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Activision has spilled the beans about Call of Duty: Modern Warfare III, revealing much more about what players can expect from the next entry in the rebooted series. For one thing, it seems like fans of Call of Duty’s Zombies mode are in for a treat. Activision is promising the mode’s biggest map to date. You’ll be able to team up with other squads for the first time and try to survive “massive hordes” of zombies.

Although Sledgehammer Games is leading development on Modern Warfare III, a bunch of other Activision studios are lending a hand. Treyarch, one of the core Call of Duty developers, handled this year’s Zombies mode, which tells a “Dark Aether” story. Along with secrets to unearth and a variety of missions to check out, Zombies includes “an open-world PvE extraction survival experience” and some of the biggest enemies in the franchise’s history, Activision said.

Zombies is not the only major multiplayer mode, of course, and MWIII will pay tribute to one of the series’ high points. Every one of the original 16 multiplayer maps from the 2009 version of Modern Warfare 2 will be available at the outset. Sledgehammer has modernized classic maps like Terminal and Highrise with new modes and gameplay features. More than 12 new six vs. six maps will arrive in future seasons.

From the jump, there will be three new Battle Maps on which you’ll duke it out in the Ground War and Invasion modes, along with a War map. The latter marks the return of the War Mode that made its series bow in 2017’s Call of Duty: WWll.

You can expect fresh movement mechanics, such as a Tac-Stance for tactical close-quarters combat. Activision says Sledgehammer has refined the reload cancel and slide cancel mechanics, while you should find it faster to aim down sights out of slide. Meanwhile, all perks will be available at the beginning of a multiplayer match, including a new silent movement one called Covert Sneakers.

Many players will be pleased to learn that the classic red-dot minimap is back after Infinity Ward omitted it from last year’s Modern Warfare II. There will be a map voting system, while Sledgehammer has given players a health boost, which will increase the time-to-kill — I’m sure players will have no opinions whatsoever about that change.

You won’t necessarily have to start over your collection of multiplayer gear from scratch. Last week, Activision confirmed that, for the first time, players will be able to carry forward nearly all of their unlocked items (including weapons and operators) from Modern Warfare II to Modern Warfare III.

On top of all of the multiplayer features, there’s the small matter of the campaign. This is a direct sequel to last year’s game and it continues the Modern Warfare story with Task Force 141 looking to take down ultranationalist villain Vladmir Makarov. This time around, there’s a new type of mission called Open Combat. This offers players the chance to choose their own path through a level and they’ll have multiple ways to complete objectives. These levels were built to work around players’ preferred play styles, so if you prefer a stealthy approach to an all-guns-blazing one, you might appreciate their flexibility. 

Activision has also released a new gameplay trailer, which backs up speculation that there will be a fresh take on the controversial No Russian mission from the original Modern Warfare 2. The phrase “No Russian” appears in a text message before the recipient points a gun while walking through a plane.

Call of Duty: Modern Warfare III will hit PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S and PC (via Steam and Battle.net) on November 10th. There will be a free open beta beforehand, with those who pre-order getting early access. Those folks will also be able to play the campaign up to a week before the game’s official release date.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/call-of-duty-modern-warfare-iii-will-include-the-series-biggest-zombies-map-ever-180029216.html?src=rss 

Homeworld: Deserts of Kharak will be free on the Epic Games Store later this month. The well-received 2016 prequel to 1999 real-time strategy classic Homeworld arrives ahead of Homeworld 3, due early next year after multiple delays. The (usually $50) Deserts of Kharak will be available to claim on Epic’s storefront from August 24th to 31st.

The 2016 game takes place over a century before the events of Homeworld on the desert world of Kharak. The arid planet is the once-home of the Kushan people, protagonists of the 1999 original and central figures in the series. It’s the only Homeworld installment to move the action from space to the ground as you navigate the terrain to gain the advantage over the Kiith Gaalsien. This cult-like faction believes anyone who dreams of flying to the stars deserves harsh punishment — something they’re all too happy to dole out. Its gameplay honors the series’ strategic roots while adapting to ground play’s reduced axes of movement by making elevation (navigating the desert’s plateaus and valleys) a core focus.

Snagging the game for free can give the franchise’s fans something to tide them over ahead of Homeworld 3 in February 2024 — and publisher Gearbox Software would surely love to lure some younger gamers into the nearly quarter-century-old series. 

The Homeworld series has ridden an IP roller coaster since the RTS genre’s late 90s / early 00s heyday. After the first game’s critically acclaimed reception, original developer Relic Entertainment made two more (also well-received) games: an expansion and a proper sequel. However, after 2003’s Homeworld 2, THQ bought Relic and failed to produce a single Homeworld game under its ownership.

The series only got another lease on life after THQ folded and Gearbox Software won a 2013 auction to secure its rights. The Borderlands maker revived the saga with remastered versions of the classic titles. Deserts of Kharak followed soon after, and Homeworld 3 was finally announced in 2019, using a crowdfunding campaign to raise money and gauge consumer interest. After several delays, the long-awaited third installment will (hopefully) arrive next winter.

Claiming the PC game from August 24th to 31st will require an Epic Games account. During that time, you can navigate to the Deserts of Kharak store page in a browser or use the Epic Games Launcher to redeem it.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/homeworld-deserts-of-kharak-will-be-free-on-the-epic-games-store-this-month-181511485.html?src=rss 

Honda is looking to make waves in the electric vehicle market. The first model in the automaker’s major 2024 push into the space is the Acura ZDX. It expects to obtain an EPA range rating of 325 miles on a single charge for the base A-Spec single-motor configuration.

That’s in the same ballpark as the Tesla Model X (333 miles) and better than the Model Y (303 miles), as well as Ford’s Mustang Mach-E (up to 312 miles) and the F-150 Lightning (230 miles). What’s more, Honda is touting this range for a starting price of around $60,000. The first Acura ZDX deliveries are slated for early 2024 with pre-sales starting later this year. Sales will take place exclusively online.

The company unveiled the EV at Monterey Car Week after teasing it earlier this month. It will be available in two variants: the Acura ZDX A-Spec and ZDX Type S. The former is expected to deliver 340 horsepower. The dual-motor, all-wheel-drive ZDX Type S will have an estimated 500 horsepower and is expected to start at around $70,000. Honda says that will be “the most powerful and best performing Acura SUV ever” but it’s expected to eke out a shorter range of 288 miles from the 102 kWh battery. Of note, the ZDX A-Spec will have 20-inch wheels, while the Type S has 22-inch wheels.

Honda has been dripfeeding details about the ZDX for months, so it was already known that the EV would have Android Auto, built-in Google apps and Apple CarPlay integration. It will feature an 11-inch touchscreen dashboard for the driver and an 11.3-inch center display. The ZDX is the first Acura model with a Bang & Olufsen audio system, which comes as standard. It has 18 speakers, including a subwoofer.

Safety features include a rear pedestrian alert and blind zone steering assist. The ZDX Type S has hands-free cruise driver assistance. According to Acura, that allows for “true hands-free driving on up to 400,000 miles of compatible roads.” The Type S also has an automatic parking assist system that should help with parallel parking.

When it comes to topping up the EV’s battery, Honda is hoping you’ll never be too far away from a charging station. Last month, it announced a joint effort with six other automakers to build an extensive network of 30,000 stations in North America. The initiative’s first locations are expected to open in the US next summer. Honda also notes that the ZDX supports DC Fast Charging, and a 10-minute top up can add up to 81 miles of range to the ZDX A-Spec’s battery in the rear-wheel drive configuration.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/acuras-zdx-ev-has-an-estimated-325-miles-of-range-and-starts-at-around-60000-160023372.html?src=rss