With The Heart of Fire, a new expansion for the MMORPG Neverwinter has been announced, this time focusing on humor instead of horror.
After the excursions into horror-land Ravenloft, players of the MMORPG Neverwinter need something funny again. Together with the famous Dungeons & Dragons adventurer group Acquisitions Incorporated, a new adventure module called The Heart of Fire will soon be released.
A funny adventure
Penny Arcade founders write new D&D adventure: Jerry Holkins and Mike Krahulik, creators of the famous webcomic Penny Arcade, along with their D&D colleague Amy Falcone and the publisher Wizards of the Coast, have written a new adventure for Neverwinter that focuses on the humor familiar from Penny Arcade. This is meant to turn the MMORPG upside down. Jerry Holkins, Mike Krahulik, and Amy Falcone even lend their voices to the NPCs in the game.
Outsmart the competition: Acquisitions Incorporated boss Walnut Dankgrass (Amy Falcone) tasks the heroes in the expansion The Heart of Fire with dealing with her competition. If you eliminate them – however you like – you can become an intern at Acq. Inc. for life.
But first, you have to find “huge jewels” for Omin Dran (Jerry Holkins) at the Sword Coast. You will receive support from Jim Darkmagic (Mike Krahulik). But this one quest won’t be the only one. The missions become more and more bizarre.
You are to infiltrate a Beholder congress
It is necessary to fight sky pirates on the airship of Acquisitions Inc.
You must rescue a noble youth, which ends in a special battle
Become the owner of your own workshop: The adventure module The Heart of Fire will bring more innovations:
The professions system will be completely overhauled
You will become the owner and manager of your own crafting workshop in the Protector’s Enclave
“We have been looking for an opportunity to collaborate with the talented people from Acquisitions Incorporated for a long time, and now we have finally succeeded,” said Gordon Fong, Executive Producer of Neverwinter.
Many members of our team are big fans of the world that Mikey and Jerry have created, and allowing their stories to become part of our game was an honor and, of course, a great pleasure. In this expansion, both die-hard fans of Neverwinter and new players will get their money’s worth. From the funny dialogues that have never been seen in the game before to the bizarre adventures awaiting the newly minted employees of Acq. Inc., there is something for every D&D fan in The Heart of Fire.
Release first for PC: As is always the case with Neverwinter, the expansion The Heart of Fire will also be released first for PC. The release date is November 6. There is no date yet for Xbox One and PS4.
The Chinese government is likely to take a much more critical view of games in the future. Officially, the government aims to combat children’s nearsightedness. This affects the two Chinese gaming giants Tencent and NetEase.
China wants to combat nearsightedness: The Chinese government has issued new edicts targeting gaming, among other things (via Chinese Ministry of Education). The official reason given is “nearsightedness,” which affects many young Chinese early on.
The authorities say: “Parents should minimize the use of electronic devices when they are with their children. The use of electronic devices for purposes other than learning should not exceed 15 minutes [at a time].”
The devices should not be used for more than one hour a day.
Even the President of China, Xi Jinping, has spoken on this issue: One must protect children’s eyesight.
Play less, go outside: The government now wants children to play outside rather than devote themselves to “electronic products.”
Still unclear what impact this will have: So far, this is just an edict, but various ministries are to work on its implementation, including the ministry responsible for gaming in China.
But even if these are still intentions, they are already having an impact on the markets. For months, such an “anti-gaming” step has been anticipated.
Political intent suspected: Restricting gaming
What is behind this? These measures to protect children’s eyesight are interpreted by the markets as a sign that gaming in China will be much more heavily regulated by the government in the future.
For several months, the Chinese government’s stance on gaming seems to be changing.
All these years, the Chinese gaming giants with their good political connections have been allowed to operate in a gray area. While other media were censored, gaming in China was able to flourish. The company “Tencent” has even become one of the seven largest companies in the world, creating a network around gaming and the internet.
Many predicted the end of the golden era for gaming giants in Asia
However, in recent months, an end to this golden time has been signaled. The government has not issued new licenses for new foreign games. As a result, “Monster Hunter World” had to be withdrawn.
There has also been a political restructuring behind the scenes regarding who approves games and who regulates them. Observers suspected an internal power struggle among various authorities (via gamesindustry.biz).
Incredibly popular in China: Honor of Kings, a kind of “Mobile LoL.”
Analysts had already feared that the Chinese government was tightening its stance on gaming to curb a rampant online addiction among the youth of the country.
Because it does not align with the political will of the leadership.
As early as 2017, there were initial measures against the mobile MOBA Honor of Kings. After a pro-government Chinese newspaper criticized the game, publisher Tencent decided to significantly restrict playtimes for children and teenagers.
This was likely done to preempt such an edict as the one that has now been issued.
How are the markets reacting?
Bloomberg reports on how markets are reacting to the new developments:
Netease fell by 7.2 percent in New York
Tencent fell by 5.3%
But Japanese and Korean companies that make a lot of money in China are also affected:
Capcom fell by 7.5%
Nexon fell by 5.1%
This is how it has been so far: China has been a kind of paradise for Chinese gaming companies. Especially the two giants Tencent (LoL, Honor of Kings) and NetEase (distributing Blizzard games in China) prospered in a closed market. Anyone wanting to make money in China had to establish a business relationship with these companies.
For a long time, the companies could earn a lot of money under these conditions. The government largely left them alone.
Companies like Tencent made a fortune under these conditions and invested their money in Western companies like Riot Games (LoL), Epic (Fortnite), or Ubisoft.
But even in recent years, it has been indicated that the government has a problem with how much time Chinese children and teenagers spend playing games like “Honor of Kings”.
Apparently, there has been a change in course in recent months, which is now reflected in these decrees.
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
The YouTube channel Smosh Games is known for its successful parodies. Whenever a new movie or game is released, the channel takes on that title and creates an “Honest Trailer” out of it. You can watch these in English here.
What are the Honest Trailers? Free from any “PR nonsense,” the Honest Trailers always tell, without mercy, what the game is about or what thoughts players had while gaming. Most of the time, it’s quite funny, as is the case with World of Warcraft: Battle for Azeroth.
Cynical comments with a hint of truth: As usual with the Honest Trailers, World of Warcraft is also dissected with a wink. For example, the expansions are referred to as “randomly placed new continents on the map” or the Allied Races as “reskins with new horns… or whatever”.
Nevertheless, this Honest Trailer is relatively harmless and praises WoW in some aspects. It is the game that “has passed the test of time and is still good after 14 years – or at least good enough for people to keep paying their subscription fees.”
How do you like the Honest Trailer for WoW: Battle for Azeroth? Do you agree with the cynical comments? Or is it all exaggerated?
However, there is also more clear criticism of the new WoW expansion:
When does the FIFA 19 demo come out? What is the release date for PS4, Xbox One, and PC? All previous information about the release date, time, available teams, download, and the content of the demo can be found here.
On September 28, 2018, FIFA 19 will be released worldwide. Those who pre-order the Champions Edition or Ultimate Edition can even start three days earlier.
Test FIFA 19 before purchase: Many gamers are currently still unsure whether they want to buy FIFA 19 this year. Do the new features justify the full price? Do I even like the new gameplay?
With the FIFA 19 demo, you get the chance to test the upcoming football simulation conveniently from home.
Release date of the FIFA 19 demo and time
The release date and all official information about the demo are always published by EA Sports only shortly before the launch. The release date has now been revealed.
When will the FIFA 19 demo be released? According to a press release from EA Sports on September 13!
What time will the FIFA 19 demo be released? We expect it to be at 7 PM. The demo was also released in the stores at this time in previous years.
The FIFA 19 demo only presents a snippet of the main game. It primarily serves to give you an impression of the gameplay.
The progress you make in the demo modes will not be transferred to the main game.
According to the fifauteam site, the demo will encompass three game modes:
Kick-off mode
Champions League mode (in kick-off mode)
The Journey Champions
The Champions League will certainly be included in the demo: This competition is considered one of the biggest innovations in FIFA 19, which runs throughout the game. EA Sports will surely offer a sample of the CL mode in the demo.
The story mode “The Journey” comes to an end in FIFA 19. You will likely be able to play a match in the demo and experience one or two cutscenes. The story mode was also present in the demo versions of the last two years and could be played in pre-release demos.
FIFA 19 demo – download for PS4, Xbox One, PC – and Nintendo Switch?
On which platforms will the demo be released? It will certainly be released on PS4, Xbox One, and PC (Origin). It will not be released on PS3 or Xbox 360. No information is available for the Switch version, but it is also likely not to be released.
How does the download and installation work? Upon the release of the FIFA 19 demo, you will find the demo versions in the corresponding stores, namely in the PlayStation Store and the Xbox Store. The PC download will take place through Origin.
For the installation, you will likely need between 7 and 8 GB. The demo download is free.
Note: As soon as there is new official information about the FIFA 19 demo, we will update this article.
Shortly before the launch of the Forsaken expansion for Destiny 2, there is first gameplay of the PlayStation-exclusive strike Broodhold. Watch the strike in full length.
Exclusive content for PS4: As usual, Destiny 2 will also offer exclusive content for players on PS4 with the Forsaken expansion. In addition to new armor sets for each Guardian class, a new exotic weapon, and a ship, Guardians on PlayStation 4 will also receive an additional exclusive strike – Broodhold.
What does the video show? At PlayStation Underground, Bungie has now shown a complete run of the new strike from Forsaken. A team from all three Guardian classes fights through a downed Hive ship in the Wirrbucht to face the Hive Brood Queen at the end and eradicate the Hive plague.
In doing so, Guardians will use new supers and gear that will come to the game with the upcoming fall addon – including the new PS4-exclusive fusion rifle Wavesplitter.
Even though the release of the upcoming MMORPG Ashes of Creation is still some time away, we talked about this topic with Steven Sharif and lead designer Jeffrey Bard from Intrepid Studios at gamescom.
The release of a new MMORPG is a delicate matter. If you can’t convince right from the start, then the chances are good that the MMO will not be successful and quickly fade away. However, the developers of Ashes of Creation are not afraid of the release, unlike the team behind Crowfall.
MMO veterans ensure the release date is met
There is only one chance for a good start:Like many other MMO developers, Intrepid Studios believes that a new MMORPG has only one chance for a good release. If this works, the path to success is paved. If the release fails, it will be extremely difficult for the game to recover. Most games do not succeed in that.
Developers are not afraid of the release: Even though a release is always difficult, the Intrepid Studios are not afraid of the launch of Ashes of Creation. What matters is the “momentum” you start with. If an MMORPG already has a large population before launch, it provides certain momentum for the launch. This community wants to play the game and thus represents the drive.
This is why the release will succeed: Of course, it is up to the development team to deliver a good product. However, Steven Sharif and Jeffrey Bard explain that they made sure to assemble a team of the best veterans in the MMO industry.
Where are the developers from? Many former developers from the Everquest series, Vanguard, Planetside, Star Wars Galaxies, DC Universe, and many other MMORPGs are working on Ashes of Creation.
Therefore, the team is convinced that they will release a high-quality product that has been perfectly implemented. “The momentum, the execution, and partners like my.com are a recipe for success!” While my.com as a publisher raises skepticism among some players.
Alpha 0 is an indicator of success: The Intrepid Studios have launched the Alpha 0 for players with diverse backgrounds in the gaming industry. They did not want to offer Alpha 0 for purchase, but instead allowed handpicked individuals to receive specific feedback. The Alpha 0 was assembled in five months.
The map is the size of the world of The Elder Scrolls 5: Skyrim, there are seven dungeons, and you can level up to level 10. Additionally, it offers several other features from the complete game to provide a first glimpse into the MMO. Even the node system is included.
All of this works and is well-received by testers. The developers behind it, some of whom have more than 20 years of professional experience, were amazed that such a thing could be achieved within such a short time. This shows Steven Sharif and Jeffrey Bard that they can meet their goals within the timeframe they set while delivering a high-quality MMORPG.
Release date before 2020: The team is so convinced of the project, so passionately involved, and everything is currently running so smoothly that a release is aimed for before the year 2020 and seems feasible for Intrepid Studios – even if it should only be December 31, 2019, as was jokingly added. There has been no change to this goal; they are still on schedule, Sharif said.
Will the MMORPG be released in German? That is the goal. A major advantage is that they could start localization early. Discussions are already ongoing regarding its implementation. There will also be language-specific, i.e., German servers.
In Pokémon GO trainers are eagerly waiting for the next Shiny. And that is just days away.
Pokémon GO is currently celebrating a Safari Zone in Yokosuka (Japan). Special monsters like Tropius appear more frequently in the area. But there are also rewards worldwide – and they are meant for all trainers.
A new shiny form is now active. You can catch the Shiny form for a few days now, but they are rare.
Shiny Wingull worldwide – Shiny Pelipper
During the Safari Zone in Japan, Shiny Wingull appears worldwide, which you can then evolve into Shiny Pelipper. You can already catch them now, but the spawns will be significantly increased over the weekend.
When does it start? Niantic already announced in July that trainers would be able to catch shiny Wingull worldwide during the Safari Zone in Japan. This coming weekend, on September 1 and 2, the spawn rate of Wingull will be increased.
Niantic confirmed the upcoming weekend for the spawn increase on Twitter: “Wingull, including its shiny form, will appear more frequently worldwide on September 1 and 2. This is alongside the global catching challenge from Professor Willow.”
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Worldwide Challenge: This weekend, trainers around the world are tasked with completing many field research tasks. Because when the goal is reached, you will secure Stardust bonuses for various actions like hatching eggs or raids. We have explained the possible Stardust bonuses here for you.
Last Stop: This Safari Zone is the last stop of the Pokémon Summer Tour 2018 after Dortmund and the GO Fest. Trainers are eagerly waiting to see what Ultra Bonus Niantic will present. Because that seems to be the grand finale of this tour.
What is the Ultra Bonus in Pokémon GO?
Ultra Bonus: The community has been thinking about this Ultra Bonus for a while. Initially, it was assumed that a release of Celebi would occur, but that is now available through quests in Pokémon GO.
Speculations about this Ultra Bonus range from Generation 4 to a rotation of regional Pokémon. But these are just the thoughts of trainers – there is still no official statement from Niantic.
The planning of Fallout 76 and the beta test often lead to discussions among fans. Vice President Pete Hines now personally comments on the status.
At Gamescom 2018, IGN spoke with Pete Hines about the status of Fallout 76 and the plans for the B.E.T.A. (Break-it-Early Test Application). Hines provides insight into the philosophy behind Fallout 76.
B.E.T.A. will provide challenges and the game should simply be good
Regarding Fallout 76 and especially the previous beta test, there are various opinions from the community. Some players find Bethesda’s approach completely unconvincing, while others are waiting to see. Vice President Pete Hines now takes a stance on this.
The beta will be stressful:As PCGamer reports, Hines states that the beta is currently on the right track. However, in order to ultimately make Fallout 76 a good game, attempts and feedback from players are necessary.
Hines: “It is interesting and exciting, but I approach the matter and have done it often enough to know it won’t go perfectly. There is simply no universe… no one has ever done this and said, ‘Oh, no problems. Not a single thing went wrong.'”
B.E.T.A. is more than just a joke: An important part of the beta test is to truly test it. In English, “B.E.T.A.” stands for “Break it Early Test Application”. And that’s exactly what should happen.
“It’s a joke, but you need to break it early. We need to find the problems and then fix them and check if what we used to fix holds. If not, we need to change it and do it again. We need you to [then] break other things,” Hines said.
Fun is the priority: The team must, according to Hines, be prepared for this test. However, it is also important that the game is fun. He even jokingly banned the term “replayable” from the office.
Hines: “Every game is replayable. Tetris is replayable. Every game can be replayed. That’s not unique. That’s not a feature.” Hines is more concerned that players get a game that offers good value for its price.
The game director of Anthem talked about how players are supposed to experience a personal story. Jonathan Warner explained that there should be no focus on a gigantic story that unfolds gradually.
Anthem will have time-limited events: Players are supposed to constantly have something to marvel at and talk about. Game director Warner did not want to go into detail about what these events will be. However, they should be surprising. What is known so far is that, for example, the map can change for all players or weather phenomena can occur.
Events run simultaneously for all players: Anthem should feel like a shared place for everyone. The story will also revolve around the entire group as “Freelancers” rather than the individual. To facilitate these shared events, all cycles of day, night, and weather will be synchronized for each player.
The same events for everyone, even outside of an instance
Players experience the same events, even if they are not in a group: John Warner illustrated it this way, that if players from the UK and Canada are playing in Anthem, both can have the same event in the game.
This should also work if they are not part of a group. After all, it is possible to play with up to four players together. If these two players now talk to each other, one should be able to say that he saw the huge storm in Anthem that was there last night, and the other should be able to say that he saw it too.
To keep players engaged, something has to happen regularly: Warner continued to emphasize that it is important to offer a certain variation. Too much time should not pass before the next interesting thing happens in the game. There are already plans about how it will continue in Anthem after the release.
The progress of the Javelin should become the core: According to Warner, the real heart of Anthem is the Javelins. These are the combat suits that players go on missions with. The goal is to further develop the Javelins, get stronger, and hunt for rare loot – that is the core of the game. After the launch, there will also be more Javelin suits that players will gradually unlock.
In Fortnite: Battle Royale (PC, PS4, iOS, Android, Switch & Xbox One) there has been a secret star every week, announced in bonus title images of the Road Trip Challenge. However, in Week 8 it seems that no one has found it yet.
Where is the Battle Star of Week 8? So far, with some skill, one could always see in the Road Trip bonus images where the next secret star is hidden. However, in Week 8 of Season 5 there is indeed a title image, but so far no one has found a clear clue to the star.
Is there no star in Week 8 of the Road Trip?
Perhaps there is nothing to gain this week and Epic has hidden no Battle Star in the image. But why was a new image even released? Moreover, why did Epic extend the Road Trip Challenges for more weeks up to Week 9 in Week 7?
Is the star hidden somewhere in the ruins of the Tomato Temple? On the other hand, the star might still be in the Tomato Temple. There is an engraving on the wall that is not present in the game itself.
Is the star not in the temple at all?
Does the path lead to the Burger? The engraving does not show the usual Battle Star symbol. Rather, it seems to resemble the burger head of Durr Burger.
Burger vs. Pizza: The burger appears to be the arch-enemy of the Tomato Head. This is evident from the title image related to the Tomato Head Challenge. Additionally, in the video from Update 5.3 there are Tomato Heads seen throwing a team of Burger Heads with shock grenades into ravines.
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Did the Burger Head steal the Battle Star from the Tomato Temple in the end? Then the way is clear, and you must search either at Durr Burger in Greasy Grove or at the Burger Head on the hill near Pleasant Park if you have completed all previous challenges.
As soon as we know more, we will let you know here! Or have you already found the star? Then let us know if our theory was correct.
Update: As some diligent readers have pointed out, instead of a star for a level-up, there is a Tomato Head banner to be found at the temple. What this banner does is still unclear. Thanks for the many hints on the topic in the comments!
The upcoming action MMORPG Torchlight: Frontiers is often referred to as the “Diablo-MMO”. But what exactly are the major differences and unique features compared to Blizzard’s action RPG? We personally asked boss Max Schaefer at Gamescom 2018.
What is Torchlight: Frontiers? Behind this name lies the latest game in the Torchlight series. Since 2009, it has been known for presenting colorful monster-slaying orgies akin to Diablo.
The latest installment, Torchlight: Frontiers, aims to realize the franchise as an MMO.
Three major features of Torchlight: Frontiers
How does Torchlight: Frontiers differ from Diablo 3? The Diablo series has always been the main competitor of Torchlight. The similarities are evident.
Both games focus on the hunt for monsters and loot, are controlled from an isometric perspective, and take place in a fantasy world.
However, there are differences, and we have summarized the three biggest ones here in conversation with studio head and former Blizzard developer Max Schaefer.
Shared World MMO: Unlike Diablo 3, which according to Schaefer is merely an improved version of Diablo 2, the goal with Torchlight: Frontiers is to enter “real” MMO territory.
However, the game is not meant to be a classic MMORPG like World of Warcraft. Instead, it aims to take inspiration from Marvel Heroes and develop a “Shared World MMO”. This means that you primarily form your group in quest hubs and the open world.
Dungeons and other instances are completed alone or with previously invited players.
Better Random Levels and Events: Additionally, Schaefer states that the procedural level generation is much better than in Diablo 3. Therefore, they can make the areas more exciting and dynamically integrate events and daily occurrences into the game.
Much of the game’s dynamics will be driven by such random events in the release version later on.
Difference 2 – Colorful World and Humor vs. Darkness and Horror
The Anti-Diablo Setting: Unlike Diablo, which takes place in a dark horror world filled with darkness and demons, Torchlight has always thrown you into a vibrant fantasy world. But why is that the case? Max Schaefer had the following statement:
All MMOs want you to come and spend your evenings in them. There should be an attractive place where people want to spend time. If a world is too grim and dark, I wonder why anyone would want to live there?
Difference 3 – Housing and Pets
Cute pets have also been known in Torchlight for a long time. This will be continued in Frontiers. Already in the demo at Gamescom 2018, there was from the beginning a creature that could be a dog, an owl, or even a colorful llama.
The Pet as Support: The animals are not just a decoration; they assist you in the game by attacking enemies or drawing aggro. Like in Torchlight 2, they will later be able to learn skills and can even resurrect the undead!
A Pet You Can Relate To: You will also have a stable full of animals that you can collect and upgrade, in true Pokémon style. This way, you can create a strong emotional bond with the pets, similar to what one has with a real pet.
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The Fort as a Comprehensive Housing: Another top feature of Torchlight: Frontiers will be housing. You can build forts and also house your pets there. The fort is accessible to all heroes on your account, allowing you to optimally store and exchange items.
Additionally, there will be interaction opportunities with other players who can visit your fort.
Many fans are celebrating the new Overwatch map Busan. However, a well-known fan created Busan earlier – did Blizzard shamelessly copy it?
A fan created Busan before Blizzard: The Overwatch fan, YouTuber, and map designer Joshua Llorente showcased his own version of the Overwatch map Busan, announced in August, already back in June using Unreal Engine 4.
Other fans and Overwatch players are now wondering if he had anything to do with the design of the official map, or if Blizzard could simply have stolen it.
Commotion over the new map Busan
Busan is a city in Korea. The new Overwatch map takes place in a futuristic South Korea, a country that Llorente has expressed great interest in (via Kotaku).
Who is Joshua Llorente? The Filipino Joshua “Shua” Llorente has previously made headlines. Back in August 2017 Llorente showcased the map “Favela”. Shortly after, a second map of his, “Cairo”, followed.
Llorente built the maps from scratch. He took 2 months for Cairo back then. Overwatch head Jeff Kaplan even took notice of his work, rewarding him with an “Amazing work! We’ll be in touch”.
Did Blizzard copy Busan? What many fans of Llorente’s work and Overwatch are keen to find out now is whether Llorente was involved in the official Busan map, or if Blizzard copied it.
Llorente himself stated that Blizzard hadn’t reached out to him. He wrote to Kotaku in an email: “I don’t believe Blizzard was inspired by my map, as I am the one inspired by their environments, and I am the one using their maps as a guide for creating my own maps.”
An official response from Blizzard on this matter is still pending.
For comparison: The Busan map by Joshua Llorente.
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Llorente is excited about Busan: Although the maps are very similar, Llorente is not disappointed that his work was not taken over by Blizzard. He is primarily happy that a Busan map exists.
“I really like the Overwatch Busan map, as I love Korean culture. I think their [Blizzard’s] environment team captured the feel and look of a traditional and futuristic Busan well.” said Llorente.
He also has no visual complaints about the design of the map. Llorente added: “Visually, the Busan map is already perfect, and I don’t think any changes are necessary.”
In Destiny 2, the PS4-exclusive content for Forsaken has been revealed. These items and activities have a time exclusivity for PlayStation Guardians.
Time-exclusive additional content: Since Bungie has a partnership with Sony, PS4 Guardians have received time-exclusive bonus content with every major Destiny release for years. This is also the case with the Forsaken expansion starting from September 4, 2018.
These contents remain PS4-exclusive for at least one year.
A PlayStation-exclusive Exotic, a Strike, Armor, and a Ship
Destiny 2 Forsaken offers these PS4-exclusive contents:
Wavesplitter – Exotic Fusion Rifle:This weapon comes from the creators of Coldheart. It fires deadly laser beams. Wavesplitter has three different “power levels” that alternate while firing, differentiating in sound effects and the thickness of the laser beam. When you pick up a Sphere of Light, the weapon temporarily reaches maximum power, allowing it to mercilessly destroy enemies.
Broodhold – Exclusive Strike:This strike takes you into the depths of the Shattered Thicket – a new area in Forsaken. There you will face the Hive – at the end waits a witch, a “Brood Queen”. She uses a physical form and a shadow form, employing various abilities against you.
New Armor Pieces – Titan (Mimetic Saviour):
New Armor Pieces – Hunter (Red Moon Phantom):
New Armor Pieces – Warlock (Thorium Holt):
Exclusive Ship – Great Beyond: This ship comes from an unknown country, from which no one has returned – until now, according to PlayStation’s description.
How long is this exclusive? The PlayStation Blog does not indicate how long only PS4 Guardians will have access to this content. Presumably one year, until the fall of 2019 – that is our assumption. However, this is not confirmed.
What about the previous PS4-exclusive content?
At the launch of Destiny 2, there were PS4-exclusive contents, such as the Lake of Shadows Strike or the Borealis.
At that time, Bungie’s Luke Smith stated that these contents would be available for the other platforms (Xbox, PC) in the fall of 2018. Although it was officially stated “at least fall 2018”, he committed to 2018.
Presumably, the PS4-exclusive contents from 2017 will be available for all Guardians with Forsaken.
Many MMORPG fans are hoping for a new, PvE-focused online role-playing game and fear that the new MMORPG Ashes of Creation might be too PvP-heavy. Therefore, we spoke with Intrepid Studios.
During gamescom, in our conversation with Steven Sharif and lead designer Jeffrey Bard from Intrepid Studios, the topic of PvE came up. Both encourage players who wish to experience exciting adventures in Ashes of Creation without PvP.
PvP is built on PvE
For PvP to be fun, the game must cater to PvE players: According to Intrepid Studios, it is essential for an MMO that also offers PvP to have a large population. This is achieved primarily by catering to PvE fans.
There must be an exciting lore, and challenging fights against monsters and bosses.
“PvE creates our world, PvP changes it,” was a statement during the interview.
No one is forced into PvP: If a player does not want to participate in PvP, they can choose one of the other paths to progress. You can specialize in crafting, housing, trade, or focus on making a career in the Thieves Guild or the Academy of Knowledge and try to influence the world and its development through politics.
It is possible to conduct raids, explore dungeons, continuously improve your gear, or engage with the religion system.
Character progression should not be boring: Ashes of Creation does not want to offer progression like that seen in “old-school” MMORPGs, where you do the same things over and over to finally get better.
Those who do not want to engage in adventures do not have to do so. You can try to become a master crafter and level up in that field.
Ashes of Creation aims to provide many ways to develop your character as you wish, without having to follow predetermined paths.
This is how “ganking” is to be curbed: Since PvP still plays a role and it is possible to attack other players, many fear that Ashes of Creation will turn into a “gankfest”. A game where some people take pleasure in constantly attacking others.
This is where “corruption” comes into play. If you are attacked by another player, you have the option to “flag” yourself for this PvP fight. You can then respond to the fight. If not, and the other player continues to attack you and kills you, they will earn corruption points.
Those with corruption points can lose all their gear upon death, depending on the number of points. This is meant to curb ganking and griefing and encourage PvP players to choose PvP scenarios instead.
This includes sieges or caravans. There, PvP is possible in a fair setting without flagging. The team does not want ganking to have a place in the game. And for those who are not at all interested in PvP, there are many other opportunities to have fun in PvE.
It has now been revealed that the free DLCs for The Division 2 have a catch. While they remain free, there is indeed an incentive to pay for them.
This was the big topic at E3 for The Division 2: “Our DLCs are free this time.” Around Gamescom, the catch comes to light. Those who pay get a week of early access.
It was like this with The Division 1: The three DLCs for The Division 1 cost something. Additionally, PS4 players had to wait a month for them. Nobody was happy about that:
The community split into those who had DLCs and those who did not.
Moreover, the DLCs were niche. They did not expand the story but only opened new side modes. Overall, the DLCs for The Division 1 are considered a flop.
Fans noticed what is stated in the fine print: Ubisoft is also selling a “Year One Pass” in addition to The Division 2, which grants early access to the DLCs or parts of them. This is not quite clear yet. Access is supposed to be seven days earlier.
What bothers players about this? This “early access” annoys players now because they say: People have an advantage if they can play new content a week earlier. They gain access to items earlier and are therefore stronger than us for a week. This says Massive: The US site Kotaku quotes the Division 2 community member Yannick saying, “We don’t see early access as an opportunity to strengthen the character earlier.”
According to him, early access is more about the story part rather than strengthening the character for PvP. They will “carefully look at what there is in early access.”
This could mean that Massive still does not know exactly what players will get from earlier access with the Year-One Pass. More annoyance: A second issue is the inventory. The special editions add valuable space for a lot of money. Fans do not like that either. Especially for core gamers, space was a long-standing problem in The Division 1.
The additional space is hidden in the “The Elite Agent Pack”. Players need to purchase at least the “Ultimate Edition” for €110 to have the largest inventory. What is behind this? It is not unusual for AAA titles to trick with such editions and sell seemingly small advantages for a lot of money.
What annoys fans here is that The Division 2 is now revealing these catches in the fine print, while it seemed at E3 two months ago that they had learned from all the mistakes of The Division 1.
If the big message at E3 is: “All DLCs are free,” then they should have announced: “But those who pay play a week earlier,” and not have to wait two months to tell this.
In Destiny 2, dataminers have discovered new clues that seem to refer to the Darkness. Warning: Spoilers!
The Darkness as a great mystery: Although the Destiny series has been around for four years, there are still many mysteries and secrets in the Guardian universe. Among these is the Darkness.
The Darkness is the great, unknown threat that waits somewhere out there and is described as an ancient enemy of the Traveler. The Traveler gifted the Guardians the Light, through which they gained their powers. And the Darkness hunted the Traveler across the universe, until the Traveler sacrificed itself and fell into a slumber.
What the Darkness actually is, remains unknown so far. Is it an ominous force, a creature with immense power, or is there an alien race hidden behind the Darkness that has not been featured in Destiny until now?
Dataminers have now extracted clues from the latest update 2.0.0 that seem to refer to the Darkness.
Warning: Heavy spoilers ahead, continue at your own risk.
The lore about the Drifter tells of mysterious creatures
Dataminers have extracted lore tabs for the Drifter: The Drifter is a new character in Destiny 2 who will be responsible for the Gambit mode. You can see the Drifter in the image above.
What have the dataminers discovered? According to the entries found, the Drifter likely discovered remnants of the Darkness on an ice planet. There, a creature was trapped in a monolith that had a “slimy, featureless form without a head.” Additionally, it was said to suppress the Light by producing “anti-Light fields.”
“During our long stay on this planet, we found many of these monoliths, each with its own trapped creature in it.”
“There was a creature trapped inside. In a kind of cage made of ice.”
“In any case, this thing, this creature, looked as if it shared the common bioenergetics with the Hive, but there are no records of it – I have seen nothing that indicates humanity ever had an encounter with them. And the creature had a property that the Hive does not have. It produced a field that suppressed Light – like a Darkness zone, but it belonged to a slimy, featureless form without a head.”
“The anti-Light fields that we could detect from orbit and that stretch across the entire planet? Those were these things. The ship scanners detected thousands of them from the planet.”
“Furthermore, the text states that Guardians died from the cold on the planet and that the ghosts could not revive them as they were too close to one of these creatures, which drew the Light from them. The Drifter was the only one who survived. And he recounts that a creature was inside a monolith, watching them die.
What else is known about the Darkness?
The Drifter does not explicitly say that the creatures are the Darkness. But he at least references the term “Darkness” along with the “Darkness zone” and the anti-Light fields are clues that can currently only be associated with the Darkness.
In 2013, Bungie’s Director Chris Barrett presented concept art depicting five enemy alien races. However, Destiny launched with only four enemy races. The fifth race, shown here far right, is presented with smoke, strange beings, and triangles: We speculated nearly a year ago that this could be the Darkness. Because in Destiny 2, a cutscene shows a large triangle that casts a shadow over the Earth as Darkness is discussed.
Additionally, pyramid-shaped ships are shown in the final story cutscene of Destiny 2, awakening when they reach the Light of the Traveler – who is no longer sleeping:
https://youtu.be/v1sTIoz1FF
The theory is becoming increasingly concrete that the triangles and the amorphous beings are indeed the Darkness awakening. Presumably, these spaceships contain the strange creatures described by the Drifter, which may be similarly driven by the Darkness as the Guardians are by the Light.
But officially, this is not all – it is merely the composite image that previous clues and datamining results provide.
When will we encounter the Darkness?
In Forsaken, we will likely not encounter the Darkness. This expansion focuses on the Reef and the Dreaming City, not on a planet full of light-draining beings.
In Spring 2019, however, the Darkness may become a bit more present. Because then a season update focused on the Drifter will be released, to which Bungie says we will learn about his past and his “greater purpose” in the Destiny universe.
Bungie states that we will discover what is inside this “crazy rock” in Spring. Could this be a monolith block in which a creature is trapped? Will this be the first encounter with the Darkness?
The future will tell.
Until then, you can study the roadmap for year 2 here, which outlines the most important milestones in the coming months:
At Gamescom 2018, we were able to play the pirate MMO Skull & Bones from Ubisoft. You can find out what the naval battles feel like in Jürgen’s preview report from the fair.
Before the demo session at Gamescom, I had to choose a ship. There were three different vessels to choose from:
Black Horn: This ship is a melee fighter. It wants to get close to the enemy, bombard them at close range with heavy shrapnel loads, and smash them with its nasty ram at the end. The ideal ship for aggressive pirates
Jaeger: This light ship is the complete opposite of the Black Horn. The Jaeger is a ship full of long-range guns that deal damage from a distance. The Jaeger doesn’t like melee combat at all.
Royale Fortune: The tank among the demo ships. This vessel is much bulkier and larger than the other two ships. Therefore, it can withstand a lot and has an impressive battery of guns on each broadside. However, the Royal Fortune is slow and sluggish.
Ships like RPG heroes: The ships roughly resemble the classes in an MMORPG. However, there doesn’t seem to be a support class at the moment.
Each ship also has a special skill. For example, the Royal Fortune can cover an area of sea with continuous fire, forcing any enemy to vacate the area immediately. A tactical advantage!
Since I have no interest in fragile ships or ramming, I chose the thick Royal Fortune.
A Compromise of Realism and Action
How does Skull and Bones control? If you’ve played Assassin’s Creed Black Flag, you’ll quickly get the hang of the pirate ship in Skull and Bones. Just like in the Assassin epic, you look over your captain’s shoulder as he or she steers the ship through the waves.
At Gamescom, I was able to play the pirate MMO live.
The controls are so intuitive that I quickly got the hang of them, even though I had to play with a gamepad I was not used to. I steer the ship towards a group of other ships, apparently Portuguese. But never mind, loot is loot and the playtime is limited!
Thanks to the catchy controls, I quickly immerse myself in the game. However, I need to be careful not to sail against the wind and to consider the ocean current. Such realism is necessary.
As I steer towards my first victim, the grand naval and pirate atmosphere of Skull and Bones unfolds. It starts with each input on the gamepad triggering a spoken command from my captain.
However, since the captain (each ship in the demo had a pre-made captain) speaks softly and the whole crew can never catch everything, the boatswain standing next to her shouts the commands across the deck every time, slightly delayed – and seasoned with a few hearty curses. Then sailors spring into action, and the ship comes alive.
Sailor songs are included: If nothing much happens for a while, the crew starts singing lively sea shanties, which further enhances the already grand atmosphere.
You really can’t get more pirate flair than this!
Wild Naval Battles and Rich Loot
How do the battles go? As soon as I reached my first victim, I sailed alongside it and switched to the cannon view. You then see over the shoulder of the gun crews. The shoulder buttons are used to fire the cannons in succession.
This continues until all cannons are empty and you have to pause to reload. Clever pirates don’t fire everything at once but give the crew enough time to reload. Furthermore, you first have to get used to shooting; the first shots usually go overboard.
However, once you get the hang of it, you can easily blow apart light ships. Especially when I use the Royal Fortune’s special ability and create a real massacre with cannon fire (without reload time) for a short period.
Even more pirate flair! Even in the battles, Skull and Bones maintains the pirate atmosphere. Cannons roar, sailors shout, wood splinters, and projectiles whizz past the mast. I could hardly take my eyes off the spectacle and missed a good shot opportunity more than once.
Here’s how you loot
Sinking isn’t a problem: The naval battles should pay off, but how do I loot? Is it bad when the heavily laden merchant ship sinks into the waves, full of holes?
Not at all, because fortunately a sunken ship always leaves a few drifting chests that I can pick up with a simple button press while passing by. This isn’t realistic, but it’s practical. After all, I don’t want to laboriously pick up loot with the dinghy.
Boarding is key: However, if you want to reap big rewards, you should take the trouble to board a ship. This yields more loot, but is much harder. Anyone can shoot a ship until it sinks!
But being skilled enough to shoot down a rival’s sails and then get close enough to board – that’s something only real pro pirates can do!
No-risk boarding: The boarding combat occurs surprisingly unremarkably. I had expected some kind of minigame where I storm the enemy deck with my captain and engage in wild sword fights with enemy pirates like in Sid Meier’s Pirates.
Instead, the boarding fights happen automatically, and my crew easily defeats the other crew in a cutscene. Ubisoft might later add more action to this.
Jürgen’s Conclusion – Too Bad the Demo Was Over So Fast!
Skull and Bones fully convinced me in the demo. The controls were intuitive, the naval battles were a blast, and the atmosphere was even better than in Black Flag. Unfortunately, the demo session – which lasted about half an hour – was over far too quickly.
I wanted to sink and loot so many more ships! And I didn’t even notice the infamous fort or the allegedly roaming NPC pirates. The atmosphere of Skull and Bones captured me that much.
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Hopefully, there will be plenty of content: However, I can imagine that the always-same hunt for loot will eventually become boring. Therefore, Ubisoft must absolutely deliver a tight roadmap of content updates so that the pirate spectacle remains exciting and fresh not only at launch.
The game certainly has the stuff for a good start. It remains to be seen whether it stays exciting for a long time. The sad fate of the also-promising Sea of Thieves is still too fresh in my memory. By the way, you can read in the following article how Skull and Bones plans to avoid this:
In Week 8 of Season 5 of Fortnite: Battle Royale, you need to use rifts at various rift spawn points. How to do this and where to find the rifts is explained here!
What about fall damage? Unlike usual in the game, you don’t take fall damage when coming from the rifts. The parachute does not automatically deploy; you need to activate it manually if you want to glide.
Where are the various rifts and spawn points?
How to find the rifts: Rifts usually appear in greater numbers at their spawn points. You can find these locations on the pictured map.
Do the rifts always appear? Unfortunately no, sometimes there are no rifts available, or they appear later or disappear again.
Where can I find the most rifts? You have the best chance of completing the challenge if you glide to the southeastern desert area of Paradise Palms. There, you can find about half of the currently known 22 rift spawns.
How to get many rifts in a row: If you want to complete the challenge as quickly as possible, land at one of the edges of Paradise Palms at a rift location. Take it, and then glide to the next location from the air. Keep doing this until you can no longer find rifts or someone takes you out.
It must be 10 different locations: Also, keep in mind that you can’t just mindlessly farm any rifts over and over. Each rift location can only be used once for the challenge. Even if multiple rifts appear at one location, only one counts.
Do I have to visit all the rifts in the same match? Fortunately not. You can complete the 10 rifts in as many matches as you like.
Watch out for tryhards: As always, there are a few unpleasant individuals who want to secure kills and will ruthlessly take you out when you want to complete this challenge. So be careful to be alone, or take out all the players in the area first.
That’s all about our rift spawn points. Have you found any other locations?
Guild Wars 2 has turned 6 years old. And to celebrate this day, there is a special armor set. However, only a selected group of players is eligible for it.
In Guild Wars 2, your characters receive a gift every time they age one year. For example, if you created a character on 05.09.2017, it has its birthday on this day and receives its first gift on 05.09.2018.
In previous years, there were exclusive backpacks and weapon skins for players celebrating their birthday. This year, Guild Wars 2 rewards its players with a great armor.
Guild Wars 2 rewards its most loyal players
A birthday gift: To be eligible for the new armor, your character must have been created 6 years ago. The gift is intended for all players who have been playing Guild Wars 2 since its release. However, the armor set won’t disappear. If your character only turned 5 years old this year, you will simply receive the armor set next year.
Part of the birthday gift includes the following rewards:
An experience point booster
A level 60 boost
5 teleports to a friend
Exclusive Skin
The Radiant Armor: The star of the 6th birthday gift is a very special armor set: the Radiant Armor. It is a skin that you can easily apply over your current armor.
The individual pieces of the armor set can be freely combined. If you only like the helmet, then just wear the helmet. Players can experiment with the pieces as they wish.
You can take a look at the armor sets in our image gallery.
Important: Players with multiple characters do not have an advantage. You can only receive one armor set per year. So don’t make the mistake of taking the heavy armor set for your Elementalist if they can’t wear it. The other two armor sets can then be collected in the next and the following year.
Originally, Rend was planned as a cross between survival, MOBA, and MMORPG. However, the first impression leaves the feeling that the RPG aspect makes up a large part of the game. A class system and three factions, from which one must be chosen, are a refreshingly different approach to the survival genre.
Currently, Rend is in the early access phase, in which the whole game is available. Due to the short duration of the test and the constant changes, this is only a first impression of the game.
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Rend is different from other survival games
I have now played Rend for 17 hours and feel as if the tutorial isn’t even over yet. I’ve seen many of the features, most of which I have only superficially understood.
Rend is incredibly extensive. As someone who has spent 200 hours alone in Conan Exiles and has played many survival games before, I consider myself a player who understands survival games.
But Rend is different. In Rend, I am not thrown into a world and left to fend for myself. Even while creating my character, I choose a faction that I belong to and with which I can survive and progress together. And yet I am helpless for a long time.
Faction selection during character creation.
A colorful, breathtaking world
What stands out at first login is the beautiful world. Rend is colorful, the plants luminesce, the sky is picturesque, even my tattoos and tools glow in the colors of my clan.
In the middle of the map stands a huge, golden glowing tree that represents the world ash Yggdrasil. For Rend takes place in a scenario inspired by Norse mythology.
The soundtrack highlights all of this even more. Almost shamanistic chants remind me of skalds from longhouses and enhance the immersion. It is simply fun to log in and play.
The idea of Rend is grand
Rend is not just a survival game but also an MMORPG. There are three factions, Order, Revenant, and Conclave, that fight in the world to “ascend” and become gods.
The factions are like guilds in MMORPGs, and members gather reputation through their actions to rank up and gain access to faction resources. They gather resources and build at the bases together, research, and fight together.
In Rend, I do not play alone. As part of the faction, I always have bases I can return to, which offer protection. But this also comes with a responsibility: if an attack occurs, you should defend the bases together. After all, they are shared.
A shared base.
Reckoning – PvE meets PvP
This defense and the system of ascension is played out through the “Reckoning”. On our server, the “Reckoning” occurs three days a week.
Usually, bases and strongholds are surrounded by shields that repel an attack. However, during the Reckoning, these shields drop, and waves of NPC opponents attack, tearing down the forts.
Once these are repelled, PvP begins. The shields are still down, and players now have the opportunity to raid and loot the strongholds of other factions. The winners receive “Ascension” points, which give them advantages for the next Reckoning.
During the Reckoning, the sky turns blood red and the spirits attack.
A class system in a survival game?
Rend also brings a pronounced role-playing aspect. I can choose two of four archetypes in which I can invest points and thus learn abilities:
Pathfinder: Survival specialists who excel in the wilderness and have abilities that make survival easier for them
Assassin: Assassins who can sneak and attack from ambush to eliminate opponents quickly and effectively
Warlord: Leaders who overwhelm their enemies with raw power and serve as role models for their allies
Shaman: Mystical mages who use the world of the living and the spirits to harm enemies and support allies
Instead of investing my points in recipes after leveling up like in other survival games, I invest them in class abilities. This makes exploration, combat, and survival easier and adds depth to the game.
The talent tree of a Shaman.
Crafting is very complicated
Partly due to this distribution of points into skills instead of recipes, crafting in Rend is much more complicated than in other survival games. Recipes are not directly learned but researched and then mastered.
By gathering resources and crafting items, I collect “Sparks”. These can be used in the base to advance community research for new recipes.
The recipes are then available to the entire faction. However, to craft them myself, I must meet all requirements. This means mastering all prior recipes. For the next better bow, many lesser bows must be crafted until the ability has increased sufficiently.
Research in Rend – everyone can help.
Survival is challenging, but a secondary matter
Amid all these features that can overwhelm even a survival veteran, the main feature of every survival game remains: survival. I must always ensure that I have enough water and food and also consume them.
The particularly difficult part is that food spoils quickly, and water leaks from the water bags, making me constantly search for new sources.
However, hunger and thirst are simply “there.” Water and simple food like fruits are often found and easy to obtain, so that even in the wilderness, dying of thirst or hunger is more due to carelessness than lack.
The indicators for hunger and thirst are on the bottom left. Watermelons are often found; they satisfy both.
No real solo game
Due to the factions, Rend cannot really be played alone. While you can certainly just run away and build your own base somewhere, if something attacks, you will not last long against it alone.
Playing together also makes Rend more fun. Even when I played with Lucas, who started after me, everything was easier and simply more enjoyable. We were able to explore caves that we would have failed at alone.
Rend is definitely a group game. However, that doesn’t mean you have to bring friends. The factions provide enough players to explore the world together and who are willing to help. After all, you can only win together.
Veteran’s conclusion: A great game that I wish I had more time for
Benedict says: Rend is a time sink, even more so than most other survival games I know. Since I am still at the beginning after over 17 hours, I can only estimate that with over 100 hours I might be approaching “endgame”.
So far, I have not seen much more than the starting area, although I have received much help from my faction. I am eager to see what awaits me deeper inland and in the swampy areas.
Rend also offers two worlds in one. Through portals, potions, or abilities, one can switch to the “Spirit Realm” where mythical beings like Draugr and the souls of defeated creatures roam. However, this realm is harmful to humans.
The Reckoning particularly excited me because这里 Draugr come into the real world and attack. It’s a thrill to collectively fend off the attack, survive, and then go looting.
Draugr are attacking our base.
What I like most is the class system: It is delightful to play a survival game in which I can also embody an MMORPG class. This is something I have missed in many other games of the genre.
I wish for improvements in the overview: The crafting system is complex and that is good, but it is opaque. It is not immediately clear what skills I need to create better armor and weapons.
The rather unclear recipe tree – for alchemy only.
Beginner’s conclusion: Rend overwhelms me, but presents itself well
Alongside Benedict, survival newcomer Lucas also tried out the new Rend.
Lucas says: My first experiences with survival games were not very positive. I tried both ARK and Conan Exiles. The poor performance of the games at release did not allow for smooth gameplay, and constantly babysitting my character annoyed me.
Rend has what I missed in Conan Exiles and Ark: The game looks beautiful. The world is breathtaking, and the game runs very smoothly for an early access title. The animations are still a bit jerky, but overall, Rend does not feel like the typical “early access” games I am used to.
The beautiful world of Rend.
At first, I was overwhelmed by the extensive crafting tree: I didn’t know what to do, and my first character quickly became the victim of a wolf pack. In my second attempt, I focused on the class system of the game and learned which resources I could find at which points on the map.
Overall, I had more fun in Rend than in all the other survival games I’ve played over the years. The Nordic setting, the atmospheric music, and the pretty comic look have simply captivated me.
However, there remain parts of survival games that annoy me even in Rend: Hunger and thirst. Fortunately, there are servers that change these systems through different settings and modifications.
The tutorial in the game was helpful, but it must definitely be expanded, as many game systems cannot be understood at first glance.
