Kurt Indovina chats with Deathloop’s director Dinga Bakaba and art director Sebastien Mitton about the game’s distinctive aesthetic, world building, and what it was like to adapt multiplayer into an immersive sim.
New Dead Cells “Update Of Plenty” Changes Crossbows, Adds Backpacks
Developer Evil Empire has released a new update for Dead Cells. Called the Update of Plenty, it implements notable changes to weapons, items, and the in-game economy. The full list of changes are detailed in the official patch notes.
In terms of weapons, Update of Plenty makes all crossbows into two-handed weapons. To increase a player’s willingness to try two-handed weapons, Update of Plenty also adds backpacks that allow you to hold onto an extra one-handed weapon that you can switch to in situations where your two-handed weapon might put you at a disadvantage.
When it comes to the in-game economy, Update of Plenty increases the amount of gold you can find and adjusts the pricing of gear at merchants so that you’ll be able to switch gear loadouts midway through a run without spending nearly all your money. This should be most helpful for late-game levels, as holding onto a bit of your money early on should make it easier to buy healing items in the endgame without scrounging for gold.
PSN Launches New PS4 Sale On Multiplayer Games Ahead Of Fourth Of July Weekend
As usual, the PlayStation Store has multiple sales running right now, including the bargain-focused Games Under $20 sale and Mid-Year Deals. While both of those are still live for another week, a new sale kicked off today. Multiplayer Days is, you guessed it, a sale focused on games you can play with friends and family such as Overcooked 2, A Way Out, Dragon Age: Inquisition, and several Lego games. The Multiplayer Days sale runs until July 16, so you have two weeks to browse for your next family game night activity.
The sale is particularly good for family-friendly games. You can nab the chaotic cooking simulator Overcooked 2 for $15 or get a bundle with Overcooked 2 and the original for $21. Overcooked’s spiritual successor Moving Out, which released earlier this year, is on sale for $17.49, too. Meanwhile, Lego games offer great local co-op for youngsters and parents, and you can snag Lego Marvel Collection for $18, a great price for a compilation featuring three games, and Lego Star Wars: The Force Awakens for $8.
For genuine party games, it’s hard to compete with Jackbox. The Jackbox Party Pack is down to $12.49, and Jackbox Party Pack 5 is discounted to $18. There are also more traditional digital board and card games on sale, including Uno for $5, Monopoly Family Fun Pack for $6, and Ticket to Ride for $6.
Disney+ Is Coming To SDCC@Home, But What About Marvel And Star Wars?
As more and more is revealed about the upcoming at-home version of San Diego Comic-Con, one of the bigger questions many fans have had is how big of a role Disney would play in the event. As time goes on, it’s becoming more clear that Disney is going to be one of the primary players at SDCC@Home.
Disney+ announced three panels for the convention, including one tied to Marvel properties. On July 23 at 4 PM ET / 1 PM PT, the streamer will give an inside look at the upcoming Marvel’s 616 docuseries. A previously released synopsis for the show reads, “Marvel’s 616 is an anthological documentary series exploring the intersection between Marvel’s rich legacy of stories, characters, and creators and the world outside your window. Told through the lens of a diverse group of filmmakers, each documentary will dive into the rich historical, cultural, and societal context that has become inseparable from stories of the Marvel Universe.”
The other two announced panels will take place on July 25 and include the upcoming Disney+ Phineas and Ferb movie at 3 PM ET / 12 PM PT, and a look at National Geographic’s The Right Stuff at 4 PM ET / 1 PM PT.
Beavis And Butt-Head Is Getting Two New Seasons On Comedy Central
Comedy Central has announced it will be reviving Mike Judge’s hit animated MTV series Beavis and Butt-Head with two new seasons, along with the possibility for additional spin-offs and specials. As with the original, Judge is set to write, produce, and provide voice-over for the titular (huh-huh) characters. No release date for the new Beavis and Butt-Head seasons has been given, nor do we know how many new episodes are coming.
“It seemed like the time was right to get stupid again,” said Judge in a statement.
All that’s known about the series’ revival is it will somehow straddle issues “and meta-themes relatable to… Gen-X parents and their Gen-Z kids.” No word yet if the boys have gotten a less filthy couch, are still teenagers, or will watch music videos.
The New Trackmania Is Out Today, Here’s Some Details On Its Complex Subscription Model
The newest entry in the Trackmania series is officially out today on PC at the Epic Games Store and the Ubisoft Store. The game was previously delayed due to the outbreak of coronavirus. As a remake of the highly-regarded free Trackmania Nations, fan interest is running high for this new game, titled simply Trackmania. However, some in the community are expressing concerns and confusion about its three-tiered subscription model.
As shown by the rather complex diagram below, the three tiers of the new Trackmania are Starter Access, Standard Access, and Club Access. Standard Access and Club Access are each a subscription of $10 and $30 a year respectively, while Starter Access is free. Essentially, Starter Access allows players to sample 25 of the game’s pre-made tracks, while Standard Access unlocks daily competitions, the Track of the Day, player creation servers, and the track editor. Club Access grants players the ability to create their own custom servers, participate in online rooms, and compete in the official Trackmania leagues.
Given that previous Trackmania games revolved so heavily around user-created content, it would appear that the Club Access is key to enjoying the game to its fullest, especially if you plan on hosting your own server with your friends. However, if you’re just trying to sample what Trackmania has to offer, both the Starter and Standard Access might help you get your bearings.
Resident Evil Village Will Conclude Resident Evil 7’s Story
Resident Evil Village details were recently divulged in a Famitsu interview with producers Tsuyoshi Kanda and Pete Fabiano. The interview was translated and shared on Twitter by Resident Evil historian Alex Aniel. There were a few interesting tidbits revealed about the upcoming game, including how Village will conclude Ethan’s story, which started in Resident Evil 7: biohazard.
According to the translated interview, Resident Evil Village is about 60% complete and has been in development for about 3.5 years. It also serves as the conclusion to Ethan Winter’s story that started in Resident Evil 7: biohazard; however, the developer didn’t make it clear which of the two mid-game choices is canon. In Resident Evil 7, you’re asked to choose who to save between your wife and another character, which results in some striking differences. They also said that the title emphasizes the village because it is “another protagonist” in the game.
Village also brings back two staples of the RE franchise–inventory management and puzzle solving–but no specifics were given. They also said that making the game exclusively for next-gen allowed them to make loading times nearly nonexistent, giving the game a deeper level of immersion. Unfortunately, they didn’t expand on what they meant by this.
Marvel’s Shang-Chi To Resume Production At The End Of July
Slowly but surely, movies that were forced to pause production due to the COVID-19 pandemic are beginning to chart a course to resume work. Upcoming MCU Phase 4 movie, Shang-Chi And The Legend Of The Ten Rings has tentatively scheduled to resume filming in Australia at the end of July, Deadline reports–but will only be doing so with strict safety precautions for cast and crew.
Production on Shang-Chi was stopped back in early March after director Destin Daniel Cretton went into self-quarantine. The same week, Disney officially hit the pause button on all currently filming projects, issuing new release dates to accommodate for the delay. Shang-Chi was pushed back to May 7, 2021 while Black Widow was bumped to November 6, 2020, and the Eternals, which had previously held the November spot, was moved to February 12, 2021.
You Can Win Switch Eshop Credit In Nintendo’s Next Splatoon 2 Tournament
Nintendo is hosting another competition in its colorful Switch shooter Splatoon 2 later this month. The Turf War July 2020 tournament kicks off on Saturday, July 18, and the prize is $25 USD in My Nintendo Gold points.
Every member of the winning team will take home 2,500 My Nintendo Gold points, which can either be redeemed for rewards on the My Nintendo website or used as credit toward select games and DLC on the Switch Eshop. The tournament is open to players in North America, and each match will be contested in Turf War.
Fresh off the #Splatoon2 NA Open June 2020 is a new entry in the @NintendoVS summer series of events, the Splatoon 2 Turf War July 2020 tournament, starting on 7/18! Each member from the top team will get a fresh prize of 2,500 My Nintendo Gold Points.https://t.co/jGHjcCBDsm pic.twitter.com/GyPC2sgS46
— Nintendo of America (@NintendoAmerica) June 29, 2020
Registration is open now until July 18, 10 AM PT / 1 PM ET. To enter, you and your teammates will need to create an account on Battlefy. You can read the full rules for the Turf War July 2020 tournament here.
Facebook Cracked Down On Extremism. It Only Took A Major Boycott And Multiple Killings.
Social media platforms have issued bans and takedowns as they face mounting pressure.