The next major issue with proximity chat is that you can turn it off. The game's settings do not make it clear what that means exactly, but it probably means that those disabling the feature will not be able to hear other players outside their party, nor be heard by anyone else. If players are somehow able to talk without their comms registering on proximity chat while still hearing other players, that would be a huge advantage for players disabling the feature. There's also the possibility that some PC and Xbox players are using a third-party client such as Discord for their voice chat, which could allow them to eavesdrop without being heard themselves. Much like the third-person mode, which I haven't sampled yet, this might be a feature that warrants its own playlist rather than serving as a toggle bar in the game settings menu.

From incessant breaking news alerts to the collapse of net neutrality to a string of natural disasters, we are all very tired. Though it's worth revisiting why this was a momentous twelve months in science and tech, we'd much rather look ahead to the new year. Over the next two weeks, we'll be looking back on the year that was, and sharing our hopes and predictions for 2018. Join us as we place our bets on AI, algorithms, social media regulations, green tech, streaming services, robotics, self-driving cars and even space taxis. And, of course, since we're Engadget, you can expect to hear about the upcoming products and games we're most excited about.