A game featuring miniaturized characters has sold a massive amount of copies. It Takes Two has now crossed the 20 million milestone. On Wednesday, developer Hazelight Studios thanked fans for their support of the co-op game when it revealed the latest It Takes Two's sales numbers.

It Takes Two is a massive success

"You’re the best fans in the world, how you have embraced our game is blowing our minds!" said Hazelight Studios on X, formerly Twitter. "We’re so grateful to every one of the millions upon millions who have enjoyed their t?ime with Cody and May." The game's "F the Oscars" director Josef Fares said, "Beyond my wildest dreams??," when reposting the news to his feed.

It Takes Two is a massive critical and commercial success for Hazelight Studios. It won Game of the Year at The Game Awards, beating out tough competition like Resident Evil Village, Metroid Dread, and Psychonauts 2 in 2021 for the top prize. The game received an 88 Metacritic score, ?which is an accomplishment in and of itself.

It Takes Two offers a unique deal for those who want to play co-op games: If one person buys the game, they can invite a family member or friend to play with them for free. They just need to download the demo from the store. It also supports local couch co-op, which is not often see?n in the modern gamin??g landscape.

In April, Hazelight Studios teased on X that they'll be talking about "new (real good) stuff cooking" later in 2024. Perhaps this year's Game Awards wil??l be the time w??e hear about this news. The It Takes Two sales numbers show there will be interest in the developer's next big game. Hopefull?y, no stuffed animals will be harmed in the making of ??it.

The post It Takes Two sales numbers go beyond director’s “wildest dreams” appeared first on Destructoid.

One refrain has echoed through the internet and inside the minds of BioWare fans for some time. At the preview event I attended for Dragon Age: The Veilguard, it was frequently said: “It’s been almost 10 years since the last Dragon Age.�/p>

It’s what I was thinking as I sat down at the PC to play, too. How could I not? 2014’s Dragon Age: Inquisition and its 2015 DLC Trespasser was the last we’ve seen of the continent of Thedas in video game form. Truly, after nearly a decade of waiting, I was just eager to know if there was an executable that would launch Dragon Age: The Veilguard.

Well, the good news is there’s an executable and much more beyond. Dragon Age: The Veilguard is real??, and plays like a BioWare bac??k in form, in a way we haven’t seen in quite some time.

The makings of a hero

My preview session kicked off with the introduction, playing a short talk-over from Varric that sets the stage for the action to follow. Solas, our lovable/loathable elf god pal from Inquisition, has been up to some hijinks since credits rolled on Trespasser. He’s set to conduct a ritual of some kind, altering the Veil, the magical barrier between the real world and the Fade. There are demons ?and other bad things in the Fade, so obviously??, Varric and co. want to put a stop to it.

Rather than taking the mantle of the Inquisitor back up, the player’s put in the shoes of Rook, an up?-and-coming talent Varric has scouted for his private group of Solas-stoppers. I’ll say first off that, while I like the tavern scene as an intro to your character’s look and an establishing moment for their approach to problem-solving, Rook does feel like they just sprung from the earth a hero. There’s a little choice-making in the character creator to help set up their backstory, but it felt a little thin? to me, compared to other BioWare leads.

Thankfully, the character creator shines. It’s an extremely impressive engine, that I’m sure will keep fans of sliders and value shifting tinkering for hours upon hours. I saw a few other press folks get completely lost in the creation tool, and those who finished the previe??w content early—myself included—went right back in for more.

One of the coolest? tools BioWare crafted for the character creator is the triangle slider for faces. Basically, take three preset head shapes and faces, and the creator lets you slide around a triangle, opting for more or less of each one’s individual qualities mixed with the group. It’s hard to describe in?? text, but seeing it in action is both incredibly intuitive and surprisingly effective.

Qunari characters have been a point of contention leading into Dragon Age: The Veilguard, as the Qunari seen so far have been a bit smoothed-out and human compared to the unique looks of past characters like the Arishok and the Iron Bull. While I did make one I was ultimately happy with, it did take some tinkering, and still had a bit of that smooth look. I think letting the horns extend a bit further down the forehead and temples would help, but otherwise, I mostly liked the Qunari Roo??k I arrived at, after about 10 to 15 minutes of playing with sliders.

The introduction plays out as we’ve seen it before: Rook and Varric meet up with scout Lace Harding and Neve Gallus, an investigator and mage of Minrathous, and rush to stop Solas from? tearing open the Veil with his ritual. Things go wrong, Solas winds up trapped in the Veil, and two ancient elven gods he had imprisoned are let ?loose on Thedas.

Shifting the title from Dreadwolf to The Veilguard makes a bit more sense now, seeing it all play out. Solas certainly isn’t out of the picture; both his history and present predicament play into the action at hand. But dealing with Ghilan’nain and Elgar’nan, the elven gods that got let out, is a more pressing and immediate issue. The former in particular is visually striking, adding some unsettling body horror to this world. In fact, just be ready for a lot of creepy blight-related horror in The Veilguard, especially whenever Ghilan’nain is around.

There are plenty of minor antagonist factions too, from the Venatori to the ever-present Darkspawn, to fill the combat arena. The latter, Thedas�?long-time scourge, looks a bit different this time around, thanks to some Plot Reasons I won’t get too deep into. Suff??ice to say, I wondered why they looked different, and received an answer.

Rallying the guard

To fight the gods, you’ll need a good squad. And quickly, Dragon Age: The Veilguard gets you into the rhythm of building your party. We played two different missions, one recruiting the Veil Ju??mper Bellara Lutare, and another rescuing assassin and soon-to-be fan-favorite Lucanis Dellamorte from a magical underwater prison.

Immediately, this felt so familiar. That steady cadence of venturing out on missions to get new companions, talking to them back at base, and eventually unlocking new bits of their story or character-specific quests to encounter is one of the main appeals of BioWare for me. Thankfully, Veilguard has it locked down.

Like I said, Lucanis is charismatic from the jump. A suave assassin with a hint of magic and a darkness stirring within him? Sign me up. Harding’s own entanglements with magic seems to be leading her into investigations of dwarven culture, so that’s a huge bonus for anyone who loved the Orzammar sections of Dragon Age: Origins.?? Neve, Davrin, and Taash are all standouts I’d love to spend more time with, too. It’s a nice feeling, to have a group of likable, interesting companions that you just want to spend more time around. Chatting, laughing, maybe even smooching? Yes, there is romance.

Romance is obvious, because Dragon Age: The Veilguard adopts a similar chat wheel to its predecessors. Options will appear on the wheel, and ?they’ll usually have their tone communicated with a little art in the center; a stalwart knight might indicate a stoic response, for example, while the heart is an obvious green-light for flirting.

Everyone gathers and hangs out at the Lighthouse, a former base of operations for Solas inside the Fade, now home to the Veilguard. It has plenty of its own secrets to uncover, including so??me neat lore about Solas�rebellion and the lore at large. There’s a workshop for upgrading equipment too, and this place also links into the Crossroads, an evolving zone with combat challenges and ??links to new areas that open up over the course of the game.

The world outside

With Dragon Age: The Veilguard taking place in the northern portion of the map, it seems like the focus is very much on new sights and sounds rather than o??ld ones. While Orlais and Ferelden were mentioned, the adventures we saw focused on new regions we’ve really only heard about, like Minrathous and Treviso.

These areas are gor??geously realized and brought to life. I legitimately found myself stopping to take in the sights, whether it was the imposing panopticon-esque Templar watchtower in Minrathous or the alleyways of Treviso. It’s no??t all city streets, though; the Arlathan forest was filled with nature, contrasted with ancient ruins and technology.

It’s a bit hard to peg down a single “look�for Dragon Age: The Veilguard. It can be extremely colorful and bright in battle, or shift to staunch bla??ck-and-white for important moments. Magic ripples and crackles in the air, the blight oozes, and the grim fantasy of all it can feel foreboding in the right moments. More than a few moments were taken to show off just what BioWare can do with some modern technology, and they really worked.

All of this operates around a hub-and-spoke world design that truly works. Rather than another open-world entry, BioWare is opting for several zones that can link up to each other, while also spinning off into their own mission areas. Mass Effect 2’s Omega is an easy and familiar comparison point. These are worlds that can be explored, with stories and quests to find, but also then lead you off?? to special areas for the big quests.

These regions change, too, sometimes due to your own actions. I can’t really dive into details, but there are decisions you make that won’t just change whether someone likes you ??or not, but can leave permanent marks on the world. What I will say is that these changes are tangible ones you’ll contend with, rather than just a background alteration, and I loved how these changes wer??e shown in-game.

Draw swords

Of course, aside from adventuring and chatting up companions, there’s also the combat. Many pillars of Dragon Age are still alive in The Veilguard: the Warrior/Rogue/Mag??e class split, using abilities to set up combos and deto??nation effects, and there are many returning spells and magical abilities.

Everyone gets a little extra oomph of power in Dragon Age: The Veilguard, though. Warriors can throw their shield like Captain America in their sword-and-shield stance, or hit a button to swap to their two-hander and start swinging. Rogues still feel combo-heavy, able to output huge amounts of damage and lock dow??n single targets, though using gadgets and a bow felt fairly viable too. I didn’t spend too much time with Mage; it felt a bit slower to me, and besides, I’m pretty certain a lot of writers were spending their time flinging spells.

I personally loved playing the Rogue. Leaping into combat, dodging around giant axe swings and spells, and then throwing down a Lightning Flas??k to stagger my enemies into a brutal finisher felt great. The Ultimate skills take things a step further; mine threw out a bevy of explosives in an area in front of me, which was incr?edibly useful in boss�add phases.

Combat in The Veilguard did have some noticeable shifts, though. I didn’t see he?alth bars on my companions, which felt like it indicated they may not have them. Also, control was strictly limited to my character, with the occasional tactical menu pulled up to order an ally to fire off a spell at a certain target.

In practice, this felt a little less like Origins�planning and tactics, and more like Mass Effect 2, a game I found mirrored quite often in The Veilguard. It means the action moves fast, battles are exciting, and everything narrows in on finding opportunities to do damage and stay alive. But I did feel?? some of that tactical layer peeled away in the process, at least for what I played.

I’m also curious to see how upgrades pan out, as the ones we picked up seemed to run the gamut from interesting additions (chance to proc Bleed on the final hit of a com??bo) to fairly mundane ones (a straightforward numbers boost). It can be hard to get a gauge on the power scale of an RPG in just one slice, but given the lengthy amount of time we had—over six hours, by my estimate—it did make me wonder.

A world in need of saving

Dragon Age: The Veilguard arrives at a juncture for BioWare. It’s not just the first Dragon Age game in almost a decade, but it’s also the newest RPG from a studio that’s been on rough waters. Mass Effect: Andromeda was, to use a tired phrase, a bit of a mixed bag, and Anthem was a noteworthy stumble.

The Veilguard itself went through its own iterations, and now has studio hopes hanging on it. Sure, there’s a new Mass Effect in the oven too, but ey?es are on BioWare now to see if it can still do what BioWare has been notoriously known for: beefy RPGs with compelling characters and enthralling worlds.

After hours spent with Dragon Age: The Veilguard, I’m feeling much more positive than I was going in. Many of my concerns about what a BioWare game looks like, in 2024, were quickly washed away. The Veilguard is BioWare as hell: ??it’s got compelling characters, enthralling worlds, and? plenty of beef.

Yet this crew, formed of some familiar faces and some new ones, seems to be making their own mark on it too. I can sift out the pieces that feel like older BioWare, sure; the ones that spark familiar tones of past games. But there’s some new ideas too. I love the world state changes, the quest-specific zones and areas, and the recontextualization of so many Dragon Age norms thanks to our new, northern locales.

Dragon Age: The Veilguard seems like it could see BioWare reclaiming its spot as a maker of big, exciting RPGs, and that’s encouraging. Walking in, I was just looking? to see if the game was real. Now, I really can’t wait to get back to it.

_{[Travel and lodging for this preview was provided by the publisher.]}

The post Hands-on: Dragon Age: The Veilguard has action, companions, and ?world-buildi??ng in full BioWare form appeared first on Destructoid.

After ages of Bioware RPGs requiring the official EA App in some capacity, the studio has revealed the upcoming Dragon Age: The Veilguard will be a Steam game first and foremost.

On Twitter, the announcement explains that Veilguard will be Steam native, meaning it wo?n't require EA's launcher at all. The gam?e will also be Steam Deck verified right out of the gate.

Regardless of your thoughts on either launcher, EA's simply isn't Steam �the storefront most people use for games �and thus ju??st isn't as practical to use. Perhaps just as important as getting to play the next big Bioware game without touching EA's meddling middleware is how this move signals EA's possible willingness to make things easier going forward. Perhaps it was a tough decision for EA to make, but it's one that the gaming community at large is already celebrating.

The past few years have been immensely tough for the series and BioWare. The troubled development of Dragon Age's tentative fourth installment survived the departure of various developers, and we don't know how much of the Veilguard we're getting was part of the plan when the game was still called Dreadwolf. Luckily, this news, along with the recent unveiling of the game's stellar voice cast, see??ms to show Bioware and EA's determination to bring the franchise back to its glory days.

Dragon Age: The Veilguard still has no release date, but Bioware ??is ?aiming for a launch in Fall 2024.

The post Dragon Age: The Veilguard won’t require the EA app on PC appeared first on Destructoid.

EA has announced via Twitter that on July 31st, the remaining PS3/360 games in the Battlefield series will be delisted from digital storefronts before having their online services cut November 7th, 2024. The games affected are Battlefield 3, Battlefield 4, and Battlefield: Hardline.

There are a couple of things to understand about this announcement. The first is that this is only for the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 versions of the games. The PC versions will remain available, as will the PS4/XBone versions of Battlefield 4 and Hardline. The other important point is that the single-play?er offline modes will still be available.

This follows a similar announcement last year that saw Battlefield 1943 and the Bad Company games delisted, followed by a shutdown in December. This announcement is perhaps less impactful considering 1943 and the first Bad Company were console-exclusive games, whereas the games in this round have ports ??elsewhere, but i?t does suck for anyone who isn’t on the latest hardware and is still playing these games.

Personally, I haven’t thought about these games in years, mostly because I don’t play much in terms of multiplayer. I got Battlefield 3 (for PC) around launch and quickly fell out with it. I had almost forgotten that BF3 was a PS3-era title. Back in the early �0s, I was big into Battlefield 1942. A few years back, EA relisted it on their Origin platform, but then Gamespy shut down, which was what hosted the server listings. So, EA delisted it again, whi??ch is pretty lazy because fans were able to patch the server browser to allow the game to ??function again.

That’s EA for you. They’re generally uncaring toward their own history. I point this out a lot, but beyond noteworthy titles like Black & White, you can’t even buy The Sims or the original SimCity; games that helped establish them as publ??ishing giants. They’re not the worst when it comes to preservation, but t?hey’ve definitely proven themselves to be uninterested.

The post The remaining PS3/360 Battlefield games ar?e getting delisted at the end of the month appeared first on Destructoid.

Filling out reports in Sims 4 helps your character succeed in the business world. However, it's qu??ite tricky to find within the menus of the game.

How to complete reports in Sims 4

To be able to fill out reports in The Sims 4, you'll need to have a character within the Business career path. For example, the first entry job you can get is a Mailroom Technician. Once you've gained that job, buy any computer and place it on an available table as you can see in the above image. You may even want to rotate it around, so it fits in your house perfectly.

Next, interac?t with it wi??th the left mouse button. Pick the following options:

• More choices
• Web
• Fill Out Reports

There's a suitcase symbol right next to the "Fill Out Reports" option as well?, and it's in green font. Once you select that, it will only take a few mo?ments for your Sim to complete the task.

What else can you do on the computer?

The computer opens up so many opportunities fo?r your Sim. You can write jokes, check your social media timeline, find a job, and much more. Programming might be another option for your Sim, and you can elevate their skills in that by choosing "Practice Programming." Writing is another skill they can practice. You can even adopt a child for $1,000.

Similar to real life, a PC can open up the world for your Sim, but make sure they're performing other duties too like exercising, socializing, and most importantly, going to work to earn that sweet, sweet moolah. Mods could certainly help your Sim as well.

The post How to fill out reports in Sims 4 appeared first on Destructoid.

Verstappen seems unstoppable on the track right now, but you can take pole position in F1 24 with any driver. Can you experience the fast-paced racing game F1 24 on Game Pass?

Will F1 24 Be Included On Game Pass?

As of the time of writing, F1 24 won't be on Xbox Game Pass's library from day one. However, past F1 entries have been playable through Xbox Game Pass in the past as you have an EA Play subscription included. Earlier this year in January, F1 23 span its tyres on Xb?ox Game Pass.?? It's still currently available while writing this article.

Now that EA owns the video game rights to the F1 license and developer Codemasters, it follows the same route as the likes of FC 24 and the Madden series. Around 8-9 months after the release, you should expect last year's ent??ry on Xbox's subscription service. The cycle seems to continue every year.

If you want a taster of what F1 24 is like, EA Play (the service that Xbox Game Pass comes with) has a five-hour free trial. You can check out the new features like the improved career mode, the suspension kinematics system, and improve??d tire models.

Do Any Subscription Services Offer F1 24?

Yes, EA Play Pro will carry F1 24 on the publisher's PC app. This subscription costs $16.99 per month or $119.99 for a full year. In addition to accessing the game, you'll get the following through EA Play Pro, according to the official website.

• 3-Day Early Access
• Special Events with Unlockable Rewards (only available during Early Access)
• 18,000 Pitcoins
• 2x New My Team Icons
• F1® World Bumper Pack
• 1x VIP Podium Pass
• Be among the first to experience the McLaren, Williams Alpine, & Haas 2024 liveries, plus the McLaren & Alpine F1® esports liveries immediately in Time Trial in EA SPORTS F1® 23
• Unlock the McLaren & Alpine F1® esports liveries in F1® 24 when the game launches

EA Play Pro lets you play all of EA's latest games throughout the year, including the next football title, ice hockey NFL experience, and Star Wars Jedi Survivor.

The post Is F1 24 on Game Pass? appeared first on Destructoid.

Immortals of Aveum is like a typical tentpole action film franchise; most of the elements are well-tuned, but there are some factors that make you question if you're actually enjoying yourself. While the combat is thrilling, and the story turns out to be solid, there might be some wince-worthy writing and repetitive gameplay that prevent greatness. Immortals of Aveum is so?? close to being great, but you might understand??ably hesitate first before grabbing this game.

[caption id="attachment_400882" align="alignnone" width="1200"] Screenshot by Destructoid[/caption]

Immortals of Aveum (PC, PS5 [reviewed], Xbox Series X/S)
Developer: Ascendant Studios
Publisher: Electronic Arts
Released: August 22, 2023
MSRP: $59.99

An intriguing concept

Immortals of Aveum is set in a fantasy world with FPS mechanics and mighty bosses to defeat.  Your weapons emit magic, and yet, they feel just like man-made guns straight out of a first-person shooter. You send out submachine gun-like shots at a dragon called the Howler with green magic. Then there's the shotgun red magic, and the long-range sniper-like blue magic: you'll get the gist quickly. In other words, Immortals of Aveum takes traditional FPS guns and mechanics and brings them into a new space. It's like Call of Duty: Magical World at War. 

Each of the "guns" feels satisfying, and while the sensitivity may need adjusting at first, it's a blast to take down waves of enemies with your magical abilities. You also have more powerful attacks that are governed by mana, and are more of what you'd expect from a fantasy game like Dragon Age. You're sending out a wave of blue energy, and exploding a ball of red matter on the spot. While Immortals of Aveum doesn't add anything creative with these spells, they are effective during battle. It does feel a bi?t lackluster though, and I wish the developer Ascendant Studios was a bit more outside the box for these mana attacks.

It's a good thing then that you can use utility spells like a shield and a whip to give you a strategic advantage on your foes, which happens to be a fantastic way to get around the levels of Immortals of Aveum. You can jump from place to place in an instant, and it's engaging to see them move so fast. The foundation of a great ?battle system is here, but it would have been neat to see a deeper variety of spells from Jak after his five years of training.

The repetitive nature of Immortals of Aveum creeps in

Even if the combat system is solid, Immortals of Aveum does suffer from a repetitive gameplay formula. You'll see the same enemies over and over again. Halfway through the game, you'll see these giant Slender Man-like figures stomping around: when they attack you, they'll fire a powerful beam at your face. They're entert??aining to fight at first as you hide behind pillars and try to time your shield perfectly. However, they show up around five times during the main campaign with two of them appearing at once.

Additionally, there's a serpent-like creature that emerges from an evil substance after it's cleared out. It pops its head out, spits out poisonous damage, and then leaves before it goes to another hole in the ground. It's like Whack-A-Mole. These creatures don't require much strategy, so after they've appeared for the 10th time, you'll get sick of them. About seven or eight hours in, I grew numb to the same enemies popping up time and time again. While the "gunplay" is entertaining as foes frantically run up to you and you're firing back with fun-to-use guns, it gets old halfway through the game. Ascendant Studios does thr??ow in a new foe type every once in a while, but they don't come often enough.

The boss battles, however, do impress. You have to ??be cautious, agile, and smart with every action you make: they're intense. The final boss battle, which I won't spoil, is an absolute spectacle and requires mastery of all three elements and your shield. That shield is a lifesaver!

Something else you need to master is how to upgrade your character. There's a skill tree that truly affects your damage output and strategy within the game. You can also increase your armor and cause a Corrosion effect on your foes. After you finish the story, it encourages you to find loot around the levels and open spaces of Immortals of Aveum. Unfortunately, the loot really didn't grab me and wasn't rewarding enough. I rarely drifted apart from the Deluxe Edition DLC weapons because they were so powerful, but the differences in the weapons are so minimal that there's no incentive. I did like the spear-like alternative for the blue magic, however, whic?h provided a zoomed-in perspective.

[caption id="attachment_400886" align="alignnone" width="1200"] Screenshot by Destructoid[/caption]

The story will be divisive, but it grew on me

I was not fond of the main character or the fantasy world at the beginning. The protagonist is one-note and somewhat irritating, and the dull lore flew over my head. However, as the story progressed, I became more invested. The unlikely group of friends Jak builds in the game, specifically Zendara and Devyn, are delightful and progress personally as they get to know each other. There are twists and turns you don't see coming. The l??ore actually begins to get intriguing when the game actually makes you want to give a damn. As the gameplay began to suffer, I stayed for the compelling storyline in the third act.

While the antagonist is just like your average Marvel villain, the morals of your faction and your character come into question: it's not just a good guy beating bad guy situation. The script for Immortals of Aveum has some nuance that's rare in the FPS genre. Also, Gina Torres dazzles with a spectacular performance as the controversial leader Kirkan, especially towards the end. Torres has the gravitas for the dem??anding role, that's for certain.

Something that doesn't work so well, however, is the writing at times. Some of the jokes do hit, but most of the time, the one-liners sent? a shiver down my spine; and my face winced at some of the dumb phrases that Jak says. The performance behind some ?lines also feels forced and unnatural. The actor Darren Barnet sounds like he did the best with what he had, but sometimes I just wanted to look away from the screen.

A few minor gripes with Immortals of Aveum 

While I mostly enjoyed my time with Immortals of Aveum, there were a few frustrating moments, particularly with the puzzles. While I loved the puzzles revolving around the timing of your spells and using the right color for certain switches, there's a significant element of the game that is easy to miss. The core issue is that key animations are incredibly downplayed. If you see a green swirl on an object, you can move and twist it to your liking. The problem is that it's so easy to miss! You have to be directly looking at it to pop up the?? hard-to-read text saying "Hol?d [button] to animate."

I ran around the level like a headless chicken, trying to find a way to get up to a platform, and then by sheer luck finding the animate mechanic. This happened many times, and the game designers did not make it obvious enough. When you are animating a statue, rocks, or any other object with the mechanic, however, it looks?? incredible. Making a larger-than-life statue shift its body or hands to create a bridg?e is neat to see.

[caption id="attachment_400888" align="alignnone" width="1200"] Screenshot by Destructoid[/caption]

Immortals of Aveum is gorgeous

Despite some of my gripes with the gameplay, Immortals of Aveum's environments are absolutely stunning. At one point, you're standing on a moving bipedal machine as warships are hitting it with cannon fire. You're seeing pieces of the wooden bridges fall off, and seeing the huge arms of the robot moving takes your breath away. At another point of the game, there's a river of lava that is split open, revealing a path forward. There are some incredible set-piece moments that I'll remember for months because of the size and scale of these scenes. It made those frustrating moments worth it, and pulled Immortals out of the depths of the "okay" realm.

Man, I hope this gets a sequel somehow

Despite this game's flaws with repetitive combat and an awkward beginning to the story, I hope there's a sequel on the way. The combat's thrillingly fast-paced, and the storyline actually grabbed me during its final hours. If a sequel adds way more enemy variety and improves the MCU-like script, Immortals of Aveum 2 could be a hit.

_{[This review is based on a retail build of the game provided by the publisher.]}

The post Review: Immortals of Aveum appeared first on Destructoid.

EA realigns its sports, games, and IP efforts

Electron?ic Arts has announced a shake-up within the publisher, realigning its internal efforts. EA studios are being split amongst two organizations: the existing EA Sports, and EA Entertainment.

EA Entertainment will look to encompass the publisher's owned IP, as well as licensed IP production. "We’re building the future of interactive entertainment on a foundation of legendary franchises and innovative new experiences, which represents massive opportunities for growth," wrote EA CEO Andrew Wilson in today's announcement.

Laura Miele has been appointed as President of EA Entertainment, Technology & Central Development, working alongside l??eads like Vince Zampella, Samantha Ryan, and?? Jeff Karp.

EA Sports, meanwh?ile, will still head up the company's sport efforts. Cam Weber is President of EA Sports. Both organizational branch?es will report to Wilson at the top.

Via IGN, this would put Respawn, DICE, Ripple Effect, Ridgeline Games, Full Circle, Motive Studio, EA Seattle, BioWare, and the Ori?ginals label, as well as mobile projects, under Entertainment. Sports would, meanwhile, look after Sports endeavors.

"This evolution of our company continues to empower our studio leaders with more creative ownership and fina?ncial accountability to make faster and more insightful decisions around development and go to market strategies," Wilson said. "These steps will a?ccelerate our business, drive growth, and deliver long-term value for our people, our players and our communities."

Today's news also notes tha??t Chris Bruzzo is retiring, and Chris Suh is leaving EA.

A new look for EA

While the change seems large, it seems like a lot of EA is staying the same. EA is already making some big shake-ups in the game department, as a recent report revealed EA is in talks to shift Star Wars: The Old Republic development to a third-party studio.

On the Sports side, EA is looking to kickstart its own soccer franchise post-FIFA in EA Sports FC, as well as reboot its college football efforts.

The Entertainment side does seem like it could be positioning EA to do something with its IP outside the realm of games, but we'll ??have to wait and see o??n that front.

The post Electronic Arts is realigning studios i??nto EA Sports a?nd EA Entertainment appeared first on Destructoid.

The Old Republic could be under new management as BioWare shifts focus

It sounds like things are shifting at Electronic Arts and BioWare. A new report from IGN says EA is nearing an agreement to hand development and operation of Star Wars: The Old Republic to a third-party studio.

According to IGN's report, Broadsword Online Games—developer of Ultima Online and Dark Age of Camelot—would take the reins.? The deal is expected to be final as soon as this month.

Over half of the 70 to 80 people on the core Old Republic team are expected to move to Broadsword. Those remaining with EA will reportedly have ?an opportunity to look for other roles in the company, but could otherwise?? see layoffs.

Star Wars: The Old Republic will keep getting updates, including the upcoming 7.3 patch, and EA wou??ld remain publisher.

On the BioWare side, the team will focus its resources on current single-player efforts. This includes both Dragon Age: Dreadwolf and the next entry in the Mass Effect series.

We reached out to Electronic Arts for comment, and a s??pokesperson provided the following response:

“Almost 12 years after launch, Star Wars� The Old Republic remains a success and continues to grow its dedicated and passionate community. We’re so proud of the work the team has done, and the future of the game and the community continues to be very bright. We’re evaluating how we give the game and the team the best opportunity to grow and evolve, which includes conversations with Broadsword, a boutique studio that specializes in delivering online, community-driven experiences. Our goal is to do what is best for the game and its players.�/p>

//www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pb8M5P1QKX8

A new era for the republic

Star Wars: The Old Republic has been running for quite a while, having launched back in 2011. It added free-to-play options a? year later, and has since rolled on with expansions and content updates.

It's not surprising that EA wants to keep its Star Wars MMO running. But moving it from BioWare ?does draw som?e attention back to the developer.

Both Dreadwolf and Mass Effect are in development, though we haven't heard much recently from either project. The new Dragon Age has passed an alpha milestone and received a subtitle, while we haven't heard much about the new Mass Effect since its reveal.

Some senior talent has also left the company, though former executive producer Mark Darrah has returned as a consultant to work on Dreadwolf. Additionally, EA reportedly told VentureBeat that the Mass Effect team is helping with production of the new Dragon Age.

All this seems to point towards a push to get something out the door for BioWare. Hopefully The Old Republic can at least find a good home for ??the players still adventuring in it.

The post EA is reportedly moving Star Wars: T??he Old Republic ??to a third-party studio appeared first on Destructoid.

EA's football has a whole new look

Electronic Arts and FIFA have officially parted ways, and now EA is teasing what it's been working on for EA Sports FC, its next step in virtual football. That? is to say, a logo.

The EA Sports FC logo was unveiled today, with a lengthy blog post detailing just how it was made. The company teamed with Uncommon Creative Studio to create its new brand identity, with its new triangular logo becoming the symbol for all things EA Sports FC.

It?'s a lot of discussion about how and w?hy the upside-down triangle was chosen, mostly as a reference to both formation design / set pieces and also to player control indicators.

[caption id="attachment_372718" align="alignnone" width="640"] Image via EA[/caption]

Notably, this symbol will also start popping up in "more than 100 matches" in leagues ?around the world. That includes partners at the Premier League, La Liga, Bundesliga, Seria A, Ligue 1, WSL, NWSL, and more. Merch featuring this new logo will also start popping up at various games, too.

Moving on from FIFA

If EA and FIFA had a break-up, this is like the updated profile pic and status. That said, EA is laying the ground for what's to come. It's been the longtime developer of the series, but now EA Sports FC will have to exist without the FIFA brand name, and even compete against it too. And FIFA is adamant it will remain the best.

Electronic Arts is coming off a very successful entry, at least financially, in FIFA 23 and is reportedly inking plenty of deals. Plus, EA has the benefit of having made the games all these years. EA CEO Andrew Wilson reportedly told staff last year that FIFA had b??een an "impediment" to the ?company's ambitions, and suggested that the only value EA got from the license in a year without a World Cup was "four letters on the front of the box."

With their future in their own hands, it'll be interesting to see how the reigning king of virtual football tackles a FIFA-less future, fresh logo and all.

More info about EA Sports FC is set to arrive sometime in July.

The post EA re?veals new Sp??orts FC logo, with more info set for July appeared first on Destructoid.

Do not prepare for Titanfall

Amid several other shifts in Electronic Arts' schedule, the publisher is apparently also calling off an unannounced single-player venture into the shared Apex and Titanfall universe.

According to a new report from Bloomberg, EA has canceled a single-player game based on Apex Legends and Titanfall, which share the same universe. The game was code-named Titanfall Legends and was directed by designer Mohammad Alavi until he left EA early last year.

EA will reportedly try to find positions for the team of about 50 employees w??ithin the company. Anyone who can't be placed will receive severance and be laid off.

The project had not been publicly announced, though Respawn has been toying with the idea of returning to Titanfall for some time. The last entry was 2016's Titanfall 2, but battle royale Apex Legends is set in the same universe and carries over its lore in some interesting ways.\

Protect the pilot

Electronic Arts announced several updates on its future schedule yesterday, as it looked ahead to the calendar year 2023. Both Apex Legends Mobile and the unreleased Battlefield Mobile are shutting down development, a?s EA shifts its strategy. EA CEO Andr?ew Wilson did leave the possibility open for more mobile attempts in the future, though.

Meanwhile, over at Respawn, the team continues working on Apex Legends and the upcoming Star Wars Jedi: Survivor. The second single-player Star Wars from the team at Respawn got its launch pushed back yesterday, slotting it for April 28.

For TItanfall fans, I suppose we're still left waiting. I've enjoyed what Respawn's been making, but I still boot up Titanfall 2 now and then, just to re-experience that campaign. It's still one of the best single-player FPS campaigns I've ever played, and I hope we can see the developer return to that format one day. And if you're still in need of a newer movement-driven, high-octane FPS game, there's always Neon White.

The post EA has reportedly canceled a single-player Apex?? / Titanfall game appeared first on Destructoid.

The return of the Jedi will wait a little longer

Respawn is taking a little extra time to work on Cal Kestis' return. Electronic Arts and Respawn confirm today that Star Wars Jedi: Survivor has been pu??shed back by six weeks, and will now ??launch on April 28, 2023.

Previously set for March 17, the development team at Respawn confirms today that Jedi: Survivor is content com?plete. The developer is now focused on the final stage of bug fixes, stability, and polish, and it's looking to take a little extr??a time to do so.

"Jedi: Survivor is a direct response to the feedback from our community, delivering expansive destinations to explore, evolved combat and traversal, and of course, the continuation of Cal Kestis and BD's story," reads today's statement. "Making this game has truly us a better team, and we have pushed ourselves at every level to make this the Star Wars sequel ou??r fans expect from Respawn and Lucasfilm Games.

"In order for the team to hit the Respawn quality bar, provide the team the time they need, and achieve the level of polish our fans deserve, we have added six crucial weeks to our release schedule�em>Star Wars Jedi: Survivor will now launch globally on April 28th."

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

May the Force be with you, in April

Originally announced back in May of last year and shown off at The Game Awards 2022, Star Wars Jedi: Survivor is set to follow Cal and his companion droid as ?they continue to get by in a?? galaxy with far fewer Jedi than it used to have.

While a delay is rough for fans setting aside their time for a lightsaber-filled March, six weeks isn't far off from the original target. Hopefully it gives the Star Wars Jedi: Survivor team some extra breathing room for tha??t final stage. Heck, one week m?ore would've put it on the week of May the 4th.

Considering how good the reception was for Cal Kestis' first game, there are some expectations now for the sophomore effort. We'll see if Star Wars Jedi: Survivor benefits from the ??extra time in the bacta tank on April? 28, 2023.

The post Star Wars Jedi: Survivor has been pushed back in?to April appeared first on Destructoid.

The deal kicks off with the upcoming Iron Man game

EA and Marvel have locked in a deal for at least three action-adventure games.? Electronic Arts will develop the titles?, set in the Marvel universe, for PC and console.

The deal was first reported today by Bloomberg, followed by an announcement from EA. Marvel and Electronic Arts will collaborate ?on "at least three" new action-adventure games, available fo??r PC and console.

These games will be original stories set in the Marvel universe, and we already know about one of them. EA Motive was recently confirmed to be working on an Iron Man game.

"At Marvel, we strive to find best-in-class teams who can take our characters on heroic journeys in ways they haven’t before, and collaborating with Electronic Arts will help us achieve that," said Marvel Games executive VP Jay Ong. "We pride ourselves on being enthusiastic, creative collaborators with developers so they have the freedom to create something deeply unique and truly remarkable. The team at Motive is getting started on that with their Iron Man video game and we can’t wait ??for player??s to learn more in the far future."

//www.youtube.com/watch?v=0GLbwkfhYZk

A Marvel-ous deal

EA has a history with the Star Wars series already. Games like Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order have done pretty well. Well enough, in fact, that Respawn's working on several more Star Wars projects.

With a Marvel deal locked in, it looks like Electronic Arts is deepening its ties to ?Disney properties.

The Marvel universe isn't just stopping there, though. Skydance recently teased its upcoming Captain America-Black Panther project. (Skydance is also working on a Star Wars project.)

Plus, Marvel's Midnight Suns is just around the corner in December. And Marvel Snap is gradually taking over everyo??ne's phones. The Marvel games roll-out just?? keeps growing.

The post EA locks in a deal with Marvel f??or at least three games appeared first on Destructoid.

Unsure if the servers can also escape capitalism by going into space

Several EA games are due to have their ser??vers shut down in the coming weeks?.

As spotted by TrueAchievements, several Electronic Arts games are currently on track to have their servers shut down. Mirror's Edge, NBA Jam: On Fire Edition, Gatling Gears, and Shank 2 are all due to close servers at the start of the new year. The ga?mes were recently added to the EA site tracking servers due for updates or closure.

As detailed on EA's site for service updates, games may still be playable offline.

TrueAchievements notes that two achievements in one of the affected games, NBA Jam: On Fire Edition, do require online play. So you may want to get working on those now if you still want to pick them up. Others, like Mirror's Edge, aren't really affected by the closure.

Though if you're looking to play some online Command & Conquer, be aware that Red Alert 3 and C&C3 servers are also due to close in November. They may go down, but Tim Curry's performance in RA3 will live on forever.

//www.youtube.com/watch?v=g1Sq1Nr58hM

EA's site also details service updates, too. A prime example is The Sims 4, which is shifting over to a free-to-play version on October 18.

Here's the full list of upcoming c??losures? and when they're happening.

October 20, 2022

• Army of Two: The 40th Day
• Army of Two: The Devil's Cartel
• Dragon Age: Origins (MP Screenshots Server)

November 9, 2022

• Command & Conquer: Red Alert 3
• Command & Conquer 3: Tiberium Wars
• Command & Conquer 3: Kane's Wrath
• Mercenaries 2: World in Flames (PS3, 360)

November 30, 2022

• Onrush

January 19, 2023

• Mirror's Edge
• NBA Jam: On Fire Edition
• Gatling Gears
• Shank 2

The post Mirror’s Edge and other EA games are closing servers down appeared first on Destructoid.

Still just one for the newer generation

A recent PlayStation trailer for the upcoming remake of Dead Space li?sted PS4 alongside PS5, sparking some speculation it might arrive on both generations. A new report indicates that was a mistake, however.

According to Eurogamer, the trailer listing both PlayStation platforms is "a mista??ke," as the outlet understands. The original listing for PS4 obviously stirred up some rampant speculation that this might turn out to be a PS4 game as well.

While this trailer is still online as of this writing, it no longer lists PS4 in the title as it previously did. Looks like Dead Space is still aiming for just the newer generation.

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

Back out to space

The Dead Space remake is being handled by Electronic Arts' Motive studio, which previously worked on games like Star Wars Battlefront II and Star Wars Squadrons.

For Dead Space, the team has been surprisingly candid about the development process. Motive has shown several deep, behind-the-scenes looks at the making of this r??emake, spotlighting sound, art,? and more.

We also got a look at some gameplay just this week, ?along with the reveal of a really neat (and really expensive) collector's edition from Limited Run Games.

It's been quite a few years since players first set foot on the USG Ishimura. But honestly, I'm more than ready for a Dead Space revival. I'm not even one for horror games most of the time, but I loved the sci-fi terror of the Dead Space series.

We'll see how Motive's own venture onto the Ishimura goes when Dead Space launches January 27, 2023 for PS5, Xbox Series X|S, and PC.

The post D??ead Space remake trailer with PS4 listing was ??a mistake appeared first on Destructoid.

Sims fans rejoice

The Sims is one of the most prolific series in gaming, and has managed to stay at the forefront of the games space for over twenty years. The Sims community is especially known for their mods, with the most recent entry Sims 4 being incredibly robust in that regard. Now, as a thank you to fans for making the game the success that it is, EA has announced that the base game of The Sims 4 will be free to download on PC, PlayStation 4, PlayS??tation 5, Xbox Series X/S, and Xbox On??e starting on October 18, 2022.

"EA and Maxis have welcomed millions of The Sims players over the years, and have watched in awe as they unleashed their imaginations, discovered and connected with ideas, experiences, and versions of themselves, both in-game and real life," EA said in a press release. "With The Sims 4 base game going free, the team is more dedicated than ever to developing new and meaningful experiences for players, and will continue to develop and release packs, Kits, and Sims Delivery Express ?drops into the foreseeable future."

//www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZFkqTSU9tSo

As if that's not good enough, players who have already purchased The Sims 4 by October 17 will get the Desert Luxe Kit as a free gift. EA Play and EA Play Pro members will also get a special treat on October 18 �with The Sims 4 EA Play Edition, players will get The Sims 4 Get To Work Expansion Pack, and the EA Play Pro Edition come with both The Sims 4 Get To Work Expansion Pack and The Sims 4 Toddler Stuff Pack.

In addition, EA will be hosting a special-edition stream on October 18 at 10 am PDT on The Sims' YouTube and Twitch channels called the "Behind The Sims Summit," which will give players an inside look into what the team has in the works. EA rea?lly pulled out all the stops for this one, because this has to be one of the coolest events I've seen in gaming in a while.

The post The Sims 4 base game?? will be free to download starting next month appeared first on Destructoid.

Familiar classes are returning to Battlefield 2042

DICE laid out a new roadmap for Battlefield 2042 today, and it includes a deeper look at its Specialist system. In today's update, Electronic Arts and DICE confirm they're going to rework Specialists, bringing them more in line with classic Battlefield classes.

As part of the August 2022 Development Update, the Battlefield 2042 team talks about some of the work ahead for the?? first-person shooter. This includes map reworks and Vault Weapons, as well as new content. But the first chunk of the update talks about something a bit further? off: a rework of the Specialists.

Specialists were a new addition to 2042, having players take on specific characters that loosely aligned with traditional Battlefield roles. With this new update, planned for Season 3 later on this year, the existing roster of Specialists will go into one of? four roles. The four Classes are the Assault, Recon, Support, and Engineer roles.

//www.youtube.com/watch?v=bXwQknbg64A

With Classes comes new restrictions, a??s well as new Class Traits. Wea??pons will still be open for anyone to use.

DICE says in its new blog that this will address difficulty in assessing just what a player can do when encountered, or what teammates can do, in Battlefield 2042. Support characters will always have a Defibrillator, for example, and Engineers will always have a Repair Tool. Classes can also choose between different gadgets to deploy with; Assault, for example, can pick between a Smo??ke Grenade Launcher, C5 Explosives, or an IBA Armor Plate?.

Building a better force

Specialists will still have their Trait and Gadget, it seems, but this will make the tools a bit more universal across the board. All of ?this?? is planned for Season 3, which is still a ways away.

In the nearer future with Season 2, which DICE plans on revealing soon, there will be a new map and Specialist inbound. There will also be new hardware, Battle Pass, and more. It seems like Battlefield 2042 is set on overcoming its launch struggles. ??We'l??l see how the classes shake out once Season 3 rolls around.

The post Battlefield 2042 is plann??ing to shake up its Specialists wi?th Classes appeared first on Destructoid.

Be an insider to the world of the next Skate

The Skate team is back with a new update, in the form of some very early gameplay and sign-ups. Electronic Arts is letting fans sign-up to be in an early insider playtest for Skate.

In today's video, titled "Still Working On It," the Skate team shows off some "Pre-Pre-Pre-Alpha" gameplay of the new Skate. It's a neat behind-the-scenes look at just what goes into making something like Skate.

Even so, it looks like Skate is coming together quite well. And sign-ups are open ?if you'd like to see just how well.

//www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y2XddTE08rI

An early look at Skate

Over on EA's website, the team is hosting sign-ups to be an early playtester for Skate. You can find the registration page here.

Any sharing or capturing of the early playtest is prohibited, and there i??sn't a roadmap for playtests just yet either. The playtest is only available on PC via Origin as well. It will, however, grow to more platforms as testing expands.

So this isn't the usual open beta or way to get players in and poking at some final systems just ahead of launch. EA stresses that it's still "very early" in the development of Skate, and it wants early feedback to help shape the future of Skate.

The new Skate was unveiled during the 2020 EA Play Live stream, where its developers joked that fans "commented this into existence." While it hasn't been seen much since, the fervor for a new Skate certainly hasn't seemed to die down just yet. Hopefully the ne??w entry can live up to some titanic expectations.

The post EA ?shows a new look at Skate, opens playtester sign-up??s appeared first on Destructoid.

No more updates for the Zone

As DICE keeps ramping up to the launch of Season 1, another Battlefield 2042 mode is taking a backseat. The studio confirms today that it's shutting down future development on Battlefield 2042's Hazard Zone mode.

The new mode, an Escape From Tarkov-like experience in the Battlefield setting, was one of Battlefield 2042's major pillars going into launch. Today though, EA and D?ICE are saying that future development will cease on the mode.

"All of us on the team had great ambition and high hopes for this new Battlefield experience throughout our development, but we’re the first to hold our hands up and acknowledge that it hasn’t found the right home in Battlefield 2042 and that we’ll benefit greatly from letting our focus and energy stay on the modes we see you engaging most with," reads today's blog post.

//www.youtube.com/watch?v=nkMiPwL8G1w

Hazard Zone will still be available to play in Battlefield 2042. But aside from "addressing critical errors and odd be??haviors" that may pop up, no more content will be rolling out for the mode. New maps released in future seasons wi?ll not be supported in Hazard Zone, either.

The long war

Several other changes are planned, as DICE is building up towa??rds its Season 1 launch in June. Animation and traversal improvements are planned, as well as an overhaul to the Kaleidoscope map. Plus, a new map, Specialist, and Vehicles, as well as a Battle Pass.

In terms of game modes, Breakthrough is moving to 64 players as previously announced. Conquest will still have the 128-?player option open on Xbox Series X|S,?? PlayStation 5, and PC. And DICE says it's also looking at including Rush, the 32-player experience, into the official mode fold during Season 1.

It all feels like DICE is trying to reset, slim down, and move forward, as Battlefield 2042 hasn't been the smoothest of launches. Electronic Arts CEO Andrew Wilson said Battlefield 2042 "did not meet expectations" on an earnings call in February. We'll see if dropping Hazard Zone from the priority list helps the team move 2042 forward.

The post Battlefield 2042 is shuttering future Hazard Zone development as it ramps towards Season ??1 appeared first on Destructoid.

Apex Legends Mobile impressions

I’m old enough and self-aware enough to know that I probably shouldn’t play competitive online shooters anymore. And it’s not because they can be insidious with their FOMO skins and seasons. I shouldn’t play them anymore because I have an addictive personality when it comes to the genre. If any of these types of games find their way onto my consoles �be it Fortnite or Overwatch or Splatoon �I risk losing myself and my free time to feed the insatiable obsession?? that arises after just one match. I will seriously spend an entire weekend planted in front of my television playing these games like I’m a zombie who feeds on headshots if left to my own devices.

The only place I should experience these types of games is on mobile. Because while mobile shooters can be excellent in their design and execution, I generally don’t have it in me to devote more than an hour at a time to any one of them. My phone gets hot, my hands get cramped, and I really start to long for the 4K clarity of my big screen after?? staring at my phone for an inordinate amount of time. If anything, mobile shooters have been something of a nicotine patch ??for my competitive shooter addiction, something to feed the need without pulling me back into a wholly unhealthy habit.

Unfortunately, Apex Legends Mobile is not a nicotine patch. Nor is it nicotine gum, a lo??zenge, or that spray that I occasionally see at drug stores. Nope, this is the good shit my body craves, and if I don’t delete it off my phone soon, I’m goi??ng to fall right back into my pack-a-day habit.

//www.youtube.com/watch?v=frPP4N5AkPY

Apex Legends Mobile is the work of Respawn and Lightspeed Studios, a Chinese outfit under the Tencent umbrella that struck gold when it developed PUBG Mobile, the most played mobile game ever. The craftsmanship Lightspeed brought to that shooter is in abundance here as the core of the Apex Legends formula has been carefully recreated for mobile devices. It's important to know this isn't the full experience of what's available right now on console and PC. Players have access to only a handful of the original legends �Bloodhound, Gibraltar, Lifeline, Pathfinder, Wraith, Bangalore, Mirage, Octane, Caustic �as well as the newcomer Fade, who is exclusive to the mobile version and also looks like he flunked out of the Cyber Lin Kuei.

As this is a free-to-play game, you’re going to have to do some unlocking before you get access to all the characters. The more you level up your player profile, the more legends you’ll add to your roster. There are several you can unlock more quickly by completing menial tasks, like linking your profile and the sort. Because Apex Legends Mobile is a separate game from what’s found on console and PC, don’t expect to see any of your unlocks here. Everyone is starting from the ground floor. If that’s a dealbreaker for you, well, Newcastle was just added to the flagship version of the game and he looks like a badass RoboCop. I?f you are willing to start at the bottom, there is a damn great game waiting for you.

Familiar fun found on your phone

Respawn and Lightspeed have done Apex Legends justice with this mobile conversion, bringing along most of the elements we associate with the title to very small screens, including arena mode and two flavors of team deathmatch: base respawn and random respawn. The main draw, however, is still the battle royale where yo??u’re hopping out in teams of three to the World’s Edge map (Kings Canyon will be added at a later date) to gun down enemies and search supply boxes that'll turn your legend into a killing machine. The heavily lauded “ping system" is present, though, with touchscreen controls, it’s not quite as accurate as it is in the flagship version.

Thankfully, the developers have designed the touchscreen controls with a slew of customization options. You can change icon size and position, alter how the camera operates, and individualize the firing style for different weapon types. There?? are so many options to play with that I’ve actually modified my hud every day I’ve played the game, slowly tweaking it a??s I search for that optimal layout. The game also has native controller support with its own dedicated set of options.

I imagine a lot of people are wondering how this runs on mobile given the state of Apex Legends when it launched on Switch. I can’t speak for that version because, again, I have no self-control when it comes to these types of games, but Apex Legends Mobile runs exceptionally well on my Google Pixel 6. With the normal graphics setting, you will have to contend with some low-resolution assets and rendering objects in the distance. Beyond that, it still looks pretty good. If you have a powerf??ul enough device, there are UltraHD and ExtremeHD graphics option??s that clean everything up, but don’t be surprised if your phone heats up to Las Vegas temperatures with those settings. At the other end of the spectrum is the Smooth graphics option. This makes the game look like it's running on a Dell as old as the first Obama administration, but it's still perfectly playable. Enemy combatants are highlighted in bright neon orange, so even when they are at a great distance, you’ll still be able to see and shoot at them.

And really, that shooting feels so damn good in this game. Shots fired out of nearly every gun pack a punch, and those that manage to hit your opponents are damn satisfying. A few of the gun types, like shotguns and sniper rifles, required some adjustments in the control options before they became viable in play. There are some guns I still don’t like �I'm looking at you, Mozambique �but I’ve found my go-to firearms for the console version of Apex Legends are still my go-to firearms here.

Let's talk money

In terms of monetization, it’s your standard mobile shooter marketplace. There is a monthly paid Premium Pass that costs 799 pieces of Syndicate Gold, which will set you back about $8. If you drop 1599 gold pieces, you can get even more rewards with Premium Pass Plus. Some skins can be purchased directly with Syndicate Gold while others are subject to Apex Pack gacha pulls. Right now, there is a Midnight Red skin for Wraith that costs 390 gold pieces, which would require a $5 purchase of the currency. As for the Apex Packs, a 10-pull costs 1400 gold pieces, so expect to pay about $15 for it. You can earn common Apex Packs with the free battle pass as well as seasonal currency that can be used to buy limited-time items. Finally, Flux you find on the battlefield can be used to craft news skins and other unlockables. When Apex Legends first launched, one of the most disappointing aspects of it was its collection of weak character skins. I’ll admit, this first season in Mobile is not that impressive, but if history is any indicati?on, the skins wil??l get better over time.

Of course, this wouldn’t be a free-to-play mobile shooter if there wasn't some bullshit to contend with. And, like many of its competitors, the biggest source of frustration with Apex Legends Mobile lies with its menus and use of bots. Mobile has one of the most frustratingly obtuse menu systems in recent memory, and with so many events happening right now, I’m wasting a lot of time clicking on tiny icons just trying to unlock whatever the hell the little red dots are indicating I’ve unlocked. I have to imagine, with so many mobile ?games employing this perplexing style of menu design, that this is intentional; that so?me asshole in Silicon Valley once gave a speech encouraging everyone to make their menus as confusing as possible to increase player engagement. I won’t say it doesn’t work, but I am sick of it.

The second issue, bots in a competitive multiplayer mobile shooter, is pretty ubiquitous in the genre. Even a few years after its launch and overwhelming success, I still see complaints about bots in Call of Duty: Mobile. With Apex Legends Mobile, it’s pretty obvious my first several matches in any of its modes were against bots. And, while I’m sure there are those out there who are bowled over when they keep landing dubs in every match they play, I got bored with all that winning. It wasn’t until I started seeing real players out there in World’s Edge ??with their ridiculous accuracy and slightly racist usernames that I started to have fun with it. And once that fun started, it didn't stop.

Of all the battle royales on the market, there is none I took a liking to more than Apex Legends. Every design decision Respawn made with its flagship shooter spoke to the type of gamer I am. That’s why I had to delete it off my PS4. I just couldn’t live with myself if I spent another three-day holiday weekend sitting in front of my television reminding teammates that this is a team shooter and they should probably stop breaking awa?y from the group the first chance they get.

I imagine that is why I’ve taken so strongly to its mobile counterpart, more so than any other mobile shooter I’ve played in the past year. This is, dare I say, the best smartphone shooter since TiMi Studio Group knocked it out of the park with Call of Duty: Mobile. It's so good that, despite the responsible part of my brain telling me to delete it right now and move on, I think I'll keep Apex Legends Mobile around for a bit. Is that a smart decision? Absolutely not. But hey?, what's? the harm in indulging your addictions every once in a while?

The post Just when I thought I was out, ???Apex Legends Mobile pulls me back in appeared first on Destructoid.

Get your stompin' boots on

There's more to come this week for the Dead Space remake. The development team behind the updated space survival hor?ror game is hosting another live stream this week.

The Dead Space account tweeted out an ominous tweet, asking users to listen closely to the teaser.  It also links out to a YouTube page, currently set to go live on Marc?h 11, 2022, which would be this Friday.

//www.youtube.com/watch?v=yMQOkpZO5eM

No more official info for the time being.

What we do know, so far, is that Dead Space is being remade by Electronic Arts' Motive studio. The project was revealed last year during EA Play Live, with a creepy trailer. It had foreboding li??ghting, a scary atmosphere, and of course, Isaac's spinal health bar on his suit. That's how you know you're in for a Necromorph-stompin' good time.

Reports had been indicating for a while that a remake was in the works for EA's sci-fi horror series. And while we've had a c?inematic tease now, I'm eager to see Isaac in action, exploring the Ishimura in detail and fi?ghting some nasty monsters.

As for the original Dead Space creators, several of them have moved on to Striking Distance Studios, where they're working on their own space survival horror The Callisto Protocol. Seems like we're set to have several options when it comes to?? being te?rrified in the great, big vacuum of space.

We'll see what the development team over at Motive has in store for Dead Space later this week.

The post A new Dead Space live stream is set for this week appeared first on Destructoid.

More companies are halting sales over the invasion of Ukraine

Several more companies have joined the growing list of those halting sales in Russia and Belarus. In resp?onse to the Russian invasion of Ukraine, Microsoft and Electronic Arts have officially halted sales in the region.

In a statement from Microsoft president Brad Smith, the tech company confirmed it is suspending all new sales of products and services in Russia. The company is also w?orking with the U.S. and other governme??nts to stop business in compliance with governmental sanctions.

"We b?elieve we are most effective in aiding Ukraine when we take concrete steps in coordination with the decisions being made by these governments and we will take additional steps as this situation conti??nues to evolve," wrote Smith.

Electronic Arts had already confirmed it's removing the Russian national teams and clubs from its EA Sports games. The publisher put out a statement today, affirming that its games will no longer be available for purchase in Russia through its ??own digital storefronts, and it's working with platforms to remove its games from their stores.

Other reports have surfaced of storefronts removing items or currency from sale. Eurogamer reports that the recently launched Gran Turismo 7 is unavailable on the PlayStation Store in Russia. And some report that the Nintendo eShop has suspended payments. Neither Sony or Nintendo has put out an official statement a???s of this writing.

CD Projekt announced yesterday that it was halting sales in Russia, which includes its GOG distr??ibution platform. Bloober Team has also been removing its games from sale in the region.

Game developers have also been raising support for humanitarian aid in Ukraine. Just recently, Doom 2 co-creator John Romero released a new level for the classic FPS, with all proceed?s going towards aid for Ukraine.

The post Micr?osoft and Electronic Arts suspend sales in? Russia appeared first on Destructoid.

Velan Studios is taking the wheel as it goes free-to-play

Dodgeball arena fighter Knockout City is tearing down the paywall this year. Developer Velan Studios is making Knockout City free-t??o-play this spring, as it transitions into a new era of self-publishing.

In a blog update, Velan Studios confirms that Knockout City will go free-to-play with Season 6. The season kickoff coincides with the start of the second year of updates to Knockout City as well.

With Year 2, Velan Studios will also be self-publishing Knockout City. It was previously under the E??A Originals umbrella, but Velan Studios says publishing in-house will allow the team to realize their vision for the "long-term future" of the game.

//www.youtube.com/watch?v=psq9kGWPYO8

The multiplayer brawler is currently rolling towards its fifth season, dubbed Season 5: Greatest Hits. As part of the transition into F2P and the year ahead, this season will have a little less content: no Brawl Pass (the Knockout City battl??e pass), fewer bundles and cosmetics, and?? no new map or ball.

Once Season 6 arrives though, content will kick up again. Those who bought Knockout City already will get a Loyalty Bundle as well, including so??me exclusive cosmetics, XP boosts, and some Holobux (in-game currency).

Knockout City fully launched in May 2021, and it was a pretty good time. It was a bit of an overnight success, with players flocking to check it out at the start. And while it's been easy for games to become the momentary success stories that quietly fall back after a while, Knockout City is one?? I wouldn't mind going back to. Its mix of fighting game, arena shooter, and dodgeball was pretty fun. Going free-to-play should hopefully inject some new players into the fold.

The post Dodge?ball brawler Knockout City is going free-to-play and self-pu??blished appeared first on Destructoid.

Bah humbug

Battlefield 2042 has only been out for a few weeks, but in that short time, its issues have made it one of the worst launches of the year. The game is plagued with a variety of bugs, a lack of features, and overall design flaws, and now DICE and EA are scrambling to save face and basically redesign whole aspects of the game post-launch. When things were already looking bad enough for the studio, they pre-emptively showed off some of the Christmas-themed cosmetics items that would be introduced during the next update, and let's just say players were not happy. The game's third update since it was released introduces weekly missions, improvements to the menus, and over 150 much-needed fixes �but the real star of the show on social media was one of the new Specialist skins called Father Winter, which turns the Battlefield 2042 ??character Boris into a gun-toting version of Santa.

The first complaint is that the skin didn't fit into the aesthetic of the game at all. It feels kind of ridiculous to be playing A Very Serious War Game, only to see a literal Santa Claus run around the corner and melee you to death. Players have noticed an effect where these types of games will start off with skins that are pretty tame, but as time goes on, they feel the need to keep one-upping themselves with the over-the-top skins. But Battlefield 2042 just launched so... what's the excuse there?

//www.reddit.com/r/gaming/comments/r78aqf/battlef??ield_is?_officially_dead/

Then there's the fact that players don't care about fancy skins right now �they just want the game they paid for to work. Rather than doling out obligatory seasonal updates, Battlefield 2042's community has expressed that they would much rather EA spend that time fixing the game and adding the features that they want. While it is pretty silly that a game that tackles topics as serious as climate change chose to include a playable Santa, the real crux of the problem is that players are losing faith in developers on a large scale, especially after the previous failures of games like Cyberpunk 2077.

The devs have since taken to Twitter to do some damage control after seeing the response -- the story now is that DICE won't be implementing every item that was shown this year, and that most of the wackier stuff we've s??een will be accessible in the game's Portal modes, rather than in the main game. Even if this was always the plan (which seems unlikely), it still doesn't really make up for what annoyed the fanbase in the first place.

The post Battlefield 2042 player??s are annoyed at its S??anta skin appeared first on Destructoid.

Remember the 5 D's of dodgeball: dodge, duck, dip, dive, and dodge

I have spent an absurd amount of time with Knockout City over the past few months. In a year full of pleasant surprises and blockbuster hits, it's the game I keep coming back to. I even deleted it off my Xbox Series S to keep me from playing it so much, but that didn't last too long before I was itching again for that "dodgebrawl" action. It's a great game, but if you've been waiting for those next-gen versions before giving it a shot, know that you won't have to wait much longer as Knockout City will officially release for PS5 and Xbox Series X|S next week.

Up until now, if you've been playing on any one of those three consoles, you've been enjoying the last-gen versions with some enhancements. On November 2, a free update will be released that will upgrade the game to current-gen standards. According to developer Velan, Knockout City will have improved lighting and textures on the PS5 and the Xbox Series of cons??oles. It will also come with new f?ramerate and resolution options that break down thusly:

• PS5: Native 4K at 60FPS or 1440p (upscaled to 4K) at 120FPS
• Series X: Native 4K at 60FPS or 1620p (upscaled to 4K) at 120FPS
• Series S: 1440p at 60FPS, or 1080p at 120FPS

As my television doesn't support 120FPS, I guess I'll be sticking with the standard 60FPS at that 1440p resolution. Given I can barely tell the differe??nce between Blu-ray and Betamax, that should be sufficient enough for me.

The post Knockout City will run at 120FPS on PS5 and Xbox Series X?? starting next month appeared first on Destructoid.

It's also getting a battle pass

Knockout City found its way back onto my Xbox a few days ago, months after I'd deleted it from the console due to how much of my time it was consuming. It seems I'm rejoining the game at the right time as developer Velan Studios revealed the game's third season is just around the corner. Launching next month, Season 3 of Knockout City is adding new mode??s, new aren?as, and new rides for players to experience.

It's also adding the Brawl Pass (i.e. a battle pass) to go alongside the current Street Rank system. As it is with your Street Rank, the higher you level up the Brawl Pass, the more rewards y??ou unlock. The p??ass will include 100 levels of rewards to collect and feature weekly contracts players can complete to quickly climb the levels.

//www.youtube.com/watch?v=AxEUkemK56w

For anyone not interested in a Brawl Pass, there is still a lot to look forward to in Season 3, including new modes of gameplay, new Crew Contracts, a new energy drink, new player voices, new threads, and the new Lockdown Throwdown stage. There's also a new Crew Vehicle to collect with some pretty sick-looking choppe??rs.

The central theme of this season, H@CKeD, will see an entity known as Z3R0 hacking into the world as teams do battle. All of this is in addition to the overhaul of the Skill Rating system previously announced by the developer.

Knockout City Season 3 kicks off on October 5 at 5:00 am PST/8:00 am EST. As a reminder, the ??game is free-to-play on? all platforms up to level 25.

The post Knockout City gets hacked in Season 3 appeared first on Destructoid.

Hopefully a foot-stompin' good time

[Update: Today's livestream is?? over, and while we didn't get any news on a date, we did some pretty early looks at development. Motive walked us through some early gameplay and its "dismemberment gym," while confirming a few points:

• The Dead Space remake has overhauled zero-G movement, taking inspiration from Dead Space 2's thrusters.
• Weapon-limb interactions have been overhauled, so picking apart Necromorphs looks as gruesome as ever.
• There will be no microtransactions.
• Gunner Wright returns as the voice of Isaac—with some special rules in place for Isaac's dialogue in the remake.

Our original story follows:]

Today, we're getting a first look at an early development build of EA Motive's upcoming Dead Space remake. And, wel??l, I'm certainly hoping for some creepy crawlers and limb-slicing blasters.

The stream goes live soon, at 1 p.m. ET / 10 a.m. PT over on Motive's Twitch channel. We'll ?update the post here as news get?s shown during the event.

//www.youtube.com/watch?v=l5WeBNfX-og

The oft-rumored Dead Space remake was confirmed during this year's EA Play Live 2021, where it closed out the show with an ee?rie, atmospheric tone-setting trailer. A trailer that, of course, included Isaac Clarke's famous back-HUD.

Hopefully we get to see some gameplay during today's Dead Space remake livestream, though how far away this remake will be is still up in the air. A report from VentureBeat indicated that the ??c??urrent plan is for late 2022, though that obviously comes with a caveat: game development is a fickle thing, and COVID-19 has certainly exacerbated that in some ways. Any expectations on a date should wait on something official from the studio itself.

That said, good lord, I'm excited about the prospect of some more Dead Space. The first two games were memorable parts of my gaming intake in the early 2010s, and after recently playing some Alien: Isolation for the first time, I'm?? in the mood for s??ome space station-based horror.

We'll see what EA Motive has in store for the return of Isaac Clarke in today's Dead Space livestream.?? Let us know in the comments what ??you think of it!

The post Let’s watch today’s Dead Space developer livestream (Update) appeared first on Destructoid.

Also, Microsoft Solitaire!

Xbox has announced the roster of games coming to Game Pass this month, and it's a pretty varied and interesting lineup. This month, there are new games, old games, remasters, and also solitaire. ??Who doesn't like solitaire?

Skate is one of the notable additions; the first Skate joins the EA Play list for console on Aug. 5, bringing the original's city skating to modern consoles. Skate 3 is also arriving on the same day for cloud gaming users. While it's been mostly missing from recent EA news rounds—save one brief teaser earlier in the summerâ€?”this is a nic?e reminder of what's to come for the series' return.

Katamari Damacy Reroll hits Xbox Game Pass on Aug. 5 as well, to bring the heavenly rolling action onto cloud, console, and PC. And if you somehow haven't played Hades yet, it's coming to those three platforms as well on Aug. 13, so you've got very few excuses left to play this very, very good game.

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

The stylish Art of Rally also arrives on Xbox Game Pass this month, if you're in the mood for some top-down racing with chill vibes from the creator of Absolute Drift. And Dodgeball Academia, an indie sports RPG I've been keeping my eye on, ?is set for Aug. 5 as well. I've got to admit, this month's lineup may not be the flashiest, but it's a good and varied set of games I'm eager to test out.

Here's the full lineup announced by Xbox today:

• Curse of the Dead Gods (Cloud, console, PC) - Aug. 5
• Dodgeball Academia (Cloud, console, PC) - Aug. 5
• Katamari Damacy Reroll (Cloud, console, PC) - Aug. 5
• Lumines Remastered (Cloud, console, PC) - Aug. 5
• Skate  (Console) - Aug. 5
• Skate 3 (Cloud) - Aug. 5
• Starmancer (Game Preview on PC) - Aug. 5
• Art of Rally (Cloud, console, PC) - Aug. 12
• Hades (Cloud, console, PC) - Aug. 13
• Microsoft Solitaire Collection: Premium Edition (PC) - Aug. 17

The post Skateboards, Greek gods, and Katamari are coming to ?Xbox Game Pass in August appeared first on Destructoid.

Lights, camera, knockout!

Knockout City's first season is winding to a close, but there's more in store for the dodgeball brawler. Velan Studios and EA announced today that Knockout City Season 2 will go live on July? 27, with a slew of new cosmetics and content themed around the silver screen.

Titled "Fight at the Movies," Season 2 of Knockout City will add a new map called Holowood Drive?-In to the pool. Brawls can take place across various scenery from all different genres of movie.

There will also be a new ball in Knockout City Season 2, called the Soda Ball. The orb filled with sweet carbonated drink explodes when thrown, covering e??nemies' screens in sticky soda. Ew.

//www.youtube.com/watch?v=SCn8xNHwE4Q

There's also some new cosmetics in store, of course. A new season of League Pla?y with its own rewards will go live alongside Season 2, as well as new weekly Cre??w Contracts and new Playlists. It all goes live on July 27.

The bright, fast-paced dodgeball brawler Knockout City launched earlier this year and was met with a pretty warm reception. Its mix of dodgeball style and power-ball pick-ups with a fun, responsive parry system made it feel almost like a multiplayer dodgeball fighting gam??e.

With its free-to-try model and cross-play garnering as many players as it did, it's no surprise EA is getting behind this game for at least another season. I'd person?ally spent ??my time with, blasting friends with dodgeballs, and then moved on. But the nice part about these seasonal updates is they're usually a good reason to convince some folks to hop back on and toss the dodgeballs around again.

Other announcements during today's EA Play Live showcase included a look at Battlefield 2042's multi-game custom game creation suite, dubbed the Battlefield Portal. The publisher also confirmed that EA Motive is currently working on a remake of the first Dead Space, targeting PC, PS5, and Xbox Series X|S.

The post Knockout City Sea??son 2 heads to the movies with its ??new map and Soda Ball appeared first on Destructoid.

There's a map update coming to World's Edge, too

A new season is on the way for Apex Legends, and that means both a new Legend and? some other big changes. Today, Respawn Entertainment showed off its new Legend, Seer, and just what kind of style and tactics he'll be bringing to the Games.

In a stylish new Stories from the Outlands segment, we get the backstory of Seer. With a "bad omen" casting a shadow over his birth, Seer has a striking gaze. According to the Apex Legends page f??or the upcoming "Emergence" update, it sounds like the new Legend Seer can make use of both microdrones and his eye in combat.

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

The page also teases an update coming to the World's Edge map, as well as the addition of the Rampage LMG and Ranked Arenas, for Apex Legends' round-based Arenas mode. Basically, a way to become the top of both the battle royale and the ?Arenas.

It won't be long until we see more of Emergence, eithe??r. The update will get a launch tra??iler shown off at this week's EA Play Live, which will stream on July 22.

That chalks up more of what we know will be at EA Play Live, as so far, we've also heard a few things about what won't be there. Specifically, EA has confirmed that there won't be a new Star Wars game at the show, BioWare has said there won't be any news about Mass Effect or Dragon Age, and the new Skate is also a no-show.

With a new Apex Legends trailer alongside Battlefield 2042, it looks like FPS fans will definitely have some stuff to look forward to. And I'm a little interested to see how the map is changing, and if they can sneak any more Titanfall stuff in.

It'll be interesting to see how Seer fits into the lineup of Apex Legends once he joins the Games. The Emergence update for Apex Legends is aiming to go live on Aug. 3, 2021.

The post Apex Legends spotlights its next character, Seer appeared first on Destructoid.