Get The First Deep Dive Into Hades 2 Gameplay With A New Video
Players can now sign up for the Hades II technical test, although only a few people will actually get in. For everyone else, there is still a way to get a glimpse at the anticipated title. Supergiant creative director Greg Kasavin and Studio Director Amir Rao livestreamed an initial run of the game on the developer’s official YouTube channel.
Like the technical test itself, the livestream only shows off the first major area of the game (although if you don’t want spoilers at all, probably best not to watch the video). You play as Melinoë, potentially a daughter of Hades, who seeks to vanquish the forces of the resurrected god Chronos. The technical test takes place in Erebus, where souls wait to be sorted into the afterlife from the last game. Like the prior game, Melinoë can pick up enhancements and new abilities from the gods of Olympus. The video shows off some of these new gods like Apollo. Melinoë is a witch and she can use “omega” moves that deal extra damage, but these can be hard to pull off and cost magick. She can even sprint, unlike the last game’s hero Zagreus.
Back at home base, The Crossroads, Melinoë can hang with her pet frog and a “listless shade” named Dora, learn from Hecate the witch of the crossroads, and meet other mythical figures like Odysseus and Hypnos. She can also gather ash to unlock Arcana cards that make Melinoë stronger and choose new weapons.
The technical test will run an as-yet-undetermined amount of time. The game should launch in an early-access-version soon after the technical test is complete. Here’s everything else we know about the game so far.
Escape From Tarkov Boss Didn’t Expect Players To Get Mad About Paid PvE Content
BattleState Games, the developer behind Escape from Tarkov, didn’t expect the backlash of only granting access to its PvE mode for those who purchased the $250 collector’s edition. It has since issued an apology and made several changes.
“First of all, I would like to say that I am very sorry that fans and the game community in general are experiencing these feelings, said chief operational officer Nik Buyanov in a Reddit post. “Unfortunately, I somehow did not foresee the fact of such a reaction and now I have drawn conclusions for my future decisions.”
BattleState Games will now make the mode free for those who purchased the Edge of Darkness edition, but will do so in waves. That’s because there is not enough server capacity to accommodate every single player at the moment. Furthermore, there will be mod support for the PvE mode after the game releases out of early access.
New Edge of Darkness perks for the game will be balanced, and prioritized matchmaking will be removed in order to keep everyone around the same level.
The $250 collector’s edition, called the Unheard Edition, will not be removed, but will be modified. The items and perks included in this edition will be balanced further and more rewards will be added.
BattleState Games came under fire for putting the PvE game mode behind a paywall last week, and the studio attempted to justify that it was a “feature and a game mode,” not DLC. As such, it didn’t count as DLC and wouldn’t be available for Edge of Darkness edition purchasers who were entitled to all subsequent DLC expansions.
New Star Wars And Marvel Disney Plus Blu-Rays Have Arrived, But You May Want To Order Soon
The second wave of Star Wars and Marvel physical editions of hit Disney+ series launched today, April 30. On the Star Wars side, you can pick up Season 1 of the stellar show Andor as well as the complete Obi-Wan Kenobi series. Meanwhile, Marvel fans and collectors can add The Falcon and The Winter Soldier and Moon Knight to their shelves. All four shows are available on 4K Blu-ray and standard 1080p Blu-ray. You’ll get a steelbook case and three art cards with each one, regardless whether you choose 4K Blu-ray or standard Blu-ray. Amazon and Walmart are offering nice discounts for the brand-new releases, too.
If you prefer to shop at Amazon, you should know that you’ll have a bit of a wait before your order arrives. Though Moon Knight is available to ship immediately, The Falcon and The Winter Soldier and Andor won’t arrive until May 8 at the earliest, according to Amazon’s current estimates (which can change at any time). Meanwhile, Obi-Wan has a one- to two-month wait.
Over at Walmart, on the other hand, all four releases are available to ship immediately. You may even be eligible for free one-day or delivery. You can also order online and pick up at your local store. Here’s a quick look at Walmart’s listings for each.
Walmart Disney+ listings, eligible for one-day delivery
And if you still want to pick up last year’s releases, we’ve compiled a list below of all eight of the Disney+ Marvel and Star Wars physical editions on 4K and standard Blu-ray. And, of course, you could also sign up for a Disney+ subscription to watch all of these shows and more.
More Marvel and Star Wars Disney+ Blu-rays
$45 (was $55)
The Falcon and The Winter Soldier team up at the very end of Avengers: Endgame, and this collection follows their ensuing adventures through the first season of their spin-off show. It’s available on 4K UHD Blu-ray and standard Blu-ray, both of which come with a steelbook case and art cards. Along with the film, the physical release includes the Cap’s Shield featurette, a gag reel, deleted scenes, and Assembled: The Making of The Falcon and The Winter Soldier.
$45 (was $55)
The first season of Moon Knight follows in the footsteps of The Falcon and The Winter Soldier, with 4K UHD Blu-ray and Blu-ray steelbook collections up for grabs. Along with the complete first season, you get a featurette about the Egyptian mythology that inspired Moon Knight, a documentary about the making of Moon Knight, deleted scenes, a gag reel, and three art cards.
$45 (was $55)
Set 10 years after Revenge of the Sith, Star Wars: Obi-Wan Kenobi follows the eponymous Jedi as he embarks on a new adventure. Both the 4K UHD Blu-ray and Blu-ray steelbook collections include the complete run. The discs include a variety of featurettes, such as director’s commentary from Deborah Chow and a look at the lore behind the Inquisitors and Darth Vader. Along with the steelbook case, you get a trio of collectible art cards.
$45 (was $55)
The final series getting a physical release is Andor. The 4K UHD and Blu-ray steelbook collections include the complete first season, three art cards, and five unique featurettes–including stories of ISB agent Dedra and a discussion about the origin of the Andor series.
Can’t wait for these upcoming releases? Check out the existing collection of Disney Plus shows that made the jump to Blu-ray.
Disney Plus Blu-ray
PSA: Make Sure To Pick The Same Faction As Your Friends In Gray Zone Warfare
Gray Zone Warfare is a new tactical shooter in early access on Steam, where you can squad up with your friends… if you choose the same faction that is. Players are reporting that if you choose a different faction from your friends when playing Gray Zone Warfare, you will be unable to party up together and there is currently no way to change factions.
Shared on the game’s subreddit, players have found that once you choose one of three factions in Gray Zone Warfare, your account is locked into that faction. You are also only able to play with people in the same faction as you, so if your friends choose a different faction, you will be unable to play together. There currently is no way to reset your account or make a new character, with the only potential workaround being to make a new Steam account and family-sharing the game to it.
Gray Zone Warfare is an MMO tactical shooter featuring both PvPvE and PvE extraction-like gameplay. Its main features include being ultra-realistic, with highly customizable guns and a unique health system that tries to simulate a more realistic version of taking damage in combat. One of the main appeals of Gray Zone Warfare is squadding up with friends to explore with, which is why being unable to switch factions is causing such an uproar.
Gray Zone Warfare is currently sitting at Mixed on Steam with over 3,500 reviews. The majority of the negative reviews cite performance issues, with the game unable to maintain a stable frame rate on some PCs.