Contest: Win Jetboard Joust for Steam
In today's contest you can win Jetboard Joust for Steam!
Remember how we used to turn to fantasy to escape the harsh truths of reality? Let's do that. Like, right now. We need it.
Retro, arcadey shooter Jetboard Joust just hit Steam -- and it's a looker! Live out your dreams of destroying intergalactic bugs as the Silver Surfer in this skybound action game. Chant with me: FAN-TA-SY! FAN-TA-SY!
How have you been liking Genshin Impact?
Genshin Impact has been out for around a month now and it's pretty insane the positive buzz the game has for being a free-to-play gacha game. Despite the inherent dangers of gambling your money away on in-game content, the game beneath the gacha mechanics is really good. I am an unapologetic sucker for games with grinding mechanics, and Genshin Impact has grinding in spades.
Will Super Lone Survivor keep its mask mandate in place?
Lone Survivor is still my favorite game about suffering from psychosis, and as much of the world reaches month eight of government-mandated COVID-19 precautions, it's now proven to be one of the most prophetic as well.
Even under cheerier circumstances, the game was an intriguing downer, balancing quiet moments of isolation with your pet with tense, often horrific voyages into the outside world. Balancing the need to gather supplies, try (and often fail) to take care of yourself, and maybe even put an end to all the terrible things in your life made for a game with plenty of depth, despite mostly taking place in small, cramped spaces. I wasn't kidding when I said it was prophetic.
Now Lone Survivor is coming back in a new engine for Switch and PC. Lone developer Jasper Byrne is remaking it from the ground up for modern consoles, and after having talked with him a few times over the years about his thoughts and feelings about making games, I'm nothing short of shocked. I really thought he was done with this particular chapter in his life, but I guess if 2020 has taught us anything, it's that we can never be sure what our ever-changing world will inspire in us.
Jasper's even adding new scenario to the story, which will no doubt offer reflections on his experiences since the original title was released in 2012. Look for it in 2021.
PlayStation 5 will boost Days Gone to 60FPS and dynamic 4K
Slowly but surely, we're checking off Sony-published PS4 games that will officially look and run better on PlayStation 5. Days Gone is next on the list with a confirmation from Bend Studio that the gargantuan open-world romp will reach "up to" 60 frames per second with dynamic 4K on PS5.
According to senior staff game designer Eric Jensen, you'll need the 1.70 patch – a recent 25GB download that brought stability improvements, optimizations, and bug fixes, among other things.
That's as good of a reason as any to start up a New Game+ run (when your backlog allows it, of course). For many of us who never made time for Days Gone despite seeing a pretty favorable reception from players, we'll be able to check out the game on PS5 with the day-one PlayStation Plus Collection.
This game has always felt like a big commitment to me – there's only so much room in my life for open-world gaming, and I don't like leaving games half-finished – but I still want to circle back eventually.
I hope this 60FPS trend continues. There are more games on the PS Plus list I want to hit up.
@BendStudio [Twitter]
Xbox Series X reveals launch-day entertainment apps including Netflix, Disney+, and Spotify
Xbox has revealed the line-up of entertainment and streaming apps that will arrive on Xbox Series X and S come launch, which is just one short week from today, believe it or not.
Once they unwrap their shiny new box, proud owners will be able to use a selection of the most popular TV and Video streaming services, which to be fair are probably available on every other device in your house, but the choice is still nice. Services available include movie channels Netflix and Amazon Prime Video, TV streamers such as HBO Max, Disney +, and NOW TV, alongside popular online services such as YouTube, Twitch, and Spotify.
Xbox not only promises that the services will boost the image clarity, color, and dynamic sound experiences of your favorite services, but also notes that it has slashed the loading time of the Microsoft Store and its respective services in half, allowing you to access your entertainment faster than ever before.
You can check out a full list of the available services on the official Microsoft blog. It should be noted that certain channels may or may not be available dependent on country.
Xbox Series X launches November 10. Xbox will be holding a launch live stream to mark the occasion.
Friday the 13th support killed off, and I guess that's pretty fitting
There's been another gruesome murder, this time of Camp Crystal Lake's most popular camper: Dedicated servers.
These stories always end the same. Survival is a matter of how long rather than will they make it. Inevitably, there's always a body count and some grief. That's just the score when you wade into these waters.
Like the victims in a slasher flick, online multiplayer games aren't long for this world. Friday the 13th: The Game is the latest example. Developer IllFonic will stop supporting it this month. The game is getting a final patch in the coming weeks and then the dedicated servers are being turned off.
It's a grim fate for Friday the 13th but it's not the end of the road. The game will still be playable via peer-to-peer connections. IllFonic is also keeping the database servers in commission so that progress can be tracked. Friday the 13th isn't dead, but it's also not alive and well. It's been critically wounded.
That's the circle of life, I guess. Kill, kill, kill, kill, be killed. IllFonic has other killers to worry about nowadays.
The Future of Friday the 13th: The Game [Friday the 13th]
The Demon's Souls remaster will provide nearly 200 in-game hint videos
Before Sony first showed off its "card-based" UI for the PS5, there were a lot of questions as to what the PS5's menus would even look like. But buried underneath the new look and feel was a very curious feature: official guides.
Similar to a concept Stadia showed off a while back, Sony wants players to stay in the game rather than look elsewhere for information, which they'll facilitate through "activities." In short, if you're a PlayStation Plus subscriber, you can access short little videos or hints that will show you where collectibles are; or how to solve a certain portion of the game.
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.
The last Marvel's Avengers datamining efforts uncovered quite a bit
Some time ago, a rather large datamining effort uncovered a ton of potential characters that could enter the world of Marvel's Avengers. Now, someone else seems to have figured out which ones are coming next.
While we know that Kate Bishop and Clint Barton are coming in early 2021 as a Hawkeye duo (as well as Spider-Man as a PlayStation exclusive at some point); we have little knowledge of what's actually arriving after that. Thanks to Avengers fan Miller, who has been tweeting out the latest discoveries, it seems like Black Panther and War Machine could be next: as their character models are fully visible.
This could also be our first confirmation of additional levels and missions, too. The phrases "Crystal of Kadavus, Draupnir Tactigon, Norn Stone of Protection, Norn Stone of Alliance, Norn Stone of Attunement, and Norn Stone of the Fanatic," were datamined, which could lead to potential future storylines.
Of course, none of this is official yet, and could be content left on the cutting room floor that may never see the light of day. Given the situation this game is in, some of the stuff that's been datamined could be cut at some point. Square Enix still has to ship the "next-gen upgrades" and they are already behind schedule with DLC rollouts.
Accelerate Games is a new publisher from the founder of Acclaim
Anyone who enjoyed console gaming in the '90s will be more than familiar with the publisher Acclaim. First founded in 1987 by friends Greg Fischbach, Robert Holmes, and Jim Scoroposki, the New York-based outfit would go on to publish a huge range of successful home releases such as Mortal Kombat, NBA Jam, and various WWE titles.
Well, it appears that one of the original founders, Greg Fischbach, is returning to video game publishing with a brand new company. Accelerate Games is, much like Acclaim, hoping to build long-term relationships with budding developers, helping to get their wares out onto the market and into the hands of video game fans worldwide. As the former president of Activision International during the company's fledgling years, Fischbach no doubt hopes to bring his decades of marketing experience to the new endeavor.
The first studio to sign with Accelerate Games is Signal Studios, whose upcoming remake Toy Soldiers HD will be the first title published under the Accelerate label. Signal Studios' partner John Gow is also credited as an Accelerate co-founder, so this important first release is very much an "in-house" affair.
"What we love about Toy Soldiers is it combines historical accuracies, hardcore action and strategy, and humor with infectious fun gameplay," Fischbach said in a press release. "The game's off-the-charts replayability and multiplayer features are sure to recapture the attention of previous enlisted fans and recruit an army of new ones...We look forward to helping the small, but talented team at Signal Studios reach their goal of introducing Toy Soldiers to new audiences worldwide across console and PC platforms."
Toy Soldiers HD is currently in development for PC and consoles. This title is not to be confused with Toy Soldiers 2: Finest Hour, which is currently in the works at Ubisoft.
Capcom shares Resident Evil Village next-gen features
It's not too often that I get to write about true next-gen exclusives, but it completely slipped my mind that Resident Evil Village is only slated for PC, PS5 and Series X/S. Given how much Resident Evil 7 pushed the formula I'm really anxious to see what 8 can bring to the table; but before then, Capcom is starting to share some of those shiny next-gen features with us.
Detailed on the official PlayStation site for the game, naturally, Village will take advantage of next-gen SSDs for "almost no load times." It'll also use adaptive triggers for the DualSense, as well as haptic feedback to "simulate the feeling of firing a real gun." Although 3D audio has been around for some time, it'll be supported in Village as well (this is one of Sony's big selling points, especially with the new headset). Visually, Village is re-confirmed to support 4K settings as well as ray tracing.
As a true next-gen game (seven more days and it'll be current-gen!), these are the sorts of things you're going to be seeing a lot of going forward. Actual SSD support and 4K are basically the standard now outside of cross-generational games that might not fully support it.
Resident Evil Village [PlayStation]
BloodRayne 1 & 2 returns to PC in upgraded 'Terminal Cut' on November 20
Ziggurat Interactive has announced that 2002 PC release BloodRayne, along with its 2004 sequel BloodRayne 2, are to receive all-new enhanced editions later this month. Best of all, players who already own the original versions of both titles will receive the upgraded editions free of charge.
BloodRayne: Terminal Cut and BloodRayne 2: Terminal Cut - titled after the studio that handled the remasters, Terminal Reality - will support resolutions up to 4K, with improved rendering and upscaled cinematics to match. The BloodRayne engine has been overhauled to offer better textures, lighting, water, fog and reflection effects. Additionally, support has been added for a wider range of controllers.
For the BloodRayne faithful, this under-the-hood boost should provide a more versatile and immersive experience with the third-person adventure classics. "The response was tremendous when we announced that we had taken over stewardship of the BloodRayne series," said Ziggurat's Wade Rosen in a press release. "Fans have been asking what's next for the series, and now we're excited to show off the great work that's been done by Terminal Reality on the first two titles."
BloodRayne 1 & 2: Terminal Cut launches November 20 on PC via Steam and GOG.
BloodRayne enhanced versions coming to PC on November 20 [Gematsu]
Don't forget to sign into the Wii U or 3DS eShop once a week for free My Nintendo Platinum Points
Now that physical rewards are returning to My Nintendo, there's an actual reason to use the service again regularly.
The thing is, if you've been neglecting it for a while, you might be logging into zero Platinum Points, which doesn't really help you pick up 600+-cost rewards. We've shown you a few easy ways to earn points over the past few years, but there's one fairly innocuous mission that a lot of people are probably ignoring right now: the legacy system mission.
While we have no idea when Nintendo will actually realize that this mission exists and turn it off, for now, it's ready to claim every week. All you need to do is log into the Nintendo eShop on a Wii U or 3DS with the same My Nintendo-linked account, and you'll earn 30 Platinum Points per week.
That's literally all you need to do. Just sign in for a few seconds and you can earn 120 easy Platinum Points per month in addition to whatever else you're bringing in. My Wii U is still hooked up and I keep my 3DS fully charged on a dock near my bed (with a docked Vita!): so this is super easy for me to remember.
It's not every day I get to write about the Wii U and the 3DS. If there isn't a reason to, I'll invent one!
Missions [My Nintendo]
Dontnod's Twin Mirror feels like an evolution of Life is Strange
This all feels so familiar. I've been here before but I can't quite put my finger on it. Maybe if I look around a bit --really focus and think hard and try to shake the cobwebs off my brain -- it'll all come rushing back.
Oh yeah, I've seen this before just by a different name. First it was Max. Then Chloe. Then the Diaz brothers. I'm playing a Life is Strange game, but with a pulpier feel and less import given to teenage relationships. There's no mistaking the Dontnod DNA though.
Bloodstained: Ritual of the Night boss Bloodless will become playable character 'soon'
Koji Igarashi's spooky platform adventure Bloodstained: Ritual of the Night is set to get some new content this month. Joining the beautiful Creatures of the Night that make up the game's roster of playable characters will be the parasol-spinning vampire, Bloodless.
Encountered by protagonist Miriam in the Dian Cecht Cathedral, the beautiful but terrifying Bloodless is found soaking in a bathtub of claret-colored liquid - which I'm willing to bet ain't Cran-Apple. Bloodless' offense mostly consists of streams of the red stuff, with which she has deft control over. Also to hand is Bloodless trusty parasol, which itself is a deadly weapon in the dark one's hands.
While Team IGA did not offer any specific information as to when Bloodless will grace us with her presence, the developer noted that she would arrive in November, with more details arriving in the coming days. It's great to see Bloodstained still receiving fun new content well over a year after launch, giving fans another reason to take a fresh wander through the halls of The Hellhold once again.
Final Fantasy IX is launching physically on Switch in Asia this month
Square Enix is at it again with their Asia-exclusive physical Switch carts!
This time the beloved Final Fantasy IX is being immortalized in physical form once again; which is just as well since this game should never be subject to legacy systems and digital storefronts that will eventually die out. Instead, it will live on with Switch beyond the confines of the eShop, but only in certain regions.
Square Enix Asia's Facebook account has confirmed that the physical edition of IX will arrive on November 27, which will allow for English language support (on top of French, Italian, German, and Spanish). Note that this release is region-free, so if you're keen on importing it for $49.99 (plus fees), you can play it on your western Switch. This version will retain the booster system as well as the "high speed" and "no encounters" toggles that were born out of the Final Fantasy VII PC release and beyond.
So yeah, as long as you can read one of those languages, you're good on importing this one and enjoying it forever. Just remember to charge your Switch battery regularly in the decades to come!
Square Enix Asia [Facebook via Nintendo Soup]
The Medium has reportedly been refused classification in Australia
Bloober Team's mysterious psychological horror title The Medium has seemingly fallen foul of Australia's notoriously stringent ratings system. A listing on the Australian government's classification database shows that The Medium received a "Refused Classification" rating when submitted to the board back in July.
According to a report by Kotaku, Neither Bloober Team nor the Classification Board has come forward with a reason as to why The Medium did not make the grade. While it could be that a simple admin error was made in the title's submission, Australia is notoriously strict on video game ratings, often censoring or outright banning adult video games for minor infractions, particularly the use of drugs. Over the years, many titles have been troubled by Australian censors, including South Park: The Stick of Truth, Hotline Miami 2, Silent Hill: Homecoming, The Witcher 2, and DayZ.
The Medium is definitely one of the most interesting early releases on the new Xbox platform. So here's hoping that this is merely a small submission error, and that Australian horror fans will have the opportunity to enjoy The Medium in all of its mind-warping glory when it launches, December 10, on PC and Xbox Series X.
An Xbox Series X console exclusive has been refused classification [Kotaku]
Godzilla will be doing the stomp in Fall Guys today
Happy Godzilla Day, Destructoid! And what better way to celebrate the King of the Monsters than by stomping all over your fellow competitiors in Mediatonic's battle royale phenomenon Fall Guys...
...Well, you could always replay Destroy All Monsters, but just humor me.
A costume representing building-bashing lizard is now available to purchase in the Fall Guys in-game store, costing a pretty meaty 10 crowns. It looks great. He's even carrying a little car, which is a nice touch. Sadly, you can't blast opposing beans out of the way with radioactive breath, so you'll just have to keep pushing them off The Whirlygig instead.
Devolver Digital released a new trailer showcasing the Shinjuku Cultural Ambassador (no, really) in full effect. According to the publisher, the video also contains a few sneak peeks at other content coming to Fall Guys in the future, so be sure to keep those eagle eyes peeled.
Review: Bakugan: Champions of Vestroia
For this review, I went a little above and beyond. I did some training. Training with Bakugan toys: to really get into the vibe of this new Switch game.
Seriously! Ahead of the review period, the publisher sent me a box of Bakugan balls and an arena. How could I not try it?! My wife and I spent round after round battling it out together, chucking these things into a ring and comparing stats. I can see the appeal.
Unfortunately, the Switch iteration doesn't quite capture most of the fun of the physical game.
Well, this was wholly unnecessary. With next-gen consoles on the horizon, a remake of Demon's Souls launching alongside the PlayStation 5, and so much else happening in the world, Elden Ring has kind of gone forgotten about.
From Software is here to reopen that wound and pour salt in it.
Where were you when Tony Hawk landed the 900? Where were you Danny Way jumped over the Great Wall of China? Where were you when I went over the half-pipe, through the secret room, collected the hidden tape, and grinded the quarter-pipe along the whole back wall?
Iconic moments in skateboarding history. More iconic than the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles skating all over Smite? Tough to say.
Smite's new battle pass launches tomorrow, and it's completely TMNT-centric. We learned about this collaboration last month, and how Hi-Rez Studios is reskinning the Turtles to play the roles of existing gods. We were not prepared for the sheer number of ollies and kickflips and pizza-eating that we'd get. Judging by the new trailer that dropped today, I'm not convinced the Turtles will make good on any of the battle arena aspects of MOBA.
And maybe that's why I love this trailer. It's not bogged down in attack stats and roles. There's no minutiae, there's just skateboards and pepperoni. Here are the TMNT Battle Pass update notes for anyone who is interested in the nitty gritty. I'm just here to watch Michaelangelo catch big air over a Fire Giant.
Dragon Quest XI S has a 10-hour Definitive Edition demo on PC, PS4, and Xbox One
If you're in the mood for Dragon Quest XI S and want to get a head-start on December's Definitive Edition release for PC, PlayStation 4, and Xbox One, there's a meaty new demo on all three platforms.
The demo spans "the entirety of the opening chapters," according to Square Enix, and apart from being able to transfer your file to the full game, you'll earn three stat-boosting Seed of Skill items as a bonus. It's pretty wild to think about a demo exceeding the length (and quality) of full commercial games.
There's a lot packed into this version of Dragon Quest XI, hence that long-ass name. This improved port of the Nintendo Switch game runs better and has all of the previous niceties like the orchestrated soundtrack, an ultra-fast speed toggle, Japanese VO, and the nostalgia-inducing top-down 2D mode.
Things get a little funky when you look into side-by-side-by-side comparisons of Dragon Quest XI, the Switch edition, and this Definitive Edition release, but I think the pros far outweigh the cons.
Is it just me, or has there been an influx of unusually generous game demos lately? I'm in heaven.
Podtoid starts November by remembering its favorite Treehouse of Horror episodes
There are many great autumn traditions we celebrate in this country. Pumpkin-spiced everything, Thanksgiving, radio stations playing Christmas music way too damn early, but my favorite tradition is taking time to watch the newest "Treehouse of Horror" episode on The Simpsons. Are they are good as they used to be? Nah, but they're still usually better than the rest of the season.
That's just one of the topics on this episode of Podtoid. CJ, Chris, Occams, and Charlotte talk TV, No More Heroes, Duolingo, Silent Hill, and Cruel Jaws. All that, plus we answer some listener questions, on Podtoid Episode 465.
Dragon Ball Z: Kakarot just added a free card battle mode and I'm getting Triple Triad flashbacks
Final Fantasy VIII. Final Fantasy XIV. The Witcher 3. Dragon Ball Z: Kakarot. Am I just naming cool RPGs, or games that have card battlers inside of them? Both!
The onslaught of Dragon Ball Z: Kakarot DLC and updates continues, as Bandai Namco just recently added the free new mode "Card Warriors," which allows players to build decks and take on opponents...in card form. This joins the Time Machine mechanic (that lets you go back and repeat previous content) and two major DLC packs (one of which is still on the way).
The below video will give you a gist of the game, which should be enough to judge whether or not it's worth booting up or re-installing your copy. In short, you build your deck with 25 character or event cards, as well as five "SP" cards (which are triggered by combinations of event cards). Your job is to defeat your opponent by knocking down their health total (much like Magic or Hearthstone): simple enough! It even uses the Hearthstone "mana" style economy, with the power to "bank" energy once.
As someone who regularly plays a ton of deckbuilders (Marvel Champions, Lord of the Rings LCG, Arkham Horror: The Card game, Magic, Hearthstone), I'm glad that card games are still so prolific in just about every corner of media.
Raw Fury's Kingdom is free on Humble right now
"My kingdom for a horse." King Richard III would've done well to live 500 years later because Kingdom is free and it comes with a horse.
Humble is doing that thing again where it gives away games for keepsies. This time it's Raw Fury's Kingdom, the side-scrolling simulation game where you ride a horse and everyone tries to steal your gold and your crown. Kingdom is good enough that it spawned two highly-regarded sequels.
Anyway, go hit up Humble if you want a no-strings-attached freebie. The promo ends on November 9. I promise to never bastardize the words of Shakespeare like that again. That first paragraph was far more tragedy than comedy.
Kingdom: Classic [Humble]
You have until November 22 to celebrate World of Warcraft's 16th anniversary
Ever since I created my Orc Warlock 16 years ago, I've been playing World of Warcraft annually. That sounds pretty crazy out loud now that I think about it.
Nearly two decades of playing the game same: a sentiment that many have eye-rolled over the years as they waxed poetic about the "good days" of WoW and how they no longer play it (or in the case of several people, have gotten out of games entirely). People change, and so has World of Warcraft.
Blizzard is cashing in on that nostalgia, as they do every year, with a 16th anniversary celebration in-game that lasts until November 22. Check your Azeroth mailbox for a gift package, which includes: 200 Timewarped Badges, an experience and reputation boost item (16% for one hour) and a "Letter from the Timewalkers" questline item. There's also an event that involves WoW trivia if you head to Historian Llore in Stormwind or Historian Ju'pa in Orgrimmar.
Oh, plus "level 30 and above" characters can fight Lord Kazzak, Azuregos and "one of the four Dragons of Nightmare" each day for extra loot and 50 Timewarped Badges. You may recall the former name from one of the first WoW viral videos where he was kited to Stormwind. Ah, back when YouTube videos were harmless and in glorious 240p.
Finally, Alterac Valley has been added as a "throwback battleground" (PVP) in the form of Korrak's Revenge. I can't wait to log back in and mess around with all this stuff before the imminent release of the expansion.
Celebrate 16 Years of World of Warcraft [Battle.net]
Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart won't be on PS4, according to Insomniac
Some of the first big PlayStation 5 games we saw this year – Sackboy, Spider-Man: Miles Morales, and even Horizon Forbidden West – will also be playable on PlayStation 4. But that should be it, at least as far as Sony-backed titles go. Another big-hitter, Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart, will only launch on PS5.
It's easy to point to Rift Apart's SSD-dependent dimension-hopping design and shrug off the notion that this game could ever possibly get an inferior PS4 version, but if Horizon Forbidden West can make a dual PS4/PS5 release happen (which I'm curious – and anxious – to see play out), then who's to say?
Well, how about Insomniac itself? The studio reiterated Rift Apart's PS5-only status on Twitter.
It’s a PS5 exclusive
— Insomniac Games (@insomniacgames) November 2, 2020
We weren't led to believe otherwise, but on the off-chance there were any lingering doubts, there you go. (The responses to this tweet, as with all tweets about any conceivable topic, are pretty ridiculous.)
As an aside, as much as the PS5 and Xbox Series X/S are in the spotlight right now, it's nice to consider folks who are sticking with their current consoles that will still have a few more (seemingly) great games to look forward to. The PS4 has had such a strong "final" year – if you even want to call it that.
[Via Eurogamer]
The new Gungrave game is still alive, here's a new brief look at it
In case you missed it, developer Iggymob gave us a detailed look at the new Gungrave game (that's still scheduled to be released on PS4 by the end of this year in Japan). Yes, I said "new Gungrave game."
Despite the misstep with the VR game, Gungrave G.O.R.E is decidedly not a VR title, nor is it a retread. Instead, it's the first mainline release in the series in many years; following the 2002 release of the PS2 original, the 2003 anime, and the 2004 Overdose sequel. It's a monumental moment for fans, like if the Trigun game Planet Gunsmoke was suddenly revived out of the blue. In the tease we get to see Beyond the Grave himself (albeit with his back to us) facing down an Orgman enemy, as well as a new look for the Death Hauler coffin weapon.
But is this thing actually coming out by the end of the year? And what about a potential PS5 release, given that so much has changed since we had our last development update? Well, we still aren't getting more info on that just yet; as the official Twitter account for the game asked people to stay tuned.
Uh, I think I will. Given how little pure character action games are released these days, I'm going to follow it until the end.
Gungrave G.O.R.E [Twitter]
FIFA 21 fends off Watch Dogs: Legion in this week's UK Charts
Despite the launch of three brand new titles, Electronic Arts' football sim FIFA 21 has managed to retain the top spot of this week's UK Charts, at least as it applies to physical sales.
Ubisoft's open-world sequel Watch Dogs: Legion, Nintendo remake Pikmin 3 Deluxe, and Bandai Namco's horror title Dark Pictures Anthology: Little Hope all debuted in the Top Ten, but failed to secure the number one spot, landing at numbers two, seven, and nine respectively. Of course, with the ever-increasing shift to digital sales, the digital charts may tell a different story.
Next week sees the start of the next generation of video gaming, a generation that will likely see digital sales further supersede physical sales. While there will always be a market for physical games sales, via online retailers and the high street, recent years have seen a constant and undeniable market shift towards digital downloads, which is very unlikely to halt anytime soon.
Orwell's Animal Farm launches December 10 on PC and mobile
The Indie Collective has announced a release date for the video game adaptation of George Orwell's seminal novel Animal Farm. The strategy-based adventure title will launch on PC via Steam, as well as iOS and Android platforms, on December 10.
Developed by Nerial, Orwell's Animal Farm will put players in charge of managing the resources and defense of the notorious Manor Farm, where a menagerie of barnyard animals have overthrown their human owners in an effort to make a better world for themselves. However, under the rule of pompous pig Napoleon, the other species soon come to learn that while some animals are equal, some are more equal than others.
Publisher The Dairymen has released a new teaser trailer, recounting the infamous moment when Napoleon explains to his fellow animals how it would be better for everyone if Napoleon makes all the choices befitting the governing of the farm's affairs, to save them from making "the wrong decisions".
Guild Wars 2 is stalling its Steam release to focus on the new expansion
Earlier this year, we were given a teaser taste of Guild Wars 2's next expansion: which would later come to be known as End of Dragons.
But while we waited for the next chapter of the Guild Wars saga to begin, ArenaNet dished out some juicy news that the game was coming to Steam (sans account transfers). Well, that plan is changing, at least temporarily. According to a short post from ArenaNet, the company has made the decision to "put the Guild Wars 2 Steam release on hold for the time being."
The reason given? Their "number one priority" is focusing on the End of Dragons expansion and the "epic climax" to the current storyline, to deliver "high quality" content. In fact, the first major look at the upcoming Icebrood Saga conclusion is coming this week on November 5.
For those of you who don't play Guild Wars 2, the idea is that the game is part of a "living" world, where storyline changes can come through major or minor patches. Although other MMOs like World of Warcraft have "pre-patches" and the like to facilitate similar story arcs, Guild Wars 2 is built around its narrative at its core.
While it's a bummer that the game isn't coming to Steam anytime soon, I'm sure veterans don't mind as they can't transfer their accounts anyway.
Guild Wars 2 Steam Release News [ArenaNet]
In the 1980s, an abundance of horror movies hit the U.K. shores overnight, all thanks to the affordable invention of the VHS player. The then-British film censor, James Ferman, went on a zero-tolerance crusade against these "video nasties" which Ferman felt were oozing onto his country's shores and slowly corrupting the nation and its youth.
Ferman and the British Board of Film Classification (BBFC) swiftly and hysterically drew up a list of on-screen elements that the board should always consider taking the scissors to - should they ever crop up in any film under review. Among the material Ferman was convinced posed a risk to British sanity were sexual titillation mixed with violence, Asian/ninja-style weaponry, and, most importantly, "blood appearing on breasts".
Fortunately for Ferman, D3 Publisher's OneChanbara series would not make its debut until 2004, some years after the censor's retirement and passing. Given the stringent bullet points listed above, I can't help but feel that maybe, just maybe, he would not have looked too kindly upon it.
There's a joke among MMO players that every single release in the same space is dubbed a "WoW Killer."
One of the more popular podcasts on the game is even based around that concept! The reality is that although there are plenty of MMOs that have carved out their own audience over the past decade and change, none of them have actually "killed" World of Warcraft. It still reigns as one of the most popular subscription-based MMOs on the planet, and based on a statement from Activision CEO Bobby Kotick, that train isn't slowing down.
Speaking on a recent earnings call, Kotick noted that the overall subscriber-base "doubled" since the launch of WoW Classic, and the pre-sales of Shadowlands are "the highest we've seen at this stage ahead of any release." Kotick also explains that this is one of the sole franchises that grants Activision "over a billion" in revenue annually: alongside of Call of Duty and Candy Crush.
For as much talk as there was among some of the playerbase that Battle for Azeroth "ruined" WoW, it seems like Classic was there to pick up the slack, and the hype is present yet again for a new expansion. Will WoW ever die? Well, nothing lasts forever! I've been wondering how Blizzard will approach a potential "WoW 2" for ages now, but it seems like the gravy train is going to keep rolling for years to come.
It really begs the question of whether or not Overwatch needed a sequel (hey, remember Overwatch 2 kind of just exists right now?), and has me curious as to how that project will play out. I can see them scrapping it and just incorporating it into the base game.
Conference Call [Activision via PC Gamer]
Where has Goth Marina been all my life?
This weekend saw the Splatoon 2 community take to the ink-stained arenas once again in a replay of another classic splatfest. Entering into the spirit of the season, players battled it out over the most important Halloween question of all: Trick or Treat?
Once the dust had settled, Marina's Team Treat successfully retained the crown, once again securing the victory over Pearl's Team Trick. While Team Trick won 58% of the public vote, Team Treat captured both Normal and Pro play points for the 2 - 1 victory, cementing - once and for all - that Splatoon players are all about getting hold of those sweet treats.
In addition, Nintendo released some fun new artwork showing Marina and Pearl, along with squid sisters Callie and Marie, chilling at the dining table in what appears to be a spooky mansion. To be frank, it doesn't look like our pals are enjoying themselves, I'd hazard a guess that someone "edgy" brought Cards Against Humanity to the shindig. Regardless, we didn't know how much the planet needed Goth Marina until this very moment.
Phantasy Star Online 2 is crossing over with Senran Kagura in Japan
We knew it was coming, but thanks to a recent trailer from Sega, it's more real now.
Phantasy Star Online 2 will be hosting a Senran Kagura crossover this month. Like most of the lighter crossovers that don't involve significant bits of content, this one is mostly cosmetic, offering outfits, emotes, and items. You can get a quick look at the crossover stuff in the first few minutes of the below video. In truth, this month is also a dual-crossover period, featuring scenarios from the kaiju anime SSSS.Gridman.
I kind of love that Sega will go to any lengths to include basically anything even remotely anime related in PSO 2, without letting it completely dominate the tone of the game. These crossovers are generally fleeting, with the exception of having to see some of the more popular out-there outfits regularly in the Ark Ship hub.
But while I'm still enjoying myself, I'm really anxious for Phantasy Star Online 2: New Genesis next year on Series X. Given that the game is nearly eight years old at this point (and still good!), it'll be nice to catch a complete refresh.
Vampire: The Masquerade battle royale title coming in 2021
In a surprising announcement, Swedish studio Sharkmob has revealed it's currently at work on an all-new battle royale title set within the Vampire: The Masquerade universe. The untitled new project is currently in development for a late-2021 release, although no specific platforms were announced.
"Experience the next thrilling evolution of battle royale multiplayer action games set in the cult classic Vampire: The Masquerade universe where vampire sects are at war across the streets and rooftops of Prague," reads an outline on Sharkmob's website. "Choose your playstyle, go solo or together, battling rivals and the hostile Entity who's hellbent on exterminating all vampires. Use your supernatural powers, weapons, and blood to become stronger in order to hunt, fight, and survive the night."
This odd endeavor is one of a number of titles set in the Gothic tabletop world of Vampire: The Masquerade. Last month saw the launch of the next chapter in Draw Distance's visual novel series Shadows of New York, while 2021 will also see the long-awaited release of Paradox's open-world RPG Bloodlines 2, which was recently pushed back from its initial winter 2020 release date.
You can check out a teaser trailer for Sharkmob's new title below.
Apex Legends boss: 'You're probably going to see the game becoming more than just a battle royale'
Although Apex Legends isn't quite the streaming-chart-destroyer it once was (overtaking League of Legends at one point), it's still very regularly found on the top 10 Twitch stream list.
EA is riding that gamble all the way to the bank, as it remains one of the more popular battle royale titles in a sea of games that were dragged under the tide. Director Chad Grenier thinks it's here to stay too, noting that the game could even evolve to become more than just a battle royale title.
Speaking to Eurogamer, Grenier explains that Respawn has content planned "all the way up to Season 12," which is a full four seasons ahead of Season 8, which isn't due until 2021 (Season 7 hasn't even started yet). Once Season 8 is shipped, the team will start working on Seasons 13 and 14, he says; giving us a vague idea of how far ahead the team works.
He also clarifies that Respawn does "a lot of things to mitigate data mining," claiming that many other future bits of content could have been uncovered if they weren't actively fighting the practice. With that in mind, the director says that it's "fair game," even if the team is "bummed out" when content is spoiled.
Grenier says that "looking into the future, you're probably going to see the game becoming more than just a battle royale game." While that statement could be foreshadowing drastic change, the example Grenier gives in this context is the addition of more limited time modes "as a starting point" for what might come down the line. An arena battle gametype has been datamined, which might be what he's alluding to.
His sentiment makes perfect sense, especially given how quickly the market could shift away from battle royale games. It behooves Respawn to think on their feet, potentially changing Apex Legends into something else, while keeping that massive playerbase and ecosystem.
Apex Legends' newest map was a Titanfall 3 concept [Eurogamer]
Middle-earth: Shadow of Mordor is losing features six years after release
Middle-earth: Shadow of Mordor was a really strange game that came out of nowhere in 2014.
Although many designers hit considerable roadblocks making big changes to Middle-earth source material, Warner Bros. coasted into massive departures from Tolkien's legendarium with ease; both from a practical and thematic standpoint. It was a weird release, made even stranger by a controversy regarding some content creator's failure to disclose that they couldn't disparage the game in exchange for cash. Whatever the case may have been some people enjoyed it; but come December 31 of this year, future generations may enjoy it a bit less.
An ominous message recently apparated on various digital marketplaces for the game, warning that come that date, several features will be removed from the game (presumably because WB doesn't want to keep paying for online features). Those features include the Nemesis Forge mechanic (read: you can't transfer your nemesis enemies into the sequel) and a lack of Vendetta missions (hunting orcs via your friends list) and leaderboards. WBPlay is also being removed, but as a pity prize you're getting "Orc Hunter" and "Gravewalker" epic runes.
I always felt that the nemesis system was half-baked, but come 2021 it'll be even less appealing. You can find the full rundown of the removed features below. For now, the follow-up release Shadow of War is not impacted.
Middle-earth: Shadow of Mordor [Steam]
Xbox to hold Series X launch live stream on November 10
Can you believe it? We are less than 10 days away from the launch of a brand new generation of gaming. On November 10, Xbox will be first out of the gate with the launch of its Xbox Series X and Xbox Series S hardware, promising power and technology like none we have seen from consoles before.
To mark the momentous occasion, Xbox has announced that it will be holding a special live stream to celebrate the new hardware's release. The stream will feature various "behind-the-scenes" segments, developer interviews, fundraising events, and "Let's Plays" with influencers and members of Team Xbox. Xbox has noted that this is not a "reveal show," and as such will not feature any new announcements. The stream is intended more as an online launch party for the Xbox community.
The action kicks off November 10 at 11:00 PT / 14:00 ET / 20:00 BST. You can watch along via the Xbox YouTube and Twitch channels. For more information about the event, check out the announcement over on the official Xbox blog.
Ubisoft walks back statement that several of their games won't work on PS5
While our eyes are collectively on Assassin's Creed Valhalla, which we knew would work on the PS5, Ubisoft delivered some bad news (in a now-defunct Ubisoft Connect news post) regarding a few legacy titles last week: noting that they would not be compatible with the PS5.
Now, like several publishers in regards to the mystery of PS5 backward compatibility, it wasn't exactly clear what that meant. Would it boot at all? Are there unsupported bugs? Who knows at this point, as Ubisoft has pulled the list entirely.
Following a bevy of inquiries over the weekend regarding this list, Ubisoft has informed The Verge that they have removed it with the following statement: "We have pulled the Ubisoft Connect article and forum post regarding backwards compatibility for the time being as there may be inaccuracies involving the Ubisoft titles that will be playable on PS5." Allegedly, Ubisoft will have a "correct list of games" this week. So...they don't know right now?
This whole situation is very odd and a lot less black and white than it is on the Xbox ecosystem. While Smart Delivery and "500K+ hours of testing" reign on Xbox, Sony had been far more vague in terms of what will work since backward compatibility was announced.
I think what's happening is that a lot of compatibility checks are coming down to the wire on PS5. Developers seem to be scrambling to try and make sense of it, so hopefully we don't have more of these strange blog posts now that we're roughly a week away from the next-gen launch.
Ubisoft detailed which of its PS4 games won't work on PS5, but now it's not sure [The Verge]
(Update) Here's how to get all of the free Ash's Pikachu caps 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.
What was your favorite moment from Monster Hunter World: Iceborne?
After farming Fatalis, crafting everything I wanted from him, and strolling around SOS signals as a god, I think it's safe to say I've had a hell of a time hunting in Monster Hunter World: Iceborne. Now that all that's left is to farm up layered armor, I can look back on this crazy game's life and reminisce on my favorite moments from it. Because even though Fatalis was one hell of a final hunt, there are many other moments and hunts that are unforgettable for franchise veterans like me and those new players who managed to love the brilliance of World enough to want to dive into its expansion pack.
Cblogs of 10/24 to 10/30/2020: Paradise Killer, Landstalker, and Epic Games Store
Cblogs Recap: Week 44
-Dinoracha shares his "negative" thoughts on Paradise Killer.
-Kerrik52 reviews Amnesia: The Dark Descent as part of his Traveler in Playtime blogging series.
-Humantofu wonders where the Epic Games Store will go from now.
-Christopher Harper shares some tips on playing DOOM Eternal.
-TheBlondeBass continues his discussion on heartfelt games with this blog covering Undertale.
-JohnnyVector is looking for the most obscure Sonic the Hedgehog games.
-Lord Spencer reviews Breath of Fire III as part of his PS1 REVIEWS blogging series.
-Osc continues reporting on the progress of his hobbyist gaming development project.
-Agent9 continues his near-daily journal of this month.
-PhilsPhindings discusses the similarities between the Landstalker soundtrack and some Blues music.
-ChronoLynxx opens up yet another weekly TGIF forum for open community discussion.
Square Enix is partnering with a hardware company for an official Final Fantasy XIV SSD
Final Fantasy XIV has sent ripple effects through the industry ever since its "Reborn" phase roughly seven years ago.
Square Enix proved to the industry that you could truly "save" a game that was in peril: and I say this as someone who witnessed the original incarnation of FFXIV first-hand. It really was a miracle what that team pulled off, recreating XIV into not only one of the best MMOs of all time, but one of the strongest RPG campaigns ever made.
That power has resulted in all sorts of tie-ins and partnerships, which now includes an SSD hardware run. Square Enix has announced that they've collaborated with the manufacturing company I-O Data to provide an "official" Final Fantasy XIV SSD, which is going on sale in Japan on December 2.
It's 500GB in size and is an external SSD via USB 3.2 Gen 1 (without a power adapter requirement). Weirdly, the company even has an app called GigaCrystaPhantom that will allow a quick-transfer of FFXIV from your HDD to the new SSD: which might be helpful to Japanese players who don't want to re-download everything.
It'll run you 11,880 yen (roughly $115 US) if you want it. The price is a little over industry standard (a tad bit more than that figure will get you a 1TB generally), but obviously the license factors in.
There's no way Pikmin 3 came out over seven years ago.
Wait, I'll just check...nah, I don't believe it, it must be a typo. Wait, we reviewed it! That info box looks pretty legit. Maybe it did.
Either way, it's hard to believe it's been that long, as Pikmin 3 has remained a staple of my dusted-off Wii U since. I still head back into the little pint-sized world to blow off some steam from time to time, and the Bingo Battle mode has been a perpetual font of fun for my wife and I.
The Deluxe version on Switch makes things a little easier on us if we want to boot it all back up again, even if it's not a huge upgrade.
Both Mass Effect Commander Shepards will be participating in N7 Day this year
How long has it been since we've been collectively excited for Mass Effect? 2017's Andromeda probably, right? Well some of you were never jazzed about Mass Effect, but y'all don't count.
Well, N7 Day has been happening annually regardless of how much Mass Effect moves the needle now, and it just got a little more exciting for fans. Over the weekend, "Mr. Shepard" himself, Mark Meer, announced that he will be joining the N7 Day stream event taking place on November 7 (as is custom) at 11AM PT. We're told to "stay tuned for the link," in case you're curious.
Meer re-confirms that Jennifer Hale (Mrs. Shepard) will be part of the event, as well as the voice actors for Kaidan Alenko, Liara T'Soni, Jack, Grunt, Ashley Williams, Samantha Traynor, Mordin Solus, and Legion. Of course, there are a few huge names sprinkled into that innocent list, like VA veteran Steve Blum. BioWare developers Karin Weekes (editor) and Patrick Weekes (writer) are in too.
This is billed as a "special" event, but it could clearly just be "special" because of how emotional this cast is; and because of how several of them seem to still keep in touch over the years. Or, we could finally get that Mass Effect remaster announcement we've all been waiting for.
Do I want to replay the trilogy on a next-gen console again, with potentially seamless save-transfer integration? Yes, yes I do.
Mark Meer [Twitter]
Kirby is one of those franchises that kind of sneaks up and surprises you when you least expect it.
Every so often Nintendo will be like "hey, there's a new Kirby game coming out soon, buy it!" It seems to sell well enough to warrant them doing that every few years, whether it's a spinoff, a spinoff of a spinoff, or a mainline entry.
Kirby Fighters 2 is another spinoff in a long line of them; but it doesn't really do anything drastic enough to warrant anyone turning their head.
As I sat down to begin playing Ghostrunner for review, I started explaining the basics of the game to my significant other. When I got to the point about it featuring a one-hit kill mechanic, I was questioned why I would play a game that has such a potential to frustrate me. I didn't have a good answer other than the fact that when you win, the good feelings wash away all the anger and there's something cathartic in that.
Ghostunner absolutely put me through my strides and tested the limits of my willpower, but the joy of victory was worth it all in the end in this high-paced sci-fi ninja romp.
'90s brawler 64th Street: A Detective Story is this week's Arcade Archives release
Publisher Hamster is getting retro in more ways than one this week, as the next entry in the huge Arcade Archives catalog is not only a classic '90s arcade title, but even also a period piece! Now available to download on Nintendo Switch, Jaleco's 64th Street: A Detective Story is back to brawl.
Originally released in arcades in 1991, 64th Street was one of an absolute tidal wave of scrolling brawlers that hit the market following the success of Capcom's Final Fight. Featuring typical street walking, head-cracking mayhem, 64th Street had the unique gimmick of setting its narrative in a bizarrely mish-mashed time period, which features a 1930s aesthetic alongside 1980s fashions, akin to Walter Hill's rock 'n' roll fable Streets of Fire, which itself was an alleged influence on Final Fight.
Check out the action in the video below, courtesy of YouTuber World of Longplays.
Genshin Impact is killing it financially and it looks like there are no signs of it letting up anytime soon. To that end, developer miHoYo has shared more plans for the upcoming November 11 update (1.1), as well as PS5 compatibility (with "improved graphics and faster load times"). So far, it's all good news.
Although it was a shoo-in already, miHoYo shared publicly that the game will be backward compatible on the PS5: functionality that that will be added in patch 1.1. It'll also kick off the first seasonal event (Unreconciled Stars), as well as provide a new main storyline chapter finale (Liyue), four new characters and a city reputation system.
Since the characters are what matters to a lot of people, you can find artwork of them in the gallery below: but let's also go through them together really quick. Childe (five stars) is a "hydro archer," Zhongli (five stars) will utilize a geo polearm. Xinyan (four stars) and Dioana (four stars) have also been teased. As far as what the Unreconciled Stars event entails, it'll allow people to take on new quests during a two-week period and potentially earn the four-star character Fischl.
It's a massive update. The new story bits should sate casual fans, while the city reputation system and the thrill of event rewards will keep hardcore players logged on: especially if they get to play from the comfort of their new PS5.
