The 2013 Nintendo 3DS/PlayStation Vita release, Armature Studio’s Batman: Arkham Origins Blackgate, is coming to an assortment of other platforms in a newly confirmed “Deluxe Edition” package, Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment reveals. The download-only re-release makes its way to the online storefronts of PC (via Steam), PlayStation 3, Wii U, and Xbox 360 on April 1 with a price of $19.99.
The “Deluxe Edition” package includes enhanced graphics (though it’s worth noting that the PS Vita release looked pretty spiffy), a new map, and a hint system which should help address navigation woes. Players that register their game with their Warner Bros. ID will also unlock a Zero Year Batsuit skin. In short: there’s not much here that’s new if you’ve already played the game, but it sounds like the improvements – particularly the map/hint system – will address some of the portable release’s shortcomings.
Our own Anthony Agnello enjoyed his time with the PS Vita version of Blackgate, though the game’s treatment of navigation was a big sticking point for him. You can check out a trailer for Batman: Arkham Origins Blackgate – Deluxe Edition below.
Acer’s Predator Atlas 8 finally has a US release date and price, several months after the company first showed off the handheld in May. The highlight is the Intel Arc G3 Extreme chip inside, which has been adopted by only a couple of other consoles besides the Atlas 8. This version will go on sale exclusively at Best Buy on November 1 for $1,299.99.
Acer originally said the Atlas 8 would arrive in North America in October, but left pricing open at the time. The launch came amid the ongoing DRAM crunch, which has made memory more expensive across the PC industry and complicated pricing for hardware makers.
Gaming laptops and I have a complicated relationship. One of my first gaming rigs was an Acer Predator that was already outdated when I bought it. I was a broke college kid, and that was the best I could afford. So trying out high-end gaming laptops is always fun. But ASUS' ROG Zephyrus G14 is a lot more than a laptop that can run AAA games. It is portable, so you're not lugging around a 2.5kg machine everywhere you go. It is built well, none of that plastic chassis, and can even function as a normal laptop outside of just gaming.
Google Play is borrowing one of the Nintendo Switch’s most useful little tricks. A new Sidekick tool called Playbacks captures a short clip after something interesting has already happened, sparing players from running a screen recorder throughout an entire game.
Playbacks is part of Google Play Store v53.8 and keeps saved clips on the phone. Google first announced it earlier this month, but the new Play Store update marks its arrival for players. Anyone who has watched a perfect win vanish because the record button came too late already understands the appeal.