Resident Evil: Village – House Beneviento

Resident Evil: Village, in many ways, is a celebration of the franchise’s rich history as the game combines different flavors of horror ranging from survival to action and much more in a cohesive experience. But the House Beneviento level is undoubtedly one of the most horrifying levels in the game, thanks to its excellent atmosphere and an enemy that’s the perfect embodiment of one’s worst nightmares. The level does an amazing job of teasing the threat with the cries of a baby, and when that one hell of a baby emerges from the dark – you better run with all your might.

With no fanfare, The Dark Pictures Anthology: Man of Medan has become available for the Nintendo Switch, and is retailing for $19.99. Set in a ghost ship, the game features a cast of characters that sees Shawn Ashmore playing one of several central protagonists.

In our review of the game upon its launch, we awarded it a score of 8/10, saying, “Man of Medan combines a strong cast with a memorable story, interesting choices, and co-op play to create an excellent interactive horror movie.” Read the full review through here.

Whether Bandai Namco plans on also bringing Man of Medan’s follow-ups to the Nintendo Switch down the line remains to be seen.

The Dark Pictures Anthology: Man of Medan is also available on PS5, Xbox Series X/S, PS4, Xbox One, and PC.

Other features include wider accessibility options and free upgrades to PS5 and Xbox Series X/S for existing owners. Those who own Man of Medan will also receive a new extended chapter which adds new gameplay. Be careful, as there are plenty of new deaths that can occur.

For more details on each game, check out our reviews for Man of Medan and Little Hope. The Dark Pictures Anthology: The Devil in Me, which acts as the Season 1 finale, is out on November 18th for Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, PS4, PS5, and PC. For more details on the story, head here.

Toys for Bob and Activision’s 3D platformer Crash Bandicoot 4: It’s About Time, Supermassive Games and Bandai Namco’s interactive horror adventure title The Dark Pictures Anthology: Man of Medan, and Illfonic’s PvPvE shooter Arcadegeddon (which is a new launch) will be the free-to-claim games for subscribers in July. All three will become available on July 5. Members of all three PlayStation Plus subscription tiers will, of course, have access to this lineup.

That means you have just a few more days left to claim June’s free offerings– God of War, Nickelodeon All-Star Brawl, and Naruto to Boruto: Shinobi Striker.

Those monthly games getting leaked ahead of time has become something of a tradition at this point, and it’s happened once again. Dealabs user billbil-kun has had an impeccable track record with accurate leaks of monthly PS Plus offerings for a number of months running at this point, and has once again spilled the beans on what games will be offered for free to PS Plus Essential subscribers in July.

According to the leaker, the games in next month’s lineup are Crash Bandicoot 4: It’s About Time, The Dark Pictures Anthology: Man of Medan, and Arcadegeddon. That’s a solid lineup, if accurate (which it probably is), with the former two games in particular being well worth playing.

It shouldn’t be long before Sony officially confirms next month’s lineup for PS Plus Essential, so stay tuned for that.

With August kicking off, the latest slate of Xbox Game Pass titles has been announced. It begins with Darksiders: Genesis and The Dark Pictures Anthology: Man of Medan coming to Xbox Game Pass for consoles tomorrow. It Lurks Below, UnderMine, Xeno Crisis and Trailmakers will also be available tomorrow for both console and PC subscribers.

On August 13th, Final Fantasy 7 will be accessible for Xbox Game Pass for console and PC. This isn’t the recent Final Fantasy 7 Remake, which is timed exclusive for PS4 until April 2021, but the classic RPG still holds up till this day. Check it out in stellar HD visuals next week.

Of course, new games arriving means old games are leaving. On August 14th, Devil May Cry 5 will leave Xbox Game Pass for console while Space Hulk: Tactics and Where the Water Tastes Like Wine will be gone for PC subscribers. Kingdom Come: Deliverance and Yoku’s Island Express will become unavailable for subscribers on both platforms.

Supermassive Games’ The Dark Pictures Anthology: Man of Medan is scary enough on its own but the game is really meant to be experienced with friends. The developer is thus providing a free Friend’s Pass to all current owners of the game. This allows you to invite a friend who can download the trial version and experience one playthrough of Shared Story mode.

It’s completely free though keep in mind that you only get one pass. On top of this is the Curator’s Cut mode which is also available for free. Complete a solo playthrough of the story and it will be unlocked. This mode essentially lets players experience the solo mode with alternate scenes that are currently not in the base game.

It’s a neat extra and a great way to thank players who have experienced the game. The Dark Pictures Anthology: Man of Medan is currently available for Xbox One, PS4 and PC. You can check out our review of the game here.

Much like Supermassive’s Until Dawn, Man of Medan is all about making choices, with consequences that could decide the life and/or death of its characters. While witnessing a character’s death might make a past alternative choice appealing, which decision do you change.

Head to the Life Bearings section in your character menu and it will showcase eight major plot points that can have an impact on the story. While the Life Bearings won’t tell you exactly what to do, we’ve assembled a handy guide for each condition (and how to get the best possible ending). Let’s take a look and remember: Major spoilers lie ahead.

Speedboat

When the pirates kidnap the main cast in the beginning, Conrad will devise a plan to use the pirate’s speedboat to escape. Don’t follow his plan – instead, grab a weapon when climbing through the window. This will lead to Conrad and Olson having a scuffle but it results in the former being disarmed and taken below. Not bringing the stick on the dive and using it to pry open the wreck’s door will result in it being a weapon so keep that in mind. Otherwise, congratulations – Conrad has survived and you’ve unlocked your first Life Bearing.

Proposal

One of the easier Life Bearings involves Alex proposing to Julia. When Alex tells Brad about his plan, Brad simply has to say “yes” to proposing and choose the second option to not.

The Bends

When investigating the wreck underwater, Alex and Julia will spot some explosions. Instead of rushing back to the surface immediately, have Julia listen to Alex and decompress before emerging. This will result in Julia being saved from getting the bends later.

Ships in the Night

Want to prevent Fliss and Brad from potentially murdering each other on the ship? When playing as Brad, either don’t pick up the giant spanner or choose to dodge in the QTE sequence instead of attack when meeting Fliss. This will result in Brad escaping and both characters surviving.

The Kitchen Knife

Fliss just can’t stay out of trouble but this time it’s Alex that’s the threat. Alex might be armed at this point and could potentially kill Fliss since he perceives her as a monster. To prevent this, while playing as Alex, don’t pick up the knife, whether from the kitchen or the later cells. The other option as Alex is not to attack the monster aka Fliss when the QTE interaction pops up.

Military Bandwidth

There’s a radio on board the haunted ship and while you could send out a call for help, that will result in you being arrested (or shot if the military gets the name of the ship). However, leave the Duke of Milan on and take care of the distributor cap. You can radio for the military but before they arrive, take the boat and leave.

Junior

Upon locating Junior, he’ll be in a bit of fitful state. To save him – because that’s the point of this Life Bearing – get the rebreather from the engine room as Alex and Julia beforehand. When Olson starts chasing you in the Flooded Cargo Hold, make sure not to fail the adjoining QTEs or you’ll drop the rebreather. Reach Junior, use the rebreather and he’ll slowly come to his senses.

The Distributor Cap

A vital part of the happy ending is to pick up the distributor cap and ensure it’s not destroyed. As Alex, head down a deck and you’ll find it on Olson’s body. There’s a QTE sequence involved rats that can’t be failed or else, Alex will die. Once you get the distributor cap, start the Duke of Milan and you’re off the ship.

Best Ending

So keeping all of this in mind, how do you get the best possible ending? First, have Alex propose to Julia and make that she survives the dive by not heading to the surface immediately and decompressing instead. Ensure that Conrad doesn’t steal the pirate’s speedboat either.

In the mission Intrusion, ensure that Brad is hidden on the ship. In Finding Friends, Brad needs to find the gas mask. When Fliss and Brad are under threat, make sure they aren’t killed by the rest of the cast.

In the mission Ritual, have Fliss head outside and breath fresh air. Speaking of which, get the rebreather as Alex and Julia, and use it to save Junior. Finally, when in the Lower Decks, make sure you find Danny’s body and get the wedding ring back for Julia. Get that distributor cap, board the Duke of Milan and it’s a happy ending for everyone.

Supermassive Games’ The Dark Pictures Anthology will be kicking off soon with Man of Medan. The horror title sees five friends on a vacation in the South Pacific Ocean but things quickly go awry when they encounter a cursed ship. Check out the trailer below to see some of the horrors present.

Unlike Until Dawn, the studio’s previous horror effort, Man of Medan sports some multiplayer modes. In Shared Story Mode, two players can co-op together and each makes decisions for their respective character. Those decisions can affect the other so choose wisely. Then there’s Movie Night Mode which supports five players locally as you pass the controller around to experience different character perspectives.

Man of Medan is out tomorrow for Xbox One, PS4, and PC. You can check out GamingBolt’s official review for the game here. For even more information, here are 15 features you should know about before buying. Don’t worry about dying – there’s plenty of it in-game to go around.

Madden NFL 20

The latest in the Madden series promises a bevy of new features for long-time fans. A new story mode called Face of the Franchise: QB1 is being introduced which sees player-created characters going from playing quarterback in college football to the NFL. The Pro Bowl will also be making a return but gameplay-wise, perhaps the most intriguing new addition are the X-Factor abilities. Each player will have their own signature talents and abilities which can tip the scales – like having an increase on maximum pass distance. Madden NFL 20 releases on August 2^nd for Xbox One, PS4 and PC.

Age of Wonders: Planetfall

Triumph Studios is back at it again with another turn-based strategy title. Except this time, Age of Wonders: Planetfall takes the series’ style of expansion and conquest into the sci-fi genre. The Star Union has collapsed and six factions – each with their own units and traits – vie for supremacy. Battles are turn-based and employ some new mechanics like grazing where shots missed will still deal 50 percent damage. However, the developer is also looking to introduce more destructible environments, more complex economic and diplomatic choices, and more varied gameplay. Age of Wonders: Planetfall is out on August 6^th for Xbox One, PS4 and PC so we’ll see how well it fares.

Metal Wolf Chaos XD

Cult-classic Metal Wolf Chaos is finally coming to the West for…some reason. The remaster Metal Wolf Chaos XD is being handled by General Arcade and will have an improved resolution, better graphics and improvements to the gameplay. As for the story, it’s about Michael Wilson, the president of the United States, jumping into an overpowered mech to stop a coup led by the vice president. What more can we say? If you’re interested in third person mech shooting with corny writing and lots of customization, Metal Wolf Chaos XD might be worth the wait. It’s out on August 6^th for Xbox One, PS4 and PC.

Remnant: From the Ashes

Gunfire Games is known for the Darksiders series but will be presenting something completely different with Remnant: From the Ashes. This third person shooter (with co-op support) sees players battling a powerful inter-dimensional evil. The key to defeating it is to travel to other dimensions, scavenge whatever resources are available, upgrading weapons and so on while investigating the enemy’s origin. Levels are dynamically generated with different encounters and events, and there are a number of bosses to battle on the way. Remnant: From the Ashes is out on August 20^th for Xbox One, PS4 and PC.

Ancestors: The Humankind Odyssey

Ancestors is very different though – it’s a survival game where players control an ape clan as it evolves through the ages. That means exploring new areas, hunting, bonding, controlling other clan members and of course, evolving (with various skills unlocked in the process). Ancestors: The Humankind Odyssey is out on August 27^th for PC via the Epic Games Store.

Control

Step into The Oldest House, a surreal location that serves as the headquarters for the Central Bureau of Control. An entity called Hiss has overrun the facility and killed the acting director. As a result, Jesse Faden, a woman with supernatural powers, must take up the shape-shifting Service Weapon and fight back. As players explore the constantly shifting walls of The Oldest House, they’ll come across different side quests and NPCs, learn new abilities and even unlock different secrets. Control arrives on August 27^th for Xbox One, PS4 and PC.

Life is Strange 2: Episode 4

Dontnod Entertainment’s epic saga of Sean and Daniel Diaz is slowly winding down with Life is Strange 2: Episode 4 releasing on August 22^nd. The duo have come a long way since the horrific incident in Seattle and have met a range of challenges. While the final episode releases in December, Episode 4 might be a good time to hop in for the appropriate amount of tears and cliff-hangers.

Hunt: Showdown

Originally Hunt: Horrors of the Gilded Age, Crytek restructured this title into Hunt: Showdown, a co-op PvEvP game where bounty hunters embark into the Louisiana swamp to hunt monsters. The catch is that after snagging a monster’s bounty, you become marked by other hunters in the area and must successfully escape to reap the benefits. With support for up to 10 players, solo queue and new monsters since first entering early access, Hunt: Showdown is shaping up to be a unique experience when it launches on August 27^th for Xbox One and PC.

Astral Chain

PlatinumGames is known for its combination of genres but Astral Chain is on another level. Taking place in the future in the last bastion of humanity Ark, the story sees the forces of Neuron using Legions to battle evil. There’s a bit of everything here – investigations, exploration, side quests, NPC interactions, puzzle solving…and that’s not even mentioning the combat. Players use a variety of Legions in battle to quickly attack, bind foes or execute powerful sync attacks. Astral Chain releases on August 30^th for the Nintendo Switch and we can’t wait to see what else it holds.

Blair Witch

Bloober Team’s Blair Witch is a first person horror title that takes place a few years after the first film as former police officer Ellis and his trusty dog Bullet investigate the Black Hills Forest in Maryland. The developer’s penchant for reality-warping environments and horrors in Layers of Fear and Observer could the Blair Witch mythos well. Then again, this could be yet another horror title that fails to capture what made the first film great. We’ll have to wait and see how when Blair Witch releases on August 30^th for PC and Xbox One.

The Dark Pictures Anthology: Man of Medan

The other major horror offering next month is The Dark Pictures Anthology: Man of Medan from Supermassive Games. It sees five tourists traveling to the South Pacific Ocean and encountering a ghost ship. Obviously fun and happy times ensue. Much like the developer’s previous horror game Until Dawn, players can partake in different quick time events and ultimately decide who lives and dies. There’s even co-op and four-player support, making the journey for survival that much more perilous. Man of Medan is out on August 30^th for Xbox One, PS4, and PC.