Epic Games have just announced a massive giveaway of asset packs from Project Nature. This is a collection of trees, bushes, grasses and controlling blueprints for creating nature scenes in your Unreal Engine games.
Details from the Unreal Engine blog:
In collaboration with Project Nature, Epic Games has released over 20 environment and vegetation products for free on the Unreal Engine Marketplace.
The collection includes over 75 varieties of plant species, many of which were photoscanned from real-world vegetation, ranging from towering trees to the smallest of ground plants and flowers. Create a refreshing oasis retreat, escape to a serene meadow, or adorn a warm desert landscape for your audience to explore; with more than 550 optimized models, the sky, or the ground, is the limit on what you can grow!
The pack consists of:
Hundreds of optimized plant models and materials
The shader-based Project Nature Wind System 2.0
The Project Nature Interaction System 2.0, including replicated animations
A dynamic low-poly grass system
A dynamic ivy creation pack
And more!
You can download the assets using the Epic Game Launcher or via the website available here. There is no time limit on this giveaway, all 21 packs are available free forever. If you want to learn how to export from Unreal Engine to another engine or tool (such as Blender) you can learn more here. Learn more about the asset giveaway in the video below.
I’ve been looking forward to this day for a while now. CDPR’s Witcher card-game spin-off has finally released onto Android as of this morning. GWENT started life as an in-game card game playable as you explored the world of Witcher 3, similar to that card game from Final Fantasy 8. With the digital CCG still very much alive, however, CDPR decided to spin it off into its own thing.
It was released on PC first, then consoles and iOS, but it hasn’t all been smooth sailing. The console versions don’t seem to have done particularly well, and were recently shut down. PC and mobile audiences seem decent though, which is why we finally have our android version. Here’s a trailer to celebrate:
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I took it for a quick spin this morning – I’ve only dabbled in the Witcher 3 version of the game, but it was more different than I was expecting. Still quite fun though – the objective is to win two out of three rounds, but you’re only ever going to see part of your deck. You start with ten cards, and then you draw three additional cards on rounds two and three.
The means your tactical resources are fixed and limited for the entire match, so over-committing on the first round, for example, may mean you can’t seal the victory on round two or even three. Knowing when to concede a round is also going to be key.
I highly suggest you read the guide Michael wrote for us a while back on GWENT tips, especially if you’re a new player like me.
Progress in GWENT can sync across PC and iOS, since it’s controlled via a GOG.com account. You’ll need to create one before you can log into the game, and the tutorial can also take around half an hour, so make sure you put aside time if you’re looking to try it out.
GWENT: The Witcher Card Game is available to play for free on iOS and Android.
What you need to know about Apple’s LiDAR Scanner in the iPad Pro
Apple on Wednesday unveiled two new iPad Pro models that come equipped with a LiDAR Scanner, which will offer major improvements to ARKit and photography.
Apple’s new LiDAR Scanner will offer major improvements to augmented reality.
The new 11- and 12.9-inch iPad Pro models are the first of Apple’s devices to feature the 3D laser system, but they likely won’t be the last. Here’s what you need to know about LiDAR, how it improves current iPad Pro models, and what other future Apple devices could feature it.
What is LiDAR?
At the most basic level, LiDAR is a time-of-flight system that shoots low-power lasers at an environment. Using the reflections, it calculates the distance to objects and points in the environment, and creates an accurate 3D depth map or rendering based on the results.
Apple’s own proprietary take on it, simply dubbed the LiDAR Scanner, likely has a few more tricks up its sleeve. Apple says it can measure the distance to surrounding objects up to 5 meters away and operates “at the photon level at nano-second speeds.”
The iPad Pro LiDAR Scanner is used to create depth mapping points that, when combined with camera and motion sensor data, can create a “more detailed understanding of a scene” according to Apple.
What could a LiDAR Scanner be used for?
Both first- and third-party apps will be able to take advantage of more accurate depth mapping.
Among Apple’s existing features, LiDAR will have the biggest impact on augmented reality (AR) and Apple’s own ARKit framework. Apple says the new LiDAR Scanner will allow for instant object placement, indicating that users wouldn’t need to “scan” their environment before an AR app loads.
Along with improvements to motion capture and people occlusion, the LiDAR Scanner will also make the Measure app much faster and more accurate. Measure will now include a new Ruler View for more granular measurements going forward, too.
While Apple didn’t specifically mention it, LiDAR will improve photography too. Take Portrait Mode, which the 2018 iPad Pro only supported in front-facing mode. With an actual 3D depth map of an area instead of using lens-based calculations to determine depth, Apple could add rear-facing Portrait Mode to the iPad Pro and improve the feature’s accuracy and speed.
Is the LiDAR coming to other devices?
Apple’s LiDAR scanner has launched first on the new 11- and 12.9-inch iPad Pro, as was previously rumored. But the system is also largely expected to arrive on some 2020 iPhones, too.
The latest information, pulled from code within an iOS 14 leak, suggests that a time-of-flight camera will arrive on both the “iPhone 12 Pro” and the “iPhone 12 Pro Max” this year.
On those devices, a LiDAR Scanner will also bring the same improvements to ARKit apps and photography. But combined with Ultra Wide Band technology, it may also be useful in applications such as indoor navigation and item tracking.
LiDAR for vehicular applications
LiDAR is a new addition to Apple’s handheld devices, but the Cupertino tech company has actually been actively using them for years in other applications. Apple vehicles with LiDAR sensors have been spotted in California as far back as 2015. The technology is considered a crucial part of the development of autonomous vehicles, particularly so they can accurately analyze their environment.
Amid rumors of Project Titan and the “Apple Car,” the company appears to be steadily investing into LiDAR and other related research for vehicular applications, including a slewof patentapplications related to the tech.
And in a rare public-facing example of its research, Apple also published a research paper in 2017 detailing LiDAR-based 3D object recognition systems for self-driving cars. Essentially, the system leverages the depth mapping of LiDAR and combines it with neural networks to vastly improve the ability of a self-driving car to “see” its environment and potential hazards.
Posted by: xSicKxBot - 03-25-2020, 09:10 AM - Forum: Windows
- No Replies
Free educational content now available in Minecraft Marketplace
The world is upside down right now. We’re learning lots of new phrases like social distancing, contact tracing, and stop snacking just because you’re bored. Everyone around the world is coming together to do their part, whether that’s working on finding a vaccine, delivering food and supplies, or staying indoors. Whatever the case, all of our daily routines have been thrown completely out of whack. It’s easy to get scared at a time like this, which is why focusing on something can help you stay calm.
Educators around the world are doing everything they can to provide digital lessons for the half a billion students who are out of school due to the COVID-19 pandemic. This is not an easy task and we want to do our part to help keep young minds sharp and stimulated.
If you head over to the Minecraft Marketplace, you will find some of our favorite lessons from Minecraft: Education Edition in a brand new Education category. These educational worlds can be played on your own, with your kids, parents or friends. From the comfort of your home, you can tour the International Space Station or even explore the inside of a human eye. We’ve also included ten worlds from our Marketplace creator community! Thanks to creators Everbloom, Jigarbov, Lifeboat, Razzleberries, The World Foundry, Blockworks, and Imagiverse you can explore renewable energy, marine biology, Greek history, and more! The worlds include lesson plans like creative writing activities, build challenges, and tricky puzzles.
All of these worlds are launching today and are free to download through June 30, 2020.
Anyone with Minecraft for Bedrock platforms can find these worlds by launching Minecraft and visiting the in-game store. Minecraft is available on Android & iOS, Kindle Fire, Windows 10 PC, Gear VR, Oculus Rift, Fire TV, Xbox One, Windows MR, Nintendo Switch, and PlayStation 4.
Review: La-Mulana 2 – A Deep And Challenging Metroidvania For Your Switch
As indie game development has massively ramped up over the past decade or so, there’s also been an equivalent rise in the popularity of the Metroidvania genre. We’ve seen countless fascinating examples of how elements of the genre can be bent or expanded upon to create amazing new experiences, but one of the finest examples of a Metroidvania came with the launch of La-Mulana as a freeware game in 2005. The unique focus on uncompromising puzzle design and high difficulty made the sidescroller a cult hit, and its status was only furthered with the remake that came a few years later. Still, developer Nigoro evidently had more that it wanted to explore with the concept of La-Mulana, which led to the creation of a Kickstarter in January 2014 for La-Mulana 2.
The crowdfunding effort was a resounding success, with the campaign raising over a quarter of a million dollars, and La-Mulana 2 then saw its initial debut relatively recently in July of 2018. Now, the title has finally made its way to the Switch, and we’re happy to report that Nigoro lost none of the magic that made the original such a unique and captivating experience. If anything, the studio outdid itself with this sophomore effort, crafting an adventure that feels better paced and more cohesive than its predecessor, while also being more fun to play overall.
The story picks up not long after the ending of La-Mulana, though this time former protagonist Lemeza is nowhere to be found. You play instead as his daughter Lumisa, who has followed in her father’s footsteps in archaeology and now finds herself back at the ruins that Lemeza once explored himself. Since the events of that game, the ruins of La-Mulana have been turned into a tourist attraction and a small community has sprung up around it, but there’s trouble in the air as monsters have begun appearing and attacking the locals. Lumisa steps in, then, both to get to the bottom of why matters are seeming to get out of hand and to discover where her missing father has gone. It doesn’t take long for her to discover the entrance to a new set of ruins, however, called “Eg-Lana” which seem to hold the answers she’s seeking.
The original La-Mulana had a delightful way of weaving in a fascinating mythos throughout its cryptic puzzles and gameplay, but La-Mulana 2 takes the storytelling a step further. There are more NPCs to interact with than before, and though many of them don’t have a whole lot to add individually, it’s the cumulative effect of having more characters in play that adds more stakes to the story. That’s not to say that you’re bludgeoned with conversations and interactions at every turn – this is very much still an isolated and lonely journey – but we rather enjoyed the extra flavour that these characters bring to the experience. And though the story certainly isn’t the focus of this adventure, it’s satisfying how it builds upon the events and mythos of the previous game in logical and sometimes surprising ways.
Gameplay has remained largely unchanged from the original, which is to say that it is infuriatingly uncompromising in the best of ways. The moment-to-moment action takes the shape of a typical Metroidvania, with you exploring a sprawling 2D map comprised of several interconnected areas, each of which are packed with secrets, monsters, traps, and boss fights. The key thing here, however, is that poor Lumisa – much like her father – has all the resiliency of a leaf blowing through the wind. One step on a well-concealed pressure plate, and the ceiling caves in, killing her instantly. One accidental whip-crack on a seemingly innocuous wall can cause an all-seeing eye to atomize her with a blue bolt of lightning.
Everything in this accursed Eg-Lana is out to kill you and is adept at doing so, and matters are not helped by the fact that checkpoints are scarce. Sure, you can almost always just warp back to the surface to heal Lumisa up, but that could mean having to spend another twenty minutes retracing your steps. The alternative, of course, is pushing onward and hoping you don’t make one of the countless easy mistakes a blind player can make, resulting in Lumisa’s death and a subsequent trip to the last place you saved at. Thirty minutes of gameplay can go up in smoke just like that, leading to a deliciously tense experience all around as you constantly have to weigh your confidence against the risks at hand.
As if that isn’t enough, La-Mulana 2 carries on the tradition of almost hilariously obtuse and intricate puzzle design. Your whole experience is ultimately in service of this, as you traipse all over heaven and earth in search of obscure clues and trying to make some goddamned sense of the rat’s nest of clues you already have. Given the relatively non-linear setup of La-Mulana 2, this can lead to some truly maddening moments. Is that cryptic message relevant, or will you not be needing that for several more hours? How did you get to the room you’re in? Are you even supposed to be at this point?
The answers are always there, but La-Mulana 2 sure isn’t going to just give them to you, and it’s all too easy to overlook things and not recognize their importance until you’ve spent hours running in circles. It’s a real testament to La-Mulana 2’s design, then, that it doesn’t completely fall apart. A lesser experience would drive players away with this level of difficulty, yet somehow La-Mulana 2 knows how to give you just enough of a sense of forward progress that you can’t bring yourself to quit outright. There are few games that can offer such a sense of satisfaction when you finally figure out a secret, and though you’ll struggle to do so in La-Mulana 2, it is doable.
We feel special attention must be paid to the better controls this time around, too. Unlike her father, Lumisa has discovered the secret of mid-air momentum change, giving her much more control in the many precarious platforming portions she’ll endure. Though you still sink like a stone if you happen to have Lumisa walk off a ledge rather than leaping off of it, this relatively minor change to the control scheme goes a long way in making La-Mulana 2 the superior experience in terms of moment-to-moment gameplay. A similar thing could be said for the overall sense of progression, too. It feels like you obtain upgrades and secrets just a little more often than you did in the original La-Mulana, making for a better paced or more rewarding experience that continually baits you with the promise of more challenge.
Presentation remains largely unchanged from the original, going for a 16-bit aesthetic that itself is based on old MSX software. The key thing here, however, is that a little more attention has been paid to imbuing greater detail in some areas. Most encounters with NPCs will lead to a cutaway to a screen where you view detailed art of that character as they speak to you, sometimes with surprising effects thrown in. And as Lumisa works her way through the ruins, little things like the way that her hair flips after a jump or how her arms flail when she falls down a slope indicate a higher quality of animation. Bosses are another highlight here, with the massive, detailed sprites of the monsters proving to be a visual spectacle and a sight to behold. Generally speaking, not much is changed, then, from the original La Mulana, but the key areas where improvements have been made stand out in the best way.
Conclusion
The original La-Mulana was a masterpiece in its own right, but we’d contend that it’s been edged out by the sequel. What we have here is an expertly-paced, crushingly difficult, and utterly mystifying adventure that constantly beckons you to explore deeper and acquaint yourself with its unique charms. La-Mulana 2 definitely isn’t for everybody – if you consider yourself an impatient or clumsy player, steer clear – but those who put in the time and effort to crack this nut will be deeply satisfied that they did so. We’d give La-Mulana 2 a high recommendation for anybody looking for a deep and challenging new Metroidvania for their Switch; it’s an acquired taste, but one you will come to savour.
Guide: Every ACA Neo Geo Game On Nintendo Switch, Plus Our Top Picks
Much like Hamster’s Arcade Archives series, the company’s line of Neo Geo titles – which goes by the bespoke title ‘ACA NEOGEO’ to separate it from the rest – has been a regular fixture of the weekly Nintendo Switch eShop download lists. With over a hundred releases under the ACA banner, Hamster has done sterling work getting these games on Switch and into the hands of fans who may never have experienced them before.
SNK’s Neo Geo was a beautiful system that fused arcade and home console hardware, but at a cost. The significant financial outlay require for Neo Geo ownership meant it was out of reach of the average gamer back in the day. Fortunately, the games below will cost you a fraction of what they originally sold for and come with a multitude of presentation options to tailor the experience to your liking on Switch.
Below we’ve listed every ACA Neo Geo release available on Switch eShop to date and it will be updated as new titles are released. The games are displayed in alphabetical order, although you can go to our games database and sort by Release Date or User Rating. Please note that the Arcade Archive releases are NOT included here. Check out our separate guide for Arcade Archive games on Switch for more info on Hamster’s non-Neo Geo Switch gems.
And if this huge list is a tad overwhelming, you’ll find our picks of the best ACA Neo Geo games on Switch at the bottom. No prizes for guessing it contains a lot of fighters.
ACA Neo Geo Switch eShop releases – Complete list
Looking at that list and don’t know where to start? Then check out our picks of the best ACA NEOGEO games – in no particular order – to get you off on the right foot.
The best Switch ACA Neo Geo games…
Publisher: SNK / Developer: SNK
Release Date: 11th Nov 1999 (USA) / 11th May 2017 (UK/EU)
The first fighter in our picks of Switch’s finiest ACA Neo Geo offerings, and it certainly won’t be the last. Garou: Mark of the Wolves is a classic of the genre; the perfect fusion of depth and beauty that will appeal to hardened veterans of 2D fighters and button-mashing newbies alike. By 1999 the Neo Geo hardware was nearly a decade old and SNK’s mastery of it is in full evidence here. It’s one of very few games we’d recommend everybody buy, even those who actively dislike fighters (yes, apparently they exist). This game is just too pretty to miss. We could sit and watch animated gifs of Garou’s backgrounds for hours. Essential.
Publisher: SNK / Developer: Noise Factory
Release Date: 2001 (USA) / 5th Sep 2013 (UK/EU)
A side-scrolling beat ’em up in the classic mould, Sengoku 3 is a straightforward and satisfying example of a genre that needs little explaining to begin with. With plenty of variety and attacking options, it’s a fun blast whether you’re playing solo or you’ve enlisted a friend for the ride. We put it on our list of the best beat ’em ups on Switch, so its inclusion here should be no surprise.
Publisher: SNK / Developer: SNK
Release Date: 25th Nov 1998 (USA) / 6th Dec 2012 (UK/EU)
As with many of the best fighters, seemingly simple mechanics hide a lot of depth and The Last Blade 2 is a fine example. An extremely enjoyable game with fantastic presentation and a host of fighting modes to get stuck into, the balancing of the first entry is arguably better, although the sequel has more characters and options available. Whichever one you go for, you’ll be guaranteed a fine-looking fighter with plenty of personality, so you can’t really go wrong.
Publisher: SNK / Developer: Nazca Corp.
Release Date: 1996 (USA) / 9th May 2008 (UK/EU)
If you’re looking for an old-school shot of satisfying gameplay without endless options and upgrade systems and RPG-like progression, Metal Slug is the no-nonsense antidote to modern-day complications. It might feel a little too simplistic by modern standards, but there’s something about the purity of its approach which makes it an absolute blast and a lovely palette cleansers before diving into something more faceted on Switch. Nazca Corporation’s run-and-gun may have debuted in 1996, but it’s got the beating heart of an ’80s action icon (and a brain to match). Fabulous.
If you’re into King of Fighter games, you’ll find a whole bunch available on Switch. If we were pushed, The King of Fighters ’98 would probably be our pick of the bunch. It’s got a huge cast, the same tight, deep gameplay you’ve come to expect from SNK and is still regarded one of the best fighters ever made well over 20 years since release. Similarly to Garou, we’d buy it just to ogle its visual loveliness.
Publisher: Sunsoft
Release Date: 21st Nov 1996 (USA) / 3rd Mar 2017 (UK/EU)
You like fighters, right? If you’re reading this list we sure hope so. If you’re after something a little unusual, Waku Waku 7 serves up a 2D scrapper decidedly different from umpteen KoFs and Fatal Furies – a welcome break even given the quality of those series. This, too, is a sequel, to 1995’s underwhelming Galaxy Fight, but despite a small roster Sunsoft packed this game with spectacularly colourful cartoon visuals and a bunch of in-jokes and irreverent parodies to make it feel fresh and unique in a system library overflowing with quality games in this genre. This was the first game ACA Neo Geo game Hamster brought to Switch and a lovely breath of fresh air.
Publisher: SNK / Developer: Yumekobo
Release Date: 19th Feb 1998 (USA) / 2nd May 2017 (UK/EU)
There was a time when Blazing Star was beyond the reach of all but the most affluent gamer, but now anyone with a Switch can download and enjoy this brilliant shmup for the price of a (pricey) pint. The thrill of owning something that was once so inaccessible shouldn’t overshadow just how good this game is, though. The difficulty ramps right up towards the end, but if you’re a fan of shoot ’em ups, this is a treasure you won’t want to be without.
Publisher: Data East / Developer: Data East
Release Date: 1995 (USA) / 14th Jan 2011 (UK/EU)
What’s this? A Neo Geo game that isn’t a fighter? Yes, you might not have expected a puzzle game on this list but despite the shared genres of several entries here, Magical Drop III is a fantastic balloon-firing puzzler that you should definitely investigate. It mde our list of the best puzzle games on Switch and shows that there was more to the Neo Geo library than an endless parade of gorgeous 2D fighters. Puzzle fans should definitely check this out.
Publisher: SNK / Developer: Video System
Release Date: 1994 (USA) / 3rd Aug 2017 (UK/EU)
A vertical shooter (you know, for variety), Aero Fighters 2 is an easy recommendation thanks to its varied locales, multiple piloting options, large roster of enemies entertaining boss battles and multiple endings. Throw in 2-player and the usual Hi-Score and Caravan modes and what’s not to like? The sequel is also available, although with its fixed-pairings for 2-player mode we’d download Aero Fighters 2 first and go from there.
Publisher: SNK / Developer: SNK
Release Date: 28th Oct 1994 (USA) / 8th Aug 2008 (UK/EU)
Still one of the best fighters available on the console (and there are a fair few to choose from now, if the list above has whetted your appetite), Samurai Shodown II improved on the original with new fighters and tweaks and fine-tuning to the mechanics to accompany the already stonkingly lovely sprite work. This should be in your library, whether you life fighters or not. Yes, we realise that’s the third time we’ve recommended a fighting game to non-fighting fans. They’re just so purdy!
Ah, how we love that SNK artwork; all those grins and round chins! Thank you for scrolling to the very bottom. With so many games to choose from we’re just scratching the surface with the games above.Let us know which of Hamster’s ACA Neo Geo games you’ve most enjoyed–and which ones you’d avoid–with a cheeky comment below.
Posted by: xSicKxBot - 03-25-2020, 09:10 AM - Forum: Lounge
- No Replies
Borderlands 3 Next Level Cap Increase Will Give Big Boost To Late-Game Builds
Borderlands 3 is preparing for another level cap increase to come alongside the release of Guns, Love, and Tentacles. When the update hits on March 26 you can raise your Vault Hunter's max level to 57, an increase of four more points since it was last raised in February. And this particular increase could have a big impact on gameplay.
As noted on the Borderlands blog, the new level cap will allow you to select two capstone skills rather than the standard one. Those skills are among the most powerful in a Vault Hunter's arsenal, so being able to double-up opens a whole new array of possibilities. Gearbox says it anticipates this to come with a "huge surge of power for endgame players" and the ability to experiment with wild new build types.
The blog also reiterated that the game is on track to follow its spring 2020 roadmap, which includes Mayhem 2.0 in April. That will give Mayhem Mode a dedicated tab in your Echo Device so you can adjust it on the fly. There will be 10 Mayhem levels and 25 modifiers, and the higher your Mayhem level, the better loot will drop.
Time in isolation passes faster when playing Chronology
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Devolver Digital’s Pikuniku Is Just 99 Cents On The Switch eShop Right Now
Update: The same title is also available on the UK eShop for just £0.89. Other regions also appear to be running the same discount.
Original article: If Drawful 2 for 9 cents wasn’t your kind of game, perhaps you would be more interested in Devolver Digital’s absurdly wonderful puzzle-exploration game, Pikuniku.
At the moment, it’s available on the Switch eShop in North America for just 99 cents. Here’s the official Twitter announcement:
If you haven’t played this game, or don’t already own it, it was released last year in January. and supports a cooperative two-player mode. The game drops you into a colourful world, but not everything is quite as happy as it may seem. You’ll be required to help peculiar characters overcome struggles, and uncover a deep state conspiracy.
For more information about it, you can read our review where we gave it eight out of ten stars.
Will you be adding this to your Switch digital library? Tell us down below.
Goosebumps The Game For Switch Is Another Code-Only Physical Release
Ever since the Switch arrived on the scene, a number of publishers have been releasing physical games with a code inside the box and not much else. If you’re in it just for the case, that’s fine, but it also means an internet connection is still required and when servers eventually go offline, there’s no way to download the game.
Despite multiple publishers receiving scathing criticism for this practice, the trend seemingly continues. According to the UK online retailer ShopTo, the cover of the upcoming European physical release Goosebumps The Game displays a ‘Download Code Only’ warning. Squint and you might be able to see it below, else view the website directly.
One of the higher-profile titles that was scheduled to receive this same treatment was Obsidian Entertainment’s The Outer Worlds. Fortunately, when the game was delayed in February, the publisher Private Division changed its mind and said it would be releasing the physical version on a game cartridge.
ShopTo says the hard copy of Goosebumps The Game is due out next month on 10th April. The digital release is already available on the Switch eShop.
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