Deathloop releases for Xbox, Hardspace releases for PS5 and Xbox, Return to Monkey Island releases for Nintendo Switch, EA announces an Iron Man game, and a look at the Call of Duty Modern Warfare 2 multiplayer beta.

Two great games arrive on new gaming systems

A couple of really great games are going to get some new players because they’re appearing on new systems.

First is Deathloop, the repeating day shooter from Arkane, a Bethesda studio, which is now available on Xbox Series X/S (and also on Xbox Game Pass) because of Microsoft’s acquisition of the Bethesda group last year.

The game’s creative director, Dinga Bakaba, shared some tips on Twitter for new players. Chief among them: “it’s normal to be confused in the beginning”.

For anyone discovering "DEATHLOOP" for the first time today, here is a thread of tips! Very light mechanical spoilers probably.

First: just like your man Colt, it's normal to be confused in the beginning. Enjoy the journey of discovery, you'll be a master of the ♾ in no time! 1/13

— Dinga Bakaba (@DBakaba) September 20, 2022

Also arriving on Xbox Series X/S (and on Xbox Game Pass) and also PS5 is Hardspace: Shipbreaker, the space simulation game developed in Vancouver at Blackbird Interactive.

Guybrush is back, and Iron Man gets a new life

“Return to Monkey Island”: was released this week for Nintendo Switch. It’s a return to the adventure game franchise for the original creators, Ron Gilbert and Dave Grossman, who created it all some thirty years ago. The new game picks up where Monkey Island 2: LeChuck’s Revenge left off back in 1991, with pirate wannabe Guybrush Threepwood getting into all sorts of shenanigans.

On Tuesday, we learned that one of the secret projects in development at Electronic Arts’ Motive Studios is an Iron Man game.

The game, which is getting an original story, is in pre-production at Motive, which has studios in Montreal and Toronto. The early announcement is being used to recruit staff to work on the game.

Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 beta convinces one fireteam the new game is worth buying

I like Activision’s Call of Duty games, but I’ve always focused on the single-player story campaigns, largely because I don’t have a group of gamer friends who I can play with regularly to explore the multiplayer options.

So when I was offered the chance to get in on the multiplayer beta for Modern Warfare 2, I enlisted a fireteam – they call themselves Geriatrix – that’s been playing together for years. The early beta was only available on Playstation. Convenient, as that’s the system these guys play on. Some of them are still on PS4s but most have upgraded to PS5.

Their report back was that Modern Warfare 2 is definitely something they’ll be picking up.

They were most impressed with the maps, the environments in which the multiplayer episodes take place. Typical multiplayer maps provide players with three lanes to move towards the opponent, but the level design in MW2 is more varied and is a departure from previous Call of Duty games.

Character movement through the environments was also something the players appreciated. The game introduces sliding and diving actions, as well as ledge hanging. And you can take your avatar into the water, too, for stealth or as an escape.

As for the weapons, the general feeling by the players was that the guns were satisfying and responsive, but there were concerns about how weapon improvements were unlocked. This is due to a change by developer Infinity Ward in how Gunsmith works. I suspect that with a bit of practice and exposure, the players will appreciate that they can have attachments for weapon families unlocked for all subsequent pickups.

The biggest complaint was the interface. The players had difficulty navigating through the menus and options, and this is not a unique complaint.

The MW2 multiplayer experience adds two new modes this year in Prisoner Rescue, which puts two six-player teams against each other to either rescue or defend captives, and Knockout, which is kind of like keepaway.

The multiplayer beta opens up to Xbox and computer gamers this weekend.

Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 releases on October 28. Digital pre-orders will grant players access to the single-player campaign for up to a week.