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Forza Horizon 5 shows Playground Games at the height of its ambition

Barrelling down a barren path in Forza Horizon 5, I approach a sandstorm on the skyline. Though ominous, the winds picking up grains of sand compel me to floor the gas and head straight on through. As the adrenaline kicks in, I’m reminded of why Playground Games’ open-world racing series is so special to me.

Forza Horizon has been Microsoft’s long-running racing franchise alongside sim-focused sister series Forza Motorsport. Across console generations, we’ve seen the Forza Horizon series evolve and become more ambitious with each outing. Forza Horizon 5 provides the familiar moments I crave from the series while elevating itself by utilizing all that the Xbox Series X offers.

Playground Games spared no expense in showing how ambitious the team is this time around. Set in the heart of Mexico, Forza Horizon 5 offers the largest, most interesting and diverse backdrop we’ve seen in the series. While the moment-to-moment stylings of the game are par for the course, Forza Horizon 5 is, bar-none, one of the most visually robust games from Xbox Game Studios.

Forza Horizon 5 opens up like any other contemporary racing game. As the Horizon Festival is kicking off in Mexico, I was taken in to help expand the festival, drum up excitement, and race to my heart’s content. What propels you to hit the roads and reach for the stars is charted territory. However, Playground Games has invested time in creating more compelling side stories that I wasn’t expecting. Throughout my time with Forza Horizon 5, I found myself taking on Horizon Stories. These small-self contained narrative threads still revolve around time or skill trials and races, yet there are interesting stories unfolding because of them. They’re not too deep but they do add more texture to the typical ‘race for the sake of racing’ structure we’re so used to.

As you reach new levels, you can then unlock new activities. It isn’t before long that the map is covered in an overwhelming amount of things to do.

Now, that’s not to say that Forza Horizon 5 doesn’t include the usual trappings you’ve come to expect from the series. The game features standard events like Road Races, Street Races, PR Stunts, etc. As you begin completing each activity, you’ll start to unlock Accolades that will go towards boosting your advancement in the Horizon Adventure. As you reach new levels, you can then unlock new activities. It isn’t before long that the map is covered in an overwhelming amount of icons. Adding to that are XP Boards and Fast Travel Boards to find throughout the open world.

There’s no shortage of events to complete, especially when striving for the three-star challenges, for more Accolades. In turn, you’ll eventually unlock Expeditions and Showcase Events, offer deeper experiences outside of hitting a fast racing time or total skill count. Expeditions will take you through optimized courses made to showcase all Forza Horizon 5 has to offer. Showcase Events, on the other hand, are long-drawn-out races that test your mettle against other racers and Drivatars pulled off your Friends list.

For me, Mexico is such a rich and diverse location to experience while racing. Spread across 11 unique biomes, I found myself speeding through sandy deserts, lush forests, and snowy mountain tops. The map is so dynamic that as I found myself racing from one area to the next, the transition between biomes is seamless. On top of that, the game incorporates a dynamic weather system. Throughout the game, you’ll encounter sandstorms, rainstorms, and more. They add tension and sheer spectacle to the screen when driving. I never found that they appear too frequently, which helped keep these events from becoming saturated. I almost feel a bit giddy every time I see one on the horizon and hope that feeling never goes away.

Playground Games has shown prowess in open-world environment building. Thankfully the game offers a Photo Mode. I found myself hard-pressed from progressing too long without taking a photo of my vehicle in the wide array of environments.

“The lighting and reflections border on realism when bouncing off the hood of a beautiful car like the Mercedes-AMG ONE.”

When playing on the Xbox Series X, I was consistently surprised by how well the lighting systems and particle effects added to the experience. Forza Horizon 5 offers both a Graphics Mode and Performance Mode. Although I typically opted for 60FPS performance, I was compelled to bounce between during my playtime. The lighting and reflections border on realism when bouncing off the hood of a beautiful car like the Mercedes-AMG ONE.

Character models do take a back seat. However, it’s for good reason. All 500+ cars in the game look immaculate. The hyper-focused realism put into the way the breadth of cars looks is unparalleled. Notable vehicles included in the catalogue are the 2021 Ford Bronco Badlands, 2020 Corvette Stingray C8, Porsche 911 Desert Flyer. Of course, what’s Forza Horizon without a little Halo love? Yes, even the UNSC Warthog is in the mix.

Although the Forza Horizon series has continued to evolve and become grander in its visuals, aspects of the game I wish grew along with it. Most notably, the game features an overbeating UI and menu system. Fortunately, I’ve played a number of Horizon games so I knew what to look for a where to find it. For newcomers, the menus could seem clunky. Having to fast travel from my location to the Forza Garage in order to buy a car is restrictive. The same goes for customizing my avatar. It’s an inconvenience to be ripped from where I am on the map in order to change the appearance of my driver. Small quality of life improvements could have been made to streamline to UI experience for players.

Forza Horizon 5, while leaning on some of the more sim-like racing mechanics and handling systems, doesn’t shy away from the arcade side of the gameplay. Thus, Forza Arcade and EventLab exist in-game for players to dive into multiplayer challenges that air on the wackier side. Admittedly, this is not an aspect I was able to get all that much time into. However, Forza Arcade is a section of the game I want to spend more time with as it can be a hoot with friends. EventLabs, as it stands, offers a small selection of races built using the gameplay toolset. Though, it won’t be long until the community builds an impressive selection of races, stunts, and custom game modes.

While keeping on the straight and narrow, Forza Horizon 5 is the best the series has ever been and is a must-play on the Xbox Series X.

Playground Games pulled no punches when bringing its ambitious take on the Forza Horizon franchise to the table. Loaded with familiar elements and new core features all wrapped into a delightfully stunning package, it’s hard not to be impressed with the robust offering. We often look at sports and racing games and wonder how they can be elevated. While keeping on the straight and narrow, Forza Horizon 5 is the best the series has ever been and is a must-play on the Xbox Series X.

Forza Horizon 5 is available on November 9 on PC, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S. It’s also available on Xbox Game Pass. Physical copies of the game are available at Best Buy, Amazon and more.

MobileSyrup utilizes affiliate partnerships. These partnerships do not influence our editorial content, though MobileSyrup may earn a commission on purchases made via these links.

Image credit: Xbox

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PlayStation’s ‘Remasters and Retro!’ sale offers throwback titles for up to 80 percent off

PlayStation is hosting a ‘Remasters and Retro!’ sale now on the PlayStation Store. The sale offers savings of up to 80 percent off on over  130 PlayStation 4 and PlayStation 5 titles.

The sale includes games like Shadow of the Colossus, Crash Team Racing Nitro-Fueled, and Everybody’s Golf.

Some notable deals include:

To see all the deals, click here. The sale runs until November 17th.

Image credit: PlayStation

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Staples’ Black Friday pricing is live now

Staples’ latest batch of deals has been released with Black Friday pricing, discounting gadgets by up to 50 percent.

Here’s a look at some of the notable product categories on sale:

Laptops

PCs

Peripherals

Monitors

Headphones

Tablets

Several other product categories that aren’t mentioned in the list above, including smart home accessories, printers, video gamesoffice furniture, cameras and drones are on sale too. Find all deals under Staples; Black Friday pricing sale here.

It’s worth noting that products on the list have varying ‘sale end dates.’ Make sure you check when the sale price is ending if you’re going to sit on the idea of purchasing a device.

MobileSyrup utilizes affiliate partnerships. These partnerships do not influence our editorial content, though MobileSyrup may earn a commission on purchases made via these links.

Image credit: Staples

Source: Staples

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Here are the free games hitting Amazon Prime Gaming in November 2021

Every month, Amazon Prime Gaming offers a selection of games at no additional cost to Prime subscribers.

In November, Prime members can snag the following nine free games:

  • Brakes Are For Losers
  • Control Ultimate Edition
  • Demon Hunter 2: New Chapter
  • Dragon Age Inquisition
  • Liberated
  • Puzzle Agent 2
  • Rise of the Tomb Raider
  • Rogue Heroes
  • Secret Files: Sam Peters

It’s worth noting that Dragon Age: Inquisition was developed by Canada’s own BioWare Edmonton.

Additionally, Guild Wars 2 Heroic Edition remains available until November 24th under the in-game loot section.

An Amazon Prime Video subscription is priced at $7.99/month or $79.99/year.

Image credit: 505 Games/Remedy Entertainment

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Nintendo’s Switch Online N64 controllers out of stock until 2022

If you were hoping to snag one of Nintendo’s official N64 controllers for the Switch for Christmas, we’ve got some bad news for you.

The Japanese gaming giant has confirmed that the retro gamepad is currently unavailable and isn’t expected to be restocked until sometime next year.

The out-of-stock message shows up on Nintendo’s American and Canadian websites. Nintendo is the exclusive vendor of the controller, so you’ll have to turn to a third-party seller in the coming weeks if you really want one. (It’s worth noting that at the time of writing, the $64.99 Sega Genesis controller is still available.)

Priced at $64.99 CAD, the controller is a replica of the original gamepad that was packaged with the N64. Nintendo has been selling the controller exclusively to Switch Online subscribers to coincide with the launch of the service’s Expansion Pack tier.

This membership costs $63.99 for a 12-month Individual Membership (one account) or $99.99 for a 12-month Family Membership and offers access to a selection of emulated N64 and Sega Genesis titles, including The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of TimeSuper Mario 64 and Sonic the Hedgehog 2.

However, that some of these games, including Ocarina of Time, feature technical bugs like sound delays and frame rate drops, according to Switch Online users.

Image credit: Flickr — T. Cox

Via: The Verge

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Microsoft offering three months of Xbox Game Pass for PC for $1

Microsoft has kicked off a new promotion that provides three months of Xbox Game Pass for PC for only $1.

Normally, the company offers one month of the service for $1.

This deal is intended for new Game Pass subscribers. That said, it’s important to note that your mileage may vary on this. Some RedFlagDeals users report that they’ve been able to cancel their membership and successfully claim the three-month, $1 offer. Others, meanwhile, say they had no such luck.

If you are able to take advantage of it, though, it’s worth mentioning that this promotion comes amid a period of several major Xbox games coming back-to-back to Game Pass for PC, including the recently released Age of Empires IV and the upcoming Forza Horizon 5 (November 9th) and Halo Infinite (December 8th).

Altogether, there are more than 200 games available on Game Pass for PC.

For more on Game Pass, click here to find out what’s coming to the service later this month.

Via: RedFlagDeals

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Niantic is shutting down Harry Potter: Wizards Unite in January 2022

Niantic has confirmed that it will soon be discontinuing its Harry Potter: Wizards Unite mobile game.

In a blog post, the San Francisco-based gaming giant said Wizards Unite will be delisted from the App Store and Play Store on December 6th, 2021, ahead of a full January 31st, 2022 shutdown. In-app purchases will also cease on December 6th.

Leading up to the shutdown, Niantic is offering bonus XP and other in-game rewards, as well as a promise that the game’s two-year narrative arc featuring Harry and Hermione will be resolved. A full breakdown of all of the gameplay changes taking effect starting today can be found here.

Wizards Unite originally launched in June 2019 as Warner Bros.’ response to Pokémon Go, also developed by Niantic. The game took the location-based, augmented reality framework of Pokémon Go and applied a Harry Potter coat of paint.

Set after the Battle of Hogwarts, Wizards Unite tasks players with going around to locate mystical creatures and items and “unconfound” them, as well as fight dark wizards. The game allows you to choose your wizarding house, their wand and their profession (Professor, Auror or Magizoologist).

However, the game just never seemed to quite take off, despite the massive popularity of the Harry Potter brand. According to the analytics firm Sensor Tower, Wizards Unite has only generated $4.7 million USD (about $5.9 million CAD) in revenue so far in 2021. By contrast, Pokémon Go has topped $1 billion USD (roughly 1.2 billion CAD) this year alone. Overall, Wizards Unite‘s to-date revenue sits at only $40 million USD (about $50 million CAD).

Looking ahead, Niantic says it has the recently launched Pikmin Bloom and the upcoming Transformers: Heavy Metal in the works. Of course, the ever-popular Pokémon Go will also continue to receive support.

Altogether, the company notes that it has “nine games and apps in our development pipeline.”

Image credit: Niantic/Warner Bros.

Source: Niantic

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Netflix Games to launch on November 3, starting with Android

Netflix’s long-awaited push into video games is officially kicking off on November 3rd.

The company has confirmed that its first five games will launch worldwide in the Netflix Android app on that date. An iOS rollout is “on the way,” the company said.

Notably, these games will be offered at no additional cost to Netflix subscribers. Further, they won’t feature any ads or in-app purchases.

Here are the initial five games:

  • Card Blast
  • Shooting Hoops
  • Stranger Things: 1984
  • Stranger Things 3
  • Teeter Up

To access these games, either select the Netflix Games banner on the Netflix app homepage or navigate to the ‘games’ tab. From there, select the game you want to play, which will direct you to your device’s app store to download the game. You’ll then be able to play the game through the app.

Netflix says all adult profiles under a given account can access games, although kids profiles are not allowed. The company also notes that some games require an internet connection, while others can be played offline, although it didn’t specify which.

In a blog post, Netflix noted that this is only the first step in its broader plans for gaming.

“Just like our series, films and specials, we want to design games for any level of play and every kind of player, whether you’re a beginner or a lifelong gamer,” the company wrote. “And we’re just getting started. We’re excited to continue improving our mobile gaming experience and adding to our entertainment offering in the months ahead.”

Back in July, the company said these efforts will be “primarily focused on games for mobile devices,” although that certainly leaves the door open for at least some AAA console/PC titles.

Beyond that, Netflix hasn’t indicated what types of titles it will make, but the company’s intention, at least in part, appears to be to use games to promote its video content. The two Stranger Things games so far are evidence of that.

Netflix has also seen a benefit from CD Projekt’s The Witcher games. The action-RPG series helped make the Polish fantasy property more popular, which helped Netflix’s Witcher show find its own massive audience. This, in turn, gave The Witcher 3 a significant spike in players, even though the game had been around for four years at the time. Netflix and CD Projekt later partnered on a ‘WitcherCon’ to promote both their respective Witcher projects.

One Netflix property that could get the video game treatment is Squid Game. The breakout success of the South Korean survival drama series has led Netflix to look into various ways to expand that universe, including gaming.

Source: Netflix

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Riders Republic reignited the spark I once had for extreme sports games

Riders Republic is an expansive extreme sports game that effectively builds on the foundation set by 2016’s Steep.

I used to pour hours into games like SSX Tricky and Mat Hoffman’s Pro BMX as a kid. The extreme sports game genre was important to me during my formative years. Though, as time went on, my interest waned. Riders Republic takes the inherent spirit of the classics and modernizes it with contemporary systems and an open-world setting.

Ubisoft Annecy first broke into the extreme sports genre with Steep. While still having an emphasis on snowboarding and skiing, Riders Republic adds BMX circuits and wingsuits into the mix. This combination added a bit more variety and texture for me. As a newcomer to the Riders Republic, I found myself thrust into a career mode centred on ranking up in hopes of participating in the Riders Ridge Invitational. The narrative outside of this base concept is thin. You’re mentored by a character that is the embodiment of Steve Buscemi’s ‘How do you do, fellow kids’ meme. The dialogue is silly and inconsequential. My focus was always driven to get to the next track and unlock new aspects of the game.

The game is set in the expansive social playground comprising seven regions based around national parks, including Yosemite Valley, Bryce Canyon, and Zion. To build a name for myself and reach those career highs, I had to begin tackling the five different careers — Bike Race, Bike Tricks, Snow Race, Snow Tricks, and Air Sports. As you progress through each career, you unlock new tracks and bigger events. It’s not before long that the map is covered in various event icons for you to complete.

The progression system in Riders Republic is built around accumulating stars. To hit new milestones and unlock additional tracks, circuits, and sponsors, I found myself on a mission to win as many stars as possible. You’ll earn a single star simply for completing a track, whether it’s a straightforward race, time trial, or score competition. Each event also offers optional challenges to earn more stars. The criteria can range from completing the track in a certain amount of time or accumulating a certain score by completing tricks.

On top of the multitude of events to complete, you can earn stars by seeking out collectibles through the map. Relics reward you with special rides and boards like a pizza delivery bike. Additionally, stars can be earned by completing stunt tracks and finding landmarks.

“At no point did I find Riders Republic demanding in how it wanted me to approach an event.”

New gear is obtained by completing events. You’ll slowly amass a full collection of different boards, bikes and wingsuits, all with their unique stats. Cosmetics can be purchased using in-game currency earned by completing sponsor and weekly challenges. There are also legendary outfits that can be purchased using real-life currency in the store.

What I find truly compelling about the game is how much emphasis it places on the player’s personal preference. At no point did I find Riders Republic demanding in how it wanted me to approach an event. If you’re like me and feel drawn more to the racing aspects than the tricks, you can lean into that or vice-versa. The game offers two options of Racer and Trickster riding options. The Racer option is more forgiving, while the Trickster option raises the skill gap for advanced players. You can even customize whether landing tricks are manual or automatic without taking a penalty. There’s simply no wrong way of playing.

I found the controls relatively tight, especially when tricking out over jumps. Each sport handles a bit differently. When on a bike, there is a pedal metre in place that provides a small speed boost. On skis and snowboards, you can change your stance. While in the wingsuit, propulsion systems are in place to help boost or slow you down while in the air. Throughout my time with Riders Republic, I grew quite partial to the snow and biking tracks. Hitting a ramp just right and combining a set of tricks for a large score can be very satisfying. Air spots left me wanting a bit more. Out of the three, the gameplay in the sky felt less dynamic than the others.

“Racing with others can be as chaotic and fun as you’d expect with one major drawback: the game’s inconsistent collision detection.”

The map of Riders Republic is filled with other players, all completing their own careers and showing off Photo Mode creations. Whether you’re in a race or simply exploring, you’ll see other players riding around. It’s a large social hub that incentivizes shared experiences. All events can be completed with friends. Every half hour, a Mass Race will spawn on the map. Players have a limited time to reach the destination, which spawns them in a three-run race against roughly 60 other players.

Racing with others can be as chaotic and fun as you’d expect with one major drawback: the game’s inconsistent collision detection. I found that there was no rhyme or reason to when I’d get shoved into a rock or launched off the track. I could be steadily in the top five and suddenly be thrown off a hill and end up back in the 40th spot in seconds. There were proven times when I could ride straight through another player with no resistance. Unfortunately, collision isn’t reliable enough to be used competitively.

Playing on Xbox Series X, Riders Republic has impressively fast loading times. The map has a ton of fast travel locations that are automatically unlocked as soon as new tracks are earned. Fast travelling takes only a second or two and you can take a snowmobile to your destination. Restarting a race takes a bit more time but there’s not too much delay before you’re right back into the action. That said, I have had the game crash on me multiple times. I even had the game lock up on the tail end of a Mass Race, which is more of a time commitment than the standard events.

Overall, Riders Republic has broken the 15-year-old hiatus I had with extreme sports games. Ubisoft Annecy took what was successful with Steep, added modern open-world conventions and made a compelling sports game. The game’s biggest success is not taking itself too seriously. With a whopping three tracks from The Offspring, you can tell Riders Republic knows the vibe it’s aiming for. While the dialogue flounders, having player agency and preferences at the forefront more than makes up for it. It’s a laidback game that incentivizes social presence.

Riders Republic is now available on PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, PC and Google Stadia. Physical copies of the game are available at Best Buy, Amazon and more.

Image credit: Ubisoft

MobileSyrup utilizes affiliate partnerships. These partnerships do not influence our editorial content, though MobileSyrup may earn a commission on purchases made via these links.

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Here’s what’s coming to PlayStation Now in November 2021

PlayStation has revealed the new batch of games that are coming to its PlayStation Now streaming service in November.

On November 2nd, the following four games will join the PS Now catalogue:

  • Celeste
  • Final Fantasy IX
  • Mafia: Definitive Edition (available on PS Now until February 28)
  • Totally Reliable Delivery Service

It’s worth noting that Celeste is the critically-acclaimed platformer from Vancouver’s own Extremely OK Games. As well, Final Fantasy IX is the third of five Final Fantasy games that are coming to PS Now.

PlayStation Now is available on PS4, PS5 and PC at a cost of $12.99 CAD/month, $34.99/three months or $79.99/12 months.

Find out what came to PS Now last month here. Meanwhile, the full list of games coming in November to PlayStation’s other service, PS Plus, can be found here.

Image credit: Square Enix

Source: PlayStation