Category: Games

It’s been several months since we’ve last heard about Ready or Not, the ambitious Rainbow Six-like shooter from developer Void Interactive. Despite this lengthy silence, the studio assures that development is progressing steadily, and now it has shared some more progress details about the game.

Like the Rainbow Six and SWAT series, Ready or Not is a tactical police shooter that puts players in the role of an “elite SWAT team tasked with defusing hostile situations in intense, claustrophobic environments.” Void hopes to set it apart from similar titles with its emphasis on realism, which extends to all facets of the game, particularly its animation and AI.

“For the last year, we’ve been writing Suspect and SWAT AI that will challenge the player and act realistically,” Void said on its blog. “Our suspect AI can be surprisingly spontaneous and very lethal. For example, failure to restrain a suspect may result in them getting up when the SWAT are no longer around, and finding something to defend themselves with. Players will have to be strategic and mindful of their surroundings, and use the tools provided to ensure rooms are safe before and during entry.”

Void also shared several brief gameplay clips of Ready or Not, showcasing the game’s animations and various systems. Most notably, the developer has expanded the reload system; on top of being able to swap magazines by pressing the reload key, players will be able to double-tap the same key to perform a quick-reload. “This will quickly eject the mag to the floor and allows players to quickly resume combat in the event they can’t afford to waste time replacing magazines in their kit,” Void says.

In terms of the kinds of items players will find in their kits, Ready or Not features four types of grenades: the Flashbang, CS-Gas, Stingball, and the Nine-Bang. Void says that each one fills a particular role and can be thrown both overhand and underhand. Some grenade effects can also be mitigated if players have a particular item equipped.

You can read the latest details about Ready or Not on the game’s blog. Void hasn’t announced a release date for the title or the full list of platforms it will support, but it is at the very least coming to PC. The developer has teased it will show off more features from the game in an upcoming gameplay trailer; in the meantime, you can watch Ready or Not’s initial reveal trailer at the top of this story.

Epic recently announced that it is bringing the massively popular free-to-play game Fortnite: Battle Royale to iOS and Android devices. Prior to its official mobile launch, however, it will conduct a test on iOS to put the game through its paces. This won’t be open to everyone, but sign-ups for the invite-only trial are now open on Epic’s official website.

Both iOS and Android users can sign up for the trial, but only those with the former devices will be able to participate for the time being; Epic says Android support will follow “in the next few months.” Players will need an internet connection and an iPhone 6S/SE, iPad Mini 4, iPad Air 2, iPad 2017, iPad Pro, or a newer Apple device with iOS 11 in order to play the game. For an idea of what to expect, you can check out the first Fortnite mobile gameplay video.

If you’re selected to take part in the test, you’ll receive an email that contains a link to download the mobile version of Fortnite: Battle Royale shortly after signing up, as well as codes to share with your friends. Even if you aren’t initially chosen to participate, you’ll still have a chance to get in at a later date. Epic says it will send out more invites “as the servers can handle more players.”

Epic says the mobile version of Fortnite: Battle Royale will be the same 100-player experience currently available on PS4, Xbox One, and PC. The game will boast the “same gameplay, same map, same content, same weekly updates,” Epic explained in a forum post on its website. “We believe this is the future of games. The same game on all platforms. Console quality graphics and action. Play when you want, where you want.”

Along with featuring the same content, the mobile version of Fortnite: Battle Royale will also support cross-play and cross-progression between PS4, Xbox One, PC, Mac, iOS, and (eventually) Android. Players will have the option to opt-in for cross-play and squad up with their friends on other platforms, meaning you won’t be forced into teaming up with someone on mobile if you’re on console or PC.

When you’re watching a movie like Ready Player One, which centers on technology and the massive role it plays in the future, it’s almost poetic that that very same tech would attempt to ruin your screening. At least, it’s poetic until it’s happening to you.

During the premiere screening of Ready Player One at the SXSW Film Festival, the movie stopped playing twice due to technical difficulties. While that happening during just about any movie is bad news, the premiere of a new Spielberg movie–with the director himself in the room watching–is downright disastrous.

According to Variety, at an hour and 20 minutes into the film, the sound cut out during a major scene. The audience, of course, reacted with boos while the theater’s projectionist restarted the film. Just in case you weren’t already aware that humans are at the mercy of computers, the sound cut out yet again.

Thankfully, the movie played successfully on the third try to send the audience home happy. After the screening, while speaking to the crowd, Spielberg jokes, “This is perhaps the greatest anxiety attack I’ve ever had.” Who can blame him?

As for the movie itself, the first reactions to Ready Player One are promising. Many critics are praising just how fun a world the movie builds. The rest of the world will find out whether they agree when the film opens in theaters on March 29–hopefully without all of the technical difficulties.

Valve has announced a major revamp of Dota 2‘s Battle Passes. In the past, these have taken the form of limited-time compendiums that centered around major Dota 2 esports tournaments, including The International and Majors. However, Battle Passes for Majors are now being replaced with what Valve describes as an “ongoing, uninterrupted service” called Dota Plus.

Dota Plus is a subscription service that features a variety of perks, some of which stem from what you’d expect to see in a Battle Pass. Each character now gains XP and can level up across games, granting Reward Shards and responses for use with the new Hero Chat Wheel. Additionally, characters get their own challenges that are designed for that specific hero and their mechanics; challenges feature different tiers of difficulty and reward XP based on what you complete. And characters also get Relic slots; these allow various stats to be tracked and display on the post-game screen.

The service also grants access to the Plus Assistant, a tool that provides various helpful information as you play based on “data gathered from millions of recent games at each skill bracket, ensuring your builds stay current in the ever-evolving meta.” This includes suggestions for your pick during a draft or what item or ability to choose during a match.

Furthermore, Dota Plus grants a new weekly reward of 1,000 shards for winning three games. Those shards can then in turn be spent on, among other things, new items that are only available for Plus subscribers. Finally, Valve is bringing back the weekend Battle Cup tournaments, which Plus members will receive free access to. Non-subscribers will have to buy tickets for $1.

Despite having only just been announced, Dota Plus is already available. It’s priced at $4 per month, with some small discounts available if you lock in a subscription for six or 12 months.

At long last, an audience has seen Ready Player One—Steven Spielberg’s next movie–after it premiered at the SXSW festival. As the trailer and the novel it’s based on have shown, Ready Player One is an explosion of nostalgia for those who grew up in the ’80s and ’90s. How did the film adaptation turn out, though?

The first reactions on social media are promising with the keyword running throughout being “fun.” Film critic Scott Weinberg writes, “Ready Player One is a whole lot of fun. Those who are stuck in pre-release hate mode better prepare to be disappointed.” Adds Rooster Teeth’s Eric Vespe, “So yeah, I LOVED Ready Player One. It’s perhaps the geekiest movie ever made. So so so happy right now! Spielberg just said he makes many films, like The Post, from behind the camera. He made Ready Player One from the audience. That’s the perfect summation of this experience.”

“[Ready Player One] is classic Steven Spielberg,” Fandango’s Eric Davis says of the movie. “It’s got the references, the ferocious effects and the great ’80s soundtrack, sure, but also the charm, the heart, the humor and a fantastic Alan Silvestri score.” Meanwhile, Indiewire’s Eric Kohn gives the movie what fans of Valerian and The Fifth Element will see as the highest praise. “[Ready Player One] feels like Spielberg watched a ton of Luc Besson movies and decided to outdo them. In terms of pure spectacle, it’s the most astonishing thing he’s done.”

Not everyone was as dazzled by Ready Player One, though. One person in attendance for the premiere enjoyed the movie but sees it as far from perfect. “[T]he film suffers from a script that has a LOT of convenient plot devices and never really manages to make you care about the characters,” the audience member writes.

Pajiba’s Kristy Puchko, on the other hand, is afraid that Spielberg is doing damage to his own career with movies like Ready Player One. “I’m genuinely angry that Spielberg is so careless with his own legacy, slapping in references to Jurassic Park with all the care of a monkey slinging feces,” she writes. “Just. These movies matter so much to people. To just slap on iconography and references like they are stickers on a bedroom door. It’s such shallow use. It exploits your love for these things instead of earning it.”

In the end, though, it’s up to the audience to decide whether Ready Player One is a good movie. They’ll just the chance to do just that when it hits theaters on March 29. In the meantime, though, let this clip of the audience giving the movie, its cast, and Spielberg a standing ovation after the premiere screening give you an idea of how the world will react.

Following a slight delay, the second and final DLC expansion for Assassin’s Creed Origins is nearly here. The Curse of the Pharaohs launches for PS4, Xbox One, and PC tomorrow, March 13, introducing a new story, environments, and other content to the stealth-action game.

Unlike Origins’ previous DLC expansion, The Curse of the Pharaohs features a brand-new storyline that’s set four years after the events of the main game. Players again assume the role of Bayek, who has embarked on a journey to the ancient city of Thebes to investigate a curse plaguing the region. Along the way, he’ll battle a variety of mythological beasts and famous Egyptian pharaohs, including Nefertiti and giant scorpions.

“The Curse of the Pharaohs immerses players in Egyptian mythology, challenging them to battle famous pharaohs and mystical beasts as they investigate the temples of Karnak and Luxor, and the secret tombs of the Valley of the Kings to uncover the cause of the curse that has brought dead pharaohs back to life,” reads Ubisoft’s press release. You can watch the launch trailer for the expansion below.

On top of the new locations and storyline, The Curse of the Pharaohs introduces additional outfits, gear, and weapons. It also raises the game’s level cap to 55. You can watch half an hour of gameplay footage from the expansion here.

The Curse of the Pharaohs was originally slated to release on March 6, but Ubisoft delayed it by one week in order to “deliver the best experience possible to our players.” Those who’ve purchased the Assassin’s Creed Origins season pass will receive the DLC at no additional charge; everyone else will be able to download it separately for $20.

Ubisoft recently rolled out a New Game Plus mode for Assassin’s Creed Origins, which features a “unique reward” for players who are able to overcome its challenges. The publisher also released the combat-free Discovery Tour mode, allowing players to explore the world of Egypt at their own pace and take guided “tours” that were created with the help of history experts.