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Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice wins “Best of Gamescom” at Gamescom 2018

Gamescom 2018 closed its doors for the last time today, and From Software’s Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice slashed its way towards the coveted “Best of Gamescom” award.

There were a wide range of winners at this year’s expo, with all three consolemakers predictably winning “Best Game” on their respective platforms. In case you were wondering, those awards went to Spider-Man (“Best PS4 Game”), Ori and the Will of the Wisps (“Best Xbox One Game”), and Super Smash Bros. Ultimate (“Best Nintendo Switch Game”). Nintendo’s fighter also collected the audience-voted award “Most Wanted Consumer Award.”

Other platform-specific awards were claimed by Ubisoft’s Anno 1800 (“Best PC Game”) and Madfinger’s Shadowgun War Games (“Best Mobile Game”).

The complete list of nominees and winners can be found after the break. And it’s never too early to start planning for next year’s expo. Gamescom organizers announced that next year’s show will begin on August 20. (more…)

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Epic Games will add “robust competition system” to Fortnite this Fall

Epic Games hand-delivered the “August 2018” development update for Fortnite earlier today on their official website. The communique from the development team includes new information about weapon balancing and building effectiveness, as well as the first statement about the battle royale’s recent launch on Android platforms.

But the real meat of this announcement can be found under the Competitive heading, which is where Epic announced that a “robust competition system” is coming to the game this Fall:

We are aware of a strong desire from competitive players for more opportunities to compete directly against one another within the same match. Development recently began for a robust competition system which will allow for all players to compete with one another and be recognized for their accomplishments. The first version of this feature is expected later this Fall.

Ideally, this new scoring system will help Fortnite transition into the full-fledged esport that Epic hopes it’ll be.

In addition to the new competition system, the developer also confirmed that “the ability to completely remap your gamepad to exactly your preference” will also be added to Fortnite this Fall.

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Call of Duty: WWII’s final expansion, the Shadow War DLC Pack, will be released for PS4 on August 28

Activision has announced (via the PlayStation Blog) that the fourth, and final, expansion for Call of Duty: WWII will be available to download for the PS4 beginning next week. The Shadow War DLC Pack will contain three new multiplayer maps, a new War Mode Mission, and the last chapter of Nazi Zombies.

Two multiplayer specialists from Sledgehammer Games discussed a few details about the new maps:

Multiplayer Map: Airship – Set in a secret enemy base high in the Alps, Airship takes the battle to new heights. Fight for control of the docked zeppelin, or take your chances running along a treacherous cliff, where one slip up can lead to an unfortunate trip down the mountain that will end in a respawn.

“I like trying to control the blimp,” Greg Reisdorf, [Multiplayer Creative Director] Reisdorf said. “But if you notice your opponent is kind of owning the airship, there’s a couple of sneaky vantage points you can utilize that are from either spawn.”

Multiplayer Map: Chancellery- The enemy forces have taken hold of a French Chancellery, but they won’t expect a chaotic firefight in the middle of the night. Wrest control of the stronghold’s main courtyard, while covering your team from the flanking pathways to the map’s main area for this epic night-time brawl behind enemy lines.

“It’s all about the windows,” Reisdorf said. “Being able to hold those two buildings across the courtyard is a lot of fun if you can get up there with a buddy, or plant a deployable, to watch your back.”

“And you can get in those trucks in the courtyard too,” [Multiplayer Development Director Adam] Iscove added. “There are always people who will run to the courtyard, and likely not checking the backs of those trucks. So, if you’re in there, you can surprise them.”

Multiplayer Map: Excavation – In an Algerian mine, the enemy stockpiled priceless art and gold from their European conquests. The battle will ensue around these pillaged goods, the dunes of a tank graveyard, and rock outcroppings scattered around the map.

“There is hole in the middle of the map where you drop onto this pile of gold coins and valuable fine art,” Iscove said. “There’s always somebody either coming or going that way, so it’s a fun place to drop in and surprise people, or crouch and wait for them to come down.”

I’m sure plenty of “Excavation” players will imagine themselves fighting alongside the Flying Hellfish, but the new War Mode Mission strikes a different pop culture chord, and focuses on Hitler’s well-documented obsession with the occult:

War Mode: Operation Arcane – On top of these Multiplayer experiences, there is also Operation Arcane, a new War Mode Mission that will take players deep within a secret enemy research facility in the Austrian mountains. Allied Forces players will be tasked with infiltrating this lab, stealing enemy secrets and schematics and finally destroying whatever classified technology remains in a hanger full of UFOs.

Of course, being that it is a research facility, there are a few clandestine weapons, such as the Tesla Gun, and mysterious super soldier serums that players can use to help turn the tide of battle.

And speaking of the occult, the final Nazi Zombies map takes place within the Lost City of Thule:

Nazi Zombies: The Frozen Dawn – Shadow War also includes Frozen Dawn, the final chapter to the epic Call of Duty: WWII Nazi Zombies story. In this experience, we rejoin Marie, Drostan, Olivia and Jefferson as they try to stop an incredible evil once and for all.

Acquiring the Sword of Barbarossa has not put an end to the undead threat. A darker and more powerful threat lurks in the depths of Thule. In the unfathomable depths of a lost city, our heroes are humanity’s last hope of ending the cult of Thule. Luckily, they will have a few secret weapons to help put the ancient rulers of the world to rest.

Call of Duty: WWII’s Shadow War DLC Pack will be released for the PS4 on August 28. As usual, PC and Xbox One owners will be able to download it roughly four weeks later.

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Monster Hunter Generations Ultimate, Night Trap, Blade Strangers, more coming to Nintendo eShop this week

Nintendo surprise-launched three games for the Nintendo eShop earlier this week at Gamescom 2018, and that was on top of an already packed lineup for the week…

Whether you got the chance to attend Europe’s biggest gaming event or not, every Switch owner got the chance to download Prison Architect: Nintendo Switch Edition, a prison management simulation from Introversion; Bad North, a minimalist real-time strategy game from Plausible Concept; and Morphies Law, a multiplayer shooter where players can change their size to gain an advantage.

Also available this week is Monster Hunter Generations Ultimate, a Switch re-release of the monster-hunting game Capcom originally released for the 3DS in 2015. And speaking of unexpected relaunches, Screaming Villains is bringing Night Trap: 25th Anniversary Edition to the Switch this week… even after former Nintendo Vice President Howard Lincoln vowed the game would never appear on a Nintendo console. The colorful puzzle platformer De Blob 2 will also make its way to the Switch this week after originally debuting on the Wii in 2011.

Further down this week’s eShop update we find Blade Strangers, a crossover fighting game from Studio Saizensen and Nicalis; Little Dragons Cafe, a cafe management and dragon-raising simulation; and Victor Vran: Overkill Edition, a Diablo-like action RPG.

You can learn more about the rest of this week’s additions to the Nintendo eShop (including Real Bout Fatal Fury 2, Kero Blaster, Space Ribbon, and more) after the break. (more…)

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Square Enix’s Octopath Traveler was the best-selling game in July 2018

It would have been amusing if Square Enix’s Octopath Traveler took the #8 spot in The NPD Group’s monthly report of best-selling games (as reported by GamesIndustry.biz). But instead, the retro-styled RPG smashed expectations and landed in the top spot for the preceding four-week period. That means the publisher is likely less amused and more amazed.

Nintendo Switch exclusives dominated the list of best-selling games last month, with Mario Kart 8 Deluxe (#3), The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild (#5), Super Mario Odyssey (#7), and Mario Tennis Aces (#10) all cracking the top ten. The recent Switch launch of Crash Bandicoot: N. Sane Trilogy (#9) also likely accounted for its rise in the rankings (the game is also available for the PC, PS4, and Xbox One).

The Switch was also the best-selling console in July, the first time that’s happened since December 2017.

You can find out how the rest of the top ten shook out, with a quick rundown of the remainder of July 2018’s best-selling games, after the break. (more…)

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F1 2018, Shenmue I & II, Distrust, more coming to Xbox Store this week

Xbox One will be racing, investigating, and surviving in this week’s Xbox Games Store update…

Codemasters has dropped the checkered flag on F1 2018, which is now available to download for the Xbox One. The racing game includes new options in the Career Mode and the complete schedule for the 2018 FIA Formula One World Championship.

Also available to download this week for the Xbox One is Shenmue I & II, a re-release of both games in Sega’s RPG/adventure/life simulation series.

Finally this week, Cheerdealers will bring Distrust to the Xbox One. The roguelike isometric survival game takes place in the arctic and was heavily inspired by John Carpenter’s The Thing.

You can learn more about the rest of this week’s additions to the Xbox Games Store (including Brawlout, Planet of the Apes: Last Frontier, Phantom Doctrine, and more) after the break. (more…)

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Guacamelee 2, F1 2018, Little Dragons Cafe, more coming to PS Store this week

A nice variety of games will be added to the PlayStation Store this week.

Drink Box returns to their “Mexiverse” with more luchador-inspired action in Guacamelee! 2 for the PS4. The sequel features four-player co-op, as well as new levels, new wrestling moves, “sassy” new bosses, and “300% more chickens.”

Speaking of bizarre franchises, Sega will re-release Shenmue I & II for the PS4 this week, and fans will once again be able to search for the killer of Ryo Hazuki’s father.

Also available this week for the PS4 is F1 2018, the latest game in Codemasters’s long-running racing simulation series. The new entry in the franchise will include the complete schedule for the 2018 FIA Formula One World Championship.

Finally this week, Aksys Games will ask players if they can run a cafe and raise a dragon in Little Dragons Cafe for the PS4.

You can learn more about the rest of this week’s additions to the PlayStation Store (including Brawlout, Slime Rancher, Warhammer 40,000: Inquisitor – Martyr, and more) after the break. (more…)

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Nintendo will scare up a 3DS re-release for Luigi’s Mansion on October 12

Nintendo has announced that Luigi’s Mansion, which was originally released for the GameCube all the way back in 2001, will make its way to the 3DS on October 12.

Luigi’s first ghostbusting adventure is nearly two decades old, and Nintendo is thrilled that fans will finally get the chance to play it again. But developer Grezzo has also added a few portable-exclusive features to the game:

Luigi must enter a sprawling mansion equipped with nothing but his trusty flashlight and Poltergust 3000, a vacuum-like contraption used to capture ghosts, find treasure and solve puzzles.

This is the first time the Nintendo GameCube classic can be played on the go. This updated version of the game includes the same classic adventure, but with some added features perfect for Nintendo’s popular portable systems. Using the bottom touch screen on the Nintendo 3DS family of systems, players can view the mansion map.

In the new Gallery Battle Mode, exclusive to the Nintendo 3DS version of the game, Luigi will have the ability to re-challenge boss ghosts that were defeated in the game.

A new website for Luigi’s Mansion (with a handful of new screenshots) can be found at LuigisMansion.Nintendo.com.

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