For context, the US Supreme Court recently failed to rule on a controversial Texas law that bans abortions after six weeks of pregnancy. Worse yet, the ban allows private citizens to also file civil suits against people who violate the law, effectively creating “bounties” against anyone involved. Furthermore, the law also goes against Roe v. Wade, a previous Supreme Court case that ruled in favor of women’s liberty to have an abortion.

On September 5, 2021, John Gibson posted on Twitter that he was “Proud of #USSupremeCourt affirming the Texas law banning abortion for babies with a heartbeat,” stating that he “felt it was important to go on the record as a pro-life game developer” after seeing so many vocal peers oppose the law.

Proud of #USSupremeCourt affirming the Texas law banning abortion for babies with a heartbeat. As an entertainer I don’t get political often. Yet with so many vocal peers on the other side of this issue, I felt it was important to go on the record as a pro-life game developer.

— John Gibson (@RammJaeger) September 4, 2021

Obvious mistruths aside (the Supreme Court didn’t “affirm” the law, and simply did not rule on it in time), Gibson’s comments sparked controversy within the video game industry. God of War director Cory Balrog expressed disbelief at Gibson’s opinions, asking how anyone could “be proud of claiming dominion over a woman’s personal freedoms.”

jesus fuck, man. really? you are all about this fucked texas bounty law that pushes us closer to some kind of Gilead dystopian religious state?

really???

I mean what the fuck, man. seriously, how can anyone be proud of claiming dominion over a woman’s personal freedoms?

— cory barlog (@corybarlog) September 5, 2021

The controversial statement led Shipwright Studios to make a public announcement on Twitter—as a reply to Gibson’s own tweet, no less—condemning Gibson’s public comments. Below are a few segments from the studio’s announcement:

While your politics are your own, the moment you make them a matter of public discourse you entangle all of those working for and with you … We know it is difficult for employees to speak up or act out in these scenarios, and they may not feel comfortable to speak their minds. It is regrettable, but we feel it would be doing ourselves, your employees, your partners, and the industry as a whole a disservice to allow this pattern to continue without comment.

We started Shipwright with the idea that it was finally time to put our money where our mouth is. We cannot in good conscience continue to work with Tripwire under the current leadership structure.

“We will begin the cancellation of our existing contracts effective immediately,” the post concludes.

Similarly, Torn Banner Studios—the dev team behind another Tripwire Interactive property, Chivalry II — also issued a statement where it clarified that Gibson’s opinions stood “in opposition to what [they] believe about women’s rights.”

[Source: Twitter via Gamesindustry]

The post Maneater Co-Developers Cut Ties With Tripwire Interactive After President’s Anti-Abortion Tweet appeared first on PlayStation LifeStyle.

Back in May, the company reported they had 160 games in development. That number has now grown to 180 projects and those that are expected to be released before the end of March 2022 are valued at SEK 2.9 to 3.3 billion ($329-381 million) between them. The majority of these will be released during the latter part of the financial year, during the first three months of 2022, and the company is expecting to rely heavily on its back catalog for their income between July and September 2021.

CEO Lars Wingefors mentioned the group will have “numerous” new game announcements throughout the year, although not all of those will released during the current year. Those we do know about include Saints Row: The Third Remastered heading to PS5, TimeSplitters, and Dead Island 2 in development at Deep Silver. Evil Dead: The Game, World War Z: Aftermath, Crysis Remastered Trilogy, and a console version of Insurgency: Sandstorm are part of Saber Interactive’s development plans. Milestone has Hot Wheels Unleashed and Gearbox has Tiny Tina’s Wonderlands.

Several of their more recent titles have done quite well for the company. Biomutant was one of the biggest revenue creators for the quarter. The game has sold more than 1 million copies to date. It even managed to recoup its development and promotional costs within a single week, as well as covering the cost of Embracer’s purchase of developer Experiment 101 and the IP itself.

Chivalry 2 also sold more than 1 million units in just two months. It’s the first title to reach the milestone for Tripwire Presents and is developer Torn Banner’s fastest selling title. Players have logged more than 8 million hours of playtime. Meanwhile, PC title Valheim continues to be extremely successful, reaching a total of 7.9 million copies sold since its release.

Overall, Embracer’s net sales increased by 66% to the value of SEK 3.427 billion ($392 million) when compared to this time last year. Not all of that is from gaming, but that section of their business had an even more impressive increase of 83% to SEK 2,960.9 million ($339 million). Wingefors says the company is “pleased with the organic year-over-year growth, given that the comparison is made against a quarter with a boost in demand due to pandemic effects.”

[Source: Embracer, Tripwire Interactive, Twitter]

The post Embracer Group Now Has 180 Games in Development, Biomutant and Chivalry II Both Record 1 Million Sales appeared first on PlayStation LifeStyle.

Chivalry II PS4 Review – First-Person Slasher, with a Royal Twist

Nothing is more aggravating than trying play a battle royale with a steep learning curve; dying before loading into a map counts as a ball buster.  Have you ever wondered if you would be any good at a big battle royale-esque experience without firearms? Enter Chivalry II, a blood-filled, picturesque first-person slasher game with a medieval flair—minus the guns. Chivalry II takes place in medieval times, where players can swear their allegiance to either Agatha or Mason and face off against countless enemies who are lining up to protect the kingdom. With four classes to choose from players can find their niche fighting style and achieve victory by means of stopping the opposing team’s progress. While there are no penalties to switching classes or defecting to the other side mid battle, there are some benefits to sticking to one side.

Each class has a primary weapon, secondary weapon, and an item that they are able to cycle through as they fight on the battlefield.  Archers in typical ranged weapon fashion are the DPS class that deals damage from afar and while they are unable to withstand large amounts of damage, they are able to construct barriers to prevent enemies from dealing frontal damage. Vanguards unleash damage with long ranged primary weapons such as battle axes, great swords and glaives; their secondary weapons are meant to deal damage in close hand to hand combat with knives. They are equipped with throwing mallets as an item to throw at incoming enemies, and while you can throw any of your weapons, the throwing mallet is a replenishable item that can be disposed of when you do not want to be left completely defenseless.

Footmen rely on spears, swords, shovels and even pickaxes to deal damage in mid to close range combat. This class has a variety of weapons to choose from as a secondary weapon but are left with only a shield as their third and final item. Knights are considered the jack of all trades class with the ability to equip axes, swords, warhammers and spears as primary weapons and a variety of short weapons like hatchets, maces and short swords as secondary weapons. They can equip either a shield or throwing knives or axes as a third item. All weapon and armor customizations can be managed in the armory where players can design a character unique to their own fighting and fashion style.

Chivalry II PS4 Review – Upgrading the Upper Classmen

Upgrading weapons for each class is based on a leveling system where experience is distributed based on the number of kills and items used by a player. Players can be disarmed if they block too much and run out of stamina. Shields can also break over time if you block too much, encouraging strategies that aren’t purely defensive. Weapons and items can be replaced via supply wagons and stray weapons placed sparsely throughout the battlefield. There are three playable modes available to battle in: 64 player mixed mode, 40 player mixed mode, and a free for all mode. The mixed modes switch between a team-based “attack or defend” mode to an all-out team deathmatch where the side with the most kills leaves victorious. If you are trying to get a feel for the game, I would recommend a team-based mode first and then switching to the free for all to help earn some experience for the class or classes of your liking.

As a beginner in the battle royale-like massive multiplayer action genre, the free for all was an easier mode to get accustomed to when learning how to fight against large crowds of players. You can learn to take advantage of the chaos to earn some free kills while other player battle it out unbeknownst to your plans.  Certain classes deal better damage to depending on the mode you are in, for example archers tend to survive in modes where the objective is to defend or push the convoy. However, they can take advantage of all the chaos of a team deathmatch and earn free kills from afar if you are quite the marksman. Knights, vanguards and footmen are favorable for all out hand to hand combat if you are want to be a part of the action and enjoy a game of footsies in the battle arena.

Chivalry II PS4 Review – Modern Medieval Warfare

Now that you’ve learned what Chivalry II is all about, lets get into the game mechanics. If you are looking for a game with instant control feedback, Chivalry II is not the game for you. Going through the tutorial you learn the basics of combat, blocking, parrying, feints, heavy and light attacks. The tutorial is great, it’s immersive and you learn a lot about how you can trick your opponent or opponents. A unique feature to the battle system is timing your strikes with the analog sticks to make contact faster than your opponent, this does take some getting use to but it actually makes landing hits easier. The faster a player is at moving their hands on the sticks the faster they land a hit, this also means that you don’t necessarily need to be strategize only to be faster than the enemy.

One major setback to the tutorial is that it only presents at most two enemies to fight; when battling it out in the arena there are many more enemies that you face. Most victories that I scored were from underhanded tactics of kill stealing, and although not honorable, it does replicate how war probably took place in medieval times. Another issue that I noticed was the counter system, there is a very precise timing for the execution of parrying and countering an enemy’s attack so precise that it would almost seem impossible to do so in the actual game.

If you are looking for some mindless fun or a way to vent your frustrations of the Mondays, this is definitely a great game to pick up for casual play. I wouldn’t recommend it if you are focusing on grinding for rewards. At most you do gain new weapons and currency to purchase new weapons from the armory; but honestly there is no benefit to these new weapons besides aesthetics. I’ve seen players fall by the hands of a beginner that just got lucky landing the finishing blow. Obviously there are benefits to playing the game for longer periods, you gain new equipment and you get better at the game but with war nothing is certain and a bout of bad luck can cause the enemy to gain the upper hand in battle.

The sequel to the classic is indeed worthy in most ways, and Chivalry II is a much needed upgrade to the original game. Combat has a lot going on, and while many players will behave as non-chivalrous bastards, there is a good amount of fun to be found on the medieval battlefields of Chivalry II.

Chivalry II review code provided by the publisher. Version 1.02 reviewed on a PS4 Pro. For more information, please read our Review Policy.

The post Chivalry II Review – A Knight’s Slaughterhouse (PS4) appeared first on PlayStation LifeStyle.

Here’s what’s included:

• Cross-Play Across All Platforms – Cross-Play smashes the boundaries between PC and console, allowing players to face-off on the battlefield together, regardless of platform.
• The Slaughter of Coxwell (New Team Objective Map) – The Mason Order seeks to make a brutal example of the peaceful village of Coxwell after it declared support for Argon II. Burn the village, breach the gate, steal the gold, and kill the soldiers.
• The Battle of Darkforest (New Team Objective Map) – Agathian forces lie in wait, ready to ambush the Mason army that marches forth to kill the Duke of Fogbern Keep. Destroy the barricade, push the convoy, capture and hold the gatehouse, and kill the Duke.
• The Siege of Rudhelm (Team Objective Map) – After weeks of siege, Agathian forces begin a final assault upon a Mason stronghold defended by the Mason heir. Push the siege towers, capture and hold the gatehouse, burn the tents, push the siege ramps, capture and hold the courtyard, and take down the heir to achieve victory.
• The Battle of Wardenglade (Team Deathmatch/FFA Map) – The armies of the Mason Order and Agathian Knights meet in an evenly matched open field of battle.
• Tournament Grounds (Team Deathmatch/FFA Map) – Elite warriors of the Mason Order and the Agathian Knights fight for supremacy and adoration of the crowd.
• Free-for-All (New Game Mode) – It’s you versus everyone else in this chaotic free-for-all frenzy appearing for the first time in the Cross-Play Open Beta.
• Full Customization (New for Open Beta) – Customize your in-game appearance and unlock a wide variety of cosmetic options as you earn experience with each of the game’s four base classes and 12 sub-classes.
• Duel Servers (New for Open Beta) – Available for PC only, players can choose to enter special servers set up for players looking to hone their 1-on-1 dueling skills with other players. Participants are asked to abide by the honor system and respect players aiming to focus on 1-on-1 duels.
• 64/40 Player Server Options (New for Open Beta) – Experience the chaos of epic medieval battlefields, charge forth to the frontlines of battle, and experience true mass-scale combat supporting up to 64-players designed to capture the intensity and scope of “The Battle of the Bastards” from Game of Thrones. For players interested in more strategic battles requiring more communication and teamwork, options to join 40-player servers for Team Objective mode will also be available.
• Same Platform Parties (New for Open Beta) – Players can now group up and form a party on the same platform before joining a Cross-Play match

Chivalry 2 will release on June 8th.

The post Chivalry 2 Getting Open Cross-Play Beta Ahead of Release, Here’s What’s Included appeared first on PlayStation LifeStyle.

The PlayStation 5 version of Chivalry 2 will run at 4K and will utilize the DualSense’s adaptive triggers and haptic feedback. Some of the examples provided by the developer are as follows:

• On the left trigger, holding block gets harder as your stamina falls
• The right trigger will increase pressure for bows as you hold back the string
• Localized haptic feedback on strikes let you feel where every hit lands

The beta will feature five Team Objective mode maps, 12 subclasses, and the full tutorial. Over on the PlayStation Blog, Torn Banner teased that there will be a lot more to the beta, which players will find out in due course. For now, here’s an overview of the type of content you can expect:

• Wage war in The Siege of Rudhelm, an epic Team Objective mode map that sees you protect or invade an entire city and its castle
• Continue the fight in more Team Objective, Team Deathmatch and Free-for-all maps
• Find your fit: play as 12 subclasses ranging from Skirmisher (hybrid melee/ranged fighter) to Poleman (fighter that keeps opponents away with long melee range)
• Cut your teeth in a full tutorial- – learn every technique in the book.

The beta will end on April 26th. Chivalry 2 will release on June 8th.

The post Next Week’s Chivalry 2 Cross-Play Closed Beta Features Full Tutorial, 12 Subclasses, Various Maps, and More appeared first on PlayStation LifeStyle.

Those who preorder Chivalry 2‘s standard edition digitally or at retail will receive the Royal Zweihänder weapon skin. Preordering the special edition, which is only available to preorder digitally, will net you the Agatha Jousting Knight Armor and Royal Broadsword, the Mason Jousting Knight Armor, the Gold Horseman’s Axe, the Roses novelty item, and more. Digital preorders for either of the two versions will also guarantee players access to March’s beta.

An official overview is as follows:

Chivalry 2 is a multiplayer first-person slasher inspired by epic medieval movie battles. Players are thrust into the action of every iconic moment of the era—from clashing swords, to storms of flaming arrows, sprawling castle sieges, and more. Dominate massive battlefields while catapults tear the earth apart as players lay siege to castles, set fire to villages, and slaughter filthy peasants in the return of Team Objective maps.

Improving on the original genre-defining Chivalry: Medieval Warfare, Chivalry II invites players to master the blade with an all-new and improved combat system that combines real-time strikes and a free-flowing combo system to speed up the action and let players become a whirlwind of steel on the battlefield. Created with the ability to fight multiple foes in mind, Chivalry II’s combat mixes the best of both FPS and fighting game genres for an unmatched melee experience.

[Source: Chivalry 2]

The post Chivalry 2 Will Release on PS5 and PS4 Among Other Platforms in June, Cross-Play Beta Goes Live in March appeared first on PlayStation LifeStyle.

In a recent blog post about the revised launch window, Torn Banner shares its belief that the updated release timeline will allow Chivalry 2 to be the best game possible. Most notably, the team now has the extra time necessary to truly realize its vision of a proper follow-up to 2012’s Chivalry: Medieval Warfare.

Such developmental shifts are primarily due to accommodations that must be made “in a COVID-19 world.” The studio’s statement continues, “our development timelines are shifting to utilize this additional time to better meet our core goals for Chivalry 2, as well as allowing us to incorporate several quality of life improvements and also include what was originally post-launch content, in the release.” In turn, players can expect the base game to feature more features and maps at launch than originally planned.

Presently, the crew at Torn Banner remains focused on the most recent Closed Alpha build of Chivalry 2. But the delay hasn’t merely thrown off release plans. The summer beta is no longer on the cards either, meaning that testing on that front will go live at a later date.

Much like its predecessor, Chivalry 2 will allow players to explore various Medieval fantasies. This should come in the form of cinematic battles, castle sieges, and the like. Its Medieval movie inspirations, as well as the hack-and-slash gameplay mechanics, should make for quite the brutal experience.

[Source: Torn Banner via VG247]

The post Chivalry 2’s Release Date is Now Slated to Launch Sometime in 2021 appeared first on PlayStation LifeStyle.

During IGN’s Summer of Gaming event, Torn Banner and publisher Tripwire announced the news with a brand-new trailer. Get a look at Chivalry II’s first-person slasher gameplay in the video down below:

Chivalry II serves as a sequel to Torn Banner’s Chivalry Medieval Warfare, which originally launched on PC in 2012, before releasing on PS3 and Xbox 360, as well as PS4 and Xbox One years later. The franchise essentially allows players to live out their Medieval fantasies, taking part in cinematic brutal battles, calvary charges, and castle sieges. Deadly hack and slash gameplay opens the door for a world of possibilities in this regard, especially given Chivalry’s medieval movie inspirations.

According to the sequel’s website, Team Objective maps in Chivalry II will host upwards of 64 players at a time. Such massive battles will see players firing catapults, burning villages, and participating in a variety of other gruesome acts of war.

Torn Banner has upped the ante in terms of character customization as well. Plus, thousands of new “hilarious” lines of dialogue will feature in the new entry. Players are bound to come across a slew of them during battle cries, even when their character is down and bleeding out.

Additionally, Chivalry II is introducing a revamped combat system, complete with immersive and chilling sound effects. Upon going hands-on, players should notice that gameplay has more fluidity and speed, in addition to “an expanded range of creative choices.” Torn Banner implemented these changes to guarantee players are able to hone their playstyle to their liking.

Chivalry II presently lacks a release date.

[Source: Tripwire via IGN]

The post First-Person Slasher Chivalry II Coming to Current and Next-Gen Consoles, Along With Cross-Play appeared first on PlayStation LifeStyle.