PLATFORM

Horace review – a glimpse into a singular mind

Adiantku 3 days ago

Schubert’s Unfinished is a lovely bit of music. So strange, so contradictory. It’s multi-faceted, all theatrical baddie, and then fun-on-a-swing for a bit as it swoops politely back and forth, and then it gets properly dramatic, brooding, insistent, filled with genuine menace. Spielberg dropped it into Minority Report to capture the shifting thoughts of an agent investigating a crime that has yet to happen, possibilities dreamt up and discarded. I think Beck uses it, that long arcing note near the start, in one of his cut-ups. I know almost nothing about music, but Schubert’s Unfinished is one of those pieces I keep an ear out for. It’s always a thrill – always a sign, I tell myself, of sympathetic tastes. (Bonus Schubert fact I only just discovered: his friends called him “Little Mushroom”.)

Horace features a chiptune version of Schubert’s Unfinished. Early in proceedings, one of the first sequences. I … Read the rest

Cuddle Up and Get Ready for the ID@Xbox Cozy Game Sale

Adiantku 3 days ago

There has been a lot of internal debate here at Team ID@Xbox about what constitutes a “cozy game.” A game that you can play with your kids or friends? A game that has a feel-good aesthetic, mechanic, or story line? A game that just puts a smile on your face? The answer is yes, to all those and more. We decided to take a look at some of our favorites and put them in a Cozy Game Sale, a little different from the typical Halloween content that tends to take center stage in October, and discounted them up 75% off from October 20 to 26. Here’s some of our staff picks:

Ooblets (Game Preview) (20% off)
The opening line “Your whole life has been a big, boring toot” should give you an idea of the fun, cute game you are about to get into. Ooblets is a farming, creature … Read the rest

Best VR Games For Your Oculus Quest 2

Adiantku 3 days ago

The Oculus Quest 2 is now available, offering a wireless virtual reality experience for those craving new adventures. Whether you’re looking for a shooter or a way to get some cardio in, here are a few of the best VR games for you to play with your new Oculus Quest 2. 

While the Oculus Quest has its own library, the variety of games is enhanced due to the ability to use the Link as an option to play even more adventures. Some of our recommendations below don’t need the Link, but we’ve noted which ones do require the additional component for transparency. 

Vader Immortal 

Does this require Oculus Link? No. 

Click here to watch embedded media

You fight … with lightsabers. Enough said. While this game is very short, it’s honestly a great workout alternative for those looking to squeeze in some cardio while also still having fun. Plus, again: … Read the rest

Axis Football 2020 Is Now Available For Xbox One

Adiantku 3 days ago

Xbox Live

Axis Football 2020

Axis Games, Inc

☆☆☆☆☆
★★★★★
$29.99
Get it now
Axis Football 2020 features massive gameplay improvements, football gaming's most complete Franchise Mode, and a slick new UI!

New in Axis Football 2020:
– Massively improved gameplay including catches on the run, smarter line blocking and AI, and much more!
– Redesigned draft experience featuring a live draft view
– New franchise startup options including random rosters and unlimited funds
– Added career stat tracking for all players across the league
– Added a local 2P Coach Mode
– New animations
– New stadiums

Franchise Mode Features:

– Player contracts
– Trades
– Injuries
– Practice squads
– Free agency
– Retiring players
– Weekly and yearly awards
– Dynamic, tiered league structure with playoffs, promotions, and relegations
– Unlimited seasons
– 16 week seasons
– Player progressions based on

… Read the rest

The Haunting of Verdansk brings Leatherface, SAW and more to Modern Warfare and Warzone tomorrow

Adiantku 4 days ago

Call of Duty: Warzone’s very first Halloween event – The Haunting of Verdansk – is about to kick off, Activision and Infinity Ward have confirmed.

According to a press release from the publisher, the SAW and The Texas Chainsaw Massacre universes collide to become part of The Haunting of Verdansk, a limited-time community event which runs from October 20 to November 3.

The Haunting of Verdansk will introduce a new “Trick or Treat” reward system to the game for the duration of the event, which contains “frights” or “frighteningly good blueprints and personalization items”. These boxes full of loot will be found in specific areas in the Verdansk map, and will contain items such as the Epic “Return to Dust” Assault Rifle blueprint, “The Cleaver” Legendary Melee blueprint, a holographic watch, charms, stickers, sprays, calling cards and emblems.

You can check out the first trailer for the upcoming event embedded below.

If … Read the rest

Xbox Series X thermal and power analysis: how efficient is next-gen?

Adiantku 4 days ago

When the Xbox Series X form factor was first revealed at The Game Awards in December 2019, the size and shape of the unit was something of a surprise. In delivering what it believes to be the most powerful console of the next generation, Microsoft rewrote the rule book, producing a mini-tower like design aimed at maximising both performance and cooling. Has this decision paid off? With press units in the hands of journalists, stories began to appear suggesting that the console could get very hot. So, just how hot does it get and how much electricity does Series X draw from the mains? The answers are surprising – in a positive way!

With the final preview embargo up, I can share some more of my overall thoughts about the machine. I’ve already talked about the excellent backwards compatibility features, and what kind of storage solution is best for … Read the rest

Celebrate Fallout 76’s Bombs Drop Day with a Free Play Week, Sales, and In-Game Events!

Adiantku 4 days ago

It’s that time again! Time to remember the day the bombs dropped in Fallout, and what better way to do that with a host of Fallout 76 events. From October 20 through October 26, celebrate Bombs Drop Day with a Free Play Week on Xbox, game sales, the first-ever discounts for Atoms packs, in-game events like a Legendary Vendor Sale, and a limited Fallout 1st preview! Get all the details on everything happening during the Bombs Drop Day commemoration below. 

Free Play Week

From October 20 through October 26, all Xbox Live Gold members can hop into Fallout 76 and play the game for free! This includes the base game experience, as well as Wastelanders and Nuclear Winter. Jump in from the start of the game and if you decide to pick up the game when the Free Play Week ends (good news: it’s on sale!) all your … Read the rest

Starfield Utilizes A Completely Overhauled Animation System For Bethesda

Adiantku 4 days ago

Starfield is an enigma wrapped in a mystery revealed by Bethesda and while what we know of the upcoming space adventure is very little, we do know now that it will feature a completely overhauled animation system from the studio. The latest revelation comes on the heels of the confirmation that the company is seeing its largest engine overhaul yet, and it looks like Starfield will be seeing the fruits of many changes in the years ahead. 

The confirmation of the overhauled animation system comes by way of ResetEra after one LinkedIn user spotted a post by Bethesda developer Eric Braun. Braun, who is an animator for the studio, is a Senior Programmer and on the professional network platform, he boasted that he “rewrote the animation system for Starfrield from scratch.” 

It looks like this portion of his online post on LinkedIn has since been removed, but the internet … Read the rest

This Week’s Deals With Gold And Spotlight Sale

Adiantku 4 days ago

Here are this week’s games and add-on deals available from the Microsoft Games Store. Discounts are valid now through 26 October 2020 (actual end date varies by sale).

These deals will expire at 10:00 am UTC on Tuesday October 27th 2020

Xbox One Deals

   

Content Title Content Type Discount Notes
PGA TOUR 2K21 Xbox One X Enhanced 15% DWG*
Tom Clancy’s Ghost Recon Breakpoint Xbox One X Enhanced 70% DWG*
Project CARS 3 Xbox One Game 30% DWG*
WWE 2K Battlegrounds Digital Deluxe Edition Xbox One Game 30% DWG*
SWORD ART ONLINE Alicization Lycoris Xbox One Game w/ Free Trial 40% DWG*
The Division 2 – Warlords of New York – Ultimate Edition Xbox One Game 67% DWG*
Dog Duty Xbox One Game 25% DWG*
Atomicrops Xbox One Game 25% DWG*
Vampyr Xbox One X Enhanced 75% DWG*
Red Dead Redemption 2: Special Edition Xbox One X Enhanced 65% DWG*
… Read the rest

Sony is aware of the PS4 party chat mess post firmware 8.00, looking into feedback

Adiantku 5 days ago

Recent changes to how parties work on PS4 have certainly not been popular.

Sony has acknowledged the response to one particular change made to PS4 recently. With the release of firmware update 8.00 – likely to be the last major update for seven-year-old console, Sony changed the structure of parties.

Previously, anyone with a PlayStation Plus subscription could start a party, and invite others to join them in-game as well as obviously in voice chat. Invites could be sent out to anyone, friends and others you meet online, and everyone went their separate ways once the party had been disbanded.

With firmware 8.00, Sony made it to so PS4 parties are tied to message groups. This isn’t so much a problem if you only really have a couple of friend groups you chat and play with, but it’s needlessly complicated for those who just want to create a party with … Read the rest