Project Scarlett: Xbox Game Pass ‘Bridges’ Current and Next-Gen Consoles
While many have presumed Microsoft's major Xbox services would be making the leap to next-gen hardware, Xbox's Phil Spencer confirmed that Xbox Game Pass, and much of players' investment on it during the Xbox One's life, will bridge players into the next generation.
Speaking to IGN during X019, Spencer confirmed Game Pass "bridges" Xbox One and Project Scarlett — and that includes saves, communities, and Game Pass games themselves.
"That Game Pass subscription bridges both
. You’re going to continue with your games on Project Scarlett, your save games, your community – everything will be right there," he said.
Services like Game Pass and Xbox Live are things many would assume would cross into Microsoft's next-gen plans, but it's good to have confirmation from Spencer himself that Game Pass and players' progress with all the games they've used in the subscription service will carry over. Spencer spoke to how this allows us to see games live on beyond generational constraints.
DC Reveals Who Would Survive the Zombie Apocalypse
The story of DCeased is far from dead. Though the initial DCeased event mini-series is over -- which told the alternate universe tale of what would happen if the DC Universe was overrun by zombies infected with a techno-organic rage virus -- that isn’t stopping writer Tom Taylor from rising up for another tale set in that world, joined by artist Karl Mostert. DCeased: Unkillables shows what all of the villains, anti-heroes, and other unsavory types are up to now that the heroes failed to stop the world from ending.
This three-issue mini-series shows who in the DCU is tough enough to survive the zombie apocalypse. The team of “unkillables” is led by Deathstroke and Red Hood, and features the likes of Cheetah, Bane, Captain Cold, Solomon Grundy, Deadshot, and Lady Shiva.
Need For Speed Heat Review – Getting Warmer
Racing in Palm City--the fictional street racing capital of the world--is all about earning money and building a reputation. During the day there are sanctioned races on closed streets, with safety barriers, an adoring crowd, and substantial cash prizes awaiting those who cross the finish line. At night, illegal street racing engulfs the city's neon-soaked roads, and the police respond in kind, blanketing the star-lit sky in the sound of thunderous V12s and whirring sirens. This dichotomy between day and night sets Need for Speed Heat apart from its contemporaries, and makes for Ghost Games' best entry to date, stripping away a lot of the series' needless baggage to get to the heart of what Need for Speed is all about.
There's still a hackneyed story about crooked cops and racing crews that take themselves far too seriously; it's full of corny dialogue, farfetched stakes, and irritating characters that wouldn't make the cut in earlier Fast and Furious movies. Story missions occasionally crop up, too, forcing you to follow a character while they talk at you, and there's even one instance of a dire tailing mission. Aside from this, however, the narrative is mostly relegated to background noise that's easy to ignore, especially if you opt to skip any of its cutscenes. Need for Speed Heat is mostly focused on getting you behind the wheel of a car you've customized yourself, altering everything from the ludicrously oversized spoiler on the back, right down to the distinct sound of the engine.
Each aspect of the game's design is built around the core dynamic between day and night. Official circuit races dominate the faux-Miami streets when the sun is beaming, rewarding you with cash that can be spent on new cars, parts, and visual customization options. The autoparts companies and car salesmen in Palm City are a peculiar bunch, though. They won't sell to just anyone--such is their love of cars. They have to know that you're "cool" enough and are going to put their parts to good use, so the dead of night is spent competing in illegal street races to earn rep and convince them of your pedigree. This creates a clear divide between day and night that gradually cultivates this enjoyable flow, as you switch back and forth between the two time frames depending on whether you need money or rep.
The duality of this concept establishes an unmistakable vibe to each time of day--almost like they're two completely different worlds. The sunlit streets feel relatively safe, with sanctioned events emanating a casual, crowd-pleasing atmosphere. Courses are clearly marked with barricades, there's room to drift your car sideways around most corners, and the only thing you have to worry about is beating the other competitors to the finish line. By contrast, Palm City's nightlife is risky and fraught with danger. Rain that was previously casting a gloomy shadow over the day's races has now settled onto the surface of the road, as visually-striking puddles absorb the city's neon haze and reflect it back. Traffic clogs the streets, making races feel more claustrophobic, and the threat of the police getting involved is a perpetual source of concern.
Cops in Need for Speed Heat introduce a unique sense of dread because of the way they're intrinsically linked to your rep. As you win races and accumulate more and more rep during a night's work, your Heat level will steadily rise. Catching the attention of the boys in blue will expedite your Heat's ascension, with cops becoming more aggressive and plentiful the higher it climbs. There's an element of risk and reward here, as a higher Heat level means a larger multiplier for all of the rep you've accrued in a single night. The only way to bank that rep is by escaping the police and reaching a safe house, but this is easier said than done when the police are on your tail like a bad rash. You can play it safe and store what rep you have, or extend the night by antagonizing the police in the hope that you'll be able to shake them when your multiplier is higher. Need for Speed Heat's best moments come when you've led the fuzz on a jolly merry-go-round and manage to ditch them by the skin of your teeth to bank a considerable amount of rep.
Although the police do have a tendency to feel unfair. If they get close enough and bring your car to a sudden halt, a "busting" timer appears, automatically signaling an end to your escapades if it ticks all the way down. The problem with this, aside from how fast it runs out, is that it will continue to count away the seconds even after you've accelerated away from the police. It should be difficult to escape the cop's clutches, but since you can get arrested if they total your car, ending up in cuffs because an arbitrary timer counts down when you're not even penned in is frustrating. There are also very obvious moments when police cars will spawn directly in front of you to prolong a chase. Sure, they might be crooked cops, but that doesn't stop their blatant cheating from dulling the pulse-quickening thrill of each hot pursuit.
These scenarios can be thrilling, however, especially when you push your car into top gear. There's a fantastic sense of speed in Need for Speed Heat, as cars and lights blur past your wing mirrors at what feels like 300 miles per hour. A noticeable lag on your steering inputs does make each car feel slightly heavier than they otherwise should, though. The handling model also doesn't have the malleability to alter the handling from one car to the next, so they all end up feeling relatively similar to drive aside from variations in speed and acceleration. Drifting is also a tad iffy, borrowing its mechanics from the likes of Ridge Racer as opposed to Need for Speed's past. Rather than feathering the brakes to get your car sideways, Need for Speed Heat asks you to let go of the accelerator and then pump it again in order to achieve a successful drift. It's a realistic approach, boiling drifting down to deft throttle control, but it can be difficult to get a handle on at first, namely because pumping the brakes feels much more intuitive due to the past 15 or so years of racing games adopting this method. Thankfully you can alter the control scheme, and drifting is generally quite fun regardless. It feels a lot slower than it has in the past, but you have much more control over angles and potentially extending the length of your car's rubber-burning slide.
There are dedicated drift events, too, which require you to purchase the appropriate parts if you want to come out on top, and it's here where Need for Speed Heat significantly improves upon its immediate predecessor, Payback. There are no luck-based Speed Cards needed to improve your car, nor are you limited to using specific vehicles in designated events. Instead, the upgrade system in Need for Speed Heat gives you the freedom to take a Nissan Skyline and mix and match parts such as the suspension, tires, and differential, until you have a car that can compete in road races, off-road races, and drift events--it's just a shame there aren't a few more event types to partake in. On top of that, there are also myriad parts available if you want to fully upgrade each car's performance, along with a veritable bucketload of customization options, just in case you've ever wanted to control how much fiery overrun spurts out of the exhaust pipes. Each part is moderately priced so money is never much of an issue, and better parts are unlocked simply by increasing your reputation.
With only a select few events, no discernible difference between each car's handling, and a simplistic driving model, Need for Speed Heat does stumble into repetition during its final few hours. It's not quite a rip-roaring return to form, then, but this latest entry puts the Need for Speed series back on the right track. The duality of its day and night events props up what would otherwise be a fairly run-of-the-mill racing game, but the renewed focus on hurtling around the track, racing wheel-to-wheel, and customizing each car in numerous ways, taps into the essence of what Need for Speed used to be about. Need for Speed Heat may not revolutionize racing games, but it's the best the series has been in a long, long time.
Need For Speed Heat Review – Getting Warmer
Racing in Palm City--the fictional street racing capital of the world--is all about earning money and building a reputation. During the day there are sanctioned races on closed streets, with safety barriers, an adoring crowd, and substantial cash prizes awaiting those who cross the finish line. At night, illegal street racing engulfs the city's neon-soaked roads, and the police respond in kind, blanketing the star-lit sky in the sound of thunderous V12s and whirring sirens. This dichotomy between day and night sets Need for Speed Heat apart from its contemporaries, and makes for Ghost Games' best entry to date, stripping away a lot of the series' needless baggage to get to the heart of what Need for Speed is all about.
There's still a hackneyed story about crooked cops and racing crews that take themselves far too seriously; it's full of corny dialogue, farfetched stakes, and irritating characters that wouldn't make the cut in earlier Fast and Furious movies. Story missions occasionally crop up, too, forcing you to follow a character while they talk at you, and there's even one instance of a dire tailing mission. Aside from this, however, the narrative is mostly relegated to background noise that's easy to ignore, especially if you opt to skip any of its cutscenes. Need for Speed Heat is mostly focused on getting you behind the wheel of a car you've customized yourself, altering everything from the ludicrously oversized spoiler on the back, right down to the distinct sound of the engine.
Each aspect of the game's design is built around the core dynamic between day and night. Official circuit races dominate the faux-Miami streets when the sun is beaming, rewarding you with cash that can be spent on new cars, parts, and visual customization options. The autoparts companies and car salesmen in Palm City are a peculiar bunch, though. They won't sell to just anyone--such is their love of cars. They have to know that you're "cool" enough and are going to put their parts to good use, so the dead of night is spent competing in illegal street races to earn rep and convince them of your pedigree. This creates a clear divide between day and night that gradually cultivates this enjoyable flow, as you switch back and forth between the two time frames depending on whether you need money or rep.
The duality of this concept establishes an unmistakable vibe to each time of day--almost like they're two completely different worlds. The sunlit streets feel relatively safe, with sanctioned events emanating a casual, crowd-pleasing atmosphere. Courses are clearly marked with barricades, there's room to drift your car sideways around most corners, and the only thing you have to worry about is beating the other competitors to the finish line. By contrast, Palm City's nightlife is risky and fraught with danger. Rain that was previously casting a gloomy shadow over the day's races has now settled onto the surface of the road, as visually-striking puddles absorb the city's neon haze and reflect it back. Traffic clogs the streets, making races feel more claustrophobic, and the threat of the police getting involved is a perpetual source of concern.
Cops in Need for Speed Heat introduce a unique sense of dread because of the way they're intrinsically linked to your rep. As you win races and accumulate more and more rep during a night's work, your Heat level will steadily rise. Catching the attention of the boys in blue will expedite your Heat's ascension, with cops becoming more aggressive and plentiful the higher it climbs. There's an element of risk and reward here, as a higher Heat level means a larger multiplier for all of the rep you've accrued in a single night. The only way to bank that rep is by escaping the police and reaching a safe house, but this is easier said than done when the police are on your tail like a bad rash. You can play it safe and store what rep you have, or extend the night by antagonizing the police in the hope that you'll be able to shake them when your multiplier is higher. Need for Speed Heat's best moments come when you've led the fuzz on a jolly merry-go-round and manage to ditch them by the skin of your teeth to bank a considerable amount of rep.
Although the police do have a tendency to feel unfair. If they get close enough and bring your car to a sudden halt, a "busting" timer appears, automatically signaling an end to your escapades if it ticks all the way down. The problem with this, aside from how fast it runs out, is that it will continue to count away the seconds even after you've accelerated away from the police. It should be difficult to escape the cop's clutches, but since you can get arrested if they total your car, ending up in cuffs because an arbitrary timer counts down when you're not even penned in is frustrating. There are also very obvious moments when police cars will spawn directly in front of you to prolong a chase. Sure, they might be crooked cops, but that doesn't stop their blatant cheating from dulling the pulse-quickening thrill of each hot pursuit.
These scenarios can be thrilling, however, especially when you push your car into top gear. There's a fantastic sense of speed in Need for Speed Heat, as cars and lights blur past your wing mirrors at what feels like 300 miles per hour. A noticeable lag on your steering inputs does make each car feel slightly heavier than they otherwise should, though. The handling model also doesn't have the malleability to alter the handling from one car to the next, so they all end up feeling relatively similar to drive aside from variations in speed and acceleration. Drifting is also a tad iffy, borrowing its mechanics from the likes of Ridge Racer as opposed to Need for Speed's past. Rather than feathering the brakes to get your car sideways, Need for Speed Heat asks you to let go of the accelerator and then pump it again in order to achieve a successful drift. It's a realistic approach, boiling drifting down to deft throttle control, but it can be difficult to get a handle on at first, namely because pumping the brakes feels much more intuitive due to the past 15 or so years of racing games adopting this method. Thankfully you can alter the control scheme, and drifting is generally quite fun regardless. It feels a lot slower than it has in the past, but you have much more control over angles and potentially extending the length of your car's rubber-burning slide.
There are dedicated drift events, too, which require you to purchase the appropriate parts if you want to come out on top, and it's here where Need for Speed Heat significantly improves upon its immediate predecessor, Payback. There are no luck-based Speed Cards needed to improve your car, nor are you limited to using specific vehicles in designated events. Instead, the upgrade system in Need for Speed Heat gives you the freedom to take a Nissan Skyline and mix and match parts such as the suspension, tires, and differential, until you have a car that can compete in road races, off-road races, and drift events--it's just a shame there aren't a few more event types to partake in. On top of that, there are also myriad parts available if you want to fully upgrade each car's performance, along with a veritable bucketload of customization options, just in case you've ever wanted to control how much fiery overrun spurts out of the exhaust pipes. Each part is moderately priced so money is never much of an issue, and better parts are unlocked simply by increasing your reputation.
With only a select few events, no discernible difference between each car's handling, and a simplistic driving model, Need for Speed Heat does stumble into repetition during its final few hours. It's not quite a rip-roaring return to form, then, but this latest entry puts the Need for Speed series back on the right track. The duality of its day and night events props up what would otherwise be a fairly run-of-the-mill racing game, but the renewed focus on hurtling around the track, racing wheel-to-wheel, and customizing each car in numerous ways, taps into the essence of what Need for Speed used to be about. Need for Speed Heat may not revolutionize racing games, but it's the best the series has been in a long, long time.
When Does Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order Take Place?
With eleven Star Wars movies, multiple animated shows, multiple live-action shows, books, comic books, and video games all connecting in unison to form one large official Star Wars canon (not to mention decades of recently deemed non-canon Star Wars books and shows, officially labeled as “Legends”) it can be pretty confusing keeping up with the entire Star Wars timeline and putting together the pieces of what fits where. So, when in the official timeline does the new EA Star Wars video game Jedi: Fallen Order take place?
Wondering when Fallen Order takes place? Here's the official canon timeline for every Star Wars movie, TV show, and video game. We didn't include books and comics because this list would be three times longer!
Everything Announced at X019’s Inside Xbox Conference
Microsoft held a packed Inside Xbox conference at X019, featuring new first-party game reveals, teaser trailers for several other games, and plenty of other developer discussions.
Read on for every major trailer shown off during the X019 press conference, every major reveal, and more.
Rare Announces Its New Game, Everwild
The Sea of Thieves developers confirmed a brand new game during X019, called Everwild.
Not much is known about the new franchise from Rare, outside of its mysterious reveal trailer, which you can watch above for a first look at the game.
Project Resistance Feels Like Friday the 13th in a Resident Evil Wrapper
In 2017, my two (perhaps unpopular) choices for game of the year were Resident Evil 7 and Friday the 13th: The Game. And after a brief hands on, both games can be found in Capcom’s Project Resistance. It feels like a very satisfying merge of the two, and while it never quite hits the highs of either, it ultimately provides an enjoyable and unique Resident Evil experience.
The premise is a simple one, but unique for Resident Evil. Four players must work together to survive through three stages- both in terms of changing physical locations and increasing difficulty - while solving puzzles and overcoming other obstacles. So far so familiar, but the spin on this format is the addition of a fifth player known simply as Mastermind. When playing as Mastermind your goal is to stop the other four players from achieving their goals at all costs. This is achieved thanks to Mastermind having complete control of the level’s camera system, and the ability to place traps, weaponise cameras, and set up zombie ambushes.
KartRider Drift Hands-On Preview: It’s the Thinking Man’s Kart Racer
Crazyracing KartRider has been an extremely popular racing game in Korea for the past 15 years. 2019 marks the game's 15th anniversary, and the company is celebrating by releasing KartRider Drift on Xbox and PC in North America in 2020 which, barring a few forgettable false starts, represents the first time the franchise has made the trip across the Pacific. Eventually, publisher Nexon says that KartRider matchmaking will be global, which means that dewy-eyed Western players may come face to face with battle-tested KartRider veterans.
"Servers will be located in each region, and it will match by ping," says DS Choi, producer on KartRider Drift, detailing the ways he hopes his brand new international player base won't get stomped out of the gate from those who've had a 15-year head start. "But I'm pretty sure there's going to be a certain amount of that."
BattleToads Adds Strategic Depth to Classic Couch Co-op
Rare is gearing up to deliver the most mechanically-rich BattleToads game of all time. The forthcoming reboot, which was announced at E3 2018 and is being co-developed with DLala Studios, outfits the titular meathead amphibians with an SNK-ish number of combos, wrinkles, and synergies to their moveset. Yes, Rash, Pimple, and Zitz will once again beat up on an endless corridor of antagonistic woodland creatures, but this time they can do so while juggling them in the sky, by lining up frame-perfect finishing moves, and by combining the strengths and weaknesses of the trio into the most menacing force ever assembled on a dorm-room couch. A typical sequence had me initiating a three-punch combo on an enemy, uppercutting them in the air, before transforming one of the Toads into an anthropomorphic power drill to rain down chaos on anyone left in the hitbox. It felt like playing as Dante, or pre-fatherhood Kratos, and I mean that in a good way.
Flight Simulator is Equal Parts Relaxing and Challenging
Playing Flight Simulator is such a serene, calming experience it feels more like an exercise in mindfulness than a game. Flying over the historic city of Naples is as welcoming as a warm embrace, with its clear skies and sun-drenched buildings, and the gentle hum of the Cessna 172’s prop is enough to make anyone drift off. If this is what flying a real plane is like then I’m amazed more pilots don’t fall asleep at the flight stick.
I’ve never been to Naples and it would be ridiculous for me to say I don’t need to after my brief flyover, but I certainly got a really good feel of what the city is like, albeit from 3,000 feet up. It’s a beautiful place (or at least it is in Flight Simulator), its winding streets and medieval architecture a stark contrast to the lush green forests of Seattle shown previously. I flew along the coast, where the busy port is punctuated with ancient turrets - apparently Naples was once called the City of Seven Castles - and from above it’s almost as if the past is fighting off the sprawl of modern day industrialisation.