This week in video games: Bungie vows to do better with Destiny 2, PUBG comes to mobile, and Kellogg’s release an amiibo breakfast cereal. Here’s our roundup of the week’s most thrilling gaming news.
PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds news update
There was plenty of PUBG news this week, beginning with the announcement that the game’s upcoming Desert Map will be revealed in full at this week’s Game Awards.
It was also confirmed that PUBG will run at 30FPS on all models of Xbox One, including the Xbox One X. Brendan Greene said on Twitter:
“While I previously stated PUBG would run at higher FPS at XGP launch on 12/12, I want to clarify that PUBG will run at 30 FPS across all @Xbox One devices. We’re constantly refining the game & exploring options to increase FPS, but this early in dev, we’re unable to confirm more.”
Tencent have also announced that PUBG Army Attack and PUBG Battlefield are in development, and will be coming to mobile in China. They look, erm, interesting.
Meanwhile, our own Tom Baines has been having some fun getting PUBG to play on a Mac. What a time to be alive.
Bungie’s Destiny 2 apology
Bungie cancelled the third Curse of Osiris DLC livestream, and instead issued a statement detailing the steps the studio is taking to address player concerns with Destiny 2‘s economy and endgame.
And in a case of life imitating art, you can now buy a physical Destiny 2 loot crate and have box of unknown treasures delivered to your door. What a time to be alive, again.
Civilization 6 will Rise and Fall
Firaxis has announced Rise and Fall, the new expansion for popular strategy game, Civilization 6. It will be released on February 8, 2018, and adds eight new civilisations, eight new world wonders, nine new leaders, plus new resources, districts, and natural wonders. The expansion will cost £24.99 in the UK.
Super Mario Cereal amiibo
Kellogg’s are releasing a new sugar-filled Super Mario cereal that also functions as an amiibo. While this is a fun promotion, it’s bound to cause concern for dedicated amiibo collectors; just think of the increased shelf space you’ll need. The cereal will be in stores across the US from December 11, 2017.
Xenoblade Chronicles 2 review round-up
Xenoblade Chronicles 2 is one of 2017’s last big releases, and caps a stunning year for the Nintendo Switch with a game as large and varied as Breath of the Wild. But is it any good?
Jeremy Parish, writing at Polygon, says:
“For all its sloppiness, Xenoblade 2’s combination of classic RPG concepts and flexible on-the-go play make for one of the most engrossing takes on the genre I’ve encountered since Dragon Quest 9, which possessed a similar appeal.”
Sayem Ahmed, writing at The Telegraph, is also impressed:
“Xenoblade Chronicles 2 is very close to greatness, but never quite manages to hit the same highs as the original game or inspire the same sense of mastery over the open-world quite like Xenoblade Chronicles X managed.”
Nadia Oxford at USGamer, also finds much to like:
“Despite its flaccid side-quests and its sometimes-baffling systems, Xenoblade Chronicles 2 puts a very nice lid on an incredible year for the Nintendo Switch, and for RPGs in general. While it might be a smidge too late to get on some Game of the Year lists, don’t overlook it.”
PlayStation 12 Deals for Christmas
PlayStation Store sales are ten a penny these days, but we all like a bargain so it’s hard to complain too much. Sony’s new festive promotion is a ’12 Deals of Christmas’ campaign that discounts a new game every two days. You’ve missed out on the Crash Bandicoot N. Sane Trilogy, but NBA2K18 is now on offer until Monday.
There’s also a pretty decent ‘2 for £25’ sale running in Europe, too.
Thanksgiving drives console sales
Adobe’s Digital Insight’s platform reports that the Nintendo Switch was one of the top-selling products over the Thanksgiving Weekend. It was the best selling item on three of the five days measured. Check out the full report.
GfK also report that Black Friday week 2017 was the 15th biggest week ever for video game hardware sales in the UK. The PlayStation 4 was the biggest seller, having its second best week since its launch in 2013.
A Smashing Proposal
“Marriage. That blessed arrangement, that dream within a dream.”
There’s nothing like a little romance to warm the heart on these cold winter days, so our congratulations go to Chris “WaDi” Boston and Cinnpie. Boston popped the question at this weekend’s Smash Bros 2GG Championship, before taking to the stage and winning his set. Class.
Persona 5 sell two million copies
Atlus has confirmed that JRPG Persona 5 has sold over two million copies since launch. It’s a remarkable achievement for a game that, although well-received, is not typical blockbuster fare. Cough, a Nintendo Switch version please, cough.
Wonder Boy: The Config Edit
Lizardcube have revealed how to unlock the dev tools of their wonderful remake, Wonder Boy: The Dragon’s Trap. The game’s tool set can be accessed by editing a single line in the PC version’s config file. It will be fascinating to see if other devs and modders give the game their own spin.
Vote in The Game Awards 2017
There’s still time to vote in The Game Awards 2017. Head over to the official website and nominate your picks in a variety of categories including: Narrative, Art Direction, Ongoing Game, Audio Design, and Game of the Year.
Also worth reading…
Polygon have compiled their annual report on the free games offered by PlayStation Plus and Xbox Games with Gold. Ranking each service on the quality and quantity of its games is somewhat arbitrary, but it’s an interesting read nonetheless. Owen S Good, follows this up with a piece looking at how each service will inevitably change in the coming years.
