Giveaway: World of Warships turns five, so take some free stuff for the PC version
In today's giveaway, you can snag some free content for World of Warships!
While I never delved into it, myself, my old roommate would hop into World of Warships to take battle on the high seas. Despite my extreme fear of the ocean, it was actually kinda fun to sit and watch him play! I guess that's why it's been around for five years now, and still going strong.
Celebrate their big milestone by redeeming a key for an in-game content pack featuring approximately $28 USD worth of bonus content. And if you're new to the game, we've got a special redemption offer to allow you up to $50 of in-game content to help get you into the groove!
NieR Replicant was rated in Taiwan, so maybe it'll actually release in 2020
NieR Replicant has been more or less unheard from ever since Square Enix announced it's being remastered remade upgraded. This new take on the Japan-only PS3 version of NieR is supposed to launch before the year's done, but all this silence hasn't inspired much confidence.
Quietly, there's reason for optimism. NieR Replicant Ver.1.22474487139... (which is its ridiculous-but-official name) has been given a rating by the Taiwan Digital Game Rating Committee:
Gearbox will tell us about the future of Borderlands next week
This is the first Labor Day Weekend I have to chill out in a decade, because I'm always in Seattle under the guise of highly important games blogging. PAX West is my favorite show every year because it's the only one that strikes a perfect balance between "laid back enough to not be stressful" and "essential enough to warrant going." And it's all in a city I adore when the weather's always gorgeous.
But, as we all know full-well, PAX West isn't happening this year -- at least not in its traditional form. It's an online event like all the other events, as it'll try to create a facsimile of the PAX-going experience. One aspect is getting some panels on-stream.
Gearbox is doing its usual news-announcing panel for PAX, where it'll touch on the future of its publishing arm, and, more importantly, Borderlands:
Fall Guys can add more mayhem with Big Yeetus, a 'chaotic neutral' hammer
Even the chaos of Fall Guys: Ultimate Knockout can begin to feel routine once you've competed in a couple hundred rounds, and while some players have taken it upon themselves to keep things fresh, a new brand of mayhem is brewing at Mediatonic beyond the Season 2 stages lined up for October.
Big Yeetus is the answer to everyone who's asked for more variety in the current levels.
I've got a SPICY LEAK for you all
— Fall Guys ðŸ'' (@FallGuysGame) September 2, 2020
We're working on a little something that we have been calling...
B I G Y E E T U S
Big Yeetus will randomly appear in levels - to shake things up
Big Yeetus is Chaotic Neutral
Big Yeetus is not your friend
Big Yeetus is not your enemy pic.twitter.com/nIBBKcf5qM
A randomly-appearing hazard with a silly name is on-brand for Fall Guys, that's for sure. And if you've ever passed the time in Team Tail Tag by hurling yourself into a swinging hammer, you'll see the appeal.
The game's jovial Twitter account likes to crack jokes, and the lines are often blurred.
Is Big Yeetus just a bit?
A lot of people are doubting that BIG YEETUS is actually real, so here is the receipt
— Fall Guys ðŸ'' (@FallGuysGame) September 2, 2020
Can we get BIG YEETUS trending on Twitter? pic.twitter.com/AfGbP6UYYS
"Following a deluge of media inquiries, we would like to confirm that we are not offering official press comment on the existence of this so-called 'Big Yeetus,'" Mediatonic later tweeted.
Either way (for the record, I think Big Yeetus is real and should be), I appreciate the other change shown in the clip: cannon-launched fruit on Dizzy Heights. People are too good at dodging the rolling balls.
There's a balance to strike between comfy familiarity and funky freshness. I hope they pull it off.
CD Projekt Red says that Cyberpunk 2077's file size will be reasonable
Do androids dream of bigger hard drives? CD Projekt Red says no.
Yesterday's Cyberpunk 2077 technical showcase from the new Nvidia 30XX cards had some people worried that it looked a little too good. Basically, folks were worried that achieving that sort of visual fidelity would require an absolutely ridiculous file size. Not so, apparently:
Hello Games' follow-up to No Man's Sky is another 'huge, ambitious game' but not a sequel
Hello Games has seen the good and the bad with No Man's Sky. It has seen the dangers of unchecked expectations and the blowback of unrealized promises. It has made right on an underwhelming game, eventually redeeming No Man's Sky by turning it into something vast and detailed and excellent. It has been quite the ride, and it shouldn't be lost on anyone that a title with the potential to deliver so many in-game stories ended up as a rollercoaster of real-world stories.
But Hello Games and its founder, Sean Murray, are about ready to create new stories. Hopefully, this ride won't be quite so bumpy.
In an interview with Polygon, Murray reveals that the studio is in the very early phases of planning its next major project. Murray says it's "a huge, ambitious game like No Man's Sky," but emphasizes that it's not a sequel. Making sequels is antithetical to the reason Murray and Hello Games' other employees went indie in the first place.
That's all the information we have for now. Murray seems gunshy about divulging too much too fast. He has a history with that sort of thing. Ultimately, he's happy with where No Man's Sky ended up, but regrets the emotional wringer that the initial launch put his employees through. He'll probably look to avoid that with this next game, and that might mean publicizing it less.
"A lot of [press] opportunities were put in front of us, and we were told that they were the right things to do and I look back and I'm not sure that they were super, super important to the overall outcome kind of thing," Murray says. Whatever No Man's Sky successor ends up being, Hello Games likely won't promise the world this time.
Hello Games' Sean Murray on the studio's next No Man's Sky-sized game [Polygon]
There's a lot of good stuff coming to Xbox Game Pass in the next two weeks
I've already dedicated an entire article to Resident Evil 7 getting added to Xbox Game Pass, so I probably can't justify doing that again. Fortunately, there are plenty of other gems lined up to join the Bakers and the Molded.
Yesterday, Paradox's feudal legacy simulator Crusader Kings III launched and was immediately included in Xbox Game Pass. That's one that's well worth checking out. Sticking with the strategic angle, Raw Fury's tactical RPG Star Renegades releases on September 8 and is another day one addition to Game Pass.
Elsewhere, the second and third acts in Dontnod's Tell Me Why are lined up for the next two Thursdays. More nebulously, Destiny 2 and its expansions join Xbox Game Pass "soon," but being a part of this list probably means it'll happen before mid-September. (It's also worth remembering that Destiny's November add-on, Beyond Light, is also coming to Game Pass at launch.)
Oh, and Resident Evil 7 is making its way to Xbox Game Pass too. Not sure if that one has been mentioned yet.
Here's what Microsoft has lined up for Xbox Game Pass for the next two weeks:
PlayStation's Essential Picks sale has a deal on The Last of Us Part II
The PlayStation Store is running an Essential Picks sale on PS4 games, and it's an early chance to save a bit on The Last of Us Part II ($49.99) if you're up for a long, draining, ultimately impressive adventure.
Other essentials include Dreams ($29.99), Days Gone ($21.99), Horizon Zero Dawn: The Frozen Wilds ($4.99), Uncharted 4 ($14.99), Marvel's Spider-Man GOTY ($19.99), and God of War ($14.99). You also shouldn't miss WipEout Omega Collection ($9.99) even if you've never tried the anti-grav racing series.
The rest of the list is mostly more of the usual fodder, with one surprising exception: the Nioh 2 Season Pass is down to $13.99. Based on the quality of the first DLC, The Tengu's Disciple, I'd jump on it. For as often as some of these games go on sale, discounts on season passes can be annoyingly elusive.
I've listed out the US PlayStation Store deals below, and you can find the EU deals here.
A separate PlayStation Store sale – Games Under $15 – is running simultaneously.
It has a lot of genuinely worthwhile titles, to the point where I'm wondering why they weren't lumped in with the "essential picks." Bloodborne ($12.99), Ratchet and Clank ($9.99), Horizon Zero Dawn: Complete Edition ($12.99), Until Dawn ($9.99), Far Cry 3 Classic Edition ($9.89), Gran Turismo Sport ($12.99), inFamous Second Son ($9.99), and Shadow of the Colossus ($9.99) all stand out. You do you, Sony.
Slice 'n' dice your way through Ghostrunner, headed to PC and consoles in 2020
It's more of that neon-city cyberpunk action that's hot with all the kids right now. All-In! Games has released a new trailer for its futuristic first-person adventure Ghostrunner, which launches on PS4, PC, and Xbox One later in 2020.
In a dystopian future, entire cities are stacked vertically in gargantuan towers, where the people are ruled over by the tower's richest, most powerful, or most ruthless occupants. In Ghostrunner, players must scale the world's last remaining city, Dharma Tower, in order to take down its keymaster, Mara, and free the city's populace from their violent and oppressive rule... Not unlike Pete Travis' excellent 2012 movie, Dredd.
Square Enix says Marvel's Avengers had the 'most-downloaded beta in PlayStation history'
For all of its divisiveness, Marvel's Avengers is shaping up to be a huge success for Square Enix. After running a three-weekend beta test that was initially PS4-focused before opening up on PC and Xbox One, the publisher says Avengers was "globally the most-downloaded beta in PlayStation history."
That milestone makes sense on a few fronts.
Marvel's Avengers is undeniably rough around the edges, but the underlying idea – a big-budget take on the Avengers that lets people team up with their friends – has so much raw mainstream appeal. Add in the messy games-as-a-service angle, the loot-based progression, the beta's timing, and the play-first-on-PlayStation push, and it's not surprising that millions of players wanted to dip their toes in on PS4.
It's one of those betas that people downloaded even if they had no confidence they'd buy the full game. It benefited from high visibility (as a Marvel IP) and widespread curiosity ("Is it actually fun to play?").
For my part, I have no intention of getting Marvel's Avengers on launch day (to say nothing of the current paid Early Access period), but I do intend to play it in 2020 after a round of patches. That's progress!
Where are you at with Avengers?
@SquareEnix [Twitter]
Zombie Army 4: Dead War to receive two more seasons of content
British developer Rebellion has announced that its undead Nazi shooter Zombie Army 4: Dead War will receive a further two seasons of DLC content, extending the life, (or is that "afterlife), of the multiplayer team title into 2021.
Rebellion announced the content in a new video - which you can check out below. Seasons two and three will bring with them a fresh slew of characters, enemies, weapons and maps, alongside expanded campaign chapters. Previous DLC drops have seen our rag-tag band of heroes venture into darkest Transylvania, and even into forgotten subterranean cities, while on their quest to eradicate every trace of the Undead Reich.
Behold! The Switch eShop has actual timers for sales now
Baby steps, people.
Look, the eShop has remained mostly unchanged for over three years now. Despite Nintendo's initiative to add 30-40 games to it every week, causing tons of bloat, navigational efforts haven't really improved all that much despite a few nips and tucks here and there. A new advancement this week definitely counts as minor; but it's appreciated nonetheless.
After being informed by a reader that the Switch eShop now has timers available for game sales, I booted up my Switch and sure enough, it's there. Note that in addition to providing "days remaining" when it comes to broad strokes, the new system will actually delineate "hours remaining" as well when it comes down to the wire.
I'll take it! Now Nintendo just needs to get to work overhauling the rest of it, while keeping this feature.
[Thanks John!]
Katamari Damacy Reroll is finally coming to PS4 and Xbox One in November
Katamari Damacy Reroll might not have set the world on fire, but I loved revisiting the original unhinged rolling action game on Nintendo Switch and PC. Can we get any more Katamari remasters? I sure hope so. In the meantime – but not all that soon – a pair of console ports are on the table for Reroll.
Bandai Namco is bringing the game to PlayStation 4 and Xbox One on November 19, 2020 in Japan.
The listing was spotted on Katamari Damacy Reroll's Japanese site, and it's hard to imagine we won't see a similar announcement in the West soon. Will I dip again for PS4 trophies? Most likely!
On that note, I'll take anything and everything from the main series – bring on the ports.
[Via Gematsu]
Here's a roundup of all of the Ninjala anime episodes so far
Ninjala is still trucking along on Switch, calling my name every so often.
Although it was fairly flawed at launch some post-launch updates have smoothed over some of the rougher aspects: enough for that "one round or so" feel when winding down for the day. It also helps that developer Soleil and publisher GungHo are actually trying to build out this universe: theme counts for a lot.
To that end, GungHo's endless pockets have funded a Ninjala anime, that's still running as of this week. The first episode actually debuted around the game's launch, but the latest one came out yesterday.
As a note, it's all free to watch on YouTube. You can check it all out below! Episodes are actually pretty meaty, running around 10 minutes each.
Mortal Kombat 11 Ash Williams rumor refuses to stay buried
Following recent comments from voice actor Richard Epcar, Mortal Kombat 11 fans are being given new hope that Evil Dead's wise-cracking hero Ash Williams will be joining the gory fighter's roster at some point in the future.
Epcar - who portrays both thunder god Raiden and DC Comics' Joker - re-lit the rumour fire during an online Q&A session with fans held this past weekend. "Oh, that's right," stated Epcar when questioned. "Bruce Campbell will be in Mortal Kombat. He's going to be a part of the new package." (Clip courtesy of @masterofcold.)
The Ash Williams x Mortal Kombat furor began with online whispers that the Deadite slayer was coming to MK 11 within the first wave of DLC. This rumor was backed up when "Ash" was discovered in a datamine of the PC release, (a datamine which would correctly predict the rest of MK 11's Kombat Pack). If this wasn't enough, then the first teaser trailer for the Kombat Pack included the sound of a buzzing chainsaw.
Bungie pulls back the curtain on Destiny 2's new Warlock subclass
If you're looking forward to the new Destiny 2 expansion, you're probably focused in on the upcoming stasis subclasses.
It's a pretty huge deal for the series as they haven't had a new subclass...since the start, and now all three classes are getting one. This week, Bungie decided to start breaking them down individually, and decided to go with the Warlock (the best class) for their initial salvo.
As a reminder, the Warlock's stasis subclass is the Shadebinder. As Bungie puts it, the style is to "freeze as many enemies as possible," with a projectile-based playstyle. And what would a Warlock be without a staff: Shadebinders can summon a Stasis weapon to unleash shockwaves and stasis projectiles.
Aspects and Fragments will now further customize the subclass, which dangerously sounds like another added element of grinding at first glance. An example Bungie gives is "finding a Frostpulse Aspect" in the wild, which provides a freezing modifier to their Rift power. Neat, but I hope these don't take forever to farm.
Bungie says that "stasis will change the way you play Destiny 2," and I sure hope so. Although it still plays wonderfully due to the incredibly strong shooter foundation, it'll be nice to finally mix things up with a different subclass after several years of the same old thing (and that's just Destiny 2).
Stasis Spotlight: Warlock Shadebinder [Bungie.net]
Cyberpunk 2077 tech video shows off GeForce RTX 30 effects
CD Projekt RED, in association with Nvidia, has released a short tech video for upcoming RPG Cyberpunk 2077, showcasing its deadly future-noir universe as powered by Nvidia's shiny new range of GeForce RTX 30 graphics cards.
The trailer offers a brief look at several locales within the neon-tinged 'berg, with powerful ray tracing and DLSS 2.0 effects presenting the city at its absolute finest. Predictably, Night City looks absolutely fantastic, with dazzling colour, realistic reflections and shadows, and an abundance of real-time particles, with resolution sharper than a razor blade.
You don't have to take my word for it, check out the video for yourself below.
PlayStation Now just got two big names: Resident Evil 7 and Final Fantasy XV
It's hard to believe that PlayStation Now kicked off at the start of 2014. Hell, I can't believe PlayStation Plus was implemented in 2010.
Sony has a lot of little programs (just like Microsoft, with Game Pass Ultimate!) so it can be hard to keep track of everything, but PlayStation Now (otherwise known as PS Now) is their cloud-based subscription service that's not quite as enticing as Game Pass; given that Microsoft's program includes huge day-one first-party releases. This week, PS Now is getting a few more games though.
In addition to WWE 2K19 (the prior, not-completely-broken-one) and Observation, Resident Evil 7 and Final Fantasy XV are arriving on the service. While Resident Evil 7 is pretty much the new darling of the series, beloved by everyone, FFXV is a bit more polarizing. But take heart! If you're a JRPG fan and have a lot of extra time to get sucked into a world, you may enjoy it yet. Go in with an open mind and give it a shot.
PS Now's September Lineup [PlayStation Blog]
Sega's Project B.L.A.C.K. is new mobile title Sakura Revolution
Well, I called it. Sega has revealed that its previously teased "Project B.L.A.C.K." is indeed a new Sakura Wars mobile title. Sakura Kakumei (or Sakura Revolution) is currently in development for iOS and Android platforms and will launch in Japan this fall.
Produced by Sega and Delightworks, Sakura Revolution is a spin-off title set within the melodramatic, mech-battling Sakura Wars universe. While story details are still a little thin-on-the-ground, a 20+ minute anime from studio Clover Works gives us our first look at the new game's cast of characters. Unfortunately, the anime is currently only available in Japanese.
What? Super Smash Bros. Ultimate allegedly almost had rollback netcode
So Super Smash Bros. Ultimate is pretty great, and it's somehow still getting content and has remained relevant (checks calendar)...nearly two years after launch. That's pretty great! But you know what's not great? Its netcode and online play experience.
While you can chalk this up as "classic Nintendo," new details from an upcoming Famitsu article seem to claim that rollback netcode was once planned for Smash Ultimate. The news comes from Nintendo insider and translator PushDustIn, who explained on Twitter that rollback netcode was "looked into during development," but due to some "adverse side effects," it was dropped. More info is said to be coming once the full Famitsu column is available.
In other Smash news, more "adjustments" will be coming to 1v1 modes in Smash Ultimate, and Sakurai confirms that Smash has peddled over 20 million copies. Given that it's sitting at 19.9 million right now on Nintendo's official site, that checks out.
If you're curious, you can find more info on how rollback netcode works here, or watch the below video! The short of it is, rollback netcode is harder to implement in many circumstances (but not all), so we don't see it as often as the industry standard: delay-based netcode.
Smash Ultimate [Famitsu via PushDustIn]
Xbox confirms 'no new next-gen news' at TGS 2020
Xbox has announced that will have no new next-gen news to offer during its Tokyo Game Show (TGS) presentation later this month.
As reported by VGC, Xbox outlined its itinerary for the annual trade show event in a tweet and accompanying blog post. Xbox clarified that its TGS presentation will consist of a 50-minute live stream "celebrating Japanese game developers and games" and will feature updates on both Minecraft and Flight Simulator. The stream will be broadcast in Japanese only.
"Our presence at Tokyo Game Show will celebrate the visionary creators and vibrant players in the region," reads a statement on Xbox.com. "Tune in to see the latest on games, content from our Japanese partners and players, and further details on Xbox services."
While Xbox has always struggled to maintain a strong presence in Japan, the lack of any next-gen news whatsoever still comes as a surprise, given the rapidly approaching launch season. Xbox's reluctance to announce a release date, price, or to confirm the existence of the industry's worst-kept secret, Xbox Series S, continues to frustrate the publisher's fanbase.
Tokyo Game Show 2020 takes place the week of September 23-27.
Super Punch Patrol is a brawler from the creator of Gunman Clive and it hits Switch this month
Last month, we brought you news that Gunman Clive creator Bertil Hörberg was working on a new solo project through the COVID-19 pandemic. While it wasn't officially announced, gameplay snippets posted to Twitter over the past few months kept the game fresh in the back of my mind. In August, Hörberg was prepping to submit the game to NOA Lot Check. Things must have gone swimmingly as today, the indie dev finally revealed what this brawler is and when we'll be able to play it.
Contest: Win Creepy Tale for Switch
In today's contest you can win a creepy tale, in form of Creepy Tale, for Nintendo Switch!
Welcome, September! Summer should be about winding down, giving us a much-needed reprieve from the heat and humidity. Shower us in your windy, leafy goodness, fall!
But isn't there always something a little creepy about the changing of summer into autumn? I always thought so. Celebrate that subtle unease with a Switch copy of indie adventure title, Creepy Tale.
Nintendo files new trademarks for petrol-free 'Pikachu car' Pi!car!
In delightfully weird news from Japan, Nintendo - along with Creatures Inc. and Game Freak - have applied for several new trademarks relating to the design and realisation of Pi!car!, which appears to be an environmentally sound, Pikachu-themed motor vehicle.
The new trademarks are for the "Pi!car!" name in both Japanese and English, as well as two cutesy visual designs based around Pokemon's lead critter (which you can see in the gallery below). The three trademarks fall under the categories of "Vehicle" and "Education," but none of them appear tied to the development of any video games.
As reported by Japanese Nintendo, the Pi!car! project is a joint venture between The Pokemon Company and car manufacturer Toyota Motor Corporation, seemingly with the goal of producing a compact, petrol-free vehicle with a Pikachu theme. Whether this idea is to be realised as a mere concept car, or will actually made available to the public, remains to be seen...
...But boy howdy, do I wanna see people driving Pikachu cars in my neighbourhood.
Dead by Daylight promises 4K and 60FPS on PS5 and Xbox Series X this holiday season
If all goes according to plan, Dead by Daylight could have one of the smoother next-gen transitions.
The PS5 and Xbox Series X versions of Dead by Daylight will run at 4K and 60FPS, and current players will be able to upgrade "for free on their new platform of choice" while retaining their progression and unlocks. Behaviour Interactive is aiming for a "holiday 2020" launch window on both consoles.
Even if you're sticking to the existing versions on PC, PS4, Xbox One, or Nintendo Switch, you'll benefit from an upcoming "graphical overhaul" that will be delivered in free updates stretching into fall 2021.
Starting with Springwood and Yamaoka Estate, the team intends to rework "over four years of live content" to "improve the immersion." That means new lighting, textures, models, and animations. The first update will drop on September 8 with those maps and revamped lockers, generators, and palettes.
While ambitious update schedules tend to slip off course, Behaviour hopes to release visual upgrades "every six weeks," and all told, "tens of thousands of assets will be enhanced."
Content-wise, they'll still be releasing new Chapters and Archives too.
The Realm Beyond [Dead by Daylight]
This magnificent modder turned a Wii into a Game Boy
A lot of people here likely have fond memories of their Wii. But older generations can recall some of Nintendo's bygone systems, like the fantastic and time-tested Game Boy Color. This mod from creator GingerOfMods marries both worlds into one impressive system.
They call it the WiiBoy Color. The front of the system is a 480p screen, with inputs Frankensteined from DS Lite buttons and Switch joysticks. GingerOfMods hacks the system to allow GameCube controls to mirror Wiimote controls: which can also simulate waggling. The back has a fan intake and Z buttons, with a headphone jack on the side and a USB-C port on top for charging and data transfer.
GingerOfMods can simply add games via USB when they want. It'll run for "two or three hours," but you can also hook up a portable charging bank to it to keep going. Plus, they can plug the portable directly into a Wii to play on a bigger screen: Switch style!
This is one of the most impressive hardware mods I've seen in recent years. I like the commitment to the form factor of the Game Boy Color the most: it looks incredibly sleek. GingerOfMods says that you can reach out to them via their Instagram or Twitter account if you want to buy it; but it'll cost you a "premium."
Vlambeer, the studio behind Nuclear Throne and Luftrausers, is closing
The indie game scene blew up during the seventh generation. Whereas AAA developers were stagnating and doubling down on games being made by committee, creators like Polytron and Subset Games were putting out beautiful niche titles that provided a more unique experience than what was previously available. One of the pioneers of the indie revolution was the two-man team at Vlambeer.
Starting with their platformer-shooter Super Crate Box, the duo of Rami Ismail and Jan Willem Nijman gained the attention of publisher Devolver Digital, who approached the team to make a small-scale game set in the Serious Sam universe to promote the then-upcoming Serious Sam 3 release. Serious Sam: The Random Encounter was Vlambeer's introduction to those not embroiled in the PC indie scene. What followed was almost a decade of exceptional games that exemplified gaming's arcade history.
Today, on the 10th anniversary of the formation of the studio, Vlambeer announced that it will be closing its virtual doors after the release of the upcoming game Ultrabugs.
Today marks Vlambeer’s 10th anniversary, which is way longer than we could've ever imagined. We had a beautiful run, made incredible games, and worked with amazing people, but it is time for new things. So we're announcing the end of Vlambeer. pic.twitter.com/jZ4dMGxNV2
— Vlambeer (@Vlambeer) September 1, 2020
While reiterating that this isn't a sad day for the team, and thanking fans for all the love and support through the years, Vlambeer announced that it would be doing a celebration in honor of both the studio's decennial milestone as well as the beginning of its farewell tour.
To kick things off, an arcade-focused Steam sale is going on through Thursday with many of Vlambeer's games on steep discounts, including the very rarely on-sale Nuclear Throne. Along with the sale, a prototype for the team's long mulled over but never fully realized take on a tower defense game was released for the first time to the public.
While the devs will not be leaving the industry completely – and it's not like we haven't already seen the duo reaching out beyond their studio confines to collaborate on other games like Minit – it feels like the end of a chapter of gaming history. Granted it's ending much better than the way Polytron closed its doors, but it's still hard to not be a little sad about this end.
So here's to a decade of roguelites and texting my friends gloating about daily run scores. To more screenshake and getting so blindly mad at a game that you Alt-F4 and immediately uninstall. To believing that the throne may not exist, and the cruel slap in the face of the opening salvo when you actually find it. Thank you for everything, Vlambeer – your games have been some of the most fun I've had in my entire life as a gamer, and I wish you good luck in the future.
I don't thank you for the Disc Gun though, that shit can still go to hell.
Here's how to access Final Fantasy XIV's 2020 The Rising event
Final Fantasy XIV just got a fresh injection of content due to a new emotional main quest culmination in Patch 5.3 as players work through the new extreme trial and continue to enjoy the second NieR: Automata collaboration.
But while we wait for 5.4's new cavalcade of raid content, another free event is here to pass the time: yep, the seasonal festivities of The Rising returns to Eorzea. It's live now and will run all the way through September 14 at 7:59AM PT, which is plenty of time to grab some of the unique items.
Basically all you need to do to start it is head to the Ul'dah - Steps of Nald (X:10.3 Y:8.3) and talk to J'bhen Tia (just make sure you're level 15). From there the event is self-explanatory, and you'll earn a minion and a piece of wall art for your troubles.
Little events like these help add so much character to the world of FFXIV, and break down some of the less digestible stuff like hardcore raiding. It's one of the best MMOs in the business in terms of letting you feel like you're living in a virtual universe.
The Rising [Final Fantasy XIV]
Warner Bros sale is off the table as AT&T decides it's too valuable to sell
The saga of AT&T shopping around Warner Bros Interactive Entertainment has seemingly come to an anticlimactic end. It'll remain a part of the AT&T family, as it has too much upside to offload in exchange for paying down some debt.
This new information comes via Bloomberg, who has sources that state AT&T decided against the sale because WBIE is too valuable. This feels like confirmation after an August internal staff email had the WarnerMedia CEO say "Warner Bros Interactive remains a part of the Studios and Networks group."
A sale was an intriguing scenario, as Microsoft was rumored to be interested in buying the whole WBIE portfolio. That includes developers such as Rocksteady, Traveller's Tales, Avalanche Software, NetherRealm, Monolith, and WB Montreal. Collectively, a sale was estimated to be valued around $4 billion.
The impetus for exploring the idea of selling WBIE is because AT&T reportedly has about $154 billion in debt after acquiring WarnerMedia and DirectTV. However, the video game unit is apparently staying put as AT&T opts against some fast cash to pay down a very small percentage of what it owes.
AT&T to Scrap Sale of Warner Bros. Video-Game Unit [Bloomberg]
Super Bomberman R Online is the series' bizarre yet fun take on the battle royale genre
We live in wild, wild times when even Tetris and Bomberman are joining in on the battle royale craze.
While Konami naturally doesn't enter the arena as gracefully as Arika did with the former, Super Bomberman R Online is a weird, crazy game that I'm going to enjoy diving into occasionally.
Oh my god, just announce the Xbox Series S already
Enough is enough! There's no one who doubts the existence of the Xbox Series S at this point. There are mountains of evidence. Controller packaging, devkit profiling modes, general insider reports -- it all adds up to an open secret.
Time to throw a cardboard insert onto the already-heaping pile. The Xbox Series S has also been outed by a Game Pass Ultimate trial offer that comes with new accessories:
Paradise Lost is a bleak adventure set in a post-apocalyptic WWII
PolyAmorous has released a cinematic trailer for a grim-looking adventure title, Paradise Lost, which is set in the aftermath of an alternate-reality World War II, one which saw the conflict between allies and The Reich wage for over two decades.
In Paradise Lost, the second world war ended following a volley of nuclear weapons across Europe, leaving most of the continent an irradiated ruin. Players will step into the role of Szymon, a young child living in what remains of Poland. While exploring the post-apocalyptic ruins of his homeland, Szymon comes across an abandoned nuclear bunker, housing strange futuristic technology and daubed in bizarre Pagan iconography.
The fantastic Astral Chain turns one this year, and Platinum is celebrating in style
2019 is a blur. I did not forget just about every facet of my very fun playthrough of Astral Chain, but I totally forgot it came out last August. Platinum seems pretty happy with it thus far, and are even took time out of their schedule to celebrate it in their offices this past week.
As you can see below, Platinum went all-out and created a giant whiteboard mural for the first anniversary, as well as a Lappy cake: based on the game's wholesome mascot that also serves as a mascot of the in-game precinct. Platinum designer Takahisa Taura also shared a few drawings from the game's concept artist and scenario writer to join in on the festivities.
Although people move on very quickly to the next hot thing these days, Astral Chain is a perfect example of why it's important to linger. Last August was a busy season heading into the packed holidays, but this is one action romp that I'm never going to forget. Thankfully, Platinum hasn't either.
Takahisa Taura [Twitter]
Kao the Kangaroo shows off his totally tubular nu-skool look
Tate Multimedia has released the first images of its upcoming remake of '00s platformer Kao the Kangaroo. Alongside a series of environmental screens, we also get our first look at the hoppity hero himself, sporting a somewhat less cartoony look than his original iteration.
Released in 2000, Kao the Kangaroo was one of a number of 3D platformers that flooded the market in the wake of successful releases such as Crash Bandicoot and Spyro the Dragon. In the PC and Dreamcast title, Kao bounds his way through a series of oddly juxtaposed worlds, on a mission to recuse his family from a band of hunters. Bafflingly, this quest takes our boy Kao into an underground mine and even outer space. Go figure.
The next Ubisoft Forward is next week, here's what's rumored to be shown
Ubisoft's back with its second Nintendo Direct-like streaming showcase. That's not much of a surprise considering it ended its first Ubisoft Forward by announcing a second. But now we have a hard date and a vague idea of what to expect.
In the teaser video above, Ubisoft tells us that the next Ubisoft Forward takes place on Thursday, September 10 at 1pm Pacific. On a personal note, I don't have to work on a weekend this time. Vast improvement over the first.
As for the games being shown, there's considerable footage dedicated to Watch Dogs: Legion, Hyper Scape, The Division 2 (I think), and Rainbow Six Siege. Here are some other rumors that are floating around though:
Here's how co-op works in Marvel's Avengers
While Marvel's Avengers is finally available for deluxe edition buyers (it's out fully on September 4), Square Enix has been prepping for this moment this past week. In addition to explaining how the cosmetics system works, there's also this rundown of co-op that's fairly informative.
Basically, players can go at it with the campaign on their own, but eventually they'll unlock certain missions on the War Table hub that can be played with folks online. That list includes War Zones ("expansive, explorable spaces") and Strike Teams (four-player missions with no duplicate heroes).
Beyond those frameworks, you can also embark upon different War Zone mission types, like the quick in-and-out drop zones, longer faction missions, explorable vaults (kind of like mini-dungeons), training rooms (HARM rooms), Hives and Villain Sectors. Most of these can be played solo with an AI or with other people through matchmaking or via your friends list.
One big caveat is that there is no drop-in play at launch. Here's the full statement: "Marvel's Avengers doesn't support Join in Progress Matchmaking at this time." So it could come in the future, but it's not in right now and there's no guarantees. Cross-play also isn't supported. You can, however, mute individual players.
Everything You Need to Know about Co-op Play [Square Enix]
Kate Bishop will be the first post-launch arrival in Marvel's Avengers
In the launch-week War Table stream for Marvel's Avengers, Crystal Dynamics confirmed that Kate Bishop (played by Ashly Burch) will arrive as part of the game's first post-launch operation with a new story and villain. She's up before Clint, and their operations can be thought of as a "double feature."
Kate's campaign operation, Taking AIM, will launch in "late October." Clint's story is aiming for November.
The developers said they knew they "couldn't do one [Hawkeye] without the other." And while there are some inherent similarities, Kate will have her own "set of skills, gear, and moves to unlock."
The presentation also covered the ongoing Avengers Initiative, which will cover limited-time events (some week-long, others seasonal), Mega Hives (a weekly mission type with a "gauntlet of descending floors" that uses your whole hero roster), and the AIM Secret Lab (a mission for near-maxed-out, power-level-150 players that requires "the full cooperation of a seasoned four-player team"). The latter mission will show up "once a week" and "must be completed within a set time window." FOMO strikes.
If you aren't overwhelmed yet, the PlayStation Blog has more details about the game's many activities.
The War Table stream began with a moment of silence for actor Chadwick Boseman, who passed away on August 28. The team said that "out of respect for a fallen true hero," it "altered" today's showing.
A Marvel's Avengers emblem for Black Panther was shown following the message.
Kate Bishop and Black Panther both appeared in a recent list of datamined characters.
In a special conference this morning, Nvidia announced its newest line of graphics cards as well as GeForce-enabled applications. Previously there were lots of swirling rumors about prices and card strength, with the target looking at 24GB of video memory on the card with a price tag of $1500. As the stream started today, myself and Dan in the Destructoid chat girded our loins for the inevitable pain of a future upgrade. What awaited us was a pleasant surprise.
As expected, the 3000 series was announced with three cards coming, all using the new Ampere architecture which will see a marked improvement over the 2000 series. The flagship GeForce RTX 3080 was announced to have 10GB of GDDR6X memory with a 19Gbps run speed, promising 60 frames per second at 4K resolution. With an MSRP of $699, it's a whole lot less of a shot to the wallet than initially expected. The "lower-end" card for the 3000 series was also announced as the GeForce RTX 3070. Boasting 8GB of GDDR6 memory, the card will launch with an MSRP of $499.
Away: The Survival Series looks a little rough but I love its concept
The sugar glider adventure Away: The Survival Series is aiming for an early 2021 release on PC and PlayStation 4, and if you're open to exploration games that are rough around the edges but set you loose in a compelling landscape, you'll want to watch this 10-minute developer walkthrough video.
Yeah, the sugar glider's movement looks iffy at times and the possess-other-creatures mechanic is a curious choice, but I can easily picture myself scouring this hidden animal kingdom for secrets.
The walkthrough covers a few facets of Away including instinct vision (to see food and threats), sneaking through grass, chasing a fast-moving meal, a nature documentary narrator, and environmental storytelling. The game is set in the "distant future," and in this footage, the player temporarily possesses an insect so they can crawl into a crack and investigate a decaying computer.
Not all games need to be an eight out of ten, you know? I just hope Away isn't too tedious.
This Stardew Valley mod marriage proposal is so wholesome
Stardew Valley is packed enough on its own: so much so that I haven't really sought out the comfort of mods. But the modding scene has been incredibly robust ever since the game hit the market, to the point where just about anyone can whip up their own custom scenario. Enter this marriage proposal.
Posted on Reddit this past week by Chubbyloveshinobi, the scene is short and sweet, and apparently happened a couple of months ago. They say that the now-fiance actually proposed in real life, too, after the in-game event. What would have happened if they hit "no" in the game?
Chubbyloveshinobi says they are getting married next week. Good luck! This is the sort of thing we all need to be seeing more of right now.
I don't know if this will present right [Reddit]
Eiyuden Chronicle crowdfunding closes at over $4.5 million
The curtain has fallen on the crowdfunding campaign for retro-infused RPG Eiyuden Chronicle. From a $500,000 target, developer Rabbit & Bear Studios successfully secured over $4.5 million USD in capital from just over 45,000 backers.
This incredible figure registers as the third-highest final total for a video game in Kickstarter history, behind Izanagi Games' Bloodstained: Ritual of the Night ($5.5 million) and Ys. Net's Shenmue III ($6.3 million). Backers have smashed through a slew of stretch goals, securing extra maps and fortresses, voice acting, multiple language support, extra characters, mini-games, and many other fun features for the base adventure.
In addition, passing the $4.5 million mark has secured a standalone "companion game," which in this case will be a town-building/management sim co-created with Natsume-Atari. The companion title is expected to launch well in advance of Eiyuden Chronicle, and will not only star some of the main adventure's cast, but will give players the opportunity to get a head-start on crafting items and armour ahead of Eiyuden Chronicle's launch, tentatively set for 2022.
Eiyuden Chronicle is a 2.5D RPG, to be hailed as a heartfelt homage to the long dormant-but-beloved Suikoden series. Boasting a mammoth cast of over 100 characters, Eiyuden Chronicle will see players exploring the troubled kingdom of Allran, recruiting friends and allies while traipsing the land, galvanising the local community, and engaging in turn-based battles with armies of enemies. Several key members of the Suikoden team are involved in Eiyuden Chronicle's production, including artist Junko Kawano and Suikoden creator Yoshitaka Murayama.
Eiyuden Chronicle is penciled for launch on PS4, PS5, PC, Xbox One, Xbox Series X and "Nintendo's next generation console" in October 2022.
Magic: The Gathering is showing no signs of stopping anytime soon, and we're about to zoom headfirst into yet another set. But before we all crack open Zendikar Rising boosters together, Wizards of the Coast has announced a ton of new sets: basically filing their entire schedule throughout 2021.
First up, Zendikar is scheduled to be released on September 17 in Arena, with a September 25 release in tabletop form (the physical delay of previous sets like Ikoria seems to be over). Wizards has revealed new art for the set today, which includes Jace, Nahiri and Nissa planeswalker cards. The Kicker and Landfall keywords are also in, as are double-faced cards and the party mechanic.
But beyond that, a lot more is coming to Magic. Kaldheim (vikings) will enter the arena, as well as Strixhaven ("the most elite university in the Multiverse") in spring of 2021, Adventures of the Forgotten Realms (billed as "Dungeons & Dragons comes to Magic) in summer 2021 and Innistrad (across two named sets: this is the world of vampires and werewolves, a fan favorite) in fall of 2021. Time Spiral Remastered and Modern Horizons 2 are also teased, as well as new Secret Lair drops: including one that's "an exciting collaboration with AMC's hit show The Walking Dead."
Oh, and Magic: Arena is re-confirmed for mobile today, with more news "coming soon." Like I said, it's a big day for Magic! There's tons of new sets to look forward to with some classic sets returning, as well as hope on the horizon for meaningful news regarding Magic on mobile devices.
Get a look at some cards, and the timeline, below!
Marvel's Avengers is out today for some people and it has a lot to prove
Marvel's Avengers has been a roller coaster of a game from the announcement all the way up until its launch today: so long as you're a Digital Deluxe owner.
We first heard it existed back in 2017, but when Square Enix showed it off at E3 2019, people couldn't believe that it was nearly finished. It didn't look finished, that's for sure! The publisher seemingly agreed, and pushed it back further a few months, citing the need to polish it more.
It probably could have used a bit more time, but with Marvel breathing down their neck, it's possible they got as much as they were allotted. Today, we get what we get. And there's plenty of fun to dig around for in this oddity of a game.
Nintendo now allows users to cancel pre-ordered games on the eShop up to a week in advance
While legislation has been "looking" at loot boxes for some time, a lot of powers that be have set their sights on a new target: the right to refunds.
Steam got ahead of the situation very early by offering a generous refund policy, but a few other marketplaces have a long way to go. Nintendo is throwing people a bone as of this week when it comes to the eShop.
A new policy on their official site has made digital pre-orders a little more forgiving as of today: "You may cancel your pre-orders up until time of payment." Breaking that down further, "payment is processed and download is started immediately for preâ€'orders placed within seven days before game launch." In other words, as long as you cancel more than a week ahead of time (before the money is transferred), you're good. As Engadget points out, this process kicked off today at 15:00 JST (2AM ET this morning).
This will likely change as refunds are looked at under a microscope in the coming months or even years. For now, this is a minimal effort token "change" that Nintendo can show to anyone to prove that they were playing ball. And it's something you should probably know, just in case! It should come in handy for lengthy delays, as well.
About Pre-orders [Nintendo via Engadget]
Resident Evil Village will appear at Tokyo Game Show 2020
Capcom has announced that the newest entry in the Resident Evil series, Resident Evil Village, will be showcased at this year's Tokyo Game Show (TGS), which takes place later this month.
Capcom revealed the news in a tweet earlier this morning, where the famous developer/publisher apologised to fans for a lack of info regarding the gothic horror sequel. Resident Evil Village will feature in a TGS presentation to be held on Sunday, September 27. The presentation will offer up new details - and hopefully new footage - pertaining to the eighth mainline entry in the survival horror franchise.
Here's a more detailed look at Destiny 2's upcoming patch
If you missed the Gamescom Opening Night Live Destiny 2 stasis power clip: I don't blame you! It was in the middle of the day, after all.
But while stasis was the highlight last week, it isn't coming to Destiny for quite some time. Instead, Bungie opted to talk about the more recent hotness of patch 2.9.2 following the stream; which is coming to Destiny 2 on September 8.
The big thing to note is that Warmind's Sleeper Nodes (which are being retired eventually) should now be easier to collect, as Bungie had a secret backend checklist that was separate from the in-game one (classic), and the discrepancy has been altered. Bungie calls it "bad luck protection," which begs the question of why it wasn't in the game to begin with.
The patch also deals with some more brass tracks type stuff, like Gambit freeze bugs, cosmetic issues, an expansion of Spider's bounties (now there's three instead of the typical one) and a fix for the Merciless Fusion Rifle exotic perk. "More general bug fixes" are also in but aren't detailed yet.
Good luck! My focus is mostly forward on the expansion, and seeing if they don't botch the implementation of the vault.
This Week at Bungie [Bungie.net]
Although Sega Ages is done, M2 says to 'stay tuned' for further Sega collaborations
In case you haven't heard, the Sega Ages re-release line is done. That's bad! But apparently, M2 isn't done collaborating with Sega. That's good!
In a hilarious turn of events, directly following a statement to Game Watch from a Sega creative producer that he can't confirm whether or not M2 is working with Sega on an upcoming project: we get direct confirmation from the M2 Twitter account that something is brewing. For reference, M2 is not owned by Sega, and is a go-to developer for many retro re-releases for several publishers.
In response to this lovely fan art for M2 from Twitter user Tracker, M2 replied with the following statement: "Thank you for the great art, and your continued support! While we have concluded the Sega Ages series with Herzog Zwei, we are expecting further collaboration between M2 and Sega. Please stay tuned, and we wish you AGES of fun!"
In case that it wasn't clear that M2 isn't coming back with that very coy statement from Sega, the studio's Twitter account may have spilled the beans. I'll take what I can get!
M2 [Twitter]
Cyberpunk 2077 bags multiple 'Best of gamescom' awards
As if the gaming community wasn't already on tenterhooks for CD Projekt RED's long-awaited Cyberpunk 2077, the action-RPG adventure wowed judges at gamescom this past weekend, scooping up no less than five "Best of gamescom" awards.
The future-noir title, currently in development for PC and both current and next-gen consoles - came out on top in multiple categories, walking away with the awards for Best RPG, Best PC Game, Best PlayStation Game, Most Wanted, and the coveted Best in Show/Best of gamescom. No doubt this will only help to stoke the anticipation of fans awaiting Cyberpunk 2077's November 19 launch.
In other categories, DontNod's dramatic tale Tell Me Why won Best Xbox Game, while Reflector's mysterious Unknown9: Awakening won Best Announcement. Tarsier Studios' Little Nightmares II won the Best Trailer/Presentation and Best Nintendo Switch Game awards. The Most Wanted Hardware award was won by Xbox Series X, though it appears that this category only included three nominees - none of which was PlayStation 5 - which frankly makes the award completely moot.
You can check out the full list of winners below, courtesy of GamesIndustry.biz.
(Update) Street Fighter V and PUBG are huge gets for September's PlayStation Plus lineup
[Update: These games are live later today! Make sure you grab Fall Guys and Modern Warfare 2 if you haven't already.]
PlayStation Plus! You're back again!
Last month gave us the unlikely pairing of Fall Guys and Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2, with the former scoring very big within the PlayStation community. This month we're getting another shooter, as well as another fairly interesting pick.
Alongside of the ever-enduring battle royale PUBG, the always-polarizing Street Fighter V will arrive on PlayStation Plus on September 1. We've reached out to Sony to clarify exactly what that release entails, but it seems like this is going to be the $19.99 "PlayStation Hits" version and not the "all-the-bells-and-whistles-edition." Capcom's got DLC and extra SKU add-ons to sell you! As a reminder, the Championship Edition Upgrade Kit is $24.99.
Sony also says that Street Fighter V tournaments will start on September 4 in the US and Canada, with prizes that include a "unique PS4 theme" and a custom in-game title. Both games will be listed on the service until October 5, so make sure you redeem them starting next Tuesday.
September's free PS Plus games: PUBG, Street Fighter V [PlayStation Blog]
The new Astro Gaming A20 is one wireless headset that can work with both PS5 and Xbox Series X
It was only a year ago, when I moved into my new apartment, that I realized I'd been enjoying an insufficient audio experience whenever I hopped on to play some games. There is so much technology out there creating amazing sound, and here I was settling for the cheapest Sony headphones I could find at Best Buy. When I was able to test out the A40 Astro Gaming last year, it was like I was actually hearing these games for the first time. Since then, I've upgraded to the wireless A50 headset, which provides equally extraordinary sound quality.
With the next generation of consoles right around the corner, there is a real possibility I'll be getting both the PS5 and Xbox Series X. One for the exclusives, the other for GamePass. If that is the road I do indeed travel, there's a good chance I'll also pick up the second generation A20 headset from Astro Gaming as it will be its first wireless headset to work with both Sony and Microsoft consoles, as well as PC and Mac.
