Nintendo Switch has already received a good number of awesome games, but if you’ve been holding out for big, mature AAA titles on the platform, you’ll soon get your wish. In the space of a single week, Skyrim, Doom, and L.A. Noire all launch on the platform.
Even though the games have been out for a while on other platforms, it’s still a pretty awesome week for Switch owners, as they can pick up a huge RPG, an over-the-top FPS, and a fantastic crime-solving adventure game.
We already knew the release dates of Skyrim and L.A. Noire, but Bethesda just revealed Doom’s date today. The shooter is coming out on November 10, and it’ll come with the full game and all the DLC released on other platforms.
Skyrim, meanwhile, will be released on November 17, and it comes with all three of Skyrim’s expansions. It also features motion controls and Amiibo support. Finally, L.A. Noire launches right between Skyrim and Doom, on November 14. It, too, comes with all the DLC, and it includes some Switch-specific control schemes.
Even though these are older games, it’s good to see AAA developers supporting the platform with their big titles. Bethesda is even bringing at least one of its newer releases to the platform–Wolfenstein II is slated for launch on Switch sometime in 2018.
It’s hard to be surprised anymore at collector’s editions, since we’ve seen everything from a mini-fridge for Call of Duty to a $386,000 version of Dying Light that included an entire bunker. Today, however, Sony Interactive Entertainment Taiwan announced a Gran Turismo SportPS4 bundle that still manages to stand out as particularly wild, because it comes with an actual, drivable car.
That’s right–the bundle comes with a limited-edition 2018 Mazda MX-5, complete with Gran Turismo and PlayStation logos. And if the car wasn’t enough already, the bundle also features a PS4 Pro, a PSVR headset and Move controllers, a Thrustmaster T-GT steering wheel, an Apiga AP1 racing chair, a Bravia 4K HDR TV, 12 months of PS Plus, and, of course, the game.
Only one of these bundles was put on sale for the absurd price of $46,600, and it was already bought by a car collector. So if you were dreaming about parking a Gran Turismo-branded sports car in your garage, you’re unfortunately out of luck.
If you just want the game, though, you don’t have to wait too much longer. Gran Turismo Sport launches tomorrow, October 17, for PS4.
Confession time: I’m a Star Wars Battlefront apologist. I fully acknowledge it was sorely lacking in content, particularly at launch, but as far as nailing the look, sound, and feel of playing as a Rebel or Imperial trooper – or, better still, occupying the skin of an iconic hero or villain – DICE nailed it. What DICE didn’t nail is enough content to justify the asking price, while the lack of depth in its multiplayer greatly impacted the longevity and, ultimately, the size of the player base. On top of this, the Star Cards (read: gadget abilities) weren’t particularly well balanced, and the back-end networking left a lot to be desired.
Plenty to be addressed in other words. Now that I’ve spent several hours with the Star Wars Battlefront II multiplayer beta, has it improved in terms of content, depth, and balancing? The simple answer: yes and no. The longer answer is below.
Assassin’s Creed Origins launches very soon, and to celebrate publisher Ubisoft has revealed a line of ultra-rare new Yeezy sneakers. The trainers have been designed in collaboration with renowned sneaker artist Dominic Lowman, and only 16 pairs will be made worldwide.
Two color schemes have been produced: a black design in addition to a white one. Ubisoft says none will be made available to buy, and will instead only be made available in free giveaways. The company stated, “Details will be announced across Ubisoft and partner social media channels shortly.” Check the designs out for yourself below.
Just last week, Ubisoft revealed Origins’ Free DLC and season pass details. The game will receive two major expansions after its October release date in addition to a number of smaller add-ons, some of which will be free.
By the time you’re reading this, Polyphony Digital’s Gran Turismo Sport is available to download on PSN, but due to the game’s always-online nature I haven’t been able to test everything it has to offer. Servers were taken down for maintenance over the weekend, leaving me with only the arcade mode to play. And though I do enjoy GT Sport’s driving model, it’s difficult to feel motivated by one-off arcade races when all currency and experience earned is voided once I shut off my PlayStation 4. Things aren’t off to a great start.
GT Sport is in many ways a departure for Gran Turismo, aimed squarely at people interested in rising through the ranks of a professionally governed online racing league. As a result, developer Polyphony Digital and the Federation Internationale de l’Automobile have taken strict control over player progress, car purchases, and even the in-game photo mode for some mysterious reason. You aren’t given a choice to either opt in or out of this system, and must contend with its limitations even if you have zero interest in the FIA.
This attitude is indicative of a larger problem: catering almost exclusively to the tastes of racing’s elite upper-crust. GT Sport lives in the world of exotic supercars and tightly tuned variants of racing-grade consumer rides. Gone are the days of experimenting with cars from decades past that offer more charm than horsepower. If that’s what you’re after, you should probably keep playing Gran Turismo 6, or look to a modern alternative like Forza Motorsport 7 to get your fix. GT Sport’s official car count hovers right around 160, but the more realistic number, when you take difficult-to-discern variants out of the picture, is closer to 90 distinct designs. Most manufacturer’s feel woefully underrepresented, with only two or three unique models to choose from.
Gran Turismo games are always little offbeat, but bewildering trysts with non-racing subjects in GT Sport feel like misguided attempts to create the country club of racing games. It’s amusing at first when the game’s menu backdrop fades from an interesting event in racing history to, say, the date that Celine Dion won her first grammy, or the discovery of the neutrino, but over time these flourishes start to leave a bad taste in your mouth as you discover how little racing content there is to explore–even when servers are up and running. Don’t get me started on the inclusion of fashion label (and GT Sport sponsor) Tag Heuer next to car manufacturers in “Brand Central,” the place you go to buy cars and explore the history behind them. Seeing a watchmaker get the same treatment as a car designer in a racing game isn’t harmful, but it makes you question where its priorities lie.
I can say that when I’m not shaking my head at strange limitations and designs, I genuinely enjoy driving in GT Sport–that’s one thing Polyphony Digital hasn’t lost sight of. Whether or not the amount of missions and cars is enough to keep me engaged in the long-run is the real question. Check back in the coming days for my full review, but it’s safe to say that you should approach GT Sport with trepidation if you had hopes for a relatable or typical Gran Turismo experience.
GameSpot News with Jess McDonell and Dan Crowd brings you the video game news stories you want to hear, and sometimes, the ones you don’t. It’s a lottery, but life is a lottery, and the sooner you learn that the more content you’ll be. Here’s today’s rundown!
Doom’s Nintendo Switch Release Date Revealed
Didn’t play Bethesda’s 2016 Doom reboot? What is wrong with you?! Well thankfully if you have a Nintendo Switch you won’t have to wait long to get back on that wagon, since its release date was announced today. Look forward to using every bit of free time you have on the toilet or train to finish one of the most exciting shooters in recent years!
Xbox One Cross-Play With Another Game Confirmed (But Not On PS4)
Cross-platform multiplayer between different consoles is definitely a thing that can happen with big games. Take a look at Portal 2 and Rocket League! Now, Crazy Justice, an upcoming third-person shooter which is currently seeking funding on Fig, has announced that they’re supporting cross-play between Switch, Xbox One, and PC! Crazy!
Witcher Dev CD Projekt Red Talks Cyberpunk 2077, Studio Culture Amid Staff Morale Concerns
Do you love the Witcher series and hate poor working environments? Who doesn’t, right? Well unfortunately, while CD Projekt Red seem like a developer that can do no wrong, they’re catching a bit of flak from ex-employees on Glassdoor, a site that collects reviews regarding what it’s like to work at a company. It’s caused enough of a ruckus that a couple of the studio heads have responded to the criticisms about their working environment.
The community is already going at it creating amazing custom wrestlers every day. From Batman to Goku and beyond, here are some of our favorites from day 1 in a 10 man rumble.
This year’s E3 will have a new logo, organisers have announced, while sales for exhibitors are now on sale. The new logo orients the E and the 3 horizontally, compared to the E3 2017 logo that had the E and the 3 stacked on top of each other.
The Entertainment Software Association (ESA), which organises E3 every year, said in a statement that the new logo has a “familiar color scheme, but the design is updated for sharper performance on modern digital applications.”
E3 2018 runs June 12-14 at the Los Angeles Convention Center. The ESA said it expects E3 2018 to exceed the numbers that E3 2017 did for the number of exhibitors and games on show. More than 300 exhibitors attended E3 2017, showing off 2,000 products.
More than 68,400 people attended E3 2017, which included 15,000 public tickets that were sold this year for the first time in the event’s history. E3 will stay at the LACC through 2019, but it remains to be seen what will happen after that.
Potential E3 exhibitors can inquire about securing a space by visiting the Exhibit Sales page on the official E3 website–www.E3Expo.com.
What do you make of the new E3 logo? Let us know in the comments below!