As reported by insider ‘MyTimeToShineHello’ the film industry leaker took to Twitter to make the claim, saying “Tom Holland to play Jak, Chris Pratt eyed to voice Daxter in live action Jak and Daxter movie from Sony directed by Ruben Fleischer (Venom, Uncharted).”

While certainly an unconventional pick to play the duo, both actors have as mentioned been in successful video game adaptations (one much more successful than the other). Furthermore, the two have been in a number of projects together including Avengers Infinity War; Endgame and Pixar’s Onwards.

Of course, nothing is confirmed and should all be taken with a pinch of salt until announced by Sony themselves, but it seems as though we will begin to see more and more video game characters being taken over by Hollywood stars.

For a franchise with relatively little cache in today’s day and age, perhaps attaching two massive celebrities to the project will help to boost eyes on Jak & Daxter. We will have to wait and see.

KitGuru says: What do you think of the current casting? Could you see it working out? Are too many video game films being made? Let us know your thoughts down below.

In a post published to his LinkedIn, Vonderhaar announced the news, saying “Today I am sharing that I have left Activision and Treyarch after an incredible 18 years and 8 Call of Duty games. To my co-workers at Treyarch, I am immensely grateful for the time we invested working to improve our craft, never sitting on successes, and always wondering how to improve what we design and how we produce it.”

He continued, “Thank you to the Call of Duty community for your passion and enthusiasm. That energy has often fueled our determination as a studio and individuals. I will always be grateful for the opportunity to interact with so many of you directly online and in person. This energy will always be a massive part of me.”

In discussing his future plans, Vonderhaar confirmed that “I am staying in the games industry, working on an undisclosed project I can't discuss yet, but I am excited about a rare and unique opportunity. I'll update you as soon as possible.”

Following the departure of Dave Antony and Jason Blundell a couple of years ago, it seems as though Treyarch has lost many of its known figureheads. While this could be an indication of the studio’s current status under Activision and soon-to-be-Microsoft, it is equally as likely that after working at the same place for almost 20 years, Vonderhaar simply wants to try something new. It will be interesting to see what he does next.

KitGuru says: What do you think of David Vonderhaar? Is his departure a big blow for Treyarch? What do you think he’ll do next? Let us know down below.

Making the announcement on Twitter, the team at Ironwood Studios said “As summer comes to a close, we’d like to share that Pacific Drive is moving its release to early 2024. This decision gives us the room to make Pacific Drive the best it can be, while still prioritizing the health of our team.”

They continued, “As many know, we’ve been hard at work bringing this idea to life for quite some time, and every day adds even more to a game we’re all proud of. In this final stretch however, it’s important to us that we stay true to ourselves, and not compromise on the team’s well being.”

It’s not all bad news however, as the team confirmed that “next week at the Future Games Show, we’ll be participating in the main showcase with a brand new trailer. We're so excited for you all to see it!”

While we are unlikely to get a new release date at the event, it will be exciting to get another look at Pacific Drive – especially as the wait for the game is now a little bit longer.

KitGuru says: Are you disappointed by the delay? What do you think of Pacific Drive? What’s your favourite rogue-lite this year so far? Let us know down below.

PC gamers have started to preload the 140GB Starfield download, leading several inquisitive players to check into the files, particularly to validate a technical support component of Starfield. This component centres on Bethesda and AMD, with AMD being the ‘exclusive' PC partner for the game's launch. AMD has announced that FSR2 will be supported at launch, but no word has been provided as to whether competing upscaling solutions – such as DLSS and XeSS – would be included.

So after combing through Starfield preload files on PC, I don't see any sign of it supporting DLSS/XeSS. If true I think this would generate a lot of backlash for Bethesda & AMD (due to their refusal to confirm whether they block rival GPU vendor techs in their sponsored games). pic.twitter.com/U67On3x6Kt

— Sebastian Castellanos (@Sebasti66855537) August 18, 2023

According to Sebastian Castellanos (via PCGamesN), there are no signposts for FSR2 or any other FSR iteration in the game files, which is most likely because FSR is open-source, allowing developers to integrate it into the executable files. In contrast to AMD's approach, Intel's XeSS and Nvidia's DLSS are proprietary technologies that need a precompiled .dll file to work.

As such, the absence of these files suggests neither of the two will be supported. This omission, however, isn't conclusive confirmation of the game's lack of these technologies, since significant day-one updates sometimes bring features that weren't there at launch. Given the underlying support for temporal upscaling through motion vectors, implementing DLSS and XeSS into Starfield should be a straightforward task if Bethesda wants to add support after the fact, while modders like PureDark are already aiming to have a DLSS mod available on day 1.

Discuss on our Facebook page HERE.

KitGuru says: There's still hope that Starfield will support DLSS and XeSS at launch. However, even if it doesn't, modders should be able to easily implement it by piggybacking on the FSR implementation that will most likely be present.

As reported and transcribed by VGC, Embracer Group CEO Lars Wingefors spoke on the sales of Dead island 2 during the holding company’s most recent Quarterly Earnings call, saying:

“I think Dead Island had a really strong release window, then we have been seeing more normal performance, according to expectations. What we now expect obviously is promotions, but primarily the addition of new content coming through, so there is a significant amount of content coming through for the game in the year, that would improve the sales of the base game as well.”

Most interestingly, the CEO teased that the game will be coming to another platform soon, saying “looking a year ahead, we would have a release on another platform that will also drive multiple sales.”

For context, Dead Island 2 released earlier this year on PlayStation 4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S and PC via the Epic Games Store. This means that there are very few gaming platforms left which the title could come out on.

It is possible that Wingefors is referring to a Steam release for the game. Alternatively, with Switch 2 rumours beginning to heat up, the game could be set to come to Nintendo’s next-generation console. We will have to wait and see.

KitGuru says: Do you think he is talking about Steam or the Switch 2? Or could Wingefors even be referring to an original Switch release? Let us know your thoughts down below.

As discovered by Twitter user ‘Andrew Marmo’ the German game ratings board (GSK) recently published a new listing for Minecraft on the Xbox Series consoles – suggesting that the game will soon get its long-awaited current-gen upgrade.

While yet to be officially announced, this update all-but-confirms that a current-gen version of Minecraft will soon be upon us.

Currently, the game runs at just 1080p on the Xbox Series X due to the fact that the Minecraft was never enhanced for the now-last-gen Xbox One X. Additionally, the previously-announced ‘Super Duper Graphics Pack’ never came to fruition – nor did the advertised ray tracing mode.

With the current version of Minecraft being so far behind, this Series X|S upgrade can’t come soon enough. Hopefully it includes all of the aforementioned features. We will have to wait and see.

KitGuru says: Are you bothered by the current version of Minecraft on consoles? What do you expect from this upcoming upgrade? What would you look forward to more, 120fps support or ray tracing? Let us know down below.

In an article published to the game’s Steam store listing, the team at Ascendant Studios said “As we inch closer to August 22nd, we wanted to take a moment to talk a bit more about the technology that’s powering our game, and what that means for PC players in particular.”

With that, the team discussed some of the new technologies being implemented into Immortals of Aveum, including its use of Unreal Engine 5.1, Nanite, Lumen and Niagara – with a visual breakdown of these viewable HERE.

More excitingly, the team confirmed that Immortals of Aveum will offer a myriad of upscaling technologies, including the latest and greatest FidelityFX Super Resolution (FSR) 2.2 and Nvidia’s bespoke DLSS 3 – boosting both performance and visuals simultaneously.

While a PC-centric blog post, the team did confirm that consoles will utilise AMD’s FSR 2 to run at a smooth 60fps on all consoles “at your TV’s maximum resolution”. The full blog post can be found HERE.

KitGuru says: Are you excited for Immortals of Aveum? Do you prefer DLSS or FSR? Which UE5 feature are you most looking forward to experiencing? Let us know down below.

Since the launch of Arc Graphics, Intel has released 30 graphics drivers for its Arc GPU lineup. These include Game On Drivers for 57 games, with more to come in the future. The company also claims to have increased the performance of DX9-based games by 43% on average when playing on an Arc A750 LE. DirectX 11 games have also seen considerable improvements, with an average increase of 19% in performance compared to the launch driver based on Intel's own benchmarks.

In this update, Intel also talked about a relatively unknown metric named “GPU Busy” (measured in ms). This metric can be used to indicate if your system is either CPU- or GPU-limited. To better understand this concept, Intel shared some charts comparing the frametime and GPU Busy of a system (Core i5-13400F paired with an Arc A750 LE) running Overwatch 2 at 1080p Ultra. For example, a CPU-limited scenario is when frametime is considerably higher than GPU Busy, while a balanced scenario is when frametime matches GPU Busy. With the latest drivers, Intel also improved frametimes considerably, reducing CPU bottlenecks.

These and other metrics comparisons can be found in Intel PresentMon Beta, the company's new monitoring and capture tool. This new software includes a configurable performance overlay, a telemetry tool with real-time metrics, and a capture tool. Presentmon will be open-source and have multi-vendor support, broad API support, command-line options for power users, and more.

Given that Intel PresentMon Beta is supported by all the main GPU vendors, you can install it on your system regardless of your graphics solution. If you're interested in trying this new tool, you can download it HERE.

KitGuru says: The Intel Arc Graphics ecosystem keeps getting better with time – it will be fascinating to see how the landscape lies when Battlemage is released.

As reported and translated by Gematsu, Capcom have officially announced their plans for the upcoming event, including both online and in-person showcases.

Tokyo Game Show as a whole begins on the 21st of September and will conclude a couple days later on the 24th. Capcom will be kicking off its own presence at the event with what they’ve called ‘Tokyo Game Show 2023 Capcom Online Special Program’. While very few details were shared, the showcase – which will be streamed on the 21st of September at 11PM JST [3AM UK Time] – is described as follows:

“Get all the latest Capcom news in our pre-recorded stream as part of Tokyo Game Show Online!” In terms of the stream’s runtime, Capcom’s Showcase will clock in at around 50 minutes, meaning it will be one of the publisher’s longer presentations (for comparison, their Summer showcase lasted a little over 30 minutes).

As mentioned, no further details were shared, however based on the games available to play at the event in Tokyo itself, at the very least we will most likely see more from the previously-announced Resident Evil 4 VR mode – perhaps even a release date.

Historically, Capcom’s showcases have not been the most exciting, however there is still typically a decent amount of new information revealed…but maybe don’t have your hopes up for a new mainline Monster Hunter announcement.

KitGuru says: Are you excited for TGS? What do you think Capcom will showcase? What do you hope to see them announce? Let us know down below.

Timestamps:

00:00 Start
00:52 Overview / availabilty / pricing
02:06 Features / support
02:52 In the box / fan details
06:03 Radiator / pump / cooler
09:25 Installation
13:40 Testing Methodology updates
14:13 Noise output
14:46 CPU Temp Manual OC, 100% fans
15:24 CPU Temp Manual OC (40dBa)
15:55 CPU Temp and Clocks – PBO
16:34 James Closing Thoughts

Enermax Aquafusion ADV series AIOs have been around for a while, the coolers launched around September 2022 but we thought they looked interesting enough to check out now as we have not seen any Enermax products for a while. Aquafusion AIOs are equipped with a dual chamber pump housing, ARGB lighting effects on both the pump block and fans, as well as a 3D infinity mirror style CPU block top design. The coolers are available in 120mm, 240mm and 360mm sizes to offer a solution for all CPU power ratings.

The most interesting thing about Aquafusion AIOs is the price. The range is available in the U.S. and across parts of Europe, the MSRP price of the coolers is very competitive with the 360mm coming in under $120, the 240mm at $99 and the 120mm version is just $79. However, if you shop around you will find them for sale even cheaper. For example, the 360mm version can be picked up on Amazon.de for €101.15 currently which sounds like an absolute bargain and put these coolers in direct competition with the likes of DeepCool, Arctic and Endorfy in our performance tests.

Enermax Aquafusion ADV Series features:

• A patented dual chamber water block design that isolates the pump from heat to prolong its lifespan.
• Acrylic pump top cover with Enermax Luminous Aurabelt 3D layer design infinity mirror for unique RGB effects.
• The included 120mm SquA RGB fans feature PWM speed control, ARGB lighting and a vortex frame design to generate stronger air pressure.

Enermax Aquafusion ADV 360 Specifications:

• Compatible Sockets: Intel LGA 1700/1200/115x/2066/2011/2011-3/1366 AMD AM5/AM4/AM3+/FM2+/FM1
• Cold plate Material: Copper
• Radiator Material: Aluminium
• Radiator Dimension: 394 x 120 x 27 mm
• Pump Bearing: Ceramic Bearing
• Pump MTBF: 50,000 Hours
• Tubing length: 400mm
• Fan Connector: 4-pin PWM + 3 Pin ARGB connection
• Fan Speed: 500-2000 (±10 %) rpm
• Fan Airflow: 39~79.8 CFM
• Fan static Pressure:67~3.6 mm-H2O
• Fan Max Noise: 15~32.6 dBA
• Fan MTTF: ≧ 100,000 hrs
• Fan Dimensions: 120 x 120 x 26 mm
• Warranty: 5 years

Be sure to check out our sponsors store EKWB here

The Lenovo Legion Go has been the subject of several rumours in the last month. The alleged final design has now been shared by WindowsReport, showcasing some of the key features of this handheld system. The renders depict a portable device with a 16:9 aspect ratio screen and an intriguing surprise—a detachable controller, similar to the Joy-Cons seen on the Nintendo Switch but with a couple of extra buttons.

Image credit: WindowsReport

The Legion Go stands out from rivals, including the Steam Deck and Asus ROG Ally, thanks to its slightly bigger display, measuring in at 8 inches diagonal. It also features trackpads similar to those seen on the Steam Deck and a small kickstand behind the screen to hold the console. There's a pair of USB-C ports at the top and bottom, a power button, a headphone jack, and a Micro-SD slot, according to the original report.

As for the internal hardware, it's claimed that the upcoming portable console will feature an AMD Phoenix APU, most likely something akin to what's in the ROG Ally. However, it is unclear if the system would use the Ryzen Z1 (6-core CPU, 4-CU GPU), the Z1 Extreme (8-core CPU, 12-CU GPU), or one of the Ryzen 7040U series chips.

KitGuru says: Based on what you've seen about the Lenovo Legion Go, do you think it will offer anything truly groundbreaking compared to the other handheld consoles on the market?

Making the announcement via a cinematic trailer, the team at Mediatonic said “Leonardo! Michelangelo! Raphael! Donatello! We love turtles, and they’re coming to Fall Guys. The Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles arrive in store from 10AM GMT 17th August until 10AM GMT 31st August, with bodacious Costumes based on all four brothers, Wearables inspired by Rocksteady and Bebop, breakdancing Emotes, a slick Celebration, and more.”

This collab comes in the wake of the universally praised Teenage Mutant Ninja turtles: Mutant Mayhem film which released earlier this month. Additionally, as mentioned you can now buy costumes of the turtles in Street Fighter 6 (though for an admittedly high price).

DLC for 2022’s co-op side-scrolling beat ‘em up TMNT: Shredder’s Revenge is also set to drop later this month. Last but certainly not least a AAA TMNT game in the form of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: The Last Ronin – an adaptation of the best-selling graphic novel – was revealed last week. After years away from the spotlight, the TMNT are back and seemingly bigger than ever.

KitGuru says: What do you think of this announcement? Are you a fan of the TMNT? How many skins do you have in Fall Guys? Let us know down below.

The GamingPro GeForce RTX 4070 Ti White OC stands out from prior GamingPro SKUs, which have generally featured black, dark grey, and silver aesthetics. Instead, this card has an all-white design, with the exception of the black PCB. Palit previously released a similar white card, but based on an RTX 4080, and that was only available via an exclusive giveaway running late last year.

The GPU is rather large, with a triple-fan cooler and a 2.5-slot design, reaching 32.8 cm in length. To power it, there's a PCIe 5.0 12VHPWR interface, allowing you to use either a 12VHWPR cable or two normal 8-pin cables paired with an adapter. The overclock is a modest 2.3% increase over stock clocks, operating at a boosted clock speed of 2670 MHz. The card has a TDP of 285W, which is the norm for this model.

The card is already available from system builder MIFCOM. Alternatively, Palit is doing another giveaway to win one of these cards that will last until September 15th. To enter, you'll need to “craft funny, meme-worthy, and imaginative pictures” with the graphics card. The winner will be notified on September 20th. You can find all the details on this competition HERE.

Discuss on our Facebook page HERE.

KitGuru says: What do you think about Palit's limited-edition RTX 4070 Ti GamingPro White OC graphics card?

Making the announcement on Twitter, the team at Remedy Entertainment said “An update from the Alan Wake 2 team: we're moving Alan Wake 2's launch from October 17 to October 27. October is an amazing month for game launches and we hope this date shift gives more space for everyone to enjoy their favorite games. We can't wait to show you what everyone's favorite novelist is up to in the Dark Place next week. Thanks for your patience!”

As mentioned, October will be one of the busiest months of the year, with just some of the games set to drop then including Assassin’s Creed Mirage (5th October); Forza Motorsport (10th October); Lords of the Fallen (13th October); Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 (20th October); Super Mario Bros. Wonder (20th October); Cities: Skylines 2 (24th October) and Alone in the Dark (25th October).

Pushing Alan Wake II to the tail-end of the month not only allows for players to have more time with all of these aforementioned games, but will also bring the survival horror title closer to Halloween – making it an even more appropriate release date.

KitGuru says: What do you think of the new release date? What October titles are you planning to pick up? Let us know down below.

In going to Sony’s PlayStation Plus tab via the console, you can find the line-up of games listed under the ‘Last Chance to Play’ section. Fortunately, you still have more than a month to play/complete these titles before they are removed on the 19th of September (with one exception):

• Deathloop
• Chicory: A Colorful Tale
• Ghost Recon: Wildlands
• Watch Dogs
• Watch Dogs 2
• Nidhogg 2
• Through the Darkest of Times
• Death end re;Quest 2
• Steep (leaving 31st of August)

While not an insignificant number of titles are leaving, it is fortunate to see that a majority of PS Plus’ heavy-hitters remain for now. That said, if you did want to give any of these games a try, you have a little under a month to do so.

In case you missed it, August’s PlayStation Plus Extra/Premium games are now available, including the likes of Destiny 2: The Witch Queen; Lost Judgment; Dreams; Midnight Fight Express; Moving Out 2 (a day-one addition) with another day-one title – Sea of Stars – set to arrive on the 29th.

KitGuru says: What do you think of the games leaving? Do you plan on completing any of them before they do? What games would you like to see ADDED in September? Let us know down below.

Making the announcement on Twitter, the official Japanese Tango Gameworks account revealed this latest milestone, saying (via translation): “#HiFiRUSH has surpassed 3 million players!

From all of us at Tango Gameworks, we would like to thank you from the bottom of our hearts.”

Of course, it is worth noting that 3 million players does not equate to 3 million copies sold as Hi-Fi Rush was made available day-one on Xbox Game Pass. Still the figure is an impressive one nonetheless – even if it took 5 months to grow from 2 to 3 million.

Early last month, Hi-Fi Rush received its first major free update, adding two new game modes ‘BMP RUSH!’ and ‘Power Up! Tower Up!’ alongside a bunch of smaller improvements and refinements. This likely helped to push the title to its latest milestone – though this is merely conjecture on our part.

Hi-Fi Rush is a unique game with an equally unique concept executed excellently and so it is not surprising to see that the action-rhythm game has amassed a large audience of fans. Hopefully this encourages more games to be released in a similar manner.

KitGuru says: What do you think of Hi-Fi Rush? Are you one of the 3 million? Did you try out the latest update? Let us know down below.

The Core Reactor II Gold series is, according to XPG, the result of the company;s dedication to listening to community feedback, with significant enhancements derived directly from user requests. For example, the new design is now more in line with the gaming market in terms of its design, as well as offering an extra form factor for higher wattage models (1000 W and 1200 W).

All new XPG Core Reactor II PSUs meet the Intel ATX 3.0 criteria. These new PSUs were built to be capable of handling the new high-end graphics cards and systems with high power consumption, coming with a 12VHPWR (12+4-pin) connector and cable. The fully-modular design is also a welcoming feature because it reduces unnecessary cable clutter. Moreover, thanks to its reduced dimensions, with the 1000 and 1200 W models measuring 86x150x160mm and the remaining models measuring 86x150x140mm, it should fit in virtually any M-ATX, ATX, or E-ATX PC case.

The XPG Core Reactor II Gold series PSUs are also certified 80 Plus Gold, offering good power efficiency at low, medium, and high loads. These new PSUs are available in a range of sizes and colours, depending on the power level required. There is a suitable unit for any system among the five wattage choices: 650 W, 750 W, 850 W, 1000 W, and 1200 W. The XPG Core Reactor II Gold series is protected by eight industrial-grade protections (OPP, UVP, OVP, SCP, OTP, OCP, NLO, and SIP) and comes with a worry-free 10-year warranty.

Discuss on our Facebook page HERE.

KitGuru says: The Core Reactor II Gold feature set is quite impressive. Even if there are plenty of 80 Plus Gold PSUs capable of outputting 1200 W of power, the compact dimensions and general aesthetics of the XPG Core Reactor II units might be enough to help them stand out in this crowded market.

Making the announcement on Twitter, the official Bethesda Game Studios account said “Prepare for launch. #Starfield has gone gold! Preloads begin tomorrow for @Xbox X|S and Windows PC and August 30 for Steam.”

For the uninitiated, ‘Going Gold’ means that the Starfield master disc has been submitted to the game’s publisher: Bethesda Softworks. Following the submission of the gold master, discs can be pressed with finalised software and digital storefronts can upload the ‘final’ version of the game ready for release. It’s a process that every game in development goes through, and means that (aside from post-launch patches) Starfield is complete and ready to play.

As mentioned, Starfield has been in development for quite some time, with the open-universe RPG initially planned for release all the way back in November of 2021. Since then, the game has seen multiple delays, leading some to worry about the status of its development.

With Starfield going Gold however, it is safe to assume that there will be no further delays. That’s not to say that Starfield will launch in a bug-free state – especially when considering the fact that pretty much every Bethesda Game Studios title released in the past has suffered from numerous issues – but this latest developmental update is exciting nonetheless.

KitGuru says: Are you excited for Starfield? How do you think it will compare to Bethesda’s other RPGs? Let us know down below.

The ZBox E Series has always been Zotac's most interesting Mini PC line, aimed at delivering high levels of performance in a compact package. The all-new Magnus One and Magnus EN continue to bundle high-end PC hardware components into small and portable designs. The Magnus One retains its 8.3-litre chassis while getting a generational uplift in graphics and CPU performance. Thanks to the Intel Core i7-13700 and a Zotac RTX 4070 graphics card inside, the Magnus One should give you the power to play even demanding titles with good framerates at 1440p. Besides the black case, Zotac is now also launching a white model of the Magnus One. The standard models come with a 1TB M.2 SSD and 16 GB of DDR5 memory (up to 64 GB). Alternatively, there are barebone models that allow you to use your choice of memory and storage solutions.

The other E-series mini PC is the Zotac ZBox Magnus EN374070C. At just 2.6 liters, it is even smaller than the Magnus One. Even so, it packs quite a punch, featuring an Intel Core i7-13700HX CPU and a RTX 4070 Laptop GPU. Like the Magnus One, there's a standard model with 16 GB of DDR5 memory (up to 64 GB) and a 1TB M.2 SSD, and a barebones model.

As gaming and content production Mini PCs, the Magnus mini PCs offer a wide range of connectivity options for a variety of controllers and devices. There are USB 3.1 connectors, up to four display outputs with HDMI and DisplayPort choices, and wireless connectivity via Wi-Fi 6 and Bluetooth 5.2. A Thunderbolt 4 connector and a UHS-II 3-in-1 SD card reader are also available.

If you're looking for something equally compact but don't need as much performance, Zotac is launching the C-series Nano mini PCs. These systems are powered by 13th Gen Intel Core processors and are passively cooled, allowing them to operate silently. Their casing is only 68mm tall and has a volume of just 1.79 liters. Available with three Intel Core CPUs (i3-1315U, i5-1335U, or i7-1355U), it allows you to choose the best model for your needs. The C-series Nano casing is covered in a honeycomb pattern to increase breathability and features a huge heatsink that allows the CPU to run comfortably.

The C Series nano also has a slew of productivity-oriented features, including a Thunderbolt 4 connector, 4x USB 3.1 ports, triple display compatibility with HDMI and DisplayPort, and a 2.5 Gbps LAN interface. The C Series will only be available as barebones systems with two SODIMM slots supporting up to 64 GB of DDR5 memory, an M.2 PCIe 4.0 slot, and a 2.5-inch drive bay for storage devices.

Discuss on our Facebook page HERE.

KitGuru says: Interested in any of Zotac's new mini PCs? Which one would be best suited for your needs?

In an interview conducted by The Hollywood Reporter, HBO’s The Last of Us co-creator and showrunner ‘Craig Mazin’ spoke on a number of topics including the ongoing Hollywood strikes, casting for the show’s second Season and more.

While the first game in the series managed to be fit into a single Season, previous claims were made stating that adapting Part II of the game would require two Seasons worth of content. When asked about this, Mazin replied “What I can certainly confirm is that that story does not fit into one season.”

Of course, currently there only exists two games in this franchise (though reports have claimed that a 3rd entry is in development). When asked about the total number of seasons HBO’s adaptation is expected to run for, Mazin stated:

“You never know. It can end up being three or five. But four seems like a good number. Some seasons, because of the story we're telling, will need fewer episodes and some will need more. The best news is the audience wants more. We will not indulge a desire for more simply to make them happier when they hear how many episodes are announced.”

Finally, Mazin spoke briefly on casting for the show’s second season – in particular when it comes to one specific character. For the sake of not spoiling Part II, the showrunner’s comments on the matter can be found HERE, but regardless it is exciting to see that long term plans are being put in place for the future of HBO’s The Last of Us. It will be interesting to see how long Season 2 takes to come to fruition.

Discuss on our Facebook page HERE.

KitGuru says: What did you think of HBO’s The Last of Us? Are you excited for Season 2? How do you think they will approach future Seasons? Let us know down below.

The news was announced through Starfield's Twitter account. Starfield is now available for preload on the Xbox Series X|S and PC (via the Xbox app and Microsoft Store). Those who bought or are still planning to buy the game from Steam before the release will have to wait a little longer since the preload period does not begin until August 30th.

Prepare for launch.#Starfield has gone gold! Preloads begin tomorrow for @Xbox X|S and Windows PC and August 30 for Steam. pic.twitter.com/LC8xJnI8WN

— Bethesda Game Studios (@BethesdaStudios) August 16, 2023

Note that to preload the game on the PC, you'll need at least nearly 140 GB of free space. On Xbox Series X|S consoles, you'll need slightly less space, requiring about 125 GB of storage space to proceed with the preload process.

The standard game will be available on September 6th for £69.99 or via Xbox Game Pass. You can also get the Premium Edition Upgrade for £34.99 or the Digital Premium Edition for £99.99, which gives you access to the game five days early. Lastly, the Constellation Edition, which also gives access to the game starting September 1st, will be available for £249.99.

Discuss on our Facebook page HERE.

KitGuru says: Have you already pre-ordered Starfield? Will you preload the game, or will you install it only when it releases?

Those who signed up for Starfield’s mailing list were given the chance to ask the game’s lead designer (Emil Pagliarulo) and lead quest designer (Will Shen) a bunch of questions via Discord. Having selected 16 of these, the duo have now directly addressed the questions, giving us a bunch of new and interesting details.

While the full Q&A can be found HERE (collated by ResetEra user ‘vixolus’), some of the most interesting revelations include the fact that Starfield will feature a jail system. As explained by Shen: “Yes, you can elect to go to jail or pay a fine when you're arrested (or even resist arrest and try to escape),” with Pagliarulo adding that “The Settled Systems is more like Skyrim than Fallout 4's Commonwealth in that regard. Ya bancha criminals!”

Though perhaps unsurprising, the duo confirmed that Starfield’s living and breathing universe will only be active while playing (meaning time won’t pass when not in-game), with Pagliarulo explaining “The sim only runs when you're actively playing. No sleeping on the job!” This means that automated systems such as mining operations and trade routes will not continue to operate in the background once the game is closed.

When asked about the number of companions which you will be able to recruit into your party, Shen replied “There are over 20 named characters who can join your crew. Four of them are from Constellation and have the most story and interaction with the player, but all of the named characters have their own backgrounds and can follow you around (and carry your stuff)”. For comparison, Fallout 4 – with all of its DLC – featured 17 companions in total.

The full Q&A session can be found HERE, and includes details on the game’s influences, religions, crew members and more.

Discuss on our Facebook page HERE.

KitGuru says: What do you think of these new details? Are you more or less excited for Starfield now? Did any of their answers disappoint you? Let us know down below.

Making the announcement via a new trailer, the team at Dotemu said “A multiversal melee awaits! Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Shredder’s Revenge – Dimension Shellshock DLC is coming on August 31 on PC via Steam, Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One and Xbox Series X|S.”

While we still do not have a price for this new piece of content, considering the fact that the base game itself costs just over £20, expect it to be fairly priced.

The initial announcement for the DLC confirmed that a new character would be added to the roster: Miyamoto Usagi, star of the Usagi Yojimbo comic book series. Now, we know that they will also be joined by “the Foot Clan’s fiercest fighter” Karai, bringing the number of playable characters to an impressive 9 in total.

Of course, that is not all as the Dimension Shellshock DLC will also add a new survival game mode alongside additional character colours.

TMNT: Shredder’s Revenge was an excellent title in its own right – especially in the wake of the game’s major free update released late last year. Hopefully this DLC ends up being equally as well-received.

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KitGuru says: What do you think of Shredder’s Revenge? Will you pick up the DLC when it releases? Which of the two characters are you more looking forward to playing as? Let us know down below.

Ahead of the game’s release on the 6th of September, Starfield has now officially gone Gold. Alongside this, the team announced that Xbox fans will be able to pre-load the game from today. What this means is that we now have official file sizes for the game on both PC and Xbox.

Those planning to play the RPG on PC will need to free up just under 140GB (139.84GB to be exact). While slightly smaller on consoles, the Xbox version will still take up 126.1GB. It is unclear whether this figure pertains to the Xbox Series X or S version of Starfield – though it is likely the former.

For comparison, Skyrim’s most recent iteration (the Anniversary Edition) takes up just 12GB. Fallout 4 meanwhile requires a little under 40GB (not including the High Resolution Texture Pack). Finally, Bethesda Game Studios’ most recent original release (Fallout 76) takes up a total of 80GB.

Of course, file size does not equate to a game’s actual size/scope, with No Man’s Sky and its 18 quintillion planets requiring just 15GB. All that said, for those with an Xbox Series S, you might want to start freeing up some space for Starfield ahead of its launch next month.

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KitGuru says: Are you surprised by the file size? How big is your SSD? How much space do you think Starfield will be when all its eventual DLC is included? Let us know down below.

Timestamps

00:00 Start
00:43 Price / spec / details
02:40 Build Design
03:48 Parts and setup details
07:38 Cable management
08:10 Benchmarks
11:34 Gaming Benchmarks
14:02 10 Game AVG FPS
14:38 CPU Temps
15:12 GPU Temps
15:52 Noise output
16:52 Power Usage
17:44 Build your own debate
19:14 Closing Thoughts

Specification

• Case CORSAIR – 4000D WHITE RGB AIRFLOW TEMPERED GLASS GAMING CASE
• Processor (CPU) – AMD Ryzen 7 7700X Eight Core CPU (4.5GHz-5.4GHz/40MB CACHE/AM5)
• Motherboard – ASUS® PRIME B650-PLUS (DDR5, USB 3.2, 6Gb/s) – ARGB Ready!
• Memory (RAM) – 32GB Corsair VENGEANCE RGB DDR5 5600MHz (2 x 16GB) – WHITE
• Graphics Card – 12GB GIGABYTE GEFORCE RTX 4070 AERO OC – WHITE
• Graphics Card Support Bracket – GRAPHICS CARD SUPPORT BRACKET – WHITE
• 1st M.2 SSD Drive – 2TB SOLIDIGM P44 PRO GEN 4 M.2 NVMe PCIe SSD (up to 7000MB/sR, 6500MB/sW)
• Power Supply – CORSAIR 850W RMx SERIES MODULAR 80 PLUS® GOLD, ULTRA QUIET
• Processor Cooling – DeepCool AK500 High-Performance CPU Cooler – WHITE
• Extra Case Fans – 3 x Corsair AF120 RGB ELITE PWM Fan + Controller Kit – WHITE
• Wireless Network Card – WIRELESS INTEL® Wi-Fi 6E AX210 2,400Mbps/5GHz, 300Mbps/2.4GHz PCI-E CARD + BT 5.0
• Operating System – Windows 11 Home 64 Bit

The core specs are confirmed in the following CPU-Z and GPU-Z screenshots:

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On the 14th of August, the popular PC-centric YouTube channel Gamers Nexus published a video discussing what they called “serious concerns regarding the data accuracy of Linus Media Group, including Linus Tech Tips, ShortCircuit, and TechQuickie, particularly as it relates to rushing content out the door to favor – by staff's own admission – quantity over quality.”

The video garnered a great deal of attention and led to a response in a forum post by Linus – which Gamers Nexus then spoke on further in a follow-up video, calling it “hastily, angrily-written, and at times inaccurate.”

All this controversy then escalated when an ex-employee of LMG took to Twitter to recount their own time at the company, revealing that they had suffered from a toxic workplace environment during their tenure at LMG – with the most serious allegations claiming they experienced sexual harassment by unnamed employees.

Publication The Verge reached out to LMG’s founder ‘Linus Sebastian’ who responded via email, saying “I was in a state of shock reading through these allegations, plain and simple. They aren’t consistent with my recollections. They aren’t consistent with our internal processes. They aren’t consistent with our company values.”

Sebastian continued, “We pride ourselves on maintaining a safe and inclusive environment. In addition to our existing report systems (both anonymous and otherwise) we’ve proactively reached out internally today to encourage members of our team to report any workplace bullying or harassment they might be experiencing so we can take quick and decisive action.”

Linus concluded by stating: “Our HR team will be conducting a more thorough assessment of the allegations, and when we are ready, we will release a more complete statement. For now I would ask that we allow our team the time they need be as thorough as possible.”

Of course, all this merely scratches the surface of the situation, and so for those who wish to understand the full context, Gamers Nexus’ original video can be found HERE; the initial forum post by Linus responding to the video can be found HERE; Gamers Nexus’ follow-up video can be found HERE; the official LinusTechTips response to the response can be found HERE; the allegations made by LMG’s ex-employee can be found HERE; and finally Linus’ most recent statement to The Verge can be found HERE.

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KitGuru says: Have you been following the situation? What do you think? Let us know down below.

Back in 2020 we reported that Naughty Dog’s The Last of Us Part II would offer over 60 accessibility options, ranging from the visual to the auditory and everything in between. Since then, more and more studios have followed in their footsteps, upping the ante when it comes to accessibility.

Many first-party PlayStation studios have opted to include dozens of different options to make their games as accessible as possible. Insomniac Games for example have been doing so with the likes of Spider-Man Remastered and Miles Morales.

While these games already included a bunch of options (such as QTE auto complete; the ability to switch between button presses and holds; enhanced auto aim; accessibility vibration and more), the team looks set to one-up themselves, this time bringing a whole new suite of options.

As part of Spider-Man 2’s Q&A page Insomniac Games detailed the new options which will be available alongside all previous additions, namely:

• Audio: Screen reader support will read aloud all on-screen text in menus
• Captions: On-screen captions and audio descriptions are available for cinematic scenes
• Gameplay: You can choose to slow down the action to 70%, 50% or 30% of the full speed, switching back to regular speed at any time

The speed-altering option in particular will be useful to many in Spider-Man 2, especially as the sequel has already shown off a much speedier Spider-Man – making it even more useful than it would have been in the first game.

As mentioned, these are merely the new additions, with all prior accessibility options from the first game’s remaster also set to be included, meaning more than 60 separate options will be available when Spider-Man 2 launches on the 20th of October.

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KitGuru says: Are you excited for Marvel’s Spider-Man 2? Are you glad to see them adding more accessibility options? What other games do you think would benefit from increased accessibility? Let us know down below.

As collated by ResetEra user ‘est1992’ WB Montreal has in the past few months suffered from a number of its ‘top brass’ developers leaving the studio – with a bunch of them parting ways within the same week.

Just some of the developers who have left WB Montreal include:

• Geoff Ellenor (Game director)
• Patrick Redding (Creative Director)
• Fleur Marty (Executive Producer)

While no reasons were given for these departures, it is safe to assume that the middling reception of Gotham Knights has at least something to do with it.

WB Montreal are said to be working on another new DC game, and while no official information has been shared regarding the specificities of this project, it will be interesting to see just how much these recent departures will affect the final product – for better or for worse.

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KitGuru says: What do you think of the departures? Does this spell the end of WB Montreal or could new blood inject renewed creativity into the studio? Let us know your thoughts down below.

In an interview conducted by VGC, Opening Night Live’s creator Geoff Keighley discussed a number of topics including the show’s audience, logistics and more. Most interestingly, Keighley took the time to temper fan expectations, saying:

“It’s going to be an exciting show with new looks at many announced upcoming games like Alan Wake 2, and Black Myth Wukong. This year’s ONL is less about announcing brand new projects, and more about giving fans updates on some of the biggest games due out over the next year.”

With Keighley hosting multiple events a year – including Summer Game Fest, The Game Awards and of course Opening Night Live – it is understandable that not every showcase can feature new and exciting announcements.

That said, with Alan Wake 2 and Black Myth Wukong already confirmed to be at the event, hopefully the showcase will still be a fun time  – and will undoubtedly feature at least one or two new titles.

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KitGuru says: Are you excited for Opening Night Live? Which of the two confirmed games are you more interested in? What surprise announcement do you hope to see at the event? Let us know down below.

Making the announcement on the Xbox Wire Blog, Dave McCarthy – CVP Xbox Player Services – said “One of the most common questions we get from players through feedback, posts, and appeals is how repeated enforcements impact their gameplay, how they escalate, what they escalate to, and how they know when their account is back in good standing. To help address this, we are introducing a new enforcement strike system.”

They continued, “The new system attaches strikes to every enforcement, ranging in severity based on inappropriate activity. Each player will now have a view of their enforcement history including strikes and the overall impact these have on their player record.”

Offering more concrete details, “The system is similar to demerit strikes used in driver’s license systems in many countries. For example, a player that has received two strikes will be suspended from the platform for one day, whereas a player that receives four strikes will be suspended for seven days. Players have a total of eight strikes and, once reached, will be suspended from Xbox’s social features like messaging, parties and party chat, multiplayer and others for one year from the enforcement date.”

The full scope of the new system and how it will and won’t change the current format can be found on the blog, but in general this new enforcement seems to be focused on offering greater transparency – which is always a good thing.

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KitGuru says: What do you think of this new system? Will it help? Have you ever been suspended? Let us know down below.