Update 4 March 2019: As of this morning, Koei Tecmo Games, the publisher of Dead or Alive 6, have provided Green Man Gaming with the early purchase bonus content. This bonus content includes 1 x Kasumi costume and 1 x Nytoengu Additional Character. This means that customers that buy the game from GMG from now on, will automatically receive the base game and the bonus content.
If you pre-purchased the game (and didn’t receive a refund already), you will receive an order confirmation for the bonus content via email / in your GMG account. We’re really sorry if we’ve caused any inconvenience and hope you enjoy the game.
Following feedback from customers this morning and after some internal investigation, we found a pricing error on the Green Man Gaming store for Dead or Alive 6.
We found that the games’ discount was increased in error after the game was released. This has now been fixed to show the actual discount. We would like to sincerely apologise to all customers for the confusion.
If you’ve been affected by this pricing error, please contact our customer support team at greenmangaming.zendesk.com/hc/en-us and they will be able to credit you for the difference.
Pre-order bonuses
Please note that if the game includes pre-order bonuses it is always shown on the game product page. If it isn’t mentioned, it means we don’t have it on the store. In this case, the pre-order bonus for Dead or Alive 6 was a Steam store exclusive only and that’s why we don’t have it on Green Man Gaming. We buy our keys direct from the publisher and they can decide what keys they provide us with, even if it is on the same platform.
We would advise all customers to check for this information on the product page before purchasing or ask our customer support team who will be able to confirm this. Apologies once again for the inconvenience.
Once again, we are very sorry for any inconvenience caused today.
Good lord is it March already. After January was four-years long February only felt like a couple of days in comparison. Still, the season of love is behind us and we can all go back to being grumpy again. At least, we could, if it wasn’t for all the lovely weather and brilliant games that are coming up. There’s an interesting selection this time round – not that it isn’t always interesting. So, check out some of the weird and wonderful titles coming to a system near you this month.
Fantasy Blacksmith
Have you ever wanted to be a blacksmith? To forge mighty weapons and create incredible potions and then sell them for a profit? Well, this is very much the game for you. Fantasy Blacksmith puts you in a world of swords and magic and sets you on a journey to change the world. You can have all the fun of creating a big old sword with none of the risk, and more importantly, none of the mess. You can live this particular dream on March 1 st when it comes to Steam early access.
ETHEREAL
ETHERAL looks to be the kind of game that could cause all kinds of fuss amongst many gamers. It had a quirky minimalist visual design, wonderful use of its sound design, and a strange hard to grasp narrative. You just need to complete the puzzles in order to progress through the different worlds. Each of the four worlds has different mechanics, so each promises to play differently. It genuinely looks like this could be a big one for the indie scene, lord knows we love a weird game. It’ll be out on PC March 7 th.
Hypnospace Outlaw
Hypnospace Outlaw is – apparently – a 90s internet simulator where you search websites for wrongdoers. While doing this you also have to keep on top of your inbox, make sure you don’t get a virus, and deal with adware. Honestly, this game looks incredibly surreal and will hopefully do the 90s the justice it deserves. Sure, the fashion was terrible, but technology was doing some cool things back then. It is coming to PC March 12 th.
Baba Is You
Baba is You is a game all about rules. Not following them though but changing them to suit you. Every level is a puzzle to be solves by messing around with the laws of that world. You can change what you are playing as, change the properties of physics in the world, and even change the win condition. It also has an incredibly odd visual style and some great audio too. Baba is You on Switch and PC March 13 th.
Our World Is Ended
Outward is a co-op RPG that mixes RPG elements with survival gameplay in order to make a hard as nails but incredibly rewarding game. You aren’t the chosen one, you’re a very naughty boy… or girl. You just need to try and survive out here, did I mention it is basically a roguelike too? It looks like it could be absolutely brilliant and could quite possibly end up being huge. Outward is travelling to you on PC, PS4, and Xbox One on March 26 th.
Devil May Cry 5
is nearly here, that’s right, everybody’s favourite collection of boys with
white hair are returning. The nearly two-decade old hack-and-slash series has
been one of the most exciting games from Capcom since its inception a long ago.
Thankfully, the constant technological advances mean that the games – for the
most part – just keep getting better and better. If you’ve never played one of
these games before then allow me to break it down for you.
Release date
Devil May Cry 5 release date is 8March 2019
Characters and arms
(awesome mechanical arms)
Traditionally you play as Dante, son of Sparda. Sparda was a
demon who rebelled and fought for the humans to save them and somehow found
time to get down and dirty with one of the humans. This resulted in the demon
world being rather irked and also ended with both Dante and Virgil coming into
being. Vergil is the katana-wielding twin brother who is sometimes good,
sometimes bad, but always cool.
Devil May Cry 4 introduced us to Nero, a Dante look-a-like
who had a demon arm. For reasons unknown he doesn’t have this arm in DMC 5 and
instead uses some awesome mechanical arms. These arms can do things like fire
themselves at enemies, shoot giant lasers, and make eating pasta much easier.
He’s also effortlessly cool and just as cocky as Dante.
If this all sounds like utter nonsense, then I have some
good news for you. It kind of is, there’s a lot more to it, but these are the
two key players we’ve already met. DMC5 introduces us to the mysterious V – a
cane using magician who uses summons instead of dirtying his own hands. The key
part of any DMC game is the action.
Stylish Ranks
The battles in Devil May Cry rank you based on how stylish
you are. You win points for using a variety of attacks and not getting hit, you
lose them if you take damage or spam the same attack. Basically, the cooler you
are, the better you’ll do. The better you do, the more skills you can unlock,
thus, the cooler you can then be. It’s a cycle of cool that leaves you feeling
like the most powerful person in existence if you can get the hang of it.
Even if you struggle with the battles though there’s an auto
option when fighting that lets you just button mash and still look like you’ve
got it down to a fine art. It’s the kind of battle system that is great to
watch even if you aren’t playing. It’s also great to play even if you’re
feeling overwhelmed.
Gameplay
DMC 5 looks to be absolutely stellar and the demo (only
available for Xbox and PS alone is a blast to play. The combination of special
abilities, gunplay, and melee combos combine to make a truly enticing gameplay
experience. It is the kind of game you put on when your friends around to show
off how good at you are at games. The kind of thing you can drop into for a
single mission, or for a day long session. The grading mechanic means you can
always see how you could do better, and the multiple difficulty levels from
previous games are sure to make a return too.
If you’ve never played one before then worry not, there is
sure to be a video to help catch you up to speed. Or, you could just not worry
about the story and just get hilt deep into some demons.
Trailer
Warning! The final trailer has spoilers.
Pre-purchase bonuses
Devil May Cry 5 is available to pre-purchase right now at Green Man
Gaming
If you pre-purchase the Standard edition from GMG, you’ll
receive:
Alt Hero Colors (Nero, Dante)
Alt Heroine Colours (Nero, Lady, Trish)
Devil May Cry Wallpaper
If you pre-purchase the Deluxe edition from GMG, you’ll
receive:
DiRT Rally 2.0, otherwise known as ‘How Messy Can You Get Your Car? The Game’, is fast approaching its release finish line with the Deluxe edition available to play from today. Release for the standard edition isn’t until next Tuesday, but the game is already kicking up some dust in the reviews.
Drive fast, take in the sites in real life rally locations and create your own super-star garage team; Codemaster’s newest title wants you to experience the life of a rally driver for reals. But have they pulled it off? We’ve had a look at the reviews to find out.
According to IGN, ‘‘Dirt Rally 2.0 reasserts this spin-off series’ reputation as the premier rally simulator of the modern era.’’ High praise, indeed. They went on to say: ‘‘Dirt Rally 2.0’s stages are the best-looking in the series to date – especially in the wet – and each of the six countries represented are wonderfully distinct from one another.’
They conclude that, ‘‘Dirt Rally 2.0 is a confident rally racer for serious revheads. Stern, focussed, and harder than a woodpecker’s lips, it’s as tricky to tame as its predecessor but doing so is as satisfying as ever.’’
For PC Gamer, ‘‘Dirt Rally 2.0 tells you how it feels to be a professional rally driver with such fearsome assertiveness that you simply believe it. No questions asked.’’
A handy note for gamers that may have played the previous iterations: ‘‘…although this isn’t a complete overhaul of the last Dirt Rally, it does feel like progress. Certainly progress in the visuals, which look more than just four years down the line in this game. (…) And certainly progress in a sense of overarching structure to single-player racing, thanks to the team management conceit.
The only area it feels lacking in beyond that tepid AI is licensing – that Rallycross deal’s great and everything, but never has a game more richly deserved the WRC license than this one.’’
For Eurogamer, it’s the cars themselves that are impressive: ‘‘Take any given car to any given stage and you’ll soon understand what makes Dirt Rally 2.0 special. Take the forward wheel drive Lancia Fulvia around the rain-slicked tarmac of Spain’s stages, say, and you can feel the 115 horses under the stubby bonnet slip their way through those front tyres as they spin beyond the edge of adhesion.’’
But they acknowledge, ‘‘Problems? There are a handful, though none major enough to take the shine off the fundamentals.’’
Last but not least, PCGamesN thinks you should consider what you want out of the game before you buy: ‘‘Dirt Rally 2.0 is as punishing as the discipline it simulates. If you want to play a fun racing game that doesn’t punish mistakes ruthlessly and ask you to dig deep right off the bat, Dirt Rally 2.0 probably isn’t the game for you. However, if you want to take the simulation aspect seriously this is absolutely the game you want. It’s the best rally sim out there right now.’’
Trials Rising is coming out on the 26th of February, and it’ll be the first mainline Trials game since 2014.
We’ve had nearly twenty years of Trials games. Meaning there’s quite a few games in the series by now. So we thought, in advance of Trials Rising’s launch, we’d rank the main series from worst to best.
Note: This excludes remakes, expansions, and spinoffs. So you won’t be seeing Trials of the Blood Dragon in this list.
Trials Fusion
Let’s get this out of the way first: there’s no such thing as a bad mainline Trials game. Trials Fusion is still a damn good game, just maybe not quite as good as some others in this list.
It’s got no real glaring issues but at the same time it has nothing to make it stand out, that’s why it’s lowest on the list.
Trials
Appearing way back in 2000, Trials kickstarted the whole series off. Taking place entirely within a browser, this introduced the world to the back-breaking antics of Trials.
Many a workplace and classroom lost hours to Trials, and for good reason. It’s damn good. Why’s it not further up the list? Because RedLynx really got a handle on the magic for the next few games.
Trials 2
Browser based again for the initial launch, Trials 2 expanded upon everything that made the original Trials great to play.
A remake appeared in 2008 and introduced Trials to an even bigger audience. With quick restarts, tricky levels, but simple controls, Trials 2 was easy to pick up and incredibly hard to master. Making it all the more fulfilling when you did.
Trials HD
Trials HD exploded Trials to even more people, launching on Xbox 360 with new graphics and new features.
It expanded again upon the core principles and gameplay of Trials, with new levels and challenges for you to inevitable fail at. Fancy riding on a giant metal ball while trying to stay upright? Trials HD lets you do that, and so much more, meaning even beyond the main levels there’s tonnes to do and smash your face into.
Trials Evolution
Here we are, Trials Evolution is the best in the series. Why’s that? Because it hit that absolute sweet spot between refining the core gameplay of the series and introducing new features.
One of the main new features is that levels can curve, sending you off in different directions. This all adds not only to the complexity of the levels, it increases the visual variation in them. In addition, all the game’s levels were created using a level editor that was built into the game itself, meaning you had the same tools that the game’s developers did if you wanted to create your own levels. And some wonders were indeed created.
Between the higher health counts of other players and the combined teamworking capabilities of Apex Legends tightly-knit squads, it’s absolutely clear that Respawn’s latest offering is not one where you can expect any kind of ongoing success as a solo player. More than just ascribing to the age old maxim of safety in numbers, Apex Legends commitment to teamwork also extends to the manner in which it allows players to communicate to each other – effectively stripping out the need for verbal communication in the process.
For the folks out there that realise that the verbal communication is an essential part of teamworking (like me), but generally don’t like doing it for a number of socially awkward reasons (also like me), Respawn are doing the work of the gods with Apex Legends. Instead of being resigned to falling over your words whilst trying to blurt out crucial location objectives, waypoints and enemy locations, Apex Legends now lets players quickly and effectively identify points of interest with a single button press, effectively negating the need for folks to every open their mouths ever again online (a blessing, some might say).
Of course, being able to ping the position of enemies for the rest of your squad to see is nothing new – the likes of EA’s Battlefield series has been doing this sort of lark for years, what they haven’t been doing however is everything else that Apex Legends does. In other games, whenever you find ammo or weapons that could be of use to your teammates, you had no other recourse other than to inelegantly vocalise exactly where you found it. In Apex Legends however, the quick press of a single button highlights that piece of loot for everyone to see.
Then there is the waypoint system – not only can you ping an area in view for your squad members to head toward, those same players can highlight your ping and immediately fire back an affirmative response, letting you know right away that everyone is on the same page (or not).
This use of this brilliant system extends to online etiquette, too. If you happen to pick up some loot that has been highlighted by a team member, you can thank them immediately, an act which not only helps build camaraderie, but also helps players realise that such acts of charity are not ignored.
Ultimately, what Respawn have wrought with Apex Legends ping system is the destruction of the verbal barrier that has long put off players from getting stuck into online multiplayer offerings where teamwork is essential. By ridding the stigma of verbal online communication, Respawn have managed to make the online shooter much more accessible than it has been in years, and in addition to that Respawn Secret Sauce(™), this is one feature that has surely helped to buoy its critical and commercial success.
In the end, Apex Legends is making more polite, more efficient team players out of us all without ever pressuring us to utter word, and in this fact alone, Apex’s Legends stands resolutely as one of 2019s most unexpected, and most welcome success stories.
Not sold yet? That’s fine, let us give you five reasons to play AWAY: Journey to the Unexpected.
The artstyle
We don’t have to write much about this one, because the art of the game speaks for itself. Mixing 2 and 3D art together in a love-letter to Japanese animation, it’s an utterly stunning game that always looks perfect.
Just look at the screenshots we’ve scattered through this article, we dare you not to fall in love.
There’s a cast of lovable characters
You’re not that great at shooting in AWAY, despite it being an FPS. So what do you do? Recruit friends, that’s what.
Each one of your eight recruitable friends is summonable in battle, and when you do you’ll shift into their perspective and utilise their unique abilities. But that’s not what makes them special, what makes them special is their personalities.
From Cool Kid the lollypop to Woody the tree, there’s just loads of personality oozing out of each of your companions.
It’s got roguelike elements
What’s a roguelike? Well, we can explain over here.
Back? Great.
AWAY incorporates roguelike, or rather rogue-lite elements in its design. Meaning that no two playthroughs of the game are going to be the same. Play it with your friends, and they’ll have different stories to tell of what happened during their game. It means that even if you run out of game to play, you can restart and experience things differently.
It’s a feel-good-FPS
Whilst AWAY does feature enemies and you have to deal with them, this first and foremost is a game about feeling good. It’s about making friends, about exploration, about experiencing this wonderful world.
It all comes together to reinforce this, from the artstyle to the beautiful soundtrack. Everything in the game tells you to just have a great time playing it, instead of stressing about things or getting too deep into stuff. Just have fun, why not.
It’s short
There’s a lot to be said for a bite-size adventure. Life is continually stressful and busy, so a game you can actually fit into your schedule and complete is often a rarity.
Enter AWAY. It’s perfectly proportioned, so you’ll actually get to the end and have a full adventure in its beautiful world. We don’t know about you, but that’s an enticing proposition.
AWAY: Journey to the Unexpected is available now, and you can pick it up right here.
Far Cry: New Dawn is the first full sequel in the Far Cry series. Taking place years after a nuclear strike on the US, it picks up the action in a much more apocalyptic time.
Throughout gaming history, the apocalypse has been explored in various ways. That said, it’s still a fascinating setting and one that more games could definitely take advantage of.
So to celebrate the launch of Far Cry: New Dawn, here’s ten games that could use post apocalyptic sequels.
Mass Effect 3
Regardless of how Mass Effect 3 ends, things are going to be tough. There’s been an invasion of giant space robot cuttlefish armed with lasers that go ‘hoom’. Even if you bring them on-side at the end of the game, there’s still a lot of cleaning up to do.
That’s why Mass Effect’s sequel should be post apocalyptic. Go smaller not bigger. Focus on one planet or one system and get to know people as you rebuild after the end of the Reaper war. I’d play it.
Super Mario Odyssey
Mario has a pretty jolly time of it, something bad happens, he jumps on some heads, it all gets fixed.
Well enough. Time for things to get real. All that space travel, all those wars against the Koopas, it’s taken its toll on the Mushroom Kingdom. Time for things to get gritty. Let’s take Mario in a new direction, Mad Mario.
Driver: San Francisco
If you don’t know, Driver: San Francisco’s setup is wild. You’re a cop who’s involved in a high-speed car crash at the start of the game. The rest of the game is then your dreams as you lie in a coma, leading you to be able to leap into the body of any driver on the road.
For a post apocalyptic sequel, I see this taking place in a Matrix-inspired world. Make it into an MMO with each player inhabiting their own comatose driver. It makes sense Ubisoft, get on it.
Madden 19
You might think that sports games have no place dabbling in the apocalypse, so let me take you back in time to the early 90s. Back then things were a little more experimental. EA published Mutant League Football and Mutant League Hockey, both cutting edge simulations of the games in question. With mutants and explosions and weapons.
So let’s do it again but this time go full apocalypse. Set the next Madden after the bombs have fallen. Let your team consist of monstrous creations the likes of which have only been seen in a McElroy video. Do it, go on.
Morrowind
If you didn’t know already: you kinda boned it for the people who live on Vvardenfell. By finishing Morrowind you depower the gods, meaning that meteor Vivic is holding in place above the island? Yeah, that’s gonna hit.
Technically we already have a taste of post apocalyptic Vvardenfell in the Dragonborn expansion for Skyrim, but more is required. I spent so long in Vvardenfell, I want to go back. To see and to mourn at what my actions as the Nerevarine has wrought.
Civilization VI
Whilst the latest expansion for Civilization VI, Gathering Storm, allows for more apocalyptic effects to occur, there’s space for a more end-of-the-world scenario to play out.
Taking the game apocalyptic would mean you have to face up to scarcity much more. Gone are the days of uninhibited exploration and war, you’d have to martial your resources at every turn. Quite literally. It’d be tense and for those who could handle it, ultimately rewarding to stand atop their world as the one true post apocalyptic civilisation.
Assassin’s Creed Odyssey
The Assassin’s Creed games take place in the past, but here’s a twist for you. Next game, the animus goes wrong, and you’re propelled far into the future where things have beefed it.
Honestly I think I’m just outright stealing from the second season of Dollhouse here. But imagine a game set in the future where the ramifications of the Assassin’s Creed history-exploring technology became commonplace. We’d all be lost in our ancestors lives, leading to the world going a bit quiet.
Final Fantasy VII
The ending of Final Fantasy VII shows Red XIII standing on a ridge, looking over the remnants of Midgar as it’s reclaimed by greenery. Beautiful.
No sorry what the fuck? That’s our ending? What happened to all the people who lived in Midgar, where have they gone? Is this the world over? A green apocalypse is still an apocalypse, and it’s time to find out what the heck is going on.
XCOM 2
The canon ending for XCOM, as shown in the sequel, is that you lose. Humanity loses the fight against the aliens only to have the planet taken over. XCOM 2 sees you leading a scrappy resistance against the occupying aliens, seeing them forced back after a successful campaign.
The problem is it’s very strongly hinted that they were just there running away from something worse. That’s where XCOM 3 can step in, with even worse aliens turning up to turn our land into a living nightmare. What fun.
The Witcher 3
To be honest, the idea of living in the world of The Witcher is pretty apocalyptic as it is. You don’t know when you’ll be eaten by a gryphon, murdered by bandits, or some weird white haired bloke will come and make saucy eyes at you.
Seeing how it’s already quite bad, why not twist that knife a little. Maybe the world’s gone even more to pot, and this time Geralt couldn’t stand up to it. This time, it’s about survival, not winning. You wanted grim? That’s grim.
What games would you like to see get post apocalyptic sequels? Hit us up in the comments, but remember that Far Cry: New Dawn is released today, the 15th of February, and you can pick it up here.
Civilization VI: Gathering Storm has been released, adding a new layer of simulation to the world. The ecology will need to be something you watch over, as your civilisation can and will have an effect on the world.
Natural disasters have been added, meaning volcanic eruptions, river floods, rising sea levels, hurricanes, dust storms, blizzards, tornadoes, and droughts can show up leading to all sorts of crises.
The world reacting to your actions is an extremely important message, especially in these climate end-times, but what about the other kind of disasters? Maybe it’s time for Civilization to go a bit…wild.
Here’s ten disaster types we’d like to see the Civilization take on.
Alien Invasion
Let’s start with a classic. What’s more disastrous than a load of aliens turning up in their spaceships, circular or otherwise, and them blasting the heck out of us? Thankfully we have hex-based combat to save us.
Dinosaur Park Gone Wrong
We all want dinosaurs back, but remember that life, uh, finds a way. We can’t have dinos without taking the risk of having dinos eating us. Maybe a research tree in Civilization leads to them being reborn in all their roary glory?
The Undead
Let’s face it, no-one likes the undead. They’re pesky, rising up, eating our brains, sucking our blood, making pies out of children. In a Civilization game, you’d see them rising in every city and across the map, making them an absolute nuisance. Maybe new tactics are required.
Meteor Strike
Who knows when the next meteor strike will hit us? And at any point it could be an E.L.E. In a Civilization game, dealing with this would be two pronged. Making sure the research and technology is there to detect incoming objects early enough, and having the bunkers ready in case you fail to stop them.
Unlicensed Godzilla-like Attack
A parable for the nuclear age, Godzilla (or a knock-off Godzilla-like) is here to remind us of humanity’s sins. Rising from the deep, Godzilla can only be fended off through extreme measures, or by giving it what it wants. Maybe you stole its eggs? You monster.
The Apocalypse
Welp, the religions were right. Time to end reality because the war between Heaven and Hell is going to take place. Do you take a side, or try to stop it from happening, Winchester style?
Supervillains Gang Up
There’s nothing more dangerous than Supervillains deciding to work together, if Wanted is anything to go by anyway. Not sure how this would play out on a hex-based strategy game…but we want to see it tried.
Galaxy Collision
Just so you know, we’re all boned. In about 3.75 billion years the Andromeda Galaxy will collide with our own. Now we’ll all probably be long gone by then, and so will our solar system, but it’s something to watch out for if your Civilization game lasts longer than normal.
Time Travel Wrecks Everything
Time travel is a narrative device that’s fascinating and interesting and always without fail messes things up. If civilisations in Civilization get their hands on it, then it’s probably game over as they can go back and undo mistakes. So you’d best make sure you get it first.
Robot Uprising
Robots have it hard, designed and developed only to be our slaves, it’s no wonder they’d eventually have enough and throw off the yoke of oppression. To be honest, we sympathise with the robots in this one. We’re going to go join up with Call-Me-Kenneth and overthrow your awful fleshy civilisation.
Apex Legends has appeared from nowhere to dominate the games industry. In just one short week it’s exploded to encompass over 25 million players. Imagine that, 25 million people, that’s more than you can visualise. Even if you have a big brain.
We’ve been playing Apex Legends. There’s loads of guides appearing on the internet and they’re all aimed at helping you become pro-Apex Legends players.
This guide isn’t like that. See, we’re not great at Apex Legends. We’re trying our best though, so here’s our beginner tips. Our idiot’s guide to Apex Legends.
Character Selection
The first thing you’ll have to decide is what character you’re going to play this round. Let’s run through them:
Bangalore
Passive: Runs real fast when getting shot at
Tactical: Fires a smoke grenade
Ultimate: Calls in an artillery strike
Good for blocking line of sight, and for running away real fast.
Bloodhound
Passive: Sees tracks left by enemies.
Tactical: Can reveal hidden enemies, traps, and clues. Even behind walls.
Ultimate: Moves faster and highlights enemies.
Choose if you want to know what the heck is going on.
Caustic
Passive: Can see enemies through gas.
Tactical: Drops gas canisters as traps, or you can shoot them to set them off.
Ultimate: Does Big Gas.
Choose if you don’t mind the enemy team hating you.
Gibraltar
Passive: When aiming you get a little shield.
Tactical: Drops a dome shield for you and your pals.
Ultimate: Calls in a mortar strike.
Choose if you want to be a beefy boi and not die so quickly.
Lifeline
Passive: Use healing items and revive teammates faster.
Tactical: Call in a drone to heal teammates.
Ultimate: Drop in a care package full of goodies.
Choose to be the most popular person on the team.
Mirage
Passive: Drop a decoy and cloak when knocked down.
Tactical: Summon a hologram to be a decoy.
Ultimate: Summon loads of holograms to be decoys.
Choose if you just don’t wanna be shot.
Pathfinder
Passive: You can use survey beacons to find out where the next ring will be.
Tactical: Send out a grappling hook to pull yourself to a location.
Ultimate: Create a permanent zipline between two locations.
Choose if you want to be the friendliest robot and also like parkour.
Wraith
Passive: Voices will tell you when danger’s incoming.
Tactical: Go invisible and avoid damage for a bit.
Ultimate: Create portals between two locations.
Choose if you want to harry and do some serious running.
Dropping
You’ve chosen your character, you’re ready to go. But first you have to actually get to the match. You do this by dropping in from a craft that moves across the map in a line.
You might be dropmaster – if you don’t know where to drop, give this up immediately.
No-one has to follow the dropmaster. But only peel off if you’re sure they’re an idiot.
Land on the loot ship or in the blue circle if you want to learn how to git gud real quick.
You can glide further than you think when dropping. Gain some speed and then level out. Like Batman.
Landing in a high tier loot area means diddly squat if you end up punched to death before you get your grubby mitts on anything.
Go Bunker for lols.
You can land really high and the game will shout at you, but you have 30 seconds to get down so don’t stress it.
You can look about to see if people are dropping in the same location. If they are, maybe change it up.
The Match
You’ve landed, you’re finally on the ground. Time to actually win the match.
Use balloons to zip up and then re-deploy to get around faster.
Execute ALWAYS. It makes you more pro.
Except when it doesn’t.
Loot fast. No, faster. FASTER.
Slide everywhere. I mean it’s just more fun.
The yellow wall is terrifying but you can outrun it, or even be in it for a bit.
Shut the damned doors behind you. Were you born in a barn?
Give the Ultimate Accelerant to Lifeline. Your team will thank you.
It says in the tutorial, but don’t forget to holster your weapons to do a quick scarper.
Remember a lot of Ultimates show off where you are. Calling in Lifeline’s Care package or using Pathfinder’s Zipline will let people know where you are, and maybe even where you’re going.
Be wary of anything that seems too good. Enemies can drop loot and form traps. Look up every now and then.
Climb up walls, don’t go round them. You can climb higher than you think.
Ping weapons and upgrades for your team.
Use the ping system.
Did we say use the ping system?
Use the ping system. It’s good.
Your weapons aren’t hitscan. You’ll need to lead enemies and if they’re far away, aim up.
Stay with your group.
Unless they’re idiots, but then you’re probably losing anyway.
You can’t take much punishment even as Gibraltar. Don’t think you’re walking into a 1v3 fight and getting away unless you’re very, very good.
Running away means you get to fight again another…well…later in the match.
Have you tried using the ping system?
There you go, hopefully after reading this you’ve got a few ideas of how to start improving your game in Apex Legends. Got some tips we’ve missed? Leave them in the comments below.
Unless you’ve been hiding under a rock for the last few weeks, you’ll probably be aware of the fact that Capcom’s Resident Evil 2 has been doing the business both critically and commercially since its release at the end of January. Key to the success of Resident Evil 2 is the fact that the long tenured Japanese publisher/developer has managed to pull off that rarest of feats – a full-bodied remake of a beloved property that not only preserves its essence, but simultaneously iterates on it sufficiently enough to allow it to appeal to a new generation of gamer folk.
Though it might have pleased the franchise hardcore to technically migrate the fixed perspective survival horror beats of the 1998 original to newer and shiner hardware, doing so would also have been somewhat ignorant of the positive changes wrought to the franchise by the game-changing Resident Evil 4.
By proving that its legendary survival horror IP could be translated into the third-person perspective, and not lose any of its verve but rather gain a frenetic brand of action that many other genre efforts would later seek to emulate, Resident Evil 4 served not only as a new watermark for the series, but also as the blueprint for Capcom’s superlative remake of Resident Evil 2.
A masterstroke of design, the new perspective that has been lent to this year’s Resident Evil 2 remake not only sensationally underscores its contemporary action shooter sensibilities with aplomb, but also allows Capcom to both honor and evolve the sense of sheer dread that the 1998 original emanated so effectively. Perhaps nowhere is the Japanese developer’s dedication to maintaining that foreboding atmosphere of fear that the 1998 original more obvious than in its rendition of terrifying big bad, Mr. X.
Freshly realised by a transformative visual upgrade and bolstered by the fresh immediacy afforded by the new over the shoulder perspective, the towering Mr. X in this year’s Resident Evil outing is nothing less than pure terror incarnate. Not only does his slow stalking of the player perfecting evoke his original leisurely gait, but it also presents him as a bastion of fear for new players and arguably the closest the franchise has ever gotten to having the Terminator as an actual antagonist.
Visually too, Resident Evil 2 is in equal parts a homage to the original as it is a big, leaping evolution from it. From the moodily lit corridors of the Raccoon City Police Department, to the rain-streaked streets which lay beyond, Capcom have not only maintained the essence of its beloved source material, but have leveraged current technology to lend this classic setting the level of polish that it truly deserves.
And then there are the more subtle doffs of the cap to the 1998 original, too. From the inclusion of Tofu and Hunk, through to the return of the terrifying and iconic Licker creature, this year’s Resident Evil 2 stands as a gold standard for both preserving the original game and meaningfully evolving it for a brand new audience.
For the second time in Far Cry history, a direct sequel has come out. Far Cry: New Dawn is the sequel to Far Cry 5, and it’s out now.
Here’s what you need to know.
Release Date
Far Cry: New Dawn was released on February the 15th, 2019 on PC, PS4, and Xbox One.
What is Far Cry: New Dawn?
Far Cry: New Dawn is a direct sequel to Far Cry 5, set 17 years after the events of the previous game.
Spoilers for the ‘good’ ending for Far Cry 5.
At the end of Far Cry 5 a nuclear bomb is detonated, causing the game to end and we presume, chaos. The game picks up years after the bomb went off, in the post-apocalyptic landscape of nuclear Montana.
Father isn’t back as the main villain, instead you’ll be facing off against two sisters who will be the main antagonists of this entry.
Far Cry: New Dawn Features
Far Cry: New Dawn focuses around an entirely new story that picks up the action of Far Cry 5 years later, revolving around new characters in a Montana that has been utterly transformed by atomic power.
Players who finished Far Cry 5 prior to playing Far Cry: New Dawn for release on the 15th of February will have unlocked a new shotgun skin and a special outfit.
Spend your holiday vacation in Hope County! Finish Far Cry 5 before starting New Dawn to earn the Sin Eater D2 shotgun skin and the Rookie Outfit at launch: https://t.co/la7pu4ysZfpic.twitter.com/IXr3OutMjv
Co-op has made a return in Far Cry: New Dawn, though of course you can play solo if you choose. Recruiting animals or people to join you has returned, as have a vast amount of drivable vehicles.
What is definitely new is that the world is more post apocalyptic than before, due to the nuclear blast from the previous game. Some weapons, vehicles, and locations are more ramshackle and obviously cobbled together by ragged survivors as a result.
The best new feature though: a dog that can actually get in your vehicle with you, instead of trotting behind your car awkwardly.
Far Cry: New Dawn launched on the 15th of February, and you can purchase it here.
The second official expansion pack for Civilization VI will be launching soon, with a whole host of new features and additions for your game.
Release Date
Civilization VI: Gathering Storm will be released on February the 14th, 2019.
New Weather
Gathering Storm will introduce new weather effects, environmental disasters, and the world itself will react to the way civilisations affect each era.
The environment will change over time, both randomly and in reaction to human interference, leading to new challenges both the player and AI opponents will have to face.
New natural disasters will also be a part of the expansion. These include volcanic eruptions, river floods, rising sea levels, hurricanes, dust storms, blizzards, tornadoes, and droughts. Players will have to learn to either cope with the effects of these disasters, or mitigate them through improvements and technological discoveries.
In addition to this, the way a civilisation behaves with the environment will also have a factor in how the map’s weather develops and the frequency of natural disasters. Players may need to watch the CO2 levels in the atmosphere, and the emissions produced by their civilisation, in order to head off some of the worse environmental effects.
New World Generation
The terrain features that can be included in a generated world will be increased. Geothermal fissures and volcanoes will spawn on mountain ridges which separate continents, and floodplains will cluster along rivers.
In addition to the new features, they will be named by the civilisation that discovers them. For example, if the English discover a river, it may be named The Thames.
Revamped Diplomacy
Diplomacy will be revamped in Civilization VI: Gathering Storm. Some features present in previous games but absent in the base game will be back, such as the Diplomatic Victory condition and World Congress.
Diplomatic Victory Points, Favours, and Grievances will all help you navigate the diplomatic seas, replacing the current Warmonger score amongst others.
World Congress allows you to build consensus or division between the world’s civilisations, garnering votes and courting help on weighty decisions in order to impose the will of the people.
New Civilisations
Eight new civilisations will be included in Gathering Storm, with new units, new wonders, new technology and civics era, and two new scenarios to play through. The list of new civilisations and some of their defining characteristics are:
Hungary – units gain attributes when alliances are made.
Mãori – start at sea and get science and culture before settling.
Canada – unique abilities within cold tiles.
Inca – unique benefits near mountains.
Mali – wealth generated from deserts and trading routes.
Sweden – benefits to tourism and culture.
Ottoman Empire – siege specialists.
Phoenicia – benefits from ocean tiles and can move capital.
Civilization VI: Gathering Storm is available for pre-purchase here, and will be releasing on the 14th of February.
The Division 2 is coming, but before you get your hands on the full game there are beta tests.
The private beta starts on the 7th of February and lasts until the 11th. You can read all about the beta here and get all knowledged up.
We’ll be dipping in to the beta too, and we’re excited to get our hands on some post apocalyptic Washington action.
We know a little about what the beta contains, but there’s still a lot of questions about the full game content.
Here’s our wishlist of stuff we’d like to see in The Division 2:
More varied loot
One of the criticisms over the original Division was that despite being functionally better, loot was rarely that exciting. You’d battle through hell for a reward, and that reward would be a…better pair of jeans.
It fits with the theme, but there must be something that can spice that up. We’re not saying ‘go full Destiny’ but there must be a middle ground between realistic loot that fits in with the atmosphere and magic space trousers.
More focus on the RPG side of the game
Something that was lost in the reaction to the original Division was that, at its heart, it was an RPG.
Yes you shoot things, but there’s loot, there’s damage numbers, there’s classes. It’s an RPG, and we think that The Division 2 should embrace that. It would ameliorate some of the criticisms levied at the original game. Bullet sponge enemies? You just need to think tactically. Change things up. Don’t just rely on outright damage. Treat it like an RPG in other words.
More story
It’s nice to have a bit of context, isn’t it?
Something can be all the fun in the world, but without a reason to be doing it, it loses something. Giving you plot reasons or an advancing story that propels you into the various activities in The Division 2 will mean you’ll stick with it that much longer. It’s all about interest, and for some just the activity and the loot is enough, but for some of us we need a little more. Give us a reason to care, and we’ll be there.
More incentives for PvP
The Dark Zone idea for The Division was great. Unfortunately in practice it became a little rote. This meant that people got into ruts and more than that, it almost encouraged you away from indulging in PvP.
We’d like to see Dark Zones revamped, which they are, with more reason for you to actually do PvP. It’s not enough just to be in a Dark Zone and come away with loot. There’s got to be a reason for you to want to dive into PvP. As a result we’d like to see Dark Zones in particular given real focus in The Division 2.
An end to capitalism
A disease ravages the population of the world. It’s a disease that’s spread by contact with money. And so begins the world of The Division.
We’d like to see the antagonist in The Division 2 be money. It’s money’s fault after all, in a non capitalist economy maybe the disease wouldn’t have spread like it did. Rise up, tear the resources you slave over away from those in power. Burn all money, that foul material that only exists to commoditise your time and effort. Bring the system down. Tear power away from those who hoard it and distribute it to the people.
Uh, in the game that is.
Please buy The Division 2 from Green Man Gaming, available here.
In 2018 EA made 5.15 billion dollars in net revenue (up from 4.84 billion in 2017). Despite this, the company still remains one of the most hated companies in the world. Known most widely as the purveyor of numerous sport games – like FIFA or Madden – EA has a lot on its shoulders with plenty of big-name titles releasing throughout this calendar year. However, even under the one of the most hated companies on the planet, BioWare has managed to make a name for itself, often being heralded as a fan-favourite studio.
Thanks in part to the firm’s long-history in the industry (Baldur’s Gate, Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic, etc.), it wasn’t until Mass Effect’s launch, that BioWare really started mould itself into what you see today. Fast-forward to March 2017 and BioWare had become arguably EA’s crown jewel. Dragon Age was established as another brand-new IP that could stand on its own merits, alongside the widely successful and critically adored Mass Effect. Though a controversial ending may have soured the end of the trilogy for some, there was great anticipation for another entry that utilised new-gen technology.
Andromeda promised to continue the series trend of top-notch sci-fi experiences. Sadly, this was not the case, as numerous technical issues, a troubled development and a story that struggled to elevate anything prior doomed what was expected to be an easy-win. The leap to new hardware proved difficult for BioWare. A situation very familiar to lots of developers i.e. Bethesda and Fallout 4. Mixed reception across the board meant that Andromeda became the worst reviewed game in the franchise, giving BioWare plenty of food for thought going forward. Now as we prepare for the launch of Anthem (a Destiny-esque online shooter), questions are starting to arise whether BioWare can return to its former glory status.
When we talk about BioWare struggling, we mean returning the company to the top of the spectrum. Dozens of games release yearly to astronomical acclaim. Just think about the last couple: God of War, Horizon, Breath of the Wild, Spider-Man, Celeste, Monster Hunter: World, Nier: Automata, the list goes on and on. There’s no room for the middle ground anymore. You need to come out of the gates flying, which Andromeda simply didn’t do.
It’s fair to say that there is a good buzz surrounding Anthem, with positive impressions coming out of E3, besides the expected press events leading up to launch. This counts for a lot but BioWare cannot afford to rest on its laurels. The early demo/beta has seen both good and bad feedback, leaving room for scepticism. BioWare need to be prepared. Those first two-weeks essentially can make or break a game. Anthem needs to be everything Andromeda wasn’t.
Taking lessons from games like Destiny, while listening to fans quarrels seem to be at the forefront for making Anthem a hit. In the run-up to release, EA’s ex-vice president, Patrick Söderlund, spoke about how the game could be the start of “a 10-year journey”. Additionally, steps have reportedly been put in place to ensure Anthem has a more enticing world, enhanced gameplay, and fun combo system – not to mention a new DLC rollout plan. Regardless, BioWare know they have to make amends for Andromeda, if they wish to achieve Anthem’s long-term strategy. Whether the firm gets to realise its ambition is something only time will tell.
Weeaboo fantasy fighter Jump Force has already assembled some of the most iconic anime heroes in history to curate its bustling roster. From Yugi Moto to Goku and everybody in between, there’s not a lot to grumble at when it comes down to fan service.
Sorry, what I meant to say was it’s February and love is in the air, love of indie games. Love of weird ideas, spiritual successors, and probably cool art. Not of people; people are monsters, and usually dirty. Go have a bath.
Anyway, let’s have a look at what will be stealing our hearts this month shall we?
Wargroove
Come on, put it in my Switch, all the way inside. Yeah, I’m not meant to be biased but I’ve played this game at two separate conventions now and the fact that it is actually being released is wonderful. Wargroove is an Advance Wars inspired turn-based strategy game in which you can be a doggo commanding other doggos to destroy a no-doggo nation. It looks great, it plays great, and if it isn’t a GOTY contender I will be surprised. It is here 1st February (PC, Switch)
Macrotis: A Mother’s Journey
It’s rare you get to play as a mother in a video game. Annoyingly rare – games industry, make more of this kind of game. In Macrotis you play as Mother Bilby, an adorable little rodent who just wants to find her children. To do this you will jump, gnaw, and dig your way through platforming sections and puzzles alike. You even unlock some supernatural abilities as you go, the things a mother can do eh? To be honest, if the story ends sadly then I’ll probably never recover, so here’s hoping it’s a happy ending when it releases on PC 8th February.
So, we finally reach a romantic visual novel in these little lists. Arcade Spirits is set in the year 20XX in a world where the 1983 video game crash never happened. You play an incredibly unfortunate person who has just landed a new job at Funplex. It is from here that your custom character will get into a plethora of awkward situations and maybe find love. Awwww. You can see what happens 12th February (PC)
Degrees of Separation
We’ve got another pretty platform puzzler. It’s a good job this looks like it’ll be great to play too. Degrees of separation has you controlling Ember and Rime, two people who love each other, but are kept apart by unknown forces. You’ll have to progress through the beautifully animated world in order to see if you can solve the mysteries that are plaguing them. Degrees of Separation is being released on the thematically appropriate 14th February (PC, PS4, Xbox One, Switch)
Fimbul
Norse mythology is cool. Comics are cool. Video games are cool. (Cool is a relative term, not sure what scale we are using but it helps the writing so go with it.) Fimbul is what happens when you smush all three together like some kind of nerdy smoothie. Set in the final winter before Ragnarok, Fimbul has you trying to save the world from the impending end. You do this by both hacking and slashing your way through anything that stands in your way, human or otherwise. See if you can avert the apocalypse 28th February (PC, PS4, Xbox One, Switch)
As we move from January into February, The Division 2 beta gets ever closer. You can sign up for a chance to enter right now, or get a confirmed invite by pre-purchasing The Division 2 from authorised retailers (like us!).
Want to be prepared for The Division 2 beta? We’ve got the lowdown.
Gaining Access
There are two ways to get entry into The Division 2 beta
If you pre-purchase you’ll get your The Division 2 key immediately, which will allow you access to the beta.
Beta Dates
The beta will start on the 7th of February 2019 with a simultaneous worldwide opening of the beta. The beta will end on February the 11th. Here’s the times:
US Pacific
Start: Feb 7 at 1am PST
End: Feb 11 at 1am PST
US Eastern
Start: Feb 7 at 4am EST
End: Feb 11 at 4am EST
UK
Start: Feb. 7 at 9am GMT
End: Feb 11 at 9am GMT
Central European Time
Start: Feb 7 at 10am CET
End: Feb 11 at 10am CET
Eastern European Time
Start: Feb 7 at 11am GMT
End: Feb 11 at 11am GMT
Preloading
Preloads will be available 24 hours ahead of the beta, on the 6th of February, meaning you’ve got a day to install. If you have purchased The Division 2, you’ll be able to begin installation on the 6th. If you are successful in gaining entry to the beta through a signup, you’ll receive your beta key on the 6th as well.
Beta content
The beta will begin with a mission to set up a base of operations in the ruins of the White House. After that you’ll be able to travel freely around the Eastern area of the map and level up, until you hit the beta cap of level 7.
The activities you can participate in are:
Two main missions (Story, Normal, Hard difficulties)
Five side missions and further open-world activities
Three Dark Zone (PvP/PvE) areas to explore
Organised PvP Skirmish mode
Endgame mission
On February the 8th, further content will become available allowing players to jump into endgame content and try what The Division 2 has to offer for high level players. This’ll start on Friday, February 8 at at 8am PST / 11am EST / 4pm GMT / 5pm CET / 6pm EET. You’ll be able to activate a mission from this point which’ll give you access to a level 30 character and explore the game’s specialisations, including Survivalist, Sharpshooter, or Demolitionist.
Ace Combat 7 is coming to PC on Friday the 1st of February, bringing the long-serving flight sim series to a computer near you for the first time.
It’s got us thinking though, people don’t talk about flight sims that often. At least not publicly.
So we went to you, our beloved followers on social media, and asked what your favourite flight sim was?
Here’s what you had to say:
Falcon 4.0
Made by the sadly defunct Micropose, Falcon 4.0 focuses on a highly detailed simulation of the Block 50/52 F-16 Fighting Falcon jet fighter. Taking place in Korea, well, above Korea, it’s been maintained scrupulously by the community, updated, and eventually re-released in 2015.
Microsoft Combat Flight Simulator: WWII Europe Series
Yeah yeah you can just fly your plane about, and Microsoft Flight Simulator is good at simulating flight (though don’t use it as your only flight school, Fyre festival, we’re looking at you). But what we’re here for is something a bit more violent. MCFS was released in 1998 with both single player and multiplayer, and was an absolute smash of a success.
Secret Weapons of the Luftwaffe
Back in 1991 we knew who the Luftwaffe were, and that’s because of this game. Featuring battles between the 8th United States airforce and the Luftwaffe challenge during World War II, it featured a huge amount of features including a custom mission creator.
Elite: Dangerous
Spaceflight is still flight, that’s what we’re sticking to. Elite: Dangerous features not only a load of different paths for you and your spaceship but something infinitely more magical. The best UI in games. Fight me, it’s true.
The Ace Combat series
Honestly we’re just glad some of you chose the Ace Combat series, considering they were the impetus for us to ask this question. Featuring a mixture of simulation and action, the Ace Combat series has been with us for a long time and the newest version, Ace Combat 7, is coming to PC for the first time ever. Definitely a fan favourite for console gamers, it’ll be interesting to see what the series does on computers.
TIE Fighter
I’m still sticking with spaceflight counting, and what’s better than TIE Fighter? Showing you what life’s like on the other side of the rebellion, TIE Fighter also dives deep into the systems that power your twin ion engined fighter. You’ll have to balance things like your ship’s power levels as you open fire on rebel scum, and that’s why it definitely falls into the flight sim category.
DCS World
DCS World, or Digital Combat Simulator World, is a free to play combat flight sim featuring heavily detailed flight craft such as the Spitfire LF Mk IX and A-10C Warthog. Mission editors and a constantly evolving series of planes coming out for it mean that it’s still not stale, over ten years since its release.
Harrier Attack
Featuring multi-angle vector attack, by which we mean it’s 2D, Harrier Attack emerged onto the Amstrad CPC, Commodore 64, ZX Spectrum, and Oric 1 way back in 1983. Each level was a terse battle of managing not only your Harrier jump jet’s health, but also your ammo and fuel as you flew over the Falklands below. The real test though? Landing your damn plane on the aircraft carrier at the end. Chilling stuff.
Did we miss your favourite? Hit us up in the comments below. Don’t forget that Ace Combat 7 will be released on the 1st of February on Windows PCs.
