Author - Jerry Paxton

Espire 2 Gets 2023 Roadmap

Virtual reality developer Digital Lode and publisher Tripwire Presents are proud to announce the release of the latest update for Espire 2, the award-winning stealth action title critics are lauding as a “must play” and Meta Quest players are calling “a VR love letter to stealth games.” The update, which is available now, introduces public matchmaking for the first time, delivering on the most requested feature from the Espire 2 community to-date. Following today’s update, it’s never been easier to find fellow agents to experience everything the Espire 2 Co-op Campaign has to offer.

In addition, Digital Lode is excited to announce that Espire 2 is now available in the limited-time Sneak and Destroy Duo Pack alongside After the Fall by Vertigo Games. Players can find these two amazing VR games in this special collection at a 27% discount for $50.99USD on the Meta Store.

Today’s public matchmaking update for Espire 2 marks yet another major milestone completed as part of Digital Lode and Tripwire Presents’ commitment to continued support, delivering significant and notable improvements for the Espire 2 community in 2023 as outlined in the Espire 2 public roadmap.

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Espire 2 Public Roadmap Highlights Include:

  • Espire Ops: New single-player levels with weekly developer-set challenges
  • Public Co-Op: Find public co-op games with fellow operatives when your friends aren’t online
  • Co-Op Missions: More Co-op missions are in the works. In addition, players can expect a new hardcore difficulty setting for singleplayer and Co-Op Campaigns
  • New VR Platforms: Espire 2 is coming to new virtual reality platforms. We are in the early stages of development and will have more to announce in 2023
  • Skins: In response to this top request from players, Digital Lode will also introduce unlockable frame skins & weapon variants

Out now for the Meta Quest 2 and Quest Pro platforms, Espire 2 combines the tactical precision of modern stealth titles with the unprecedented immersion of VR, further expanding upon the genre-defining experience of its critically acclaimed predecessor.

For more information on Digital Lode and to stay up to date on the latest news for Espire 2, be sure to visit the official website – and follow the developers on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube.

For more information on Tripwire Presents please visit their official website and follow them on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and YouTube.

Razer’s Head-Tracking Leviathan V2 Pro Soundbar Available Now

Following its debut at CES 2023, where it received a dozen ‘Best of CES 2023’ from Tom’s Guide, Inverse, Trusted Reviews and more, the Razer Leviathan V2 Pro soundbar is available now exclusively on Razer.com and at RazerStores starting at $399.99 USD / €489.99 MSRP.

  • Razer Leviathan V2 Pro is powered by head-tracking AI technology with an integrated IR camera, which beams audio directly to users’ ears to give them a surround sound experience coming from a single source
  • The integrated subwoofer gives users an immersive soundscape experience with crisp, clear treble and deep, punchy bass
  • Razer Leviathan V2 Pro also features two surround sound modes, utilizing 3D audio:
    • THX® Spatial Audio Virtual Headset mode is perfect for any stereo (2.1) content, providing positional audio previously only found in headsets
    • THX® Spatial Audio Virtual Speakers mode allows for multi-channel content and creates an immersive personalized digital 7.1 soundstage comparable to a home theater system
  • Thanks to the addition of Razer Chroma, users will experience full RGB customization and deeper immersion with 30 lighting zones with 16.8 million colors to choose from. Razer Chroma is also integrated into over 200 games, so Leviathan V2 Pro is always at the center of the action – and destined to be the center of any Chroma battlestation

More information on the Razer Leviathan V2 Pro can be found here.

Space Marine 2 Collector’s Edition Revealed

Focus Entertainment and Saber Interactive are thrilled to bring a very special, top-class Collector’s Edition to fans awaiting the comeback of Warhammer 40,000’s legendary franchise in Space Marine 2. Discover a new look at the game’s exclusive Steelbook and “Making Of” book for the first time today!

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Visit the Focus Entertainment Store and pre-order the Collector’s Edition for PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S and PC (Steam key) before February 16 to guarantee day one delivery and be supremely equipped for epic warfare!

A Collector’s Edition Blessed with Immense Power

The Collector’s Edition of Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine 2 features prestigious collectibles packed inside a box sporting exclusive artwork and includes:

  • A statuette of Lieutenant Titus: an 8.25 x 6.7″ resin statuette with interchangeable head and helmet, finely detailed and entirely hand-painted
  • The game’s official Steelbook®
  • A 64-page “Art & Making-Of” book, in English, illustrated by the talented team at Saber Interactive.
  • The game Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine 2 on the platform of your choice:
    • PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X versions will be shipped as physical copies, with a Focus Entertainment Store-exclusive box art
    • The PC version will be sent digitally as a Steam download code
  • The “Macragge’s Chosen” DLC

Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine 2 will be released on PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S and PC in 2023. Pre-order the Collector’s Edition now! Pre-orders registered from February 17 and after will be subject to stock availability and are not guaranteed for delivery on day one.

Wishlist the game and sign up as a Focus member to get exclusive news and upcoming special offers for Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine 2 and the whole Focus catalog.

South Park: The Complete Twenty-Fifth Season Gets Blu-ray and DVD Date

Celebrate 25 years of irreverent laughs when SOUTH PARK: THE COMPLETE TWENTY-FIFTH SEASON arrives on Blu-ray and DVD on April 4. The Emmy® Award-winning series, created by Trey Parker, Matt Stone, and Brian Graden, returns to the small screen with brand new misadventures for America’s favorite grade-schoolers.

After 24 years of getting warmed up, South Park finally hits its stride on its hilarious and surprising 25th season! This release of the Emmy® Award winning classic includes 6 episodes.

SOUTH PARK: THE COMPLETE TWENTY-FIFTH SEASON stars creators Trey Parker and Matt Stone, along with Mona Marshall (“Blue Exorcist”), April Stewart (Mission: Impossible – Ghost Protocol) and Jessica Makinson (“Maron”).

World of Warships: Legends Lunar New Year 2023

Wargaming, the publisher and developer of the popular game World of Warships, is ringing in the Lunar New Year on consoles in World of Warships: Legends. This update is jam-packed with content, including ships, a Commander, and specialty skins. Legends also welcomes the fourth wave of Azur Lane to its harbours, a Legendary Italian cruiser to the research Bureau and yet another classic five-week, 100 milestone campaign with the German Tier VIII Premium battleship Pommern waiting at the end.

Pan-Asian Arrivals

Welcoming the Year of the Rabbit, a boatload of Pan-Asian content has bounced into Legends. Kicking off these Lunar New Year celebrations is a brand-new dragon Commander guise, equipped with its own special voiceover. Keeping the scaly theme going, Tier VII Premium Pan-Asian destroyer Northern Dragon makes a debut, alongside several special, Pan-Asian skins for a handful of ships to get in on the festivities.

In addition, Lunar New Year sees a dedicated crate come to the game, and a whole new branch of four Tier IV-VII tech tree cruisers coming to Early Access. These ships, sporting some hefty deep-water torpedoes, each come with a personal mission to complete. This branch will become researchable in the next update and make way for the introduction of the line-topping Tier VIII Sejong.

Ladies, ships, and guns

A fabulous quintet, this Azur Lane reinforcement, same as the previous three waves, is based on the Azur Lane Characters. Those are: Eagle Union New Jersey, Royal Navy Neptune, Iron Blood Roon, Northern Parliament Chapayev, and last, but definitely not least comes Iris Libre – the first character of this faction to grace Legends’ waters – Saint Louis.

Two shiny new ships will dock in the port. No captain is worthy enough without their ships, so a couple of those, Azur Lane New Jersey as a battleship and Azur Lane Chapayev as a cruiser, are joining US and Soviet Navies, respectively.

Three more new skins, Azur Lane Roon (for German navy), Azur Lane Neptune (for Royal Navy), and Azur Lane Saint Louis will be obtainable alongside aforementioned in-game items. However, all of these require having an original version of the warship to be useful.

The new Azur Lane crate, unlike the iterations of previous parts of the collaboration, does not drop only the current wave Commanders. Instead, it contains a chance for every item of the collaboration, among other in-game goodies.

Campaign, Competitive Modes and More

Wrapping up this packed update is another classic Legends campaign. Waiting at the end of the five-week, 100-milestone Griffin of the Baltic campaign is the solid German Tier VIII Premium battleship Pommern. This vessel boasts a solid HP pool alongside a powerful secondary battery and mighty AP shells. This update also sees three extended seasons of Ranked Battles and two also-extended Brawls to the game, with Ranked Battles available to ships spanning Tier V-VII to engage in five-on-five battles. Closing out January’s update, Legends also welcomes its first Legendary Tier Italian ship, with cruiser Napoli of Regia Marina joining as a free Bureau project.

This update also brings several bug fixes, upgrades and balance changes across the game.

Deadpool has Arrived for Marvel’s Midnight Suns

Marvel’s Midnight Suns First Post-Launch DLC Now Available; Recruit Deadpool to Your Team Today and Embark on New Story Missions

2K and Marvel Entertainment announced that The Good, the Bad, and the Undead*, Marvel’s Midnight Suns’ first post-launch DLC featuring Deadpool, is now available worldwide on Windows PC via Steam and Epic Games Store, PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series X|S.

In The Good, the Bad, and the Undead, Hydra forces are closing in on an artifact brimming with ancient power, which just so happens to be on Deadpool’s shopping list for his mysterious benefactor. The Midnight Suns are forced to step in and put a stop to any supernatural shenanigans before things get out of hand—which is all but guaranteed whenever Wade Wilson’s involved. Included in The Good, the Bad, and the Undead:

  • New Recruitable Hero: Deadpool, an in-your-face damage dealer wielding 10 unique Hero Abilities
  • New Story Missions: Fight a host of fresh enemy types across challenging new encounters
  • New Abbey Upgrade: Deadpool’s Food Truck
  • 3 Additional Hero Skins, 7 Abbey Outfits, and 3 Swimsuits for Deadpool

Center Cam Review – Making Web Calls More Personable

Having taken part of an innumerable number of web meetings since the pandemic, one thing that has always bothered me is that most people don’t look at their cameras when speaking. Instead, they look at their screens. What if you could look into the camera when speaking, but not lose out on the information your computer monitor provides? Center Cam hopes to come to the rescue in this area. Center Cam consists of a small 1080p webcam that connects to a clamp on the top of your monitor. The Center Cam hangs down from the clamp and in front of your screen. This way, you can place your web conference window behind it and essentially provide a more in-person conversation feel to your virtual presence.

In the Center Cam Standard Package, you’ll receive the Center Cam, USB-C/USB-A adapter, and clamp. They do also offer a Center Cam Deluxe Package which, for $20 dollars more will include all that the Standard Package does with the addition of a ring light and zip-up soft storage case. The Center Cam webcam itself features a 1080p resolution and onboard audio pickup and, while that works okay, I prefer a higher quality external microphone. The camera quality is good – on par with most 1080p web cameras – and more than adequate for web conferencing.

Look Into My Eyes…

Using the Center Cam in Zoom or any other web conferencing application is super-easy. Once the Center Cam’s USB cable was plugged into my computer, I was able to select it from the list of video sources in the web conferencing application. No other special software was needed, so that’s a big plus for users out there that might not be very tech savvy.

The biggest issue I had while trying to use Center Cam was its clamp. The back of my ultrawide display has quite a curve to it and the clamp simply wouldn’t stay on for very long without slipping up and, eventually, off of the monitor. If you have a display with a flatter backside, it should work just fine. I can’t help think that there isn’t a better solution to this problem. Instead of a clamp, maybe a desktop stand and snaking neck that goes straight up? Also, I sort of cringe a bit when clamping things onto my screen – even the small bezel area. But, I digress…

Overall, Center Cam is a way to re-introduce some of the eye contact and in-person qualities to your web conferencing. The Center Cam Standard Package is available now for $119.99 dollars on their official website.

Overall Rating: 4 out of 5 Stars

CITIZEN Unveils the Disney100 Collection by Disney

Citizen Disney100 Watch

CITIZEN is proud to unveil a new collection of special timepieces in honor of Disney’s 100th Anniversary. The Disney100 Collection by Disney x CITIZEN pays homage to Disney stories throughout the decades, with new watches featuring classic characters launching each month throughout the year.

Today, CITIZEN is releasing the first watch of the collection to commemorate the introduction of Disney Mickey Mouse in the 1920s. In 1928, the world’s first fully synchronized sound cartoon premiered in New York. “Steamboat Willie” launched the brilliant career of Disney Mickey Mouse and made both him and Walt Disney a household name.

The Disney100 Steamboat Willie Special Edition Box Set which includes a 40mm watch with a silver-tone stainless steel case with gold-tone accents and markers, matching collectible pin, Disney100 case back, and a bold black crocodile-embossed leather strap. The box set honors Steamboat Willie as the first cartoon short to feature synchronized sound in 1928.

Additional Disney Mickey Mouse and Friends, Princess and Villains, Marvel, and Star Wars inspired timepieces will be released throughout the year until the official 100-year anniversary of the Walt Disney Company on October 16, 2023.

CITIZEN has been an alliance partner with Disney since 2018. As the Official Timepiece of the Walt Disney World® Resort and Disneyland® Resort, Official Timekeeper of the Walt Disney World® Resort runDisney Races, and Official Countdown to D23 Expo 2022, Citizen leverages Disney IP to develop rich storytelling through unique timepieces.

The Toothsome Chocolate Emporium & Savory Feast Kitchen at Universal CityWalk is Now Open

The Toothsome Chocolate Emporium & Savory Feast Kitchen at Universal CityWalk is now open. The innovative, original concept restaurant serves an extensive menu of brunch, lunch and dinner items along with sumptuous milkshakes, desserts and delectable confectionary treats, and is hosted by character ambassadors and world travelers Penelope and Jacques, to deliver an entirely new take on culinary inspirations for the entire family.

This uniquely inspirational restaurant is reminiscent of a Victorian steampunk chocolate emporium. Its interior is adorned with a collection from Penelope’s archives of chocolate research and various steampunk gadgetry and inventions complete with L.A.-based artisans’ paintings of steampunk airships journeying through the sky atop the interior dome. The dynamic exterior façade features a giant clockwork marquee and towering 97-foot smokestacks.

Within the eclectic space, guests can enjoy a full-service restaurant, a Dessert Foundry for grab-n-go over-the-top milkshakes and a Candy Smith counter to experience a cornucopia of sweet treats, including 30 different flavors of macarons, truffles and an expansive offering of deliciousness, along with unique apparel and themed collectibles.

Executive Chef Carlos Garcia sits at the helm of The Toothsome Chocolate Emporium & Savory Feast Kitchen orchestrating a symphony of exquisite meals and desserts, prepared fresh to order within its two behemoth kitchens under the watchful eye of the restaurant’s skilled Sous Chefs.

From crisp salads and hearty soups to tasty burgers, flatbreads and steaks, The Toothsome Chocolate Emporium & Savory Feast Kitchen caters inspirational fare to every member of the family.

Sample tempting menus items include signature Chocolate Almond Bread, Avocado Bruschetta, Truffle Fries, Pork Belly Sliders, Coffee and Chocolate Stout Wings, Waldorf Chicken Salad, Toothsome Niçoise, French Onion Soup, Forest Mushroom Flatbread, Classic Margherita Flatbread, Southern Fried Chicken BLT, Chicken Cordon Blue sandwich, Red Ruben sandwich, Fork & Knife Ribeye Steak Sandwich, Croque Monsieur, Tour de France Burger, May Contain Bacon Burger, Brisket Burger, Teriyaki Burger, Wild Mushroom Chicken Risotto, Shrimp Macaroni & Cheese, Grilled Teriyaki Salmon, Brisket & Wild Mushroom Meatloaf and Toothsome Signature Beef Tenderloin…to name but a few.

Brunch features such mouth-watering options as: Nutella & Banana Crepes, Apple Pie Crepes, Beef & Mushroom Crepes, Berries and Cream Waffles, Banana Foster Waffles, Chocolate Brioche S’mores French Toast and several quiches.

Jacques Specialty Milkshakes include Red Velvet, Brownie, Cookie Jar, Espresso Buzzzz, Key Lime Pie, Heavenly Hazelnut, Marshmallow Crisp, Strawberry Cheesecake, That’s Mint and Pineapple Upside Down.

Sweet Sundaes and Desserts include Brookies, Cookies & Cream, Apple Pie, Banana Cream Pie, Strawberry Shortcake, and Chocolate Brownie Bark, Chocolate Crème Brulee, Classic French Chocolate Mousse, Chocolate Potted Cream, Flourless Chocolate Gooey Cake, and Triple Chocolate Bread Pudding.

A kid’s menu and vegan Beyond Burger® options are available.

Hand-crafted libations include a Chocolate Old Fashioned, Spresso ‘tini, Cacao Nut Margarita and more are available for diners 21 years or older with valid photo ID.

Reservations can be made by visiting the website, and valet parking validation is available for diners.

More than just an eclectic restaurant, The Toothsome Chocolate Emporium & Savory Feast Kitchen features an entertaining backstory whose origins are as enticing as the food. Unlike most dining establishments, the eatery is hosted by two highly regarded steampunk ambassadors, Penelope and Jacques.

As the story goes…the love of chocolate is at the core of Penelope’s family. Penelope, an innovator at heart, created Jacques, her trusty robot and confidant, to travel and explore the world. Upon returning to her small cottage home in London, England, after an extended trip abroad, Penelope discovered that her parents ventured out on a quest to find her, leaving a simple message – “We have set out to join you in your adventures. Surely the world isn’t so big that we can’t find you. We shall look for you wherever chocolate can be found.”

Thus, Penelope knew what she had to do. Armed with the insight she had on all things chocolate, Penelope created The Toothsome Chocolate Emporium & Savory Feast Kitchen. Her mission to share her passion and love of the sweet treat with the world was also grounded in the hope that one day her parents would find her.

Spectacularly dressed in Steampunk attire, Penelope and Jacques frequent The Toothsome Chocolate Emporium & Savory Feast Kitchen to await her parents’ arrival and to share their adventures and innovations with guests.

The Toothsome Chocolate Emporium & Savory Feast Kitchen is exclusive to Universal Parks & Resorts and is one of three worldwide locations, including Universal Orlando Resort and Universal Beijing Resort. The arrival of the restaurant coincides with the 30th anniversary of Universal CityWalk and is located adjacent to the popular Universal Cinema, an AMC® theater.

More information about Universal CityWalk and Universal Studios Hollywood is available at www.UniversalStudiosHollywood.com. Regular updates can be found on Universal Studios Hollywood’s social channels Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook.

The Pathless Coming to Nintendo Switch and Xbox Platforms

The Pathless, a mythic adventure game developed by Giant Squid and published by Annapurna Interactive, will launch for Nintendo Switch, Xbox One and Xbox X|S digitally on Feb. 2, 2023.

Developed by the award-winning team behind ABZÛ and first launched in 2020, The Pathless sees players take on the role of the Hunter, a master of archery who travels to a mystical island to dispel a curse of darkness that grips the world. The Hunter must forge a connection with an eagle companion to hunt corrupted spirits, being careful to not become the hunted. Players will explore misty forests full of secrets, solve puzzles in ancient ruins and be tested in epic battles.

iam8bit and Skybound will also release a The Pathless physical retail edition for Switch, with details being revealed in the coming weeks.

To stay up to date on the latest news, please visit The Pathless.game and follow the Annapurna Interactive and the official @GiantSquidology and @A_i Twitter accounts.