First-Person Shooters

Source: Blue’s News

The US Government is planning to shut down the servers for America’s Army, a military first-person shooter launched as a recruiting tool on July 4, 2002. The game’s official website declares mission accomplished, saying the last choppers will lift off on May 5th. This post has platform-specific details, saying private servers should still be able to run the Steam version after that, but player stats will no longer be available. Here’s the big picture:

The free-to-play America’s Army PC Game represented the first large-scale use of game technology by the U.S. government as a platform for strategic communication and recruitment, and the first use of game technology in support of U.S. Army recruiting. Three mainline titles and more than 20 million AA players later, the series’ original purpose continued. There have been over 30 million objectives completed, 180 million successful missions accomplished, 250 million teammates assisted, and many more in-game achievements attained in AA:PG alone.

As time has passed and AA has fulfilled its mission, it is time to shift our focus to other new and innovative ways to assist the Army with comms and recruitment.

Source: Blue’s News

Crytek tweets “a Crytek announcement,” which seems like it’s in its wheelhouse. The tweet includes a 45-second teaser video that shows off a little destruction that’s reformed into an image of the numeral “4.” This includes a tagline: “Join the journey. Become the hero.” It’s hard to mistake this for anything but a tease for Crysis 4. But there’s no guesswork required, as this press release confirms the news. CEO Avni Yerli tells us this “truly next-gen shooter” is “still in early development.” He also reassures Hunt: Showdown players they are not forgotten: “I also want to let Hunt: Showdown players know that we have some great things planned for you too, this year.” Here are the scant details we have about Crysis 4 so far:

Right now the game is in the early stages of development so it will be a while yet, but we wanted to bring you the news at this time as we are so hyped for the future, and to let you know that we will be listening to our community.

Crytek has a proud history of working with our community to develop the games you want to play. Crysis is incredibly important to so many people – it’s beloved by gamers everywhere, and some of those working in the industry today are doing so because of the original game – so we want to make sure the next instalment in the franchise lives up to all of your expectations. Make sure to join our socials and get involved!

Rebellion, one of the world’s most successful independent studios, has today released a new CGI trailer for Sniper Elite 5, the latest instalment of the award winning franchise, hinting at the new Invasion Mode which allows players to drop into each other’s Campaign to take the role of an Axis Sniper with high rewards on offer. Created by Rebellion’s dedicated production company Rebellion VFX, the new trailer utilises both in game and bespoke VFX assets with a tailored audio mix to create a stunning cinematic which can be watched HERE.

Invasion Mode will bring a whole new dimension to the game’s intense drama and add increased diversity to the tactics that players will have to employ in order to complete their mission. The invading Axis Sniper will have the sole aim to eliminate the player while the Allied Sniper will gain an extra objective: take out the invader. Invasion Mode will also be available in co-operative play increasing the challenge for the Axis invader as they now have two Allies to track down, but offering greater rewards.

Chris Kingsley, CTO at Rebellion, commented: “Invasion Mode is a fantastic addition to the gameplay experience of Sniper Elite 5. A human controlled invader can act in ways that are so diverse and unpredictable, which adds to the challenge and ramps up the tension even further. The player will be informed that an invading Axis Sniper has joined their game and from that point on it becomes an extremely intense, high stakes game of cat and mouse.”

Chris continued: “For those players who just want a solo gameplay experience there will be the option to switch Invasion Mode off, but we recommend that everyone gives it a try at some point. We have been having a lot of fun with it in the studio, jumping into each other’s games and finding innovative, stealthy ways to take each other out.”

Invasion Mode will enable some unique skills for both players. The Axis invader can use of the AI Axis forces to help locate the Allied player. Tagging an Axis soldier will enable ‘Eagle Eyes’ which means that if that soldier spots the Allied Sniper then their last known location will be displayed on the map. The Axis Sniper can also instruct nearby soldiers to ‘Stay Sharp’, increasing their awareness. For the Allied Sniper, each level has invasion phones scattered around the map which the player can use to discover the last known location of their opponent. But beware, as not only can these phones be booby trapped, but overuse will raise suspicions and reveal the player’s location.

Successful Axis Snipers will be rewarded with weapons, items and skin unlocks while Allied Snipers can earn weapon and character skins by killing their opponent. You will also be awarded with additional XP for having Invasion Mode enabled.

Recognised for its unparalleled tactical sniping experience, Sniper Elite 5 will release simultaneously on Xbox Game Pass, Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S and PlayStation 4 & 5, Epic, Steam and Windows Store in 2022. Players will reprise the role of elite marksman Karl Fairburne as they travel to France in 1944 tasked with the mission to uncover and destroy the Nazi’s latest plan: Operation Kraken.

To keep up to date with all the latest Sniper Elite 5 news please visit sniper.com.

Source: Ubisoft

Rainbow Six Extraction is out now, pitting players against a deadly, mutating alien threat in a whole new tactical PvE co-op experience. Featuring full cross-play, cross-save, and cross-progression, the game is available on Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, PS5, PS4, Amazon Luna, Stadia, and the Ubisoft Store on PC, as well as via Ubisoft+. It is also playable on Xbox Game Pass and PC Game Pass.

Extraction stars a select line-up of Operators from Rainbow Six Siege who have been reworked with new abilities and attributes to help them better take on the Archaean parasite. The 13 different mission types across 12 containment zones pose an ever-shifting challenge, as players face 13 enemy archetypes and a host of mutations that make each incursion unpredictable. Team up with up to two other players, or take on solo missions as you level up your Operators’ loadouts and abilities, and progress to unlock new REACT tech gadgets, cosmetic customization items, and more.

For more information about Rainbow Six Extraction, please visit the games official website.

Ubisoft’s Siege spin-off is a thrilling and messy take on zombie co-op.

By Morgan Park @ PC Gamer

It’s a mean game that can produce some great thrills, but its strict rules make some awkward design choices stick out. Extraction is also a smaller game than I anticipated—Ubi’s decision to lower its price to $40 and introduce it to PC Game Pass at launch makes sense now. I really liked mastering each of the dozen objective types and maps, but missions start to get samey really fast.

Read the Review Here

Rebellion, one of the world’s most successful independent studios, has today revealed that its award winning Sniper Elite franchise will return in 2022 with the release of Sniper Elite 5. Launching simultaneously on Xbox Game Pass, Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S and PlayStation 4 & 5, Epic, Steam and Windows Store, Sniper Elite 5 will see elite marksman, Karl Fairburne, travel to France in 1944 to destroy Operation Kraken.

To celebrate the announcement Rebellion has released the first trailer for the forthcoming game using all in-game engine footage. You can view the new trailer HERE.

As part of a covert US Rangers operation to weaken the Atlantikwall fortifications along the coast of Brittany, Karl makes contact with the French Resistance. Soon they uncover a secret Nazi project that threatens to end the war before the Allies can even invade Europe: Operation Kraken. It’s Karl’s mission to take out the high ranking Nazi officers and end Operation Kraken once and for all.

Based upon real world locations from France in 1944 the new game maps are the largest and most immersive in the franchise’s history with the new traversal system offering players an even greater sandbox of options when it comes to taking out their targets. You can even invite a friend to help you on your mission with enhanced co-operative gameplay options.

Sniper Elite 5 continues the franchise’s unparalleled tactical sniping experience complete with incredible ballistics and enhanced kill cam taking the genre-defining feature to the next level. New customisation options allow you to adjust your rifle, other weapons and ammo to suit the mission and your play style.

Game Features:

• Expansive Campaign – real-world locations have been captured using photogrammetry to recreate a living, immersive environment, and multiple infiltration and extraction points and kill list targets provide a whole new perspective on each mission. Take on the Nazi plot solo or work with a partner, with improved co-op mechanics allowing you to share ammo and items, give orders and heal each other.
• Advanced gunplay physics and traversal – use ziplines, slide down slopes and shimmy along ledges to reach the perfect vantage point, or to sneak past a sharp-eyed lookout. Factor in rifle stock and barrel options along with gravity, wind and heart rate while you line up your sights on the target.
• High calibre customisation – use workbenches to customise and upgrade virtually every aspect of your weapon. Change scopes, stocks, barrels, magazines and more. Rifles, secondary weapons, and pistols all have a huge variety of options. On top of that you can select the ammo to suit your target, from armour-piercing right down to non-lethal.
• Invasion mode drop-in PVP – you can invade another player’s Campaign as an Axis sniper and engage in a deadly game of cat and mouse, providing a new dimension to the challenge as you stalk your prey. Alternatively, as Karl you can call for assistance and have a second sniper drop in to help you out of a tricky situation.
• Tense adversarial multiplayer – customise your character and loadout and earn XP, medals and ribbons as you take on intensely competitive 16 player battles that will really test your sharpshooting skills. If co-op’s more your style, you can team up with up to 3 other players against waves of enemies in Survival mode.
• Enhanced kill cam – more realistic and grisly than ever, the trademark X-ray kill cam returns, showing you the true destructive power of each shot. Bones deflect bullets unpredictably, ripping a new path through enemy bodies. SMGs and pistols can also trigger kill cams, including multiple shots in dramatic slow motion.

Sniper Elite 5 will release on Xbox Game Pass, Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S and PlayStation 4 & 5, Epic, Steam and Windows Store in 2022 with more news to come in the run up to release. To keep up to date with all the latest Sniper Elite 5 news please visit sniper.com.

Featuring Three Standout, Distinct Multiplayer Experiences with All-Out Warfare, Battlefield Hazard Zone and Battlefield Portal

Electronic Arts Inc. has launched the highly-anticipated first-person shooter, Battlefield™ 2042. Powered by groundbreaking technology through the use of the Frostbite game engine, Battlefield 2042 features up to 128 player matches on the latest consoles* and PCs. The game introduces epic maps, a dynamic world and signals a return to modern settings which opens up the immersive sandbox gameplay through vehicles, weapons and more. Battlefield 2042 has been hailed by EGM as a “true evolution” for the series, IGN lauded the game’s “impressively huge and gorgeously detailed maps,” while Game Informer described the title as “an easy recommendation.”

Battlefield 2042 places players in a near-future, all-out war experience where resources are limited and the world powers of the United States and Russia are in conflict, while refugees from collapsed nations known as the Non-Patriated (“No-Pats”) struggle for survival. The game features the franchise’s signature Levolution, as well as dynamic storms and environmental hazards, that create an added layer of action that alters the battlefield and tactical combat.

The PC version of the game is available through Origin, the Epic Games Store, or Steam.

For more information about Battlefield 2042, visit the games website.

A free update to celebrate the kick off of the upcoming year of new content…

With Operation: Warlord’s release today, escort or assassinate a VIP in the exciting new game mode Ambush. Race from cover to cover through tight alleyways in the new map Gap. Show off on the battlefield with brand new cosmetics and master the P90 and Vector to take down enemies with style.

…and a wealth of premium new cosmetics to choose from

In addition to free weapons and cosmetics, the new Praetorian Set Bundle has been released, including four Warlord themed gear and weapon skin sets. These premium cosmetics are the first step for Year 2 content within Insurgency: Sandstorm. Owners of the Gold Edition or the Year 2 Pass can download them for free.

The free Operation: Warlord Update is now available on PC and coming soon to consoles. Insurgency: Sandstorm, along with its Deluxe and Gold Editions, are available on PlayStation 4, Xbox One and PC. In addition, Steam players can enjoy up to 50% off, while Xbox Gold Members get 15% off for a limited time.

Watch the Insurgency: Sandstorm – Operation Warlord Update Trailer HERE.

Visit the official Insurgency: Sandstorm website for more game information.

A few days in, Champion Hill is one of a handful of stand-out features.

By Seth Macy @ IGN

Call of Duty: Vanguard’s multiplayer is fast, fun, and more than anything, familiar. There are some great new additions by way of expanded game modes, including the excellent new Champion Hill, but if you’d told me I was playing a patched version of Call of Duty: World War II or a reskinned Black Ops: Cold War (which itself felt like a reskinned Modern Warfare) I would probably have believed you, you devious trickster.

Read on…

A fun, truly cinematic campaign that lacks variety over its brief runtime.

By Simon Cardy @ IGN

Call of Duty: Vanguard’s campaign starts off on the right track – literally. An explosive train sequence through a burning Hamburg, Germany thrills as you jump between carriages, fending off dozens of angry Nazis on your way to a submarine base. It’s a cinematic opening to a game that wears its film influences proudly; whether that be the tense behind-enemy-lines aspects of D-Day in The Longest Day or the vivid depictions of the Pacific in Terence Malick’s The Thin Red Line. No shadow hangs heavier over this latest Call of Duty World War II story, however, than Inglourious Basterds. Its tale of a small group of expert soldiers on a secret mission to stop the Third Reich may sound familiar to anyone who has seen the 2009 movie, but Vanguard plays it with a much straighter face than Tarantino ever could. Even so, Vanguard’s campaign is over quickly, and its small series of battles are all too rarely memorable high points.

Read on…