xCloud Beta Will Be Available on iOS and PC in Spring 2021
Microsoft's game streaming service, xCloud, has had some trouble launching on iOS devices due to Apple's strict app store guidelines. Microsoft announced before that it will be bringing the service to iOS devices through a mobile web app workaround. The tech company has now confirmed that that version, as well as a PC version, will be available in Spring of 2021.
In a blog post, Microsoft confirmed the release window as well as stating that the PC version of xCloud will be available through the Xbox app on Windows 10.
Jarrett West, The Xbox Marketing Chief for Microsoft, stated in the blog post: "In Spring 2021, we will take the next step in our journey to reach more players around the world by making cloud gaming as part of Xbox Game Pass Ultimate available on Windows PCs through the Xbox app and browser, and iOS devices through mobile web browser. By adding over a billion devices as a path to playing in the Xbox ecosystem, we envision a seamless experience for all types of players; whether it's playing Minecraft Dungeons with your Xbox friends using touch controls on an iPhone, or jumping into a Destiny 2: Beyond Light strike on a Surface Pro when you have a break between meetings."
On top of the new release window for PC and iOS platforms, the blog post also confirmed that xCloud will be coming to more markets next year, including Australia, Brazil, Japan, and Mexico.
xCloud is part of Microsoft's $15 a month Xbox Game Pass Ultimate subscription. If you are a subscriber, then you are able to play Game Pass titles on your Android device right now. Sadly, us iOS user have had to wait due to Apple's strict App store policies,
Apple did restructure some guidelines that could possibly be characterized as a compromise depending on how you look at it. However, it didn't push the needle very much. I am happy to see that we will finally be able to experience xCloud on the go on iOS devices in the near future.
The post xCloud Beta Will Be Available on iOS and PC in Spring 2021 by Grant Huff appeared first on DualShockers.
Grand Theft Auto Online Gets New Trailer for The Cayo Perico Heist
On December 15, Grand Theft Auto Online fans are set to get the biggest slice of new content yet. Players will be visiting a brand new island as part of the latest heist. Of course, there's more than just the heist to do in Cayo Perico. See for yourself in the latest trailer from Rockstar below.
As you can see, there's a lot going on in Cayo Perico. The new island in Grand Theft Auto Online hosts a brand new heist. Importantly, this is one you can take on solo. No more waiting around for your friends or jumping into a pick-up group. Now, you can do it all to your heart's content. You'll also be able to purchase your submarine, it appears. Hopefully, it's not too expensive. Though, this being GTA Online, I wouldn't get my hopes up just yet.
On top of that, we know The Music Locker is opening soon at The Diamond. Here, players can listen to a rotating act of DJs from around the world. It's both a place to hang out with friends and provide Rockstar with a pseudo answer to Fortnite's popular in-game concerts. Plus, it looks like some of your business dealings will move to the club for the new heist.
All told, it looks like quite the package for long-time Grand Theft Auto Online fans. And, if you're new to the game, it seems like an excellent jumping-on point. Sure, you might have to scrimp to afford a sub, but you're getting in on the ground floor of a new island.
Grand Theft Auto Online is available now on PC, PS4, and Xbox One. The Cayo Perico Heist kicks off on December 15
The post Grand Theft Auto Online Gets New Trailer for The Cayo Perico Heist by Ricky Frech appeared first on DualShockers.
Apex Legends Winter eSports Kick Off January 15
Apex Legends continues to be one of the hottest multiplayer titles in the game. The battle royale extravaganza from EA and Respawn is all set to kick off the next phase of Apex's competitive circuit. With the Winter season of the Apex Legends Global Series ramping up next month, the team shared a new teaser trailer. Give it a look below.
The trailer kicks off with a cheeky Game of Thrones reference; however, the big talking point is the prize pool. For the winter season, EA has 750,000 smackers up for grabs. That's quite the chunk of change on the line. In fact, this marks the largest seasonal prize pool yet for Apex Legends. As I said above, the game continues to be a fan-favorite.
The ALGS Winter Circuit kicks off on January 15. From there, players will hop in on three other weekends before the Last Chance Qualifiers happen on March 19-21. Finally, fans will be able to tune in for the playoffs on March 27 and 28. There, you'll obviously see the crowning of the champions and the big prize purse that goes along with it.
It's also worth noting that the Autumn Circuit is running its playoffs on December 19-20. So, if you're hoping to get into the ALGS, it's probably worth checking out the end of the current season. You can give it a watch on the Apex Legends Twitch and YouTube channels.
Even if you aren't a high-level competitive player, Apex has plenty for you. The Holo-Day Bash Event is currently ongoing to celebrate the Winter season. So, even if you aren't jumping it to watch or play some Apex eSports, you'll still have new content to earn.
Apex Legends is available now on PC, PS4, and Xbox One.
The post Apex Legends Winter eSports Kick Off January 15 by Ricky Frech appeared first on DualShockers.
The Last of Us Part II Fan Art Showcases an Emotional Ellie and Joel Moment
Are you tired of hearing about The Last of Us Part 2 yet? I'm glad you said no because there's a lot more in store for this almost six-month-old game. Coming up this Thursday at The Games Awards 2020, we will get to see how the title fairs against Ghost of Tsushima, Hades, DOOM Eternal, Final Fantasy VII Remake, and Animal Crossing: New Horizons for that prestigious Game of the Year Award. We also got to see a brand new trailer from Naughty Dog showing Abby's turbulent and emotional journey throughout the game. As much as we love and support all games, let's build some hype behind The Last of Us Part 2 in this amazingly detailed fan art piece.
Twitter user DafnaWinchester, a concept artist at Friendly Fox studio (formerly 4FriendsGames), has crafted a stunning illustration of Ellie and Joel from the emotional scene in which Joel treats Ellie to a surprise birthday gift at the museum. Even though the sketch is primarily void of color, the beautiful beam of light that hits Ellie's space helmet as the twinkling of stars shine down from above is so incredibly striking. DafnaWinchester captures Ellie's excitement beautifully upon receiving her present and Joel's expression of admiration and love for Ellie is caught in such a wonderful way. Of course, with art as brilliant as this, you can be sure that it will catch the attention of Naughty Dog's Co-President, Neil Druckmann who was quick to retweet it with the caption "You did alright."
Dafnawinchester showcases their immense creative abilities over on Instagram where a few other familiar faces receive the artistic touch. Some of the artwork includes Eivor from Assassins Creed: Valhalla, Nathan Drake from Uncharted 4: A Thief's End, and a heck of a lot of characters from The Last of Us Part 2 that are seriously incredibly looking. Please do go and check them out right here and if something catches your eye, you can buy it right here as a T-shirt, mug, phone case, print, or pin at Dafnawinchester's Red Bubble page. You can also follow her on Twitter to stay up to date on all of her artwork.
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To check out a wholesome video of Cascina Caradonna, who is Dina's face model from The Last of Us Part 2, reacting to seeing herself in the game, head on over to this article. For more post-apocalyptic news, check out this The Last of Us Part 2 fan art poster showcasing Ellie's evolution, Ashley Johnson mimicking Joel, or this amazing mural of Abby from The Last of Us Part 2 appropriately painted beside a gym. If you happened to think you were imagining hearing director/writer Neil Druckmann and co-writer Halley Gross chatting over the radio as two WLF members towards the end of the game with Abby, you weren't wrong as apparently Druckmann and Gross lent their voices for this particular scene. For something a little different, check out this really awesome mashup of scenes from The Last of Us Part 2 in Studio Ghibli's iconic artstyle.
For those who haven't dove head-on into the franchise yet and would like to know more about this iconic game, our Features Editor put together a guide of everything you need to know about The Last of Us. The Last of Us Part 2 is available now exclusively on PS4 (and soon to be PS5). The game was one of DualShockers' favorites of 2020; make sure to check out the official DualShockers (generally spoiler-free) review. Also, feel free to grab the game physically on Amazon to help support the site.
The post The Last of Us Part II Fan Art Showcases an Emotional Ellie and Joel Moment by Rachael Fiddis appeared first on DualShockers.
iam8bit Donates Ori and the Will of the Wisps Sales to Save Rainforests
iam8bit has established itself as one of the best places around to get merch, collectors' items, vinyl soundtracks, and physical copies of indie games. As well as publishing certain games, their online store celebrates developers and artists, and now, is helping support threatened rainforests worldwide through the sales of Ori and the Will of the Wisps.
In a tweet yesterday morning from the official iam8bit Twitter account, the company announced that 5% of all sales of Ori and the Will of the Wisps for the Nintendo Switch would be donated to the Rainforest Trust. iam8bit says that they, "see the privilege of publishing Ori and the Will of the Wisps as an opportunity to give back."
We see the privilege of publishing Ori and the Will of the Wisps as an opportunity to give back. That's why for this week, 5% of all Will of the Wisps sales on Switch will go directly to support @RainforestTrust.
Buy Ori Now: https://t.co/I8SurtwYsRhttps://t.co/d7ajpbxUad
— iam8bit (@iam8bit) December 8, 2020
The Rainforest Trust is a global organization that, according to their website, is "dedicated to saving threatened rainforests worldwide by protecting real acres." For a game like Ori and the Will of the Wisps, it makes sense that iam8bit would want to donate to help save rainforests as the game revolves around the natural world and the beauty within it.
Ori and the Will of the Wisps launched earlier this year in March for Xbox One and PC but made its way to the Switch in September after being published by iam8bit. The game has been well received and is being lauded as one of the best platformers of the year. You can take a look at our review of the game right here.
For more on Ori and the Will of the Wisps, make sure to read this article about the game's rocky road to getting a port to the Switch and this Reddit AMA with the game's developers Moon Studio. You can pick up a copy of Ori and the Will of the Wisps for the Switch on iam8bit right here to help support the Rainforest Trust.
The post iam8bit Donates Ori and the Will of the Wisps Sales to Save Rainforests by Peter Hunt Szpytek appeared first on DualShockers.
The Game Awards 2020 — What Surprises We Could See This Year
The Game Awards 2020 is happening tomorrow, Thursday, December 10, where not only will we see numerous games win awards in various categories, but we can expect to see plenty of unexpected announcements as well. Last year we saw some great reveals with the Xbox Series X, Hellblade II: Senua's Saga, and The Wolf Among Us 2.
This year, we're already aware of some announcements to come, including a first look at the new map for Among Us, what we can expect in Season 3 of Fall Guys, and the reveal of Josef Fares's newest game It Takes Two. But what surprises can we expect this year? Well, I have a few in mind, and these are my best guesses for what might be in store at The Game Awards this year.
Bayonetta 3 Gameplay Trailer
At The Game Awards in 2017, we got a short logo reveal trailer of Bayonetta 3. Since then we haven't heard a thing from developer PlatinumGames. I was confident going throughout this year that Bayonetta 3 was going to be one of Nintendo's major holiday titles, and here we are in December with nothing on it. Historically when PlatinumGames has worked with Nintendo in the past, it shows off its games a few months before its actual release.
We saw that last year with its fantastic action title Astral Chain, and it is possible that we'll see it again with Bayonetta. It would also be a little poetic if we saw the next reveal for the game take place where it was originally announced. I think at this point, everyone just wants to see what Bayo's new design will be this time around.
A New Character Gets Invited to Smash
Arguably, the biggest surprise in the history of The Game Awards was Joker from Persona 5 being announced for Super Smash Bros. Ultimate. No one expected it, everyone was confused, and it was the most talked-about part of the night. Even now, it's a crazy thought to grasp. So far this year we have gotten two of the six new characters that are coming to Smash through the newest Fighters Pass, but we're getting to the point now where it is hard to predict who will come next.
Personally, I'm confident that Monster Hunter will take at least one of those slots in promotion with next year's Switch exclusive Monster Hunter Rise, but there is no telling whether or not they will come before or after the game's release in March.
Nintendo has done this before when it added Hero from Dragon Quest to highlight the —at the time— exclusive Dragon Quest XI S: Echoes of an Elusive Age. Around the same time last year, I wrote that it was the perfect time to announce Sora from Kingdom Hearts, arguably the most fan-requested addition, but sadly we are still empty-handed.
Following those two characters, I really don't know who else has a realistic chance outside of Jonesy or another character from Fortnite (please no). Geno, Crono, and Lloyd Irving are also all highly-wanted (and deserving) characters to add to Smash's ever-growing roster, but there is nothing viable to suggest that they're under Nintendo's crosshairs.
The company didn't announce a character during last year's show, but who knows; anything is possible.
Hellblade II: Senua's Saga
Xbox currently has many first-party titles in the works including Fable, Avowed, and Everwild, but at last year's Game Awards, Phil Spencer debuted a CGI trailer of the next entry of Hellblade. It would be only fitting if we saw an update this time around. The way things are looking, Hellblade 2 seems to be the next first-party title in line to come out following Halo Infinite next year. Now with developer Ninja Theory under Xbox Games Studios, it will likely have a much bigger budget compared to the first entry of the series.
There are still so many questions regarding what the sequel will be about, especially with how Hellblade: Senua's Sacrifice ended. It would be nice to get some of those questions answered during The Game Awards 2020.
Xbox Studio Acquisition/Exclusivity Announcement
Throughout the past few years, Xbox has been acquiring several notable studios including, more recently, the entirety of Zenimax/Bethesda and all the other studios under their umbrella. Even with that massive purchase Xbox and Microsoft are still looking for more, and there have been rumors that Xbox has other plans in motion. Phil Spencer revealed the first look at Xbox Series X at The Game Awards last year, which proves that Microsoft isn't afraid to drop big reveals at the show.
A few months back I said that Microsoft should acquire developer FromSoftware, and while I learned shortly after that the company legally cannot do so due to Japanese Trade Law, I still think an exclusivity deal could still be on the table.
Xbox needs a Japanese studio that will turn heads and FromSoftware is the developer to do that. Regardless, I wouldn't be entirely surprised to see an announcement of this sort. Which studio(s) it will be, however, is a completely different question.
Bethesda is joining the @Xbox family.
A note from Pete Hines: https://t.co/i0FNF9bVEO pic.twitter.com/Ur2KJuKnm8
— Bethesda (@bethesda) September 21, 2020
Halo Infinite Shows Off New Gameplay
One of the biggest controversies of this year was the delay of Halo Infinite which was initially set to release alongside the Xbox Series X and Xbox Series S in November. The game received big backlash following footage from a gameplay presentation this summer, with claims that it didn't look like a next-gen title. 343 Industries confirmed this week that Halo Infinite now has a release window of Fall 2021, so now would be the prime opportunity for Xbox to do a re-reveal, hopefully allowing fans to feel what Xbox originally wanted them to feel when gameplay was shown earlier this year.
Xbox has had more than one announcement at The Game Awards in the past, so it isn't crazy to think that we will receive numerous throughout the show.
Elden Ring Finally Revealed
Outside of the incoming Cyberpunk 2077, FromSoftware's upcoming project Elden Ring is arguably the most anticipated game that has been announced in the past few years. As what fans think to be the next Soulsborne title from director Hidetaka Miyazaki, Elden Ring is a brand new IP in collaboration with Game of Thrones creator George R. R. Martin. First shown in 2019, fans have been clamoring for the smallest taste of what they can get when it comes to the game.
The Game Awards is one of the biggest stages to reveal something to the fans who have been impatiently waiting for a first look. If not, well, I wouldn't expect Elden Ring news anytime soon.
The Wolf Among Us 2 Gets A New Trailer
If you're like me, The Wolf Among Us 2 was far and away the best thing to come out of The Game Awards last year, and we haven't heard much or seen a single thing about the game since. Following the fallout at Telltale, the original sequel to The Wolf Among Us 2 was canceled until the new owners of Telltale LCG Entertainment licensed the game to be developed by AdHoc Studio, which was founded by former heads of Telltale. This gives me and many others hope for another incredible story in the Fables universe.
With its presence at The Game Awards last year, it would be great to see it again, only this time with an idea of what Bigby and Snow are up to following the phenomenal cliffhanger the original concludes on.
Breath of the Wild 2 Gameplay Reveal
The sequel to The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild is easily Nintendo's most anticipated title right now, but we have yet to hear anything about it since its original announcement during E3 last year. Nintendo has historically been friendly with The Game Awards and the second major DLC, The Champions' Ballad was announced during TGA's 2018 show. It would be the perfect time to show lifelong fans what they can expect in Link's next adventure for what seems to be a much darker Hyrule.
Hideo Kojima Reveals His Next Game
Anyone who knows Geoff Keighley, creator and host of The Game Awards, knows that every year he likes to mention that he's good friends with Hideo Kojima any chance he gets. That being said, it has been well over a year since the initial release of Kojima's latest title Death Stranding. Thinking that Kojima was able to form his own studio, Kojima Productions, and create a game that is the size of Death Stranding in only three years is an insane accomplishment.
With that in mind, I'm confident that Kojima is well into the process of creating his next ambitious title, and that Keighley is anxious to get the opportunity to debut it at his show; and honestly, why would Kojima say no?
These are just some of my predictions that I think may drop during tomorrow's The Game Awards 2020 live stream. What surprises do you expect to see during the ceremony when it goes live on December 10 at 6:30 pm ET? Let us know in the comments, and make sure to tune in and watch The Game Awards with the DualShockers staff as we'll be running a livestream when the show airs.
The post The Game Awards 2020 — What Surprises We Could See This Year by Cameron Hawkins appeared first on DualShockers.
On December 9, Japanese and Chinese studio PeroPeroGames sent its staff a message notifying them they all have December 10 as a day off to play Cyberpunk 2077 . The PeroPeroGames Twitter account shared a comical tweet explaining the situation.
明日は時空乱流が発生し、一部の地域では短期間で2077年に飛び込む現象が発生する見込みでございます。社員の安全を保証するため、弊社では明日中臨時休暇とさせていただきます。
中の人も2077年に出かけますので、ご承知おきください。
明後日からは通常営業となります。 pic.twitter.com/mQozC5oIQ2— PeroPeroGames (@PeroPeroGuys) December 9, 2020
The tweet from the PeroPeroGames account, explaining all employees have a day off for Cyberpunk 2077, reads:
A space time turbulence is happening tomorrow, and we're expected to witness a certain phenomenon, where certain areas, will be teleported to the year 2077 for a short period of time. In order to ensure the safety of our employees, we will be having a temporary vacation tomorrow. The person in charge of this account is also expected to travel to 2077, so we will resume our activities the day after tomorrow.
The in-house message sent to PeroPeroGames staff, shown in the tweet, reads:
"Temporary closure notice:
To all employees,
With the release of Cyberpunk 2077, we're expecting many employees to have sudden incidents such as suddenly feeling sick or having an emergency. As such, the studio will be temporarily closed on December 10.
Also, for our staff playing games at work: I already pre downloaded Cyberpunk 2077, so feel free to play it from now on"
PeroPeroGames are the developers of Muse Dash, a colorful and acidic rhythm game featuring cute 2D girls released in 2018. The game is available on Steam, Switch, iOS, and Android.
While PeroPeroGames has Japanese employees, the studio is actually initially based in China. With its aesthetic, Muse Dash is definitely a pure Japanese game though, similarly to Genshin Impact. And speaking of its aesthetic. Overall, an anime otaku anchored style permeates Muse Dash's style. You might dislike it if you aren't used to it, or aren't an otaku. Besides that, it's a must buy if you're into rhythm games.
The post Cyberpunk 2077 – Muse Dash Developers PeroPeroGames Won't Need to Fake Illnesses as Studio Approves Day Off for Launch by Iyane Agossah appeared first on DualShockers.
Zenimax Online Studios Working on New, Unannounced AAA IP
It has been confirmed that ZeniMax Online Studios has a new project in the works as well as a range of new people joining the company. Whatever the game is hasn't actually been revealed as of yet, but we do know that it's a new AAA IP.
ZeniMax Online Studios is known for The Elder Scrolls Online, an MMO that launched in 2014 and set within the Elder Scrolls universe. The announcement of the new IP comes from Quentin Cobb, a Senior Game Designer who has previously worked in the same role at Sony, Daybreak Games, and Naughty Dog.
"I am happy to announce that I've joined @ZeniMax_Online as a Sr. Designer," his tweet reads, he goes on to state that he'll be working on "a new, unannounced AAA IP". He'll be joining the studio with Ben Jones who joins as a Creative Director, formerly being the Creative Director at Daybreak Games, and a Lead Designer at EA DICE.
Along with some talented folks @RamblingAlex @JustCallMeBau @chriskov @tj_madigan we've formed the basis of a new satellite studio for Zenimax Online here in San Diego. 2/4
— Quentin Cobb (@QTrainCobb) December 7, 2020
Quentin explains that he and some others have "formed the basis of a new satellite studio" that will be based in San Diego. The studio is currently hiring for a number of roles in different locations. He's joined at the San Diego studio by:
- Alex Sulman: Lead Game Designer
- John Bautista: Principal Combat Designer
- Chris a Kovach: Animator
- TJ Madigan: Principal Engineer
Regarding what the game is about, no official information has been shared. Rummaging through the job roles that touch on working on a new IP there's mention of requiring open-world experience and obviously online GaaS experience. It'll be interesting to see what Zenimax has lined up and keep eyes peeled for when an official announcement drops.
Earlier this year it was announced that Microsoft had purchased Bethesda Softworks and Zenimax Media for $7.5 billion.
The post Zenimax Online Studios Working on New, Unannounced AAA IP by Ben Bayliss appeared first on DualShockers.
God of War Fan Art Reveals an Incredibly Brooding Atreus
As you're well aware by now, the sequel to God of War will be making its way at some stage to the PlayStation 5 in 2021. At the PlayStation Showcase in September, we got to see a short teaser for the next installment of Kratos which was, understandably, a huge hit among hyped fans. Even though what we did get to see was just a few seconds of Greek symbology accompanied by that familiar haunting music in the trailer, it was more than enough to whet the appetite among God of War enthusiasts. In anticipation of God of War 2, check out this stunning God of War fan art that portrays a very different looking, and older, Atreus.
If you have been a reader of DualShockers for some time, you'll probably already know that we love God of War fan art. Recently, we saw artist Ömer Köse, an award-winning key-art and motion designer from Turkey, put together an incredible God of War "Ragnarok is Coming" poster that is mostly taken up with the serious and imposing face of Kratos. It was so captivating that Cory Barlog himself retweeted the article. This time, however, we see the return of the incredible work of Çağlayan Kaya Göksoy, a 24-year-old self-taught freelance concept and illustration artist from Turkey. Göksoy's previous work included this amazing Kratos image as he sits proudly on a throne and he's back again to share more of his creative talents.
Coming in with the same dark and ominous art style, you can tell straight away that this illustration is made by the hands of Göksoy. Similar to his Kratos drawing, Göksoy uses very subtle colors throughout the painting but the areas it stands out the most is the highlighted color on Arteus' skin, the shade of green on his ax and armor and, of course, the fiery orange running through those magnificent horns. We can also see Kratos' Chaos Blades double as Atreus' polearm which is a really brilliant piece of weaponry.
When asked on Instagram where he got his inspiration from for this particular artwork, Göksoy's response was "I looked at what they came up with for the last game, and then tried to come up with a design that would be suitable for an archer and also has the cool element in it." He was also challenged on why Arteus has horns in his artwork "Loki doesn't have real horns, but a helmet with horns. You screwed up a little bit there because it looks a little satanic." Göksoy was quick to come back with a reply to say that he "didn't realize Loki was a real person 
also, there are findings of stone tablets showing the bounding of Loki, with goat horns, not with a helmet that has horns. He is a shapeshifter after all."
You can check out more about Çağlayan Kaya Göksoy by heading out to his ArtStation, Instagram, or Twitter.
To see a similarly done piece of fan art that this time depicts an older Atreus, you can check out Sam Yang who does a bunch of brilliant digital paintings in photoshop. Recently Sam captured Atreus as a fully grown man and Kratos as a much older man in the background – it's a really stunning piece that you can view right here. Raf Grassetti, the art director for 2018's God of War shared some incredible renderings of the cast of Chrono Trigger on his Twitter and Instagram where he breathed life in the iconic characters of Chrono, Frog, and Robo. PlayStation head Jim Ryan has recently talked to The Telegraph on whether the next God of War installment will be available on the PS4 as well as the PS5. Unfortunately, as yet, Ryan only apologized and stated "Sorry. I've got nothing to say about that today,"
For now, all we know is that this next installment in the series is tentatively set to release in 2021 and will for now only be coming to PS5 and if you have yet to experience the latest God of War for yourself, it's available exclusively on PS4 and you can pick it up from Amazon right now.
The post God of War Fan Art Reveals an Incredibly Brooding Atreus by Rachael Fiddis appeared first on DualShockers.
As soon as the Cyberpunk 2077 streaming ban lifted in Japan, Famitsu started a live stream of the game introducing it to Japanese players. Needless to say, Famitsu is one of the biggest game outlets in Japan, and one of the few who published a Cyberpunk 2077 review when the embargo lifted this week, with 4Gamer and Dengeki Online, the other two big Japanese outlets.
The Cyberpunk 2077 Famitsu stream started for a bit more than an hour and a half as I'm writing this, and over 1000 RPG aficionados ave been watching. It looks like it'll be going for several hours and well into the night in Japan.
Needless to say, there are plenty of different games developed in Japan with very specific niche, tastes or aesthetics in mind. Many non-Japanese developers have been developing typically Japanese games too, with the best recent example being Genshin Impact (PC, PS4, PS5, Mobile, Switch soon). If you aren't accustomed with it, it's hard to tell miHoYo actually isn't a primarily Japanese company but a Shanghai one.
However, it's important to always keep in mind that the games that sell and are the most popular in Japan are the same games that are popular worldwide. And that includes Cyberpunk 2077. Many Japan based gamers have been hyped like crazy for the game. It's very rare for Famitsu to do a launch stream as big as this one as well, and this shows how high the expectations are in Japan.
You can watch the Cyberpunk 2077 Famitsu launch stream on YouTube right below:
The Famitsu editorial staff playing the game has been explaining multiple elements for Japanese players too. Such as the skill tree, and how you can do builds similar to tabletop RPG. Seeing that's what Cyberpunk originally is. They also explained certain cultural elements like how the Cyberpunk genre uses a lot of Japanese language imagery. As it looks like some of the viewers are pretty young and might not know these facts. Speaking of age, you can easily tell the Famitsu staff has a lot of life experience, with their references to Akira, Ghost in the Shell but also things like Hikaru no Go after seeing a Go board in a certain quest. Overall it's a pretty fun stream to listen to, as long as you understand Japanese.
Cyberpunk 2077 will be available for everyone on December 10 at certain specific times. The game is already available in some parts of the world such as Japan. Cyberpunk 2077 is published by Spike Chunsoft in Japan. Some players also found out Hideo Kojima is in the game, and CD Projekt Red teased the upcoming free DLC. Needless to say the game isn't free of issues either, most notably regarding a certain element in the game potentially triggering seizures.
In fact, Japanese viewers on the stream and the Famitsu journalist playing told watchers to be careful of the blinking lights as they're really bright.
Famitsu has been advertising the stream on Twitter the "fastest worldwide premiere streaming of Cyberpunk 2077 on PC":
『サイバーパンク2077』（PC版）を編集部スタッフが先行プレイ中！ #サイバーパンク2077 #CP2077 #Cyberpunk2077
【サイバーパンク2077】実機プレイ世界最速生放送！【PC版】https://t.co/EXk1jUmhBz pic.twitter.com/KpQFqK93S5
— ファミ通.com (@famitsu) December 9, 2020
The post Cyberpunk 2077 – Famitsu Is Holding A Special All Night (City) Long Launch Stream For Hyped Japanese Fans by Iyane Agossah appeared first on DualShockers.