Gaming

Throughout my visit to BioWare’s Edmonton office for Game Informer’s current cover story about Dragon Age: The Veilguard, game director Corinne Busche reiterates that the studio designed the game with inclusivity in mind. That’s extremely evident in the character creator, where players begin their journey in Veilguard. It’s easily the best character creator in series history and possibly the most robust I’ve ever seen in a video game. From hundreds of sliders and options to customize your player-controlled Rook to the ability to pick pronouns separate from gender and more, this character creator speaks directly to the inclusivity of Veilguard – read about my in-depth look at the character creator here. 

But that feeling doesn’t end in the character creator. It also extends to the world – ice mage and private detective companion Neve Gallus has a prosthetic leg, for example – and in the way you can play Veilguard. 

Before starting the game proper, a playstyle screen allows players to customize various options affecting how Veilguard plays. Here, you can select difficulty, or playstyle as BioWare calls it, with options like “Storyteller” for those interested more in the story versus the combat, “Adventurer” for an experience that seemingly balances story and combat, and a difficulty called Nightmare – there might be more, but this is all I see during my demo. At any point during Veilguard, you can change the game’s difficulty unless you select Nightmare, which is the hardest of difficulties. That’s a permanent selection. 

There’s another difficulty option called Unbound, though, allowing players to customize their gameplay experience to their liking. You can adjust how wayfinding helps you in-game; there’s aim assistance and even an auto-aim option. You can adjust combat timing to make parrying easier or harder, with a balanced, forgiving, and a third harder option. You can change how much damage your enemies do to you, and how much damage you do to enemies by adjusting their health. There’s also an option to adjust enemy pressure. And, if you’re not interested in death-related setbacks, there’s a no-death option you can turn on. 

“[None of these options] are a cheat,” Busche tells me. “It’s an option to make sure players of all abilities can show up.” 

She also says players can look forward to similar accessibility and approachability options you might expect, though I’m unable to pour through Veilguard’s other options to confirm exactly what’s there. 

For more about the game, including exclusive details, interviews, video features, and more, click the Dragon Age: The Veilguard hub button below.

This fall, Max’s original series The Penguin will help bridge the gap between The Batman and The Batman Part II. However, the second planned spin-off series centered on Arkham Asylum is no longer going forward at Max.

Via Variety, Arkham Asylum was intended to be Max’s second series in The Batman’s continuity. Antonio Campos was previously attached to Arkham Asylum as the writer and the showrunner in 2022. But after two years of development, Max has elected to not go forward with Campos’ version of the show. While the outlet notes that a separate Arkham Asylum series could eventually go forward at Max, the show as originally conceived is dead for now.

Before the second spin-off from The Batman was centered on Arkham Asylum, it was originally announced as a show that would focus on the Gotham City Police Department. In 2020, Boardwalk Empire creator Terrence Winter was signed to write and executive produce the series before he left the project over creative differences. Winter’s successor, Joe Barton, also left the spin-off for the same reason.

In 2022, the series was reconceived to focus on Arkham Asylum, the high-security mental health facility that houses many of Batman’s most dangerous foes. While appearing on The Cyber Nerds, The Batman director Matt Reeves described the spin-off series as “What would happen in the world of Arkham as it relates coming off of our movie and some of the characters and their origins… almost leaning into the idea of… it’s like a horror movie or a haunted house that is Arkham. The idea, again the way that Gotham is a character in the movie, I really want Arkham to exist as a character. You go into this environment and encounter these characters in a way that feels really fresh.”

Presumably Reeves will still use Arkham Asylum in The Batman Part II, which will hit theaters on October 2, 2026.

Updated July 6, 2024: We found new codes!

Are you ready to show off your skills as a Soul Reaper or a Hollow in Type://Soul on Roblox? I can’t blame you, especially when the world is as fleshed out as it is here. When I first made the jump into this world, I was alone and ready to take on anyone, until I got eliminated and sent to the world of spirits. After that, I was given a choice: become a Hollow or become a Soul Reaper with the help of an NPC. Now you’ll have to make a heck of a choice, especially since you cannot reverse it without special items, which can hopefully be given with codes. Are there any available in this exciting RPG?

Below, you’ll find all of the currently available Type://Soul codes, alongside some questions asked by players and community members.

• codeforvoonithestrongestsoulispeak — Locked Shikai/Res/Volt Reroll and a Locked Clan Reroll (New)
• reallycooloriginalcodename — Locked Shikai/Res/Volt Reroll and a Locked Clan Reroll (New)
• newbosseswow — Locked Shikai/Res/Volt Reroll and a Locked Clan Reroll
• youdidntexpectheretobeasecondonedidyou — Locked Shikai/Res/Volt Reroll and a Locked Clan Reroll
• doomaroomeneverexisted — Locked Shikai/Res/Volt Reroll and a Locked Clan Reroll
• blazblueincident — Locked Shikai/Res/Volt Reroll and a Locked Clan Reroll
• sorryhopethishelps — Locked Shikai/Res/Volt Reroll and a Locked Clan Reroll
• whereiskendoweapondude — Locked Shikai/Res/Volt Reroll and a Locked Clan Reroll
• latenightbruh — Locked Shikai/Res/Volt Reroll and a Locked Clan Reroll
• latenightfightnight — Locked Shikai/Res/Volt Reroll and a Locked Clan Reroll
• cristiqol — Locked Shikai/Res/Volt Reroll and a Locked Clan Reroll
• 300mvisits — Locked Shikai/Res/Volt Reroll and a Locked Clan Reroll (works in new servers only)
• whatdoesheevendo — Locked Shikai/Res/Volt Reroll and a Locked Clan Reroll (works in new servers only)
• tama62121 — Locked Shikai/Res/Volt Reroll and a Locked Clan Reroll (works in new servers only)
• nuovarandomcode — Locked Shikai/Res/Volt Reroll and a Locked Clan Reroll
• entvari10k — Locked Shikai/Res/Volt Reroll and a Locked Clan Reroll (works in new servers only)
• windwake — Locked Shikai/Res/Volt Reroll and a Locked Clan Reroll
• tamarandomcode — Locked Shikai/Res/Volt Reroll and a Locked Clan Reroll
• timetravellermistake — Purple Elixir and Powered Black Elixir
• cristi10k — Locked Shikai/Res/Volt Reroll and a Locked Clan Reroll
• thegreattypesoultrellolieisrealtyfor10kbtw—Redeem for Locked Shikai/Res/Volt Reroll and a Locked Clan Reroll
• therewasnotruebankaiinthefirstplace — Locked Shikai/Res/Volt Reroll and a Locked Clan Reroll
• thisisnotsigma — Locked Shikai/Res/Volt Reroll and a Locked Clan Reroll
• gokuvsvegetasupersaiyanrapbattlebegin— Locked Shikai/Res/Volt Reroll and a Locked Clan Reroll
• ermwhatthetypesoul — Locked Shikai/Res/Volt Reroll and a Locked Clan Reroll
• yurrrrlistenman — Locked Shikai/Res/Volt Reroll and a Locked Clan Reroll
• causethatstheupdateineed — Locked Shikai/Res/Volt Reroll and a Locked Clan Reroll
• thereisnosuchthing — Locked Shikai/Res/Volt Reroll and a Locked Clan Reroll (KT servers)
• tweakinpostupdate — Locked Shikai/Res/Volt Reroll and a Locked Clan Reroll (KT servers)
• hellopiety — 100 Weapon rerolls
• putthesefoolishambitionstorest — Locked Shikai/Res/Volt Reroll and a Locked Clan Reroll
• thatoneguyinvcaskedmeforthisonesoblamehim — Locked Shikai/Res/Volt Reroll and a Locked Clan Reroll
• lightningshunkoaftertwoyearslol — Locked Shikai/Res/Volt Reroll and a Locked Clan Reroll
• imnotnamingitthat — Locked Shikai/Res/Volt Reroll and a Locked Clan Reroll
• hqrsepowered — Locked Shikai/Res/Volt Reroll and a Locked Clan Reroll
• 2weekdelaywoah — Locked Shikai/Res/Volt Reroll and a Locked Clan Reroll
• 500kdiscmemberswoo — Locked Shikai/Res/Volt Reroll and a Locked Clan Reroll
• arrogantecristi5k — Locked Shikai/Res/Volt Reroll and a Locked Clan Reroll
• readysetboomxdgetitbecauseboomboominokwhateverheresacode — Locked Shikai/Res/Volt Reroll and a Locked Clan Reroll
• quincynerfagainleaveourracealonedude — Locked Shikai/Res/Volt Reroll and a Locked Clan Reroll
• 7staredwardnewgate — Locked Shikai/Res/Volt Reroll and a Locked Clan Reroll
• allaccordingtocake — Locked Shikai/Res/Volt Reroll and a Locked Clan Reroll
• codethatsenkumadecuzhesmakingsomethingtakethisgiftbecauseitsjustasimpleupdate — Locked Shikai/Res/Volt Reroll and a Locked Clan Reroll
• petgod101 — Locked Shikai/Res/Volt Reroll and a Locked Clan Reroll
• skibidisigmastofighttheohiorizzler — Locked Shikai/Res/Volt Reroll and a Locked Clan Reroll (KT servers)
• code1 — Locked Shikai/Res/Volt Reroll and a Locked Clan Reroll
• setrohadtoguesswhatthiscodewasnamed – Locked Shikai/Res/Volt Reroll and a Locked Clan Reroll
• jayomalawfirm – Locked Shikai/Res/Volt Reroll and a Locked Clan Reroll
• cursedgearruinsfriendships – Locked Shikai/Res/Volt Reroll and a Locked Clan Reroll
• senkuwascloudkageinjoedame – Locked Shikai/Res/Volt Reroll and a Locked Clan Reroll
• hakudanerfafter1000years – Locked Shikai/Res/Volt Reroll and a Locked Clan Reroll
• theresahiddennpcsomewhere – Locked Shikai/Res/Volt Reroll and a Locked Clan Reroll
• cyberpoint – Locked Shikai/Res/Volt Reroll and a Locked Clan Reroll
• brovisitedhisfriends – Locked Shikai/Res/Volt Reroll and a Locked Clan Reroll
• setroboominda – Locked Shikai/Res/Volt Reroll and a Locked Clan Reroll
• davehashit10kwow – Locked Shikai/Res/Volt Reroll and a Locked Clan Reroll
• tamaverified – Locked Shikai/Res/Volt Reroll and a Locked Clan Reroll
• Benihimebuff – Rewards
• nosreppbestaustraliandeveloperinthewholeworld – Rewards
• almightyeye – Rewards
• breathlesspumpkle – Rewards
• tsugokusenku – Rewards
• thekiraeventparttwo – Rewards
• thekiraevent – Rewards
• 5minutesoffame – Rewards
• nothinghappened – Rewards
• newfaceswow – Rewards
• 400kdiscmembers – Rewards
• 160mvisits – Rewards
• somethingrandom – Rewards
• canyouwrap – Rewards
• mobileflashpd – Rewards
• johnboomingg – Rewards
• icanimaginesomeonesayingimnexttoatree – Locked Shikai/Res/Volt Reroll and a Locked Clan Reroll
• phase1 – Locked Shikai/Res/Volt Reroll and a Locked Clan Reroll
• canyourecmeintodemonhunter – 100 Rerolls
• myhopewillneverdie – Locked Shikai/Res/Volt Reroll and a Locked Clan Reroll
• johnbooming – Locked Shikai/Res/Volt Reroll and a Locked Clan Reroll
• gulliblelol – 100 Rerolls
• threatneutralized – Rewards (only works on new servers)
• robloxban – 10 Rerolls
• lightsegunda – Locked Shikai/Res/Volt Reroll and a Locked Clan Reroll
• 100mlikes – Locked Shikai/Res/Volt Reroll and a Locked Clan Reroll
• afkworld – Locked Shikai/Res/Volt Reroll and a Locked Clan Reroll
• robotcowoe – Locked Shikai/Res/Volt Reroll and a Locked Clan Reroll
• soulianstreak – Locked Shikai/Res/Volt Reroll and a Locked Clan Reroll
• pleasegivemererollscodesimliterallystarvingoverhereimstuckwithacid – Locked Shikai/Res/Volt Reroll and a Locked Clan Reroll
• kamehamehax3 – Locked Shikai/Res/Volt Reroll and a Locked Clan Reroll
• ididntgetopenedupiliterallyjustgottiredofblocking – Locked Shikai/Res/Volt Reroll and a Locked Clan Reroll
• khaoticyachty – Locked Shikai/Res/Volt Reroll and a Locked Clan Reroll
• luisvonmarco – Locked Shikai/Res/Volt Reroll and a Locked Clan Reroll
• balancedbalance – Locked Shikai/Res/Volt Reroll and a Locked Clan Reroll
• supasta – Locked Shikai/Res/Volt Reroll and a Locked Clan Reroll
• nuovaprimadon – Locked Shikai/Res/Volt Reroll and a Locked Clan Reroll
• johnbooming – Locked Shikai/Res/Volt Reroll and a Locked Clan Reroll
• cowoe10k – Locked Shikai/Res/Volt Reroll and a Locked Clan Reroll
• sorryfortheinconvenienceee – Locked Shikai/Res/Volt Reroll and a Locked Clan Reroll
• eduardobrg10k – Locked Shikai/Res/Volt Reroll and a Locked Clan Reroll
• khaotic10k – Locked Shikai/Res/Volt Reroll and a Locked Clan Reroll
• drakos10k – Locked Shikai/Res/Volt Reroll and a Locked Clan Reroll
• nuova10k – Locked Shikai/Res/Volt Reroll and a Locked Clan Reroll
• devilgene – Locked Shikai/Res/Volt Reroll and a Locked Clan Reroll
• badquincy – Locked Shikai/Res/Volt Reroll and a Locked Clan Reroll
• sundayupdate – Locked Shikai/Res/Volt Reroll and a Locked Clan Reroll
• awesomesauce – Locked Shikai/Res/Volt Reroll and a Locked Clan Reroll
• sorry4ranked3 – Locked Shikai Reroll (KT servers)
• woahreal – Locked Shikai/Res/Volt Reroll and a Locked Clan Reroll
• quickshutdown – Locked Shikai/Res/Volt Reroll and a Locked Clan Reroll
• rankedmidseason – Locked Shikai Reroll
• delayedwhoops – Locked Shikai/Res/Volt Reroll and a Locked Clan Reroll
• bloodedged – Locked Shikai/Res/Volt Reroll and a Locked Clan Reroll
• ohwowcool – Locked Shikai/Res/Volt Reroll and a Locked Clan Reroll
• nuovalovesquincy – Locked Shikai/Res/Volt Reroll and a Locked Clan Reroll
• happyeaster – Locked Shikai/Res/Volt Reroll and a Locked Clan Reroll
• spiritgun – Locked Shikai/Res/Volt Reroll and a Locked Clan Reroll
• tamaiscool – 5 Locked Element Reroll, 5 Locked Clan Rerolls and 5 Locked Weapon Rerolls
• doomatearoom – 5 Locked Element Reroll, 5 Locked Clan Rerolls and 5 Locked Weapon Rerolls
• newcodeoldbugged – Locked Shikai/Res/Volt Reroll and a Locked Clan Reroll (New)
• mainmenufixes – Locked Shikai/Res/Volt Reroll and a Locked Clan Reroll (New)
• tradehub – Locked Element Reroll and Locked Weapon Reroll (New)
• soonupdates – Locked Weapon Reroll
• championship – Locked Element Reroll
• sorryfordelays – Locked Shikai/Res/Volt Reroll and a Locked Clan Reroll
• watermelon – Rerolls
• sorryforthat – Rerolls
• midtermsover – Element Reroll and a Clan Weapon Reroll 
• contentcoming – Clan Reroll 
• haveagoodday – Rerolls
• slowpace – x3 Element Rerolls
• thehonoredone – x3 Weapon Rerolls
• triplethreat – x3 Element Rerolls
• apologyforlate – x3 Weapon Rerolls
• middayfixes – Locked Element Reroll and Locked Weapon Reroll
• 100kfavourites – Rerolls
• segundanextupdate – x2 Locked Weapon Reroll and x2 Locked Shikai/Res/Volt Reroll
• fixedoldcode – x3 Locked Clan Rerolls and x2 Locked Shikai / Res / Volt Rerolls
• eumorningupdate – x3 Locked Clan Rerolls
• latenightupdate – x3 Locked Shikai/Res/Volt Rerolls and Locked Weapon Reroll
• updatecomingsoon – x2 Weapon Rerolls
• 3shikaireroll – Shikai Reroll
• 80klikes – Shikai/Res/Volt Reroll
• newgame – Locked Soul Ticket
• shutdownsrry – x1 Elemental Reroll
• 55klikes – Blue Pill
• tyforfollows – Shikai/Res/Volt Reroll
• 35klikes – Blue Pill
• 20klikes – Locked Weapon Reroll
• 10klikes – Blue Pill
• sorryforshutdown – Soul Ticket

Related: Roblox FLOW! Codes (July 2023) – Are There Any?

At this point in time, there are currently no codes and no available ways to redeem a code. It is unclear if the developer is planning on putting codes in this experience, but if they are, you’ll find the instructions here once the ability to redeem codes has been added.

Right now, your codes aren’t working because there is no method to redeem codes. However, whenever they are added to the game, you’ll need to make sure that they are spelled and capitalized correctly to ensure that you can redeem them as the developer intended.

When codes do become available, you’ll want to make sure that you’ve bookmarked our page. Checking in every couple of days will give you instant access to all of your available codes, so you’ll be ready to start redeeming them as soon as they are ready. If you want to search for codes on your own, however, check these spots out:

Related: Roblox Psychis Codes (July 2023)

If you’re looking to become more powerful, you’re going to need to die. Once that happens, you’ll have access to the Soul Reaper or Hollow paths. But, how do you become one or the other? Well, once in the spirit world, you can either become a Hollow by pressing the Control & K keys at the same time on your keyboard. It’s that easy to become a Hollow. To become a Reaper, you’ll need to find the Kitsune NPC in the world and speak to them to change into the Soul Reaper. Make the right choice, but you can only choose once.

Type://Soul is an in-depth experience that will place you directly into the world of Bleach, and you’ll need to find out if you’re ready to take on the Soul Reapers or join their forces to take out the Hollow roaming the lands. It’s a very combat-centric experience that will have you glued to your seat as you hunt down a massive creature that could take you out quickly if you aren’t prepared.

If you’re hoping to find another excellent and exciting Bleach experience, be sure to join Project Mugetsu. This massive world is full of many opportunities to explore and find your favorite characters, so get ready to embark on another exciting adventure with your friends. If you’re looking for more Roblox content, including codes and experiences, be sure to check out our Roblox sections below to find more than you could ever imagine.

Deflecting a crossbow’s bolt in real life takes practice. In the Resident Evil 4 (RE4) VR port, all it takes is lifting the controller in the air at the right time.

And it’s always satisfying.

The parry mechanic is one of the novel additions of the 2023 remake developed by Capcom. Whenever a bolt or melee attack from an infected villager is about to impact Leon Kennedy, you only need to press a button to deflect with the in-game knife. This action grants an opportunity to follow up with an attack on the spot while simultaneously adding to RE4’s original close-quarter smackdown.

Adapting this to the PlayStation VR2 wasn’t easy. Instead of Leon doing a swift animation with just a button press, you need to grab the knife from your chest, lift it up in the air, and match the incoming attack. It’s more involved, sure, but also more immersive, adding a new layer of novelty to the mechanic.

“Enemy attacks have attack detections set at the weapon’s position,” director Keisuke Yamakawa says. “So, just by checking the contact between the enemy’s attack detection and Leon’s knife, we were almost able to get our anticipated behavior. When we managed to perform the first parry, the team was very excited about how much fun it was, and we were convinced that [the] VR Mode was going to be entertaining.”

Parrying is just one of many elements that went through careful consideration when translating the remake to virtual reality. To find out more about the process, Game Informer spoke to Yamakawa and producer Masato Kumazawa about the development of the VR Mode, how the VR version of Resident Evil Village served as a foundation, and what to expect in the future from Capcom’s ongoing push into the medium.

Knife Party

Would Leon throw a knife in the midst of battle? Virtual reality grants you greater control over characters, and the team had to consider all possibilities of player agency. In deciding where to place boundaries and where to allow people to experiment, Capcom came up with three main pillars. Namely, whether your actions are fun in VR, whether you feel like you’re incarnating Leon, and if it all fits the RE4 experience.

At first, the team wasn’t sure about this possibility. In the VR version of Resident Evil Village, you can not only throw knives as Ethan Winters but weapons as well. Since Ethan is a civilian, the concept of him throwing whatever he has at hand to hit an enemy and make a quick escape doesn’t sound irrational. However, Leon has had a ton of training and experience in the field, so he wouldn’t be throwing a pistol at somebody’s head.

Ultimately, the developers figured players would want to throw knives as Leon regardless, so they added the mechanic for VR. Unlike Village, there’s a slight delay before returning the knife to the shortcut slot after throwing – which is placed on your virtual body at arm’s reach. Moreover, there’s the advantage of recovering a bit of the knife’s durability by manually returning it to the slot. Considering knives have a more prominent use in RE4, this all fits the concept well. Aside from attacking enemies, you can throw knives at bear traps to trigger them safely out of harm’s way or do target practice with chickens to get eggs.

In the VR version of Village, you’re able to close your hands to form a fist and punch werewolves. Unlike the knife, there’s no delay or cooldown time preventing you from defending yourself with this method. Sure, the damage is vastly inferior in contrast to knives and guns, but since it’s considered a VR novelty and not a proper mechanic, there isn’t a penalty in place. Allowing you to punch Ganados as Leon was also considered early in development. The problem, the developers say, was it meant replacing the existing melee system in favor of a punch you could repeat without a clear penalty. Funnily enough, you can wield two knives simultaneously to stab enemies quickly. But of course, the durability will prevent you from endlessly repeating this action. (Unless you find all Clockwork Castellans to unlock the Primal Knife, which can be upgraded to become indestructible. You’re welcome.)

Of course, Village wasn’t the only point of reference. The original Resident Evil 4 got a standalone VR version developed by Armature Studio and published by Oculus Studios back in 2021. While the team didn’t mention it as an inspiration, there are multiple similarities, such as cutscenes displayed on a virtual TV of sorts. As for the world itself, there isn’t a big focus on interactivity, which is one of VR’s standout features. Perhaps more importantly, the first-person perspective shifts to third-person each time you perform melee actions, like the flat version.

“During the spinning kick attack, Leon’s posture changes drastically, and his body rotates,” Yamakawa says. “Therefore, it was clear that placing the camera at the head position would not produce a proper image. It was also important to be able to check the surrounding situation and the enemies caught by the kick, so we decided to use the third-person view from the beginning.”

Alternate Realities

In addition to throwing knives and manually parrying attacks, you can grab items and inspect them up close, do revolver tricks à la Revolver Ocelot in Metal Gear Solid, and even reload a shotgun by cocking the weapon with one hand. In order to keep up with the intensity of the RE4 remake, a lot had to be streamlined along the way.

Barrels and crates containing items can be destroyed by swinging your knife, but you can opt to use a button prompt that does the action for you as well. In the base game, whenever Leon enters a dark area, he turns on a flashlight until you’re back in a well-lit environment. This happens in VR, too, but the light is attached to your head by default, following your movement. You can, however, grab it from your forehead and move it yourself, similarly to Village, until the section ends. Each weapon has its peculiarities, especially when it comes to reloading, but some are simpler than what you’d expect in VR. As the team says, these shortcuts are intended to make it so your attention is on the action around you.

“For the shotgun and other weapon types that load one shot, we understand that as a VR game, it would be very interesting to reload one shell at a time,” Yamakawa says. “But in Resident Evil 4, the combat is very intense, and if the players have to reload the shells one by one during combat, it would make it very difficult and might affect your level of enjoyment.”

According to Kumazawa, the release of the VR Mode was scheduled “a year after” the initial release of the base game, which came out on March 24, 2023. It ended up being less than that, being released as a free DLC on December 8 of the same year.

This was partly thanks to the fact that when the core team was still developing the main game, it also started working on aspects of the VR Mode. Additionally, the director of Village helped the team during the initial phases of development, while Yamakawa himself worked on the VR version of Resident Evil 7. It made for a much smoother process, even if mechanics like dual-wielding weapons had to be made from scratch.

In the “Integrated Report 2015” document released by Capcom in the same year, the company expressed its interest and commitment to VR for its Development Division 1, the group responsible for the Resident Evil series. Nine years later, half of the mainline Resident Evil games released in this time have gotten a VR version on PlayStation headsets. The Resident Evil 2 and 3 remakes and Armature’s version of RE4 are the outliers.

When asked if this focus on VR has influenced the way Capcom develops new games in the franchise, knowing it’d be working on a VR version ahead of time, the team suggested otherwise. “The simple answer is ‘No,’” Yamakawa says. “It’s very important to us that the main game is as interesting as possible, so we didn’t make any changes to it just because there was going to be a VR mode.” This, in addition, encompasses core additions like the parry. It wasn’t until the team started iterating on the base game to translate the experience to VR that tweaks and changes to the mechanic were made.

The interviewees say they implemented all the elements they wanted for Resident Evil 4 VR. Once they wrapped up the project, they realized VR was well-suited to the franchise. While they didn’t discuss specifics, Kumazawa says they “plan to undertake more challenges in the future.”

Moreover, Kumazawa adds that one of the reasons for releasing the VR versions of Village and 4 as free DLC is that the team wants to try to help expand the VR market. Yamakawa, personally speaking, joined the project as a director because of his enthusiasm for VR.

While conditions such as motion sickness continue to be a concern for players to access VR, Yamakawa says there’s been substantial improvement in comparison to the original PlayStation VR headset.

“When we received the first version of the original VR development kit, I spent a lot of time playing it,” Yamakawa says. “VR also matches with the Resident Evil franchise really well. I would like VR to get much more popular with the public. Since headsets can still be quite expensive and heavy, I would love for the kits to continue getting lighter and more affordable to make it more [approachable] to the general audience.”

This article originally appeared in Issue 364 of Game Informer.

Battlestate Games recently deployed a major overhaul to Escape from Tarkov’s PvE platform, making it so that solo players can run the game on their local PC as opposed to a centralised server. It was intended to reduce matching times to mere seconds, and while that box was ticked, the changes introduced a string of problems that are getting up the noses of players worldwide – as if BSG needed more bad publicity.

Along with the ‘offline PvE’ changes came several tweaks to how the game’s ‘player-vs-environment’ AI characters behave, particularly when roaming the map and interacting with loot crates and such. Battlestate applied a serious update that makes them much freer, which immediately means that players are having a tough time predicting their movements. This is where the issues begin – and it’s a long road from there.

Due to new ‘homing AI’ updates, if the computer-controlled enemies know where you are, they’ll descend upon your location with reckless abandon, which just isn’t right. Players are reporting ‘Scavs’ and PMC characters – again, all AI – almost joining forces in an unrealistic way to combat the solo and terrified players exploring a little PvE.

There are also reports of PMCs ‘over-spawning’ on maps, with the most extreme claims suggesting that more than double the normal amount of PMCs are appearing in AI form. They’re smarter, more tactical, and less afraid of making a group push towards a player cowering in a corridor somewhere, holding that angle.

Further, the ‘offline PvE’ change seems to have made it tougher for people to run the base game without experiencing issues. On certain maps, frame rate drops are now commonplace, with some players complaining that Escape from Tarkov has ‘become unplayable’. Battlestate Games has promised that further tweaks are inbound to address these issues – as always.

For more Insider Gaming, you can read about Ubisoft’s statement defending XDefiant’s bugs, and sign up to receive the Insider Gaming newsletter

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Over the past five decades, Dungeons & Dragons (D&D) have evolved and expanded, continually pushing the boundaries of what is possible in tabletop gaming. Rulebooks, supplements, and expansions have been released, offering players new options for characters, settings, and adventures. From the medieval-inspired realms of the classic Forgotten Realms setting, to the horror-themed world of Ravenloft and the steampunk wonders of Eberron, D&D has explored a vast tapestry of genres and themes, keeping the game fresh and entertaining.

To mark the 50^th Anniversary, a new book about how Dungeons & Dragons came to be, has been released.  The Making of Original D&D is an extraordinary collection of rare documents that shed light on the game’s origin story. It contains materials never released to the public, including Gary Gygax’s first draft, and early published writings such as the 1974 original D&D “white box” booklets and supplements. Each document is featured alongside insightful commentary from one of the game’s foremost historians, Jon Peterson. 

In the realm of tabletop gaming, few titles command the same level of reverence and admiration as D&D. Since its first publication in 1974 by Gary Gygax and Dave Arneson, Dungeons & Dragons has captivated the hearts and minds of millions worldwide, shaping the landscape of gaming and inspiring a generation of players.

From character creation to decision-making during gameplay, every choice matters and contributes to the unfolding narrative. This collaborative storytelling aspect has fostered a sense of camaraderie and shared experience among players, making it one of the top tabletop games for socializing and networking. Many would agree that strong friendships have been forged because of the game.

Fans can look forward to a new, revised, and expanded Player’s Handbook that will be launched in September this year. It is the biggest Player’s Handbook in Dungeons & Dragons history and reflects ten years of feedback from the D&D community worldwide. The Handbook contains rules for character creation and advancement, exploration, combat, equipment, spells, and much more.

Some important distinctions:

• The new 2024 Player’s Handbook will still use the D&D 5e core rule set. 
• New Backgrounds & Origins
• New Subclasses
• Changes to Races – the book will now refer to “races” as “species.”
• The new 2024 Player’s Handbook will retail for $49.99 for the physical print version and 29.99 for the digital version on D&D Beyond.
• The new PHB[Players Handbook] will not be the start of a D&D 6e, but rather a way to address some of the minor issues found in the current fifth edition rules set. It also appears that Wizards of the Coast is legitimately interested in addressing fan feedback and creating an enhanced version that genuinely improves the quality of the game.
• Now a brand new revised version of the Player’s Handbook will be coming out on September 17th, 2024, with the book available for pre-order now on D&D Beyond and Amazon.

In 2024, the game’s legacy is stronger than ever and continues to thrive. Events company Unplug Yourself hosts numerous D&D events in main cities all over South Africa, attracting many players, both newbies and pros. Over the past few years, Unplug Yourself has held DM Bootcamps where D&D enthusiasts have learned the techniques and story-telling skills to become Dungeon Masters. For more information go to www.unplugyourself.co.za and follow @unplugyourselfza

Famed FromSoftware president and Elden Ring director, Hidetaka Miyazaki, revealed that he is absolutely terrible at video games and used every advantage possible in order to beat his own game.

In the lengthy interview with The Guardian, Miyazaki explained that during the lead up to the release of the now critically acclaimed Elden Ring DLC, Shadow of the Erdtree, he took it upon himself to completely finish Elden Ring itself but described his struggles with its difficulty.

“I want to preface this by saying I absolutely suck at video games, so my approach or play style was to use everything I have at my disposal, all the assistance, every scrap of aid that the game offers, and also all the knowledge that I have as the architect of the game … the freedom and open-world nature of Elden Ring perhaps lowered the barrier to entry, and I might be the one who’s benefiting the most from that, as a player, more than anyone else.”

Miyazaki revealed that during the lead up to the release of a new title he plays the game diligently and takes a very hands on approach. After release, however, he refrains from touching the game for fear of exposing himself to irreversible flaws.

“Leading up to the release of any game, I’ll be very hands-on playing it and getting as much time on it as much as possible… But after the release, I tend to not want to touch it, because I know I’m going to either find things that I left on the table or issues that will bug me. And once I become a player, I’m powerless to do anything significant to change it. So once a game is out in the wild, I tend to not play.”

It can be quite humbling to know that the very mind that has created so many oppressive and difficult games also himself is tortured by his own creations. This news can also be viewed as the ultimate vindication for players who also use as many options and advantages as possible in order to complete these games. If the director himself uses these tools to make the experience more bearable then why should you feel ashamed for using them?

Miyazaki went on to describe his philosophy on failure and how he deliberately attempts to find places where failure can happen so that improvements can be made and the studio can progress as developers, “you have to find the right project to allow for failure: whether it’s smaller in scope or scale, or it’s a small module within something bigger, there needs to be room for that. I think that’s where a lot of young game directors will be challenged and will be able to learn from it. Making sure you understand and identify where those pockets of failure can be allowed, is how we try to grow our talent.”

This philosophy of failure as a learning tool to foster growth is reflected in FromSoftware’s many difficult titles. Most recently, Elden Ring: Shadow of the Erdtree has seen backlash from some fans over its brutal difficulty leading to an update which makes the early parts of the DLC a bit easier to manage. FromSoftware was very careful not to fundamentally change how bosses work, rather giving players a few more tools to boost their chances of success. Perhaps this reflects their philosophy of allowing players a bit more room for failure than was present before.

Elden Ring is one of the biggest releases in the past decade with the DLC alone selling over five million copies in just three days. In the interview Miyazaki also hinted at potential for an adaptation of Elden Ring in some other form of media to carry on this success.

“I don’t see any reason to deny another interpretation or adaptation of Elden Ring, a movie for example. But I don’t think myself, or FromSoftware, have the knowledge or ability to produce something in a different medium. So that’s where a very strong partner would come into play. We’d have to build a lot of trust and agreement on whatever it is we’re trying to achieve, but there’s interest, for sure.”

Grand Theft Auto 5‘s planned story DLC was cancelled because GTA Online was making so much money, a former developer claims.

Info datamined from the game in 2023 suggested that a DLC pack named Agent Trevor was one of three cancelled expansions for the game, alongside other expansions called Zombie Apocalypse and Alien Invasion.

Joseph Rubino, who was a senior camera artist and virtual cinematographer at Rockstar for six years, has told the SanInPlay YouTube channel that he worked on the Trevor DLC before it was cancelled.

“That was kind of my thing,” Rubino said. “I was one of the main editors, camera artist and doing a lot of the second unit on-stage stuff.

[Then] we split our teams into two, so I stayed on GTA Online and then this DLC, which [Trevor actor] Steven Ogg was a very important part of, and then some of the team overlapped and went to Red Dead Redemption 2 early on”.

Explaining why the DLC was cancelled, Rubino claimed that the initial financial success of GTA Online made Rockstar change its priorities and focus more on that.

“What happened was when GTA Online came out, it was so much of a cash cow and people were loving it so much that it was hard to make an argument that a standalone DLC would out-compete that,” he explained.

“I think looking back now I would say that you could probably do both, but that was a business decision that they made.”

Rubino said the decision to cancel the DLC made him “a little upset”, adding: “[That] was a lot of reason for me being a little sour at that time, because I was like ‘yo, what the fuck guys, this shit’s awesome, let’s keep going, let’s finish this shit.”

Rubino said the DLC was around half complete when it was cancelled, but notes: “A lot of that stuff did end up making it, I believe, into later iterations of GTA Online, I think, so it’s not like they wasted it. It was really, really good.”

Rubino’s story is similar to that of Trevor actor Steven Ogg, who discussed the story DLC’s cancellation during an interview held in April.

“Trevor was going to be undercover, he was working with the feds,” Ogg said. “We did shoot some of that stuff with ‘James Bond Trevor’, where he’s still kind of a fuck-up, but he’s doing his best.

“Then it just disappeared and they never did it, they never followed up on it.”

Valorant, and other multiplayer team vs. team games of its kind, commonly suffer from one issue: bad teammates.

Bad teammates aren’t people learning the game, but those who troll, harass others and cause problems. One player on Reddit is absolutely fed up with bad teammates, but it looks like they’re being punished for it.

If you’ve ever played a game where you have to coordinate with teammates (often strangers) to achieve a common goal, you know how it goes.

Sometimes, you get the bad teammates. Those who go AFK, who keep rushing into the same spot over and over despite dying there, blame their teammates for not healing as if that was the issue all along.

The penalty system in this game has got to be a joke
byu/LeatherAd129 inVALORANT

That’s exactly the issue OP seems to be having, and they’re being penalized by the game for dealing with it in their way.

After being matched with bots with questionable A.I. and trolls that go AFK, OP decided to cut their losses and leave the match.

However, because of the way Valorant‘s penalization system works for people who leave matches, OP was punished and locked out of the game for a certain amount of time.

This isn’t the greatest first impression the game could be making to a new player. Oddly enough, according to the replies, it doesn’t get much better from here.

The words “Nu-uh” aren’t what you want to hear when someone tells you “it gets better,” but unfortunately for OP, that’s exactly what he had to hear.

Comment
byu/LeatherAd129 from discussion
inVALORANT

This isn’t an isolated experience that OP is having, as some of the replies can relate to their struggles, even in higher ranks.

Comment
byu/LeatherAd129 from discussion
inVALORANT

It’s clear that there are some issues with the penalization system that need to be fixed, and making the leaver lose Rank Rating might not be the way to do it.

Comment
byu/LeatherAd129 from discussion
inVALORANT

One reply condemns the whole community, saying it’s one of the worst in existence.

Whether you agree or not, it has its issues, much like other online communities.

Comment
byu/LeatherAd129 from discussion
inVALORANT

A system like the one in Call of Duty titles could do the trick. You’re not penalized much for leaving matches midway, and this could save you a lot of time and mental energy from having to deal with bad-faith players.

If OP is encountering this many trolls, there also needs to be a system that can more accurately penalize those who are causing trouble for others.

Have you ever had any similar experiences? How did you deal with them? Let us know in the comments below!