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Ubisoft’s open-world Avatar game is almost here. At the company’s Summer Game Fest preview event, we got a substantial look at the story and gameplay of Avatar: Frontiers of Pandora. James Cameron introduced the game in a prerecorded segment, teasing “new environments new flora and fauna and characters”.

A cinematic trailer lays out how this tale will fit in with the Avatar movies. In short, it’ll cover the events of both games, with the protagonist being kidnapped during the events of the first film and schooled by the human invaders. After the events at the end of Avatar, you are cryogenically frozen… then unfrozen 15 years later in time to fight the RDA’s continued invasion.

The game itself is an open-world first-person action-adventure game, where you’ll be able to combine Na’vi skills and weapons with human assault weapons and a casual rocket launcher or two. (Massive, the studio behind the game, is most recently known for its work on Tom Clancy’s The Division 2.)

Your Na’vi instincts will work like a scanner for detecting enemies and environment features. You’ll be able to grow your character to fit your own playstyle, crafting weaponry and items from resources and upgrading your own skills as you see fit. The skill tree will include upgrades to agility and other attributes tied into your deepening understanding of your Na’vi heritage… by interacting with plants and other Na’vi.

 It wouldn’t be an Avatar affair without the ability to bond with sentient animals you can ride. The trailer teases the ability to ride direhorses as well as your very own ikran. You’ll be able to feed and customize your partner when not flying down waterfalls. Frontiers of Pandora will include a new western expanse not seen in the movies, where you’ll meet as-yet unseen Na’vi clans, including a secretive healer clan. 

Frontiers of Pandora launches on PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X and S, PC and, oddly, Luna. (Yes, Luna!) on December 7th 2023.

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

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/avatar-frontiers-of-pandora-launch-date-sgf-2023-174516354.html?src=rss 

Ubisoft pinky swears that Skull and Bones is still happening, and it’ll have a closed beta to prove it. You’ll have a chance to try the long-delayed action-adventure game between August 25th and 28th. You can sign up for the closed beta at the game’s website. The beta, which Ubisoft announced with the help of a sea shanty performance, will be available on PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S and PC.

To give you an idea of how long this game has been in the works, we had our first hands-on with it at E3 2017. The Skull and Bones development process has reportedly been more turbulent than just about any stormy sea. Ubisoft has delayed the game multiple times and it’s currently scheduled to arrive by the end of March 2024, approximately five years behind schedule.

Skull and Bones sees you take control of a pirate ship. You’ll be able to team up with friends to sail the high seas in an open world and take on other players as you try to become a legendary pirate. You’ll need to keep your crew happy as you get your hands on increasingly larger ships. Here’s hoping it’s all worth the wait.

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

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/skull-and-bones-is-still-alive-will-apparently-have-a-closed-beta-in-august-175747813.html?src=rss 

Ubisoft revealed a teaser trailer today for Captain Laserhawk: A Blood Dragon Remix. The upcoming Netflix anime is based on the 2013 Blood Dragon expansion for Far Cry 3 — but it appears to be at least as much of a tongue-in-cheek remix of Ubisoft IP and early 90s nostalgia.

Series creator Adi Shankar (producer of Netflix’s Castlevania series) introduced the trailer in a campy cyborg getup befitting the source material. “Seven years ago, I got a call from Ubisoft, offering me the opportunity to adapt one of their very, very, very serious franchises into an anime,” Shankar deadpanned. “But instead, I came back to them with a crazy concept inspired by the mood of Far Cry 3: Blood Dragon. This concept used Ubisoft’s vast library of characters, and remixed them into one delirious anime series that would become this love letter to the 90s… or at least how I remembered the 90s.”

Shankar describes the series as a violent, dystopian fiction in the spirit of the works of Aldous Huxley, as well as a spoof, satire, dark comedy, love story and “the most philosophically conscious show you’ve watched in a long time.” Bobbypills Studio handles the animation.

Captain Laserhawk: A Blood Dragon Remix is scheduled to premiere worldwide on Netflix this fall. You can watch the “Easter-egg-filled” teaser trailer below.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/netflixs-captain-laserhawk-a-blood-dragon-remix-is-an-anime-love-letter-to-the-90s-180409644.html?src=rss 

Ubisoft has given us the first proper look at Assassin’s Creed Nexus VR for the Meta Quest platform and confirmed a holiday launch window. The news comes via the company’s Ubisoft Forward streaming event as part of the Summer Game Fest. Assassin’s Creed Nexus VR releases for both the Meta Quest Pro, Meta Quest 2 and the recently-announced Meta Quest 3, though OG Quest owners are out of luck.

We knew this was coming, as Meta just held a games showcase event that featured Assassin’s Creed Nexus VR, but there’s now a dedicated trailer. This trailer is light on actual gameplay and heavy on CGI cutscenes, but it definitely confirms that you play in first person as an actual assassin through the magic of VR. Ubisoft says the title lets you experience parkour-style movement, stealth combat and good old-fashioned hand-to-hand fisticuffs in virtual reality.

The game brings back former series protagonists like Ezio, as you’ll be interacting with their memories to access levels. For those weary of the nausea associated with VR, particularly while performing elaborate parkour moves, Ubisoft says the title includes “best-in-class comfort features” to help with vertigo or fear of heights, though we aren’t exactly sure what that means. There’s no price yet, but top-tier Quest titles cap out at around $40. Also, the game looks to be a Quest platform exclusive at launch.

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

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/ubisoft-confirms-holiday-release-for-assassins-creed-nexus-vr-181108767.html?src=rss 

Ubisoft’s main answer to the Forza Horizon series is coming soon. The publisher has revealed that The Crew Motorfest will be available for PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One and Xbox Series X/S. It’s a sequel to 2018’s The Crew 2, but there are some clear changes to the gameplay in this third title.

Rather than spanning the entire US, The Crew Motorfest will center on a downscaled version of the Hawaiian island of O’ahu, where you’ll compete in a Forza-style racing festival with a variety of on- and off-road events that include street races and beach adventures. The eclectic choice of cars is also a highlight — you can drive everything from the classic VW Microbus through to the Hummer EV and Lamborghini Revuelto.

Motorfest has some pedigree behind it. Some of the developers at Ubisoft Ivory Tower also have experience from the first two Test Drive Unlimited games. While a lot of time has elapsed since the 2011 release of Test Drive Unlimited 2, fans of that series might see this as an unofficial sequel.

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

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/the-crew-motorfest-brings-open-world-racing-to-hawaii-on-september-14th-182256390.html?src=rss 

The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) is already suing to block Microsoft’s acquisition of Activsion Blizzard, but now it’s reportedly taking steps to halt the deal before the July 18th deadline for the merger. A CNBCsource claims the FTC is poised to file for an injunction that would prevent the merger from closing as scheduled.

We’ve asked the FTC and Microsoft for comment. Microsoft tells CNBC the injunction will put the case in front of a federal judge sooner. In previous statements, Microsoft has downplayed the deal and claims that Activision Blizzard doesn’t have “must have” games. It even suggests Sony has higher-quality exclusives. The FTC, however, notes that Activision is one of just a few giant game publishers that publish major titles across platforms.

The lawsuit is going before the FTC’s own administrative law judge in August. That official will make a decision that can appeal to the Commission for a vote. If the agency votes against the merger, Microsoft can appeal to a federal court to challenge the outcome.

The reported injunction comes weeks after the UK’s Competition and Markets Authority said it would block the $68.7 billion purchase. The regulator is concerned Microsoft may buy its way into a monopoly of the young cloud gaming space, giving it up to 70 percent market share. Microsoft has tried to assuage those fears by striking deals with game streaming providers to put titles on their services. The tech giant has also tried to address fears of a Call of Duty Xbox exclusive by promising multi-platform releases for a decade.

Microsoft has had some success with its proposed merger. The European Union greenlit the deal, for example. The company clearly needs US and UK support to move forward, though, and there are no guarantees it can make concessions that satisfy those countries’ regulators.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/ftc-expected-to-file-injunction-to-block-microsofts-purchase-of-activision-blizzard-165738788.html?src=rss