First-Person Shooters

Square Enix today announced Just Cause 4, the pivotal new entry in the highly successful action-sandbox series, developed by Avalanche Studios. Just Cause 4 was unveiled with a new gameplay trailer as part of the Xbox E3 2018 Briefing. Just Cause 4 will be a key release for Square Enix and a landmark entry for the series, when it is available on December 4, 2018 for Xbox One, PlayStation 4®, and Windows PC.

Set in the fictional South American world of Solis, Just Cause 4 takes the series incredible destruction and unique physics to a whole new level with the introduction of tornadoes and other Extreme Weather events. Just Cause 4 has four distinct biomes: Rainforest, Grasslands, Alpine & Desert. With each biome offering its own individual, fully simulated weather event, players will have a truly unique experience as they traverse this deep, diverse world.

Rico Rodriguez returns in Just Cause 4 with his trademark parachute, wingsuit and, of course his grapple hook, now enhanced with new functionality and fully customisable. Making it the most powerful and creative tool the player has ever had.

“We’ve taken everything that players loved from our previous games and with brand new features, enhanced physics and core gameplay improvements, we’ve created the most ambitious Just Cause experience to date,” said Francesco Antolini, Game Director at Avalanche Studios. “The introduction of Extreme Weather is a complete game changer – players will not have seen anything like this in a videogame. We have created fully physicalized tornadoes, blizzards, sandstorms and torrential downpours which affect gameplay in a very real way. All of this is now possible thanks to our brand new Apex engine.”

The new Apex engine underpins everything in Just Cause 4. It delivers the most interactive, extreme weather simulations ever seen in a videogame, complimented by incredible visuals, unparalleled physics and endless creative possibilities.

Check out the “Welcome to Just Cause 4” video to hear more from the developers.

Just Cause 4 is available to pre-order now with a Standard Edition, Digital Deluxe Edition & Gold Edition. Just Cause 4’s Digital Deluxe Edition comes packed with special Black Hand weaponry – the Black Hand Stealth Micro Jet and the Black Hand Prototype Wingsuit. The Gold Edition includes the Expansion Pass, the Golden Gear Pack, and all the Digital Deluxe Content. Players who purchase the Digital Deluxe Edition or the Gold Edition will also guarantee Early Access to the game at launch. A range of pre-order bonuses are on offer across select retailers, for further info visit: www.JustCause.com/buy.

The year is 1980. Two decades have passed since BJ Blazkowicz rallied the resistance and sparked the Second American Revolution in Wolfenstein II: The New Colossus. However, the battle for freedom is far from over. BJ has gone missing in Nazi-occupied Paris and now all hope resides in his children to carry on the fight in Wolfenstein: Youngblood.

Announced at the 2018 Bethesda E3 Showcase, Wolfenstein: Youngblood stars Jessica and Sophia Blazkowicz, the twin daughters of Anya & BJ. Together, they’ll wage a tag-team offensive to take back Paris from Nazi tyranny and locate their father in an intense co-operative campaign. It’s up to you – and a friend – to uphold the Blazkowicz family tradition of Nazi-killin’ and save the world when Youngblood releases in 2019.

Watch the Wolfenstein: Youngblood Official E3 Trailer here.

Ubisoft has announced that Operation Para Bellum is now available on Playstation®4 computer entertainment system, Xbox One and Windows PC. Operation Para Bellum is one of the largest content updates ever released for Tom Clancy’s Rainbow Six: Siege. Introducing two new defending operators, Alibi and Maestro, alongside an all new map, Villa, set in the Italian countryside. Year Three Season Two also brings a slew of significant game updates, including new intel gadgets, operator speed adjustments, bulletproof cameras, and the all new Pick & Ban system. A feature that evolves the way players engage with multiplayer. Players will be able to unlock the new content starting today using Renown or R6 Credits.

Tour the Villa
The land belongs to the Vinciguerra, a dangerous crime family known for their smuggling activities. The house is their retreat, where they lead a lavish lifestyle and collect rare art pieces. Players will catch Villa in a snapshot in time: Vinciguerras are burning documents and transporting their holdings before the big raid. But they’ve got wind of Operation Para Bellum and flee, leaving everything in disarray with vital information ready for the taking.

Two New G.I.S. Operators
In Operation Para Bellum, two Italian G.I.S. Operators join Rainbow as the unit raids a luxurious Tuscan villa, Rainbow Six: Siege’s 20th map. New operator, Alibi, is a cunning adversary with a gift for infiltrating dense networks of organised crime. Alibi is notable for her Prisma which projects holograms identical to Alibi in an idle position. If you shoot or touch the holograms, you’ll be marked and pinged for the next few seconds. If Prisma is deployed outside, a false “Defender Outside” warning is triggered for Attackers. To add an element of surprise, Prisma conceals the identity of any defender who ventures outside. Any bullet, melee, or explosive damages Prisma, and will shoot through the hologram. Be careful not to stand too close.

New Operator Maestro is another member of the Italian Gruppo di Intervento Speciale (G.I.S.) earning his iconic facial scar from a roadside IED during his participations in joint operations with Team Rainbow in Iraq. Maestro uses a remote-controlled turret firing high-energy laser beams. Once affixed to the floor or wall, Maestro can remotely-surveil and provide overwatch in a location through the swivel-mounted camera. When the camera device breaks open to fire a laser beam the core is exposed to damage. Otherwise, the turret is unaffected by bullets and melee. Lastly, Evil Eye can see through smoke.

Operation Para Bellum introduces the all-new Pick & Ban system. This feature provides an extra layer of strategy between teams, as each side tries to counter their opponents’ picks during the banning phase. Players can even anticipate a thrilling twist at the last moment, when teams swap Operators for the unexpected 6th Pick. Pick & Ban will be available in Custom games.

Major Game Updates

• Deployable Bullet Proof Cameras
• New Counter Defuser Animation
• Dropshotting Adjustments
• New Observation Tool Management
• Operator Speed Adjustments
• Echo Buff
• Clubhouse Map Buff
• Discovery Playlist

For more information about Tom Clancy’s Rainbow Six: Siege, please visit rainbow6.com.

Nominated for “Best Music in a Game” at the 2018 New York Game awards and “Outstanding Achievement in Original Music Composition” at the 2018 DICE awards, Wolfenstein II: The New Colossus (Original Game Soundtrack) brings the dynamic music of the second American Revolution to iTunes, Google Play Music, Amazon, and Spotify on June 19th. Can’t wait until June 19th? Stream the album in its entirety on YouTube (https://youtu.be/I5etKIsCpZQ) right now.

Composed by long-time Bethesda collaborator Mick Gordon, and featuring award-winning composer Martin Stig Andersen, Wolfenstein II’s soundtrack is an eclectic vision of energetic rock n roll, dark ambient tracks, and cinematic scores; providing a diverse soundscape for Wolfenstein II’s rich narrative across 41 tracks spanning over two hours of runtime.

Source: Blue’s News

A Battlefield V Deep-Dive on the Battlefield Website takes a detailed look at gameplay details in Battlefield V, the upcoming installment in the Battlefield series of military shooters. Here’s the introduction explaining the goals of the article:

Battlefield™ V is a vast game. It will have many improvements to the classic formula, as well as new additions and features. Following the reveal of the next chapter in the Battlefield saga, we know you’ve been eager to get a lot of gameplay questions answered.

Let’s jump right in to the core gameplay changes and improvements that are coming in October. Remember, we are still working on the game, and the specifics of many features will evolve over time.

Two Key Elements: Immersion and Squad Play

A lot of ground will be covered in this post, but it will all center around two common denominators of the Battlefield V gameplay philosophy: immersion and squad play.

Now, immersion can mean many things. For Battlefield V, it spans visuals and sounds, your soldier’s movement, combat situations, how you will shape the environment and vice versa, and how players will act and react more naturally than before.

Let’s start with how you, as an infantry soldier deploying into battle, will maneuver through the battlefield.

Tripwire Interactive and Antimatter Games Adds New Playable Faction, Maps, Weapons, and More to Award-winning First-person Shooter

Tripwire Interactive and developer Antimatter Games continue to expand and improve their award-winning first-person shooter Rising Storm 2: Vietnam with today’s release of the free Army of the Republic of Vietnam (ARVN) Content Update. As part of its continued commitment to support its active community with regular and significant free updates, today’s ARVN Content Update introduces the Army of the Republic of Vietnam as a playable faction along with new maps, weapons, and more.

Over one million Vietnamese served in the ARVN over the course of the Vietnam War, with over 250,000 lost in action. Largely equipped with older US military equipment and trained by foreign military advisors, ARVN soldiers bore the brunt of frontline fighting throughout the war both prior to the escalation of US military involvement and after the US began reducing its troop presence.

With the release of the ARVN update on May 29, 2018 for Rising Storm 2: Vietnam players can play as soldiers in the ARVN faction for the first time, as well as enjoy new weapons and five brand-new maps.

Army of the Republic of Vietnam (ARVN) Weapons:

• M1 Garand
• M1D Garand Sniper Rifle
• Thompson M1A1 SMG
• M1918A2 Browning Automatic Rifle (BAR)
• M1919A6 .30-cal Browning LMG
• Douglas A-1 Skyraider ground-attack aircraft as support

New Army of the Republic of Vietnam (ARVN) Maps:

• Quang Tri: Set during 1972, Quang Tri is a daytime supremacy map set in the citadel of the provincial capital, pitting the new ARVN forces with limited US helicopter support against NVA main-force units.
• A Sau: Set on an airfield and fortified camp in the A Sau valley, this nighttime territory attack map finds ARVN forces defending against attacking NVA main-force units. Visibility is limited under the cover of darkness with occasional flares lighting up the battlefield.

New Community Maps:

Made by fans for fans, the following player-made maps from Tripwire Interactive’s recent Rising Storm 2: Vietnam $40,000 Modding Contest will also be officially introduced to the game with the release of the ARVN update.

• Firebase Georgina: Daytime attack by main-force NVA on a series of positions held by the US Army.
• Borderwatch: Australian forces attack territory held by the NLF (Viet Cong), pushing through jungles and across open fields to the VC’s final hidden base.
• Resort: US Marines stage a heliborne assault from the sea on a resort area held by Viet Cong guerrillas.

“Tripwire Interactive wouldn’t be here today were it not for the continued support from the Rising Storm and Killing Floor communities,” said Alan Wilson, Vice President at Tripwire Interactive. “That’s why supporting our titles with notable and free updates, like the ARVN update for Rising Storm 2: Vietnam, continues to be a big priority for us. It’s also our chance to give our community ownership over the game by officially adding the best player-made maps to our servers.”

In addition to today’s release of the new ARVN Content Update and launch trailer Tripwire has also released a brief developer diary video entitled Rising Storm 2: Vietnam – “ARVN Joe” Behind The Scenes. One of the voice actors for the new ARVN forces, featured in the new ARVN Content Update for Rising Storm 2: Vietnam, is Joseph Tran. During the recording sessions for the game he asked his father to come along to act as an adviser and mentor for the role. Turns out his father is Thanh Tran, also known as “Joe.” During the war Joe, a Staff Sergeant in the ARVN, was awarded the Bronze Star for saving a another soldier’s life under fire, while operating with US forces in September 1968.

We couldn’t resist the opportunity to ask him to talk a little about his experiences and about his thoughts on the voice acting his son was doing. As you’ll see Joe was really happy his son gets to play the “good guys” for once!

Available now on PC, Rising Storm 2: Vietnam is the sequel to Rising Storm, PC Gamer magazine’s 2013 ‘Multiplayer Game of the Year’, published by Tripwire Interactive and developed by Antimatter Games. Command your team to victory in massive 64-player battles with authentic weapons, aircraft, and maps that pit conventional military forces against guerrilla forces.

Stay up-to-date with the latest Rising Storm 2: Vietnam news and information at www.rs2Vietnam.com.

Source: Blue’s News

Origin now offers system specifications for Battlefield V. They don’t specify these as minimum or recommended, so we expect them to be updated at some point. Here’s word:

System Requirements

• OS: 64-bit Windows 7, Windows 8.1 and Windows 10
• Processor (AMD): AMD FX-6350
• Processor (Intel): Core i5 6600K
• Memory: 8GB RAM
• Graphics card (AMD): AMD Radeon™ HD 7850 2GB
• Graphics card (NVIDIA): nVidia GeForce® GTX 660 2GB
• DirectX: 11.0 Compatible video card or equivalent
• Online Connection Requirements: 512 KBPS or faster Internet connection
• Hard-drive space: 50GB

Having made a big splash entering Early Access on Steam® earlier this year, Square Enix Collective® and Bulkhead Interactive™ are excited to announce that Battalion 1944 players will be treated to a huge, comprehensive update ahead of a four day long $50,000 tournament later this year – all as part of the ongoing commitment to support and update the game throughout its Early Access period.

The update is set to roll out on June 12, 2018, which includes a complete overhaul of the game’s main competitive mode (better known as Wartide 2.0), a new map, Savoia, set on the streets of Italy, and a new ‘BattleRank Season’ where gaining XP unlocks new skins – much like ‘battlepass’ systems in other games but, in this case, completely free.

All this comes alongside significant matchmaking improvements, new character models, a new sound system, a reworking and rebalancing of some of the game’s guns, and an extensive visual overhaul and performance upgrade, amongst various other updates and new additions.

With Battalion 1944 fully tooled up with a brand new arsenal of toys and tricks, regular players will be able to spend the following few months mastering the fresh gameplay ahead of the first official Battalion 1944 Blitzkrieg Major Tournament, heading for the Esports Game Area between September 27-30, 2018. The event will feature both open qualifiers and invited team, with a total prize pool of $50,000.

“If launching Battalion 1944 has taught us anything, it’s that a game where anticipation is high offers a steep and very public learning curve – both for the studio as a whole, and myself personally,” says Joe Brammer – Studio Lead at Bulkhead Interactive. “Listening to the community has been our most powerful tool and a lot of what’s in this update is based on suggestions – from improving the graphics to making certain weapons more powerful. We’ve listened, and considered everything to try and push play forward in the way players want.”

It’s as a result of a lot of this feedback, Brammer claims, that Bulkhead decided to both modify and add to Battalion 1944’s existing roadmap for the future, building on the studio’s bold plans.

“Fans of the studio know I don’t tend to hold back, so I’d like to offer a genuine thanks to players who have helped to improve Battalion 1944 these last few months. We’ve been listening, and we’ve been working hard.”

The huge update this June will include: 

• New competitive game mode, Wartide 2.0, including a complete overhaul of the game’s main competitive mode;
• Matchmaking improvements that get players in-game and firing hot-lead faster than ever;
• A brand new ‘BattleRank Season’ to unlock new skins by gaining XP, similar to Battlepass systems in other games, but free;
• New character models;
• New map, Savoia, set on the streets of Italy;
• Complete design and visual overhaul of existing maps (added ladders!);
• New weapons – Grease Gun and the MP28;
• Movement rework and huge gun balance gameplay changes – including sniper and jumping nerfs;
• New sound system (gunshot sounds react to distance away from player and if walls are blocking sounds);
• Over 60 new unlockable skins through BattleRank and the new ‘Aces High’ War Chest; and
• Visual overhaul & performance upgrades.

Battalion 1944 is currently available on Steam on Early Access for $14.99/€14.99/£11.39. You can watch the latest teaser trailer for the update HERE.

TRAVEL FROM HOPE COUNTY TO VIETNAM IN FAR CRY’S FIRST DLC ADVENTURE

Today, Ubisoft announced Far Cry 5: Hours of Darkness, the first post-launch adventure, will release on June 5th across all platforms. The first DLC will transport players back in time as they play Hope County’s Wendell “Red” Redler, who must find and rescue his fellow squad members from hostile forces during the Vietnam War. Hours of Darkness can be purchased as a standalone DLC or as part of the Far Cry 5 Season Pass and Gold Edition.

Far Cry 5: Hours of Darkness transports players into a war-torn Vietnam as they relive the harrowing experience of Wendell Redler from the main campaign of Far Cry 5. Playable in solo or online co-op, Hours of Darkness transports players from rural Montana to a dangerous jungle where they must rescue imprisoned squad mates, wreak havoc on the Viet Cong and North Vietnamese Army, and fight to get back home. This first DLC adventure will feature new gear and abilities as well as two different playable modes that will be unlocked after completing Hours of Darkness: Survivor Mode, giving players a limited load out for a more challenging play through, and Action Movie Mode, where a generous load out delivers over-the-top action.

In addition to the DLC, all Far Cry 5 players will have access to new Vietnam-themed assets in Far Cry Arcade available on May 24th with the release of the Vietnam title update. Map builders will be able to integrate these assets into their existing maps or create new maps focused on the Hours of Darkness theme. All future DLCs will also include thematic assets that will be added to Far Cry Arcade for free.

Watch the Far Cry 5: Hours of Darkness Teaser Trailer HERE.

Alongside today’s title update, Ubisoft released the soundtrack for Far Cry 5: Hours of Darkness on: https://idol.lnk.to/FarCry5_Hours_of_Darkness. Composed by Wade MacNeil (Alexisonfire, Gallows, Black Lungs) and Andrew Gordon Macpherson. Driven by fear, confusion and violence, the music takes us on a journey into the madness of war. With the participation of renowned multi-instrumentalist Kim Uyen Le, Wade and Andrew have created a sound palette that blends traditional Vietnamese instruments with hypnotic, late 60’s psychedelic soundscapes, gritty vintage electronic textures, and pounding rhythmic patterns.

Far Cry 5 post-launch will continue with two new DLC adventures – Lost on Mars and Dead Living Zombies – which will be released this year in July and August. Two additional asset drops will give map builders more tools to create unique Far Cry Arcade experiences. The DLC adventures are available in the Season Pass, or as standalone DLC purchases, while new asset releases for Far Cry Arcade will be available for free to all players.

Set in America, a first for the franchise, Far Cry 5 offers players total freedom to navigate a serene-looking yet deeply twisted world as the new junior deputy of fictional Hope County, Montana. Players will find that their arrival accelerates a years-long silent coup by a fanatical doomsday cult, the Project at Eden’s Gate, igniting a violent takeover of the county. Under siege and cut off from the rest of the world, players will join forces with residents of Hope County and form the Resistance. Far Cry 5 will continue to receive premium DLC adventures available in the Season Pass as well as free content including new Far Cry Arcade assets and in-game live events following the launch.

For more information about Far Cry 5, please visit farcry.com

By Vlad Savov @ The Verge

Two years after the release of Battlefield 1, EA is ready to add a new entry to its storied shooter franchise, announcing today the first details and the release date for Battlefield V. Returning to the grand and ghastly stage of World War II, this new game will focus on squad-based gameplay, eschewing the explosively popular battle royale competitive modes of games like PUBG and Fortnite. I attended a preview event for Battlefield V today, and though it isn’t quite ready to play yet, the developers from Dice provided a comprehensive overview of what’s new and different — and there’s a lot.

Watch the Battlefield V Official Reveal Trailer HERE.

Perhaps the biggest unifying theme to the changes in Battlefield V is the move away from abstraction. You no longer just move into an area and get automatically healed by a magical aura. Reviving allies is also an involved, animated, and much more personal process so that both the healer and the wounded can appreciate the intimacy of their situation (and get an up-close view of their buddy’s soldier customizations). Another example is that when you enter an area populated by enemies, you won’t be able to do a bunch of quick scans with icons revealing their locations. No more shooting at icons; in the new Battlefield, you’ll have to see and aim at the actual soldiers.

Read on…