They are The Robots

Destructoid has been known for its iconic robot mascot, Mr. Destructoid, for almost two decades, so it's strange that there has never been a list here featuring of the best robots in gaming. ??Well, today, we are fixing that by talking to you about the most beloved walking and talking machines from throughout gaming history. From a certain lombax's robotic pal to the m?ost adorable cat (that isn't a cat), here are the 10 best robots in gaming, ranked.

10. 808 (Hi-Fi Rush)

[caption id="attachment_360679" align="alignnone" width="1200"] Screenshot by Destructoid[/caption]

Our newest entry on this list but the most adorable addition is 808 from Hi-Fi Rush. 80?8 is an animal, yet robotic, companion that accompanies Chai on his adventures. While it doesn't necessarily help in battle, it can turn into different forms like a sphere to amplify Chai's music. During cutscenes, its eyes also change color depending on who's speaking in the conversation through 808's speakers. For example, when Peppermint comes with a sharp remark about Chai, its eyes turn blue. It's a neat touch and gives 808 plenty of personality. Lastly, between missions, Chai can pet 808 in the cutest way possible.

9. BD-1 (Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order)

[caption id="attachment_360682" align="alignnone" width="1200"] Image via EA[/caption]

Another cute ally that just happens to be a unit droid is BD-1 from Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order. Its main function is to guide the stranded Padawan Cal Kestis through treacherous landscapes and scan artifacts. It can also heal the promising Jedi with a quick injection to Cal. Within cutscenes, the developer Respawn Entertainment successfully makes BD-1 as adorabl??e as BB-8 with impeccable animation and model quality. Despite having no English-speaking voice, BD-1 carries a bunch of charisma and charm, thanks to its gestural communication.

8. R.O.B.

[caption id="attachment_360684" align="alignnone" width="1200"] Screenshot by Destructoid[/caption]

R.O.B. is an iconic robot all the way back to the NES era for Nintendo. This Robotic Operating Buddy was used as a cool accessory for Gyromite and Stack-Up, which have the robot twisting from side to side. In Gyromite, this robot balances spinning tops onto real-life platforms to move the level's pillars in the game. The professor you control in Gyromite can then move forward through the platforming sections. While this NES accessory was not particularly successful, R.O.B. has also appeared as a playable character in the Super Smash Bros. series with an exhilarating move set like spinning its arms rapidly and releasing a rocket-like fire under ??its base towards the?? ground.

7. Bastion (Overwatch)

[caption id="attachment_360698" align="alignnone" width="1200"] Image via Blizzard[/caption]

Bastion is arguably one of the strongest characters in the Overwatch series, and it's incredibly satisfying to play as him. Alongside its quirky personality, Bastion can instill fear in the hearts of its enemies. The mini-gun on its back when utilized can incur massive amounts of damage, and his ultimate attack has him hailing down artillery fire. While many Overwatch players hate him for how much DPS opportunity he has, he is still one of the best robot gaming characters, thanks to his ability to wreck everyone in front of him. He even has a LEGO-like skin in the game.

6. Connor (Detroit: Become Human)

[caption id="attachment_360695" align="alignnone" width="1200"] Image via Quantic Dream[/caption]

While Quantic Dream's games can be hit or miss when it comes to its characters, Connor is one robot that truly shines in Detroit: Become Human. The game tackles a future in which A.I.-driven robots can take on investigations and work other jobs humans usually perform. In Detroit: Become Human, there's a conflict that arises about the rights of robots and how they should be treated. Connor is an endearing and intriguing character within this universe as he considers the relationship between humans and robots. His decisions between right and wrong rest upon the player most of the time, and what comes out of it is a memorable performance by Bryan Dechart as the character struggles to understand his true purpose. This fascinating storyline with the character ??makes him one of the best robots in gamin??g.

5. Claptrap (Borderlands)

[caption id="attachment_360723" align="alignnone" width="1200"] Image via 2K[/caption]

Many people hate Claptrap, but he's arguably one of the funniest characters in gaming history. The slapstick humor matched with his nutty antics in the Borderlands series makes him a charismatic character to get to know. There are some memorable gags throughout the series like him not being able to climb stairs to his absolute dismay and him being a god to some bandits with a mighty hat on top. More often than not, when he's whining and struggling in the game, you'll likely be laughing. Hopefully, he makes for some excellent comedic relief in the upcoming movie adaptation.

4. Clank (Ratchet & Clank)

[caption id="attachment_360702" align="alignnone" width="1200"] Image via PlayStation[/caption]

Ratchet's right-hand man and constantly on his back, Clank is a wonderful sidekick to the l??ombax. Alongside his trademark laugh, Clank has hilarious quips to bounce off Ratchet's hair-brazen attitude. He's the smarty-pants of ??the duo, coming up with clever plans and resolving issues with his quick thinking. Clank also has you solving puzzles while you're playing as him, making for a needed break from the third-person shooting chaos that Ratchet delivers. He's an endearing character that is a perfect hero within Insomniac's famous platforming franchise. Clank's one of the best robots in gaming for that reason.

3. Dr. Nefarious (Ratchet & Clank)

[caption id="attachment_360703" align="alignnone" width="1200"] Screenshot via PlayStation's YouT??ube Channel[/capti?on]

Another robot character from the Ratchet & Clank series makes the list. While we don't usually have two characters from the same franchise in a list, you have to make an exception for Dr. Nefarious. He's a clever, yet dumb antagonist for Ratchet, who loves to complain and make insults towards the lombax. The slapstick comedy from the character is absolutely hilarious, especially within the original trilogy of the franchise. For example, when he gets too angry, he suddenly malfunctions and a love scene is played as his system tries to recompile itself. His scenes with Clarence are especially funny. However, when the final boss battle arises, Dr. Nefarious pulls out all the stops to defeat Ratchet & Clank. The one in Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart, for example, is spectacular.

2. GLaDOS (Portal)

[caption id="attachment_360724" align="alignnone" width="1200"] Screenshot by Destructoid[/caption]

The cake is a lie, but it's true that GLaDOS is one of the best robots in gaming. The sarcastic tone and engrossing writing behind her lines is top-notch. The dark comedy is on point as she delivers her lin??es in a dark AI-driven tone. The way GLaDOS tries to fall you until the very end is extremely compelling. And then the puzzles she lays forth for the player and how she makes fun of you is just a delight. GLaDOS is one of the best robots in gaming because it's satisfying to stop her in her tracks and outwit her at the end. She's one of the best antagonists in gaming and wonderfully evil while trying to confuse you.

1. Mega Man

[caption id="attachment_360726" align="alignnone" width="1200"] Screenshot by Destructoid[/caption]

Mega Man, since his legendary adventures on the NES, has been an iconic Capcom character. His platforming adventures helped grow the genre as he faces tough bosses and takes on their powers. He has also been in a charming RPG series called Mega Man Legends and a set of long-running GBA spinoffs within the Battle Network. After decades of challenging players, this robot boy has fought the likes of Mario, Link, Sonic, and Cloud Strife among other famous video game characters in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate. Mega?? Man's varied arsenal in each game makes him one of the best robots in gaming because of Capcom's well-crafted level design.

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Jedi, nukes, and an ominous future

The new year is almost upon us, and with it a new month of PlayStation Plus titles. Sony has revealed the three games he??aded to PlayStation Plus to kick off January 2023, including a good way to brush up ahead of a big 2023 release.

Headlining the January 2023 PS Plus offering is Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order, the single-player action-adventure game from Respawn following runaway Jedi Cal Kestis. It's a good grab for anyone who needs to catch up on the story, as its sequel Jedi: Survivor is due to arrive in March. It's not a large window, but Fallen Order should be easy to blast through in th?at amoun?t of time.

For a little more multiplayer, Fallout 76 heads onto PS4. Though there's been an ongoing tussle over the Microsoft-Activision Blizzard acquisition, Bethesda's multiplayer Fallout will be free to grab for PlayStation Plus users in ?the month of January 2023.

Closing out the month is Axiom Verge 2, the follow-up to the first Axiom Verge. While it takes a more action-platforming approach with fewer guns and more exploration, it's still a solid experience worth checking out if you ?enjoy exploring a map a?nd ticking off squares.

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

A new year of Plus

While those three games head to every category under PlayStation's tie??red Plus system, more is on the way for those at the higher tiers. The PlayStation Plus Extra and Premium lineup for January is set to be announced soon.

These PlayStation Plus games, meanwhile, go live on January 3, 2023. And if you haven't yet, there's still time to add Mass Effect: Legendary Edition and the other December PlayStation Plus games to your library before they go away.

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I've got a bad feeling about this

Why don't Jedi use guns? Obi-Wan Kenobi would tell you it's beca?use they're too uncivilized. Some very smart media critics would tell you it has something to do with the symbolic importance of the saber in the Campbellian Hero's Journey. A business analyst might tell you that $200 lightsabers sell too well at Disneyland. I have a different theory, though. I think the Jedi leave their blasters at home because sword fighting is just a lot coo??ler.

Now, evidence is mounting that in the sequel to Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order, Cal Kestis will brandish a blaster. I want to be clear that this hasn't been confirmed by EA or Respawn Entertainment - Cal has a blaster in an action figure, and a leaked preorder bonus for the game includes blaster cosmetics. This is not bulletproof (or blaster-proof) evidence that Star Wars Jedi: Survivor will include gunplay, but for the sake of argument, let's pretend it is. ?And let's tal??k about why that probably wouldn't work very well.

Up close and personal

Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order is, in many ways, very indebted to the contemporary works of FromSoftware. The combat is a solid attempt at turning Dark Souls into a straight-up sword fighting game (a valiant effort only undercut by the fact that FromSoftware was doing the exact same thing at the exact same time). It plays like a Souls game, but its focus on swordplay above all else means that it's usually a game played at very close quarters. The action is all up-close, in-your-face, frenetic, and very fun. Plenty of enem?ies can fire on you from afar, but if you want ??to take them down, you'll usually need to get very, very close.

Now, imagine the same game, but you have a gun. The enemies can fire on you from afar, and you can... fire back. You can still get up close if you want to, but suddenly, an issue arises: why would you ever do that? If you have a gun, then it doesn't matter if you also have a lightsaber - you're going to use your gun. The solve for this is to do what Bloodborne did and make the gun pretty much useless, al??though at that point, one must wonder why you got a gun in the first place.

Respawn can shoot just fine

Obviously, it is not impossible to make a game where shooting is fun. I'm not going to sit here and say that Respawn Entertainment, developers of Titanfall and Apex Legends, can't make a good shooter. They're very good at that! If they want to introduce shooting to their Star Wars series, I suspect that it's because they have a good idea for how to integrate shooting into their Star Wars series.

Still, I just can't shake the feeling that Jedi: Fallen Order with a blaster isn't really Jedi: Fallen Order anymore. It seems hard for me to believe that even Respawn Entertainment could make a good shooter that is also a good game focused on swordplay that also captures the fun of Jedi: Fallen Order.

Been there, done that

The way I see it, there are two ways for this to potentially shake out. We could be getting a game that is designed around blaster combat, one that feels like a really cool third-person shooter set in the Star Wars universe - I would not hate this outcome. We could also be getting a game designed around lightsaber combat, one that feels a lot like Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order - I would also be fine with this. What I struggle to imagine ?is a game that genuinely blends gunplay and swordplay without losing something from one of the two camps.

I really enjoy that first game, and I enjoy it because it's a gorgeous AAA game where the win-condition involves getting in the enemy's face rather than sitting back behind cover until I can line up a perfect headshot. Jedi: Fallen Order is?? a very specific game with very specific action. It's possible that my imagination is just too limited to make sense of Respawn's plan here, but introducing something as massive as an entire new mode of combat to the game feels like it has the potential to totally transform the experience. I only hope that it doesn't transform into something I don't like anymore.

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The series goes fully next-gen

The next entry in Cal Kestis' journey has been officially revealed. Star Wars Jedi: Survivor was officially revealed today during Star Wars Celebra??tion.

This new game will be a sequel to 2019's Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order, and will continue to follow Cal Kestis and BD-1. Star Wars Jedi: Survivor is targeting 2023,? and is being developed for Xbox Series X|S, PlayStati?on 5,  and PC.

In today's teaser, ??we get a look at some of what's in store. There are lightsaber battles, the machinations of the Empire, and a mysterious bo??dy floating in a tube.

//www.youtube.com/watch?v=4HLDaBGdnLc

The story of Jedi: Survivor will take place five years after the events of Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order. Still pursued by the Empire as one of the last Jedi in the?? galaxy, Cal and BD-1 are still running and learning, as the former continues to forge a connection with the Force.

Respawn Entertainment is still at the helm for this new entry, and game director Stig Asmussen says in a press release that the team had a vision in place for the sequel "even before completing" Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order.

The Force beckons

This also marks the Jedi series' jump onto only next-gen consoles. While Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order did receive a next-gen update, it had launched on Xbox One and PlayStation 4. Th?e potential for next-gen lightsaber battles definitely has me intrigued.

While today was the official reveal of Star Wars Jedi: Survivor, the existence of a follow-up to Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order has been confirmed for a while now. Lucasfilm Games and Electronic Arts confirmed the follow-up was in development back in January. And GamesBeat confirmed the name Jedi: Survivor earlier this month.

Still, it's a pretty exciting confirmation to have. Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order was a fairly resounding success in reviving the single-player Star Wars game, and seeing it get support for a sequel is great. Two more Star Wars projects are in development at EA as well. One is a new shooter from Respawn and the director behind Medal of Honor: Above and Beyond. The other is a strategy game from some strategy veterans at Bit R??eactor.

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Return to the Old Republic

It's May 4th, or May The Fourth, the day that's become the designated Star Wars day. It's meant a bevy of updates, trailers, and even some neat-looking Xbox consoles. But there are also a bunch of sales on Star Wars games happening too.

Star Wars games are discounted across a ton of different platforms right now. Thankfully, the Star Wars blog has aggregated a bunch of them all into one neat place. They range from PC discounts on classics to more modern games and yes, Switch deals too. So if you've been looking for some classic Star Wars on Switch, now's a good time.

W?e rounded up a few of our highlights from today's sales below.

Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic

The classic BioWare RPG Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic is discounted on several different platforms. It's 50% off on the App Store and Google Play Store for phones, and 25% off on the Switch eShop. If you want a deeper discount and a more classic way to play, you can also head over to Steam, where it's currently 65% off, bringing KOTOR down to just $3.49.

Star Wars: Republic Commando 

Speaking of classics, Star Wars Republic Commando is also on sale. Nintendo Switch and PlayStation 4 owners get a 50% deal, while Steam cuts it down to 65% off. Pretty decent price for some classic squad-base?d shoo??ter action.

Aspyr Star Wars Heritage Pack

Don't want to pick between all the older Star Wars games? Aspyr, the studio that's been steadily re-releasing and porting many old Star Wars games, has a special pack for Switch. Included in the lineup are Republic Commando, Jedi Knight II: Jedi Outcast and Jedi Knight: Jedi Academy, Episode I: Racer, and The Force Unleashed. Reports are saying it's only showing up on the system store a?t the moment, but we'll keep an eye ?out for a link to put here.

Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order

For the modern Star Wars aficionado, it's hard to go wrong with Fallen Order. The action-adventure entry from Respawn was a pretty solid success, and it's only $9.99 on the PlayStation Store, Xbox, and Steam right now.

//www.youtube.com/watch?v=F6yOX2vmxgY

Bundle it all up

Too indecisive? Too many classics? Or you just want an absolute glut, a veritable mountain of Star Wars content? Well, Steam has the answer.

The Jedi Knight Collection ropes together everything from Dark Forces up through Jedi Academy for just $9. X-Wing Series has, you guessed it, all the X-Wing games for just $10. The Star Wars Classic Collection ties in the Galactic Battlegrounds saga and Rebellion, plus some surprising classics like Star Wars: Rebel Assault, for $18. Or you can go big with the Star Wars Complete Collection, which seems to have more Star Wars than any one perso?n should consume in a sitting for $76. It is not for the faint of heart.

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Sounds like Respawn is working on a lot of Star Wars

Respawn Entertainment is heading up some significant Star Wars development. The studio behind Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order, as well as Apex Legends and Titanfall, is working on three new Star Wars games.

One is a follow-up to 2019's Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order. Alongside that action-adventure sequel, Respawn is also working on an untitled first-person shooter in the Star Wars universe. It's being helmed by Peter Hirschmann, director of Medal of Honor: Above and Beyond. He's also a former VP of development at LucasArts, and was executive producer on the first Star Wars Battlefront.

And third, the team is partnering with Bit Reactor to make a strategy game. Bit Reactor is a newly formed studio, with veterans from Firaxis who have worked on the XCOM series. Respawn will produce th??e game, while Bit Reactor leads development. All of this will be overseen by Group GM and R?espawn founder Vince Zampella, in partnership with Lucasfilm Games.

"We are huge fans of Star Wars here at Respawn and we’re thrilled to work with Lucasfilm Games on new titles that we have wanted to make for years," said Zampella in today's announcement. "If you want to make great Star Wars games, you should come join us on our journey."

//www.youtube.com/watch?v=xIl2z5wwjdA

No more specifics are available yet, as far as platforms, release window, or more than the general goal for these three projects. With the success of Fallen Order though, it seems like Star Wars has found a new home at Respawn.

This could mean bad news for other Star Wars efforts at Electronic Arts, though. GamesBeat's Jeff Grubb reports that Battlefront 3 isn't happening, and all EA's Star Wars development is moving to Respawn. DICE, according to Grubb, is still dealing with tuning Battlefield 2042.

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The power of the Force on more powerful consoles

One of the last generation's big Star Wars games is getting a new next-gen version. Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order will have its own PlayStation ??5 and Xbox Series X|S release this summer.

The announcement comes as part of the lead-up to May 4, the generally agreed-upon "Star Wars Day." While details are sparse for now, it is confirmed that there will be a cross-generational upgrade path for current owners of the game, and the next-gen version will bring "a number of technical improvements" to Fallen Order on the new consoles, presumably a further improvement on its previous next-gen optimizations.

If you didn't pick up Cal Kestis' journey the first time around, there will also be a sale on Standard an??d Deluxe Editions, which started April 28 and should run through May 12? on PS4, Xbox One, Origin, and Steam.

The Star Wars blog lists a bunch of other deals that are happening around Star Wars Day, from Squadrons to oldies like Knights of the Old Republic. And hopefully, with how well games like Jedi: Fallen Order have been doing, we'll keep seeing more Star Wars games in the future.

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POWER! UNLIMITED POWER!

Electronic Arts, alongside developer Respawn Entertainment, has announced that its critically acclaimed RPG Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order has received a new update that optimizes the adventure title for use on ne?xt-gen platforms PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X/?S.

The update, which is now live on both platforms, improves Jedi: Fallen Order's performance on both PS5 and Xbox Series X/S and specifically improves post-processing on PS5 and Xbox Series X on??ly.

The Xbox Series S edition now runs at 60 FPS – up from the previous count of 45 FPS. The Xbox Series X edition now has both "Normal" and "Performance" options,? the former featuring 4K post-processing and a resolution range of 1512p to 2160p, while the latter mode r??uns at 60 FPS in a resolution range of 1080p to 1440p.

For PlayStation 5, the frame rate has been boosted to 60 FPS, also up from the previous count of 45 FPS. Post-processing has increased to 1440p, while dynamic resolution has been disabled entirely, with the action now ren?dering at 1200p.

For full details, check out the official announcement over on the Electronic Arts website.

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There's a new gun in town

Naughty Dog's grim adventure The Last of Us Part II has debuted at number one in the UK Charts. More significantly, it is Sony's fastest selling PS4 release this generation, beating  previous record-holder Uncharted 4: A Thief's End's launch sales by a slim 1%.

As noted by GamesIndustry.biz, the hugely-anticipated sequel has taken sales by storm. Not only is The Last of Us Part II the UK's biggest physical release of the entire year, outselling Nintendo's Animal Crossing: New Horizons by 40%, but it is also up 76% on the launch sales of the original TLOU, which dropped on PS3 back in 2013. It's worth remembering that all of the above statistics count for physical sales only, so one can only? imagine the numbers once you include global dig?ital downloads.

Elsewhere in the charts, Nintendo's Ring Fit Adventure continues to sit snugly in the number two spot, while Pokemon Shield re-entered the Top 10 at number nine, thanks to the release of its recent expansion. Animal Crossing: New Horizons left the Top 10 for the first time since launch and now sits at number 12, while mainstays such as Take 2's Grand Theft Auto V, and Activision's Call of Duty: Modern Warfare continue to ho??ld comfortable week-on??-week positions.

For now, the day belongs to The Last of Us. It could be some time before it is unseated.

U.K. video game sales chart w/e: June 20, 2020
(Chart reflects in-store physical sales only)

1. The Last of Us Part II - Sony Interactive Entertainment
2. Ring Fit Adventure - Nintendo
3. FIFA 20 - Electronic Arts
4. Mario Kart 8 Deluxe - Nintendo
5. Call of Duty: Modern Warfare - Activision
6. Grand Theft Auto V - Take 2
7. Minecraft - Nintendo
8. Clubhouse Games: 51 Worldwide Classics - Nintendo
9. Pokemon Shield - Nintendo
10. Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order - Electronic Arts

U.K. video game charts [GamesIndustry.biz]

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Nintendo Switch remake doubles Wii launch sales

Nintendo's epic remake Xenoblade Chronicles: Definitive Edition has had a very successful launch, debuting at number one in the UK Charts. The former Wii title managed to take the throne from fellow Nintendo release Animal Crossing: New Horizons, which slips to number two.

As reported by GamesIndustry.biz, the launch sales of XC: Definitive Edition are slightly below those of 2017's Xenoblade Chronicles 2, but are double that of the original 2011 edition of Xenoblade Chronicles, suggesting that the sequel helped new fans discover the colourful and adventurous RPG franchise. Also released on Switch this week were ports of 2K Games' Borderlands: Legendary Collection and BioShock: The Collection, which landed at numbers 18 and 22 respectively.

Elsewhere in the charts, a promotion by Sony saw sales skyrocket for several older titles. Survivalist adventure Days Gone smashed back into the Top 40 at number six, while Naughty Dog's magnum opus The Last of Us: Remastered leapt to number nine and PlayStation VR Worlds also squeezed its way back into the Top Ten.

U.K. video game sales chart w/e: May 30, 2020
(Chart reflects in-store physical sales only)

1. Xenoblade Chronicles: Definitive Edition - Nintendo
2. Animal Crossing: New Horizons - Nintendo
3. Call of Duty: Modern Warfare - Activision
4. Grand Theft Auto V - Take 2
5. FIFA 20 - Electronic Arts
6. Days Gone - Sony Interactive Entertainment
7. Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order - Electronic Arts
8. Minecraft - Nintendo
9. The Last of Us: Remastered - Sony Interactive Entertainment
10. PlayStation VR Worlds - Sony Interactive Entertainment

U.K. video game charts [GamesIndustry.biz]

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Street Shark

Deep Silver's Maneater sank its jaws into the UK Charts this week, with the deep-sea shark sim landing at number six. It wasn't nearly enough to dethrone Nintendo's Animal Crossing: New Horizons, now n??estled at number? one for a comfortable third week running.

The only other physical release this week was Saints Row: The Third - Remastered, which still managed to back the number seven spot despite being a relatively basic remaster of a near decade-old title. Elsewhere in the charts, Mario Kart 8 Deluxe has pushed into number two, while Electronic Arts' Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order continues with its dogged refusal to ?drop out of the Top Ten, continuing to enjoy healthy sales on? a week-to-week basis.

As more releases are pushed backwards and the high street lockdown continues, the charts remain fairly stagnant in regards to movement. Next week sees the Switch release of 2K Games classics such as BioShock Collection and Borderlands Legendary Collection, as well as Xenoblade Chronicles Definitive Edition, so a great sales ?week for Nintendo is almost guaranteed.

U.K. video game sales chart w/e: May 23, 2020
(Chart reflects in-store physical sales only)

1. Animal Crossing: New Horizons - Nintendo
2. Mario Kart 8 Deluxe - Nintendo
3. Call of Duty: Modern Warfare - Activision
4. Grand Theft Auto V - Take 2
5. FIFA 20 - Electronic Arts
6. Maneater - Deep Silver
7. Saints Row: The Third Remastered - Deep Silver
8. Minecraft - Nintendo
9. Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order - Electronic Arts
10. Luigi's Mansion 3 - Nintendo

U.K. video game charts [GamesIndustry.biz]

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Isabellissimo

Another relatively staid week in terms of physical releases has seen Animal Crossing: New Horizons retain its number one spot in the UK Charts. Isabelle and friends held off Rockstar's Grand Theft Auto V and Activision's Call of Duty: Modern Warfare despite a slump in overall sale??s for N?intendo's social sim.

While last week saw a few new titles in the form of Coffee Stain's Huntdown and Platinum Games' The Wonderful 101: Remastered, neither game received a physical release, thus the Top Ten stayed relatively static. Long-termers Mario Kart 8 Deluxe, Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order, Luigi's Mansion 3, and FIFA 20 are all present and correct.

Activision's Crash Bandicoot N. Sane Trilogy made yet another return to the Top Ten, as did Ubisoft's Just Dance 2020, which squeezed its way back in at number 10. Speaking of Ubisoft, end-of-days shooter The Division 2 saw a huge sales surge last week, returning to the Top 40 at number 20, and Sony's God of War also made a?? bit of comeback, re-entering at number 31.

U.K. video game sales chart w/e: May 16, 2020
(Chart reflects in-store physical sales only)

1. Animal Crossing: New Horizons - Nintendo
2. Grand Theft Auto V - Take 2
3. Call of Duty: Modern Warfare - Activision
4. FIFA 20 - Electronic Arts
5. Mario Kart 8 Deluxe - Nintendo
6. Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order - Electronic Arts
7. Luigi's Mansion 3 - Nintendo
8. Crash Bandicoot N. Sane Trilogy - Activision
9. Red Dead Redemption 2 - Take 2
10. Just Dance 2020 - Ubisoft

U.K. video game charts [GamesIndustry.biz]

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Another re-stock boosts sales 135%

There's gonna be a celebration at Casa de Nook this morning, as Nintendo's Animal Crossing: New Horizon has once again returned to the number one spot of the UK Charts. A recent re-stock saw the cutesy social sim receive an enormous 135% spike in sales, the second time availability ha??s been directly respo??nsible for the game's chart ranking. Seems like if people can buy the game then they buy the game. Nutso.

As noted by GamesIndustry.biz, it was otherwise a very quiet week for UK sales, with no new releases entering the Top 40. Nintendo's continued presence sees Switch releases Luigi's Mansion 3, Minecraft, Mario Kart 8 Deluxe, and New Super Mario Bros. U Deluxe all sitting pretty in the upper echelon, while Take 2's Grand Theft Auto V surged from number five to number two.

Square Enix' Final Fantasy VII Remake has dropped out of the Top Ten, resting at number 13, while the recent reveal of Ubisoft's Assassin's Creed Valhalla has seen a sales boost to previous entry Assassin's Creed Odyssey, which leapt back into the Top 20 at number 17.

U.K. video game sales chart w/e: May 9, 2020
(Chart reflects in-store physical sales only)

1. Animal Crossing: New Horizons - Nintendo
2. Grand Theft Auto V - Take 2
3. FIFA 20 - Electronic Arts
4. Call of Duty: Modern Warfare - Activision
5. Mario Kart 8 Deluxe - Nintendo
6. Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order - Electronic Arts
7. Luigi's Mansion 3 - Nintendo
8. Red Dead Redemption 2 - Take 2
9. Minecraft - Nintendo
10. New Super Mario Bros. U Deluxe - Nintendo

U.K. video game charts [GamesIndustry.biz]

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'An entirely new franchise'

Success breeds sequels in the video game industry, so this news is hardly surprising. Disney and Electronic Arts are evidently planning on making more Star Wars Jedi games after Fallen Order's massive success over the past six months.

In yesterday's investors relations call, EA CEO Andrew Wilson addressed Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order by saying it's "a rare achievement for a first title in an entirely new franchise." Wilson also confirmed that Fallen Order has broken the 10 million sales milestone; it was sitting at eight million at the end of the 2019 calendar year, which EA ??was extremely thrilled about.

As such, Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order was just the start of something new. We obviously don't know if the next game is a direct sequel to Fallen Order, or something else that will carry the Star Wars Jedi brand. Whatever it is, it's clear that Fallen Order convinced everyone that a singleplayer narrative-driven Star Wars game can be commercially ??successful. That's an encouraging result.

EA - Q4 2020 Electronic Arts Inc Earnings Call [Electronic Arts]

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Sorry, 'New Journey+'

[Update: You can find the full patch notes here,? which detail a few extra patch notes like accessability options. The full list of changes has been added below. The gist is that text scaling is in, and more demanding s??ections like button-mashing portions (which some people can't handle on a regular basis) can be skipped or simplified.]

Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order has remained strangely dormant?? since its mid-November 2019 launch, as ?EA didn't manage to figure out a way to stuff in microtransactions or multiple bits of paid micro-DLC into it.

Instead, the team over at Respawn Entertainment worked on optimizing the game's m??any bugs for the past six months or so, and just now the developer is ready to debut new content. Just in time for "May 4," the made-up Star Wars marketing "holiday," Fallen Order is hosting a free update on ??all platforms that's pretty substantial.

The update is multi-faceted, focusing on new challenges (featuring old areas and enemies), a New Game+ mode that lets you replay the game with unlocked cosmetics (so like a half-plus), plus a new meditation-ba?sed "create-a-challenge" mode and a dark side Inquisitor outfit. It's not drastically different, but it is free and coming all at once: rather than being teased in an annoying fashion over the course of weeks as "pieces of f?ree DLC." You can watch the full overview for yourself below.

Call me crazy, but as an action fan for almost all my life, I'm a sucker for free unlockable cosmetics. Approaching a game like Devil May Cry on a higher difficulty with a new outfit is just the nudge I need to justify a rapid replay.

General

• New Journey + added
  • Unlocked after beating the game
  • All cosmetic unlocks are carried over
  • All lightsaber colours are available from the start
  • Exclusive dark side-themed cosmetics available in NJ+
    • Inquisitor uniform
    • Protection and Defence I & II lightsaber parts
    • Red kyber crystal
• Meditation Training game modes added as part of NJ+
  • Combat Challenges
    • Wave-based game modes to fight against preset enemies
  • Battle Grid
    • Sandbox-style game mode for players to make their own encounters
  • Cosmetic rewards for BD-1

Accessibility

• Button-mashing quick-time events can now be skipped
• Needing to hold the Climb button can now be disabled 
• Holding a button to confirm/interact with something can be changed to a button press
• Text size scaling options have been added

Bug Fixes and Tweaks

• Improved transitions between parry and block animations
• The Bog Rats on Bogano were sometimes floating. They should now be more grounded.
• Improved the transitions into and out of jumping and double jumping
• Fixed the issue where Cal could get stuck in an endless falling loop during air attacks
• Fixed the issue that would prevent Cal from progressing his journey when a Bounty Hunter would show up
• Improved overall responsiveness of gameplay and the reliability of actions based on player feedback

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Liquid Football

It seems like last week's sales spike for Nintendo's Animal Crossing: New Horizons was indeed just that, a spike, as this week sees Electronic Arts' football sim FIFA 20 return to the ??number one pos?ition it has held time and again since its 2019 release.

A very quiet week for physical releases saw little change in the UK's Top Ten. New releases such as Sakura Wars, Predator: Hunting Grounds, and Streets of Rage 4 are relying most?l?y on digital sales. This is not to mention the ongoing COVID-19 legislation, which is keeping many store doors shut and people in their homes.

As such, this week's charts see the same titles jockeying for position, as Final Fantasy VII Remake, Call of Duty: Modern Warfare, Mario Kart 8 Deluxe, Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order and, you guessed it, Grand Theft Auto V all shuffle around the Top Ten. Meanwhile,  Nintendo's Ring Fit Adventure continues to dro?p in and out of the? Top Ten, directly proportional to its shaky stock levels.

U.K. video game sales chart w/e: May 2, 2020
(Chart reflects in-store physical sales only)

1. FIFA 20 - Electronic Arts
2. Animal Crossing: New Horizons - Nintendo
3. Call of Duty: Modern Warfare - Activision
4. Mario Kart 8 Deluxe - Nintendo
5. Grand Theft Auto V - Take 2
6. Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order - Electronic Arts
7. Luigi's Mansion 3 - Nintendo
8. Final Fantasy VII Remake - Square Enix
9. Red Dead Redemption 2 - Take 2
10. Forza Horizon 4 - Microsoft

U.K. video game charts [GamesIndustry.biz]

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All's well that ends well

Much like Natalie Imbruglia, Respawn Entertainment was torn. The studio knew that Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order needed a few more tweaks and some polish, and then it'd be the best it could be. Conversely, the ship date was rapidly approaching and everyone was really&nb??sp;against a delay that wasn't 100 percent n?ecessary.

EA had lofty hopes for Jedi: Fallen Order's sales -- between six and eight million copies before the end of the fiscal year, which seemed ambitious for a singleplayer narrative-driven game, even one that carries the Star Wars branding -- and that wouldn't be realistic if it were pushed back to the spring. So, Respawn carried on, launching on-time in November desp??ite t??echnical hiccups.

In a recent interview with USgamer, Respawn CEO Vince Zampella admits that talks of a delay were entertained, saying "Yeah, it was a conversation that we had and we decided that we wanted the game out there, we wanted to get it, you know, being out for the holiday." Apart from holiday sales, Zampella pointed to the launch of Disney+, the Mandalorian series, and the premiere of The Rise of Skywalker as reasons why it made sense to ensure there's a new Star Wars game on shelves.

It was probably the right call. EA is happy with Jedi: Fallen Order's sales performance, noting that it has surpassed initial targets and is on track to hit 10 million sales by the end of March. The technical issues were very much evident, however. In our review, Chris warned that even the premium models of console (PS4 Pro and Xbox One X) had some struggles, and that Jedi: Fallen Order felt like something meant for next?-gen t??hat's running on current-gen hardware.

Jedi: Fallen Order is the rare game that's quality enough to shine despite performance problems. Elsewhere, bugs and glitches would dominate the conversation. Here, Jedi: Fallen Order got some game-of-the-year consideration and won Adventu??re Game of the Year last ??week at the DICE Awards. The business side of games led to this one?? launching in ?a sub-optimal state, but things worked out all around anyway.

Respawn Considered Delaying Jedi: Fallen Order to Smoo??th?? out Its Rampant Bugs [USgamer]

The post Jedi: Fallen Order dodged a delay because it need??ed to hit holiday sales target appeared first on Destructoid.

FIFA 20 back on top of the premier league

Having spent several weeks hovering around the penalty box, this week's UK Charts sees Electronic Arts' football sim FIFA 20 back at the number one spot, a position regularly ret??ains o??n an annual basis.

Making its debut in the Top Ten this week is Zombie Army 4: Dead War, developed and published by Britain's own Rebellion. The co-op shooter sits comfortably at number eight, not quite bothering Activision's Call of Duty: Modern Warfare, EA's Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order or, of course, Take 2's Grand Theft Auto V, all of which remain nestled in the upper echelo??n.

Nintendo's Ring Fit Adventure - which made a re-entry last week at number seven - has climbed a further two places to settle at number five. The Switch release has seen a sales surge thanks to recent restock after many high street retailers sold out of the popular fitness app over the Holidays. 2K Games' NBA 2K20 has also returned to the Top Ten.

U.K. video game sales chart w/e: February 8, 2020
(Chart reflects in-store physical sales only)

1. FIFA 20 - Electronic Arts
2. Call of Duty: Modern Warfare - Activision
3. Grand Theft Auto V - Take 2
4. Ring Fit Adventure - Nintendo
5. Mario Kart 8 Deluxe - Nintendo
6. Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order - Electronic Arts
7. Minecraft - Nintendo
8. Zombie Army 4: Dead War - Rebellion
9. Luigi's Mansion 3 - Nintendo
10. NBA 2K20 - 2K Games

U.K. video game charts [GamesIndustry.biz]

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But Call of Duty: Modern Warfare recaptures the top spot

In a continually shuffling UK Chart, Activision's military shooter Call of Duty: Modern Warfare has returned to the number one spot once again, followed by Electronic Arts' persistent sellers FIFA 20 and Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order. Dragon Ball Z: Kakarot has slipped fr?om number one to number nine, signifying a peak for Bandai Namc??o's anime adventure.

Elsewhere in the Top Ten, Nintendo maintains a steady flow of all of its major Switch releases, unencumbered by recent stock shortages of both consoles and games across the United Kingdom. Mario Kart 8 Deluxe, Luigi's Mansion 3 and Minecraft maintain their previous Top Ten status, but are also joined by re-entries Ring Fit Adventure and The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild.

U.K. video game sales chart w/e: February 1, 2020
(Chart reflects in-store physical sales only)

1. Call of Duty: Modern Warfare - Activision
2. FIFA 20 - Electronic Arts
3. Mario Kart 8 Deluxe - Nintendo
4. Grand Theft Auto V - Take 2
5. Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order - Electronic Arts
6. Minecraft - Nintendo
7. Ring Fit Adventure - Nintendo
8. Luigi's Mansion 3 - Nintendo
9. Dragon Ball Z: Kakarot - Bandai Namco
10. The Legend of Zelda: The Breath of the Wild - Nintendo

U.K. video game charts [GamesIndustry.biz]

The post Nintendo’s games are still riding high in the UK Charts appeared first on Destructoid.

No dark side here

EA had high hopes for Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order, but its expectations have been surpassed. Respawn's singleplayer narrative-driven Star Wars g??ame has already outperformed?? its sales targets.

In EA's recent third quarter financial earnings call, CFO Blake Jorgensen revealed that the internal projection for Jedi: Fallen Order's sales was between six and eight million copies by the end of the fiscal year (March 31, 2020). Already, Jedi: Fallen Order has broken the eight million threshold, and Jorgensen ??expects it'll reach 10 million by the time A??pril rolls around. 

Respawn has to be in EA's good graces, given the success of both Jedi: Fallen Order and Apex Legends. Regarding the latter, EA says that Apex Legends has been growing as of late, with Season 3's daily user count outpacing Season 2's. But the real revelation with Respawn is that given Jedi: Fallen Order's sales, a sequel seems inevitable. Or, at the very least, Respawn will likely be given another crack at creating a story within the Star Wars universe.

Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order beat EA expectatio??ns by selling 8m copies [Eurogamer]

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Goku and friends still Top of the Pops... Just

This week's Ukie/GSD UK Chart listings sees Bandai Namco's anime RPG Dragon Ball Z: Kakarot just hold on to the number one spot, beating out Activision's Call of Duty: Modern Warfare by around 400 units.

This week's figures - as reported by GamesIndustry.biz - see the expected titles continue to shuffle around in what has been a very quiet January.  EA's FIFA 20 and Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order are still jockeying for position around Nintendo's Luigi's Mansion 3 and Mario Kart 8 Deluxe. Take 2's crime sim Grand Theft Auto V maintains a respectable place in the Top Five, while Ubisoft's Just Dance 2020 continues to sell, long after t????????????????????????????he Christmas decorations have been shoved back into the attic.

The only real motion of note this week pertains to CD Projekt RED's The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt, which has seen gradual week-on-week success in the wake of the hugely successful Netflix series. Geralt of Rivia's third epic adventure currently sits at number 12 in the charts, nearly five years after its initial r?elease. Toss a coin indeed.

U.K. video game sales chart w/e: January 25, 2020
(Chart reflects in-store physical sales only)

1. Dragon Ball Z: Kakarot - Bandai Namco Entertainment
2. Call of Duty: Modern Warfare - Activision
3. Grand Theft Auto V - Take 2
4. FIFA 20 - Electronic Arts
5. Just Dance 2020 - Ubisoft
6. Mario Kart 8 Deluxe - Nintendo
7. Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order - Electronic Arts
8. Minecraft - Nintendo
9. Luigi's Mansion 3 - Nintendo
10. Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Games Tokyo 2020 - Nintendo

U.K. video game charts [GamesIndustry.biz]

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Surprise sales burst for 3DS titles

Bandai Namco's brand new Dragon Ball Z: Kakarot has had a very positive launch week, which sees the anime RPG rocket straight into the number-one spot of the UK charts, pushing Electronic Arts' FIFA 20 into third place, right behind Activision's Call of Duty: Modern Warfare.

It was also a curiously successful week for Nintendo 3DS titles, as WarioWare Gold re-entered the charts at number six, as did Metroid Prime: Federation Force. No less than three Yo-Kai Watch titles made a play for the premier leagues, with the original Yo-Kai Watch landing at number nine and Yo-Kai Watch 2: Bony Spirits and Fleshy Souls appearing at numbers 12 and 13 respectively. The re-released Tokyo Mirage Sessions #FE Encore fell just outside the Top Ten at number 11.

Elsewhere in the charts Nintendo still dominates physical game sales, with all major Switch releases holding a place in the Top 40. Mainstays Super Mario Odyssey, Mario Kart 8 Deluxe, and Super Smash Bros. Ultimate were joined by re-entries Astral Chain and Captain Toad: Treasure Tracker.

U.K. video game sales chart w/e: January 18, 2020
(Chart reflects in-store physical sales only)

1. Dragon Ball Z: Kakarot - Bandai Namco Entertainment
2. Call of Duty: Modern Warfare - Activision
3. FIFA 20 - Electronic Arts
4. Grand Theft Auto V - Take 2
5. Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order - Electronic Arts
6. Wario Ware Gold - Nintendo
7. Luigi's Mansion 3 - Nintendo
8. Mario Kart 8 Deluxe - Nintendo
9. Yo-Kai Watch - Nintendo
10. Super Smash Bros. Ultimate - Nintendo

U.K. video game charts [UKie]

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Also, orange is the new blue

For the past month, Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order players have had an unconventional and overpowered way of dealing with enemy rockets. Every since photo mode was introd?uced in mid-December, it could be used to blow up rockets while they were in the air. Just enter photo mode, move the camera toward the rockets, and they'd explode. Unintentional, hilarious, and alas, short-lived.

Today, Respawn has nerfed photo mode. In Jedi: Fallen Order's newest patch, the photo mode rocket exploit has been fixed. Unfortunate but it comes with a positive side effect: Using the camera to blow up rockets was triggering audio levels that were so extrem??e that they were breaking the game. This has also been fixe??d.

The other major part of this update concerns pre-order content. Now, everyone has access to all the pre-order content that wasn't retailer-specific. That means e??veryone can now run around with an orange lightsaber. Orange like the sun. Cal-ifornia vibes.

Here are the full patch notes for Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order's January 15 update:

• We've f?ixed an issue where Bounty Hunters would sometimes get stuck in Zeffo. 
• Not only was the Photomode camera able to explode rockets, it could interact ?with trigger volumes within the levels that could potentially break the game. We've fixed this to ensure that you can continue playing the game after using Photomode. Unfortunatel??y, this also means that rockets will be unaffected by the camera moving forward. 
• There was a bug that was causing one of the elevators in the last level to have a tendency of disappearing. It sho??uld now be present at all times. 
• We've improved collision on Ilum. 
• Our language translations have been update??d. 
• There was an issue where some text was overlapping in P?hotomode for specific sc??reen ratios. That has been fixed. 
• The Albino Wyyyschokk tactical guide entry wasn’?t appearing for all users, t?his should now be fixed. 
• We've fixed Gorgara having? a tendency to disappear at specific times on Dathomir.
• Pre-order content has now bee?n unlocked for all players. This content includes: Orange lightsaber blade color, Mygeeto campaign lightsaber hilt, Umbaran campaign lightsaber hilt, Bee-D-1 skin?, and gold squadron stinger mantis skin
  

Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order January 15th Pa??tch Notes [reddit]

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Dr. Kawashima back in session

The first UK Charts of the new year falls into typical post-holiday fashion, as in very little movement and likely to stay that way for some weeks. Activision's Call of Duty: Modern Warfare retains the number one spot, followed by Electronic Arts' Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order and FIFA 20.

The rest of the Top 10 continues to shuffle titles such as 2K Games' Borderlands 3, Take-Two's Grand Theft Auto V and Red Dead Redemption 2, and Nintendo's Luigi's Mansion 3 and Mario Kart 8 Deluxe. Speaking of Nintendo, the return of Dr. Kawashima's Brain Training for Switc??h is the only new releas??e this week, parking itself at number 14.

As noted by GamesIndustry.biz, this is the first UK Chart supplied by GSD, who is taking over compiling the rankings from UKie. In the future, GSD will al?so be tabulating digital as well as physical sales, but only from publishers willing to volunteer the numbers, with some of the ??heavy-hitters still holding out.

U.K. video game sales chart w/e: January 4, 2020
(Chart reflects in-store physical sales only)

1. Call of Duty: Modern Warfare - Activision
2. Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order - Electronic Arts
3. FIFA 20 - Electronic Arts
4. Borderlands 3 - 2K Games
5. Luigi's Mansion 3 - Nintendo
6. Just Dance 2020 - Ubisoft
7. Grand Theft Auto V - Take 2
8. Mario Kart 8 Deluxe - Nintendo
9. Red Dead Redemption 2 - Take 2
10. Mario & Sonic at The Olympic Games Tokyo 2020 - Sega

U.K. video game charts [GamesIndustry.biz]

The post Brain Training is the only new entry in this week’s UK Charts appeared first on Destructoid.

Call of Duty: Modern Warfare ends the year on top

The final UK video game chart listings for 2019 have been released, and there has been little movement over the last seven days. Activision's Call of Duty: Modern Warfare remains in the number one spot, closely followed by Electronic Arts' FIFA 19 and Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order.

Nintendo has three major titles in the Top Ten in the form of Mario Kart 8 Deluxe, Luigi's Mansion, and Pokemon Sword. Take 2's Grand Theft Auto V has returned at number six - and, as a side-note, is also the most downloaded game?? of December in Europe. 2K Games' Borderlands 3, Activision's Crash Team Racing Nitro-Fueled and Ubisoft's Just Dance 2020 round out the Top Ten.

The real story of 2019 has been the continued decline of physical sales, with almost all major sequels seeing huge number drops on their previous entries. As report?ed by the number-crunchers over at Ga?mesIndustry.biz, physical sales as a whole have dropped almost 20% on last year, and it seems that these?? numbers are likely to fall further in 2020.

The UK Charts themselves are also undergoing a change. As of next week, European body GSD hopes to compile a new chart that includes both physical and digital sales numbers. The unfortunate issue here is that digital sales must be volunteered directly by the publishers, with companies such as Nintendo and Bethesda holding out. Until everybody is on board, a fully-accurate representation of sales figures might not?? ever be truly possible.

U.K. video game sales chart w/e: December 28, 2019
(Chart reflects in-store physical sales only)

1. Call of Duty: Modern Warfare - Activision
2. FIFA 20 - Electronic Arts
3. Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order - Electronic Arts   
4. Mario Kart 8 Deluxe - Nintendo
5. Luigi's Mansion 3 - Nintendo
6. Grand Theft Auto V - Take 2
7. Borderlands 3 - 2K Games
8. Just Dance 2020 - Ubisoft
9. Pokémon Sword - Nintendo
10. Crash Team Racing Nitro-Fueled - Activision

U.K. video game charts [GamesIndustry.biz]

The post Final UK Charts ?of 2019 show physical sales continue to slump appeared first on Destructoid.

Guess who's back? Back again...

The final edition of the UK Charts for 2019 has been released, revealing that this year's Christmas number one is Activision's blockbuster shooter Call of Duty: Modern Warfare, fending off strong opposition from Electronic Arts' FIFA 20 and Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order.

Nintendo has had a very successful Holiday period in the UK, with Mario Kart 8 Deluxe, Luigi's Mansion 3, and Pokemon Sword all holding high Top Ten positions, while numerous other Switch releases hover in and around the Top 20. Party favourite Just Dance 2020 also sits in the Top Ten, ironically having a seemingly bigger impact for Ubisoft this year than its awful AAA megabucks shooter Ghost Recon: Breakpoint.

The REAL story, however, is the return of perennial UK Charts poster boy Crash Bandicoot, who has not one, but two titles smashing their way into the Top Ten in platforming compendium N.Sane Trilogy and kart racing remake Nitro-Fueled. Nice to see t?he mad marsupial back on the grid, it wouldn't be a true British yuletide season wit??hout Crash Bandicoot, a Bond movie on the T.V., and the impending threat of a economically disastrous new year.

Merry Christmas.

U.K. video game sales chart w/e: December 21, 2019
(Chart reflects in-store physical sales only)

1. Call of Duty: Modern Warfare - Activision
2. FIFA 20 - Electronic Arts
3. Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order - Electronic Arts
4. Mario Kart 8 Deluxe - Nintendo
5. Luigi's Mansion 3 - Nintendo
6. Pokémon Sword - Nintendo
7. Just Dance 2020 - Ubisoft
8. Mario & Sonic at the Tokyo Olympic Games 2020 - Sega
9. Crash Bandicoot N.Sane Trilogy - Activision
10. Crash Team Racing Nitro-Fueled - Activision

U.K. video game charts [GamesIndustry.biz]

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'General stability' is always good

In what is now a weekly occurrence, the folks at Respawn have deployed a new patch for Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order.

This one (titled the "December 17 update") fixes more bugs and in a generic sense, provides "general stability improvements." That's what Jedi: Fallen Order needs the most, and hopefully after weeks of op??timization all of the kinks will be worked out??.

Outside of that nebulous claim Cal is now "more responsive during combat," which includes enhanced response ?time for everything from parrying to sprint attacks. You'll also get collision and aud?io fixes, as well as more BD-1 corrections. Man that little droid sure was buggy (it practically got its own patch recently)!

I'm still reeling from the fact that EA released an actual complete single-player game without loot boxes or microtransactions in 2019. Respawn is relatively new to this whole third-person action thing, so they can only go up from here. I hope that if a sequel does happen (I mean, with the cliffhanger it's a given) EA gives them the time they need to polish it up. Jedi: Fallen Order reminds me of a clunkier Spider-Man PS4 in that sense.

Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order Patch - December 17 [Reddit]

Release Notes

• We've updated Cal so that he is more responsive during combat. This change includes tweaks to stagger reactions, kicks, flybacks, staff parry and sprint attacks.
• Fixed an issue that would cause ledge grabs and climbing to sometimes behave incorrectly.
• Fixed an audio issue that would sometimes cause sound effects to play in the incorrect order.
• Multiple collision fixes across both Zeffo and Bogano.
• BD-1 would sometimes not scan one of the Zeffo Villagers after a shutdown during saving. Everyone’s favourite droid is now scanning as expected.
• Terrarium sometimes wasn't a very nurturing environment, preventing seeds from growing. It should now give your plants the love and care that they deserve, encouraging them to grow properly.
• General stability improvements

The post Yet another Star Wars Jedi?: Fallen Order patch continues to smooth out the game appeared first on Destructoid.

Plus a ton of bug fixes

Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order is now legit. ?Was it legit at launch? That's debatable.

I think it's pretty legit, but most folks know that to be truly legit in 2019, you need a photo mode. It's a triple-A staple! Just hit L3+R3 to initiate it and apply all sorts of Insta-magic like filters (or no filters like ??a champ), as well as height and zoom options.

But I know a lot of people don't enjoy taking photos, so there's more in store. I mentioned that AAA magic earlier? Well, that also includes bug fixes for lingering launch issues: and boy howdy there's a ton of them. I'm talking 16 different bugs, including one (collision issues) that has eight sub-bugs of its own. One day Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order could be st?abilized and i??t'll make one hell of a GOTY edition. It's worth it now if you have a PC/PS4 Pro/Xbox One X, but there's still some room for smoothing.

Oh, and if someo??ne gets the header image ?and why it's relevant, you get +1 cool point. Cool points can be redeemed at a later date for items like spider rings and finger puppets.

Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order Patch - w/c Dec 10 [Reddit]

Release Notes

New Features

• A Photo Mode has been added and can be accessed from within the game by pressing L3 and R3 at the same time.
• Implemented a toggle that will allow you to remove a specific part of Cal’s lightsaber from within the customization menu.

Bug Fixes

• We’ve made a pass of the game in an effort to reduce the number of crashes you should encounter. The end result of this is now a more stable game.
• Fixed collision issues across several planets in the game
  • Collision within the caves and temple on Zeffo have been improved, reducing clipping issues and lowering the possibility of Cal becoming stuck.
  • Fixed an issue that would sometimes cause Cal to become stuck in a floating state below the train on Bracca.
  • We identified a few areas on Kashyyyk where Cal could fall out of the world, this will no longer happen.
  • We've fixed some collision on Dathomir, preventing Cal from falling through the ground.
  • Collision on Illum has also been improved, making sure that Cal doesn’t become stuck.
  • During a fight with the Second Sister, it was possible for her to get stuck in a door. She has been freed.
  • Bogano has had its collision improved, preventing Cal from becoming stuck on world geometry.
  • In some rare cases, Cal was floating while on Kashyyyk. He has since been grounded.
• BD-1’s ability to slice panels was sometimes not working as intended, preventing you from progressing. This has been fixed and should no longer occur.
• A mural scan on Bogano wasn’t working properly, this should now be fixed.
• The train on Bracca could get stuck in a state where grates would fall off too early, preventing progress. We've fixed this so that Cal can continue climbing.
• On rare occasions Bounty Hunters would stop hunting Cal, we've now re-enabled their trackers, so be careful.
• For some players, BD-1 had gotten left behind on Bogano, preventing further progression. This should now be fixed.
• The chest count on some planets was not working as intended, this has been fixed.
• On rare occasions Greeze would refuse to open the ship doors and expose Cal to the sunlight on Dathomir. We’ve fixed this so that the story can continue.
• Fixed an issue that prevented Holomap areas and gates from not working properly on Dathomir, Kashyyyk and Bogano.
• An issue would sometimes occur that would cause the Holomap tutorial on Bogano to remain on-screen. This has been resolved and it should no longer occur.
• An elevator on Zeffo could lead to Cal getting stuck in an infinite loop, our maintenance crews have fixed this particular elevator.
• A dropship on Zeffo wasn't showing up as intended, preventing the player from progressing further. We’ve ensured all landing zones are clear for arrival and this should no longer occur.
• PC players were having issues selecting difficulty with the mouse, this should now be resolved.
• We’ve fixed an issue where Cal could avoid enemies on Zeffo, to the extent that gameplay events wouldn’t trigger, halting progression to the story.
• On rare occasions cinematics on Dathomir get stuck in an error state, preventing progress. This has been fixed.
• Fixed an issue that would cause world loading issues on Kashyyyk for players with double jump. We’ve optimised the level to ensure loading completes properly.

The post Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order gets a photo? mode: Welcome to the big le??agues, son appeared first on Destructoid.

Cal-iente

Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order is a damn good Star Wars game. Respawn proved itself a capable steward of Star Wars, demonstrating that a story-driven singleplayer game has a sizable audience. Jedi: Fallen Order ?;?got the critical praise right out the gate, but now it has commercial accolades too.

EA boasts about Jedi: Fallen Order's success with some oddly vague but super-specific sales records. This is the fastest-selling digital launch of a Star Wars game in the first two weeks. Also, Jedi: Fallen Order is EA's top-selling Star Wars game on PC during its launch window.

They're tough statistics to parse. Most obvious, no actual sales numbers were given. As for the digital launch claim, Battlefront and Battlefront II are likely Jedi: Fallen Order's only competition as digital distribution becoming completely commonplace across all platfor?ms is a relatively new trend. Also, the top-selling PC tidbit says nothing of performance on consoles. (It feels prudent to point out that there's no mention of whether PC sales include downloads from EA Origin Premier subscriptions -- although they probably don't.)

None of these statistics come with a frame of reference so that we can gauge exactly how impressive they are. But if EA chalks it up as a win, we should chalk it up as a win. Jedi: Fallen Order is proof positive that suc?cess doesn't only follow live service games. That's a nice reminder every now and then.

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Namely, the infamous Dathomir bug

Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order serves as a nice cap to a busy 2019, but there's still cleanup to be done. As I noted in my review Fallen Order is often great at being a Jedi simulator, but suffers from the now infamous EA-engine disease (sorry Anthem). ?Respawn has some work to do before the PC and console editions of the game are up to snuff, and in addition to a performance patch last week, another round of fixes just arrived.

Most of them focus around minor issues, but there are a few gamebreaking bugs being fixed here, notably the infamous Dathomir progression glitch. To sum it up: you ha?ve the option to go to a late-game planet fairly early on without some sequence?? breaking skills, but if you do so, you run the risk of getting yourself into a sticky situation where you can't actually escape a particularly glitchy area.

BD-1, as cute as he may seem, was also causing numerous bugs, that sneaky little droid. At least three of the bug fixes in the new patch specifically deal with it, namely his buggy disappearing act. My favorite single addition? Respawn made the Force (mana) bar easier to read, so you can now tell exactly how much meter you have when using forc?e abilities (casting spells). That'll make replays a little less frustrating! Now about those framerate fixes??, especially on base PS4 and Xbox One consoles.

You can find the? full patch notes below. Hopefull??y there's many more deployments to come.

Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order Patch W/C Nov 25 [Reddit]

Release notes

• There was an issue that would sometimes cause BD-1 to turn invisible after completing Bogano. This has been fixed and everyone’s favourite droid will now be visible.
• The Force bar has had its colour switched, making it easier to read.
• You will no longer be able to glitch through a wall on Ilum.
• An issue that caused the Spire of Miktrull from being raised has been fixed.
• A missing bridge on Dathomir has been located, no longer blocking game progress.
• Spheres can no longer get stuck in the wall within the Tomb of Eilram.
• An issue preventing players from leaving the tomb on Dathomir has been addressed.
• Fixed an issue that was preventing players from completing the Force Push tutorial.
• Players can no longer bypass a specific area on Dathomir that requires double jump.
• BD-1 will no longer disappear during a later section of the game.
• Talking to BD-1 during the AT-AT scene on Kashyyyk will no longer break the scene.
• There was an issue which prevented players from locating the double bladed lightsaber on Dathomir, this has been addressed.
• Improved collision on Bogano.
• Improved collision on Ilum.
• Fixed an issue which would cause the player to die at the same time as another [spoiler] character.
• Fixed an issue which would cause parts of the level to become affected by lightsaber throws during one of the fights with [spoiler].
• Fixed an issue where players could become stuck on Dathomir after defeating [spoiler].
• Fixed an issue from occurring where a character would not appear on Dathomir, and thus preventing players from progressing.
• An issue preventing players from completing a sphere puzzle on Zeffo has been addressed.

The post Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order just got another patch that fixes some ??big issues appeared first on Destructoid.