The fast-paced action of Ghostrunner is hard to beat. If you were anxious to get your hands on the sequel, we’ve got good news for you. The Ghostrunner 2 Demo will be available later today as revealed by a brand new trailer from today’s State of Play.
Check out the trailer here:
Here’s what you can expect from the demo according to a recent press release:
Key Details
In today’s demo, players will face wicked cultists led by a terrifying threat in battles that take place inside the sinister Dharma Tower and deal death at high speed by hopping on protagonist Jack’s motorcycle
Newcomers and returning fans can brush up on the first game’s events with the Previously on Ghostrunnervideo that recaps key plot points
Preorder Ghostrunner 2 physically or digitally and get the Traditional Katana Pack including two sword skins and two hand skins. Get up to 48-hours of early access with the Brutal Edition
The demo is available on PS5, Xbox Series X|S, and PC via Steam and the Epic Games Store. Ghostrunner 2 will release on October 26, 2023 on the aforementioned platforms.
If you’re interested in checking out the game’s pre-order bonuses, click here. To see more news from today’s State of Play, check out the new trailers for Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth and Helldivers 2.
It’s been almost a decade since Helldivers first dropped into our atmosphere, and we’ve finally learned when we can expect the sequel. The Helldivers 2 release date was announced to be February 8, 2024 in today’s State of Play.
We also got a new Helldivers 2 gameplay trailer, which you can view here:
The gameplay shows an intense 4-player co-op mission against a gigantic bile-spitting arachnid. It’s as full of explosions, violence, and death as you might imagine.
All in all, the shift to a third person perspective looks to be treating the game well. Being right down in the action gets the player much more immersed in what’s happening on-screen. It feels slightly reminiscent of an Earth Defense Force game, though hopefully it’s a little less clunky.
Sony also announced that pre-orders for the game will be open starting on September 22.
To see the game’s ESRB rating and what it implies about the game, click here. If you’re interested in a more in-depth co-op trailer, you can check that out here.
Helldivers 2 will be available on PC and PS5 on February 8, 2024.
At Sony’s State of Play stream, Square Enix announced the Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth release date is set for February 29, 2024! What’s more, it’s now confirmed that the game will come in two discs!
Check out the trailer featuring new FF7 Rebirth gameplay.
The Unknown Journey Continues…
After escaping from the dystopian city of Midgar, Cloud and his friends set out on a journey across the planet. New adventures await in a vibrant and vast world – sprint across grassy plains on a Chocobo and explore expansive environments.
Players wishing to experience the Final Fantasy VII remake project so far can pre-order the Twin Pack, which includes Final Fantasy VII Remake Intergrade, the graphically enhanced and expanded version of Final Fantasy VII Remake.
Color us excited! Hopefully, the game doesn’t get delayed. Mark your calendar, folks! FF7 Rebirth comes to the PS5 this February 29, 2024!
During Sony’s State of Play stream today, Capcom announced that the Resident Evil 4 DLC “Separate Ways” will be released this September 21 — yes, next week!
Check out our first look at the DLC focusing on Ada Wong.
Alongside the premium DLC, all players will also be getting a free Mercenaries update on the same day.
Once we know more about the DLC and update, we’ll let our readers know.
In case you haven’t picked Resident Evil 4 up, go read our review here where we state, “If it’s even possible, Capcom has made an already excellent game even better, and as it stands now, Resident Evil 4 remake is now the gold standard when it comes to remakes.”
Update: More details have been added courtesy of Capcom.
Separate Ways will cost $9.99 as DLC for Resident Evil 4 (base game required)
Free Mercenaries update will add Ada Wong and Albert Wesker to the mode
Resident Evil 4 VR Mode is planned for a winter release as free DLC for PlayStation VR2
Synopsis of Separate Ways:
In Separate Ways, Ada Wong travels to a lonely and rural part of Europe to infiltrate a village controlled by the religious group known as Los Iluminados. Under orders from Albert Wesker, Ada is assigned to obtain the cult’s darkest secret: a mysterious material known as “the Amber.” Her operation intertwines with Leon S. Kennedy’s search for the president’s missing daughter, providing an alternate perspective on the main story that uncovers events that unfold behind the scenes.
Alongside the highly acclaimed gunplay, combat, and knife mechanics of Resident Evil 4, Separate Ways introduces an additional feature to the experience that takes the fast-paced action to exciting new heights. For this exhilarating mission, Ada is armed with a Grappling Gun that can be used to swing across chasms, make rapid ascents, and plunge into the depths below. She can also wield the device in combat to take on enemies in close quarters and launch into melee takedowns from a distance.
Once the update is live, we’ll let our readers know ASAP.
Ascendant Studios is facing some unfortunate downsizing as a result of their recent game’s release. This morning, the Immortals of Aveum studio lost about 45% of its team to layoffs according to a tweet from the company’s Founder and CEO Bret Robbins.
He had some kind, albeit sad, words to say to the members of the team:
Today, we are heartbroken as we part ways with friends and colleagues at Ascendant Studios – about 45% of our team. This was a painfully difficult, but necessary decision that was not made lightly; nevertheless, we have to make this adjustment now that Immortals of Aveum has shipped. We are supporting those affected in every way we can, including comprehensive severance packages and job placement assistance, as well as support services for those who remain. If your studio is looking for proven UE5 artists and engineers, please reach out and let us know so we can introduce you to some incredibly talented game devs.
I am so proud of what our independent development team has accomplished with Immortals of Aveum. Together we’ve created a new AAA studio, a new IP, on new technology, during an era of our industry when that is exceedingly rare. We’ve poured our passion into Immortals, while wearing our hearts on our sleeves. The studio will continue to work that way as we support the development of this game and our Immortals IP moving forward with future updates and offers.
To my team reading this message, especially those leaving us, thank you from the bottom of my heart for your invaluable contributions to Ascendant’s culture and your tremendous impact on bringing Immortals of Aveum to life. We wish you nothing but success in the next chapter of your careers. Please stay in touch.
As seen above, the studio has promised comprehensive severance packages and job placement assistance which will hopefully help to ease the burden of those who lost their jobs. They’ve also asked teams looking for experienced UE5 developers to reach out.
Robbins also confirmed in the tweet that these layoffs are a result of Immortals of Aveum’s release. It’s likely that the game did not perform as well enough to keep most of the team on, which is especially a shame considering the game’s initial release was delayed in order to “deliver a strong launch.”
As always, this is disappointing news to see. Layoffs and downsizing are, unfortunately, incredibly common in the world of game development. It’s impressive to see anyone finish a game when the risk of getting let go is constantly looming.
We here at MP1st wishes everyone affected by the layoffs land on their feet.
Aspyr & Crystal Dynamics have announced in a press release that Lara Croft will be making a comeback, as the original Tomb Raider trilogy is being remastered. This new trilogy will be a full and faithful remaster, including all of the expansions and secret levels found in the originals, and is officially titled “Tomb Raider I-III Remastered.”
Set for release this February 14, 2024 on PS5, PS4, Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch and PC on either Steam or GOG, check out more details straight from the press release.
Tomb Raider I-III Remastered Contents:
Tomb Raider I + the “Unfinished Business” Expansion
In the game that started it all, adventurer Lara Croft has been hired to recover the pieces of an ancient artifact known as the Scion. Run, jump, swim and climb in fearless acrobatic style to find out the truth of its origin and powers, leaving only a trail of empty tombs and ammo in your wake. The original Tomb Raider comes complete with the “Unfinished Business” expansion, which adds four new bonus levels in two extra chapters.
Tomb Raider II + the “Gold Mask” Expansion
The award-winning second installment in the Tomb Raider series invites you to join Lara as she travels around the globe to retrieve the legendary Dagger of Xian, said to grant the powers of a fire-breathing dragon to its holder. Tomb Raider II includes the “Gold Mask” expansion, which adds five new bonus levels in a separate mini-adventure.
Tomb Raider III + “The Lost Artifact” Expansion
In Tomb Raider III, Lara follows the clues to a deadly secret in this complex adventure combining challenging puzzles with high-speed action. Boldly leap chasms and blast monsters in pursuit of a mystery that defies any earthly explanation. “The Lost Artifact” includes six new levels that continue Lara’s adventures from the original Tomb Raider III.
There’s only one proper change we could gather from the trailer, and of course, it is the graphics (there will of course be some performance enhancements as well). This is great news, as fans of the series can relive Lara Croft’s adventures now with some extra polygons added. For the nostalgic-driven die hard fans among you, rest assured! You can toggle your graphics between the new and old any time you wish in the Tomb Raider remastered trilogy.
Here’s a small peek at the difference between the two:
Old vs. New
Currently, the non-discounted price sits at $29.99. That said, if you do choose to pre-order, then you might be eligible to grab yourself a handy discount. For console players, you’re looking at a straight up 10% discount off your purchase. And for the PC gamers out there who already own either Tomb Raider 1-3 (Steam) or the Tomb Raider Trilogy (GOG), you can get a 20% “loyalty” discount from the platform you bought the games from in the first place.
F-Zero fans are sure to have a split reaction to this one. In today’s Direct, Nintendo announced F-ZERO 99, a 99-player battle royale game in the same vein as Tetris 99. The game appears to feature maps and music from the original game, but with way more on-screen racers than ever before.
The trailer for the new game can be seen here:
According to the trailer, players can choose from a variety of machines from the original game and battle it out against 98 other racers. Colliding with guard rails or other racers will damage your power meter, and if it hits zero, you’re out!
When players bump into each other, they’ll drop super sparks. Collecting enough of these will allow you to ascend to the Skyway, a track in the sky away from opponents. This track will allow you to bypass the competition safely.
New cosmetics and machines are available through challenge completion. Additionally, the game’s official store page reveals a handful of other modes available to players, such as Grand Prix and Mini Prix races. There are also rotating Team Battle and Pro Tracks modes that rotate on a regular basis.
F-ZERO 99 is available to Nintendo Switch Online members right now. Get out there and get racing!
Black Matter has released Hell Let Loose update 1.022, which is for patch 14.3! This brings additional logging, a bunch of gameplay improvements and more. Read on for the complete Hell Let Loose patch notes for September 14.
Hell Let Loose Update 1.022 Patch Notes | Hell Let Loose Update 14.3 Patch Notes:
Additional Logging
In this patch, we’ll also be turning on additional logging, which we hope will help prove our theory on what is causing the loadout bug. We have identified a number of potential failure points in the stats code, and the logging we have added will verify if any of these are happening. That additional info will help us determine a fix in the near future!
New Environments
Basic Training
Additional Content Hub
Practice Range
Practice Range
Thank you so much for sharing your feedback on the Practice Range during the Patch 14.3 PTE, it was exceptionally useful and we are pleased that a lot of the feedback aligned with what we want to explore implementing in the future – including moving targets, the re-spawning of vehicles and helmets, renaming of garrisons, improved direction and hints, and, of course, having the ability to test each faction.
The first iteration of the Practice Range has been built within the game’s existing functionality which has meant that some of the above suggestions are not something we can introduce just yet, without risking adaptive changes inadvertently affecting live play.
The Practice Range was designed to be a way for players to test out the things they wouldn’t normally be able to do in a live game, rather than act as a tutorial environment. There is much work to be done to help onboard new players, and a tutorial is certainly something we would like to explore in the future.
For Patch 14.3, we have been able to begin actioning some of your feedback, including:
Extending the shooting range to 500m – although you won’t be able to traverse this additional distance, the extension of the shooting range means players wanting to test out the Sniper role will have the ability to practice landing shots on targets up to 500m away.
Additional obstacles and irregular terrain in the driving range – while there were some great ideas in the feedback from the PTE, we’ve been able to action a few of them by ensuring players have the opportunity to navigate driving past buildings, trenches, and slight inclines/declines in the terrain.
Player-placed garrison spawning – players will now be able to build a garrison within the Building Yard, and spawn in on it.
Added the US Half-track – which can also be used as a way to test redeploying on.
Scarecrow target head shots – headshot SFX will now play when hitting the head, not just the helmet
Optimisation
Performance improvements to a range of maps
Some LOD fixes to address transition issues
General Improvements
Improved micro-stutters
[Increased] Commander Level Requirement from 10 to 30
[Added] [PC] Additional ultrawide screen support
We are continuing to work on optimising ultrawide support, and are working on resolving the following issues for a future patch:
Some UI and menus leave blank spaces on either side of the screen when playing on an ultrawide display
Character previews in the Select Your Role menu may appear too large when playing in ultrawide
The tank commander’s periscope overlay is scaled up in ultrawide resolutions, resulting in a significantly larger field of view
Seams can be seen at the top and bottom of the screen when in the gunner’s seat of the Stuart light tank on an ultrawide display
Seams can be seen at the top and bottom of the screen when in the gunner’s seat of the BA-10 recon vehicle on an ultrawide display
Black bars are visible on the left and right sides of the screen in ultrawide when gunning the Panzer IV medium tank
British Forces Improvements
[Fixed] British weapons have increased sway when ADSing
While most weapons have now been tackled, the P14 and No.4 Mk1 are still in need of improvements. For more information on what new weapons will be introduced as part of the British forces rework, please click here.
[Fixed] British recon tank will pull to the last turned direction when driving straight
[Fixed] British Lewis Gun MG shots appear to be slightly off-centre from sights
[Fixed] Zeroed British Weapon Sights
[Fixed] All Lee-Enfield variants have a stuttering animation and are misaligned while reloading from a TPP
[Fixed] Ping is off-centre when using the British binoculars
[Fixed] Sten gun dropping off at 100m
Removed
Legacy game analytics potentially causing performance issues
Player Locomotion
[Fixed] Players can dive to prone by going in the prone position while jumping
This bug allowed players to essentially glitch into the prone position while jumping- and has previously been used as both a way to get out of sticky situations, as well as access normally inaccessible areas, such as rooftops and other platforms to gain an unfair advantage on the battlefield.
We understand that some players have provided feedback regarding the removal of this unintended bug, both during the Patch 14.3 PTE and since, as well as understand that while prone jumping can give players an unfair advantage, it could also be used to traverse the vaulting system when it fails, and add a degree of verticality into their playstyle.
However, with it’s removal in Patch 14.3, we have started the process of laying the ground work that, together with your feedback, will support bringing back a revised version of the Dive to Prone functionality. As part of that work, we have fixed prone jumping – to prevent certain conflicts with the actions, ensuring there are no unintended exploits or behaviours when using it.
We’re still making some final tuning adjustments to the new version, and have had to make sure that Dive to Prone couldn’t be used in mid-air, and have also made adjustments to the cooldown for changing stance too soon after diving, added more friction to reduce the slide distance, as well as limited direction change mid-dive, plus introduced a floor-impact shake. We’ll bring you all the details about these changes in a future developer briefing!
Improvements to the vaulting system are also underway to make it more responsive, which includes ensuring vaulting and climbing operate consistently in accordance with height and distance parameters.
This should mean that vault will be used only for vaulting over things, and climb will only be used to climb onto things, and the system should no longer play the wrong animations causing players to glitch and get stuck, particularly when vaulting through windows.
We’re also carrying out work to make sure vaulting won’t trigger in error for any obstacle below a certain height. Improvements to the third-person vaulting animations has also been carried out across both code and animation to address certain issues.
We hear your feedback, and are making progress with these locomotion improvements, but first want to make sure we remove any issues that can cause conflicts with Dive to Prone.
You’ll soon be able to get hands on with the new Dive to Prone, plus improved vaulting, in a PTE session, so please keep an eye out on future dev briefs and in the #telegrams channel on Discord!
Console General Bug Fixes
[Fixed] [Xbox] Signing out of an account causes the title to crash when DLC has been installed during gameplay.
[Fixed] [Xbox] Incorrect character used for button on the IIS.
[Fixed] [Xbox] Reloading some guns produces incomplete sounds
[Fixed] [PS5] Red Marshall and Upper Echelon DLC items will still be visible in Barracks after the entitlement is removed.
[Fixed] [Xbox] Gun fire sounds delayed for some rifles
[Fixed] [Xbox] Signing out of an account causes the title to crash.
[Fixed] [Console] A crash will occur for either the host or client of a party at any time following a network disconnection.
[Fixed] Missing audio from Xbox – Firing / Reloading SFX
[Fixed] [Xbox] Missing reload sound of Karabiner 98k
[Fixed] [PS5] British Forces vehicles do not have adaptive triggers set up
General Bug Fixes
[Fixed] FOV issues in tanks for players with ultrawide monitors
[Fixed] The Panther heavy tank has a faster reload time
[Fixed] Doubled up explosion VFX
[Fixed] Animation issue for Nagant M1895 when reloading
[Fixed] MGs clip through the player model when shooting while being prone and while looking up
[Fixed] Player’s left hand becomes unattached from two handed weapons when sprinting in TPP
[Fixed] [PC] Many servers are not appearing in the “All Servers” tab of the Enlist Screen
[Fixed] Player’s hand appears offset from their equipped weapon or tool, becoming increasingly offset as FoV is increased
[Fixed] Bullet impact VFX will remain stationary while factory machinery is moving
[Fixed] Broken animation can be observed when going prone while ADS-ing the M97 Trench Gun
[Fixed] There is no mention of the Kharkov map in the Field Manual
[Fixed] MG42 shooting SFX is quieter when single firing
[Fixed] Stone PFX and SFX are present when shooting a German Outpost
[Fixed] US Smoke grenade SFX are delayed and do not match VFX
[Fixed] Flashlight attached to M1941 Summer Field Jacket does not move realistically with body
[Fixed] Pistols are misaligned from characters hand on the Front End and Change Role Menu
[Fixed] No SFX is heard when equipping the Anti-Tank wrench
[Fixed] Weapon displacement appears when stood leaning left and aiming down sights with certain weapons across all factions
[Fixed] Field Manual entry for Driel is incorrect
[Fixed] ‘Panther’ tank has misspelled name when showing the end game score
[Fixed] Destroyed Cromwell tank is awarded as ‘Sherman Destroyed’
[Fixed] Shotguns play bullet drop SFX
[Fixed] Flare guns play bullet drop SFX
[Fixed] All Lee-Enfield variants have a stuttering animation and will be misaligned while reloading from a TPP
[Fixed] British weapons have increased sway when ADSing
[Fixed] No ejecting empty cartridge cases animation when reloading Rifle No.4 Mk1
[Fixed] Kharkov map is missing in the Field Manual
[Fixed] British recon tank will pull to the last turned direction when driving straight
Remagen
[Fixed] Supply boxes cannot be placed (almost) anywhere on the Ludendorff bridge
[Fixed] Canvas covered assets use canvas bullet penetration values, allowing all types of bullets to shoot through them
[Fixed] [F9] Sheds present wooden PFX and SFX
[Fixed] Grey canvas covered boxes display stone PFX, SFX and bullet mark decals
[Fixed] [E3] Sandbags around an artillery gun have improper bullet FX
Kharkov
[Fixed] [F6] Large Rubble pile has improper collision which allows the player to enter it in some areas
[Fixed] [F5] Player can hide inside a column in the St Mary’s Church
[Fixed] [F3] Half-Track wreck presents the incorrect PFX and SFX
[Fixed] [F1] The pillars of a brick building display metal PFX and SFX
[Fixed] Bridge supports have stone PFX
[Fixed] Wooden planks display stone PFX and SFX
[Fixed] A pile of planks presents stone PFX and SFX
[Fixed] [F5] Stone Stairs in Church Entryway Have Wood PFX
[Fixed] Yellow brick house model has metal SFX and PFX
[Fixed] Wooden assets have stone SFX and PFX
[Fixed] [F4] Stone fence inside of St Mary’s Church has no bullet collision
[Fixed] A well asset presents stone PFX and SFX
[Fixed] Bullet decals are not present on train wagons
[Fixed] An interior lantern presents laser beam instead of flame
[Fixed] Metal pot has wood PFX
[Fixed] Destroyed Recon vehicle has Stone PFX/SFX
[Fixed] Snowdrifts present dirt SFX and PFX
[Fixed] [E9] A metal pot hanging from a tree branch present in sector E9, presents wood PFX and SFX instead of metal when shot
[Fixed] [F3] Half-Track wreck presents the incorrect PFX and SFX.
[Fixed] [F1] The pillars of a brick building display metal PFX and SFX
[Fixed] Wooden planks display stone PFX and SFX.
[Fixed] [F5] Stone Stairs in Church Entryway Have Wood PFX
[Fixed] A pile of planks presents stone PFX and SFX
[Fixed] An interior lantern presents laser beam instead of flame
[Fixed] [F1] The pillars of a brick building display metal PFX and SFX
[Fixed] [F3] Half-Track wreck presents the incorrect PFX and SFX.
[Fixed] [F5] Player can hide inside a column in the St Mary Church
El Alamein
[Fixed] Tessellation issues are present in multiple sectors while ADSing
The LOD on the landscape changes based on the amount of screen space it takes up, and when we ADS, the weapon takes up a big part of the screen space meaning the landscape takes up less. This can sometimes trigger the LOD to change and create a landscape-warping effect.
To fix this, we need to tune the minimum screen value to a point where we can ADS without triggering the LOD. Unfortunately, a side effect of this change involves adding more triangles to the landscape.Sometimes, we may need to do this manually, rather than let Unreal choose where we tessellate, and set it up on the landscape shader where we only tessellate within a set distance from the player.This can then be used to gradually reduce the amount of tessellation, and are able to only add this detail where it is needed around the player.
[Fixed] The terrain surrounding the trenches were misaligned with the environment
Has Call of Duty not been scratching your competitive itch lately? Have you been looking for a new multiplayer World War II shooter to hop into? Well, look no further, because the United 1944 Closed Beta is coming later this month, and we’ve got all the details on how to be part of it.
For starters, here’s the trailer for the upcoming beta:
This closed beta will feature some new content that hasn’t been seen before in earlier playtests. Here’s what you can expect:
Closed Beta 2 Content
New Maps – Two new maps will be playable in the upcoming playtest. Players will be able to fight on the battlefield in France and Africa for the first time in this game.
New Modes – The beta will feature two new modes: Domination and Survivor. Domination looks to be a 16v16 territory control mode where players must capture points in order to push the opposing team back. Survivor, on the other hand, is a “dog-eat-dog extraction” mode. Players will have to scavenge for loot and fight players off to extract safely.
New Weapons – Players will be able to get their hands on the Bren and the Type99 this time around. These two light machine guns are sure to tear apart the competition.
Day/Night Cycle – The game’s day-night cycle now features better visibility in the dark so that players don’t have to stumble around looking for someone to shoot at.
Movement Improvements – The game’s movement has been tweaked from the last beta to give the game a smoother feel.
Does any of that content sound enticing? If so, read on to learn how to join the upcoming playtest and get your hands on the game yourself.
How to Join the Beta
In order to request permission to join the United 1944 Closed Beta, all players must do is click on the “Request access” button on the game’s Steam page. It’s that simple! It’s important to note that this will not guarantee access, as the developers are still limiting the player count in order to test the server capacity.
Players can also join the game’s official Discord server to get regular updates and provide feedback on their experience. Additionally, the game will have Twitch drops enabled during the beta weekend, enabling players to get unique items by tuning into their favorite streamers.
The beta will run from September 29 at 6am PDT/9am EDT/9pm HKT to October 1 at 12am PDT/3am EDT/3pm HKT.
As promised with an announcement earlier today, NetherRealm Studios has revealed the Mortal Kombat 1 Day One Update patch notes. This touches on various bugs, with the notes for PS5, Xbox Series X|S and Switch available below.
Mortal Kombat 1 Day One Update Patch Notes for September 14:
PS5 and Xbox Series X|S Patch Notes:
General
General bug fixes
Added and fleshed out accessibility options
Character polish and tuning pass
Added numerous additional finishing moves
Improved and refined UI to include additional new options
Invasions
Substantial revisions and polish on various encounters
General UI Improvements
General bug fixes
Rebalanced boss fights
Adjusted mesa progression
Added Season 1 content
Added challenge towers in the gateway mesa
Story
Improvements to the movie player
Visual polish to numerous scenes
Tuning of the story finale and final boss
4k resolution movies added
Online
Improvements to matchmaking
Bug fixes to online modes
Nintendo Switch Patch Notes:
General
Enables additional character/kameo roster, additional arenas, and kustomization
Enables full tutorials, fatality practice, practice mode
Enables Towers and Tournament modes
General bug fixes
Story
Enables full story campaign
Online
Enables online gameplay
That’s about it. If there’s another patch released, we’ll be sure to let our readers know. You can check out the MK1 review round up here to see what the critics have to say about it.
Nintendo decided to give the nostalgic fans in the audience something to look forward to in this morning’s Nintendo Direct by announcing a remake of an old GameCube classic. Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door will be coming to the handheld console sometime in 2024.
The trailer for the game can be seen below:
The graphics have been totally revamped for the new version, and player can expect the game to have updated controls to suit the Switch’s layout. All in all, the remake looks gorgeous.
This remake is pretty exciting news, as it’s the first time a Paper Mario game has ever been updated or modernized. We’ve had about one Paper Mario game release per console for Nintendo since the Nintendo 64. They haven’t all been hits, but there’s no denying that it’s a beloved franchise for the Mario company. Hopefully this game is well-received, and we’ll get to see more of the series’ games brought up to date.
Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door is currently slated for a Nintendo Switch release in 2024. For other news from this morning’s Direct, check out the announcement of some new Splatoon 3 DLC.
Minecraft’s still going strong after over a decade of dominating the survival game genre. Fans of the game look forward to seeing updates and spin-offs every year at the game’s special events. Luckily for fans, Minecraft Live 2023 was just announced to air October 15 at 10am PDT/1pm EDT and October 16 at 1am HKT.
You can check out the funky animated trailer for the event here:
Here are some of the things you can expect to see at Minecraft Live 2023:
Mob Vote – The mob vote has become a staple of recent Minecraft events. Players will be able to vote on which of three new mobs they want to see in-game. Maybe a golem will finally win this year.
Upcoming Updates – Minecraft fans will also be able to get updates on what’s coming to the game in future updates. These updates usually introduce new features, mobs, and biomes.
Spin-off Content – Minecraft Live is also where we usually get updates and extended looks at the other Minecraft titles like Minecraft Legends and Minecraft Dungeons.
Minecraft Live 2023 will be available to watch on the official Minecraft website and YouTube channel. We’ll be sure to update our readers on anything new we learn from the event.
For more Minecraft coverage from MP1st, check out our review of Minecraft Legends, where we gave it a 6/10 and said, “Minecraft Legends may retain some of its original blocky charm, but the fun aspect was lost somewhere along the way, being replaced by repetitive gameplay and frustrating unit control woes.”
Remember how Among Us took the world by storm upon its release, becoming one of the most played games at that time. However, recently, it seemed to have lost some of its momentum and the developers were well aware of it. That is why they are introducing a new Among Us map called ‘The Fungle.’
With its unique list of tasks, fresh layout, and vibrant scenery, ‘The Fungle’ promises to be an exciting map to play on. Previous ‘Among Us’ maps became repetitive and had the same feel to them, but with this new map, we are going out in the open, which is a refreshing change. Take a look for yourself:
The developers are hoping that this new addition will take Among Us back to its glory days and it may just happen, the map does look great. Unfortunately, The Fungle does not have an exact release date as of now, but it is scheduled to come out next month in October, 2023.
Cyberpunk 2077’s big Update 2.0 release is just around the corner, and lucky for all our chooms out there, we’ve managed to get some hands-on with the update before launch, exploring the newly revamped police system and new vehicle combat system. Here’s everything you need to know and our impressions on how it plays!
Note: this impressions piece goes over the improvements and new features from Update 2.0 and not Phantom Liberty. For that, the review embargo lifts this September 20.
Cyberpunk 2077 Update 2.0 Hands-On Preview:
TLDR Version:
Skill trees have been simplified in order to make it easier to read and understand for both old and new players.
New chase system – Cops will now chase you with their vehicles. New and old quests will also have enemies pursuing you. Aggroing enemies in the open-world can result in chases.
Vehicle combat is great – You can now aim and shoot out of vehicles. You can also use quick hacks that’ll cause other vehicles to steer in different direction, come to a stop, and even self-destruct.
New weapon mounted vehicles are available, some equiped with machine guns, other rockets, and sometimes both. We’re sure modders are going to have fun making Twisted Metal inspired vehicles.
2.0 Police System lives up to expectations.
There are five wanted levels, instead of four.
Police no longer spawn out of thin air, but instead will now drive out to your location with radio chatter playing of them coming to you.
Each wanted level offer different tier levels of police. You’ll see normal police, armored ones, elite, robots, and of course the Psycho Squad.
Different tiers of vehicles also start appearing, those being your standard squad cars and motorcycles, to armored trucks and weapon equiped ones.
Maxtac (Psycho Squad) have a unique spawn animation – They are now flown in via airship, and drop down from it.
The police have access to hacks, can pinpoint your location and even disable your vehicle.
On foot cops will chuck grenades at you to try and stop you.
They will barricade roads ahead of you if they’re in pursuit.
If they have you pinned on a street, they will start to surround you and block exits with their vehicles. They’ll do this, even if it means ramming into one another. They’ll also use the vehicles as cover.
City turrets appear to be gone, though I could be wrong.
All these additions make the cops feel like a true threat to the players, unlike before where they sort of just existed.
Cyberpunk 2077’s Phantom Liberty expansion is dropping in the next few weeks, but before players venture off into Dog Town, CD Projekt Red is dropping a free update (available September 21) for all players that introduces a host of improvements, fixes, and, most of all, new features, which include a new skill tree, vehicle combat, and an overhaul to the police system. I won’t be talking much about the skill tree other than it appearing to be more “simplified” and user-friendly than the one before. Instead, I want to focus on the new vehicle combat system and the redone police system.
With the launch of Update 2.0, players will soon be able to shoot freely from their vehicles, whether stationed or while driving. It’s a standard feature in most open-world games, mind you, but one that Cyberpunk 2077 lacked. This, in ways, brings the game on par with other open-world games, such as Grand Theft Auto, and being able to now shoot out of your vehicle without ever leaving it feels right with this update.
You can also perform quick hacks as you drive. It’s sort of like Watchdogs, being able to go around and hack other vehicles, causing them to move on their own, come to an abrupt stop, and even explode. If there are turrets and other environmental objects, you can even hack them as you drive.
Mounted weapons in vehicles are also introduced in this update, with most being exclusive to Phantom Liberty owners. I’ve seen machine guns and rocket launchers on some of the cars, and using them during combat almost feels like CD Projekt Red’s spin on the Twisted Metal franchise, one I’m hoping to see further expanded down the road.
All these new features come together once you experience the new Chase system. While driving around Night City, taking on various missions, and interacting with different factions, I noticed that I would encounter car chases traversing between locations. Take the carjacking gigs; enemies will now chase you around the city, trying to stop you from delivering the car to its designated spot. You’ll find that you’ll get engaged in high-speed shootouts as enemies roll in with old, rusted cars, motorcycles, and even armored vehicles, all to try and stop you. There’s a sense of a threat around you now, and I do have to say it feels fantastic. Car chases genuinely add a layer of dynamic to the world that Cyberpunk 2077 has severely lacked since its release.
And speaking of what the game lacked in its original release, the police system has been fully overhauled with the 2.0 update, and wow, is there a significant difference. For starters, police no longer randomly spawn out of the void. When you start doing things, such as hurting civilians, police chatter will begin to play over the radio with units being dispatched to the area. They will physically drive out you now rather than pop out behind you when you aren’t looking, and this is shown on the mini-map as a dot with a zone of alertness around it.
Sometimes, if there are no units nearby, you won’t get spotted and, therefore, can quickly evade the wanted system.
The star rating and what each tier brings have been redone, too. Instead of four stars, there are now five, each level being a different tier of police. So tier one is your basic street police, whereas tier two starts bringing in the elites, swat, robots, and eventually Maxtac (Psycho Squad) for tier five. The way each tier comes into view is also different; where tier one is your regular police squad cars, higher tiers will start seeing APACs and other armored vehicles with mounted guns. Psycho Squad also has a unique spawning animation. Once you reach Wanted Star 5, alarm-like sirens will begin to play. When you hear these, you’ll see an aerial transport vehicle dropping off the Psycho Squad.
Surviving Wanted Level 5 isn’t easy either, as they’ll throw everything they can at you. When you’re on foot, they’ll rush in with vehicles, attempting to block all possible exits as they stockpile vehicles by each other in hopes of cornering you. Driving, they’ll chase you all over Night City, with incoming units deliberately ramming into you. Police officers will shoot out of their vehicles at you, and those on foot will chuck grenades at you.
While attempting to evade, the police will also use hacks to their advantage, and as you move up the wanted tier, so does their level of hacking. Try to lose them, and they’ll start triangulating your position and send units out once pinpointed. In a vehicle that’s too fast for them? Well, prepare to be breached as they attempt to take control, bringing your vehicle to a halt.
The 2.0 police system truly does make the police in the game a viable threat. I’ve tested it out and tried to push it to its limits, which you’ll see in an upcoming video come embargo day for Phantom Liberty. But to give you an idea, I went ahead and modded my game save to give V nearly infinite health, and sat around causing mayhem on the streets of Night City. The police just kept pulling up on one another, blocking a road on both sides with their vehicles and using them as cover. As the wanted level began to heat up more, they soon pulled out their machine gun mounted armored vehicle units in attempts to run me over. To no avail, since my save was modded my health would only take tiny bits off that I could barely see. So I kept stationed, and eventually the Psycho Squad appeared. This is where I ended up getting surprised because as it turns out, their damage output is significantly more — enough where a few hits actually killed me. Again, I can’t show you anything in-game, but here’s an image from GTA5 to give you a better idea of what I went up against.
Yes, a scene like this is entirely possible now.
The police’s AI has certainly come a long ways, though despite being a vast improvement in 2.0, it still has room for growth. You’ll still notice some instances where if you commit a crime and the police is notified yet there’s an officer literally right across the street, they still might not notice you. This happened quite a few times to me but nothing more tweaking can’t fix.
What does appear to be absent from this update though or rather removed, are the city turrets. I get it, since they were really only there to accommodate the lack of police chases, and personally I was never a fan of them. But, I would have loved to see cameras replace them instead, especially in the spots police officers don’t go to. I know I mentioned evading them is hard, which it is, but only if your not trying to actively hide from them. There are plenty of closed roads, and lonely alleyways for you to effortlessly hide in, with the police ignoring them most of the time. Having cameras spawn in these blindspots to alert police could be a feasible solution, though I am sure CDPR will further tweak the system.
But all-in-all, the system itself is impressive, and one worthy of meeting the expectations that players had when the game first launched. It’s a free update too, which is surprisingly to say the least as it really does change the whole game, and for the better. If you were someone who was holding out on playing the game, maybe for the expansion itself, I’ll say this update alone makes venturing into Night City well worth the risk.
MP1st was given access to Cyberpunk 2077’s Update 2.0 as part of our Phantom Liberty review.
A gamer at heart, James has been working for MP1st for the last decade to do exactly what he loves, writing about video games and having fun doing it. Growing up in the 90's gaming has been in his DNA since the days of NES. One day he hopes to develop his own game.
Splatoon 3 update 5.0.1 is out now, and is a surprise patch that coincides with today’s Nintendo Direct where it was revealed that a new DLC called “Side Order” is planned for release in Spring 2024. Read on for what’s new in the Splatoon 3 patch notes for September 14.
An Off the Hook banner is available from the lobby terminal.
To collect your banner, you must first purchase and download the DLC content. Then start the Splatoon 3 game, visit the lobby terminal, and select Get Stuff.
Fixes to Player Controls
Fixed an issue that allowed players to climb unclimbable walls in rare cases when performing certain actions right after doing a Squid Roll from a wall.
Slightly adjusted the sounds the Heavy Edit Splatling makes while fully charged and while firing after being fully charged.
Fixed an issue that caused Trizooka wielders to appear as if they were overlapping with the Trizooka itself after doing a Squid Roll from a wall.
Fixes to Multiplayer
Fixed an issue in Wahoo World that prevented Zipcaster users from sticking to parts of the terrain in the center of the stage.
Fixed an issue in Shipshape Cargo Co. that sometimes caused players to be submerged in water when landing on certain spots on the stage.
That’s about it. Once we know more about the DLC, we’ll let our readers know.
Later this month, CD Projekt RED will finally unleash Cyberpunk 2077’s massive expansion Phantom Liberty. While we can’t share what we think of it so far (yes, we are currently playing through it), what we can share is the Cyberpunk 2077 Phantom Liberty review embargo lift date and exact times.
Cyberpunk 2077 Phantom Liberty Review Embargo Lift Date and Time:
Those interested in another romp in Night City, the Phantom Liberty review embargo lifts on September 20 at 8 am PDT/11 am EDT/11 pm HKT/5 pm CEST/4 pm BST.
While we are allowed to share hands-on impressions of the big Update 2.0 incoming to all gamers (not just who buy the DLC), we can’t say anything about Phantom Liberty until the embargo lifts. Stay tuned to our Cyberpunk 2077 Update 2.0 impressions hitting the site later today.
If you’ve held off playing Cyberpunk 2077, then all that waiting might just be worth it, as the big 2.0 patch should add another layer of refinements, features and more. Stay tuned to our review of Phantom Liberty hitting the site on September 20!
Respawn Entertainment is kicking off the Apex Legends Harbingers Collection Event this September 19 until October 3! This brings new cosmetics, a new Heirloom and more! Read on for the patch notes and other details.
Apex Legends Harbingers Collection Event Patch Notes and Overview:
Living Shell Trios – Become Messengers of Death by unleashing the “Rev Shell,” a grenade that seeks enemy targets and explodes on impact.
World’s Edge After Dark – Introducing a hellish version of Talos’ battleground, complete with the resurrected Train.
Rewards Track & Omen-Inducing Cosmetics – Players can earn all new items with the event’s Rewards Track, plus 24 limited-time cosmetics such as Gibraltar’s “Grave Protector” skin and matching “Eclipse Bringer” Charge Rifle skin.
Fuse’s Heirloom – If players unlock all 24 Harbingers Collection Event items before October 3, Fuse’s “Razor’s Edge,” an electric guitar tuned to shred enemies, will be automatically unlocked.
PATCH NOTES
BALANCE UPDATES
Weapon Crafting rotation
30-30 Repeater enters the crafter
RE-45 with Hammerpoint Rounds enters the crafter
Mozambique returns to floor loot
Nemesis returns to floor loot
Lowered autoplayer difficulty in orientation matches
Redistributed the pockets of high tier armor within POI’s (ex.the center of Countdown on World’s Edge) into the global loot pool
WEAPONS
Nemesis Burst AR
Damage reduced to 16 (was 17)
ADS recoil increased
LEGENDS
Fuse
Knuckle Cluster
Tactical deployment speed increased
Horizon
Gravity Lift
Weapon accuracy decreased while in Lift (more spread)
Vertical Lift speed reduced by 20%
Hover time at top of Lift reduced to 0.5s (was 2.0s)
Rampart
Amped Cover
Placement time reduced to 2s (was 3s)
Rampart now remains in placement mode after deploying a wall
Revenant
Forged Shadows
Reduce time extension from knocks to 5s (was 10s)
Extra damage to the shroud will bleedthrough to Revenant if it breaks
Shadow Pounce
Slightly increased pounce angle compensation when looking at the ground
MAPS
World’s Edge After Dark added to LTM
RANKED
Recent Hotfix: September 6, 2023
Guaranteed (%, per kill) Elimination Bonus has been raised across all skill levels
Point disparity between teammates of vastly different skill has been reduced
BUG FIXES
Digi-Threat now correctly highlights enemies through close proximity multi-layered FX
Gold magazine and gold bolt now work after being killed by a dummy
Level 1 accounts no longer appear as Champions in pubs
Audio
Certain weapon sounds (such as Rampart’s mounted turret motor) now stop upon match end
Finishers should no longer have doubled-up or missing audio
Weapon draw audio now plays correctly when swapping legends in the firing range
Olympus
New Revenant Heirloom no longer changes to original Dead Man’s Curve coloring after leaving the Fight Night ring on Olympus
Resolved endless skydiving after flying off map with a Trident
PC DX12
Resolved incorrect cursor location when using the controller in certain resolutions
Restored game window positioning when video settings are reset
LEGENDS
Ash’s Floating Point emote no longer has incorrect sound
Bloodhound’s Piercing Plasma no longer occasionally turns enemies invisible
Crypto will now get kicked out of his drone when silenced
Mirage restored heirloom allowing players to switch weapons without breaking cloak after a revive
Seer’s Focus of Attention no longer interrupts other highlight items and abilities
Vantage’s Spotter’s Lens restored in Firing Range
Valkyrie’s Bladed Decent no longer stutters visually
Wraith no longer gets stuck when meleed while using Into the Light finisher
Revenant
Forged Shadows
Damage to the shroud now contributes to damage stats and evo points
Friendly arc stars and knuckle clusters no longer stick to the shroud
Mad Maggie’s Warlord’s Ire now highlights Revenant when you hit his shroud
Vantage’s Sniper’s Mark now applies when you hit his shroud
Stun effects now apply when his ultimate is active
No longer gets stuck in Shadow Pounce when activating the ability before landing from the dropship
Resolved animation canceling when using Shadow Pounce that allowed you to draw weapons early
Restored highlight from Assassin’s Instinct showing up in cases where enemies are visible but partially obstructed
Stopped Shadow Pounce automatically deploying after climbing a ledge
QUALITY OF LIFE
Bloodhound can see Revenant’s Forged Shadows activation point
Firing Range Supply Boxes now sort weapons by type for easy access
Loba’s Black Market now sorts weapons by type for easy access
Improvements to how our audio engine dispatches and prioritizes audio voices
More accurate shadow rendering for legends and weapons in game menus
PC DX12: implemented new RHI (Rendering Hardware Interface) rendering backend
Once the actual file download is out, we’ll let our readers know.
Rockstar Games has unleashed a new GTA Online weekly update for September 14 with a fresh set of activities plus discounts, GTA Plus benefits and more! This ushers in the GTA 5 content that was leaked previously. Read on for the full highlights and details in one convenient list below.
New GTA Online Weekly Update for September 14 – Discounts, GTA Plus & More:
This coming Sunday marks the 10th anniversary of the release of Grand Theft Auto V. To commemorate the occasion and thank the community for their support, GTA Online is offering up a trio of outfits inspired by Michael, Trevor, and Franklin from GTAV, as well as GTAV-themed weapon finishes, and bonuses on classic modes. This week also brings the release of the new Bravado Hotring Hellfire stock car, and more.
Additionally, players can earn 4X GTA$ and RP on the latest Community Series playlist, featuring a selection of player-created jobs from the inaugural year of the Series.
Full details include:
Free outfits and weapon finishes inspired by the classic looks of GTAV’s Franklin, Michael, and Trevor
Full set of Snacks, Ammo, and Body Armor for playing any time this week
New Vehicle: The Bravado Hotring Hellfire (Free for GTA+ Members)
4X GTA$ and RP on Lamar and Trevor Contact Missions and The Community Series
Triple GTA$ and RP on Come out To Play
Double GTA$ and RP on The Data Leaks and Hangar Sell Missions
On PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X|S
HSW Premium Test Ride: The Coil Cyclone II
This week’s HSW Time Trial speeds between Terminal and Chiliad Mountain State Wilderness
50% off all Agency Properties, Upgrades & Modifications, Imani Tech Upgrades, and Record A Studios merchandise
40% off all Garages
This Week at Simeon’s Premium Deluxe Motorsport Showroom: The all-new Bravado Hotring Hellfire, Obey 9F, Bravado Buffalo S, Canis Bodhi, and Obey Tailgater
On Display at the Luxury Autos Showroom: The Obey 10F and Bravado Buffalo EVX
LS Car Meet Test Rides: The Pegassi Zentorno, Progen T20, and Pegassi Osiris
LS Car Meet Prize Ride: Place in the Top 2 in the LS Car Meet Series for two days in a row to win the Maxwell Vagrant
Gun Van Discounts: 20% off the Tactical SMG and 50% off the Fireworks Launcher for GTA+ Members
Vehicle Discounts: 50% off the Obey 9F,40% off the Bravado Buffalo STX, Obey 10F, Progen T20, Pegassi Osiris, and Pegassi Zentorno, and 20% off the Bravado Buffalo EVX
GTA+ Benefits: Free Bravado Hotring Hellfire, an exclusive free livery, Double GTA$ and RP on Assault on Cayo Perico, free clothing, and much more through October 11
4X GTA$ and RP on the Community Series
This week showcases seven of our favorite player creations featured during the inaugural year of the Community Series, while we have also upped the stakes with 4X GTA$ and RP through September 20.
Fight backwaves of the undead atop The Diamond Casino & Resort, snipe foes across a post-apocalyptic vision of Los Santos, and more as these legendary Jobs take center stage:
Premium Test Ride and HSW Time Trial: Only on PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X|S This week’s Premium Test Ride is the Coil Cyclone II (Super), an environmentally responsible hypercar built to run clean, and now fully torqued with a suite of upgrades courtesy of Hao’s Special Works.
Pick any eligible vehicle from your collection to gun it between Terminal and Chiliad Mountain State Wilderness in this week’s HSW Time Trial.
GTA+
This month, GTA+ Members get the new Bravado Hotring Hellfire, an exclusive livery, free missiles for their Kosatka, and more through October 11, including:
Free Bravado Hotring Hellfire (Sports) and 46 P’s and Q’s livery
San Andreas Federal Reserve Tee, Republican Space Rangers Tee, You Own Los Santos Hoodie
In Nintendo’s latest Nintendo Direct, we finally got a look at some new content for their frenetic ink-based shooter. The next Splatoon 3 DLC, titled “Side Order,” is a hefty single player expansion slated for a release sometime in the Spring of 2024. Here’s the trailer we got to see in the Direct:
From what we can see in the video, this DLC looks to be very heavily inspired by Nier: Automata. Players will climb a tower known as the Spire of Order and choose which floors to tackle. Each floor has different difficulties and will reward players with currency and upgrades such as increased splash damage for explosives or improved run speed.
The expansion will also allow players to access a new gliding mechanic with their drone companion. By hanging onto the bottom of the drone, players will be able to descend slowly and presumably traverse over gaps.
Perhaps most notably, the DLC will feature significant story content. We’ve come to expect story expansions for Splatoon games, so it’s good to see that Nintendo isn’t breaking the pattern. Throughout the trailer, we see a mysterious figure and all sorts of cryptic imagery that’s sure to be explained once we actually get our hands on Side Order.
To check out Splatoon 3’s latest update, click here.
Mortal Kombat 1 is officially out now! While the game itself might be out officially, the servers aren’t running properly yet. If you’re experiencing Mortal Kombat 1 down issues this September 14, it’s not just you, but it’s intended, as this will prep the game for its Day One Update.
Update: The official day one update patch notes are now available! Read ’em here.
Mortal Kombat 1 Down for Maintenance and Day One Update Roll Out:
Here’s the announcement from NetherRealm Studios:
UPDATE: We will be issuing a day one patch for #MK1 on September 14 around 9:30AM CDT. At this time, the servers will be offline and expected to return online around 12:00PM CDT.
UPDATE: We will be issuing a day one patch for #MK1 on September 14 around 9:30AM CDT. At this time, the servers will be offline and expected to return online around 12:00PM CDT.
As you can see, the downtime isn’t that long, and should be resolved in a few hours. If anything changes regarding that, we’ll update the article. Regarding the day one update, once that’s live (and there’s tangible patch notes to be had), we’ll provide a link out to it in this article.
For those wondering why there’s no crossplay, it’s not connected to the servers at all, as NetherRealm has mentioned it won’t be available at launch, but is something the studio is working on.
