Articles by Samuel Tolbert

Redden the road with this classic four-wheeled reference.

What you need to know

It’s the fifth anniversary of Mad Max: Fury Road.
As a fun reference, CD Projekt Red has included a vehicle directly inspired by Mad Max in Cyberpunk 2077.
Cyberpunk 2077 is set to release on September 17, 2020.

Cyberpunk 2077 is a few months away but the team has introduced a new vehicle as a nod to a critically-acclaimed action film that just turned five years old. Known as the Reaver, it’s a custom design from the Wraith gang, one of Cyberpunk 2077’s many different factions. You can take a look at the vehicle below.

„Reaver” – custom-built Wraith gang vehicle based on Quadra Type-66 car. With its near 1000 horsepower, you will ride eternal, shiny and chrome. Happy 5th Anniversary #MadMaxFuryRoad pic.twitter.com/9E0gqJKqV5— Cyberpunk 2077 (@CyberpunkGame) May 15, 2020

In other Cyberpunk 2077 news, an event called Night City Wire is coming on June 11, which will feature something related …

Take special screenshots and get a glimpse at the DLC coming up next.

What you need to know

Nioh 2 released back in March 2020.
Team Ninja has added photo mode to the game in a new update.
Team Ninja also revealed that the first DLC pack, titled The Tengu’s Disciple, is set to release on July 30.

Nioh 2 released a couple of months ago on PlayStation 4 and the developers at Team Ninja are continuing to provide support. Today, the team revealed that Nioh 2 is getting photo mode in an update that is available now. This photo mode includes settings like image exposure, gradation, lighting, tint and various filters.

As previously shared, Nioh 2 will get three DLC packs and the first of these is called The Tengu’s Disciple. It’s aiming to release on July 30. Here’s the teaser description for the DLC:

A great battle has taken place at Yashima in the late Heian period. As a visitor in Yashima, our protagonist finds a shrine possessing a mysterious whistle called the Sohayamaru. Upo…

A deadly new addition to the ranks of Mastermind abilities.

What you need to know

Resident Evil Resistance is the asymmetrical multiplayer spin-off game included with Resident Evil 3.
A new update has brought in Nicholai as a Mastermind.
Nicholai has new abilities and can control Nemesis.

Resident Evil Resistance is continuing to be updated by Capcom, with Jill Valentine added as a Survivor shortly after the game’s release. Now, Nicholai has been introduced as a terrifying new Mastermind, complete with the ability to control Nemesis.

In an interview on PlayStation Blog, Capcom also revealed that the Nemesis project actually began as an attempt to artificially create the Plagas parasite seen in Resident Evil 4. While Jill Valentine, Nicholai and Nemesis are also in Resident Evil 3, it’s important to remember that Resistance is a non-canon, “what-if” type game. Hopefully we’ll continue to see new updates bringing additional Survivors, Masterminds and maps.

In my review of Reside…

When the ESA is away, the publishers will play.

E3 2020 was cancelled but that isn’t stopping various parts of the gaming industry from rallying together and figuring out new events. Of particular note is Geoff Keighley’s Summer Game Fest, which is acting as a wider umbrella for several different announcements. There’s already been a couple of game events so far this year, but we’re looking ahead to the future. Naturally, we’ll also be updating this list as more events and showcases are announced.

Summer Game Fest showcase and interview — May 13, 11:00 a.m. EST

We don’t what this will be but there’s a showcase and interview with Geoff Keighley happening on May 13 at 11:00 a.m. EST. Keighley referred to this event on Twitter as “…one of the more important moments this summer.”

State of Play: Ghost of Tsushima gameplay — May 14, 4:00 p.m. EST

Sony is bringing back the State of Play format to show off the upcoming Sucker Punch blockbuster Ghost of Tsushima. This show will beg…

A composer of Assassin’s Creed games long gone by is returning for Ubisoft’s latest.

What you need to know

Jesper Kyd worked as a composer for Assassin’s Creed 2, Brotherhood and Revelations.
Kyd is returning to compose for Assassin’s Creed Valhalla, alongside Sarah Schachner and Einar Selvik.
Assassin’s Creed Valhalla is slated to arrive at some point in Holiday 2020.

While Assassin’s Creed Valhalla is looking to move the franchise forward in many ways, a composer who worked on the series several games ago is returning. Jesper Kyd, well-known for his work composing for Assassin’s Creed 2, Assassin’s Creed: Brotherhood and Assassin’s Creed: Revelations, is returning to help compose the soundtrack for Assassin’s Creed Valhalla.

As seen here on the German Uplay storefront, Jesper Kyd is listed as one of the composers for the Assassin’s Creed Valhalla soundtrack, alongside Sarah Schachner and Einar Selvik. Schachner is no stranger to the franchise, having worked as the composer o…

A new studio looking to the future.

What you need to know

Gravity Well is a new independent studio founded by Respawn Entertainment veterans Drew McCoy and Jon “Slothy” Shiring.
They are aiming to build a team around 80-85 people at peak, while still developing AAA games.
Gravity Well is developing games exclusively for next-generation hardware and PCs.

Since its acquisition by Electronic Arts in 2017, Respawn Entertainment has been delivering critically-acclaimed games including Apex Legends and Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order. Meanwhile, Respawn co-founder Vince Zampella is now studio head of both Respawn and DICE L.A, the latter of which will soon be renamed.

Still, with some of its members leaving, opportunity emerges and now, there’s an exciting new independent studio on the scene. Gravity Well is a completely new team founded by some Respawn Entertainment veterans, including former Executive Producer Drew McCoy and Jon Shiring.

“We are starting a studio because of how we wa…

Best answer: We don’t know. If past Ubisoft games provide precedent, however, there will likely be cosmetic microtransactions of some kind.

Get the season pass: Assassin’s Creed Valhalla Gold Steelbook Edition ($110 at Best Buy)
Go for the basics: Assassin’s Creed Valhalla ($60 at Best Buy)

Does Assassin’s Creed Valhalla have microtransactions?

Much like Assassin’s Creed Odyssey in 2018, Assassin’s Creed Valhalla is a massive single-player role-playing game (RPG). Assassin’s Creed Odyssey still had microtransactions, which took the form of Helix Credits that could be used to purchase different cosmetic skins and booster packs. The booster packs allowed you to progress quicker, which could make it easier to finish the game.

Right now, we don’t know if Assassin’s Creed Valhalla will have any microtransactions. That said, it seems very likely that there will be at least some extras you can fork over cash on to deck out Eivor and your village, even if they aren’t as egregious as th…

With the reveal of Assassin’s Creed Valhalla, there’s plenty of different special and limited editions of the game from which to choose. It can get a bit confusing keeping everything straight. Fortunately, we’ve put together a guide to keep things simple.

Different versions of the game

Easy to find extras: Assassin’s Creed Valhalla Gold Steelbook Edition ($110 at Best Buy)
Only at GameStop: Assassin’s Creed Valhalla Ultimate Steelbook Edition ($130 at GameStop)
Specialty in every way: Assassin’s Creed Valhalla Collector’s Edition ($200 at Ubisoft)

Every Assassin’s Creed Valhalla special edition

There are a few different special editions to go through here. To start, it’s worth noting that any preorder of any version, even the Standard Edition, grants a bonus mission called The Way of the Berserker. The other versions of the game, however, have plenty of goodies, both digital and physical. Finally, it goes without saying that the digital versions of any special editions won’t in…

E3 isn’t happening but that doesn’t mean we won’t have a summer of gaming news.

What you need to know

Geoff Keighley is the host of multiple game events like Opening Night Live at Gamescom and the Game Awards.
E3 2020 and other physical events have been canceled due to the ongoing global pandemic.
Today, Keighley has announced Summer Game Fest, a four month event bringing news, digital showcases and more.

Geoff Keighley, host of the Game Awards and Opening Night Live at Gamescom, has revealed an entirely-new project called Summer Game Fest. Running from May through August 2020, this event is four months of news, digital shows and demos from multiple publishers, including but not even remotely limited to: CD Projekt Red, Xbox, PlayStation, WB Games and Bethesda.

Introducing @summergamefest, a new season of news, in-game events, and playable content from the entire video game industry. May – August 2020, and a developer showcase with @iam8bit too. See you soon! https://t.co/Hp7Wu…