Showing posts with label PC games at their best. Show all posts
Showing posts with label PC games at their best. Show all posts

Thursday, September 21, 2017

Monster Hunter: World | Release date, Weapons

Monster Hunter: World is a role-playing video game to be developed and will be released by Capcom and is the fifth major title of its Monster Hunter franchise.

Fighting giant dragons, wyvern gods, and monsters is the fundamental basis of Monster Hunter: World, in case the title has not abandoned it. In the most recent entry in the series, some changes bring Monster Hunter to many more people, so here's a quick introduction on what to expect with Monster Hunter: World, before its release early next year.




Monster Hunter: World


The first game of Monster Hunter was released in 2004 for PlayStation 2, and while there has been a host of games and spin-offs since, it's quite understandable not to know what's going on. Bar a few games is mostly on Nintendo consoles - if you do not play with them, it is likely that the series is transmitted to you now.

You play a Hunter who has the task of defeating monsters that usually terrorize a local village, these monsters become heavier and heavier as you progress. Progression is not like a typical role-playing game, all your progress is made through the armor and weapons you hold, which are made using eviscerated pieces of the monsters you kill. Murder monsters, take their skin, make the best equipment to fight bigger monsters. That's all there is to it.

Release Date


Monster Hunter: World released on PS4 and Xbox One on January 26, 2018. It will also arrive on the PC, but the release date still needs to be confirmed.

When it comes for PC


The official reason for deferred PC publishing seems to be because it is simply difficult to do. The effort required to connect to the PC and make it work means it takes longer. This is also the first time that Monster Hunter arrives on PC, not to mention Monster Hunter Online which was developed by Tencent Games rather than by Capcom.

New in Monster Hunter: World


Previously Monster Hunter was mainly on Nintendo consoles, especially the 3DS. This meant there was a hardware limitation - as Monster Hunter: World uses more robust consoles and PC platforms, much are evolving. First of all - the game is now in a kind of open world. There are different maps to visit (probably an ice map, a fire map, etc.), but there is no loading time or pause when you move between zones on this map. In previous versions, you must look at a loading screen as you move between the "zones" of each card, this is no longer a problem.

The series has often focused on cooperative games, allowing you to hunt bigger and more dangerous monsters with friends. In Monster Hunter: World, there is a drop-in/drop-out co-op, you can call friends to help you in the middle of a hunt, rather than organizing the team before going out. There is, however, no cross-platform game: PS4 players can only play with PS4 players. This cooperative play also plays directly in the contents of a player, whereas it was previously completely separated.

Weapons






There are no new weapons added this time - the complete list of weapons being the Great Sword, the Long Sword, the Two Swords, the Sword and the Shield, the Hunting Horn, the Hammer, the Axis Switch, Charge Blade, Glaive Insect, Spear and Gunlance for Bodily Attacks and Light Bowgun, Heavy Bowgun and Bow for ranged attacks. However, some of these weapons will be modified because new ammunition has been confirmed for firearms - the extent of these changes has yet to be revealed.

The previous game of the series, Monster Hunter Generations, added a new feature called Hunter Arts and Hunter Styles - these are not in Monster Hunter: World, as this is considered a new generation of the series. Instead, there is a new hook to use for crossing and mounting monsters globally, coats that can grant capabilities such as the ability to slide on wind tunnels and scout flies for, well, Scouting.

It definitely depends on your weapon of choice, but in general, think of it as a third-party action. Each weapon has strengths and weaknesses - we will pass through them very quickly here.


Greatsword


The Great Sword is quite simple, but slowly at the point, probably because it is usually 20 kg of steel pieces and monsters. It has a strong loss of damage and does not require a complex strategy - almost entirely offensive, it is for those who like to avoid the attacks of monsters and use their knowledge to find the right window of attack.

Longsword


In the same way as the Great Sword, the long sword has a great loss of damage, but it swung much faster. The issue, however, is that it must be instructed to be fully utilized. Face the damage and release a combo to level it, gain damage - spend too long not to complete the combo, and you lose the impulse.


Double sword





Some weapons have elemental damage - both swords are often the best way for them. They attack quickly and emit a lot of elemental damage on every shot. If you are able to determine which element the monsters are weak, Dual Swords should be good for you.

Sword and Shield


The most basic weapon is the sword and the shield. It allows you to block effectively, cause average weight damage, does not leave you open to attacks with slow oscillations and should not be charged like a long sword. By far, the simplest choice, but certainly a bad - fantastic as a first weapon.


Hunting horn


For those who like to help allies, hunting horn will offer other bonuses to hunters as a reinforced defense if you can play songs with it in the attack. This is one of the most difficult weapons to master because you will need a laptop open nearby to check the songs available for each of the horn variants.

Hammer


Most weapons deal with cutting damage - they can cut tails and parts of the body. The hammer, on the other hand, inflicts damage, which means that a good attack can destroy the armor or even hit an unconscious monster. It's slow but has this high damage output and a useful utility to boot.

Switch Axe


Switch Axes is good for those who like to combine good combos of attacks - it allows you to swap between an axe and a sword form. You will get a limited time in sword mode before reloading it, but if you want to dance around a monster with an endless combo, this is the best choice.


Charge Blade


In the same way as the axis switch, the blade load also has a spindle and axes mode, but is reversed - it is a default sword, the axes mode being limited by a load that you have to accumulate. This weapon comes with a shield in sword mode, and can, therefore, be considered more defensive than the Axis switch.

Insect Glaive


Insects Glaives are incredibly useful for mounting a monster - climbing on the back to inflict tremendous damage - using a safe attack. With a range and speed similar to that of the Long Sword, it also comes with a Kinect, a small insect that can be used to damage a monster at a distance. Being able to know when to ride and how to use the Kinect to its full potential can be quite difficult.

Lance / Gunlance


Lance and Gunlances are similar: a long range weapon and a large shield for you to challenge yourself by attacking. Spears usually deals more damage with individual attacks, but Gunlances, as you may have imagined, can trigger a projectile into a monster. It does not disappear, and it usually used as Gunlance is already embedded in the flesh of a monster. Perhaps the most defensive options, if you want to resist, this may be your best choice.


Bow


Bows are the simplest form of remote weapons to attack fire arrows on a monster and use a special attack in specific situations. Some bows can trigger several arrows at the same time, which forces you to think about the proximity or the distance you want, while others can pierce a monster and damage several parts of the body. What is difficult about the arc is the distance to the right - a flash indicates a good shot, which is usually about 10-20 meters from a monster, but it depends on the arc. To use this type of weapon effectively, you will need to spend a lot of time to know these ranges.

Bowguns


Firearms, on the other hand, use the right kind of shooting - with limited ammunition, you can shoot a monster at a great distance, using special ammo or another elemental element to cause additional damage. The Light Bowgun allows you to be more mobile, while the Heavy Bowgun limits your movement while giving you an enormous loss of damage. This requires a lot of preparation before a hunt because you will have to decide what ammunition should be taken.

Friday, December 9, 2016

PC Report Card 2016



Major games stumbled, but the acclaimed franchises returned and new hardware-enabled users


PC gamers had a lot to be happy about in 2016. New high-performance hardware gave players even more power for their dollar. Those who could afford it finally had the opportunity to immerse themselves in virtual reality in a game play.

Some of the most beloved franchises that took us to the depths of hell, through alternative histories with cultural icons and around the world to defend themselves against the aliens, made exceptional returns in 2016. The games of strategy nuanced and frenzied shooters in first Person of the year They are home to the PC, where the keyboard and mouse give players full control of their games.

2016 did not come without fail, however. Performance issues hampered the enjoyment of important releases. Developers have been mainly at the top of the solution to these problems, but players who buy at launch were often put in the precarious position of expecting an optimized product.

Regardless, PC games had an incredible year that moved the platform forward.

PC games at their best


While Overwatch succeeded on consoles, it is safe to say that their real home is on the PC, becoming the competitive competitor based on the shooting team alongside the still-strong Counter-Strike Global Offensive. Overwatch brought to light an intricate, class-based system that interwoven with each character's design. Blizzard continues to keep the game fresh after the release with constant updates and new features like two new characters, a new map and seasonal content.

World of Warcraft (WoW), perhaps the most influential MMORPG of all time, received an expansion pack that many longtime fans considered a welcome addition to the legacy of the game. It sold more than three million copies on its first day resulting in the largest number of simultaneous WoW players since 2010. Star Wars: The Old Republic had an expansion - Knight of the Eternal Throne. The Elder Scrolls Online made significant changes to the game with the One Tamriel update. And Square Enix announced another expansion for Final Fantasy XIV, subtitled Stormblood.

Civilization 6 iterated in the tried and true formula Sid Meier and Firaxis established years ago. He refined game elements such as diplomacy and research trees, and tight mechanics gave players new strategic opportunities.

Speaking of Firaxis, XCOM's leading designer, Jake Solomon, and the company relied on the recent resurgence of the franchise, with XCOM 2 challenging players, making them face adversity to facilitate growth in the strategic game. Although finally released on consoles, managing units in battle and navigating the dense interface makes XCOM 2 a PC game at its core.



After a development roller coaster and suspect multiplayer beta, it was difficult to predict Doom as a Game of the Year contender. But id Software brought PC gamers back to what made Iconic Doom; Wild, fast first-person shooting and fantastically gloomy set pieces.

Beautifully designed stand-alone games made strong statements. Owlboy showed how retro images can go beyond novelty. Cowboy quadrilateral made players feel like a true hacker teaching them how to code to manipulate their environment. Stardew Valley brought back the farm simulation game experience from Harvest Moon. The Witness tested our puzzle solving skills like no other game.

The real-time strategy genre had outstanding games this year, too. Offworld Trading Company made players rethink the strategy by taking accelerated economic decisions as the crux of the game, while Total War: Warhammer merged two established franchises to create a cohesive and deep strategy game.

Let’s Play ‘Good Port, Bad Port’


Due to the latest poorly optimized releases, PC gamers are becoming increasingly cautious about the performance and stability of multiplatform games. Fortunately, we did not have a colossal clutter in the scale of the PC version of Batman: Arkham Knight of 2015, but there were cases of mediocre performance in high-profile games at launch.

Deus Ex Mankind Divided and Dishonored 2 were two welcome entries into the lineage of classic first-person action games, but both suffered performance problems outside the door. Dishonored 2 had several inexplicable drops of the frame, which is being directed by a series of patches. Mafia 3 was launched with a locked framerate of 30 frames per second, which was quickly resolved. Regardless of what they think of No Man's Sky, its stability at launch was well below expectations.

However, there has been a recent trend of developers running post-release support, which is evident with games like Rainbow Six Siege and The Division. It's a reason to be optimistic about long-term support in modern games.

Significant steps in PC hardware


The level of performance of PC players leaving hardware is better than ever. It is the most profitable time to be a PC player. Nvidia launched its GTX 10 series of video cards that gave users the best performance to date. The GTX 1070 is hailed as the best mid-high-end card, capable of putting decent 4K resolution framerates in several modern games. It floated around the $ 400 price range, but surpassed the strongest card of the previous generation, the Titan X which sold around $ 1000 when it launched in 2015.

The GTX 1060 and 1050 Ti are impressive mid-range cards that will deliver high visual quality and solid 1080p frames in the latest versions. AMD remained relevant in the mid-range market with the Radeon RX 480 and RX 470, giving Nvidia a run for its money and better performance in certain games.



Load times still hinder gameplay experiences unless you are reading and writing data from a solid-state drive. SSD prices continued to trend downward in 2016, which made these fast storage units more accessible. M.2 NVMe SSDs made a splash this year with Samsung's 960 Evo and Pro. These drives are capable of reading and writing speeds of three to five times faster traditional SSDs.

Sony released the PS4 Pro and Microsoft announced the Xbox Scorpio, both touted as 4K gaming machines. Although early in its lifecycle, the PS4 Pro is struggling to deliver meaningful visual enhancements. The PC hardware released this year proved to be capable of stable performance of 4K in modern games. Of course, the price difference between a high performance PC and a PS4 Pro is drastic, but if players want a 4K experience, they can have it with the correct specification. PC hardware will be able to keep as 4K inches shows closer to becoming the standard, consumers just have to be willing to pay the higher price, however.

Virtual reality lives on the PC


The platforms HTC Vive and Oculus Rift were released to the public this year. It is the first time consumers have access to VR as a gaming platform in an era in which we have the power of computing. While the PlayStation VR reduces the entry barrier for VR, Vive and Rift offers a more refined experience.

The HTC Live gave him hands in the virtual space with his two controllers. Its headlamp tracking system is able to recognize movement at a precise level and have the potential for room-scale experiences. The Oculus Rift lagged behind only offering gamepad controls until December with Oculus Touch. Touch controls helped push the Rift to become a more complete VR platform.

The game library is still in its early stages, but there are examples of the potential of RV. There is an intuitive nature to collect objects, looking around your environment and firing weapons at the shooters. There are lively social interactions as seen in games like Rec Room, Dead & Buried, and Toy Box. Tools like Kingspray, Oculus Medium and Tiltbrush show precision and creativity in a way that is only possible with VR. Thumper exemplifies the immersion and transcends his traditional experience.

However, strong pricing is the most important factor to consider with VR. Live released at $ 800, the Rift at $ 600 (add another $ 200 for touch controllers). That does not take into account the powerful PC required to run VR games. A 3-series Intel i5 CPU and a GTX 970 or RX 480 video card will suffice, but when made up of the VR price, it becomes expensive.

Whether or not you are a believer in the future of VR, you can not deny that 2016 was a significant step for the concept to fully realize its potential.

PC progress to the living room is at a stalemate


The PC players themselves did not lose anything with the steam engines falling flat. Instead, what we learned was that SteamOS is still a work in progress and the PC-living room market is still limited.

Microsoft will continue to dominate PC operating systems in the foreseeable future and a unification between its console and the PC platform is a simplified view for games. With cross-buy implementation between the Xbox and Windows 10 games and Project Scorpio's announcement, it looks like Microsoft is aiming to take over the role that the steam engines were trying to fill.

The Windows 10 store is not the most intuitive system, and at the moment lacks a formidable library. It has no chance of competing with Steam, but it's good to know that Microsoft's main release will hit the PC. Nor is it unlikely to think that Microsoft is relegating to Xbox to be a closed-system version of a gaming PC.

Sony's PlayStation service made a startling appearance on the PC this year. It is a subscription-based service that allows users to stream PS3 games to their device. While it is exciting to see this progress made, PS Now only offers a limited library of games from a generation ago, some of which already have superior PC versions. However, it sets a precedent and PC gamers have the option of playing games like the Uncharted series and The Last of Us.

Other Highlights:


Mods have been and always will be a significant part of PC games. XCOM 2 received some extravagant mods, and Fallout 4 of 2015 continued to increase its library of mods. Fallout: The Frontier, a complete conversion mod from New Vegas, released a new trailer this year and showed promise of a unique Fallout experience. And with the release of Skyrim: Special Edition, the modding mania behind Skyrim has been revitalized.

Established EVGA hardware manufacturer had a bit of a merge. Their GTX 1080, 1070 and 1060 video cards were susceptible to overheating, causing a fire in users' systems. It has been remedied by an update of the VBIOS, preventing the hardware from operating at extremely high temperatures.

Vulkan launched in 2016, a low-profile graphics API in the spirit of OpenGL. Announced under CPU usage to boost performance. Some games already have the support of Vulkan, like Doom, DOTA 2 and The Talos Principle.

The GNU / Linux operating system is gaining more support than ever from high profile games: Street Fighter V, Deus Ex: Mankind Divided, Total War: Warhammer and XCOM 2 to name a few.

Verdict


The highs topped the lows in 2016. The franchises with a strong PC heritage made exceptional appearances, independent developers continued to make significant games, the strategy genre was rejuvenated and VR is showing promise. If we are evaluating the PC as a gaming platform, it is easy to praise it this year.

We should also expect more in terms of stability and performance in our games. These problems are transferred from year to year, and unless developers push for better optimization, problems will persist.

Despite everything, it was a great year for PC games and the future is bright for the platform.

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