Whatcha been playing this week, Destructoid?
Sometimes, I use this spot as an opportunity to talk about my thoughts on all matters gaming. Sometimes, I use it to touch upon world events at large. Sometimes, I don't know what to say and just talk about my infatuation with Z-grade exploitation movies. But this week, I want to take a moment to speak my mind on you, our beloved community.
I worked long and hard, for years, to make it to Destructoid. And I specifically worked to arrive at Destructoid. As a writer, I didn't hope to get a gig "writing on a gaming site," I wrote with the goal of working with Destructoid. I had this goal because I believe in the brand, I believe in the team and, most of all, I believe in you, the readers. I was a member of the community myself for many years and, like many of you, have found genuine comradeship and friendship among the articles, comments and Qposts of our humble abode.
(I'm gonna split this text with Ben Daglish's awesome C64 Cobra theme.)
Since being brought on as staff, I've worked my ass off every single day, resulting in over 5000 articles in a little over three years. It's tireless and sometimes unrewarding work - who likes being shouted at en masse for their opinion? But I get up every day and do what I do because you're worth it. There's occasional falling out, sure, but in general the Destructoid community remains the most personable, friendliest, and most interesting gaming community on the internet. I believed that then and I believe it now. Why am I even getting soppy? 2020 has been a strange and fragile year, and right now I don't think I can predict or take anything about the future for granted, so sometimes it's best to just say things now, rather than putting it off for later.
Thank you for your continued support, your interesting, opinionated, and entertaining voices, your kindness and respect toward the site, the team, and each other. Thank you for sticking with us through the good times and the bad. Oh, and on a personal note, thanks for making this weekly article such a massive success, it sees triple-figure comments each and every week and that's wonderful. I see you.
Have a safe and pleasant weekend, from all of us at Destructoid.
...Oh yeah, I've been playing Kandagawa Jet Girls. What have you been playing?
Contest: Win Pathfinder: Kingmaker Definitive Edition for PS4 or Xbox One
In today's contest you can win classic RPG Pathfinder: Kingmaker - Definitive Edition for PS4 or Xbox One!
Pathfinder: Kingmaker hit Steam a few years ago, and from what I can gather, it was kind of a big deal! I guess y'all really love your classic, tabletop-inspired RPGs.
Well, the Definitive Edition hit PS4 and Xbox One last week, so now console players can get in on the action. Comment below and you could win your own copy of the new port, including all paid DLC!
Early Access Review: Rogue Legacy 2
We've been spoiled by all of the great roguelike games over the past few years, but for some people's money, there's no topping Rogue Legacy, a platformer spanning generations of would-be heroes.
Seven years later, Cellar Door Games is back with Rogue Legacy 2 – a smoother, prettier, all-around more refined take on the castle-crashing formula. It isn't close to done yet, but it's already fantastic.
If all goes well, I could easily see it surpassing the original.
Fall Guys is bringing its Season 2 reveal trailer to Gamescom
The first season of Fall Guys: Ultimate Knockout will end in 45 days. What's next? Another one, of course. We'll get our first look at Fall Guys Season 2 on August 27 at 11:00 a.m. Pacific.
If that date sounds strangely familiar, that's just Gamescom: Opening Night Live. Host Geoff Keighley has promised another one of his trademarked "world premiers" for the game with the flailing beans.
Fall Guys is great and all....but what if I told you there is @FallGuysGame: Season 2! ðŸ'' 😮🤯
— Geoff Keighley (@geoffkeighley) August 21, 2020
Don't miss the world premiere sneak peek from @Mediatonic during @gamescom Opening Night Live.
Thursday, August 27 at 8 pm CEST / 2 pm ET / 11 am PT at https://t.co/AFycLZXKPd pic.twitter.com/WQB08qadhb
Ever the attention-grabber, Keighley says he "saw a rough trailer yesterday that [Mediatonic] showed me and you will not be disappointed." It's one of the 20+ showings lined up for the two-hour stream.
What can we reasonably expect? New levels, new skins, and variations for existing levels to keep Fall Guys feeling fresh, hopefully. While the developers have a ton of feedback to sort through from the millions of people who are playing this goofy competitive game, and many of those ideas are big-picture additions like split-screen co-op or a level editor, I'm sticking to modest expectations for now.
If all goes well, Fall Guys will remain relevant for years to come. There's plenty of time.
As for me, I've slowed down to a few matches a day but I'm still very into Fall Guys. Just a few more ranks left on the Season 1 battle pass and I can rest easy. Somehow, boredom hasn't set in yet.
On another positive note, the end is well within sight for the summer of gaming streams, and I'm relieved. There were highs, lows, and everything in between. Let's finish this thing already.
Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 1 + 2's launch trailer dropped in a little early
The launch trailer for Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 1 + 2 is a trip down memory lane. And it makes it all the more unbearable that I can't personally take that stroll yet.
Two weeks before Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 1 + 2 actually launches, Activision has released the game's launch trailer. For those of you who were brought up on these games, it's a sizzle reel flyby of some of the most memorable levels in the series' history. San Francisco ("Streets)! Minneapolis ("Downtown")! The Hoover Dam ("Downhill Jam")! The first Tony Hawk avoided proper named locations like they'd need to be licensed.
Then the camera finally slows down for a second to show Roswell's anguished alien. Hint for all your first-timers: You'll need to find the "ET Grind."
I am going to play the ever-living hell out of this game. My first 100-percented career? You know that goes to my boy Rune.
Here's one last teaser video before Gotham Knights is revealed tomorrow
I am so bad at this. On Monday, I told you "The next Batman game is probably getting revealed tomorrow." Wrong! Just like earlier in August, I assumed that some Call of Duty crates would mean a worldwide announcement was imminent. Mistaken! I should not have underestimated the allure of protracted hype buildups for marketing departments that are stuck at home.
I am, however, confident in this latest headline. Gotham Knights will be announced tomorrow at DC FanDome. This is one last teaser video before that happens. It even has a one-day countdown. I will throw my hands up in exasperation if I'm somehow fooled yet again. I might even make a puzzled bewildered gasp, like an old retired guy when the mail doesn't come at exactly the time he's used to.
If you've somehow avoided the worst-kept secrets in games -- and, frankly, WB hasn't even tried keeping them under wraps -- DC Comics is getting two reveals tomorrow. At 10:30 am Pacific, there's a panel for the new WB Montreal game. That's going to be Gotham Knights. Later, at 5:10 pm Pacific, there's a panel for Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League. That's Rocksteady's new game.
Anyway, one more day. Probably. Almost certainly. Or else I get really frustrated. You wouldn't like me when I'm really frustrated.
Review: A Total War Saga: Troy
It took some time (about a hundred turns, give or take), but the mighty walls of Troy finally fell. Embarrassingly, they didn't fall by the hand of mighty Achilles and his giants (he got some giants on an island after convincing its king to join his faction), or the siege towers the other Greeks were working on. Instead, Troy's walls succumbed to the ire of the god Poseidon, crumbling from a devastating earthquake.
After that, poor Paris -- the bloodied victor of a power struggle with his brother Hector over the throne of Troy -- was ground up under the wheels of Achilles' war chariot as the Greek armies under Achilles poured through the gaps torn by the quake. All that was left to do to claim the jewel of the Mediterranean was to stand on the control point for a couple of minutes while the flag changed hands.
Marvel's Avengers got a screen shake update in time for the last beta weekend
Today is the beginning of the end for the Marvel's Avengers beta, and for many players, it's the first real chance to play this kinda wonky, better-with-friends brawler before its September 4. launch. After a string of restricted events, the Marvel's Avengers open beta is now live on Steam, PS4, and Xbox One.
Many of you have shared your thoughts about Avengers in general and the beta in particular, but there's a reason to return if you participated in the prior tests – Crystal Dynamics updated the game.
A few highlights: there's a Camera Shake Sensitivity option in the Settings, less motion blur "during sprint and flight," matchmaking optimizations, better "vaulting," and less of a delay for loot drops.
On PC specifically, the developers "have seen how some people struggled with severe stutters/lag and irregular performance and we have made several fixes that will solve or at least improve those. A variety of fixes for crashes seen during last weekend have been implemented, which includes certain older systems not being able to launch at all, but also some that occurred rarely during gameplay."
The Dynamic Screen Resolution feature should also be working as intended. It struggled with HBAO+. If you're an ultrawide screen owner – first off, jealous – expect to see "some initial improvements."
The Avengers open beta will be playable through August 23, 2020. Smash your stress away.
Review: Samurai Jack: Battle Through Time
Samurai Jack rules.
It ruled in 2001 and it ruled in 2017 when it came back. Genndy Tartakovsky is frankly still an underrated talent in terms of being one of the most prolific storytellers of the past 20 years; a title partially obscured by the boat loads of cash he got from the Hotel Transylvania series.
While Samurai Jack: Battle Through Time tries to capitalize on the resurgent popularity of the show's latest season, it doesn't really succeed as an action game or a Samurai Jack adaptation.
Maybe your PC can run Crysis Remastered... but Steam can't
Seventy-five percent of the Crysis Remastered platforms have not yet launched. Following a catastrophic gameplay reveal leak, Crytek pushed back the most performance-intensive platforms in hopes that some changes would keep it from getting shredded to bits. Switch launched though, and it's surprisingly good!
PC, PS4, and Xbox One need another month. Crytek has announced that Crysis Remastered is coming on September 18. It'll be priced at $30.
Aside from the release date, Crytek slid in some more info about the remaster. Somewhere along the line, Epic secured Crysis Remastered as an Epic Games Store exclusive on PC. Crytek, no stranger to being in dire financial straits, probably leapt at the opportunity for Crysis Remastered's development to be automatically profitable.
As for technical capabilities, Crysis Remastered is said to have "high-resolution textures up to 8K, HDR support, temporal anti-aliasing, screen space directional occlusion, global illumination, state-of-the-art depth fields, new light settings, motion blur, parallax occlusion mapping, screen space reflections and shadows, new particle effects, and more." Also, PS4 Pro and Xbox One X players will get console ray tracing. PC supports Nvidia DLSS technology and ray tracing on RTX cards.
It all sounds beefy enough that, yes, your PC will probably have trouble running Crysis if you crank up the settings just to struggle for the sake of nostalgia.
Borderlands 3 adjusts even more weapons, kicks off new Eridium bonus event
Borderlands 3 is racing toward its fourth DLC, which is the last add-on that is currently announced and teased. But if we know Gearbox, they aren't done squeezing every ounce of cash out of the game yet.
But until then, there's more anniversary events. Loot Monster Mayhem just ended yesterday, with Show Me the Eridium kicking off from now through August 27. During the event, you'll get increased Eridium drops and Eridium item discounts. It's basically a repeat of the event from last October: you can check out a recap here.
After that, Mayhem Made Mild (all easy modifiers in mayhem mode) runs from August 27-September 3, with Making it Rain (enemies drop more in-game cash) starting on September 3 and going through September 10.
A hotfix dropped yesterday that not only flicked the switch for Show Me the Eridium, but also adjusted a ton of weapons. Notably, the Lyuda was buffed quite a bit, with a ton of weapons just getting straight-up buffs across the board. You can check out the full list below.
Borderlands 3 Hotfixes [Borderlands]
Contra, Super Cobra, Gradius II and Super Dodge Ball headed to Arcade Archives range
Publisher Hamster has offered retro fans a sneak-peek at some of the future titles headed to its record-breaking Arcade Archives range. This latest batch of titles includes several classic arcade shooters and a rarity from the Kunio-kun sporting side series.
First on the agenda is the original release in Konami's beloved Contra series. Originally released in 1987, Contra sees muscle-bound heroes Bill and Lance fight off swarms of alien invaders in tough, full-blooded, trigger-pumping action. This release will feature both the Japanese and International versions of this all-time classic.
Fallout 76 is adding incentives for PTS players, Bethesda asks more people to join testing periods
Bethesda wants more people to test out Fallout 76. Maybe if they had a lengthy beta period from the start, the whole launch debacle wouldn't have happened! Wakka wakka.
The reality is that we're nearly two years removed from the arrival of Fallout 76, and many aspects of it have improved. A lot of free content has been added amid big quality of life changes, even if a lot of folks see it as too little too late. Of course, those advancements came with the recent sting of the "season pass" system that creates an incentive to grind for content you could otherwise earn in-game. Fallout 76 is cyclical like that.
As for more recent developments, Bethesda says they need more people to playtest Fallout 76. If you're a PC user on the Bethesda launcher with a copy of the game you can access the PTS (public test server) for free, which is now getting certain incentives that will transfer to the main game. In short, more testing is needed for multiplayer Daily Ops sessions, and if you complete eight of them in the PTS you'll earn a PTS pennant reward.
It's small, but it's the sort of thing developers like Bungie do often. If you hit that goal you'll get your reward once Update 22 hits. Your call!
Inside the Vault [Bethesda.net]
As the gray hairs have slowly replaced the brown ones on my temples, I've become quite fond of shorter games. I don't mind diving into something meaty that takes me two weeks or more to complete, but with the color of my hair reminding me of how little sand I have left in the hourglass, I'm gravitating more and more toward bite-sized adventures.
But just because a game is short doesn't mean it can't be memorable. In fact, some of my favorite titles of the past few generations have been those I can complete in 10 hours or less. And while Giraffe and Annika doesn't quite measure up to those short adventures that came before it, its endless charm has me appreciating the experience anyway, warts and all.
If you haven't played either Prinny game yet, here's a good idea of what the series is about
Playing through both Prinny games on PSP was an absolute treat.
Although they aren't for everyone (as folks will soon learn all over again), the pair of PSP platformers ruled in their irreverence and commitment to difficulty. If you aren't familiar with the vibe that these two games give off, the trailer below pretty much provides a crash course on them.
The concept is simple: you have 1000 lives to finish the campaign, which revolves around a mundane task (like making an amazing dessert or obtaining...a stolen article of clothing). You get a sword attack and a butt bump, as well as special abilities from unlockable unique prinnies in the sequel (Asagi/Laharl). As a reminder, the re-releases will have "all bonus stages and special weapons DLC" baked in, and there's a decent chunk of stuff to do in the postgame as-is.
Prinny 1-2: Exploded and Reloaded is available as a package deal on October 13 on Switch, but you can also buy the games piecemeal on the eShop for 20 bucks each.
Wasteland 3's co-op mode will let you share the misery with a friend
We're one short week away from the launch of inXile Entertainment's dystopian RPG, Wasteland 3. Keeping the hype fires stoked, publisher Deep Silver has released a new trailer showcasing the post-apocalyptic sequel's co-op multiplayer elements.
Knowing that a problem shared is a problem halved, even in the mire of nuclear fallout, Wasteland 3's co-op mode will allow two players to squad up to take on a series of brutal and hazardous missions. Use tactical teamwork to overcome the odds in battle, explore enemy encampments, and navigate the harsh and brutal overworld. You might have to share your ill-gotten gains, but it's probably better than ending up face-down in a ditch.
Bungie reminds us that some of Destiny 2's best content is going into the 'vault' later this year
As the developer confirmed earlier this year, Destiny 2 is going to have a lot of content cut out of it come November 10 to "make room" for the new expansion. In short, they're using the Disney Vault method. Bungie took the time this week to further clarify what that means.
When November 10 hits, a ton of stuff is going to be removed from the game completely until a potential mystery date. While the vast majority of the vault deals with entire areas in the PVE portion of the game (including items and gear), even PVP maps and several modes aren't safe. You can find the full list of content that will be erased from Destiny 2 in November below.
Bungie also says that "With some of the core Year 1 destinations entering the Vault, it's true that the free-for-all-players Red War, Curse of Osiris, and Warmind campaigns will no longer be playable." They are "building" a new expanded origin story that will launch in Year 4: the quality of which remains to be seen. If you want more info on vaulting as a whole, you can go here.
This whole concept is a mess, and belies the entire idea of Destiny 2 even being remotely close to an "MMO"; a marketing term I dismissed as early as the original beta for the first Destiny. I get that Bungie wanted to reduce the bloat of the game to make it even easier to manage and make the file size more manageable, but it seems like Activision was able to help them out in ways that they can't muster on their own.
Before Bungie transitioned to self-publishing the game felt like one giant world. Now it's been shifted to a monolithic grind framed around "seasons" like every other shooter: with even less content to play come November. I'll be there to at least check out the Beyond Light expansion, but there's less of a reason to linger now.
This Week at Bungie [Bungie.net]
World of Warcraft is getting an overhauled app for the upcoming Shadowlands expansion
World of Warcraft: Shadowlands is still coming "this fall," and it'll bring hundreds of hours of extra stuff to do. While WoW players are probably champing at the bit to see if the story is any good (knock on wood), for the meantime we can gaze at the new companion app: which is actually looking pretty great.
Come this fall the new mobile app allows you to toggle between each recent expansion (Legion, Battle for Azeroth, Shadowlands) at will, all of which will retain their former app functionality. As far as the new stuff goes you can fiddle with your favorite covenant (Necrolord, Kyrian, Night Fae, Venthyr), wit the previous "adventure" mechanic making an expected comeback.
Just like Final Fantasy Tactics' tavern or the core of Valkyrie Profile, you can still send recruits off to invisible missions to reap rewards. While you can do it in-game, the app makes things much easier as you can micromanage everything on the go, or before bed.
Thankfully the app isn't just being pigeonholed into an adventure screen like it was in the past, as it's also getting a general WoW news section, as well as the ability to look at your character like a mini Armory mechanic. Community and guild chat, as well as the helpful calendar, are also all coming.
It's a straight-up upgrade!
Shadowlands Preview: A New Look for the WoW Companion App [Battle.net]
Sega Astro City Mini coming to Japan in December
The video game industry continues to find new-old hardware to shrink down and re-release, as the "mini" console craze continues. The latest example is this, the Sega Astro City Mini, a scaled-down edition of the classic cabinet that packed out arcades in Japan and elsewhere throughout the '90s and '00s.
The Astro City Mini features the iconic green-and-white design of its older brother, and will come pre-loaded with 36 Sega arcade classics including Shinobi, Shadow Dancer, Golden Axe, ESWAT, and Virtua Fighter. An Astro City stylised controller will also be available to facilitate two-player action, while an adorable little base and stool can be attached to the main unit to truly create that pint-sized coin-op aesthetic. The Astro City Mini is powered via USB and features HDMI output, allowing for connection to a display.
I'd play the hell out of Black Myth: Wu Kong
Black Myth: Wu Kong is a name worth remembering if you're big into action-RPGs.
To a certain extent, this footage – 13 minutes of gameplay from a pre-alpha build that includes a beastly boss fight – speaks for itself. Wu Kong is a From Software-inspired take on Journey to the West with cool character abilities, and that's something I didn't know I wanted asap, but I do. Badly.
The Chinese studio behind the project, Game Science, is aiming for a PC and console release.
According to industry analyst Daniel Ahmad, the team was founded in 2014 by former Tencent Games staff. They have a few titles under their belts, including Art of War: Red Tides, but this is a step up.
I hope it comes together – especially after seeing the montage at the 11-minute mark.
Contest: Win Hellbound, a sleek retro FPS on Steam
In today's contest you can win Hellbound for Steam!
I'm gonna cut straight to the point, here. In the trailer I posted below for Hellbound, there's a quote that says, "No 'Glory-Shits.'" Does anyone know what that means? I consider most shits I take to be quite glorious, so I'm a little confused.
Either way, the game looks like fun! Save some money and come win a copy.
Zelda II: The Adventure of Link was a massive departure from the original title. More linear, carefully metered progress, and with more RPG elements. It bore few similarities to its predecessor with its unique mix of top-down overworld exploration and side-scrolling action.
I hated it. But don't tell boss Niero I said that. I'm pretty sure that making disparaging comments about Zelda II is a fireable offense at Destructoid.
It wasn't the game's formula that left a bad taste in my mouth, however. On the contrary, it was an interesting mix of play styles. Despite this, the formula didn't catch on to a wide extent. Few games have followed its lead, with even the Zelda series neglecting its mechanics as the franchise widened.
Phoenotopia Awakening seems to have latched onto that misunderstood title and squeezed it for all it was worth. It wears its Zelda influences on its sleeve, but also layers on its own fantastic personality. The result is something that is markedly different than Zelda II, even if you can easily see its foundation, and I couldn't be happier for that.
Martha is Dead and someone stole her face
Don't watch this trailer for Martha is Dead unless you're ready to see someone get their face taken off.
You've been warned. This isn't an out-of-focus, not-that-bad Face/Off sorta deal.
Since we last covered LKA's Tuscan psychological horror adventure game – a tale about a murdered twin set against the backdrop of World War II – there's 14 minutes of gameplay footage courtesy of IGN and word that Martha is Dead will release in 2021 for PC (as previously known) and also Xbox Series X.
"This game will shock," according to LKA founder Luca Dalcò. He's not wrong!
Murder-Mystery Horror Martha Is Dead Coming to Xbox Series X and PC in 2021 [IGN]
This video doesn't end with the Battletoads beating up Major Nelson
I wasted 92 seconds watching this animated interview, convinced that Zitz, Pimple, and Rash were gonna beat the living hell out of Xbox's Major Nelson. Through straight-faced questions (a missed opportunity to get weirder with it), Major Nelson asks them if their game is good.
I will spare you the suspense and tell you that Major Nelson does not get his ass kicked. Pimple does not bodyslam him for wondering what kind of game Battletoads is. Rash doesn't huge-foot kick him through the screen for the sheer audacity of asking whether they're worried about the competition from other now-revived franchises.
You, however, may be curious as to what kind of game Battletoads ended up as. It's not a straight beat-em-up like you may think. It's a bizarre collection of mini-games and brawler segments, almost like a bunch of non sequiturs stitched together. It's unexpected but it turned out fine! Check out Chris' review for some insight as to the new Battletoads, or just go pick it up as a part of Xbox Game Pass.
Today's Fall Guys update trimmed the timer in Royal Fumble and Team Tail Tag
Win or lose, the tail-grabbing games in Fall Guys: Ultimate Knockout drag on for way too long.
It's gotten to the point where I mindlessly goof around in Team Tail Tag and outright sit still – hands off the controller – in Royal Fumble until the last 40 seconds or so that actually matter. The rest is fluff!
It seems I'm far from the only one who thinks the timers could use a trim. In a Fall Guys update released today "based directly on [community] feedback," Mediatonic shaved a clean 30 seconds off the clock. Team Tail Tag and Royal Fumble will now run for a minute and a half. The other changes are great, too.
Team games – one of the most divisive parts of Fall Guys – will no longer be selected back-to-back. The player count for Fall Mountain (the finale where you run up a hill, dodge rolling balls, and leap to grab a floating crown) is now capped at 15 players. And Valve-inspired costumes are in the PS4 shop.
I don't want to cover this silly game to death, but also, this update rules.
@FallGuysGame [Twitter]
Demon's Souls could be closer than expected if a recent rating is any indication
Spider-Man: Miles Morales and Demon's Souls are all the justification I need to want to pick up a PlayStation 5 on day one (whenever that might be, and for however much that might cost), but what are the odds? We don't know the PS5 launch games or even the full launch-window lineup, for that matter.
Adding more speculative fuel to the fire, Demon's Souls was rated in Korea on August 13, 2020.
As listing spotter Gematsu notes, the other PS5 game with a Korean rating is Miles Morales – and Insomniac is planning a "holiday 2020" release. That's not to say Demon's Souls will be the same story, but the fact that it already has a rating now suggests a quicker timeline than I've been expecting.
Can Japan Studio and Bluepoint Games make the 2020 launch? That would be quite the score.
In the meantime, I'll watch the announcement trailer for the twentieth-or-so time.
[Via Gematsu]
Krieg, the conductor of the Poop Train, is back for the fourth Borderlands 3 expansion
The most psycho of the Psychos is taking an encore. Our conductor's insane, our cargo is pain, Poop Train!
Gearbox has given us a teaser trailer for the upcoming fourth Borderlands 3 DLC. Krieg is doing some zen meditation through anguished screams. Serenity NOW.
This is the last of the Borderlands 3 season pass content, but probably not the end of Borderlands 3's DLC. As Chris said in his Bounty of Blood review, it feels like Gearbox has more up its sleeve after this.
But let's not get ahead of ourselves. This add-on featuring Krieg is getting revealed on Tuesday, August 25. Don't count on Borderlands 3 dialing back the murder in its old age.
13 Sentinels: Aegis Rim has me breaking out a notepad just to keep track of everything
It's been five years since Atlus and Vanillaware first revealed 13 Sentinels: Aegis Rim to the world. After a couple of delays and a dropped platform, it launched last year in Japan to critical success. As a fan of the developer's previous work, I've kept my eye on the title, but I've noticed enthusiasm toward it in the west has been relatively muted.
The images that sprang to mind when we heard "Vanillaware is making a giant mecha vs. kaiju game" became dust in the wind when we actually got a look at what 13 Sentinels would be. Gone was the side-scrolling action gameplay Vanillaware relied upon in titles like Odin Sphere and Muramasa: The Demon Blade. In its place is an experience divided into two very distinct genres: a side-scrolling, text-heavy adventure game that maintains the gorgeous art direction Vanillaware is best known for and an isometric real-time strategy game that looks and plays nothing like the developer has made before.
Nintendo's Share the Fun sale has deals on great multiplayer Switch games
I'm in the not-that-fiscally-responsible habit of checking the Nintendo Switch eShop every weekend for multiplayer games, ports of old favorites, or anything that jumps out at me, really. Sometimes, I'll stumble on a deal. Other times, I won't – but I'll still buy the game I don't actually need anyway.
Don't be like me! Bide your time. Make smart choices.
Instead, take this week's Share the Fun sale on the eShop as your opportunity to get some genuinely fantastic games at decent-enough prices. Between Bloodstained: Curse of the Moon 2 (which everyone who digs classic Castlevania should check out even if they skipped CotM 1), Castle Crashers Remastered, Exit the Gungeon, Huntdown, Luigi's Mansion 3, and Streets of Rage 4, there's a lot to love on this list.
These discounts are as high as 50% off, but some are as low as 15% off. That's life as a Nintendo fan.
- 1-2-Switch ($34.99)
- ARMS ($41.99)
- Bloodstained: Curse of the Moon 2 ($11.99)
- Burnout Paradise Remastered ($34.99)
- Castle Crashers Remastered ($8.99)
- Catherine: Full Body ($39.99)
- Crash Team Racing Nitro-Fueled ($23.99)
- Cuphead ($15.99)
- Dead by Daylight ($26.39)
- Diablo III: Eternal Collection ($29.99)
- Divinity: Original Sin 2 - Definitive Edition ($34.99)
- Enter the Gungeon ($7.49)
- Exit the Gungeon ($6.99)
- Go Vacation ($34.99)
- Heave Ho ($4.99)
- Huntdown ($13.99)
- Just Dance 2020 ($19.99)
- Luigi's Mansion 3 ($41.99)
- Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Games Tokyo 2020 ($39.99)
- Outbuddies DX ($8.99)
- Overwatch: Legendary Edition ($19.99)
- Puyo Puyo Tetris ($17.99)
- River City Girls ($20.99)
- Saints Row IV: Re-Elected ($25.99)
- Shovel Knight Showdown ($6.99)
- Sky Racket ($7.49)
- Star Wars Episode I: Racer ($11.24)
- Star Wars Jedi Knight: Jedi Academy ($9.99)
- Streets of Rage 4 ($21.24)
- Super Meat Boy ($7.49)
- Swimsanity! ($18.74)
- The Stretchers ($13.99)
- Torchlight II ($11.99)
- Unravel Two ($4.99)
- What the Golf? ($14.99)
Keep in mind, not everything on this list has local co-op. I'm looking at you, Torchlight II.
Nintendo is also running the Share the Fun sale in Europe, and the deals last until August 30.
Raise your hand if you still hold water for Battletoads outside of that GameStop meme. I see...a few people in the horizon!
Wait, am I one of the only ones who played all seven games in the series, including the Tiger Electronics handheld release? Who is this 2020 version of Battletoads for? After playing it, I'm even more confused and delighted.
Now Agent 47 solves murder mysteries too
You wouldn't send a wrecking ball to clean up a rainforest. You wouldn't put out a fire with a flamethrower. I'm not sure why you'd send a killer to solve a murder. Still, that's exactly what Agent 47 is going to do in Hitman 3.
The second Hitman 3 level is part Hitman and part Clue. There's been a murder at the Thornbridge Manor in Dartmoor, England. Among grieving friends and family, one of them has blood on their hands. Agent 47 is on the scene to go eye-for-eye because cloned killing machines really do not care if the whole world is blind.
Presumably, the Thornbridge Mystery tasks you with observing everyone on this English countryside estate, figuring out who committed the crime, and offing them. That's a nice twist on the classic Hitman formula of creatively isolating a predetermined target and offing them. The offing part doesn't really change. It's sorta what Agent 47 does best.
The first level, Dubai, was revealed at the same time Hitman 3 was announced. It's more aligned with standard Hitman fare -- a Mission Impossible-like infiltration followed by some careful (or comically inept) sneaking about. Both settings look great in their own way.
Review: Peaky Blinders: Mastermind
I'm actually quite surprised it's taken this long for a Peaky Blinders video game to hit the market. Given that Steven Knight's smash hit period drama hit the BBC way back in 2013, and is already five seasons and 30 episodes deep, it would seem that the violent and conniving shenanigans of The Shelby Family would have made their digital transition long before now.
Perhaps the problem was a lack of ideas. How do you convert a talky period drama into a deeply interactive format while still keeping the overall atmosphere and style aesthetic of the show? Developer FuturLab has taken a stab (no pun intended) at this difficult task with Peaky Blinders: Mastermind, a strategy/puzzle title that attempts to capture the razor-sharp wit and instinct of the charismatic-yet-dangerous Tommy Shelby and convert that to a playable gaming experience.
It seems, however, that some brands will always struggle with the leap into the realm of video games, and while Peaky Blinders: Mastermind is certainly inventive, even somewhat stylish, it ironically fast loses connection with both its excellent source material and the player because of its very efforts to become... well... a video game.
Get yo' Nep on: Hyperdimension Neptunia anime is coming to Steam
It's been a happy 24 hours for The Nep Army. Not only did publisher Compile Heart announce a brand new Hyperdimension Neptunia title for PS5, but it has also been revealed that the Neptunia anime adaptation is headed to, all of places, the Steam platform.
Hitman 3 is an Epic Games Store exclusive
When it comes to Hitman, talks of contracts are usually confined to the contract killings that Agent 47 is tasked with. This time, it's a contract that'll kill off any hopes of the game hitting Steam at launch.
Epic has secured Hitman 3 as the latest Epic Games Store timed exclusive on PC. It likely wasn't a tough decision for newly-independent IO Interactive. Epic guarantees that it'll cover the development costs of its store exclusives, all but eliminating IO's financial risk in the final installment of its well-regarded trilogy.
PC users who haven't yet jumped into IO's free-form assassination simulator can check out the original for free next week. Hitman (2016) will be free on the Epic Games Store from August 27 through September 3. It was Game of the Year caliber four years ago (my, how time flies), so it's well worth checking out.
As for Hitman 3, it's still set for January 2021. It's coming to current- and next-gen consoles, PC via the Epic Games Store, and Google Stadia. If you're the type who holds out for Steam versions, that'll probably arrive in January 2022.
Nintendo Download: Samurai Jack: Battle Through Time
As we move into an uncertain fall for the Nintendo Switch (just announce the Mario re-releases already), we still have plenty of third-party games to get us by. The Nindies Showcase made sure to let us know the score, and for now, there's a few other games available this week.
Samurai Jack: Battle Through Time, which is out tomorrow (also on PC, PS4 and Xbox One), is probably the biggest release on the docket. Then there's Peaky Blinders: Mastermind, an adaptation of the TV series: we have a review for it! Gleamlight and Inmost (the latter of which is coming on August 21) are also noteworthy.
Either way that's 36 new releases to sift through on the eShop this week. Good luck!
Sony releases dramatic PlayStation 5 commercial
Sony Interactive Entertainment has released the first commercial for its upcoming next-gen gaming platform, PlayStation 5. The "Play Has No Limits" ad represents typical forms of immersion that Sony hopes players will experience when playing games on the new console.
In the 70-second video, a young woman explores several evocative locations, including a frozen lake, a humid woodland camp, and a dark and foreboding cave. As our hero picks her way through each scenario, some of the PS5's features - such as the DualSense controller's Haptic Feedback and adaptive triggers and the console's Tempest 3D AudioTech - are represented by effects such as the ice cracking under her feet, the tension of the bow in her hand, and the sinister sounds rustling through the undergrowth.
The cinematic commercial then ends with a shot of the PS5 console itself, accompanied by its DualSense controller. Of course, no price is listed. Still, it's a nicely constructed commercial, one I can picture going over well on cinema screens worldwide.
Also, I want this rad gal to star in her own action-adventure video game.
PlayStation 5 launches Holiday 2020 worldwide.
Phantasy Star Online 2 recently arrived on the Xbox One this year in the west, then swiftly migrated to the Windows 10 platform, followed by a proper Steam release.
It seems as if that fairly big western push paid off, as Sega is reporting that the game now has 1,000,000 registered users as of this week: a number they seem to be very proud of. Sega says that the game will be available in "33 nations and territories," by the time the launch is fully complete, which is a huge upgrade from "just Japan," the previous reality from 2012 all the way through this year.
If you play, Sega is running free boost events, as well as daily rewards through August 26. You can find more info on that campaign here. As a reminder, Phantasy Star Online 2: New Genesis is in the pipeline, and will serve as a sort of follow-up for the original PSO2. This series isn't going anywhere anytime soon: and thankfully, it's finally available in the west.
Celebrating 1,000,000 Arks [PSO2]
505 Games apologise but hold firm on Control next-gen controversy
505 Games has confirmed its stance regarding Remedy's Control and its selective next-gen upgrade offer. In a statement posted on the Control website, the publisher apologised to customers, saying they had explored every avenue to please all players to no avail.
To recap, 505 Games will release Control Ultimate Edition on September 10 for PS4 and Xbox One. This GOTY-style compilation will feature the base game and its two DLC expansions. Players who purchase the Ultimate Edition will also receive a free upgrade to the next-gen edition of Control when the new platforms launch later in 2020. However, those who already own Control and its expansion packs do not qualify for the free upgrade. This news has upset some Control players who feel their loyalty has been "punished."
"We spent several months exploring all of our launch options for Control Ultimate Edition and no decision was taken lightly," said 505 Games in the statement. "While it is challenging bringing any game to next gen platforms, we quickly realised it was even more difficult to upgrade our current user base to next gen with full parity across platforms with our year-old game."
"Every avenue we pursued, there was some form of blocker and those blockers meant that at least one group of players ended up being left out of the upgrade for various reasons. As of today, we can't offer an upgrade to everyone, and leaving any one group out feels unfair. We understand that is not what you want to hear."
Game Freak is giving away a free Porygon2 this weekend for Pokemon Sword and Shield
Following that free Amoonguss distribution by way of the Korean Trainer's Cup event, Game Freak and The Pokemon Company are holding another freebie giveaway this weekend.
Announced on the official Pokemon website, you'll be able to grab a free Porygon2 for Pokemon Sword and Shield if you watch the broadcast this weekend. Those times are actually August 22 and August 23 at 11AM PT, and at some point a code will flash on the screen that can be entered as a mystery gift to claim the character. Of course, that code will be available on all of the usual places the minute after it airs.
As a note, Porygon2 is already available in the DLC (you can just take it from the dojo and evolve it): but this one is a bit different. The Pokemon Company is calling it a "battle-ready" creature, with Trick Room strategies "just as you might have seen in the Pokemon Player's Cup battles."
If you don't watch the event live, don't sweat, as the code distribution is going to be more forgiving than the Korean promo. This time you have until August 31 to claim your Porygon2.
Receive a Battle-Ready Porygon2 Celebrating the Pokemon Players Cup [Pokemon.com]
Planet Zoo is getting an Australia Pack and a free update on August 25
Planet Zoo is adding several new animals with the Australia Pack on August 25, 2020.
The koala, red kangaroo, dingo, southern cassowary, and eastern blue-tongued lizard – choose your beast. Cassowaries are intimidating and their eggs are a wild shade of green, so that's my pick.
In line with the game's prior DLC packs, this one will cost $9.99 and it's arriving on the same day as a free update – in this case, the 1.3 update – to round out the zoo-managing experience for all players.
One of the coolest features in the patch is alternate colors and patterns to help differentiate your critters. "The team researched animal color and pattern variation, and found that documentation was rare and highly variable in quality depending on the species," according to Frontier Developments. "We've done our absolute best to stick to research photo reference, and do them justice."
Other upgrades include an all-in-one page for animal feeding, more efficient staff management, a Sandbox map, a Timed Scenario in Estonia, vending machines for your park guests, and more foliage.
Look out for "plants and smaller sapling trees to complement their larger cousins." Thank goodness.
Danganronpa 2: Goodbye Despair Anniversary Edition now available on iOS and Android
If you haven't had the opportunity to get away on vacation this summer, then fret not, as you can enjoy all of the sun, sand, sea, and slaughter of Spike Chunsoft's Danganronpa 2: Goodbye Despair Anniversary Edition, which is now available to purchase on iOS and Android.
Originally released for Sony PSP back in 2013, the follow-up to Trigger Happy Havoc once again sees a party of perfect students brought together - this time in a tropical paradise - only to find themselves trapped within the mad games of sinister plush toy Monokuma, (this time accompanied by his adorable sibling Monomi).
As the mystery deepens and the body count rises, it will be up to our protagonist to investigate the gruesome murders and point an accusatory finger at the guilty party. Explore Jabberwock Island, gather testimony and evidence, and face off against suspects in tense interrogations, utilising Goodbye Despair's new "Panic Talk Action" mechanic to nail the killer.
Contest: Win Blightbound for Steam
In today's contest you can win a Steam Early Access copy of stylish dungeon crawler Blightbound!
I feel like having Devolver Digital as a publisher is something of a pedigree for a game -- it just gives that certain "wow factor" that many publishers can only dream of. Maybe it's the conferences, maybe it's the style...or maybe they just select awesome games. I'm thinking it's the latter.
Devolver teamed up with Ronimo Games to bring you Blightbound, a stylish dungeon crawler available now via Early Access. And since I'm writing this, you know what that means!
Brian Mitsoda 'suddenly terminated' as narrative lead on Vampire: The Masquerade - Bloodlines 2
In a somewhat shocking turn of events that puts the future of the long-awaited Vampire: The Masquerade - Bloodlines sequel on shaky ground, narrative designer Brian Mitsoda has been fired with what seems like little warning from the higher-ups. Along with Mitsoda, creative director Ka'ai Cluney was also let go from Hardsuit Labs, the team behind Bloodlines 2.
Mitsoda, who was involved in the original game design, was a bit of a safe harbor in a storm where a lot of fans were worried about how a sequel to the beloved cult classic would turn out. His firing comes in the wake of a previously announced delay that set Bloodlines 2 back to a tenuous 2021 date.
Paradox Interactive, who owns a 30% stake in Hardsuit Labs, issued this statement:
We appreciate, and value, the contributions of Brian and Ka'ai, which were instrumental in establishing the game's storyline and dark tone and have helped to ensure that we are making a true successor to the iconic Bloodlines. We wish them both the best in their future endeavors.
Mitsoda also released a statement, sent in an email to Rock, Paper, Shotgun. The full text follows:
Until recently, I was the Narrative Lead on a videogame called Vampire the Masquerade: Bloodlines 2 for Hardsuit Labs, Inc being published by Paradox Interactive (which owns 30% of Hardsuit Labs). After almost five years involvement with the studio, I was suddenly terminated on 7/16/20.
That this came as a shock to me is underselling it. I've worked on Bloodlines 2 for almost five years. The story and main cast was initially conceived in my living room. I helped develop the pitch for Hardsuit Labs and helped pitch the project to Paradox in Las Vegas. I've been in charge of the narrative since the beginning, working long days and sometimes weekends to deliver a successor to Vampire the Masquerade: Bloodlines, and I've never been led to believe that I hadn't succeeded. Very obviously, I have also been involved in the PR and marketing side of things, even though it was one of the most difficult parts for me. I'm a pretty private person – press and crowds tend to heavily trigger my social anxiety (which, if you've ever wondered about the gloves, they are "armor" that make me feel less exposed in situations that trigger my anxiety).
Bloodlines and the fandom of the game mean the world to me. So I lent my legacy with the franchise, my name, and my participation in marketing efforts for the game, even when it was intensely difficult and took a mental and physical toll. This is all because I wanted to do what was best for the game and the team.
The pride in the work, the fan expectations, and the support from co-workers who started out as fans kept me going through this long five years. And I'm incredibly disappointed and frustrated to say that this is where it ends for me on the project.
I was not part of the conversations that led to the decision to delay production, and to my knowledge, there were no delays caused by the Bloodlines 2 narrative development. I am confident and proud of the work that I and my team put forward. When that work will be seen and what form it will take is unknown to me.
It was a pleasure to work on this game and with many people at Hardsuit Labs and Paradox and I'm sorry I won't be able to see it to the end. I spent years on some of the best characters and dialogue that I ever wrote. It's meant a lot to hear from the Bloodlines community and I do hope that what's finally delivered is as satisfying as I intended it to be. Thanks to all of you who supported me throughout the project.
Coming in to fill the role of creative director is industry veteran Alexandre Mandryka. Mandryka has previously worked on the Far Cry, Warhammer 40K, and Assassin's Creed franchises.
It's never good to see two higher-ups in a company go without any warning, especially in the later periods of a project. It hurts even more to know that Mitsoda had poured so much into the project and won't be there to see it finished.
Vampire: The Masquerade - Bloodlines 2 is scheduled for release sometime in 2021 on PC, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X.
Brian Mitsoda has been fired as narrative lead on Bloodlines 2 [Rock, Paper, Shotgun]
The Call of Duty community finally solved Activision's convoluted Black Ops: Cold War ARG
It started with some locked crates. Inside those, projectors and cryptic slides. Those slides led to-- actually, this goes on for quite a while. It's complicated, there are a bunch of steps, and it took a lot of hard work from the Call of Duty community. Instead of my half-assed explanation, watch this summary from Zombies YouTuber NoahJ456:
You can get this Sea of Thieves ship if you play a bit of Battletoads
Slowly but surely, Rare's old games and characters are getting more nods in Sea of Thieves. The latest cosmetic item, inspired by Battletoads, is a little different – it's a reward for playing the new game (which is out tomorrow, August 20, on Xbox One and PC with Xbox Game Pass support).
If you clear Act One of Battletoads, you'll unlock the Fightin' Frogs ship set in Sea of Thieves.
It looks great! The color choice brings back memories of the Donkey Kong Country 2 level Rattle Battle.
According to Rare, the offer is open "at any time," so there's no rush. Just use the same profile.
While you're sailing the high seas, you might also want to participate in the Summer of Sea of Thieves event. It's running in-game until September 30, and you can pick up rewards for finishing challenges.
Rumored prices for Nvidia's next graphics card are coming in and you better start saving
We're less than two weeks away from Nvidia's unveiling event for its next-generation video cards and the RTX 3090 rumors are starting to fly. Chiphell forum user Wjm47196, who has a track record of accurate leaks, leaked some information in the last 24 hours that makes my wallet weep.
Their message was a simple one:
1399刀起，fe版å†è´µ100刀，24G gd6x confirm
Translation: "Starting at $1399, the fe (founder's edition) version is $100 more expensive, 24G gd6x confirm."
Starting at $1399, the hypothetical price point would put the RTX 3090 at $400 more than what the 2080 Ti – the last release of this kind for Nvidia – launched at. Pile another $100 on top of that for the founder's edition and you're looking at a mighty strike to your bank account.
Another less credible rumor seemingly coming from an internal memo puts the price points even higher. According to TechSpot, the memo lists the price of the 3090 card at ¥13,999 Chinese Yuan. Roughly converted, that comes out to $2,000.
Now, these are all rumors, so the truth might lie somewhere in-between the lines but the outlook is clear: this is going to be a pricey upgrade for PC gamers. It also doesn't help that many people are still reeling from the COVID-19 related work shortages and recession. It's going to be interesting to see how well the cards will sell compared to previous launches.
The good news is that we won't have to wait long to find out the official details as Nvidia's Ampere press event will be held in less than two weeks, on September 1.
Multiple rumors point to the RTX 3090's very high price [TechSpot]
This is how Microsoft wants your Xbox experience to look across all devices
Microsoft has already said that any dashboard refresh for the Xbox Series X won't be drastic. That's because Microsoft has spent the past few years trying to unify the Xbox experience, and that means making sure that everything looks familiar across all devices.
This video is a visual elaboration on that concept. It shows the upcoming UI configuration for the Xbox Series X, Xbox One, PC, and Android. It's more or less the same because that's the connected ecosystem appeal that Microsoft is gunning for.
There are more interesting details than just the general aesthetic of it all. A significant portion of the video is spent explaining how much faster the Xbox Series X is with regard to general speed. Booting is 50 percent quicker and returning from a game is about 30 percent quicker. The Xbox operating system underwent a streamlining of sorts, as Xbox Experience principal program manager Jonathan Hildebrandt explains that all this snappiness actually requires 40 percent less RAM than before.
There's a new mobile Xbox app in the works too. Microsoft has resigned itself to the fact that consoles aren't great for text communication. This revamped app will better integrate the social component of Xbox gaming onto mobile. That extends to sharing too. Whenever you capture a screenshot or video clip on Xbox, it'll immediately push to your phone so that you can share it to social from there. It's a much better process than my current method which is: Capture media, wait for it to upload to the Xbox Live cloud, open the Xbox app on my PC, download it from Xbox Live to my PC, and then share to social media.
All this should launch in November alongside the Xbox Series X.
Predator: Hunting Grounds' patch 2.0 adds cross-play with friends
The next step on the Predator: Hunting Grounds roadmap is a big one: patch 2.0.
When the update rolls out on August 28, it'll bring quality-of-life fixes and the long-awaited ability to set up cross-play with friends. Currently, PC and PS4 players can mingle if they want (there's a toggle in the options menu), but friends can't invite each other to party up across the two platforms.
IllFonic "hoped this would be in at launch," so it's nice to finally have it fixed. Long term, it's one of those features you really want to have once the wider audience fades and matches become elusive.
Beyond that, "the Classic Combistick and Wrist Launcher from the City Hunter content is now unlockable to everyone; there is a large Fireteam Supply Drop including the OWLF Assault Rifle, the Anti-Cloaking Grenade, UAV Scanner, and the Self Revive Syrette; and a Field Locker Update with three new Predator Masks, a new Fireteam Ballistic Mask, and other new tints and shaders."
IllFonic also announced the arrival of a new map and mode in September, the former of which has a teaser image that you can see below. I feel like "never fight a Predator in a cave" is an unwritten rule.
Also, I'm pleasantly surprised I showed restraint for once and didn't buy the Samurai Predator.
Predator: Hunting Grounds August update [PlayStation Blog]
Mortal Kombat 11 brings klassic skins to Kitana, Skarlet, and Jade
NetherRealm Studios has revealed the second of its trinity of skin packs headed to blood-soaked fighter Mortal Kombat 11. The Femme Fatale skin pack launched August 25 and offers klassic looks to the roster's dangerous kunoichi.
The Femme Fatale pack includes outfits and accessories for Edenian empress Kitana, her BFF and loyal bodyguard Jade, and the mysterious and vampiric Skarlet. The new skins are reminiscent of the looks that Kitana and Jade sported in 1995's Mortal Kombat 3 - all scraped-back hair and revealing bodysuits. Of course, Skarlet did not actually appear in this early iteration of MK, so this pack gives the deadly usurper an opportunity to go a little old-skool.
Microids will co-publish a physical release of Oddworld: Soulstorm
French outfit Microids has signed a deal with Oddworld Inhabitants to co-publish a physical release of Oddworld: Soulstorm, the next entry in the weird and wonderful Oddworld series, on PS4 and PS5.
Oddworld: Soulstorm, a title which has been in development for over two years now, is the sequel to 2014's New 'n' Tasty - which essentially makes Soulstorm a de facto remake of 1998's Oddworld: Abe's Exoddus. The adventure will follow the heroic mudokon Abe as he continues to strike at the oppressive Glukkon regime holding him and his brethren captive.
