Halo: The Master Chief Collection is adding cross-play support between Xbox One and PC in a future update, and now developer 343 Industries has shared some details on how it will work and what's being done to ensure a fair experience.Technical designer Dana Jerpback said in a blog post that there will be input-based matchmaking for certain playlists. "We are looking at input-based matchmaking being implemented at the playlist level. This allows us to have more control on where we do and don’t separate players into sub-groups," Jerpback said."Basically, what that means in terms of implementation, in certain playlists, players will be locked to a given input, and we will have a couple of different knobs we can tune to alter this experience over time," the developer added.Continue Reading at GameSpotInfo from Gamespot.com

Total War: Three Kingdoms is getting a massive free update soon, and it'll bring many additions and changes to the game. Update 1.6.0 will introduce new playable character Shi Xie, along with unique faction mechanics, as well as a map rework, a new unit type, and much more.The update will arrive alongside the game's next DLC, The Furious Wild, on September 3. Shi Xie will be playable in 190 CE and 194 CE start dates, and comes with two unique mechanics: Splendor and Tribute Chests. Splendor "can be gained by smuggling family members into important court positions," and provides the player with bonuses relative to the court positions their family members hold. Tribute chests can be unlocked with splendor, and will provide bonuses for 20 turns.Shi Xie will bring multiple members of his family with him, including three brothers and five sons.Continue Reading at GameSpotInfo from Gamespot.com

Alan Wake had a problem. He'd been teased as being a big part of the final DLC expansion of Control, dubbed AWE, and with that came expectations. Fans of Remedy Entertainment's 2010 psychological horror/thriller shooter had been waiting about a decade for the next phase of his tale. Wake worked furiously to make himself part of the AWE story, appearing in twisted cutscenes that captured his fractured mental state. But in the end, it wasn't enough. Though his writing had the power to alter the very nature of reality, not even Wake could make AWE more than an unsatisfying addition to both his story and that of the game he'd invaded.Control's AWE expansion ultimately is an underwhelming addition and a thin follow-up to the Remedy cult hit it's invoking. Especially following The Foundation, a DLC drop that added a lot of variety to Control with new powers and a new location that felt very different from everything else in the game, AWE comes off as more of a slightly tweaked rehash of the vanilla Control. AWE tries to tap into some of Alan Wake's spooky suspense underpinnings, and while it sometimes succeeds, it can't quite maintain them for very long.It's a bit of a whimper for a great game to go out on, as AWE feels more like a teaser for another game you'll have to buy at a later date, rather than a satisfying expansion of (or conclusion to) what we've seen in Control so far.Continue Reading at GameSpotInfo from Gamespot.com

Ace Combat 7: Skies Unknown is going to expand its aerial arsenal with three new aircraft. This new DLC is scheduled for an autumn release, and contains the ASF-X Shinden II, XFA-27, and the CFA-44 Nosferatu planes. All of these have appeared in earlier entries in the franchise.You can check them out in action in the trailer below. As well as these planes, the DLC will contain new weapons, skins, and emblems--the skins are revealed in the trailer alongside the new aircraft. It's unclear how much this DLC will cost, and a specific release date has not been announced yet.At the same time, a free update will unlock a new, easier difficulty level for Ace Combat 7. The new difficulty is called "Casual Easy," and is designed as an entry point for players who struggle with the harsher elements of Ace Combat. What this new mode will entail remains to be seen, but Ace Combat 7 features fairly harsh checkpointing in its campaign. As Edmond Tran noted in GameSpot's 8/10 review, "Checkpoints typically only occur only at the halfway point of a mission, and it's common to get 20 minutes into a battle before failing to hit an objective and having to start from the very beginning. This can get frustrating in the tail end of the campaign, where threats are more abundant and more relentless and the overall demands are higher."If you are curious about Ace Combat 7 and have an Xbox One, it's available through Xbox Game Pass.Info from Gamespot.com

Chadwick Boseman has tragically passed away at the age of 43, after being diagnosed with stage III colon cancer in 2016--a diagnosis that he kept private. The actor, who starred in 42, Da 5 Bloods, and Get On Up, was most famous for playing T'Challa, the Black Panther, in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Michael B. Jordan, who starred alongside Boseman in the film as the iconic villain Erik Killmonger, has posted a moving tribute to the actor on his Instagram, reflecting on Boseman's legacy and what he has meant to Jordan personally."I’ve been trying to find the words, but nothing comes close to how I feel," Jordan says at the opening of his lengthy post. "I’ve been reflecting on every moment, every conversation, every laugh, every disagreement, every hug…everything.""I wish we had more time."Continue Reading at GameSpotInfo from Gamespot.com

One of the most exciting new additions for NHL 21 is the "Michigan" skill move, so when the game's closed technical test went live today, people understandably tried to pull it off.However, it's proving to be exceptionally difficult--so much so that some believe it might be bugged. Hockey YouTuber Nasher says he's tried more than 500 times but hasn't been able to do it. He even created a "dangler" build to give himself a greater chance, but it still isn't working for him.Has anyone pulled off the Michigan in #NHL21? Practice mode or in game?I’m fine with it being difficult to pull off but I’m starting to believe that it’s bugged. I’m at 0/500 with a dangler build and have tried every timing imaginable, this can’t be right. — Nasher (@TheNasher61) September 1, 2020For what it's worth, EA Sports said players should expect The Michigan to be an extremely difficult deke to pull off in NHL 21 to replicate the high degree of difficult of the real-life move. The studio has said it will use feedback from the closed tech test to tune this deke specifically, so whatever experience you get in the tech test may not reflect the final game.Continue Reading at GameSpotInfo from Gamespot.com

Project Cars 3 really stretches the definition of a sequel. It bears no resemblance to previous Project Cars games, tossing aside the franchise's traditional tough-as-nails racing for a more approachable formula that a wider range of players can enjoy. The result is a racing game that leans heavily into territory that should be familiar to Forza players, meaning you can enjoy its racing without extensive knowledge of the inner workings of each car you drive. But it's also a racing game that struggles to bring together all of its new elements cohesively.Core to Project Cars 3's transformation is its overhauled handling system. You'll have more than enough downforce in the front to bend around each corner with the right amount of car, only briefly having to counter-steer to prevent the back from whipping out from underneath you. It makes racing faster and more action-packed, and it's exhilarating when you're chaining together one perfect corner after the other.The suite of assists lets you cater the experience to your needs in a granular way. There are standard difficulties to choose from, but each option--including stability assists, traction control, and ABS brakes--can be tweaked independently to deliver the right amount of challenge. Having more options to tune Project Cars 3 to your preferred playstyle is a welcome addition to the series, opening it up to more players than before. There's still just a hint of simulation constantly present that reminds you to still take care of how you approach each turn, which is aided by markers on the racing line pointing out each braking zone and apex. Having markers instead of a dynamic racing line keeps some of the thrill intact when tackling a track for the first time, challenging you to come to grips with its best lines and limits. It's exhilarating to perfect a track after mastering each corner, even if Project Cars 3 sometimes rewards some messy sectors when it shouldn't.Continue Reading at GameSpotInfo from Gamespot.com

There was a naked man in my court.On June 14, 1073 AD, my steward, vassal and knight, Earl Muiredach mac Carthach of Desmond arrived at the meeting of my small council dressed only in, well... his birthday suit. This was the man I'd entrusted to manage the paperwork of my realm, to ensure taxes were being collected. Was this newfound fashion choice a portent of his impending madness? Was it some bold power move designed to put me off my game? A sign of the contempt in which he held his ruler? Or was it a bug, a highly specific graphical glitch that just happened to leave one of my councillors undressed? I didn't know.Perhaps it's a credit to Crusader Kings 3 that I didn't have an immediate answer, a sign of the depth and complexity of its simulation and its capacity for surprise. Perhaps it was also a failing, a breakdown somewhere between the calculations of a mass of colliding gameplay systems and how their results were communicated to me. Perhaps it's both. Regardless, this memorable event served only to highlight the singular vision of Crusader Kings 3, a grand strategy game that successfully operates across a bewildering scale, feeling vast and unknowable one moment yet awkwardly intimate the next. It's a marvel of connectivity, effectively linking together complementary elements plucked from different genres--the role-playing game, the visual novel, the life simulation, the city-builder, the wargame--even if at times you can sense it straining at the seams.Continue Reading at GameSpotInfo from Gamespot.com

Madden NFL 21 is a tale of two games, really. It introduces The Yard, the best new Madden game mode in more than a decade, situating itself nicely alongside the breezy and fun Superstar KO mode that arrived last year. But outside of these exciting inclusions that are well-suited for short sessions, Madden NFL 21 feels all too familiar, even for an annual sports sim. The tentpole modes that require a deep investment haven't received meaningful updates, and the on-the-field gameplay doesn't do much to move the series forward and is hampered by surprising technical issues.EA Sports has done well as of late with recognizing that not every player wants to sink a dizzying number of hours into Franchise or Ultimate Team. With Madden NFL 20, EA added Superstar KO, a sudden death overtime mode where each player gets one possession. It returns in Madden NFL 21 largely unchanged, retaining its excellent high-stakes matches. With Madden NFL 21, EA has added a second casual game mode that is even better than Superstar KO.The Yard is easily the most over-the-top game mode to ever appear in Madden. Inspired by backyard football, teams of six compete on an 80-yard field, getting three possessions each to try and score. You can play against the computer, team up with one or two friends, or see how you stack up online against other players. While it doesn't feature NFL Blitz-esque hits, you can get really imaginative with the stripped-down playbooks. You're allowed to throw unlimited forward passes behind the line of scrimmage, and many of the plays are set up to encourage this. Adding to this mechanic is the ability to snap the ball to any of your teammates. The Yard hinges on extravagant plays, as it requires you to move the ball 20 yards for a first down. Due to the limited number of blockers, there's a delay before the defense can pass the line of scrimmage.Continue Reading at GameSpotInfo from Gamespot.com

Mega Evolution has finally arrived in Pokemon Go, giving players the ability to power up certain Pokemon into new forms. In order to Mega Evolve a Pokemon, however, you'll first need to collect that monster's Mega Energy, and the primary way to obtain that is through a new type of Raid Battles called Mega Raids.These new Raid Battles having you facing off against a Mega-Evolved Pokemon, and they're quite challenging. To help you out, we've put together this rundown on Mega Raids and rounded up some tips to help you conquer each of the new Mega Raid bosses.What Are Mega Raids?Mega Raids are a new tier of Raid Battles that will periodically occur at Gyms. These are roughly equivalent to Legendary Raids in terms of challenge, except they feature a Mega-Evolved Pokemon as the Raid boss.Continue Reading at GameSpotInfo from Gamespot.com

It may have taken three decades, but the third installment in the Bill & Ted franchise is here. Bill & Ted Face the Music has arrived in select theaters and on digital release for you to enjoy, whether you watch it on its own or watch it along with Excellent Adventure and Bogus Journey for the greatest triple feature of all time.Bill & Ted Face the Music picks up years after 1991's Bogus Journey, finding Bill and Ted middle-aged and not the wildly successful rock stars they expected to be. They do, however, wind up adventuring across time once again in an attempt to save reality from tearing itself apart. How does it end, though? And should you stick around after the credits? Keep reading to find out.Warning: The following contains major spoilers for the end of Bill and Ted Face the Music. You're going to want to watch this one, so go away until you've done that, then come back here so we can dig into that ending.Continue Reading at GameSpotInfo from Gamespot.com

Fortnite players have jumped on the Fall Guys bandwagon. They've created all sorts of mini-games, including ones copied from Ultimate Knockout and completely original creations, in Fortnite's creative mode.Players have remade Door Dash, Tip Toe, Slime Climb, and many other games. They come with pink slime that immediately kills your character to make the resemblance with the game show battle royale complete.so I made Fall Guys in Fortnite... (repost cause forgot to flair) from r/FortniteCreativeOther players have crafted the Fall Guys characters themselves in Fortnite in order to try and replicate the rag doll physics from Ultimate Knockout. Fall Guys is itself something of a battle royale, only with the obstacles on each stage killing players instead of weapons doing the job. Continue Reading at GameSpotInfo from Gamespot.com

Epic Games continues a legal battle with Apple over Fortnite's removal from the App Store, and CEO Tim Sweeney is having a little fun while the process plays out. The developer did the unthinkable: promoting a rival game, and all to demonstrate the value of Unreal Engine for Apple users. It looks like this battle is going to get a lot weirder before it's over. That is, if it ever does end.On August 28, Apple seemed to take a shot at Epic Games by promoting a massive new update for PUBG Mobile on iOS. Typically, Epic Games would see PUBG Mobile as its competition, but because the game does make use of Unreal Engine--which Apple is looking to cut off from iOS and Mac developers--Sweeney promoted the game, as well.While waiting for Apple to #FreeFortnite on iOS and Mac, here’s another awesome battle royale game powered by Unreal Engine! https://t.co/IZJL1YYUtv — Tim Sweeney (@TimSweeneyEpic) August 28, 2020The passive-aggressive nature of the tweet certainly isn't lost on us, because if Apple does eventually cease Unreal Engine support on its devices, that would likely mean no more PUBG Mobile. Unreal is one of the most popular engines in the world, with support on nearly every device including mobile, PC, and consoles. It's not only used on its own for games, but has been modified over the years by other studios to fit their projects. Unreal Engine 5 will be supported on next-generation systems. Continue Reading at GameSpotInfo from Gamespot.com

Eiyuden Chronicle: Hundred Heroes is an upcoming RPG billed as a spiritual successor to the Suikoden series, and the pitch videos we've seen thus far are very impressive. They're so impressive, in fact, that the game managed to get more than $4.5 million in Kickstarter donations before its campaign ended on Saturday.This impressive figure puts Eiyuden Chronicle as the third-biggest video game Kickstarter in history, trailing only Bloodstained: Ritual of the Night and Shenmue 3. Those games were both essentially successors to existing series, as well, with Shenmue 3 being an official sequel while Bloodstained acted as a spiritual successor to the dormant Castlevania series.Because Eiyuden Chronicle destroyed its initial funding goal of only around $500,000, developer Rabbit & Bear studios added many stretch goals during the campaign, and all of them were reached. This included a battle defense mode, asynchronous mode, new characters, card battle mode, and a full orchestra for the music. It will also have Korean, Brazilian Portuguese, and Russian localization because of the funding.Continue Reading at GameSpotInfo from Gamespot.com

Fortnite players have found a home for some imaginative levels in the game's creative mode. But despite Fortnite's battle royale mode receiving regular and hefty updates, the creative mode hasn't received many of the items and features that other modes have. Players are getting frustrated."They’re really neglecting it," said Redditor NexusGaming2020. "If I were optimistic I would say maybe they are waiting for a big update but I’m not sure."I am sorry, but I leaked Tomorrow's creative update! from r/FortniteCreativeThe creative mode hasn't received any vehicles; ; boats, helicopters, or the new cars brought on with the Joy Ride update haven't been added. They also haven't received many of the new weapons or items, like the upgrade station featured in recent battle royale seasons. Some items have been accidentally added to the mode, but Epic ended up removing them.Continue Reading at GameSpotInfo from Gamespot.com