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We’ll get to the tweaked visuals shortly, but beyond the graphical revamp, there are DualSense controller features added too - rain, wind and other atmospheric effects are mapped to haptics, while some dialogue and effects are routed through the controller speaker. There’s also gyro aiming when investigating objects. It’s nice to see these features added, but only the haptics appealed to me really. Initially, we were hoping to cover The Medium on PS5 closer to its launch, but upon receiving review code, we were told that ray tracing was not present and would be added in a patch - so we opted to wait to see the game running at its best....

This unique promotional console was crafted by THQ back in 2009 as a stunt to launch a mediocre minigame collection. The publisher famously tried to send the console to the Queen - though it never reached royal hands. Now, the console - arguably, a piece of gaming history - has been listed on auction site Goldin. As of the time of writing, the bidding stands at £2k. The story of the Queen’s golden Wii has been well-chronicled over the years, in particular by People Make Games, which detailed how the console had been quickly returned to sender by Buckingham Palace and then lay languishing in the bowels of publisher THQ for more than a decade....

Using cheats in The Sims 4 might spoil some of the fun of having to build up to having a best friend relationship or scrimping and saving for that dream home, but it also allows you to be as creative as you like without having to worry about the consequences. Especially when it comes to building with no regulations. It’s especially useful if you want to dabble with the game now it’s gone free-to-play before deciding to commit to a straightforward playthrough....

In a new video showing off some of the detailed character and weapon models in Stalker 2, GSC Game World’s Zakhar Bocharov said the developers are using a custom tool to remove teeth, or replace teeth with variants such as dental crowns. This custom teeth tool ensures each character looks completely unique. “Literally every human in Stalker 2 has a one-of-a-kind smile - or grin, I suppose,” Bocharov said. It’s an impressive level of detail for a game we’ve yet to see gameplay for....

According to this outrageously patient player on Reddit (thanks, PC Gamer), there’s seemingly an illusory wall in Volcano Manor that will only disappear once you’ve hit it 50 times. “This video is the greatest and most heinous iteration of ‘hidden path ahead’,” wrote one player. “Now instead of hitting every wall once, I have to go hit every wall 50 times.” “You know we have to go back through the entire game and check every wall now, right,” added another....

The DLC, due out in July, reworks the Beastmen race “to more closely match their intended playstyle and address their previous issues with horde gameplay”, Creative Assembly said. “With a big focus on progression the Beastmen have a much more engaging and lasting experience.” The cinematic trailer is below: The Beastman haven’t had any significant content updates since their original introduction to Total War: Warhammer back in July 2016. They’re only playable in Total War: Warhammer 2 via the Mortal Empires grand campaign DLC, which itself is only available to those who own both Warhammer 1 and Warhammer 2....

Currently, if a streamer is suspended or banned, they receive a notification that explains which rule has been broken but without further detail. That leaves some streamers unaware of what behaviour broke the rules, or they can feign ignorance. However, that may soon be about to change. Speaking to The Washington Post, Twitch’s VP of trust and safety Angela Hession said that clips of infractions are likely on the way....

The changes were revealed in a new Twitch Patch Notes stream that detailed forthcoming features. The tag system will soon be updated so that streamers can create custom tags. What’s more, the maximum limit will increase from five to 10. At present, streamers can only select five from a preset list of tags that were introduced last year. The change will allow streamers to be more specific with their use of tags....

Back in September, Bloomberg reported multiple instances of child abuse on the streaming platform. Twitch shared a blog post in response detailing its protection measures. That blog post has now been updated with further details on the multiple prevention methods put in place. “The bad actors who pursue this kind of abuse are often coordinated and intentional in the ways they work to get around both online and real-world safeguards,” reads the post....

For a small fee, anyone can now pay up and receive a blue Twitter verified tick next to their name. So, of course, people are handing over their $8 specifically in order to trick others online. A verified “Nintendo of America” account went viral last night as it posted an image of the company’s mascot Mario giving the middle finger. The handle, @nIntendoofus, has now had their account suspended - but not until their tweets had been widely shared....

However, the powers that be at Ubisoft Mainz, developer of Anno 2070 are not going to let this hinder their game. Oh no sir. The team behind the city-building and economic simulation game will now “dedicate some of [its] development resources to work on upgrading Anno 2070’s aged online services infrastructure to a new system”. This is in a bid to ensure Anno 2070’s online “features can continue to be used past the mentioned date [1st September]”....

First, though, a bit of history; when Banjo-Kazooie released in 1998, players managing to 100% the game were treated to a special secret ending showing Banjo accessing three previously sealed-off areas - a mysterious risen island in Treasure Trove Cove, a frozen ice cave in Freezeezy Peak, and a sealed cliffside doorway in Gobi’s Valley. However, despite these tantalising teases, all three areas remained stubbornly inaccessible and it wasn’t until a few months after launch that developer Rare offered an explanation....

From VP of QA Christian Arends, the message refers to employees’ rights to discuss potential unionisation and answers some key questions. The message was shared online by former employee Jessica Gonzalez, one of the founding members of the ABetterABK employee group. “VP of QA at Activision just posted this shit in company slack LOL,” she wrote. Arends begins by stressing that the company respects employees’ rights to unionise. However, many of the answers he gives to questions relate to the negative impact of unionising for the company....

A tweet showed purported evidence that the recently-released Demon Gaze Extra had been specifically configured to prevent downloads to Steam Deck, which understandably worried early adopters of Valve’s new handheld system. Turns out it’s just a big misunderstanding, something Valve now suggests was “accidental”. It’s also promised to “fix the issue” with any other games that similarly prohibit Steam Deck installations. “Before the Deck launch, we added a feature to allow developers to tag certain content/depots as being relevant only for Deck customers,” Valve told PC Gamer....

Half-Life 2’s new beta branch update, as detailed by Valve watcher Tyler McVicker on his YouTube channel, reportedly covers a surprising amount of ground, not only making adjustments to the way the UI and resolution are handled in-game - primarily to ensure the FPS classic fits Steam Deck’s aspect ratio and remains legible at its relatively diminutive size - but addressing some long-standing bugs as well. Details on the latter are limited, but McVicker does highlight a few of the beta update’s new UI and resolution scaling features....

Bloodhunt (not to be confused with Big Bad Wolf Studio’s upcoming RPG Vampire: The Masquerade - Swansong, Paradox Interactive’s troubled Vampire: The Masquerade - Bloodlines 2, or indeed 2019 visual novel Vampire: The Masquerade - Coteries of New York) was announced toward the end of 2020 and had a limited Steam early access run the following year. It is, all in all, pretty much exactly what it sounds like, casting participants - either playing solo or in a team of three - as vampires and setting them loose across the rain-soaked, moon-drenched streets and rooftops of Prague....

Ever since the first game, back on the GBA, this is a series that has pared all of gaming history down to the simplest and most satisfying of interactions. That sounds pretty straightforward! But it’s also thrown these interactions at you with a relentless pace. And so there is a giddy kind of panic that I only experience when I’m playing WarioWare. Playing it is a bit like getting your coat stuck in a train door as it’s pulling away from the platform It’s a game that you have to race to keep up with....

Presenting itself as a frightening LMG in terms of fire rate and decent recoil, the weapon makes for a welcoming addition to the Warzone and Black Ops: Cold War roster. A few days after the start of Season 4 this daunting potential got nerfed by developer Raven, reducing overall damage, range and both horizontal and vertical control. The LMG continues to be rather powerful still, but it’s worth keeping it in mind....

It’s a powerful crossbow that can be used across Black Ops: Cold War and Warzone, and almost guarantees a one-shot kill anywhere in the body. Arriving to the roster on March 24th, 2021, the R1 Shadowhunter first debuted in the first half of Season 2 - and requires a specific challenge or Blueprint to obtain. Fitting the Special category in Black Ops: Cold War and Zombies, and the Marksman Rifle category in Warzone, this peculiar weapon doesn’t have the usual plethora of attachments available to tweak it much - but there’s still the potential to build a powerful R1 Shadowhunter class setup regardless....

As well as a dedicated mode for the event, there are Godzilla vs Kong bundles and skins to purchase in Warzone - allowing players to appear as Godzilla, Mechagodzilla and Kong. This page explains when King Kong and Godzilla leaves Warzone with the Operation Monarch end date, as well as the available list of Godzilla vs Kong bundles and skins. Currently, as of Warzone Season 4, you can no longer complete this activity....