Here are the top 10 tips/tricks/cheats you need to know for Arcane Dragons.
1. The Daily Roulette Spin
• All players get a free roulette spin per day via the game’s Normal Gacha. You might even be lucky enough to win some extra rubies to spend.
2. The Best Way to Attain EXP
• You’ll gain Experience even faster by using an EXP Boost Potion during the Double XP event.
3. Enchant Your Preferred Gear
• Using low-level gear to enchant your equipment is more efficient than using Upgrade stones. Rather than selling your old equipment, use them to add more Enchant levels to your gear.
4. Friendship Points
• Don’t forget to collect Friendship Points from social contacts and from mission rewards. You can get up to 5-star equipment from the Normal Equipment Gacha.
5. Rubies
• Running low on Rubies? Check the Arcane Dragons Facebook page regularly for ongoing events and contests which you can join to win freebies in-game.
Elton Jonesis a senior contributor to Heavy who covers gaming, pro wrestling, movies and pop culture. He lives in New York City. November 30, 2016 12:13 am
Here are the top 10 tips/tricks/cheats you need to know for Cube Knight: Battle of Camelot.
1. Small Screen? Utilize the “Wide” Controller Option and Auto Attack Mode
• Constantly moving, shooting accurately and charging skills are the keys to success in Cube Knight. If the size of a smaller screen is hampering your gameplay experience, head to the Settings menu (indicated by the small gear button in the top-right corner of your screen when not in combat), tap “Controller Size” and change it to the “Wide” option. Also, if you tap the “Auto” button to activate Auto Attack Mode, you can charge up your skill regardless of where you press on the right side of the screen.
2. Keep Upgrading Buildings
• Upgrading buildings means better items and better items means a more powerful hero. Weapon and Armor Shops are especially important to upgrade, as higher-level stages often require using items of similar level. Using gold and resources to upgrade buildings will lead you down the path to glory.
3. Take Heed of Star(★) Bonuses on Weapons and Armors
• Weapons and Armors have basic strength and functions, but they also provide an additional level-up feature (+★). This feature improves the level-up card you can select during a battle, which will improve your character stats even more. Also, you should choose items with higher stars if they’ll complement your character skills.
4. Each Map Drops Different Resources, So Conquer Wisely
• There are four types of resources – grain, wood, metal and opal. Consider which maps to conquer carefully as Cube Knight’s four different map types will drop different resources. In addition, higher level stages will drop more resources during battle.
5. You Can Build Multiple Buildings of the Same Type to Maximize Your Playstyle
• Your kingdom will open new building slots based on your progress. You can create various types of buildings, but we recommend that you specialize and choose to focus on the buildings that best suit your current strategy. For example, you’ll increase your chances to purchase stronger weapons if you have multiple Weapon Shops.
Elton Jonesis a senior contributor to Heavy who covers gaming, pro wrestling, movies and pop culture. He lives in New York City. November 28, 2016 6:13 pm
‘Pokemon Go’ is available for iOS and Android devices. (Niantic)
Many Pokemon Go players are experiencing a bug where graphics do not load properly following the game’s most recent update.
Complaints about this glitch began to hit the front page of Pokemon Go subreddits on Monday, with dozens of users saying that when they open up the app, the game does not display any Poke Stops, gyms, or Pokemon. Usually, some elements of the game load but others fail to load.
Right now, the only way to solve this issue is by force closing the app. On iOS devices, this can be done by tapping the home button twice and then swiping up on the Pokemon Go app. On Android, go to settings, apps, find the Pokemon Go app and hit “force stop.” From there, simply reopen the game, and most of the time that should have fixed the issue. If it hasn’t, try restarting the app again; it can sometimes take more than one try.
The only other potential solution is to open and close the journal; weirdly, some players have reported that doing this can get everything to load properly again, although it’s hardly a reliable fix.
Primarily these complaints have come from iOS users, although it doesn’t seem to be a problem exclusive to Apple, as a few Android players have reported that they experience the same thing. This bug also isn’t entirely new, having popped up now and then since the game’s launch in July. However, more players are experiencing the bug now than ever, leading to some speculation that the game’s most recent update might be to blame.
One Reddit user complained today that this glitch occurs roughly half of the time they open the Pokemon Go app. Another user said that for weeks, every time they start the game, no Pokemon or gyms load. The second time they open the game, everything loads except for the buddy Pokemon. Finally, the third time the game is opened, everything works properly. Reddit user suburbanbird wrote of this glitch, “its pretty much the reason I stopped playing, too annoying to bother with it anymore.”
A lot of fans have also been experiencing this not just when they open the app, but when they return to the app after not playing for a bit. Niantic has not yet acknowledged this bug on their social media pages.
Brendan Morrowis a Heavy contributor who focuses on entertainment and politics. He has previously written about film for Bloody Disgusting, We Got This Covered, What Culture, and The Celebrity Cafe. Follow him on twitter @brendanmorrow. November 28, 2016 4:30 pm
Ultimate Marvel Vs. Capcom 3 – remember when Rocket Raccoon seemed like a super obscure inclusion?
Rumours of a new Capcom game have reached fever pitch, with insiders suggesting a crossover fighter based on the Marvel movies.
If a new Marvel Vs. Capcom game isn’t announced this weekend, at the PSX event in America, there’s going to be a lot of unhappy fans. But website Polygon claims to have ‘multiple sources’ confirmed that the game is in development and due for release next year.
Talk of a new game has been brewing for weeks now, and we’ve also heard that an announcement this week is likely. There’s never been any actual evidence though, apart from what look like a few obviously fake logos.
According to Polygon the new game’s roster of characters will be biased towards those from the Marvel cinematic universe, implying that series mainstays such as Wolverine and Magneto will not be in the new game. (Sadly, the Fantastic Four were never featured in the first place.)
The Polygon article mentions characters such as Ant-Man and Groot, who have never appeared in the series before. Although it’s unclear if that’s just speculation on their part or actual insider information.
Their inclusion seems a certainty either way though, alongside other movie characters who have never appeared in the games before – such as Black Widow, Winter Soldier, Star-Lord, and Black Panther.
Whether their appearances will be based on the movies or not is unclear, as previously the games have always had a very comic book look. There’s also no clue as to what new Capcom properties will be in the game, although Monster Hunter seems well overdue for an appearance.
Officially Capcom has said nothing substantial about a new game, although they have admitted that some kind of fighting game announcement is due at PSX, and the Capcom Cup tournament that runs alongside it.
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Sony heard you like sales, so they put a sale on your sales
Cyber Monday might not be very different from Black Friday, but the likes of Inside, SOMA, and Lumo are all cheap on PSN today.
Black Friday may be over but if you check our list of bargains from last week you’ll find that almost all of them are still going. It’s supposed to be Cyber Monday today, but that doesn’t seem to be so much of a thing recently – as retailers just keep the Friday deals going for longer and longer.
Sony however does have a ‘Digital Flash’ sale starting on PSN today and running until Thursday, December 1.
This is separate to their existing Black Friday PSN deal, and focuses almost entirely on digital-only indie games.
The discounts go as low as 60% off, and you can find the full list of games here.
However, we’d particularly recommend Flower, Gone Home, Grim Fandango Remastered, Grow Up, Helldivers: Super-Earth Ultimate Edition, Hitman GO: Definitive Edition, I Am Setsuna, Inside, Lumo, Machinarium, Nidhogg, Oddworld: New ‘n’ Tasty, Pac-Man Championship Edition 2, Resogun, Shadow Of The Beast, Shantae And The Pirate’s Curse, SOMA, SteamWorld Heist, The Vanishing Of Ethan Carter, The Witness, TowerFall Ascension, Trials Fusion, and Valiant Hearts: The Great War.
Hmm… that was meant to be a short list, but it’s actually pretty long. We guess that must mean it’s a good sale.
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Despite all the bargains the best-selling game of last week was the new Pokémon title on 3DS, as PS4 hardware sales hit their highest since launch.
According to Chart-Track last week was the biggest for PlayStation 4 hardware sales since the console was released three years ago (they don’t mention Xbox One). That’s the Black Friday effect of course, but the UK’s new number one had nothing to do with the sales.
Pokémon Sun was the best-selling game of the week, with Chart-Track confirming that if sales are combined sales with Pokémon Moon (which, as usual, is essentially the same game with a slightly different range of pokémon) it would top the all formats chart as well.
There’s no indication beyond that of how well the games sold compared to their predecessors, but in Japan the game(s) also went straight to number one with retail sales of almost 2 million.
[ Update: Nintendo has revealed that Pokémon Sun and Moon have become their biggest ever launch in the UK. Not only did they sell twice as much as remakes Pokémon Omega Ruby and Alpha Sapphire from 2014, but they also beat anything ever released on the Wii. The record holder was Wii Fit, but Sun and Moon surpassed its first two weeks of sales in just their first day.]
Even ignoring Pokémon there’s actually little evidence, from just looking at the chart, that Black Friday even took place, in part because almost everything was discounted – which ended up making surprisingly little difference to the top 10.
Uncharted 4’s sudden reappearance is a giveaway though, as it was not only discounted itself but featured in many of the PlayStation 4 hardware bundles.
Gears Of War 4’s resurgence was the equivalent for the Xbox One (Forza Horizon 3 was being discounted before Black Friday); with other PlayStation 4 exclusives reappearing in the all formats chart, such as Driveclub at number 20 and Ratchet & Clank at number 25.
This week the big new release is Final Fantasy XV, although given its mammoth delays it’s almost impossible to predict exactly how well it will do. It’s released tomorrow, while Ubisoft’s snowboarding game Steep is out on Friday.
UK individual formats chart – 26 November
1 (-) Pokémon Sun (3DS) 2 (-) Pokémon Moon (3DS) 3 (8) FIFA 17 (PS4) 4 (2) Call Of Duty: Infinite Warfare (PS4) 5 (5) FIFA 17 (XO) 6 (3) Call Of Duty: Infinite Warfare (XO) 7 (9) Forza Horizon 3 (XO) 8 (R) Uncharted 4: A Thief’s End (PS4) 9 (7) Battlefield 1 (PS4) 10(1) Watch Dogs 2 (PS4)
UK all formats chart – 26 November
1 (3) FIFA 17 (XO/PS4/360/PS3) 2 (1) Call Of Duty: Infinite Warfare (PS4/XO/PC) 3 (-) Pokémon Sun (3DS) 4 (-) Pokémon Moon (3DS) 5 (4) Battlefield 1 (PS4/XO/PC) 6 (2) Watch Dogs 2 (PS4/XO/PC) 7 (6) Forza Horizon 3 (XO) 8 (R) Uncharted 4: A Thief’s End (PS4) 9 (9) Grand Theft Auto V (PS4/XO/360/PS3/PC) 10(11)Gears Of War 4 (XO)
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At Sony’s 2009 E3 press conference, the developers behind Ico and Shadow of the Colossus showed the world their newest project – The Last Guardian.
Ever since then, the wait for the release of this expectedly emotional adventure has been excruciating. After a flood of delays and a super lengthy production schedule, we’ve arrived in 2016 with great news – The Last Guardian is finally releasing. And no, that’s totally not a false claim. A picture of the game’s PS4 retail disc has been floating across the web and Sony has been ramping up its promotion of the game up until its December 6th launch. Expectations are high for this PS4 exclusive and a lot of gamers (including us) hope it delivers on all its promises.
Before it finally…FINALLY releases, let’s get into everything you need to know about The Last Guardian.
1. The Last Guardian Has Been in Development Since 2007
The Last Guardian has been in the works since 2007 and was originally set to launch as a PS3 exclusive. Japanese video game designer Fumito Ueda actually began putting concepts together for the game (codenamed “Project Trico”) around 2005. After the game’s debut at E3 2009, plans were put into motion regarding a demo of the game that was to be featured within The Ico & Shadow of the Colossus Collection. But as we all know already, that outcome never came to be. Team Ico simply had a tough time bringing Ueda’s vision to fruition with the PlayStation 3’s hardware capabilities.
Things got even more chaotic behind the scenes when Ueda announced his departure from Sony in 2011. Several of Team Ico’s key members also chose to leave alongside him. As the years passed, word had started to circulate that The Last Guardian’s production had been shut down for good. But at E3 2015, a brand new trailer for the game was released and helped reintroduce it as an exclusive for the PS4. Ueda and a host of former Team Ico members decided to return to the project under the development studio name of genDESIGN. genDESIGN opted to work alongside SIE Japan Studio in order to properly complete their passion project.
2. The Game’s Plot Follows the Unlikely Relationship Between a Young Boy and a Mysterious Creature
The narrative behind this title is told by an older man who happens to be the young boy you’re playing as. This elderly gentleman recounts his time spent with the massive creature named Trico, which makes this game more of a playable flashback sequence. As a young boy, he ends up kidnapped for undisclosed reasons and is then trapped within a mysterious castle. When he finally awakens, the boy discovers he’s been covered in a bunch of mysterious tattoos. Once he finally frees himself from his predicament, he befriends Trico after releasing it from captivity. From this point forward, both the young boy and Trico aid each other as they look to escape the castle’s dangerous confines.
3. Most of the Gameplay Revolves Around 3rd-Person Platforming and Puzzle Solving
When they first meet, Trico is initially hostile towards the young boy you control. Once you free Trico though, they become fast friends. From a 3rd-person perspective, you move the young boy around a host of environments. He sometimes runs into armed guards, whom you need to stealthily avoid and figure out how to bring down before you can proceed any further. Trico plays a big part in how you move forward as well since it can help complete tough puzzles.
The young boy can even climb upon Trico to get to higher vantage points and ride it when it’s time to do some traveling. Trico may not respond to every request the young boy makes, which feeds into the idea that this creature’s AI is driven by true animal instincts. Trico’s mood is often reflected by its physical demeanor and the color of its eyes. As the young boy, you’ll need to perform a number of tasks in order to please Trico and further develop their relationship.
Game: Batman – The Telltale Series Episode 4: Guardian of Gotham Consoles: PS4, Xbox One (reviewed), PC, Mac OS, PS3, Xbox 360, iOS, Android Publisher: Telltale Games Developer: Telltale Games
The Wayne Family legacy has been tarnished. Gotham City is now under the authoritarian rule of a psychologically broken mayor. And Bruce Wayne has become a resident of the most dangerous insane asylum in Gotham. The closing moments of the last episode in Telltale’s Batman series answered the biggest question of the plot (Who’s behind the mask of the Children of Gotham’s maniacal leader?). Now with “Guardians of Gotham,” we get to experience an incredibly compelling interlude before the final episode of the 1st season.
Bruce Wayne’s been hit with a severe dosage of the Children of Gotham’s dangerous serum. After coming to, he finds himself in the worst of situations now that he’s a patient of Arkham Asylum and even more worse for wear. His brutal attack towards the new figurehead behind his company has been seen by the people of Gotham, which causes his public image to plummet even more. All of these occurrences __play a huge part during this episode’s big introduction. What makes Bruce’s brief stay within Arkham Asylum’s walls so surprising is his encounter with one of the most popular comic book villains of all time. It’s even more enjoyable when you get to interact with a few more of Batman’s most villainous foes. The “Clown Prince of Crime’s” dialogue and the “gifts” he offers to Bruce will truly test your sense of right/wrong. Telltale truly knocked it out of the park as far as this episode’s beginning is concerned.
Once Bruce is free from the confines of Arkham Asylum, events spiral out of control in the best way possible (well, for us). Stepping into the role of Batman has been one of the most amusing elements of this series and his implementation here is a even more awesome. The major crime scene you come upon brings a ton of answers to those who’ve wanted more info behind “Lady Arkham” and her upbringing. Tons of revelations arise during this portion of the episode and it gets even more out of hand (in a good way) when you find out who’s been tampering with your tech. The choices presented to you hit hard and the outcomes of each one make it feel so. Dealing with Harvey Dent as Bruce/Batman and deciding to defend Wayne Manor/put a stop to Oswald Cobblepot’s tech hacking scheme will throw you into some truly heart wrenching occasions.
This series is already known for giving you QTE fight sequences, which have been pretty entertaining thus far. The big brawl you can choose to have with The Penguin happens to be the best hand-to-hand encounter we’ve participated in thus far. The lead up to this big face off builds everything up perfectly, but choosing to go fend of Dent’s hired guns at your mansion feels just as gratifying to play. The only disappointment that flares up during this chain of events are the audio issues. There were instances where Batman brutally punched a foe in the face, but the satisfying sound of a jaw being broken just never came. Examples of this issue popped up more than once, actually.
Bottom Line
“Guardian of Gotham” has us so ready to see the conclusion of this Telltale Batman tale. Bruce’s continued fall from grace places him into some situations that we’ve never seen him deal with before. This episode introduces more of Batman’s standout foes (one “Clown Prince” in particular), makes you choose between some incredibly heart-wrenching options and shows you the continued development of Two-Face. We got a kick out of this entry’s CSI sequence and combat affairs, but the technical audio issues that popped up during those battles are hard to ignore. And the fact that we weren’t given just a lil’ peek at what’s next is a heartbreaker. “Guardian of Gotham’s” overall story still manages to shock and awe, though.
Score: 9.5/10
Pros:
Running into a some of Batman’s Rogues Gallery is a treat for hardcore Bat-fans
The CSI bits and combat moments featured in this episode are the best of the series thus far
The tense encounters you have with Dent, “John Doe” and some hired guns are very impactful
Cons:
A few audio issues popped up during the combat sequences
If you want a cheap PS4 Pro or Xbone One S now’s your chance, as brand new games like Watch Dogs 2 and Infinite Warfare have their prices slashed.
It may be a recent import from America, but every year Black Friday becomes a more and more important date on British calendars. It’s also stretching well beyond simply the Friday after Thanksgiving, and companies have been announcing major discounts all week long.
Most of the best deals have been saved for the day itself though, and so below is our round-up of the best we’ve seen so far. In many cases most retailers will be offering a similar discount, but for the sake of simplicity we’ll list the cheapest that we see.
If you know of any others though (or notice that any of these ones have stopped) please email us at the normal address and we’ll update this list as best we can.
For PC owners there’s also the Steam autumn sale and the EA Origin sale, which between them have thousands of bargains for digital downloads. The Oculus Rift VR headset is also being discounted, and can be had for £549 at Amazon and GAME. While the HTC Vive is £659 at GAME.
Email gamecentral@ukmetro.co.uk or leave a comment below
PlayStation 4 hardware
PlayStation 4 Slim 500GB + Grand Theft Auto V for £189.00 at ShopTo on eBay
PlayStation 4 Slim 500GB + Uncharted 4 + FIFA 17 for £194.99 at Zavvi
PlayStation 4 Slim 500GB + Uncharted 4 + FIFA 17 for £199.99 at Amazon, GAME, and ShopTo
PlayStation 4 Slim 500GB + Overwatch + Ratchet & Clank for £199.99 at GAME
PlayStation 4 Slim 500GB + Watch Dogs 1 + Watch Dogs 2 for £199.99 at Amazon and ShopTo
PlayStation 4 Slim 500GB + Call Of Duty: Infinite Warfare for £199.95 at John Lewis
PlayStation 4 Slim 500GB + Uncharted 4 + FIFA 17 + one free game for £219.99 at Tesco Direct
PlayStation 4 Slim 500GB + Call Of Duty: Infinite Warfare + one free game for £219.99 at Tesco Direct
PlayStation 4 Slim 500GB + Call Of Duty: Infinite Warfare + FIFA 17 for £219.99 at Amazon, GAME, and ShopTo
PlayStation 4 Slim 1TB + Uncharted 4 + The Last of Us Remastered + Driveclub for £249.99 at GAME and Tesco Direct
PlayStation 4 Slim 1TB + Uncharted 4 + Ratchet & Clank + Driveclub for £249.99 at GAME
PlayStation 4 Slim 1TB + Call Of Duty: Infinite Warfare Legacy Edition for £227.86 at ShopTo
PlayStation 4 Slim 1TB + Call Of Duty: Infinite Warfare Legacy Edition + FIFA 17 for £249.99 at Amazon
PlayStation 4 Slim 1TB + Uncharted 4 + one free game for £249.99 at Tesco Direct
PlayStation 4 Slim 1TB + Call Of Duty: Infinite Warfare Legacy Edition + one free game for £249.99 at Tesco Direct
PS4 Pro 1TB for £332.49 at Tesco Direct
PS4 Pro 1TB + inFamous: Second Son + Fallout 4 for £349.99 at GAME and Argos
PlayStation 4 games
Watch Dogs 2 for £32.00 at Amazon Watch Dogs 2 Deluxe Edition for £34.99 at GAME Dishonored 2 for £29.99 at GAME, ShopTo, and Amazon Call Of Duty: Infinite Warfare for £29.00 at Tesco Direct Call Of Duty: Infinite Warfare for £23.99 at Sainsbury’s (in-store only) Call Of Duty: Infinite Warfare Legacy Edition for £49.99 at GAME Call Of Duty: Infinite Warfare Legacy Pro Edition for £99.99 at GAME Titanfall 2 for £28.00 at Tesco Direct and Amazon Titanfall 2 for £19.99 at HMV (in-store only) Battlefield 1 for £32.00 at Amazon and Tesco Direct Skylanders Imaginators for £32.99 at Argos Mafia III for £30.00 at Tesco Direct XCOM 2 for £24.99 at Argos and ShopTo Rise Of The Tomb Raider: 20 Year Celebration for £29.99 at GAME and £29.99 at Argos WWE 2K17 for £29.99 at GAME FIFA 17 for £29.00 at Tesco Direct and Amazon FIFA 17 for £29.99 at Sainsbury’s (in-store only) No Man’s Sky for £29.99 at GAME PES 2017 for £29.99 at GAME and £28.99 at Argos Destiny: The Collection for £19.99 at Amazon Deus Ex: Mankind Divided Day One Edition for £17.99 at GAME Overwatch for £25.00 at Tesco Direct Mirror’s Edge Catalyst for £21.99 at Argos Dark Souls III for £17.99 at Smyths and £17.00 at Tesco Direct Doom for £13.86 at ShopTo Uncharted 4 for £28.00 at Tesco Direct The Witcher 3: Game Of The Year Edition for £21.99 at GAME Lego Star Wars: The Force Awakens for £14.99 at Argos and Amazon The Division for £15.99 at Amazon and £15.00 at Tesco Direct Metal Gear Solid V: The Definitive Experience for £15.99 at Amazon Rainbox Six Siega for £16.00 at Tesco Direct Rainbow Six Siege Gold Edition for £22.99 at GAME Fallout 4 for £12.99 at Amazon Guitar Hero Live: Supreme Party Edition for £31.99 at Argos Homefront: The Revolution for £11.99 at Argos The Last Of Us Remastered for £22.99 at Argos Uncharted: The Nathan Drake Collection for £21.99 at Argos Bloodborne for £19.99 at Argos Bloodborne Game Of The Year Edition for £28.99 at Argos Lego Dimensions Starer Pack with Supergirl for £44.99 at Argos Star Wars: Battlefront for £9.86 at ShopTo Grand Theft Auto V for £23.00 at Tesco Direct
PSN Store
Battlefield 1 – £36.99 (32% off) FIFA 17 – £32.99 (40% off) Skyrim Special Edition – £24.99 (37% off) Watch Dogs 2 Deluxe Edition – £39.99 (27% off) Uncharted 4 – £24.99 (44% off) Titanfall 2 – £34.99 (36% off) Call Of Duty: Infinity Warfare Legacy Edition – £54.99 (31% off) Battlefield 1 and Titanfall 2 Deluxe Bundle – £79.99 (33% off) Dark Souls III – £29.99 (40% off) XCOM 2 – £30.99 (31% off) Hitman: The Complete First Season – £24.99 (44% off) Grand Theft Auto V – £29.99 (45% off) No Man’s Sky – £29.99 (40% off) Metal Gear Solid V: The Definitive Experience – £14.99 (57% off) Rainbow Six Siege – £15.99 (46% off) Rainbox Six Siege Gold Edition – £24.99 (54% off) Batman: Arkham Knight Premium Edition – £15.99 (80% off) Batman: Return To Arkham – £19.99 (42% off) Odin Sphere Leifthrasir – £19.99 (63% off) Star Wars: Battlefront – £11.99 (52% off) Star Wars: Battlefront Ultimate Edition – £24.99 (54% off) Life Is Strange Season Pass – £4.99 (64% off) Battleborn – £11.99 (76% off) The King Of Fighters XIV – £24.99 (50% off) Borderlands: The Handsome Collection – £13.99 (68% off) Project CARS Game Of The Year Edition – £19.99 (55% off) DiRT Rally – £15.99 (70% off) Lego Star Wars: The Force Awakens – £24.99 (50% off) Guilty Gear Xrd -REVELATOR- £15.99 (68% off) Tearaway Unfolded – £6.49 (59% off) Need For Speed – £11.99 (70% off) Far Cry Primal Apex Edition – £17.99 (48% off) God Of War III Remastered – £9.49 (68% off)
Xbox One hardware
Xbox One S 500GB + Minecraft for £209.95 at GAME
Xbox One S 500GB + FIFA 17 + Forza Horizon 3 for £229 at Sainsbury’s (in-store only)
Xbox One S 500GB + FIFA 17 + Forza Horizon 3 + Rise Of The Tomb Raider for £229.99 at GAME
Xbox One S 500GB + Battlefield 1 + Forza Horizon 3 + Rise Of The Tomb Raider for £229.99 at GAME
Xbox One S 500GB + Minecraft + Forza Horizon 3 for £229.99 at GAME
Xbox One S 500GB + FIFA 17 + extra controller for £229.99 at Amazon
Xbox One S 500GB + Minecraft + extra controller for £229.99 at Amazon
Xbox One S 500GB + FIFA 17 + Forza Horizon 3 + one free game for £249 at Tesco Direct
Xbox One S 500GB + Minecraft + Forza Horizon 3 + one free game for £249 at Tesco Direct
Xbox One S 500GB + FIFA 17 + Forza Horizon 3 for £249.99 at GAME
Xbox One S 500GB + Minecraft + Forza Horizon 3 + extra controller for £254.99 at Amazon
Xbox One S 1TB + FIFA 17 for £269.99 at GAME
Xbox One S 1TB + Gears Of War 4 + extra controller for £274.99 at Amazon
Xbox One S 1TB + Gears Of War 4 + Forza Horizon 3 + Rise Of The Tomb Raider for £279.99 at GAME
Xbox One S 1TB + FIFA 17 + Gears Of War 4 + one free game for £299 at Tesco Direct
Xbox One S 1TB + Gears Of War 4 + Forza Horizon 3 + one free game for £299 at Tesco Direct
Xbox One S 2TB Gears Of War special edition + Gears Of War 4 for £399.99 at Argos
Xbox One games
Watch Dogs 2 for £32.00 at Amazon Watch Dogs 2 Deluxe Edition for £34.99 at GAME and Argos Dishonored 2 for £29.99 at GAME, ShopTo, and Amazon Call Of Duty: Infinite Warfare for £29.99 at Tesco Direct Call Of Duty: Infinite Warfare for £23.99 at Sainsbury’s (in-store only) Call Of Duty: Infinite Warfare Legacy Edition for £49.99 at GAME Call Of Duty: Infinite Warfare Legacy Pro Edition for £99.99 at GAME Titanfall 2 for £28.00 at Tesco Direct and Amazon Titanfall 2 for £19.99 at HMV (in-store only) Battlefield 1 for £32.00 at Amazon and Tesco Direct Mafia III for £30.00 at Tesco Direct Gears Of War 4 for £21.99 at Argos and Amazon Gears Of War 4 for £22.99 at HMV (in-store only) Skylanders Imaginators for £32.99 at Argos WWE 2K17 for £29.99 at GAME FIFA 17 for £29.00 at Tesco Direct and Amazon FIFA 17 for £29.99 at Sainsbury’s (in-store only) Forza Horizon 3 for £23.99 at Argos and Amazon XCOM 2 for £23.85 at ShopTo PES 2017 for £29.99 at GAME and £28.99 at Argos ReCore for £19.99 at GAME Destiny: The Collection for £19.99 at Amazon Deus Ex: Mankind Divided Day One Edition for £17.99 at GAME Overwatch for £25.00 at Tesco Direct Dark Souls III for £17.99 at Smyths and £17.00 at Tesco Direct Doom for £14.00 at Amazon The Witcher 3: Game Of The Year Edition for £21.99 at GAME Killer instinct: Definitive Edition for £22.99 at GAME Lego Star Wars: The Force Awakens for £15.00 at Amazon The Division for £15.99 at Amazon and £15.00 at Tesco Direct Mirror’s Edge Catalyst for £21.99 at Argos Metal Gear Solid V: The Definitive Experience for £15.99 at Amazon Rainbow Six Siege for £16.00 at Tesco Direct Rainbow Six Siege Gold Edition for £22.99 at GAME Fallout 4 for £12.99 at Amazon Forza Motorsport 6 for £29.99 at GAME Guitar Hero Live: Supreme Party Edition for £39.99 at GAME Homefront: The Revolution for £14.99 at GAME Lego Dimensions Starter Pack for £44.99 at Argos Halo 5: Guardians for £15.99 at Arogs Grand Theft Auto V for £24.86 at GAME and £24.99 at Argos
Xbox Live Store
Assassin’s Creed Syndicate – £12 Battlefield 1 – £36.84 Battlefield 1 and Titanfall 2 Deluxe bundle – £71.99 Deus Ex: Mankind Divided – £25 Deus Ex: Mankind Divided Digital Deluxe Edition – £37.50 DiRT Rally – £22 Dragon Age: Inquisition Game Of The Year Edition – £10 Far Cry Primal – £12 FIFA 17 – £32.99 Grand Theft Auto V – £27.50 Hitman: The Complete First Season – £22.50 Hyper Light Drifter – £10.71 Inside – £10.71 Just Cause 3 – £14.85 Just Cause 3 XL Edition – £21.36 Kerbal Space Program – £21.43 Life Is Strange Complete Season – £5.28 Mafia 3 Deluxe Edition – £45.49 Metro Redux – £4.80 Minecraft Story Mode – The Complete Adventure – £17.99 Mirror’s Edge Catalyst – £15 Oddworld: New ‘N’ Tasty – £4.95 Rainbow Six Siege – £15 Rare Replay – £6.60 Resident Evil Triple Pack (Resident Evil 4, 5 & 6) – £23.99 The Crew – £6.60 The Telltale Games Collection (Game Of Thrones, Tales From The Borderlands, Wolf Among Us, Tge Walking Dead Season 1 and 2) – £17.50 The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt – £12.50 The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt Complete Edition – £17.50 Titanfall 2 – £32.99 Tom Clancy’s The Division – £23.99 Tomb Raider: Definitive Edition – £4.80 Trackmania Turbo – £12 Wolfenstein: The New Order – £4.95 XCOM 2 – £29.24
Nintendo hardware
Wii U Premium + Zelda: The Wind Waker HD + Minecraft for £249.99 at Nintendo.co.uk
Wii U Premium + Mario Kart 8 + Minecraft for £249.99 at Nintendo.co.uk
Wii U Premium + Splatoon + Minecraft for £249.99 at Nintendo.co.uk
New Nintendo 3DS XL (metallic blue) + Pokémon Yellow for £179.99 at GAME
New Nintendo 3DS XL (metallic black) + Pokémon Yellow for £179.99 at GAME
New Nintendo 3DS XL (metallic black) + Pokémon Red for £179.99 at GAME
New Nintendo 3DS XL (metallic black) + Pokémon Blue for £179.99 at GAME
New Nintendo 3DS XL (metallic black) + mains charger for £179.99 at GAME
New Nintendo 3DS XL (metallic blue) + mains charger for £179.99 at GAME
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Street Fighter V – Capcom are preparing for a long fight
Capcom has been discussing the future of their most recent fighter, as rumours swirl of a new character… and perhaps even a new game.
Despite being an excellent one-on-one fighter Street Fighter V has had a troubled life so far. Mistakes during its launch, and a lack of single-player content, created bad word of mouth that it never recovered from – despite a steady stream of updates since.
Some have suggested that the obvious solution is a Super Street Fighter V relaunch, but the problem is that Capcom originally promised they wouldn’t do that. So even if a significant number of fans are now behind the idea, Capcom would catch so much flak it wouldn’t be worth it.
Which is no doubt why Street Fighter overlord Yoshinori Ono has revealed that Capcom has plans to support the game for at least the next four years.
‘It’s not just a 1-2 year thing’, Ono told Japanese mag Famitsu, when asked about the road map for the game. ‘We’re looking pretty far ahead… We’ve planned out as far as 2020 or so.’
Ono was also asked whether Capcom had plans for other new fighting games in the meantime, with rumours brewing that the company has a major announcement to make at PSX next month – possibly Capcom Vs. SNK 3 or some other Vs. title or spin-off.
‘I’d be happy if we could’, said Ono. But first, we’d have to solidify Street Fighter V as an eSports title. I said in the beginning that we’ve seen a higher number of entrants than we had in the Street Fighter IV era, but we’d like to heighten that even further.’
The interview was translated by website EventHubs, with other comments denying suggestions that Akuma would be revealed at PSX. Although the way Ono answered the question makes it sound like whatever the secret reveal is, it’s probably not as significant as a whole new game.
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Hopefully the game lives up to the quality of the cheesecake
A reader reports back from Jamie Oliver’s Fifteen restaurant in London, and a very unusual Final Fantasy promotion…
As many readers will be aware, next week marks the launch of Final Fantasy XV across all the major platforms. In an interesting spin on traditional marketing ploys, Square Enix has collaborated with Jamie Oliver’s own Fifteen restaurant (get it?) in London to promote the game in the week running up to the game’s launch. I would consider myself to be a lay Final Fantasy fan and the last time I enjoyed the series was when Final Fantasy XII was released 10 years ago, but I was intrigued enough to taste the results for myself.
Promotions of this sort are actually fairly common in Japan; pop-up restaurants have been opened to promote games such as Dark Souls, Resident Evil, and recently Persona 5. I have myself enjoyed a T-virus cocktail served with ice cream ‘brains’ from the Capcom Bar in Shinjuku. To my knowledge this is the first time such a move has been made outside of Japan, let-alone in an upmarket establishment like Fifteen; where a typical three course set menu will set you back £45. Is there really a big crossover between fans of esoteric Japanese role-playing games and fine dining?
It’s fair to say that Fifteen were not overstating the Final Fantasy connection inside their restaurant. Indeed, I would be surprised if any of the other customers were even aware that such a promotion was taking place. Besides some understated artwork on one of the walls they understandably didn’t wish to risk alienating their usual crowd – it was left to me to hum One Winged Angel while waiting for our table. When our waitress came to offer us menus, we had to ask (maintaining a straight face) for the ‘Final Fantasy special menu, please’. With a hint of a smirk, she did as we asked.
I’m by no means a food critic, but I’ll try and describe the meal itself. The menu was a three-course affair; for starters we were given the Bubble and Squeak risotto. Somewhat modest in appearance, it had a wonderful depth and unctuous texture with good al dente rice.
The main that followed was short rib served with ‘Yukon Gold’ mash, garlic, and cheddar. Very tender and again full of flavour, this was very satisfying. I wish I could find the words to describe the sauce, if only because I don’t recall what it was made from.
To finish, a dessert of yuzu cheesecake and blueberry compote was served. As all good cheesecakes are, it was incredibly rich, creamy, and contrasted well with the sharp berries and crumbly base. Maybe it was the wine mixing with the pre-dinner gin, but I was quite ready to pass out after all this food heaven.
So yes, despite spending over £60 per head to enjoy a tangentially game-themed meal and wine, I’d call the evening a success. It probably has no bearing on whether I buy the game itself but I hope the hype surrounding it turns out to be justified.
It appeared that everyone else there were normal customers and not Final Fantasy fans adorned in black mage robes, so I can’t see this stunt being repeated too often. However, this is London so I would not be surprised to see a Red Dead-styled milkshake and cereal saloon opening this time next year. Maybe I’ll see you there.
By reader Adam (Doctor_Spade on PSN and Twitter)
The reader’s feature does not necessary represent the views of GameCentral or Metro.
You can submit your own 500 to 600-word reader feature at any time, which if used will be published in the next appropriate weekend slot. As always, email gamecentral@ukmetro.co.uk and follow us on Twitter.
GameCentral readers debate which has been the best FPS of the year, from Doom and Overwatch to COD and Battlefield 1.
Despite the decline of the modern day military shooter, this year has still seen a huge number of first person shooters released, and this week’s Hot Topic asked the simple question of which you think is the best. Although we were also interested in what you think of this year’s crop in general, and the way the genre as a whole is heading.
In the end though, there was no real consensus, and as much games such as Titanfall 2 and Overwatch were lauded there were still plenty of people sticking up for mainstays such as Call Of Duty and Battlefield.
Easy answer
For me, no question. Doom is by far the best first person shooter of the year, and also the biggest surprise of the year as I don’t think anyone expected it to be as good as it was. It was all the more surprising to me as I picked it up given all the praise it got, and I think it could well end up being my game of the year (unless Planet Coaster makes a late entry at Christmas).
Doom was unlike any other first person shooter I had played before, as the combat was so fast and had a rhythm to it. Sticking to cover was never really an option, the best approach is to attack and constantly move due to the different enemy types and the great artificial intelligence.
The developers did well to keep the environments varied and the pacing was top notch throughout. I even thought the story was decent.
At the moment I am playing Gears Of War 4, and whilst I am enjoying it, I thought that it could have learnt a lot from Doom in terms of how to reinvent a franchise and make it interesting in new ways. Gears Of War 4 is pretty much more of the same. Some original Doom fans may have been happy with more of the same, but I think they well be even more pleased with the outcome and I’m sure new fans, like myself, will be too. Truk_Kurt (PSN ID)/trukkurt (Steam ID)/Angry_Kurt (Twitter)
Two out of three
Deciding which first person shooter is the year’s best was an easy choice for me: Titanfall 2. Not selling as well as its main rivals is a travesty. Neither of the three main contenders are short of content, but it’s Titanfall which is the most consistent in terms of quality. The single-player campaign especially is a revelation, I don’t think anyone expected it to be so good.
Battlefield 1 is also particularly good, with a varied, entertaining campaign which hit all the right notes. The multiplayer was always going to be great, and it hasn’t disappointed.
That leaves Call Of Duty: Infinite Warfare, which for me is completely overshadowed by the Modern Warfare Remaster – which has exceeded expectations in terms of effort. Infinite Warfare on the other hand has a largely terrible campaign, and a multiplayer which is a step back for the series. Like Assassin’s Creed before it, I think this year’s reception, along with dwindling sales may finally instigate a much-needed break. Anon
Happy to die
With many of this year’s titles going down the multiplayer-only route, I have had to get used to dying, a lot! So for me I take how I die quite seriously and it has an impact on how soon I stop playing a title. I know both of these titles have single-player experience I haven’t put much effort into them yet.
At the moment my favourite first person shooter for dying is Titanfall 2. All things considered it’s a very balanced game. No single character or weapon feels overpowered. You have as much chance of getting a kill or being killed. Respawning is a fairly safe experience and getting back in the action is fairly swift. And getting the extras like titans is time-related and not kill streaks, which means a lot to a bullet magnet. The whole experience is fairly painless as death goes. I don’t feel the need to throw the controller or curse loudly at a perceived injustice due to my incompetence. So playing this makes me happy.
I have also put a fair amount of effort into Battlefield 1 this past month or so. I have never really gone for the Battlefield franchise, preferring instead to go for Call Of Duty. This has had an opposite effect. It seems my guns don’t kill as well as other people’s. The dreadnaught always has a bomb with my name on it. I spawn next to enemy players and never where I requested, always way off at the back or side of the map near the 30 snipers all vying for the same cover, to spend the next minute or so getting to the action with my pea shooter to swiftly die again.
Not as much fun to be had there. I still like the game, and in particular the WW1 setting, so despite this I still __play it, just not for very long as it makes me unhappy when I die.
I haven’t really taken to the new titles of Battleborn or Overwatch. I have played them both, they just didn’t draw me in but I did a lot of dying in both of them. Dare I say they need a sequel? Dirtystopout
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Still playing
Since it had a major expansion out this year I’m going to assume Destiny: Rise Of Iron counts for this Hot Topic. And as such I’d say that it’s still my favourite shooter, of this or any year. To be honest Rise Of Iron is hardly it’s greatest achievement but as a whole I think that Destiny has by far the best gunplay of any game. Although I admit I haven’t played Titanfall 2 yet.
Fighting the various aliens is just so satisfying, and although the loot system is basically an addiction it’s one I haven’t begrudged in the more than a year I’ve bene playing the game.
I know some people complain about the repetition but I still __play it regularly with my mates and can’t wait for the sequel next year. Hopefully it’ll get a reveal next month. Manb
Not over yet
My favourite shooter this year has definitely been Overwatch. I’m not usually a big multiplayer fan, and will only dabble with it in games that also have a single-player. But there was something about Overwatch’s beat ‘em-up styling and characters that really drew me in. And after trying and enjoying the beta I stumped up for the full game.
I’ve been playing it ever since too, and although I’m no kind of expert I’ve found my skill greatly improving from other games I’ve played. The constant addition of new characters and extras is good too, and if the rumours about a single-player spin-off are true then it could easily become my favourite shooter franchise ever. Carl
Twitch gaming
I have played both Battlefield 1 and Call Of Duty: Infinite Warfare Legacy Edition in the past month. For me Battlefield 1 is the more fun. Love the freedom to play how I want, whether it’s being a pilot, tanker, medic, support, etc.
Call Of Duty is a bit too manic for my liking now. It’s all about those twitchy reactions. Battlefield also doesn’t solely rely on kills as you can just play the point or support your team. Shaun s
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Sent to die
I haven’t played the new Call Of Duty yet, I have it from Boomerang at the moment and it’s telling that I can’t even be bothered to put it in the drive to install. It just doesn’t interest me at all, but I’d forgotten to take it off my rental list so I’ve got it to play at some point. I fully suspect it’ll be just the same as the other ones – a bit too try hard and shallow.
I tried Battlefield 1 with the free 10 hours that EA Access gives you, and again couldn’t be bothered with it – it’s pretty much the same as every other Battlefield. Yes, it’s pretty, very pretty, but it just feels so sterile and the huge maps mean you can just wander around for a while and not find anyone. Then you wander some more and get shot and start all over again.
I was a huge fan of the first Titanfall, it offered something very different to any other first person shooter on the market at the time and I loved it. The second iteration is even better. I agree the campaign could be better, but that’s a criticism that could be levelled at any of the Battlefields or Call Of Duties since forever, but it’s a huge improvement on the first one.
The subtle changes have just served to make the game even better, the maps are small enough to not have to wander around for ages getting lost or so small that you constantly spawn and get shot. As far as I’m concerned it’s the first person shooter of the year, and I’m not entirely sure why it was sent out against Battlefield 1 and Call Of Duty – it’s just strikes me as either very stupid planning or misplaced confidence, because I suspect it hasn’t sold as well as a result.
The other great thing about Titanfall 2 is no season pass. Respawn have said that all future DLC will be free so the community isn’t split. In essence I spend £40 on a game and then I don’t have to shell out another £40 to play the rest of it later on. That alone would be enough to make the game more palatable, the fact that it’s just a better game is the icing on the cake. The Disco Bison (gamertag)
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The evening Inbox suggests Street Fighter experiment with some new spin-offs, as one reader is upset there were no New 3DS XL deals.
To join in with the discussions yourself email gamecentral@ukmetro.co.uk
I’m all right Jack
Well, I’ve bought Dishonored 2 now, for the princely sum of £29.99 from Amazon. Good for me, not so good for Bethesda (or Amazon I would think). I seem to remember in previous Black Fridays it was a toss-up as to what got discounted, and most of the newer games you knew wouldn’t be much off. This year it was absolutely everything. Today in particular I’ve just been typing names into the search engine and just assuming they’ll be cheap, and I haven’t been disappointed once.
Picked up Battlefield 1 as well and Dark Souls III. Would’ve got more but I’d be kidding myself if I had time to __play them is the only problem. I did also get Star Wars: Battlefront for less than a tenner though, purely so I can __play the VR game. Considering how much that was going for just this time last year that’s outrageous. I don’t see how anyone can be profiting from it except for us gamers. Cooltard
Buyer’s remorse
Good work with highlighting all the Black Friday deals GC, I have to admit I picked up a number of insane bargains. But they really are insane, and after all the talk yesterday I’m now beginning to feel pretty guilty about it all. Obviously we want everything to be as cheap as possible, but I assume we also want the companies to make a profit so that they can carry on making more. But when the biggest games of the year are having their price cut in half, literally half, after just a couple of weeks something’s going badly wrong.
I agree the simplest solution is to just keep games at that low price all the time, but considering publishers are currently busy trying to double the price with season passes I’m guessing that won’t happen. It’s kind of creeped up on us but unless they solve this problem quickly and conclusively they’re in danger of destroying the retail market at the very least.
I know I’m already rethinking my plans about what to buy next year. Even the argument about being there first for a multiplayer game doesn’t mean much if you only have to wait three weeks to get it half price. I don’t know how much publishers have to do with Black Friday, but the biggest danger to gaming at the moment is the best deal for customers. Bureau
Street shooter
I appreciate Capcom trying to keep the game going but I have a hard imaging anyone is going to be playing Street Fighter V in 2020. Maybe they’ll make enough off their eSports tournaments, but compared to stuff like Call Of Duty and League Of Legends its strictly small fry.
My solution would be to create more spin-offs. I’ve always been surprised that this doesn’t happen more with fighting games, as they always have such a larger roster of memorable characters and yet they never really do anything with them. There was that one attempt to create a Tekken adventure, but after it turned out rubbish they never bothered again.
Where is the Street Fighter role-playing game? The roaming beat ‘em-up or the strategy game. Not that I want one but you would’ve thought a Mario Kart clone was a no-brainer, or even a Telltale game style adventure. Or even, dare I say it, a first person shooter. Because that’s basically what Overwatch is.
My point is the Street Fighter universe is so well known, and yet the only way to experience it is via the fighting games, which are quite hard to get into if you don’t know them. As the sales of Street Fighter V have proven. Jay
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Fall of the Tomb Raider
I was so disappointed when Rise Of The Tomb Raider was an Xbox release. Did PlayStation users not purchase enough of the game, that Xbox was used to release it? I thought that the PlayStation console was always good for Tomb Raider.
And yes, they could of done a lot more for the game, as for gameplay and better plot. I hope that they continue doing Tomb Raider and make it a PlayStation release, better yet all consoles. And take time to do a better story. Maybe add special guests like Josh Gates from Travel Expedition Unknown, plus other explorers. Just a thought! Thanks! Anon
GC: Microsoft just paid to make it a timed exclusive, it had nothing to do with the sales of the previous game. Originally the idea was that it would go head-to-head with Uncharted 4, but then Naughty Dog’s game got delayed. Since sales were a disappointment, especially for the recent PlayStation 4 release, we’re sure Square Enix regrets it now. And we agree with you that the series needs a better script next time.
Cheap gems
I know it’s probably not top of everyone’s wish list on Black Friday but Guilty Gear Xrd -Revelator- is only £10.99 for PS Plus subscribers on the PlayStation store (£15.99 for non-members).
Also, ShopTo have Overcooked: Gourmet Edition (which I’m hoping will be a great game for even the non-gamers on Xmas day) for £13.85 on PlayStation 4 and Xbox One. SuoTempore (PSN ID)
GC: We very much agree. Both games are great, especially at those prices.
Positive reality
One thing I noticed that wasn’t cheap this Black Friday was any PlayStation VR games. I was holding out for some of those, since there are so many good ones, but I don’t think I saw a single one digital or otherwise. I think that’s another sign that the thing is selling well. I hope this includes the best games like Tethered and Jumper, because I love to see something new and a bit daring do well.
Plus, that means companies won’t be shy about making more unusual stuff. Indies in particular look like they’re going to profit very well from the PlayStation VR’s success, because not only are they better at thinking outside the box but they aren’t tied down trying to make some 20 year old franchise work with VR. Couldn’t be happier with my headset, and the future outlook for it. Cribbins
Good tip
I would just like to say a big apology for my letter I wrote in earlier this week about Titanfall 2 at £19.99 at HMV. I went today to my local HMV and purchased it for £19.99, as mentioned here first on GC!
The information on these very pages never ceases to amaze me and the generosity by other readers with their codes, etc. is amazing too. Much appreciated for the heads up. Happy Days. JAH
GC: That’s okay. You were right to point out the deal hadn’t started when it was first mentioned. Enjoy Titanfall 2!
Catch up on every previous Games Inbox here
Second look
Since it got a PS4 Pro patch I booted up my copy of Assassin’s Creed Syndicate (could’ve sworn I’d sold it, but there you go) to give it another try. Last time I got bored of it after about four or five hours, which I assume was most people’s response since there isn’t one this year and Ubisoft are about to reboot it.
Playing it again I can’t say I’ve really changed my mind. The problem is the open world is amazing, but the things you get to do in it are completely boring. The combat’s rubbish, the stealth is pathetically simple (much more so than many games were stealth is just a minor feature), and everything’s just so clunky and slow.
I do quite like the main characters, at least compared to recent Assassin’s Creed games, although the portrayal of London and its accents is predictably bad. The game’s all about the surface and there’s no meat to it. I hope Ubisoft realise this is what they have to change in the new one. Oh, and the PS4 Pro patch? Makes hardly any difference, just upscaled 4K and nothing else that I could see. Stimcot
Inbox also-rans
I was hoping there would be some New Nintendo 3DS XL deals for this Friday, but I can’t really find any anywhere other than ones for £169-£179, which aren’t really much of a deal. Have you, or any of your readers, heard anything? TickTockRob (gamertag/PSN ID)
GC: The only ones we found are in that range, unlike in America there’s never been any talk of a price drop that we’ve heard.
I just got 12 months Xbox Live on Amazon for £24.99, and got a code for a Gears Of war 4 ‘Dark Omen gnashed’ weapon skin for you to give away. Some Guy
GC: That’s very good of you, thanks.
This week’s Hot Topic
Despite the decline of the modern day military shooter, this year has still seen a huge number of first person shooters released, from regulars such as Call Of Duty and Battlefield, to brand new games such as Overwatch and Battleborn, and sequels and reboots including Titanfall 2 and Doom.
Our question for this weekend’s Inbox is simple: which do you think has been the best?
Which have you enjoyed the most, and which were you looking forward to but found disappointing? Which did you not even bother with, and why? What do you think of the current state of the genre and what would you want to see more or less of in the future?
E-mail your comments to: gamecentral@ukmetro.co.uk
The small print New Inbox updates appear twice daily, every weekday morning and afternoon. Letters are used on merit and may be edited for length.
You can also submit your own 500 to 600-word 4Player viewer features at any time, which if used will be shown in the next available weekend slot.
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Thanks to Black Friday the Premium Pass is now more expensive than the game
A reader considers the recent trend of poor video game sales, and suggests that season passes are partly to blame.
As an avid gamer over the last 15-20 years (I remember receiving a PlayStation 1 two weeks after its launch) I have shifted from console to PC, then back to console with PlayStation 3 and back to PC. I now have two Alienware PCs and a PlayStation 4, and expect my average spend on games to be around £300.
The issue is not with the games themselves, I __play most demos/trials that come out and have been an active alpha and beta tester for big PC titles over the last three years; most notably Battlefield 1 (which I believed to be the most complete game in both alpha and beta stages I have ever experienced).
With a comment like this it is unsurprising I like more action-focused games like first person shooters and MMOs, with the occasional MOBA thrown in for good measure. There is however a stumbling block coming to this: a lot of PC games now are free-to-play, with optional content and real world transactions being a key part of the publisher’s business model (Guild Wars 2 is a good example of this shift). When it comes to more platform games such as Battlefield 1, my view is that publishers are charging far too much for the content.
Take Battlefield 1, a superb game I am hugely fond of that has seemed to go back to the roots of first person shooters (seen in Medal Of Honor and the first three Call Of Duties) with modern gameplay and graphics. It’s a refreshing revival of the genre, given Call Of Duty has been rehashing the same stuff for the last five years and people are still buying it (God knows why, it got boring for me personally when you could see this trend in Black Ops II, 2012).
However, at £105 for Battlefield 1 and its ‘premium pass’, which in effect just unlocks a few weapons, a handful of extra maps, and a bit extra to go in the campaign (going off the precedent set with Battlefield 4) – I find it hard to justify such a spend. While I have bought the game, as it is fantastic, and have no problem spending £50 on something I really enjoy, why should publishers effectively be charging the price of another full game on top when they’re only adding an extra 40% of content on top (which would make the game worth around £65)?
It has been going on for several years now, in which Call of Duty’s map packs can be seen to kick off the trend. Not to mention if you want to make the most of gaming on whichever platform, the new 4K console and TV that is capable of such a high resolution output is going to cost in the region of £1,000. Or if you’re like me and prefer PC, a top end gaming rig will be around £200 more than this (I __play on Alienware 17s, which start at £2,000 for the high spec version, thanks for the massive price increase too Dell!).
Given such an outlay in both hardware and the games themselves, at a time when people are still struggling given wages have not risen much in the last six or seven years, is it of any surprise that consumers are tightening their purse strings? Personally, I have bought the deluxe version of Battlefield 1 (£65 and all I got was five battlepacks and the Red Baron’s fighter skin, but as a history grad I quite wanted it as he was a bit of an infamous character).
I do plan on buying the premium pass, but at £40 I won’t be happy with the cost, even though the game is great (Battlefront – DICE’s Star Wars game left me hugely disappointed given no single-player and the space battles were nowhere near as good as Battlefront II, which came out in 2005!). Yet the issue is that it will probably be my spend for the next eight to 10 months now, as I cannot justify such outlays financially and would rather buy cheap retro games on auction websites.
It is not to say publishers don’t deserve their profits for their work, many new games are immersive masterpieces and I can only applaud the developers that create them. The cost however leaves myself – and likely many others – feeling like we are being milked for all the money we can be. And if it carries on, I can’t see the industry increasing at the rate it has over the last 10 to 15 years, which would be a great shame for the digital artists that create them.
By reader Joe Pollard
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You know what’s lacking in today’s current gaming landscape? Snowboarding games.
The SSX series turned the whole sports gaming sub-genre on its head with its arcadey feel and outlandish cast of snowboarders. Then it returned…and honestly fell kinda flat. Ever since then, gamers haven’t had a whole lot of opportunities to go shredding in the snow alps. Ubisoft Annecy decided to dedicate all their game development talents into producing an all new extreme sports franchise. This open-world trip into the coldest of locales looks to be the next great snowboarding game we all deserve.
There’s a lot to know about Steep, which is why we’re here with this five fast facts preview guide for you all.
1. You Can Travel All Over the Mountainside Through Four Different Transportation Methods
Steep’s main locations are the snowcapped Alps and Alaska. You can choose to go adventuring from a 1st-person or 3rd-person viewpoint (you’ll never be stuck with your chosen POV from the beginning since you can switch between them at will). Your solo/multiplayer experiences will implement the usage of a GoPro camera that documents all your successes and hilarious fails.
Traversing Steep’s high peaks can be done through snowboarding, skiing, paragliding or by taking to the skies in a wingsuit. It’s also possible to switch to either of these activities at any point in the game, too. The Alps and Alaska are highly explorable hubs that hide all types of hidden locations and the highest points to take death defying leaps from. Fast traveling can be accomplished by hitting up “Drop Zones,” plus you can take note of farther locations by throwing on your trusty binoculars.
2. You Can Meet Up With Other Snowboarders Through Seamless Multiplayer
Since Steep is an always online game, you’ll regularly spot a community of other players performing tricks and exploring just like you. Meeting up with any of them can be done with the greatest of ease since the multiplayer is a seamless experience. Once you group up with your friends, you can choose to pull off some of the wildest tricks imaginable and go free riding together to discover new sectors of the Alps and Alaska. There’s also a competitive aspect of the multiplayer where you can challenge your online friends’ top scores, lines and other assorted records. You’ll need to take the top spot during downhill races to nab medals and also land outrageous stunts that awards you with tons of points.
3. There’s Four Different Types of Playstyles to Master; The Most Hardcore of Challenges Will Test Your Skills
Four different styles of __play apply to how you’ll traverse Steep’s open world. As an Explorer, you’ll need to go all over the mountain and observe all types of new locations and challenges. Becoming a Bone Collector means you’ll nab the majority of your rewards by pulling off amazing stunts and wiping out spectacularly (that means crashing after a failed trick attempt for the uninitiated). The Freestyler playstyle is mainly focused on pulling off stunning tricks with incredible accuracy and precision. The final playstyle (Freerider) is an amalgamation of all three aforementioned __play types. Your skills will be put to the ultimate test as you try to complete various challenge types, such as Big Air, Forest Slaloms and Proximity Flying.
Elton Jones is a senior contributor to Heavy who covers gaming, pro wrestling, movies and pop culture. He lives in New York City. 
