Category: Technology

It’s been a long, long time since we learned that a Perfect Dark reboot was in the works, and there are finally some fresh signs of life. A gameplay trailer was shown during the Xbox Games Showcase, though there’s no release date or window as yet.

Xbox is billing the reboot as a “first-person secret agent thriller in a near-future world” that includes immersive sim and stealth-action elements. Based on this first look, co-developers The Initiative and may have nailed the brief. 

The clip shows Joanna Dark dropping into a near-future version of Cairo in search of a bad guy who possesses a radioactive device. She’s able to capture goons’ voice prints to open voice-activated door locks, and she can kick off walls to clamber up drain pipes and gain extra distance for jumps. Along with blasting enemies with guns, Joanna has some hand-to-hand combat skills too.

According to an Xbox Wire blog post, you’ll have a range of traversal abilities and gadgets at your disposal, so you’ll be able to choose how to complete missions. I’m just a little bummed that there was no sign of a laptop gun. 

The blog post also notes that “at the widest level, Perfect Dark will be a single-player experience.” That could be a hint that there will be multiplayer modes too. I have my fingers crossed for that, as the original Perfect Dark was a better multiplayer shooter than Goldeneye 007.

Catch up on all of the news from Summer Game Fest 2024 right here!

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/perfect-dark-reboot-trailer-shows-joanna-dark-hunting-bad-guys-in-a-near-future-cairo-180150819.html?src=rss 

Mixtape is a coming-of-age story about the reality-bending adventures of three teenage friends on their final night of high school, featuring a soundtrack of classic punk and alternative hits. It’s due to hit Xbox Series X/S, PlayStation 5 and PC in 2025, and it’ll be available day-one on Xbox Game Pass.

Mixtape follows three friends on their way to their final high school party, as they relive their glory days to the tunes of a perfectly curated playlist. Their memories appear in dreamlike sequences, featuring songs by Iggy Pop, Siouxsie and the Banshees, Joy Division, DEVO, The Smashing Pumpkins and other old-school hit makers.

The main trio in Mixtape provide plenty of teenage sass in the game’s reveal trailer, and its art style feels like something between stop-motion and cel-shaded cinematics. It’s a welcoming, stylish world. The Mixtape microsite includes the mantra, “Skate. Party. Avoid the law. Make out. Sneak out. Hang out.” Sounds like high school to me.

Mixtape comes from Beethoven & Dinosaur, the studio behind the musical adventure The Artful Escape and fronted by Australian rockstar Johnny Galvatron. It’s published by Annapurna Interactive.

Catch up on all of the news from Summer Game Fest 2024 right here!

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/mixtape-brings-a-killer-80s-soundtrack-to-xbox-and-pc-in-2025-181740393.html?src=rss 

After years of teasing its arrival, Xbox has finally announced a release window for the upcoming Fable reboot. The game is slated to hit Xbox Series X/S and PC in 2025, and will be available on Xbox Game Pass from day one. The company dropped a new trailer during the Xbox Games Showcase on Sunday. Fable, which is being developed by Playground Games, was first announced with a teaser back in 2020.

Xbox is billing it as “a new beginning” for the series. The new Fable focuses on a washed-up ex-hero named Humphry, who we see in the latest trailer. He’ll be “forced out of retirement when a mysterious figure from his past threatens Albion’s very existence.” In our last glimpse at the game, released during last year’s Summer Game Fest, we were introduced to a character named Dave, who is voiced by Richard Ayoade. The new trailer gives us a bit more of a look at some in-game footage and doubles down on the offbeat tone of the previous teasers.

We’ll still have to wait a while for it to actually be released, but at least now there’s a timeframe we can cling to. 

Catch up on all of the news from Summer Game Fest 2024 right here!

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/xboxs-fable-reboot-will-come-to-xbox-series-xs-and-pc-next-year-181914674.html?src=rss 

It seemed like a missed opportunity for Microsoft and Bethesda to not have a new Fallout game ready to capitalize on the TV adaptation’s success. However, Bethesda does have Fallout 76 up its sleeve at least, and the latest expansion of the multiplayer RPG is just a few days away.

The publisher revealed the Skyline Valley expansion during the Xbox Games Showcase on Sunday. The DLC expands the map for the first time into a new region called Shenandoah. The telethon-themed trailer offers a peek at some of what’s in store. For instance, you’ll be able to explore the remnants of Vault 63 and try to discover what happened to its dwellers. As you might expect, there will also be Ghouls to contend with. The trailer ends on a spicy tease, as starting early next year, you’ll actually be able to play as a Ghoul.

Fallout 76 had a rough debut, but by all accounts the game has gotten much better over time (following in the footsteps of some other Bethesda games). As with other Fallout titles, it had a huge surge in players in the wake of the Prime Video show. On Steam alone, the average number of concurrent players shot up nearly fivefold from 5,975 in March to 25,673 in April.

With so many new and returning players enjoying the game, it’s nice that they won’t have to wait long for more things to see and do. Skyline Valley, which is free for Fallout 76 players on all platforms, will arrive on June 12.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/fallout-76s-next-free-expansion-drops-on-june-12-172003045.html?src=rss 

There’s a new Doom in town. Doom: The Dark Ages is heading to PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S and PC, day one on Game Pass, in 2025. The game’s first trailer showcases a world of hulking monsters in blood-soaked environments, badass new weapons and what looks to be a player-controlled dragon. At one point, the Doom Slayer steps inside a giant mech suit in order to battle a huge demon, buildings crumbling beneath their feet. 

The weapons and creatures in Doom: The Dark Ages have a distinct medieval flare, as is expected, with lots of sharpened blades, at least one flail and heavy armor all around. One new weapon that stands out in the game’s reveal trailer is an automatic shotgun with a skull in the center of it, menacing and slightly silly at the same time. As is custom in Doom games, the level of gory, gruesome detail on display in The Dark Ages is exceptional, and it looks like the game is leaning into everything that makes this franchise so deliciously disgusting.

Doom: The Dark Ages is a prequel to 2016’s Doom and Doom Eternal, developed by series shepherd id Software. Its story will illuminate the origin of the Doom Slayer. Spoiler: He will slaughter a lot of demons.

It’s possible this is the rumored Doom: Year Zero that was mentioned in leaked documents related to Microsoft’s acquisition of Activision Blizzard. The leak happened in September 2023 and it outlined Bethesda’s roadmap over the coming years as part of the Xbox Game Studios brand.

Catch up on all of the news from Summer Game Fest 2024 right here!

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/doom-the-dark-ages-hits-ps5-xbox-series-xs-and-pc-in-2025-172938801.html?src=rss 

Paramount+ just dropped the full trailer for its upcoming animated TMNT series, Tales of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, and it looks like a lot of fun. The show, a spinoff of last year’s Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem, will see a slew of actors from the movie return to their roles, including Micah Abbey as Donatello, Shamon Brown Jr. as Michelangelo, Nicolas Cantu as Leonardo, Brady Noon as Raphael and Ayo Edebiri as April O’Neil. It’s scheduled to be released on the streaming platform August 9.

In Tales of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, the brothers find themselves up against the villain Bishop (now depicted as a woman), who should be familiar to longtime fans of the franchise. After becoming separated by Bishop, they’ll have to stand on their own until they find each other to fight together again. The show will get 12 episodes, which will be available exclusively on Paramount+.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/the-new-2d-animated-teenage-mutant-ninja-turtles-show-hits-paramount-on-august-9-163555708.html?src=rss 

You can get the new Beats Solo 4 over-hear headphones with two years of AppleCare+ for $80 off thanks to a limited-time deal running on Amazon right now. The Solo 4 headphones were released just this past April and normally go for about $230 with the AppleCare+ bundle. Under the current 34 percent discount, they’re only $150. The deal applies to all three colors of the Solo 4: Cloud Pink, Matte Black and Slate Blue.

The Beats Solo 4 headphones brought significant improvements under the hood compared to earlier models, but stuck to the same familiar design externally. They’re touted to get about 50 hours of battery life on a charge without Spatial Audio on, and 45 hours with the feature enabled — but they managed to last much longer than that in our review, hitting 63 hours with Spatial Audio. Sound quality got a major boost as well. The Solo 4 headphones reflect “a more even-handed tuning,” according to Engadget’s Billy Steele, and don’t suffer from “the overly bass-heavy EQ that dominated the sound on [Beats’] early headphones.”

With the Solo 4, the company also switched to a USB-C charging port, following in Apple’s footsteps. They’re capable of lossless audio when using a wired connection. These headphones don’t offer active noise cancellation, but Beats has implemented a noise-learning algorithm and added beam-forming MEMS microphones for improved call quality.

The Beats Solo 4s aren’t the only headphones on sale right now. Amazon is also running a really good deal on the Beats Studio Pro (without AppleCare+). This model is nearly half off, bringing the price down to just $180 from the usual $350.

Follow @EngadgetDeals on Twitter and subscribe to the Engadget Deals newsletter for the latest tech deals and buying advice.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/the-beats-solo-4-headphones-with-applecare-are-on-sale-for-150-144447183.html?src=rss 

Some Anker and Soundcore products are being recalled due to a manufacturing defect that could cause fires. Anker issued a recall for its 321 Power Bank (PowerCore 5K, A1112) this week, saying, “The lithium-ion battery in the affected power banks can overheat, potentially causing melting of plastic components, smoke and fire hazards.” Its audio brand, Soundcore, issued a recall for its A3102 Speaker in Black as well.

The company has apparently started notifying customers who may own one of the affected devices via email, but you can double check the serial numbers — which are printed on the bottom of each device — using the above links to be sure. Anker says the issue applies only to a small number of devices manufactured between March and April of 2023. Also affected is a workplace conferencing device, the AnkerWork A3302 speakerphone, according to a press release. If you have one of these devices, the company advises you immediately stop using it and dispose of it properly at a facility that takes lithium batteries.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/popular-anker-power-bank-and-soundcore-speaker-recalled-over-potential-fire-risk-200637850.html?src=rss 

I cannot think of a game from recent times that I’ve tried more aggressively to get my friends into than Cult of the Lamb. Maybe this is the whole cult mindset talking, but something about it all just begs to be enjoyed with a pal. I’m clearly not the only one who feels this way — fans have been asking the developers for months to add a multiplayer option so they can fight side-by-side with their friends. And now, it’s actually happening. Cult of the Lamb publisher Devolver Digital has announced an upcoming free update called “Unholy Alliance” that adds local co-op to the game along with a new playable character: The Goat.

“Unholy Alliance” will be available to download August 12 for PC, PS5 and PS4, Xbox Series S/X and Nintendo Switch. With the update, you’ll be able to take on the full campaign with the help of a second player. Per the announcement notes, “The Lamb and the Goat can swap weapons, deal extra damage when fighting back-to-back, or deal a critical hit if their attacks are in sync.” There will be multiplayer versions of knucklebones and the fishing minigame, too. Unfortunately for anyone who was hoping for online co-op, though, this unholy alliance is local only, and the developers have so far said there aren’t plans to bring it online.

The team behind this game has been really good about keeping it fresh with free updates that actually build on the story and acknowledge fans’ feedback — hello, we got the sex update — and it’s nice to see that continue some two years after its release. If you can’t make the most of the co-op, there will be perks in “Unholy Alliance” for solo players too, including “a heap of new powers and abilities to play with.” The update will also bring “new tarot cards, relics, buildings, fleeces, follower traits, follower quests, and other secrets to discover.”

Catch up on all of the news from Summer Game Fest 2024 right here!

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/cult-of-the-lamb-is-finally-getting-a-co-op-mode-but-its-local-only-180715026.html?src=rss