Capcom’s celebrated RPG Monster Hunter World is finally coming to PC in August, and now the publisher has shared some further details about it, including its PC specs.
In addition to the specs (you can see the Minimum and Recommended specs below), Capcom announced some of the game’s Advanced Graphics Settings. You’ll be able to tinker with things like foliage sway, subsurface scattering, water reflection, and dynamic range. What’s more, there is keybinding support. Check out the images embedded in this post to get a closer look at what will be available in the PC edition of Monster Hunter World.
Monster Hunter World launched for PS4 and Xbox One in January. It has been a resounding commercial success for Capcom, setting a new launch record for the series and becoming the publisher’s best-selling game ever. The game also received a positive reception from critics. GameSpot awarded it an 8/10 in our Monster Hunter World review and called it “a meaningful evolution for the series at large.”
The game comes to PC through Steam on August 9. If you pre-purchase Monster Hunter World on Steam, you get a pair of bonus items: the Origin armor set and the Fair Wind Charm. In addition to the standard version, the game will also be available in a Digital Deluxe edition, which contains the same assortment of customization items found in the console equivalent. This includes a set of Samurai armor, three gestures (Zen, Ninja Star, and Sumo Slap), two sticker sets, and a new face paint and hairstyle option.
You can watch a trailer for Monster Hunter World’s PC edition in the embed above.
A new Joker origin story movie starring Joaquin Phoenix in the title role is officially happening, with production to begin this September, according to The Hollywood Reporter. The story will reportedly be an “exploration of a man disregarded by society [that] is not only a gritty character study, but also a broader cautionary tale.”
The Hangover director Todd Phillips, who co-wrote the script, is directing. The Warner Bros. movie reportedly has a budget of only around $55 million, which is well below what other Warner Bros. superhero and villain movies have cost to produce. According to THR, the film is “meant to be darker and more experimental in tone and content (at least as experimental as a studio can be with established brands such as DC), which is described as being akin to a crime drama.”
No official release date has been set, but THR claims the film could be in theaters by late 2019. Shooting reportedly starts in September in New York.
Phoenix is a veteran and accomplished actor. He earned three Oscar nominations, for Gladiator, Walk the Line, and The Master, though he has yet to win. The actor’s name has been attached to the Joker for many months now, but today marks the first official confirmation that the movie is happening.
While Phoenix has yet to star in a comic book movie, he’s been close before. Before Benedict Cumberbatch was cast, the actor was in talks to star in Doctor Strange. He also passed on the role of Lex Luthor in Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice. Additionally, this will be the first comic book film for Phillips, who previously directed the Hangover franchise, War Dogs, and 2003’s Old School.
After several years of waiting, Capcom has finally debuted its remake of classic survival-horror game Resident Evil 2. If you only watched its E3 2018 reveal trailer, chances are you have some questions regarding how it plays and how faithful it is to the 1998 original. There are still plenty of details that we don’t know, but Capcom has at least offered some clarity on its most curious changes.
To ensure you’re kept up to date on everything there is to know about Resident Evil 2 remake, we’ve compiled all the information we have on the game so far: how it came to be, why its camera is from the third-person over-the-shoulder perspective, and more.
While not explicitly titled “Resident Evil 2 Remake,” the game is in fact a total remake of the classic survival-horror game, and not a remastered version of the PS1 original with touched-up graphics–much in the same vein as 2002’s Resident Evil remake. You once again control rookie cop Leon Kennedy and college student Claire Redfield, who must escape Raccoon City after its citizens are transformed into zombies by a virus two months after the events of the first Resident Evil.
The project came to be after Capcom producer Yoshiaki “H” Hirabayashi took to Facebook on July 30, 2015 to ask the Resident Evil community if they’d be interested in a remake. The request was met with enthusiastic support, which prompted Hirabayashi to pitch the idea to his boss sometime later. The result of the pitch meeting was confirmed the following August when the game was formally announced by Hirabayashi in a special message to fans.
How It Plays
The Resident Evil 2 remake plays from a third-person over-the-shoulder perspective, similar to Resident Evil 4. If you’re worried this deviates too far from the original’s fixed-camera system, don’t let this get you down: the remake still emphasizes survival-horror above all else. You’re not given the same amount of power that the more action-oriented games in the series offer you.
The new aiming style feels like a modernized version of the aiming from classic Resident Evil games that allows you to move and pick out where you want your shots to land.
This manifests itself in combat. When you aim, the cardinal markers on your reticle slowly move until they’re closed in on the center, allowing you to fire a more precise shot. But when you move, the reticle resets and takes time to close in again. Shots take time to line up and you need to stand still to get them just right; you can’t instantly fire from the hip and expect to hit your target. It’s a small change, but it completely alters your sense of control. The new aiming style feels like a modernized version of the aiming from classic Resident Evil games that allows you to move and pick out where you want your shots to land.
Progression also remains largely the same as the original Resident Evil 2. You’re still solving puzzles, tracking down keys, gathering resources, and putting them back into item boxes for later use. But there’s more freedom to explore and discover secrets at your own pace and in varying orders–which is a welcome change of pace from the more constricted adventure game-like progression of the original. You’re constantly investigating new pathways and gaining new items that might help you open up the way to your objective.
In the same way Resident Evil 7 felt like a classic Resident Evil game played from the first-person perspective, the Resident Evil 2 remake feels the same–but from an over-the-shoulder perspective.
Why The Third-Person Camera Perspective?
As stated, Resident Evil 2 remake will play from a third-person over-the-shoulder view. Hirabayashi told GameSpot that he and his team chose the perspective because they wanted the experience of playing the game to be “intimately terrifying in nature, to [have] up-close and personal zombie encounters that you can only get with that kind of view.” He commented further that the perspective was also chosen to open up new possibilities for the series’ classic puzzle-solving.
Based on our time spent playing the game at E3 2018, the third-person perspective plays well with the labyrinthian corridors of the police department, making exploration feel unsettling and claustrophobic. We’re curious how it’ll be effectively used in the latter portions of the game.
How Faithfully Does It Recreate The Original?
Currently, all we have to go in terms of judging the game’s faithfulness is the Racoon City Police Department–the primary location of the first playable demo at E3. The remake appears to closely recreate many of the area’s iconic rooms and corridors, while adding in new details to give it a more modern flair. Some rooms have been slightly rearranged, but the overall structure of the police station remains largely the same–at least from the first floor. Some areas are much darker than in the original too, forcing Leon to brandish a flashlight in order to safely navigate the environment. Also, there are no longer any loading screen doors, so say goodbye to your old-school escape techniques, zombies will now follow you from room to room whether you like it or not.
Leon is still the rookie cop with a heart of gold that we all remember, yet his naivety and sense of honor is reframed and more subtly reflected in his line delivery. Commanding officer Marvin Branagh appears to be a more substantial character who still warns Leon of the dangers ahead, but who seems to have a larger presence, remaining in the main hall after gifting you with a survival knife (and not a keycard).
Story events seem to be remixed as well. The beats we’ve seen so far are incredibly similar, with Leon reaching the police station, but the story progresses slightly differently. For example, you’re forced to explore the Eastern side of the police station first before encountering Marvin, instead of meeting up with him first to unlock the doors to both the Western and Eastern sections.
How Will The Leon/Claire Campaigns Work?
One of the most unique aspects of the original Resident Evil 2 was how it separated its campaign; you had the option to start the game as either Leon or Claire. And depending on who you finished the campaign with, you could then start a new one from the other character’s perspective. This closely tied into the Zapping System, where each of the two playable characters are confronted with different storylines and puzzles depending on the order you choose to play their scenarios. You had the option of starting the “A” scenario with either of the two protagonists and then completing their subsequent “B” scenario, resulting in a total of four different scenarios.
It appears that the remake won’t use the Zapping System, but will instead offer a total of two completely separate campaigns starring Leon and Claire. It’s unclear if your actions in either of the two campaigns will impact the other.
Any Other Fancy New Features?
Similar to Resident Evil remake, whenever you’re grabbed, you can instantly stab a zombie to push them away and avoid damage. Interestingly, your knife will remain in the body of the zombie until you pick it back up. We’re curious what would happen if you left the knife in the zombie and carried on, as there also seem to be puzzles that involve using your knife. Are you forced to backtrack and retrieve it? Or are there multiple combat knives you can find? Time will tell.
As you explore the RPD, you’ll get your hands on wooden boards that you can use to barricade doors and windows from zombies and other bioweapon threats. If the absence of loading screen doors hurts your sense of safety, then these new wooden boards can serve as a decent–albeit temporary–replacement.
Lastly, a gunpowder crafting mechanic is present, which allows you to create much-needed ammo from scratch. If it’s anything like past games, you’ll likely be relying on it to create the fancier ammo types needed to swiftly take down strong opponents.
What’s The Release Date?
Resident Evil 2 remake will release on PS4, Xbox One, and PC on January 25, 2019. That’s not too far away, but gosh doesn’t it just feel like an eternity?
The second season of Legion was a trip. Greg shares the top mind-bending moments of David Haller’s story including his fight with Amahl Farouk, alternate timelines of Davids and much more.
2K Sports brought WWE 2K18 to Nintendo Switch last year, but it suffered from a number of problems like framerate issues and more. This year’s WWE 2K19 is skipping Switch altogether, a representative for 2K Sports confirmed to PowerUp Gaming.
“WWE 2K19 will not be available on Nintendo Switch,” the spokesperson said. 2K is focused on making the best possible experience for WWE 2K fans and will continue evaluating all opportunities to deliver the franchise across additional platforms.”
It’s a bummer for wrestling fans hoping to play on the Nintendo console. Given that the PS4 and Xbox One have bigger installed bases, it makes sense that 2K would focus on those systems, but that doesn’t make it any less easier to stomach for Nintendo fans.
The Deluxe and Collector’s Editions of WWE 2K19 will be available on October 5, while the Standard Edition of WWE 2K19 will be available on October 9. In other news, 2K has confirmed that Ronda Rousey will be available as a pre-order bonus.
The Sport White Special Edition is the first controller in Xbox One’s new Sport series. The controller will cost $70 (in the U.S.) and be available in the U.S. and Canada starting July 31, and available for purchase worldwide on August 7. In certain countries, the controller will come with a free 14-day trial of Xbox Live Gold and Xbox Game Pass.
Xbox describes the new controller as something inspired “by trends in athletics and sports lifestyle.” The controller features the same white base color found in Xbox Design Lab, while the buttons, joysticks, and d-pad are colored mint, grey, and silver. The back of the Sport White Special Edition comes rubberized to prevent players from losing their grip.
In North America only, for an additional $50 fee, players can also nab The Sport White Special Edition Xbox Pro Charging Stand. The stand doesn’t charge your controller any faster than Xbox’s previous docks, but this one is specifically colored to match the overall design of The Sport White Special Edition controller. Despite the color palate, the stand is compatible with Xbox’s other controllers. The charging stand will be available on August 7.
If you’re looking for something new to play on Xbox, check out our list of the best console exclusives for Xbox One. It includes every Xbox One console exclusive that’s released since 2013 that we’ve given a review score of 8/10 or higher. We also have a gallery of every Xbox exclusive confirmed for 2018 if you want to know what to expect down the line.
Nintendo will launch its first paid online service, Nintendo Switch Online, to over 20 million Switch users all across the world this September. With it comes the ability to upload save data to the cloud, play classic NES games online, and voice chat through the use of a smart-device application — all for the price of $19.99 per year. But there’s still one big brown Goomba in the room that needs to be addressed: where are all the must-have games launching alongside Nintendo Switch Online?
With Super Smash Bros. Ultimate releasing several months later in December, there’s a clear gap in multiplayer based games during Nintendo Switch Online’s autumn launch window. So where does this leave us? Could Nintendo have any big unannounced multiplayer Switch games that could potentially justify the price of their new paid online service? At its most recent shareholder’s meeting, former President Tatsumi Kimishima revealed that Nintendo had unannounced “products” in the pipeline that the company plans to release before the end of this year’s holiday season. Our best guess is that at least a few of them will cater to the new features introduced by Nintendo Switch Online. So, with that being said, here are five big games that we think Nintendo could release alongside Nintendo Switch Online.
Two more games are being added to the Xbox Game Pass library this week, the first of which is out now. Psyonix’s hit soccer-with-cars game Rocket League is now available in the subscription service catalog, while Warhammer: Vermintide 2 is coming on July 11.
To celebrate the Game Pass launch, Psyonix is offering discounts on some Rocket League DLC. For example, Rocket League’s Fast & Furious ’70 Dodge Charger R/T is on sale, while the Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice Batmobile and the DeLorean time machine from Back to the Future are also marked down to $1.80 instead of $2.
As with the PS4 and Switch editions of Rocket League, the Xbox One version has cars exclusive to it in the form of the Halo Warthog and the Armadillo from Gears of War. You can see these cars in the image above.
Rocket League has been a massive success, and its release into the Xbox Game Pass library will surely help player figures grow higher still. The game is unquestionably popular and has made a lot of money, but Rocket League 2 may never happen.
As for the other new Game Pass title, Vermintide 2, it is much newer, having released in March 2018. The first-person hack-and-slash game has been compared to Left 4 Dead, with GameSpot at one point calling it “Left 4 Dead 3 in the Warhammer universe.”
For more on Xbox Game Pass, check out this roundup of all the games in the library. The service costs $10/month in the US, which is on top of the $60/year Xbox Live Gold subscription. All of Microsoft’s first-party games are released into the catalog day-and-date, and this will include Gears 5 and Halo Infinite.
The second season of Legion was a trip. Greg shares the top mind-bending moments of David Haller’s story including his fight with Amahl Farouk, alternate timelines of Davids and much more.
