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New Genshin Impact Trailer Shows Off Xiao Abilities And Gameplay

By
Christian Allen Tandoc
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A new Genshin Impact trailer shows off the different abilities and moves for Xiao. Developer miHoYo displayed exactly how the new forthcoming character will play when he comes to Genshin Impact tomorrow.

Update v1.3 for the free to play action game is arriving tomorrow, February 3, bringing along additional content. The main new content players will be engaging is the beginning of Xiao’s event wish, Invitation to Mundane Life.

The character has received massive pre-launch hype because of his backstory as a yaksha adeptus. In spite of his young looks, he has been guarding Liyue for more than two thousand years. Once the event begins, lucky fans will be able to get Xiao as a drop to add to their collection.

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The newest trailer provides a great look at Xiao’s abilities, moves, and internal struggle. As a defender of the lands, he is not a stranger to battling demons. Players will pick up on this instantly through his quick and aggressive playstyle.

With a polearm as his main weapon, Xiao can hit with precision or strike multiple targets at once. His main attack is Whirlwind Thrust and has two ways to fight against enemies. It can both perform 6 fast strikes or players can use up stamina to release a powerful upward thrust attack.

As an ancient demon-slayer, it makes sense that Xiao has some potent powers in his arsenal. One of these reflects his mobility, the Lemniscatic Wind Cycling move. This high-speed dash has a dual purpose. When performed against enemies, it will dish out Anemo damage to everything in the hero’s path. Beginning with two charges, it can also be activated in midair.

The final skill revealed in the trailer is the Bane of All Evil. With this move, Xiao unlocks his yaksha power to access a plethora of buffs. Elemental reaction, damage, AoE attack, and jumping abilities all receive enhancements while Xiao is in this form. However, the ability comes at a cost as Xiao will constantly lose health while the skill is active.

Looking at the trailer, it seems like Xiao is shaping up to be a great addition to the game. With his unique moves, story, and details, fans will be wishing nonstop for him to drop. Much of the lead up to his launch shows the conflict he deals with as a yaksha.

His lone purpose is to vanquish demons, but after thousands of years of fighting, the bloodshed is starting to take a toll. miHoYo follows through on this by outlining a kit that is strong but not without risk.

February 2021 PlayStation Plus Free Games Now Available

By
Christian Allen Tandoc
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0
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On the last Wednesday of each month, PlayStation Plus members can expect Sony to reveal the next set of free games. And then on the first Tuesday of each month, PlayStation Plus subscribers can expect to actually download those new free games. Today is February 2, a Tuesday, which means the free PlayStation Plus games for February 2021, providing members the opportunity to add three free games to their libraries.

The highlight in the lineup is perhaps Destruction AllStars, a PS5 exclusive game that was initially meant to be a release title for Sony’s next-gen console. Destruction AllStars is a vehicular combat game where fans fight it out inside an arena with unique cars and characters.

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Its scheme is that fans are able to go out of their vehicles, which is rarely seen in the genre. The game is the first huge PlayStation 5 exclusive of the year and it being free on the PlayStation Plus should do wonders to make sure that it will have an active online fan base for the next few years.

PlayStation 5 owners can also get their hands on Control Ultimate Edition. Technically one of the PlayStation 4 offerings for February 2021, Control Ultimate Edition contains a free upgrade to the PlayStation 5 edition, which just released today. Control Ultimate Edition on the PlayStation 5 has a myriad of next-gen improvements for players to take advantage of, such as better visuals and better overall performance.

Finally, PlayStation 4 owners can also try Concrete Genie via their PS Plus subscription. Concrete Genie is much smaller in scale when compared to Control Ultimate Edition and Destruction AllStars, but it’s still a solid PlayStation 5 exclusive that earned decent reviews during the time of launch. Concrete Genie also has some sort of VR functionality, so those with a PSVR headset lying around can take advantage of that too.

Ultimately, PlayStation 5 owners will also be receiving the most out of their subscription when it comes to PS Plus for February. Not only do they receive access to the ultimate version of Control, but they also get an amazing brand new game in Destruction AllStars as well as access to Concrete Genie. After all, PlayStation 5 is backward compatible with PlayStation 4 games, so any PlayStation 4 titles added to the PlayStation Plus lineup are also available on Sony’s next-gen console.

Respawn Entertainment Finally Reveals Apex Legends Switch Release Date

By
Aletheia
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0
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Apex Legends Season 8 has officially launched for the multiple platforms that support the battle royale. However, one other highly popular platform will be joining the fray soon. Respawn Entertainment launched cross-play for Apex Legends in October of last year, and ever since then, Nintendo Switch users have been holding their breath for a port that will allow them to play the game with other platforms.

The Nintendo Switch version of Apex Legends was revealed along with the initial cross-play announcement, which was during the EA Play Live event. Developer Respawn Entertainment originally wanted to launch the Nintendo Switch version at the same time as when cross-play went live. However, the port’s release was pushed back and players could only hold on to rumors and speculation. Fortunately, the developer has finally confirmed when the Switch port will be arriving.

2021 is and will be an exciting year for the video game community, and many gamers are looking forward to a plethora of exciting things that will be released this year. To that end, we can finally add the Apex Legends Switch release among that list.

According to an announcement made on the official Apex Legends News Twitter account, the first-person hero shooter is set to launch on the Nintendo Switch this coming March 9, 2021. Not only will fans look forward to the actual game’s release, but they can expect 30 free Battle Pass levels to help them catch up to the rest of the platforms that have had a head-start.

Even though Nintendo Switch users will begin Apex Legends with Season 8 being more than a month in, this doesn’t mean they’ll miss out on anything. They will still be able to enjoy all the new content that this eighth season has to offer, along with cross-play support, which will be available to them on the get-go.

Apex Legends Season 8 brings a bunch of new content and changes to the table, such as a new Legend in the form of the explosive Fuse, a new weapon—the first time in how many seasons—called the 30-30 Repeater, and a revamped King’s Canyon map.

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Players can look forward to new equipment for this newest season as well, including the gold barrel stabilizer. Not only that, the gun mod anvil rounds will be returning to the game.

Thinking about it now, Apex Legends looks and feels significantly different compared to when it launched in February 2019. Now, it has 3 different maps, a plethora of events, and 16 playable Legends—needless to say, new Nintendo Switch players will be able to experience the game at its finest.

It’s safe to say that 2021 is starting off strong for Apex Legends. Before Season 8 officially went live, the game was already able to reach a new concurrent player milestone on Valve’s digital platform, Steam. We can imagine that the new Olympus map from Season 7 as well as the hype for Season 8 brought in new and old players.

Even though Respawn Entertainment has yet to fully reveal what players can expect from this latest season, fans expect that the game will celebrate some kind of Valentine’s Day event as well as a Town Takeover event within Season 8, especially since there are still several Legends who haven’t had this event yet.

Respawn Entertainment is working to make Apex Legends accessible to most if not all major platforms in the industry. As such, we can imagine that fans will be able to play it anywhere and everywhere in the future, even on mobile.

Fate/Grand Order’s Valentine’s 2021 Event Will Have Voiced Cutscenes

By
Aletheia
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0
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There’s been a lot going on for Fate/Grand Order players, and it appears that they won’t be getting a break anytime soon. Even though the mobile title recently concluded its Prisma Illya event rerun, a whole new event will take place after the maintenance. Since we’re already a few days into February, which is the month of love, Fate/Grand Order will once again be celebrating its annual Valentine’s event.

This year’s event will run from February 3, 2021, to February 16, 2021, and interested players can participate in the festivities if they want to obtain some special in-game rewards.

Similar to Valentine’s event from the previous years, players can expect this year’s event to still revolve around giving chocolate to different servants who players have summoned. In exchange for the chocolate, the player will either receive a gift that’s related to the specific servant, or some kind of special chocolate in return.

For Valentine’s 2021, though, players can look forward to voiced cutscenes from the newest additions to the launch roster. But before players can experience these new voiced interactions and receive the sweet rewards, they must first deal with a new and mysterious servant who will be joining the fray, along with seven cursed books.

That being said, there are some prerequisites players need to keep in mind for this year’s event. Most of the rewards for Valentine’s 2021, including the chocolates that unlock certain cutscenes, rely on Valentine’s point ladder. This ladder can only be filled by accumulating Poetry Composition points via free quests.

If players want to quicken the pace and increase the ladder faster, they can also purchase point-boosting craft essences and other items from the in-game event shop. However, there are three different currencies that can be used for these event items, namely Ink of Sentiment Weaving, Paper of Story Recording, and Brush of Dream Writing. All three currencies can be earned through all the available quests.

It’s worth mentioning, however, that we recommend that players should save their AP-refilling apples, especially near the end of this year’s Valentine’s event. This is because the best free quests where players can obtain points and event currencies are confined within main story quests, which unlock on a daily basis.

Long-time players couldn’t help but notice that there aren’t as many bonus servants for this year’s Valentine’s event compared to the previous years. However, on the bright side, the new SSR servant Murasaki Shikibu will have incredible stats. Specifically, she will have a 100% attack bonus and a 50% bond point bonus when she’s used during the event.

Players will be able to summon Murasaki Shikibu during the gacha banner for Valentine’s 2021 event, which will also have alternating rate-ups for various other characters.

Nintendo Switch 2021 Game Release Schedule Revealed

By
Christian Allen Tandoc
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0
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Nintendo has divulged its launch calendar for the new year but fans noticed that there’s not much worth getting hyped about. Although its 2021 launch calendar is quite bare, Nintendo is still doing remarkably well.

Recently, the Nintendo Switch outpaced its handheld predecessor, the Nintendo 3DS, in all-time sales. Back in 2011, the Nintendo 3DS sold 75.94 units in its entire lifetime. The Nintendo Switch is only halfway through its existence but already has sold 79.87 million units to date. In simple words, the Nintendo Switch is doing absurdly great in terms of sales.

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There have also been rumors spreading around a potential Nintendo Switch Pro. Even though Doug Bowser, Nintendo of America’s president, has dismissed those gossips, some dataminers found evidence that suggests the contrary.

Dataminer SciresM uncovered some code that hints at an improved Switch console, complete with an enhanced cooling system, better battery life, an OLED screen, and 4K graphics support in the form of a Realtek chip. However, even if it is happening, Nintendo said that it’s not going to come in the foreseeable future.

Although a Nintendo Switch Pro would be amazing, Nintendo has revealed its 2021 launch calendar, and it is far from impressive. There are only three Nintendo games with confirmed launch dates which are Super Mario 3D World + Bowser’s Fury on Feb. 12, Bravely Default II on Feb. 26, and New Pokémon Snap on April 30.

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A few other games are listed but are all marked as TBA. These titles include Metroid Prime 4, Bayonetta 3, and The Legend of Zelda Breath of the Wild 2. These details come from Nintendo’s latest financial report.

Judging from the list of verified games for 2021, this is really frustrating. It is not that the Japanese gaming giant was anticipated to reveal new games through a financial report but seeing all of the verified titles for 2021 listed out shows how lifeless Nintendo’s year is looking as of writing. These are all likely great games worth looking forward to, but where there is plenty of quality, there is not much quantity at all.

It should also be noted, however, that the company is possibly working on a myriad of games that are currently unrevealed. No one truly knows what else Nintendo could be developing at the moment, but it feels pretty safe to expect that Metroid Prime 4, and possibly even the sequel for The Legend of Zelda Breath of the Wild, won’t be releasing this year.

Legend of Zelda Fan Creates Incredible Cardboard Art of Protagonist Link

By
Aletheia
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0
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At this point in time, the long-running The Legend of Zelda franchise has a myriad of art and other incredible fan-made projects, from a father building a replica of Link’s house from Breath of the Wild, to fans recreating Ocarina of Time in the sandbox video game, Minecraft.

This time around, Reddit user CactusComics shared their fan creation of the Hylian hero made completely out of cardboard. The image was shared in different Reddit communities, including two separate Legend of Zelda subReddits.

It looks like the artist based this cardboard version of Link on the protagonist’s appearance in the Nintendo Switch release of Link’s Awakening, a remake of the original Game Boy version released in 1993. Although, it’s worth mentioning that the cardboard art has Link wielding the Master Sword, which wasn’t present in that particular game.

This wouldn’t be CactusComics’ first time creating incredibly intricate fan projects of other video game characters. However, this appears to be the first one for The Legend of Zelda franchise, and it’s truly so extraordinary.

What’s even more impressive is the fact that the cardboard art was made out of at least three different types of boxes—or another material—in order to provide some semblance of shade and color.

Take a look at this awesome Link from Legend of Zelda made entirely from cardboard! from gaming

These different materials did a mighty good job at showing off the complexities of this creation as well. For instance, let’s take a closer look at the iconic Hylian shield. CactusComics painstakingly added and glued together miniscule cut pieces to form the shield’s pattern, which were strategically placed on both the outer and inner edges of the shield.

Although all kinds of models and fan art have been created and shared by fans all over the world, this is the first time that we’ve seen something of this caliber and originality. It’s a truly unique medium and requires patience and a whole lot of skill that not everyone has.

Going through the user’s previous Reddit posts, we can see that they have more of these creative cardboard renditions, albeit featuring other characters, but they’re all just as intricate and creative as this Link one.

Some of the other cardboard projects by CactusComics include Hollow Knight, Luke’s lightsaber from Star Wars, and even Solaire from Dark Souls. CactusComics even created their own cardboard version of the iconic Game Boy console. Although sadly, their project is merely a fun recreation and doesn’t actually work, unlike the cardboard-themed Nintendo Switch giveaway by Nintendo Labo back in 2018.

Regardless, this Legend of Zelda cardboard recreation by CactusComics, and all their other cardboard projects for that matter, is superb and deserves all the praise, especially given how incredibly detailed the pieces are. The Link model alone showcases intricate details asides from the patterns on the Hylian shield, like the belt made out of different box materials, Link’s hair and all its waves, and the pointed ears, among others.

Long-time Legend of Zelda fans may be familiar with the fact that Link comes in various versions, but this one in particular should definitely skip out on the infamous water temples.

Capcom Showcases Monster Hunter Rise’s Buddy Scout System in Short Video

By
Aletheia
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0
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Most fans of the Monster Hunter series of games would agree that one of the most important aspects of the franchise is its hunt companion gameplay mechanic. Monster Hunter Rise’s release date is looming closer, and Capcom has been doing a consistent job at sharing trailers and teasers that reveal more information about the upcoming title.

This time around, the studio posted a short clip that showcases how the Buddy Scout system in Monster Hunter Rise will work, especially since the game’s events will unfold in Kamura Village.

As revealed last year, Monster Hunter Rise will be introducing a brand-new companion called the Palamute, which means that hunters can now choose between this fierce canine or the feline Palico. What makes this system even more exciting is the fact that players can hire both companions at the same time.

Since these two companions are clearly very different, and each has their own advantages during battle, players are most likely wondering how the hiring process in Monster Hunter Rise will work, what abilities the companions will have upon hire, and what options are available.

Fortunately, Capcom recently posted a short video on the official Monster Hunter Twitter account, which demonstrated what the process is if or when hunters want to hire a companion. This can be done through the buddy handler Iori, who is a new NPC in the world of Monster Hunter Rise.

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In order to hire a companion, players must first talk to Iori, which will prompt the Buddy Scout menu to show up. From there, players can proceed to recruit whichever companion they want. Around 11 seconds of the clip, we can see that there are different options available when choosing which Palamute to recruit.

As we can see, these options largely revolve around the appearance or aesthetic of the Palamute, like the color and pattern of its fur, eye shape, color, and even tone of voice. One of the options even offers players the ability to pick which basic clothing set they want for their canine companion.

However, given the fact that hunters can craft gear and armor for their Palamute at some point in the game, this option doesn’t seem all that important compared to the others. Although it wasn’t showcased in the clip, possibly because Palicoes aren’t new to the franchise, it’s likely that the feline companions will offer the same aesthetic options upon recruitment.

According to the information we gleaned from the 31-second clip, hired Palicoes will already have an array of defensive and offensive abilities. On the other hand, the recruited Palamute companion will come with two kinds of offensive accessories. With that in mind, we have yet to see whether or not players can level up these established accessories or abilities.

We’ll just have to wait until Monster Hunter Rise officially launches. Fortunately, we don’t have to wait that much longer. This latest entry in the long-running Monster Hunter franchise is set to release this March 26, 2021 exclusively for the Nintendo Switch, although there have been rumors claiming that the title may be launched on PC as well.

Apple Adds Next-Gen Controller Support In New iOS Update

By
Christian Allen Tandoc
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0
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A forthcoming iOS update for Apple’s iPad and iPhone devices will be adding support for controllers of both next-gen consoles – the Xbox Series X|S and PlayStation 5. Support for both Microsoft and Sony’s newest console gaming controllers on other platforms has slowly been growing since the companies released their new consoles back in November.

A few weeks ago, Valve extended support for the Xbox Series X|S controller on steam, adding compatibility for the new Share button on the gamepad and permitting more controllers to be connected simultaneously.

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Using controllers with either the iPad or iPhone makes playing particular games such as action games or racing much easier and it’s become quite common on mobile devices in general. It was recently speculated that Apple is also working on launching its own gamepad but no official reveals have been made since it was reported mid last year.

Launching an Apple controller could mean easier or faster compatibility for games played on Apple devices but since only gossips have come out so far, adding support for third-party controllers is the next big thing.

Apple just launched its new iOS and iPadOS 14.5 patches to beta testers and one of the new features it has are support for both Xbox Series X|S controllers and the PlayStation 5 DualSense controllers. The additional support will mean that games on both iPad and iPhone that allow access to the gamepad, from the company’s own Apple Arcade library or other iOS games, will be compatible with either console controller. It’s not yet certain which features of both controllers will be supported with the new update, such as the DualSense’s adaptive triggers.

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Introducing support for the Xbox Series X|S controllers could also mean that owners of Microsoft’s newest console will be able to play its games through their iPad or iPhone using the new controller instead of having to use an older Xbox One controller.

When the 14.5 patches for iPadOS and iOS is officially launched, those with an iPad or iPhone, an Xbox Series X|S, and an Xbox Game Pass Ultimate membership could use the new console’s controller to play games through Remote Play.

Apple introducing support for both Xbox Series X|S controller and PlayStation 5 DualSense controller on the iPhone and iPad is pretty much anticipated and it’s great to see that it’s coming sooner rather than later. Hopefully, support for both controllers will go beyond simple functionality and allow the unique features of the controllers to be utilized to their fullest.

Apex Legends Lore Book Reveals Octane’s Face

By
Aletheia
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0
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Respawn Entertainment’s Apex Legends is one of the most popular battle royale titles in the industry right now. One thing that makes it so popular to its target market is the fact that it has more than a dozen unique playable Legends that you can control on the battlefield.

It’s not hard to get emotionally attached to these characters, especially since developer Respawn Entertainment always makes an effort to release interesting in-game lore for the different Legends and the universe they’re in.

Now, Respawn has more up its sleeve to expand Apex Legends’ world through the new lore book called Apex Legends: Pathfinder’s Quest. What makes this book’s contents even more interesting is the fact that hidden between its pages lies an unexpected face reveal for Octane, the masked adrenaline junkie.

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Even though the lore book, given its title, naturally revolves around the fan-favorite robot, Pathfinder, it seems that a spotlight will shine on the other Legends as well, if we’re to use this Octane reveal as a basis.

Octane was first introduced in Apex Legends Season 1 back in 2019. Ever since then, his face hadn’t been revealed at all by Respawn, which has left many fans wondering what the character actually looks like underneath his googles and mask.

Now, we finally have an idea as to what he looks like, and surprisingly, he looks like a regular person! This may come as a shock to many, especially given his personality and voice lines. What isn’t surprising, though, is his lime green hair, which matches his overall color scheme and suits him well.

At the same time, the Apex Legends art team deserve a round of applause for making Octane’s appearance look believable all while complementing his outlandish personality There’s a lot of intricate details put into the artwork as well, such as a chipped tooth, a scar on his nose, and marks surrounding his eye area from using a mask too often. They may be just minute details, but they truly help in fleshing out Octane as a character and brings him to life.

We hope that the Pathfinder’s Quest lore book will contain even more details and surprises about other Legends that will make fans love them more.

[SPOILER] Octane Face Reveal leaked in upcoming Pathfinder’s Quest book from apexlegends

For Apex Legends players who haven’t dived deep into the game’s lore and extensive world, it’s definitely an interesting subject to broach. It’s something that’s worth checking out if or when time allows it. For one thing, each of the playable Legends have their own reasons for deciding to join the Apex Games. In the case of Loba, it’s for personal revenge, while Octane’s reason was more self-gratifying than anything.

Apex Legends Season 8 begins today, and we look forward to even more world and character lore to be peppered throughout this latest season. A new Legend will be joining the fray as well, who has his own backstory and his own reasons for competing in the Games.

In any case, it appears that Season 8 will be the first season for many new Apex Legends players. The game’s player record on Steam recently reached a new milestone, which means that there are even more concurrent players than ever before.

Mass Effect: Legendary Edition Will Have a Universal Character Creator

By
Aletheia
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0
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BioWare recently shared to its fans a few details about Mass Effect: Legendary Edition and what they can expect from it upon release, emphasizing the fact that the upcoming game will be a 4K ultra-HD remaster of all three titles combined. Not only that, it’s set to have a plethora of quality of life tweaks and adjustments that will make it even better.

From what we can see so far, Mass Effect: Legendary Edition is looking to be more than just BioWare trying to take advantage of an already popular franchise, and it seemingly offers a revamped version of the highly beloved trilogy.

There are all kinds of new features for returning fans to enjoy, from enhanced Mako controls to improved fighting and combat for Mass Effect 1. Probably one of the biggest and most exciting features included in this edition is the universal character creator.

The three games within the Mass Effect franchise have significantly different character customization options, but the Legendary Edition will only focus on one character creator in order to unify the titles, with a noticeable focus on the one used in Mass Effect 3. Now, this one change has resulted in several other changes too—like a ripple effect.

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For instance, the default female Commander Shepard for Mass Effect 1 and 2 will be utilizing the default character used in Mass Effect 3. This is a significant and highly welcome change, especially for those fans who were unhappy with BioWare for not having a defining female face for the Commander at least until the third installment.

For those who want to add their own take to the character, no worries. Mass Effect: Legendary Edition will introduce extra customization options as players progress through the series. These additional options will be available from the first game onwards. In fact, the developer even added even more options to the character creator for a more in-depth customization experience.

Players will reportedly be offered a wider range of hairstyles, skin tones, and even makeup. According to the report, BioWare apparently focused on including more hairstyle options for Black characters. Thanks to this upcoming universal character creator, customizations will be more consistent throughout the three games, all while including extra options that will allow fans to create the perfect version of Commander Shepard that they’ve envisioned.

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Not only that, but fans will allegedly no longer experience the previous troubles they’ve had in terms of transferring their character information and details from Mass Effect 2 to Mass Effect 3. As for overall changes, Mass Effect: Legendary Edition will significantly overhaul the graphics of the first Mass Effect game. This makes sense, given how fans agree that out of the trilogy, this title didn’t age as well as the other two.

As such, BioWare will implement significant changes to its combat mechanics, enhanced visuals and graphics, a more responsive AI than ever before, smoother aiming, and so much more. Changes will also be made to the game’s autosave feature, ensuring that it will be less unpredictable and that it will save more often.

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