Gaming

‘Armored Core VI: Fires of Rubicon’ hands-off preview: A long time coming for AC fans

Chris Garcia, One More Game — Fri, 16 Jun 2023 13:59:08 +0800

The anticipation for a new Armored Core title is at an all-time high. We’re only a few months out until its release, and while it’s been a long wait since the last installment, it’s looking like the wait may be worth it after all.

During Summer Game Fest: Play Days, I was fortunate enough to take part in a hands-off preview of Armored Core VI: Fires of Rubicon where producer Yasunori Ogura walked us through a live gameplay presentation… but not before explaining the game and its features first.

You can imagine that the wait to see actual gameplay was unbearable for every one of us in the room during that time, even though it was just a few minutes.

Armored Core VI: Fires of Rubicon is the latest installment in the long-running mech action series that gives players the power to create their own Armored Cores to take into battle. If you’ve played any of the previous games, you’ll know that the crux of the game lies in its customization and taking these mechs to battle with a plethora of parts to choose from that will give players unmatched freedom and playstyle diversity.

Ogura discussed 3 pillars that the team at FromSoftware took into account while developing Armored Core VI – 3D level design with a sense of scale, assembling the battle design, and experiencing a sense of accomplishment through overcoming difficulties. These are clearly evident in other titles from the developer, and players can expect these trademark elements to once again make an appearance in the game.

While similar, the game has a fundamental difference that separates it from the rest – the use of a mech. With the mech as the main focus of the game, traversal and movement all take on a larger sense of speed and scale, which directly feeds into level design. Players can expect levels to be vast with a sense of verticality that can only be possible with a mech’s mobility and cannot be reproduced with a human protagonist.

A hands-off demo was shown to us and was controlled expertly by a FromSoftware Staff member, and immediately you can see how huge the levels are, with multiple levels of verticality that can be taken advantage of with the boosters of the mech. Movement is smooth and fluid, and dodging enemies will require agility from the player. Not all platforms will be connected to each other, so players will have to use their boosters to traverse the level with some light platforming.

Basic enemies are quite easy to kill, as the mech used can utilize a number of weapons such as missiles and a beam sword. Players can even use a scan ability to see enemy placements through walls that will allow for pre-planning. Even these basic enemies have sufficient firepower, so maneuvering while on land or in the air against multiple enemies at the same time is crucial to survival. Boosters will also help players close the gap in an instant, giving players an option to take the fight to the enemies when the need arises.

Another thing in Armored Core VI that’s immediately noticeable is the pace during battles. These encounters are frenetic and fast-paced, and will require players to act accordingly. While offense is oftentimes the best solution, strafing and using shields while looking for opportunities to counterattack will be crucial tools for survival. Players will have to learn to weave in and out in quick succession, something that isn’t normally possible with previous titles like Elden Ring.

Towards the end of the demo, we were treated to a quick look at customization options, where we can see multiple back unit, generator, and leg options with varying stats like attack power, impact, total rounds, weight, cooling, and much more. This is Armored Core at its best, so many minutes and hours will be spent choosing which setup works the best for given situations. There’s a lot to take in, and we can only assume that all of these statistics will need to be taken into consideration when building a mech.

As is a trademark with Armored Core games, changing these components will also change not only the way your mech will look like, but also how it will perform. We didn’t get to see too much variety for now, but we can only assume that FromSoftware will be including most or all of the parts from previous titles like tank legs, reverse joints, and much more, all of which will bring noticeable changes to playstyle.

Closing out the Armored Core VI demo was an impressive battle against a boss, which was many times bigger than the player mech. The battle is definitely a careful dance, and bosses can be staggered to allow for more damage. Player skill will be equally as important as the loadout used, so careful planning is also required. It’s been confirmed that these boss battles will be a definite highlight of the game, and it’s easy to see how that’s the case with this single fight.

Just through these small gameplay snippets, Armored Core VI is definitely shaping up to be another must-play FromSoftware title. While some gameplay elements will be similar to past FromSoftware games, the overall feel of using a mech and the advantages that come along with it is a critical difference, and the gameplay we saw captured that essence perfectly.

We’re still a couple of months away from release but can tell you right now that the wait is truly unbearable. It’s been a long time coming for Armored Core fans, and with all of the learnings throughout the years, FromSoftware looks poised to deliver another banger. – Rappler.com

This article also appears on One More Game, Rappler’s coverage partner for Summer Game Fest 2023.

Armored Core VI: Fires of Rubicon is launching on August 25, 2023, for PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series, and PC.

Starfield’s 45-minute deep dive impresses, Constellation Edition revealed

Vincent Ternida, One More Game — Fri, 16 Jun 2023 13:33:35 +0800

The Xbox Games Showcase ended with Starfield Direct, a 45-minute deep dive into what could arguably be the most ambitious game of the generation. In this showcase, Bethesda Game Studios laid out a complete living breathing universe – from the character creator, ship customization, impressive world-building, and what to expect for the gameplay.

It’s been 25 years since Bethesda – the studio behind the acclaimed Elder Scrolls and Fallout games – released an original IP, and Starfield is a mammoth of a game that takes us to the edge of the known universe. Planets are fully explorable as described by game director Todd Howard, and from where you stand, you can fully explore the planet that you’re in and then the moon that’s close by.

Starfield goes beyond just exploration, and at the heart of it is Bethesda’s DNA of complete freedom while putting the player at the center of the story. It will be your adventure and how you shape it to be.

Starfield Direct stresses that the universe in question is not just one world like in Fallout or Skyrim, but over 1,000 worlds that can be explored either in 1st person or 3rd person. The developers aptly described the visual look of Starfield as “NASA-punk”. It is grounded in the realism and majesty of the golden age of space travel and the rebellious flair of Bethesda.

There is a premium on character choice as you explore the vast galaxy – from the UC Headquarters New Atlantis, to a mining colony in Cydonia, as well as the “Wild West” of Akila City, and finally to the vastly dangerous Unclaimed Systems. The story that you will be writing is your own as you encounter several player characters that become companions that unlock unique story questlines as well as your encounters with factions such as pirates, the Constellation, and The Free Star Collective.

Character creation is simple yet as robust as it can be, where you could start off with 40 diverse presets. Starfield Direct stresses on how the characters can be created based on their backgrounds and traits, which determines your origins and progress. A Wanted Trait can give you a boost in defense, but you’ll be facing off against bounty hunters while another trait can give you access to an adoring fan, obviously a reference to a Bethesda game of old.

Character Skills are improved via Ranks as you complete challenges with skills. Combat has been vastly improved since the last time we saw the game and it’s a lot more fluid this time around. The action is unfortunately locked at 30FPS though, and is a “creative choice” from the developers in order to keep the visual fidelity intact.

A massive premium has been put into the ship customization as it will be your home away from home. You can take a generalist approach to improve the stats of the ship or really deep dive into the augmentations of the ship’s specific parts.

Starfield Special Editions revealed

The Starfield Direct not only provided information about gameplay but also revealed a special Constellation Edition that truly reaches for the stars.

The Starfield Constellation Edition includes the following:

Starfield base game
Shattered Space Story Expansion (upon release)
Up to five days early access
Starfield Chronomark watch and case (The Starfield Chronomark watch does not transmit phone calls, does not support cellular service, and is not a touch screen device.)
SteelBook display case
Constellation Skin Pack: Equinox Laser Rifle, Spacesuit, Helmet, and Boost Pack
Access to Starfield digital artbook and original soundtrack
Constellation patch
Credit Stick with laser-etched game code

If the Constellation Edition is too expensive for you, then the Limited Edition Controller and Headset might be right down your alley. Bethesda Games Studios and the Xbox hardware team created this set that features the control scheme, design, and color palette of your ship, The Frontier.

The Starfield Limited Edition Xbox headset is the first-ever custom headset created by Xbox. It matches the controller with the metallic bronze finish and transparent panels. Both items are available for purchase while supplies last.

Starfield is launching on September 6, 2023 exclusively for the Xbox Series X|S, PC, and will be available Day 1 on Xbox Game Pass. – Rappler.com

This story also appears on One More Game, Rappler’s coverage partner for the Summer Game Fest 2023.

Microsoft, Activision ask judge for speedy schedule in FTC challenge

Reuters — Thu, 15 Jun 2023 13:55:02 +0800

WASHINGTON, DC, USA – Time is running out on a deadline for Microsoft to complete its $69 billion acquisition of Activision Blizzard, compelling the companies to ask a US judge on Wednesday, June 14, to quickly get the ball rolling on the Federal Trade Commission’s legal bid to block the deal.

US District Judge Edward Davila on Tuesday had set a June 22-23 evidentiary hearing in San Francisco and temporarily blocked the companies from completing the deal pending a decision by another judge on the same court on whether to grant a preliminary injunction.

The hearing will focus on whether to put the deal on hold while an administrative judge considers the case. But the companies said if a temporary hold is granted they would have to drop the deal altogether because the “glacial” pace of the FTC review would make waiting impractical.

“Time is of the essence,” the companies wrote in a court filing, noting that the agreement has a termination date of July 18 and contains a $3 billion termination fee that Microsoft would have to pay.

“Let there be no doubt, a preliminary injunction ruling is the only decision that matters under these challenging deadlines.”

The FTC declined to comment.

The companies asked the court to schedule a minimum of five days for an evidentiary hearing beginning on June 22 and running through the week of June 26. They also asked for a case management conference to be set for Thursday but emphasized they were not seeking to delay a resolution by asking for a longer evidentiary hearing.

If the court grants the FTC preliminary injunction “it will effectively block the transaction because the FTC’s process is ‘glacial’ and one no substantial business transaction could ever survive,” Microsoft and Activision wrote citing a 1986 case.

The hearing in the FTC administrative proceeding is set to begin Aug. 2.

The FTC has argued the transaction would give Microsoft’s video game console Xbox exclusive access to Activision games, leaving Nintendo consoles and Sony Group Corp’s PlayStation out in the cold.

Microsoft’s bid to acquire the Call of Duty video game maker was approved by the EU in May, but British competition authorities blocked the takeover in April. – Rappler.com

‘Persona 3 Reload’, ‘Persona 5 Tactica’, ‘Metaphor: ReFantazio’ revealed at Xbox Games Showcase

Vincent Ternida, One More Game — Tue, 13 Jun 2023 15:37:32 +0800

Atlus, a developer known for its immensely popular Persona and Shin Megami Tensei titles, revealed three new titles during the recently concluded Xbox Games Showcase.

Persona 3 Reload is the remaster of the original Persona 3, first released back in 2007.

Scheduled to release in Early 2024, the game will feature the beloved characters from the dark RPG with iconic music and a riveting narrative, along with redesigned character assets and new-and-improved controls.

Persona 5 Tactica is the newest title in the P5 franchise that will see favorite characters and their signature moves return in an all-new tactical RPG that’s scheduled to launch on November 17, 2023.

Previously known as PROJECT: Re FANTASY, Metaphor: ReFantazio is the first game from Katsura Hashino along with composer Shoji Meguro and character designer Shigenori Soejima. It really oozes the same signature style that defined the Persona games and is scheduled to launch in 2024.

All three games have been announced on the Xbox X|S, Xbox One, and PC. They all will be available on Xbox Game Pass on Day 1. – Rappler.com

This article also appears on One More Game, Rappler’s coverage partner for Summer Game Fest 2023.

Tribeca Games Spotlight 2023: All the announcements

Vincent Ternida, One More Game — Tue, 13 Jun 2023 14:16:28 +0800

Tribeca Games Spotlight is another one of our favorite showcases during this time of year as it features fantastic games that are not only fun to play but are also known for their artistic merit.

The show has featured fantastic games in previous years such as A Plague Tale: Requiem and the upcoming Oxenfree II: Lost Signals.

This year, we got updates on previously announced titles such as The Expanse: A Telltale Series and Goodbye Volcano High, as well as some hidden gems in the form of A Highland Tale and Nightscape.

Here’s a recap of all the announcements during the show!

A Highland Song

Goodbye Volcano High

Chants of Sennaar

Nightscape

Stray Gods

The Expanse: A Telltale Series

Despelote

If you missed the Tribeca Games Spotlight, you can catch the livestream below:

– Rappler.com

This article also appears on One More Game, Rappler’s coverage partner for Summer Game Fest 2023.

‘Cyberpunk 2077: Phantom Liberty’ hands-on preview: Redemption arc?

Chris Garcia, One More Game — Tue, 13 Jun 2023 13:54:27 +0800

Cyberpunk 2077’s one and only full-fledged expansion, Phantom Liberty, is scheduled to launch on September 26, 2023, bringing with it an intriguing spy-thriller that introduces Idris Elba as sleeper agent Solomon Reed. It also features a returning cast bannered by Keanu Reeves as Johnny Silverhand, along with new content that’s sure to bring a new experience to the game.

Ahead of its release, I got a chance to play 1 hour of the game during Summer Game Fest in Los Angeles, and it’s an expansion that definitely honors the base game while attempting to elevate the experience with excellent storytelling and engaging gameplay.

Disclaimer – 1 hour of gameplay was not enough to check and see all of the touted changes that CD Projekt Red has planned for the expansion that other previews have reported on. What you will read below is a more scaled-down experience based on limited playing time.

My gameplay session started me off in Dogtown, a new area added in the District of Pacifica. It’s a seedy and gritty area, off-limits to outsiders that will easily keep the weak of heart away. There’s a constant feeling that you’re not welcome, as this city is meant to exist outside of the established order of the world. Players will eventually get to explore the area, but for purposes of the demo, I sped through and focused solely on advancing the quest line.

Your character, V, makes a return, and you’re contacted by a highly-skilled netrunner called Songbird that requests a mission of you – rescue the president of the NUSA, Rosalind Myers, from a plane crash. As I head over to the crash site, I’m met with authorities that urged me to stay out of the area, prompting me to find another way in unless I go about guns blazing. Choice is ever so present in the game, and it still is here in the expansion, giving players the option to go about situations in their own way that can affect how things turn out.

It’s obviously a big set piece that really sets the tone of the demo – explosive and intriguing, all while looking amazing. Playing it on a 4090-equipped PC really pushed the graphical fidelity of the game, especially with the path tracing options turned on. It’s something I can’t really give justice to by writing about it, and definitely needs to be seen to be appreciated.

Myers then sets us up to get in touch with a sleeper agent named Solomon Reed, played by Idris Elba. The way I was supposed to get in touch with him was reminiscent of spy movies that really added coherence to the theme of the expansion, but due to the time limit, I hardly got to see Reed in action. With the few voice lines that I heard, Elba’s booming voice and presence are indeed present and really add another quality layer of strong performances by the cast.

Idris Elba joins Keanu Reeves in Phantom Liberty

Speaking of the cast, Keanu Reeves is back as Johnny Silverhand. Reeves doesn’t look to take part in a minor role in the Phantom Liberty expansion, as he will make his presence known with a lot of back-and-forth conversations with your character. Silverhand is looking to play a big role here, and it’ll be interesting to see how much more of the character we’ll get to learn about throughout this mission.

If you’ve played Cyberpunk 2077 before, you can expect most things to be familiar. As mentioned earlier, the Phantom Liberty expansion will see sweeping changes to many systems of the game, all of which I cannot really comment on at the moment, but the base experience of a first-person story-based open-world RPG is still there and if you loved that, you’ll be getting more in a few months.

In fact, Phantom Liberty takes advantage of all of the improvements that Cyberpunk 2077 has made since it was first released. From all of the bug fixes and tweaks, players will be playing Phantom Liberty at its very best, and seeing how CD Projekt Red have poured their hearts into the game, we can expect nothing less of the expansion as it could essentially be the “final” version of Cyberpunk 2077 that was envisioned when it was released.

If you haven’t played the game yet, does playing it now to get set up before the Phantom Liberty expansion make sense? Due to all of the upcoming changes that the developers have in mind, it might be a wise option to just wait a bit more to soak in the full experience in September. Depending on how good (or bad) these new systems will be, we really can’t give a verdict on it yet. If there’s anything certain, it’s that it’s shaping up to be an absolutely essential addition to Cyberpunk 2077, and fans will not want to miss out. – Rappler.com

Cyberpunk 2077: Phantom Liberty is scheduled to launch on September 26, 2023 for PS5, Xbox Series, and PC.

This article was done in collaboration with One More Game, Rappler’s coverage partner for Summer Game Fest 2023.

All the announcements from Xbox Games Showcase 2023

Vincent Ternida, One More Game — Tue, 13 Jun 2023 12:22:55 +0800

Xbox Games Showcase 2023 is in the books, punctuating Summer Game Fest with a slew of amazing games from Xbox Games Studios and their creative partners.

We finally get to see some much-needed updates from Fable and Avowed, along with high-profile surprises such as the reveal of Atlus Studio Zero’s new title Metaphor: ReFantazio and the reveal of Ubisoft’s Star Wars Outlaws. There were also some intriguing hidden gems such as Thunder Lotus’ 33 Immortals and Chinese Room’s Still Wakes Deep.

Closing it all out was an immensely impressive 40-minute Starfield Direct. Todd Howard did say that “if you were not interested in Starfield then, you will be now.” You had our curiosity before, but now you have our attention, Mr. Howard.

And with that, on with the Xbox Games Showcase 2023 recap!

Fable

South of Midnight

Star Wars Outlaws

33 Immortals

Payday 3

Persona 3 Reload (2024)

Avowed (2024)

Sea of Thieves: The Legend of Monkey Island

Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024

Senua’s Saga: Hellblade II

Like A Dragon: Infinite Wealth

Forza Motorsport (October 10, 2023)

The Elder Scrolls Online: Necrom

Overwatch 2: Invasion

Persona 5 Tactica (November 19)

Still Wakes the Deep

Dungeons of Hinterberg

Cyberpunk 2077: Phantom Liberty (Sept 26)

Xbox Series S Carbon Black

Starfield (September 6)

Also shown were trailers for a Dune-themed expansion for Microsoft Flight Simulator, Fallout 76, Kunitsu-Gami: Path of the Goddess, Jusant, Cities: Skylines II, Towerborne, Clockwork Revolution, and the Starfield Limited Edition Wireless Controller and Headset. – Rappler.com

This story also appears on One More Game, Rappler’s coverage partner for Summer Game Fest 2023.

‘Like A Dragon Gaiden: The Man Who Erased His Name’ launches in November 2023

Vincent Ternida, One More Game — Mon, 12 Jun 2023 10:58:18 +0800

After the well-received release of Like A Dragon Ishin!, RGG Studio follows up with the release date announcement of the much anticipated Like A Dragon Gaiden: The Man Who Erased His Name at the Summer Game Fest.

Pre-orders for the game start at $49.99.

The events of Yakuza 6: Song of Life pushes iconic hero Kazuma Kiryu to abandon his identity to protect his family and now lives a new life as an agent adopting a new codename: Joryu. Now, he is thrust into conflict by a mysterious figure attempting to drive him out of hiding.

While Like A Dragon rebrands itself to fit the new protagonist Kasuga Ichiban along with the quirky JRPG game loop, Like A Dragon Gaiden returns to its beat-em-up roots seen in the classic Yakuza titles and the Judgment side stories. This combat mechanic is seen through Joryu switching between the aggressive Yakuza and precise Agent fighting styles.

The trademark mini-games and side activities are available in locations familiar to the Like A Dragon franchise including Yokohama and Sotenbori. The mysterious Castle has also been revealed, where Joryu can participate in arena matches, karaoke, live-action cabaret club, and pocket circuit racing.

Players who pre-order the game will receive the Legendary Fighter Pack, which introduces the following legendary yakuza to square off against in the Battle Arena:

• Goro Majima – The Mad Dog of Shimano

• Taiga Saejima – The Slayer of Eighteen

• Daigo Dojima – 6th Chairman of the Tojo Clan

Like A Dragon Gaiden: The Man Who Erased His Name launches on November 9th on the PS5, PS4, Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S, and PC. PS4 version owners of the game can upgrade to a PS5 version for no additional cost. – Rappler.com

This article also appears on One More Game, Rappler’s coverage partner for Summer Game Fest 2023.

‘Lies of P’ books a September release, pre-orders and demo now available

Vincent Ternida, One More Game — Mon, 12 Jun 2023 10:51:09 +0800

It has been a while since we’ve seen an update to the intriguing Souls-like Lies of P, but that all changed as Summer Game Fest 2023 played host to an enthralling presentation that revealed more than just its release date of September 19, 2023, for the PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series, and PC.

Additionally, a playable demo was also announced, and players can now download the free demo to try out the game before buying.

The digital standard edition for Lies of P includes a “Mischievous Puppet’s Set” outfit, while the deluxe edition receives that set with “Great Venigni’s Set” outfit, a unique festival mask, and early access three days before the game launch.

A collector’s edition was also revealed, and will contain the base game, a steelbook case, and a 92-page artbook.

In our impressions, we wrote that it “is polished enough to provide an entertaining playthrough, and also feels different enough thanks to its upgraded visuals and performance.” We can’t wait to play this Pinocchio-inspired Souls-like when it launches!

Lies of P launches on September 19, 2023 on PS5, PS4, PC, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X|S. It will be available on Xbox Game Pass on Day 1. – Rappler.com

This article also appears on One More Game, Rappler’s coverage partner for Summer Game Fest 2023.

‘Final Fantasy VII Rebirth’ launches in early 2024, coming on 2 discs

Vincent Ternida, One More Game — Mon, 12 Jun 2023 10:42:05 +0800

Final Fantasy VII Rebirth made a surprise appearance during the recently concluded Summer Game Fest 2023, where it was revealed that the game will be launching in early 2024 and will come on 2 discs.

The iconic overworld has been revealed as the heroes narrowly escape Midgar after defeating Sephiroth in the previous installment. As teased in the three-minute-long trailer, several new locations have been revealed including the iconic Junon base. Cloud, Tifa, Aerith, and Barrett obviously return, but it’s great to finally see Red XIII in action as well as Yuffie from FFVII Remake Intergrade.

Much of the trailer for Final Fantasy VII Rebirth highlights each character’s discovery of their own destinies, with the big tease at the end suggesting a much different outcome for a fan favorite.

After the twin endings of both Final Fantasy VII Remake and Final Fantasy VII Remake Intergrade, we can for sure be hyped for more crazy revelations and mind-blowing conclusions.

Final Fantasy VII Rebirth will release in Early 2024 on two discs for the PlayStation 5. – Rappler.com

This article also appears on One More Game, Rappler’s coverage partner for Summer Game Fest 2023.