The Emperor of Palamecia brings cyclones of destruction to the battlefield.
The Square Enix-Team Ninja collaborative Final Fantasy arcade fighter adds yet another iconic villain to its roster with Emperor Mateus, the main antagonist of Final Fantasy II. The Emperor was announced via a special niconico live stream earlier today, and boasts intense magical attacks and defensive techniques.
Despite its launch in 2015, Dissidia Final Fantasy will eventually see a home console release with a full story mode included. One might expect that the console release will have to wait until the title receives a larger batch of fighters; with the success of Final Fantasy XV, it wouldn’t be too surprising to see a character or two from that title appear in the near future.
The Red Bull Proving Grounds tournament returns in 2017 and this time, even more players will have the opportunity to take part in the competition thanks to additional regions and two tournament seasons. Amateur players will test their skill in Street Fighter V to prove they have what it takes to go toe to toe with the pros at Evo 2017.
Red Bull Proving Grounds is back with qualifiers in 11 cities!
The new tournament will consist of events taking place in 11 locations across the US and Canada. Returning venues include Seattle, WA, Los Angeles, CA, Chicago, IL, Philadelphia PA, Atlanta GA, and Toronto, ON. New locations include Houston, TX, Orlando, FL, San Francisco, CA, Vancouver, BC, Montreal, QC. Those unable to attend the qualifiers locally will have the chance to compete online to take their place among the greats.
East vs. West
To qualify for the finals, players must place among the top three in their respective region. This is decided based on one’s Regional Ranking Points. Those players will be flown to the Red Bull eSports Studio in Santa Monica, CA to compete in the finals. The top 8 winners of the Spring Season will earn their spots to compete at Evo 2017 in Las Vegas.
Today marks the beginning of the Spring Season and is considered to be a training day for the tournament. The Proving Grounds officially begin on April, 1. The full schedule and registration information can be located at the Proving Grounds page on smash.gg.
A little while back there was a leak that showcased potential peripherals from HORI that could be used on the newest Nintendo console. Among these was a HORI fight stick designed for the system. HORI has now announced on its official Twitter page that it will indeed be releasing a Nintendo Switch version of its popular Real Arcade Pro V Hayabusa fight stick. No further details were disclosed, but one can expect it will retain the features of the recently released 2017 version of the stick for other consoles.
It’s fantastic to see HORI proceeding forward with the fight stick in order to accommodate players who prefer this “traditional” style of control. Ultra Street Fighter II: The Final Challengers will feel much better to much of the fanbase with a fight stick on hand.
The Injustice 2 online beta has come and gone, and there is still a lot to learn about the upcoming DC Comics fighter. New characters were playable, new mechanics were accessible, but new expectations were made. There is a lot of good to expect from the final release of Injustice 2, but some questions still need to be answered regarding game modes, gear balance, and–of course–character roster.
Put plainly, access codes weren’t the easiest to come by. While Ed Boon and company did their best to share the love through four waves of emails and random batches of codes given away on social media, it was still a very limited affair. Not to mention that the only available game mode was Online Battle with random opponents. Without local multiplayer or practice mode, it was difficult to learn how to play the new characters without prearranging a truce with another player. The user interface was a little sluggish. It took a while to make selections in menus which, on its base, isn’t a game breaker, but there is a slight lag between inputs which can lead players to exit post-combat menus instead of changing characters or beginning a rematch. A minor drawback, but something that should be improved nonetheless.
Keep in mind that this is the first beta test, and many of the negative aspects are tiny snags in an overall polished experience.
The game is absolutely beautiful. The character models are leagues ahead of the original Injustice: Gods Among Us designs, thanks to the boon granted by improved hardware. The environments are filled with tiny details that breath life into each stage and make them a part of the story. The dialogue between characters is unique to whomever is currently fighting, which is a feature that all AAA fighters should have at this point. Following suit with the original Injustice, Easter eggs are everywhere, proving that the folks at NetherRealm hope to utilize as much comic book history as possible. The combat is solid, fast–and most importantly–fun. Every fight feels like it came straight out of the comic books, thanks to stellar visuals, impressive voice acting, and booming sound design.
The prospective promise of the gear system
One of Injustice 2‘s primary mechanics is its new gear system. On the surface, the gear system grants players an incredible amount of customization for their favorite fighters, both aesthetically and functionally. These new armor pieces boost characters’ stats to make them more effective in combat, and have the potential of adding entirely new attacks and abilities. Every fighter has five loadouts available for customization–which, through countless stat boosts and additional abilities, could create a nearly infinite number of variations.
Gear is unlocked frequently–in terms of the beta–at the end of every online match. That being said, do not expect to unlock gear just for the character that is being used. When the pool of characters was only six, this wasn’t too much to worry about. If players chose to focus mainly with Supergirl, for example, most of the gear unlocks would be for the chosen character. But from time to time, gear would unlock for characters never chosen, making one wonder: how will this play out with a roster of 20 characters, or even 30? It is already hard enough completing matching sets of armor, whenever gear is unlocked randomly.
To alleviate worries that the gear system will break the overall balance of the game, NetherRealm included a competitive option accessible right before the start of a match. This will disable any buffs that are added via the gear system, and leave players to face off with their default characters–new appearances still intact, of course. Both players must agree to play in the competitive mode for it to activate, however, which may prove problematic for those hoping to play without boosted characters.
To rectify this issue entirely, it would be extraordinarily beneficial for NetherRealm to include ranked and social matches to suit players’ needs. Surely this is probably something that will be seen in the final build, but with the default battle mode focusing on the benefits of the gear system, it will be interesting to see where NetherRealm focuses their priorities as the lifespan of the game progresses.
It’s all about the characters
The beta includes a couple returning fighters, with Superman and Batman, but those characters feel very similar to their original Injustice versions, which isn’t necessarily a bad thing. Thanks to the gear system, old characters can feel new again. The new talent adds a lot of variety to the battlefield and there’s a lot to learn about the newcomers Atrocitus (and his feisty feline Dexx-Star) Black Canary, Blue Beetle, and Supergirl.
Atrocitus:
The Red Lantern is an interesting addition to the I2 roster because he has a lot more to offer than brute strength. Atrocitus’ bread and butter special move is his fittingly named Bloodnado. It whips up the opponent from anywhere on-screen and can be used twice in a row, given the appropriate meter burn, to perfectly set up an extended combo. The fighter’s elemental attacks can be used to stack burns and bleed damage, all during setting up additional combos. His feline companion Dexx-Star is tied to his character trait and grants a host of additional attacks. Players can continue their onslaught by taunting opponents with Dexx-Star’s energy blasts, or unleash a devastating combo of furry fury. His super move is an upward slash, which is excellent for opponents exiting a low guard. Atrocitus is certainly a character that houses a lot of variety. It will be exciting to see how he is utilized in competitive play.
Black Canary:
One of the founding members of the Birds of Prey, Black Canary uses her voice to knock back opponents with varying strength. Canary has three different levels of her classic “Canary Cry” that are determined by the number of bars saved up via the trait meter. At its strongest, the Canary Cry can blast the opponent back when under pressure. When in its weakest form, the cry barely stuns the target. The middle level, of course, lies somewhere in between. It’s up to the player to decide if its best to save up meter as a fallback or to utilize it often to set up combos. The Canary Cry makes another appearance via the character’s super which is activated when in air. This can be used as an excellent punishing opportunity. Canary has more than just a killer voice, her defensive parries and agile physical attacks make her a force not to be reckoned with.
Blue Beetle:
This Blue Beetle is the third iteration of the hero, and he packs a pretty strong punch with his shapeshifting bio-suit known as the Scarab. His character trait shifts the fighter between two separate modes. One focusing mainly on his blasters, and the other devoted to his blade attacks. Different versions of the character’s specials are available depending on which stance is active, so be sure to try them both out to find out what goes best together and what fits your play style. The Scarab can also be used to boost in mid-air to close distance made by zoning characters. His super activates via a short stab with the Scarab, so be sure there isn’t a lot of distance between the opponent before activating it. Based on personality alone, Blue Beetle seems like a lot of fun, especially when played against a variety of characters to hear all of the unique dialogue this quipster has to offer.
Supergirl:
Supergirl is an extraordinarily mobile character with a lot of zoning potential. While she maintains similar powers and abilities to her Kryptonian cousin, Kara Zor-El’s play style is all her own. Supergirl’s character trait is her signature heat vision which opens up a lot of opportunity for advanced spacing techniques. Players can utilize short bursts of heat vision to stop opponents from advancing, and create windows of offensive opportunity. A more powerful version of Supergirl’s heat vision can be used at the expense of the entire character trait meter and one segment of the super bar. This enhanced blast unleashes a more effective beam that does a pretty decent amount of damage to opponents while pushing them all the way to the edge of the screen. Her flight enables her to zoom to the opposite side of the screen, punishing those who leap unnecessarily. Supergirl has a lot to offer for those wanting a different take on traditional super powers.
In it for the long haul
The online beta was overall highly enjoyable, and a seemingly accurate glimpse of what is to come. With these six characters alone, there is potential for nearly limitless experiences thanks to the gear system and customization. The characters already announced are building a rather impressive roster before even considering the ten promised DLC characters (including the pre-order exclusive Darkseid) As is theNetherRealm tradition, Injustice 2 is bound to have an extraordinary wealth of content for both single player and multiplayer experiences. With the promise of an engaging continuation of the stellar story mode from the previous title, there is more than enough to look forward to.
The beta was a clear indication of what is to come: gear up, it’s going to be a wild ride.
Injustice 2 launches with three separate editions for PlayStation 4 and Xbox One on May 16, 2017. Stick around for more coverage and announcements right here at Shoryuken!
Those with an active Xbox Live Gold membership will be able to access Dragon Ball Xenoverse 2 on Xbox One free of charge this weekend starting Friday, March 3, at 9:00 AM PST–so, right now–and ending Sunday, March 5, 11:59 PM PST.
Prospective Time Patrollers will be happy to know that the title will also be on sale for a limited time at the Xbox Store. The base game will receive a 40% discount with the Deluxe Edition getting a 25% markdown. Even if players decide not to pick up Xenoverse 2 during the promotion, they can find their achievements and save data waiting patiently for their return to Conton City whenever they boot up the game next.
Dragon Ball Xenoverse 2 recently received its second major content update and DLC pack on PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and PC. These updates added new characters, costumes, missions, and an abundance of other content. Dragon Ball Super’s Future Trunks saga is next in line to be brought to the ever-expanding title.
Bandai Namco recently released a trailer highlighting the additional story missions found within DB Super Pack 2. Check it out below!
Bandai Namco continues its support of the anime time hopping fighter, Dragon Ball Xenoverse 2 with an additional free content wave and another DB Super focused DLC pack for PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and PC.
The free update was available starting yesterday, February 27, and includes costumes based on the classic movie characters, Metal Cooler, Android 15, Zangya, and Bido. Two expert missions featuring Broly and Janemba will be made accessible for skilled fighters to take on with their best teams. Custom characters will be able to utilize the Jumping Energy Wave, Menacing Flare, Focus Flash, Wild Hunt and Tail Slicer special attacks as well.
Tournament players can find new rules for the Tenkaichi Tournament, as well as two extra modes. Character Tenkaichi mode creates a tournament consisting of only one character. Players can use this mode to prove who’s the best with their favorite fighter.
There is also a Group Tenkaichi mode that will open up rosters a bit more than the latter mode. Group Tenkaichi allows players to create tournaments focused on a single series within the Dragon Ball franchise, such as a “GT Cup” allowing only characters from Dragon Ball GT. The Tournament Jersey is the most recent prize for those who reach the top of the Tenkaichi Tournament.
Time Patrollers may now enter the Universe Tournament!
DB Super Pack 2 releases today (February 28) and is headlined by the additional playable characters God of Destruction Champa and his Angel, Vados. New story missions will be unlocked focusing on the Universe Tournament along with the brand new stage, Unnamed Planet.
Even more custom character attacks will be brought into battle with God of Destruction’s Menace, God of Destruction’s Roar, Destruction’s Concerto: Comet, Destruction’s Concerto: Starfall, Destruction’s Concerto: Meteor, Destruction’s Conductor, Requiem of Destruction and Sonic Bomb.
Android 13, Android 14, and Fused 13 will live on in Xenoverse 2 thanks to their included costumes. Those looking for more Super Souls can add to their arsenal with Champa, Vados, Vegeta, Super Buu, and Piccolo’s added abilities.
There’s no better way to zoom around Conton City than within a Saiyan Space Pod, which is now included within the inventory thanks to DB Super Pack 2. Don’t forget about the Beerus’s Glare or Zen-Ou Jump emotes either! All in all, there’s a lot more to experience in Xenoverse 2 thanks to these continued updates.
After the release of DB Super Pack 2, be on the lookout for the additional characters, Zamasu, SS Rose Goku Black, and SSGSS Vegito to join the battle sometime in the near future. These characters were announced previously at the end of the DB Super Pack 1 trailer.
Those looking to see the new content in action can check out Bandai Namco’s recent Livestream below!
Bandai Namco has announced new details pertaining to the next DLC pack for Dragon Ball Xenoverse 2, set to release this February. The DB Super Pack 2 adds more godly ki to the mix with God of Destruction Champa and his attendant, Vados as playable characters.
There will also be a brand new Scenario Quest, placing players in the heat of combat at the Universe Tournament. Also be on the lookout for a new stage and vehicle alongside additional attacks and costumes for custom characters.
Free content is expected to be added whenever the DB Super pack releases in February. The free update will include a new costume, additional accessories, and attacks. Bandai Namco states additional information will be released “in the coming weeks.”
The Dragon Ball Super anime gears up for the Universe Survival Saga on February 5. The new tournament will bring together fighters from each of the twelve universes within the Dragon Ball series. It will be interesting to see if any of these characters are eventually added to Xenoverse 2, or if they will be saved for a future installment.
Bandai Namco released a new trailer today showcasing some of the new content players can expect from the upcoming Naruto Shippuden: Ultimate Ninja Storm 4 expansion: Road to Boruto.
Arriving nearly a year after the main title’s initial release, Road to Boruto follows the adventures of Naruto’s son, Boruto, and his friends in the new ninja world. The additional story is filled with familiar faces and newcomers alike. The highly cinematic experience will feature brand new battles to win and areas to explore.
The original Naruto manga ended on November 10, 2014. Since that time, the story has continued through its anime, feature films, and sequel manga titled Boruto: Naruto Next Generations. The monthly syndicated Boruto manga will soon receive an anime adaptation planned to release in April.
Owners of the main game can purchase the additional content for $19.99 on PSN, XBL, and Steam. Bandai Namco is also offering a bundled physical release, containing the original game, its season pass content, and the new expansion for $49.99.
Check out all of the high-flying ninja action in the new trailer and image gallery below!
Xbox announced today that the previously Xbox One exclusive, Killer Instinct: Definitive Edition, will now be playable on Windows 10 PCs. This marks Killer Instinct as the newest addition to the Xbox Play Anywhere initiative.
The Xbox Play Anywhere program grants players free Windows 10 copies of specific Xbox One titles and vice versa. So anyone who has already purchased the title digitally will now be able to access the Windows 10 version on their PC for free. The program also syncs player data over the cloud, allowing users to pick up wherever they last left off. Killer Instinct: Definitive Edition is now a cross-play title as well, allowing players to compete against each other regardless of their platform.
Killer Instinct: Definitive Edition includes the 26 characters, 20 stages, and costumes that were released in the first three seasons of content. Players will also find trailers, music tracks, and behind-the-scenes content inside their compilation package.
Xbox also disclosed information about a brand new character costume for KI veteran, Chief Thunder. During the development of the most recent entry in the series, the KI team asked the Nez Perce tribe from Lapwai, Idaho, for assistance with re-designing Thunder to be more culturally appropriate.
Three years after its release, Xbox is saying thank you to their Nez Perce friends by releasing a brand-new, “100 percent authentic warrior outfit derived from Nez Pere cultural traditions and dress.” Owners of Killer Instinct and Thunder, through the free-to-play version, will be able to obtain this costume free-of-charge on Wednesday, December 21.
Within these announcements, Xbox also promises that they’ve “got some awesome surprises in store for fans soon.”
Dragon Ball Xenoverse 2 may have just released in late October, but Bandai Namco just disclosed details surrounding additional content. There are two upcoming updates for the game, one that’s free and available to all, and another that is only accessible via purchase of the first DLC pack. Players can expect these new features to become available on December 20.
The free content includes new skills for SSGSS Goku and the professional assassin, Hit. Goku will receive the Awakened Skill Kaioken X10, and Hit will obtain his own Awakened Skill called Pure Progress.
This update will also include six new costumes for custom characters along with four additional attacks. Future Gohan, Bardock, Cooler, Android 16, and Whis will become additional teacher characters, allowing players to unlock 20 more iconic moves used by the mentors.
Perhaps the addition of new Awakened Skills to already existing characters foreshadows the inclusion of Goku Black’s Super Saiyan Rose form.
There is an abundance of additional content to be found in the title’s first DLC pack. Frost, a member of Frieza’s race, and the young Saiyan, Cabbe, (previously announced as Kyabe) are the two characters joining the time-hopping adventure. Hit will also join the ensemble of mentors, teaching players his set of killer moves. Players can expect to learn five new attacks total through the new DLC.
The First DLC pack is included within the game’s season pass, but can also be purchased separately. Those looking to read more in-depth about the upcoming content can check out Xenoverse 2’s official Facebook page. Dragon Ball Xenoverse 2 is currently available on PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and PC.
