Category: News

Wild Season Gets More Seasoning in Latest Patch

The above video is our look at the Wild Season beta from last month, and it looks like its already a bit outdated. I suppose that's bound to happen with betas, so continue past the break to see what they've added.
It looks like the developers have addressed some of the crippling issues I ran into during my attempted playthrough. You can now play until Summer 18 Firefly event, which means you can continue the story longer than you could in the earlier beta. They've improved the camera, increased run speed, updated the sound FX (I hope that means they HAVE sound FX now), added animal raising and fixed purchasing of items and animals! They've also fixed the shipping bin, which means you can finally make money now that you also have the ability to spend it!I haven't had a chance to give the new beta  a go yet, but I am excited about it. Why? Because I want a Harvest Moon game on PC, simple as that. Or at least it was until the newest Harvest Moon was announced for PC as well, which better light a fire under Wild Season's developers because that has got to be a pretty painful announcement for them.

In case you're curious about what's changed, I have included the patch notes, below.

Have you played Wild Season? Are you excited about the upcoming release, or are you more excited for the Harvest Moon release on PC? Let us know in the comments below.

Patch Notes
NEW FEATURES
-        Story until Summer 18 Firefly event. (this event’s a whooper!)
-        Windowed Mode (still has some issues)
-        Added "leave blank for default" text in text input window.
-        New camera positioning
-        Added gift giving
-        Faster movement (the developers are eager for your feedback on this)
-        Added star quality logic. (back end only)
-        Updated SFX.
-        Animal shop now works
-        Female intro video when starting a new game
TOTAL IMPLEMENTED FEATURES SO FAR
Farming
Mining
Fishing (old rod is in your chest. Buy bait fromt the general store)
Animal Care
Story up to Summer 18
Horse Betting
Minimap
Worldmap
Full mouse support
Gift Giving
BUG FIXES
-        Fixed Shipping bin (You can now make money!)
-        Fixed minimap.
-        Selecting female is now less buggy
-        Animals can now be carried (just farm ones not town ones)
-        Consumables can now be consumed (effects/mileage may vary)
-        Fixed missing item quantity in inventory.
-        Fixed in inventory when selecting stacked items.
-        Fixed quantity display bug when buying more than 1 item from general store.
-        Fixed missing seed and deed in quick start option.
-        Fixed getting stuck in plateau entrance
-        Fixed couldn’t input anything in the main menu
-        Fixed music in game scene is muted on start when you started a new game. (can be fixed by adjusting the volume on the pause menu)
-        Control are now remappable in options and in game pause
-        Fixed visual bug in the HUD of the season icon
-        Fixed cats and dogs movement
-        Fixed camera sometimes won’t follow the main character
-        Fixed Volume so it’s not SUPER Loud when you start
-        More feature fixes.
Author: Billy C
Game: Wild Season

New Steam Store Releases: Metal Slug (Not So Fast, Batman)

By now, many of you have probably heard about the numerous issues that this week's Steam release of Batman: Arkham Knight was suffering from. I was originally planning to make that game the highlight of this article. (I had a cool image picked out and everything!) But, owing to the fact that the game was receiving quite a lot of not-so-favorable customer reviews, as well as the fact that Steam has opted to suspend sales of the game altogether, I decided to go with my second choice.

For those of you who are unaware (or too young to remember), Metal Slug was a 1996 Neo Geo Arcade release. It's a side-scrolling run and gun action game similar to Contra (especially in terms of difficulty), except bigger, faster, and with a more comical style. It has spawned multiple sequels, and some of the characters have even appeared in other Neo Geo and SNK games. Both Metal Slug X (a rerelease of Metal Slug 2) and Metal Slug 3 have already been available on the Steam store since last year. And now everyone can try the game that started it all! (Personally, I love all of 'em.)Also released this week (and not suspended due to poor reviews) was the newly updated Devil May Cry 4: Special Edition, the previously Nintendo-only puzzle platformer, Mighty Switch Force, and a pair of classic Total War titles (the first two games of the series, in fact). Insert two quarters, hit the start button, then jump past the break to see more of this week's new releases.

  • Metal Slug (SNK Playmore, Single & Multi-player, $7.99) (Controller Support, Steam Achievements)
  • Devil May Cry 4: Special Edition (Capcom, Single-player, $24.99) (Controller Support, Steam Achievements)
  • Mighty Switch Force! (WayForward, Single-player, $9.99) (Controller Support, Steam Achievements)
  • Shogun: Total War (Creative Assembly, Single & Multi-player, $9.99)
  • Medieval: Total War (Creative Assembly, Single & Multi-player, $9.99)
  • MotoGP 2015 (Milestone, Single & Multi-player, $39.99) (Controller Support, Steam Achievements)
  • Super Star Path (DYA Games, Single-player, $2.99) (Controller Support, Steam Achievements)
  • Dwarven Brawl Bros (Dwarves Might Fly, Co-op, $6.99) (Controller Support, Steam Achievements)
  • Streets of Fury (Guard Crush Games, Single & Multi-player, $9.99) (Controller Support)
[Image: SNK Playmore]

Andrew J Amideo

New Nintendo eShop Releases: Mario & Luigi: Partners In Time

It's a double shot of dual-screen downloads this week as Mario & Luigi: Partners In Time and Star Fox Command both come to the Wii U Nintendo DS Virtual Console. Also out this week is the Inuit indie game Never Alone. And that's about it. Not a bad week, though. Partners In Time, in particular, is definitely worth checking out. So, go grab your bro and your former self, then jump past the break to see this list of new releases.
Wii U

[Image: Nintendo]

Andrew J Amideo
[Source: Business Wire]

[UPDATE] Kingdom Hearts 3 gets more info unlocked!

Picture

Awesome Banner Made by Alexanderreyes26
UPDATE: We previously stated that the game itself will be released on November 3rd. Turns out that more information will be released on this date, not the game itself.  Amazon has December 31 listed, which is most likely just a placeholder date. The responsible writer will get no supper today and is banned from the cookie jar for one week.Kingdom Hearts 3 has been on the tips of everyone's tongue since it's trailer was dropped during E3. Though no other information about zones, key-blades or storyline has been touched on. Sony announced yesterday that it has finally decided on a released date for the game. Like most of the games announced at E3, Kingdom Hearts 3 is set to have more information come out November 3, 2015 for 'Holiday Season'.

Director Tetsuya Nomura in an interview mentioned that Kingdom Hearts 3 will have a free movement and run system. This let's the main character Sora to be able to perform different types of acrobatic movements such as running up walls. This allows the player to have more range and freedom then the previous games.On top of the free range Normura mentions that the game will feature new worlds along with some of the classics we know and love.

That's all for now, maybe I'll snag this title during some black Friday deals.

Batman: Arkham Knight, PS4 vs XBO vs PC

Want to see how bad the PC version of Batman: AK really is? Well, you could look at Cody’s video to see your average experience, but even if everything works as it “should”, it’s not much better. My German “neighbors” from Gamestar released a comparison video now, that shows PS4 and XBO somewhat close together (XBO runs at 900p and is missing some lighting effects), with the PC version missing ambient occlusion and other fancy visual tricks.

This is a disgrace, Warner Bros!

New THPS5 Trailer

The return of Tony Hawks Pro Skater was another thing that we’ve seen more of during E3. Activision now released a new behind the scenes trailer, showcasing the new editor and online multiplayer.
I know that Twinstiq’s own Trey is really looking forward to it, but I’m still not stoked. I would rather have a new Skate, or something more like American Wasteland/Underground.
Anyone who actually looks forward to this, besides Trey?

You can now register for the Division beta

Still interested in that Tom Clancy shooter by the guys who brought us Uplay? Which one am I talking about? Good point! With Rainbow Six, Ghost Recon and The Division, there are at least 3 in development. I just realized that. Tom Clancy’s actual ghost is busy as hell. Anyway, we’re talking about The Division.
The Uplay guys are now accepting Beta applications for the game. Don’t get al giddy just yet, because only preorders are guaranteed a spot. Everyone else gets on a waiting list.

The Beta will start in December 2015 for Xbox One players (exclusivity, yay!) and early 2016 for PS4 and PC.

PC Hardware: AMD Fury X Reviews are surfacing

Hardware launches were never something that Joystiq covered and neither did we so far, but since AMD (ex-ATI) was featured heavily in the PC E3 Show and most of us are also avid PC gamers, I guess it’s time for some changes.
The launch of the R9 Fury X is something many look forward to and now that the embargo is lifted, we finally got some reviews.
First up: LinusTechTips. It's more of a quick overview then a review, since their card was DOA.
OC3D TV has you covered if you want in-depth information however.

So, are you in the market for a new GPU? Are you interested in more PC hardware coverage? Tell us in the comments.

13 Minutes of Shadow Warrior 2 Gameplay

The Shadow Warrior reboot is getting a sequel and damn, does it look good. The first one was already a very competent shooter with juvenile, but nonetheless fun comedic elements. The 13 minute vertical slice of Shadow Warrior 2 that surfaced during E3 however looks outstanding.
Superb 3D movement, fast, beautiful to look at and a mix of shooty and slicey weapons. This is what I would have wanted Doom 4 to look like.
Co-op is one of the new features you see in the trailer and they gave it an interesting twist: You don’t actually start in the same place. Instead, your path intersects at a certain spot. Level design didn’t seem to suffer from it either, so that’s good to know.
Sword play was one of the best parts in the first game, somewhat ironical in a shooter, and besides more melee weapons, you also be able to slice enemies in a more “realistic” way. No longer will they spill their organs in pre-defined places, but actually react to where you placed the cut.
The vertical movement looks to come natural and the visuals are amazing, especially if you take into account that this is very much an indie studio.

But yes, let’s not get too hyped up already: it’s a vertical slice made for E3 and the game is still some time away (2016).

New PlayStation Store Releases: “I’m Batman!”

This week, I've got three words for you: Batman. Arkham. Knight. Whilst Steam users seem to be having their fair share of issues with the game, PS4 players everywhere are sitting pretty (in their batmobiles) right now. Sorry PC crowd, it seems that you are still an afterthought to some of the bigger publishers out there.As if getting the best version (currently) of the most anticipated game of the year wasn't enough, PlayStation fans also have access to a few other exciting games today. These include the new, updated version of Devil May Cry 4 (which ironically happens to feature a Dark Knight mode that is unrelated to Batman), a new jet ski game by the makers of Hydro Thunder Hurricane, a port of the excellent WayForward platformer, Shantae: Risky's Revenge, and finally, a true PlayStation 2 classic, Suikoden III. Become vengeance, become the night, then jump past the break to see this list of new releases.
PlayStation 4

PlayStation 3

[Image: Warner Bros]

Andrew J Amideo