It’s official! 2020 marks the 60th Anniversary of SEGA! It’s been a long and winding road to get here, encompassing some of gaming’s most iconic moments, scores of unforgettable games and the overcoming of multiple obstacles in a way that would make a certain hedgehog incredibly proud. SEGA West is delighted to announce its plans to celebrate this amazing milestone in its history with its millions of fans around the world. Head over to the newly launched sega60th.com for more details.
The week-long 60th anniversary celebrations start today on Steam, as gamers will be treated to awesome discounts on SEGA’s diverse portfolio of products (check the Steam promotion page here for more details). There are also some brand new, free-to-own retro-inspired mini games, which have been created by SEGA studios specifically for this 60th anniversary.
Armor of Heroes – Relic Entertainment – A retro-inspired multiplayer tank romp for up to four players in versus combat and couch co-op. Available from 15-19 October.
Endless Zone – Amplitude Studios – The Endless universe and Fantasy Zone™ collide in this side-scrolling shoot ‘em up. Available from 16-19 October.
Streets of Kamurocho – SEGA – Kiryu and Majima from SEGA’s critically acclaimed Yakuza™ series are raging on the Streets of Kamurocho in a new, but familiar challenge. Available from 17-19 October.
Golden Axed – SEGA – A build of a never-before-seen glimpse at a canned project called Golden Axe™: Reborn. Available from 18-19 October. So, just one day.
To claim your free games, all you need to do is head to the linked product page on Steam above and click ‘Play Game’, this will add the game to your library, and it will be yours forever. Act fast, once they’re taken down from Steam, they’re gone forever! In addition, Steam users who link their accounts to their email addresses at sega60th.com will be treated to SEGA Saturn classic, NiGHTS into Dreams, for free during the 60 day celebration.
The fun doesn’t stop when the promotion is over though, as from today, the SEGA social channels and 60th Anniversary website will be lit up with 60 days of fantastic SEGA content. SEGA will be hosting let’s plays, regular competitions, interviewing SEGA stalwarts from all corners of the business and treating you to video and editorial content covering different parts of SEGA’s rich history.
Modus Games has announced that the upcoming JRPG title Cris Tales will be delayed from its original November 17 release date. The classically-inspired game will now release in 2021. Cris Tales will be coming to both current and next-gen consoles, releasing on Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X, PC, and Stadia.
“The decision to delay was a tough one, but was made to ensure that the developers at Dreams Uncorporated and SYCK have a chance to bring the best version of Cris Tales to fans anxiously awaiting its release,” said Christina Seelye, CEO of Modus Games.
The developers at Dreams Uncorporated and SYCK also shared a personal message to fans here — https://modusgames.com/news/cris-tales-delay-developer-message/ — and announced an upcoming AMA scheduled for Oct 16 at 12pm PT on Reddit followed by an AMA on Discord.
On the bright side, consumers can now pre-order a retail version of Cris Tales on any platform including PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X to receive a bonus game poster!
Cris Tales is a time-bending JRPG where past, present and future are brought together on one screen. Players can use Crisbell’s amazing ability to slip between time periods, aiding citizens across Crystallis’ kingdoms and pushing enemies to specific points in time for an upper hand in battle. The game has been highly anticipated since its reveal at E3 2019, where it won several accolades and nominations, including Best Indie Game and was recently nominated for Best Indie Game and Best RPG at Gamescom 2020.
Players can head to the Xbox Store, PlayStation Store, Nintendo eShop, Steam, or GOG to download the demo on their platform of choice now.
To learn more about Cris Tales, visit cristalesgame.com to pre-order, join Modus’ Discord channel and follow Modus on Twitter (@Modus_Games).
With Christmas coming up fast, LEGO have some new sets out. One of the new sets is the LEGO City Ocean Exploration Base (set number 60265).
Kids who love the sea and its wildlife will love this LEGO City Ocean Exploration Base (60265) playset. There’s lots of fun to be had exploring the coral-covered ocean or chilling out inside the base with its interchangeable living and research modules. And with a cool toy crane, docking submarine and underwater drone, plus shark and stingray figures and a 5 strong team of explorer minifigures, there’s plenty of excitement for kids to discover!
You’ll find easy to follow building instructions for this 5+ LEGO City toy in the box. Or you hop online and download Instructions PLUS, part of the LEGO Building Instructions app for smartphones and tablets. This interactive building guide, with amazing zoom and rotate viewing tools, quickly turns budding LEGO builders into master builders!
LEGO City is proud to support the work of National Geographic Explorers. And with feature-rich buildings, cool vehicles and fun characters our Ocean playsets inspire realistic play scenarios for budding explorers.
Kids can dive deep into imaginative underwater adventures with this amazing LEGO City (60265) Ocean Exploration Base playset. It has all kids need for a fun and rewarding play experience.
A toy ocean exploration base with interchangeable living and research modules, plus a docking submarine, underwater drone, 5 researcher minifigures and shark and stingray figures.
The LEGO City Ocean Exploration Base features interchangeable living and research modules and a docking submarine with movable inspection arms, spinning propeller and opening cockpit with room for two minifigures.
When built, the exploration base measures over 7” (20cm) high, 10” (27cm) wide and 5” (15cm) deep, while the underwater drone measures over 1″ (3cm) high, 2″ (6cm) long and 1″ (3cm) wide.
This building set comes with a printed building guide and Instructions PLUS – an interactive construction guide for budding builders. Available as part of the free LEGO Building Instructions app for smart devices.
LEGO City is proud to support the groundbreaking work of National Geographic Explorers, who help build a better world for us all. LEGO City Ocean playsets introduce kids to the exciting world of underwater exploration.
This set is amazing – it has 497 separate pieces and is a lot of fun putting together. The new interactive construction guide is really useful and is a lot of fun too. You can spin the build around on the screen, zoom in, go forwards and backwards and have the instructions stored in your collection in case you need them in the future. This really makes a difference to the build process.
The LEGO City Ocean Exploration Base (set number 60265) is available to buy now priced around £54.99. Why not add it to your collection?
Interest in horror games has been steadily rising over the years with the likes of gore fest Outlast and the tense Alien: Isolation helping. Whilst Wales Interactive is mainly known for interactive film like games, it’s now released the more traditional horror game Maid of Sker.
To celebrate the release of You Should Have Left on DVD and Blu-ray, we are offering you the chance to win a copy on Blu-ray.
A former banker, his actress wife, and their spirited daughter book a vacation at an isolated modern home in the Welsh countryside where nothing is quite as it seems.
How to enter to win
We have a copy on Blu-ray to give away, simply enter below:
Ernest Cline, the #1 New York Times bestselling author of READY PLAYER ONE and the highly anticipated sequel,READY PLAYER TWO, participated in this year’s virtual New York Comic Con via a Zoom interview with Wil Wheaton (the audiobook narrator for both books).
Zooming from his garage with his custom DeLorean parked nearby, Cline surprised fans and Wheaton by unexpectedly unveiling the READY PLAYER TWO’s plot details to the world for the first time. Cline impromptu emailed Wheaton the details on the spot and asked him to do the honour of reading them out loud for all to hear. In a classic comic-con moment, Wheaton shared the details with readers for the first time even as he discovered them himself. Penguin Random House has subsequently released the details (jpg attached):
READY PLAYER TWO will publish in hardcover, eBook, and audio editions on November 24, 2020 in the U.S. and U.K., followed by publication in more than 50 countries.
The details of Cline’s virtual global book tour will be announced soon, and Cline teased something exciting being planned with Roblox, the massively popular global game platform, similar to the OASIS in Cline’s in READY PLAYER ONE.
In their conversation, Cline geeked out with Wheaton about the making of the blockbuster adaptation of READY PLAYER ONE directed by Steven Spielberg and his recent adventures with his DeLorean. He also opened up about his early life, touching on how growing up poor in a trailer park, and working tech support while pursuing writing, helped inspire his debut novel, READY PLAYER ONE. “If I hadn’t had those experiences, I never would have been able to write the book.”
Cline offered inspiring advice to all his fellow writers struggling to stay positive in 2020, “Something I share with writers who feel like they aren’t doing what they want to be doing is to draw on whatever is happening in your life because those are the experiences that can help you change your life. Maybe you’re having those experiences for a reason.” In another hopeful thought on 2020, Cline said, “all these artists and creative people in quarantine are going to create a bunch of art that is going to change the world. That’s what art is, it’s making something beautiful out of the negative parts of life. That’s what I was trying to do with READY PLAYER ONE and READY PLAYER TWO.”
With Christmas only a few months away you might want to take a look at a rather unique gift from the Natural History Museum.
Have a cracking Christmas with these six Build Your Own Dinosaur crackers.
A fun festive activity for kids and adults alike, fold, stick and slot the included components to create three T. rex and three Stegosaurus standing crackers.
Inside each cracker, you will find a tissue hat, an activity and a dinosaur finger-clasp so your ferocious friends can join you for the feast.
These build your own dinosaur crackers are roar-some (sorry!). If you are a fan of dinosaurs then these are a really fun addition to your Christmas table and make for an interesting experience! Which dinosaur is your favourite?
The Build Your Own Dinosaur Crackers from The Natural History Museum are available now priced £25 from The Natural History Museum website, along with a number of other really cool gifts.
The Crash Bandicoot series was a real love of mine back in the old days, and by old day I do mean the PlayStation One days and, in those days, a console needed a mascot. Nintendo had Mario, Sega had Sonic and PlayStation got a bandicoot called Crash from the early days of Naughty dog studios. Crash Bandicoot over the years is a series of games I remember very fondly but it took the remade N’Sane Trilogy Collection of the original games to remind just how bloody hard those games were, something my nostalgic brain had clearly chosen to forget. But those memories are back and I absolutely both loved returning to those games to have my inner gamer butt kicked like it was 1996 again but also seen new fans discover the games all over again and like them, I was left wanting more of the original style of game. Last year we had Crash Team Racing Nitro-Fuelled to further make the longing for more Crash platforming even stronger and finally here we are, 2020 and 22 years after the last canon Crash Bandicoot and we have Crash 4 and ironically, it really is about time!
Now in the hands of Toys for Bob studio, Crash Bandicoot 4: About Time, cleverly builds on the success of the N’Sane Collection and Crash Racing Nitro-Fuelled in that the visual style is absolutely gorgeous. The colours are vibrant, the sounds are authentic and the characters are brought to life both voice and animated absolutely brilliant. Looking like a PIXAR made Saturday morning cartoon, About Time is absolutely stunning. As a fan and player of the original games, the series has never looked better than it has not it was been brought to current gen consoles over two decades later and Toys for Bob have gone all out to make it a truly delightful world to be in for players of the original and those new to the series with the remakes.
Crash 4 picks up the story following the events of Crash Bandicoot 3 Warped which saw the villains trapped in a prison in the past. Uka Uka attempts to free himself and Doctors Neo Cortex and Nefarious Tropy by opening a hole in the fabric of space and time, but his final effort ultimately causes him to pass out. Cortex and N. Tropy seize the opportunity and abandon Uka Uka, and discover that the rift they used links their universe to the rest of the multiverse, and decide to make use of it to conquer all dimensions. It is up to Crash, aided by his sister Coco to stop the multiverse from being conquered by finding and collecting the Quantum masks. Sounds pretty simple right?
Right away you can play as either Crash or his sister Coco, they can be switched between outside of levels and other than a change in animation, they both have the same abilities of jumping, sliding and spinning attacks. The levels are very classic Crash Bandicoot with levels that switch between going left to right and back of screen to front of screen. Platform jumping and spinning attacking enemies still feature as does the challenge of smashing every crate and collecting every apple. What was a relief but also a disappointment to a degree at the same time was in how much of the original gameplay style has been maintained by Toys for Bob, everything just feels like a classic Crash game should from the level designs to the boss fights that finish each world you visit in search of a Quantum mask. If you are coming out from playing the N’Sane Collection then this will a feel very familiar. My disappoint comes in the fact that there was a chance to fix some of the old issues that still remain with the standard gameplay such as the still very annoying floaty jumping that is going to cause more losing of lives and checkpoint restarts than ever. Now this is very much a part of the game but its an aspect that could have been tightened up a little, even the fact that when you jump a landing marker appears beneath your character to give an indication of where you will land, it is still so easy to just mess up a jump.
There are new mechanics though which the new Quantum masks brings such as the ability to switch dimensions to reveal hidden platforms and crates to the ability to defy gravity for longer and higher jumps and these new powers are used so well within the brilliantly designed levels to change things up a little and they can be both fun and serve as a difficulty spike as well. As you progress you will also unlock more characters to play such as an alternate universe version of Tawna, who helps Crash and Coco at first but then leaves to complete her own mission, adding more side levels which will interact with the main missions in a timey whimey delicious way, her grapple hook mechanic once again added a new and fresh gameplay plus it is a very clever reintroduction of more classic characters from the series.
One big addition has to be the two modes of play you can choose from, ‘Modern’ or ‘Retro’. Retro is the classic way to play Crash 4, you have the standard three lives and lose all three and you have to restart the level which for those who remember or played the original games, is the real challenge of them. But this can be restrictive and add that level of frustration which can send controllers across the room preventing progress which is wear ‘Modern’ comes in. Now Modern is by no means “easy mode” because the levels and gameplay remain the same, what Modern does do however is allow player persistence by letting you have as many lives as you need to complete a level, checkpoints help keep progress in the level and it has that cushion that prevents absolutely hitting that wall stopping players moving forward. Believe me, Modern will still remind you that you can do better because it shows you how many lives you have used, and if like me, it takes you 29 lives to complete one difficult level, you cannot help but know you should be doing better.
Crash Bandicoot 4: It’s About Time has so much content which old school fans will really appreciate with bonus activities such as the ‘Flashback Tape’ levels which are based on the original testing and experiment performed on Crash himself before the original game to the local co-op ‘Pass and Play’ mode which has two players taken turns to complete a level in a quicker time. Thankfully as yet there are no microtransactions so all the extra character skins are unlocked via gameplay, adding more incentive to learn, practice and complete levels to obtain them. There is just a whole lot of Crash in this game and that is good because this is a fully priced AAA game when you compare it to how much the N’Sane Collection set you back. It is a big ask but the game gives you a lot of the asking price.
Crash 4 was indeed worth the wait capturing everything that made the series so loved and builds on what the N’Sane collection did in bringing the series back to a modern generation of console and gamers. It is tough but rewarding and does exactly what the original games did, it kicks your butt but never enough to make you feel like you cannot finish it……old school with a fresh look, this is definitely one for your game collection and with the new generation of console sent to launch in just over a month, I would not be surprised to see this get a PS5 and Xbox Series X upgrade for Ray Tracing goodness potentially.
Team17 is launching its message in a bottle today and announcing the release of The Survivalists, part of the critically acclaimed The Escapists universe, which is available now on Nintendo Switch, Xbox One, PlayStation 4, and Steam, and exclusively to mobile via Apple Arcade. The Survivalists takes players to their very own procedurally-generated islands, where they can explore, craft, and train troupes of monkeys in order to survive against the harsh environments, savage beasts, and orclings, as well as explore dangerous labyrinths and avoid deadly traps, in up to four-player, online cooperative multiplayer.
Shipwrecked life in The Survivalists is helped through its unique Monkey Mimic system, where players train up to 20 local primates to do a raft of tasks and help automate systems, from cooking and crafting to collecting resources. Tasks can be chained together like a production line, so monkeys help make island life run a little smoother.
Key Features:
Play together and survive: Up to four players can join forces to explore the world of The Survivalists, helping each other out to stay alive
Get crafty and be inventive: Various items great and small can be crafted, from weapons to tools and buildings to keep your crew sheltered
Automate with monkeys: Enlist the help of monkeys for a number of tasks, including protecting your group and gathering resources
Curiosity is rewarded: Players are encouraged to explore their surroundings, where they’ll encounter dangerous wildlife, mythical enemies, and tantalising secrets.
Emma Bates, Producer, Team17, said:
“Ever since the success of The Escapists, we’ve been excited to create a new, different game in the same universe, and so The Survivalists was born. We can’t wait for players to shipwreck themselves on their very own island, as they start their new life surrounded by their monkey pals, uncovering all of the secrets, and danger, their island has to offer!”
Max Everingham, Head of Publishing, Team17, said:
“The Survivalists is a very special title to everyone here at Team17, the fact it was developed in-house means we are extra proud of the next entry in The Escapists universe. We hope players enjoy their shipwrecked island life, and that with a little help from their monkey friends, they manage to not just survive, but thrive in the unchartered world of The Survivalists.”
The Survivalists is now available digitally on Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and Steam for $24.99 / £21.99 / €24.99, and on Apple Arcade via a subscription to the service. Physical editions are also £24.99 on PS4/Xbox and £29.99 on Switch, as provided by Sold Out.
To keep up to date with all the information on The Survivalists please like on Facebook, follow on Twitter, and join on Discord.
Fall Guys: Ultimate Knockout catapults the world’s most memeable jelly beans into a world of Medieval mayhem with the long-awaited launch of Season 2. Starting today, players will revel among knockabout knights, pugilistic paladins and vivacious vikings in a full season of new Rounds, costumes, emotes and more as they lay siege to the Middle Ages.
Season 2Key Features
4 new Medieval Rounds enter the rotation (with more on the way soon)
Hoopsie Legends – Teamwork (sometimes) makes the dream work
Knight Fever – Our most challenging Gauntlet yet
Egg Siege – Tactical scrambling action
Wall Guys – Build it up, tear it down
A full Season Pass of new costumes, emotes and more
A fresh new Featured store schedule for the duration of the season
A suite of new features, including a Show Selector
The all-new Show Selector collects a carefully selected roster of shows, including some extra special limited-time events. Each show features a themed playlist of Rounds to suit different playstyles, such as Gauntlet and Survival Showdowns.
Last, but certainly not least, existing Rounds have all been given a fresh lick of paint. It turns out hosting millions of shows takes its toll on our classic courses, so it was time to give them a little TLC.
Fall Guys: Ultimate Knockout is out now on PlayStation 4 and PC via Steam. Stumble over to fallguys.com, join the Discord server and follow @FallGuysGame for regular updates and continue your inevitable failure in front of the whole world.
SQUARE ENIX has announced that OUTRIDERS, the RPG-Shooter where survival demands aggression, from People Can Fly, the developers of Gears of War: Judgment and BULLETSTORM, and Square Enix External Studios, the minds behind SLEEPING DOGS and JUST CAUSE, will be releasing on February 2nd, 2021.
OUTRIDERS will feature full cross-play compatibility across all formats, meaning players across PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S, PC and Stadia will be able to play together regardless of what platform they are on.
Players who purchase OUTRIDERS on current-gen consoles will be able to upgrade from PlayStation 4 to PlayStation 5 for free. Players can also upgrade from Xbox One to Xbox Series X|S for free with Smart Delivery.
“We’re very happy to announce that we can offer full cross-play support and a free next-gen upgrade plan for OUTRIDERS players. The great thing about this system is that even if you’re not picking up your PS5 or XSX quite yet, we’ve got you covered and there’s no need to wait. If you buy the current-gen version of OUTRIDERS, we’ll give you the next-gen version for free,” said Jon Brooke, Co-Head of Studio at Square Enix External Studios.
“We’re taking a little bit longer to ensure players have the best possible experience with OUTRIDERS, we’re also including new features like Cross-Play which will make our game much more accessible on all platforms,” added Lee Singleton, Co-Head of Studio at Square Enix External Studios.
OUTRIDERS will release on PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, and PC on February 2nd, 2021 and Google Stadia later in 2021.
Warner Bros. Games today announced Mortal Kombat 11 Ultimate, a new expanded version of Mortal Kombat 11, the fastest selling title in franchise history with more than 8 million units sold globally to date. The game was also named Fighting Game of the Year at the 23rd D.I.C.E. Awards by the Academy of Interactive Arts & Sciences and Best Fighting Game of 2019 by IGN. Developed by award-winning NetherRealm Studios, Mortal Kombat 11 Ultimate offers the definitive Mortal Kombat 11 experience with the addition of Kombat Pack 2 featuring new playable fighters Mileena, Rain and Rambo, along with the previously released Mortal Kombat 11 main game, Kombat Pack 1 and Mortal Kombat 11: Aftermath Expansion.
Mortal Kombat 11 Ultimate is scheduled to release globally from 17th November on PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 4 Pro, Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One consoles, Nintendo Switch, PC and Stadia. Additionally, Mortal Kombat 11 and Mortal Kombat 11 Ultimate owners and new buyers on PS4™ or Xbox One consoles can access free upgrades to the PS5™ or Xbox Series X|S versions of their game, delivering 4K dynamic resolution, enhanced visuals, improved loading times and more, available in conjunction with the Mortal Kombat 11 Ultimate launch.
Mortal Kombat 11 Ultimate includes the following content and enhancements:
Definitive Mortal Kombat 11 Experience – Two critically acclaimed story campaigns taking players on a time-bending adventure that continues the epic Mortal Kombat saga, along with the full roster of 37 playable characters.
Kombat Pack 2 – Newly added fighters Mileena, the hybrid Edenian and Tarkatan clone of Kitana; Rain, the royal Edenian demigod; and Rambo, the iconic Special Forces soldier featuring the voice and likeness of actor Sylvester Stallone.
Mortal Kombat 11: Aftermath Expansion – Franchise-first story expansion, three playable characters (Fujin, Sheeva, RoboCop) and 10 additional character skins.
Kombat Pack 1 – Six playable characters (Shang Tsung, Nightwolf, Sindel, The Joker, Terminator T-800, Spawn) and 25 additional character skins.
Mortal Kombat 11 – Packed to the brim with multiple features and modes for all players including Story, Custom Character Variation System, Stage Fatalities, Friendships, Online, Towers of Time, Tutorial, Krypt, Kombat League and the signature roster of returning and franchise-first fighters, all equipped with unique Fatalities that display devastatingly brutal cinematic visuals.
PS5 Upgrade Available – Delivering 4K dynamic resolution, enhanced visuals, improved loading times and cross-generation console compatibility for select modes. Mortal Kombat 11 and Mortal Kombat 11 Ultimate owners and new buyers on PS4 and PS4 Pro can also access a free upgrade to the PS5 version of their game, available in conjunction with the Mortal Kombat 11 Ultimate launch.
Xbox Series X|S Smart Delivery Enabled – Providing 4K dynamic resolution, enhanced visuals, improved loading times and cross-generation console compatibility for select modes. Additionally, Mortal Kombat 11 owners and new buyers on Xbox One consoles will have access to free updates on Xbox Series X|S, available in conjunction with the Mortal Kombat 11 Ultimate launch.
Krossplay Support – Allowing PS5, PS4, Xbox Series X|S and Xbox One players to fight against other players on opposite platforms in select modes.
Mortal Kombat 11 Ultimate pre-orders will be available beginning 15th Oct., providing immediate access to Mortal Kombat 11, Kombat Pack 1 and the Mortal Kombat 11: Aftermath Expansion upon purchase.
Players who already own Mortal Kombat 11 can upgrade their experience by pre-ordering Kombat Pack 2 beginning 15th Oct. Current owners can also purchase Mortal Kombat 11: Aftermath Expansion.
Mortal Kombat 11 Ultimate Kollector’s Edition is also available for pre-order, which includes , Mortal Kombat 11, Kombat Pack 1, Kombat Pack 2 , Mortal Kombat 11: Aftermath Expansion, Sub Zero mask bust, exclusive steel case, commemorative magnet coin, authenticity plate and exclusive DLC.
Mortal Kombat 11 Ultimate, Kollector’s Edition and Kombat Pack 2 pre-orders will receive the Time Warriors Skin Pack at launch featuring three new character skin variants, including “Dark Web” Noob Saibot, “HCF” (Halt and Catch Fire) Liu Kang and “Blood Moon” Skarlet.
I do love a good survival game, especially the clever ones which are not focused so much on punishing the player with its mechanics over trying to give a sense of adventure sprinkled with some peril. When I heard that the developers behind TEAM 17’s ‘The Escapists’ were working on a follow up game, based in the same universe but now a survival-based game…well it had my attention. The Survivalists has a lot to offer and turned out to be a very pleasant surprise of 2020
I adore the art style of The Survivalists; it follows directly from The Escapists in the visuals and it just works so well on screen for any gaming platform. You start off as a person on a raft who crashes upon a strange island with no memory of why you are there and only the small amount of basic resources you find in the remains of your raft, now irreparable on the shore. What you do have however is the knowledge to craft basic tools and this is where the fun and the adventure begins. Each time you start a new game or “Save slot” you are placed on a procedurally generated island which means It changes so you may find yourself surrounded by a forest of trees or rocks. Like any good survival game, you will want to establish your first camp/base, a place where you can retreat in safety or to just focus on building the many blueprint designs that will help provide the tools, weapons and items needed to explore this new island.
You may have to explore a little way into the island to find the best spot to set up your first camp/base so you have plenty of materials around to help you advance what blueprint designs and tools you can make, so have a little wander around to get a better understanding of the environment around you but it is certainly worth taking the time to craft the basic tools you will need on this adventure. The crafting system is elegant in its simplicity and from the first basic tool designs such as a stone hand axe made of pebbles, you will soon learn to craft more complicated tools like axes, pickaxes and shovels. You will need to source the materials needed to do the crafter but basic tools and parts can be fashioned simply by pressing Y and making them on the spot as long as you are carrying enough materials. By crafting one tool you will then learn to make more basic items such as a bed and blanket, which serves as both your save and a respawn point. By sleeping in the bed, you will also move time on which is handy as things can change depending on if it is day time or night time.
The simplicity of the tool crafting system also makes the blueprint crafting system easy to learn as it uses the same principle, craft one item such as a campfire and you will learn to craft something else such as a wall. The Campfire is where you will cook your meals as your health and stamina is dependent on you eating to stay healthy. Eating can also replenish your health should take damage from combat or wildlife so keeping some food on you is a good idea and again, by cooking one recipe you will learn to cook new recipes, all of which requiring materials such as vegetation or meat from animals in order to cook it, with more providing better health than others. All the systems are very well balanced and work together to allow you the player, the time to learn how the game works before the really fun stuff grabs your attention, but learning how to craft and build is essential to survival and the more you learn, the more satisfying the feeling of progress is.
Now, where The Survivalists really stands out for me was a very clever and unique system that is especially handy if you are playing solo, Monkeys. That is right, this game has Monkeys and not only are they cute as a button, but you can tame a Monkey. But they are more than just a pet to follow you around, Monkeys can be trained to become a vital aid in surviving the island. The Mimic system is quite frankly brilliant, with it you can have a Monkey watch you perform a task such as cutting down a tree or gathering up resources and the Monkey will then learn to do it for themselves. For example, when you have your first Monkey helper, it is worth while teaching them to gather the resources after you have smashed a rock or cut down a tree or bush, so that as you continue, they will gather things up and take them to your storage chest if you made one. They can also be taught more complexed tasks such as using the multi tool to finish building a blueprint design, as some of them can take a while, training a Monkey to do perform this task allows you to go do other things. At One point when I was building a wall around my initial camp, I taught one Monkey to bring the resources needed to make a component on the crafting table whilst the other then used the multi tool to craft it. That way I was able to head off to explore knowing they would continue to craft the much-needed component for me. Now like yourself, any tool they have has a limited number of uses so as long as the Monkeys have the right tool, or items to gather, they will happily continue to do that task until you stop them, a great way of saving time. Once they have learned a task, as long as they are holding the right tool, they will automatically perform that task when required so after these monkeys had made the component needed to build the wall, I was surprised when one of the Monkeys start to craft the Wall pieces after I had put the materials into them. They can also be taught combat for if or when you are attacked or raided.
Which is handy because you are not alone on the island, many dangerous things also call it home and most of them will not be too happy to find you or your camp/base. Exploring the island will also reveal ancient ruins, caves and even vaults and labyrinth puzzle areas to seek possible riches and treasures in if you are prepared and brave enough. Should you die, you will lose everything you are carrying and will spawn at the last bed you slept in, but your items will remain where they fell unless another curious party decides to take them. You will even find strange messages in bottles telling you stories of previous survivors or treasure maps to follow. There is just so much to this game that it really is quite deceptive from the first moment you arrive on the island to a few hours in when you have established camps/bases and even a teleporting system, yes that is right, a teleporting system to move around your locations as you expand your presence on the island.
What’s more is that up to three friends can also join you in co-op, making this a fantastic shared experience with friends right from the off and with the ability to have multiple save slots, you can have many different adventures running at the same time which as someone who reviews, plays with friends and creates videos and streams, this is a godsend to have. There are so many mysterious secrets to discover on your island and each time island is different with new challenges to overcome when you start off.
The Survivalists keeps everything simple and easy to follow but has some very rich and deep systems that keep the game from becoming stale. From playing solo or with friends, there really is so much to enjoy with this game and I found it really relaxing and a fantastic change of pace from all the big action AAA games around right now that I really hope this game does not slip under the radar as once again TEAM 17 have come up with a beautiful and rewarding game that is best when shared with friends but also as a full on solo experience should you choose.
Ubisoft released the story trailer for Watch Dogs: Legion that places the fate of London in players’ hands. Zero-Day, an unknown entity, has framed the secret underground resistance, DedSec, for the bombings that contributed to the fall of London. In Watch Dogs: Legion, players must fight to liberate London by building a resistance.
Ubisoft also announced that the Online multiplayer mode of Watch Dogs: Legion will be available on 3rd December as part of a free game update for all Watch Dogs: Legion players. Watch Dogs: Legion has a robust post-launch plan that will bring fresh content to the single-player mode, and introduce online multiplayer modes.
The Online mode of Watch Dogs: Legion will include the following features as part of the 3rd December free update:
Free-roam open-world co-op where players can team up with their friends for up to four-player co-op and explore the city of London and participate in side activities
New co-op missions for two-to-four players using new co-op gameplay mechanics and giving players the opportunity to recruit the perfect team
Four-player co-op Tactical Ops missions which will require teamwork and efficiency
The first available Player-vs-Player (PvP) mode, Spiderbot Arena, where four-to-eight players control armed spiderbots and compete in a high intensity free-for-all deathmatch
New free content for the single-player mode will be available in a future update in 2021, and will include:
New characters with new abilities
New mission content
A New Game Plus mode
Additionally, players who acquire the Season Pass of Watch Dogs: Legion will get access to Watch Dogs: Legion – Bloodline, a new storyline which includes Aiden Pearce from the original Watch Dogs game and Wrench from Watch Dogs 2, fully playable in the single player campaign and online, along with two other characters which were unveiled today:
Darcy, a member of the Assassin Order, thanks to a cross-over with Assassin’s Creed
Mina, a subject of transhuman experiments, who possesses the ability to mind control individuals
In addition to the unique playable characters and Watch Dogs: Legion – Bloodline story expansion, the Season Pass will offer extra DedSec missions, the original Watch Dogs Complete Edition from 2014, and more. The Season Pass of Watch Dogs: Legion is available for purchase as part of the Gold, Ultimate and Collector editions.
Watch Dogs: Legion will release on 29th October, 2020 on Xbox One, PlayStation 4, Stadia and for Windows PC on Epic Games and Uplay. The game will also be available on UPLAY+, Ubisoft’s subscription service.
Watch Dogs: Legion will also release on Xbox Series X | S on 10th November and digitally on PlayStation 5 alongside the console on 12th November. The physical version of the game on PlayStation 5 will be available on 24th November. Watch Dogs: Legion will also be available on Amazon Luna when the Ubisoft channel launches.
