Month: October 2020

Respawn Entertainment’s next Apex Legends update will bring in several major changes including allowing players across all platforms to play together. Launching on October 6, the update will include cross-play across systems, a new limited-time mode, and the Aftermarket collection event.

Cross-play will launch in beta and will work on all currently supported platforms: PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and Origin (plus Steam once Apex Legends becomes available). The option is enabled by default, and players can add friends to their party by searching for their username. Unfortunately, there is no cross-progression between platforms at this time, although Respawn promises an update on that feature once Apex Legends releases on Steam later this year.

The addition of cross-play also brings some changes to how matchmaking works in the shooter. The game will primarily separate PC and console players, as those playing with a keyboard and mouse have an advantage over those using a controller. However, when a cross-play party includes console and PC players, it will match everyone into a PC match. Those who wish to disable cross-play will only be put into matches with their current platform. Respawn suggests that fans don’t disable the feature as it may make queue times “very, very long.”

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While the Madden and FIFA series have leaned into their own story modes in recent years with Longshot and The Journey, EA’s other flagship sports franchise, NHL, has left this on the bench. That is still the case in NHL 21, but the game’s developer is finally updating its career-minded mode, Be A Pro, with what appears to be the biggest and most welcome changes to it in years.

I recently had the chance to play around four hours of NHL 21’s Be A Pro, and it’s clear right from the start that EA isn’t repeating the mistakes of last year.

The first thing you’ll notice in NHL 21’s Be A Pro mode is that the UI is completely overhauled, and for the better. The hub has been revamped to display more information on the screen at once. This sounds very basic, but in returning to NHL 20, its Be A Pro screen feels very barebones and lacking by comparison. NHL 21’s Be A Pro hub shows you most everything you need on one screen, with sub menus available for your game schedule, skill tree, important news, salary details, and more.

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Star Wars: Squadrons releases on October 2, and reviews have already gone live for developer EA Motive’s spin on interstellar dogfighting. The consensus so far has been a positive one, praising the game’s smaller scale, gorgeous visuals, and exhilarating action.

In our early review impressions of the single-player campaign, critic Edmond Tran noted that while the short campaign may leave fans hungry for more, the engaging flight mechanics and incredible locales will make you feel like you’ve just entered your own personal Star Wars experience:

“There is also a progression system that rewards a variety of cosmetic items and is notably free from microtransactions. How enjoyable these modes will be over a long period of time, and how rewarding the game’s progression ladder ends up feeling, is something I’ll be trying to come to terms with over the following days.”

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Super Smash Bros. Ultimate director Masahiro Sakurai presented a short video this morning to announce the hero Steve from Minecraft. The announcement had Twitter in a tizzy, so much so that the site actually stopped working–though we can’t confirm that was the reason for it.

Below, we’ve rounded up some of our favorite reactions to the news thus far. Not only was Steve announced for the game, but Minecraft skins for characters like Enderman, a zombie, and Alex.

As user Stealth observed, Minecraft is one of the biggest games in the world. It’s unlikely any announcement could generate so much buzz.

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Kazakhstan’s most famous fake citizen is back. Borat has traveled once again to the United States of America to film a documentary, which will make us all have a few laughs. The first trailer for Borat Subsequent Moviefilm: Delivery of Prodigious Bride to American Regime and Make Benefit Once Glorious Nation of Kazakhstan–yes, that’s the full title–has arrived.

Coming to Amazon Prime Video on October 23, Sacha Baron Cohen reprises his role, and he has brought his daughter to America with him. Like the original movie, it will feature plenty of moments of the titular character spending time with Americans. Check it out below.

The movie was filmed during the pandemic, so everything here is going to feel real timely. Because theaters are closed, it’s coming straight to Amazon Prime Video. Amazon recently purchased the movie, and the goal was to get it to the masses before Election Day.

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Director Ben Wheatley made a name for himself with the critically acclaimed High Rise but will more than likely be talked about later in the year with his adaptation of Rebecca from Netflix coming out in October. While he’s been chosen to helm to next Alicia Vikander-led Tomb Raider movie, supposedly coming out in 2021, Wheatley already has his next project wrapped up.

He shot a horror movie over 15 days in August in the middle of his coronavirus lockdown. Though not going into heavy details about the film, Wheatly describes the project as a response to the ongoing COVID-19 crisis, the result of a datedness that he perceived in the titles released to VOD that couldn’t take the new status quo into account.

In a recent interview with Little White Lies, it seems that Wheatley recharges his creative batteries by going just going back to what he knows in between big time gigs.

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Following a brief tease, Nintendo has announced the next fighter for Super Smash Bros. Ultimate. It’s Steve from Minecraft, the blocky pickaxe-wielding hero, and it’s already getting a big reaction on social media.

In the reveal trailer, Steve was spotted building walls, crafting items like swords, and summoning TNT blocks. He’s able to jump atop blocks that he places to get out of tight spots, and we saw some constructed materials like switches being dispatched to fling enemies or anvils to crush them. The building materials appear to crack rather quickly, though, so don’t expect persistent building like Fortnite. At one point we even got a glimpse of a minecart complete with tracks.

The presentation showed a few alternate skins: Alex, Enderman, and Zombie. We also got a brief glimpse at a Minecraft-themed stage, which appears to be able to swap between different biomes. The trailer showed a forest as it appears lush and green, wilted in the fall, and snowy in the winter.

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The PlayStation Store has kicked off another big sale on PS4 hits both old and new. The Games of a Generation Sale includes a wide variety of titles, including the first substantial discount on Ghost of Tsushima, the last major PS4 exclusive to release before the PS5 takes center stage this November. The Games of a Generation Sale runs through October 14, so you have about two weeks to browse the offerings and make your picks.

Ghost of Tsushima is discounted to $45, while the Digital Deluxe edition is down to $55.29. The latter edition comes with extra in-game content, a PS4 theme, and director’s commentary that dives into the historical events that influenced the open-world adventure. It earned a 7/10 in GameSpot’s Ghost of Tsushima review, with editor Edmond Tran praising the combat mechanics and lush environments.

There are a few more PS4 exclusives featured in the sale, including Uncharted: The Lost Legacy for $10 and Nioh’s Complete edition for $15.

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Marvel’s Spider-Man had no shortage of outfits that players could choose from once they were unlocked, and another cinematic costume will soon be added to the webhead’s wardrobe in PS5‘s Spider-Man Remastered.

Based on the costume worn in 2012’s Amazing Spider-Man film, the Amazing Suit is one of three new costumes that will appear in the remaster, although we don’t know what the other two costumes are yet. Featuring many elements that the classic Spider-Man costume has, this suit has a darker blue as the dominant color and larger spider symbols on the front and back.

A more radical departure in style from Spider-Man’s signature suit, this costume would be ruined beyond repair by the end of the first film that starred Andrew Garfield as the web-slinging hero. It was replaced with a more familiar get-up in 2014’s Amazing Spider-Man sequel.

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