Invincible Vs open beta runs April 9 to 12, Training Mode details revealed

Invincible Vs open beta runs April 9 to 12, Training Mode details revealed https://ift.tt/IkNC8X0

You’re about to experience more than a fraction of the power of Invincible’s characters. The upcoming Invincible Vs, a 3-on-3 tag-team fighting game based on Robert Kirkman’s comic series and the Amazon Prime adaptation of it, will hit PlayStation 5 on April 30. But before then, you can try the game with an open beta that’ll include 10 of its superpowered characters, running April 9 to 12.

Executive Producer Mike Willette sat down to tell us a little more about what players can expect in the beta, including its lineup of characters, and what it’s been like creating a fighting game from the Invincible source material.

PS Blog: What can players expect from the Invincible Vs beta? Will it include the story mode?

Mike Willette: Players can expect to see 10 characters. It’s going to be Invincible, Adam Eve, Omni-Man — with a special thing that they’ll find out about really, really soon that’s associated with Omni-Man — Thula, Robot, Monster Girl, Battle Beast, Rex Splosion, Bulletproof, and — very special — Allen the Alien.

Specifically, it’s going to be focused on online play, and ranked play. That’s because we know it’s going to be open to everybody, and so once you go through some placement matches, you’re going to start fighting against people that are closer to your rank. The goal is to, obviously, test things out, but also to get you grouped with people that are of like skill level.

We will have our training mode, which includes our tutorial and practice mode. And from practice mode, you can queue up into Ranked [mode]. You can either queue up there or just in our online settings. So you get to try out all the characters, you can go into practice and check everything out, and then go into ranked.

We will have our training mode, which includes our tutorial and practice mode. And from practice mode, you can queue up into Ranked [mode]. You can either queue up there or just in our online settings. So you get to try out all the characters, you can go into practice and check everything out, and then go into ranked.

Does Invincible Vs support any specific PS5 features or enhancements?

Yes, we’re working on high-resolution running on PlayStation 5. It is a goal for it being enhanced to support higher resolution while maintaining 60 frames per second.

Invincible features some really brutal battles in both the show and the comics. How did you go about treating that brutality and gore?

Something that Robert Kirkman is extremely good at is setting the table and the stakes that are involved. And you get to love these characters.

For us, it wasn’t about being a gore show, right? We don’t want to show you, like, ‘This is your spleen, and it’s attached to—.’ It wasn’t about getting into those details. It was really about showcasing the brutality of these people with powers during conflict, and this is the outcome of that conflict, and it’s brutal, and it’s damaging. It’s not just the gore that you see, but all of our costumes get torn. You get covered in blood. But when you’re super low on health, your idle changes, where you’re exhausted but still ready to fight.

So for us, it was expressing all of those things as often as we could, when it made the most sense, when it was authentic. We don’t stop the action for gore or violence. It’s part of the progression of the fight. We never want to take control away from a player whenever we can, and we want to make it part of the action, as if it was a scene in the show.

Can you talk about how you go about making Invincible Vs approachable for Invincible fans who might be new to fighting games?

You actually had the phrase there: approachable. To me, making a game approachable gets misconstrued with accessibility. We’re not trying to dumb down the game. We’re trying to make it easier for you to get into the game so you can fall in love with fighting games like we all have.

We looked at, like, what’s the fastest way to teach people combos and combo structure? And some of that was with the auto-combo [feature]. You’re not going to do as much damage, but it’s going to teach you some fundamental rules, of going from normal attacks into special attacks, and you can cancel special attacks into super moves, and from super moves, you can tag in your partner characters, and then you can rinse and repeat. And it starts building on top of itself, showing people the golden path of how combos work, and how easy it can be.

How do you make the game fun for both a newcomer audience and the rest of the fighting game community?

This is kind of like the second time we’ve taken this kind of approach. If you look back on what we did at Killer Instinct, we wanted to get rid of some of the hidden rules of combo flow.

It was really starting at something basic, a building block, and then adding building blocks on top of it, something that you can understand. So start here, then move to the next pattern, and then move to the pattern after them. So as long as you feel good doing the initial set of stuff, our theory is, and we’ve seen it happen, you’re like, ‘I was mashing buttons, but I did something really awesome. I want to learn more about awesome.’ It’s going to get you to that next thing.

So having combos that feel really good, even the auto ones, again, doesn’t have to do the most damage, but it feels good and does something flashy — it’s an important carrot to get you to do the next thing, and the next thing after that, right?

Quarter Up developed an original story for Invincible Vs, working with creator Robert Kirkman and Helen Leigh, the writer and co-executive producer of the Invincible series. What has that collaboration been like?

It’s interesting because Robert loves video games. He loves fighting games. So it’s not too hard to say, ‘Hey, within this structure, what kind of story do we want to tell?’ And it is really collaborative, because we get to say, ‘Hey, we have these ideas. How can we execute on these ideas and with these types of characters?’ And the writers will be like, ‘This is a way that we could bridge these gaps,’ or ‘These are very interesting premises.’

And for us, it was really selling the experience that you’re playing, like, a special episode of the show. It could potentially exist within the timeline, so just sit back and have fun.

Helldivers 2 Entrenched Division Premium Warbond out March 17

Helldivers 2 Entrenched Division Premium Warbond out March 17 https://ift.tt/hne408m

Keep your head down and keep your feet dry, Helldiver, because this is definitely going to get messy. The Ministry of Defense has authorized the deployment of a new Premium Warbond perfect for frontline assault squads who aren’t afraid to get their hands dirty.

Weapons & Stratagems

Let’s dig into the latest offensive items included in Entrenched Division*!

You’ll be bucking all those pesky, modern conventions with the B/FLAM-80 Cremator in hand. This heavy support flamethrower sprays a continuous column of flame, thanks to its massive backpack fuel tank.

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In case that’s not enough to fan the flames for you, try the SMG/FLAM-34 Stoker. This versatile submachine gun primary packs two punches at once: iron sights and an incineration attachment.

If you don’t want to use fire to clear the tunnels, consider using gas! The A/GM-17 Gas Mortar Sentry is an automated turret that fires gas shells–just make sure to stay upwind of those clouds, Helldiver!

The P-69 Veto is a stylish secondary pistol, loaded with jet-assisted rounds that let you keep your distance from encroaching hostiles–perfect for the discerning squad commander.

And if you need to lob a grenade out of the trench, we recommend the G-48 Giga Grenade throwable, which might be too heavy to throw great distances, but it makes up for range with a massive blast that will break up the oncoming enemy into much smaller, more manageable pieces.

And most thrillingly of all: the CQC-73 Entrenchment Tool is now available for your regular loadout as a secondary weapon! No more rifling through deceased colonist’s belongings to find a shovel–you’ll be digging ditches as soon as your hellpod lands!

Armors & Capes

Stay sheltered from artillery in vintage style with two brand new armors!  

You might want to bring some extra supplies as you shovel your way to the front line. The CPG-48 Sapper is a medium armor with plenty of pouches and big pockets to store your battlefield essentials. In fact, it comes with a version of the Concussive Padding armor passive–Grenadier–which provides explosive damage resistance and lets you store extra throwables! To complete your entrenched look, use this armor with the Dignity of Toil cape and player card to honor your most useful everyday carry tool: your shovel.

But let’s say you need to look more official to motivate the squad stuck in the battle trenches. For that, you’ll want the CPH-26 Commandant light armor with–as pristine as your service record, with a high collar to match your high ambition to move up through the ranks. It’s the kind of fit that says I could court-martial you at any time, and pairs perfectly with the Crest of the Unsullied cape and player card. It also has its own version of the Concussive Padding passive–Hazmat–which provides both explosive and gas damage resistance, as well as reduced sidearm recoil.

Patterns, emotes, and more

Of course, you don’t want to use antiquated equipment, but maybe you’d still like to give your items an old luster just for fun. Give your loadout the lived-in, battle-worn look of a real soldier with the Heritage Olive pattern, available for your hellpods, FRV, Pelican, and exosuits.

And if we’re playing as old-fashioned soldiers, why not greet each other the old-fashioned way with a Diplomatic Handshake! You might be gassing and burning your enemies, but you keep the squad dynamics classy.

Finally, equip the Mudskipper player title to really delve deep into the fantasy of an entrenched soldier on the frontlines. 

The Entrenched Division Premium Warbond is dropping on March 17! Can you dig it, Helldiver?

 *Requires base game, paid purchase of Super Credits, and game progression to unlock.

Ghost of Yōtei Legends: everything you need to know about the online co-op multiplayer mode

Ghost of Yōtei Legends: everything you need to know about the online co-op multiplayer mode https://ift.tt/iwN96o8

Time to take up your blade once more, warrior. Like its predecessor, Ghost of Yōtei’s rich single player campaign is just one side of a Zeni Hajiki coin, as Sucker Punch Productions brings its acclaimed PS5 adventure’s combat thrills to a supernatural plain in Ghost of Yōtei Legends. Launching tomorrow, March 10*, this online co-op multiplayer mode builds on the wonderful foundations of Ghost of Tsushima’s own Legends mode while reimagining Yōtei’s new mechanics and threats in a mythical, mystical spin fit for any storyteller’s fantastical yarn.  

The mode was announced last year, and fully revealed in this past February’s State of Play. Today, the studio – in the form of Legends Lead Designer Darren Bridges, kindly taking time out from putting the final polishes to the mode – joined us to break down what awaits players when they download the update on March 10. The mode is available at no additional cost for all owners of Ghost of Yōtei.** 

The mode has been in production as long as the single player campaign

“We had a core team working on multiplayer throughout [Ghost of Yōtei’s] development. We were reacting and responding and pulling the systems in, figuring out how they would work in a multiplayer context. As [the main game] finished, people moved over to work on Legends, flesh it out. It’s an interesting development process. There’s a lot of stuff that looks like a prototype for a long time, and then when the team moves in, it’s a really rapid escalation and improvement. It’s like an advent calendar: we wake up every morning and see something new. There’s so much new content, and that the game is getting amazing and beautiful so quickly once the rest of the team jumps in to contribute. So it’s a really fun experience.”

Examples of the Samurai class

It’s a Mythic Tale spin on the Yōtei Six 

“The Yōtei Six are bosses, warlords, that haunted Atsu’s story. Legends is a retelling of that way later; years, even centuries after the fact. A lot of the details have washed away. These big characters have been exaggerated. Instead of fighting powerful warlords, you’re fighting 15-foot demonic bosses. It makes enemies a suitable challenge for multiple players.”

Like the single player story, the Yōtei Six have followers you must face as well 

“Each boss has a faction of enemies that come with them. That includes sub-bosses that are different for each [of the Six’s domains] and are themed around the abilities of the boss, so they all connect. So for example, the Kitsune has an elite soldier called the Snow Woman, who has frost and cold abilities. The Snake has a summoner.” 

Examples of the Archer class

Different Classes help you face different challenges, but you can play your way 

“We want to give players different roles they can play into, to be able to complement each other, and you can split and focus on different enemies based on the weapons you have. But if you all want to play, say, Samurai, then you can and will be able to solve all the challenges put in front of you. But each Class has a focus weapon. So for instance, the Samurai has the Odachi, the Archer, the Yari. The Mercenary has dual katanas. The Shinobi has the Kusarigama, Some of their tech tree builds toward that. Some of their gear is based around that. But they’re not limited to those exclusively. They can use other weapons too. We also have things like quick fire weapons, so some abilities that are on cool down.

“Each class has their own tech tree, so there is build crafting based on the gear you unlock and the abilities you unlock and choose.” 

Four difficulty levels let you decide how fast (or challenging) you want your XP gain to be

“Every mission is replayable and there are four difficulties: Bronze, Silver, Gold and Platinum. As you play those, you’ll face different enemies, different challenges. The higher difficulty you play, the faster you’ll earn XP, the faster your character class will advance, and the better loot you’ll get based on. 

“There’s recommended gear levels for each difficulty. So if you are kind of signing up for a mission that is at a higher difficulty that your gear level is set too. We’ll give you a warning.. but we’ll also say, Hey, go for it. Some folk want to slowly move their way up the difficulties. Some want to jump into the highest difficulty unlocked and struggle. That’s great. We support both of those approaches.”

Examples of the Mercenary class

Prepare for some truly unique Legends cosmetics 

“One of the most amazing parts of working on game development is collaborating with professionals in a completely different discipline, and just seeing the things that [the art team] turn out. Obviously, with the mode being supernatural and fantasy, we can really dive into completely different ideas and really wild stuff [for cosmetics]. There’s one helmet that has a bunch of eyeballs on it, that look around while you’re wearing it. And all this content is available for Ghost of Yōtei owners at no additional cost. So all of this is unlocked just through gameplay.”

More on the mode’s different mission types…

“Story missions have you dealing with these legends as told by the storyteller, who is narrating the events as you play through them. There are two player story missions, while Incursion missions are the culmination of that. There’s one Incursion for each of the four bosses available in the launch version – The Spider, The Oni, the Kitsune, the Snake. Story missions are themed around them, then you enter their domain in four-player Incursions, fight your way to them and ultimately face off against them. 

“Survival is a four-player, area and wave defense type of mode. Four missions, each themed around one of the bosses. Each mission has you defending three locations. Each has a unique blessing and curse. So if you hold an area, you could activate a blessing to, say, summon a spirit bear, or activate fire spirits to attack enemies. But if you lose your hold, a curse activates… So now you have a shadow bear that will hunt you down and attack. So it leads to the matches being really dynamic.”

…and the upcoming Raid. 

“The Raid launches next month in which you’ll face the last two of the Yotei Six, the Dragon and Lord Saito.*** It’s four-player, hardcore content: you actually need four players to complete it. You can’t do it with fewer and you want to have players that you can communicate and coordinate well with. We view this as the most co-opy co-op. The rest of the Legends missions are co-optional. We provide opportunities for you to work together, but we don’t ever want to make it a blocker. This though? This is for four players. Mark my words. You cannot win without four players.”

Examples of the Shinobi class

You may never make it out of the game’s lobby 

“Ghost of Tsushima’s lobby was a flat 2D menu. Our goal in designing [this mode’s] lobby was to give you something you can do while you wait for friends to join. You can go look at the feats you’ve completed and unlock cosmetics. You can tweak your build, adjust your tech tree. But the lobby also has some light PvP elements, such as Zeni Hajiki, the coin-flicking game that was in the single player campaign. We heard players wishing they could play that against friends (so did our QA team), so we did! 

“There’s also a Bamboo Strike score challenge, with mini leaderboards that you can brag against your friends. There’s a training area if you want to get good at perfect parries in a low pressure environment, or to just test your build. So it’s just meant to be a place that while you’re waiting or you’re in between rounds, we give you interesting things to do.”

Ghost of Yōtei Legends is available as an update to Ghost of Yōtei owners at no additional cost on March 10.

*Ghost of Yōtei Legends will launch on March 11 in some territories including Asia, Australia, and New Zealand.

** Internet connection and account for PlayStation required. PlayStation Plus subscription (sold separately) required for online play or multiplayer. PS Plus is subject to recurring subscription fee taken automatically until cancellation. Age restrictions apply. Terms apply: play.st/psplus-usageterms

***Available in future update (patch version TBA)