Category: Video Games

The First Descendant Dev Offers Solution for Frame-Rate Drops: Delete and Reinstall the Game

The First Descendant’s rough launch continues, with players reporting significant frame-rate drops across PC and console.

Nexon’s free-to-download looter shooter launched big this week with a high concurrent player count on Steam, but user reviews are ‘mixed’ in response to what some are calling “microtransaction hell” as well as various performance problems and rewards issues. Check out IGN’s The First Descendant review in progress to find out what we think of the game so far.

The main performance issue revolves around frame-rate drops across all platforms, which for an action game can cause gameplay problems. Nexon has acknowledged this and suggested a workaround.

The developer is linking these frame-rate issues to those who pre-downloaded The First Descendant, and suggested that if you run into the problem you delete the game and reinstall it “as a temporary solution.” Meanwhile, Nexon said it is investigating further.

Players report mixed results using this temporary solution, with some saying it helps improve the frame-rate on PC, but those on console appear to still be having trouble.

That’s not the only issue affecting The First Descendant at the moment. Nexon has offered compensation to players for launch troubles that have seen promised rewards fail to turn up. Some players say they haven’t received the premium currency they’ve paid real-world money for, either.

Per Nexon, here’s a list of all current The first Descendant issues the developer is working to fix:

[July 3rd (Wed) ]

■ (Additional) Issue with the Partial Distribution of Beta Test Rewards

– It has been identified that some rewards for participating in the 2022 Steam Beta Test and the 2023 Cross-Play Open Beta Test have not been distributed.

– We are currently verifying the information regarding the undelivered rewards and will redistribute them as soon as possible.

[July 2nd(Tue) ]

■ (Additional) Frame drop issues for pre-download

– We have received reports from some Descendants who pre-downloaded the game are experiencing frame drops.

– We are currently investigating this issue. In the meantime, if you encounter this problem, please delete and reinstall the game as a temporary solution.

■ (Additional) Issue where players are immediately moved after starting mission in Special Operations

– Found issue where players are immediately moved to Albion after starting the mission when entering special operations. Partial fixes have been implemented, and a complete fix is currently in progress.

■ (Additional) Issue of Players being occasionally placed into servers without other players during field transfers

– Found when transferring fields solo, players are occasionally placed on a server with no other players existing.

– Void Intercept battle, Infiltration Operations, and Special Operations matching works fine, also transferring fields as a party, all party members are placed on the same server as normal.

■ Temporary solutions for client termination issues with certain antivirus Programs

– We have requested for exceptions for The First Descendant to antivirus programs, but some have not been implemented. Below are temporary solutions for this problem.

(1) ‘Bitdefender’ Temporary Solution [FAQ]

– Go to System Protection > Advanced Threat Detection (ATD) > Manage Exclusions menu, select the file or folder for The First Descendant, and save.

(2) ‘McAfee Agent’ Temporary Solution [FAQ]

– Go to McAfee Security > Navigation > Quarantined and Trusted Items, select TheFirstDescendant.exe from the quarantined programs list, and restore it.

■ Solutions for ‘Easy Anti-Cheat’ not functioning correctly

– If Easy Anti-Cheat malfunctions, refer to the FAQ for solutions. If the issue persists, please contact customer support with relevant screenshots.

– Customer Support Access: Official Website > Customer Support > FAQ > Contact Us

■ Delay when purchasing items through baskets on PlayStation Store.

– When purchasing multiple items through the basket from the PlayStation Store, there may be a delay of the items to be delivered to your inventory.

■ Case for ‘Lethal Infection’ module. After enhancing ‘Lethal Infection’ module to level 5 we found that ‘Skill Power Modifier’ does not fully function.

– An issue where the ‘Skill Power Modifier’ does not increase correctly after enhancing ‘Lethal Infection’ module from level 4 to level 5 has been identified.

■ Unused items appearing in Access Info

– Some consumable items that have not been used are appearing in the information browsing list.

■ Sharen’s ‘Active Camouflage’ skill issue

– When using Sharen’s ‘Active Camouflage’ skill, it untargets the named monsters, switching their condition to non-combat mode, causing their HP to recover rapidly.

■ Ultimate Weapon’s kill not being counted for quests that require ‘Kill with Specific Weapon’.

– Monsters killed using the unique ability of an ultimate weapon are not being counted correctly for quests (e.g., Battle Pass challenges, Awards) that require kills with a specific weapon.

■ Weapon Module Enhancement display issue

– On Weapon Module Enhancing screen, the reduction effect of module capacity, due to socket type assignment is not being displayed correctly. Although the display of each individual module capacity reduction effect is not shown correctly, the summed amount of module capacity is displayed correctly.

■ Incorrect item drops in certain regions during Infiltration Operations

– During Infiltration Operations, destructible objects in regions other than Kingston and the Fortress area are dropping common items from the Kingston region.

■ Incorrect display of Hagios Region Dominique NPC name and description

– The name and description of the Dominique NPC in the Hagios region is mis-displayed.

■ Monster Errors in White-night Gulch

– In the Infiltration Operation ‘Bio-Lab’ in White-night Gulch, monsters sometimes get stuck in the terrain.

– In the hatchery within the White-night Gulch region, monsters occasionally do not appear when progressing with void shard activities

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.

#DRIVE Rally Brings Arcade-Inspired Retro Racing To Switch Next Year

Driving at ’90s.

Developer Pixel Perfect Dude has today revealed a brand-new look at #DRIVE Rally, the arcade-inspired retro racer which will be starting its engines on Switch in 2025.

This is the same team that brought us the endless driving game #DRIVE back in 2021, though Rally is a little less… uhh… endless. This one will see you taking instructions from passionate co-pilots (including one that sounds jarringly like Arnold Schwarzenegger) as you speed through over 400km of rally circuits from lush German forests to frosty Finnish mountain peaks.

Read the full article on nintendolife.com

Gran Turismo World Series 2024 Series Round 1 takes place in Montreal July 6

Following the exciting Online Qualifiers in April and May, the best Gran Turismo racers in the world have been selected to take part in four live events between now and December. The action starts in Montreal, Canada where Round 1 of the Manufacturers Cup and Nations Cup start the live action.

Tickets to the Americas’ stop of the outstanding SIM racing series have sold out, but don’t worry, as here are the details of where and when to tune in to catch all the thrilling racing as 20 of the world’s fastest players battle it out in the historic Canadian city.

Saturday, July 6
Manufacturers Cup

  • Local time (EDT) 17:00
  • UTC/GMT 21:00
  • Central European Summer Time (CEST) 23:00
  • Japan Standard Time (JST) 06:00* (*7 July)

Nations Cup

  • Local time (EDT) 19:30
  • UTC/GMT 23:30
  • Central European Summer Time (CEST) 01:30* (*7 July)
  • Japan Standard Time (JST) 08:30* (*7 July)

Win big in Gran Turismo 7

To mark the event, Gran Turismo 7 players will benefit from in-game opportunities to win prizes and play a special Time Trial.

Clicking on the ‘Predict the Winners’ campaign banner on the GT7 World Map gives players the opportunity to win one million credits for each of the Nations Cup and the Manufacturers Cup with votes cast right up to the start of the final race of each.

Simply watching the broadcast in-game will also unlock 6-Star Roulette Tickets for viewers through the Viewers Gift campaign.

And finally, GT7 players will be able to enter a special Time Trial that will use the same car and track combination as the Nations Cup qualifying session so that they can see how they measure up to the pros.

Find out more

A special Gran Turismo World Series site for Montreal gives all the details of the competition and the drivers and can be seen here.

Where to watch

If you are not watching in-game, you can view the streams live (or on-demand) on:

Follow the whole season

The calendar for the Gran Turismo World Series 2024 live events is as follows:

  • Round 1 – Montreal, Canada | Saturday, 6 July
  • Round 2 – Prague, Czechia | Saturday, 10 August
  • Round 3 – Tokyo, Japan | Saturday, 28 September 2024
  • World Finals – Date and location to be announced

All the live events are open to the public and details of how to buy tickets will be posted on Gran Turismo social channels and gran-turismo.com.

Man Sentenced to Four Months in Prison for Carrying a 6-Inch Master Sword in Public

A man was sentenced to four months in prison for carrying a six-inch Master Sword in public.

As reported by Eurogamer, 48-year-old Anthony Bray, of Nuneaton in Warwickshire, England, was spotted carrying a replica of the iconic weapon from Nintendo’s The Legend of Zelda series openly in the local town centre.

Warwickshire Police spotted Bray on June 8 via CCTV walking down the street with something in his hand. Bray was said to have approached officers with the item visible in his hand, at which point he was arrested as he was carrying a bladed article.

Bray subsequently claimed the Master Sword was a “fidget” — something to keep his hands busy — that he had bought online. But police said that because it was a sharply pointed item, it could be used as a weapon, and “put others in fear of it being used against them.” The police said the Master Sword was inside a sheath and could be released with the press of a button.

Despite admitting that the Master Sword could be perceived as threatening if someone else saw it, Bray insisted during his interview that he would not have used it as a weapon, the police said.

Bray was sentenced on June 28 and given a four month prison sentence as well as an order to pay a victims’ surcharge of £154 (approx $195).

It is possible to find fidget toys that aren’t six-inch blades.

Sergeant Spellman of the Patrol Investigations Unit commented: “We take a zero tolerance to bladed articles in public, and Bray has fallen afoul of this.

“It is possible to find fidget toys that aren’t six-inch blades. It is possible not to walk down the street holding them out in front of you. With a bit more self-awareness, Bray could have avoided contact with us completely.”

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.

Battlefield 3, 4, and Hardline Being Delisted This Month on Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3

EA is delisting Battlefield 3, Battlefield 4, and Battlefield: Hardline from the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 digital stores on July 31, 2024.

Announced on X/Twitter, the delisting comes ahead of Xbox 360 and PS3 servers for all three games being shut down on November 7, 2024. Thus marks the end of an era for some of the most popular multiplayer shooters of all time.

Players who own the games either physically or digitally will still be able to play their single player portions but all multiplayer modes will cease to be playable. All DLC will similarly be removed from sale on July 31.

Servers for the PC version of Battlefield 3 will be unaffected by the sunsetting, EA clarified, as will Battlefield 4 and Battlefield: Hardline servers on Xbox One, PlayStation 4, and PC.

Battlefield 3 is perhaps the most beloved of the three and will celebrate its 13th birthday just two weeks ahead of the servers going offline. “Battlefield 3 offers an unforgettable, world-class multiplayer suite so fun that it more than makes up for the package’s shortcomings,” IGN said in our 9/10 review.

Battlefield 4 arrived as the first entry on PlayStation 4 and Xbox One and earned an 8/10 review from IGN, while Battlefield: Hardline arrived later with a cops and robbers theme.

Ryan Dinsdale is an IGN freelance reporter. He’ll talk about The Witcher all day.

Dead Rising Deluxe Remaster Has Classic Frank and Even Chuck Skins, but Only if You Preorder

Dead Rising Deluxe Remaster completely refreshes the original game but fans who don’t love the revised character design of protagonist Frank West can switch back to the original — as long as they preorder.

The wholly single player game, which arrives September 19, 2024 at $50 or $60 for the Digital Deluxe Edition, comes with preorder bonuses too, publisher Capcom revealed in an X/Twitter post. Players gain access to the Frank West 2006 skin, the Chuck Greene Skin (from Dead Rising 2), and the Willamette Parkview Mall Bee skin alongside three music tracks.

This bonus content isn’t included in the Digital Deluxe Edition content by default either despite it including myriad skin packs including ones from Resident Evil and Mega Man. Capcom hasn’t announced post launch pricings for additional content but the original Frank West and other skins will likely be available for an additional cost.

While this is fairly standard for a 2024 video game, many fans have already expressed dislike for the updated Frank West model so will likely be frustrated to hear they can only mitigate that grievance by committing to buy the game early (or perhaps paying extra later).

“2024 Frank West looks like 2006 Frank West in 2024,” one fan commented on Reddit. “This Frank West 2006 outfit genuinely fixes the main issue I have with the remaster changes, so it’s a bit mad to hide that behind a preorder bonus,” X/Twitter user @Toadsanime said. “But at least it’s here.”

The look isn’t the only thing changing, however, as original Frank West voice actor Terence J. Rotolo isn’t returning for the remaster. “I simply wasn’t called for this mission,” he said.

Dead Rising Deluxe Remaster launches with 4k graphics and 60 frames per second support and running in the RE Engine. Capcom has made quality of live improvements too, “fine tuned” the interface, added autosave functionality, and more.

In our 8/10 review of the original Dead Rising, IGN said: “Though Dead Rising may seem like a simple, mindless game when you first pick it up, it eventually reveals itself as a deeper experience.”

Ryan Dinsdale is an IGN freelance reporter. He’ll talk about The Witcher all day.

Wuthering Waves was unleashed on the Steam Deck, but only for one day

Wuthering Waves, that recent gacha RPG of anime styling and impenetrable jargonblasting, just didn’t work on the Steam Deck when it launched in May. It also doesn’t work right now. But for one brief, debatably glorious day on June 29th, it did. And thus, Deck owners who’d persevered through a slightly fiddly installation process (explained here by YouTubesmith Deck Wizard) could finally take their first joyous steps into Wuthering Waves like a David Hasselhoff-buoyed East German in 1989.

Unlike the Hoff, it wouldn’t last. Within hours, Steam Deck players were being booted back out of the game by a hitherto-unseen anti-cheat failure. What gives? Or gave?

Read more

Sword Art Online Fractured Daydream Lands On Switch This October

Kickin’ it with Kirito.

After being revealed in the February 2024 Partner Showcase, Bandai Namco has today announced that SWORD ART ONLINE Fractured Daydream will be heading to Switch on 4th October.

The new trailer (above) tells you everything that you need to know about the Fractured Daydream story. It looks like your standard multiverse affair. There has been a breach in time and space. Characters from across the Sword Art Online anime are gathered in the same version of Alfheim Online. There are unexpected alliances and rivalries as you try to put the timeline back together — Wibbly wobbly, timey wimey.

Read the full article on nintendolife.com

Best Xbox Deals Today (July 2024)

Xbox’s summer showcase was a home run, with one of the best presentations of upcoming games on the Xbox ecosystem in quite some time. This included titles like Black Ops 6, Doom: The Dark Ages, Perfect Dark, Fable, Gears of War: E-Day, and plenty more. If these sneak peeks have excited you for the future of Xbox, then we’ve got even more good news to share.

Xbox Game Pass is back on sale for a limited time, with huge discounts on stackable 3-month and 1-month codes for Game Pass Ultimate. That’s not all, as there are also offers on controllers, games, and even storage. With Amazon Prime Day on the horizon from July 16-17, you can expect plenty more Xbox deals to pop up soon as well. For now, here are all the best Xbox deals.

TL;DR – Our Favorite Xbox Deals

Navigate to:

Best Xbox Game Pass Deal

Xbox Game Pass has been discounted once again, providing another opportunity for users to stack their membership at a discounted rate. Woot (an Amazon company) currently has 1-month Xbox Game Pass Ultimate codes down to $11.79 and 3-month codes for $34.49. These are significant discounts, and monumentally cheaper than compared to paying the default $17.99/month.

Score 2 Free Months of Xbox Game Pass Ultimate (New Members Only)

Walmart is still offering two months of Xbox Game Pass Ultimate for free for any current or new Walmart+ members. If you’re not currently a member of Walmart+, the retailer offers a 30-day free trial (which will make you eligible for the Game Pass offer), alongside plans for $12.95 paid monthly, or $98 paid annually.

For those interested in the Xbox Game Pass Ultimate offer, it is worth qualifying that this code will only apply to those who currently don’t have an active Game Pass Ultimate membership, and Walmart stresses that this is for new members only. If you’re on Game Pass Core, it should be fine to apply to your account. Otherwise, if you’re a current Game Pass Ultimate member, the code won’t be applicable. If you do qualify, it’s a pretty simple process if you’re looking to bag the two-month free trial, here’s how:

Steps:

  1. Visit the Walmart+ Offer Page and select ‘Get Offer’ next to the 2 free months of Xbox Game Pass Ultimate listing
  2. On the ‘Offer Page’ you will see a unique promo code, copy this code and keep a record of it
  3. Hit the ‘Redeem Offer’ button on the page to go to the Xbox Site
  4. Sign in to Your Account
  5. Your promo code will autofill — if it does not then paste/type
  6. Redeem your offer and receive your 2 Free Months of Xbox Game Pass Ultimate
  7. Disable auto-renewal afterward to avoid being charged at the end of the trial — this can be located in ‘Services & Subscriptions’ in your Microsoft account. You should also do this for Walmart+ if you used a free trial to access the Game Pass offer

Select Xbox Controllers For $46.99

Looking to pick up an Xbox controller or add some new ones to your gaming setup? Amazon has some great discounts right now on the Robot White, Velocity Green, and Carbon Black controllers, which are all down to $46.99. If you want to see some more controller deals, check out the links below.

More Xbox Controller Deals:

Best Xbox Game Deals

This is an excellent time of year to pick up games, even if we’re past the Summer of Gaming festivities. At the moment, you can score some incredible deals on a wide variety of physical games, including 60% off Star Wars Jedi: Survivor and 28% off Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown. More importantly, with Gears of War: E-Day officially announced, you can also get a whopping 61% off Gears 5 right now at Best Buy!

More Xbox Video Game Deals:

Get Over 50% Off the Xbox Series X Mini Fridge

It looks like a fridge, and it kinda is a fridge (mini), and it’s also down to $39.94 at Walmart. Not only is it a fun addition to have in your home, but this is a discount you definitely don’t want to miss out on, either! What better time to pick it up?

Best Xbox Expansion Card SSD Deals

Amazon is offering the officially licensed Seagate 1TB Expansion Card for Xbox Series consoles with a nice little discount. Right now it’s $149.99, a minor price drop from its original $160 MSRP. This is one of the best SSDs for the Xbox, which isn’t surprising since your options are pretty limited.

Get 29% Off the HyperX CloudX Headset & More Deals

Does your family complain when you stay up playing loud shooters late into the night? They’ll stop complaining if you pick up an Xbox headset that lets no one but you hear the delightful explosions you cause on the screen. Right now, you can get 16% off the SteelSeries Arctis Nova Pro Wireless Gaming Headset and 29% off the HyperX CloudX headset at Amazon. To see even more gaming headsets on sale, visit our roundup of the best gaming headset deals.

What is Xbox’s Recent Controversy?

The recent discomfored surrounding Xbox can be isolated to a recent round of brutal layoffs. Microsoft is closing a number of Bethesda studios, including Redfall maker Arkane Austin, Hi-Fi Rush and The Evil Within developer Tango Gameworks, and more in devastating cuts at Bethesda. Alpha Dog Games, maker of mobile game Mighty Doom, will also close. Roundhouse Studios will be absorbed by The Elder Scrolls Online developer ZeniMax Online Studios. Microsoft, currently valued at over $3 trillion, did not say how many staff will lose their jobs, but significant layoffs are inevitable.

Microsoft’s announcement of the cuts at Bethesda come over three months after the company announced plans to cut 1,900 staff from its video game workforce, and amid a boom time for Bethesda’s Fallout series following the breakout hit Prime Video TV show.

Is Call of Duty Black Ops 6 Coming to Xbox Game Pass?

Microsoft has confirmed the arrival of Call of Duty Black Ops 6 day-one on Xbox Game Pass. Microsoft made the announcement alongside the release of a live-action reveal trailer called ‘The Truth Lies’. In it we see world leaders including Bill Clinton, Margaret Thatcher, George H. W. Bush, Colin Powell, and Saddam Hussein, delivering cryptic speeches. Black Ops 6 will be set during the events of the Gulf War during the early ’90s.

Is Call of Duty Black Ops 6 300GB?

Activision has also clarified that Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 won’t actually require a 300 GB download despite previous messaging. Players began to panic about the size of this year’s Call of Duty after noticing its Xbox store page yesterday.

At the time, the page listed that the game would require a 309.85 GB download for those hoping to hop into the post-Cold War first-person shooter when it launches this fall. That’ll put a pretty big dent in the hard drive of most PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X | S consoles, so players were, understandably, very concerned.

When Should I Buy an Xbox?

In general, it is advisable to keep an eye out for sales and restocks throughout the year, as availability has improved since the initial launch of the console. Unlike the Nintendo Switch, there is no specific recommendation to wait for a sale regardless of the time of year. Instead, it’s a good idea to monitor various retailers and online platforms for restock announcements and promotional offers.

However, certain events like Black Friday or other holiday seasons may bring about unique bundles, discounts, or promotional deals specifically for the Xbox Series X. These bundles may include additional games, accessories, or exclusive limited editions. While quantities for such promotions might be limited, they can provide an opportunity to get more value for your purchase. See our guide to Xbox Series X prices for more info.

Xbox Series X or Xbox Series S?

Choosing between the Xbox Series X and Xbox Series S ultimately depends on your gaming preferences, budget, and specific requirements. Let’s compare the two consoles to help you make an informed decision:

1. Performance: The Xbox Series X is the more powerful option, offering native 4K gaming, higher graphical fidelity, and faster loading times. It has more advanced hardware, including a larger storage capacity. On the other hand, the Xbox Series S targets a lower price point and offers a less powerful performance, targeting 1440p resolution gaming and upscaling to 4K.

2. Price: The Xbox Series S is more affordable compared to the Xbox Series X. If budget is a significant factor for you, the Xbox Series S provides a cost-effective option while still delivering a next-generation gaming experience. For example, the Series S can play Starfield at 1440p 30fps (vs 4K 30fps on Series X).

3. Storage: The Xbox Series X comes with a larger internal storage capacity, allowing you to store more games directly on the console. The Xbox Series S, however, has a smaller storage capacity, which means you may need to manage your game library more actively or rely on external storage solutions.

4. Disc Drive: The Xbox Series X includes a disc drive, enabling you to play physical game discs and enjoy a wider range of media options, including Blu-ray and DVD playback. The Xbox Series S, in contrast, is a digital-only console, meaning you can only play games downloaded from the digital store.

5. Graphics and Performance: While both consoles support ray tracing, the Xbox Series X provides a more immersive and visually impressive experience due to its superior hardware capabilities. If you prioritize cutting-edge graphics and want the best performance available, the Xbox Series X is the preferable choice.

Consider your gaming preferences, budget, and whether you prioritize top-of-the-line performance or cost-effectiveness. If you have a 4K TV, want the most powerful console, and are willing to invest more, the Xbox Series X is the recommended option. If you have a lower budget, a 1080p or 1440p TV, and don’t mind sacrificing some performance, the Xbox Series S offers excellent value for money.

With how expensive gaming is getting in 2024, we’re trying to save you as much money as possible on the games and other tech you actually want to buy. We’ve got great deal roundups available for all major platforms such as Switch and Xbox, and keep these updated daily with brand new offers. If you’re trying to keep costs down while maintaining your favorite hobby, stay tuned for more incredible discounts.

Robert Anderson is a deals expert and Commerce Editor for IGN. You can follow him @robertliam21 on Twitter.