At the recent State of Play event, a 9-minute trailer for Death Stranding 2 - On The Beach was showcased, revealing Sam's new adventures in worlds beyond the US. The trailer debuted a new heroine portrayed by Elle Fanning, alongside new foes and mysterious characters, including a villain reminiscent of the Joker, a baby, and a talking doll.
The game's plot unfolds as Sam and his companions embark on a mission to save humanity from extinction. Players will journey through new locations, confront otherworldly enemies, and overcome various obstacles, all while pondering the value of human connection.
Death Stranding 2 is set to release exclusively on PlayStation 5 in 2025, promising fans of the series new captivating stories and a unique gaming experience.
Earning money without effort? In the US this is a reality through lawsuits, especially against large companies like Rockstar. The Grand Theft Auto game series is often the subject of controversy, accusations of inciting violence and other reproaches. This has already led to numerous lawsuits, such as in 2003, when teenagers inspired by GTA carried out an attack. The victims' parents demanded millions, but the case was dropped. Rockstar even already has its own legal department to defend against such situations. Other lawsuits, like that of "Auntie Bullet" from GTA Vice City, have also caused controversy, but Rockstar has repeatedly emerged victorious, deeming the lawsuits absurd.
Lawyer Jack Thompson tried to bankrupt Rockstar several times. He is an absolute hater of computer games, rock music and various manifestations of modern art and popular culture, and this guy has his own scores to settle with Grand Theft Auto. In 2003, when teenagers were shooting at cars, Thompson pushed their parents to sue for 246!!! million dollars. This is just one of many cases. The lawsuits have been filed in various states, but many have proven to be without merit. Lindsay Lohan filed a lawsuit against Rockstar for using her image in GTA 5, but the trials lasted 4 years, but the case was unsuccessful, and the court stated that there are simply a lot of girls with a similar appearance. There were also cases involving the use of images of real people without their consent, but they ended in victory for the company. Even the backing vocalist of the rap group Cypress Hill filed a lawsuit for using his image in the game. The story around the Florida Joker also became a hype. After the release of the GTA 6 trailer, the guy said that his appearance was stolen. He demanded millions in compensation and a role in the game from Rockstar. However, Rockstar ignores his demands, considering them unreasonable, at this point the guy is ready to voice “his” character.
Embracer Group, the owner of Eidos Montreal, announced significant staff reductions, affecting 97 of the 480 employees. This decision is part of a comprehensive restructuring due to the financial difficulties faced by the holding. After acquiring Eidos Montreal and Crystal Dynamics from Square Enix for $300 million in 2022, Embracer encountered a financial crisis.
Bloomberg journalist Jason Schreier revealed that alongside the layoffs, the unannounced Deus Ex project, which Eidos Montreal had been working on for about two years, was canceled. Instead, the studio will shift its focus to developing a new original game.
Arkane Lyon, the developers behind Marvel's Blade, have offered jobs to the laid-off employees of Eidos Montreal. Dinga Bakaba from Arkane encouraged affected individuals to reach out to him for employment opportunities, highlighting that the studio has vacancies not publicly advertised.
This announcement follows the success of Arkane Lyon's latest project, the shooter Deathloop, and demonstrates solidarity in the gaming industry during times of crisis.
Rumors suggest that 4A Games is working on a new project within the Metro series, potentially titled Metro: Awakening. This game is expected to be developed specifically for virtual reality devices and might be an exclusive for PlayStation VR2 on PlayStation 5.
An official announcement of Metro: Awakening is anticipated at the upcoming State of Play event before the end of January. Additionally, there is a possibility that 4A Games is developing two different Metro series games, with one being a VR-exclusive.
This development could be an unexpected turn for fans of the series, who have been anticipating a continuation of the story in a traditional format. However, transitioning to a virtual reality platform could open new frontiers for the Metro series.
Cliff Bleszinski, renowned as the game designer of the original Gears of War series, has once again expressed his willingness to assist in the development of the sixth installment of the game. He has offered his services as a consultant, emphasizing that Gears of War is a significant part of his legacy and he values the series. Bleszinski believes his contribution could be beneficial, especially in terms of public relations for the new game.
However, so far, Microsoft and The Coalition studio have not shown interest in his proposal. This might be linked to Bleszinski's previous projects after leaving Epic Games. His latest games, LawBreakers and the battle royale Radical Heights, failed to gain popularity and were met with lukewarm responses from critics and the gaming community.
Meanwhile, active development of the sixth part of Gears of War is underway, with the game scheduled for release in 2026. It will be an exclusive for Xbox Series X|S consoles and PC. Given the significance of the series in the gaming industry, fans are eagerly awaiting new details about the upcoming project.
Thus, Bleszinski's return to the franchise he helped create could spark interest among fans. Yet, it remains unclear whether Microsoft will accept his offer, considering his recent struggles in the gaming industry.
The Turn 10 development team has announced the release of the 5.0 update for Forza Motorsport, scheduled for February, which will bring significant improvements to the PC version of the game. The update includes performance optimization, improved frame rate stability during racing by reducing CPU load peaks and more efficient GPU utilization.
Key changes in update 5.0:
Fixed crashes caused by multi-threaded rendering.
Solved issues with using full-screen mode on PCs with integrated GPUs.
Corrected erratic frame rates after reverting a video settings change.
Enhanced mouse navigation in menus.
Fixed the issue of no performance improvement when switching from high-quality mode to low.
Addressed the absence of objects in car reflections in Photo Mode and Forzavista.
The update will also add the historic 20.8-kilometer Nordschleife track, available in single-player and multiplayer modes, including Career, Free Play, Private Multiplayer, and Rivals Time Attack. Additionally, Turn 10 is working on improvements to the Livery Editor and adding a Skip Practice option in Career mode. Ray tracing is expected to be introduced in future updates.
The much-anticipated release of Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League is set for February 2, 2024, on PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, and PC, with owners of the extended editions starting their gameplay on January 30. Despite the game operating exclusively online, the PC version will incorporate Denuvo anti-piracy protection. This detail, though not officially announced by the developers, was found on the game's Steam page.
The implementation of Denuvo might be aimed at combating cheaters, despite the absence of a competitive mode in the game. The developers are also planning to introduce a single-player mode in the future, though the exact date for this update remains unannounced.
The release of Horizon Forbidden West Complete Edition for PC is expected on March 21st, promising significant graphical improvements compared to the PlayStation 5 version. A comparison of the new trailer with the previous release on PS5 has shown noticeable differences, especially in the detailing of characters and lighting. The implementation of these improvements was made possible by using modern technologies such as NVIDIA DLSS 3, AMD FSR, and Intel XeSS.
In addition to graphical enhancements, Guerrilla Games confirms its plans to further develop the Horizon universe. Work is already underway on a new online game based on the franchise and the next adventure of the main heroine, Aloy. Inspired by the success of the first part, the studio and Sony have decided to continue the development of the trilogy.
The release of Horizon Forbidden West Complete Edition on PC marks a significant event for fans of the series, offering an enhanced gaming experience on powerful computers.
AMD has announced the discontinuation of its AMD Link application, initially designed for streaming gaming content from PCs to mobile devices and monitoring Radeon video card performance. This move follows a similar decision by NVIDIA, which ceased support for its GameStream service a year ago. Unlike NVIDIA, AMD has not yet offered a direct alternative to AMD Link, leaving users with options like Steam Link, which is limited to Steam games. The decision is attributed to the availability of numerous alternative solutions for remote gaming on the market, allowing content streaming from PCs to other devices.
AMD intends to redirect its resources towards developing other features and capabilities beneficial to users. The company emphasizes its commitment to supporting developers through SDKs like AMD Advanced Media Framework, enabling the integration of streaming functionalities into various solutions. The support for AMD Link will cease in the upcoming release of AMD Software: Adrenaline Edition this quarter.
The highly anticipated release of Horizon Forbidden West Complete Edition for PC is set for March 21. This edition of the game will bring a host of significant improvements aimed at fans of high-quality graphics and performance.
A unique feature of the PC version is the support for Ultrawide 21:9 and Super Ultrawide 32:9 modes, as well as the ability to play on three monitors with a 48:9 aspect ratio, offering a new level of immersion in the gaming world.
The game's graphics will see a significant boost thanks to NVIDIA technologies, including DLSS 3 for scaling and frame generation, DLAA for image enhancement, and Reflex for reducing latency. Support for AMD FSR and Intel XeSS technologies also makes the game accessible to a wide range of PC users.
An additional advantage is the ability to customize graphic settings, including unlocking frame rates, allowing players to tailor the game to their preferences and hardware capabilities.
The gameplay of Horizon Forbidden West on PC will support the DualSense™ controller, including its unique tactile feedback and adaptive trigger features, promising an even deeper immersion into the game.
