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'Amnesia: The Bunker' is a new survival horror sandbox from Frictional Games
The latest 'Amnesia' horror game is an open-world title set during the First World War.
Steam's latest sale offers discounts on dozens of open-world games
You can save on the likes of 'Cyberpunk 2077,' 'Red Dead Redemption 2' and 'Death Stranding.'
’Days Gone’ will need a stellar story to save its stale gameplay
Me, I love beating the un-living daylights out of zombies. Whether it's the ecchi cartoonishness of Lollipop Chainsaw, the clever weapons crafting of Dead Rising, or the heart-pounding intensity of Left 4 Dead, if it's an unholy abomination risen from the grave to feast on the flesh of the living, I'm more than happy to de-brain it for you. So yeah, I've been more than a little excited to get my hands on Days Gone, the post-apocalyptic open-world zombie survival game from developer Bend Studios since it first debuted at E3 in 2016. That is, until I actually got my hands on it.
'Starbound' will be ready for everyone on July 22nd
When Chucklefish said that Starbound was nearly ready after about 5 years of sitting in Steam's Early Access program, it wasn't joking around. The developer has revealed that the finished game will launch on July 22nd for Linux, Mac and Windows. Besides opening access to those people who aren't willing to try pre-release code, this is really about fleshing out Starbound beyond its sandbox roots -- the long-awaited version 1.0 will give you honest-to-goodness missions, characters and stories. There are promises of more features in the pipeline, too, so think of this more as a milestone in the title's development than an endpoint.
PAX South 2015: Life is Feudal revives the good ol' MMO feel
When the assignment for Life Is Feudal came to me, I questioned why I was covering a game that really didn't seem to be an MMORPG in my eyes because of its separate servers and the survival feel of the setting. It felt to me initially that I was covering another DayZ, one set in a medieval era and no zombies. But as I found out at this year's PAX South, I was completely wrong. Interestingly, I didn't find out what kind of mistake I made from the head honcho of Bitbox, Vladimir Piskunov. I found out from someone who has been playing for a long time and was invited to play at the Life Is Feudal booth. His name is Bill, and he's the "superfan" who demoed the game for me. He explained the ins and outs of the mechanics until I started having Ultima Online flashbacks. We discussed the skill system and trekked around the world, and then reminded me that LiF will eventually be an MMORPG. And I could certainly see how. If sandboxes are your thing as they are mine, then maybe this game is up our alley.
Here are The Crew's PC system requirements
Ubisoft has released the system specs you'll need to play The Crew on your PC. Let's skip right over the quote-unquote minimums and go right to what's recommended, shall we? You should have a Core i5-750 2.66 GHz or a Phenom II X4 940 3.0 GHz (or better), Ubisoft says. Eight gigs of RAM are recommended, as is a GeForce GTX580 or a Radeon 6870 (or better) for your graphics processing. You'll also need a 64-bit version of Windows. Ubisoft's dev blog lists the full requirements including minimums and an optimal setup.
The Crew's PS4 and Xbox One beta starts next week
When Ubisoft pushed back the launch of its upcoming racing game The Crew to December, it revealed plans to hold an additional beta phase around the time the game was previously expected to launch. Today, the publisher announced the PS4 and Xbox One closed beta for The Crew will start next Thursday, November 6 and last through Monday, November 10. The Crew's PS4 and Xbox One beta will allow players to cruise across the country, completing challenges in two of the game's five regions, the Midwest and the East Coast. It will also feature the game's PvP lobby in the dirt and street classes. The closed beta is open to all players, though Ubisoft said some features will require an Xbox Live Gold or PlayStation Plus subscription. Those interested in participating in the beta can register on Ubisoft's official site for the game, and those that pre-order The Crew will be guaranteed access to the beta program. The Crew will launch on December 2 for PS4, Xbox One, Xbox 360 and PC. [Image: Ubisoft]
The Crew preps second console beta test for November
Gentlemen and ladies, start your virtual engines! The Crew is preparing to roll out its second closed beta test, starting on November 6th and ending on the 10th. PC players will have to wait in the wings, as this beta test is for Xbox One and PlayStation 4 players only. The test will cover two regions of the game, the Midwest and East Coast, and include PvP competitions and both Street and Dirt car specs. The Crew is currently aiming at a December 2nd launch date. [Source: Ubisoft press release]
Ubisoft is bringing The Crew to a college football game near you
Do pseudo-MMOs and college football mix? We'll soon find out since Ubisoft is taking The Crew on a roadtrip to various rivalry games across the country starting this month."Two trucks outfitted with gaming stations will simultaneously tour the country allowing fans from each school to play The Crew and go head to head with their rival school's fans before the big game on Saturday," according to the racing MMO's website. Highlights include the World's Largest Outdoor Cocktail Party (otherwise known as Georgia vs. Florida) on November 1st, Florida State vs. Miami on November 15th, and USC vs. UCLA on November 22nd. The Crew launches on December 2nd.
The Crew pushed back to December 2
Ubisoft has pushed The Crew's launch date from November 11th to December 2nd. "The extra time will allow for a second closed console beta to be held, giving even more players the opportunity to experience the game, which is something the community has been requesting," Ubisoft's statement read. The open world racer's Xbox One and PlayStation 4 beta is currently ongoing. Gamespot reports that a second closed beta will happen some time in November.
The Daily Grind: How should studios handle server merges with open world housing?
We had an interesting question come up in the office the other day concerning all of the open world housing in ArcheAge. What if the game (perish the thought) shrunk in population and then faced server merges. How would the studio handle merging populations that had equal claims on housing plots? It seems to be a recipe for disaster any way that you look at it. One solution would be to force everyone out of the pool, er, server and then make a completely new server for those populations to fight over. Another solution would be to award a housing plot to the character with the most seniority. What do you think? How should studios handle server merges with open world housing? Every morning, the Massively bloggers probe the minds of their readers with deep, thought-provoking questions about that most serious of topics: massively online gaming. We crave your opinions, so grab your caffeinated beverage of choice and chime in on today's Daily Grind!
Here are some tips for The Crew's closed beta
The Crew's second closed beta starts today for PC players, and Ubisoft has published a list of helpful tips designed to ease you into its open-world racing MMO. You'll find everything from keyboard and controller layouts to detailed instructions for equipping your cars and building a crew of friends on the title's website. You might also want to check out Ubisoft's closed beta walkthrough video. It was originally published in July, but it still applies to the current test. You can view it after the break.
Explore The Crew's gameplay options in new vid
Ubisoft has released a new promotional video for The Crew which highlights the racing MMO's 1900 square mile open world, its highly detailed cities, and its vast swathes of drivable/explorable terrain. "If you can see it, you can drive there," the vid explains. Driving off the beaten path can be profitable, too, as you'll occasionally find car wrecks and junk yards from which you can scavenge rare parts to help further customize your ride. See all that and more in the clip just past the cut.
The Crew revs up for second beta test on August 25th
Gas up those cars and wipe down the upholstry, because the second beta test for The Crew is set to begin on August 25th and end on August 29th. Ubisoft promised to hand out more keys for this second round of closed beta testing, saying that players will now be able to register for it through Steam if desired. You can get into the beta by pre-purchasing The Crew prior to the start of this next test, having played the first beta test, or snagging one of the new keys. Ubisoft announced that there will be no NDA for the beta later this month. According to a new infographic, over 237 million miles were driven during the first beta test, in addition to 387,113 police chases and over a million skill challenges attempted. You can view the full infographic after the jump.
Defiance launches the Silicon Valley update
It's time to take it to the ruins of California in Defiance's latest patch, which introduces a large free expansion in the form of Silicon Valley. Karl Von Bach has disappeared into the region with plenty of his followers, but it turns out that the area is slightly less pleasant than advertised. Specifically, it's overrun with a cult called the Pilgrims of the Guiding Light as well as Grid, giving players plenty of things to shoot. The team behind the game has put together a new trailer to help players get excited about a trip through the valley. Aside from new missions, players can unlock new outfits and synergies, new weapon mods, and an expanded EGO cap. So what are you waiting for? Get out there and start shooting; those cultists aren't going to deal with themselves. That's the Acolytes of the Getting Out Of Your Way Conveniently -- that's not even in this expansion. [Source: Trion Worlds press release]
Take a road trip through The Crew's beta features
The Crew's closed beta test began today and will continue through Friday, July 25th. Since there are plenty of features to this online racing title for testers to explore, the developers have put together a six-minute video to point players in the right direction. The beta features tour begins with story missions and continues through skill challenges, PvP missions, customization, free roaming, co-op connections, and a few more. You can get the full beta features overview after the jump.
The Crew's PC closed beta starts July 21
Ubisoft's open-world racer The Crew kicks off its PC closed beta on July 21st. The firm has posted a news blurb on its website stating that the first test phase will run through July 25th, which is earlier than previously announced. Players will be able to "explore the entire United States with no loading screen" including all missions and skill challenges in the Midwest, all skill challenges on the East Coast, and free roaming in the South, Mountain State, and West Coast regions. The Crew launches on November 11th.
Take a trip across Chicago in Watch Dogs video
Some players may want to familiarize themselves with the world ahead of Watch Dogs' release tomorrow and need all the resources they can get. With that in mind, this video guides viewers through the game's map, courtesy of the YouTubers at PlayStation Access. The video does miss a few areas of the map, but generally winds its way across the game's version of Chicago. Watch Dogs will launch tomorrow for PS4, Xbox One, PS3, Xbox 360 and PC. The Ubisoft Montreal-developed open-world game will also arrive on Wii U at some point, which Ubisoft said it is "fully focused on" earlier this month. [Image: Ubisoft]
The Crew's five swappable classes, er, specs
What you call "classes" in other MMOs, The Crew calls "specs." There are five of them and they are swappable on the fly, offering the player control over his or her racing destiny. A new official blog post today details these five specs. Street specs are versatile jack-of-all-trade cars, Dirt specs are great for off-roading, Perf specs sacrifice maneuverability for speed, Raid specs are terrific for exploring rough environments, and Circuit specs are built for top-notch technical racing. If a player has not attained a certain spec yet and a mission requires it, the game will provide a loaner for the duration of the mission.
The Crew targets fall 2014 launch window
Ubisoft's racing MMO, The Crew, will be joining this fall's increasingly crowded line-up, the studio announced today. While Ubisoft isn't being more specific as to a launch date, it did say that The Crew will be available on the PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and PC when it arrives in fall 2014. The studio also put out two pre-order editions for the console versions: the Limited Edition and the more packed Muscle Edition. The latter can only be pre-ordered at Gamestop. Joystiq has a video preview of The Crew that you can check out after the jump.
