This week’s “This Week in Gaming” highlights major updates, including Star Citizen’s 4.1 update featuring new gameplay mechanics and vehicles, as well as the launch of an open beta for the Star Wars Total Conversion mod for Insurgency Sandstorm. Other notable news includes the successful release of Assassin’s Creed Shadows, the upcoming content update for Path of Exile 2, and the development of the tactical FPS Prime by former DICE developers.
In this week’s episode of “This Week in Gaming,” Levelcap highlights several significant updates and announcements in the gaming world, starting with the massive 4.1 update for Star Citizen. This update introduces a new sandbox activity called “align and mine,” where players must assault a base on a planet, arm an orbital mining station, and collect rare resources tied to the game’s human cloning narrative. Additionally, the update features a new juvenile sandworm enemy, the Valikar, and two new vehicles: the Drake Golem mining ship and the Argo Atlas Geo, a mining-focused exoskeleton. Despite previous stability issues with the game, the update aims to improve performance, though it’s still uncertain how effective it will be.
Moving on, the Star Wars Total Conversion mod for Insurgency Sandstorm has launched an open beta for its latest update, which enhances maps, weapons, and character models. New content includes a map set on Coruscant, a Republic Commando character, and new weapons like the Z6 rotary gun. While players are experiencing some bugs and download issues typical of an open beta, the overall improvements have been well-received, showcasing the mod’s impressive scale and quality.
Ubisoft has had a notable week with the release of Assassin’s Creed Shadows, which has become the second best-selling title on its launch day in the franchise’s history, attracting over 3 million players. Reviews are generally positive, praising the visuals while critiquing the game’s length and story pacing. Additionally, Ubisoft announced a new subsidiary focused on developing future titles in the Assassin’s Creed, Far Cry, and Rainbow 6 franchises, with significant investment from Tencent, which now holds a substantial stake in the company.
In other gaming news, Path of Exile 2 is set to receive its first major content update, “Dawn of the Hunt,” on April 4th. This update will introduce a new class, the Huntress, alongside five new ascension classes, new endgame encounters, and over 100 new unique items, aiming to bolster the game’s endgame content. Meanwhile, Inzo, a life simulation game similar to The Sims, has launched on Steam with positive reviews, noted for its realistic graphics and a lack of aggressive monetization practices, although it remains in early access.
Lastly, the video discusses the upcoming tactical FPS Prime, which features a unique 4v4v4 gameplay format and is being developed by former DICE developers. While it has garnered attention for its innovative mechanics, the longevity of tactical shooters remains uncertain in a market where many titles have struggled post-launch. Additionally, Intel is reportedly canceling a high-end GPU designed to compete with Nvidia’s offerings, raising concerns about the future of its discrete GPU division due to past driver issues and performance concerns. Levelcap wraps up the episode by encouraging viewers to like and subscribe for more gaming content.