Showcasing the Future
Edition 40 - September 6th to September 12th
Good morning gamers.
We would like to dedicate this week’s edition to the passing of Michael K. Williams, voice actor behind Kimble “Irish” Graves from Battlefield 4 and Battlefield 2042. The Weekly Recon team wishes his family and friends our most sincere condolences. Rest In Peace, Captain!
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PlayStation Showcase - The Future of PS5
This summer was filled with gaming showcases but PlayStation stayed pretty quiet throughout. All that silence from Sony, and patience by fans, finally paid off at last week's PlayStation Showcase livestream. Let’s take a look at the biggest announcements.
Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 is coming exclusively to PS5 in 2023. The reveal trailer showcased a spider-verse where Peter Parker, Miles Morales and Venom all play a role. The single-player adventure is being developed by Insomniac Games and most of the original development team from Marvel’s Spider-Man is returning.
God of War Ragnarök finally got a first-look trailer that showcased some gameplay and characters. Ragnarok takes place a few years after the original God of War as Atreus is seeking answers about who he is and who he could be. Kratos does all he can to protect his son from the Gods, while Thor is playing a vital role. God of War Ragnarok is set to release in 2022 for both PS5 and PS4.
Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic is getting a remake for the PS5 and Windows PC. The game was originally developed by BioWare in 2003 but is now being rebuilt from the ground up by Aspyr for new generation consoles in collaboration with Lucasfilm Games. The KOTOR remake takes advantage of new tech, features and visuals, but maintains the integrity of the story and characters we’ve come to love.
Marvel’s Wolverine was a surprise announcement but the game is currently in early development at Insomniac Games. The reveal trailer showed a bloody Logan sitting at a bar and right before an altercation was about to begin. The stand-alone Wolverine adventure is being directed by the Spider-Man: Miles Morales directors but no further details were revealed.
Other Important Announcements
Tiny Tina’s Wonderlands got a first-look gameplay trailer that showcased its visual aesthetic, action-packed gameplay and customizable hero. The Borderlands spin-off by Gearbox has a release date of March 25, 2022.
Forspoken, the upcoming action-adventure game from Luminous Productions (part of Square Enix) finally released a new trailer. It introduced Frey Holland, their main hero who unexpectedly found herself trapped in the beautiful and cruel world of Athia. It is scheduled to release sometime in the Spring 2022.
Gran Turismo 7 confirmed its March 22, 2022 release date and gave fans an in-depth look at the game's expansive world, new features, available cars and customization abilities. Oh, and the graphics are beautiful too.
Marvel’s Guardians of the Galaxy revealed a brand-new trailer which dug a little deeper into the story that takes place 12 years after the Galactic War. The game comes out October 26, 2021.
Grand Theft Auto 5 and Grand Theft Auto Online “Expanded and Enhanced” versions have been delayed until March 2022.
Uncharted: Legacy of Thieves Collection is a remastered release of Uncharted 4: A Thief’s End and the stand-alone expansion Uncharted: The Lost Legacy. It will be available for PS5 and PC sometime in early 2022.
Ghostwire: Tokyo released a trailer that showed off some amazing visuals but no other details about the upcoming thriller were revealed.
Project EVE, Shift Up’s first major AAA action game, released a gameplay trailer that highlighted the game's post-apocalyptic world. It’s filled with demonic creatures and crazy combat as you try to reclaim a stolen earth. No release date has been set.
Call of Duty: Vanguard
Call of Duty: Vanguard is one of the most anticipated games of the year and it is set to be released on November 5th. Over the weekend, PS4 and PS5 players were able to take part in the Multiplayer Beta.
According to Sledgehammer Games, player feedback from the Alpha was used to implement changes to the Beta and the full game. The changes include a refined damage overlay, reduced density of the sun fog, audio tuning and spawn tuning. Sledgehammer is also in the process of adjusting nametag visibility and aim assist-related issues for the full launch of the game.
Players were also able to play the multiplayer maps Hotel Royal, Gavutu and Red Star in the Team Deathmatch, Domination, Kill Confirmed and Patrol game modes. The full rotation of Champion Hill maps were available to players in both duos and trios. The multiplayer will feature different progression systems which include: Operator XP, Regular XP, Weapon XP, Battle Pass XP and Clan XP.
Vanguard will be integrated into Warzone with a new map set in the Pacific. The map will be World War II themed to go along with the multiplayer. The new Warzone map will run on the same game engine as Verdansk. Raven Software also says the anti-cheat system for PC will be multifaceted and that it should be ready for launch.
Esports Corner
The FaZe Universe
FaZe Clan is teaming up with DC Comics for a #FaZexBatman collaboration set to launch September 24, 2021. The collaboration will see popular FaZe Clan members like Temperrr, Banks, Apex, Rain, Adapt, Rug and Blaze enter the DC Universe as Superheroes with an official comic book in celebration of Batman month. The collaboration will also feature limited-edition merchandise such as a selection esport jerseys, t-shirts, hoodies, mousepads and much more. The General Manager at DC Comics stated “This partnership is a great opportunity to invite even more fans into the iconic DC Universe”.
A Decision Has Been Made
Riot Games have officially confirmed that the 2021 League of Legends World Championships have been moved to Reykjavík, Iceland. The event will begin on October 5th and will be hosted at the Laugardalshöll Indoor Sporting Arena, the same venue from the Valorant Champions Tour Stage 2 Masters. In an effort to ensure the health and safety of both players and staff, Worlds 2021 will not host a live audience. 22 teams from around the world will compete across three stages of play; Play-ins, Groups and Knockouts. The finals will be held on November 6, 2021.
Going For Gold
Whether or not esports should be considered an actual medaled event in international sporting competitions has been a hot topic of debate over the last 5 years. Last week, the Olympic Council of Asia announced that 8 esport titles will be debuting as official medal events at the 19th Asian Games in Hangzhou, China in September 2022. The eight official games include Arena of Valor, Dota 2, Dream Three Kingdoms 2, EA Sports FIFA, HearthStone, League of Legends, PUBG Mobile and Street Fighter V. This newfound acceptance of esports is a reflection of the popularity and growth of electronic sports in China and Asia.
Game Review - Life Is Strange: True Colors
The newest instalment in the Life Is Strange series is exactly what we’ve come to expect from the franchise. The protagonist of the story is Alex Chen, voiced over by Erika Mori, who is making her acting debut. Chen arrives in Haven Springs, Colorado looking to reconnect with her long-lost brother Gabe where she begins an uplifting journey. Chen can read and experience other people’s strong emotions, which players will also feel while playing. The developer Deck Nine did a spectacular job with the characters and making the experience feel like a visual novel rather than a set of different puzzles. We give Life is Strange: True Colors a score of B.
Gaming Roundup
Sony will no longer offer free next-gen upgrades for first-party games. PlayStation Boss Jim Ryan confirmed that moving forward, Sony will offer a “$10 USD digital upgrade option from PS4 to PS5”.
Atari celebrated the 44th anniversary of the Atari 2600. When the console was originally released in 1977 it was branded as the Atari Video Computer System until 1982.
Garry’s Mod, the popular physics-based PC sandbox game that allows players to manipulate objects has reached 20 million units sold. The game was initially developed by Facepunch Studios and released by Valve in 2006.
Rumours of a PS5 Pro model that supports 8K gaming has surfaced all over social media. Reports suggest that it’s slated for a 2023/2024 release and will be priced in the $700 range.
The next Among Us update has been delayed. According to their roadmap, Innersloth is working on a new map, new modes, achievements, account linking, console versions and more.
In the Epic Games v. Apple case, Judge Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers ruled that Apple must now allow different payment options within their apps. The court was not able to conclude that Apple is a monopoly.
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