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Still, early gameplay details have emerged from fans sharing details of the game's FAQ pages and, as expected, it sounds like much more of a passive outdoor experience than Pokémon Go.
Walking generates Step Energy, which allows you to grow Pikmin from seedlings. You can then name them and feed them nectar to make them bloom with different coloured flowers.
Exploring with Pikmin will let you find fruit, which turns into nectar. It'll also let flowered Pikmin leave trails of petals behind - which in turn encourages more seedlings to sprout.
In other words, it sounds like the more you walk around your local area, the more you'll encourage more Pikmin to grow. You'll also be able to send Pikmin out on expeditions to gather seedlings from places you've walked already.
Nintendo's promotional artwork shows Pikmin following your footsteps.
Selecting to display flower trails with others will optionally allow you to show the routes you've walked for the past five days, along with your Mii-like avatar and Pikmin.
All seven major species of Pikmin including in Nintendo's series to date are expected to appear: Red, Blue, Yellow, Purple, White, Rock and Winged. Costumed "Decor" versions of Pikmin will also appear in certain areas.
John Hanke, boss of Pokémon Go developer Niantic, has issued a tease showing a pair of Google Glass-style spectacles.
The glasses have been customised with the Niantic logo, while Hanke's Twitter post states that the specs are being made to interact with games on Niantic's AR platform.
Exciting to see the progress we?re making to enable new kinds of devices that leverage our platform... pic.twitter.com/yYglk4q89G
That tech demo was branded "proof-of-concept" and "not for consumer use", but seemed to let you play with Pokémon in a similar manner to Pokémon Go's current buddy system.
Like HoloLens, Niantic's transparent Glass-style spectacles would presumably let you view creatures directly overlaid on your environment.
Elsewhere, Niantic recently announced a partnership with Nintendo to work on other new AR experiences - the first of which will be a Pikmin app.
We’re expecting to see the Samsung Galaxy S21 FE later in the year, but so far most rumors have focused simply on its existence and possible release timing. Now, though, we know a bit more about the possible design and specs.
We don’t know any other details about the camera, but we were reasonably impressed by the Galaxy S20 FE’s selfie camera in our review, so if it’s the same sensor then it will probably be similarly good here.
Going green
GalaxyClub also claims that the Samsung Galaxy S21 FE will be available in a light green shade, alongside previously rumored white, gray, purple, and pink options.
While GalaxyClub has a reasonable track record for Samsung leaks, we’d still take all of this with a pinch of salt, especially as the Samsung Galaxy S21 FE is likely still a long way off. But with no conflicting information we equally have no real reason to doubt any of this.
We’ll probably find out the specs in full in August, as that’s currently rumored to be when the Galaxy S21 FE will land, but ahead of that we’d expect there to be loads more leaks and rumors, and TechRadar will report on all the credible ones, so stay tuned for updates.
Call of Duty: Warzone gets a mid-season update this week that reduces the overall install footprint of the game - but it comes only after an enormous download.
Season Two Reloaded creates a lower, optimised file size across Warzone. If you own the full version of Modern Warfare and Warzone, or if you own the free-to-play Warzone on its own, you'll see the overall file size footprint reduced, Activision said.
"Enhancements to the overall content management system have been made possible through data optimisation and streamlining content packs needed for individual game modes," Activision said.
This reduced file size will come after "a larger than usual, one-time update" for Season Two Reloaded, Activision warned. This update includes these optimisations and is necessary to reduce the overall footprint, the company insisted. Hopefully it'll be worth it though - Activision said future patch sizes for Modern Warfare and Warzone are expected to be smaller than the one released this week.
"Along with the ability to remove individual modes that are no longer played, owners of the full Modern Warfare experience will see more space freed on their platform of choice," Activision said.
"However, those who want to continue playing Campaign, Multiplayer, and/or Special Ops will need to reinstall the optimised Content Packs, which will be released alongside and shortly after the Season Two Reloaded update."
Following the update, the Warzone file size will be reduced by between 10.9GB and 14.2GB, and the Modern Warfare/Warzone file size will be reduced by between 30.6GB and 33.6GB, depending on your platform.
Here's the breakdown of the reduction in file size:
PlayStation 5: 10.9GB (Warzone only) / 30.6GB (Warzone and Modern Warfare)
PlayStation 4: 10.9GB (Warzone only) / 30.6GB (Warzone and Modern Warfare)
Xbox Series X / Xbox Series S: 14.2GB (Warzone only) / 33.6GB (Warzone and Modern Warfare)
Xbox One: 14.2GB (Warzone only) / 33.6GB (Warzone and Modern Warfare)
PC: 11.8GB (Warzone only) / 30.6GB (Warzone and Modern Warfare)
Yes, annoyingly if you just want to play Modern Warfare you still have to have Warzone installed. In October, Infinity Ward production director Paul Haile said Warzone cannot be uninstalled from Modern Warfare because "that's where all the shared data is stored for weapons/operators/etc. that are needed for all modes. The only Warzone specific data that gets pulled along is the map and it's not that much data compared to all the weapons and operators".
"In other words: you would not save much space at all by uninstalling Warzone but still needing all the data for MP."
On to the dreaded Season Two Reloaded update file sizes. Brace yourself: these are massive!
The Season Two Reloaded update will have a download size of approximately 7.4 - 14.18GB for owners of the full version of Black Ops Cold War, and 52.0 - 57.8GB for owners of the free-to-play Warzone, who are up-to-date with the latest updates on either (or both) games.
Activision reiterated the Warzone download is a larger file size due to the optimisation of data, but weighing in at nearly 60GB is pretty extreme.
Here's the breakdown:
Black Ops Cold War update sizes:
PlayStation 5: 12.2GB
PlayStation 4: 7.4GB
Xbox Series X / Xbox Series S: 14.18GB
Xbox One: 9.13GB
PC: 8.1GB
Warzone update sizes:
PlayStation 5: 52.0GB
PlayStation 4: 52.0GB
Xbox Series X / Xbox Series S: 57.8GB
Xbox One: 57.8GB
PC: 52.4GB (Warzone Only) / 133.6GB (Warzone and Modern Warfare)
You read that right - the Warzone and Modern Warfare update is 133.6GB. Sorry, Modern Warfare players - you're in for a long night.
Narita Boy is a side-scrolling, 80s VCR-soaked pixel adventure. You play as the titular Narita Boy, a chosen hero of sorts who's tasked with saving a digital dimension from its all-powerful creator. There's a lot more story here than you might think — most of it told through lengthy dialogue boxes — but the gist of it is that you're on a rather epic quest, and you'll be kicking a lot of arse.
Narita Boy is mostly comprised of combat, platforming, and some light puzzle solving. It's not really a Metroidvania — there's no branching map — but there is quite a bit of backtracking as you find keys that unlock previously inaccessible locations. It's a linear journey, and the game keeps track of your current objective, but with no markers and no map, you can quite easily lose your bearings. It's not necessarily a problem — the way forward is usually a lot more obvious than it appears — but it does mean that you have to pay constant attention to your surroundings.
Fortunately, the world of Narita Boy is wonderful. The 80s VCR aesthetic certainly isn't original, but the game pulls it off extremely well. Again, this is a digital realm; its denizens are mostly mechanical beings with screens for faces, and their land is filled with discarded data given physical form. It's a world packed with detail and brilliantly bizarre sights. It's consistently, impressively creative — and it's another prime example of what can be achieved with relatively simple pixel art.
That creativity also bleeds into the combat. Encounters with enemy programs punctuate the entire release, and the good news is that Narita Boy feels great to control during these action-based battles. You steadily unlock a range of combat abilities, from a standard evasive dash to specialised super moves, and everything serves a purpose. As you'd expect, the complexity of these encounters gradually increases as more dangerous enemy types are introduced, but the difficulty curve is masterful. What's more, boss battles are usually a joy.
It's a shame, though, that the platforming isn't quite as enjoyable as the sword-swinging action. The nature of Narita Boy's slip and slide movement lends itself well to combat, but when it comes to precision platforming, he's a bit unwieldy. Thankfully, there are only a handful of truly challenging navigation sequences throughout the game, and even then, Narita Boy is reasonably forgiving. Losing all of your life simply places you at the start of the screen, or at the last checkpoint (which are plentiful).
If it isn't already clear, Narita Boy is a great indie adventure. It's got satisfyingly slick gameplay, and the visuals are a delight. But perhaps the true star of the show is the stellar electronic soundtrack. Whether it's twinkling ambient tunes or booming synth chords, the music is superb.
Xiaomi has announced its latest flagship, the Mi 11 Ultra. It’s based on the excellent new Mi 11, but has a more advanced camera system — including a second screen housed inside the camera bump.
The Mi 11 Ultra has three cameras on the back: a 1/1.12-inch 50-megapixel main sensor, a 48-megapixel ultrawide, and a 48-megapixel 5x periscope telephoto. Those sensors should be upgrades across the board when compared to the regular Mi 11, which had a smaller 108-megapixel main sensor, a 13-megapixel ultrawide, and a 5-megapixel macro camera.
The camera bump dominates the top portion of the Mi 11 Ultra, and its secondary screen is the reason why. It’s a 1.1-inch 126 x 294 OLED display with a peak brightness of 450 nits and a power-saving mode. Xiaomi says it can be used as a selfie viewfinder, an always-on display, or a way to check notification alerts when the phone is face-down.
The specs are otherwise similar to the regular Mi 11. There’s a 6.8-inch 120Hz 1440p OLED display, a Qualcomm Snapdragon 888 processor, 12GB of RAM, and 256GB of storage. The battery has been boosted to 5,000mAh and is now capable of being fast-charged at 67W both wirelessly and with a cable.
Xiaomi is also launching a cut-down version of the Mi 11 called the Mi 11 Lite 5G. It looks similar to the regular Mi 11 but it’s more of a mid-range device. It’s the first phone to launch with the new Snapdragon 780 processor that Qualcomm announced last week, for example. The emphasis is on its slim and light design — it’s just 6.81mm thick.
Elsewhere you’ll find a 6.55-inch 1080p 90Hz OLED display, which is smaller, slower, and lower-resolution than that of the Mi 11. The triple-camera system includes a 64-megapixel primary sensor, an 8-megapixel ultrawide, and a 5-megapixel macro. The battery is also a little smaller at 4,250mAh, though you do at least get a headphone jack with the Mi 11 Lite, unlike the Mi 11.
Xiaomi hasn’t provided pricing or release details for the Mi 11 Ultra and the Mi 11 Lite just yet — stay tuned.
A PlayStation 5 version of Wreckfest will launch on 1st June, publisher THQ Nordic has announced.
It'll be priced £34.99/$39.99/€39.99, or existing PS4 owners can upgrade for $10/€10/£TBA. Oddly there's no word on an Xbox Series X/S version with these same features (though there is a free patch available to bump up its frame-rate).
Multiplayer has been bumped up to 24 players, while the game runs "with a wonderful 4K resolution at a smooth 60 frames per second".
Back in 2019, Eurogamer petrolhead Martin noted that the PS4 version had "excruicatingly long" loading times and a frame-rate "well short of 60fps", though he still recommended the game overall.
Other improvements include dynamic dirt on vehicles, new visual effects for skidmarks, increased foliage, godrays, and improvements to lighting, particle effects and shadows.
"The creators of Flatout channel a little of the classic Destruction Derby as this brilliantly destructive racer emerges from Early Access," Martin wrote in our 2019 review. "Wreckfest is, quite simply, the best Flatout game to date."
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