Author: Jack Grimshaw

NME

Valve has announced that the Steam Deck now has over 2000 “verified” and “playable” games on it.

• READ MORE: What does it mean when your live game dies?

A post on the Steam Blog begins with the announcement that over 2000 games have been marked in the “verified” or “playable” categories for the Steam Deck. These two tags indicate that games are either wholly supported by the Steam Deck (verified), or are playable but not be perfectly optimised (playable) for the handheld PC.

To get “verified” for Steam Deck, games have to meet a strict set of criteria created by Valve. The games that don’t meet the criteria may work fine on the handheld, but suffer from problems like small text that is difficult to read or input issues that can be tricky on the system.

The post also details some of the improvements made to the Steam Deck after release. Valve mentioned the on-screen keyboard, saying: “Since launch we’ve improved the on-screen keyboard experience as well. Dual trackpad typing is now available, the game mode keyboard is now available in Desktop mode, and we’ve even added a bunch of new keyboard themes so you can pick whatever suits your typing mood.”

Tips for improving the Steam Deck’s battery life on games that are less demanding were also included: “Finding ways to improve battery life for Steam Deck is always high on our list. We find that depending on what you’re doing, you can expect between two and eight hours of gameplay, but if you want to optimise for battery life even further there are additional options.

“In the past month we added the ability to reduce your framerate all the way down to 15 FPS (this setting works great for visual novels, puzzles and a lot of simulation games). And for those who love to tinker, we’ve made TDP (processor power), GPU Clock control, and FSR (screen scaling) settings available to optimise power even further.”

In other news, Wordle has revealed what the best starting word is for the game.

The post Valve’s Steam Deck now has over 2000 “verified” and “playable” games appeared first on NME.

NME

During London Games Festival, a Red Dead Redemption 2 screenshot won a competition promoting the art of virtual photography.

• READ MORE: ‘Lego Star Wars: The Skywalker Saga’ review: a cosmic toybox full of charm

The winning entry was submitted by Joe Meizies and featured a silhouetted figure on horseback. All entries were displayed around Trafalgar Square as part of the London Games Festival, which ends on April 10.

“The challenge celebrates the new artistic medium of virtual photography where creators can bring video game design and virtual worlds to life. From a stunning landscape to intimate portrait, candid street to abstract architecture or historical to sci-fi fantasy,” said London Games Festival.

The competition was supported by Nvidia Studio and The Fourth Focus, with the latter providing the judging for the content. All entries submitted to the contest have been made available in a Google Drive folder, including other shots from Red Dead Redemption 2, Horizon Forbidden West, and The Last Of Us Part 2.

The exhibition in Trafalgar Square also showcases Ensemble and its initiative to promote diversity within the UK video game industry. Talking about the event, head of Games London Michael French said, “We wanted to celebrate these trailblazers from underrepresented backgrounds and tell their stories. Hopefully that will show others from all over the world that people that look like them, work in this sector. I think that’s the only way we can change that talent ratio over time.”

French said that Ensemble is “just the right thing to do. I can measure and record all of the business wins we get during the festival but actually, uplifting these people that haven’t had the chance to tell their story is incredibly rewarding.”

A recent census for the UK games industry found that 67 per cent of workers are male, while 30 per cent are female, and 3 per cent are non-binary. It also found that 66 per cent identify as White British, with 24 per cent as White Other. 5 per cent identified as Black, 2 per cent as Asian, 2 per cent as Mixed/Multiple ethnicities, and 2 per cent as Other. The census polled 3600 industry professionals.

In other news, Idris Elba has stated that he is “one hundred per cent a gamer”.

The post ‘Red Dead Redemption 2’ screenshot wins Virtual Photographer Of The Year appeared first on NME.

NME

An Elden Ring speedrunner has beaten the game in only 12 minutes 32 seconds and defeated only one boss.

• READ MORE: ‘Chinatown Detective Agency’ review: a frustrating, neon-soaked beauty

Elden Ring’s speedrunners have slowly whittled down the time it takes to clear the massive game, and many different categories have been created to allow for different styles of run. The any per cent unrestricted category has recently seen Mitchriz take the top spot with the world’s first sub-13-minute run. (as reported by PCGamer)

The run makes extensive use of a zip glitch, which allows Mitchriz to leap across Elden Ring’s map and skip all but one of the game’s boss fights. Eventually, Mitchriz reached the final fight of the game, which he also skips.

The zip glitch requires players to carefully align their character and perform a blocking animation, sending the player across the map so quickly that the game struggles to catch up. While the time of 12 minutes 32 is impressive, Mitchriz believes that it could get much shorter as more glitch locations are discovered.

Mitchriz is a well known FromSoftware speedrunner, having recently completed Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice while blindfolded during Awesome Games Done Quick. He accomplished this by carefully memorising movement orders and using audio queues in the environment to help manoeuvre the character.

Many of the boss fights in the game were tackled using sound cues and stun locks to quickly dispatch them. The run currently ends at the game’s mid-point by choosing the Shura ending, which removed several boss fights from the game. The main obstacle to completing the full game is the underwater section, which lacks sound queues and required three degrees of precise movement.

In other news, the head of the London Games Festival has said that the metaverse cannot be designed by a bunch of white guys.

The post ‘Elden Ring’s speedrun record is now 12 minutes 32 seconds appeared first on NME.

NME

Eidos-Montréal has opened up about Marvel’s Guardians Of The Galaxy‘s sales and potential future in a recent interview.

• READ MORE: ‘Home Wind’ is a gloriously chill city-builder with a slightly unfortunate name

Marvel’s Guardians Of The Galaxy was released last year and met praise from critics. However, publisher Square Enix said that the game did not meet initial sales expectations. The game has now been released on Game Pass, allowing those who may have been hesitant to pay full price, to play the game.

In a recent interview with Eurogamer, senior creative director Jean-Francois Dugas said, “I think it’s a great ride. It’s emotional. It has a lot of qualities. Is the game perfect? Like any game, no, I don’t think it’s perfect. It can always be better.”

He added, “But is it a great ride? And is it something this year or last year that you played that is unlike everything else? And is it worth spending your time on? I honestly think it is, from a game standpoint.”

Dugas also mentioned that, despite being a well known Marvel property, Guardians Of The Galaxy was a new IP for the gaming market, so there may be some uncertainty from potential customers. However, now that the game is available on Game Pass, the audience is growing.

Narrative director Mary DeMarle said, “For me, it’s all about creating the game. What I love right now is that people, especially with Games Pass, are playing it and they’re sharing the experience. We make games to touch people, we make games to hit an audience. And it’s great that it’s finding its audience, and it’s great that it keeps going forward.”

When asked if “forward” meant a sequel, Dugas said, “Never say never, and never say anything”.

In other news, WordleBot allows users to see how their guesses helped them reach the answer, and ways to improve.

The post ‘Marvel’s Guardians Of The Galaxy’ is “finding it’s audience” on Game Pass appeared first on NME.

NME

Battlestate Games has confirmed it has banned 9000 Escape From Tarkov cheaters in a single day

• READ MORE: What does it mean when your live game dies?

Lead developer Nikita Buyanov announced on Twitter that “we constantly commence ban waves of cheaters. But yesterday, there was a wave that I want to note – minus 9000 cheaters.” The bans come shortly after the announcement of the Lighthouse expansion.

One Twitter user asked if Battlestate Games used IP bans to ensure that those caught breaking the rules would be unable to play even if they created an entirely fresh account. “Yes, and not only,” replied Buyanov, suggesting that Battlestate also employ other techniques to keep cheaters out of Escape From Tarkov.

Earlier this month, Battlestate Games shared details of a new update that would include new weapons, DLSS support, and a new boss. The guns being added are the Chiappa Rhino and the flaregun. The latter will allow players to call in a supply drop for some guaranteed loot. However, the plane that comes in to drop off the supplies will dump flares as it reaches the drop location. Players hoping to make the most of the loot will want to quickly get out of the area, as others will surely descend on the highly announced drop.

The Chiappa Rhino is a new revolver that will come in multiple calibres and barrel lengths. The smallest version will be capable of fitting into a 1×1 inventory slot, allowing players to carry it in a vest or pocket. A speed loader will also be available to allow for quicker reloads.

DLSS will be coming to Escape From Tarkov soon, though it is unclear if it will release at the same time as the next major update.

In other news, Crytek has issued an apology after issues with Hunt: Showdown‘s latest in-game event.

The post ‘Escape From Tarkov’ developer bans 9000 cheaters in one day appeared first on NME.

NME

Fortnite recently made a radical change to its formula by removing building from the Battle Royale, and now it’s back.

• READ MORE: Flavourworks founder Jack Attridge on the future of interactive storytelling

Two weeks ago, Fortnite turned off building in its regular modes. A staple of the Battle Royale, building allowed players to compete with each other to gain advantageous positions. Without this, movement and gunplay were more of the focus.

However, those jumping into regular matches of Fortnite will now find that building has returned. With the Fortnite Twitter account saying: “Building is back – play your way! Sprint, climb and smash your way to a Victory Royale whether you choose to build up in Fortnite Battle Royale or go no-builds in the new Fortnite Zero Build.”

The Zero Build mode was announced as a permanent addition last week and would allow players to jump into matches without building if they prefer that gameplay style. To compensate for the lack of pop up cover, Zero Build provides players with a recharging overshield that allows players to take damage without losing any of their health or shields.

Players were also given a sprint ability to assist with the large open spaces. The limited use ability allows players to escape danger now that they cannot place down protective structures anywhere they need them.

Fortnite has frequently been at the centre of lawsuits regarding its use of iconic dance moves. Most recently, Kyle Hanagami, a choreographer, has filed against Epic Games after moves from their trademarked routine were used in the “it’s complicated” emote.

The footage shared by Hanagami is available on YouTube, and the emote appears to have been mapped perfectly to the dance performed. The suit seeks to prevent the dance from being used in Fortnite and to claim legal fees and compensation.

In other news, a sequel to Rivals Of Aether has been announced, which will use 3D models and environments.

The post Building has returned to the regular modes of ‘Fortnite’ appeared first on NME.

NME

The boxed copies of the PS5 and Xbox Series X|S versions of GTA V will be released a month after the digital versions.

• READ MORE: ‘Abermore’ review: an ambitious heist simulator busted by bugs

The updated versions of GTA V were initially intended to release in November of 2021 but were delayed, eventually releasing last month. However, the upgrade is currently only available digitally, with boxed copies arriving on shelves on April 12 (via VGC).

Pre-orders are available now and will cost £24.99 from Game or £34.99 directly from Rockstar.

However, these prices are significantly higher than those offered for digital copies. On the PlayStation store, GTA V for PS5 costs £8.75, and the Xbox Series X|S version is £17.49 until June 14.

Players who are only interested in the online component of GTA V, which is also a standalone title, can download it for £8.99 on Xbox Series X|S. However, those with a PS5 and PlayStation Plus subscription can pick it up for free over the next three months.

Late last month, Rockstar Games announced that it was launching a paid subscription service for GTA Online called GTA+. The service provides players with a monthly bonus of GTA$500,000 in in-game cash and “the opportunity to claim properties in and around Los Santos that unlock gameplay updates you may have missed out on, special vehicle upgrades, Member-only discounts, GTA$ and RP bonuses, and more each month.”

However, the community seems divided on the new service. Some Twitter users claim that Rockstar is milking everything it can from the game by charging players for funds and items that can be easily acquired through gameplay.

In other news, the producer for Mario Kart 8 Deluxe has said that the title was a good fit for the Nintendo Switch due to its portability and ease of multiplayer. This comes five years after the game launched.

The post ‘GTA V’ physical copies for PS5 and Xbox Series X|S get April release appeared first on NME.

NME

Fall Out Boy has joined the Beat Saber roster with a collection of old and new tracks for players to slice blocks to.

• READ MORE: ‘Weird West’ review: undead or alive

Fall Out Boy is the latest artist to join Beat Saber, following the likes of Billie Eilish, Skrillex, and Lady Gaga. The pack is available now to download on Steam or the Oculus Store, and it includes eight tracks from the band’s history.

The full tracklist is below:

• ‘Centuries’
• ‘Thnks fr th Mmrs’
• ‘This Ain’t A Scene, It’s An Arms Race’
• ‘Immortals’
• ‘I Don’t Care’
• ‘My Songs Know What You Did In The Dark (Light Em Up)’
• ‘Dance, Dance’
• ‘Irresistible’

The songs also leverage Beat Saber’s new stage system, including several new lighting points. Beat Saber players will find themselves in a crowd for Fall Out Boys tracks, complete with pyrotechnics. You can watch the reveal trailer here.

Beat Saber’s previous pack was the free OST 5, which added new lighting and included two new note types. The first is the Arc Note, which provides players with a trail that attaches to their sabre and guides them to the next block that needs slicing. The second is the Chain Note, which contains several small sections that need to be sliced through in one motion.

These new note types are present in the Fall Out Boy pack, making them the first artist featured in the game to include them outside of an OST. The new notes don’t change the scoring system in any way, but instead serve to better represent some of the sounds in each track.

Each track costs £1.69 individually or can be purchased in a pack that includes all songs for £9.36.

Fall Out Boy’s drummer Andy Hurley recently joined members of High On Fire and Russian Circles to perform a cover of Van Halen’s ‘Unchained’.

In other gaming news, PlayStation CEO Jim Ryan has said that the company has more studio acquisitions planned.

The post ‘Beat Saber’ Fall Out Boy pack is available now appeared first on NME.

NME

Sony Interactive Entertainment CEO Jim Ryan has discussed the new PlayStation Plus tiers and further studio acquisitions.

• READ MORE: The best RPGs you can play in 2022

This comes from his guest spot on the latest Official PlayStation Podcast. After the recent announcement of an overhaul to PlayStation Plus subscriptions, Ryan spoke about recent and future acquisitions.

“We’re in a really good place with PlayStation Studios and have been for the past few years. The critical success and the commercial success of the games that they’ve been making, that has given us permission to invest heavily in content creation,” Ryan said (via VGC).

Ryan continued: “We’re growing our studios organically, and we’re growing through acquisition. We acquired five studios during the course of 2021, we’re in discussions with Bungie, and we have more planned. This is getting us into a virtuous cycle where success begets success.”

PlayStation’s recent acquisitions include Destiny 2 developer Bungie, Bluepoint Games, creator of Returnal Housemarque, Nixxes Software and Firesprite.

PlayStation’s Plus service revamp includes a subscription tier that offers a Game Pass-like library of titles that can be downloaded and played at any time. However, PlayStation has announced that it will not be including day one releases as its competitor does.

“The games that we make are getting bigger; they’re getting better, they’re getting more beautiful, they’re getting richer, the narrative is getting stronger. This is really great and gamers tell us this is what they really want from PlayStation,” continued Ryan on the podcast.

“Now, I have to say, putting these games into a subscription service immediately upon their release would break this virtuous circle, and we wouldn’t be able to invest in the way that we’re currently able to. So we’re not doing it. We’re going to stick to the approach that we have and has served us well under many years now.”

In other news, author Brandon Sanderson has said that he has received a package from Bandai Namco, suggesting the publisher is interested in collaborating with him on an upcoming FromSoftware title.

The post PlayStation CEO Jim Ryan says more studio acquisitions are planned appeared first on NME.

NME

A cookbook containing over 80 recipes inspired by the world of The Witcher is being released later this year.

• READ MORE: ‘Abermore’ review: an ambitious heist simulator busted by bugs

Authored by Anita Sarna and Karolina Krupecka, The Witcher Cookbook: An Official Guide To The Food Of The Continent will be available later this year on October 25. Inspired by the world of the game series by CD Projekt Red, the book will be available in Hardback or via Kindle (reported by PCGamer).

The book’s description says, “Take a culinary journey through the fantastical world of The Witcher with thoughtfully imagined, flavorful recipes inspired by The Witcher‘s expansive settings, characters, and lore. In this beautifully photographed cookbook, Anita Sarna and Karolina Krupecka, the creators of fan-favourite food blogs Nerds’ Kitchen and Witcher Kitchen, share their meticulously-researched, immersive recipes that give fans a taste of the distinct flavours a witcher might sample as he travels the countryside in search of monsters to slay and coin to earn.”

The dishes included in the book are designed to celebrate seasonal ingredients while taking a tour of the game’s lands. These include a rustic meal inspired by Velen, fresh-caught fish and mulled drinks of Skellige, and rich dishes of the sun-soaked Toussaint, “or forage on the perilous road to Kaer Morhen to learn the edible secrets of the witcher’s keep. Transport your kitchen to another world with the tempting scents and flavours in The Witcher Cookbook.”

The director of the next Witcher games announced on Twitter that crunch at the studio would never occur under their watch. This comes after reports of crunch at the studio during the period leading to the release of the company’s last game, Cyberpunk 2077.

In other news, Activision Blizzard has announced that it is removing its mandate requiring staff members to be vaccinated.

The post CD Projekt Red is releasing a ‘Witcher’ inspired cookbook appeared first on NME.