First-Person Shooters

call-of-duty-black-ops-3-logoSource: Blue’s News

Steam News announces the release of the Windows edition of the Awakening DLC for Call of Duty: Black Ops III. Here’s a rundown on what it offers:

DLC 1 Awakening for Black Ops 3 with all new Zombies and MP content is available now!

The latest installment of Zombies picks up where The Giant left off, as the Origins characters head to Der Eisendrache on a mission to stop the zombie apocalypse.

Go guns up in Black Ops 3 Multiplayer, featuring 4 new maps: Skyjacked, Splash, Gauntlet, and Rise.

  • Skyjacked: A reimagined classic that retains the same fast and frenetic gameplay from one of the most popular maps in Call of Duty history.
  • Gauntlet: Plays up the core philosophy of Treyarch’s classic three-lane map structure with three distinct environments.
  • Splash: Set in an abandoned water park, an imaginative environment with waterslides, a lazy river and a wrecked pirate ship.
  • Rise: A Coalescence Corporation construction project catering to a mix of classic Call of Duty cover based combat.

just-cause-3-logoSource: Blue’s News

SQUARE ENIX announces that the Sky Fortress expansion for Just Cause 3 will be released on March 8th for owners of the AIR, LAND AND SEA expansion pass for the action sequel, and that the pack will go on general sale a week after that for those who prefer to buy things after they already exist. They use the occasion to reveal plans to release a patch tomorrow to pave the way for the expansion and also address some issues like long load times and crashes due to memory leaks and other bugs. On a final related note, a new Power of DX12 video from Microsoft revels in the fast adoption of DirectX 12, and reveals a number of titles that will receive makeovers with the new Windows 10 exclusive API, including Just Cause 3. Here’s a recent Sky Fortress trailer, and here’s word on the plans:

SKY FORTRESS contains a brand new set of missions that introduce a new threat – the eDEN Corporation and their huge and terrifying Sky Fortress, with its army of deadly robotic drones. To tackle his deadly new adversary, Rico Rodriguez will use a new upgradeable, rocket-powered, weaponised ‘Bavarium Wingsuit’ fitted with shoulder mounted machine guns and auto targeting missiles – alongside his new ‘Eviction’ personal defence drone and ‘Bavarium Splitter’ assault rifle, all of which can be carried over into the main game.

“The new content will fundamentally alter how our players approach the game – we’re really looking forward to seeing how fans adapt to the new Wingsuit,” said Tobias Andersson, Senior Producer at Avalanche Studios. “The new story missions, challenges and gadgets that can be taken into the main game really mix things up, and we can’t wait for players to revisit Medici and start getting even more creative.”

The SKY FORTRESS pack will be priced at $11.99 / €11.99 / £9.49 whilst the AIR, LAND & SEA Expansion Pass is available for $24.99 / €24.99 / £19.99. All three content packs will be available before the end of summer 2016 and released one week early to Expansion Pass holders.

In preparation for the new content, the main game will also be receiving a new update on Friday March 4th that includes the following fixes:

  • Reduced initial loading time and in-game loading screens by 20-50%
  • Fixed several memory leaks resulting in crashes
  • Reduced a number of random crashes
  • Improved streaming of game world
  • Some performance optimizations related to hitches and stuttering
  • Implemented DLC system in preparation of the Air, Land and Sea packages

More game information available at the official Just Cause 3 website.

rainbowsix-siege-logoSource: Blue’s News

A new patch is now available for Rainbow Six: Siege, updating the tactical shooter to version 2.2. Included are some measures intended to combat cheating, including a ranked kill cam, and the new version also includes spawn kill countermeasures, matchmaking improvements, and bug fixes. All the details are in the Ubi Forums, and here’s word on the anti-cheating stuff from the UbiBlog:

Rainbow Six: Siege is about to become a harsher environment for cheaters because Patch 2.2 is bringing a new wave of fixes designed to deter cheats and exploits, with a special eye toward keeping players from being killed as they spawn. The biggest addition is a “Report” button players can use to flag behaviors they think are suspicious. To help eliminate any confusion about whether an opponent cheated, kill cams are being introduced to ranked matches, letting players see for themselves whether any foul play was involved in their deaths.

Also, tweaks are being made to multiple spawn points across eight maps, in some cases altering scenery to protect Attackers from being immediately killed by Defenders. For example, the Oregon map’s Construction Site now features added fencing and a higher, now-bulletproof wall to keep Defenders from firing on Attackers at the start of the match.

battalion-1944Stretch Goals are now LIVE!

Developer Bulkhead Interactive have announced the eagerly awaited Stretch Goals for the successfully funded World War 2 shooter ‘Battalion 1944’ including responding the community requested British and Russian forces as well as new competitive maps based on the events of D-day. At the time of writing the game is currently 247% funded on Kickstarter with 6 days left to go and Bulkhead have just released a new stretch goal reveal trailer.

For £325,000 the British forces will join the fight with full character sets, animations and cosmetic variation alongside iconic British weapons such as the Lee-Enfeild bolt action rifle and the Sten sub-machine gun. For a further £400,000 the Eastern front will be added to the game, with entire character sets for the The Red Army and German Wehrmacht of the eastern front and will include gritty Soviet favourites such as the PPSh-41, all the way to the Mosin-Nagant used by the famous female Russian snipers of WW2, raising the bar of authenticity and acknowledging the role that women played in the defence of cities like Stalingrad and Moscow and in the destruction of The Nazi Regime in Europe.

If both British and Russian stretch goals are hit, Battalion 1944 will allow players to fight in maps based on both the British and Russian campaigns, expanding Battalion’s competitive map pool to include historical battlegrounds from around the world.

Bulkhead Interactive are also planning on implementing an offline ‘Behind Enemy Lines’ mode, in which players can play competitive maps offline against AI bots and compete for high scores against their friends.

Other interesting stretch goals include; a ‘Currahee Bootcamp’ training map where players can practice or learn the weapon mechanics and movement in an offline environment. A competitive map focused on the events of D-Day, as well as even more cosmetic unlocks and character variation for the main game. For £600,000 the team even aim to add The Pacific Theatre to the game, giving Battalion a breadth of environments to choose from when it comes to competitive map design. The entire list of stretch goals can be seen on the Battalion 1944 Kickstarter page.

Finally, one of Battalion 1944’s most requested features was a single player campaign, which would require a significantly larger development budget. For £1.2 million players will be able to experience events from the allied campaign from the eyes of the soldiers themselves in a fully-fledged single player mode.

“We’ve been closely listening to all the comments we’ve received from the Battalion community, and we’re responding directly through our stretch goals. This was the reasoning behind waiting so long for stretch goals, to give us a chance to listen to our community. We’ve taken the most requested community features and added them to our development checklist with realistic funding goals. This is the sort of money that can help us challenge the modern shooters.” – Joe Brammer, Executive Producer at Bulkhead Interactive.

All the funding received through Kickstarter will be put directly into overall budget of the game. Battalion 1944 was also recently Greenlit on Steam, receiving 18,417 votes from the community to become officially greenlit in just over 1 week.

Watch the Battalion 1944 Final Sprint Trailer here.

More game info available at the Battalion 1944 website.

Battalion 1944 First-Person Shooters | Donster | |

Eden 3D Editor, Launcher-Based Server Browser, Audio Upgrade, and more

Building towards the Apex expansion, Bohemia Interactive today released a major platform update for their tactical military shooter, Arma 3. The Eden Update features the much-anticipated Eden Editor (3D Scenario Editor), Launcher-Based Server Browser, audio upgrade, and many other improvements. The update is reinforced by a brand new trailer.

The goal of the Arma 3 Eden Update is to enhance the game’s core usability and to cater to custom content creators in meaningful ways:

  • Eden 3D Editor – Retaining the beloved simplicity of creating scenarios, the new editor finally adds the third dimension and a lot of desired functionality. More info: Top 10 – Eden 3D Editor
  • Launcher-Based Server Browser – Get into multiplayer sessions more easily via better filtering options and Workshop mod support. More info: Top 10 – Server Browser
  • Audio Upgrade – A multi-channel amplitude panner and distance-based samples for weapons and explosions add more immersion and fidelity to combat sounds.
  • Font – Process information more quickly with a new, easier-to-read in-game font.

In addition to the above, the Eden Update also implements Steam Leaderboards, various scripted system optimizations, parallax ground surfaces, NVIDIA’s HBAO+, and more. The complete changelog (1.56) is available for examination here.

For more information about the Eden Update, go tothe Eden Update webpage - and check out the latest post on the Arma 3 devblog by Creative Director Jay Crowe, in which the Eden Update is further introduced.

Arma 3 First-Person Shooters | Donster | |

just-cause-3-logoThe first Just Cause 3 content pack entitled “Sky Fortress” is launching March 2016 for PlayStation 4, Xbox One and high end PC and holders of the Air, Land, & Sea Expansion Pass will be able to play it a week before is goes on sale as a standalone download . The new Sky Fortress Trailer is available now.

“If Just Cause 3 is over-the-top action then the Air, Land and Sea Expansion pass aims to stand on its shoulders and reach even higher,” said Tobias Andersson, Senior Producer at Avalanche Studios. “An incredible amount of time has been spent ensuring every new item is fully integrated into the main game and can be used during existing missions. Rico’s new Bavarium Wingsuit will fundamentally alter the core gameplay of Just Cause 3 and we can’t wait to see the crazy stunts that players perform with it.”

Sky Fortress contains a brand new set of missions that introduce a new threat – a huge and terrifying Sky Fortress and an army of deadly robotic drones. To tackle his deadly new adversary, Rico Rodriguez will use a new upgradeable, rocket-powered, weaponised ‘Bavarium Wingsuit’ fitted with shoulder mounted machine guns and auto targeting missiles – alongside his new ‘Eviction’ personal defence drone and ‘Bavarium Splitter’ assault rifle.

The second pack in the Expansion Pass entitled Land Mech Assault will contain another new series of missions that introduce a unique new vehicle that can be carried over into the main game; a heavily armoured mech armed with a gravity gun that allows objects to be picked up and powerfully thrown in any direction. Although the mech is as strong as a tank, it is highly manoeuvrable and agile and behaves unlike anything else in the game.

The Air, Land, & Sea Expansion Pass concludes with the Bavarium Sea Heist – details of which will be revealed in the following months.

More game information available at the official Just Cause 3 website.

First-Person Shooters Just Cause 3 | Donster | |

Source: GamesRadar

You might question the need for news on the annual Call of Duty game – it’s confirmation that 2016 is definitely a year – but the circumstances that surround it do make the new shooter notable. Activision Blizzard has bellowed from atop Mt. Money to confirm that franchise creator Infinity Ward will deliver the “innovative” game, which should come three years after it completed Call of Duty: Ghosts – if we’re sticking to the usual holiday release window.

Ghosts was the last game released before Activision spread development of Call of Duty games across three different studios, and claimed that each would have about three years to put together something befitting the series (especially after the tepid reception to Ghosts). The first ‘three year’ game, then, was Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare from Sledgehammer Studios in 2014, followed the next year by Treyarch’s Black Ops 3. Activision says Black Ops 3 is the best-selling video game on current consoles, period, so that went well.

When it launches later in 2016, Infinity Ward’s new Call of Duty: No Subtitle Announced Yet will complete Activision’s first three-step run through the new development cycle – before it all repeats again. With over $15 billion earned from the series (including DLC) and 250 million copies sold so far, this cycle isn’t likely to break, even while other huge franchises are taking some time off.

Part of a free platform update available later this month

Bohemia Interactive today deployed a new Arma 3 developer diary video, featuring the upcoming new Arma 3 Scenario Editor: Eden 3D Editor. In the video, Senior Designer Karel Mořický, Programmer Filip Sadovský, and Creative Director Jay Crowe provide a more in-depth look at the Eden Editor’s key features and development process.

While content creation has always been at the heart of the Arma series, the brand new Eden Editor represents a massive leap forward. Users will now be able to design their scenario from within the 3D game environment, which makes building your own scenarios – using Arma 3′s vast library of weapons, characters, vehicles, buildings, and other objects – much more effective and fun. Plus, people can publish their creations to the Arma 3 Steam Workshop, or subscribe to 17,000+ scenarios made by other players.

The Eden 3D Editor will be made available to all Arma 3 players as part of a free platform update scheduled for release later in February 2016. If you would like to learn more about the Eden 3D Editor, also be sure to take a look at our latest blog post, which lists 10 of the Eden Editor’s standout features and improvements.

For more information about Arma 3, please visit the games official website.

Arma 3 First-Person Shooters | Donster | |

battlefield-hardline-logoSo, it’s all come down to this. You’ve assembled a crew, pulled off the perfect heist, and made a whirlwind escape from the police. Now, there are enemies lurking in the frozen shadows, dark figureshiding behind crumbling mausoleums, and confrontations brewing in back alleys and federal prisons. Battlefield Hardline: Betrayal is coming this March 2016, and brings new maps, weapons, vehicles,and more.

Here’s what’s in store for owners of Battlefield Hardline: Betrayal

  • Four intricate maps: Alcatraz, Cemetery, Chinatown, and Thin Ice
  • 7 new weapons
  • 2 new vehicles
  • Customise primary weapons and uniforms with the Gun Bench Super Feature, and test them at the Gun Range
  • New Assignments and Legendary weapon camos

In addition, all users will receive a base game update that includes 11 new weapons and new server presets. After the update, every Gold Battlepack you open may also contain a weapon license voucher – a Distinguished class item that unlocks an entire weapon license. Check the forums when the update is released for our official patch notes to learn all about the stability and usability improvements that will be included in this upcoming release.

Battlefield Hardline: Betrayal is bursting with new experiences, whether you’re customising your weapons and uniforms with the Gun Bench or getting into gunfights in Alcatraz. Get ready – it’s coming for Battlefield Hardline Premium members in March 2016. Visit the Battlefield Hardline blog here.

battalion-1944Recently announced World War 2 shooter ‘Battalion 1944’ has reached its initial funding goal within under 3 days of being announced. The Bulkhead Interactive team have released a new heart felt thank you trailer including clips of all the support they’ve received from content creators and press as well as new unseen footage from the work in progress pre-alpha.

The team have also announced that Battalion 1944 will be launching additional stretch goals very soon, promising to satisfy some of the biggest community requested features in line with their ethos of direct community driven development. Whilst large AAA developers are so focused on the monetization of extremely large scale shooters, it’s great to see that a tight, gritty and focused shooter like Battalion 1944 can still capture the hearts of gamers worldwide.

“Thank you for backing Battalion 1944. The team you’re investing in are ready to build the next big first person shooter. We couldn’t have done it without you, the community. We have an incredible opportunity over the next 26 days to give this game the best budget it can possibly have. All of the funds from the campaign go straight towards the making of Battalion. Please don’t hesitate to become a part of this amazing community of players and a part of Battalion’s history.” – Joe Brammer, Producer at Bulkhead Interactive

Battalion 1944 recaptures the core of classic multiplayer shooters and propels WW2 into the next generation. Battalion 1944 utilizes the most advanced industry technology to create a visceral and heart-thumping multiplayer experience that has been crafted by the designers who have grown up playing Medal of Honor and Call of Duty 2.

Bulkhead Interactive have promised to invest a minimum extra of £100,000 of their own money into Battalion 1944. All the funding received past the initial funding goal will be put towards their soon to be announced stretch goals and the overall budget of the game.

Watch the Battalion 1944 Thank You trailer here.

More game info available at the Battalion 1944 website.