Contest: Win Old School Musical on Switch from Super Rare Games
In today's contest you can win a physical Switch copy of Old School Musical from Super Rare Games!
Super Rare Games is back at it! This week, their mission to put digital Switch games on physical carts brings them to Old School Musical. And you know what that means -- you can win a copy for yourself!
Splinter Cell is back as a Netflix anime
That headline is a rollercoaster of emotions. Fans have been waiting for more Splinter Cell for years, and Ubisoft just simply refuses to announce that a new one is in the works. Instead, the diehards will have to settle for a Netflix-exclusive show.
Splinter Cell is getting an anime adaption on Netflix, as it becomes the latest video game series to get an animated show. John Wick writer Derek Kolstad is attached as writer and executive producer. It's reported that Netflix has already greenlit 16 episodes over two seasons.
Maybe this will remind Ubisoft that Splinter Cell exists outside of Ghost Recon crossover events.
'Splinter Cell' Anime Series From 'John Wick' Writer Derek Kolstad Set at Netflix (Exclusive) [Variety]
The Epic Games Store has three free games to claim this week
It's one thing to pile up a PC gaming backlog with a new game or two every week, but three at once? And with no end in sight? I'm curious to see what the Epic Games Store will look like in five years.
For the time being, if you're in the habit of claiming these free games, let's keep on rolling.
The Mega Man X-inspired roguelike platformer 20XX, the first-person co-op roguelike RPG Barony, and the unmistakable audiovisual adventure Superbrothers: Sword & Sworcery EP are free until August 6, 2020. Barony eludes me, but 20XX feels spot-on as an action game and Sword & Sworcery is essential.
Next week's freebie is one of my favorites of 2019 – and one of my favorite co-op games ever. Wilmot's Warehouse, a game about organization, will be free from August 6-13. It's way too under the radar.
Metal Gear Solid V's Cold War finally ended (and then some players immediately built more nukes)
Hideo Kojima built a nearly impossible global win condition of sorts into Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain: Achieve nuclear armistice by every single player getting rid of their nukes. It's a cute thought, but there's no way everyone would band together for the greater good.
PlayStation 3 managed this monumental feat. Every nuke on PS3 was disarmed. There was likely a dedicated group of anti-nuke activists launching incursions on other players' Mother Bases, slowly chipping away at the WMD count. And, because PS3 surely has a tiny user base at this point, those raids were probably mostly against inactive players. Regardless, Kojima's dream came true.
Here's the cutscene that triggered when the Cold War finally ended:
The King of Fighters: Awaken is a new CG movie based on the Orochi saga
SNK has announced a new CG movie based on its iconic fighting franchise, The King of Fighters. The King of Fighters: Awaken is currently is a full-length feature currently in production at Joy Pictures. It is expected to premiere in China in 2022.
A short trailer, available courtesy of YouTuber Banden, sees hero Kyo Kusanagi facing off against King of Fighters '96 intolerable boss character Goenitz. The megalomaniacal priest is seen at an isolated temple, awaiting the release of the demon Orochi from its "Yata Mirror" prison. Young Kyo makes a brave effort to stop this cataclysmic event, but is last seen engulfed in flames.
Meanwhile, in some unnamed city, Iori Yagami is feeding a stray cat, (a nice nod to a classic piece of Shinkiro art from yesteryear), when a young boy informs him of Kyo's fate. With the purple flames of Yasakani burning inside his heart, and Orochi blood pumping through his veins, Iori prepares to face his destiny.
I am, admittedly, a sucker for unique art styles. Sure, I enjoy lush graphics, beautiful pixel art, or stylish cel-shading, but they don't grab my attention in the same way as something that forges a path in a different direction. I get excited around the styles that Bernband, Burrito Galaxy, or even the simple papercraft worlds of Brendan Chung's Citizen Abel games pull off. Heck, I'll admit to being fascinated by Paper Mario.
That's what drew me into Hotel Sowls. I was instantly charmed by its blobby, lo-fi art style. It's something I haven't really seen before in a video game. It seems to wear its personality on its sleeve. That's only the start, though. Now it's time to get it up on the autopsy table, peel back its skin, and see if there's any of that personality seeped into the meat itself.
Nioh 2: The Tengu's Disciple is out today along with a free update
From one samurai game to the next. Nioh 2's first DLC, The Tengu's Disciple, is out today on PS4.
If you're downloading the standalone version of The Tengu's Disciple – I wouldn't bother! – it's $9.99. If you go for the Nioh 2 Season Pass, which bundles all three DLC packs, you're looking at $19.99. This first story is set in the coastal region of Yashima during "the final years of the Heian period."
You'll need to have cleared the main campaign to get started.
The trailer shows some of the new yokai, including a boss, and the Ninja Gaiden-as-hell Splitstaff weapon. The Tengu's Disciple has "over 10 challenging missions across three distinct new stages."
Team Ninja also shared the patch notes for update 1.11. Apart from new Ninja and Onmyo Magic skills and character-creator options, the big addition is the Demon Parade Picture Scroll. These items drop on Dream of the Strong difficulty and above, and they'll give you special mini-missions to play from the left side of the map screen. If you clear a Picture Scroll mission, you can equip the scroll for stat bonuses.
The update also raised the inventory capacity from 500 to 600 items and re-tuned the difficulty in multiplayer. "The health and power of enemies will increase when there is a summoned Visitor present."
Dream of the Demon difficulty is calling my name, as is the new level cap of 400.
Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice GOTY edition announced for Japan
FromSoftware continues to push out news regarding Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice. Following on from yesterday's announcement that the shinobi adventure had shifted an impressive five million units since launch, the developer has now revealed a special "Game of the Year" edition, set for release in Japan October 29.
A subtle affair, the Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice GOTY simply consists of a PS4 copy of the game itself - housed in exclusive new packaging - along with a guidebook detailing top-tier combat techniques, boss strategies, and other secrets. This edition will, of course, include the upcoming "Additional Features" patch, which adds new modes, features and skins.
Cyberpunk 2077 beta? Nah, that's just a phishing scam
Just give it a once-over with your cybernetic eye implant and you'll quickly see through this scheme. Oh, you don't have any DNA-infused hardware? You might need a blog post to help you sniff this one out.
There are Cyberpunk 2077 emails going around where recipients can sign up for beta access. There's one big glaring problem: Cyberpunk 2077 isn't getting a beta. These emails are a phishing scam and you shouldn't click any of the links.
All of my favorite survival games tend to have an unspeakable horror to keep me on my toes, and Grounded – a shrunken-down solo/co-op adventure from RPG powerhouse Obsidian – is no exception.
Even if you're the kind of person who refuses to squish spiders and goes out of their way to carefully capture and release them outdoors, you aren't ready for these towering eight-legged freaks.
Some of them hide in creepy tunnels. Others prowl in the open, bending tree-sized blades of grass off in the distance. They scurry. They can take you out in just a strike or two. And they must be stopped.
Obsidian included an Arachnophobia Safe Mode for a reason.
Paint the town red in Vampire: The Masquerade: Shadows of New York
Draw Distance has released a debut trailer for its upcoming Vampire: The Masquerade visual novel Shadows of New York. Headed to PC and consoles later this year, the gothic horror adventure is a standalone sequel to last year's tale, Coteries of New York.
Set in an alternate universe Big Apple, Shadows of New York is the story of a young woman, outcast from her Lasombra clan, who ekes out a glum existence of chain-smoking woe. But when murder comes to the upper echelon of the Anarch - lighting a fuse that could instigate another inter-clan war - it is our gal who is called upon to get to bottom of this mystery, unveil the culprits, and hopefully not fall prey to the perpetrators themselves.
Nintendo warned us that things would be getting more low key later this year due to distribution and development issues due to the current global situation: and today is one of those days.
There isn't much that's new on the eShop this week, outside of Lost Wing and Skully, as well as the games listed below. Your wallets can rest easy! The other big addition this week is the Animal Crossing: New Horizons update, which you can read the patch notes for here.
It's good to have chill weeks like this!
Stardew Valley is taking pre-orders for a Nintendo Switch and PC physical edition
You might love Stardew Valley enough to own multiple copies of the game, but what about a physical copy? It's a frequent request, and the time has come. Creator Eric Barone partnered with Fangamer for a Collector's Edition release of Stardew Valley on Nintendo Switch and PC. It is, in a word, adorable.
I'm really pleased to announce a physical version of Stardew Valley for Switch & PC! This is in collaboration with @Fangamer and there is both a standard edition and a collector's edition w/ bonus goodies. Pre-orders are now available: https://t.co/u0Cp2PAyms pic.twitter.com/VbqK7Koylh
— ConcernedApe (@ConcernedApe) July 30, 2020
Stardew's Standard Edition is $29 on PC and $34 on Nintendo Switch – it comes with an 18-page manual and double-sided cover – while the Collector's Edition is $64 on PC and $69 on Switch.
In the latter case, the extra money goes toward a collector's box, a wooden animal standee, a wooden lapel pin, a 14-page Junimo comic, a cleaning cloth (my favorite piece), and a literal deed to your farm.
As for which version of the game is included, "physical copies of Stardew Valley for Switch and PC (as a DRM-free disc with Steam key) contain Version 1.4, with free updates available for download as they're released." We're waiting on update 1.5, which doesn't have a time frame, but it's "coming along steadily."
Fangamer is currently taking pre-orders ahead of an expected ship date of November 6, 2020.
Stardew Valley Collector's Edition [Fangamer]
Onion Games' anti-RPG Moon will release outside Japan for the first time ever next month
Last year, fans of quirky RPGs and quirkier Japanese developers were given a great surprise when it was announced Moon: Remix RPG Adventure would be ported to the Switch. The game, described as an anti-RPG where you realize the hero of the quest ain't exactly heroic, originally released for the PlayStation in Japan as one of three titles developed by short-lived studio Love-de-Lic.
English fan translations have started and stalled in the past two decades, which is why it was such great news that Onion Games, a studio run by one of the writers and designers of Moon: Remix RPG Adventure, said it was not only bringing the game to Switch, but also releasing it for the first time overseas. There have been some delays as the translation took longer than expected, but Onion Games announced today the game, now known as Moon, will hit the Nintendo eShop worldwide next month.
Bloodstained: Curse of the Moon 2 just got a new mode and some bug fixes
I'm enjoying Bloodstained: Curse of the Moon 2 way more than I thought I would: mostly because of the extra modes and chapters that change the approach of each playthrough. That list of ways to play just got a little longer today thanks to patch 1.3.0.
By way of a new trailer on the official Inti Creates YouTube account, we now know exactly what "legend" mode entails. In short, enemies will spawn off the screen and "one character dying counts as all characters dying." It's sort of an ultra-hard mode that is more akin to the old school platforming style of difficulty: where you can't rely on your party system to survive.
According to the developer "various minor bugs" have also been rectified, as well as a display bug issue. They also confirm that legend mode is available at the start once you download the update: you don't need to have finished the game first. Hopefully we get more little patches like these! I'd love to see this platformer get even more replayable over time.
Steam update prevents users from purchasing games through VPNs
A new update to PC gaming platform Steam aims to block users from purchasing games from regions other than their own, an exploit sometimes used in order to pick up titles for lower prices than they perhaps retail for within their home territory.
As noted on the Steam Database Twitter, (an unofficial account that tracks incoming changes to the Valve platform), the new update will require a user to purchase items with an account registered in the user's country of origin. So, for example, an account/payment method registered in the UK will not be able to purchase games from the Brazilian Steam store, and vice versa. Previously users had circumvented this with the use of VPNs, but it seems that this method will no longer be effective.
As noted by this ResetEra thread, users picking up games from outside of their own country can rapidly drive up the price of said title. Countries such as Argentina, Turkey, and Colombia can see price increases of over 100-300% once publishers became away that sales were spiking. It appears that the recent PC port of Horizon Zero Dawn has led to Valve's zero tolerance approach. As reported by VG 247, Guerilla Games' sci-fi adventure recently had a price hike of almost 400% in Argentina, after users were made aware of its low cost and purchased the title via VPN en masse.
Steam users who relocate to a new country, or intend to live abroad for an extended period of time, will have the option to change their store region once they have completed a sale within the borders of the new region.
Valve attempts to block regional pricing VPN exploit on Steam [GamesIndustry.biz]
Here are the patch notes for the new summer Animal Crossing: New Horizons update
The time has finally come for Animal Crossing: New Horizons' latest update.
Although I often find myself twiddling my thumbs with this game for long periods of time, updates usually provide at least a week of fun: patch 1.4.0 is no exception. This time the second summer update has added a fireworks show, which will be a seasonal event along with various new seasonal items.
Thankfully, Nintendo has addressed a huge issue within the content creation community: the camera. While folks were using a glitch to eliminate the HUD to craft more interesting Animal Crossing videos, Nintendo was keen to patch it out these past few months. Now, they've seemingly relented with an official option: if you press in the right stick you can eliminate the guide on the UI.
You'll also be able to go to sleep and meet Luna, which allows you to "upload a dream of your island to the internet." Read: this is essentially that long-awaited backup system on top of the added dream island functionality. You just need to be a Switch Online member, and according to Nintendo: "Save data cannot be restored at a customer's discretionary timing. If your system is broken, you must contact Nintendo Support to start a repair request. If you have lost your system, you must contact Nintendo Support."
You cannot, however, transfer to a different system. That featured is "planned within 2020."
Animal Crossing: New Horizons [Nintendo]
Bulletstorm's People Can Fly developing new action title for PS5, Xbox Series X
People Can Fly, the developer behind ultra-ballistic shooter Bulletstorm, has revealed that it is already at work on a brand new AAA title for PC and next-gen platforms PS5 and Xbox Series X.
The "highly ambitious, groundbreaking action-adventure" will be developed in the Polish developer's New York studio, with assistance from its sister studios in Warsaw, Rzeszow, and Newcastle. More staff are to be hired to further facilitate production of the new title, under the guidance of studio head David Grijns and creative director Roland Lesterlin. If that wasn't enough, then People Can Fly also intends to open another studio in Montreal within the next 12-18 months. All hands on deck, it would seem.
While there are no details pertaining to the mystery title's genre or plot, the developer's press release is abuzz with excitement. "It's rare to ever get the chance to work on an original AAA game in today's world, never mind being part of the origination process," said Lesterlin. "We're looking for brilliant and curious people to help us shape the vision of this incredible new world we're building."
People Can Fly, formerly Epic Games Poland, were brought to the forefront of the industry due to its work on high-energy shooters such as Painkiller and the Gears of War series, before making a standout name for itself with Bulletstorm. It is currently working on another shooter, Outriders, for Square Enix, which is expected to launch later in 2020.
SNK is adding more free classics to Twitch Prime today
[Update: The SNK games are now live here, alongside of a new Doom Eternal skin.]
As we shared back at the start of June, Twitch Prime is partnering with SNK to give Prime members free stuff.
Seven games (mostly fighters) were dumped on the service last month, but now Twitch is ready to deliver seven more as of today. Those games are Metal Slug 2, SNK 40th Anniversary Collection, Shock Troopers: 2nd Squad, Baseball Stars 2, Sengoku 3, Ironclad and King of the Monsters. This time around SNK is going hard with beat 'em ups and shoot 'em ups.
It's kind of a trick though: in a good way! One of those seven games (SNK 40th Anniversary Collection) is actually a bundle of 24 other games: sneaky! That one includes titles such as Beat Busters, Baseball Stars and Ozma Wars.
You can find the full list below for the second collection, as well as the first run, which is still live on Twitch Prime. As a reminder, you can claim them here.
Samurai Shodown will welcome Honor of Kings' Gongsun Li as free DLC next week
SNK has released a trailer for the next character headed to its human-chess fighting title Samurai Shodown. Hailing from Tencent mobile title Honor of Kings, the lovely Gongsun Li will be added to the roster, free of charge, on August 5.
The cheerful bunny gal steps outside of her MOBA comfort zone - where she is typically utilsed as a "Marksman" character to get up close and personal with Haohmaru, Galford, Darli and the rest of the Samurai Shodown crew. The trailer depicts a fighting style based around her attractive parasol, as well as a range of sweeping, open-handed strikes.
Contest: Win Lost Wing for Switch, PS4, Xbox One, or Steam
In today's contest you can win a copy of Lost Wing for Switch, PS4, Xbox One, or Steam!
Nothing speaks to me like neon-soaked visuals mixed with cool electronic music. Give me all the neon purples, pinks, and blues you can throw at me, and I'm in visual heaven. I'm pretty easy to please.
Lost Wing does a great job of scratching that neon itch! Win yourself a copy so you can actually play it instead of just gawking, like me.
Disgaea 4 Complete+ is up next for Steam this fall
The desert-island tactical RPG series Disgaea is still making the rounds with Disgaea 4 Complete+. After the recent PS4 and Nintendo Switch versions last year, it's time for PC players to revolt too.
NIS is launching the PC version of Disgaea 4 Complete+ this fall on Steam and Xbox Game Pass for PC.
In a blog post, NIS also spoke about several "upcoming" features like a map editor with upload support in "early 2021," player-customized pirate crews that can "show up in the Item World to either attack or support the player that encounters them," Netherbattle tournaments, and themed Ranking Battles.
Are more enhanced ports on the way? Will I play the Prinny remaster? What's up with Disgaea 6?
Probably. Probably. And who knows.
The new Who Wants to be a Millionaire? game has a 100-player mode
Does anyone else have an irrational fear of appearing on a show like Who Wants to be a Millionaire? and blowing it on a basic freebie trivia question that was specifically designed to be a no-brainer?
I will never, under any circumstances, be in that situation – but the what-if unsettles me on a far-too-regular basis. I like game shows, I like video games based on game shows, but I would never be on one.
All that said – and I've said too much – I am down for a Who Wants to be a Millionaire? video game in 2020 with an online mode "where up to 100 players can compete simultaneously." It's coming to Nintendo Switch, PC, PS4, and Xbox One from developer Appeal Studios and publisher Microids.
Apart from the large-scale mode that reminds me how much I miss 1 vs. 100 to this day, there's also local multiplayer with co-op (where players have to reach a consensus) and free-for-all (where wrong answers knock players out), plus a single-player mode designed "especially for kids."
Who Wants to be a Millionaire? will launch on October 29 in Europe and November 17 in the US, but I'll likely hold out for a bargain-bin discount. For what it's worth, the box promises "over 3,000 questions."
Microids [Twitter]
Great, now I hate the Lens of Truth
You want the truth? You can't handle the truth! Or, at a bare minimum, you're not going to like the truth.
The Lens of Truth -- the all-seeing, illusion-breaking, magical item from Zelda: Ocarina of Time and Majora's Mask -- has lips. Why. This creepy little adornment is impossible to unsee. You've seen the truth and now you forever carry that burden.
Clubhouse Games got an update for bug fixes and online multiplayer stability
Super Mario Party felt like a missed opportunity to anyone who hoped for even a smidgen of DLC, and I can't shake the feeling that my beloved Clubhouse Games: 51 Worldwide Classics will probably have a similar fate. Outside of a launch-day update in early June, we haven't seen any movement.
I briefly got my hopes up this week when an update – version 1.1.2 – started downloading. I should've known better. It's not a precursor to new games, and it doesn't add any quality-of-life features that folks have been asking for like expanded local multiplayer support for groups and Pro Controllers.
Instead, the July 28 update mainly deals with bug fixes (in Ludo, Mahjong, Renegade, and Texas Hold'em, among others) and strives to improve the "stability of synchronous communication when playing online." The latter point is noteworthy, though – online play can be super shaky. It needs work.
The update also "raised the maximum Play Count for each game from 99 to 999." I've definitely played more than a hundred rounds of Renegade in a misguided attempt to beat the Impossible AI. Stop me.
I'd gladly pay for more Clubhouse, but if it never materializes, I'll still pop back in from time to time.
How to Update Clubhouse Games: 51 Worldwide Classics [Nintendo]
Let's Sing Queen is the Beatles: Rock Band of karaoke games
Me, to anyone who tries to silence my off-key wailings that pitifully approximate Freddie Mercury's cherubic voice: Don't stop me now.
There's a Queen-themed Let's Sing game headed to consoles this fall. Let's Sing Queen is a collection of 30 classic Queen songs assembled together for your at-home karaoke needs. Like other Let's Sing games, this edition supports USB mics but most people will find it most convenient to sing through their phones via a dedicated Let's Sing app.
The full track list hasn't been revealed, but here's what has been called out in the press release and shown via screenshots:
Sea of Thieves lets you melt faces by spitting fire out of a dead face
The next Sea of Thieves update belongs on the cover of the cheesiest '80s metal album. Get ready to melt some faces -- not through the sickest of guitar riffs but through actual hot hot heat.
The Ashen Winds update is live and it introduces a new enemy type called the Ashen Lords. They're a fiery bunch -- literally. Their presence is marked by a firenado. They're capable of turning their faces into flamethrowers. They summon meteor storms. Thematically, you get the idea.
There's a badass payoff for dealing with the sweaty temperature change. Ashen Lords will drop the Ashen Winds skull which is straight-up a skull the spits fire. It's a great way stop another buccaneer dead in their tracks. It's an even better way of setting another crew's all-wood ship aflame. Wood, as I understand it, is extremely flammable.
It's not a permanent accessory, though. They burn hot and flame out quick. The Order of Souls will buy skulls from you, but they're willing to pay a lot less if you've used up all the firepower. An empty propane tank is a worthless propane tank.
Here are the full patch notes for the Sea of Thieves Ashen Winds update.
Asterix & Obelix Romastered announced for PC and consoles
Publisher Microids has announced a remastered edition of action-adventure title Asterix & Obelix XXL, adapted from René Goscinny's classic French comic. The remaster, or "romaster" is in development at Osome Studio for PC and consoles.
Originally released in 2003 on PS2, Asterix and Obelix XXL sees the Gaulish warriors defend their village from the might of The Roman Empire, exploring the environment, solving puzzles, and uppercutting Roman soldiers into the sun. Asterix & Obelix XXL would eventually be ported to PC and GameCube, and was followed by two sequels in later years.
Asterix & Obelix XXL Romastered will feature overhauled visuals, reworked animations, new game modes, an improved camera and control system, as well as the option to switch to the classic aesthetics if you want to relive that early '00s lifestyle. Microids is yet to offer video of the game in action, but has noted an October 22 launch date, so shine your knuckles.
Asterix & Obelix XXL Romastered launches October 22 on PS4, PC, Xbox One and Nintendo Switch.
Asterix & Obelix XXL Romastered announced [Gematsu]
Mortal Kombat 11 summer skin pack includes Baraka wearing sausages
NetherRealm Studios has finally revealed the first of its promised DLC skin packs, which will be winging their way to owners of Mortal Kombat 11 expansion pack Aftermath.
The Summer Heat Skin Pack - launching August 6 - includes a barbecue outfit for Baraka, which outfits the Tarkatan warlord in a chef's hat, apron, and a link of sausages. Also bundled is a lovely summer outfit for Kitana, which features an ornate robe, mask and hat, and a gaudy Stars and Stripes suit for gunslinger Erron Black. In addition, a new skin for Johnny Cage, which outfits the superstar in an all-gold ensemble, is available right now.
The August beta for Marvel's Avengers has 20 missions and four main heroes
I'm at the point with Marvel's Avengers where no amount of footage or new info – not even the introduction of Hawkeye as the first free post-launch hero – will raise or lower my interest in the game. I kind of just need to play it, get a feel for the combat and character variety, and go from there.
That said, today's War Table stream was our most convincing look yet at Avengers.
Crystal Dynamics shared an overview of next month's beta, and it sounds surprisingly generous. There's a lot of content – enough that it took a nearly 10-minute recap video to cover every beat. In short, the Avengers beta will have "20 co-op/single-player missions" and "four heroes that give a sample of customizations, outfits, and upgrades." They are: Iron Man, Hulk, Kamala, and Black Widow.
Some of these beta missions are story-centric – including the now-beat-into-the-ground Golden Gate Bridge sequence, and a trip to the Pacific Northwest to find JARVIS and fight Abomination – and others are essentially gear-grinding challenge rooms. My favorite bit? The idea of rolling into War Zone missions with a squad of decked-out AI-controlled characters rather than teaming up with players.
As for beta progression, characters have access to their "starting Skill page," unlocks will carry from one beta session to the next, and you'll be able to rank up to Hero Level 15 and Power Level 45.
The important beta dates:
August 7 – PlayStation Advantage Pre-order Beta: As part of our PlayStation Advantage, those of you who have pre-ordered Marvel's Avengers will be the first in the world to get your hands on Earth's Mightiest Heroes the weekend of August 7-9. Pre-load: August 6.
August 14 – Open Beta: The second Beta weekend will be open to the entire PS4 community as part of our PlayStation Advantage partnership. [As well as Xbox One and PC pre-order players.] Pre-load: August 13.
August 21 – Open Beta: Same as the above – our final weekend is also an Open Beta for all PlayStation players [and all Xbox One and PC players]. Pre-load: August 20.
I'm convinced that a bunch of Marvel fans are going to show up for this game and have a good enough time with it at launch, but as far as timely, robust, sustainable long-term content updates? That's where things can get dicey even with the best intentions. This isn't our first live-service-game rodeo.
Worth noting: "the 'Reassemble' campaign follows Kamala Khan reuniting the Avengers and taking on the current AIM threat led by MODOK. Following that, players will enter the ever-present Avengers Initiative. Through the renovated helicarrier, you'll expand your team to protect Earth from an array of threats, and in doing so, gain access to new heroes, new missions, and new regions [post-launch]."
We'll have a much better grasp of Marvel's Avengers once the beta rolls out, that's for sure.
Marvel's Avengers War Table brings Beta breakdown & Hawkeye reveal [PlayStation Blog]
The next game from the Ori team won't be published by Xbox
Most people figured it's just a matter of time until Microsoft acquires Moon Studios and adds it to the ever-growing stable of Xbox developers. Ori and the Blind Forest and Ori and the Will of the Wisps are two of the best Xbox-published games this console generation, making Moon Studios a prime candidate to join the fold permanently. Not so fast.
Take-Two Interactive-owned publishing label Private Division has announced that it signed Moon Studios to a publishing agreement. The extent of the deal wasn't disclosed, but it presumably involves at least one new game. As Metro points out, Microsoft owns the Ori property which means that Moon will probably have to stray from its beloved woodlands critter if this game is multi-platform.
Private Division's wheeling and dealing isn't confined to one team. It's also publishing OlliOlli developer Roll7's next game. Roll7 had a three-game stretch where Devolver published its stuff, followed by a one-off with 505 Games for Laser League. Also lumped into the announcement is League of Geeks who is most well-known for the board game Armello, which was adapted into a video game a few years ago. Private Division is also publishing League of Geeks' next video game.
Private Division Teams up with Moon Studios, League of Geeks, and Roll7 on Upcoming New Games [Private Division]
Tekken 7, Soulcalibur VI, and Guilty Gear Strive reveals confirmed for fighting game roundtable
Some of the Japanese fighting game publishers attending this weekend's "Roundtable discussion live stream" have teased that they will be bringing new announcements regarding their respective fighters.
Bandai Namco has announced that it will have new news regarding both Tekken 7 and Soulcalibur VI, while Arc System Works has stated its intention to premier a new character trailer for Guilty Gear Strive. Given the cancellation of EVO earlier this year, it would figure that these publishers had reveals scheduled for the annual fighting game tournament. Capcom will also be holding its own live stream on August 5 to discuss the future of its premier scrapper, Street Fighter V.
Capcom, ArcSys, and Bandai Namco will also be joined on Saturday's roundtable stream by Arika, SNK, and Koei Tecmo. It has been one of the most difficult years in living memory for the fighting game genre. It will be interesting to see what steps are taken by both the community and the industry itself to restore confidence, excitement, and - most importantly - safety within the competitive scene.
The Japan Fighting Game Publisher Roundtable takes place August 1.
Former Switch-exclusive New Super Lucky's Tale is out on PS4 and Xbox One next month
Let's take a trip down Lucky's Tale lane, as the history of this franchise is a bit confusing at this point.
Back in 2016, Playful partnered with Oculus Studios to release the inaugural Lucky game on the Oculus Rift; a VR platformer featuring the titular fox. From there Playful pivoted out of VR and into the "regular" gaming sphere with Super Lucky's Tale, a sequel released in late 2017 on PC and Xbox One.
Following that Microsoft partnership Playful pivoted once again to Nintendo with the Switch exclusive New Super Lucky's Tale (described as an "expanded version" of the game), which ended up becoming not-so-exclusive. Yep, Playful is bringing New Super Lucky's Tale to PS4 and Xbox One on August 21.
Having played them all, I can say that although you shouldn't rush out to get them day one, they deserve to be part of the overall platforming conversation. It's wonderful to see mascot platformers still alive and well today, and if Lucky made his mark on an older platform like the Nintendo 64 or the PlayStation, he'd probably still be around.
Playful [Twitter]
Eiyuden Chronicle absolutely smashed its crowdfunding campaign
Eiyuden Chronicle: Hundred Heroes has destroyed its crowdfunding target, amassing over $2M USD - from an initial goal of $500K - in a little over 48 hours. Development will now go ahead on the retro-styled RPG, with an estimated release date of October 2022.
As we reported earlier this week, Eiyuden Chronicle is 2.5D JRPG that is designed to be an authentic throwback to the dormant-but-beloved Suikoden series, similar in concept to what Bloodstained: Ritual of the Night is to the Castlevania. Set in the fantasy realm of Allran, players will become entwined in a bitter war between neighbouring nations, as the burgeoning Galdean Empire seeks to increase its power and command of Allran.
Eiyuden Chronicle will feature real-time exploration and turn-based battles, as players recruit friends and allies from a huge list of 100 original characters. When not out exploring the land, players must also renovate and galvanise their town, providing homes, improving local businesses and the economy, while protecting its people against those who would do them harm. Heading up the project are several key members of the original Suikoden team, including artist Junko Kawano and original creator Yoshitaka Murayama.
It all sounds very cool, and thanks to this hugely successful crowdfunding campaign, it looks set to get cooler still. As the fund grows and stretch goals are smashed, several new modes and mini-games have already been confirmed for the final release. It's worth keeping an eye on this one, adventure fans, it could be something very special indeed.
Eiyuden Chronicle is tentatively expected to launch on PS4, PS5, PC, Xbox One, Xbox Series X and "Nintendo's next generation console" in October 2022.
The next Smash Ultimate event is all about blue (da ba dee da ba daa)
So what you will about the depth of Smash Ultimate's weekly spirit events, but man the team has come up with some really fun themes: not to mention the fact that they've kept them alive for this long! Smash Ultimate turns two in roughly four months!
Take this new event for instance: Cool summer, blue spirits. Whoever designed this promotional image needs a raise! As usual it'll be held over three days, starting on Friday. The official Smash Bros. Twitter account explains that the spirit board will host "a lot of blue spirits," and you'll "net more gold than usual" playing through them.
Can I just say how wild it is that Sonic Adventure's Chaos is technically in the same game as Capcom's Hard Man? Or Enguarde the Swordfish from Donkey Kong Country is crossing paths with Wonder Blue from Wonderful 101? Smash Bros.' openness to these types of partnerships and Nintendo's seemingly endless address book are truly is amazing.
Smash Bros JP [Twitter]
Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice October update will add new modes and features
Good news for fans of FromSoftware's Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice. Activision has announced that the ninja-tastic adventure has raked in five million global sales since its launch in March 2019. Not only that, but Sekiro is to receive a free update in October, which will implement a selection of exciting new modes and features.
Launching on October 29, the "Additional Features Update" will add boss rush modes Reflection of Strength and Gauntlet of Strength, allowing savvy shinobi the chance to replay any previously completed boss battle, or take on a run of bosses in a rock-solid single-life challenge.
Meanwhile, the new "Remnants" feature will let players record snippets of their greatest in-game moments, uploading them with brief messages for the whole community to see - whether an expertly performed takedown or the agile discovery of a secret hiding area. If a player watches and rates a remnant while the uploader is in-game, then the uploader will receive a small HP boost in real-time.
Finally, three new outfits will be made available in Wolf's wardrobe. Players will unlock two of the outfits via the new gauntlet modes, while the third is unlocked by beating the campaign. Make sure you're looking dapper while you're running rooftops and jumping treetops.
Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice is available now on PS4, PC, and Xbox One.
Atelier Ryza 2's first English trailer confirms a winter release date and a companion named Fi
Last week's announcement of Atelier Ryza 2: Lost Legends and the Secret Fairy was good news for fans of cute RPGs with crap-loads of crafting. Following its debut in the Japanese Nintendo Mini Direct, Koei Tecmo promised fans outside of Japan a special reveal of the game that took place this morning. Not only did we get a new trailer showing off some of the locations we'll be exploring, but we also got a confirmation of a winter release in the west and the introduction of the new character Fi.
Phantasy Star Online 2's Steam launch is offering Half-Life bonuses
The time has finally come for Phantasy Star Online 2 to be free of the Windows launcher and arrive on Steam. When that day arrives (August 5, by the way!), it'll bear some gifts for Steam users.
According to the official PSO2 blog, Sega is rolling out rewards for folks who log in on Steam. All you have to do is log into the game near the release date to grab the Headcrab Emote from Half-Life, as well as a number of booster items. If you finish any quest once on normal or casual difficulty (or higher), you'll get the Pyro's gas mask from Team Fortress 2, as well as the Alyx hairstyle from Half-Life Alyx.
For finishing any quest on hard/hardcore difficulty, you'll get a Wheatley evolution device, as well as a Left 4 Dead frying pan, a Team Fortress 2 minigun and a Half-Life crowbar. Continuing on (haha, this list is actually pretty great), for completing any quest on very hard difficulty or higher, you'll get a Half-Life HEV suit, and completing any quest for times on super hard difficulty will net you an Alyx replica outfit from Half-Life Alyx. Phew!
As a reminder, the game is cross-play and will offer cross-progress with the Steam edition. So you really have nothing to lose if you want to go for broke and grab these items: just know that in typical PSO2 fashion, they'll be "distributed at a later date." Good luck!
PSO2: Steam Launch Rewards [Sega]
Fire Emblem Heroes gets its necromantic on with the arrival of Hel
Tomorrow, Nintendo's mobile battler Fire Emblem Heroes will get metal-as-fuck with the arrival of a brand new Legendary Hero. Hel: Death Sovereign will be added to the mix of heroes and villains, bringing with her a particularly morbid, end-of-days skill set.
Hel is the main antagonist of Fire Emblem Heroes Book III and her dark powers will now be in your hands. Ruler of The Land of The Dead, Hel is a terrifying apparition, equipped with a legion of departed souls, '80s metal corpse paint, and an unnervingly gleeful disposition. Her power now available in the hands of the players should make for an interesting departure from FeH's typical sword-and-sorcery combat.
(Update) Pokken Tournament DX is free to play next week on Switch in Japan
[Update: Nintendo of America has confirmed that the promo will run in the west. The exact US times are July 29 through August 4 at 11:59PM PT.]
[Update #2: The promotion is live today! You can download Pokken Tournament DX here and play it until the above time.]
Once again, Japan gets to reap an extra benefit of regional Switch Online: free game sessions.
Not to be confused with "free-to-play," where a game is fully free and monetized as such, Pokken Tournament DX will be free to try out for Switch Online subscribers from July 27 through August 2. Translation? It's like Steam's "free weekend" promos.
Basically from those dates on, you'll be able to download the entire game and play it for free, so long as you meet those aforementioned regional and subscription requirements. It's a very cool perk of Switch Online that the west doesn't really get to partake in often: hint hint, Nintendo, start making Switch Online a little more enticing, please.
While local LAN parties aren't necessarily all the rage right now, this is a great opportunity to hang out with the family and let loose with a very chill and fun fighter. I even have the wonky controller for it ready to go sometimes!
(Update) Ask us anything on the Destructoid forums starting this month!
[Update: The fourth Destructoid AMA session is now live! So take a minute to stop by our official forums and take the rare opportunity to Ask Your Anything to Destructoid Co-EIC and Reviews Director Chris Carter. Have Fun!]
Yup! You heard that right. Starting this month, we'll be hosting a series of AMAs (ask me anything) with members of Destructoid and our sister sites on the new and improved Destructoid forums.
If you've never been to one of these, the way it typically works is that the host commits to an hour to thoughtfully answer questions as they are submitted in semi-real time. You can come on the event day to participate, or enjoy the responses any time after. It's a great way to connect with the people that run this joint.
Here's the full schedule so far:
Back in June, we hosted our first ever So You Think You Can Stream contest, sponsored by G-Fuel and Luminosity . We got to see a lot of talented individuals, and a couple of impeccably sexy faces from the Destructoid community, compete to win $5,000. Not only was it a huge success, but it was also just a genuinely fun time for a lot of the folks involved.
Well, as soon as that contest drew to a close, we decided that we should make an even bigger and better one happen in the very near future. Starting on August 2, that contest will be underway, and we hope to see as many folks from the Destructoid community check it out!
After listening to a lot of audience and streamer feedback, we've decided to make a few changes to the format for our second contest.
During the initial So You Think You Can Stream contest, entrants had twenty minutes to demonstrate their talents as Twitch streamers to the Destructoid community and Dreezy, one of our two resident streamers. They were then ranked both on skill and style points – essentially, how good they were at the game, and how entertaining they were.
From there, the top three, and a personality voted for by the community, battled it out for that top spot.
Here's a few of the changes that we've made for our second contest:
First off, we're cutting out the skill points category for voting. Folks will now be ranked entirely on how stylish they are. What counts as stylish, you might be asking? That's simple! It's a measure of how entertaining you are. Are you adept at coming up with amusing puns on the spot? Do you have a kickass lighting setup? Are you just downright fun to chat to? These could all count towards those sweet, sweet style points.
Then there's a couple of changes to the tournament structure, itself.
For the first round in this tournament, entrants will have ten minutes to impress us (and Dreezy) with their personalities while they play any game of their choosing. Heck, even Old School RuneScape would be valid here. The one caveat is that the game must be appropriate to stream on Twitch. Apologies to anyone who wanted to stream Nekopara, but this means that you'll need to uninstall that 18+ patch.
During the second round, there'll be three judges selected by Destructoid instead of just Dreezy. Only the top twelve contestants from round one will move over to this stage of the competition.
During both of these rounds, community members will still be able to vote alongside Dreezy and the other judges and, like the initial tournament, results will be pooled to determine who moves on to the next round.
Community picks, too, will still be totally in effect. And neither Dreezy nor any other non-audience judge will be able to impact who moves on to that final round.
Oh, and I guess there is the most obvious change: the prize is now $10,000 instead of $5,000.
Alongside this wonderful cash prize, the winner will be fast-tracked the top 32 during Luminosity Gaming's upcoming Rising Stars tournament, where they can battle it out to win $100,000 and a one year contract with these esports titans! This opportunity would have been offered as a prize to the winner of our previous So You Think You Can Stream contest, RockyNoHands, but his performance was just so impressive that he was signed up with the organisation pretty much immediately.
We'd love to see as many of our beloved Destructoid community members sign up to this tournament as possible, so check out the sign-up sheet and hopefully we can throw our Dollarydoos at you. Either way, feel free to head on over to our Twitch channel at 8:30PM EST starting on August 2 to watch all of the action!
Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 1 & 2 soundtrack adds 37 bangers
One of the key elements that goes into making a classic Tony Hawk title is a great, memorable soundtrack. And while Activision's upcoming Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 1 & 2 will feature most of (but not all) of the classic hits from the original PlayStation releases, the new OST will also be expanded with the addition of 37 new songs.
A gamut of genres will be featured in the remaster, with heavy leanings toward the skate-friendly ska-punk sound. Names even Old Man Moyse recognises like Reel Big Fish, Sublime, The Ataris and A Tribe Called Quest will be joined by the likes of DZ Deathrays, Chick Norris and - checks notes - Viagra Boys. Back in my day, etc.
You can check out a select cut of the complete soundtrack right here on Spotify. I mean, we're all just going to be playing "Superman" by Goldfinger on a loop anyway, right?
Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 1 & 2 launches September 4 on PS4, Xbox One, and PC via Epic Games Store.
Contest: Win Rock of Ages 3 for Switch or Steam
In today's contest we're giving away Switch and Steam copies of Rock of Ages 3: Make & Break!
Who likes quirky mixes of tower defense, level building, mass destruction, and Monty Python-styled humor? *checks hands*
Ok! Well come win a Switch or Steam copy of Rock of Ages 3: Make & Break, featuring everything listed above and more.
As we approach the Thursday release date for Mobile Suit Gundam Extreme Vs. Maxiboost On, Bandai Namco has released a new trailer for the game. The focus of the trailer is the new Maxi Boost Mission mode, which is the other half of the game's offline offerings. So to finally have some information about this is a blessing for many.
You can check out the trailer and its long-awaited details below.
Details leak about a PlayStation 5 system-level feature called 'Activities'
The PlayStation 5 will seemingly have a dedicated function for getting the player directly into specific parts of a game. It's a feature called "Activities" and we're first learning about it via a media preview leak.
Recently, European outlet Gamereactor previewed racing game WRC 9 which will launch on both current- and next-gen consoles. In the presentation (which was presumably done remotely and controlled by the developer and/or publisher), the Activities function was demonstrated and described as "an instant deeplink to specific races directly from the [PS5's] menu."
Gamereactor has pulled its preview of WRC 9. However, Gematsu captured it and posted the relevant bit to Twitter:
Cuphead is getting a special free update on Xbox
PlayStation 4 is getting an absolute gem of an indie game today. Nearly three years after launch, Cuphead is coming to PS4. That's not the end of the surprises.
Studio MDHR is working on a treat for Cuphead's earliest adopters. The Xbox version is getting free special update that includes a digital art gallery, behind-the-scenes commentary, and a playable soundtrack. It's like the bonus features disc in a DVD box set.
The special update isn't imminent. The developer says it's in "the early planning stages." Also, Studio MDHR is probably prioritizing work on the Delicious Last Course add-on moreso than a free update. But, whenever it arrives, it'll be a nice little touch and a tip of the hat to the platform that most heavily promoted Cuphead.
Surprise!! Cuphead is Coming to PlayStation 4...And It's Out Today! [Studio MDHR]
Cloud Gardens is a chill game about creating overgrown dioramas
Kingdom and Kingdom: New Lands developer Noio is onto something special with Cloud Gardens, a relaxing simulation game about planting seeds so nature can overtake "lo-fi scenes of urban decay."
I was on board with that one-sentence pitch, but Cloud Gardens goes deeper – there's a bit of motivational structure for players who don't just want to creatively unwind. Outside of a care-free sandbox mode, there are six "campaign"-like chapters "where the task is to strike a balance between nature and the manufactured by covering each scene with salvaged objects and lush vegetation."
"As you overgrow the objects, a meter fills to show your progress," says Noio. "You are given objects to expand the scene. These objects contribute energy to the growing of plants, but you will also have to cover them in foliage to complete the stage, striking a balance between nature and the manufactured."
It's beautiful and thoughtful and I badly want to play it. I appreciate that there's more substance to the game than just dropping seeds and watching them take root (which would've been fine). Even without that concept, I'd still want to mess around with these dioramas. The low-poly look is enticing.
Cloud Gardens will be on Steam Early Access for "about three months" and it's launching "soon." If you're captivated by this sort of soothing game design, you should also look into Townscaper.
A girl with fungus growing out of her face?
Let's hope she doesn't come across Ellie or Joel.
Power Rangers: Battle for the Grid physical edition coming October 8
Maximum Games has announced that it will publish a physical release of nWay's tag-fighter Power Rangers: Battle for the Grid. A "Collector's Edition" will launch on PS4, Xbox One and Nintendo Switch on October 8, priced at around $30.
Power Rangers: Battle for the Grid Collector's Edition will feature the base title updated with its single-player story mode and balance tweaks. This edition also comes bundled with Power Rangers Super Samurai character Lauren Shiba. It should be made clear that this is not a "GOTY" style edition and - while it does feature a 16-strong roster - it does not contain all DLC characters released to date.
