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Relive 1917's heart pounding action in our latest Blu-ray giveaway
Thanks to our friends at Universal Sony Home Entertainment, we have ten Blu-ray copies of the new release World War I blockbuster '1917' to give away to our readers.
At the height of the First World War, two young British soldiers, Schofield (Captain Fantastic's George MacKay) and Blake (Game of Thrones' Dean-Charles Chapman) are given a seemingly impossible mission. In a race against time, they must cross enemy territory and deliver a message that will stop a deadly attack on hundreds of soldiers - Blake's own brother among them.
To go into the running to win a prize, post this article to your social media profiles, send your postal address to ben at TweakTown dot com and correctly answer the following question before the competition closes on 24 April.
Continue reading: Relive 1917's heart pounding action in our latest Blu-ray giveaway (full post)
Cancelled Doom 4 prototype was basically a post-apocalyptic FPS
Now that the Doom series has made a huge comeback, we thought it prudent to take a look at what could've happened with the series. We're glad this Doom 4 project got cancelled. The series might've died out if this game got released.
From 2007 to 2013, id Software was working on Doom 4. But it wasn't the kind of Doom we got in 2016, nor is it the explosive bullets-and-guts thrillride that is Doom Eternal. The cancelled Doom 4 project was a very different type of game; instead of radical monstrosities amid fiery hellscapes and over-the-top chaos, Doom 4 was mostly based around post-apocalyptic survival with a lot of human interactions. It basically reminds me of Metro with demons.
The combat looks good--Doomguy has an awesome kick and even smashes some demon brains with his boots--and the FPS action is a bit slow, but this is a pre-rendered prototype. The death animations are pretty gnarly too. The actual rendered cinematics are pretty damn good, though. They just seem more like RAGE than Doom. The game takes place on earth during a demon infestation, and there's clans of armed humans in cluttered villages and cities straight out of a high-tech Mad Max. The game also has the spirit of Terminator's resistance fighters going up against impossible odds.
Continue reading: Cancelled Doom 4 prototype was basically a post-apocalyptic FPS (full post)
Amazing Unreal Engine 4 volumetric lighting teases next-gen fog
Andras Ketzer's FluidNinja VFX toolset gives us a taste of the insane fog the horizon with next-gen games
While browsing Twitter, I came across a Tweet showcasing this incredible Unreal Engine 4 dry ice lighting demo that blew my mind. The effect is made possible by something called ray-marching, a volumetric rendering technique that basically injects 2D data into 3D spaces. It's not ray tracing, though; ray tracing only does surfaces. Ray marching essentially passes through the surface data, and is described as the "big brother" of ray tracing. Ray marching is pretty complicated, but here's a nice breakdown.
The cauldron demo was made with an NVIDIA GTX 1070 and runs at 182FPS in 1080p resolution, but it's not exactly 3D geometry. It was made using FluidNinja VFX, which allows real-time fluid simulations in UE4. The demo isn't actually three-dimensional: It's a 2D flipbook that simulates 3D visuals by using shadows and depth tricks. The result is brilliantly radiant and swirling fog that looks right out of a high-end next-gen game.
Continue reading: Amazing Unreal Engine 4 volumetric lighting teases next-gen fog (full post)
Doom Eternal's marauder doesn't suck. You do. Here's how to get better
When Doom Eternal hit, everyone complained about the marauder. He's tough...until you know how to beat him. But he's nowhere near impossible to kill. Apparently gamers (and even outlets) are still complaining, so it's time to set the record straight: The marauder doesn't suck. You do.
Doom Eternal is a balls-to-the-wall thrill ride of a game. It's all about massacring demons in a whirlwind frenzy of death, mayhem, and total annihilation. You're a living force of nature in Doom Eternal, a hurricane that just leaves blood and guts in their wake. That momentum is only made possible by adaptation and skill.
When enemies like the marauder show up for the first time, you hit a brick wall. But like everything else, Doomguy eventually smashes it. This tough enemy procession is the hallmark of the game, it's bread and butter, and enemies like the marauder are extremely important.
Continue reading: Doom Eternal's marauder doesn't suck. You do. Here's how to get better (full post)
CS:GO beats DOTA 2 with 1.3 million concurrent players on Steam
Counter-Strike: GO has surpassed DOTA 2 as the second Steam game in terms of concurrent users.
COVID-19 quarantines are resulting in huge spikes in gaming, and Counter-Strike is no exception. The game hit over 1 million active players back in early March, and now a month later it's broken 1.3 million to dethrone DOTA 2. At the time of writing, SteamDB reports CS:GO is the second most actively-played Steam game of all time. PUBG still leads with an insane 3.2 million concurrent users. Still, though, CS is doing pretty damn good for a 8 year old game. And CS:GO has had the best 24-hour peak of any Steam game to date.
Other fun facts about Steam's playerbase: Fallout 4 actually beats GTA V in all-time concurrent peak users, and PUBG actually has two spots in the top 10 list. One of them belongs to the BR's test server. Right now Steam has over 19 million people online, but only 28% of them, or 5.5 million, are actually gaming.
Continue reading: CS:GO beats DOTA 2 with 1.3 million concurrent players on Steam (full post)
MSI Optix MAG301CR: 30-inch monitor offers 2560 x 1080 at 200Hz
MSI has just revealed its new Optix MAG301CR gaming monitor, offering a larger 30-inch panel with a 21:9 aspect ratio, native resolution of 2560 x 1080 and refresh rate of 200Hz.
We also have a 1ms response time, AMD FreeSync technology, and more. The 30-inch panel in a 21:9 aspect ratio is an interesting one, as we usually see 34-inch 21:9 UltraWide monitors with native resolutions of 3440 x 1440 or 2560 x 1080, so the smaller screen size will make the monitor not feel so packed-in with pixels.
MSI is tapping a fast VA panel which means you're going to have a super-fast gaming experience in first-person shooters, RTS and MOBA games. There's also some HDR goodness here, although I'm not sure many gamers even bother with HDR -- still, it's there.
Continue reading: MSI Optix MAG301CR: 30-inch monitor offers 2560 x 1080 at 200Hz (full post)
Xbox One X Cyberpunk 2077 Limited Edition console glows in the dark
It has been an exciting week for Cyberpunk 2077 fans, with a tease of a concept Cyberpunk 2077 themed DualSense controller for the PlayStation 5 from BossLogic and then the Amazon Canada listing of a Cyberpunk 2077 Xbox One controller, the tease of an entire custom Xbox One X console themed in Cyberpunk 2077 goodness -- and now the confirmation of the limited edition Xbox One X console... Check it out:
The new Xbox One X Cyberpunk 2077 Limited Edition console goes one stpe further, with what should be some gorgeous glow-in-the-dark bits. Microsoft has no pricing or pre-order details for the custom Xbox One X console just yet, but we do know that the rugged design of the Cyberpunk 2077 controller is based on Johnny Silverhand -- who is played by Neo and John Wick himself, Keanu Reeves.
Microsoft will have its custom Xbox One X Cyberpunk 2077 Limited Edition bundle console available in June, with no details on pricing just yet. Cyberpunk 2077 the game, will be released on September 17, 2020.
Continue reading: Xbox One X Cyberpunk 2077 Limited Edition console glows in the dark (full post)
Justice League battles Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles new MUGEN fighter
Ever wonder what a SNES-era Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle x Justice League tournament fighter would look like? Wonder no longer. This 90's style mashup makes your dreams come true.
MUGEN fans rejoice! Kamekaze's anticipated TMNTxJL fighter is now available to download, complete with tons of custom movesets, combos, and more. The game resembles a mashup of Justice League Task Force on SNES and borrows moves right out of the legendary hit Turtles in Time. The roster tons of familiar and surprising faces, many of which don't actually show up in games. There's the staples like Batman, Superman, and Wonder Woman, and the four TMNT bros. But some more obscure characters like Cheetah, Despero, and even Chrome Dome and Armaggon show up to join the fray.
The fighting is superb and ultra chaotic, the graphics are amazing old-school 16-bit vibrant pixels, and it has a comedic and hilarious nostalgic tone that transports you back to those glory days of comics and cartoons.
Continue reading: Justice League battles Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles new MUGEN fighter (full post)
Doom Eternal's death metal environments showcased in new amazing video
Doom Eternal's environments are absolutely incredible. But don't take my word for it. Just check out the video below and see for yourself.
I've probably played Doom Eternal more than any other game this year. The gameplay is immaculate, but the in-game environments, maps, and set design are also a big part of that. Doom Eternal's burning hellscapes are a feast for the eyes: they're engaging, invigorating, chaotic, and over-the-top. Some levels have you blasting through a titanic demon's stomach and using his guts as a corridor. Others have hulking mechsuits, cruel and twisted spires, giant gates right out of a Wayne Barlowe painting.
In their latest compilation video, YouTuber Ultraclocked has managed to capture everything that makes Doom Eternal so...metal. The grisly gore, the sci-fantasy mechs and titanic BFG 10000, the skulls and moaning tortured souls, the towering monstrosities, and the ancient space-Babylonian cityscapes of Taras Nabad. It's all here, represented in high detail.
Continue reading: Doom Eternal's death metal environments showcased in new amazing video (full post)
COVID-19 disruption delays Sony's 2019 full year earnings report
Just yesterday Bloomberg reported Sony would limit PlayStation 5 stock by up to 50% less compared to the PS4. The reason? PS5 will be more expensive, and coronavirus has disrupted Sony's marketing plans. Now Sony announces coronavirus has delayed its critical earnings report plans by two weeks, seemingly corroborating the reports.
Sony today announced its Q4'19 and full year 2019 earnings reports will be delayed two weeks to May 13, 2020. Sony's FY2019 timeline ended March 31, 2020, and Sony typically reports earnings a month later on April 30.
"Sony Corporation planned to announce its consolidated financial results for the fiscal year ended March 31, 2020 on Thursday, April 30, 2020. However, due to delays in accounting closing procedures and other operations resulting from the spread of the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19), please be informed that this announcement has been rescheduled for Wednesday, May 13, 2020," reads a press release.
Continue reading: COVID-19 disruption delays Sony's 2019 full year earnings report (full post)
Here's NASA's plan on how it's going to get Mars samples back to Earth
You probably would have guessed that one of NASA's goals is to get some samples of Mars back on Earth for further examination, but how is the space exploration company going to do that exactly?
Well, it won't be easy, that's for sure, and it also will take quite a lot of time - years in fact. According to the projects lead scientists who discussed the plan in a virtual meeting that was reported by Nature, NASA, and the European Space Agency (ESA) are planning on landing a second spacecraft next to the first spacecraft (Mars Perseverance) to hand off the samples.
This is how it will work. Mars Perseverance will land in the Jezero crater on Mars, February 2021. Perseverance will perform sampling by using a drill to dig into the soil and retire enough samples to fill thirty small tubes. Once the samples are collected, it will store them on the rover.
Continue reading: Here's NASA's plan on how it's going to get Mars samples back to Earth (full post)
Gmail blocks 18 million malicious coronavirus emails PER DAY
We all know that crazy amounts of emails are sent around the world per day, with Gmail stopping a huge 18 million malware and phishing emails related to COVID-19 each and everyday.
This might sound like a lot, but it's nowhere near the number of emails that Google blocks from inboxes per day. This 18 million emails blocked for COVID-19 malware makes up around 20% of the total number of phishing emails that Gmail blocks each day, as over 100 million emails per day are blocked by Gmail.
Automated systems filter out another 240 million emails that are coronavirus-related spam, but there are some slipping through the cracks. But what are the phishing emails masquerading as? Well, some are impersonating the World Health Organization (WHO) asking people to donate to them in Bitcoin.
Continue reading: Gmail blocks 18 million malicious coronavirus emails PER DAY (full post)
Cyberpunk 2077 themed Xbox One X could be fake, but I really want it
It has been an exciting week for Cyberpunk 2077 fans, with a tease of a concept Cyberpunk 2077 themed DualSense controller for the PlayStation 5 from BossLogic and then the Amazon Canada listing of a Cyberpunk 2077 Xbox One controller -- and now, the tease of an entire custom Xbox One X console themed in Cyberpunk 2077 goodness. Check it out:
The image could be fake, but with a Cyberpunk 2077 themed Xbox One controller teased -- the reality of an entire custom Xbox One X would make sense given that CD Projekt RED's game will be one of the biggest of the year. A nice new custom and limited edition Cyberpunk 2077 themed Xbox One X would be perfect.
NVIDIA teamed with CD Projekt RED for a custom Cyberpunk 2077 themed GeForce RTX 2080 Ti graphics card, something that has been selling on eBay for over $5000. But a new custom Cyberpunk 2077 themed Xbox One X console will have console gamers happy with some limited edition Cyberpunk 2077 products.
Continue reading: Cyberpunk 2077 themed Xbox One X could be fake, but I really want it (full post)
J.J. Abrams is adapting Justice League Dark into a new HBO Max series
WarnerMedia will be launching its new streaming service HBO Max next month costing $14.99 per month -- and now there's a new Justice League Dark series announced for HBO Max. Now, we just need Zack Snyder's Justice League to be announced as a HBO Max exclusive.
Justice League Dark is being produced by J.J. Abrams under his Bad Robot production label, with WarnerMedia tapping the Star Wars and Star Trek director on adapting Justice League Dark from its comic book origins, into a new HBO Max series. It was only September 2019 where Abrams signed a huge $250 million deal with WarnerMedia.
If you aren't aware of Justice League Dark, it's a comic book series that saw the DC Universe tackling supernatural characters. Justice League Dark is a branch of the Justice League itself, with the characters in JLD focusing on mystical and supernatural threats. Justice League Dark #1 dropped in September 2011, featuring characters that included John Constantine.
Continue reading: J.J. Abrams is adapting Justice League Dark into a new HBO Max series (full post)
DOOM Eternal DLC trolls coffee-drinking, skinny jean-wearing hipsters
DOOM Eternal is about to enjoy its first DLC release with Series 2, otherwise known as Coffee & Camo, and sees the developers at id Software trolling gamers.
The new Coffee & Camo DLC adds in a new Hipster Archvile Master Collection, which as you can see in the image above, has a demon rocking out with some Converse shoes and skinny jeans. Yeah, if you look closer -- the demon is wearing yellow sunglasses, has his hipster hairstyle, and is taking a selfie of himself.
You can unlock the hipster demon skin which I'm sure you're going to wait to use, as well as a Toad King Pain Elemental and Camo Slayer skins to unlock. DOOM Eternal's new Coffee & Camo event also throws in new weapon skins, icons, and nameplates that you can unlock.
Continue reading: DOOM Eternal DLC trolls coffee-drinking, skinny jean-wearing hipsters (full post)
ASRock unveils Radeon RX 5500 XT Challenger ITX graphics card
ASRock has just unveiled the newest member of its Challenger series of graphics cards, with the new Radeon RX 5500 XT Challenger ITX 8G graphics card. Check out our review on the ASRock Radeon RX 5500 XT Phantom Gaming series card.
Where ASRock does something different here with the Challenger ITX graphics card, is that it shrinks down the Radeon RX 5500 XT into ITX form for super-small form factore gaming. You still get the 7nm RDNA chip with 8GB of GDDR6 memory, but it has been shrunken down with ASRock's in-house Shrink Ray.
ASRock provides a boost GPU clock of up to 1845MHz on the card, with 1080p 60FPS gaming being no issue on the Radeon RX 5500 XT Challenger ITX. The card is just 17.8cm long and fits into small form factor and mini-ITX chassis, with a 10cm fan and 2 x copper heat pipes keeping things cool.
Continue reading: ASRock unveils Radeon RX 5500 XT Challenger ITX graphics card (full post)
MSI uses 16Gbps GDDR6 memory on new GeForce RTX 2080 Ti GAMING Z TRIO
MSI has just unveiled the fastest-ever GeForce RTX 2080 Ti graphics card, with the company using new, and faster 16Gbps GDDR6 memory dies.
The new GeForce RTX 2080 Ti GAMING Z TRIO is just like the GeForce RTX 2080 Ti GAMING X, except that it packs the faster GDDR6 memory. MSI's flagship GeForce RTX 2080 Ti LIGHTNING Z (my review here) still packs higher GPU clocks than the new RTX 2080 Ti GAMING Z TRIO, but the GAMING Z TRIO has the faster 16Gbps GDDR6 memory. The LIGHTNING Z has its 11GB of GDDR6 at 14Gbps.
This isn't the first time MSI has added faster memory to one of its graphics cards in the GAMING Z TRIO model, with our recent review on MSI's GeForce RTX 2070 SUPER GAMING Z TRIO equipped with faster 15.5Gbps GDDR6 (up from 14Gbps).
Continue reading: MSI uses 16Gbps GDDR6 memory on new GeForce RTX 2080 Ti GAMING Z TRIO (full post)
Gamescom 2020 pivots to digital-only show to combat coronavirus spread
The world's biggest gaming event won't take place on location this year, but the showrunners are pivoting to a digital-only event.
Unlike E3 2020, which was cancelled and failed to spin up a streaming-based show, Gamescom 2020 isn't being cancelled. It's just moving online. The event's coordinators confirmed Gamescom will still take place in August, andthat they're using the the fourth-month head start to plan out a digital direct showcase.
"It's official: Unfortunately, gamescom will under no circumstances take place on site in Cologne this year. We are, however, already working at full speed on a digital gamescom. It is, after all, the world's biggest event for games, and that's what it should be again this year. You can already look forward to how we will celebrate the best games and gamescom together with you and millions of gamers worldwide at the end of August, even if it will only be digital and not on location this time.
Continue reading: Gamescom 2020 pivots to digital-only show to combat coronavirus spread (full post)
Crysis remastered: Summer launch, no multiplayer, next-gen PC lighting
Following a big leak that spoiled the news, Crytek today revealed Crysis Remastered for PC, consoles, and surprisingly, Nintendo Switch. But the game will shine brightest on PC thanks to higher-level optimizations.
Crysis Remastered is coming this summer to melt your GPUs and resurrect the old adage "Can it run Crysis?" Apparently even the Switch can run Crysis these days. It's the PC port we're all interested in, though, and Crytek is promising some hefty upgrades that are made possible by the new beefy CryEngine 5.6 toolset.
Crysis remastered will look next-gen thanks to effects like SSDO, or screen space directional occlusion, an advanced lighting technique that allows for real-time global illumination, software-based raytracing that's independent of hardware (check out our Control review to see ray tracing in action), and SVOGI or voxel-based global illumination. Expect amazing-looking environments with volumetric fog and ray-traced shadows rendered in real-time.
Continue reading: Crysis remastered: Summer launch, no multiplayer, next-gen PC lighting (full post)
Crysis Remastered announced: PC version has ray tracing
We knew it was coming, but now it is somewhat official: Crysis Remastered is happening. Yes, I can't believe it -- and I'm so excited to even be writing this news.
Crytek's own website has confirmed Crysis Remastered, which will "new graphic features, high-quality textures, and the CRYENGINE's native hardware- and API-agnostic ray tracing solution for PC, PlayStation, Xbox, and - for the very first time - Nintendo Switch".
So there we have it: ray tracing for the PC version, a new souped-up version for the Xbox One and PlayStation 4, and for the first time Crysis will be on the Nintendo Switch.
Continue reading: Crysis Remastered announced: PC version has ray tracing (full post)






















