Microsoft (NASDAQ: MSFT) has announced that it has halted production of the second-generation PC-compatible Kinect sensors, with the Xbox One variants taking their place.

In a recent post on the Kinect for Windows blog the Redmond-based tech giant has cited “unprecedented demand from the developer community for Kinect sensors” as the main reason for the decision.

The Kinect for Windows v2 model has essentially been folded into the existing Xbox One variant.

The cutoff doesn’t affect developers who already own Windows-compatible v2 Kinects. Microsoft has made it clear that “support for the Kinect for Windows v2 sensor [will] remain unchanged, and [owners] can continue to use their sensors.”

Since it was unable to meet soaring demand, Microsoft utilized a brilliant business tactic by simply nixing a product it couldn’t keep supplying and producing an adapter that effectively makes the Xbox One Kinect equal to the second-gen Kinect for Windows model.

The new adapter allows an Xbox One Kinect to be hooked up to any Windows 8.0 PC or tablet.

The Kinect for Windows adapter retails at $49.99 and allows any Xbox One Kinect to be hooked up to a PC or tablet running Windows 8.0 or 8.1. The USB 3.0 adapter basically acts as an intermediary that bridges the compatibility gap between the Xbox One sensor and PC’s.

Both Kinects are “functionally identical” so the Kinect for Windows SDK 2.0 development suite will be exactly the same.

All that’s really changed is that you now have to shell out an extra $49.99 for the adapter, plus $150 for the sensor itself.

This is a smart move considering Microsoft now has a way to move its stock of unsold Xbox One Kinects. Most gamers have been buying the $349 Kinect-less console option, leading to a surge in supply of the peripheral, and this way the company will be able to funnel that supply over to the demand for PC sensors.

In tandem with the Oculus Rift, NASA used the Kinect v2 to control a robot arm, which could revolutionize off-planet exploration.

Although the Kinect sensor is largely seen as a gimmick in the video games industry, the peripheral has been used by researchers to study asteroids and glaciers, collect forensic crime-scene data, and NASA has even used it to control robots with body movement.

The Kinect can also guide your exercise routine by tracking your heart rate, track your burned calories, and so much more. It can even bring physical therapy to patient’s homes and make PT more rewarding and entertaining.

Since the sensor has a huge potential of practical and theoretical uses, scientists and researchers across the globe are interested in trying it out for themselves.

The Kinect v2 for PC isn’t gone, it’s just been consolidated, and developers will still be able to push the boundaries even further with new techniques.

The post Microsoft Will Stop Producing Kinect For Windows appeared first on VR World.

The shadowy merchant Xur is back again with a fresh batch of exotic wares to peddle in Destiny‘s Tower of Guardians, and he really doesn’t have anything too exciting this time around.

Notable selections from the Agent of the Nine’s weekly inventory include a decent Defender Titan helm, a body armor exotic engram that could drop a Heart of the Praxic Fire for your Sunsinger, and a fantastic Achlyophage Symbiote upgrade with 127 max Discipline.

Xur’s inventory selection for Week 30 lasting from April 3 – 4, 2015.

Other goodies include a decent Crest of Alpha Lupi Titan variant, as well as a ton of weapon upgrade repeats like impressive combo Bad Juju pulse rifle and the Arc-infused Thunderlord machine gun.

As far as location, for Week 30 the interstellar tradesman can be found in one of his usual haunts outside of the Speaker’s quarter.

This week Xur is in the western quadrant of the Tower, outside of the Speaker’s quarters next to the railing.

It looks like Heavy Ammo Synthesis are here to stay, priced at their usual exchange rate of 1SC per stack of five. As far as Telemetry models go, Xur has Pulse Rifle, Fusion Rifle and Rocket Launcher EXP boosters up for grabs for 1SC per five-stack.

Without further adieu let’s jump right into our analysis of Xur’s exotic wares for April 3 (Week 30) and find out if his wares are worth your hard-earned strange coins or not.

“Everything is luminous.”

The Glasshouse – 13 Strange Coins

• Class: Titan (Defender)
• Upgrade Mats: Helium Fragments, Exotic shard (last tier)
• Min Level: 20
• Type: Helmet
• Defense: 407/447
• Intellect: 110/118
• Rain Blows: Increases melee attack speed
• Quintessence Transfer: Replenish Super energy when you kill an enemy with a grenade.
• Bathed in light: Blessing of Light and Weapons of Light last longer.

Should You Buy It?

Yes, if you’re a Defender Titan.

The Glasshouse is a very useful utility-grade exotic that serves a very specific purpose: to boost your Weapons of Light for extra damage. This is particularly useful during raids like the Vault of Glass Aetheron battle or high-level Strikes where high-output damage is key.

The Quintessence Transfer mod is pretty useful too especially if you have the Magnetic Grenade equipped. Basically you’ll get something extra out of kills you’d already be getting thanks to the grenade, and get to use your shield more often.

It’s something that every Defender Titan should have in their arsenal, but it doesn’t replace the Helm of Saint-14 for everyday use. The higher-end Intellect roll is also a nice touch that further boosts your bubble shield recharge.

“Amputated from a creature that stumbled out of a Vex gate. A vestigial defensive reflex still remains.”

Don’t Touch Me – 13 Strange Coins

• Class: Hunter (Any)
• Upgrade Mats: Spinmetal, Exotic shard (last tier)
• Min Level: 20
• Type: Gauntlets
• Defense: 333/366
• Discipline: 77/83
• Special Weapon Loader: Increases reload speed of all Special Weapons.
• Inverse Shadow: Cooldown for Super Ability is reduced by 2.5 seconds per kill of minions of the Darkness.
• Defensive Reflex: Taking damage from a melee attack makes you briefly invisible.

Should You Buy It?

Maybe.

These pair of gauntlets are strictly PVE, so it depends on what kind of character your Hunter is. That being said, this particular exotic is incredibly useful during the first segment of the Crota’s End raid where you’re running blind for the lamps.

Basically every time you get smacked by a Thrall you turn invisible, which pretty much allows you to keep gaining ground without taking too much damage. And considering how many thralls there are to hit you, the part becomes pretty easy to just sneak past.

But Don’t Touch Me aren’t useful as a main item–they’re not going to replace your Mask of the Third Man or Golden Gun-adding Achlyophage Symbiote.

“When one can wield the fire of stars, what use is flesh and bone?”

Sunbreakers – 13 Strange Coins

• Class: Warlock (Sunsinger)
• Upgrade Mats: Helium Filaments Exotic shard (last tier)
• Min Level: 20
• Type: Gauntlets
• Defense: 333/366
• Intellect: 79/85
• Special Weapon Loader: Increases the reload speed of all Special Weapons.
• Serpent’s Tail: Causing damage with a melee reduces your grenade cooldown.
• Helium Cycle: Increase the duration of your Solar Grenade.

Should You Buy It?

Maybe, but there are better Sunsinger class exotics.

The Sunbreakers are good gauntlets for the Sunsinger class, but you have better options like the Heart of The Praxic Fire which makes Radiance incredibly potent. Another better option is the Claws of Dire Ahamkara gauntlets which grant you an extra Scorch charge, meaning you’ll get two opportunities to trigger your Flame Shield.

The Sunbreakers are pretty much a tier three item, and they’re okay, plus the stat roll is in the middle so if you don’t have anything else, go for it. Otherwise keep on the look out for those other items and stick with what you have for now.

“Burn the world. Burn it all.”

Dragon’s Breath – 17 Strange Coins

• Upgrade Mats: Spirit Bloom, Exotic shard (last tier)
• Min Level: 20
• Type: Rocket Launcher
• Damage: 302 (Solar Elemental Damage)
• • Smart Drift Control: Predictable and controllable recoil. Penalty to Velocity.
    • Linear Compensator: More predictable recoil. Slight boost to Velocity and Blast Radius. More recoil.
    • Confined Launch: Greatly reduced recoil. Significant penalty to Velocity.
  • Tripod: This launcher’s tube can hold three shells.
  • Upgrade Damage: Increases Attack Power, allowing this weapon to cause more damage.
  • Quickdraw: This weapon can be drawn unbelievably fast.
    • Javelin: Increases warhead velocity.
    • Heavy Payload: Increases warhead blast radius.
  • Pyromancer :Rounds fired from this weapon leave a Solar Flare upon detonation.

Should You Buy It?

No, save your coin.

The real downside with Dragon’s Breath is that it takes up your exotic weapon slot for a very conditional type of weapon. This rocket launcher is primarily used as a “area denial” solution by leaving a Solar Flare (just like the Warlock’s ability) which delivers damage over time in a specific area.

In PVP you can use it to shoot at an area you want enemies to stay away from, as the explosion leaves behind that damage-dealing flare, pretty much cutting off that particular pathway.

This rocket launcher is curious, and is more for strategic use rather than total annihilation, but it does have a huge blast radius.

Exotic Shard – 7 Strange Coins

Body Armor Exotic Item Engram – 23 Motes of Light

Armor Upgrades

Achlyophage Symbiote (Helmet)

Stellar upgrade here, buy this one if you’re in the market for an upgrade. Achlyophage Symbiote is amazing for all Gunslingers, as that extra Golden Gun shot helps in every single game mode, from PVP to PVE. The extra shot is a constant source of recurring value.

• Cost: 7177 G, 1 Exotic Shard
• Class: Hunter (Gunslinger)
• Light: 30/36
• Discipline: 119/127
• Defense: 407/447

Lucky Raspberry (Chestpiece)

Lower Intellect stat roll, so pass it up. The Lucky Raspberry is a very useful tool that arms you with more rocket and fusion rifle ammo (works with Vex Mythoclast) for PVE raids. Plus you instantly spawn with full grenade energy in PVP. And your Arc-infused grenade’s chain lightning effect stretches further outward, making it a good PVP finisher.

• Cost: 7393 G, 1 Exotic Shard
• Class: Hunter (Bladedancer)
• Light: 30/36
• Intellect: 121/130
• Defense: 444/488

Crest of Alpha Lupi (Chestpiece)

Proper high Intellect stat roll, so upgrade it if you have the extra shard laying around. The item’s worth is conditional, but spawning extra orbs can help out in boss fights as well as taking down Crota on Hard difficulty.

• Cost: 7547 G, 1 Exotic Shard
• Class: Titan (Any)
• Light: 30/36
• Intellect: 148/159
• Defense: 444/488

No Backup Plans (Gauntlets)

Middle tier Strength roll here, so pass it up for now. You don’t want to invest the Exotic Shard and Glimmer cost until you see a fantastic Strength buff. No Backup Plans are pretty useful for Defender Titans, and stack with defense melee skills to make the Force Barrier overshield a powerful extra line of defense.

• Cost: 7759 G, 1 Exotic Shard
• Class: Titan (Defender)
• Light: 30/36
• Strength: 80/86
• Defense: 333/366

Apotheosis Veil (Helmet)

The stat roll here is decent, but with a registered max of 128 Discipline, this particular RNG helmet isn’t anything amazing. The Apotheosis Veil is another conditionally useful item that is best equipped during Raids or other high-stakes activities. It allows the wearer to regenerate health from various triggers.

• Cost: 7013 G, 1 Exotic Shard
• Class: Warlock (Any)
• Light: 30/36
• Discipline: 93/100
• Defense: 407/447

Sunbreakers (Gauntlets)

Another “meh” roll here, so save your Glimmer and shards. We’ve already weighed the value of the Sunbreakers above, and the extra defense boost isn’t worth the cost.

• Cost: 7549 G, 1 Exotic Shard
• Class: Warlock (Sunsinger)
• Light: 30/36
• Intellect: 80/86
• Defense: 333/366

Weapon Upgrades

Bad Juju (Pulse Rifle)

Bungie has just buffed up Pulse Rifles quite a bit in 1.1.1 so now’s a good time as any to upgrade. Bad Juju on its own is pretty damn effective and is a great go-to weapon for Voidwalker Warlocks when used in tandem with the Obsidian Mind helmet. With this combo you’ll get instant reloads and build up your super after kills, and gain more energy from killing Hive enemies thanks to the Obsidian Mind.

You can also use Bad Juju effectively with the Skull of Dire Ahamkara to build some serious super energy.

• Cost: 7019 G, 1 Exotic Shard
• Attack: 302/331 (Kinetic damage)
• Magazine: 24

MIDA Multi-Tool (Scout Rifle)

Upgrade this one. The MIDA Multi-Tool is already amazing, and with extra damage it becomes even more amazing. Essentially it’s a fast-shooting, fast-reloading mid to long-range rifle that empowers you with extra speed when equipped. And the best part is that it gives you a Third Eye that lets you see your radar when you’re scoping down the sights.

• Cost: 7459 G, 1 Exotic Shard
• Attack: 302/331 (Kinetic damage)
• Magazine: 21

Thorn (Handcanon)

Pick this upgrade up. Even when it’s not upgraded Thorn is a very powerful weapon. Sure it’s not as good as the all-star Hawkmoon, but it does the job quite well thanks to its lingering damage and Send It perks. The extra damage is well worth restarting all over again.

Plus there’s even word that Thorn might somehow combo with the Hunter’s Tripmine-boosting Young Ahamkara’s Spine gauntlets

• Cost: 7673 G, 1 Exotic Shard
• Attack: 302/331 (Kinetic damage)
• Magazine: 9

Patience and Time (Sniper Rifle)

Upgrading this one depends on how much you like it. That extra damage boost will come in handy to be sure, and thanks to the active camoflage, the gun is pretty flexible in a variety of situations. Basically it’s the ultimate sniper rifle for stealthy assassins.

• Cost: 7561 G, 1 Exotic Shard
• Attack: 302 / 331 (Arc damage)
• Magazine: 4

Thunderlord (Machine Gun)

Great opportunity to get that extra damage buff on an already amazing machine gun. The Thunderlord is a great go-to weapon in PvP or during Weeklies when Arc Burn is up, and is one of the best heavy machine guns in the game because it packs a powerful punch as well as retains accuracy.

Essentially it combines everything you’d want to see in this type of weapon: power, speedy reloads, and amazing stability. Plus the Lightning Rounds perk makes the gun become more accurate the longer you fire it. Win-win.

• Cost: 7681G, 1 Exotic Shard
• Attack: 302 / 331 (Arc damage)
• Magazine: 38

Super Good Advice (Machine Gun)

Apart from the Arc-infused Thunderlord, Super Good Advice is Destiny‘s other badass machine gun. It returns missed shots to its clip with the Super Good Advice perk, deals bonus damage every time you kill an enemy, packs a Solar-powered wallop, and can reload amazingly fast.

• Cost: 7817 G, 1 Exotic Shard
• Attack: 302 / 331 (Solar damage)
• Magazine: 58

Curios

• Pulse Rifle Telemetry - Stack of 5x per 1 Strange Coin

• Fusion Rifle Telemetry - Stack of 5x per 1 Strange Coin

• Rocket Launcher Telemetry - Stack of 5x per 1 Strange Coin

• Heavy Ammo Synthesis - Stack of 5x per 1 Strange Coin

• Plasma Drive Vehicle Upgrade - 23 Strange Coins

• “Emerald Coil” Vehicle Upgrade - 23 Strange Coins

The post Destiny: Analysis Of Xur’s Exotic Wares For April 3 (Week 30) appeared first on VR World.

2015 is shaping up to be a pretty substantial year for console gaming, with each of the three leading consoles–Wii U, Xbox One and PlayStation 4–receiving a nice variety of titles.

While most games on the list are cross-platform, there are a few timed exclusives as well as console exclusives to boot, and we weigh which games look to be solid hits that gamers are anticipating.

Since the gaming industry is in a sort of creative standstill as far as original content goes, most of the hotly anticipated games are sequels and continuations of popular franchises. To start things off, though, we do have an a rather distinctive indie that’s captured our collective imaginations to redefine what a sci-fi game can be.

No Man’s Sky is one of the most anticipated games in recent memory, bringing a true sense of sci-fi and fantasy with a completely randomized universe.

1. No Man’s Sky

Release Date: TBD (2015)
Publisher: TBA
Developer: Hello Games
Platform: PS4 (timed exclusive), PC, Xbox One?
Genre: Space Sim, Procedural Universe

No Man’s Sky is one of the most impressive looking games in recent memory, taking a huge leap forward in sci-fi space sims.

Developed by indie studio Hello Games, No Man’s Sky soon took the gaming world by storm when it was revealed at Spike’s VGX 2013 showcase. The indie itself is a beyond-massive game that maintains randomized, procedurally-generated universes that are so big gamers could spend months at time exploring them.

“It’s a real place, a real planet. You can walk for days and days, or depending on the size of the planet, weeks and weeks. Players can play for months on end and still never meet,” Hello Games founder Sean Murray said.

Every planet, star system, and galaxy are unique, complete with exotic flora, fauna and bizarre sci-fi secrets hidden deep within every asteroid, sun or moon. Explore regions to snag precious materials and build up your ship, or scrap

To keep things action-packed, gamers can engage in interstellar ship-to-ship dogfights throughout the cosmos. There might even be alliances and warring factions throughout the universe, and enemies will likely be just as randomized as the environments.

The Witcher 3 is the last chapter in CD Projekt RED’s open-world RPG saga, infused with dark fantasy, magic, and medieval swordplay.

2. The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt

Release Date: May 19, 2015
Publisher: WB Games
Developer: CD Projekt RED
Platform:  PS4, Xbox One, PC
Genre: RPG

The Witcher series has always been the premiere dark fantasy RPG, and CD Projekt RED concludes its epic saga with The Wild Hunt.

Few games of this generation tap the raw power and potential of the PlayStation 4 and Xbox One, showcasing a new era of console performance in all areas: graphics, smooth and steady frame-rate performance, sound quality, and everything else.

The Witcher 3 harkens back to what made the previous Witcher RPG games successful while also streamlining combat to a tee, adding in a wealth of new features and content that promises to keep even the die-hard Geralt fans busy for weeks on end.

Boasting over 200 hours of content, players will traverse multiple landmasses and explore regions that are rife with beauty–from rolling plains to frosty mountain ranges–and tackle a huge array of sidequests to build nobility and foster alliances that shape the world around you.

With the Witcher 3 there’s a true sense of epic magic throughout every turn, but the game makes it clear right from the get-go that this isn’t your fairtale world where princes ride off into the sunset: this is a gritty, dark and bloody world filled with murder, death and chaos, and you’re doing what you can to save it.

CD Projekt RED also wants to turn exploitative DLC on its head, and that’s why they’ve decided to pack every game with 16 packs of free add-on content. Plus they’ve done what they can to equalize performance on all systems, trying to put an end to the “console fanboy wars”, assuring that The Witcher 3 is the “same build” across PS4, Xbox One and PC.

The next in the Xenoblade line, the upcoming Wii U exclusive blends classic RPG and sci-fi sentiments for a truly unique JPRG experience.

3. Xenoblade Chronicles X

Release Date: TBD
Publisher: Nintendo
Developer: Monolith Soft
Platform: Wii U (exclusive)
Genre: Open-World RPG

Xenoblade Chronicles X represents the preeminent JRPG experience. It’s the ultimate foray into massive open-world content and stylish, innovative battle mechanics, and marries the worlds of epic fantasy with sci-fi majesty.

Monolith Soft’s indirect sequel remains one of the most anticipated and strong titles the Wii U has to offer this year, culminating in a remarkably vivid experience that’s filled with unique combat, a dazzling array of distinct worlds filled with alien flora and fauna, and a compelling story arc that absorbs players into a new frontier world.

The Wii U exclusive has so much to offer that playtesters have clocked in 300 hours of time with their playthroughs, showing just how huge the game really is.

From extremely dynamic battle sequences to deep character customizations and skill sets, XCX whisks you away to a unique world called Mira where humanity has crash-landed and must begin anew.

It’s up to you as a special BLADE operative to recover lost life force energy for the survivors at New Los Angeles, exploring and charting the strange alien planet and tackling juggernaut enemies along the way. You’re in charge in protecting the last vestige of humanity within this new bizarre frontier world, and when the menacing alien threat returns to finish the species off, it’s your duty to rise up and meet them head on.

Everything about the game looks absolutely enchanting, and it’ll assuredly be one of the strongest JRPG’s released in recent memory.

Halo 5 continues Master Chief’s legendary journey, but splinters off into a cryptic arc that delves into the mystery of the iconic hero.

4. Halo 5

Release Date: October 27, 2015
Publisher: Microsoft Studios
Developer: 343 Industries
Platform: Xbox One (exclusive)
Genre: Shooter

Halo 5 represents a bold new direction for the landmark shooter. Developer 343 Industries has spun a new story arc that weaves in a new protagonist, the ONI Spartan operative Agent Locke, who’s conscripted to search out and find Master Chief.

Set in a more cryptic tone shrouded with mystery and possible treachery, the ONI spy searches across the galaxy for the legendary warrior, who’s become a shadow throughout the years. And when Locke finally catches up to Spartan-117, things get even more confusing, as you can see in the dual trailers below.

As far as mechanics go, 343i has totally rebuilt Halo’s framework to make competitive multiplayer feel decidedly more “next-gen”.

The team has added in 7 new Spartan abilities that every player has access to that range from simple sprinting to dodge-thrusts straight out of CoD: Advanced Warfare and even a lethal, but tricky, ground-pound maneuver.

After playing the Halo 5 beta in January, I have to say that the new changes feel decidedly stylish and intuitive. These mechanics add a whole new layer of depth and strategy to the game, allowing players to tactically plan out maneuvers on-the-fly.

Not much is known about the campaign in terms of mechanics though. While the new trailers certainly sparked our interest in terms of the story, we haven’t seen any actual gameplay footage of the singleplayer mode in action, but we’ll likely see it at E3 2015.

Gamers are still dubious about trusting 343i after the travesty that is The Master Chief Collection, but for now they’ve piqued our interest and managed to build hype, and the game certainly does have its own unique and elusive flair.

Be sure to drop by Halo 5‘s new ARG #HuntTheTruth campaign for tidbits on the game’s story arc, as they’ll likely fall into place as time goes by.

The post Top 10 Most Anticipated Console Games of 2015 appeared first on VR World.

UPDATE: Microsoft has released the second live-action advertisement through the eyes of the Master Chief.

“You’ve completed your mission, Agent Locke. Mine is just beginning.”

If things weren’t any more cryptic or mysterious, it looks like both of the trailers are an endgame scenario that might hint at alternate endings for Halo 5.

Original story is as follows.

In an advertisement during tonight’s episode of The Walking Dead, Microsoft (NASDAQ: MSFT) has announced the Halo 5 release date for October 27, 2015 exclusively for the Xbox One.

Microsoft will be publishing two different live action trailers, one in the perspective of Agent Locke, and the other through the eyes of Master Chief. The footage is part of Halo 5‘s #HuntTheTruth Twitter campaign and showcases plot points from the game’s storyline.

You have only seen 1 of 2 @Halo 5 ads tonight, stay tuned….

— Aaron Greenberg (@aarongreenberg) March 30, 2015

The first trailer release was from the point of view of Agent Locke, the ONI Spartan operative charged with finding Master Chief. Spartan 117’s trailer will be released later tonight, and we’ll be sure to update the post when it goes live.

Locke’s ad is a rather tantalizing live-action trailer that features the ONI agent menacingly chiding a disheveled Master Chief, who sits broken among disastrous ruins. This isn’t a side of the Chief we’ve ever seen before, and it’s strange to see him sit and accept his fate like this.

Locke appears to be sentencing Spartan 117 as a traitor, repeatedly referring to him as a betrayer, revealing key tidbits about the plot to Halo 5: Guardians.

“All hail the conquering hero, the one who was supposed to save us all. But now I must save us, from you.”

The Halo 5 #HuntTheTruth ARG campaign has also received a new update, chronicling another chapter of UNSC war journalist Benjamin Giraud’s investigation into the truth behind the nebulous Master Chief.

It’ll be interesting to see what other details are unearthed in the ARG campaign, and what actually happened to Master Chief’s stalwart resolve.

On a more humorous note, industry veteran Wario64 noticed that 343i actually “revealed” Halo 5‘s launch date during the game’s beta test. The beta was 10.27GB, which matches up with newly revealed release date.

Halo 5 release date was revealed months ago in beta download size. pic.twitter.com/PfdSkpChF7

— Wario64 (@Wario64) March 30, 2015

Halo 5: Guardians is scheduled to release on October 27, 2015 exclusively for the Xbox One.

The post Halo 5 Release Date Is October 27, 2015 on Xbox One appeared first on VR World.

With the recent news of Dragon Age: Inquisition’s Jaws of Hakkon DLC being timed exclusive for Xbox One and PC, gamers are once again at the mercy of the strategic business tactic.

And it’s seriously aggravating the community whose paid good money for their games only to be denied content because they don’t own the competitor’s console.

If you play Dragon Age: Inquisition on PS4, then you’ll have to wait an undetermined amount of time before you get the DLC. EA’s (NASDAQ: EA) signed agreement prevents them from even delivering a timeframe, showing just how far these exclusivity deals can go.

We can not discuss when Jaws of Hakkon will be coming on other platforms

— Mark Darrah (@BioMarkDarrah) March 23, 2015

Instead of creating their own exclusive games for their respective systems, gaming titans like Microsoft (NASDAQ: MSFT) and Sony (NYSE: SNE) have taken to a new game: buying out the rights to have multi-platform games and content come to their consoles first.

The unfortunate future of gaming

Timed exclusivity first manifested itself with Bungie’s huge multi-platform hit Destiny. Sony signed a major deal with Activision (NASDAQ: ATVI) that ensured specific content would be exclusive to PlayStation platforms up until a certain timeframe, punishing Xbox gamers to no end.

Rise of the Tomb Raider is a Xbox One timed exclusive, and no one’s sure when it’ll come to PS4.

Microsoft did the same thing with Rise of the Tomb Raider, snagging a deal with Square Enix (TYO: 9684) and Crystal Dynamics that ensured the game would release first on Xbox consoles. We still don’t know when Rise of the Tomb Raider will release on PlayStation 4.

Sony even went so far as to snag a timed-exclusivity deal over No Man’s Sky once it realized how popular the game is in the gaming community.

Then there’s Titanfall 2, which is coming to the PS4 now that Respawn Entertianment is free of the exclusivity deal it signed with Microsoft for the original Titanfall.

It’s a bad and confusing business tactic in terms of consumer relations, as timed exclusivity ultimately alienates your constituency while also building shaky brand loyalty.

So why do it at all?

No Man’s Sky has gained incredible momentum, and remains one of the most anticipated Sony timed exclusives.

Why embrace timed exclusivity?

Console game exclusives don’t have the big payoff they once did. Back in the days of the original Xbox and PlayStation 2, Microsoft and Sony were both able to fire off a ton of first-party exclusives that helped define their brands. And since the games couldn’t be played anywhere else, it worked.

But in today’s industry, multi-platform games reign supreme and exclusives have taken a backseat. The big AAA hits are more accessible than ever, and you often don’t have to have any one system to play them.

Now that multi-platform is a secure bet, publishers are less-inclined to take the risk of developing a game on a single platform, considering they’d be missing out on the revenue streams from sales across all systems.

Sony and Microsoft’s first-party publishers are reticent as well, as they recognize the dynamic shift for cross-platform consumption as a clear threat to their respective regimes.

Every new exclusive is a gamble, and sometimes they can be multi-million dollar bets that don’t pay off, leading to crumbling sales and over-extending projections.

The post Timed Exclusives Are The Future of Gaming appeared first on VR World.

Batman: Arkham Knight has been delayed again, and Warner Bros. Interactive is now eyeing a finalized release date of June 23, 2015 across all platforms.

The publisher shared the news in a recent Twitter post, revealing that the game has been pushed back three weeks from its original June 2 launch.

We are pleased to announce our new release date – Batman: Arkham Knight will officially launch worldwide on 06.23.15 pic.twitter.com/3XEBhghpK6

— Batman Arkham (@BatmanArkham) March 23, 2015

This new revised date marks the second delay for the final chapter in the caped crusader’s saga, and Rocksteady game director Sefton Hill delivered a public apology on the subject.

Plus we also get a new gameplay trailer, but at this point fans are probably getting wary about further delays, especially the ones who pre-ordered the game and expected it to get their hands on it last year.

So is this new date set in stone and completely finalized? It should be, and judging by the footage it’ll be well worth the wait, but any more delays will test gamers’ patience.

“We’re a developer that hates to make any compromises,” Rocksteady game director Sefton Hill said, “so we are sorry to say this means it’s going to be just a little bit longer until you can play the epic conclusion to the Arkham trilogy.

“As a reward for your patience and understanding, and to make the wait even more unbearable, we are pleased to whet your appetite with a new gameplay video of Batman: Arkham Knight.”

In other news, it looks like Batman: Arkham Asylum and Arkham City are coming to Xbox One and PlayStation 4 as a new remastered bundle.

Sources told both IGN Italy and Videogamer that the collection will be released “around Christmas” and that both games will run in 1080p HD with possible frame-rate buffs.

This hasn’t been officially announced by Warner Bros. Interactive, but it’s not really a surprise considering all of the current-gen remasters floating around.

Batman: Arkham Knight is slated to release on June 23, 2015 across Playstation 4, Xbox One and PC.

The post WB Delays Batman: Arkham Knight Again appeared first on VR World.

The Final Fantasy XV: Episode Duscae demo is here, bringing a small taste of what’s to come in Square Enix’s hugely anticipated and long-awaited open-world RPG.

For the first time in nearly a decade we get to experience the action-oriented combat that the game has to offer, set in an amazing-looking backdrop filled with whimsy and wonder.

We’ve played a good portion of demo itself and chronicled our adventures within Duscae. detailing the basics while underlining the toils and troubles we had along the way. So without further adieu, let’s jump right in! Campfires, male bonding, and epic battles await!

The four main characters of FFXV, from right to left: Prompto Argentum, Gladiolus Amicitia, Prince Noctis Lucis Caelum, and Ignis Stupeo Scientia.

Final Fantasy XV Combat:  Targeting, weapons, MP and more

The fighting sequences in Final Fantasy XV are seamless within the open-world itself, so there’s no battle transitions that lock players into smaller environments like the old-school games. Combat is action-oriented, but it’s not as fluid as, say, Devil May Cry games where you can get away with button-mashing.

That being said you can auto-attack by holding down Square, but you’re going to have to pay attention go what’s going on around you in order to keep out of danger.

The combos in Episode Duscae aren’t your traditional button sequences. Although you do have different moves, they’re not really strung together so much as separately sequenced out. And the game doesn’t really explain how to execute the various types of attacks.

There’s also a Defensive stance that’s activated by holding L1. You can dodge attacks as well as parry while in this stance, and if you hit Square after parrying, you’ll deliver a devastating counterattack.

You can even cross-parry and cross-counter against two enemies at once.

Essentially you get a number of different attacks like Ravage, Vanquish, Crush, Counter and Descend, but you have to experiment to see how to actually do them in battle.

• Ravage - Melee barrage, executed by holding Square for constant attacks

• Crush - Initial assault, activated as the first attack when you press Square

• Vanquish - Lethal Force Strike, executed as the final killing blow on an enemy

• Blood Sword - Counter, activated when you attack after dodging

• Descend - Crushing blow from on high, executed when you attack in air

Once you enact a specific attack like Counter, which is activated when you subsequently land a blow after dodging, the battle status menu will briefly show the attack you just executed.

Players can customize which weapons they want assigned to various attacks, providing tactical strategy against different enemies.

Weapons and attack slots

Noctis has a nice array of weapons that can be mixed and matched in various ways to provide some impressive customized strategic advantage.

Remember those different attack types? Well they’re actually sort of “slots” that weapons can be assigned to. The way it works is that you can, at any time, assign any of the five weapons listed below to the battle stances.

Let’s say you have the Zweihander set in your Descent slot. This means every time you jump attack, you’ll slam down the heavy two-hander that negates defense and has quite a decent range. Also personally I like having my Blood Sword set in my Counter slot so I regain mana every time I dodge-slash.

This setup is quite tactically sound, making for an impressive array of strategem for every single battle, and you can change your loadout at any time and adapt to different enemies.

Plus every weapon has its own unique Technique attack that acts like a sort of special ability, but they tend to drain MP so you’ll want to use them sparingly.

Noctis’ weapons include:

• Avenger – Default blade with no special attacks or abilities, short to mid-range blade

• Wyvern Lance (Dragoon Jump) - MP recovery attack, long reach

• Partisan (Full Thrust) - Critical x3, MP recovery attack, longer reach

• Blood Sword (Drain Blade) - MP recovery attack x 3, Regeneration x2, mid-range blade

• Zweihander (Tempest) - Negates enemy defense, long range, slow wielding

Setting up your weapons to your attack slots is only half of the battle, and the actual combat proper is actually rather…awkward. It’s very much unlike anything we’ve seen in the series to date, despite the fact that it’s action-based like Final Fantasy Type-0.

Targeting and MP system

Final Fantasy XV‘s combat requires a steep learning curve, and to get it just right you’ll have to practice a bit. The real problem is the game’s awkward targeting system which gets kind of crazy when you’re fighting a big group of baddies.

At one point I was fighting a pack of sabertusks when all of a sudden a sortie of magitek troopers dropped in from the night sky. That’s when things started to get out of hand.

The game’s combat system seems like it was built upon 1vs1 style fights, as Noctis can only target one enemy at a time. The key to taking on groups, though, is to switch targets and whittle away HP here and there while trying to focus taking out baddies one at a time.

When you’re fighting a group you’ll need to pay attention to what’s going on around you. You can’t have tunnel vision and fight only one target, you’re going to have to switch targets quite often, dodge, and even warp to higher ground or hide to regenerate MP.

Warping to higher ground is a great way to regenerate MP, which is a significant resource in FF15.

MP is extremely important in Final Fantasy XV, and if you run out, you go into a sort of “staggered” state called Stasis. While in Stasis you can’t use your warp ability, you can’t dodge, nor can you cast techniques.

Dodging is one of the most important things you can do in the game, and you’ll be doing it a lot, but you can’t do it too much, because dodging actually takes MP. That’s right, you need MP in order to dodge.

The only ways to regenerate your MP in battle is to use Noctis’ warp ability to zap to a metal tower, hang there, and replenish your magical energy, or you can hide behind rocks, trees and other outcroppings.

This hinders that fluid, action-packed feel quite a bit, but it also does something quite important and forces players to pay attention and carefully weigh their choices in battle. You can’t just spam Dragoon Jumps or dodge every attack, and like or not you’re going to take a few hits here and there.

So what happens when you get overrun and wiped out?

The neat thing about FF15 is that you don’t “die” when your HP runs out. When you’re knocked out you can still move around–you go into a “Danger” state that’s akin to the Stagger state–and there’s a secondary health bar that can be depleted before you’re K.O.’ed.

When you’re in the Danger state one of your teammates can jump in and Rescue you, and you can always do the same for them, basically adding another level of depth to combat.

The post Final Fantasy XV: Episode Duscae Demo Impressions appeared first on VR World.

Spoiler Warning: Major plot spoilers for Halo 4 are included below. If you haven’t finished the game yet be sure to turn away!

It looks like Cortana will make an appearance in 343 Industries’ new continuation of the sci-fi franchise, Halo 5: Guardians.

Mike Colter, the actor that portrays one of the game’s principal protagonists Agent Locke, name-dropped the iconic AI in a recent interview with IGN.

Although the interview was primarily focused on Colter’s Spartan hero, he mentioned that Cortana will be “involved” in Halo 5 despite the events that unfolded in Master Chief’s previous adventure:

“When he goes into Halo 5, you’ll see him transition into a Spartan, a super soldier. It’s a prominent role within the game. Obviously Master Chief will be involved, Cortana, but Locke will be one of the playable characters in Halo 5.

Now that’s just a brief tiny snippet with no actual substantial info, just what looks like a confirmation that Cortana’s in the game. We don’t know in what capacity, though, and she could easily appear in a flashback sequence on Master Chief’s side.

What we do know, though, is that gamers will see plenty of Commander James Locke during Halo 5‘s multi-faceted campaign. Colter also affirms Locke is here to stay for the forseeable future, and will return in future Halo games as well.

“He’ll have a prominent role. He’s one of the new additions that will be featured throughout the next couple of video games So you’ll see a lot of Commander James Locke.”

That last bit is kind of tricky. Does this mean Locke will replace Master Chief? Can Spartan 117 ever be replaced? Also will Halo 5 be the first game we don’t play as John 117?

I personally don’t think so, and it just won’t be the same without MC at the helm. Then again the franchise has to move forward and our old luck-infused “demon” can’t live forever…and Locke might be the next to carry the Mantle of Responsibility as Halo‘s new flagship icon.

The Halo 5 multiplayer beta test was a rousing success, generating some impressive stats and arming 343 Industries with valuable data.

In other exciting Halo news, executive producer Josh Holmes revealed that Halo 5 will have dedicated servers for everything from online matchmaking to custom games. Holmes confirmed that 343i plans to do away with the peer-to-peer style networking, eliminating the dreaded “host advantage” scenario.

“We only have dedicated servers for MP in Halo 5: Guardians,” Holmes confirmed in a post on the Beyond Entertainment forums. “That’s true for matchmaking AND customs. There is no P2P.”

No one knows exactly what’s in store for Halo fans when Guardians releases exclusively on Xbox One later this year, but everyone’s excited.

The post Cortana Might Be In Halo 5 After All appeared first on VR World.

Developer: Ninja Theory
Publisher: Capcom
Release Date: March 10, 2015
Platform: PlayStation 4 (Reviewed), Xbox One
Genre: Hack n’ Slash, Action
Playtime Length: Middle (~10 hour campaign)
MSRP: $39.99

Disclaimer: A digital PS4 copy of the game was provided by the publisher for the DmC Definitive Edition review.

Ninja Theory’s DmC: Definitive Edition might be the most purely fun PlayStation 4 game I’ve played so far simply because it doesn’t try to be anything other than a good Devil May Cry game.

It’s not pretentious, it doesn’t try to bore you with a winding story arc, nor does it push new mechanics onto the player: it sticks to its original guns by harking back to the authentic and stylish dark mayhem that built the franchise.

The hack-and-slash action is made all the more riotous thanks to the new 60 frames-per-second update, which assures every combo is supercharged with lightning-fast responsiveness.

Every second matters in games like these, and with this upgraded port, players are able to make use of every extra millisecond to wreak total chaos with Dante’s devilish powers.

Although the game is a straightforward remaster in terms of content, it does toss in a nice handful of extras to make the meal all the more enticing.

Vergil’s Downfall, an extra DLC-style extension that chronicles the story of Dante’s brother, bolsters the original campaign mode and lets you tap Vergil’s katana-wielding style of combat.

Other additions include being able to customize how Dante looks during the campaign–particularly useful if you really hate Dante’s new appearance–along with an incredibly fun Turbo Mode that doubles the game’s speed.

If you’re a hardcore combo-stringer that’s looking for a serious challenge, the Definitive Edition has you covered with no less than five new difficulty modes like Gods Must Die or the uber relentless Hell and Hell mode, which makes Dante die from a single hit.

One of the more significant additions is the ultra-survival Bloody Palace mode that’s unlocked when you beat the game. In this timed high-score mode you’re swarmed by endless waves of enemies who are hellbent on annihilating you from existence. The Bloody Palace can be played as either Vergil or Dante, and serves as an excellent way to refine your stylish combo-building skills.

Ninja Theory’s prequel has a pretty strong story that seamlessly delves into the origins of Dante and Vergil, tying in a nice webwork of myth and demonology into the mix as well.

It turns out that Dante is a nephalim–that is part demon and angel–and is the fruits of the union between his father, a demon named Sparda, and his mother, the angelic Eve. Their union broke immortal mandates and both Eve and Sparda were sentenced harshly, but Dante and his brother Vergil were freed.

Being a nephalim has all kinds of advantages, and they manifest quite creatively within the game. As a devil-hunter Dante can cross-over to Limbo, a kind of vibrant and colorful bizarro-universe where nasty demons and corrupt chaos reigns supreme, as well as wield weapons infused with demonic and angelic power.

Combat is elegant, fluid and incredibly stylish. Every combo is enthralling and empowers you to really feel your role as a devil-hunter and develop your ass-kicking prowess along the way.

The real beauty of combat is how dynamism of the attacks ensure you can make your own customized combos, pretty much letting you string together a near-infinite flurry of explosive chaos the way you see fit. Being able to define your own style has always been a hallmark of the series and its in full force in the DmC: Definitive Collection.

Dante has quite a varied arsenal this time around that makes every single battle much more layered and tactically strategic.

Since Dante is a nephalim, he has angelic and demonic weapons that can be switched on the fly by holding LT and RT respectively. Each set has its own unique set of abilities and moves, plus you’ll have to mix and match to take out certain enemies like the harpy, whose shields are weak against angelic attacks.

Angelic weapons include the sweeping scythe Osiris and the dual-wielding Aquila, which can be thrown at a distance or used to slice and dice weaker baddies. The trick is you can only have one angelic item equipped at a time, but you can switch between these on the fly

The other half consists of demon-powered tools like the fiery fists of Eryx (super useful for uppercutting and launching enemies in the air) and the powerful slow Arbiter axe that takes whole chunks out of demons’ life bars.

Dante’s immortally iconic Rebellion sword and Ebony and Ivory handguns are in the mix too, making for an expansive arsenal that can be tapped to deal with a wide variety of situations and bosses.

To me, the best part about combat is how Dante can use his devil or angel chains to yank enemies forward for some punishing destruction, or to sling across levels like an inter-dimensional Spider-Man.

With the chains you can dish out severe havoc on a baddie, fling them away with a crushing blow, and then just pull them right back for more pain. This is essential for chaining together those stylish combos and serves as a major advantage against certain enemies like the hulking Tyrant.

Having so many weapons and abilities might sound like too much to handle, but Ninja Theory remedies this with their amazingly balanced control scheme, making sure you never get overwhelmed.

Gameplay is masterfully paced in such a way you’re not too strong or too weak at any given time. Also the better you perform in-game–high combo strings, finding collectibles, etc–determines your overall grade, netting you extra skill points and the like.

The real beauty behind the game’s pacing formula is that it creates a distinct sense of accomplishment after ever level, dishing out tangible rewards and practical bonuses along the way.

Dante still racks up red orbs to spend at angel statues for helpful items to restore health, boost his Devil Trigger super, or even revive him once he’s been slain–but the progression ins’t just about orbs and items, it also perfectly punctuates boss fights and level completion by granting a brand new weapon.

DmC‘s bosses are exceptionally creative and deserve a nod, too.

From the grotesque foul-mouthed succubus that taints the world’s favorite Coca-Cola-like soft-drink with nasty chemicals to Raptor News’ Bob Bargas that attacks players as a giant digital head, the bosses are amazingly fun and provide a nice throwback to those methodical battles of old.

Something has to be said about the game’s amazingly bizarre world of Limbo, which manifests as a literal playground for demon overlords. There’s a distinct sense of otherworldly chaos pulsing within the heart of this dimensional rift, and it’s not the dark, blood-red universe we’ve seen before.

Instead Limbo is represented as a quite colorful and eerily beautiful sort of acid-trip with a true sense of artistic flair, providing a feast for the eyes at every turn. Vergil’s Downfall taps the mystical eldritch style of the between-world quite well, showcasing a universe that tethers the very fabric of reality within its scintillating colors.

Conclusion: The Devil You Know

With the DmC: Definitive Edition, Ninja Theory has refined the game’s rough edges and creating a shining example of what all remasters should be. Tossing in a bunch of extra DLC and modes is a must, but the real substance lies with the new frame rate enhancements that make every millisecond count even further.

This is the type of game you can extensively replay over and over again even after you beat it simply because of it’s proven fun-inducing formula.

Every moment spent in Dante’s stylish boots is enjoyable, and it’s a game that goes exceedingly well when complimented by other styles in a game library, providing an excellent foray when you’re in the mood for something stylish and chaotic.

Capcom’s DmC re-release is a perfect fit for long-time Devil May Cry fans and new players alike, melding everything that made the franchise so damned addictive with a fresh new storyline and a huge armament of stylish weapons.

The post DmC Definitive Edition Review: Dante’s Inferno appeared first on VR World.

Since it was announced last year, EA hasn’t revealed very much about the new Star Wars: Battlefront reboot; we’ve gotten a teaser trailer, some concept art, and a Holiday 2015 release window. But that’s all about to change.

Electronic Arts today revealed that they’ll be blowing the lid of off the new Battlefront game during the official Star Wars Celebration held in Anaheim, California this April.

“We’re thrilled to share that Star Wars Battlefront will be taking part in Star Wars Celebration next month in Anaheim, CA from April 16-19.

“We could not think of a better or more appropriate place to debut the game officially for the first time than the premier event that celebrates the Star Wars universe and the legions of fans who have fallen in love with it.”

As for the reveal, we’ll likely see a press conference consisting of gameplay footage (maybe live action), an on-stage breakdown on what to expect from the game itself, and maybe even a finalized release date. DICE may even host a few panels at the event to talk about Battlefront’s development followed up by possible Q&A sessions.

Additionally a recent Tweet from DICE confirms that Battlefront will only be available on next-gen consoles and PC.

@KyleHackley Star Wars Battlefront will be available holiday 2015, on Xbox One, PlayStation 4 and PC.

— EAStarWars (@EAStarWars) March 19, 2015

Holding a reveal at the convention is a pretty ingenious tactic, considering everyone who attends the venue are die-hard Jedi fanatics who look forward to more new and unique games set in their beloved universe.

Also the event looks pretty promising seeing as Jedi Knight Mark Hamill, renown princess Carrie Fisher and the Sith Emperor himself Ian McDiarmid will all be in attendance.

J.J. Abrams, the director of The Force Awakens, will also be hosting an exciting early morning panel so we might get a few hints and tidbits about the upcoming movie as well.

Star Wars Battlefront has a tentative release window of Holiday 2015 across PlayStation 4, Xbox One and PC.

The post New Star Wars Battlefront Reveal Coming Next Month appeared first on VR World.

Destiny‘s infamous starbound broker is back again at the Tower for another week of exotic goods, and this time around he’s toting one of the most powerful pulse rifles in the entire universe: the popular (and quite bloody) Red Death.

Other goodies include a decent roll on the efficient Striker-specific Insurmountable Skullfort plus some nifty Claws of Ahamkara for Sunsingers who enjoy spamming Flame Shield as much as possible. As far as upgrades, our shadowy distributor has laid out super impressive stat rolls on both Mask of the Third Man (a Blandedancer’s best friend) and Helm of Saint-14 (a Defender’s best friend) as well as a 160 Intellect max roll on the Lucky Raspberry.

The snazzy Hard Light auto-rifle joins the arsenal of weapon upgrades, accompanied by the Universal Remote, the ultra-stealthy active-camo-inducing Patience and Time sniper , and others.

Plus Xur has ammo syntheses again! Hope this becomes a regular thing–and I can’t be alone on this.

For Week 27 the fleeting vendor can be found downstairs in the Tower, past the Crucible headmasters and right next to the Vanguard handlers. He’s been known to show up here from time to time, and you shouldn’t have any problem finding the purveyor of fine goods.

Without further adieu let’s jump into our analysis of Xur’s exotic wares for 3/13 (Week 27):

“BRAINVAULT Sigma-ACTIUM-IX Cranial Dreadnought (Invincible Type)”

An Insurmountable Skullfort (Helmet) – 13 Strange Coins

• Class: Titan (Striker)
• Upgrade Mats: Relic Iron, Exotic shard (last tier)
• Min Level: 20
• Type: Helmet
• Defense: 407/447
• Discipline: 101/108
• Infusion: Replenishes health each time you pick up an Orb of Light.
• Impact Induction: Causing damage with a melee reduces your grenade cooldown.
• Improved Transfusion: Kills with Storm Fist immediately trigger health regeneration. You also respawn with full Melee energy.

Should You Buy It?

Yes, if you’re a Titan Striker.

First this Insurmountable Skullfort sports a good stat roll at 101 Discipline–it’s not great, but it’s still good. Secondly the helm has uses in both PVP and PVE, which makes a good utility item.

In the Crucible the full Discipline stat helps boost your effectiveness with grenades, and as any Striker worth their salt knows, the Titan’s Lightning Grenade tends to wreck–especially when it’s specced with Aftershocks and used in conjunction with Fists of Havoc’s Aftermath talent.

Spawning with Storm Fist at the ready is already awesome, but you’ll also trigger cooldown reduction of your ultra-powerful Lightning Grenade–and get some health back when you defeat an enemy with your melee attack. Double synergy.

In PVE you’ll get bits of health by picking up orbs which adds a nice insurance policy in the Crota’s End raid. The Improved Transfusion stat is immensely helpful because you’ll also get some HP back when you do Shoulder Charge, too.

“You can see the point, right? Who wants to team up with one?”

Knucklehead Radar (Helmet) – 13 Strange Coins

• Class: Hunter (Any)
• Upgrade Mats: Helium Filaments, Exotic shard (last tier)
• Min Level: 20
• Type: Helmet
• Defense: 407/447
• Strength: 98/105
• Light the Blade: Causing damage with a grenade reduces your melee cooldown.
• Inverse Shadow: Increased Super energy gained from killing minions of the Darkness.
• Sensor Pack: Radar remains visible while aiming primary weapons.

Should You Buy It?

Maybe.

Decent-ish stat roll here, and although the Knucklehead Radar lets you see your radar when scoped into your primary weapon, it’s still a conditional kind of item that doesn’t deliver results like the Gunslinger-specific Achlyophage Symbiote or the Bladedancer’s friend Mask of the Third Man.

It does generate super energy pretty fast when killing Hive, and you can switch your subclasses without losing any specific buffs, so there’s that. Plus the radar effect is super helpful when you’re in PvP and doubly better when you use shotguns and camp around corners, but all in all it seems a kind of so-so item.

“Look at all this life, oh bearer mine. There is so much left to burn…”

Claws of Ahamkara (Gauntlets) – 13 Strange Coins

• Class: Warlock (Any)
• Upgrade Mats: Helium Filaments, Exotic shard (last tier)
• Min Level: 20
• Type: Gauntlets
• Defense: 333/366
• Discipline: 52/55
• Strength: 56/60
• Special Weapon Loader: Increases the reload speed of all Special Weapons.
• Snap Discharge: Increases melee attack speed.
• The Whispers: Gain an additional charge for Scorch and Energy Drain.

Should You Buy It?

Yes, if you’re a Sunsinger.

Although these gauntlets technically work for both classes, they work best for Sunsingers simply because you can, as users put it “abuse the hell out of the Flame Shield” ability. Basically you get an extra Scorch charge, meaning you get two chances to activate your Flame Shield to protect you in PVP.

The Heart of the Praxic Fire should be your first choice, but these gloves amplify a nice defense measure for Sunsingers, plus you get to reload your shotguns, sniper rifles and fusion rifles faster.

If you’re a Voidwalker, you need to use different exotic gear like the Skull of Dire Ahamkara or the Obsidian Mind instead.

“Vanguard policy urges Guardians to destroy this weapon on sight.”

Red Death (Pulse Rifle) – 25 Strange Coins

• Class: Any
• Upgrade Mats: Helium Filaments, Exotic shard (last tier)
• Min Level: 20
• Attack: 302 / 331 (Kinetic damage)
• Magazine: 27
• Type: Pulse Rifle
• Accurized Ballistics: More range and impact. Increased recoil.
  • Aggressive Ballistics: More predictable recoil. Enhanced impact. Shorter range and more recoil.
  • Field Choke: More range and impact. Increased recoil.
• Unflinching: It’s easier to aim under fire using this weapon.
• Snapshot: Aiming this weapon is incredibly fast.
  • High Caliber Rounds: Oversize rounds built to stagger targets and leave them reeling.
  • Single Point Sling: Switch weapons faster. Move quicker while aiming.
• Red Death: Each kill heals you and speeds up reloads.

Should You Buy It?

Yes, yes you should.

Bungie just boosted Pulse Rifle damage and performance with a new update, making the Red Death even more lethal. But what makes it so good?

Basically the gun makes you into a vampire of sorts.

With every successive kill, you get some health and also get a reloading boost, making a kind of destructive synergy that fuels the flow of battle quite well. The Unflinching mod helps with this flow by reducing the annoying flinch that’s incurred when you’re shot, letting you aim much more effectively while under fire.

Because of this the Red Death has been rightfully called the best Pulse Rifle in the entire game.

So aiming is faster, you don’t flinch as much while you’re getting shot while aiming, and you heal and reload faster when you kill someone. Now that everyone is going to have a Red Death in their arsenal, the Crucible is going to be positively ridiculous.

Outside of PVP, the Red Death is a godsend for players trying to tackle the Crota’s End raid on Hard. Since there’s no Chalice, you can now regen life thanks to this helpful pulse rifle, improving the odds quite a bit.

Exotic Shard – 7 Strange Coins

Exotic Helmet Engram – 23 Motes of Light

Armor Upgrades

Mask of the Third Man (Helmet)

Fantastic stat roll here, so if you need to upgrade your vanilla version now’s the best time to do it. This one is a great choice for Bladedancers who love to cut swathes through enemies with their super attack in PVP, and you’ll even net some extra health from orbs along the way, making it a good PVE helm during raids.

• Cost: 7207 G, 1 Exotic Shard
• Class: Hunter (Bladedancer)
• Light: 30/36
• Intellect: 113/122
• Defense: 407/447

Lucky Raspberry (Chestpiece)

Astounding Intellect stat roll here, so upgrade it if you can. The Lucky Raspberry is a very useful tool that arms you with more rocket and fusion rifle ammo (works with Vex Mythoclast) for PVE raids. Plus you instantly spawn with full grenade energy in PVP. Plus your Arc-infused grenade’s chain lightning effect stretches further outward, making it a good PVP finisher.

• Cost: 7393 G, 1 Exotic Shard
• Class: Hunter (Bladedancer)
• Light: 30/36
• Intellect: 149/160
• Defense: 444/488

Helm of Saint-14 (Helmet)

If you happen to be a Defender Titan and don’t have this one upgraded, you need to do so asap. The max 124 Intellect is very high, plus you get that snazzy defense boost to boot. This particular helmet is a must-have for all Defenders, which pretty much makes their bubble shields into offensive weapons that are useful in all modes of play.

• Cost: 7841 G, 1 Exotic Shard
• Class: Titan (Defender)
• Light: 30/36
• Intellect: 116/124
• Defense: 407/444

Helm of Inmost Light (Helmet)

Low Strength roll here, and you always want to wait until you see a great stat roll before you upgrade, considering it’s going to cost you 7.4K Glimmer as well as an Exotic Shard. Either way this particular helm is a superb choice for Strikers who want to unleash as much havoc as they can with their super attack, making it an advantageous bit of armor for PvP.

I’d still hold off for a better stat roll though.

• Cost: 7451 G, 1 Exotic Shard
• Class: Titan (Striker)
• Light: 30/36
• Strength: 89/96
• Defense: 407/447

Light Beyond Nemesis (Helmet)

Stellar max Strength roll here, and Light Beyond Nemesis is a good helm to use when you’re on a raid. It’s a very conditional sort of item so I don’t think you need to upgrade unless your current version has low stats or if you really want the extra defense.

• Cost: 7159 G, 1 Exotic Shard
• Class: Warlock (Voidwalker)
• Light: 30/36
• Strength: 117/126
• Defense: 407/447

Sunbreakers (Gauntlets)

Low Intellect stat roll, and the odds are your pair have better numbers, pass it up for now. The Sunbreakers are great for the Sunsinger class, making your solar grenades last longer, and can be paired up with the Pocket Infinity to do some serious damage in PvP.

• Cost: 7549 G, 1 Exotic Shard
• Class: Warlock (Sunsinger)
• Light: 30/36
• Intellect: 87/93
• Defense: 333/366

Weapon Upgrades

Hard Light (Auto Rifle)

Good chance to upgrade here, as we hardly ever see this gun in Xur’s inventory. The Hard Light rifle is noted for its high-capacity magazine with 40 rounds at a high rate of fire, making it a great solution for crowd control. Sadly it was hit hard by Bungie’s recent auto rifle nerfs in the 1.1.1 update.

• Cost: 7669 G, 1 Exotic Shard
• Attack: 302/331 (Kinetic damage)
• Magazine: 40

Red Death (Pulse Rifle)

Really no need to buy this one considering Xur is selling an upgraded version for coin. If you don’t happen to have the 25 Strange Coins to pick it up the other way, you can go this route–either way you’ll be getting an upgraded and clean gun that’s noted as the best pulse rifle in the entire game–and for good reason.

• Cost: 7669 G, 1 Exotic Shard
• Attack: 302/331 (Kinetic damage)
• Magazine: 27

Universal Remote (Shotgun)

Even if you absolutely love shotguns, this really isn’t worth upgrading. Sure you’ll get the extra damage boost, but chances are if you love shotguns, you’ve already heavily invested in upgrading and filling out the gun’s mods. Stick with your old outdated shotty and focus on maxing out some primaries or picking up powerful gear.

• Cost: 7027 G, 1 Exotic Shard
• Attack: 302/331 (Kinetic damage)
• Magazine: 5

Plan C (Fusion Rifle)

Another great upgrade for an already impressive gun. The Plan C is one of my favorite weapons simply because it’s so dependable in just about any situation, and it completely wrecks when Arc Burn is active. It fires very fast and has a superlative charge rate, which is pretty much the bane of fusion rifles everywhere. That damage boost is worth the upgrade, even if you’ve maxed your version out.

• Cost: 7187 G, 1 Exotic Shard
• Attack: 302/331 (Arc damage)
• Magazine: 5

Patience and Time (Sniper Rifle)

Upgrading this one depends on how much you like it. That extra damage boost will come in handy to be sure, and thanks to the active camoflage, the gun is pretty flexible in a variety of situations. Basically it’s the ultimate sniper rifle for stealthy assassins.

• Cost: 7561 G, 1 Exotic Shard
• Attack: 302/331 (Arc damage)
• Magazine: 4

Truth (Rocket Launcher)

Pass this by. Truth has some interesting mods, and it can help in Nightfall when Void Burn is active, but you really don’t need the extra damage so much. Focus instead on your primary weapons and gear, as mentioned above.

• Cost: 7039 G, 1 Exotic Shard
• Attack: 302/331 (Void damage)
• Magazine: 2

Curios

• Scout Rifle Telemetry - Stack of 5 per 1 Strange Coin
• Machine Gun Telemetry - Stack of 5 per 1 Strange Coin

• Rocket Launcher Telemetry - Stack of 5 per 1 Strange Coin

• Emerald Coil Vehicle Upgrade - 23 Strange Coins

• Void Drive Vehicle Upgrade - 23 Strange Coins

• Heavy Ammo Synthesis - Stack of 5 per 1 Strange Coin

The post Destiny: Analysis of Xur’s Exotic Wares For 3/13 (Week 27) appeared first on VR World.

Creative Assembly, the dev studio that brought us the amazing sci-fi thriller Alien: Isolation, is working on another big multi-platform game.

The news was gleaned from a new job listing posted up by the studio (originally spotted by Z-Giochi) that outright says they’re “creating another multi-platform AAA blockbuster” and lists the platforms as PS4, Xbox One and PC.

“We are seeking an talented programmer has thorough experience developing a range of online features. We are creating another multi-platform AAA blockbuster and the successful applicant will be part of a team which allows our game experience to be shared.”

Since the official job listing is for an “Online Multiplayer Programmer” it’s a safe bet that Creative Assembly’s new in-development title will feature an online-based component, possibly PvE style co-op modes or even a competitive PvP gametype.

VideoGamer spotted a secondary job listing which calls for a “talented programmer who lives and breathes graphics tech”, which hints that their new game might call for a new graphics engine–or maybe a new peripheral altogether.

“We are creating another multi-platform AAA blockbuster and the successful applicant will be part of a very talented engine team working at the cutting edge of interactive graphics technology.”

Could the new game embrace VR tech? Maybe we’ll see Creative Assembly’s next AAA title on Valve’s new Vive VR headset, or maybe prototyped on Sony’s (NYSE: SNE) Project Morpheus? And let’s not forget Microsoft’s (NASDAQ: MSFT) own VR-ready Hololens headset, which acts as the Xbox One’s virtual reality hardware.

VideoGamer also suggests that the new game might be a sequel to Alien: Isolation, citing that Creative Assembly’s lead designer Gary Napper says that “the plot for a sequel is a daily topic in the studio”.

We have no clue what Creative Assembly is working on next, but could we hear an official announcement at E3 2015 in June? I personally hope it’s a sequel, but a co-op component could be iffy, considering a lot of Alien: Isolation‘s suspense is a very intimate thing indeed.

Source: Z-Giochi

Via: VideoGamer, PC Gamer

The post Creative Assembly Working On New Multi-Platform AAA Game appeared first on VR World.

Our favorite intergalactic peddler is back again to clean out our Strange Coin coffers with a batch of new shiny exotics and curios to power our exploits throughout the cosmos.

This week, Week 26, has proven to be pretty special because the Nine have finally decreed that the trade embargo on Heavy Ammo Synetheses has been lifted. That’s right, Xur finally has those long-awaited ammo boosters up for sale, at the same 1 Strange Coin per 5x stack exchange rate we know and love.

Be sure to fill up while you can. For those of you that are satisfied with your gear already, you might just want to shell out your entire SC wallet on synetheses. We never know when Xur’s going to have them again.

This time around Xur can be found in the hanger, in his usual haunt downstairs underneath the Future War Cult representative and right next to the Shipwright.

As far as items go, he’s got a rather badass Helm of Saint-14 up for grabs, which is incredible for Defender Titans, and the game’s most badass all-in-one rifle, the legendary Ice Breaker, returns to the scene for 17 Strange Coins. I’m sure most of you already have it but if not now’s a good chance to join the club.

When it comes to armor upgrades, Xur has a nice helping of goodies on-hand, including a superb roll on the Bladedancer’s Mask of the Third Man helmet as well as a great Light Beyond Nemesis Warlock hat to boot.

Weapons see upgradable versions of the ultra-handy MIDA  Multi-Tool, Suros Regime, Bad Juju and even the super powerful Gjallarhorn solar rocket launcher. If you own a vanilla version of any of these now’s a good time to boost their damage.

In any case, here’s the full analysis and breakdown of our analysis of Xur’s exotic wares for 3/6 (Week 26):

“He walked out into the demon light. But at the end he was brighter.” — Paean to Saint-14

Helm of Saint-14 (Helmet) – 13 Strange Coins

• Class: Titan (Defender)
• Upgrade Mats: Relic Iron, Exotic shard (last tier)
• Min Level: 20
• Type: Helmet
• Defense: 407/447
• Intellect: 106/114
• Rain Blows: Increases melee attack speed.
• Inverse Shadow: Increased Super energy gained from killing minions of the Darkness.
• Starless Night: Your Ward of Dawn blinds enemies who enter it.

Should You Buy It?

Maybe. If you’re a Defender Titan and you haven’t got one of these helms already, then you really want to pick it up.

This is a great roll with a base of 106 Intellect, and the helmet itself is pretty much a Defender Titan’s best friend, as it literally blinds enemies who step into your bubble shield. This is tremendously useful regardless if you use Weapons of Light to do enhanced damage or Blessing of Light to boost your shields, and literally makes the bubble shield an offensive weapon.

I can’t tell you how many times I’ve saved myself and the lives of my teammates by blinding nearby enemies–basically it’s like a huge flashbang went off right in front of their face, and it works every time they enter, regardless if they just ran out and ran back in again.

This helm adds in a huge layer of tactical advantage that can seriously turn the tide of any tough battle. Highly recommend this for any Titan, because you might want to try the Defender class out later on.

Plus if you picked up the No Backup Plans gauntlets that were sold last week, you can switch between these two items for maximum proficiency as a Defender.

“Give me your arm, oh bearer mine. Let me help you fill the world with teeth.”

Young Ahamkara’s Spine (Gauntlets) – 13 Strange Coins

• Class: Hunter (Gunslinger)
• Upgrade Mats: Spinmetal, Exotic shard (last tier)
• Min Level: 20
• Type: Helmet
• Defense: 333/366
• Discipline: 91/98
• Special Weapon Loader: Increases reload speed of all Special Weapons.
• Ashes to Asset: Increases the amount of Super energy when you kill an enemy with a grenade.
• Improved Tripmine Grenade: Tripmine grenades last longer when placed.

Should You Buy It?

Maybe.

This one is very conditional. The stat roll isn’t too good, but these gauntlets have a neat purpose and make your laid trip mines last for quite some time. They are most useful in PvP where tripmines can afford serious tactical advantage by sort of corralling enemies, or just laying defensive explosives around zone points.

So if you have max Discipline for grenades you’ll be spawning tripmines more often, and with this pair of gloves your mines will last longer and longer.

Plus every grenade kill you score feeds your super energy, and when used in tandem with the Unyielding Casque Hunter raid helm, you’ll get even more super power during grenade kills and even boost your melee cooldowns when doing damage with a tripmine.

There’s also word that it combos well with Thorn, but I can’t see any real relation other than the possible lingering damage mod. Maybe you shoot with thorn, poison the enemy, and corral then into a tripmine to finish them off?

Also the gauntlets look pretty badass when equipped.

“Reality is the finest flesh, oh bearer mine. And are you not…hungry?”

Skull of Dire Ahamkara (Helmet) – 13 Strange Coins

• Class: Hunter (Gunslinger)
• Upgrade Mats: Helium Filaments Exotic shard (last tier)
• Min Level: 20
• Type: Helmet
• Defense: 407/447
• Intellect: 94/101
• Energy Projection: Increases grenade throw distance.
• Quintessence Transfer: Replenish Super energy when you kill an enemy with a grenade.
• Delusions of Grandeur: You take reduced damage while using your Nova Bomb. Your siphon abilities are also improved.

Should You Buy It?

Yes, if you’re a Voidwalker Warlock.

In conjunction with the right talents and perks, this helmet will speed up and actively fuel Nova Bomb generation to the point where you’re spamming explosive balls of fury much more often than normal.

You’ll want to have Soul Rip and Embrace the Void activated so that your Energy Drain is specced to reduce the Nova Bomb’s cooldown, then you’ll get the synergized bonus from the helm. You can also use the Bad Juju pulse rifle to help charge your super attack after each kill, although it’s not as effective as when combo’ed with the Obisidian Mind helmet.

Plus like the other Ahamkara item, it looks pretty snazzy when equipped. It’s sheer utility value outweighs the mid-range stat roll, too.

Ice Breaker (Sniper Rifle) – 17 Strange Coins

• Class: Any
• Upgrade Mats: Spirit Bloom, Exotic shard (last tier)
• Min Level: 20
• Attack: 302 / 331 (Solar elemental damage)
• Magazine: 6
• Type: Sniper Rifle
• No Backpack: Cannot be reloaded. Regenerates ammo over time.
• Mulligan: Missing a shot has a chance to return ammo directly to the magazine.
• Quickdraw: This weapon can be drawn unbelievably fast.
• Ice Breaker: Ice Breaker’s victims spontaneously combust, dealing damage to others nearby.

Should you buy it?

YES. 

Ice Breaker is a must-have, I repeat, must-have item for any Guardian. It is one of the most useful items in the entire game, and delivers on all fronts: damage, accuracy, dependability, and just about any other quantifiable measure you can think of.

The beauty of this gun is that it has infinite ammo, but it only has a six-shot magazine. The ammo slowly replenishes over time, about one bullet per 4-5 seconds, and you can’t pick up special weapon ammo packs to refill it.

Essentially it refills its rounds, not its magazine.

It’s a bit strange using the gun at first, but it truly is one of the most powerful items in the game. While it’s mostly effective against Solar shields (you really won’t do much against an Arc shield), headshots against broken-shielded enemies are incredibly devastating–in the 6k+ damage range.

If you only have 17 Strange Coins, pick this up. You don’t want to pass on this one.

Exotic Shard - 7 Strange Coins

Exotic Chestpiece Engram* – 23 Motes of Light

*Since there are a tons of exotic chestpieces like the Heart of Praxic Fire, Voidfang Vestments, The Armamentarium or even the Lucky Raspberry, you should buy as many as these as you can.

Armor Upgrades

Achlyophage Symbiote (Helmet)

Bad roll on an expensive upgrade, so I’d say pass it up, especially if you upgraded it last week. The extra defense isn’t worth wiping out your current version–unless, maybe, you just got it and it’s clean. It’s true the Achlyophage Symbiote is amazing for all Gunslingers, as that extra Golden Gun shot helps in every single game mode, but hold off for now.

Chances are Xur will have a better roll next week, considering this helmet has been up for two weeks in a row now.

• Cost: 7177 G, 1 Exotic Shard
• Class: Hunter (Gunslinger)
• Light: 30/36
• Discipline: 97/104
• Defense: 407/447

Mask of the Third Man (Helmet)

This is a pretty decent Intellect roll (just 2 points shy of last week’s) so you should consider going with the upgrade.

Mask of the Third man goes great for PvP Bladedancers who love to wreak havoc in the ring. You’ll generate more super charge more quickly, and be sure to use the Encore talent with the helmet equipped for even more tactical advantage.

• Cost: 7207 G, 1 Exotic Shard
• Class: Hunter (Bladedancer)
• Light: 30/36
• Intellect: 116/125
• Defense: 407/447

Helm of Inmost Light (Helmet)

Semi-decent Strength roll here, but you always want to wait until you see a great stat roll before you upgrade, considering it’s going to cost you 7.4K Glimmer as well as an Exotic Shard. Either way this particular helm is a superb choice for Strikers who want to unleash as much havoc as they can with their super attack, making it an advantageous bit of armor for PvP.

I’d still hold off for a better stat roll though.

• Cost: 7451 G, 1 Exotic Shard
• Class: Titan (Striker)
• Light: 30/36
• Strength: 100/107
• Defense: 407/447

An Insurmountable Skullfort (Helmet)

A better Discipline stat roll than last week’s abysmal rate, so there’s that.

The Insurmountable Skullfort is pretty useful in a variety of situations across both PvE and PvP, seeing as you can grab extra bits of health recovery from teammates’ spawned orbs (great in a raid situation). Plus you spawn with full melee energy giving you quick explosion of Arc damage via Storm Fist (extremely helpful when Arc Burn is up) and you’ll also regen health when you kill with that particular lightning punch.

Also the straight Discipline buff synergizes very well with Lightning Grenades stacked with Aftermath and Aftershock talents. a variety of uses.

• Cost: 7283 G, 1 Exotic Shard
• Class: Titan (Striker)
• Light: 30/36
• Discipline: 95/102
• Defense: 407/447

Light Beyond Nemesis (Helmet)

Stellar Strength stat roll here, and Light Beyond Nemesis is a good helm to use when you’re on a raid. It’s a very conditional sort of item so I don’t think you need to upgrade unless your current version has low stats or if you really want the extra defense. If you’ve maxed out the one you have, just pass on, seeing as it’s such a conditional helm.

• Cost: 7159 G, 1 Exotic Shard
• Class: Warlock (Voidwalker)
• Light: 30/36
• Strength: 111/119
• Defense: 407/447

Sunbreakers (Gauntlets)

Low Intellect stat roll, and the odds are your pair have better numbers, pass it up for now. The Sunbreakers are great for the Sunsinger class, making your solar grenades last longer, and can be paired up with the Pocket Infinity to do some serious damage in PvP.

• Cost: 7549 G, 1 Exotic Shard
• Class: Warlock (Sunsinger)
• Light: 30/36
• Intellect: 86/92
• Defense: 333/366

Weapon Upgrades

SUROS Regime (Auto Rifle)

Since the only thing you’re upgraded on a weapon is it’s damage, you’re going to want to pick and choose which items you plan on using the most and upgrade accordingly.

The Suros Regime is a great go-to weapon with tons of potential in all gametypes, providing accuracy as well as consistent damage along the way, but it really doesn’t combo too well with skills and classes the way items like Bad Juju and Thorn do. That being said there’s nothing wrong with Suros, and it’s a solid choice for any Guardian.

• Cost: 7789 G, 1 Exotic Shard
• Attack: 302/331 (Kinetic damage)
• Magazine: 33

Bad Juju (Pulse Rifle)

Bungie has just buffed up Pulse Rifles quite a bit in 1.1.1 so now’s a good time as any to upgrade. Bad Juju on its own is pretty damn effective and is a great go-to weapon for Voidwalker Warlocks when used in tandem with the Obsidian Mind helmet; basically you’ll get instant reloads and build up your super after kills, and gain more energy from killing Hive enemies thanks to the Obsidian Mind.

You can also use Bad Juju effectively with the Skull of Dire Ahamkara to build some serious super energy.

• Cost: 7019 G, 1 Exotic Shard
• Attack: 302/331 (Kinetic damage)
• Magazine: 24

MIDA Multi-Tool (Scout Rifle)

Upgrade this one. The MIDA Multi-Tool is already amazing, and with extra damage it becomes even more amazing. Essentially it’s a fast-shooting, fast-reloading mid to long-range rifle that empowers you with extra speed when equipped. And the best part is that it gives you a Third Eye that lets you see your radar when you’re scoping down the sights.

• Cost: 7459 G, 1 Exotic Shard
• Attack: 302/331 (Kinetic damage)
• Magazine: 21

Plan C (Fusion Rifle)

Another great upgrade for an already impressive gun. The Plan C is one of my favorite weapons simply because it’s so dependable in just about any situation, and it completely wrecks when Arc Burn is active. It fires very fast and has a superlative charge rate, which is pretty much the bane of fusion rifles everywhere. That damage boost is worth the upgrade, even if you’ve maxed your version out.

• Cost: 7187 G, 1 Exotic Shard
• Attack: 302/331 (Arc damage)
• Magazine: 5

Thunderlord (Machine Gun)

Great opportunity to get that extra damage buff on an already amazing machine gun. The Thunderlord is a great go-to weapon in PvP or during Weeklies when Arc Burn is up, and is one of the best heavy machine guns in the game because it packs a powerful punch as well as retains accuracy.

Essentially it combines everything you’d want to see in this type of weapon: power, speedy reloads, and amazing stability. Plus the Lightning Rounds perk makes the gun become more accurate the longer you fire it. Win-win.

• Cost: 7681G, 1 Exotic Shard
• Attack: 302/331 (Arc damage)
• Magazine: 38

Gjallarhorn (Rocket Launcher)

Chances are if you don’t have an upgraded Gjallarhorn you haven’t been playing very much (either that or you’re a non-DLC player). Either way do yourself a favor and upgrade this beastly rocket launcher. It’s pretty much a must.

Curios

• Auto Rifle Telemetry - 1 Strange Coin per stack of 5

• Shotgun Telemtry - 1 Strange Coin per stack of 5

• Rocket Launcher Telemetry - 1 Strange Coin per stack of 5

• Plasma Drive Vehicle Upgrade - 23 Strange Coins

• Stealth Drive Vehicle Upgrade - 23 Strange Coins

• Heavy Ammo Synthesis (FINALLY!) - 1 Strange Coin per stack of 5

The post Destiny: Analysis of Xur’s Exotic Wares For 3/6 (Week 26) appeared first on VR World.

UPDATE: The remastered Wasteland 2 Game of the Year edition is also coming to the PlayStation 4, Eric Schwarz, Line Producer at inXile Entertainment announced on the PS Blog.

“Ever dreamed of being a Desert Ranger? Soon enough, that will become a reality. We’re excited to announce we’re bringing our crowdfunded RPG Wasteland 2 to PS4, after an award-winning debut on PC.

“With Wasteland 2 Game of the Year Edition, we’re eager to open up the wastes to an even bigger crowd, along with tons of enhancements and improvements.”

Original story is as follows:

The renown post-nuclear RPG Wasteland 2 is coming to Xbox One, Microsoft (NASDAQ: MSFT) today announced at GDC 2015.

The news came as part of Microsoft’s recent announcement of new ID@Xbox games at this year’s Games Developer Conference (GDC 2015), and the new Wasteland 2 Game of the Year Edition is built in the new Unity 5 engine with a host of new graphical overhauls for a nice graphical boost.

Other touch ups to Wasteland 2 include a bevy of enhancements like a new perk system, new voice acting for “all major speaking parts”, a brand new precision strike system, updated character models for all party members, and more.

The reveal promises at least 80+ hours of gameplay with a total of 7 squad members to recruit, and players will be able to meet more than 300+ characters to meet along the way.

“With Wasteland 2, the impressive lineage of the series has been preserved but modernized for the fans of today. Immerse yourself in tactical turn-based combat, RPG-style character advancement and customization, and deep choices that affect the narrative and memorable cast of characters.”

Microsoft and inXile Entertainment don’t have a pinpointed release date yet, so for now Wasteland 2 is just “coming soon” to the Xbox One.

I wonder if the game will come with their trademark physical cloth maps?

Below we have a list of the other ID@Xbox games announced at GDC 2015:

• Bedlam (RedBedlam): Based on the novel by award-winning British author Christopher Brookmyre, this is a shooter for everyone who remembers gaming in the ‘80s and ‘90s!

• Beyond Eyes (Team17): How does a blind person navigate the world? This unique title might give you some sense of what it’s like to live in a world without sight, as you control a young girl in search of her lost cat.

• ClusterPuck 99 (PHL Collective): This competitive sports game features eight-player local competitive action.

• Cuphead (Studio MDHR): A run-and-gun adventure, with plenty of 1930s style animation to keep things interesting! It will make its console debut on Xbox One!

• Earthlock: Festival of Magic (Snowcastle Games): An exciting, nonlinear role-playing game.

• The Flame in the Flood (The Molasses Flood): A rogue-lite river journey through the backwaters of a forgotten post-societal America. It will make its console debut on Xbox One.

• Fortified (Clapfoot Games): An exciting new take on action-strategy games that combines shooter, real-time strategy, and base defense mechanics.

• Game 4 (The Behemoth): One of the weirdest turn-based strategy games you’ll ever play, with plenty of The Behemoth’s unmistakable style.

• Goat Simulator (Double Eleven): You are a goat, and you are on a rampage. What more do you need to know? More goat to the people!

• LA Cops (Team 17): This top-down strategy shooter celebrates everything awesome about ‘70s cop fiction.

• Magic the Gathering: F2P (Wizards of the Coast): The world’s most beloved collectible card game goes free-to-play! It will make its console debut first on Xbox one

• Mighty No. 9 (Comcept): This Kickstarter darling is the brainchild of acclaimed developer Keiji Inafune, the creator of Mega Man. True side-scrolling perfection!

• Pixel Galaxy (Serenity Forge): It’s one heck of a hectic shoot-’em-up, inspired byKatamari Damacy. Grow, make friends, and survive together!

• R.B.I. Baseball 15 (MLB.com): The legendary Major League Baseball franchise returns with fresh game modes, authentic ballparks, improved animations, and deep stat-tracking.

• Rivals of Aether (Dan Fornace): This fighting game challenges you to uncover the elemental mysteries of Fire, Water, Air, and Earth.

• Shadow Blade: Reload (Dead Mage): Guide a young ninja on his journey to seek the teachings of the last remaining ninja master as he embarks on a quest for revenge.

• Shovel Knight (Yacht Club Games): Steel thy shovel! The amazing retro sidescrolling adventure is coming to Xbox One!

• SMITE (Hi-Rez Studios): The next evolution in multiplayer online battle arena space. Assemble your team, choose your hero, and destroy your opponents. Stay tuned for details on the Xbox One beta, coming very soon!

• Submerged (Uppercut Games): You’re trapped in an ancient, half-submerged city, with next to nothing. Explore the flooded cityscape and scale its buildings in a fight to survive!

• Super Dungeon Bros (React! Games): A multiplayer dungeon-crawling extravaganza with a rock music theme. Get your bros together and get ready to rock out!

• SWORDY (Frogshark): In this multiplayer physics brawler, you will hit your friends until they explode. You really have to see this one to wrap your head around this craziness. We’re pleased to say Swordy will debut first on Xbox One.

• The Sun and Moon (Digerati Distribution and Marketing): It’s a platformer with a twist: You can dive into the ground, reversing your gravity while conserving your momentum. Winner of the Ludum Dare 29 competition!

• ZHEROS (Rimlight Studios): This 3D action brawler – set in an alternative future universe – is rife with engaging combat and outrageous characters.

The post Wasteland 2 Coming to Xbox One appeared first on VR World.

A batch of new House of Wolves leaks for Destiny‘s upcoming expansion have emerged, revealing new content and that the Reef might serve as a Tower-like social lobby for the upcoming expansion.

Check below for a closer look at what the Reef’s social hub will look like.

The House of Wolves leak show off Director navigation screens for the expansion’s new Reef-based “social space” within the heart of the Asteroid Belt, pretty much saying that the Reef will be the Guardians’ home away from home as they aid the Awoken Queen.

Planet Destiny notes that the Reef social space can accommodate up to 16 players simultaneously, and should feature merchants and the like similar to the Tower.

The Belly of the Beast level 28 Strike is highlighted, along with a level 30 Queen’s quest entitled Nightcrawler and two new Crucible matchsets: Inferno Rumble and Inferno Skirmish.

The Inferno modes have been spotted in the past, and it’s believed the new gametypes might roll out around March 3 – 10.

The images come from Japanese Reddit user megamanexe4, who has been responsible for leaking House of Wolves item sets in the past. It appears megamanexe4 has been able to access latent portions of the expansion thanks to its on-disc data via an exploit, but were’ not sure just how he did it.

The Japanese gamer’s information has proven to be quite accurate when his leaks  matched up with Destiny DB‘s massive data-mined lists, so it’s quite possible that this newly gleaned info is authentic.

Bungie has since released Destiny Patch 1.1.1 that brings a host of new changes and updates across the board, introducing a new faction reputation UI system along with some pretty substantial alterations to weapon efficiency.

House of Wolves is set to release in the Q2 2015 window, meaning it could launch as early as April and as late as June. Expect more leaks in that frame of time, as well as new highlights from Bungie along the way.

Source: Reddit
Via: Planet Destiny

The post New House of Wolves Leaks Show Reef As New Social Lobby appeared first on VR World.

Developer: Turtle Rock Studios
Publisher: 2K Games
Release Date: Feb. 10, 2015
Platform: PS4, Xbox One, PC
Genre: Online Mulitplayer Shooter
MSRP: $59.99

Note: Our Evolve review was conducted on the Xbox One via a copy purchased independently by the reviewer.

Evolve is a curious game that’s built upon a fantastic idea: a sci-fi take on a Godzilla-esuqe hunter vs. hunted scenario complete with high-stakes strategic gameplay.

But as we’ve seen in the past, fantastic ideas have a way of losing sight of their core goals, becoming something quite different when made a reality. Evolve is a prime example of a great idea that lost a lot of its magic during execution.

The main problem with Evolve is that it makes players gamble with their time. There’s no guarantee you’ll enjoy yourself while playing, and that’s quite true with just about any game, but it’s moreso true here.

This is mainly because the game’s steep learning curve, its emphasis on teamwork, and the wildly varying pace.

As a monster, you’re lone-wolfing it and are pretty much responsible for your own survival. Basically you want to hunt down as many creatures as you can and trigger evolution as quick as possible while avoiding hunters along the way.

Every premature encounter lowers your odds in winning, and while there is some pretty good tutorials, it’s up to you to figure out which skill combos work in which situations.

Panicking almost always leads in death–especially with the Goliath–but gameplay can get pretty entertaining if you’re lashing lightning blasts with the Kraken or slicing and dicing with the Wraith.

Every match is a clean slate for the monsters. You get to pick which skills you want to use and allocate three points before the match. You’ll want to pay attention to the hunters that you’re facing and match your skills accordingly–like if Bucket is an enemy, pick up the Goliath’s stone throw so you can easily take out his pesky sentry guns.

Ultimately as the monster you have to find successful ways to outwit, outmaneuver, and out-hunt your opponents, all while paying close attention to the tracks you leave and chomping on wildlife to fuel your evolution.

As interesting as this sounds, playing as the monster can often be pretty menial and rote, and sometimes you’ll find yourself asking why you’re playing to begin with. Victory just means you get more points to spend in a light RPG like progression system, unlocking perks and more monsters along the way.

Seeing as your main goal is to literally avoid hunters until you hit Stage 3 for the final chaotic showdown. In a sense, Evolve is kind of like the Dragonball Z saga: there’s a ton of talking and commercials that culminate in a short fight, where the powers clash.

When you’re playing as the monster, there can be a sense of urgency and danger. But this feeling fades away as you explore the rather drag environments–despite the “interactive wildlife”, everything seems so tacked on–and start to feed.

Maneuvering and controls vary from monster to monster; the Kraken, for example, can float and wisp along in the air, whereas the Goliath is primarily ground-based. The Goliath can leap and climb quite adeptly, but he’s not so fast when you need to get out of an area in a pinch.

The Wraith is my personal favorite; it’s snake-like and oily, using a variety of deadly skills like the dreaded Supernova and basic melee slices to dish out chaos. Plus the Wraith also has a decoy ability that’s amazing fun, even if it’s a bit broken.

How much you get out of being a monster just depends on how crafty you are and how well you adapt to your surroundings and pick up on new strategies. But the novelty, like the thrill of the hunt, seems to wear off fast, letting the mediocre shooter elements shine through.

When you’re playing as a hunter, there’s a distinct heavy emphasis on teamwork and knowing your role and sticking to it. Now FPS mechanics are in play here, but they take a backseat to team-oriented strategy with defined roles like Trappers, Medics, Assault and Support classes.

Trappers are responsible for dropping domes and laying out hook traps then dealing some DPS when possible; Assault classes are simply wreaking total chaos as the main DPS/tank; Support pays close attention on mitigating damage whenever possible with the shield projector and using cloak to hide and revive teammates; the Medic heals with a medgun, burst heal, or even heal grenades.

The beauty of the classes is that there are three different sub-classes, or characters, that each have their own unique weapons and abilities. The principle role still stands, but there’s a number of different ways going about it thanks to the sub-classes.

The post Evolve Review: Monster Of The Week appeared first on VR World.

UPDATE: The hidden codes found in the new trailer have been cracked by Reddit user SixSided, revealing three different sets of character bios for Ivy, Scarecrow and Harley Quinn. The codes below can be entered at the game’s official website for access to the bios.

• ‘qeL e2uLEE2 zul2e’ for Harley
• ‘pPL2a3Mn Ppi3mAMpyL2′ for ivy
• ‘c Rcn3n3 N2Jn3tjHn2′ for Scarecrow.

Original story as follows.

Batman: Arkham Knight is set to wrap up Rocksteady’s gritty magnum opus centered on the Caped Crusader, and today we’ve been given a brand new trailer that sets a rather ominous shadowy tone for the game.

Scarecrow, that maniacal fearmonger we all know and love, looks to be the principal ringleader for Arkham Knight, with the iconic Joker taking a hiatus.

According to Rocksteady game director Sefton Hill, the Joker won’t be featured in the game at all, leaving room for other villains–Riddler, Penguin, Poison Ivy, Two-Face, etc–to form a tenuous alliance and carry out their menacing plan to utterly destroy Batman once and for all.

But why Scarecrow?

In the DC Universe, Dr. Jonathan Crane represents a sort of figurative learning tool that reveals the truth about various characters through their fear. But as far as a major force, Kotaku argues that he’s pretty much a terrible choice for a leader–especially when he’s leading notorious baddies as the crazed Two-Face or cunning Riddler who could easily outwit and overpower him.

In any case, the trailer does a fantastic job in depicting the premise for Arkham Knight, though, which is undoubtedly the whole point–that and to show off some snippets of gameplay in the process.

Basically Batman has to face a broken Gotham City that’s been overrun with treacherous thugs and conquered by his worst foes, all of which are vying for his utter destruction.

Scarecrow isn’t satisfied with just killing the Batman, though. He wants the Dark Knight to suffer, he wants to break everything the daring detective stands for. Essentially Scarecrow and the others want to effectively annihilate Bruce Wayne in every way possible.

It’s a plot we’ve pretty much seen before, but the real star of the show is of course Batman. Armed with a huge array of weapons and definitive gadgets like the batarang and the grapnel gun, the Caped Crusader uses his superlative skills of ass-kicking and deduction to cut a swath in the villains’ newest scheme.

This time, though, things will be much more dark and gritty. Arkham Knight will show “Batman at his darkest”, a sentiment that’s earned the game an M for Mature rating.

“I’m not blind to the fact that [the M rating] does mean some fans will miss out… I don’t want to be oblivious to that fact,” game director Sefton Hill said.

“It would have been wrong to water down the game and deliver a story we didn’t believe in to keep the game ‘mass market’ or enable it for more people. We feel that’s the wrong way to go about it. We said we love the story and we don’t want to jepoardize that.”

Also some keen-eyed viewers have noticed some interesting easter eggs peppered in the new trailer. It looks like Rocksteady has hidden a variety of enigmatic codes that would make Edward Nigma proud.

According to Game Informer, the “codes are part of cypher with multiple entries on the game’s official website (under the Persons of Interest tab)”, and gamers are trying to figure out their meaning as we speak.

Batman Arkham Knight is slated to release on June 2, 2015 for Xbox One, PlayStation 4 and PC.

The post Scarecrow Reigns Over Gotham In New Batman Arkham Knight Trailer appeared first on VR World.

A fresh batch of Final Fantasy XV screenshots have emerged, showing off some more of the upcoming Episode Duscae demo.

The FFXV Motherlode

Also in case you missed Square Enix’s massive Final Fantasy XV demo blowout, just last Friday franchise director Hajime Tabata showcased a huge livestream made up of 40 minutes of pure gameplay footage.

The livestream proved to be a wealth of information on the demo, displaying in-depth action-based combat sequences with the Active Cross Battle System along with exploration and even campfire cooking.

And that Behemoth battle…yikes! Word is that the monstrous baddie will be able to wipe your entire party, so you should definitely be prepared before you go tracking him down.

As for quests, DualShockers reports that the player’s basic motivation in the demo is to scrap up enough cash to pay Cid (who’s now been rendered into a woman mechanic) to repair Noctis’ car. This means exploring, tackling enemies, and of course taking down the Behemoth to earn that sweet 75,000 Gil bounty.

The storyline should take players about three hours to complete, but the demo is bolstered by a hefty amount of exploration activities.

As for a taste of gameplay, party members will naturally interact with the environment and point out specific areas and points of interest along the way. Also players will have to visit camps in order to level up and allocate exp points and cook food to receive various buffs.

And the more you camp, the more camaraderie you build with your team, the stronger they get and learn more moves. This is a very interesting dynamic take on “male bonding” in the great outdoors.

On that same note we also got our first glimpse at the in-game map system, which looks pretty comprehensive and functional. It also looks like the final game’s map will be 10 times the size of the Duscae region.

Although gamers will be able to keep the demo and replay as long as they like, it will have certain limitations. Weather and night effects won’t be present, and the demo won’t run in 1080p at 30fps. Plus you won’t be able to carry over your saved data to the final release version.

Demo Availability

As far as availability, Square Enix has revealed that the Final Fantasy XV: Episode Duscae demo will be bundled with digital copies of Final Fantasy Type-0 HD for the first two months after the game’s release.

Download codes will only be available in the physical Day One editions of Type-o HD, and pre-orders are guaranteed access to the demo.

So if you haven’t pre-ordered, you can still get the demo if you pick up a digital version of Type-0 in the two-month window. After that it’s gone for good.

Also the Final Fantasy XV demo will go live the day that Type-o is released, and will be available to download about an hour after the game’s release.

2016 Release Window?

But when can we actually expect to get our hands on the final release? Probably not any time soon. Maybe not even in 2015.

In the livestream, Square Enix game director Hajime Tabata said that the team was 60% finished with the game. That sounds pretty good, right?

Back in September 2014 Tabata told Kotaku that Final Fantasy XV was 55% finished. So in about half a year the game’s progress has only been bumped by 5%. Considering how big the game actually is, 5% could be a helluva lot of progress.

Final Fantasy fans have been waiting almost 9 years for FFXV, so what’s another half a year? Square hasn’t even released a tentative release window yet, and it’s pretty much fair to say that the game won’t be hitting shelves in 2015–not unless the studio rushes it out the door.

The Final Fantasy XV demo releases alongside Final Fantasy Type-0 HD on March 17, 2015 for Xbox One and PlayStation 4 consoles.

The post Explore Duscae In These New Final Fantasy XV Screenshots appeared first on VR World.

A batch of new screenshots for Lara Croft’s next adventure Rise of the Tomb Raider have been released, showcasing a treacherous land of ice and snow.

Crystal Dynamics returns at the helm of the re-imagined iconic heroine, continuing Lara Croft’s journey with gritty realism in a brand new locale.

Originally announced at E3 2014, the game caught criticism when it was revealed that Microsoft (NASDAQ: MSFT) snagged a timed exclusive deal for Xbox consoles.

No plans have been announced yet for a release on PlayStation consoles, but Microsoft’s own Phil Spencer affirmed that it’s not off the table since their deal is time-sensitive, much like Destiny‘s PlayStation exclusives.

Rise of the Tomb Raider will feature a number of improvements and in-game additions including dynamic weather systems–rising winds, blizzards, storms–along with day-to-night cycles, and interactive wildlife.

A new scavenging system will fuel crafting, and it appears that Lara will be able to swim in the next game.

Enigmatic puzzles, which have also been a big part of the classic Tomb Raider franchise, will be reintroduced in Rise of the Tomb Raider in full force. Fans cited that Lara Croft’s 2013 reboot had many optional side puzzles that gamers could skip altogether, but the new game will remedy this.

Speaking with Game Informer, Crystal Dynamics creative director Noah Hughes iterated that the team has learned from their past mistakes.

“Puzzles are an important part of the Tomb formula, so we’re excited to have more tombs in the game, featuring more puzzles.

“You’ll still see a spectrum of difficulty for puzzles, so some of the secret tombs are larger and in some cases might have more difficult puzzles, but we’re trying to put them in the game in a ramped kind of way.”

I for one am psyched for the new game. After the amazingly well-crafted E3 reveal trailer I’ve been looking forward to any new info on the game, and the screenshots are pretty impressive.

Hopefully we’ll get to see some gameplay footage soon, but these new images will help tide us over for the new adventure.

On a side note, Rhianna Pratchett, who just so happens to be the daughter of renown author Terry Pratchett, is writing the game’s story. She’s worked on a number of games including Mirror’s Edge, Heavenly Sword, and the original Tomb Raider reboot.

Rise of the Tomb Raider is slated to release Holiday 2015 for Xbox One and Xbox 360.

The post Frosty New Rise Of The Tomb Raider Screenshots Emerge appeared first on VR World.

Starting today the Xbox One Upload Studio video editing suite is getting a substantial update that adds in a swath of new features.

Xbox’s own spokesperson Larry Hyrb revealed that Microsoft (NASDAQ: MSFT) will be giving users a number of new tools that allow for extensive content creation.

Chief among the new features is the increase of a clip’s max runtime to 30 minutes, with up to 15 separate segments strung together in the same clip.

Other additions include transitions, title cards, intros, effects, splash screens, templates and pretty much everything you need to make your own unique video clips. The new improved Upload Studio also affords voice overlays that are perfect for those walkthrough videos, Let’s Plays, or even mini-reviews.

As a games reviewer I find this new update to be incredibly advantageous. The prospect of being able to create my own clips and share them is quite alluring.

But screenshots are still missing in action. Phil Spencer recently showed off a brief working screenshot demo, but they’re still in the pipeline for now.

The PlayStation 4’s Share Factory has led the charge thus far as the Xbox One hasn’t really had a dynamic video editor, but now Microsoft has evened the score.

The enhanced Upload Studio represents another promise fulfilled and proves that the Redmond-based console-maker is indeed keen on community-driven feedback.

It’ll be interesting to see what new creations Xbox One owner’s will churn out in the coming weeks, especially with the new options that let everyday gamers leave their customized digital footprint over captured video.

The post Xbox One Upload Studio Gets Major Content Update appeared first on VR World.