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 t?ogether quite well. And sign-ups are open if you'd like to see jus??t 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 isn't a roadmap for pla?ytests just yet either. The playtest is only available on PC via Origin as well. It will, however, grow to more plat??forms 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 h?asn't seemed to die down just yet. Hopefully the new entry can live up to some titanic expectation??s.

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

Impressions from the open beta

When it comes to online FPS games, I like to cause chaos. I like to find ways to bend rules, do the unexpected, and take out enemies in bizarre "what-if" scenarios. I'm happy to say that Battlefield 2042 enables a great deal of chaos.

The Battlefield series has, in the past, been good at allowing moments like those to happen, whether it's driving a buggy rigged with C4 into the Commander's radar array or sneaking onto the enemy's aircraft carrier and stealing their jets. And in Battlefield 2042, I found plenty of opportunities to ask "what-if" and find out, often to??? delightful results.

We got the chance to go hands-on with the open beta content for a few hours, ahead of it going live on Oct. 6. Despite featuring just one map (Orbital) and one mode (Conquest), the best possible thing I can say about Battlefield 2042? is that even after a few straight hours of playing it??, I still wanted more.

I haven't had the Battlefield bug for a while now, to be honest. I put more hours than I can remember into 1942 and Battlefield 2, but I dropped off the series for a long time after that. But then, it's also been a while since we've had a more modern(ish) Battlefield game. The series' last three games ventured into side concepts: two were historical warfare, and another was the cops-and-robbers-themed Hardline.

Battlefield 2042 isn't quite as futuristic as Battlefield 2142 (so sorry, no Titans), but it definitely looks to the future with some of its technology. You don't just play a soldier, but a specialist equipped with a signature gadget that gives them a little more identity within their own role. You can also pick your loadout from among the game's different weapons, so if you want to be a submachine gun-toting Engineer or a sniper Support, go for it. The quick-attachment system makes it incredibly easy to mod your gun on the fly, swapping out scopes ??and attachments to suit the battle. And each specialist's ability gives the developers fun ways ?to develop identities and play styles within the class, and an avenue for expanding out the class roles in the updates to come.

The map, Orbital, is medium-sized by DICE's internal standard and focused around a rocket that will blast off in??to the stratosphere at some point during the battle. There are a bunch of other facilities to fight around, but the big rocke?t is always looming in the distance. Yes, this rocket is destructible. No, I wasn't able to grapple onto the rocket and ride it like a cowboy into space.

I mention that because it was one of the few times where it felt like Battlefield 2042 didn't "yes, and" my dumbest ideas. Throughout my few hours with the beta, I saw players parachuting off tall buildings to rain down on those below. Engineers would hold down points by themselves with their trusty sentry gun and robot ??dog companion they can call in thro??ugh the in-game airdrop option. Tanks slowly rolled across the field, and jets soared overhead.

I was queued with someone from another games site, and we declared B1 the "party roof," because the point—atop a tall, tall building with a helicopte?r pad that felt?? like a nod to Nakatomi Plaza—was constantly under siege from helicopters, fighter planes, and infantry landing from above and surging up from below. It was chaos, and I loved it. When we drove a truck into a storm later on, we both laughed with sheer delight as it sent our pick-up soaring across the map and out of the battle.

The storms, by the way,?? are a sight to behol?d. I only glimpsed one during my time playing, but when it started roaring its way across the map, just about everyone on the server dropped what they were doing and took off into it. One of my fondest memories in gaming this year will likely be sailing around the edge of the storm in my parachute, letting the terrifying winds lift me up and carry me, and looking around to see half a server's worth of players floating around in the sky amid a tornado. It was beautiful.

I could talk a lot about what guns and tanks were available, or how well-designed the map is (I really did like this map though), or the cool UI touches like the augmented reality heads-up display glitching out around the storm. But it was the little moments of player-induced creativity that really reminded me why I dig th?ese games in the first place.

Spawning into a teammate's helicopter and manning a gun turret for them is just stra?ight-up fun. Holding down a point and then turning toward?s a distant rumbling to see a tornado barreling towards you is exciting. I stopped and paused to watch the rocket take off every time I heard the sirens start to blare.

Everyone will have a chance to go hands-on with Battlefield 2042 soon, and it's what you would expect: it's more Battlefield, with ??a vaguely-ahead-of-modern-times twist. Being able to call in recon vehicles to help get to points faster is nice, and so is blasti?ng the in-game radio as you speed through an underground tunnel, only to head-on ram an enemy jeep doing the same.

My time with Battlefield 2042?? was filled with these little moments of chaotic player interaction, and they were a blast, every single time. And now I'm just looking forward to getting even more time to find out what else there is to see in the open beta.

The open beta for Battlefield 2042 will run from Oct. 6 through 9. The game itself will launch for P??layStation 4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S, and PC on Nov. 19, 2021.

The post Battlef?ield 2042 let me drive a t??ruck into a future tornado, and it ruled appeared first on Destructoid.

Formerly known as EA Access and Origin Access

EA Access and Origin Access aren't going anywhere – in fact, the latter is about to come to Steam – but they are being? rebranded. EA's game subscription service will be known as EA Play as of August 18.

The basic $4.99-per-month service will become EA Play?, while the expanded $14.99-per-month tier will be named EA Play Pro. The selling points are staying the same, though – subscribers will get 10-hour trials of new games, 10 percent discounts on purchases, and access to full games in the Vault.

To try and bolster the value a little bit more, EA is also going to start giving out Ultimate Team Packs in FIFA, exclusive cos?metics, and other th??ings of that nature in "monthly reward drops."

This isn't a service I'd probably ever subscribe to long-term, but I have used Origin Premier strategically on a one-month basis to play???? and finish newly-released PC games for $14.99. No complaints there.

As for the rebrand, it's simpler for sure. I never liked having to write out EA Access and Origin Access to describe essentially the same thing (the former is for consoles, the latter is for PC), to say nothing of t?heir clunkiness. Streamlining them into "EA Play"?? is just easier at a glance for unfamiliar players.

Something to keep in mind when next year rolls around and EA hosts another EA Play Live event.

Get More Game with EA Play [EA]

The post EA Play is the new name for EA’s game subscription service appeared first on Destructoid.

Partially out of concern over spoilers

While EA Access and Origin Access subscribers can normally expect to get 10-hour trials for new EA games, one of the publisher's most alluring titles this year – Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order from Apex Legends and Titanfall creator Respawn Entertainment – won't offer a trial or any sort of early access.

Instead, when Fallen Order launches on November 15,?? EA Access members will get a pair of "exclusive" skins for Cal ?Kestis' droid buddy, BD-1, and his ship, the Stinger Mantis. What gives?

According to EA, Fallen Order doesn't have a Play First Trial "in pa??rt to reduce the risk o??f spoilers."

It's not the worst justification in the world, I'll admit, but more candor would've gone a long way. Spoilers are a concern for anything Star Wars-related, but they're ??bound to happen with or without a trial. You can't help but feel EA just wants people to pony up for a chance to check out ?this game.

Even if there won't be a Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order trial on launch day, it would be nice to see one pop up eventually, long after spoilers have ravaged YouTube. It doesn't even need to be 10 hours long!

EA Access [Twitter]

The post Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order won’t have a ‘Play First’ trial appeared first on Destructoid.

Just in time for the Pacific theater

It's not too late to get into Battlefield V, even if you're only looking to dip your toes in for the long-awaited War in the Pacific update. DICE is hosting free weekend events for the game throughout the month of October, and honestly, that's ample time to get your fill of WWII? multiplayer ma??yhem.

If you're down, you can install Battlefield V on PC via Origin, PS4, and Xbox One. Not every game mode will be available for every free-play event – they're running on a week-by-week schedule.

• Free Weekend 1 (starting October 10): Rush on Operation Underground, Rotterdam, Narvik, and Mercury, among other maps.
• Free Weekend 2 (starting October 17): Conquest on Operation Underground, Rotterdam, Devastation, Marita, and Arras.
• Free Weekend 3 (starting October 24): Grand Operations on Twisted Steel, Narvik, Hamada, Rotterdam, and Panzerstorm.
• Free Weekend 4 (starting November 1): All maps and modes including Chapter 5: War in the Pacific with the U.S., Japan, and Iwo Jima. This is the one to show up for.

Any progress you make will carry over to the full game, ?including unlocks like the Captain Hadlow vehicle skin for the Stug IV (Week 1), the?? Trench Carbine (Week 2), and the anti-air Fliegerfaust (Week 3).

I don't think I'm the only one who tends to skip most free weekends – it often doesn't feel worth the download time or data-cap investment to play a game once or twice at most before your free access is revoked – but the fact that Battlefield V ?is doing four trials in a row makes this a little meatier.

I'm also way into the idea of playing against folks who aren't as battle-hardened as dedicated BFV player??s who never left the game despite its poor content schedule. I want to stand a reasonable chance.

Battlefield V Origin Free Weekend Trials [EA]

The post Play Battlefield V for free while it lasts appeared first on Destructoid.

Enable 2FA and play the freebies

EA's prepared to reward you for someth?ing you should've already done anyway. Free? games are the incentive for increased digital security.

October is National Cybersecurity Awareness Month (apparently), and EA wants people to lock down their Origin accounts. Anyone who turns on two-factor authentication for EA Origin on PC by the end of October will get a free month of Origin Access Basic. It's a $5 value, but there are well over 200 games to play. Some recent ones are Anthem, Battlefield V, and Madden 19. Here are all the details, straight from EA.

This offer isn't only meant to rope in new customers. It's also available for current subscribers. People who already have Origin Access won't get charged in November. Those who subscribe to the more expensive Origin Access Premier ($15/month) will get a free month of Pr??emier. And, in the event you already have two-factor enabled, you're good to go; no further action is required to get the free month.

It's just that easy. EA notes that players should see their free month kick in at the beginning of November, so these aren't rewards you can reap immediately. But, you shouldn't need to be prodded along to protect your accounts. EA's happy to prod though, so you should be happy to ?ta??ke the freebies.

Turn on ??EA Login Verification? and get a free* month of Origin Access [EA]

The post Getting a free mon?th of EA Origin Access could not be easier appeared first on Destructoid.

Don't cry for me...

While much of the video-game-playing world has moved on, Anthem is still up and running. Last month brought the Cataclysm event, and now, as of today, BioWare's hig?h-flying sci-fi shooter has joined EA Access and Origin Access. I can see people m?essing with it out of a sense of morbid curiosity.

With Anthem now in The Vault, it's fully available to play at no extra cost. Basic subscribers are getting the no-frills Standard Edition of the game, but Origin Access Premier members have access to the Legion of Dawn Edition (in other words: extra armor for each class and the digital soundtrack).

Covering this game this ??far into 2019 feels like talking about a ghost. It's weird, especially in the context of a BioWare title with major bac?king (at least upfront). Things could've gone better post-launch.

"IP lives for generations, and runs in these seven to ten-year cycles," EA CEO Andrew Wilson said earlier this year. "So, if I think about Anthem on a seven- to ten-year cycle, it may not have had the start that many of us wa??nted, including our players. I feel like that team is really going to get there with something special and something great, because they've demonstrated that they can."

It's good to see Anthem on EA Access for anyone who wants to experience the highs and lows of a BioWare live-service game, but I'm not hopeful about the IP's future, and I fear for Dragon Age fans.

Play Anthem Now with EA Access or Origin Access [EA]

The post Too little too late? Anthem joins EA Access today appeared first on Destructoid.

Whoever loses, we win!

Ever since launching its own storefront, Epic Games has been making a big push to corner some of the digital markets on PC. Clearly aiming some of Valve's pie, this push has seen Epic not only acquire some pretty big exclusive launches but poach others right from Valve. There's a lot to be said on the subject, so Dan and I sat down to di??scuss our t?houghts on Epic's move into Steam's backyard.

Ultimately, consumers will come out on top. Whether or not Valve actually learns anything, this is likely to get different publishers thinking about how they can clean up their own digital storefronts and provide more user accessibility. Steam did??n't get to the place it is overnight, so hopefully, we'll see that s??ame kind of growth happen for Epic.

If you aren't a fan of videos and don't like staring at Dan's Half-Life 2 footage, why not?? check out our SoundCloud page? You'll get the same great discussion minus the Gordon Freeman camera. You can even lull yourself to sleep with our comatose voices. We're a great sleep aid.

The post Today’s Impulse is all about Epic Games’ push to steal Valve’s thunder appeared first on Destructoid.

GOG, GMG, Fanatical, and More

If the Steam Store Halloween sale ?leaves you wanting, the good news is tons of other digital retailers are also offering up deals for cheap. In fact, you'll find almost all titles on Steam Store cheaper elsewhere (either at GMG or Fanatical). So if your preference is to turn off the lights, rock out with spooky titles tonight - this week is your time to shine.

Some choice deals are available and noteworthy due to their new historic low prices. Our top pick at GMG would be Middle-earth: Shadow of War for only $14.45, Killing Floor 2 for $8 and change, and Dead Rising for only $5. At GOG, Little Nightmares for only $6 is solid and Vampire: The Masquerade Bloodlines is always a must-have at $5. And finally, at Fanatical, they are running decent price on Stardock titles, plus a pretty excellent Stardock Legends Pack for only $3.

The GMG sale runs through November 3rd for most titles and you should make sure you use coupon code 666 at checkout for an additional 15% off (which makes every title listed cheaper than Steam Store), while GOG's sale runs through November 5th, and Fanatical's run throu??gh the end of this week. If something decent isn't listed below, let us know and we'll add it to the list.

GMG Halloween Sale

Use coupon: 666

Noteworthy Picks

• 7 Days to Die (Steam) — $7.65  (list price $25)
• Dying Light: The Following Enhanced Edition (Steam) — $16.83  (list price $60)
• No Man's Sky (Steam) — $25.50  (list price $60)
• Pillars of Eternity II: Deadfire (Steam) — $36.12  (list price $50)
• Strange Brigade (Steam) — $29.74  (list price $50)
• Tabletop Simulator (Steam) — $8.50  (list price $20)

2K Games

• BioShock Infinite (Steam) — $6.37  (list price $30)
• BioShock Infinite: Season Pass (Steam) — $8.50  (list price $20)
• BioShock: The Collection (Steam) — $12.75  (list price $60)
• Borderlands 2: Game of the Year Edition (Steam) — $7.48  (list price $40)
• Borderlands Game of the Year Edition (Steam) — $6.37  (list price $30)
• Borderlands: The Pre-Sequel Season Pass (Steam) — $12.75  (list price $30)
• The Darkness 2 (Steam) — $5.10  (list price $30)
• XCOM 2 (Steam) — $12.75  (list price $60)
• XCOM 2 Collection (Steam) — $34  (list price $100)
• XCOM 2: War of the Chosen (Steam) — $17  (list price $40)

WB Games

• Batman: Arkham Knight (Steam) — $5.78  (list price $20)
• Batman: Arkham VR (Steam) — $8.50  (list price $20)
• Injustice 2 Legendary Edition (Steam) — $25.50  (list price $60)
• LEGO The Incredibles (Steam) — $23.79  (list price $40)
• Lego: Marvel's Avengers (Steam) — $11.56  (list price $40)
• Mad Max (Steam) — $5.78  (list price $20)
• Middle-earth: Shadow of War (Steam) — $14.45  (list price $50)
• Middle-earth: Shadow of War Definitive Edition (Steam) — $35.69  (list price $60)
• Mortal Kombat XL (Steam) — $11.56  (list price $40)

Bethesda Titles

• Dishonored 2 (Steam) — $17  (list price $40)
• Doom (Steam) — $8.50  (list price $20)
• Fallout 4 VR (Steam) — $33.14  (list price $60)
• Prey (Steam) — $12.75  (list price $30)
• The Evil Within (Steam) — $8.50  (list price $20)
• The Evil Within 2 (Steam) — $25.50  (list price $60)
• Wolfenstein II: The New Colossus (Steam) — $25.50  (list price $60)

Capcom Titles

• Dragon's Dogma: Dark Arisen (Steam) — $7.65  (list price $30)
• Dead Rising (Steam) — $5.10  (list price $20)
• Dead Rising 2 (Steam) — $5.10  (list price $20)
• Dead Rising 2: Off the Record (Steam) — $5.10  (list price $20)
• Dead Rising 3: Apocalypse Edition (Steam) — $7.65  (list price $30)
• Dead Rising 4 (Steam) — $17.84  (list price $30)
• Dead Rising 4 Season Pass (Steam) — $5.60  (list price $10)
• DMC: Devil May Cry (Steam) — $6.37  (list price $30)
• Devil May Cry 4: Special Edition (Steam) — $8.50  (list price $25)
• Devil May Cry HD Collection (Steam) — $17.08  (list price $30)
• Resident Evil 4 HD (Steam) — $4.25  (list price $20)
• Resident Evil 5 (Steam) — $4.25  (list price $20)
• Resident Evil 5 Gold Edition (Steam) — $6.37  (list price $30)
• Resident Evil 6 (Steam) — $6.37  (list price $30)
• Resident Evil 7 (Steam) — $16.57  (list price $30)
• Resident Evil 7 Gold Edition (Steam) — $26.34  (list price $50)
• Resident Evil 7: Season Pass (Steam) — $15.29  (list price $30)
• Resident Evil Deluxe Origins Bundle (Steam) — $13.60  (list price $40)
• Resident Evil HD Remaster (Steam) — $6.80  (list price $20)
• Resident Evil Revelations 2 Deluxe Edition (Steam) — $12.75  (list price $30)
• Resident Evil Zero HD Remaster (Steam) — $6.80  (list price $20)
• Resident Evil: Operation Raccoon City (Steam) — $5.10  (list price $30)
• Resident Evil: Revelations (Steam) — $6.37  (list price $30)

Ubisoft Titles

• For Honor (Uplay) — $11.22  (list price $40)
• For Honor - Marching Fire (Uplay) — $15.29  (list price $30)
• For Honor Starter Edition (Uplay) — $6.37  (list price $15)
• Watch_Dogs Complete Edition (Uplay) — $12.75  (list price $50)
• Watch Dogs (Uplay) — $7.65  (list price $30)
• Watch_Dogs 2 (Uplay) — $15.30  (list price $60)
• Watch_Dogs 2 Gold Edition (Uplay) — $25.50  (list price $100)
• Zombi (Uplay) — $5.10  (list price $20)

All the Rest

• ADR1FT (Steam) — $5.10  (list price $20)
• Aliens vs. Predator Classic 2000 (Steam) — $1.06  (list price $5)
• Alone in the Dark (Steam) — $2.12  (list price $10)
• Alone in the Dark Anthology (Steam) — $3.19  (list price $15)
• Alone in the Dark: Illumination (Steam) — $4.25  (list price $20)
• Antihero (Steam) — $4.21  (list price $15)
• Arizona Sunshine (Steam) — $22.09  (list price $40)
• Armikrog (Steam) — $2.12  (list price $10)
• Black Mirror (Steam) — $12.75  (list price $30)
• Blood Omen 2: Legacy of Kain (Steam) — $1.19  (list price $7)
• Call of Juarez: Gunslinger (Steam) — $6.37  (list price $15)
• Day of Infamy (Steam) — $4.33  (list price $15)
• Day of Infamy - 4 Pack (Steam) — $13  (list price $45)
• Human Fall Flat (Steam) — $6.37  (list price $15)
• Inside (Steam) — $8.50  (list price $20)
• Kyn: Deluxe Edition (Steam) — $5.31  (list price $25)
• Last Day of June (Steam) — $8.50  (list price $20)
• Painkiller: Complete Pack (Steam) — $11.90  (list price $70)
• Portal Knights (Steam) — $8.50  (list price $20)
• Remothered: Tormented Fathers (Steam) — $8.50  (list price $20)
• Skyshine's Bedlam Deluxe Edition (Steam) — $5.31  (list price $25)
• Banner Saga 3 (Steam) — $19.12  (list price $25)
• The Banner Saga 2 (Steam) — $15.61  (list price $24)
• The Banner Saga (Steam) — $12.74  (list price $25)
• The Cooking Game VR (Steam) — $8.92  (list price $15)
• The Raven: Legacy of a Master Thief (Steam) — $8.50  (list price $20)
• Warstone TD (Steam) — $5.75  (list price $15)
• Zombie Army Trilogy (Steam) — $9.56  (list price $45)

GOG Trick-or-Treat Sale

• Phantom Doctrine (Steam) — $29.99 (list $40)
• Opus Magnum (DRM-Free) — $14.99 (list $20)
• Infinifactory (DRM-Free) — $12.49 (list $25)
• Shenzhen I/O (DRM-Free) — $10.04 (list $15)
• Titan Quest: Ragnarok (DRM-Free) — $9.99 (list $20)
• Ori and the Blind Forest: Definitive Edition (DRM-Free) — $9.99 (list $20)
• Firewatch (DRM-Free) — $7.99 (list $20)
• Aragami (DRM-Free) — $7.99 (list $20)
• Mount & Blade: Warband (DRM-Free) — $7.99 (list $20)
• Sunless Sea (DRM-Free) — $6.45 (list $19)
• Little Nightmares (DRM-Free) — $5.99 (list $20)
• Darksiders II: Deathinitive Edition (DRM-Free) — $5.99 (list $30)
• Trine 3: The Artifacts of Power — $5.49 (list $22)
• Vampire: The Masquerade Bloodlines (DRM-Free) — $4.99 (list $20)
• Lords Of Xulima (DRM-Free) — $4.99 (list $20)
• Reus (DRM-Free) — $3.99 (list $10)
• Titan Quest Anniversary Edition (DRM-Free) — $3.99 (list $20)
• Darksiders Warmastered Edition (DRM-Free) — $3.99 (list $20)
• This Is the Police (DRM-Free) — $3.74 (list $15)
• The Vanishing of Ethan Carter (Steam) — $2.99 (list $20)
• Vampire: The Masquerade - Redemption (DRM-Free) — $1.49 (list $6)
• AquaNox 2: Revelation (DRM-Free) — $1.49 (list $5)
• Postal 2 (DRM-Free) — $1.19 (list $10)

Fanatical Scream Sale

Use coupon: SCREAM666

• Stardock Legends Pack (Steam) — $7.47  (list price $102)
• Alan Wake (Steam) — $2.79  (list price $30)
• Ashes of the Singularity: Escalation (Steam) — $12.68  (list price $40)
• Civilization VI: Rise and Fall Expansion (Steam) — $12.68  (list price $30)
• Cladun X2 (Steam) — $2.79  (list price $10)
• Criminal Girls: Invite Only (Steam) — $7.46  (list price $20)
• Cyberdimension Neptunia: 4 Goddesses Online (Steam) — $18.66  (list price $40)
• Disgaea 2 PC (Steam) — $9.32  (list price $20)
• Disgaea PC (Steam) — $5.59  (list price $15)
• Fairy Fencer F (Steam) — $4.19  (list price $30)
• Megadimension Neptunia VII (Steam) — $11.19  (list price $40)
• Offworld Trading Company (Steam) — $9.32  (list price $20)
• Operation Abyss: New Tokyo Legacy (Steam) — $7.46  (list price $20)
• Operation Babel: New Tokyo Legacy (Steam) — $7.46  (list price $20)
• PSYCHO-PASS: Mandatory Happiness (Steam) — $11.19  (list price $30)
• Phantom Brave PC (Steam) — $5.09  (list price $15)
• Star Control: Origins (Steam) — $26.78  (list price $35)
• Stranger of Sword City (Steam) — $9.32  (list price $20)
• Superdimension Neptune VS Sega Hard Girls (Steam) — $8.39  (list price $30)
• Trillion: God of Destruction (Steam) — $4.19  (list price $30)
• Ys VIII: Lacrimosa of DANA (Steam) — $50.39  (list price $60)

Origin Scary Savings

• Madden NFL 19 (Origin) — $39.99  (list price $60)
• Battlefield 1 (Origin) — $4.99  (list price $40)
• Vampyr (Origin) — $33.32  (list price $50)
• Dead Space 3 (Origin) — $4.99  (list price $20)

Game deals from Dealzon. Sales help support Destructoid.

The post Hundreds of PC games discounted in large Halloween sa?le appeared first on Destructoid.

Coughs and sneezes spread diseases!

Usually, I'm quite indignant about any suggestion that my commitment to the PlayStation brand could bite me full force in the arse. I've grown complacent about the fact that everything I want either 1) comes to the PS4, or 2) is so bare-bones in terms of its technical requirements that ?my cheap-as-chips elderly laptop can handle it, no probs. And if you were to suggest that I piece together a decent gaming rig and stop being so horribly dependent on Sony, you may as well be asking me to remove someone's appendix.

But indeed, it has come back to haunt me, since I currently have no way of running Two Point Hospital -- yes, my laptop is that craptacular. The game is a tad more than a spiritua??????????????????????????l successor to Theme Hospital, with key figures such as Gary Carr and Mark Webley involved in both games, and operates on the same principle, but with more finesse. Despite the relatively high price point for a non-AAA game, I was very excited abou?t the ??release of Two Point Hospital, precisely because Theme Hospital was a milestone in my gaming history.

In fact, it is a cornerstone of my gaming history in so many ways. It was not only instrumental in igniting my interest in games, but it was the first title I ever wrote a proper blog post about. What's more, Bullfrog Productions were the first game production company I considered myself a fan of, starting back with Theme Park but fuelled even further by Theme Hospital. So, what was so special about TH and why did it and its siblings attract me to management sims more than its competitors? Grab a KitKat from a nearby vending machine inexplicably placed in the middle of the floor while I regale you with a bit of the history behind Theme Hospital, my background with the comedic cult classic, and a little bit of inf??ormation on what followed for Bullfrog Productions.

The release of Theme Hospital

Theme Hospital was first released for the PC in March 1997, with a PlayStation port arriving the following year. As alrea??dy mentioned, the game was originally developed by Bullfrog Productions, though Krisalis Software did work on the PS port. While Peter Molyneux came up with the idea alongside James Leach, Molyneux left the bulk of the work to his team while he focused on what w?ould become the critically-acclaimed Dungeon Keeper, which was released just three months after Theme Hospital.

The level of control it gave you in running a well-o??iled healthcare moneymaking machine, combined with great UI work, was laudable for the era in which it was launched. You could pore over balance sheets and isolate individual points of financial weakness, if "winging it" wasn't your thing; furthermore, to build a successful hospital, you had to have a kn??ack for complicated fields such as architecture and HR. Building a staff room too far away or messing up a corridor layout could be enough for disgruntled employees to threaten a walk-out or for patients to get lost. Yet all of this was conveyed in an entertaining manner, perfectly striking the balance between micromanagement and good fun.

The characteristic daftness of Bullfrog Productions' games, as evident in ??the highly sarcast??ic Theme Park (released for a variety ?of PC and console formats starting in 1994), was amplified in Theme Hospital. The production team wisely decided to use made-up diseases instead of going for realism. Bloaty Head disease, and the treatment of popping your afflicted patients with a needle like a helium balloon, was? surely one of the most ridiculous ideas ever injected into the traditionally stodgy management genre. It ranks up there with deliberately not repairing your bouncy castles in Theme Park and waiting for them to explode, ejecting hapless park attendees 20ft into the air. There were a couple of extra perks for pop culture fans, such as Hannibal Lect??er being called to see security by the receptionist, who provides a dry dose of wit throughout the game.

This sweet little package of tough-as-nails management sim (just you wait 'til you get to the last hospital, Battenberg) and slapstick wonder earned it high praise on release, getting an 8/10 in Edge and 85% in PC Gamer UK for the PC versions. IGN and Gamespot were both favourable about the PlayStation version, though Gamespot was quite critical of the PC original. If you are inclined to take a trip to the yesteryear of medicine that doesn't involve trepanning, you can pick up Theme Hospital for PC on Origin and on the PS Store as a PS1 Classic (in the US -????- it has been removed in the EU. Boo hoo.)

Theme Hospital wormed its way ??into my heart, and I refused all medication

The question remains as to why Theme Hospital was so near and dear to me that I wrote one of my first ever pieces? for Skirmish Frogs on the game, followed in short orde??r by Theme Park World/Sim Theme Park. It's hardly your universally acceptable Mario or Zelda game that kids stereotypically cut their teeth ??on and it's n??ot really playground bragging fodder.

Well, my gaming habits were not influenced by ?my friends as a child -- ??I was influenced by my aunt. As a young child of probably just five or six, I had farted about with the PS1 controller while my aunt was constructing “Potatoland” in Theme Park, and by the end, I just about understood what was going on. The more complicated management tweaks you could carry out in that game involved gaming the fry stand prices and salting them so heavily that all your park visitors would surely make a reappe?arance in Theme Hospital for hypertension issues. So, when my aunt went out for the day once and my grandma let me fidd??le about with her computer, the firs??t thing I did was boot up Theme Hospital. Probably into a save file and not a new game.

Readers, it was a disaster.

I was bankrupt within 15 minutes and had no idea what h?ad gone on. Theme Hospital from that point in time became the game I enjoyed watching my aunt play, but for which I would remain resolutely han??ds-off; exactly the same as with Tomb Raider III and Command and Conquer: Red Alert. In a way, it was my first introduction to something analogous to Let's Plays and watching Twitch streams -- I got great amusement ou?t of my aunt's reactions and chatting about what was going on on-screen, but I was happy to forgo active participatio??n myself.

When the game was being offered for free over a decade and a half later on Origin, of cou??rse, I broke this spell and went all in. Battenberg proved too tough a cookie to crack, but I loved all of the preceding levels, even if I wasn't naturally gifted ?at handling a budget.

A few things were noticeable on my?? new pl?aythrough of Theme Hospital and became even more apparent when I fl??irted with the game recently for speedrunning purposes. As a child, I had not really picked up on the biting satire it offered on the US model of healthcare. The receptionist chides patients into bringing their chequebooks with them; you get money by experimenting on your patients and boasting more expensive treatment options in your facilities.

Medicine as a service, and one that snatches at your wallet, is something that naïve young Charlotte was not? aware of at all. As time has gone on and I've seen the intro to the game a few more times, it makes me sad more than anything. It reminded me of how I have it easy. I still find the cynical commentary in the game sort of funny, but it's just so close to my experience of reality that it has a bitter aftertaste now.

Another difference from my experience as a very young child is that in the intermediate period, I have played a heck of a lot of The Sims. SimCity is another series I peered at over the shoulder of my aunt, but playing God on such a large scale never fully appealed to me: I wanted to mess with people's lives on a much more personal level. The Sims tapped into that well of benign narcissism and megalomania that is unparalleled in bored teenagers. And the Build tools in both The Sims and The Sims 2 showed up Theme Hospital's clunky room design and lack of control as to where you could place fixtures. Where I once considered myself a staunch follower of Peter Molyneux and Bullfrog's work, Will Wright and Maxis usurped that position in the early 2000s, and The Sims series left Theme Hospital looking a little primitive in its wake.

Bullfrog's demise

Although shinier management sims caught my eye in the early-mid 2000s, I did often check the PC section of Electronics Boutique, HMV and GAME for a follow-up or anything similar. I could never find anything to my tastes, and not following gaming news closely as a tween/teenager, I had no clue about what had happened to Bullfrog a?nd Mr Molyneux.

Alas, Peter Molyneux jumped ship from Bullfrog just months after the release of Theme Hospital, an important move without which franchises such as Black and White and Fable may never have materialised. Bullfrog Productions carried on until 2001, making my (controversial) favourite Theme game of the lot, Theme Park World/Sim Theme Park. In my defence, my love of a non-Molyneux Theme game stems from the brilliant voice work done on the PAL version by Lewis MacLeod.

Overall, I am reluctant to revisit Theme Hospital through Two Point Hospital because my experience of the original was so potent. However, on second thoughts, there is a lot about Theme Hospital that left me cold on replaying it as an adult with much more gaming and comedic experience. Through offering a state-of-the-art and polished experience, Two Point Hospital could be just the antidote to the jaded feeling I get when I return to Theme Hospital, a game packed full of good ideas but which definitely shows eve??ry single one of its 21 years.

I just have to keep my fingers crossed for a console edition or get that baby gaming rig ?together.

Did you enjoy playing Theme Hospital twenty years ago? Do you have any games you returned to as an adult, only to be slightly disappointed? Are you having fun with Two Point Hospital right now? Let me know in the comments down below!

The post It’s time for my follow-up appointment with Theme Hospital appeared first on Destructoid.

Patience pays

We're in that part of the Battlefield cycle where EA and DICE are in a giving mood.

Just as the open beta for Battlefield V comes to a close, it's now time to turn our attention back to Battlefield 1. You can currently nab the game for $4.99 on Origin, but bette?r yet, the four-expansio??n Premium Pass is free. If you add it to your library during the next week, the pass is yours to keep.

The offer is available for PC players on Origin as well as PlayStation 4 and Xbox One. The Premium Pass includes They Shall Not Pass, In the Name of the Tsar, Turning Tides, and Apocalypse.

The post The Battlefield 1 Pr?emium Pass is free to claim and ??keep right now appeared first on Destructoid.

Origin Access members can play now

You can't bring up Burnout Paradise without inciting a "which is best?" series debate, but here goes. The PC version of Burnout Paradise Remastered is coming to Origin on August 21 with 4K support and prior DLC packed in (Big Surf Island, the Party Pack, Legendary Cars?, Toy Cars, and Boost Specials).

It's normally $20 on PC, but if you're a veteran player, you can upgrade for $5. (Click the link up top.)

Also worth mentioning: you can play Remastered early if you're an Origin Access or Origin Access Premier subscriber. The former includes a 10-hour trial, whi??le the latter comes with the full game.

While I've played enough Burnout Paradise for one lifetime, I ended up nabbing Remastered as a way to screw around online with co-op challenges. If you've nev?er tried those, you're missing out. It's a small miracle tha??t I've never gotten a ticket IRL from driving fast when Guns N' Roses comes on the radio.

Criterion Games [Twitter]

The post Burnout?? Paradise Remastered hits PC next week with a discount for returnin?g players appeared first on Destructoid.

RUFF!

EA and Maxis have announced that the Cats and Dogs expansion for The Sims 4 will be heading to PS4 and Xbox One on July 31, 2018. The pack brings a whole heap of different cat and dog breeds to add a furry companion to your Sims' life. It is currently available for pre-order at $39.99 on the PlayStation Store and is stated to require all previous updates from the main Sims 4 to work. At least you'll get a free PS4 theme to make the d?ecision easier...

The Sims [Twitter]

The post The Sims 4: Cats and Dogs ??????????????????????????will be coming to consoles next month appeared first on Destructoid.

TOUCHDOWN!

Just as vague as the NBA Live trailer, Madden NFL 19 got an announcement at EA's E3 presser and it didn't really detail anything about the title. As noted in the earlier "EA Access Premier" bit, this will be the first Madden game on PC in ??over a decade. As for the trailer, itself, Michael K. Williams narrates and provides some gravitas to the whole thing.

The only real juicy bit is that pre-ordering the game will ne?t you your copy three days early (August 7). If you don't, you'll have to buy the game like the rest of us plebs on August ?10.

The post Madden NFL 19 is coming this year,?? brings the se?ries back to PC appeared first on Destructoid.

'Game about fresh starts and second chances'

[Update: It was also just announced Unravel Two is available now to purchase and play.]

Unravel was easily one of my favorite platformers in the past few years. The yarn-based puzzle mechanics and platforming were absolutely brilliant. That said, it seems we're getting much more of Yarny (two of him, in fact), as Unravel Two has just been announ??ced at EA's E3 press conference, with an additional announcement of co-op as well!

Double the Yarny! Double the fun? Or maybe even double the trouble as you both unravel one another? Either way, this announceme??nt has been the highlight of the show for ??me so far.

The post (U?pdate) Unravel Two an?nounced at E3, now with co-op! appeared first on Destructoid.

The power of the cloud!

Fresh out of EA's E3 conference, EA has announced 'Origin Access Premiere,' a new cloud gaming and subscription service coming this summer with titles such as FIFA 19, Anthem, Madden, and "many more titles in the years to come."

Basically, this more or less seems like EA's version of Xbox Game Pass. Notably, this is also the first time in over a decade the Madden series will be making its way to PC. That said, I am curious whether ?or not the pricing will be strictly limited to their subscription service or if the streaming will be included under the same price-tag.

E??ither way, I'm curious to see if EA's attempt at a subscription model will actually go anywhere. Especially when console manufacturers are already dabbling in these ideas and offering their own subscription services. Only time will tell.

Until then, EA also announced that fans will be able to sign up for a free trial of "Origin Access," which is a subscription service that allows access to "more than 95 PC games" as long as they have an active? membership.

The post EA is high in the sky with cloud gaming and newly announced ‘Origin Access Premiere’ appeared first on Destructoid.

The wheels of war keep on turning

Electronic Arts has just dropped a new teaser trailer for the upcoming Battlefield V, although the trailer itself is pretty uneventful and short, it does confirm World War II as the new setting. During a short sequ?ence within the teaser itself, the HUD is displayed at the top of the screen, showing the British Union Jack and the German Iron Cross, confi?rming the period.

Notably, the HUD has been slightly redesigned from Battlefield 1, with the health bar now positioned to the bottom middle, as opposed to the bot??tom right. O??ther than this, though, not much else was shown.

I'm kinda shocked they didn't go with Vietnam as the setting, considering the "V" in the title. But, lately, the branding of these games has been all over the place. At least it's not as bad as Medal of Honor: Warfighter. I don't think anything will ever top that.

A full reveal stream is planned for Battlefield V on Wednesday, May 23 at 1:00 pm PDT and will be available on Twitch, Mixer, YouTube, and the official website.

Battlefield [Twitter]

The post A new ?Battl?efield V teaser has dropped, confirming a World War II setting appeared first on Destructoid.

I started up Origin for the first time in months for this

If you're like me and you have an itch to play some good old Peggle in a wonderful 1600x1200 resolution (like I did in my youth) and watch balls hit other balls while you stare into the void of those black bars on each side of your screen and question your own existence -- then you're in luck! Because Peggle is now free through? Origin's “On The House” promo??tion for a limited time.

All you'll need is your Origin account and you can hop on now and download the game for free and have the glory of Peggle in your digital library until the end of time... or for however long Origin is a thing presumably. Notably, the game is the Deluxe version of the game, but, doesn't include the Peggle Nights expansion. So, if you're looking for some extreme ball bouncing -- then you're out of luck.

In the meantime, I can only hope that excited Peggle 2 guy returns one day to bring t??he good news of a?? third game.

Peggle free on PC via Origin [Eurogamer]

The post OG Peggle is free on PC through Origin appeared first on Destructoid.

SOON SOON!

Not content to simply port Final Fantasy XV to PC, Square Enix has announced that yet another wacky crossover is coming to the belated port when it releases next month. Users who buy the game from EA's Origin service before May 1 will be given a Sims 4 costume pack t??hat features a Llama suit and Pumbob outfit. I have no idea what those are, but I really can't get over the floating crystal. This is just too good.

These costumes will be available in the multiplayer component as well as an option for Noctis in single-player. If you happen to own The Sims 4, you'll also receive a special crown prince outfit for Noctis to celebrate the launch of the game. That isn't all, though, as a Regalia decal pac??k will also be available for grabs.

Here is a quick trailer showing off some of the ??new digs.

While nothing is going to top the Half-Life crossover, this Sims 4 pack is pretty awesome. I love that Square Enix is going all in to make this version of Final Fantasy XV the definitive port, especially for someone like me th??at s?kipped out on buying the console release.

Now if only these pre-orde??r bonuses weren't digital retailer exclusive...

Final Fantasy XV Windows Edition Origin purchases include The Sims 4 costumes [Gematsu]

The post Final Fantasy XV’s PC port continues the wacky crossovers with Sims 4 costumes appeared first on Destructoid.

Four years of Early Access

Richard Garriott, otherwise known as Lord British, has been working on a spiritual successor to the Ultima series for quite some time now. Our last post about the game was nearly five years ago, but the title has been available on Steam Early Access since 2014. After all these years of waiting, Shroud of the Avatar will finally be leaving Early Access on March 27, 2018. You'll be able to play the game on PC, Mac and Linux. If you'd like to try the game out, a free trial is now available from the official website.

The game had a successful Kickstarter way back when that raised nearly $2 million and has been doing fairly well for itself over the intervening years. I actually got to speak with Richard Garriott at RTX last summer, but I wasn't sure what to do with my interview. He's a super nice guy (and incredibly nerdy), but we mostly spoke about the history of the genre and how EA screwed him over on Ultima.

Hopefully for him and fans of his seminal series, Shroud lives up to the hype.

Ultima spiritual successor Shroud of the Avatar finally has a release date [Eurogamer]

The post Shroud of the Avatar, spiritual successo??r to Ultima??, will finally release next month appeared first on Destructoid.

Bless the Plasma Cutter

2008's limb-slicing sci-fi horror title Dead Space has found its way onto Origin's On the House program. For ??a limited time, y??ou'll be able to add the game to your PC library for free. It's yours to keep.

For an extra dash of nostalgia, h??ere's the original launch trailer in all its 360p glory:

I adored this series at the time, and while I'd be more likely to revisit Dead Space 2 if I went back for a revisit, the original still holds a special place in my heart. A horror game is ??really only as good as its creatures, and the gruesome Necromorphs are among my favorites. I l??ove stomping those things.

Dead Space [Origin]

The post Dead Space is free on PC right now through Origin appeared first on Destructoid.

I wish I was as cool as Josef Fares

He may seem like an absolute mad man, but Josef Fares and Hazelight Studios embrace couch co-op in new and intriguing ways with A Way Out.

That said, be sure to check out the new trailer for A Way Out that gives us a deeper look into this? duo and some of the new mechanics that we can? look forward to on March 23, 2018!

The post Meet Vincent an??d Leo in this new trailer for A Way?? Out appeared first on Destructoid.

Here are 97 deals for you to check out

It's 2017. Advertised "Black Friday" sales don't have to ??accurately mean the day after Thanksgiving, but rather now refers to a fuzzy end-of-November time of the month.

It's the same in the PC gaming market as many retailers have launched their Black Friday sales on (and even prior too) T?hanksgiving Thursday.

Below are the top six PC gaming sales going on at the moment from digital retailers (more to come as they pop up). We've w?aded through the hundreds of PC game? discounts and are showing the best of the bunch.

GMG has decent pricing on the recently released Destiny 2 and other top titles of 2017. GamersGate's best off??ers are all centered around Bandai Namco and Bethesda titles. Steam's Autumn Sale is a mixed bag as most other retai?lers have them beat - but you'll still find a handful of goodies, particularly for titles that aren't carried by third-party retailers.

Update: Added tons of Bethesda deals from GamersGate, which now has $25 Wolfenstein II, $24 The Evil Within 2 and more. Removed expired batches and added in GamesPlanet.

Green Man Gaming

Use Coupon: GMGBLACKFRIDAY

• Destiny 2 Digital Deluxe Edition — $70.49  (list price $100)
• Middle-earth: Shadow of War Gold Edition (Steam) — $59.42 (list price $100)
• The Fractured But Whole Gold + Stick of Truth (Uplay) — $57.37  (list price $90)
• Assassin's Creed: Origins (Uplay) — $42.32  (list price $60)
• The Fractured But Whole + Stick of Truth (Uplay) — $38.24  (list price $60)
• Middle-earth: Shadow of War (Steam) — $30.59 (list price $60)
• Destiny 2 — $35.87  (list price $60)
• Marvel vs. Capcom: Infinite (Steam) — $35.69  (list price $60)
• Sid Meier’s Civilization VI (Steam) — $25.50  (list price $60)
• Resident Evil 7 (Steam) — $25.50  (list price $60)
• Sniper Elite 4 (Steam) — $25.50  (list price $60)
• Tom Clancy's Ghost Recon Wildlands (Uplay) — $25.50  (list price $60)
• XCOM 2: War of the Chosen (Steam) — $25.49  (list price $40)
• Absolver (Steam) — $21.67  (list price $30)
• For Honor (Uplay) — $20.40  (list price $60)
• DiRT 4 (Steam) — $20.40  (list price $60)
• Watch_Dogs 2 (Uplay) — $17.34  (list price $60)
• Conan Exiles (Steam) — $17.08  (list price $30)
• Agents of Mayhem (Steam) — $17  (list price $40)
• Steel Division: Normandy 44 (Steam) — $17  (list price $40)
• Tom Clancy's Rainbow Six: Siege (Uplay) — $17  (list price $40)
• Rocket League (Steam) — $9  (list price $20)

GamesPlanet Black Friday Weekend

• Marvel vs. Capcom: Infinite (Steam) — $28.29  (list price $60)
• Grand Theft Auto V — $26.65  (list price $60)
• Warhammer 40,000: Dawn of War III (Steam) — $26.65  (list price $40)
• Metal Gear Solid V: The Definitive Experience (Steam) — $21.32  (list price $30)
• Sonic Mania (Steam) — $16.98  (list price $20)
• Bayonetta (Steam) — $9.99  (list price $20)
• Vanquish (Steam) — $9.99  (list price $20)
• Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance (Steam) — $5.92  (list price $30)
• Valkyria Chronicles (Steam) — $4.99  (list price $20)
• Metal Gear Solid V: Ground Zeroes (Steam) — $4.52  (list price $20)
• GamesPlanet Black Friday Sale — FREE  (list price $0)

GamersGate Bethesda Deals

Use code: GGBethesda18

• Prey (Steam) — $16.40  (list price $40)
• The Evil Within 2 (Steam) — $24.60  (list price $60)
• Wolfenstein II: The New Colossus (Steam) — $24.60  (list price $60)
• Wolfenstein II: The New Colossus Deluxe Edition (Steam) — $32.79  (list price $80)
• Dishonored (Steam) — $2.05  (list price $10)
• Dishonored: Definitive Edition (Steam) — $8.19  (list price $20)
• Doom (Steam) — $12.29  (list price $30)
• Doom 3: BFG Edition (Steam) — $4.10  (list price $20)
• Elder Scrolls III: Morrowind GOTY Edition (Steam) — $6.15  (list price $15)
• Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion GOTY Deluxe Edition (Steam) — $8.19  (list price $20)
• Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion GOTY Edition (Steam) — $6.15  (list price $15)
• Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim (Steam) — $4.10  (list price $20)
• Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim Special Edition (Steam) — $16.40  (list price $40)
• The Elder Scrolls Online: Morrowind: Upgrade — $16.40  (list price $40)
• Fallout 3 (Steam) — $2.05  (list price $10)
• Fallout 3: GOTY Edition (Steam) — $8.19  (list price $20)
• Fallout 4 (Steam) — $12.29  (list price $30)
• Fallout 4: Far Harbor (Steam) — $12.29  (list price $25)
• Fallout 4: Nuka World (Steam) — $9.83  (list price $20)
• Fallout 4: Season Pass (Steam) — $25  (list price $50)
• Fallout: New Vegas (Steam) — $2.05  (list price $10)
• Quake IV (Steam) — $3.07  (list price $15)
• Rage (Steam) — $2.05  (list price $10)
• Wolfenstein: The New Order (Steam) — $8.19  (list price $20)
• Wolfenstein: The Old Blood (Steam) — $8.19  (list price $20)

Fanatical

Use Promo Code: BLACKFRIDAY10

• Total War: Warhammer II (Steam) — $45.89  (list price $60)
• 11/01: .hack//G.U. Last Recode (Steam) — $42.74  (list price $50)
• Tekken 7 Deluxe Edition (Steam) — $40.49  (list price $75)
• Football Manager 2018 (Steam) — $40.49  (list price $50)
• Project CARS 2 (Steam) — $32.39  (list price $60)
• Tekken 7 (Steam) — $22.49  (list price $50)
• Dragon Ball Xenoverse 2 (Steam) — $17.99  (list price $50)
• The Jackbox Party Pack 4 (Steam) — $16.87  (list price $25)
• Get Even (Steam) — $13.49  (list price $30)
• Northgard (Steam) — $13.49  (list price $20)
• Dead Cells (Steam) — $11.47  (list price $17)
• Tabletop Simulator (Steam) — $8.99  (list price $20)
• Little Nightmares (Steam) — $8.99  (list price $20)
• Mortal Kombat Komplete Edition (Steam) — $4.49  (list price $20)
• DeadCore (Steam) — $2.24  (list price $10)

Steam

• Dishonored: Complete Collection (Steam) — $31.99  (list price $80)
• Sudden Strike 4 (Steam) — $24.99  (list price $50)
• theHunter: Call of the Wild (Steam) — $20.09  (list price $30)
• Everspace (Steam) — $17.99  (list price $30)
• Batman: The Enemy Within - The Telltale Series (Steam) — $14.99  (list price $25)
• Black Desert Online (Steam) — $4.99  (list price $10)

GOG

• Witcher 3: Wild Hunt GOTY Edition (DRM-Free) — $19.99  (list price $50)
• Wonder Boy: The Dragon's Trap (DRM-Free) — $13.99  (list price $20)
• Planet Nomads (DRM-Free) — $13.99  (list price $20)
• Heroes of Might and Magic Games (DRM-Free) — $8.95  (list price $60)
• Dragon Age Origins: Ultimate Edition (DRM-Free) — $4.99  (list price $20)
• GoNNER (DRM-Free) — $2.99  (list price $10)
• Simcity 3000 Unlimited (DRM-Free) — $2.49  (list price $10)
• Tomb Raider 1+2+3 (DRM-Free) — $2.49  (list price $10)
• Heroes Of Might And Magic III: Complete (DRM-Free) — $2.49  (list price $10)
• Deus Ex: GOTY Edition (DRM-Free) — $2.35  (list price $10)
• Wing Commander 1 + 2 (DRM-Free) — $1.79  (list price $6)
• Ultima 4 + 5 + 6 (DRM-Free) — $1.49  (list price $6)
• Ultima 1 + 2 + 3 (DRM-Free) — $1.49  (list price $6)
• Ultima 9: Ascension (DRM-Free) — $1.49  (list price $6)
• Ultima 8: Gold Edition (DRM-Free) — $1.49  (list price $6)
• Ultima 7: The Complete Edition (DRM-Free) — $1.49  (list price $6)
• MDK (DRM-Free) — FREE  (list price $10)

Origin

• Need For Speed Payback (Origin) — $39.99  (list price $60)
• FIFA 18 (Origin) — $35.99  (list price $60)
• Battlefield 1 Revolution — $29.99  (list price $60)
• Dragon Age: Inquisition GOTY Edition (Origin) — $15.99  (list price $40)
• Titanfall 2 Ultimate Edition (Origin) — $14.99  (list price $30)
• Battlefield 1 Premium Pass (Origin) — $14.99  (list price $50)
• Unravel (Origin) — $9.99  (list price $20)
• The Sims 4 (Origin) — $9.99  (list price $40)
• Dragon Age: Inquisition (Origin) — $4.99  (list price $20)
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Maybe it's time for another Burnout instead?

In my review in progress of Need for Speed Payback I said: “I wouldn't dare attempt drinking and driving in the real world for obvious reasons. But, in the seemingly lawless land of Need for Speed Payback, I think it's the only way to play and enjoy this game.” Now, after beating the game and with over 30 hours invested into it, I've come to the conclusion that?? maybe you're just better off simply drinking, instead of playing this game altogether.

The concept and goal for Need for Payback Payback sounds simple enough on paper: Create an open-world arcade racing game with a heavy emphasis on action-packed set pieces, taking cues and inspiration from the Fast & Furious films -- specifically the ones with a certain "electrifying" individual. However, due to a mixed bag of awful business decisions, an uninteresting story with some of the worst dialogue I've heard in recent memory, thrown in with a dull open world, we now have a new low?? point for this 23 year old franchis??e.

Need for Speed Payback (PC, PS4 [reviewed], Xbox One)
Developer: Ghost Games
Publisher: Electronic Arts
Release Date: November 10, 2017
MSRP: $59.99

For t??hose curious what I mean by “bad business decisions,&r?dquo; Need for Speed Payback may contain possibly one of the most egregious uses of the loot boxes I've seen yet in the form of the “??shipments” and “speed cards" which completely jump the sh??ark in how they're utilized. For context, Need for Speed as a franchise is iconic for the heavy amount of tuning and customization options you're given for various vehicles. From adding various tire smoke ?colors, rims, hood options, splitters, and spoilers -- all of this is still present in Payback, it's just all simply cosmetic now.

Instead, progression for the most part is built around the newly introduced speed c??ards, allowing you to upgrade various aspects of your vehicle, from the engine block, exhaust, ECU, and so forth. All of this then adds to your overall “car level” -- similar to that of “li??ght” in Destiny 2. You earn these speed cards from completing various races throughout the game, buying them at tuning shops in the open world, opening up premium shipments (loot boxes), or spending tra??de-in tokens.

Where this system completely falls apart, however, is ??in how this progression is handled within the game itself. Races and various events around the open-world will have a “recommended level” that clues you in on how challenging the race will be, or the types of vehicles that might be utilized. During my time with Payback, I generally found myself below the recommended level, roughly by about 20-40 levels or so. Despite this, thanks to the odd free shipment and replaying older races occasionally for more speed cards, I was generally able to progress, not of course without being annoyed by it?? all. That annoyance though, became a feeling of hopelessness once the final act of the game rolled around and I checked the recommended level.

Here is where the game became an awful, mind-numbing experience as I then found myself grinding various races repeatedly, simply? so I could progress. Mind you, you can still run these various races or events despite being under recommendation, but I found some of them, the drag races in particular, to be almost impossible if you weren't near the recommended level. Even worse yet, as I began grinding races, I found myself constantly earning speed cards that weren't even as good as the ones I had currently equipped.

As for the racing itself, Payback does offer a nice variety of events around the open world. Everyt?hing you've come to expect, from off-roading and hitting huge jumps, drift events, and tons of street and drag racing with a heavy focus on tuner cars. The vehicle selection is also decent, everything from my personal favorite (and cover star, no less) the Nissan Skyline GT-R, to pricey and glamorous super cars such as the Lamborghini Aventador Coupé. The vehicle selection isn't gonna be as massive as what you'll find in the recent Forza titles, but it's larger than most arcade racing games, with plenty of cosmetic custom??ization and tuning options, with the vehicle models themselves looking solid.

I enjoyed tuning my McLaren? 570S into a drag racing monstrosity... once I'd finished grinding for the speed cards I needed. Because, for whatever reason, you can't transfer them over from other vehicles -- I guess that would be far too convenient. So, if you're like me and want to experiment with a number of different vehicles, prepare yourself for one hell of a grind. As for the multiplayer side of things, Payback features the bare-minimum in the form of casual unranked playlists and ranked playlists. Obviously multiplayer will be different from person to person, but generally it's the typical NFS multiplayer experience I've come to expect over the years.

As for the main campaign and premise of the game, you'll be playing and swapping between three different characters: Tyler, who specializes in street racing and drag-racing, Mac, who specializes in drifting and off road racing, and lastly Jesse, who specializes in the runner missions (out-running cops). Throughout the game you'll be racing and competing against various crews in order to move up the food chain and compete in an event known as “The Outlaw's Rush,” as well as attempting to s??top a criminal organization known as “The ?House” from rigging races across the fictional mock Nevada known as Fortune Valley.

The end of each act culminates into a large scale mission, usually a heist, in which you then swap between various characters at given points through to perform various tasks. This is an interesting concept, similar to that of Grand Theft Auto V, but overall, th??e missions can be summed up as driving through various checkpoints, watching a cutscene o??f a cool stunt or set-piece, and then escaping the cops. It all comes off feeling extremely scripted and lazy.

Much of Payback's story and writing also comes off similar, the character motivations in the overall story are extremely weak, almost comically so. The whole setup for this basic revenge story can be summarized as Tyler and crew attempting to rob a casino owner of his super car, only to be betrayed and have the car they were attempting to steal taken from them in the process -- resulting in this game's supposed namesake. Some of the general dialogue and delivery in this game is just downright awful at times, Tyler alone ended up being one of the most unli?kab?le protagonists in a video game I've played in years.

Much of the open world looks extremely drab, with very little in regards to notable landmarks or loc??ations, as well as being seemingly lawless, as the open world is devoid of any police vehicles outside of story missions or the occasional side-quest you'll stumble on. Worse yet, the police pursuits are now nothing more than a series of linear timed checkpoints which you'll need to drive through to escape. There is pretty much zero strategy in escaping the police in Payback and this, once again, comes off feeling lazy in terms of implantation.

Once the servers for this game inevitably go offline, with no way to obtain loot boxes, earn speed cards or trade tokens, I can't help but wonder if the casual consum??er would genuinely ever have the patience to fully complete this game. Need for Speed Payback is another result of EA meddling ??in the concept of “games as a service” and taking an otherwise mediocre entry in the series and completely butchering it in the process to achieve this goal.

Here's hoping this trend of free-to-play business strategies in full pr?iced games comes to? an end sooner, rather than later.

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

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I'm going dark side, now

[Update: EA has officially responded to the pricing structure and has decided to backpedal. You can read the changes over here.]

EA and DICE caught some flak over the ludicrous loot boxes in the beta for Star Wars Battlefront II, but the last we heard, everything was going to be revised. I guess the only logical o??utcome we should have expected was that EA was going to fleece us even harder, as some users have found out just how far EA is willing to go to make microtransactions work.

If you're an Origin or EA Access subscriber, then you were given early access to a 10 hour trial of the ful??l game this past weekend. This trial allowed you to get a head start on leveling up and getting acquain??ted with the game prior to its launch this Friday. It also let people take a closer look at how the class progression system got tweaked.

For starters, all heroes and villains are locked from the start. Not even the first Battlefront did this, but you do not start the game with charac?ters like Darth Vader or Luke Skywalker; they all must be unlocked by playing the game. Okay, I can live with that. How much t??ime are we looking at to get them?

According to this Reddit thread, the total grind is around 40 hours per character. No, that was not a typo where I meant to type four hours; EA and DICE have tweaked the character progression system away from points earned per match to something based on playtime. A spreadsheet that details the breakdown of points per hour also comes up with the statement that, "It is currently 11.4X more efficient with your time to spend money in EA Battlefront II, rather than play it."

To further complicate matters, EA actually took to that thread to respond to the outcome. The official stance: "The intent is to provide players with a sense of pride and accomplishment for unlocking different heroes. We selected initial values based upon data from the Open Beta and other adjustments made to milestone rewards before launch. Among other things, we're looking at average pe?r-player credit earn rates on a daily basis, and we'll be making constant adjustments to ensure that players have challenges that are compelling, rewarding, and of course attainable via gameplay."

This isn't an isolated incident, either. EA responded on another thread (the amazingly titled "Seriously? I paid $80 to have Vader locked?") and the answer was basically the same thing. Appar?ently requiring a 40 hour grind is what is now known as "a sense of pride and accomplishment." I can almost get behind the decision to lock every hero away, since I know I would just stick with one the whole time, but how did anyone with a human soul come up with 40 hours as an acceptable time frame? The only answer I can reasonably see is microtransactions. EA and DICE want us to spend more money since there isn't a paid season pass this time around.

At least we'll still be getting a single-player campaign and DICE can always tweak this syst??em into something with respect for human life based on feedback, but those fir?st few weeks are going to be a hell of a grind.

It Takes 40 hours t?o Unlock a Hero. Spreadsheet and Galactic Assault Statistics [Reddit]

The post (Update) You’re looking at a hefty grind to unlock each hero in Star Wars Battlefront II appeared first on Destructoid.

Fear and loathing in New Fortune

Growing up, Need for Speed: Hot Pursuit 2 and Need for Speed: Underground 2 were easily some of my favorite arcade racing games, and Underground 2 specifically has become a fan favorite of the series for many. Since t?hen, I've gone back to revist these games with each new entry in the series, as sadly, the seventh generation of hardware wasn't very noteworth??y for the franchise.

But in 2015, we would witness the reboot of the series simply named Need for Speed -- from developer Ghost Games. With?? a welcomed return to focus on tuning cars, street racing, a large urban open world, and all the while looking gorgeous to boot (despite the weird, boring live-action cutscenes and other notable issues), Need for Speed showed some promise. It could still easily have been expan?ded upon.

However, Need for Speed Payback comes off feeling like one step ahea??d and half a dozen steps back, followed up with tumbling down a flight of s??tairs.

Need for Speed Payback (PC, PS4 [reviewed], Xbox One)
Developer: Ghost Games
Publisher: Electronic Arts
Release Date: November 10, 2017
MSRP: $59.99

Need for Speed Payback splits up the action between? three different characters, each with their own distinct types of vehicles they specialize in. The first and primary character in the grand scheme of things is Tyler Morgan, who specializes in standard street racing and drag racing. Next, you have Mac for off-road racing and drifting, followed up lastly by Jessica Miller who specializes in police getaways with the “runner” class of vehicles, with a personality I can only describe as: the badass one.

But, to be fair, storytelling in Need for Speed has never been anything special. Payback however, comes off feeling like a B-tier Fast and Furious movie. Except now with an unlikable cast of characters with weak m??otivations and so?me of the worst dialogue delivery I've heard in a long time. Which, mind you, is still normally acceptable if it's at least contained within cutscenes.

But, Payback  is a special experience, as characters will spew comedically bad dialogue as you drive around the open world. Tyler, for example, has an odd obsession with tunnels I've learned. Almost every time I drove under a major tunnel in the open world, he'd mention just how cool it would be to race in a tunnel (despite the fact I've done that already, numerous times), or just how great the engine sounds going through a tunnel. Painfully bad dialogue such as this is common throughout the entire open world and game itself.

A?s I mentioned earlier, the ga?me in many ways tries to also mimic Fast and Furious -- which isn't necessarily a bad thing, as Need for Speed meets Fast and Furious? sounds like a great ?concept for an arcade racing game. But Payback's execution of this is downright lazy, as pretty much every major ??????????????????????????set-piece o??r stunt I've seen so far has simply been a cutscene

Take for example the first major heist (which was also showcased at E3), in which you drive alongside a semi-truck in an attempt steal the vehicle inside the trailer. The entire thing can be summarized as taking out the muscle around the truck in a Burnout-style fashion, dodging things the truck has crashed int??o, then driving next to it and watching a cutscene of the vehicle being stolen.

Oddly, the game a??lso looks worse compared to the previous Need for Speed (2015). This might possibly be due to the larger open world, I can't say for sure, as both games utilized the same engine. With that said though, the open world of New Fortune (the game's fictional setting and mock-u??p Las Vegas) is lifeless and drab, with very little in noteworthy landmarks to see. Outside of the car models, the game also has plenty of flat and ugly t?extures overall, with plenty of pop-in as well on the standard PS4 version of the game.

As for the ?racing and gameplay, I can't quite yet give my full opinion, since I've only had limited access to the super cars and haven't fully da??bbled in all the various vehicle classes or race events. But, the arcade racing from what I've experienced already is about what I've come to expect from a Need for Speed game. Completely over the top (and forgiving) physics, and vehicles that are fairly easy to d?rive (espe?cially now with Payback introducing “live tuning” optio??ns, allowing you tune your vehicle anywhere, at any ?time), all of which makes this a very accessible game to newcomers to the series.

However, the progression system in this game is possibly one of the worst and most egregious use of loot boxes I've seen so far in a relatively single-player experience. Fitting, considering its setti?ng is based off Las Vegas and one of the characters is a ca??sino owner no less. Payback refers to these as &ldquo?;shipments?,” which are broken into two categories: base shipments and premium shipments.

Base shipments include: one cosmetic item, one part token (we'll get to that later), and one bank token (in-game currency) and can be earned through doing in-game challenges, daily rewards, leveling up, etc. Premium shipments, on the other hand, offer the same as above, but include two additional “speed cards.” These premium shipments can be purchased with “speed ??points” -- the in-game premium currency.

Speed cards are essentially how you upgrade yo??ur vehicles and continue to progress in this game. Each of your vehicles now has an overall “level” (think of the light levels in Destiny for comp??arison). Tuning and customizing your vehicle is still present? in Payback, however?? it?'s now all simply cosmetic. Different things such as spoilers, rims, rooftops, and the like can be earned from doing various side challenges around the open world.

As you continue to race and perform in events, you'll also continue to earn speed cards, which will then add to your vehicle's level. But, as you progress, races and events will have "recommended" levels you'll need to meet, otherwise you'll get completely smoked by the AI. Within only the first few hours of the game, I had already found myself replaying previous races in order to try and earn more speed cards, since I ran out of in-game currency from purchasing other vehicles and could no longer afford speed cards at tune-up shops.

So, you can either get your grind on, pony up and buy some speed points, and start opening up them premium shipments, or begin utilizing those "part tokens" I mentioned earlier. Part tokens can be earned from base shipments or trading in speed cards you don't need. With these tokens you can then access the “trade-ins” menu of tune-up shops found in the open world. Here, you can potentially earn new speed cards for various tuning categories in what is a essentially a slot machine style of presentation for earning these speed cards, but that's okay, because you're always getting something! (At least according to the ESRB.)

Now throw all this in with a notable lack of a?ny police cars in the open world outside of various missions and scripted events. I wouldn't dare attempt drinking and driving in the real world for obvious reasons. B??ut, in the seemingly lawless land of Need for Speed Payback, I think it's the only way to play and e????njoy this game.

_{[This review in progress is based on a retail build of the game provided by the publis?her.]}

The post Review in Progress: Need for Speed Payback appeared first on Destructoid.

Paid trial opens up ten hours of gameplay

The latest iteration of EA's decades-long Need for Speed franchise is on the horizon. The studio have released a new trailer to help players get their engines revved f?or the new release.

Need for Speed Payback takes the brand back into Fast and Furious-lite territory, as a group of slick, smug protagonists take to the streets in hi-octane vehicles to take down an underworld crime syndicate. The ??open-world racer will be putting a heavy emphasis on stunt driving and vehicular-wrec??king carnage.

EA have also announced that subscribers to the Origin Access & EA Access services will be able to play a free trial of the game through the se??rvice's Play First scheme, giving you a whopping ten hours to get a feel for the high-speed adventure.

For everyone else, Need for Speed Payback launches on PC, PS4 and Xbox One November 10.

The post Need For Speed Payback gets new trailer and trial f??or Access ??subscribers appeared first on Destructoid.

Opinions from a galaxy far, far away

This weekend saw Electronic Arts light up the servers for upcoming shooter sequel Star Wars Battlefront II (No, not the 2005 one). The Beta opened on October 4 for pre-or?der peeps and October 6 for everyone else, before finally going offline today.

Over the last couple of days I've seen a ?host of opinions around the net regarding player's personal experiences, fighting it out in the four modes made available: Strike, Galactic Assault, Starfighter Assault and Arcade. These opinions were ?pretty varied, running the gamut of positive to negative.

We're interested in hearing your own experiences with EA's new space-baby. What did you? make of the title? Did you try it? And if not, what was the reason? Which modes did you enjoy? Are you sold on the game or, alternately, have you just crossed it off of your list?

Star Wars: Battlefront II launches on PC, Xbox One and PS4 November 17.

The post Wh?at did you think of the Star Wars Battlefront II beta? appeared first on Destructoid.

Clear out space in your cargo hold

To celebrate the release of upcoming sci-fi shooter Star Wars Battlefront II, Sony Interactive have announced a competition that could see one lucky Australian resident take home their? very own, full-size, "Han Solo in carbonite" statue?.

The replica, made by great-but-pricey manufacturers Sideshow, is ins??tantly recognisable to fans of the legendary movie series,. The statue stands over seven feet tall and is valued at around $8,000AUD. It would surely make fo??r an incredible, and amusingly morbid, addition to any household.

I say "competition", frankly it's more of an expensive prize-draw. To be in with a chance of winning Captain Solo, you simply have to pre-order Battlefront II on PS4 before midnight on November 16, then register on the official competition page before December 8 to gain entry to the draw. Oh, and remem?ber, entry is for Australian residents onl??y.

Star Wars Battlefront II launches on PS4, Xbox One and PC November 17.

Han Solo carbonite competition [Playstation Official]

The post Win a ??life-size Carbonite Han Solo with Star Wars Battlefront II appeared first on Destructoid.

Go do the trench run for old times' sake

It was just a matter of time before Electronic Arts set the Star Wars Battlefront season pass free. Once the sequel is out in mid-November, most peop??le will move on, and it's hard to imagine anyone's paying fo??r the pass this late into the game's life cycle. Today's the day to jump on it (or jump back in).

The Battlefront season pass is currently free on Origin, PlayStation 4, and Xbox One (with an Xbox Live Gold account). If you're a PS4 player, you might need to add it to your cart for it to show up as free -- and you will need a PlayStation Plus subscription to take part in the online multiplaye??r.

As for the pass itself, you're looking at maps, modes, characters, and equipment. The expansions mostly blur together in my mind now, but there's Outer Rim, Bespin, Death Star, and Rogue One: Scarif.

Are people still playing Battlefront? Yes, actually!

[Via reddit]

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