettes, the undead ghouls are creepy, and small areas can still elicit tension as I round a corner or creep toward a cracked door. The story hits or misses for me, and I really wasn't wild about the still-scene story moments; while some work, they don't really match up to the feel of that original reveal trailer.

[caption id="attachment_377472" align="alignnone" width="640"] Screenshot by Destructoid[/caption]

By the story's end, I was left a bit ambivalent. I didn't feel like I knew a ton about my chosen character, and while some of the moments were cool, Redfall's story doesn't have many unforeseen twists or turns??. Most of its interesting bits are in the lore, as you look around and find it during missions. Some of those can still impress, at the least.

Into the night

By the time the credits rolled, I felt myself weighing how out how I felt about Redfall. Bugs and qualms aside, it feels like a game that's trying to do several interesting things, but misses on a lot of them. It's a big bummer, as I really do like?? Arkane's work, and I can see where the team had some really compelling ideas for a more action-driven game set in a world full of vampires.

As an immersive game, it falls short. And as a shooter, it's too routine for me. There are better options out there, with more dynamic loot and discoverable environmental interactions. There are better boss fights than we see here. The open world doesn't give me enough options, and too frequently, I found myself falling into a routine of running from waypoint to waypoint. I think Redfall is fine as a co-op game, maybe as something to pick up on Game Pass for Saturday?? night with pals??. As a solo player, the tedium is much more palpable, and there's not enough in the story to push me forward.

I really spent most of my time playing Redfall thinking about what else Redfall could have been. I like that Arkane tried something new, and I'm bum??med it came out like this. It's a really unique premise and concept in its first bite, but its fangs don't leave a lasting mark.

The post Review: Redfall appeared first on Destructoid.

Taking a bite out of your VRAM

We're under a week away from the release of Redfall, the open-world vampire shooter from Arkane. And if you're getting your PC ready for what's in store, Arkane has published the minimum, recommended, and ultra specifications for prospective PC players of Redfall.

Unsurprisingly, this game will take a hefty bite out of your tech to run. While the minimum is roughly what you'd expect, getting Redfall up to Ultra is going to take some solid h??ardware. Also, it appears you'll need Windows 11 specifically for the ultra mark.

//www.youtube.com/watch?v=8cCFN77wtHY

Curiously, though, the tweet from Arkane does not list out exactly what resolution or frame rate the minimum, recommended, and ultra specs entail. Those factors are usually listed out as part of the specifications, but they're absent in this post. It normally wouldn?'t be too much of a concern, and anecdotally, I've never had too many problems with Ark??ane's PC versions.

Still, it won't be long until we know for sure, as Redfall is?? just a few short days away. The new Arkane joint wil??l hit Xbox Series X|S and PC on May 2.

//twitter.com/playRedfall/status/165160??2111497478144

Here's what you'll need for each specification.

Redfall Minimum specs

CPU: Intel Core i5-8400 @ 2.80 GHz or AMD Ryzen 5 1600

GPU: AMD RX 580 / NVIDIA GTX 1070 / 6 GB VRAM

System RAM: 16 GB

OS: Windows 10 64-bit

Storage: 100 GB SSD

Redfall Recommended specs

CPU: ?Intel Core i7-9700K @ 3.60 GHz or AMD Ryzen 7 270??0X

GPU: AMD 5700 / NVIDI?A R??TX 2080 / Intel ARC / 8 GB VRAM

System RAM: 16 GB

OS: Windows 10 64-bit

Storage: 100 GB SSD

Redfall Ultra specs

CPU: Intel Core i7-9700K @ 3.60 GHz or AMD Ryzen?? 7?? 2700X

GPU: AMD RX 6800 XT / NVIDIA RTX 3080 / 10 GB VRAM

System RAM: 32 GB

OS: Windows 11 64-bit

Storage: 100 GB SSD

The post Redfall’s recommended PC system requirements are out appeared first on Destructoid.

Microsoft purchase 'changed platform plans'

[Update: Microsoft has responded to the reports that it canned a PS5 edition of Redfall in comments to Eurogamer.

"We haven't pulled any games from PlayStation," said an MS spokesperson. "In fact, we've expanded our footprint of games that we've shipped on Sony's PlayStation since our acquisition of Zen??iM??ax, and the first two games we shipped after closing were PlayStation 5 exclusives. We did the same thing since our closing of Minecraft as we extended the reach of that franchise.

"All of the games that were available on PlayStation when we acquired ZeniMax in March 2021 are still available on PlayStation, and we have continued to do content updates on PlayStation and PC. We have always said that future decisions on whether to distribute ZeniMax games for other consoles wi??ll be made on a case-by-case basis."]

Original Article:

Developer Arkane Austin has confirmed that its incoming monster-masher Redfall was initially planned as a multi-platform title, but was asked to drop the PS5 edition once Microsoft acquired the studio in the ZeniMax Media purchase �which took place back in the summer of 2020.

The somewhat unsurprising revelation was made by studio director Harvey Smith in an interview with IGN France. Smith describes the Microsoft purchase as "Change wi?th a capital C", noting any plans for a?? Playstation edition of the vampire-hunting multiplayer title were instantly scrapped by the new owners. "They came in and they said 'No PlayStation 5. We're focusing on Xbox, PC, and Game Pass."

//www.youtube.com/watch?v=cR8GVePOdpY&??ab_c?hannel=BethesdaSoftworks

Smith notes that he thinks it was a good idea, with the dropping of Redfall on PS5 allowing the studio to focus on one less platform an??d add further polish to the project. Smith also points to Xbox Game Pass' 30 million subscribers as a solid install base for the multiplayer-focused shooter, which will hopefully provide Redfall with a ready-made community of players. A Monster Squad, of sorts.

It should be noted that Microsoft is currently bitterly embroiled in legal battles over its proposed purchase of Activision Blizzard, the main concern by opponents being the possibility that Microsoft might make some of Activision's biggest franchises �such as Call of Duty �Xbox exclusive brands. Microsoft has denied any intent of this motion, though publishers such as PlayStation will no doubt use this Redfall revelation as an example of what "could happen", s?trong evidence to present to any judges unaware of the realities of the industry.

Redfall launches May 2 on Xbox Series X, PC, and Xbox Gam??e Pass.

The post (Update) Redfall was in development for PS?5 ??before Microsoft/ZeniMax purchase appeared first on Destructoid.

Vampire Night

Arkane Austin has confirmed that its upcoming multiplayer shooter Redfall will support crossplay on all platforms and across ??all stores �This will allow monster hunters on Xbox Series X/S, PC, and Xbox Game Pass to rock out together, including PC players on both Steam and Epic Games Store.

The "all-in" crossplay support is a no-brainer for the multiplayer-driven title, and will allow for a larger shared player community which can only help to grow and prolong the life of Redfall and its nefarious nocturnal activities. Up to four players step into the uniquely talented roles of four uber-hip characters, before ??heading into the titular Massachusetts town in order?? to purge it of an army of unholy creatures.

//twitter.com/playRedfall??/status/1632773032744828928?s=20

Originally revealed back in the summer of 2021, Redfall would ultimately miss its intended 2022 release date, but is now pretty much cemented to arrive in just a couple of months' time. While a lack of an open beta or demo leaves us with nothing but the title's atmospheric trailers to go on, we can expect a Left 4 Dead/Back 4 Blood style team shooter, with parties of players harnessing wild weapons and bespoke otherworldly abilities to put the legio??ns of the undead back in the co??ld, cold ground.

Redfall launch?es May 2 on?? Xbox Series X, PC, and the Xbox Game Pass service.

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Xbox's spring plans are set in motion

The curtains have closed on Xbox and Bethesda's Developer Direct. The roughly 45-minute showcase spotlighted a taste of the year ahead for Xbox studios, running the gamut from updates on big la??unches to an out-now surprise.

It was, I think, a pretty solid showcase. Direct and to-the-point, the studios under Microsoft's banner showed off just what's in store in the coming months and year. Granted, this isn't all that Xbox has in store; we didn't see Starfield, though we knew we wouldn't going in.

This felt like a nice check-in for the new year. A few games finally locked in their release dates, the Forza team at Turn10 got t?o show off their rad tech, and Tango Gameworks dropped a surprise. Here's the rundown.

//www.youtube.com/watch?v=4-Et8r1413Y

Everything shown at the Xbox & Bethesda Developer Direct

Minecraft Legends kicked the show off with a spotlight on its multiplayer. I'll admit, while the action-RPG hadn't hooked me in before, the build-and-battle set-up of its PvP looks like it could be fun. Brawling with mobs and ransacking the enemy's base, or forging an impenetrable fortress of your own, could be a good time for gaming groups with disparate tastes. Mojang and Blackbird Interactive's new Minecraft spin-off arrives April 18, 2023.

Next came the Forza Motorsport team, highlighting the work its putting into the next Motorsport entry. No date on this yet outside 2023, but the cars look a?nd sound great. Big fan of? the red convertible Mazda they highlighted during the stream.

Tango Gameworks was next on the mic, and they used their time to reveal Hi-Fi Rush, a departure from their usual horror-inspired games. It's a rhythm-action game with a ton of style and color, and if you like the look, I have great news for you: it's out now on Xbox Series X|S and PC. A ni??ce little? "out now" surprise!

The Elder Scrolls Online revealed that its next expansion, Necrom, is on the way. It's a very Morrowind expansion, set in the Dunmer City of Dread. And what's more, all previous expansions will be free for a limited time. Seems like a decent thing to check out if you can't wait for Elder Scrolls VI.

Lastly, Arkane Austin took the stage with Redfall, its vampire-infested RPG-shooter. The co-op action looks solid, and there's a lot of town to retake from the dreaded horrors. It won't be long until your party can venture into Redfall either, as the new Arkane adventure arrives on May 2, 2023.

The post Everything shown at today’s Xbox & Bethesda Developer Direct appeared first on Destructoid.

Take a bite out of this spooky adventure later this spring

With previous releases like Dishonored, Prey, and Deathloop, Arkane has one of the most solid track records out there. Fans have been anxiously awaiting their newest release, vampire FPS Redfall. The game will feature a roster of playable characters who all utilize unique abilities to take down the vampires that are terrorizing the isolated town of Redfall. We got an in-depth look at what to expect from the gameplay during today's Xbox and Bethesda Games Showcase, including character skill trees, a whole host of weapons and gadgets, and encounters that players will come across in the game's "immersive open world." The most exciting news of all, though, is the official release date for Redfall, which the developers from Arkane announced as May 2, 2023.

//www.youtube.com/watch?v=cR8GVePOdpY

From where I stand, Redfall really looks like a culmination of everything Arkane has created so far, such as the studio's focus on complex problem-solving with multiple ways to approach any given situation, allowing players to truly craft their build around how they want to play with different items and skill trees, and of course their endlessly-compelling means of storytelling through complex characters and environments. I'm greatly looking forward to giving Redfall a go, especially with friends along the w??ay to further enj?oy the spooky atmosphere and dynamic gameplay encounters.

The post Arkane’s vampire FPS Redfall is officially coming in May appeared first on Destructoid.

The stakes are high

It's that spooky, scary time of year, and Arkane is ringing in the season with a new look at its own scary project. Bethesda and Arkane dropped a new trailer for upcoming co-op shooter Redfall today, spot??lighting the bloodsuckers terrorizing the ?town.

Today's official "Into the Night" trailer takes us into the heart of Redfall, which is having a bit of a vampire problem. We see firsthand how the invasion has torn apart the c??ity, and see some in-first-person gameplay of dealing with on??e of the creatures.

//www.youtube.com/watch?v=yi3iVpiitD8

While it's definitely got some Left 4 Dead vibes, I like the use of vampires here. These enemies grabbing and biting allies co??uld make for some good panic moments. And the mix of genuine horror and retro-throwback atmosphere goes well with ?the "Visit Redfall" set-up of the whole showcase.

Bite back

Redfall is the newest game from Arkane, with the Austin studio leading up development on the project. It was originally set for a 2022 release, until it got pushed back alongside another Bethesda project, Starfield.

We've still seen some glimpses and heard from the developers about what, exactly, Redfall is shaping up to be. It looks to be a first-person, co-op experience where f??our different characters have to take on the vampiric infestation of Redfall.

Each character brings their own special weapons to the party. And what ??vampire fight would be complete without stakes? In today's trailer, we get to see a stake bayonet in action,? even.

Redfall is currently set f??or a 2023 launch on PC and ?Xbox Series X|S.

The post Redfall is a town full of blood and fangs in latest trail??er appeared first on Destructoid.

Now's your chance to snap Deathloop for cheap

If you ask me, Humble Bundle is one of the best ways to get your games. If you need recommendations, they never steer you wrong with their pre-made bundles, they prop up small indie creators who likely wouldn't get a platform otherwise, and a lot of times they raise a ton of money for worthy causes with their charity bundles. This October, they're shining a light on one of the best games of last year: Deathloop, Arkane's tim??e-looping first-person shooter mystery roguelite.

That's some serious video game word salad, but trust me when I say it delivers on all of those fronts. Deathloop is a slick, stylish game with a unique premise and some of the best game voice acting ?performances of late, and personally I feel like it deserved even more hype than it already got.

A lot of people may not know that you can even become a monthly subscriber to Humble Bundle Choice for $12 a month, which gives you a whole slew of free games every month that you get to?? keep after you've cancelled your subscription. Members also have access to a rotating library of games you can play, as well as disco?unt codes. It's another gaming subscription service, but overall it's a good deal if you like the kinds of games that they have.

Enter Deathloop, one of the free games o?n offer this month, along with seven other titles:

• The Dark Pictures Anthology: Little Hope
• Disciples: Liberation
• Epic Chef
• Golf Gang
• Maid of Sker
• Monster Train First Class (Collector's Edition)
• Railroad Corporation

If you've yet to play Deathloop, this is a great opportunity to give it a try. Even if you're only subscribed for a month, you'll get all of the games on offer for $12, plus all the other benefits listed above, so? it seems pretty worth it to me.

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A nice place to visit, but you wouldn't wanna die there

Bethesda Softworks, in association with developer Arkane Studios, has dropped a fresh trailer for its upcoming co-op shooter Redfall, which remains currently in developm??ent for PC an??d Xbox Series X.

The video focu??ses on both the titular monster-ridden city, as well as the posse of protagonists bringing their superheroic ways to the blood-soaked streets �aiming to clean the city of vampires, zombies, and other unholy creatures of the undead. In the preview, we m?eet inventor Remi De La Rosa, hunter extraordinaire Devinder Crousley, the trigger-happy Jacob Boyer, and the telepath Layla Ellison, all of whom sound as if they were named by NXT development.

//www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZwY9IncC6XI&t

Blending seamless single and multiplayer options, Redfall will allow players to choose and customize their character as best fits the battle, making adjustments for loadouts, skills, and special abilities. By forming strong, synergized builds with your fel??low teammates, the four heroes will offer a ?threat to the huge number of bad beasties that wait within the parks, buildings, restaurants, and tourist traps of this once quaint community.

With large open-world areas, a dazzling array of makeshift weaponry, and oodles of style and charisma, Redfall hopes to capture the co-op horror market on release, offering an alternate to some of the team-shooter titles currently available in the genre. While the development team was unfortunately forced to delay the title to allow for extra polish to the "ambitious" release, Redfall is now expected to launch in early 202?3 on PC and Xbox Series X.

The post Redfall trailer introduces?? ??you to its vampire-filled city streets appeared first on Destructoid.

Point and Shoot

It's been a long time coming, but a new update for Arkane's chrono-shooter Deathloop has finally arrived, bringing with it a selection of much-needed accessibility options. Game Upda?te 3 is now available to download on both the PS5 and PC editio??ns of the game.

While Deathloop received a whole ho??st of plaudits upon its release in the fall of 2021, players were dismayed to discover that the clock-winding adventure features next to nothing in the way of accessibility options. Today's update hopes to rectify this, with a list of over 30 tweaks added to the title's menus, control options, on-screen visuals, and gamep??lay.

//www.youtube.com/watch?v=rqNsnWt5SHE

Among the new options listed in the official patch notes are r?evised subtitles, the ability to use directional buttons on menu screens, cursor speed options, adjustable HUD options, icon color selections, and the option to reduce game speed and game difficulty entirely. It is hoped that Game Update 3 will offer access to a wider community of players who may be affected by audio/visual or mobility-based issues when gaming.

"We are truly grateful to the players and the ally community who gave us so much feedback when Deathloop was released," writes Arkane designer Yoann Bazoge. "We took the time to read all of the accessibility reviews and watch the videos of players explaining why they couldn't play Deathloop. We then worked on a document lis?ting all of the feedback and drew up a roadmap of what the additions would be for Game ??Update 3."

In addition to the accessibility options, Game Update 3 also includes a new photo mode, allowing players to capture all of their most Hollywood in-g?ame moments for posterity. The new mode features a selection of filters and angles, as well as the ability to switch out characters, outfits, and poses for your tableau of death.

Deathloop is available now on PS5 and PC.

The post Deathloop update adds accessibili??ty options a??nd photo mode appeared first on Destructoid.

The partygoers of Blackreef should be a little more aware of their surroundings now

Deathloop received its second major game update since launch today, and a major focus of it is on the NPCs. Game Update 2 for Deathloop addresses a litany of NPC reactions, pathing, and other odds and ends pertaining ?to the non-playable denizens of Blackreef.

With the update live, NPCs should now react to bullets whizzing by them, like when you miss a headshot. They should also react when nearby NPCs are assassinated, hear better and react faster to fa?lls, and they can deduce the direction from which a grenade was thrown now. Also, a weird interaction with NPCs no longer trying to ki?ll Colt if Julianna has used Nexus to link them is now fixed. That one didn't turn out so great for the NPCs.

Here's the full list of NPC behavior updates:

NPC Behavior

• NPCs now react to bullets passing close by, such as headshots that miss
• NPCs now react when another is assassinated close by
• NPCs now hear better and react faster to nearby footfalls
• NPCs under fire no longer move to take cover if the player is too close
• NPCs can now deduce the direction from which a grenade was thrown
• NPCs no longer stop trying to kill Colt if Julianna uses Nexus to link him to them
• Interrupted aerial assassinations will no longer cause NPCs to become mostly invulnerable
• Numerous other small fixes and improvements to NPC behavior, reactions, pathing, and placement
• Charlie Montague no longer gets stuck in the floor or ground if he’s kicked while using Shift

//www.youtube.com/watch?v=FxgwIP4Cqpc

The rest of the patch notes can be found here, and they address a lot. From accessibility and quality-of-life to some updates to Invasion gameplay, it's a pretty hefty update for Deathloop.

Deathloop launched a few months ago and made a pretty strong impression. The updates since have worked to address various technical fixes, as shown by the NPC changes too, but the core gameplay of looping, sneaking, and shooting still seems to b?e humming along.

The post Latest Deathloop update hones in on NPC reactions appeared first on Destructoid.

The co-creative director of Arkane's Deathloop will now reportedly lead the studio

Dinga Bakaba, who's worked on several of Arkane's big titles, has been appointed as its new studio head. VGC reports? that Dinga Bakaba is taking on the role of studio director at Arkane Lyon, following?? the departure of its former head.

According to VGC, Bakaba will retain his position as co-creative director at the Lyon studio, alongside Deathloop co-director Sebastien Mitton. Bakaba will fill the seat of former head Romuald Capro??n, who left Arkane in October.

Capron also announced that he is working on a free educational game called PowerZ, and spoke to Rock Paper Shotgun about what the new project will be about.

"One of the pillars of the project is to co-create the game with children, so they can tell us their ideas an??d we can try and implement them," Capron told RPS. "We are also trying to show the children how we make the game, they're part of the process."

//www.youtube.com/watch?v=FxgwIP4Cqpc

Bakaba, meanwhile, has been with Arkane Lyon for just over 10 years, with credits on Dishonored and its sequel, as well as Wolfenstein: Youngblood, where he was the game director.

Considering Deathloop has been, at the very least, a critical success for Arkane and Bethesda, it's heartening to see Bakaba step up into the lead role. Arkane overall is a studio whose projects always seem to grab my attention, and seeing the success of Deathloop ?translating into more from t?his creative team is pretty exciting.

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Time is on your side

Arkane Studios has released its first major update for chrono-conundrum shooter Deathloop, tweaking a slew of issues that were bothering the unique title ??on both PS5 and PC. The update is live on both platforms right now.

As listed in the official patch notes, "Game Update 1" resolves multiple issues pertaining to random crashes, camera movement, NPC behavior, and overall game experience. A laundry list of small tweaks adjusts a glut of minor issues for Julianna players, as well as NPC pathfinding, online stability, and aesthetic elements such as audio mixing, mouse wheel support, and issues with the PS5 DualSense's controller's Haptic Feedback capabilities. Speaking of which, the DualSense can now be used with the PC edition of Deathloop.

In regards to more specific adjustments, the PS5 edition now has a connectivity indicator, as well as calibration options for players using HDR displays. Over on PC, Deathloop now supports Nvidia DLSS, and new visual options allow for the tweaking of fog and reflective effects. With these and other additions, Deathloop players should find their assassina??tion missions more stable, immersive, and visually dazzling �though no less dangerous, of?? course.

Deathloop, which launched on PS5 and PC back in September, fast won over critics and players with its super-cool style, interesting time mechanics, and unique take on the well-worn multiplayer shooter experience. Scoring high across the board, the launch was a little tempered by the title's performance issues. Hopefully, Game Update 1 and the recent hotfix will get ev??eryone on Blackreef Island back in the thick of the action. Watch your back.

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Catch the rest on another loop, Colt?

Arkane Studios has released the first major update for the PC edition of its highly acclaimed shooter, Deathloop. Update 1.708.4.0, which is live in-game right now, hopes to improve the "stuttering" issue that has been bothering mouse users.

According to the patch notes, however, this new update might not be a simple "catch-all" fix for the stuttering issue, with Arkane noting that it is looking into a separate issue that it believes may also be causing the frustrating problem for players. Within the community, many are pointing to the title's use of Denuvo's anti-piracy software �a resource-hungry plugin that also caused similar problems for Resident Evil Village's PC community �though this has not been officially confirmed as a contributor to Deathloop's stability issues.

A further update is expected, with Arkane asking Deathloopers to sit tight for the time being. Despite these irritating issues on the PC platform, Deathloop has been a smashing s?uccess, receiving rave reviews on both PS5 and PC from both the media and the gaming community. It is a shame to see these technical issues bother what has been one of the most successful launches of the year to date.

Deathloop is available now on PS5 and PC. You can check out our own Chris Carter's review right here.

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Stutter Rap

This week saw the launch of Arkane's highly anticipated Deathloop. The super-stylish shooter did not disappoint the critics, and has received rave reviews across the board for its inventive gameplay, slick visuals, and engaging, old-school FPS combat. Some PC Deathloop players, however, are less than pleased, complaining of frequent "stutter" issues on the Steam version �a problem that seemingly has affected enough users to garner a "Mixed" rating on the Steam platform.

Publisher Bethesda took to Reddit last night to address the problem, letting players know that it is aware of the complaints and is currently looking into possible causes and fixes "as a priority". Fans in the Reddit thread point to the much-maligned Denuvo anti-piracy software as the problem �much as it has been for other PC titles such as Capcom's Resident Evil Village �but, while definite?ly a snug theory, this cannot be officially?? confirmed as the reason as of this writing.

This PC stutter problem is one of the only low points surrounding the Deathloop launch, with a week that has been packed out with praise and plaudits. As such, it is very likely that the developers will shift into top gear in order to find a fix for the PC issues, in order to keep the positive press rolling and Deathloop's chaotic murder party going. We'll be sure ??to let you know if/when any information on a new patch is forthcoming.

Deathloop is available now on PS5 and PC.

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Sure to please the stake-holders

Today, Xbox and Bethesda hosted their first joint showcase s?ince the two joined together. And the "one more thing" of the event was a new game from Arkane, with blood, magic, and vampires.

Redfall is a new game coming from the team at Arkane Austin, where the town of Redfall, Massachusetts seems to have a nasty vampire problem. In the announcement we got a cinematic setting the stage, with a team of four characters blasting ghoulies with stakes, while ?also employing some magic of their ow??n.

//www.youtube.com/watch?v=lxX-4U5uJqk

Much like Bethesda's Starfield, Redfall will be an Xbox console exclusive, coming to PC and Xbox Series X|S in summer 2022. It'll be an open-world co-op FPS, where players will get to choose their hero from a roster of diverse c??haracters to take on the vampire in??festation.

While we don't know much more for now, this was certainly a way to end the showcase: someth?ing new, unique, and certainly eye-catching. ??I'm pretty dang eager to see more of this in the year to come.

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