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Joystiq Weekly: Titanfall gets co-op, Civ: Beyond Earth review, amiibo impressions and more
Welcome to Joystiq Weekly, a "too long; didn't read" of each week's biggest stories, reviews and original content. Each category's top story is introduced with a reactionary gif, because moving pictures aren't just for The Daily Prophet. With Titanfall getting a co-operative, wave-based mode, Super Smash Bros. on Wii U ushering in eight fighters at once and Halo: The Master Chief Collection just a few weeks (and a ~20GB patch) away, we're ready to spend a substantial amount of time beside our friends. Cunning AI is great and all, but what beats teaming up with or taking down local, equally-frantic friends and rivals? Other than wish-granting sacks of money, we mean. Single player diehards certainly aren't left out of this week's best content though – Rockstar launched a super-cheap, upgraded version of Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas on the Xbox Marketplace today, there are reviews for Civilization: Beyond Earth and The Legend of Korra, and we got our hands on amiibos and Sony's horror romp, Until Dawn. All of that and quite a bit more is waiting for you after the break!
Titanfall update gets cooperative, adds ranked play
The next major update for Titanfall will land tomorrow on Xbox One and PC, Respawn announced today. The patch is the "biggest update ever," according to the developer's blog, which revealed the inclusion of new modes in the update. For starters, Titanfall players will have a new "Frontier Defense" cooperative multiplayer mode in which teams of four stand their ground against waves of AI enemies, getting assistance from stationary turrets and loadout crates. The other major addition is ranked play, which will be in beta through the end of the month. Respawn's dedicated discussion on its ranked play system for Titanfall notes that players will receive "Rank Chips," which act as "expensive pedometers" that measure players' prowess in the game. Players will have the ability to turn off their Rank Chips as well, so ranked play in Titanfall won't boil down to a separate set of maps or playlists. The update will introduce a multitude of other fixes and improvements, such as the ability to go full-screen with the mini-map, a "sudden death" addition to Capture the Flag mode and seven new Titan insignias. [Image: EA Games]
Titanfall orders IMC Rising DLC onto Xbox 360 next week
Xbox 360 owners of Titanfall have been left waiting for the metal gear of "IMC Rising," but they can get their revengeance next week when the third and final piece of season pass DLC arrives on October 21. Pilots can buy in for $10 or get it as part of the $25 season pass. IMC Rising, which came to Xbox One and PC last month, includes three extra maps in the form of Backwater, Zone 18 and Sand Trap. Backwater is a mix of open fields, underground grain storage facilities (there's an experience grain joke in there somewhere) and railways up above. Zone 18, meanwhile, is a robotics facility full of passageways to sneak along and rooftops to drop onto. Finally, Sand Trap is a mix of big open areas and tiny little wall-gaps perfect for wall-running and wall-flailing-and-falling-to-your-doom. [Image: EA]
Engadget giveaway: win a PS4 or Xbox One courtesy of Mad Genius Controllers!
There's a new game controller in town and Mad Genius hopes you won't take the news sitting down, because it's all about motion control and expanding the scope of your game beyond the couch. The Mad Genius Controller, which recently launched on Kickstarter, is offering precision motion control that's compatible with any game or console. While it works in normal controller mode, its magnetically connected halves can be split to enable motion tracking features. Aiming guns and bows is said be done with 1/100th inch accuracy and it can translate a player's movement throughout the room to the on-screen character. The device can also be programmed so that certain movements can trigger combos and holster-reaching motions could replace digging into menus to access weapons. Since the Kickstarter is still underway, Mad Genius wanted to prep two lucky Engadget readers for its arrival with a giveaway for two consoles this week. Along with Mad Genius t-shirts, one winner will receive a PS4 Destiny Bundle and the other will get an Xbox One along with Titanfall. To get in on this opportunity, just head on down to the Rafflecopter widget below for up to three chances at winning one of these consoles. Winners: congratulations to Vladimir K. of Davis, CA and Kevin S. of Rosemount, MN.
Titanfall's third DLC pack, IMC Rising, arrives on September 25
Titanfall's third and final Season Pass DLC map pack "IMC Rising" deploys tomorrow, developer Respawn Entertainment announced. The package features the new Backwater map, which gives players the chance to battle their mechs within the confines of a multi-story bootlegging colony. Also included are the labyrinthine robotics facility Zone 18 and Sand Trap, a fuel storage complex that features several wide-open areas for titan combat. IMC Rising launches on September 25 for Xbox One and PC platforms. The pack is priced at $9.99 as a standalone download, and is free for Season Pass buyers. [Video: EA]
Titanfall Sand Trap map rounds out IMC Rising DLC
The final map in Titanfall's season pass-related DLC, IMC Rising, is called Sand Trap. In a recent post on the game's official site, Respawn Entertainment Game Designer Chris Dionne gave us a general layout of the to-be-broken-in warzone. Sand Trap features a maze of trenches surrounding a buried bunker, which is inspired by architecture found on the Fracture map, and these subterranean locales shelter pilots from Titans patrolling the ground level. They aren't all OSHA-complient pathways however – some give way to wells of fuel, which are slightly lethal for anyone clumsy enough to fall into one. With pilots facing better odds of survival while submerged in the trenches, the dunes above are typically a Titan-dominated landscape. Like Titanfall's previous DLC packs, IMC Rising will be free for season pass holders and go for $9.99 when purchased separately. Respawn has yet to elaborate on IMC Rising's general Fall 2014 arrival window. [Image: Respawn Entertainment]
Titanfall Update 6 adds 8-on-8 combat with no 'bots
Developer Respawn has issued a new update for its flagship giant robot shooter, Titanfall, the highlight of which strips out said robots in favor of mano a mano gunplay. Dubbed "Pilot Skirmish," the new gameplay mode removes both Titans and those pesky AI-controlled robots that most players view as vaguely intelligent cannon fodder. The result is a first-person shooter more akin to Halo or Call of Duty, but with the acrobatic movement and unique weaponry of Titanfall. Other changes include the addition of the "Marked for Death" mode to Titanfall's permanent roster of gameplay types, new UI options designed to aid colorblind players and the ability to win an "ultra-rare" Burn Card that allows players to access and use any Card from their stash during gameplay. Game Update Six is now available to Titanfall players on Xbox One, Xbox 360 and PC. For a full rundown of the update's tweaks, visit the game's official website. [Image: EA]
Amazon Digital End of Summer Sale: Half off Civ 5, Titanfall
To celebrate the waning summer months and the return to temperatures that won't cause small children to burst into flame, Amazon has instituted massive discounts on a huge number of gaming items in what it has dubbed the "Digital End of Summer Sale." Highlights of the promotion include a 50 percent discount on hyper-addictive strategy game Civilization 5: Complete Edition which reduces its price from $50 to $25. Respawn Entertainment's flagship giant robot shooter Titanfall has also had its price cut in half, from $40 to $20. Not content to solely discount games, the Digital End of Summer Sale also offers deals on in-game currency for various online worlds. Star Wars: The Old Republic players can grab 5500 Cartel Coins for $35 while EVE Online fans can add 2 Plex to their accounts for $31.50. The above discounts only represent a small fraction of the 339 items available in the Digital End of Summer Sale. For more, visit the sale's Amazon page. Hurry though, these discounts expire on September 1. [Image: EA]
Get a free mech-over, Titanfall back on Origin Game Time
Titanfall returns to Origin Game Time, meaning PC users who missed the promotion the first time round can now take Respawn's mech-stuffed shooter for a 48-hour test drive. EA doesn't say how long the offer will be available for, but the good news is your 48 hours of free shootin' only become active when you launch the game for the first time. Those 48-hours are real-time and not in-game. So if you start midday on Saturday your game time runs out midday on Monday, no matter how you've spent it. Still, you can't argue with free. Well, you can, but there are better things to argue with, like paper cuts and the necessity of shaving. Finally, if you did take up the first Game Time offer back in June, you won't be able to take part this time. The news follows EA's unveiling of the third DLC pack, IMC Rising, which drops sometime this fall. We haven't yet decided if IMC Rising sounds more like a bank or a hip-hop group. [Image: EA]
Deals With Gold: MGS5: Ground Zeroes, Titanfall, Risen
Microsoft's weekly Deals With Gold promotion has returned with discounts on Metal Gear Solid 5: Ground Zeroes, Titanfall and, to celebrate the launch of Risen 3: Titan Lords, the first two entries in Deep Silver's roleplaying franchise. On the Xbox One side of things, both Ground Zeroes and Titanfall have received 50 percent discounts. Ground Zeroes is now available at $15, while Titanfall can be purchased for $25. Titanfall's Expedition DLC has also been discounted to $7. Discounts on Xbox 360 games are more numerous, with a number of Square Enix games receiving a 50 percent discount, including Final Fantasy XIII-2 and Lightning Returns: Final Fantasy XIII. Following the August 12 debut of Risen 3: Titan Lords, both Risen and Risen 2 have had their prices slashed by 75 percent. For a full list of discounts available this week, visit Major Nelson's blog or the Xbox Live Marketplace. All discounts are valid until August 18. Edit: This article initially stated that the Titanfall Expedition DLC was now priced at $10, when it is actually now priced at $7. [Image: Konami]
Titanfall's third and final DLC pack, IMC Rising
The third DLC pack for Titanfall is titled IMC Rising, Respawn announced at EA's Gamescom press conference. It's due out in the fall and it contains three new multiplayer maps. This is the last planned DLC pack for Titanfall, capping the number of maps released post-launch at nine. The previous maps are Frontier's Edge and Expedition. Yesterday, we learned that this announcement would appear at EA's show. Viola!
Third Titanfall DLC pack to be revealed at EA Gamescom event
Titanfall players: You've taken an Expedition. You've gone to the Frontier's Edge. What scenic locales and adventurous naming scheme will define the third piece of DLC for EA and Respawn's titan-on-human shooter? We're not sure! So why don't we find out together? EA is planning to reveal the DLC during their Gamescom press conference, which will take place at 4 a.m. Eastern, 1 a.m. Pacific. Sorry for the early hours, but war waits for no mech. We'll of course be reporting the news as it happens, but if you're the sort who likes to take matters into your own hands, EA will be streaming their press conference via their Gamescom website hub. [Image: EA]
PSA: Titanfall Frontier's Edge DLC out now
Respawn Entertainment has launched the "Frontier's Edge" expansion DLC for the Xbox One and PC versions of its mech-blasting first-person shooter Titanfall, adding three new maps to its multiplayer modes. Frontier's Edge introduces the "Dig Site," "Export," and "Haven" maps, and is bundled as part of Titanfall's Season Pass. The pack can also be purchased separately for $9.99. Today's DLC release follows up on the recent introduction of an in-game "Black Market" that allows players to purchase burn card packs and insignias using in-game currency. Frontier's Edge is the second in a series of three planned batches of Titanfall Season Pass DLC. [Video: Electronic Arts]
Titanfall adds 'Black Market' and in-game currency system
Respawn Entertainment added a new in-game market to Titanfall known as the "Black Market," which allows players to redeem credits in the game for burn card packs and insignias. For instance, the game's standard burn card pack costs 5,000 credits and contains six random pilot and Titan burn cards. Players will have access to the Black Market once they reach level 11 and have opened the burn card menu. Respawn emphasized that the game's new currency and market updates do not indicate that Titanfall players will be spending real money in the game at any point, driving the point home with an all-caps "NO MICROTRANSACTIONS" note in its announcement.
Xbox 360 Titanfall pilots will be Marked for Death on July 21
Late is better than never, a rule that will be reaffirmed for Titanfall's Xbox 360 pilots when the Marked for Death mode sets its sights on the console this week. The Titanfall Twitter account tweeted a July 21 arrival date, which is just enough time to string Monday night plans together with your friends and potential targets. If you've yet to try it, Marked for Death hangs a literal target above one member of each team, leaving the remaining members to protect their singled-out pilot while trying to off the other team's. A marked player's target can always be seen, so pilots have a general sense of where to find their prey. Killing a marked pilot earns a point for your team and places the target above different pilots for the next round. Marked for Death started singling out players a few weeks ago on Xbox One in an update that also added 14 burn cards and Titan insignias. [Image: EA]
Titanfall explores three new maps in 'Frontier's Edge' DLC
Respawn has titled its next DLC addition to Titanfall "Frontier's Edge," which seems fitting given that the included maps drop players into wildly disparate parts of the universe. Dig Site sees squishy humans and giant, stomping mechs throw down in the wreckage of an abandoned mining site. Export likewise sees combat in a mining facility, though this one happens to be located on the side of a mountain instead of a rocky pit. Finally, Haven offers players an excursion to a relaxing beach resort, where they're free to shoot one another in peace and tranquility. Respawn has yet to reveal a release date for Frontier's Edge, though we do know the DLC will feature a $10 price tag on debut. Unless, of course, you've purchased the $25 Titanfall Season Pass which includes Frontier's Edge and two other content packs at a slight discount. [Image: EA]
A bevy of Xbox sales this week: Titanfall $20 off, Skyrim, Portal 2
Don't wait for some "big" sale, or even a "huge" or "blowout" sale – the Xbox 360 Ultimate Games Sale runs throughout July, offering up to 75 percent off on a lineup of Xbox 360 games, on sale on a daily and weekly basis. Up for grabs this week is Skyrim, Dishonored, Portal 2, Silent Hill: HD, Metal Gear Solid 5: Ground Zeroes, The Witcher 2, Fallout 3, Skate 2, Gears of War 3, Lara Croft and the Guardian of Light, and every Walking Dead Season One episode except for the first. All of these sale games are available for Gold and Silver members. On sale July 8 only is the Fable Trilogy, King of Fighters 13, Assassin's Creed 4: Black Flag, Zoo Tycoon, Halo Spartan Assault and TMNT Out of the Shadows. Xbox One gets a few sales through July 14, too: Titanfall for $20 off, and the Call of Duty: Ghosts Season Pass for 40 percent off. [Image: EA]
YouTube to introduce support for 60 frames per second
YouTube videos rendered in 48 and 60 frames per second are to finally become a reality in the coming months. Following a year in which 1080p and 60fps have become increasingly familiar bedfellows for the video game industry, YouTube promoted its higher framerates with new videos of Battlefield: Hardline and Titanfall. Among other features coming to the video site including fan-submitted translations and tagged shout-outs to collaborators, the one to keep an eye on is Fan Funding. Essentially an online tip jar, this allows viewers to donate to content creators direct through YouTube. For now, only "a handful of creators" are testing the feature out. Head below the break for the Battlefield: Hardline and Titanfall vids in full 60fps glory.
Titanfall's next update adds insignias, Titan burn cards
Titanfall will receive its fourth update soon, and developer Respawn offered a few details on it today. The update will add featured game modes to Titanfall's playlist rotation for limited periods of time as well as a "Marked For Death" mode, in which one player from each team is "marked for death," forcing teams to protect their marked teammate while seeking to eliminate that of the opponent. The game's forthcoming update will add 14 new Titan burn cards, complete with "enhanced Titan abilities" and Titan weapons. Titanfall's update includes insignias for the mech-like machines, giving players the option to select an emblem that shows off their accomplishments, earned by completing challenges in the game. The update will also improve its online matchmaking and team balancing system and introduce numerous bug fixes. The full list of fixes is available on the game's official site. [Image: EA Games]
Origin offers free time-limited access to games, starting with Titanfall
Titanfall will be free to download and play for 48 hours this weekend as part of Origin's new Game Time service. Unlike Steam's Free Weekend program, Origin is making select games free for a set period of time that starts once you begin playing. Just to note, that's real-time rather than game time, so the free mech-mashing ends after 48 of your Earth hours. EA also says progress during free access is saved, so if you choose to purchase the game afterward you can pick up where you left off. Game Time is the latest of a few recent initiatives to bolster Origin. EA introduced On the House to the portal earlier this year, with the service offering permanent freebies that have included Peggle, Dead Space, Battlefield 3 and Plants vs. Zombies. [Image: EA]
