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Remedy's mind-melting 'Control' gets a major expansion this month
If you've completed Remedy's award-winning Control, fear not: more content is on the way. The Finnish game developer has dropped a 20-second teaser for The Foundation, a paid update to its trippy third-person shooter that revolves around Jesse, some possessed enemies called the Hiss, and a forever-creepy building called the Oldest House. At the end, a title card reveals the all-important release date: March 26th. We know very little about the upcoming DLC, other than what Remedy published in a brief blog post six months ago: "At the request of the ever-mysterious Board, Jesse must explore what lies beneath the Bureau as she returns order to the Foundation and the Oldest House itself." Intrigued? So are we.
The new 'Control' game mode is live right now
The second planned update for Control, Expeditions, is live now in conjunction with The Game Awards. Expeditions are a new game mode that thrust Jesse, the main character, into an alternate dimension connected to the Black Rock Quarry and overrun with the Hiss.
Everything in our holiday gift guide that you can buy for $50 or less
Depending on your budget and how many people are on your gift list this year, you might only have a modest amount to spend on each person. Even if you instill a cap of fifty bucks, though, you still have plenty of options. In Engadget's 2019 holiday gift guide, we have nearly 50 under $50, with picks running the gamut from toys, to video games, to books and movies, to mobile and gaming accessories. As it happens, today is Black Friday in the US, so chances are, many of the items here will cost you even less than the list price. Happy deal hunting!
'Death Stranding' and 'Control' lead Game Awards nominees
The Game Awards takes place in less than a month and voting is now open after Geoff Keighley announced the nominees. Hideo Kojima's sprawling epic Death Stranding leads the pack with nine nominations, including game of the year, game direction, score/music, narrative and performance for both Norman Reedus and Mads Mikkelsen.
The best gifts and games for console gamers
This year will mark the end of an era for console gaming. Next-generation consoles are coming in 2020, but it also means both the PS4 and the Xbox One are at the peak of their power and popularity. Not to be outdone, there's also Nintendo's Switch, which has already seen a second-generation hardware twist in the handheld Switch Lite. Our selection for this holiday season runs across all these consoles, as well as including Sega's nostalgia-baiting Genesis Mini. We've focused on tried-and-tested AAA titles like Overwatch on the Switch, and Control available on both Xbox and PlayStation, while also suggesting more under-the-radar hits like Bloodstained: Ritual of the Night and Risk of Rain 2. Naturally, Pokémon Sword and Shield isn't quite out yet, but from our early impressions, we know it will satisfy any Pokémon fans you're shopping for. And, if you need even more recommendations for the gamers in your life, we have a guide for every console.
Remedy fixes 'Control' on the Epic Store so it will work offline
The update that added a photomode to Remedy's moody shooter Control also added some new headaches for PC players who purchased it from the Epic Games Store. Although the team says that changes made were intended to validate "future expansions," their actual impact removed Steam controller support and forced players to stay online. Overnight the company has released another update (v1.04.01) fixing the issue, which it says is not the fault of Epic, allowing players to both enjoy the new camera feature and get ready for DLC that will arrive in December.
'Control' will let you photograph its beautiful Brutalist setting
Remedy Entertainment's Control quickly found a fanbase thanks in part to its strikingly eerie design. One of the most-requested features from players is a photo mode to help them capture the Oldest House's shifting Brutalist architecture in their own way. They won't have to wait too much longer for it, as the feature will arrive October 16th. Remedy previously said it'd be available in the fall.
Tap Strap 2 adds gesture control to any Bluetooth-enabled device
Tap made a name for itself with its futuristic wearable keyboards, now it's introduced a new Minority Report-style feature guaranteed to make you feel like you're in a sci-fi movie. The Tap Strap 2's new AirMouse feature lets you control any Bluetooth-connected device with a simple, untethered wave of the hand.
Adobe previews expanded controls for Photoshop's Content-Aware Fill
Adobe's next Photoshop release will give users more control over the Content-Aware Fill feature. If you've used the tool, you know that it lets you remove objects from a photo -- like people, signs or equipment. Photoshop then generates pixels to fill in the blanks. Now, Photoshop will let you determine which pixels it uses to fill the voids. Adobe released a sneak preview today.
How conservationists are controlling invasive species in the 21st century
When humans colonized islands throughout the Pacific some 2,000 years ago, rats came along for the ride. The introduction of those rodents proved disastrous for the local island exosystem, a pattern than unfortunately continues to this day with no sign of slowing. Conservationists are now experimenting with high tech solutions to help keep invasive species in check.
What we've been playing in September: 'Control' and 'Wheels of Aurelia'
What the Engadget staff has been playing in September 2019: 'Control' and 'Wheels of Aurelia'
'Control' DLC hints at an 'Alan Wake' tie-in
Remedy's game worlds might collide in a very conspicuous way. The studio has shared a roadmap for Control's downloadable content through 2020, and a second paid expansion (AWE) due in mid-2020 hints at a not-so-subtle crossover between Jesse's adventures and those of Alan Wake. Officially, the company has only said the DLC will have Jesse exploring a new Investigations Sector of the Oldest House that explores Altered World Events (hence the title), but there are multiple hints of a connection. Be careful: spoilers are ahead.
‘Control’ features a wonderfully surreal Hideo Kojima cameo
Metal Gear Solid creator Hideo Kojima is no stranger to bizarre antics. However, his latest might be among his weirdest. In Control, the newest game from Alan Wake and Max Payne studio Remedy Entertainment, Kojima is the star of a wonderfully strange Easter egg. Playing one Dr. Yoshimi Tokui, Kojima invites players to imagine themselves on a beach, with seagulls "fighting over a discarded bag of potato chips."
What's on TV this week: 'Control'
This week Remedy returns with its first new game since Quantum Break, the creepy supernatural shooter Control. Out now on PS4, PC and Xbox One, it has a Metacritic rating of 81 and some intriguing trailers. In less interactive entertainment, Netflix's new Dark Crystal series debuts this week with a star-studded cast, while Amazon Prime has a fantasy series of its own with Carnival Row. On TV, college football is all over the scheduled before the NFL season kicks off, and Stand By Me is available on 4K Blu-ray. Look after the break to check out each day's highlights, including trailers and let us know what you think (or what we missed).
Remedy's latest trailer for 'Control' digs into the supernatural shooter's story
At E3 for each of the last two years we've seen previews of Remedy Entertainment's supernatural action game Control, and on August 27th, players will be able to experience its world for themselves on Xbox One, PS4 and PC. You should read through our impressions after an hour-long demo in June to understand what it's like to pick up The Director's gun and attempt to make your way through "The Oldest House" -- a government agency headquarters that has come under attack by a supernatural force.
Experts urge EU to ban AI-designed social credit ranking systems
An advisory group to the European Union has suggested that the body bans systems of rating individuals automatically. In its latest report, the EU's High Level Expert Group on Artificial Intelligence says that "AI enabled mass scale of scoring of individuals," should be banned. In addition, instances where AI and big data could be used to identify national security threats should be tightly regulated.
'Control' is nearly a fantastic supernatural action game
Control comes out on August 27th. That gives developers at Remedy Entertainment less than 80 days to spit-shine their code before the whole thing goes live on PlayStation 4, Xbox One and the Epic Games Store. Control is nearly there: An hour-long slice of the game, not a tailor-made demo, is playable at E3 2019 and it's a stylish, eerie, action-packed experience. However, it feels a little rough around the edges.
Disney takes full control of Hulu in deal with Comcast
When AT&T sold its shares of Hulu last month, Disney and Comcast were left as the company's sole owners. Today, Comcast relinquished its control, leaving Disney in charge of the streaming platform. This means, since its acquisition of Fox's 30 percent stake in 2017, Disney has slowly chipped away at its fellow Hulu owners.
Remedy's creepy 'Control' arrives August 27th
Alan Wake and Max Payne studio Remedy Entertainment has revealed when its latest game, the mysterious, atmospheric Control, will arrive. It'll land on PS4, Xbox One and PC (through the Epic Games Store) August 27th.
'Detroit', 'Heavy Rain' and 'Beyond' will hit the Epic Games Store
Detroit: Become Human, Beyond: Two Souls and Heavy Rain are all making their way to PC for the first time in 2019 through the Epic Games Store. To date, the games have only been available on PlayStation 3 and/or PS4. The Quantic Dream titles are a bit of a coup for Epic as it takes aim at the likes of Steam, though Epic had plenty of other news about its store at GDC, including a Humble Bundle partnership and deals for upcoming games.
