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.
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.
If this teaser is anything to go on, DrinkBox could announce its next game soon
DrinkBox Studios hasn't made a bad game yet. I'm starting to think it never will.
The makers of Guacamelee, Severed, and Mutant Blobs Attack have begun teasing their next project, and given that history, it could be a sequel, a new property, or anything, really, and I'd be stoked.
ðŸ'€ pic.twitter.com/eIplmADArI
— DrinkBox Studios (@DrinkBoxStudios) July 28, 2020
The zoomed-in gif appears to show blinking eyes – or maybe that's just what they want us to think.
I'm convinced we'll get another Guacamelee one day – it's such a distinct world that's worth exploring even further – but I'm ready to see this team branch out if something else sparked their interest.
@DrinkBoxStudios [Twitter]
McFarlane Toys acquires rights to Witcher action figures
This past weekend McFarlane Toys - the merch manufacturer owned by Spawn creator Todd McFarlane - announced that it had secured the rights to produce a run of action figures based on popular fantasy RPG franchise The Witcher.
While the company had nothing specifically to reveal in terms of designs or prototypes, it was revealed that the first run of figures will be based specifically on characters featured in 2015 release The Witcher III: Wild Hunt, and are optimistically expected to release in the fall of this year.
McFarlane Toys are renowned for their great sculpts and complex, intricate detailing, so Witcher fans should definitely keep an eye out for this new range of bookshelf-fillers. Geralt is a given, but I'm looking forward to seeing figures for Yennefer, Ciri, and hopefully the wooden tub playset.
The Witcher III: Wild Hunt is available now on PS4, PC, Xbox One, and Nintendo Switch.
McFarlane Toys nabs the rights to make Witcher figures [Superhero Hype]
Xbox's August freebies will leave you wondering if Game Pass is killing Games with Gold
Xbox Game Pass is an excellent subscription service that offers one of the best (if not the best) values in gaming. Xbox Games with Gold, on the other hand, has been on a steady decline over the past several months.
That trend doesn't change in August, as there's no clear-cut headliner out of the bunch. On Xbox One, it's Minecraft-like Portal Knights and fighter Override: Mech City Brawl. There's a double dose of original Xbox nostalgia for the backward compatibility games as 2004's MX Unleashed and 2002's Red Faction II round out the month.
Is there a correlation between Game Pass' ascent and Games with Gold's descent? Is Game Pass' ever-expanding library snuffing out candidates for future Games with Gold freebies? The business side of it all is obviously confidential and unclear. But one thing is increasingly apparent: Games with Gold is routinely underwhelming while Game Pass becomes more and more of an essential service.
Here's the full Xbox Games with Gold breakdown for August:
Kingdom Hearts III soundtrack will finally see release in November
Square Enix has announced that the Kingdom Hearts III soundtrack will see its official release on November 11, offering up majestic and dramatic scores taken from the epic RPG sequel as well as a selection of recent Kingdom Hearts side-titles.
The soundtrack will feature the music of Kingdom Hearts III, Kingdom Hearts III ReMIND, Kingdom Hearts 2.8 Final Chapter Prologue, Kingdom Hearts Unchained X, and finally Kingdom Hearts Union Cross. While the full tracklist is yet to be revealed, the set will include somewhere in the region of 160 tracks taken from across the five titles.
The physical edition will consist of eight discs and will retail for ¥13,200, or roughly $125 USD. Pre-orders are open now at a variety of Japanese outlets including Tower Records, Amazon Japan, Sony Music Shop and Square's own digital store. While the digital release has been described as "worldwide", seemingly no western retail store is offering pre-orders on the physical edition, so fans might have to bite the bullet on an import.
Kingdom Hearts III is available now on PS4 and Xbox One.
Kingdom Hearts III soundtrack set to release worldwide [KH13 for Kingdom Hearts]
Street Fighter V: Champion Edition to reveal new characters in August 5 live stream
Capcom has announced that it will be holding a special live stream next week dedicated to the future of its flagship fighting title Street Fighter V: Champion Edition.
Available for streaming on the Capcom Fighters YouTube and Twitch channels, the "Street Fighter V: Champion Edition Summer Update" hosts and special guests will deliver news about Street Fighter and its competitive scene, while also revealing brand new characters headed your way in Season V.
As you may recall, Street Fighter V was planning to enter its home straight after Season IV, but the one-on-one fighter's ongoing success has encouraged Capcom to deliver one more batch of fresh content. Be sure to tune in, August 5 at 10:00 PT / 13:00 ET / 18:00 BST, and see what awaits in the twilight period of one of Street Fighter's most tumultuous entries.
Street Fighter V is available now on PS4 and PC.
The Tokyo fire department is using Animal Crossing as a cute way to disseminate safety tips
We've seen several entities use Animal Crossing: New Horizons as a new way to spread information or teach folks: but now the Tokyo fire department is joining in on the fun.
Revealed last week, the official Tokyo fire department Twitter account has noted that the staff will be "relocated" to a digital island, where they'll "transmit" information to folks on how to stay safe and prevent disasters. As a kid, I would have went wild for these kinds of gimmicks revolving around games.
More recently the account made its first post, giving out tips on how to prevent a heat stroke (frequent hydration, wear a hat, use an air conditioner) and stop drowning incidents (watch your kids, don't swim after drinking, pay attention to inclement weather). The accompanying New Horizons image shows a fire department member's avatar sitting near a fan to beat the heat.
It's the exact wholesome content we need right now!
Tokyo Fire Department [Twitter] Thanks John!
[Update: Sega has confirmed that PSO2 will arrive on Steam on August 5, which will allow you to link your existing account and cross-play with Windows/Xbox One users. On that same day, Episode 4 (a huge content update) will arrive on both PC and Xbox One. You can watch the trailer for that below.]
Phantasy Star Online 2 is finally out in the west...but it might not be on your choice of platform.
It hit the Xbox One this past April, with a PC release following in May. The thing is, that PC edition didn't launch so swimmingly, most notably due to some issues with the Windows 10 launcher. While Sega has patched up some of those problems the experience isn't silky smooth just yet: though Steam might be an option soon.
Wait, Steam?! Yes, it looks like Microsoft doesn't have a Gollum-hold on the game for the foreseeable future, as a new listing for Phantasy Star Online 2 just popped up on Steam today. According to the page it'll be out on August 5, which is much sooner than a lot of us probably anticipated. Yay for options!
This bodes well for the upcoming Phantasy Star Online 2: New Genesis project, which is also confirmed for PC on top of the Xbox family of consoles. While everyone feared that this entire western PSO2 umbrella would be forced into Windows 10, Steam is back on the menu.
Phantasy Star Online 2 [Steam] Thanks Ravenclaw!
Ubisoft was working on a King Arthur game that was like medieval Monster Hunter
Here's the TL;DR on this one upfront because the one-sentence summary is so ridiculous that it deserves to be front and center: Ubisoft hired Dragon Age's creative director to make a new fantasy game, and then canceled it because an executive didn't like fantasy games.
In a report from Bloomberg, we learn that Ubisoft had a King Arthur-themed project in the works at Ubisoft Quebec which was the lead development studio on Assassin's Creed Odyssey. Ubisoft had hired Mike Laidlaw from BioWare to head up the project; Laidlaw has cachet to his name, as he was credited as lead designer on Dragon Age and its sequel before serving as creative director on Dragon Age: Inquisition. Internally, the game was codenamed "Avalon."
Ubisoft was gunning for an interesting market with Avalon. It was structured as a cooperative multiplayer action RPG akin to Monster Hunter. It's easy to imagine how Assassin's Creed Odyssey's core combat infrastructure could be adapted and expanded into something that fits the Monster Hunter mold.
However, it was all for naught. Laidlaw left Ubisoft in early 2019 and the project was canceled shortly thereafter. Reportedly, Ubisoft chief creative officer Serge Hascoët hated the fantasy setting and had ridiculous mandates that it be "better than Tolkien." Suddenly, this Round Table fable "full of knights and legends" had to pump the brakes to appease one executive. The development team tried shifting to a new setting to no avail.
Hascoët is now gone from Ubisoft. He was one of the high-profile departures earlier this month in the wake of Ubisoft's outing as a company that habitually hid and protected sexual abuse and harassment, and facilitated a toxic and misogynistic workplace. Stubbornly bodying this game into being canned is a far cry from Hascoët's worst crime. But, it seems like he had rigid expectations of what defined a Ubisoft title (as evidence by the similar-seeming glut of games under his reign) and he was unwilling to be flexible on that front. We can only wonder "what if" in hindsight.
Ubisoft's Planned King Arthur Game Was Nixed by Ex-Creative Head [Bloomberg]
Animal Crossing: New Horizons' second summer update will finally let you backup your island
Slowly but surely, Animal Crossing: New Horizons is adding in the features fans fell for in previous entries of the franchise. A few weeks ago, swimming and deep-sea diving were added in the first of two promised summer updates. Only July 30, the second update will drop, adding weekly fireworks shows to your island and the ability to visit distant lands when you sleep.
Brie Larson would love to play Samus in a Metroid movie
Hollywood superstar Brie Larson has once again expressed her desire to don the famous power armour of Samus Aran, should Nintendo ever see fit to producing a movie based on beloved sci-fi franchise Metroid.
The Captain Marvel star reiterated her hopes of playing the legendary bounty hunter in a recent interview on Gary Whitta's quirky Animal Talking show, where the host interviews stars within a virtual Animal Crossing-style TV studio. When asked about the potential role, Larson enthusiastically responded.
"I would love that so much," said Larson. "I was Samus for Halloween two years ago… It was literally a $20 costume I bought off of Amazon... I was so excited about it, and so I posted a picture of it on Instagram of me and the costume and it turned into this thing of people being like 'woah!' [Samus] was always my character that I played in Super Smash Bros. and I just loved her. So that whole thing started and I've definitely not put a squash to that story and I definitely want to make that movie... So, Nintendo, once again, I would love to do it!"
(Update) It seems like Cuphead is finally spilling over onto PS4
[Update: Today on Geoff Keighley's Summer Game Fest stream, Studio MDHR's Maja Moldenhauer confirmed that Cuphead will hit PS4 today. The Delicious Last Course DLC will eventually launch on "all platforms day one." You can read more about Cuphead's PS4 release on the PlayStation Blog.]
"Leak" might be an especially-fitting term when discussing a game about cups that are full of liquid. Or, maybe that's overthinking it and we should just relish an incredible indie game finally arriving on its final major platform.
An international PlayStation Store listing has popped up that outs a PS4 port of Cuphead. Coupled with that -- err, "cuppled?" -- is a tease from Geoff Keighley that promotes "a special update from one of our favorite indie game studios."
If you own a PSP, you might want to uh, make sure your battery isn't expanding
It's almost like I felt a wave of collective "oh nos" this morning as everyone on the internet rushed to check their PSPs.
As pointed out by IT Media, cases of PSP owners reporting that their cases are bursting open due to battery expansion has been surging these past few weeks. I went and checked mine right away (a slim and a regular): you'll note the 3.6v 1200mAh battery on the former and the 3.6v 1800mAh on the latter (which is a snug fit). Take a gander at the pictures linked in the previous passage in case you need help locating your battery. Here is a picture of a battery gone horribly wrong.
Now, this is not out of sorts for lithium-based batteries. I've experienced this before with legacy phones and wireless headsets. But it's a good reminder nonetheless to check your stash and make sure everything is good to go. Sony has provided a statement to IT Media, noting that people should "refrain from using [the system] when the battery has experienced swelling," and to not game with the battery cover off. Ensure that you dispose of it properly.
Sony should bring back Marcus to do PSA videos for battery safety.
