Resident Evil RE: Verse, the standalone multiplayer mode that pits the series’ classic characters against each other in competitive matches, will get an open beta next month. The title was probably the strangest and most surprising announcement from the January Resident Evil Showcase and soon players will get to try it for themselves and see what it’s made of.

The open beta begins April 7 at 11:00 a.m. PDT and concludes April 10 at 10:59 p.m. PDT. It will be available on PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and PC via Steam. In RE: Verse, players take control of beloved characters such as Leon S. Kennedy and Claire Redfield, then hunt each other down across various maps. When you get killed, you resurrect into a bioweapon (including Nemesis, Mr. X, and Resident Evil 7’s Jack Baker) to get revenge on the poor souls who took you out. Along the way you can collect virus vials; the more you grab, the stronger your bioweapon transformation becomes. The strategy comes in learning how to balance vial collecting with open skirmishes. 

If you’re on the fence about this idea, take solace in knowing that Resident Evil RE: Verse comes free of charge to those who purchase Resident Evil Village. Capcom took the same approach when it released the asynchronous multiplayer mode Resistance as a free add-on to Resident Evil 3, and it’s probably the best way to guarantee that curious fans will at least give RE: Verse a peek. 

RE: Verse will be included as part of the next Resident Evil Showcase scheduled to take place some time in April. Capcom has already confirmed the event will show off new content from Village as well as feature announcements related to Resident Evil’s 25th anniversary, which is today.

What do you make of Resident Evil RE: Verse? Are you interested in it enough to give the open beta a shot? Let us know in the comments!

Xbox Game Pass has been a game-changer for Microsoft and has played a pivotal role in its massive marketing shift and growth of its ecosystem. With a constant rotation of new titles added to the Game Pass library, including day-one first-party additions, a plethora of Bethesda/ZeniMax adventures, and the inclusion of EA Play on Game Pass for PC, it's easy to see how this membership service entices gamers to play more. According to Microsoft exec Sarah Bond, the increase in player time spent on Xbox systems encourages further growth. 

Bond was among those to weigh in on the Xbox Game Pass's immense growth since its inception in a new feature through Forbes, including monetization opportunities available within the service. According to the Xbox exec, players that are a part of this membership spend, on average, 20% more time in-game than non-Game Pass holders. According to Bond, here is a breakdown of the player experience with Game Pass: 

• 20% more time in-game over non-Game Pass holders
• Play 30% more games in general
• 40% increase in genre exploration

“When you subscribe to a channel that enables you to watch a video, like Netflix, that’s kind of the end of the monetization cycle that you have with that piece of content,” Bond said.

“In gaming, it’s the opposite: there are items that you can buy in the game, there are extensions you can buy, there’s a next franchise you can purchase, there are other genres that you can leap to.”

She added that there are 200 million consumers that purchase a console, and then there are 3 billion people that play games. "Today, a lot of those people don't have the option to play many of these amazing experiences and iconic games that you see."

While many games - and even DLC - are free through Xbox Game Pass, that $0 price tag isn't always guaranteed when it comes to purchasable add-ons. Expansions, cosmetic packs, and other forms of DLC are still purchasable through Game Pass. Since the service allows players to invest time into games they might not normally spend $60+ on, Game Pass offers a portal into different video games beyond that immediate consumer scope. If the player's interest remains after playing any given title on Game Pass, then the desire to continue said experience could also be high, resulting in further revenue through add-on options. 

Regarding the topic of economics, she added, "When you really look at what we’re doing with Game Pass is we’re making that possible by linking that to subscription and putting our streaming into the subscription. We’re able to make the economics of all that work”.

On the fence about whether or not you want to join in on the Xbox Game Pass fervor? Here is what you need to know: The service has grown noticeably since its launch, and the value is unparalleled in the gaming-verse at this time. There are two membership options to choose from, with the standard Xbox Game Pass and Game Pass Ultimate. Xbox Game Pass is $9.99, whereas the Ultimate version includes Xbox Live for $14.99. The Xbox Live membership includes monthly free games and exclusive sales on games. 

The Xbox Game Pass for console, Cloud, and PC continues to evolve, and it will be interesting to see how the industry evolves along with it. 

[Source: Forbes]

Nier: Automata is one of Xbox Game Pass PC’s latest additions. The action-JRPG has garnered a cult following since its release. Recently, swaths of players have noticed some major discrepancies between the Steam and Xbox Game Pass PC versions of the game. Apparently, Game Pass owners are guaranteed to have a much better experience, and that has Steam players review-bombing the game.

The Steam version of Nier: Automata that launched back in 2017 had a plethora of issues that made playing through its extensive narrative a chore. Modders, of course, quickly took action to make sure that the game was optimized. 

The Nier: Automata Become as Gods Edition that dropped in 2018 on Xbox One included a borderless video setting (shockingly, the “vanilla” version of the game on Steam can only be played in 4:3) , FidelityFX options, HDR, and 4K textures. This same edition is now available on Xbox Game Pass PC, but Steam players are still stuck with downloading enhancement mods even after all these years.  Many Steam owners have posted negative reviews, hoping to get the attention of Square Enix. According to Eurogamer, “[over] 281 negative reviews have been left in the last three days - and they're almost all a reaction to the better PC version out now on Xbox Game Pass.”

Hopefully Steam players get the version of the game that they deserve very soon, because I’m obsessed with Nier: Automata and I think every JRPG fanatic should try it. However, Joe Juba offered some great counterpoints for why Automata might not be for everyone in his 2017 review, “ By the time I reached the true ending after nearly 40 hours (and most of the side quests), I felt like I only saw about 25 hours worth of game cut up and reconstituted in various ways. Some parts of Nier: Automata genuinely thrilled and surprised me, but it is a constant exercise in sacrifice.”

Nier Replicant, an interesting mix between a remake/remaster of the original Nier that came out exclusively in Japan, is launching for PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and PC on April 23. I think it’s one of the Top 10 Upcoming Action Games of the year and maybe you’ll feel the same way after watching this flashy gameplay footage. 

[Source: Eurogamer]