(Update) Ask us anything on the Destructoid forums
[Update: The seventh of our popular Destructoid AMA sessions is now live! So stop by our official forums and take the opportunity to Ask Your Anything to Destructoid's Features Editor, Podtoid producer, and all-round good dude CJ Andriessen. Have Fun!]
Yup! You heard that right. Starting this month, we'll be hosting a series of AMA ("Ask Me Anything") sessions 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:
Got five minutes? Watch us put together the LEGO NES set
When Nintendo and LEGO announced they were collaborating on a new product line featuring the Super Mario franchise, I wasn't exactly stoked for what they were going for. It's certainly innovative and reeks of Nintendo's desire to differentiate itself from the pack, but as a collector in my mid-30s, it didn't mesh with how LEGO sets fit into my life as something I build over the course of the day and then admire from time to time afterward.
The LEGO Nintendo Entertainment System is much more up my alley. Designed for collectors like me, this set is a behemoth with lots of tiny pieces and plenty of moving parts. It's a lot of work building it one sitting, and to give you an idea of how labor-intensive it can be, I recorded the entire process and condensed it down into a five-minute video for your viewing pleasure.
Them's Fightin' Herds' Shanty is definitely the G.O.A.T.
Mane6 has released the first gameplay trailer for a new character headed to ass-kicking hoof-'em-up Them's Fightin' Herds. Joining the equestrian roster is a super-cute and super-spunky sea-faring goat, Shanty!
In an extended breakdown session hosted on the developer's Twitch channel, a panel of Mane6 devs debuted Shanty's gameplay for TFH fans. It's still clearly early days, as some of our little pal's moves are early in the animation process, but we can see how her diminutive stature will offer Shanty incredible speed and air mobility as she charges and butts her way around the battlefield.
Amazon UK lists Need for Speed: Hot Pursuit Remastered for Xbox One and Switch
Amazon UK has a new bare-bones listing for a remastered edition of one of the most beloved entries of the Need for Speed series, Hot Pursuit. Amazon claims the remaster is headed to the Xbox One and Nintendo Switch platforms, with a supposed release date of November 13.
Released in 2010 for PS3, PC, Xbox 360 and Nintendo Wii and developed by Burnout's Criterion Games, NFS: Hot Pursuit stripped back the simulation and customisation aspects of Electronic Arts' long-running racing series to instead present a bombastic, arcade-style wrecker, much akin to Taito's classic 1988 coin-op Chase H.Q.
Whatcha been playing this week, Destructoid?
I don't know what it's like in your neck of the woods, but Hoo Boy its been scorchio here this week. Not quite as hot as last year - when my chocolate bar went grey and my PS4 console was fried in a thunderstorm - but the humidity here is pretty unbearable. Get out of the shower and have a shower. That kind of weather.
And that's not the only heat I've been feeling, as I've also had "The Man" on my case in Bandai Namco's Fast & Furious: Crossroads. Yes, your boy Moyse has taken his rightful place among The Family. Well, that was the initial idea, but I was kicked out after three days because Letty fancied me too much and Dom and Hobbs were salty about how jacked I am... Oh also, I can't actually drive a car. Still, be sure to watch out for my upcoming review.
So while I sit here throwing darts at a poster of Vin Diesel who is super jealous of me, why don't you "drift"* into the comments below and fill us in on what games you've been playing this week. It's been a quiet one for releases, but there's still plenty of great titles out in the wild right now. Whether you've been enduring the grim-dark of The Last of Us Part II, or enjoying the madcap action of Fall Guys, drop a comment below and let the people know.
Have a safe and pleasant weekend, from all of us at Destructoid.
*That's a term we car people use. Look it up.
Contest: Win Chroma Squad on Switch from Super Rare Games
In today's contest you can win Chroma Squad on Switch from Super Rare Games!
I keep working with Super Rare Games because not only do they put awesome indie games on cartridges, but they're also super nice folks who really care about gaming and the community. If you're on the fence about whether or not to give them a chance, let that one fact alone sway your decision.
Or, just let me help: They've given me a copy of their newest joint, Chroma Squad, to give out! I'm confident you'll love SRG as much as I do once you get your hands on their product.
Whooo is Anabela? Friday Night on Dtoid Twitch gets a shirt
Earlier this year, we hosted a contest on the official Destructoid Twitch channel where several streamers battled it out to impress us with their skills and personalities to win $5,000. As of the time of writing, we're currently hosting a second one, albeit with a more impressive $10,000 prize, sponsored by Gfuel!
Although she didn't win the contest, we were so impressed with one of the entrants – Anabela – that we've hired her to stream on our channel every single Friday.
Well, we decided that we should work on a t-shirt design for Anabela. Behold, the latest design for our merch store:
Created by Ashley Hay, our latest Whoooo? design is available to buy right now on the official Destructoid merch store, and can be printed on t-shirts, tote bags, face masks, hoodies and all sorts of other products.
The design itself features an in-joke with Anabela's community on her own Twitch channel, although it's likely to make it over to our own one. Besides, the owl featured on the design is kind of adorable.
As always, most of the profits from each product on our store go to the artists who designed them. So feel free to check out all of the lovely stuff that we have for sale.
A Total War Saga: Troy was claimed for free by 7.5 million players yesterday
As it turns out, free stuff is your Achilles' heel. Enough people claimed Creative Assembly's A Total War Saga: Troy yesterday to fill 25,000 of Leonidas 300-man Spartan armies. That's a lot of people dining in hell. Make a reservation.
Sega has revealed that A Total War Saga: Troy was picked up by 7.5 million players yesterday. In case you missed it (and we did our best to remind you!), Epic worked out a deal with Sega where Troy would be free on launch day as part of the Epic Games Store exclusivity. A whole lot of you took them up on that offer.
In a press release, Creative Assembly's Rob Bartholomew said "We were optimistic but we couldn't have predicted this level of excitement." He added "Now we get to welcome so many strategy players -- new and old -- to experience this incredible saga. We're very happy."
It'll be interesting to observe the trickle-down effect of this marketing stunt. A few years ago, the Total War series was at 20 million lifetime sales across all games. It just added 7.5 million to the tally (albeit with no increase in revenue). That's a huge, new userbase that might feel compelled to pay for the next game. You gotta think this will turn out as a positive for Creative Assembly and Sega, especially considering that Epic has already covered the development costs of Troy.
Anyone who missed out on yesterday's offer will have to feel compelled to pay for this game to play it. It has now reverted to its full, normal price of $50.
Horizon Zero Dawn got a PC patch but there's more work to do
From the outside looking in, it's surprising to see a "mixed" reception to Horizon Zero Dawn Complete Edition on Steam. This is a port of a beloved console exclusive game with a cool premise, setting, and character – and PC players were understandably excited to try it – but it's held back by technical issues.
Guerrilla released the first of presumably many PC patches for Horizon Zero Dawn today. The main order of business? Trying to fix certain crashes, broken "slowdown" mechanics, and wonky saves.
Patch 1.01
- Fixed an issue where the game would crash if the SteamUI didn't initialize properly on startup.
- Fixed an issue where Concentration and other slowdown mechanics wouldn't work for everyone.
- Fixed an issue where Windows/Steam profile names containing special characters would prevent some players from saving the game. We are still investigating other saved game issues as well.
- Fixed an issue where Windows/Steam profile names containing special characters would prevent some players from saving screenshots in Photo Mode.
- Fixed several backend issues.
- Fixed a video corruption issue for specific hardware. We're continuing to look at other hardware configurations as well.
The studio has also "improved diagnostic data collection when submitting a crash report" – a clear sign there's more work ahead. On that note, there are plenty of known issues left to iron out.
- Some players are experiencing startup crashes. Patch 1.01 fixes a few, but not all, of these crashes.
- Some players are experiencing GPU-related hangs during gameplay. The improved diagnostic data collection added in Patch 1.01 is aimed at making it easier to track these down.
- Some players are experiencing graphical settings issues, such as Anisotropic Filtering not working, 4K not displaying correctly, or HDR not working correctly.
- Some players are experiencing performance issues on specific GPUs or hardware combinations.
- We're aware of and continue to investigate all issues in this list on Reddit as well.
I would hope and expect the PC version to eventually get where it needs to be. (For Sony's sake, hopefully by the time Horizon Zero Dawn 2 enters the conversation again with its next big showing.)
Horizon Zero Dawn Complete Edition for PC - Patch 1.01 is now available [Reddit]
Crysis Remastered is almost finished but Crytek won't give us a release date
Crysis Remastered is launching on four platforms, but was delayed on three. The one that released timely? Switch! That's the exact opposite of how this usually works.
It paid off. The Switch version of Crysis Remastered is technically competent, which is an achievement for a game that's infamously technically frustrating. It mostly hits a consistent 30 frames per second in portable mode. It gets the job done on the least powerful of the machines.
The other three platforms aren't far behind. PC, PS4, and Xbox One are coming soon but Crytek stopped short of actually providing a release date.
Review: Final Fantasy XIV: Shadowbringers (Patch 5.3)
Well, here we are.
It's been a long time since the last Final Fantasy XIV patch: February, to be exact. There's a reason for that of course! But FFXIV fans have been hungry for more for quite a while, putting a lot of pressure on patch 5.3 to deliver the goods.
It does. The major patches usually do, because of how much effort the FFXIV team puts into them.
Metroid Prime 4 is looking for a new lead producer
It's not often that we get any sort of update about Metroid Prime 4. Ever since its reveal at E3 2017 (with literally just a logo), neither Nintendo nor developer Retro Studios has said much of anything about it. That's why it's noteworthy when we get even the smallest insight as to its progress.
This news might not seem great, but it's not the five-alarm fire it looks like at first glance. Retro is trying to hire a new lead producer for Metroid Prime 4.
EA Play is the new name for EA's game subscription service
EA Access and Origin Access aren't going anywhere – in fact, the latter is about to come to Steam – but they are being rebranded. EA's game subscription service will be known as EA Play as of August 18.
The basic $4.99-per-month service will become EA Play, while the expanded $14.99-per-month tier will be named EA Play Pro. The selling points are staying the same, though – subscribers will get 10-hour trials of new games, 10 percent discounts on purchases, and access to full games in the Vault.
To try and bolster the value a little bit more, EA is also going to start giving out Ultimate Team Packs in FIFA, exclusive cosmetics, and other things of that nature in "monthly reward drops."
This isn't a service I'd probably ever subscribe to long-term, but I have used Origin Premier strategically on a one-month basis to play and finish newly-released PC games for $14.99. No complaints there.
As for the rebrand, it's simpler for sure. I never liked having to write out EA Access and Origin Access to describe essentially the same thing (the former is for consoles, the latter is for PC), to say nothing of their clunkiness. Streamlining them into "EA Play" is just easier at a glance for unfamiliar players.
Something to keep in mind when next year rolls around and EA hosts another EA Play Live event.
Get More Game with EA Play [EA]
Dragon Ball FighterZ live stream happening August 16
Dragon Ball FighterZ fans won't have much longer to wait when it comes to hearing news about their favourite fighting title. Bandai Namco has announced the next live stream for the tag-based scrapper will be taking place on August 16 - that's this weekend!
The Dragon Ball FighterZ Show will see the publisher reveal its plans for the immediate future of DBFZ. This includes showcasing future competitions, impending game updates and plans for the competitive scene which, (like all competitive scenes in 2020), has fallen afoul of the COVID-19 pandemic. The live stream will also include an "exclusive trailer," but Bandai Namco remains tight-lipped as to what this trailer will be revealing.
You can watch the stream live on the official Dragon Ball FighterZ Twitch channel. The action begins August 16 at 11:00 PT / 14:00 ET / 19:00 BST. Dragon Ball FighterZ is available now on PS4, PC, Xbox One, and Nintendo Switch.
Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League is officially the name of Rocksteady's next game
The pieces are falling into place, all haphazard and chaotically. That's exactly how Joker and his band of misfit criminals would want it.
A detailed schedule for the upcoming DC FanDome has stolen some of the thunder from Rocksteady's August 22 reveal of its new Suicide Squad game. Now we know that the game is officially titled Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League. An unlikely subtitle, but one that makes Rocksteady's next effort all the more intriguing.
Rocksteady's panel is being hosted by Will Arnett, which is an interesting choice to lead the discussion. There's some history there, as Arnett has voiced Batman in LEGO films. Come on!
That's not the extent of WB's FanDome game reveals. WB Montreal's next game will also be announced there, meaning that it's definitely DC Comics related. This project has leaked over the course of the past couple months, and it's most likely called Gotham Knights. This is evidently another Batman game. WB Montreal was the studio responsible for Arkham Origins which was the fourth (and kind of forgotten-about) game among Rocksteady's Arkham trilogy.
Really though, this is all just confirmation of the rumors that have been swirling since June. It seems as though all those leaks were spot-on. In eight days, we'll learn about more than just the premise and the branding. We'll actually see the near future of DC Comics video games all in one place.
Schedule [DC FanDome]
GDC 2021 will be a hybrid online/live event
Event organiser Informa Tech is already making plans for next year's Game Developer Conference (GDC), and has announced its intention to make the 2021 edition of the annual industry event a digital/physical hybrid.
Taking place between July 19-23, the next GDC will feature a scaled-down edition of the traditional live show, which is to be held, as per usual, at the Moscone Center in San Francisco. At the same time, an online showcase will be taking place, allowing publishers and developers to show their upcoming wares face-to-face and worldwide simultaneously.
One might assume that this dual-show idea, along with the later date (GDC typically runs during spring) represents a growing concern that the COVID-19 pandemic is already making its presence felt in plans for 2021. The pandemic caused the postponement or outright cancellation of multiple trade events in 2020, and as major organisers and publishers start plotting out their calendars for the new year, no doubt the continuing health crisis remains an issue.
As for the remainder of 2020, GDC will be hosting a series of virtual "Master Classes": online courses designed to tutor devs on various aspects of game design. More information on these courses will be announced over the coming weeks.
GDC 2021 is scheduled to take place online and in San Francisco between July 19-23, 2021.
GDC announces physical/digital hybrid event for 2021 [GamesIndustry.biz]
Control's free August update lets you turn off dying
Control is about to get easier for everyone, and much easier for anyone who wants it. The highly-anticipated Alan Wake-themed AWE expansion releases in less than two weeks, and it'll be accompanied by a free update that makes the game much more accessible.
One of the most rampant complaints about Control was the punitive checkpointing. Long, difficult boss encounters have to be one-shotted, as there are no mid-fight saves. Adding insult to injury, dying and retrying often requires a protracted jaunt all the way back to the boss.
Remedy's addressing that specific complaint in the August update. During yesterday's AWE livestream, the developer detailed how it's making Control a breezier experience. One example is that new control points are being added in the game's toughest story missions and closer to certain boss fights. There are also "soft checkpoints" in some missions, although Remedy stopped short of confirming they're a way of breaking up boss fights.
Big things are coming to Fallout 76's Public Test Server (PTS) this month
As Fallout 76 continues to chug along (I wonder when the "end of life" will come for this game?), Bethesda continues to test out more updates ahead of time to avoid game-breaking bugs emerging from the crevices of live patches.
It's an inevitably for this game (Bethesda once published an open letter stating "it will be buggy" before it even came out, which is wild to this day), but at the very least, some bugs should be squashed as each PTS (public test server) period happens. That next period begins today, as detailed in a new blog from Bethesda.
The PTS is open for business as Bethesda continues to prep the long-hyped event "A Colossal Problem." It'll also feature a few huge alterations, like more aggressive level scaling for enemies (!), repeatable MMO-like dailies called "Daily Ops," S.C.O.R.E. increases for challenges (coming in patch 22 next month) and more legendary perk tweaks.
The scaling bit is probably the most notable addition, as Bethesda boasts inter-party scaling features, like a monster becoming weaker for a really low-level partner while staying on par with your level. The studio says this should allow anyone to party together regardless of their level gap: in theory. That's why the PTS exists! In other Fallout 76 news, A Colossal Problem is coming in earnest on August 18.
As a reminder, anyone who owns the game via the Bethesda launcher has access to the PTS. It's part of a newish policy that the publisher implemented earlier this year. Maybe you didn't even know you had access! Now you can try out some stuff this weekend.
Inside the Vault [Bethesda.net]
Apex Legends Season 6 gameplay trailer shows a revamped World's Edge map
One of the cool aspects of Respawn's battle royale Apex Legends is its evolving story providing the backdrop for changes and additions over the course of its life. Players can choose to ignore it completely and just go for the W, but others can dive into the story and use it to predict upcoming gameplay changes.
One of the popular predictions for Season 6 was the introduction of a third map into rotation. Season 5's "Broken Ghost" quest all but confirmed a new map would be coming in its conclusion, and the rocket shown in a previous Season 6 trailer hinted it could be soon. Today's gameplay trailer pumps the brakes on that a little: the World's Edge map will be getting that rocket as an updated point of interest (near the largely ignored corner of the map where The Dome sits), but Apex Legends probably will not be debuting a third map until later. Maybe that means later in the season, or maybe it means we'll be waiting until Season 7 for it. Other updates to World's Edge look like they are near Drill Site and Mirage Voyage.
Another new addition for Season 6 is the crafting system, which today's trailer shows in a bit more detail. It doesn't appear to be too complex: collect a new type of in-game currency, find a crafting station, and buy specific items that are on various daily, weekly, or permanent rotation. The shot in the trailer does show the old hop-up Turbocharger coming back, so it's possible the Devotion is coming back out of care packages, or it could just be that it will attach to the new energy SMG, the Volt.
We can still expect one more trailer to release before Season 6 drops on August 18, going into detail on the new legend, Rampart, and her abilities.
Dead by Daylight now supports cross-play on PC and consoles
Dead by Daylight fans can now take their machete-swinging mayhem to entirely new communities of players, as Behaviour Interactive has announced that cross-play is now supported on the PC and console editions of the asymmetrical survival-horror title.
Players on PC, PS4, Xbox One, and Nintendo Switch can now intermingle for more bloodthirsty stalk-and-slash action, increasing the player pool and thus strengthening the future of Dead by Daylight. It should be noted that the mobile editions of the game do not support cross-play.
Behaviour Interactive has also implemented a new "cross-friends" feature, allowing players to add new victims friends to their contact list regardless of their platform of choice. All of these new features are part of the publisher's drive to unify Dead by Daylight across all of its main formats, consolidating in-game content, account progression, and player lists across the board.
Dead by Daylight is available now on PC, PS4, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch and iOS and Android devices. It will be ported to the Stadia platform in September.
The Prinny Switch games will be available separately for $20 each on the eShop
Several months ago NIS revealed the Prinny 1-2: Exploded and Reloaded package, which is a re-release of two platforming-based Prinny games on PSP. A few months after that, they revealed the release date of October 13, as well as a giant $60 collector's edition that came with both.
But as we've learned, Prinny 1-2: Exploded and Reloaded is not the only way to pick up the games. If you prefer one or the other, or want to "try before you buy" with the first game, you can do that. The eShop listings for both games are now live, which allow you to purchase either of them for 20 bucks each.
It's also a decent way to save $20 if you don't want the physical scratch. That physical edition, by the way, is still for sale for $60 nearly everywhere, and contains both games, a collector's box, a scrapbook, a music CD (Prinny's Awesome Mix), a LEGO-like statue of a Prinny and an "Asagi Wars EX Alpha Championship Edition" poster.
Prinny 1 | Prinny 2 [Nintendo]
Who should be the final challenger in Street Fighter V?
Last week, Capcom released details regarding the fifth, (and apparently final), season of DLC for Street Fighter V: Champion Edition. Among the fighters joining the already 40-strong roster are goofball Dan Hibiki, mysterious hermit Oro, Rival Schools biker Akira Kazama, and my personal long-time Street Fighter main, Rose.
However, it was also announced that a fifth and final world warrior would be added to the mix, but Capcom remained tight-lipped as to this character's identity. There have been numerous names bandied about SFV in recent years, including special agent C. Viper, grumpy fighting gal Makoto, Final Fight's Sodom, and sultry Darkstalkers princess Morrigan, any of whom would certainly fit the bill nicely.
But let's open the floor to you, our beloved community. Who do you think should be the final roster addition to Street Fighter V? Would you pick a classic world warrior, another crossover character, a returning boss, Tekken guest, or someone else entirely? Drop us a comment below with your thoughts, then sit back and prepare for the anti-climactic reveal of El Fuerte.
Street Fighter V: Champion Edition is available now on PS4 and PC.
Scott Pilgrim vs. The World: The Game is kind of legendary.
Not only was it one of the best beat 'em ups of the past decade (I mean, it even kicked off the last decade as it was released in 2010, so that's saying something), but it was also legendary for being de-listed and lost to the ether of the PSN and Xbox Live Arcade forever.
You see, Scott Pilgrim vs. The World: The Game was never released physically. So once it was pulled in 2014, it was gone. For years, Scott Pilgrim creator Bryan Lee O'Malley (who was heavily involved with the design of the game alongside of Ubisoft Montreal) has been trying to bring it back, and it seems like he may have finally had a stroke of good luck.
His latest plea, which was back in May, has seemingly been heard: as Ubisoft has "reached out" to O'Malley, based on his own account this week. There are a lot of rights issues to be worked out, but if Ubisoft is up for it and O'Malley and company (Universal Pictures has been implicated as a gatekeeper for this deal in the past) can come to terms, we could see a re-release at some point in the future. Give us a physical version this time, Limited Run!
It's wild to think that I was covering this game over seven years ago. Time flies!
Bryan Lee O'Malley [Twitter] [Thanks John!]
So the Marvel's Avengers beta period is underway, and one intrepid dataminer thinks that they've uncovered some potential DLC.
Over on Reddit, the user 6plus4equals52 found strings of data that specifically mention She-Hulk, Kate Bishop and War Machine. This has led to all sorts of speculation, as it could be a potential "post-game" skin situation, which was taken to the next level with Super Smash Bros. Ultimate with the "Echo Fighter" mechanic. Or, they could be fully unique combatants: time will tell.
All of these characters have either firm or rumored roots in the MCU, which Square Enix is smart to capitalize on. As we know, Terrence Howard and Don Cheadle have already played War Machine in the MCU: the latter of which has been in several high-profile entries. Hailee Steinfeld seems to be playing Kate Bishop across Jeremy Renner's Hawkeye in the Disney+ series of the same namesake. A She-Hulk Disney+ series is in the works, with rumors flying that Alison Brie will be playing the title role.
All three have also appeared either as heroes or allies in the new co-op card game Marvel Champions. She-Hulk and Kate Bishop are starting to become more well-known outside of the realm of comics, and it's about time. I know a ton of people will likely never touch Hulk or Hawkeye again if they can get their hands on these [potentially] alt-heroes.
6plus4equals52 [Reddit via ResetEra]
Resident Evil is Capcom's flagship franchise, but Monster Hunter: World's numbers are unstoppable
Illustrious developer/publisher Capcom has updated its Platinum Title list, a chart dedicated to the video games that have sold over one million units. And while Resident Evil continues to be Capcom's longest-running success story, nothing is matching the performance of 2017's Monster Hunter: World, which remains the company's best-selling release by a wide margin.
Five of the ten best-selling Capcom games of all time are Resident Evil titles, ranging from 1998's Resident Evil 2, which sold 4.96 million copies, to 2019's... erm... Resident Evil 2, which sold 7.2 million copies. The franchise's best-selling entry is 2017's Resident Evil 7: Biohazard which, at 7.9 million copies, is the second best-selling Capcom game of all time.
However, sitting at number one with a bullet is Monster Hunter: World, which has shifted a staggering 16.1 million copies since launch, almost twice that of the Resident Evil 7. If you include the sales of expanded release Monster Hunter World: Iceborne, then the number is even higher. Truly, it will take something very special indeed to overtake the epic fantasy adventure sequel.
Elsewhere in the Top 20, impressive numbers are put in by 1992's Street Fighter II (6.3 million), 2019's Devil May Cry 5 (3.7 million), and 2010 zombie-mashing sequel Dead Rising 2 (3.1 million). But as the figures show, Capcom's coffers very much belong to two specific franchises, both of which are unlikely to hit the bricks anytime soon.
Capcom sales update: Resident Evil 3 remake at 2.7 million [Gematsu]
In today's contest, you can win this one-of-a-kind prize pack, including Bite the Bullet and a prize pack featuring a real game-worn jersey!
Guys, this one of massive. The last time we gave away some Mega Cat swag, it was a literal piece of wood. Today, we're riding the theme of their newest joint, Bite the Bullet, and giving away this exclusive prize pack, featuring trinkets from the game and our coup de grace: A game-worn jersey from world champion professional eater Crazy Legs Conti.
Yes, this man ate a bunch of hot dogs in this shirt, and now it can be yours. I fucking love my job sometimes.
Microsoft almost resorted to an episodic release model for Halo Infinite
Earlier this week, Halo Infinite was delayed into 2021. It'll no longer release alongside the Xbox Series X, which is a serious blow to the new Xbox's launch lineup. However, Microsoft gave some consideration to salvaging some of Halo Infinite for this November before deciding better of it.
Xbox head Phil Spencer appeared on Gary Whitta's "Animal Talking" podcast to discuss Halo and the Xbox Series X. Spencer immediately apologized to players, saying "Let me start just by recognizing the fans and the fact that this is a bummer." He continued "It is disappointing to people, it's disappointing to us. We were looking forward to the alignment of Halo Infinite and the Xbox Series X."
Then, Spencer confessed that Microsoft was tossing around a very extreme idea for a series that has only dealt in gigantic high-profile retail releases. Rather than fully delaying Halo Infinite, Microsoft considered releasing it in chunks. Ultimately, it only took about 24 hours for the decision-makers to swat down this episodic model. Spencer justified the decision by saying "It just didn't feel, to all of us, like the Halo release that we would want."
So, Halo Infinite will show up sometime next year as one complete product. Launching a new console without a flagship system-seller nearly led to quite the nontraditional approach though.
Phil Spencer talks Halo Infinite's delay into 2021 [Stevivor]
Hitman 3 VR looks like a ridiculously good time
It's starting to dawn on me just how cool Hitman could and should be in VR – to the point where I think it will be tough to go back to the flat format once we're used to the freedom of Hitman 3's VR mode.
This developer insights video from IO Interactive does a better job of illustrating that point than the eyebrow-raising trailer shown at a recent State of Play presentation. Blind-firing around corners, crawling in dense grass, peeking through a closet, tapping a dude on the shoulder with a crowbar – I'm so in. Even if Agent 47's stealthy playgrounds are the same, they're bound to feel fresh up close.
"Every little thing wants to take center stage [in virtual reality]," said senior game designer Eskil Mohl. "Whereas before, in the third-person game, maybe you got a little distracted from something else. But now you can't escape them anymore. They are right in your face. I found myself traversing the level slower, just taking everything in because it's so dense with detail." Reminder: there are 20+ locations.
The PlayStation VR support alone is making me want to get Hitman 3 at launch in January 2021. I hope this stuff also comes to PC VR sooner than later. It's going to be huge if it's half as good as it sounds.
I'm still bummed that Resident Evil 7's VR mode remains a PlayStation exclusive. What a thrill ride.
Don't miss out on picking up Remnant: From the Ashes for free
Epic giving away two solid games as part of its ongoing weekly promotion of freebies is somehow only the third most important Epic news of the day. Tim Sweeney and crew are going to war with Apple over the way it handles payment processing. Less heavy, Creative Assembly's A Total War Saga: Troy is free today (and today only) as part of a bonkers launch day offering.
Don't let all that completely distract you from this week's free Epic titles, though. Remnant: From the Ashes is free until next Thursday, and that should help scratch the Souls-like itch for a little while. It's more than just a spin on the From formula. Remnant: From the Ashes is also a looter shooter from the modern-day Darksiders developer Gunfire Games. It's a weird game but Chris says it's one that's worth checking out.
Accompanying Remnant is The Alto Collection -- made up of Alto's Adventure and Alto's Odyssey -- which is a beautiful and chill-looking side-scrolling snowboarding game. It's a duo that was originally developed for mobile, but has been repackaged together on PC and consoles. It seems like the type of thing that'll help take the edge off.
Next week, however, is all edges again. Epic is serving up two hectic roguelikes, Enter the Gungeon and God's Trigger. Prepare for frustration over and over again.
Remnant: From the Ashes, The Alto Collection [Epic Games Store]
PS4 players can upgrade Kena: Bridge of Spirits to the PS5 version for free
Given its announcement during Sony's PS5 reveal event, you might not have caught that Kena: Bridge of Spirits is also coming to PlayStation 4 this year. It is – but we know next to nothing about that version.
What we do know, thanks to a shoot-your-shot-and-hope-for-a-response tweet, is that Kena players on PS4 who end up getting a PlayStation 5 after the fact won't be left in the lurch. According to developer Ember Lab, the PS4-to-PS5 upgrade for Kena: Bridge of Spirits "is slated to be free."
That said, the team doesn't have "time limit details yet." Hopefully they aren't too restrictive.
As a lighthearted action-adventure with impressive visuals backing it up, Kena stood out to me as one of the most promising games in the PS5 showcase. Holiday 2020 is an ideal window of opportunity.
@emberlab [Twitter via Reddit]
Ninjala celebrates four million total downloads
GungHo Online Entertainment has announced that arena battler Ninjala has passed a milestone of four million total downloads since its initial launch on Switch back in June.
The free-to-play multiplayer title sees players battle it out in colourful landscapes, fighting to be the last-person-standing with an array of cute makeshift weapons and bubblegum-themed special attacks. Earlier this week, GungHo revealed its upcoming "Version 2.0" update, addressing multiple issues that have been bothering players. These fixes include improved region connectivity, a much improved UI and lobby system, and a slew of balance changes.
Fall Guys is giving out a legendary costume and Kudos as an apology gift
Fall Guys had a rough time keeping up with its tremendously popular first week, and even into the weekend, players were dealing with all-too-frequent disconnects. Things are smoother now – I couldn't tell you the last time I dropped out of a match – and we're getting an apology gift for the server issues.
Coinciding with an update to fix a tragic Fall Mountain crown-climbing glitch and add a new finale called Jump Showdown, Mediatonic has given players 5,000 Kudos to spend in the shop and a complete legendary Prickles costume. If you've "ever opened the game before midnight tonight," you're good to go – the currency and outfit will be in your inventory after updating without any extra steps.
You might not want to dress up like a cactus in a sea of cacti, but the costume is nice to have if you're trying to knock out most (the keyword being most) of the trophies in Fall Guys. A few, like "Catwalk Model," involve wearing legendary customization items, and those often cost Crowns, not Kudos.
I like some of the outfits, especially the purple ninja attire, but my jelly-bean man must run free.
@FallGuysGame [Twitter]
(Update) Epic just goaded Apple into removing Fortnite from the App Store
[Update: Epic immediately sued Apple. Shortly after Fortnite was pulled from the App Store, Epic filed a 62-page lawsuit for injunctive relief. The Complaint alleges violations of the Sherman Antitrust Act of 1890, the California Cartwright Act, and the California Unfair Competition Law. The lawsuit was clearly drafted well in advance, as Epic obviously anticipated Apple removing Fortnite.
This saga is going to get very sticky before anything's resolved. That's a fight Epic is willing to take up.]
Fortnite's V-Bucks just got a little cheaper across the board. Epic has permanently discounted the Fortnite currency by 20 percent. Previously, $1 used to get you 100 V-Bucks; now you get the same amount for 80 cents.
The impetus behind this price reduction seems like it's driven entirely by Epic's need to throw a giant "Fuck You" at Apple and Google. Apple's App Store and Google's Play Store's policies have long been in Epic founder Tim Sweeney's crosshairs, as he takes issue with the revenue splits they take. They'll demand up to 30 percent of revenue just for processing payments and being included inside those mobile ecosystems.
Today, Epic launched its own direct payment system on mobile versions of Fortnite and it's awfully compelling to any prospective V-Bucks buyer. Here's what it looks like:
Mad Rat Dead puts the 'beat' in beatdown, escapes October 30
NIS America has released a new trailer for its new adventure Mad Rat Dead, which is headed to PS4 and Nintendo Switch in October. The video shows off Mad Rat Dead's quirky hybrid gameplay, which combines the rhythm-action and platforming genres.
As a refresher, Mad Rat Dead tells the story of a lab rat who has reached the end of his pretty miserable existence. At death's door, he is visited by the flamboyant Rat God, who offers our hero a few extra hours of life to leave his cage crack the skulls of those responsible for his piss-poor life. Guided by the Rat God and - weirder still - his sentient talking heart, our hero sets out for one final mission of mayhem.
Insomniac says Spider-Man: Miles Morales is a coming-of-age story with a 'full arc'
While we wait for an inevitable (and much-needed) deep dive into Spider-Man: Miles Morales, Insomniac has shared a clean-as-hell new screenshot of the spin-off game and let out a few more details.
Miles Morales is "a full arc for Miles Morales that started in Spider-Man," creative director Brian Horton told EW. "We really are completing this hero's coming of age in our game. It is a complete story."
He added that once the developers got rolling, "we realized that, with a little bit more of a compact storytelling style, we could tell a very emotionally impactful story that would fit really well as an experience that would take Spider-Man and [Miles Morales] and do justice to this character."
As we gleaned from the short reveal trailer, it's set in winter – a year after Spider-Man's story – and "Miles' Harlem home is on the verge of being torn apart by a war between an energy corporation and a criminal organization armed to the teeth with advanced tech," according to the publication.
There's talk of invisibility and bioshock capabilities, training sessions with Peter, and Insomniac's characterization overall – one of the high points of the last game. "What I think is really compelling about Miles as a character is he has friends that he could actually let into his world – his human world and his Spider world," said Horton. "He's a little different in the way he approaches it."
As for where Spider-Man fits in with the wider Marvel video game landscape, "Each game is in the Marvel universe, but they're in their own reality, if you will," according to Marvel Games VP & head of creative Bill Rosemann. "Currently, our plan is to keep each game set in its own Marvel universe."
Thank goodness for that.
How Spider-Man and the Avengers sparked Marvel's next phase of blockbuster games [EW]
That Magic: The Gathering Diablo style dungeon crawler is getting a Necromancer class
Although many fantasy universes have Necromancers, Magic: The Gathering seems perfectly suited for it.
Black/swamp-based decks have been using graveyard manipulation to their advantage for several decades, and now it's coming to Magic: Legends. As detailed in their official blog, famed Planeswalker Liliana Vess was the inspiration for the fantasy of the design: you've probably seen her before in advertisements for Magic even if you don't play.
All of the goodies that you'd expect from a Necromancer are in: reanimation, debuffs, life leech, the whole shebang. The developers confirmed that your main attack is going to be Grim Siphon, a "mid-range lashing attack" that also applies a DoT (damage-over-time) effect by default. In other words, the Necromancer seems like a more strategically based character that will need to spread out how it applies its damage so it can get as much life-leech as possible.
The mechanic of constantly sacrificing creatures to gain health back (or some other benefit) is also extremely Magic: The Gathering, so it's nice to see them play with the fantasy of the card game. Magic: Legends will be released on PC, PS4 and Xbox One...at some point.
Unveiling the Necromancer [Arc]
Second episode of Danganronpa's 'Dangan TV' looks at Goodbye Despair and the series' growing legacy
It's been a bit of a wait for all you murder maniacs, but Spike Chunsoft has finally added English subtitles to the second episode of its web series "Dangan TV" which looks at the legacy of the cult visual novel series, Danganronpa. Following on from episode one's breakdown of Trigger Happy Havoc, this episode looks at 2012 sequel Goodbye Despair.
Once again, host and Danganronpa voice actor Megumi Ogata is joined by series creator Kazutaka Kodaka and producer Yoshinori Terasawa to discuss the aftermath of Trigger Happy Havoc's release, and how the team approached the design of its terrifying tropical follow-up. Also joining the trio for this episode is Danganronpa "planner" Shun Sasaki.
Phantom: Covert Ops is getting a free challenge mode with today's update
Phantom: Covert Ops came out a few months ago, and I still can't believe someone was able to successfully pitch "Call of Duty in a kayak" and get away with it. But studio nDreams actually followed up on it and gave us a decent little action romp that doesn't take itself too seriously.
Today, the studio announced that "Challenge Pack 1" is out today, which is available on both currently supported platforms (Rift/Quest). It brings five challenge maps into the fray, which feature gunplay amid cartoony targets, as well as "crazy cheats" like an infinite ammo grenade launcher and a "reverse kayak controls" level that sounds devilish.
Phantom already heavily leaned in on the campy side, so this is exactly what the game needed. Extra bug fixes and quality of life changes are the cherry on top. nDreams is calling this "the first free post-launch content update," implying more is to come.
This week's Grounded patch will make resources respawn again
Since we checked in with Grounded, Obsidian has been busy. Before we wage a war on bees and try not to cower at the sight of a gargantuan koi fish darting around the pond, the studio has another patch this week – version 0.1.2 – to address a pesky issue with certain resources not appearing like they should.
Specifically, "Mushroom Gardens, Dew Collectors, Acorns, and other resources" weren't "respawning after their initial spawns" in some instances. Considering they're used to help top up your teen's hunger and thirst meters – and those meters can quickly dwindle if you're not vigilant – that's a big deal.
Building off a prior Grounded update that stopped infinite larva swarms from coming to destroy players' bases, this week's patch will actively remove "excess larva from games that still had large numbers of larva" roaming the land. Other than that, expect fixes for crashes and other frustrating loose ends.
As for content updates, Obsidian plans to have a monthly update schedule starting August 27. I've been looking for excuses to drop other games and get back to my miniaturized backyard adventures.
Nintendo Download: Shaolin vs Wutang
It's an interesting week for the Nintendo Switch eShop, as a bunch of indies and fighting games are plopping down all at once.
The more high-profile indies include Faeria, as well as Linn: Path of Orchards, which have already arrived on PC and mobile respectively to a positive reception. You'll also find a host of fighters like King of Fighters R-2, Samurai Shodown 2 and Shaolin vs. Wutang.
That latter one really stands out, doesn't it! It actually launched in mid-2018 on PC and has a following attached to it. The developer, J. Bowman, even released a sequel this year! And to be clear, it is not Wu-Tang: Shaolin Style: the arena fighter that came out in 1999 and had playable Wu-Tang Clan members. That game ruled though!
Fall Guys is getting yet another Valve crossover outfit
Like several million other people, I've also been playing Fall Guys a bit this past week, and even managed to get a few others involved with its shenanigans.
One thing I haven't gotten wrapped up in is the costume system, which is just as well, since Devolver Digital's extensive rolodex seems to be conjuring up all sorts of crossovers. We already got a Hotline Miami outfit on top of the memorable headcrab Half-Life homage, and now Valve is getting in on the fun yet again with The Scout from Team Fortress.
The Scout is currently on the shop as a legendary costume for five crowns, and it'll net you the upper torso, hat, communicator and bandage wraps around your hands. The Scout pants are also five crowns, but they look like the other pairs of black pants elsewhere in the game; so maybe save your cash!
Fall Guys [Twitter]
Civilization VI is finally coming to Android
Mobile gaming may not be suited for every genre out there, but if there is one type of game that's perfectly suited for mobile platforms, it's the strategy game. And not those damn free-to-play strategy games like Clash of Clans and its ilk. I'm talking real strategy games, like Civilization VI. Back in 2018, Aspyr Media ported the best-selling game to iOS, giving Apple Cult members like myself a chance to take over the world on the go and also see just how quickly the battery on our iPads can drain.
Of course, when a game launches for an Apple product, the first question anyone asks is, "Android?" Well, after nearly two years, Android users have their shot at world domination as Civilization VI is available on the mobile platform today.
The new Tony Hawk game documentary is a breezy trip down memory lane
Tony Hawk is back. Not the man, the game. Well, he's kinda back too, making the rounds promoting the new game. He's also part of a rad new documentary called Pretending I'm a Superman, which is finally hitting general release after a debut at the Mammoth Film Festival earlier this year.
If you're even remotely interested in the series or skating in general, it's worth a watch.
Virgin Media customers can try out Marvel's Avengers this weekend
UK network provider Virgin Media is allowing its customers access to a beta of Marvel's Avengers this weekend, regardless of whether they have pre-ordered the upcoming Square Enix title.
The beta will be open to all Marvel's Avengers pre-order customers on PS4 and is invite-only to Xbox One and PC players. But if you are a Virgin Media customer, then all you need do is register your account details on the official Virgin Media site and you too will be partaking in superhero action on your platform of choice. The beta will run between August 14-16, with pre-load available from today.
Ladies and Gentlemen, Paul Heyman introduces you to WWE 2K Battlegrounds
2K Games has released a new trailer for its goofy-looking WWE brawler, WWE 2K Battlegrounds, which launches on PC and consoles in September. In the new video, silver-tongued devil Paul Heyman shows off some of the crazy game's playable modes, while coaxing viewers to plonk down their pre-order. Always the salesman, this dude.
WWE 2K Battlegrounds is an over-the-top brawler, which sees 70 WWE Superstars - of today and yesteryear - fight it out in simple, super-stylised arcade action. Not unlike THQ's great 2011 release WWE All-Stars. Very unlike All-Stars however, is that WWE 2K Battlegrounds appears to be leaning on in-game currency and microtransactions. These appear, for the most part, to be only tied to cosmetic customisation items. We shall see.
PSA: Today is the only day to get A Total War Saga: Troy for free
The latest entry in the Total War franchise launches today and it won't cost you a dime. Well, as long as you don't dillydally too long.
A Total War Saga: Troy is free to claim on the Epic Games Store for the first 24 hours it's available. That's right -- Epic threw enough money at Sega and Creative Assembly that a brand new relatively-major game is just being given away on launch day.
This is just the latest and grandest from Epic, who's seemingly convinced that throwing enough free stuff at people will eventually garner their support. It's a no-brainer for Creative Assembly, though. It's afforded the opportunity to experiment with Total War a bit, while Epic ensures the game is profitable (covering development costs is a standard part of the Epic exclusivity agreement) and gets Troy in front of a very large audience.
If you're wondering whether Troy is worth your time and hard drive space, it is. Creative Assembly has retooled combat to take an all-infantry approach, adding diverse classes that nicely change the flow of fighting. It'll inevitably make its way into the next mainline Total War game. If your interest is piqued, just go queue it up. While you're waiting for it to download, check out our review-in-progress.
A Total War Saga: Troy [Epic Games Store]
Contest: Win Dodo Peak for Switch
In today's contest you can win Dodo Peak for Switch!
About 90% of my gaming time is devoted to puzzle games these days. I've got a bunch on my Switch, and even more on my phone -- I use them to convince myself I'm keeping mentally sharp and not letting my brain go to mush.
Be a smarty-pants like me, and win a copy of cute puzzle game Dodo Peak for your Switch!
Your PC won't need to be Hulked out to run Marvel's Avengers
No superhero effort is required from your PC to experience the newest from Marvel's Dream Team. A perfectly reasonable and pedestrian performance will do just fine.
Ahead of this weekend's Marvel's Avengers beta, Square Enix has released the PC specs to run the game at both minimum and recommended settings. Neither is too tasking, but your hard drive might feel as though someone took the Hammer of Thor to it. (Although, to be fair, even those requirements aren't particularly noteworthy by modern standards.)
Here's what's needed to run Marvel's Avengers at the lowest settings:
Steam Game Festival: Autumn Edition starts October 7 with more upcoming game demos
If there were any doubts, let them fade away. Steam Game Festival isn't just some experiment.
As relayed by Geoff Keighley, another demo showcase event is planned for 2020. Steam Game Festival: Autumn Edition will offer a bunch of demos for upcoming games from October 7 to October 13.
I'm pulling for Sakuna: Of Rice and Ruin. That's my maybe-actually-feasible wish.
Valve is planning another Steam Game Festival: Autumn Edition this Fall, running October 7 - 13. Another chance to play free previews of upcoming games.
— Geoff Keighley (@geoffkeighley) August 11, 2020
I feel like I'm better prepared for Steam Game Festival's format after the last showcase. At the same time, there's only so much you can do when there are hundreds of demos to sift through, whittle down, install, and make time to try before the event wraps up and they're no longer playable.
I was far from the only one who felt overwhelmed by the massive, unwieldy, occasionally unreliable list of demos last time, so I'm sure that feedback got where it needed to go and we'll see refinements.
The October timing is also a little more conducive to my schedule than mid-June. Bring 'em on.
Have we reached peak battle royale?
Well, the house that H1Z1, PUBG and Fortnite built have welcomed in many imitators, from the indie scene to the big leagues.
Hyper Scape is Ubisoft's attempt to step up to the plate, but like a lot of other Ubisoft projects, it needs some work until it's ready for prime time.
