Gacha players will recognize many of the systems here, starting with upgrading each “category” of a car’s performance before hitting a wall and then needing to “rank up” their car for further improvement. That’s done by gathering Blueprints, seemingly the new bane of my existence this year; these are doled out in pieces, with higher-tier vehicles requiring more. Collect enough pieces to unlock a car – like an autophile assembling parts of their beloved collection, starting with the least favorite. Then being told, “That’s not good enough – earn their souls as well.”

"Your car could be rated 900 or 1200, with an Overclock for an additional “advantage” (sarcasm heavily implied), and still be matched against vehicles in the 1500s or 2000s."

RNG card packs, exciting bundles, Asphalt Tokens for auto-completing races when you can’t be bothered, nigh-unending “challenges” for scraps of Tokens, a Unite Pass, a “Bank” where you need to spend premium currency for the next tier of receiving more Tokens – if corporate greed could be distilled into a single ongoing work, it would still look upon this title and despair.

I digress, though, as Unite is more focused on uniting the various player bases across multiple platforms, consoles and mobile devices. There are Special Events where you race this car and that, time-limited events, a new track in Singapore, and improved visuals, which offer better dynamic lighting and reflections. However, the revamped multiplayer is perhaps the biggest change, starting with World League and Season Series.

If you’re an avid Asphalt 9: Legends fan, you may have played World League already. Race in various leagues, each limiting the number of playable cars in a rank (Elite League allows for all kinds). Master Season would remove all restrictions, but this new World League starts with a clean slate. You now have multiple ranks – Bronze, Silver, etc – with different tiers. Bronze 4, 3, 2, 1 – you get the drift. Race well and rank up – depending on the rank you end the league on, you earn different rewards. The top players also receive additional rewards.

The problem is that this tiering system further limits the available cars to race with. If you’re jumping in for the first time and only have limited options, good luck. Even those denoted as “free try” are beyond your reach because, unfortunately, you’re Bronze 4, not Bronze 3. Of course, this system is in place to ensure that cars are matched according to their performance rating to ensure balanced races. Surely this is what happens? That’s the neat part, though.

"Team Pursuit is your Cops vs. Robbers – sorry, Security vs. Syndicate mode where one team of players in police cars must hunt down the criminals."

Your car could be rated 900 or 1200, with an Overclock for an additional “advantage” (sarcasm heavily implied), and still be matched against vehicles in the 1500s or 2000s. That means facing against players who are entire tiers and ranks above you. Whether this is a bug or intended or not, it sucks all potential fun out of the experience. What’s the point of upgrading your vehicle, much less trying to pull for better ones? Even if you could access those higher-tier vehicles, what does it matter if matchmaking will find a meaner pack of wolves to throw you into?

Season Series is somewhat similar in structure, as you’re placed in different leagues, except their requirements for rewards are seemingly more stringent. I found the matchmaking here to be slightly better, but only just – plenty of better vehicles were still thrown into the mix, making for an unbalanced affair. On the bright side, you can earn pitiable amounts of score for each race, advancing through various reward milestones. Surely that’s worth the headache for the average player to keep losing through when the deck is stacked against them.

Team Pursuit is your Cops vs. Robbers – sorry, Security vs. Syndicate mode where one team of players in police cars must hunt down the criminals. It’s essentially Need for Speed’s Hot Pursuit mode, right down to the naming, but with none of the depth. Security has a worse Nitro boost than the Syndicate, so instead of chasing down the opposition, the best course of action is to…kind of wait until they come around on the track. Such tension. Each team has lives and you can hit a ramp to end your misery early. After all, why bother putting in effort when you’ll get rewards just for showing up?

"Nevertheless, all the fancy visuals and adrenaline-pumping soundtracks can’t mask some fatal flaws that Asphalt Legends Unite possesses, many left festering for a long time."

So yes, in multiplayer offerings, Asphalt Legends Unite is a letdown at best and voluntary torture at worst. Outside of the problematic matchmaking, it also has its share of disconnects among various players, which you’re helpfully informed via an annoying on-screen notification.

The visual upgrades admittedly look good, if you have the hardware to run it. On PS5, at least, the reflections look sharp and seamless, while the frame rate is steady throughout. The detail in each level is also pretty nice, though much as I love Singapore, that one divider desperately needs a different shade of neon since it can be mistaken for a purple launch ramp.

Make no mistake – this is not even in the same dimension as Gran Turismo 7, Forza Horizon 5 or even Forza Motorsport. For a free-to-play arcade racer, however, it’s sharp and flashy. The soundtrack is also pretty diverse, but it seemingly lacks a coherent theme. Your mileage may also vary on the catchiness of some of these tunes.

Nevertheless, all the fancy visuals and adrenaline-pumping soundtracks can’t mask some fatal flaws that Asphalt Legends Unite possesses, many left festering for a long time. There are several tracks across various locations, but they begin to feel repetitive – seeing the same sights on a longer race in Career Mode as you would in shorter sprints gets tiring. Don’t even get me started on the rubberbanding AI, where other cars will outright cheat to catch up with you. Given that this has been an issue for years, I don’t hold out any hope for improvements.

"Unfortunately, between the excessive monetization, progression systems, baffling ranked experience, annoying matchmaking, pointless Team Pursuit mode and lingering issues, Asphalt Legends Unite is hard to invest in."

There’s a shell of a competent arcade racing game here dumbed down to suit the more “pick up and play” nature of mobile gaming with its interface and pacing. Mastering the different kinds of nitro boosts and when to use them, locating the most optimal routes on a track, and knowing when to knock down (because “takedown” would be too on the nose) opponents are all key to success. If you want to dive in and race, that’s also possible, though doing so without learning the ins and outs will only get you so far.

Unfortunately, between the excessive monetization, progression systems, baffling ranked experience, annoying matchmaking, pointless Team Pursuit mode and lingering issues, Asphalt Legends Unite is hard to invest in. You could make the case that it’s one of the better mobile racing experiences, but on consoles and PC, there are far superior options with much more content and deeper mechanics. Heck, even Mario Kart 8 Deluxe has more to offer. Whether you’re a new or long-time player, Asphalt Legends Unite is an insufferable experience that only gets worse with extended play.

This game was reviewed on PlayStation 5.

Case in point: Gameloft – the studio behind Disney Dreamlight Valley (and multiple dozens of other games, many of which are mobile-focused titles) – has announced that it’s partnering with Wizards of the Coast to develop a new game based on Dungeons and Dragons that will combine some genres that you wouldn’t necessarily associate with the IP.

Gameloft says the title – which is being developed for PC and consoles – will aim to deliver “unique cooperative gameplay built around an innovative hybrid of survival, life simulation, and action RPG”.

“Players can expect an adventure where the rich lore of this legendary franchise meets real-time survival in a unique campaign of resilience, camaraderie, and danger at nearly every turn,” the developer says. It is currently also looking to hire in a number of different positions to work on the project.

There’s currently no word on when this game will be out (or even what it will be called), but Gameloft has shared a piece of concept art to give you at least some indication of what it will look like. Check it out below.

We're thrilled to announce we're partnering with the world’s greatest roleplaying game – @Wizards_DnD – from @Wizards of the Coast, the IP-holder and a division of @Hasbro, to publish a new PC and console game!@GameloftMTL, the creators behind the award-winning Disney… pic.twitter.com/MpDqN3uiLO

— Gameloft (@gameloft) March 14, 2024

Disney Speedstorm will feature a number of beloved characters, including the likes of Captain Jack Sparrow, Mulan, Mickey Mouse, Sulley, the Beast, and more, with worlds based on known Disney and Pixar properties also featured. You can expect high-speed arcade racing, nitro boosts, drifting mechanics, and dynamic track designs and environments.

Of course, this being a kart racer, you’ll be able to use various items and weapons against other racers to your advantage. Meanwhile, the game also promises customization features, multiplayer and online content, and seasonal content updates that’ll regularly add new support characters, environments, customization options, collectables, and more.

You can check out the game’s announcement trailer below.

Disney Speedstorm is in development for PC and consoles. As per the game’s website, it’ll be free-to-play and will feature in-game purchases. A release date hasn’t yet been announced but its Steam page says it’ll be out in 2022.

The Dungeon Hunter series from Gameloft has been in a self imposed exile on mobile devices for many years now, but the dungeon crawling RPG will make its return to Sony systems with a new launched scheduled for the PS4, and apparently because it just won’t die, the PlayStation Vita, very soon. 

Last seen on Sony’s systems with 2011’s first entry in the series, Dungeon Hunter: Alliance for the Vita and PS3, Dungeon Hunter V is a port of the mobile version first launched in 2015, complete with its free to play elements intact. With publishing help from new publisher Laplace, the game is set to launch in Japan on July 13 (not long to go). No western release has been discussed yet.

If you happen to have access to the Japanese PlayStation Store for whatever reason, you can pre-register for the game until July 18. Doing so rewards players with a special equipment chest said to include a powerful weapon. You can check out the trailer just below.

Gameloft’s Modern Combat 5: Blackout, a first person shooter for mobiles, isn’t too far from release but the developer is already dealing with piracy. After holding a contest which awarded early access to winners, Modern Combat 5 was cracked and distributed to players the world over. Gameplay videos also emerged on YouTube though they’ve since been taken down in violation of Terms of Service.

Gameloft community manager Florian Weber shared the dev’s frustration on the game’s Facebook group (via Polygon), “As you can imagine I am really pissed off. To anybody who got MC5 already, shame on you! We are making games for you and all you can do is pirate them?” He also threatened bans for anyone who had proven they were already playing Blackout.”

The studio further told GameSpot that, “Following the release of several pirated versions of Modern Combat 5 prior the release of the game, we have turned on our anti-piracy systems and now all illegitimate users on a non-official version have been incapacitated.”

Modern Combat 5: Blackout will be out on iOS and Android on July 24th for $6.99.

The game is serving as a movie tie in title that is set to launch alongside the film. The Amazing Spider-Man 2 will be launching on multiple systems spanning three developers. Series veteran developer Beenox [ a subsidiary of Activision] (Monsters vs Aliens and Guitar Hero Smash Hit) that previously worked on Spider-Man: Shattered Dimensions will be leading development with High Voltage Software (Mortal Kombat [PC]) leading development on the 3DS port and developers GameLoft ( Tom Clancy’s Splinter Cell: Conviction [iOS/Android] and Rayman Raving Rabbids) handling a iOS and Android port of the game.

The Amazing Spider-Man 2 is currently slated to launch on Microsoft Windows, Nintendo 3DS, PlayStation 3, PlayStation 4, Wii U, Xbox 360, iOS and Android. The iOS and Android port will launch on April 17th of 2014, whereas the console and PC port will launch on April 29th in North America, May 2nd in Europe and April 30th in Australia.

The Xbox One version is currently on hold.

• 1. Development
• 2. Gameplay
• 3. Story
• 4. Characters

Development

Little is known about the development cycle of The Amazing Spider-Man 2, most likely due to the multi platform nature of  the game and its connection to the official movie. The game was first announced to the public at the NYCC (New York Comic Con) in October of 2013 alongside the news that the game would be developed by Spider-Man veteran developers Beenox who have worked on multiple Spidey titles with an expected spring 2014 release date.

This reveal was accompanied by a teaser trailer showing the in game cityscape and iconic inverted hanging Spider-Man. The first full publicly released trailer for The Amazing Spider-Man 2 was shown in January of 2014. This was followed up on in early March when the consoles received their official release dates alongside a walkthrough trailer that came on the 27th. Gameloft (the development team handling the iOS and Android port) are going to be releasing their version of the game on April 17th. Gameloft are a well known and established mobile games developer bringing award winning performance to what is usually the weakest aspect of mobile gaming having won 7 mobile gaming awards in 2013 alone.

Publisher Activision also has a history of creating Spider-Man games, having published all of the Spider-Man movie related games since 2002, including the fan favourite that is often considered the definitive Spider-Man game, Spider-Man 2: The Game. Also expected to come alongside the game is a variety of bonus outfits, including 4 that are exclusive pre-orders from GameStop (Iron Spider, Noir Symbiote and Cosmic Spider-Man). These extra outfits can be found in Peter Parker’s wardrobe and when equipped will imbue Spidey with different statistical bonuses.

Gameplay

An emphasis on improved control over Spider-Man is apparent in the newest entry into the movie tie in series of games, with players given a new level of control when web swinging through the new open world environment thanks to a newly implemented dual trigger mechanic. The “grid-like” Manhattan area allows this new web swinging system  to flow well thanks to the “conveniently parallel buildings”.

Like the previous Spider-man games in the current franchise of movie related games, The Amazing Spider-Man 2 will take place in a large open world environment set primarily in the Manhattan borough of New York. Despite Manhattan being the most densely populated of the five New York boroughs, the environment, while expansive, has been designed around spacious streets with constantly running parallel buildings to aid in navigation.

The new gameplay mechanic this time around is a dual trigger web swinging system. In past Spider-Man titles players often had control taken out of their hands and placed in a sort of “snap to” mechanic wherein Spidey would web sling in the general direction that the player wanted to go. But in The Amazing Spider-Man 2, players can operate our friendly neighborhood with a unprecedented level of control thanks the ability to independently sling web from each hand. Meaning the left trigger will control the left hands web slinging and the right trigger controls the right hand conversely.

This coupled with the Manhattan urban jungle will allow Spidey to swiftly and more importantly accurately navigate his surroundings, which is essential in terms of general gameplay and combat. Combat will remain largely unchanged at a fundamental level with Spider-Man relying on his agility and sense rather than brute force and strength. As the player advances further into the game, new abilities will be unlocked that enhance combat abilities such as being able to strip armoured guards of their protective carapace. The player also has stealth options such as visible vision cones that allow for sneaking and stealth take downs.

There is a also a new Hero or Menace system in place that will depend on the players action in the open world sandbox. NPCs may need help and it’s up to the player decide whether they want to support them or not. The system is pretty similar to Sucker Punch studios’ inFamous series.

New gameplay features include:

• Given Parker’s background as a photographer, this is the first time players will make use of the camera to make sense of suspicious situations.
• Despite their best efforts, the police service of New York can’t quite handle the criminality of the streets, this is where the player will aid police in their battles against crime.
• While travelling through the Manhattan area, Spidey will encounter citizens in need of help.
• In Hideouts, Spidey must infiltrate and recover Oscorp technology to keep it out of criminal hands.

Story

The plot of The Amazing Spider-Man 2 is loosely tied to that of the movie of the same name following Peter Parker’s (Spider-Man) search for the person responsible for killing his uncle Ben.

Characters

While on his search for the murderer, Peter will encounter a multitude of iconic super villains from the Marvel universe such as:

• Kraven The Hunter
• Electro
• Kingpin
• Black Cat
• Green Goblin
• Carnage
• Herman Schultz (Shocker).

Note: This wiki will be updated once we have more information about the game.

Gameloft has closed its Indian studio located in Hyderabad, it has been revealed. Not only that, the employees were made to sign a note saying they are resigning due to personal reasons and this is probably something to do with withholding pay, but we are not sure at this stage.

Over 250 employees have lost their jobs and some of the them were told to pack up and leave immediately. Internet access was cut off as well.

The Indian studio mainly ported iOS games to Android, and this is surprising considering the company made a profit of 27% year-on-year.

Gamasutra reports that some employees were suspicious and wary of signing the note and it seemed fishy to them. This would be a really shitty move if true because making employees leave voluntarily is a wrong business practice.

Tell us what you think in the comments section below.

Gameloft, the popular publisher of games for mobile platforms, has announced that it is bringing 12 games to Microsoft’s Windows Phone 8 platform. Sounds nice, and they’re all good titles but nothing is new. They are already available on current mobile devices.

The interesting thing is that it’s not just a port but a good one too with achievements, Xbox integration, leaderboards, cloud storage and online multiplayer. Windows Phone 8 seems to be a promising platform but reports are coming in that it still has a lot of issues from its predecessor unresolved.

Standout games in the list are obviously N.O.V.A.3 and Modern Combat 4, which are not only good looking but play well too. There’s Asphalt 7 as well which is another technically proficient game.

However, these games seem nice and you can enjoy them if you have a WP8 Phone like Nokia Lumia or the likes. Check out the full list below.

• Ice Age Village
• N.O.V.A. 3: Near Orbit Vanguard Alliance
• Modern Combat 4: Zero Hour
• Shark Dash
• Asphalt 7: Heat
• The Dark Knight Rises
• UNO^TM & Friends
• Order & Chaos Online
• The Amazing Spider-Man
• Fashion Icon
• Poker for Prizes
• Real Soccer 2013

Dungeon Hunter: Alliance is the first action RPG game for the PlayStation® Vita system that immerses you in the heart of a unique online multiplayer experience. Face the world of Gothicus and its hordes of creatures alone or in teams of up to 4 heroes.The main quest, side quests, and the innumerable items to collect offer hours of play in a superbly modeled gothic universe. Push evil back to the depths of hell and squash the destructive ambitions of a tyrannical Queen… who was once your beloved!