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It looks like the dry spell of Dying Light 2 news is finally over, because this is the second video we've had in a short amount of time offering more insight into the highly anticipated sequel from Techland. As part of an ongoing developer update video series for the studio, the latest episode puts associate producer Julia Szynkaruk center stage to talk more about the story, the characters players will meet, factions, and quite a bit more.

In the video, Szynakurk talked about a few details previously confirmed, including that the 15-year time jump of the sequel means that we will not see any familiar faces from the first game. That being said, that doesn't mean Kyle Crane's efforts were in vain, the new story will reflect back on Crane's role in the franchise frequently. Techland even teases ways that his decisions will impact the second game, though how exactly that goes down is up to players to find out.

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Also included in the video seen above is a little more about two of the game's primary factions. You've got the Survivors and you've got the Peacekeepers and choosing one over the other will drastically change the worldview in Dying Light 2. Oddly enough, the Peacekeepers are anything but the hippy lovers that the name implies. Instead, this faction is heavily rooted in military protocol. Their job is to put down any infected that could cause further harm, but that doesn't mean a line or two won't be crossed. The Survivors, on the other hand, are just trying to do that: survive. In a world that can change at the drop of the hat, the latter faction focuses on rebuilding, thriving, and adapting when needed.

Techland has already spoken about how much bigger Dying Light 2 is from its predecessor, but Techland did take it a little further by opening up about new areas players will be able to explore. For this video, she went into the Dark Places and GRE Quarantine zones, each offering unique challenges to face and overcome.

Dying Light 2 is a completely new start for this budding franchise with many new additions to make it truly something special and unique based on player choices. With the E3 look of year's past, we saw firsthand how drastic the consequences can go, even changing the entire landscape of the world map. Dying Light 2 has the potential to have a massive impact on the gaming industry and its approach to development that will last forever, that is if it's done well and matches the vision this team has.

We still don't have any release date information at this time, but we're excited to learn more about the road ahead. Dying Light 2 is currently in development for PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and PC.

What are your thoughts on Dying Light 2 and its development progress? Are you excited to explore the much bigger map and learn more about aspects like factions? Sound off with your thoughts in the comment section below!

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Sunday, 16 May 2021 14:51

Mass Effect Legendary Edition Panel Spawns Awesome MaleShep vs. FemShep Battle

Written by Liana Ruppert

To celebrate the launch of the Mass Effect Legendary Edition, a large portion of the original trilogy cast reunited for a special panel including both voices for Commander Shepard, Joker's Seth Green, and so many more. When Mark Meer, the voice behind Male Shepard, put out a call to fans to edit the Citadel DLC in Mass Effect 3 to have both Sheps battle it out, one fan took to the challenge in a pretty epic way. Just be warned, the video has spoilers for one of the greatest DLCs in gaming history, so if you haven't played it yet, you might want to turn away now.

Seriously, last chance. Spoilers for the Mass Effect 3 Citadel DLC ahead.

Spoiler warning given. Fandom mode activated. Let's do this. In the Mass Effect 3 Citadel DLC, there are a few parts. An entirely new area of the Citadel is open, filled with bars, casinos, arcades, and a swanky sushi joint. It all goes to hell, as things often do with Shepard, when a band of mercs attack them when they meet up with Joker at the fanciest restaurant on the Citadel. The plot thickens when it is found that the true enemy is ... well, Shepard. Turns out, Cerberus built a backup clone in case Shep needed any "spare parts," and that clone has some issues with being second best. Before the best party ever to hit space arrives, Shepard and their crew must fight to take the Normandy back and prove that the galaxy is only big enough for one of them.

On fan, YouTuber RangerDelk, took Meer up on his challenge and edited the DLC in a way that MaleShep and FemShep square off, giving us the crossover that has only been available via mods and less than SFW fan fiction. The result? Pure epicness:

Click here to watch embedded media

This from the original trilogy, not the remaster, but is really awesome to see the pair battle it out. It turns out that this user created a video previously where FemShep was the clone, but Meer requested another version where he was the backup organ donor instead, giving Jennifer Hale's take on the character time to shine.

The Mass Effect Legendary Edition is out now and has been met with pretty stellar reviews, including our own right here. For the those wanting a little more remaster goodness in their life, be sure to check out our Exclusives hub below to see more from our time chatting with BioWare to dive deep into what the Legendary Edition has to offer. You can check that out here in between missions that ... you know, save the galaxy? No pressure.

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Sunday, 16 May 2021 13:00

Dave Bautista Really Wants To Be In A 'Gears Of War' Movie

Written by Eul Basa

The 'Guardians of the Galaxy' actor shares the lengths he went to try and make a 'Gears of War' movie happen.

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Sunday, 16 May 2021 13:33

Final Fantasy 10: Lulu's 10 Best Abilities, Ranked | Game Rant

Written by Juztin Bello

In Final Fantasy 10, Lulu is a fascinating character with powerful Black Magic abilities. Here are some of the strongest in her arsenal.

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Sunday, 16 May 2021 13:55

Mass Effect Legendary Edition Fixes Decade Old Bug by Changing Character's Race

Written by Derek Nichols

Fans discover another unannounced update inside the Mass Effect: Legendary Edition that changes a character's race in order to fix a very old bug.

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Sunday, 16 May 2021 14:01

10 Hard To Find Original Xbox Games That Still Aren't Backwards Compatible

Written by Tristan Jurkovich

These games are getting increasingly more difficult for players to get their hands on to play as they lack backwards compatibility.

Published in News

Sunday, 16 May 2021 14:26

What Big Free Game is the Epic Games Store Keeping Secret?

Written by Martin Docherty

As Epic Games continues to tease a "mystery" free game, there are several big options that the EGS could be offering for its weekly free game.

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Sunday, 16 May 2021 12:55

Final Fantasy XIV PS5 Release Date, Summer Event Schedule, Fender Guitars, And More Revealed

Written by Liana Ruppert

After a successful beta period, Final Fantasy XIV has a PS5 release date. Ahead of the highly anticipated Endwalker expansion for the MMORPG, Square Enix has released a few other details about the online adventure that fans will enjoy.

Game director Naoki Yoshida outlined new content that Final Fantasy XIV fans can look forward to with patch 5.5 on the horizon, bringing with it the conclusion of the Shadowbringers experience. Final Fantasy XIV is set to release on PS5 this May 25, alongside update 5.5, and will bring with it the main scenario questline, Save the Queen questlines, and YoRHa: Dark Apocalypse. Also revealed are new events kicking off later this Summer with the Make It Rain festivities launching in July, Moonfire Faire and The Rising events later in August, and a special Final Fantasy XV collaboration soon after in September.

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For the next few months, the below schedule is what players can look forward to:

Patch 5.5 Main Scenario, Part II
- The conclusion that is meant to set up Endwalker
YoRHa: Dark Apocalypse
- More stories for this crossover arc
Save the Queen
- This questline will be adding a new Zadnor area with a resistance rank cap increase of 25, buffs to weapons, and a new way to battle with Dalriada, which is meant for up to 48 players

For those that love music, Square Enix is partnering up with Fender for a new line of musical peripherals for fans to enjoy, including a limited run of Final Fantasy XIV Stratocaster guitars equipped with crystal detailing and unique game-themed branding.

Also revealed is a new art book for the Shadowbringers expansion with Final Fantasy XIV: Shadowbringers - The Art of Reflection, Histories Unwritten. Citizen and Square Enix are also collaborating (it's the time for collabs for this team!) for a new line of Final Fantasy XIV-themed watches with a Darkness and Light models.

From an updated UI to beautiful 4K, the game looks and feels amazing on PlayStation 5. Paired with all of the other goodies that Square has in place for this passionate community, it's a good time to be a fan of Final Fantasy. For those who haven't been able to score one yet due to console shortages, the latest update also lives on other platforms. You can learn more about that here.

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Sunday, 16 May 2021 13:50

Mass Effect Legendary Edition Fixes Weird Tali Photoshopped Cabin Photo

Written by Liana Ruppert

The Mass Effect Legendary Edition is out now and so many of our readers have been sharing their Commander Shepards with us. While many newcomers are joining the Normandy for the first time, veterans of the franchise are having a great time exploring what's new in this familiar universe. If you were a fan of the original trilogy, you probably remember the conversation that centered around the very badly photoshopped Tali photo in Shepard's cabin. While we still don't get to see this mysterious Quarian's face in a cutscene like we'd like, we do at least have an updated photo for those that romanced this little cutie.

For those that may be unfamiliar, Quarians are a race of alien beings that are forced to wear bodysuits that are completely enclosed due to weakened immune systems following a war with the Geth. The Geth are a race of AI built by the Quarians, a race that was slaughtered when they started to show signs of true intelligence. The war chased the Quarians from their homeworld, forever changing their daily lives and forcing them to hide their true faces behind a helmet.

If a Male Shepard romances Tali, the only Quarian squadmate, he can see her face in the Love Interest scene in Mass Effect 2 (and again in Mass Effect 3 planet-side), but the player is still left in the dark. Shepard's romance option will be displayed in their cabin with a small photo, Tali included. Everyone looked in line with their character models except for the Quarian. Tali got a really badly edited stock photo as her tribute, something that was sad and honestly hilarious at the same time. Luckily, the remaster fixed more than the Mako controls and the uglies of Mass Effect 1; it also gave Tali a real face. While not a full reveal, it is at least something. You can see the updated portrait below, showing an actual Tali sans face covering, courtesy of Maxgoods on Reddit:

While we were reviewing the remaster, Kim and I took two paths. She played FemShep for the official review, and I provided backup as MaleShep. This time around, playthrough number 32 now in the books, I romanced Jack (sorry, Tali, we had fun though in the past!) so I didn't see the image. From the looks of it though in the above screenshot, this is a massive improvement because the other one was just ... not good. For those curious, you can see the original here.

To learn more about Mass Effect, check out our dedicated hub here, including exclusive interviews with the team, gameplay, and a ton of community love!

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