Category: Video Games

Ubisoft has released Star Wars Outlaws Title Update 1.3.0, which makes a number of significant changes to the game.

The patch, available across all platforms, focuses on improving Outlaws’ much-maligned stealth “to give players more flexibility in how they approach situations,” Ubisoft said. It also tunes enemy AI (another aspect of the game that came under fire) and speeder travel. The patch notes, courtesy of Ubisoft’s website, are below.

Ubisoft added that it’s aware of an ongoing issue affecting PC players after the 24H2 Windows Update, and is working to fix it. Elsewhere, Ubisoft has created a dedicated Bug Reporter tool where players can report issues and track their status, in a bid to “improve transparency and communication.”

Star Wars Outlaws has struggled since its launch in August, with Ubisoft admitting sales failed to meet expectations. Developer Ubisoft Massive has said it’s committed to improving the game, however, with more patches planned in the run up to the crucial Christmas sales period. Update 4 will arrive on November 21, featuring further combat and stealth improvements as well as free additional contracts. The upcoming story DLC, Wild Card, will “see Kay and Nix infiltrate a high-stakes Sabacc tournament where they will face off against the legendary Lando Calrissian.”

It comes amid a shakeup at Ubisoft following the collapse of the company’s share price and Outlaws’ aforementioned poor sales. Ubisoft has returned to Steam (Outlaws hits Valve’s platform on November 21) after years of Epic Games Store exclusivity on PC, delayed Assassin’s Creed Shadows into next year, and is reportedly considering partnering with Tencent to take the company private.

Star Wars Outlaws Title Update 1.3.0 patch notes:

PATCH DETAILS (version 7199763.TU3):

• PlayStation 5: 3.48 GB (version 01.003.000)
• Xbox Series X|S: 5.07 GB (version 1.0.3.0)
• PC: 4.88 GB (version 1.0.3.0)

NOTABLE CHANGES:

• Implemented stealth changes to ‘False Flag’ and other missions to give players more flexibility in how they approach situations without the risk of failing
• Improved speeder travel by reducing collisions with objects in the environment
• Improved NPC combat behavior
• Increased auto-save opportunities in open world hostile areas (Imperial Compounds and Faction Territories)
• Scaled ‘Wanted’ difficulty based on player progression
• Improved AI speeder avoidance

FULL PATCH NOTES:

Performance & Stability

• Fixed an issue where the game would crash when ‘New Game’ was selected
• Improved overall stability and FPS drops
• Fixed an issue where the game could crash when using the Electrobinoculars on PS5
• Improved stability with GeForce Now

General Gameplay

• Increased and improved quest checkpoints
• Improved manual and autosave features including allowing more opportunities to save in the open world, compounds, and syndicate territories
• Removed autosave restrictions for combat/detection
• Improved NPC and player animations
• ‘Wanted’ difficulty now scales based on player progression
• Fixed an issue where Death Troopers would not spawn from search parties
• Improved enemy AI and combat behavior
• Fixed an issue where the Stun Shot would miss if shooting from cover when unholstered
• Fixed an issue where the Boonta Brawler Belt did not increase grenade blast radius
• Fixed an issue where grappling hook haptics were not present on PS5
• Improved camera detection for defeated enemies

UI, HUD and Settings

• Improved UI when detected
• Updated the keybind for Hyperspace jump
• Added segments to the VRAM meter
• Equipment screen now has an option to mark all items as viewed
• Fixed an issue where the map cursor could disappear when using a controller on PC

Audio

• Made NPC voice lines more consistent with player detection
• Fixed an issue where there was no music on Renpali station
• Fixed an issue where multiple sound effects would disappear after completing the game
• Improved ground wetness/snow footstep sound effect playback
• Improved airtraffic sound effect playback
• Improved audio for collisions

Cinematics

• Improved textures during cinematics
• Fixed an issue with blurred images during cinematics and dialogue scenes

Camera

• Improved the camera when interacting with vendors
• Improved camera re-center speed on the speeder

Worlds, Fauna and Flora

• Increased spawn rates for speeder races
• Made the Varaki predator on Toshara more formidable

Sabacc:

• Fixed an issue where music and ambiance were missing

Photo Mode:

• Enabled splitting camera inversion from gameplay camera
• Added option to disable UI sounds in photo mode
• Camera speed applies to both panning and movement
• Enable switching between 16:9 and 21:9 modes
• Implemented a color picker UI
• Added a black, white and neon cyan Star Wars Outlaws logo
• Fixed an issue where some UI elements could be seen in photos

Accessibility:

• Removed glitch effect while using Electrobinoculars
• Removed directional arrow for Kay’s captions when in standard gameplay camera view
• Added setting to show a visual reminder of the button used for Nix quick actions
• New settings from updates 1.2 and 1.3 added to accessibility presets
• Menu remapping section added, allowing some keyboard controls for navigating menus to be remapped
• The keys for Hyperspace menu and Hyperspace jump are now remappable through the keybind menu
• Added settings to invert X and Y axis of photo mode camera
• Moved menu narration to top of the UI menu & top of the vision preset menu
• Added setting to stop voice lines interrupting menu narration
• Menu narration now reads negative brightness slider values, the heal button while low on health, new quest notification, reputation changes in contracts menu, quest tracker ‘more info’ prompt, cloud upload/download notifications, that starting a Sabacc game requires a hold, and whether abilities of partially equipped gearsets are locked
• Fixed an issue where Nix sense was not affected by protanopia color preset
• Fixed an issue where ND5 and Gedeek would not appear as allies in high contrast mode for some missions
• Fixed an issue where some inputs would have a double action if remapped

Miscellaneous

• Fixed an issue where NPC speeders could collide with each other
• Fixed an issue with the intel location for Thorden’s itinerary
• Fixed an issue where the Trailblazer’s auxiliary devices couldn’t be used during syndicate quests

__MAIN & SIDE QUESTS __(beware of spoilers)

Canto Bight

• Beginnings
  • Fixed an issue where Nix could get stuck when stealing credits

Toshara

• Underworld
  • Traversal opportunities are now better highlighted
• False Flag
  • Adjusted the mission to enable flexibility in how players approach situations in addition to stealth
  • Removed some alarm panels from the mission
  • Adjusted the text when failing the mission
  • Adjusted NPC and enemy placement
• ‘I’m here’ Intel
  • Fixed an issue where a rock blocking the fan wouldn’t spawn if the player left the area and returned later

Kijimi

• The Hive
  • Adjusted NPC and enemy placement
• Fixed an issue where Jet Kordo’s vault would not be able to be opened

Tatooine

• Jabba’s favor
  • Fixed an issue where Vail would not mount her speeder
  • Removed some alarm panels from the mission
  • Adjusted NPC and enemy placement

Akiva

• Viper
  • Fixed an issue where the rebels could remain stuck after the Viper droid fight
• The Scavenger
  • Fixed an issue where the speeder would not spawn after talking to Temmin
• Money Drop
  • Fixed an issue where the objective would be missing
• Revelator
  • Fixed an issue where players could not move or shoot the Trailblazer

Wesley is the UK News Editor for IGN. Find him on Twitter at @wyp100. You can reach Wesley at wesley_yinpoole@ign.com or confidentially at wyp100@proton.me.

With the release of Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine 2 Update 4.1, the community is rallying against “gatekeepers” who have called on developer Saber Interactive to retire a reward given only to those who complete all PvE missions on the hardest difficulty.

Update 4.1, out now, follows hot on the heels of last week’s controversial Update 4.0, widely criticized by Space Marine 2 fans for making the game significantly harder. The backlash to Update 4.0 even spread to Space Marine 2’s Steam page, where disgruntled players review-bombed the game.

Update 4.0 added the Lethal difficulty to Space Marine 2’s PvE Operations mode, and with it exclusive rewards. One of these rewards, the Survivor’s Helm, is highly coveted by the community because all PvE missions must be completed on Lethal to unlock it.

Before today’s release of Update 4.1, Lethal difficulty was not only brutally hard, but unfairly so. It included the universally hated ‘Tight Formation’ system, which forced players to stick close together in an almost impossible fashion. Update 4.1 has stripped this mechanic out from Lethal mode entirely, with developer Saber admitting its mistake.

The rollback has caused some players who own the Survivor’s Helm to not only “act superior” online because they obtained it when Space Marine 2 was at its hardest, but to demand Saber now retire it or prevent it from displaying on characters who obtain it post 4.1. Some have even asked for yet another reward exclusive to those who completed a Lethal Operation on 4.0.

The Space Marine 2 community accused one player who said those who get the helmet post-4.1 “don’t deserve it” of “gatekeeping.” “As someone who already has the helmet, who cares if people know?” said redditor veqtro. “I know I got it before the patch and that’s all that matters. I’m proud of myself and I don’t need others to be proud of me. Everyone deserves the chance to earn it.”

“It’s literally just a helmet in a game,” added Bantabury97. “You can be proud of your achievement but to act superior because of it is just sad. One day, this game will be offline, and your achievement will be lost to time. Worthless. Nothing to show for it. It carries no weight nor worth. If you come here to say you got it, great man, good for you for beating the challenge. But if you come here to dunk on others for NOT getting it, then you’re part of the problem and need to go outside and touch grass.”

“Anyone who says this should automatically have their precious helmet turned into a Leandros face,” joked kidmeatball.

One of the (many) silly things about gatekeeping this Space Marine 2 helmet is that it might have been obtained by cheesing the Bio-Titan boss on the new PvE map, as one player managed to do solo on Lethal.

This isn’t the first time a video game community has rallied against gatekeeping of virtual items and it won’t be the last. Indeed the communities for FromSoftware’s infamously hard action games often deal with gatekeeping around how the likes of Dark Souls and Elden Ring are “meant to be played.”

Meanwhile, most Space Marine 2 players are excited to jump back in now the game is less stressful across all difficulties, and Bolters have finally been given a buff.

IGN has plenty more on Space Marine 2, including a deep-dive on the game’s burgeoning modding scene and accompanying complications. Last month, Saber Chief Creative Officer Tim Willits told IGN how the breakout success of Space Marine 2 had “changed everything” for the company. And eagle-eyed fans have spotted the Space Marine chapter now all-but confirmed to get a cosmetic pack after the Dark Angels, and even an unannounced new Thousand Sons enemy type.

Image credit: MrCha0s1 / reddit.

Wesley is the UK News Editor for IGN. Find him on Twitter at @wyp100. You can reach Wesley at wesley_yinpoole@ign.com or confidentially at wyp100@proton.me.

Despite Nintendo’s warning to Switch owners not to breathe a word about its mystery online playtest, players have posted screenshots, gameplay videos, and even streamed it online now it’s live.

Earlier this month, Nintendo asked those who successfully signed up for its then mysterious Switch Online Playtest not to reveal what it was once it went live. Documentation includes a request “that you do not discuss or disclose content from either the Nintendo Switch Online: Playtest Program test software or website with others.”

Users leaked details from the playtest’s website as soon as they had access earlier this week, and now the playtest has gone live the curtains have well and truly been pulled back.

Nintendo has worked to take down various streams and videos this morning, October 24, but it faces an uphill battle, with footage doing the rounds across social media and Discords. Remarkably, it appears Nintendo failed to disable screenshots and recording for the playtest, further fueling the “leaks.”

One Twitch channel that streamed the playtest now contains the boilerplate “Content from this channel has been removed at the request of the copyright holder” message. The owner of the channel took to reddit to say their channel is now “super dead.”

“Yeah I got fully DMCA’d, so channel super dead,” redditor BrettWils_ said, before threatening to share the footage. “I recorded everything locally, but not sure I want to take further risk and share it through other means. Open to it if anyone has a safe-ish way to do it tho.”

Spoilers for Nintendo Switch Online: Playtest Program test follow.

Gameplay shows a somewhat bizarre third-person MMO in which players move blocks about on a planet’s surface. The odd-looking avatars can use a rope to swing like Spider-Man and attach to surfaces in the world. It’s been likened to Minecraft and Dragon Quest Builders, with the focus on carrying blocks around and placing them to create ever higher staircases.

There is a player progression system, with avatars able to level up in the hub area. There’s a shop, too, and players can unlock new tools to help with the building part of the game. Footage shows the hub area packed with player avatars, and out on the planet multiple players stacking blocks within and without their Beacons.

The playtest looks a little barebones to be considered a standalone game in its own right, although players are reporting having plenty of fun with it. Nintendo may be using the playtest with future games in mind, or perhaps it plans to flesh the test out over time with new features. Nintendo’s secrecy over its playtest is almost as bizarre as the playtest itself.

The playtest is a Switch experience for now, but the big question is whether it will also be available on the upcoming Switch 2, which Nintendo has yet to formally announce.

Wesley is the UK News Editor for IGN. Find him on Twitter at @wyp100. You can reach Wesley at wesley_yinpoole@ign.com or confidentially at wyp100@proton.me.

Under any other circumstance, The Lake House would sound like a nice spot for a serene summer getaway. In this case, though, it’s the setting for the second and final installment of Alan Wake II DLC, so it is naturally anything but. There’s no rest and relaxation to be found here, only another double-fisted dose of flashlights and firepower in this tightly paced two-hour tour inside the cold, concrete walls of a remote Federal Bureau of Control facility. In raw gameplay terms, The Lake House is not as eccentric a departure as Night Springs was a few months’ back, but as far as closing the book on Alan Wake II’s story and providing a bridge to the upcoming Control 2 goes, it’s yet another meta-storytelling slam dunk for the team at Remedy Entertainment.

You might remember The Lake House from the main Alan Wake II campaign, or at the very least the exterior of its grounds since it’s found behind a locked gate in Cauldron Lake near where the murder victim is found at the start of Saga Anderson’s story. This FBC research facility was strictly off-limits to Saga, but in this new chapter we’re able to fully explore it as returning FBC Agent Kiran Estevez. I liked Estevez in the main campaign and was happy to spend some time in her shoes, but the real show-stealing performances here come from the husband and wife scientist team of Jules and Diana Marmont. Initially I was laughing out loud at the petty bickering between them that occurs in the facility’s welcome video, but their relationship evidently took a much darker turn as evidenced by the many memos and emails I pored over as I continued my engrossing investigation inside the sinister shapeshifting structure.

The facility itself is only five floors, but thanks to its proximity to the Altered World Event in Cauldron Lake and the disturbing research experiments conducted by the Marmonts, The Lake House is as consistently unsettling a space as anything from the main Alan Wake II campaign. One floor finds Estevez caught in a disorientating loop, another has shifting canvases splashed in abstract Jackson Pollock-style sprays, while another still is just a near-never-ending room of ominously clattering typewriters, like a manifestation of the infinite monkey theorem minus the tiny simian scribes. It’s a superbly constructed bit of otherworldly office space that I delighted in exploring, whether I was thumbing through the chilling pages of another Alan Wake manuscript or having conversations with a possessed painting so angry it made Vigo the Carpathian from Ghostbusters II seem like a portrait of a puppy dog.

The Lake House is absolutely blanketed in an unnerving atmosphere, but it’s perhaps a little lacking as far as puzzles go. Aside from carrying battery cubes to electrical sockets, which stimulates the eye with its orange glow but isn’t particularly taxing on the brain, there are otherwise only a handful of computer passwords to figure out using calendar dates mentioned in memos and the like. These hackneyed hacking jobs are pretty easy to deduce, and it was a little disappointing that there was nothing new here to match the mind-bending magic tricks provided by Alan’s world-altering Angel Lamp in the main campaign.

Shadow Complex

Combat against the shadow-cloaked staff of The Lake House is equally as straightforward for the most part, but it’s still extremely tense thanks to its typically claustrophobic close-quarters encounters. Estevez might be an FBC agent, but sadly she doesn’t possess the shapeshifting gun or superpowers that Jesse Faden wielded in 2019’s Control. Instead, a pistol, shotgun, and a combination of flashlight, flares, and flashbangs are at her disposal, and I burned through every last round and spare battery as I desperately tried to illuminate and exterminate each sickle-slinging flanker and sledgehammer-swinging heavy that ambushed me along the way.

Outside of its main boss fight, there’s only one new enemy type to be found in The Lake House, but it’s a doozy. The long-limbed freaks that slither out of painted canvases seem like Remedy’s towering, tie-dyed take on the Slender Man, and since they seem immune to Estevez’s attacks I was going hard on the dodge button early on to frantically try and evade their outstretched clutches. Eventually Estevez gets her hands on a grenade launcher powerful enough to turn the tables on these paint-streaked Stretch Armstrongs, but that didn’t mean that dealing with them ever became too easy – grenade ammo is scarce, the painted shadows are slim enough that they’re somewhat easy to miss, and the fact you need to charge up each shot before you fire puts some added pressure into the timing of each takedown.

The Lake House’s challenge jumped up even further in its final boss fight – whose identity was a fun surprise from a story perspective – and it brought my brief return trip to the world of Alan Wake II to a dazzling and demanding denouement. My short stay in The Lake House was brutalist in its architecture and brutalising in its action, and although it’s bittersweet that my time with Alan Wake II has officially come to an end, the tantalising story teases of what comes next in the Remedy Connected Universe has me locked and loaded for Control 2.