Month: November 2017

As it turns out, Aloy had it too easy in Horizon Zero Dawn, and The Frozen Wilds is proof of it. This major expansion is a wonderfully challenging 15-hour adventure that’s peppered with creative side quests, a thoughtful story, and the best battles Aloy’s seen to date.

Its story integrates with the main game and can be played after finishing the main quest, so it works both for completionists and those who never quite finished the story quests. You can travel to a new, gorgeous area on the existing map as soon as you install it, though you’d risk crossing the line between bravery and stupidity to attempt it before level 30. In this terrain, you’ll explore the mysteries surrounding the nomadic Banuk tribe – mysteries which made for one of the most memorable side quests in Zero Dawn. The Frozen Wilds delves deeper into into the fascinating intricacies of their structure and spirituality.

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With its incredible-looking environments and an ornate combat system, Horizon: Zero Dawn is an easy game to slip back into (even if you’ve ignored it for the better part of a year). The Frozen Wilds expansion makes a return visit even more enticing with new gear and challenges to seek out in the frozen north, with fresh enemies balanced to fit into the game’s latter half. There’s also a new storyline, which slightly expands your knowledge of the past and hints at events to come. Those revelations alone aren’t terribly exciting, but as an excuse to revisit one of the best games of the year, Aloy’s new journey hardly suffers from that small disappointment.

The Frozen Wilds primarily takes place in a previously unforeseen stretch of land that encompasses roughly 10-15 hours of new side quests and errands. Snow isn’t new to Horizon, but it’s never felt as ubiquitous as it does here. Mountain passes, valleys, and forests are choked with snow both on the ground and in the air. And when the sun cuts through the atmosphere just right, individual snowflakes take on gorgeous pink hues that make an already pretty game even prettier.

This scenic territory belongs to a tribe known as the Banuk, who have long lived in isolation from the rest of society. They follow a strict code of conduct that has more to do with self-reliance and pride than it does with justice and order. The constraints therein put pressure on Banuk in various ways, and most of your objectives in The Frozen Wilds focus on helping individuals overcome their personal struggles with tradition.

Your primary task has bigger implications, however, as a Banuk shaman living on the outskirts unknowingly holds the key to a new chunk of historical data and a new facet of the technological powers operating behind the scenes. Both this quest line and personality-driven side quests deliver heaps of dialogue, which, like Horizon’s exchanges at large, range from heartfelt scenes to perfunctory filler.

But as excuses to clash with new sparking mechanical beasts, practically every mission in The Frozen Wilds feels valuable. The three fresh monsters are hugely formidable opponents that require considerable effort to defeat, and they are joined by a new power tier for every enemy–one step above “corrupted”–which makes pre-existing machines faster and stronger than ever. As you’re shepherded along to new points on the map, you’ll also discover strange towers that heal nearby enemies, their loud bellows making stealthy approaches even more stressful than usual.

Of the few new additions, the two grizzly bear machines–one uses ice, the other fire–stand out from the pack. They are capable of running on all fours or standing tall on their hind legs, and employ a wide range of hard-hitting attacks that punish delayed thinking in a heartbeat. Taking them down calls upon expert targeting and intelligent use of elements, the latter of which is linked to the new casting staffs introduced with the Banuk. These purely elemental weapons are perfect for putting enemies into a vulnerable state, to be followed up by attacks from more traditional weaponry. They prove useful beyond the frozen north as well, and it’s easy to imagine (as a returning player who’s already finished the game) how their capabilities would have come in handy during past trials.

Beyond new weapons, you’ll also find a new grade of armor that adds an additional modification slot to standard armor types, as well as the Banuk’s new gear, which carries auto-healing properties. Most new gear, if not given to you, is acquired through the usual mix of resources, which also includes the territory exclusive currency, Bluegleam. These gems are rewarded for completing quests and exploring the wilderness, and are in very short supply. You have to work to earn your new toys, but that’s OK; the “work” is what makes Horizon so enjoyable.

The biggest and farthest-reaching addition has to be the new Traveler skill tree. Geared towards making your life easier and more efficient, traveler skills include things like disassembling extra items (rather than selling or discarding them), procuring resources while on horseback, and expanding your resource stash at large–all things that would have been immensely useful throughout Horizon. Seeing these new skills having already finished the main game isn’t terribly inspiring unless you’ve got a lot of lingering quests left to hunt in the main map, or if you’ve been holding off on starting a New Game + run.

That said, coming back to Horizon for The Frozen Wilds alone is still worthwhile for the fights and sights, but it ultimately feels like a missing chapter, rather than an eye-opening extension of what came before. It’s easy to imagine how newcomers to Horizon will benefit from its new gear and skills the most, for example. Likewise, its story feels better suited as an interlude than the revelatory companion to the conclusion it tries to be. Yet these are feelings that come up after more than a dozen hours of riveting battles and serene hikes flew by, so it’s hard to get too upset at such a captivating experience when it’s all said and done.

Just days remain until Microsoft’s latest console, the Xbox One X, launches worldwide. The new device–which Microsoft days is the most powerful console in the world–brings upgraded specs and enhanced games, as well as a sleeker, smaller design than the original Xbox One.

However, what we all want to know is: is it any good? Thankfully, we’ve collected a roundup of Xbox One X reviews from around the web below. For more on the new system, check out our Xbox One X vs PC vs Xbox One graphics comparison, or take a look at everything you need to know about the Xbox One X.

• Platform: Xbox One X
• Publisher: Microsoft
• Release date: November 7
• Price: US $499 / £449 / AU $649

GameSpot — No score

“Should you get an Xbox One X? That answer should largely depend on whether you’d be happy with the console’s library of games. You can check out a list of all the Xbox One X-enhanced games here. If you’re happy with the lineup and are thinking about jumping in, allow me to outline three different scenarios for you. If you game on a 1080p TV and don’t have any plans to upgrade to a 4K one, the Xbox One S is going to be a better fit for you. While you will get some graphical enhancements with the X, you don’t really get your money’s worth if you don’t have a 4K HDR TV. But what if you already own a 4K HDR TV and an Xbox One? In this case, I’d only recommend getting the X if you have the disposable cash to spare for the increased visual fidelity and performance benefits. If you have a 4K HDR TV, don’t have a current gen console, and are looking to purchase one, however, the Xbox One X is a great choice.” — Jimmy Thang [Full review]

IGN — 8.7/10 (Review-in-progress)

“The Xbox One X is a very impressive collection of hardware crammed into a sleek case. It runs cool and quiet as it delivers impressive performance in the enhanced games we’ve been able to test out so far. It’s hard to believe Microsoft exclusives like Gears of War 4 can look so good and run so smoothly on a box that costs less than half of what you’d pay for a high-end gaming PC. Plus, it caters to home theater enthusiasts with 4K ultra-HD Blu-ray playback and Atmos sound. However, the big question of how it compares to the PlayStation 4 Pro in running third-party games remains, for now, unanswered.” — Brandin Tyrrel [Full review-in-progress]

Polygon — No score (Pre-review)

“The Xbox One X is undeniably the best console to play multiplatform games; they’ll look and run better on it than on the PS4 Pro. For some people, that peace of mind–knowing that they’re guaranteed to get the highest image quality and smoothest performance–will be enough to justify the purchase price. And the ancillary benefits of Microsoft’s ecosystem, such as Xbox Play Anywhere and backward compatibility going back to the original Xbox, can’t be discounted. But I’ve been floored by plenty of games on the PS4 Pro, like Horizon Zero Dawn. For now, with the limited number of enhanced Xbox One X titles I’ve been able to test, I haven’t seen enough to be able to recommend the console in light of its high price–especially when the audience for these mid-cycle upgrades still seems so specific.” — Samit Sarkar [Full pre-review]

The Verge — 8.5/10

“Sony really has some impressive exclusives on the way, and it’s hard for Microsoft to counter this despite its great job on the hardware. Microsoft promised the best hardware, and it delivered–but that’s nothing without games.” — Tom Warren [Full review]

The Guardian — 4/5

“Multiplatform titles will almost certainly look better on Xbox One X than on PS4 Pro, sometimes very noticeably (and elements like increased draw distance and smoother frame-rates can have a palpable effect on your gameplay experience), but is it worth the extra £100? That’s a conversation you need to have with your aesthetic standards and your wallet.” — Keith Stuart [Full review]

Engadget — 87/100

“Ultimately, the Xbox One X offers some major performance upgrades that gamers will notice–especially if you’re coming from an original Xbox One. But it’s also a bit disappointing since it’s coming a year after the PS4 Pro, and it doesn’t offer VR yet. For Microsoft fans, though, none of that will matter. It’s exactly what the company promised: the fastest game console ever made.” — Devindra Hardawar [Full review]

Eurogamer — No score

“Really, it all comes down to whether you own a 4K screen or are considering investing in one. The right ultra HD display with decent HDR support really does offer a huge improvement in many cases over standard 1080p. Forza 7‘s precision lines and often beautiful lighting are a world apart from the base Xbox One experience, while the richness of detail in Gears of War 4 (or the doubling in frame-rate, if you prefer) are transformative experiences. Work needs to be done on beefing up the lacklustre 4K media support, but as a top-tier games machine, Xbox One X is an excellent piece of kit.” — Richard Leadbetter [Full review]

Wired — No score

“Microsoft has pulled off something impressive here. 4K gaming previously required a noisy desktop PC with a flamin’ hot graphics card, and now it’s something you can get for $500 that fits under your TV. That’s awesome, even if the benefit is small and only for a select few. For devotees who worship at the altar of Master Chief, the Xbox One X is an offering that optimizes the Xbox experience. It’s an opportunity for fans to re-up their membership and prepare for the higher-def, higher-dynamic range future.” — Brendan Nystedt [Full review]

TechRadar — 4/5

“If you’re the kind of gamer who stops to look at the scenic vistas in games like Skyrim, The Witcher or Dragon Age, or a streamer who can point out a 4 frame-per-second difference while looking at two videos side by side, the Xbox One X is a worthwhile investment.

“That said, if you’re a gamer who just wants a console that plays great-looking games without digging too deep into your pocket books, the Xbox One X is a bit overkill – save some money and buy yourself an Xbox One S … preferably the one with a 2TB hard drive.” — Nick Pino [Full review]

CNET — No score

“Xbox One X lays a credible claim to the title of most powerful game console ever, but it has an uphill battle for your gaming dollar, especially if you already own an original Xbox One.” — Jeff Bakalar [Full review]

This post has been updated with more reviews.

The long-gestating Red Sonja remake is back on track.

Deadline reports The Expendables producer Millennium Media will produce the project, which is set to serve as the start of a new franchise. The film is currently being fast-tracked, and a writer will be hired soon.

Millennium’s Avi Lerner and Joe Gatta, as well as Cinelou’s Mark Canton and Courtney Solomon are producing the movie. Luke Lieberman, Red Sonja’s current rights holder, will be an executive producer.

Red Sonja comic.

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Capcom today reported earnings for the quarter ended September 30, and it was a good one for the Japanese gaming giant. For the quarter, sales in Capcom’s gaming division, called Digital Contents, jumped 23 percent compared to the same period last year, to ¥20 billion, while operating income was ¥3.8 billion, a dramatic 248.4 percent increase year-over-year.

Capcom specifically called out the Nintendo Switch game Monster Hunter XX as a title that “performed strongly.” Additionally, Ultra Street Fighter II The Final Challengers for Switch was labeled as a “smash hit.” Capcom also mentioned the release of Marvel vs. Capcom Infinite for PS4, Xbox One, and PC, but didn’t use any adjective to describe its performance, which may or may not mean anything at all.

What’s more, Capcom’s revenue in the period benefited from catalog unit sales for Monster Hunter XX for 3DS, while the online game Monster Hunter Frontier Z “performed steadily,” Capcom said. The mobile game Monster Hunter Explore “remained popular,” Capcom said, while revenue from licensing also helped boost Capcom’s bottom line.

Additionally, Capcom reiterated that Resident Evil 7 has now passed 4 million copies shipped. That’s a big number, but it is still well below Capcom’s expectations. Outside of this, it looks like Capcom did not share any specific shipment or sales figures for any other titles in this newest earnings report.

Capcom is a big company with multiple divisions outside of gaming. Altogether, Capcom posted revenue of ¥33.7 billion, an increase of 17.6 percent year-over-year, with operating income rising an astonishing 757.5 percent to ¥3.4 billion. You can read Capcom’s full earnings report here on the company’s investor website.

This story has been updated.

Following a delay, Final Fantasy XV’s fourth expansion – the ‘Comrades’ multiplayer DLC – will be released on November 15.

Announced on Twitter, the new release date is just over two weeks later than the original release date of October 31. No concrete details were given for the delay, with Square Enix saying it was “due to final adjustments and to create the best possible experience.”

Comrades will let players create their own characters, and equip them with powers from the Lucian bloodline that gives Noctis his abilities.

Obviously there’s a focus on creating full teams, but the expansion will also add single-player sections for your new character, allowing training and adding context to the main game’s story.

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