In today's contest you can win a Cartel Tycoon ultimate prize pack, including a copy of the game, a Razer accessory bundle, and a chance to appear in the game!
Kiddos, we've got a doozy today! Publisher tinyBuild is gearing up for the release of their drug lord simulator Cartel Tycoon, and just dropped a surprise Uncut Earliest Access session on their site. Bold! And what good is a launch without giving away some free stuff on Destructoid?
Well, they really brought it with this one. tinyBuild and developer Moon Moose are offering up not only a copy of the game, but a super sweet Cartel Tycoon prize pack (complete with briefcase and goodies), a Razer accessory bundle (including a keyboard, mouse, and headset), AND a chance for you to appear in the game as an NPC! This is definitely one of the biggest prizes we've had here, so tie a rubber band around your arm and inject this contest into your bloodstream!
It's going to be an adjustment moving from Nintendo Switch to PlayStation 5 for Overcooked: All You Can Eat after spending dozens of hours with the former, but having everything from Overcooked 1 and 2 under one roof – including 200+ levels, quicker loads, and 4K/60FPS support – will be such a step up.
Team17 is now planning to get this two-game remaster out in time for the PS5 launch on November 12. (Previously, we were just told "late 2020.") As for the Xbox Series X/S version, it's "coming soon."
The team also announced that an update with cross-platform multiplayer is expected in "early 2021."
I was planning to pick this up sometime after the already-too-busy day-one PS5 rush cooled down, so I'll have to see where All You Can Eat can fit into my November schedule. And yeah, it's true: I already have a second DualSense controller lined up. Look at the silly things you make me do, Overcooked.
Ugh, next-gen racing games look so damn good
During almost any other time, I would not be interested in Dirt 5. I say this confidently because I was not interested in Dirt Rally 2.0 or Dirt 4. There have been seven previous Dirt games (!!) and I did not have a lick of interest in any of them.
Dirt 5 is different though because it looks so goddamn pretty on PS5 and Xbox Series X. That's the way it goes with new hardware. Racing games are a technical showcase because they always end up looking the most impressive. Dirt 5 is the next-gen racing launch game -- Gran Turismo 7 and Forza Motorsport don't have release dates yet -- and it seems like it'll nicely play the role of visual stunner.
The dates are a little staggered over the next two weeks. Dirt 5 first launches on PC, PS4, and Xbox One on November 6. Then it hits both new consoles on their launch days -- Xbox Series X on November 10 and PS5 on November 12. That's where Codemasters is promoting options for 4K resolution and 120fps gameplay. If you want to start early, know that both PlayStation and Xbox offer free next-gen upgrades. Just remember that saves won't transfer over from PS4 to PS5.
I'm already loving the new combat flow in Monster Hunter Rise
Are you ready to surrender your Nintendo Switch to Monster Hunter Rise in March? I sure am. The Great Sword isn't my weapon of choice, but I'm loving this six-minute gameplay demonstration from Capcom.
Between the fast, fluid, and very vertical movement, the more open-ended levels, and the ability to fling yourself onto a monster with the Wirebug (and the ensuing ripple effect that it will have on the flow of combat), Rise is appealing to me as a World fan who only ever dabbled in the old Monster Hunter style.
As the narrator in the video notes, the Wirebug-assisted weapon attacks are powerful in the right hands, but players will need to carefully manage their cooldowns. Efficiency is the name of the game.
I hope we get a highlight reel for every weapon.
Several iconic Zelda locations seem to be in Age of Calamity
Hyrule Warriors: Age of Calamity kind of blew my mind when I finally sat down to play the demo. Wait...time travel is involved? It took Omega Force to fully embrace the insanity of the Zelda timeline. I can't wait to see what madness they create.
Before we all sit down and read timeline debates yet again though, players have been uncovering several iconic locations from past Zelda games and sharing their theories. Here are a few.
Does PS5 or Xbox Series X have the better launch trailer?
We've spent months meticulously breaking down every facet of the PlayStation vs. Xbox argument. It's time to tackle truly the least important of the arguments.
Did Microsoft or Sony put out a better launch trailer? Take three minutes to compare the evidence.
First, the PS5 launch trailer:
The reimagined Demon's Souls soundtrack has 'its own identity'
In a behind-the-scenes feature for Demon's Souls, Sony shared a glimpse of the work that has gone into the remake's soundtrack. If you didn't know – and to be honest, it hadn't fully sunk in for me until just now – the PS5 game is brandishing a "reimagined" score with an orchestra, choir, and pipe organ.
Orchestrator Jim Fowler said that Bloodborne informed the "scale of the sound and the combination of choir and orchestra, although it is important to say this score has its own identity and its own sound."
Like seemingly everything to do with the Demon's Souls remake, some people are going to be ecstatic about these changes, some are going to prefer the way things were for one reason or another, and many players won't be bothered by or even really consider the PS3/PS5 side-by-side comparisons.
Arranger Bill Hemstapat said it's "pretty scary" knowing there are fans who "didn't know this music was being reworked," but he believes the "soul of the music that's in the original game is still there."
Sony also released a preview of the "Flamelurker" track (I can't wait for this horrible fiend to mess me up) and announced that the Demon's Souls soundtrack will have vinyl pre-orders in "early December."
A digital soundtrack release will be available much sooner: November 26.
The Sounds of Boletaria: Grunts, Screams, and Wails [PlayStation Blog]
Japan gets a gorgeous NieR Replicant collector's edition
Among the many things NieR has going for it are its memorable characters, stunning artwork, and beautiful soundtrack. It makes perfect sense that a big fancy collector's edition would lean into all those things.
Square Enix has revealed the NieR Replicant White Snow Edition. It's a PS4 exclusive that seems to only be set to release in Japan. It runs ¥19,800 (about $190).
Here's what's in the White Snow Edition:
Grant Kirkhope is a legend. We know this. Having worked in the industry for nearly three decades, Kirkhope is responsible for scoring or performing a few of your childhood classics, including Banjo-Kazooie and Perfect Dark. Now, the master is back to revisit the former with a few spooky remixes.
"Just in time for Halloween," Kirkhope has tweeted out a link to his "Grunty Returns" remix, a take on the track from the original game. He also reminded us that he has a similarly themed Mad Monster Mansion remix available, dubbed "Mad Monster Mansion Rides Again." These aren't just one-offs though. Kirkhope notes that there is "more to come."
Exactly when will that happen? Well that's the bad news: it's all pretty vague right now in terms of a timeline. The good news is that they have confirmed on Twitter that they are "going to release a remix album of music from [Banjo Kazooie]," they just aren't sure if they'll "get to it all."
Although we don't exactly have a new Banjo game on the horizon (that we know of), the character did get plenty of attention when he was added to Super Smash Bros. Ultimate in 2019. There's hope! Either way, plenty of folks like Kirkhope will keep this classic alive.
Grant Kirkhope [Twitter]
WayForward to publish kaiju brawler Dawn of the Monsters
WayForward Games has announced that it will be the publisher for Dawn of the Monsters, a brand new kaiju-fightin' title from indie developer 13AM Games. The city-smasher is currently in development for a multitude of platforms, including PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X, Nintendo Switch, and PC.
"From the moment we laid eyes on Dawn of the Monsters, we knew it had the potential to be something special," said WayForward CEO Voldi Way in a press statement. "13AM Games is a phenomenal developer that has been a great collaborative partner in the past, and we are very excited to help them bring this unique vision to life."
13AM Games' Alex Rushdy also spoke of his excitement with the new partnership. " For many of us this partnership is a dream come true!" said Rushdy. "This is our biggest game to date and we're really happy to have WayForward in our corner. Since they are traditionally a developer, they really understand all the process that goes into making a game, which has made the working relationship smooth and fruitful. We can't wait to share our work on Dawn of the Monsters, we're really pushing a bold, new, visceral vision of what a co-op 2D action game can be."
Though 13AM Games is yet to debut any footage of the new game in action, you can check out the art style and overall vibe of Dawn of the Monsters over on the team's official website. For fans of classic city-stompers such as Midway's Rampage and SNK's King of the Monsters, this new project looks set to scratch that destructive itch when it arrives in late-2021.
Gears POP! will shut down its servers in April 2021
After just over a year of operation, developer Mediatonic is calling time on one of video gaming's oddest crossover titles, Gears POP!. The cutesy Gears of War spin-off will close its servers for good on April 2021, after a little over 18 months of operation.
Gears POP! is a mobile strategy title which features gameplay similar to that of Supercell's Clash Royale, but featuring iconic heroes and villains from the Gears of War franchise stylised as those ungodly Funko POP! toys that you see stacked high in your local comics store. An admittedly interesting experiment, clearly Gears POP! has not proved quite as successful as some of its mobile gaming competitors, resulting in the title's closure.
"Thank you, Gears!" said Mediatonic in a message to the player base. "Together we have taken on countless waves of Horde and vanquished foes on the Versus battlefield but sadly Gears Pop! is closing on April 26, 2021. Until that time, we're bringing back some of our most popular events, increasing Bounty rewards, and upping the drop rates for Legendary Pins. Effective immediately, in-app purchasing has also been disabled. Thank you for your understanding and support."
Given that Mediatonic is also responsible for one of 2020's biggest global gaming phenomenons - Fall Guys: Ultimate Knockout - the closure of Gears POP! is unlikely to spell much trouble for the British game studio.
Bethesda gives us a deeper dive into Fallout 76's underground player-created shelters
After a lengthy testing period, Bethesda is nearly ready to unleash its shelter mechanic out into the live version of Fallout 76.
In case you missed it, the idea is that players will be able to build their own bunkers of sorts below ground: via three different, instanced sized areas. It's basically an extension of the C.A.M.P. system, but hopefully less buggy as it involves a completely separate zone that isn't bound by the laws of the open world; and it was tested (whereas C.A.M.P.s launched with the buggy 1.0 edition of the game).
If you're stoked for this particular feature, Bethesda just put out a full 13-minute video rundown that just focuses on shelters. The developers in the clip states that there have been plenty of "bug reports and instances of player feedback" from the testing ground, which should hopefully result in a better experience overall.
The video is fairly extensive, showcasing the entire process from the start of a build to the creation of several neat places. Bethesda is quick to point out that there are murder-maze concepts and "Donkey Kong-like" leveled shelters out in the wild. Again, it's well worth a watch if you're even remotely interested in shelters, as the devs provide a few tips and tricks that might help you out on day one.
When this update hits, it'll be part of the "Steel Dawn" patch, which brings even more free story content into the fray. It'll be a good month for Fallout 76 so long as they can keep the bugs at bay.
Inside the Vault [Bethesda.net]
Cultist Simulator is bringing its sinister mysteries to Nintendo Switch
Publisher Playdigious has revealed that the Lovecraft-inspired card game Cultist Simulator is in the process of being ported to Nintendo Switch, following on from its 2018 release on PC and its transition to iOS and Android platforms last year.
Developed by British studio Weather Factory, Cultist Simulator is an extremely strange and mysterious card game set within a nameless dystopian society. Described by its makers as "a game of apocalypse and yearning" - yep - Players must uncover hidden agendas and realities within this sinister landscape, but may find that their decisions and actions lead to establishing a gathering of ardent followers over the game's extended play time.
Old Maid it ain't.
There are a ton of major Destiny 2 changes on the way, including a Power Cap shift
Destiny 2 is about to shift into a completely different game.
Bungie is vaulting a ton of content, but there's an expansion on the horizon too, which is bringing some significant changes to the game, like an extra skill tree and a new storyline. To help players both new and old acclimate, Bungie provided a rundown of some of the newer developments for the Beyond Light expansion; most notably the power alterations.
When people start trying to max out in Beyond Light, they'll aim for the soft cap of 1200 power. From there, they'll climb (hopefully not in a grindy way) to the hard cap of 1250. Then there's the (please don't be more grindy) pinnacle cap of 1260. That all comes to fruition on November 10: just in case you need to start planning on how to get raid-ready early.
Bungie is also making a welcome change to powerful rewards. In their own words: "We have a change coming that will allow you to have a chance to earn Powerful rewards from strikes, Gambit, Crucible, and from Seasonal drops all the way up until the Hard Cap. It will still be much quicker to continue to complete all the Powerful reward sources each week, but if you just want to play strikes or Crucible matches all day every day, you can continue to earn Powerful rewards."
Uh, yeah that's something that should have always been in the game! Having to grind out individual activities just to even get to the cap was a chore sometimes. In recent years, things have gotten even worse: so hopefully this will allow people to keep playing instead of getting bored with the grind. That said, there's this tradeoff: "Starting next Season, gear received from Collections and turning in tokens will have a lower Power than in previous Seasons. Gear earned through token purchases will be 20 Power below your Power Level and Collection buybacks will be capped at 1050 Power. " Again, I'm waiting to see how grindy all of that will be.
Then there's the economy shift. According to Bungie, "starting in Season 13, Phaseglass Needles, Alkane Dust, Simulation Seeds, and Seraphite will be no longer accepted by vendors." You can head to Spider to exchange all that stuff for Glimmer, or just spend them all before Season 13. As a tradeoff (there always has to be one), Spider isn't going to sell Legendary Shards anymore. Now he'll sell Enhancement Prisms (which go for 400 Legendary Shards per prism and you can only buy three per week).
So that's the big stuff. Bungie also shared a ViDoc (video documentary) on the development process for Beyond Light, as well as the expansion's launch trailer. You can catch those below.
This gory Resident Evil 2 diorama will set you back $2,700
Premium merchandise maker Prime 1 Studio has unveiled a marvelous pair of statues depicting Resident Evil protagonists Leon S. Kennedy and Claire Redfield, styled after the dynamic duo's recent appearance in 2019 remake Resident Evil 2.
Each 1/4 scale statue stands roughly 22 inches in height and features the respective heroes caught in the midst of mayhem at the R.C.P.D. - while laying waste to two unfortunate members of Raccoon City's newly-dead city-dwellers. Fine details include the scattering of various supplies, a damaged, ornate staircase, and gruesome wounds on the hapless zombies' rotten bodies. Grisly stuff.
(Update) Here's how to get your free Ash's Pikachu in Pokemon Sword and Shield
[Update: Codes for all eight caps are below!]
Today during this morning's special Pokémon stream, The Pokémon Company unveiled a new promo for Sword and Shield. Naturally, it involves Pikachu.
From here on out, special Pikachu will be distributed for Sword and Shield, tailored around the idea of it being "Ash's Pikachu" with eight different hats. The first one is available today, with more coming later "through various means." If history is anything to go by, codes doled out during tournament streams and the like are a safe bet.
To get the first rat, enter "P1KACHUGET" into your copy of the game.
To unlock the second version, use: "1CH00SEY0U."
A third version has been released: "P1KAADVANCE."
As well as a fourth version: "V0LTTACKLEP1KA."
And the fifth version: "P1KABESTW1SH."
And the sixth: "KAL0SP1KA."
Here's the seventh: "ULTRAP1KA."
And the eight: "K1NP1KA1855."
There's even going to be a full website for it! It's not live at the time of publication, but The Pokémon Company says more info will be available here. You can also take a look at the array of hats below.
My Nintendo keeps adding physical rewards: This time it's Pikmin swag
Oh, so now you're rapidly adding physical rewards to My Nintendo, Nintendo!
After years of leaving the service dormant in the wake of the fantastic Club Nintendo service, the publisher has finally decided to wake the sleeping giant. We've gotten an array of physical rewards recently, including swag for Xenoblade Chronicles, Animal Crossing, and several Mario games. Now two Pikmin 3 rewards are available.
So here's the rundown. Nintendo added a "deluxe coaster set" (of four 4"x4" coasters) that feature both the Pikmin themselves and a Bulborb enemy. You can snag that for 400 Platinum Points. Or, you can pick up the "Deluxe Drinkware Decal" set, which contains nine re-usable stickers that can obviously be used for anything; but are "intended" to be stuck onto glasses. That's also 400 Platinum Points. That same news link also has a few free Pikmin wallpapers for both PC and mobile devices.
As a reminder, you can get some easy Platinum Points with our guide here. Make sure you keep a stock of Platinum (I'd say around 600-800 to be safe), just in case a killer reward enters the fray.
Enjoy a plucky adventure with Pikmin 3 Deluxe and new My Nintendo rewards [My Nintendo]
Spider-Man's Into the Spider-Verse suit is animated just like the film
Most of the time, character skins serve to change the aesthetic of just the character. Rarely, though, they change the aesthetic of the whole game.
Insomniac has confirmed that the suit from 2018's Academy Award-winning Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse is one of the new skins in Spider-Man: Miles Morales. It's more than just a neat nod to the best piece of superhero media in years. It alters the flow of Spider-Man on PS4 and PS5.
That's because Insomniac has animated the suit to match the visual style of the film. Miles Morales' actions seem to run at 12 frames per second while the world around him runs at 60fps. That's what it looks like anyway, although I'm not sure it's completely faithful to the movie from a technical standpoint. Regardless, it has that crunchy feel to it that defined Into the Spider-Verse.
This is the second suit that will be a launch day bonus for Spider-Man: Miles Morales. The first is a white T.R.A.C.K. suit that was revealed back in September. The Into the Spider-Verse addition is a much more impressive effort. Both are immediately available for anyone who pre-orders on PS4 or PS5, but it's not exclusive content. They seem to also be unlockable for anyone who doesn't swing in with a pre-order.
This month's Prime Gaming offerings include Victor Vran and more Apex Legends loot
What's up with the lack of excitement when it comes to November gaming services? They probably know you're going to drop a ton of cash on stuff, so why offer anything big, right? Well, the good news is that Prime Gaming has a giant collective of stuff still available from past months, regardless of whatever is new in November.
Amazon's Prime Gaming service has announced their main games, and there's at least one interesting title in there: Victor Vran, A Knight's Quest, Smoke and Sacrifice, Lethis - Path of Progress and Aurion: Legacy of the Kori-Odan. Out of all of those, I can recommend Victor Vran as the perfect Diablo-adjacent dungeon crawler for that price.
Prime Gaming is also adding some loot-based bonuses, including Madden NFL 21 player add-ons, a Rocket Arena outfit (which is amazingly on season 2), and several Apex Legends, Valorant, and League of Legends drops.
The big news, however, is that the SNK games are still in Prime waiting to be redeemed if you haven't grabbed them already. A few other titles like The Occupation and Stick it to the Man also don't expire until mid-November. So head into your account and just click the "claim" button for all of them!
Prime Gaming [Amazon]
Sony is imminently looking to buy Crunchyroll
The era of streaming is upon us, with tons of different channels to negotiate. While a few streaming channels had all the things years back, now publishers and studios are carving up rights like Jack-o'-lanterns, splitting them among multiple services. You can see it right now in the anime industry between the Netflix, Funimation and Crunchyroll wars: but that battle is about to get a lot more interesting.
According to a report from Nikkei Asia, Sony is teeing up to purchase Crunchyroll any day now. The report contends that Sony has entered "final negotiations" with the company, and is prepared to pay upwards of $957 million US to grab the 70-million strong channel. Yes, 70-million! Animation in general is enjoying a resurgence right now thanks to the pandemic, which includes live-action television shows adapting to include animation in particularly tough-to-film circumstances.
As a note, Sony is the majority owner of Funimation, which has its own anime streaming service. If this deal goes through, it's entirely possible that Sony could combine them and be more choosy about where the app (FuniRoll?) ends up. This deal could also impact a ton of currently-licensed shows across all streaming services: including ones that Sony produces themselves through Aniplex.
This comes just days after Crunchyroll directly contacted Destructoid to let us know that the service would be available day one on the PS5. The streaming wars are only going to get crazier from here on out.
Sony nears acquisition of US anime streaming service Crunchyroll [Nikkei Asia] Thanks John!
Contest: Win Monster Prom XXL on Switch from Super Rare Games
In today's contest you can win Monster Prom XXL on Switch from Super Rare Games!
It's almost Halloween! It's by far my favorite holiday, and definitely my favorite time of the year, weather-wise (well, not anymore now that I live in Phoenix, but still...). Ghosts, zombies, mutants, and freaks roam the streets searching for souls. But what do they all have in common? They're monsters!
Today's theme is monsters: Super Rare Games just put out the highly anticipated Monster Prom XXL on Switch, and we've got a copy of the standard edition to give out! Happy Halloween, y'all!
Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War is a storage hog, but you can install multiplayer only on PC
Activision shared the PC requirements for Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War today, and – no surprise here after the way Modern Warfare ballooned – the game needs 50GB for multiplayer alone "at launch."
If you're installing "all game modes," Cold War will need 175GB, and if you're going extreme with top-of-the-line Ultra RTX specs with a GeForce RTX 3080, you're looking at a 250GB storage requirement.
Seeing this news, thinking about future content updates to Cold War (Season 1 and Warzone are expected to launch in December), and considering the comparatively quaint storage available by default in the PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X... yep, we're gonna be juggling game installs for a long time.
It'll be important for developers to give us choices – and try not to go overboard with huge updates.
You're gonna want to pick up Ghostbusters free from Epic because bustin' makes you feel good
It's time for the weekly Epic Games Store freebies, and, as we told you last week, the new crop is all about those Halloween vibes.
On the docket this week is the divisive Blair Witch from Bloober Team and the well-regarded Ghostbusters game. Ghostbusters is a remaster of the 2009 game that was fan-servicey as all hell. You should definitely check it out.
Next week is Red Dragon but not the Hannibal movie I wish it was. (Seriously, I just watched Red Dragon on Netflix two weeks ago. That shit is still excellent.) It's Wargame: Red Dragon, an RTS where western troops take on the Communist forces in the Pacific theater. Only one next-week game has been announced thus far, but you know Epic's gonna come swinging in with another.
For now, two movie-based games and one more that should be movie-based. Hannibal would probably call us rubes for playing video games.
Blair Witch, Ghostbusters: The Video Game Remastered [Epic Games Store]
Annapurna Interactive is staffing up for a home-grown game
How much longer can Annapurna Interactive's hot streak last? The publisher has one of my favorite lineups in recent years, and now it's building up an in-house development studio based out of Los Angeles. The team needs a game director, senior producer, and other staff for an unannounced title.
It's one thing to pick out promising, thoughtful, creative upcoming titles for your label and help make sure they're a success, but creating your own in-house? I'm curious to see Annapurna branch out.
"We've had the immense honor of working with some of the most talented independent game creators in the world," president Nathan Gary said in a press release. "Many of us came from an internal development background and are excited to make this a part of Annapurna Interactive moving forward."
I wonder what type of game they'll set out to make that (presumably) doesn't exist elsewhere.
After What Remains of Edith Finch, Gorogoa, Outer Wilds, and Sayonara Wild Hearts, they deserve the benefit of the doubt. They've already impressed me in so many genres. Next on my list: 12 Minutes.
Xbox Game Pass prices aren't going up anytime soon
For the three years Xbox Game Pass has been around, plenty of people have wondered how Microsoft can balance the books on this type of service. There's always a stupidly low-cost introductory offer and then it's a reasonable month price. Xbox Game Pass is on par with Netflix or Hulu or any of the other million entertainment subscription services that exist.
The armchair logic has always sort of been that Microsoft is eating the cost of getting stuff on Xbox Game Pass while building a robust user base. Getting people committed to the Xbox ecosystem is a valid reason for a loss leader. Down the road a bit is when you can jack up the price.
Xbox head Phil Spencer went on the Dropped Frames podcast this week (as reported by VGC) and said that Microsoft has no plans to increase the price of Xbox Game Pass anytime soon. "We like the value that Game Pass is today," Spencer commented. "From a business model, it's completely sustainable the way it is, and I mean that."
Spencer goes on to emphasize how Xbox Game Pass allows more types of video games to get published. There's a lot of things that wouldn't work from a business standpoint under the traditional retail model. However, Game Pass gives those more creative games a new home, as millions of players have the option to check them out at no risk. It ends up providing value for the consumer, the developer, and for Game Pass as a service.
That has kind of been the company line for Xbox Game Pass all along, though. The surprising part is hearing that it's perfectly sustainable as is -- either profitable or taking losses minor enough that Microsoft's comfortable absorbing them. It's a thriving service, but Microsoft isn't going to use that as an opportunity to raise the subscription price. At least not anytime in the near future.
Microsoft has 'no plans to rack up the Xbox Game Pass price' [VGC]
Review: The Dark Pictures Anthology: Little Hope
Supermassive Games is serving up another communal horror adventure just in time for Halloween.
Whether you dug Until Dawn and only Until Dawn, or you also played Man of Medan and thought it was decent cheesy fun, or you're removed from this whole Dark Pictures Anthology saga but are kinda in the mood for a suspenseful, not-too-spooky Halloween game, I have to give Little Hope the thumbs-up.
It's striking at the right place and the right time with the right setup: a town haunted by witch trials.
I tugged on the latest No More Heroes 3 trailer and hints of what's to come came out
Yesterday was full of surprises for hack-and-slash fans who own a Switch. Not only did Nintendo release a two-hour demo of Hyrule Warriors: Age of Calamity but then Xseed simultaneously shadow-dropped No More Heroes 1 & 2 on the system at the same time! Just like that, owners of the hot hybrid console were instantly covered in a sticky mess of violent crowd-skewering action.
Now that we've all had a day to rest on those releases, maybe it's a good time to swing back around to the new trailer for No More Heroes 3 and see what we can find. From the looks of it, the game will be less a direct sequel to No More Heroes 2 and more of a continuation of the lesser-known No More Heroes: Travis Strikes Again, the actual third game in the series. New interstellar villain FU appears to be standing on a boardroom table, which we can guess is in the office of Damon Riccitiello, Travis Strikes Again's CEO antagonist and not-so-veiled parody of former EA CEO John Riccitiello.
Take a closer look at No More Heroes 3's user interface, and Travis's Joy-Con-studded glove in the opening of the trailer, and you'll see hints that the "chips" from Travis Strikes Again may also be coming back... again. Previously, those chips were used to give Travis and other playable characters (Shinobu, Bad Girl, and Badman) massive, over-the-top abilities like Jedi-style telekinesis and the power to create black holes. Speaking of Badman, it looks like he'll also be back for the threequel, though it's not clear if he'll be playable or just a punching bag (that's him getting pummeled at the 00:58 mark).
As someone who loved the highly personal, pseudo-autobiographical story of Travis Strikes Again but was in and out of love with actually playing it, it's great to see that No More Heroes 3 may be bringing the best of all worlds to the table.
PS5 and Xbox Series X are both getting an online restock at Best Buy
If you don't already have a PlayStation 5 or Xbox Series X pre-ordered by now, you probably have to just accept the fact that you're not getting one on launch day. That's the unfortunate reality of new-gen fever. Maybe -- if you're quick and lucky and punctual and seriously very lucky -- you can get one shortly thereafter.
Best Buy has released its Black Friday deals, and the paper ad spills the beans on an upcoming restock for the PS5, Xbox Series X, and Xbox Series S. Limited quantities will be made available online.
Now here's the tricky part: It doesn't say when the "Out of Stock" button gets its Cinderella moment and turns into an "Add to Cart" button. It's a Black Friday deal and it's in the flier that's going in Thanksgiving Day newspapers. You have to think it's sometime actually on Black Friday. Still, we don't know the exact time, and that's a very crucial detail considering the inventory will last minutes at most.
All hope isn't quite yet lost when it comes to getting a next-gen console before 2020's over. You'll just need to be extremely diligent. Sending good vibes your way that you're lucky enough to get to that "Add to Cart" button before it turns back into a pumpkin.
2020 Black Friday newspaper ad [Best Buy]
The Steam Halloween Sale has lots of cheap games that still hold up in 2020
Horror games are some of my absolute favorites to revisit, so when I see Halloween sales pop up, that's immediately where my mind goes: "look at all these scary games I could totally be replaying right now." There's something about re-facing my fears and knowing what lies ahead that I find so satisfying.
The 2020 Steam Halloween Sale began today, and while there are deals on newer releases – I suspect plenty of people will nab Phasmophobia while it's 10% off – the bulk of the sale concerns older games.
I could point to The Forest ($8.99), Darkest Dungeon ($6.24), Little Nightmares ($3.99), Dead Space ($4.99), Outlast ($2.99), Grim Dawn ($6.24), SOMA ($2.99), or Amnesia: The Dark Descent ($1.99).
In terms of newer stuff, I have just one suggestion: the Junji Ito-inspired adventure RPG World of Horror ($13.04). I know, I know. It's still coming along in Early Access. But it's a morbid delight, and the mood is right. If you're looking for something less outright scary and more sinister, this is my chiller of choice.
The Steam Halloween Sale is running until November 2 at 10:00 a.m. Pacific. Take a nervous peek.
The Last Blade is the latest Neo-Geo Pocket title to hit Nintendo Switch
In the continuation of its efforts to bring a range of Neo-Geo Pocket Color classics to Nintendo Switch, SNK has released The Last Blade: Beyond the Destiny, which first launched for the super-clicky handheld back in 2000.
A scaled-down version of one of SNK's most noble but underplayed fighting titles, The Last Blade is similar in design, tone, and theme to Samurai Shodown, but hosts its own party of sword-swinging ninjas and samurai. The NGPC edition not only features Story and Survival modes alongside its standard Vs. play, but also includes a couple of fun mini-games - a regular feature of many great NGPC releases.
Now available to purchase from the Nintendo eShop for around $8. This retro re-release will give pocket fighting fans the chance to check out one of the harder-to-find titles for the Neo-Geo Pocket Color platform, and hopefully sets the way for the future release of Match of the Millenium, which is undoubtedly mired in some form of licensing hell.
In related news, SNK has announced that a mystery Last Blade character will also be joining the roster of Samurai Shodown (2019) as part of the latter's season three content.
Xbox Live Games with Gold doesn't put its best foot forward to welcome Xbox Series X
There's an inevitable comparison between every month's PlayStation Plus and Xbox Live Gold games. Sometimes it's a knock-down drag-out war, as it's tough to declare a definitive winner. This month, it's a massacre.
Yesterday, Sony revealed Bugsnax, Hollow Knight, and Middle-earth: Shadow of War as the three PS Plus games that will welcome the PS5's arrival. Today, Xbox announced its Games with Gold, and none of the four freebies live up to any single game in PlayStation's lineup.
Here's the Games with Gold offerings that ushers in the Xbox Series X: Stealth platformer Arigami, underwater shooter Swimsanity, original Xbox tactics game Full Spectrum Warrior, and LEGO Indiana Jones (which I admittedly have nostalgic love for).
The problem is that Xbox Game Pass is cannibalizing any real value that Games with Gold could offer. Game Pass is a tremendous service that has near-universal love. But it has impacted Games with Gold to the point where we're left wondering why it even exists anymore. At this rate, it can't be long before Microsoft just kills it altogether and makes Xbox Live Gold perks free or rolls them into various Game Pass tiers.
Here's the full breakdown of November's Games with Gold:
There's more evidence that Crash 4 is coming to Switch
Crash 4 is good. Better than I thought it would be!
I'm still going through from time to time, poking my head into some of the tougher challenges and enjoying the hell out of it. But I know a lot of people are waiting for it to appear on their system of choice (PC, Switch). There's good news on that front.
So, we already kinda knew that Crash 4 would be coming to Switch, as it appeared on the game's official website as a platform option: before being unceremoniously quelled. Plus, given the eventual release of the Spyro Reignited Trilogy and the Crash trilogy on Switch, it's very clear that Activision isn't leaving the Switch out. YouTuber Canadian Guy Eh agrees, and uncovered a new finding in the Crash 4 Switch saga.
After musing on the potential next-gen versions of Crash 4 (which are also clearly a given now that we have an ESRB rating), at 3:15 in the video below, Canadian Guy Eh notes that there is a Switch profile in the .ini file of the game. They explain that the Switch is referenced "multiple times" in the code, including notes for how Activision managed to optimize the Switch edition by borrowing some tricks from Spyro Reignited. According to the file, the Switch could be looking at 720p resolution docked and portable: with an educated guess of 30FPS.
That all checks out and seems incredibly logical! With the sales it has, it would behoove Activision to make this successful sequel as accessible as possible. Anything to help us get a Crash 5 with the same developers, I'm on board with.
When does Shadowlands drop? Right before Thanksgiving, as it turns out.
After missing its previous October 27 release date, the World of Warcraft expansion will launch on Monday, November 23 at 3:00 p.m. Pacific. That's not as bad as "later this year" originally sounded.
Here's what the worldwide rollout looks like:
Find out when #Shadowlands launches in your region. ðŸ'‡ pic.twitter.com/tGfrjLF2X3
— World of Warcraft (@Warcraft) October 29, 2020
"Since we first told you about our decision to delay, we've used the time to further polish the expansion and shore up the endgame, including overhauling the combat and rewards in the Maw, and reworking the Covenant systems to make your choice more immediately impactful and have clearer long-term goals," said Blizzard. The team also brought up a couple of other important dates worth remembering.
Shadowlands' pre-launch event is happening on November 10 (expect a Scourge invasion), and the Castle Nathria raid will arrive several weeks later, on December 8, alongside Shadowlands Season 1.
Busy month. I'm going to have to make some tough calls on which games to prioritize.
Shadowlands Arrives November 23 [World of Warcraft]
Far Cry 6 delayed well into 2021 and possibly beyond
Ubisoft shared its second quarter financials today and informed investors that it's delaying one of the biggest upcoming games in the publisher's portfolio. Far Cry 6 will no longer launch on February 18, 2021.
Far Cry 6, along with Rainbow Six Quarantine, is being moved back to a nebulous window that encompasses the rest of 2021 and some of 2022. The February 18 date would've contributed to Ubisoft's 2020-21 fiscal year, but now both games have been delayed into the 2021-22 fiscal year.
The reason for the setbacks is the same one we've heard throughout most of this calendar year: "the impact of the COVID-19 crisis" and "production challenges related to work from home." Ubisoft, big as it may be, is just as vulnerable to the same workflow bottlenecks as everyone else.
There's no solid indication of when Far Cry 6 will launch. That almost certainly means this is a significant delay. If it were a slight postponement, Ubisoft would've more than likely had a new date ready to go. You can always just delay again. (See: Cyberpunk 2077.) As is, we probably shouldn't expect Far Cry 6 anytime before Fall 2021, although Spring 2022 is quite possibly the most realistic target.
Gearbox finally tells us what Borderlands 3's Arms Race mode is, unveils 'Final Form' skins
If you haven't been paying attention to Borderlands 3, Gearbox revealed a second season pass recently, with more content and updates on the way beyond the scope of that pass. There's still plenty of life left in this game yet, if the latest episode of the Borderlands Show is any indication.
The big unveiling was easily the explanation of Arms Race: the new mode that's coming as part of the Designer's Cut DLC on November 10 (which also heralds in extra skill trees for each class).
Rune Factory 5 trailer reveals Japanese release date and Premium Edition
During the Japanese edition of yesterday's Nintendo Direct Mini, publisher Marvelous finally revealed a release date for Rune Factory 5 in Japan. The horticultural sequel will launch on Nintendo Switch on May 20, 2021, with a western release to follow sometime later in the year.
The new Final Fantasy XVI website gives us more info than ever before
Final Fantasy XVI is on my radar in a big way.
I think people are sleeping on it for now, as a lot of non-Final Fantasy XIV players aren't aware of the raw talent that Naoki "Yoshi-P" Yoshida possesses. And that's fine! XVI will probably have its day soon enough as we pry more actual info out of Square Enix. It seems like that era is dawning today, as the official website for XVI has opened up.
With it, we get our first real look at the main characters, as well as the world itself. Our protagonist seems to be Clive Rosfield; a firstborn son of an Archduke who was supposed to be some sort of chosen one. Instead, that honor went to his younger brother Joshua, who is described as "bookish," but nonetheless is tasked with the power of the Phoenix. Jill Warrick, an adopted daughter of the Archduke, will also be a major player in the story.
The fantastical setting is the kingdom of Valisthea, a land "studded in Mothercrystals," and inhabited by Eikons; which are basically the name summons are called in the world of XVI. It seems like XVI is also going to have a very strong "warring nations" vibe, as there are six factions, all of which have a different vision for Valisthea.
So far, I'm really digging the return to the classic setting, and I hope the "destroy the crystals" feeling of the story trailer so far is really pushed to the limit. This has the potential to give us that warm and fuzzy feeling that so many people adored from Final Fantasy IX, but subvert our expectations with the narrative at the same time.
Final Fantasy XVI [Square Enix]
Fire Emblem: Three Houses' Dimitri is Fire Emblem Heroes newest Legendary Hero
Nintendo has revealed the newest Legendary Hero for its mobile battle title Fire Emblem Heroes. Standing atop the mass carnage this time around is Dimitri, star of 2019's Fire Emblem: Three Houses.
The crown prince of the Holy Kingdom of Faerghus, Dimitri is a valiant young warrior and proud leader, attributes that serve him well in his role as Captain of The Blue Lions. one of the RPG's titular "Three Houses". A master of the lance, Dimitri is tactically minded and an excellent ally in battle, though his strong reserve hides a deep-rooted sense of survivor's guilt.
You can check out Dimitri and his various special skills in action in the trailer below.
Nintendo Download: Pikmin 3 Deluxe
Pikmin is back! In Switch form!
Alas, Pikmin 3 is the latest game to get an update on the Switch, as Nintendo tries to move every single game possible from the Wii U to their newer, successful system. Not "more successful," mind. Just successful. Poor Wii U! I still have mine hooked up and play it. There are some things it just did better than the Switch, but I know I'm alone on my U-shaped island here.
Outside of Pikmin 3 Deluxe, there's a few other big releases this week on Switch. Part Time UFO makes the full-time move out of the mobile arena, with Control Ultimate Edition hitting the Switch in the form of a cloud edition. No More Heroes 1+2 are also both out now, as well as Jurassic World Evolution: Complete Edition. WayForward's Bakugan game is coming on November 3.
It's a huge week! Good luck picking just one thing to snag.
Here are the things people didn't like about Bravely Default II that are being fixed
Bravely Default II is a weird one.
There was all sorts of buzz around it and we even got a playable demo! Then for months at a time a lot of people collectively forgot about it. Well, now it's back on the radar: as Nintendo has confirmed a February 26, 2021 release date for the Switch exclusive. RIP Bravely Default on 3DS.
As promised during the surprise Nintendo Direct Mini (the last of the year!), Square Enix and Nintendo went over some of the changes that resulted in direct feedback from the demo earlier this year. In short, there's a lot of changes to unpack.
The addition of difficulty options is a huge one and a no-brainer. But now Square Enix says the "early part of the game is now easier," while still retaining challenges of big battles. In other words, the "trash" fights are likely quicker to go through while bosses stay at the same power level to increase tension.
There's a few other quality of life things too, like the chance to skip battle intro scenes (this should be in every game), more bold fonts and background colors and a remade UI. This all sounds good on paper! Now we wait the four months to see if they executed on it.
As a note Square Enix says that these fixes are based on one million downloads and 22,000 direct responses. 80% of the folks involved said they liked the music the most of any feature of the demo; while 33% hated the difficulty spikes, which was the most polarizing aspect of the demo.
Incoming Samurai Shodown DLC character is a fan-favorite from The Last Blade
SNK has teased one of the next DLC characters headed to its mythical fighter Samurai Shodown. While the publisher has not revealed the character's identity, we do know that the new warrior will show up in the season three character pass, and is a guest from SNK's own The Last Blade.
Speaking in a recent video, Samurai Shodown director Hayato Konya noted that the guest star was "someone the fans absolutely adore". Now, your mileage may vary, but I'm willing to take the bet that he's referring to the stoic swordswoman Hibiki Takane, who is probably best known for her appearance in the excellent 2001 crossover fighter Capcom Vs. SNK 2.
Masahiro Sakurai cannot be stopped: except by one thing, apparently! While it was already pretty insane to hear that every level in Smash Ultimate was tweaked to support Steve's entrance into the arena, a new Famitsu column digs deeper into what might have been.
According to Sakurai (as translated by Twitter user Sephazon), he tried to add another element into the game that would allow for players to create Minecraft levels, then import them into Smash. I can't imagine how crazy the groundwork must have been for that sort of project, but ultimately, Sakurai deemed it "impossible."
In that very same column, Sakurai says that "various circumstances" prevented him from using certain Minecraft music: something he alluded to earlier by stating that specific tracks wouldn't work in a fighting game scene. It appears that complications arose even beyond that.
Sakurai also candidly shares some info on how he's been getting on during the pandemic, noting that Steve was developed "entirely" during this period and that development was "difficult." However, he maintains a cherry demeanor and is "happy" to be working on the further four challengers that are coming to Smash.
I know he won't take this advice, but he deserves a break after all of this. Smash Ultimate is one of the most ambitious and complete fighting games of all time, spanning multiple generations and IPs in a way that no other game is doing right now. After the DLC is done, he can rest easy!
Sakurai [Famitsu via Sephazon]
Demon's Souls PS5 gameplay trailer will get those hype fires stoked
Sony and Bluepoint Studios have released a second gameplay trailer for their upcoming remake of PS3 classic Demon's Souls, which launches on PlayStation 5 in November. The new footage will no doubt be eagerly gobbled up by fans of the rock-hard RPG, with the remake arguably one of, if not the most anticipated launch title of the next generation.
Among the features included in Bluepoint's revisit are an alternate camera option, a Photo Mode, various screen filters, faster load times, and a "true to the original" difficulty setting, alongside other mystery new content. In addition, Demon's Souls will support 4K visuals at variable FPS settings. Quite honestly, it looks stunning.
Demon's Souls will launch day-and-date with the PS5 on November 10/19. A $90 special edition is also available for pre-order right now.
Path of Exile update delayed to avoid Cyberpunk 2077 clash
Grinding Gear Games has announced that it will be delaying the next major update for its free-to-play RPG Path of Exile. Originally scheduled to launch in December, Version 3.13 has been pushed back to January, with the developer citing the recent delay of CDPR's Cyberpunk 2077 as the reason behind the calendar shift.
"We were previously targeting a launch date of December 11 for our 3.13 end-game expansion," stated the developer on its official forums. "Yesterday, CD Projekt Red announced that Cyberpunk 2077 will now be released on December 10. We do not want to put our players in a position of having to choose between these two games, so we have decided to step out of the way and delay the release of Path of Exile 3.13 until January. We still expect to finish 3.13 by early/mid-December. The scope of this expansion will remain unchanged. During the month of delay before release, we will start work on the 3.14 expansion."
In order to keep Path of Exile die-hards occupied over the holiday season, Grinding Gear announced that it will be running at least one special multi-week in-game event, with details to follow in the near future. The developer is extremely confident that Version 3.13 will be ready to rock come January, with a specific date to follow soon.
Path of Exile 3.13 launch delayed until January [Official]
Genshin Impact rakes in an incredible $245 million in debut month
miHoYo's evocative mobile RPG Genshin Impact has gotten off to an amazing start. Within its first month of release, the free-to-play title has already raked in a staggering $245 million USD in in-game purchases worldwide.
The number-crunchers over at Sensor Tower have noted that Genshin Impact has had one of the strongest launch months ever for a mobile title, beating out the launches for titles such as Nintendo's Fire Emblem Heroes and even Epic Games' almighty Fortnite for mobile. Amazingly, this figure does not include any profit made from the PS4 and PC editions, nor from the Android version in China, it seems pretty snug to suggest that the charming adventure title has seen record-breaking success.
Contest: Win Torchlight III for Nintendo Switch
In today's contest you can win Torchlight III for Nintendo Switch!
If I could stop giving away games, I would! Just kidding -- if I ran out of games from developers to give out, I'd probably just start giving stuff away from my personal collection. I'm an addict!
Today's we've got some Switch copies of Torchlight III to hand out! You know what to do from here.
Did you beat Spider-Man on PS4? You could win this LEGO Miles Morales minifig
Insomniac's Spider-Man was pretty damn great. It was our choice for 2018's PS4 Game of the Year, and we're hardly the only outlet to sling some hardware its way. Insomniac has a lot of trophies in the case after that showing.
Hey, speaking of trophies! Sony's running a contest for anyone who has managed to beat Spider-Man on PS4 and earn the "End Game" trophy for clearing the third act. Folks who meet that criteria can enter into a drawing for an exclusive Spider-Man: Miles Morales LEGO minifigure.
Only Kinect games are lost to Xbox Series X's backward compatibility
Backward compatibility is a big point of emphasis for both Microsoft and Sony heading into the new generation of consoles. Sony came out a few weeks ago and confirmed that only 10 games won't make the transition from PS4 to PS5. That's a very acceptable percentage. Xbox has similar results, but with more peripheral-induced constraints.
Xbox director of program management Jason Ronald has confirmed that every non-Kinect Xbox One game, and every single backward compatible game from the original Xbox and Xbox 360 that doesn't require Kinect will be playable on Xbox Series S/X:
Don't skip the (surprisingly big) Hyrule Warriors: Age of Calamity demo
I'm glad Nintendo decided to release a demo for Hyrule Warriors: Age of Calamity – not just as someone who adored Hyrule Warriors on Wii U and Switch, but also as someone who knows there are bound to be a lot of on-the-fence Breath of the Wild fans checking out this Musou game for its prequel story.
Today's Switch demo is undoubtedly worth the download. You'll get access to a surprisingly generous chunk of the game, including two full story missions, a few slay-the-horde side levels, various shops and goals to activate and/or "check off" from the world map (using resources you've collected in battle), and a working blacksmith for weapon leveling. Heck, you even get to play as Link, Impa, and Zelda.
Without really spoiling anything, the demo cutoff point arrives just as four main missions – one for each of the Champions – appear on the map. For a split second, I thought I'd be able to play them. Not quite.
(Opening spoiler) Story-wise, time travel is very much afoot, and the helpful "mini guardian" messenger from the Age of Calamity trailers plays a significant role. The setup is bound to put lore-obsessed players in a speculative frenzy. Now more than ever I'm curious how this prequel is gonna wrap up.
Having spent entirely Too Many hours in Hyrule Warriors 1, it's an adjustment getting used to the new items, the slightly weightier feel to combat, and other tweaks like being able to chop down trees – but it's a good adjustment. I vastly prefer chucking bombs, freezing foes with stasis, summoning ice, and wielding (limited-use) elemental magic in this context compared to using rote items in the last Hyrule Warriors to open up bosses' weak points. Age of Calamity's items are just more fun and freeing.
As for the sample roster, Link is Link (dash and tap the X button to shield surf!), Impa is an early favorite with her easy-to-spawn clone squadron, and Zelda feels strange at first due to her Sheikah Slate-focused kit. (No joke: her gauge-based special attack involves taking an enemy's photograph.) If you complete some of the goals on the world map, you'll unlock new attack combos and more HP.
Before you ask: the performance could be better (I think it's adequate), and yes, there is co-op support.
I'm already having a blast with the story missions, the latter of which has a cool sequence with a laser-blasting Guardian (that you can totally side-step if you ignore Nintendo's pleas and fight it head-on). You will capture bases in true Hyrule Warriors tradition, but there's much more going on here, thankfully. All told, I took my time and spent around two hours scouring the demo. Nintendo's on a roll right now.
My impressions are positive so far – again, it's really fun to play! – but I do have some concerns about whether the story will meet rising expectations and how the breadth of content will stack up to Hyrule Warriors 1 given how ridiculously far that game went with its huge roster and Adventure maps.
If you're curious as a newcomer, try the demo, and know that these games grow more complex over time in terms of mission objectives and movesets. That said, you should have a pretty clear idea of whether you're into Age of Calamity or you should just patiently hold off until Breath of the Wild 2.
343 Industries studio head steps away from Halo Infinite amid uncertain development
It was most certainly not an easy decision for Microsoft to delay Halo Infinite out of the Xbox Series X's launch window. Halo Infinite would've been both a system seller and an Xbox Game Pass seller. It would've been the explosive start to the generation that could set the tone for years to come.
That's how you know something is very much not right with Halo Infinite. We're left to assume things aren't going as expected -- aside from some meme-worthy screenshots -- entirely by occurrences that come out of Microsoft and developer 343 Industries.
Another big one happened recently. Bloomberg reports that 343 partner studio head Chris Lee is no longer working on Halo Infinite. Lee says "I have stepped back from Infinite and I am looking at future opportunities." According to Lee's public LinkedIn profile, he has been at 343 for 12 years and at Microsoft Game Studios for 5 years prior to his time working on Halo.
Although Lee will remain with Microsoft, it's unclear whether he's leaving 343 Industries. He's being shuffled around to some extent, but that could mean he's remaining with the studio but no longer influencing Halo Infinite. It could also mean that he's moving elsewhere within Microsoft's game division, as he's probably a prime candidate to help lead one of the many new development teams under Xbox's banner.
Lee's departure is just the latest in a tumultuous development cycle for Halo Infinite. It's a project that lost both its creative director and executive producer in 2019. After a subpar showing in August 2020, Lee was no longer in charge of the creative vision for Halo Infinite. Microsoft brought in Joe Staten to head up the campaign, and Pierre Hintze to take charge of multiplayer. Lee being removed from the game altogether seemed like an inevitability.
Right now, Lee's status remains just as much of a mystery as Halo Infinite's. No one's really sure what's going on, it's just obvious that something needed to change.
Microsoft's New Halo Game Loses Top Director After Project Delay [Bloomberg]
