If you've been thinking that Nintendo is having a great year, its latest financial report proves you haven't been wrong.
We've already written about the sales of the new Nintendo Switch console, which have been so outstanding that the device is on track to overtake the lifetime sales of the Wii U within a year.
But the games are selling well, too. The newly released Super Mario Odyssey reached sales of 2 million in just three days, which is a wild improvement over the month it took the critically acclaimed Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild to reach 2.7 million sales. In our review, we called Odyssey one of Mario's "most inventive adventures yet."
Nintendo also dropped in some numbers about the SNES Classic Edition. Even with the shortages that followed almost immediately after its release, Nintendo managed to sell more than 2 million units within a month of release. That number is likely to go up much higher now that fresh shipments are starting to go out to GameStop and other stores.
It's not all rainbow roads, however. Super Mario Run is proof that popularity doesn't always mean success, at least for Nintendo. Even though the mobile game has been downloaded 200 million times and 90% of those downloads came from outside Japan, Nintendo president Tatsumi Kimishima says it has "not yet reached an acceptable profit point."
Free-to-play, all the way
On the bright side, the report goes on to say that Super Mario Run has allowed Nintendo to reach markets it was never able to with its traditional consoles.
Part of the reason for Super Mario Run's "disappointment" may be that Nintendo opted for a fixed price point for unlocking the entirety of the game. Fire Emblem Heroes, Nintendo's next mobile game, instead relied on a free-to-play model and microtransactions for its revenue and so hauled in more cash despite snagging fewer downloads.
Variables such as the respective quality of the games may have played a hand, of course, but it's likely no coincidence that Animal Crossing: Pocket Camp — Nintendo's next planned mobile game — will embrace a free-to-play model as well.
Update:We've rounded up our favorite games from September 2017. Click through to see which titles have topped our list.
2016 is done and dusted from a gaming perspective, but don’t fret - there are enough great titles coming out in 2017 to put your New Year’s resolution of getting outside more or spending less on games in some serious jeopardy.
That being said, we've gone through and compiled the list of the best games coming next year as well as collected the best ones that have already come out (Gravity Rush 2 anyone?).
The reason for this list is two-fold: First and foremost we want to give you a look ahead at the new year of gorgeous games – powered in large part by powerful hardware like the PS4 Pro and Xbox One S. Then, once we start collecting more games that deserve to be called "the best of 2017" we'll group them together by month for your perusing pleasure. Combined, this list should give you a pretty complete overview of where you should spend your free-time next year.
Oh, and in case you missed it, and are interested the best gaming moments of last year, be sure to check out our 2016 Game of the Year Awards.
OK, we've spent time enough living in the past. Our first eagerly-anticipated release is less than a month away, so let's not waste any more time.
Resident Evil 7
What system(s) is it on? PlayStation 4, Xbox One, PC
The latest entry in Capcom’s survival horror series is a wild departure from its past few predecessors, but in the end that only made it better. Foregoing the guns-blazing action mentality that had come to define the series for better or worse in the past few years, Resident Evil VII came at us with a much more subdued scare tactic. A first-person horror adventure trapped in a musty, rotted house with a family of musty, rotted maniacs? If that doesn't scream nostalgia, I'm not sure what does. Resident Evil 7 was a great return to form for the series and one that's well worth your time.
Gravity Rush 2 was a huge sleeper hit this month. The original – while definitely unique in its premise and art style – didn't reach critical acclaim, but that's a whole different story here. New gravity powers and styles make combat feel fresh and the expanded relationships give us something more to latch onto. There are still a few control problems here, as you might obviously expect from a game that involves manipulating gravity, but overall its charm and beauty far outweigh any lingering issues we might've had.
Yakuza 0
What system(s) is it on? PS4
Yakuza 0 is a game you didn't know you wanted from a series you might've only heard but it's downright amazing. Imagine Grand Theft Auto minus the ludicrous amount of ammunitions and adding in tons of hysterical side quests.
To that end, Yakuza 0 is a deadly serious game about some really adult material that never takes itself too seriously. You'll have just as much fun pummeling people for cash as you will playing any number of the wacky and wonderful mini games you can find throughout the massive game world. Gravity Rush 2 was this month's sleeper pick, but Yakuza 0 is this month's somehow even sleepier sleeper pick.
Horizon: Zero Dawn
What system(s) is it on? PlayStation 4
The newest project from Killzone series developer Guerrilla Games, Horizon: Zero Dawn’s concept is far more unique and engrossing than the forgettable mashup of words that make up its title. (Seriously, we challenge you to leave us a more generic-sounding title in the comments below.)
Thankfully, Horizon's premise was far more original.
An action adventure set in a world overrun with robotic fauna, Horizon casts you as a human hunter named Aloy who uses a mix of stealth, ranged combat, and a little improvisation to fell inorganic beasts and survive in the mecha-wilderness. Not just a unique take on an open world, Horizon pushes what the PS4’s hardware can do from a graphical level. That said, we feel this game deserves a spot in any gamer's PS4 library.
Despite it being eight years since the last game, Halo Wars 2 doesn’t feel like a large step from the original. It looks better and it takes into account everything that’s happened in the Halo story since the first game, but mechanically it is much the same as its predecessor. That’s not necessarily a bad thing, though. Everything considered, Halo Wars 2 is enjoyable – if not that innovative.
What system(s) is it on? Nintendo Wii U, Nintendo Switch
As we expected, The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild was the Nintendo Switch's big launch title and it's certainly done well for itself. With good reviews pretty much across the board it's a must-have title and a great way to start off your relationship with the new Switch console.
The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild takes the adventuring shenanigans of Link and blows it up onto a sprawling open world where players can explore at their leisure and daring. Even the series’ trademark dungeons can be played in whatever order the player wants, making Breath of the Wild a game that is just as much about maintaining the series' status quo as it is breaking it.
While previous entries in the Legend of Zelda series like Ocarina of Time and Wind Waker have played with the concept of a large explorable map, Breath of the Wild is taking things to ambitious new heights.
What system(s) is it on? PlayStation 4, Xbox One, PC
Given how the original Mass Effect trilogy wrapped up the epic tale of Commander Shepard’s battle for all sentient life with a nice lil’ bow, the next installment in BioWare’s sci-fi series had us intrigued. With essentially a blank slate to tell a new story, Andromeda is set far in the future, 600 years after the events of Mass Effects 1 through 3.
In an expansive, semi open-world environment, players are tasked with exploring new planets with the aid of your own ship, the Tempest, and a customizable six-wheeled space whip called the Nomad. Of course, things don't always go according to plan in the more roguish parts of the galaxy, so you'll also be bringing your allies, laser weaponry, biotic powers, and other abilities both familiar and new to Mass Effect fans along for the ride.
Though it's the latest game in the Mass Effect franchise we're not so sure it's the greatest and you can find out why in ourfull review.
Yooka Laylee
What system(s) is it on? PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Wii U, Nintendo Switch, PC
Sometimes it takes a genre coming back with a vengeance to remind you just how long it's been since you've seen one of its kind. That was the overwhelming feeling playing Yooka-Laylee, the Kickstarted spiritual successor to Banjo-Kazooie from a group of ex-Rare developers, left us with.
The recent absence of the cartoon platformer is what initially makes Yooka-Laylee such a novel game. You play as Yooka, and Laylee sits on your shoulders, allowing you to perform special moves and providing a second character to bounce witty dialogue off. It's a formula we haven't seen in some time, but it's one we're all the more excited to come back to all these years later.
Prey
What system(s) is it on? PlayStation 4, Xbox One, PC
From the ashes of the cancelled-before-its-time Prey 2, Arkane Studio’s revival of the Prey franchise is, well, some interesting branding. With little direct resemblance to the original Prey to be a reboot, nor anything really to do with its scrapped sequel, Prey is more of a re-imagining of the series’s original concept - though we question what constitutes a series when only one entry ever saw the light of day, but we digress. What now stands in Prey 2’s place is something wild, intriguing, and plenty ambitious enough to be whatever it wants to call itself.
Aboard a research vessel floating in space to study a mysterious alien life form, players will have to use their wits and resources to survive as a breach puts them - and possibly the entire Earth - in danger.
We've given the game a "play it now" recommendation in our full review, praising its often surprisingly deep story, incredible atmosphere and open-ended approach which offers something to both casual and hardcore gamers.
Marvel ain’t the only superhero property throwing down this coming year. NetherRealm Studios’ 2013 brawler Injustice: Gods Among Us is getting a sequel in 2017, returning to the DC Comics universe to knock some serious heads. With classic standbys like Batman, The Flash, and Wonder Woman going toe-to-toe with new additions like Gorilla Grodd and Blue Beetle, Injustice 2 is looking to be a from-the-pages slugfest both fighting game fans and comic aficionados alike can really enjoy.
To that end, Injustice 2’s tagline of “Every Battle Defines You” isn’t just a dramatic piece of marketing text. Each time you step into the ring with one of the DC’s finest, that character walks away with new loot that enhances their skills, traits, or overall ability until you have a suped-up Superman tuned exactly to your tastes.
Crash Bandicoot N. Sane Trilogy is the game we've waited over 20 years to play – it's the not-quite-remastered remake of the game many of us loved growing up. It wasn't something we ever thought would happen considering that the game's original development studio, Naughty Dog, is deep in development of The Last of Us Part 2 and Uncharted 4 DLC, so we're thankful another developer, Vicarious Visions, was there to pick up the slack. Call us suckers for PlayStation-era nostalgia (guilty as charged) but with a year like 2016 in the recent past, it'll be nice to have something to bring us back to the good ol' days.
What system(s) can I play it on? PS4, Xbox One and PC
Tekken is up there as one of the best fighting game franchises out there and Tekken 7 is a worthy addition to the series. As ever you'll find an exciting roster of fighters and incredible depth when it comes to controls and tactics.
One problem wth Tekken 7 is that it can be somewhat inaccessible if you're new to the series. Bearing that in mind, we've put together a tips and tricks guide to help you get started.
Arms
What system(s) can I play it on? Nintendo Switch
Tekken 7 isn't the only worthwhile fighting game to have come out in June 2017. While Xbox One and PS4 got the latest Tekken, Nintendo kept itself in the fight by releasing the new and Nintendo Switch exclusive Arms.
Arms is a single and online multiplayer fighting game that's quite unlike anything else on the market right now thanks to its colorful characters with telescopic (and interchangeable) 'arms'.
As you'd expect, a new IP means learning new skills and we've got a tips and tricks guide to get you off to a good start.
Splatoon 2
What system(s) can I play it on? Nintendo Switch
Being Nintendo's first real stab at an online shooter, the original Splatoon was a bit of a surprise hit for the Wii U. This time around, however, we were ready and waiting for the sequel on the Nintendo Switch.
Splatoon 2 didn't disappoint, improving on the original in nearly every way while bringing more of the same paint-based fun. Nintendo has really pushed Splatoon 2's online play through competitions at various shows such as E3. If you want to be capable of a stage-worthy performance, you definitely need our tips and tricks guide.
Uncharted: The Lost Legacy
What system(s) can I play it on? PlayStation 4
And they thought it was all over! Yes, we thought the Uncharted series had come to an end after Naughty Dog told us that Nathan Drake's story had been told but we have to admit we were glad we were wrong. Uncharted: The Lost Legacy is a standalone spin-off starring the Nadine and Chloe from the main series.
Mario + Rabbids Kingdom Battle took us by surprise but it's absolutely a stand out game from August 2017.
Nintendo's Mario and Ubisoft's Rabbid rabbits doesn't seem like a combination that should work but we promise it really does.
This is a turn-based tactical game and it's incredibly fun to play thanks to gameplay that's satisfyingly complex and deep without being overly difficult. It's a lovely game to look at with fantastic level and character design – overall it's just a charming experience.
With this partnership, Nintendo has managed to secure another successful exclusive for the Switch. With our tips and tricks guide you can ensure your first foray into the game is equally as successful.
Destiny 2
What system(s) can I play it on? PS4, Xbox One and PC
Destiny 2 is the hotly anticipated sequel to the massively successful online multiplayer shooter Destiny. Created by Bungie, this game improves upon the original with an excellent single-player campaign and a much improved sense of accessibility.
We said you should play it now in our review and if you decide that's exactly what you're going to do, we have a tips and tricks guide that's perfect for easing you in.
FIFA 18
What can I play it on? PS4, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch and PC
It comes around every year and every year we look forward to it. Yes, it's the football sim FIFA. As per the historical trend, the latest installment of FIFA brings in some incremental performance and graphics improvements. It also brings the second season of the series' cinematic story mode The Journey, suggesting it was a game mode experiment that EA considers a success.
We said it was a "Play it Now" title in our FIFA 18 review and if that's advice you've decided to follow, you can play it well with the guidance of our tips and tricks guide.
Super Mario Odyssey
What system(s) can I play it on? Nintendo Switch
Super Mario Odyssey was one of the most highly-anticipated games for the Nintendo Switch this year and it hasn't disappointed. Receiving widespread critical acclaim, this game is a sandbox 3D adventure that puts the super into Super Mario.
We called it one of Mario's finest adventures to date in our review and recommended that you play it now. If that's something you decide to do, you can also check out our tips and tricks guide.
Assassin's Creed Origins
What system(s) can I play it on? Xbox One, PlayStation 4, PC
After a year away, Assassin's Creed returned refreshed and rejuvenated with Origins. This is different to any Assassin's Creed game we've seen before thanks to its addition of RPG mechanics and a new combat system. Far from ruining the series, it's reinvigorated it and this is one of the best releases we've seen in recent memory. Plus, running around ancient Egypt is massive amounts of fun.
In our review we recommended that you play it now.
Call of Duty is returning at the end of this year and this time it's going back in time to WW2. A more historical approach worked for Battlefield 1 and there's great potential here.
After Call of Duty: Infinite Warfare disappointed fans and Activision it looks like this next installment is going to give the series a much-needed shake-up. Call of Duty WW2 will feature a single player story campaign, multiplayer, and a multiplayer mode with a story element so there should be something for everyone.
Expectations are high for this ambitious new game and we hope that when the game is released on November 3 it meets them.
What systems is it on? PlayStation 4, Xbox One and PC
Star Wars fans have a lot to look forward to this year, and one of the things we're most excited about is the new addition to the Star Wars Battlefront series from EA DICE, Star Wars Battlefront 2.
Though the first game in the series really captured the atmosphere of the Star Wars universe, it was lacking in other areas. This time around it looks like DICE is really taking criticism on board and making some much-needed improvements.
First off, we're getting a single-player campaign mode that will put players in the shoes of Iden Versio, a member of the Imperial Forces elite ops unit called Inferno Squad and occupy the time between the sixth film of the franchise, Return of the Jedi, and the seventh film, The Force Awakens.
Excitingly, the sequel will also expand beyond the original trilogy and explore characters, locations and events from the new films and prequel trilogy too.
That means that in addition to characters like Luke Skywalker, Darth Vader, Han Solo and Boba Fett, players will get to take control of characters such as Rey, Kyrlo Ren, Yoda and Darth Maul.
Taking all of this together, we're looking forward to a game that should be bigger, deeper and hopefully better.
With less than a week until the Xbox One X hits stores, we've finally got our hands on a final retail review unit and have duly unboxed this beauty to get a closer look at the world’s most powerful console. In the video below, we dig out what’s inside the Xbox One X box so you know exactly what to expect.
There’s a lot of tech inside the svelte One X, and you’ll be amazed at how compact it is compared to the original Xbox One and even the revised Xbox One S. Drop your jaw in amazement as TechRadar’s Paul Taylor picks up the console, manhandles it for a bit, and stacks it up next to its older siblings.
Exciting stuff. Did you see the power cable, the codes to Games Pass, and Xbox Live? There’s a bunch of other paperwork too, but you’ll inevitably chuck that the garbage once you’re filling your eyeballs with screaming-fast 60fps 4K games.
A lot of people will be thrilled to know the One X has a ‘clicky’ power button rather than a capacitive touch button. While the chassis is a similar size to the Xbox One S, the exterior is radically different.
We’ll have more Xbox One X footage soon (once those pesky embargoes have lifted!) and compare what games look like running on this 4K beast compared to the Xbox One.
Aussie gamer looking for a shortcut to the very best Xbox One games? Check out Official Xbox Magazine's new bookazine, The 100 Greatest Xbox One Games — just AU$14.95 with free shipping!
Rocket League was the talk of the gaming scene two years ago, and it may be about to enjoy a fresh boost of interest soon. Just in time for the Christmas holiday, developer Psyonix announced the scrappy game about soccer with cars will be coming to the Nintendo Switch on November 14.
Nor is it entirely a simple port. Switch players will get everything that's available on PC, PS4 and Xbox One, but they'll also get perks such as cars with designs that riff off the costumes of Nintendo's iconic Mario and Luigi characters as well as two based off of Metroid's Samus.
These cars and other customization options are available for free, but you'll still need to unlock them through in-game challenges.
Switch owners will also enjoy cross-platform play with Xbox One and PC players (although, oddly, the PS4 isn't included). Wireless local multiplayer will also be included.
Nintendo Minute visited Psynonix's headquarters in San Diego recently, where the team saw the Switch version in action. You can watch the resulting video below.
So you're looking for an Xbox One X deal? Well you better get a pre-order put down as soon as possible as they're selling fast already. After a year of waiting, Microsoft finally officially unveiled the Xbox One X at E3 2017. Formerly known as Project Scorpio, this is the full 4K HDR upgrade Xbox One owners have been waiting for.
So, fellow 4K-hungry gamers you'll be glad to hear that new wave of Xbox One X pre-orders has landed, with lots of retailers selling pre-orders ahead of the November 7 release date.
We've listed the links below for a reliable collection of UK and US retailers. First up, we've given a shout out to stores that still have pre-order stock available to order, followed by a selection of the best-looking Xbox One X bundles with extra games included.
Stay tuned for further updates. And while we think these Xbox One X pre-orders will sell out soon, you'll probably get another chance to grab one before launch. Feel free to bookmark this page to check back later when you're ready to buy.
What is the Xbox One X price?
You might want to sit down for this one. The Xbox One X will cost $499 in the US. UK gamers can expect to get their currency converters in a twist again, as you'll be paying £449 instead of the direct conversion of around £390. Naturally, these prices don't include any games.
Why should I buy an Xbox One X?
Just to be clear, this is not what you'd call a 'next-gen' console. Instead it's a powerful upgrade over the current Xbox One lineup. To simplify things, it's akin to Sony's PS4 Pro. Both consoles are aimed at gamers with a 4K HDR TV who want the best graphical performance possible on their favored console. There will be modest performance boosts on non-4K TVs too, but you're kind of missing the point without a 4K HDR TV.
As things stand the Xbox One X will play all Xbox One games and we're not expecting to see any games released exclusively for the Xbox One X (or so we've been told), so there's certainly no reason to throw away your Xbox One S yet.
The Xbox One X is the most powerful console ever made though, even outshining some of the specs of the PS4 Pro. But given the huge asking price, you'd hope as much. The Xbox One X is making bold claims about true native 4K gaming though with its upcoming titles and if you have a 4K TV with High Dynamic Range (HDR) technology, the Xbox One X is ready to seriously impress with the likes of Forza Motorsport 7, Metro: Exodus and Anthem set to be true jaw-droppers in the graphics department.
Where can I pre-order an Xbox One X?
As things stand at the time of writing, a very small number of retailers are still taking Xbox One X pre-orders. The initial batch of them sold out in a day or two and we're only seeing the occasional batch of fresh stock appear online. We'll keep you posted with regular updates towards the top of this article though, so feel free to bookmark us and check in to take a look for an update. We fully expect the likes of Amazon, Microsoft, Game and the other usual suspects to open up some more pre-orders soon ahead of the November 7 release.
Be careful though, many retailers only charge your card once the console ships, so make sure you have the full amount available in your bank around launch to avoid having your order cancelled.
What is the Xbox One X release date?
The Xbox One X will be released on November 7 2017. That's a worldwide release date too. It's a solid time of year to cash in on the Christmas shopping season.
If the Xbox One X is in short supply though, don't expect retailers to want to discount anything. It's more likely they'll add multiple games to a bundle and sell it at full RRP. Don't believe us? Have you tried to find a decent Nintendo Switch deal lately? If you're after a massive bargain, we expect Sony to be tearing the price of the PS4 Pro deals to shreds to tempt gamers over to the blue team of 4K gaming.
What if I don't care about 4K or want to save money?
The standard Xbox One S is a fantastic games console and you'll easily be able to get one with a few games for probably less than $200/£200 around Black Friday. There are cheap deals all year round on our Xbox One deals and PS4 deals pages too.
Only kidding. I want 4K HDR in my face right now.
4K TVs with HDR are nowhere near as expensive as you'd think. The prices have come down much faster than the original HD TVs, so you can get a decent model for a low price. Hell we've seen some nice ones for less than the price of the Xbox One X itself (what a ridiculous world we live in). For the best of the best, take a look at our best TV article. UK gamers, we've also rounded up the best cheap 4K TV deals too.
Sony’s Paris Games Week conference has come and gone, bringing with it a glut of new trailers for us to feast on. There were trailers for brand new games as well as confirmed upcoming titles from both first and third-party studios across the PlayStation VR and PS4 platforms.
To make your feasting feel more like a buffet and less like a restaurant-hopping scavenge, we’ve gathered together the biggest and best trailers from the show right here for you. Without further ado, here are the must-watch trailers from Sony’s PlayStation Paris Games Week show.
Ghosts of Tsushima
First up was the new IP from inFamous developer, Sucker Punch. Ghosts of Tsushima looks like it’ll be a fantastic addition to any game library, taking players to feudal Japan to play as a samurai at the time of the Mongol invasion.
Spider-Man
One of PlayStation’s most highly-anticipated exclusives is the upcoming Spider-Man game. Before now, we’ve mostly seen the game’s mechanics lauded in demos but this trailer was an altogether more emotional and story-focused affair. Giving us a look at Peter, his friends and his enemies, this is a trailer that looks just as exciting as the movie was.
Detroit: Become Human
Given that Detroit was a game that was first revealed at Paris Game Week we were very hopeful that we’d see more about it during this show. We weren’t disappointed. The game got a brand new gameplay trailer which shows this is going to be a highly emotional and dark game, with difficult choices for the player to make, Heavy Rain style.
The Last of Us Part 2
We weren’t sure if The Last of Us Part 2 would appear at Paris Games week but, lo and behold, it rounded off the show. If we’re honest, we weren’t sure when this trailer started whether it was The Last of Us. This footage shows a much darker game than even we anticipated, and it makes for some pretty grim viewing.
Concrete Genie
A brand new game announced at the show by developer PixelOpus, Concrete Genie is a third-person action adventure game that invites you to embrace your creativity.
This trailer really creates a sense of magic. The game will revolve around a bullied teenager named Ash, who uses his magical paintbrush to draw incredible landscapes and creatures on the walls of his abandoned hometown. Discovering that his drawings can come to life, Ash decides to try to use them to restore his town to its former glory.
Erica
Sony’s PlayLink platform, first revealed at E3 this year, is an innovative one which attempts to bring more people into gaming than ever by allowing them to play games together on their smartphones. Erica will be the next PlayLink game, though it’s much darker affair than those that have come previously. Looking like an interactive movie, Erica is a live action mystery game will have players solve a murder together.
Shadow of the Colossus
Shadow of the Colossus was revealed to be coming to PlayStation 4 in E3 earlier this year and now we’ve got another look at the game’s improved visuals. This truly does look set to be one of the most stunning games the PlayStation will have to offer.
God of War
We’re not actually all that short on God of War footage, but this is going to be one of PlayStation’s biggest exclusive games and it’s certainly being treated as such. This new gameplay trailer gives a look at the game’s combat system and how Kratos’s son will come in useful during fights.
Blood and Truth
PSVR got a lot of attention at this year’s show, and one of the games we’re most excited about is Blood and Truth. From the developers of The Getaway, this looks set to be an action-packed game that will bring some more GTA-style action to the PSVR.
Resident Evil 7: Not a Hero
Another exciting PSVR game to get a trailer is the Resident Evil 7 DLC Not a Hero. The VR element was one of the best parts of Resident Evil 7 and we’re glad to see support for it continue. Not a Hero will be available from December of this year and it definitely looks like it’s going to give some good scares.
Monster Hunter Worlds
Finishing up our roundup is a brand new look at Monster Hunter Worlds, coming to PlayStation in January 2018. This is an exciting and lengthy gameplay trailer, but by far the best thing about it is the reveal at the end relating to a Horizon Zero Dawn tie-in which will be exclusive to PlayStation players.
For more in-depth coverage of the show, make sure you read our full piece on all the big Paris Games Week announcements and their details.
Update:At its PlayStation Showcase at Paris Games Week 2017 Sony showed off a brand new trailer for the game focussing around its co-op gameplay. It looks like the multiplayer mode will preserve every bit of the mayhem of single-player.
You can watch the trailer in its entirety below, or read on for everything else we know about the game.
Original article continues below...
Far Cry 5 is the latest game in Ubisoft's chaotic first-person open world shooter franchise and thus far it's looking like it may be the most controversial title to date.
Following on from the prehistoric and unexpected Far Cry Primal, Far Cry 5 is returning players to the modern day, this time in America. Specifically, a rural area known as Hope County, Montana.
Hope County has been taken over by a cult of religious fanatics and the game tasks the player with liberating the residents of Hope County and restoring peace and order to the area. Using violence.
Cut to the chase
What is it? The next installment in the open world first-person shooter franchise
What can I play it on? PS4, Xbox One and PC
When can I play it? February 27 2018
Far Cry 5 trailers
At this year's Ubisoft E3 conference, we were treated to two new trailers for Far Cry 5, one of which featured more controversial and thematically-revealing cinematics, while the other depicted actual gameplay. You can watch both of them for yourself below:
Alongside the game's initial announcement trailer, Ubisoft released a series of character trailers which give details on some of the interesting NPCs players will meet in Hope County and have the chance of recruiting to their resistance when playing the game.
Mary May: The Barkeep
Pastor Jerome Jeffries
Nick Rye: The Pilot
Our first look at Far Cry 5 came on Monday, May 22 when Ubisoft dropped the first teaser trailer for the game.
The 40-second trailer didn't offer much of an idea of when the game is going to be set, but it did tell us where: Hope County Montana.
Far Cry 5 release date
The game's announcement trailer revealed that the game would be available from February 27 2018 on PlayStation 4, Xbox One and PC.
Hands on impressions
In the E3 demo for Far Cry 5, the very first thing we encountered was by far the biggest addition and change to the franchise in a while - guns for hire companions.
Before we started our mission we were given the choice of three companions: Grace Armstrong, a sniper able to provide accurate long-distance cover; Nick Rye, a pilot who can swoop in with his plane to drop bombs and spray devastating machine gun fire; and Boomer, a dog well-suited to stealthy take downs and a genuine sense of in-battle companionship.
Though we were tempted to go for Boomer (because who doesn’t love a canine companion in a video game?) we went for Nick, certain that he was the most capable of causing chaotic and widespread damage. We were not wrong.
Choose your companion
Once our companion was selected we were dropped into Fall’s End, a town in Hope County overrun by the game’s villainous religious cult and in desperate need of our help. You start the level from an advantageously high position and we were able to survey the chaos and devastation the people of Fall’s End were experiencing at the hands of the cult.
This was probably a good move as it made us feel a little less guilty about the bombs we were planning to rain down.
After scrolling through the weapon wheel to select our preferred weapon (the biggest and most dangerous-looking one, obviously) we jumped straight into the thick of the action and started firing bullets.
Unsurprisingly, the cult members reacted immediately and started running for cover, firing back. It was at this point that we started to question our decision to jump straight into killing every enemy in sight, a self-doubt that was exacerbated by the Ubisoft representative who delicately reminded us that a more stealthy approach was also an option.
It was at the point where we were cowering behind the shell of a truck, however, that we decided to employ the skills of our companion Nick Rye. Targeting one of the cult members in the center of the town, we pressed the button that would direct Nick to fire from his plane. Moments later, a satisfying explosion took place and we were saved the trouble of disposing of several enemies at once.
Knowing Nick was there for back-up made it much easier to take the brazen but exhilarating combat approach of walking straight into the open and shooting down enemies with abandon.
Creating safe spaces
Because of this, we were able to liberate Fall’s End fairly quickly, after which it became a safe place we could explore and interact with NPCs. After chatting to another possible companion, the barmaid Mary May, we made our way down to see Nick Rye to try out another form of combat in the game: aerial dogfights.
On the way to see Nick, we came across a woman being harassed by members of the cult at the side of the road. Random encounters like this in the game will be common and though you won’t have to stop and intervene to help every towns-person you see, it’s hard not to.
Aerial combat
When we finally took to the skies, we found Nick’s plane fun if slightly dizzying to use. The sheer amount of guns the thing is kitted out with make you feel invincible but chasing another plane through the sky in first person left us looping through the air for far longer than our sense of balance was comfortable with.
It became frustrating that we couldn’t zoom out for a wider view of the sky to find our enemy more quickly, though perhaps if we’d been more willing to slow the plane down we may have found the whole experience less stressful.
Familiar combat
Aside from its new guns-for-hire feature and the controversial setting, Far Cry 5 doesn’t really do much to change up combat. This isn’t necessarily a bad thing and there’s definitely a sense of ‘if it ain’t broke don’t fix it.’ There was never anything wrong with Far Cry’s first-person controls.
With the addition of companions, things have been made a little more interesting as you feel like you have a powerful trick hidden up your sleeve when combat feels like it’s becoming overwhelming.
In addition to this, it’s an easy way to add diversity to combat - it’s up to you to pick the companion that suits your play style most and depending on who you choose could genuinely affect the way you decide to tackle a particular area. Had we taken sniper Grace as our companion, we wouldn’t have been nearly so gung-ho as we were with Nick.
Forming relationships
Aside from what we experienced, we were told by the Ubisoft representative that recruiting companions and forming relationships with them would be a big and interesting part of the game. It's up to you, then, to secure the companions you'd most like to have on your side and, more importantly, keep on your side.
Aside from using companions in single-player mode, players will also be able to bring their friends into the game to fight alongside them in co-op mode.
Far Cry 5 will also feature the hunting elements we’re used to seeing in the franchise and wild animal encounters will again be another danger in the game world, as well as religious fanatics. Players will be given the chance to create their own character at the beginning of the game, determining gender and appearance.
From our brief time with the game we got the sense that Far Cry’s controversial new narrative, combined with the more varied combat enabled by the new guns for hire feature, has the potential to breath fresh air into the long-running series.
News and features
What's the story?
The game will this time revolve around a religious cult in the USA called The Project, which rises up to take control of the town of Hope County when your character arrives in town.
You'll play a deputy sheriff trying to take them down. The leader of The Project is Joseph Seed, who calls himself The Father, and he resolutely believes that the end of days is coming and it's up to him to save the town whether they like it or not.
Gameplay
This will be an open world adventure like previous Far Cry titles with a range of vehicles you can use to explore, ranging from trucks and sports cars to gun-equipped planes and boats.
Hunting and driving
According to Ubisoft, vehicles and weapons will be customizable (more than they've been in any previous Far Cry game) so it'll be interesting to see what we'll be able to do with them.
Hunting will also make a return, with players able to fish and shoot at wild animals they encounter while exploring.
Guns for hire
There will also be a guns for hire element to the game.
Each of these recruitable characters has their own back story and motivations so the player will have to interact with them and form relationships to convince them to help rather than have immediate access to them.
Once they're on your side, you'll be able select these companions to join you in the game world. Each of them has a distinct skill to offer and it's up to you to decide which one compliments your play style most.
When they're fighting alongside you, you can direct them using simple d-pad controls, instructing them which enemies you'd like taken out without having to do the work yourself.
It's an interesting and game-changing feature for far cry as it adds some much-needed variety to the otherwise not-much-changed combat.
Character creation
We've been told that players will be able to create their own character in Far Cry 5 with a choice of gender and some degree of appearance customization.
Updated:At its PlayStation Showcase at Paris Games Week Sony gave us an in-depth look at the upcoming game with a brand new trailer.
The trailer showed an extended story sequence from the game and was pretty gory in nature. It focussed more on the in-fighting between humans rather than between them and the infected.
If this trailer is anything to go by, the tone of the final game is likely to be just as serious as the first, with a story that's no less harrowing.
You can watch the trailer in all its gory glory below, or read on for everything else we know about the upcoming game.
Original story continues below...
Despite its fairly finite name, it turns out The Last of Us wasn’t the last we’d see of The Last of Us. Considering the first game has been continually hailed as a masterpiece thanks to its excellent, emotional story and engaging life-like characters, the decision to develop a sequel isn’t actually all that surprising.
Naughty Dog first announced The Last of Us 2 at PlayStation Experience in 2016 alongside a teaser trailer but noted that it was still in early development, no doubt to stop fan expectations running too wild.
Now that we’re approaching E3 2017, we imagine we’ll get slightly more of an insight into how the development is coming along at Sony’s press conference on Monday June 12. In the meantime, though, this is everything we know about the game so far.
Cut to the chase
What is it? The sequel to the critically acclaimed post-apocalyptic game The Last of Us
When can I play it? It’ll be a while from now, maybe late 2018 to early 2019
So far the only glimpse of the game we’ve had is the teaser trailer that was shown alongside the game’s announcement at PlayStation Experience in 2016. Despite the fact that the game is early in development, the trailer showed a full (non-gameplay) scene that features both Ellie and Joel. You can watch it below:
Release date
As Naughty dog has said the game is still in the early stages of development, we imagine it’ll be a while before we get to play The Last of Us 2.
We don’t even have a rough release window yet, though considering Naughty Dog has seen the bad side of promising a solid release date and missing it before it’s hard to blame them for not committing at this stage.
That might, however, be something we get at E3 this year so watch this space.
What we know so far
Story
Although it was no slouch in the gameplay department, it was the story told by The Last of Us that stuck with us for months afterwards. Naturally Naughty Dog had to give us some kind of hint about where the sequel would go.
At the moment we know The Last of Us 2 will take place five years after the end of the original game, with a 19 year old Ellie taking the starring playable role. Joel will still appear in the game but if the teaser trailer is anything to go by, he could be a much more passive presence.
This time around, Ellie is extremely angry about...something. From what we saw from the teaser trailer she wants revenge, which to her appears to be a dish best served deadly.
She does, after all, promise to “kill every last one of them.” It’s not clear who “them” is but it could signal that the Fireflies, the first game's well-meaning but morally grey antagonists, will make a return. Anger, hate and revenge are going to be key themes this time around so expect to be in for an emotionally heavy ride.
As Joel is such a passive presence in the trailer there’s been speculation that he’s actually dead, appearing in Ellie’s mind’s eye, and Ellie’s anger and vengeance will be directed at those who caused his death. This isn’t entirely unlikely but it’s purely speculation at this point.
Ellie is one of the most real and refreshing characters we’ve seen in gaming so it’s exciting that Naughty Dog are going to take her story further and put her in center stage.
The creative director of the game, Neil Druckmann has said that the story will be about Ellie and Joel’s relationship and that though the story would be complementary to the story of the first game, it would be much larger.
Hopes are particularly high for this larger story as it’s been revealed that one of the writers of Westworld, Halley Gross, will be co-writing the game’s story. Having someone who’s written scripts for such an incredibly popular and successful show should be a boon for the game's story.
Gameplay
Not much is being said about gameplay at the moment. Neil Druckmann said at a PSX Panel that there would, however, be some differences as a result of Ellie being the playable character rather than Joel.
“Ellie plays differently than Joel [...] Some things are evolution, some things are reinvention, but there will be a gameplay reveal down the road.”
It’s hard to glean much from this, but if Naughty Dog take the approach that’s frequently taken with playable female characters, Ellie will probably be more swift on her feet than Joel was but perhaps less able to take damage.
This won't be the first time we've had the chance to play as Ellie, after the first game put us in her shoes for a short mission, but here the purpose of the mission was to make her feel weak in comparison to Joel. We can only hope her abilities will be expanded for the sequel.
What we'd like to see
A new setting
Given that time has moved on 5 years from the end of the first game, it’d be nice to see Joel and Ellie in a new location too. It doesn’t necessarily have to be far from the setting of the first game but considering we have the two lead characters and their relationship to keep us tied to the first game, it’d be nice to play in a new location to keep things feeling fresh and make the introduction of new characters feel more plausible.
Druckmann has said that this game’s story will be larger than the story of the first game and we imagine this necessitates a slightly more expansive setting.
More frightening enemies
The infected in the first game are terrifying and threatening and we want to see more of that. Things don’t have to change too much but new classes of enemy, new character designs and new ways to defeat them would be excellent.
Considering we’ll be playing as Ellie now rather than Joel we imagine players will have to learn to take a different approach to combat anyway as it’s been said she’ll play differently.
It’d also be great to see more human enemies as well as the infected. We saw more than a few morally grey factions make an appearance in the first game so to expand on this and maybe introduce some more elements would be interesting.
The exploration of the morality of humanity in post-apocalyptic scenes is always interesting, particularly considering in games you’re interacting with it directly and feeling its impact more strongly than in most mediums.
The Last of Us 2 has the chance to make a real emotional impact through the human areas it presents us with.
The return of multiplayer
Multiplayer in The Last of Us was surprisingly good so we wouldn’t be averse to seeing it return here. If the game’s main story is going to be as heavy as we expect, it’d certainly be nice to have the option to break free for a while without leaving the game world and connect with others online.
Updated: Sony used its PlayStation Showcase at Paris Games Week 2017 to show off a brand new trailer for the upcoming game. The trailer showed off more gameplay for the game, including using the environment to tackle enemies.
You can watch the trailer in its entirety below, or read on for everything else we know about the upcoming game.
Original article continues below...
God of War and Kratos are coming to PlayStation 4 in what looks set to be a reboot for the series. This time around, Kratos is moving away from Greek mythology to delve into the Norse world and he's bringing along his son for the ride.
When it comes out in early 2018, we're expecting this to be a God of War that has more of a focus on narrative but still boasting a healthy amount of hack and slash Deicide.
Cut to the chase
What is it? Kratos returns in the fourth game in the PS4-exclusive God of War franchise
When can I play it? Early 2018
What can I play it on? PlayStation 4
Trailers
Sony used its keynote during E3 2017 to show off a second trailer for the upcoming game which shows off more of its axe-based combat as well as portions of a mission involving travel in a small rowing boat. You can check it out below.
Before E3 this year we only had one, an impressive 10 minute gameplay reveal from E3 2016.
This was our first look at how the new game will look and play and it revealed some significant changes are coming to the series. You can watch it for yourself below:
Screenshots
Release date
No solid release date for God of War has been set just yet, but early 2018 is at the very least a window we have. Initially Amazon US had the game listed as having a release date of December 29 2017 while across the web a German retailer had it listed for January 18 2018 but neither of these dates has been confirmed by Sony.
The fact that there’s being such a big advertising push this year suggests that the release isn’t too far off and we imagine we’ll get a solid date at E3 this year.
What we know so far
Story and setting
At E3 2016, Sony treated its audience to a 10 minute gameplay trailer for God of War. This trailer showed that rather than returning to mythological Greece, this time we’d be whisked off to a mythological Norse setting with lots of snow-covered woodland to explore.
The trailer surprised many by showing an older Kratos teaching his son (now known to be called Atreus) how to fight.
In a post-conference interview Sony Santa Monica creative director Cory Barlog confirmed that the game would take place many years after the events of God of War 3 and that players would see the usually angry and vengeance-driven Kratos take a more stern and controlled approach.
This new mentor Kratos is likely to be much more conducive to storytelling. Though he’ll still get very angry and will still be focused on violently killing things (Spartan Rage is still a feature, for example), this new game will concentrate slightly more on crafting a satisfying narrative.
“It’s a franchise that has historically acutely underperformed in Europe [...]. Hack and slash games tend to not do so well in Europe, so the narrative this time around will make a big difference. European gamers love narrative games. And Singstar.“
Ryan stopped short of confirming what form the game's karaoke mini-game will take, but we're sure it's in there somewhere.
Gameplay
According to Barlog, the biggest change this time around will be seen in the gameplay which has been completely redone.
”The main thing we're doing is we're reimagining the gameplay, kind of tearing it down, rebuilding it from scratch, and continuing the storyline,“ Barlog said. ”We're carrying the mythology we've created with God of War and bringing it into Norse mythology.“
We got a sense of how gameplay would be different from the E3 gameplay trailer which showed us a much tighter third person camera perspective, which is much different from the fixed, distant angles we’ve grown used to over the course of the series.
Barlog said this new perspective was borne of a desire to create “a much more intimate experience, a much more up close, and a much more player-controlled experience, so the camera really is a mechanic that we’re leaning into heavily for everything in the game.”
He was quick to note that the game’s “pick-up-and-play accessibility” would still be there, but players would have a “new take” on the game.
The more close-up camera will apparently be used to more effectively use the game's environment to tell its story as it’ll be much easier for players to pick up on smaller details.
Berlog also said that though the game’s world wasn't entirely linear, it wasn’t an open-world game.
In a recent interview God of War's director, Cory Barlog, offered some more details on the game's new upgrade system.
The system has essentially been overhauled as the team aimed to "leave behind" the classic system and "contextualize” it in order to make something that's a little more fun.
This time around, then, the game will feature a dwarven duo called Brokk and Syndri. This pair, responsible for the creation of Thor's hammer, will be responsible for upgrading Kratos through the game. Barlog said they will be there to help you upgrade "as well as develop your combat perspective for the two main characters."
Interestingly, Brokk and Syndri will have their own story that revolves around their being locked in a family feud and not having spoken for 50 years. As the game progresses, players will learn more about them and could potentially impact their story arc which is a sign of just how seriously the developers are taking their commitment to creating a more involving narrative.
Combat
In this new game, Kratos’ weapon of choice is an axe which can be used to hack and slash or use as a projectile. It's a far cry from the axes and chains that Kratos used across the first three games, but it should provide a much needed change for the series.
Combat moves will be performed using the trigger buttons and Kratos will also be able to make use of some elemental magic.
As you’d hope, Spartan Rage makes a return here and will be particularly useful against larger foes.
Upgradable abilities will still appear, though this time upgrades will be achieved through an XP-based system where exploration and using Kratos’ skills will play a big part.
As far as Kratos’ son Atreus is concerned, he won’t be playable. He will, however, accompany his father through the game and fight alongside him. A button on the Dualshock controller has been dedicated to Atreus which will allow players to direct him, interact with him and advance his skills.
In an interview with Gamasutra the game's engineering lead Jeet Shroff talked about how fighting alongside Atreus would change the game slightly.
According to Shroff, Atreus will "aid his father in many ways" throughout their journey. Rather than limiting their relationship to the game's narrative Kratos' son will become another thing the player can use when in combat.
"In gameplay, Atreus plays a key role in autonomously aiding and complementing Kratos while navigating through this foreign land as well as being an extension to his arsenal in combat."
He won't only be useful as a physical combat aid, though, as players will also be able to "use a face button to have Atreus translate runes, solve puzzles" as well as "use his full depth in battle from dividing the field to tag teaming and following up on enemies.” According to Shroff it'll be up to the player whether they use Kratos' son more for strategy or more directly to enhance combat combos.
Tapping into Atreus' magic does seem, however, like it will be key to solving puzzles, unlocking missions and finding out more about his back story.
Enemies
Gods will, of course, return but the Norse versions will be somewhat different to the Greek ones we've seen previously. While Greek gods were happy to play as politicians and manipulate humanity from afar, Norse gods like to get a little more directly involved. How that will play out we're not sure but we're excited to find out.
Mythological monsters will also return in this new God of War in the form of Draugr, trolls, and maybe, but not definitely, (we saw one flying around at least) dragons.
Multiplayer
It’s been confirmed that unlike God of War Ascension on PS3, this PS4 God of War won’t feature any kind of multiplayer
Update:At its Paris Games Week 2017 PlayStation Showcase Sony revealed an all new trailer for the new Spider-Man game. The trailer had a large focus on the game's story, and appeared to confirm that Miles Morales will have a much bigger part to play in the game than his appearance in the previous trailer suggested.
Does this mean we'll have two playable Spider-Men in the upcoming game? Only time will tell.
You can check out the new trailer in its entirety below:
Read on to see all the latest news from the game.
Original article continues below...
Games based on superheros have had a pretty patchy history. Before Rocksteady blew us all away with the Batman Arkham games, superhero titles usually felt like cheap experiences rushed out to cash in on fan excitement surrounding an accompanying movie.
The exception was Spider-Man 2, a Treyarch-developed tie in to the movie of the same name, which for the first time put us into the shoes of the legendary web-slinger in a fully open-world New York.
With such an amazing legacy to live up to, who could blame us for being excited when at E3 2016 Sony announced a new Spider-Man game was in development from Insomniac Games, the development studio behind the Ratchet and Clank, Resistance, Sunset Overdrive and Spyro the Dragon games?
The company has confirmed that the game will be making an appearance at the show next week, so read on for everything we know, and everything we want to see in the new Spider-Man game.
Cut to the chase
What is it? A new Spiderman game from the studio behind Ratchet and Clank and Spyro the Dragon series
When’s it out? 2018
What can I play it on? PS4
Spider-Man PS4 Trailers
At E3 2017 Sony showed off a second trailer for the game, which gives us a more in-depth look at the game's combat and story.
At the previous year's E3 Sony announced the game with an impressive reveal trailer. Features shown off in this first trailer include a city with internal, as well as external, areas to explore, vehicle-based missions (for Spidey’s enemies, not the man himself, thank god), and a whole load of web-based fighting.
Spider-Man release date
An official release date is yet to be confirmed but at the very least we know we're not going to see this game until 2018.
Spider-Man PS4 Features
At the moment, details on the new game are thin on the ground, with both Insomniac and Sony remaining tight-lipped on many of the game’s key details. Read on for the few details that have been released so far.
Ratchet and Clank Engine
Just after E3 last year Insomniac confirmed that the game would be running on the same engine as the recently-released Ratchet and Clank remake for the PS4.
The news was confirmed by the official Insomniac Games twitter account, although it also stated that the development team has been iterating on the engine since.
The PS4 version of Ratchet and Clank is one of the console’s best looking titles, so we think its engine being used to power the new Spider-Man game is no bad thing.
Not based on Spider-Man: Homecoming
Although the game being released this year coincides nicely with the return of Spidey to the big screen with Spider-Man: Homecoming, the game’s creative director, Bryan Intihar, has confirmed that the game will not be tied into the movie.
The news was confirmed in a post on the official US PlayStation blog which said that, “Nope, this isn’t the same Spider-Man you’ve met before, nor is our game based on the upcoming movie.”
While it’s a shame that we won’t be web-slinging through the streets of NYC as Tom Holland, we can’t help but think this has the potential to be a good thing for the game, as its developers will be free to forge their own path without having to stick to the plot, characters, and themes of the movie.
In a recent behind-the-scenes look at the game shown at D23, Insomniac said that the game will actually be more inspired by the Ultimate Spider-Man comics, featuring an older, 23 year old hero.
A more seasoned Peter Parker
In the same blog post, Intihar said that the game will feature “a more seasoned Peter Parker who’s more masterful at fighting big crime in New York City.”
At this year's D23 it was revealed that in this game Peter would be 23 years old and more experienced as Spider-Man.
Rather than sitting through yet another Spidey origins story, we're going to jump right into the fun gameplay stuff. According to Insomniac, the game will more fully explore how Peter Parker and Spider-Man's worlds collide in an attempt to tell a human story as well as a superhero story.
While it’s always satisfying to see the downtrodden nerd get blessed with super-powers, this isn’t necessarily fun from a gameplay perspective.
Hopefully this direction will allow players to jump right in with a fully powered-up superhero, and get to the good stuff right away.
An open world
We know this game is going to feature an open world and we really can't wait to swing around it. One of the most satisfying things about previous open world Spider-Man games was being able to see New York from the web slinger's point of view and we're looking forward to seeing what the latest gaming engines can do here.
According to Insomniac this is the biggest game map they've created and will be even bigger than their Xbox exclusive Sunset Overdrive map, Sunset City.
Quick-time events
From the trailer shown at E3 2017 it looks as though the game will make use of quick-time events for its more action-packed moments. We're not fans of how these can take away control from the player, but we won't know the effect for sure until we try out the game for ourselves.
What we want to see
With so little solid information released about the game, we can’t help but speculate as to what direction Spider-Man’s first PS4 outing might take. None of this is in any way confirmed, but we’d love to see these features make their way into the new game.
A friendly Spider-Man
Spider-Man has always been one of Marvel’s lighter-hearted heroes. He’s a quippy, funny, teenager who’s almost, almost, more concerned about his grades than the fate of the world.
While past games and movies have included gun-toting villains, we hope the new game doesn’t stray too close to the real world. We want colourful bad-guys with bombastic plans, not the gritty realism of the Nolan Batman films.
This isn’t an excuse to shy away from having an impactful story, but if it could stop short of a Logan-esque bleak-fest then we’d be very grateful.
A neighbourhood Spider-Man
Related to the previous point is that we’d like to see Spider-Man stay true to his roots as a neighborhood superhero, rather than the more globe-trotting heroes seen in the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
As far as we’re concerned, the Spider-Man 2 game was at its best when Parker was doing something as simple as retrieving a child’s balloon. He’s a character that’s motivated by trying to clean up the city he loves, rather than grander ambitions like trying to save the world.
We’re reassured that the game won’t be related to the Homecoming film which seems to tie Spidey more into the wider Marvel Universe, and hopefully this will mean that Insomniac are free to focus on the New York setting rather than worrying about the rest of the Avengers.
A wide cast of supporting characters
Not being related to the movie should also allow Insomniac to explore Spider-Man’s ecclectic cast of villains, which range from the Sinister Six, to Venom, Doctor Octopus and Kingpin.
However, with Disney owning the rights to most of the Marvel Universe and Sony owning the rights to Spider-Man’s corner of it, it’s difficult to know exactly how much of the Marvel IP Insomiac has access to.
There has been a lot of crossover between Spider-Man and Daredevil in the comics, with Peter Parker even donning Daredevil’s suit to act as a decoy on one occasion, but with the Daredevil license currently being used by Netflix for an original series it’s not clear whether the character is up for grabs in the game.
There are lots of unknowns at this point, but it’s definitely a case of ‘the more the merrier’ when it comes to Spider-Man’s supporting cast.
At its Paris Games Week keynote, Sony began strong by announcing a brand new PS4 game from Infamous developer Sucker Punch.
Titled Ghost of Tsushima, the new game appears to be set in a Samurai-inspired setting.
Aside from a title and setting, details of the new game were pretty scarce. Given that Sucker Punch's previous games have all been third-person action games and platformers, we'd imagine Ghost of Tsushima will follow a similar formula.
The gorgeous new open-world Assassin's Creed Origins, set in a beautifully realised ancient Egypt, would be a demanding game for PC hardware to run at the best of times. But it seems that stringent anti-piracy measures may be adding an additional, substantial strain on machines.
Following reports of excessive CPU load from the new game, TorrentFreak spoke with game cracker (read: piracy enabler) Voksi, who found some interesting implementation of anti-piracy DRM (digital rights management) tools in Origins.
It appears that Origins is employing not one, but two DRM tools. The first is the often used Denuvo, which has been reasonably easy to crack for pirates in the past. As an added defensive measure, Voksi claims that VMProtect, another anti-piracy tool, has also been used.
It's this dual-set up that's making gamer's computers work incredibly hard when running the game. VMProtect works by running code in a virtual machine on your system, using non-standard architecture to secure the files that would make the game vulnerable to pirates.
Virtual overheads
This virtual machine appears to be resulting in even powerful processors being overloaded, with some players reporting its leading to Windows' dreaded "Blue Screen of Death" crash as their CPUs overheat just a short while into a play session. While that's at the extreme end of the scale, reports of FPS drops and stutter are being reported more widely.
As a game cracker, Voksi will have a bias against these systems, but the entire episode still acts to underline the ongoing battle between pirates and publishers and the gamers caught in the crossfire.
Without pirates, there would be no need for these DRM measures, and yet the tools being implemented act only to harm the enjoyment of those paying to play the game legitimately – you can assume pirates would eventually patch out the DRM should a crack prove successful. However, Ubisoft have a right to protect their intellectual property, and a more complex DRM system will certainly go someway towards slowing (if not stopping) piracy of the game. And yet Ubisoft have a duty to the experience of their players too.
For now, the casualty just seems to be the legal player, who is now faced with the prospect of upgrading components not for the sake of gameplay, but for anti-piracy software that they themselves should not have to deal with.
eBay deals on Black Friday 2017 may not be here for a few more weeks, but the retail site is getting into the savings spirit early with some scary good sales the day after Halloween. And that's just the beginning.
You see, eBay wants you to be a "first-minute" shopper this year by saving big as soon as the calendar flips to November. To that end, eBay is opening up impressive early holiday deals on a range of products beginning November 1, followed by another batch of bargains on November 6.
These early savings mean that when the Black Friday date of November 24 rolls around, you'll be in prime position to finish off your gift list way ahead of the holidays. And then you can really rub it in the faces of your family and friends who are scrambling to find last-minute gifts.
Without further ado, here are our picks for the top eBay tech deals you'll find available beginning at 5am PT / 8am ET on Wednesday, November 1 and at the same time on Monday, November 6. Check out the eBay daily deals page for even more savings.
eBay deals on November 1
Put away your Halloween costume and have a few pieces of candy because the early bird gets the bargain with eBay deals beginning November 1.
Here are the top electronics deals you'll find once the clock strikes 5am PT / 8am ET this Wednesday. Remember, these deals won't go live until then.
eBay deals on November 6
Set a reminder for November 6 as you'll want to check back at eBay for even more before-Black Friday savings. Just like the earlier deals, these savings go into effect at 5am PT / 8am ET one week from today. The deals listed here are not currently live.
eBay Black Friday deals to come
It's not even officially November yet and already we're seeing eBay deals for the holidays. This bodes well for the rest of the month, and especially the biggest shopping day of the year, better known as Black Friday.
We'll keep this page updated as more eBay deals surely roll in and on Black Friday 2017 itself. Plus, we'll be sure to update you as soon as Cyber Monday deals start to poke their head out.
Like an exceptionally under-achieving older sibling, the Wii U continues to make the Nintendo Switch look like a child prodigy – in just six months the Switch has managed to sell half the number of consoles the Wii U did in its five year lifetime.
According to Reuters, the Switch has at this point sold just under 8 million units and the company is now forecasting one year sales of 14 million rather than its original 10 million.
For context, it took the Wii U five years to sell 13.56 million consoles. Managing to beat five years of sales in just one is a fairly good indication that Nintendo has created a hit with the Switch, or at the very least underlines just how much of a failure the Wii U was.
Switch success
Nintendo has recorded revenue of 219.9 billion Japanese yen ($1.9 billion) for the quarter, which is significantly more than the 174 billion yen expected.
In terms of software, in the past six months alone Nintendo has managed to sell more than 22 million Switch games, bringing the total number to over 27 million.
These numbers don’t even take the recently launched Super Mario Odyssey into account. Given the high levels of anticipation for the game and the outpouring of critical acclaim, it’s likely these numbers will increase significantly in the run up to Christmas.
Nintendo has also reported a 55 per cent increase in its digital sales, something which can probably be attributed to the Switch given the number of popular digital-only third-party titles it supports.
Dealing with demand
So, the Switch is certainly proving to be a popular release for Nintendo and it seems likely that the only thing that could significantly hinder its success at this point is Nintendo itself.
In order to give the console the best possible chance of achieving its full sales potential Nintendo will now have to ensure that there are enough consoles in supply to meet demand, something which it’s been struggling with.
Given the success of the Switch, the continued success of the DS line, the popularity of the NES and SNES Classic miniatures and the ongoing push into the mobile market it’s highly likely 2018 is going to be a strong year for Nintendo.
It may be the opinion of some PC gamers that you aren't a hardcore player unless you're rocking a GTX1080 and have a different VR headset for each day of the week. But almost any half-decent laptop made in the last five years can actually play an amazing library of games without even needing a dedicated GPU.
We're here to show you the amazing low-demand recent games that you'd be a fool to miss, as well as some AAA smashes that work surprisingly well on low-end hardware.
Once you're looking for something meatier, check out our best PC games
CPU: 2 GHz
RAM: 4 GB
GPU: Intel HD 3000 or better
Whether he’s at LucasArts, Double-Fine or here and now in a new indie studio, veteran developer Ron Gilbert is also sure to serve up a slice of veritable gaming gold.
That tradition of impeccable output continues with Thimbleweed Park, a pixel art point ‘n’ click adventure that harks back to the glory days of Maniac Mansion while weaving it together with a very modern eye for creativity.
It’s effectively a murder mystery graphic adventure, where FBI agents Reyes and Ray - who in now way resemble another famous pair of fictional, UFO-chasing member of the Bureau - arrive in a quiet town to investigate a murder most horrid.
The way it weaves together a genuinely clever story and a cast of peculiar yet instantly memorable characters is something most games with far larger budgets miss entirely.
CPU: Intel Core2 Duo E8400, 3.0GHz or AMD Athlon 64 X2 6000+, 3.0GHz or higher
RAM: 2 GB
GPU: Geforce 9600 GT or AMD HD 3870 512MB
You can gauge just how good a game might be when several severe delays, and a release amid the biggest titles of the year, fails to dampen the quality of its reviews.
Cuphead is so consistently enjoyable, those delays were a good thing. If Studio MDHR needed that time then so be it, because the end result is an art style like no other (one that perfectly recreates the early heyday of 1930s animation) and a run and gun set of mechanics that punishes you and rewards you with equal measure.
As you guide the titular hero and pal Mugman towards the Devil himself, you’ll bask in the glorious jazz soundtrack and the incredible variety of bosses. You’ll slip and you’ll die many times, but you’ll love every damn second of it.
CPU: 2 Ghz
RAM: 2 GB
GPU: 256 mb video memory, shader model 3.0+
If you love farming sims (and, judging by how well the likes of Farming Simulator and Harvest Moon sell, there’s quite a few of you out there), then few games are going to get you jumping for agricultural joy more than the bewitching busywork of Stardew Valley.
Taking many a cue from the Harvest Moon games, Stardew Valley's top-down POV and cutesy characters feel meld together perfectly.
It’s a dull sounding core concept to be sure - tend your fields, grow produce, raising livestock, etc - but that’s the beauty of it. There’s a moreish peace to the mundanity of SV’s minutia as you expand your farm, fish down at the river and even head into the village to strike up friendships (and maybe something more *wink wink*) with a cast of NPCs. Farming has never been so much fun.
CPU: Intel i5 Quad-Core
RAM: 4 GB
GPU: Intel HD 4000
Describing Night In The Woods as Life Is Strange meets the animal kingdom might seem a little pretentious, but that’s probably the most accurate way to sum it up to someone who’s never heard of this little indie wonder.
It’s a poignant tale, one that tackles the idea of innocence lost, mental health and the rigors of becoming an adult - it just happens to it with a town full anthropomorphic characters.
Much like Life Is Strange, the decisions you make in dialogue and throughout your hometown of Possum Springs will determine how the story plays out. It’s a game that, refreshingly, lets the narrative flow take centre stage as you attempt to unravel the strange goings on around you (and in your own mind).
The 2D art style and the beguiling soundtrack are great too, proving you don’t need triple-A budgets and overfed specs to create a memorable piece of interactive art.
CPU: 1.2GHz
RAM: 512 MB
GPU: DirectX 8-compatible graphics card with at least 32MB of video memory
You’d wonder whether Hotline Miami’s neon-drenched ultraviolence would exist if the film Drive had never been made, and while it’s hard to miss just how vigorously it doffs its bloody mask at the Gosling classic, the end result is an utterly brilliant little indie title.
With a pixel art style evoking the top-down look of Grand Theft Auto’s retro years, Hotline Miami revels in its almost psychedelic violence. The concept is simple: adorn a mask (each one is styled on an animal and adds its own buffs, debuffs and unique abilities), enter a level and paint the walls with your enemies gore.
Add in buckets of neon, a synth soundtrack that’ll have you sewing a scorpion onto the back of a white jacket in no time and one messed up storyline and you’ve got a classic in its own right.
Although it's relatively new at only two years old, that doesn’t mean Pillars Of Eternity is going to break your machine with its vast world of role-playing shenanigans.
And you’ll be thanking the RPG gods that it’ll play on your low spec PC/laptop, because POE offers one of the most deeply rewarding experiences you’ll ever play, regardless of how powerful your computer claims to be.
Most of the backgrounds in this huge gameworld are rendered in 2D, making them a) beautiful to look at and b) very easy to load.
Most of the action occurs in real-time but with a tactical pause feature that enables you to stop the action and re-order your party to suit the changing battle unfolding around you.
It’s made by Obsidian - one of the premier RPG developers out there - so you know you’re getting a premium experience at a lower spec.
CPU: 1.5 GHz Core2Duo
RAM: 2 GB
GPU: OpenGL 1.4 or better
If someone told you a game about working in a border control office would be one of the most addictive games ever, we’d imagine you’d scoff and walk off shaking your head.
That is unless you’ve played a little indie gem by the name of Papers, Please. Set in a fictional take on the Eastern Bloc, you’re an immigration clerk tasked with processing refugees from an unfriendly neighbouring nation.
The core concept is simple: check each person’s documents against a clear set of rules, process those who meet the requirements and detain those with false papers.
The game’s designed to test your attention to detail, but also the strength of your moral compass. Sometimes you’ll have to decide if certain sympathetic characters should be granted asylum, even if it goes against the rules.
The twist is good performance effectively feeds you family, while mistakes put their lives in danger. It’s dark, but engrossingly so.
CPU: Intel Pentium 3 1Ghz or AMD Athlon 1GHz
RAM: 256
GPU: 32 MB with Hardware T&L
Come on, do we really need to convince you to go out and own a copy of Knights Of The Old Republic? Arguably the greatest Star Wars game ever made (yes, even better than Dark Forces II and Rogue Squadron), KOTOR proved that the most recognisable lore ever could feel fresh and exciting again outside of the silver screen.
Coming from Bioware, the Canadian studio that would go on to create the Dragon Age and Mass Effect series, KOTOR offers compelling characters, intense action that mixes real-time tactics with turn-based mechanics a galaxy of stories that felt tangible and real. Sure, it’s technically not canon anymore, but it still remains one of the greatest games ever coded. Get this in your collection now.
CPU: 2GHz+
RAM: 3 GB
GPU: 512MB
Part role-playing game, part bullet hell shooter, Undertale is a game like no other. The fact that this amazing game is the work of one man is astounding, considering the depth of consequence developer Toby Fox has built into Undertale’s world.
In the diminutive boots of a child who’s fallen into a monster-filled world beneath the earth, you’ll encounter vicious bosses where only the quick thinking survive.
The fact you can befriend bosses as well as fight them changes the fabric of the story, and proves it’s not just NPCs that offer vital moments of dialogue. It’s a game of empathetic reflection, where your actions dictate how a boss or monster reacts to you.
Aggression leads to more powerful attacks against you, while avoiding retaliation will soften the blows. Strange and seductive in its own special way, Undertale is a curio definitely worth chasing.
CPU: Intel Core 2 Duo or AMD Athlon 64X2
RAM: 2 GB
GPU: NVIDIA GeForce 100 series (512 Mb) or Radeon HD 3xxx or better
When it comes to CCGs (collectible card games), Hearthstone does a pretty great job of keeping you and your deck of animated cards entertained throughout - but what happens when you want something a little less innocuous? You give a CCG with a unique spin such as Chronicle: RuneScape Legends a gander.
Based on the classic lore of Runescape, Chronicle combines card-dealing with the 3D setup of a RPG. Cards represent real characters and enemies that appear across a 3D-rendered pop-up books.
Cards are played sequentially, with player characters facing each one (ranging from foes to curses to stat buffs), before facing off against one another at the end. It’s bizarre, brilliant and absolutely worth your time.
Hey, it’s even got new single-player content when you don’t want to test your mettle against other users. Not bad for a low-spec CCG.
CPU: 2GHz
RAM: 1GB
GPU: Card with 128MB+ dedicated memory
FTL sounds like an ultra-hardcore game when you describe it: a real-time strategic space roguelike. A roguelike is a game that makes you start from scratch when you die. However, FTL is actually well-suited to pretty casual laptop gaming. You can even get it for iPad, after all.
You tool up your star ship, recruit your crew and do your best not to get destroyed as you take an important message from one end of the galaxy to the other. Screenshots don't really to FTL justice, as all you just see is a blocky graphic of your ship, not really its spacey surroundings.
However, it's the perfect game for public play: nothing on-screen to make you feel too embarrassed. Or keep fellow passengers glued to your screen if you play on train journeys.
CPU: dual-core 2GHz
RAM: 2GB
GPU: DirectX 9 compatible
Few games stay relevant as long as Skyrim. It should feel ancient, but a mod scene has kept it vital for the past half-decade. Being so old has also meant humble hardware has been able to catch up with its real-life spec requirements.
It'll run pretty well on Intel Core-series processors from the last 2-3 years, and even plays pretty well on some recent Atom/Pentium CPUs on its lowest settings. If you have a real dog of a laptop, there's also a mod that'll cut down the settings even further than the game itself allows, called Ultra Low Graphics Mod. Imaginative naming.
In case you've been locked in a cupboard for the past five years, Skyrim is a massive open-world RPG that won countless 'game of the year' awards when it was released back in 2011.
CPU: 1.7GHz dual-core
RAM: 2GB
GPU: Intel HD 3000 or newer
Remember the game that earned millions and millions of dollars of funding on Kickstarter back when such things were unheard-of? That's Broken Age, the point 'n' click platform made by one of the people who came up with Monkey Island back in the 90s.
While it didn't single-handedly revive the genre, it is a fun tale that is nowhere near as frustrating as most of the early 90s adventures, most of which are best viewed through a pair of rose-tinted nostalgia specs. From a distance.
You play as both male and female characters, skipping between chapters in their respective stories to make sure the narrative doesn't get stale. We're steering clear of spoilers, so we'll leave it at that.
CPU: 1.7GHz
RAM: 512MB
GPU: DX 8.1 compatible card
You might head straight for 2D games when you think of games that'll work with pretty modest hardware. However, some once-fancy 3D games work very well with non-gaming laptops. Valve's Source engine is particularly good at working with lesser GPUs, making classics like Half-life 2 play well on modern integrated graphics hardware.
If you're not up for a thinking person's FPS like Half-Life 2, you might want to check out fantastic first-person puzzler Portal 2 instead. It is also based on the Source engine. Portal 2 takes the portal gun from Half-Life 2, which makes teleporting holes in walls, and makes a whole game out of it. Possible one of the best games of all time, actually.
CPU: Intel Pentium D
RAM: 2GB
GPU: Intel HD
It's easy to think of Minecraft as retro in some way, but it's far more innovative than some of the nay-saying haters would have you believe. It is not just for kids. Try it, you might just like it.
This world-building classic was never out to wow audiences with its Crysis-style graphics, but its highly scalable visuals let you tweak Minecraft to suit any machine. As well being able to fiddle with the draw distance and the few visual effects the game uses, you can change the field of view too.
Minecraft is also well-suited to laptop gaming because you don't need to be super accurate with your cursor, which is handy if you're using a trackpad rather than a mouse.
CPU: 1.6GHz
RAM: 1GB
GPU: x1950 Pro, 7900 gt
Take 90s platform stylings, add a roguelike twist, a thoroughly modern random level generator and a few RPG sprinkles and you have Rogue Legacy. It's one of the most addictive indie games of the last decade.
You play as a knight type, leaping right into a castle full of nasties. When you die, and you will die, you return as one of that warrior's descendants. The castle will be different, as will the class of your character. While you have to start from scratch each time, you can unlock bonuses by collecting gold from chests in the castle.
This is the bit that makes it more accessible than a true roguelike game, where you really have to start from square one when you die.
CPU: 2GHz
RAM: 1GB
GPU: Nvidia HD 4450
Don't Starve is a cracking little game where you wander around in a slightly twisted nightmarish world, exploring and picking up supplies to try to survive, day by day. When the sun goes down, awful creatures start prowling around the shadows. If you don't build a fire, you're a goner.
You have to eat to keep yourself healthy, and even your mental health deteriorates if you don't find out ways to pep yourself up.
There are some nice visual effects in don't starve, but as a predominantly 2D near-top-down game, it's happy to work with all but the most basic laptops.
CPU: Intel Core 2 Duo
RAM: 2GB
GPU: Intel HD 1000
If you don't mind a real risk of addiction in your laptop gaming, Hearthstone is a title not to miss. It is a little like nerd classic card battler game (and also video game) Magic: The Gathering, but much better-suited to quick, casual play.
Like so many modern casual games, though, you'll probably end up playing it for a lot longer than five minutes. And it feels even more "right" on a laptop than a hulking desktop.
It's a Valve game and, like most Valve titles, fares incredibly well on lower-end hardware. It officially supports the Intel HD 1000 integrated GPU, from way back in the Sandy Bridge generation half a decade ago.
CPU: Intel Core 2 Duo
RAM: 2GB
GPU: Intel HD
Is Civilisation the ultimate "PC" game? Many of us have spent a fistful of full days working through Civilisation's virtual recap of the ages of man, whether it was back in the 90s, or just last week. Civilisation V has more of the casual vibe that previous Civ games, but that makes it more palatable if you're looking for something to kill 30 mins, rather than 3 hours.
It'll work on almost any Intel Core series laptop from the past five years, but if you find yours still isn't up to the task, don't forget Civilisation IV. Despite being ancient, it still works fine on Windows 10 through Steam.
CPU: Core 2 Duo
RAM: 2GB
GPU: Intel HD 3000
EA gets a lot of flak. It was rated as the most hated company in America two years in a row, after all. However, it doesn't half know how to court a big audience. And that means making sure games like The Sims 4 work on just about everything.
This infamous lifestyle sim even has a "laptop" mode designed for systems that can barely make it through the title screen of The Witcher 3. The game itself is very much business as usual: you slog through a virtual life, making bucks and designing living rooms. Or doing your best to torture some poor virtual peon by locking them in an inescapable toilet.
Other less casual EA games that work amazingly well on most laptops include Dead Space 1-3 and Dragon Age: Origins.
October 27, 2017 at 11:35PM
Andrew Williams,Dom Reseigh-Lincoln
