Contest: Win TOHU, a fishy adventure game, for Switch or PS4
In today's contest you can win TOHU for Nintendo Switch or PlayStation 4!
Fish -- can't live with 'em, can't live without 'em! Amirite?! No but seriously, aquatic creatures kinda freak me out. At least they're good in sushi.
TOHU takes the fish motif and really runs with it! There are planets made of fish. Fish worlds, fish mountains, fish lakes, fish tacos...it's all fish! Win a Switch or PS4 copy and enjoy the life aquatic.
Grounded's new update lets you wage war against bees
It might not be the meaningful story shakeup that some players are waiting for, but I'm ready to revisit Grounded with update 0.6.0 – it adds a few aerial attention-grabbers like bees, mosquitoes, and fireflies, as well as what I'd call an essential quality-of-life change to backpack inventory management.
(The way the dead bee's body rolls away from its head at 2:33 is wonderfully unsettling.)
The change that'll have a positive ripple effect: your equipped items won't take up space in your backpack, and when you die, you won't lose them. Instead, your equipped gear will take a "small" durability hit. It's a fair trade-off between providing tension (this is a survival game) and ease of use.
This update also includes gear to go along with the flying menace – you can craft Bee Armor, a Firefly Head Lamp, Stinger Spear, and Mosquito Needle, among other items – and numerous tuning changes. Another good bullet point: "Most unblockable creature attacks are now blockable with shields."
I haven't even explored the koi's domain yet, so I have a bunch of ground to cover. Wish me luck. It's a testament to this tiny-huge world that, even after a long break, I still vividly remember the landscape.
January 0.6.0 Update is Released [Obsidian]
Terminator: Resistance Enhanced slips back to April 2021
Publisher Reef Entertainment has quietly announced that the PS5 upgrade for its 2019 release Terminator: Resistance will miss its March 26 release date by a little over one month. The first-person RPG will now launch on the premier PlayStation platform on April 30.
Terminator: Resistance Enhanced will feature Teyon's original adventure with newly-upscaled 4K visuals running at 60 frames-per-second. Additional tech boosts will be applied to Terminator Resistance's loading times, as well as its in-game textures, light and shadow dynamics, polygon count, tessellation, and anti-aliasing, making Future War Los Angeles more dystopian and miserable than ever before.
Also arriving in this release is an all-new Infiltrator Mode, which will allow players to occupy the death metal chassis of a T-800 infiltration unit, striking back at hero Jacob Rivers and his meager but determined forces fighting to overthrow the dominance of Skynet. Later in 2021, a paid DLC expansion will add new narrative content to the campaign.
While Terminator: Resistance is far from a shining example of licensed games, Teyon's dedication to supporting its product is commendable, and might be enough of a reason for me to give the so-so shooter another pass when the upgrade and DLC content hit the market.
Resident Evil Re:Verse lets you turn off the 'comic' filter
Player footage from the Resident Evil Re:Verse beta hasn't swayed me one way or the other – I still think this multiplayer pack-in looks like a silly fling – but it's nice to know that you can change the graphics. If you weren't a fan of the exaggerated art style in the reveal trailer, you can turn off the comic filter.
Here's some beta footage of the Re:Verse tutorial with the filter on:
And here's a deathmatch with the filter turned off:
As a survivor like Leon, you can shoot, dodge, and roundhouse kick other players, who will then morph into a bioweapon when they die. The more virus capsules a player is holding onto, the more powerful a beast they'll become – until they're taken out, at which point they will respawn elsewhere as a human. The beta doesn't cover progression hooks or other elements, but it paints enough of a picture for now.
If you're in any way invested in this stuff, the ResidentEvil subreddit has a recap of the six survivors, their weapons, and their abilities. Hunk can go invisible and Claire is packing Quickdraw Army.
Re:Verse reminds me of the tacked-on multiplayer landscape of the Xbox 360 era, except I had a soft spot for some of those modes (like Dead Space 2's human vs. necromorph battles) back in the day.
I can't stress enough how much I'd rather play a Resident Evil side-mode working with other players to survive – or face off against AI hordes alone for points, Mercenaries style. Whether they're included as a bonus with the main game or not, these halfhearted PvP outings aren't going to cut it for a lot of us.
I mean, yeah, I'm sure I'll try it for an evening after the credits roll in Village, but Capcom can do better.
[Via VGC]
That Diablo style Magic: The Gathering game is finally heading into open beta in March
It's been...a year! Well, it's been...a hard nine months or so, but it's felt like a full year.
And in that time, I've forgotten about a lot of games that were sort of vaguely coming in 2021, or were pushed further away into limbo. That includes the upcoming Magic: The Gathering themed dungeon crawling action romp Magic: Legends!
Lo and behold though, Perfect World Entertainment and Wizards of the Coast are here to remind us that it is indeed a thing, and will start becoming an actual thing you can play pretty soon. On March 23 the PC open beta will begin, at which point everyone can give it a go; following a previous series of closed alpha tests.
As a reminder it's described as a "free-to-play persistent world" game, which is still dungeon-crawler framed but also has elements of the card game, like "decks" that can be used to influence your spell/ability choices. You can get a good quick look at that idea below.
Eventually, this thing will hit the PS4 and Xbox One platforms as well.
With the way things are looking for Marvel's Avengers, we're long overdue a check-in with Crystal Dynamics. The next War Table video – a status update on the Xbox Series X and PlayStation 5 versions of Avengers, to say nothing of Clint's story Future Imperfect – is scheduled for February 16, 2021.
Get a glimpse of the future with our WAR TABLE Deep Dive: Hawkeye, premiering on February 16!
— Marvel's Avengers (@PlayAvengers) January 28, 2021
We'll be showing:
🹠Marvel's Avengers Operation: Hawkeye - Future Imperfect
âï¸ PS5 & Xbox Series X|S
Like our previous Deep Dive, this will be directly uploaded and not livestreamed. pic.twitter.com/3aD2H5ST1T
It's safe to say the post-launch rollout hasn't gone to plan – and that's understandable, to a point; 2020 was rough – but the rate at which content is coming in feels like a crawl, even for the most patient fans.
These content delays are made significantly worse when you think about what we're getting (first Kate, then Clint) compared to what we could've gotten instead (any number of other, higher-profile fan-favorite characters, locations, and scenarios). It feels like Avengers' live-service woes have snowballed out of control. People had fun with the game around launch, but now, the timing's all out of whack.
Hopefully this War Table deep dive can give players concrete, compelling reasons to stick around. As someone who was (at one point) waiting for the PS5 edition, I'm going to need a lot more convincing.
It's increasingly tough to wrap my head around the whole Spider-Man deal with PlayStation.
Gunbarich is the next classic Psikyo shmup headed to PC
Publisher City Connection continues on its quest to bring developer Psikyo string of shmup classics to the PC platform. Next on the agenda is colorful hybrid title Gunbarich, which first launched in Japanese arcades back in 2001.
Combining the gameplay mechanics of a vertical shmup, a Breakout clone, and even a little bit of pinball, Gunbarich has players control one of cute selection of avatars, batting a day-glo pink puck back and forth against walls, enemies, and their projectiles. In fact, you can even reflect enemy bullets back at your oppressors for maximum damage. Turn the tables, yo.
As with all previous City Connection re-releases, Gunbarich will feature all of the arcade's original dipswitch options, along with a range of visual filters and orientation settings, allowing players to customize Gunbarich's speed, difficulty and visual design to their pleasure. Gunbarich will launch on PC February 11.
Ninja Theory isn't pulling Bleeding Edge offline, but it's moving on
If you had told me Bleeding Edge would still be around in January 2021, I'm not sure I would've been able to picture it. Ninja Theory isn't delisting Bleeding Edge yet – a move that seems plausible given its failure to resonate with a big-enough audience – but the team is done releasing content updates for the game.
The only-a-matter-of-time news was shared today on Twitter.
With the studio now focusing on our new projects (Senua’s Saga, Project Mara & The Insight Project) we have decided that there will be no further content updates for Bleeding Edge. The game is still playable on Xbox and PC. Thank you to the fans & keep teaming up & causing chaos!
— Bleeding Edge (@BleedingEdgeNT) January 28, 2021
Bleeding Edge has redeeming qualities – it's clear the developers genuinely tried – but better games have failed to make a splash in the tricky modern-day multiplayer space, and it doesn't make sense to fight this uphill battle. Not every game can turn it around post-launch, and not every game should.
I'm glad Ninja Theory is in a position to take the hit on Bleeding Edge and move on undeterred with a mix of familiar (Hellblade II) and new (Project Mara). I'd hate to lose this studio to a botched PvP game.
I was just thinking about Bleeding Edge yesterday afternoon in light of the PS5's Destruction AllStars. Not that these games are comparable one-to-one exactly, but there are broad-strokes similarities and I'm curious to see if the latter can establish a healthy foothold with PlayStation Plus backing it up.
I'll always have Kulev, my curse-slinging deceased professor controlled by a cybernetic snake.
Tencent purchases minority stake in Dontnod Entertainment
Dontnod Entertainment, the studio behind titles such as Life is Strange, Vampyr, and Twin Mirror, has announced that it has sold a minority stake to Chinese conglomerate Tencent.
The French developer agreed to the Tencent investment as part of its ongoing efforts to becoming financially secure enough to self-publish its future releases. Tencent's stake equates to something in the region of €30 EUR (roughly $36 million USD) toward Dontnod's capital. In return, Tencent receives a chair on the studio's board of directors.
"We are delighted to welcome Tencent as a Dontnod investor," said Dontnod CEO Oskar Guilbert. "Through this partnership, Dontnod is perfectly positioned to take advantage of the various growth drivers in the video game industry, in particular in China and on mobile platforms[...] The capital increase announced today will enable us to step up and boost the roll-out of our development plan, which aims to capture more value from our original creations by self-publishing more games."
This is only the latest industry move by Tencent this week, as mere days ago it was announced that the multimedia corporation had purchased a majority stake in another relatively small studio, Klei Entertainment. It should be clarified that the two deals are very different in scale, with the Dontnod transaction more of a company investment, and not anything close to a studio purchase.
Tencent acquires minority stake in Dontnod Entertainment [Daniel Ahmad]
The Yakuza Remastered Collection is ready and waiting for you on PC and Xbox One
A whole buncha people are about to enter a Kiryu state of mind, and that warms my heart like a toasty towel fresh out of the dryer. At last, Sega has released The Yakuza Remastered Collection on Steam and Xbox One – the three-game bundle costs $40, or you could stick with Xbox Game Pass if you have it.
You can also buy the 1080p/60fps remasters of Yakuza 3, Yakuza 4, and Yakuza 5 separately if you wish, but you'll lose out on some savings in the process. The games are $20 a pop if you go that route.
You may not be in a spot to play these three titles yet, but even just knowing you'll have the chance to check them out on your platform of choice is encouraging. It's important for the mainline series to be available all in one place (and I'm hoping some of the spin-off games will resurface in the future).
I have the PS4 edition of The Yakuza Remastered Collection, and I'm waiting for the right moment to feverishly play through them back-to-back. I bounce from hibernation to intense obsession.
The next stop on the Yakuza train is going to be the PS5 version of Yakuza: Like a Dragon, which is out March 2, followed by Yakuza 6: The Song of Life, which hits Xbox One and PC on March 25.
Puyo Puyo Tetris 2 will be dropping onto PC in March
Sega has announced that its excellent and addictive release Puyo Puyo Tetris 2 is headed to PC in the coming months. Following its recent release on PlayStation, Xbox, and Nintendo Switch platforms, the hybrid puzzle title will be available to purchase via Steam on March 23.
Puyo Puyo Tetris 2, for those less inclined, combines the action of both the Puyo Puyo and Tetris franchise for a fast-moving, quick-changing, and breathless strategy experience. The sequel is packed out with features and modes for both single and multiplayer participants, including a character-driven story mode, new boss raids, and various challenges for even the most hardened Puyo Puyo Tetris fanatic.
The PC release will feature all of the content from the console version including the recent addition of Sega's own Sonic the Hedgehog as a playable character. If you're new to the franchise, don't sweat it, as Puyo Puyo Tetris 2 includes a deep tutorial and trial mode to get you in the brick and blob droppin' action. It's a great game, well worth checking out if you're yet to take the plunge.
Immortals Fenyx Rising's first major DLC is out today
Immortals Fenyx Rising has been chilling for a little over a month now: which is like...five years in Ubisoft time! That means DLC is inevitably on the way: it already launched, in fact!
As stated by Ubisoft, you do not need to complete the gargantuan campaign to jump into A New God, which is slowly becoming the norm for a lot of these massive open world titles. In some instances, games will even give you the chance to create whole new auto-leveled-up characters to dive into the DLC with. It will have "story spoilers for the conclusion," however.
The add-on will focus on Vaults of Tartaros-esque challenges, but with a brighter aesthetic. Here's the rundown of what it entails: "new vaults, new types of puzzles, and godly new gear." If you want to see what the DLC is like, Ubisoft gave us a detailed and lengthy playthrough yesterday: you can watch the archived video below.
Here's how to unlock Dead Cells' flying pet sword Serenade
Outside of the new levels and boss in Fatal Falls, the DLC's flashiest addition has got to be Serenade – a talkative pet sword who hovers around, marking enemies for critical hits. It's the Brutality equivalent of the other two summons in Dead Cells: the Mushroom Boi (Survival) and Great Owl of War (Tactics).
I already ran down how to reach Fractured Shrines, Undying Shores, and Mausoleum in a separate guide, but it's also worth showing where you can find Serenade; it's super easy to overlook on your initial runs. To quickly get you up to speed, you'll want to head to the first Fatal Falls level, Fractured Shrines, which you can reach after either Black Bridge or The Nest – just take the elevator up.
Once you're in Fractured Shrines, lookout for a large room that splits off into four possible directions. One of the paths (in this case, the top-right path) will seemingly stop with a dead end. It's a trick.
This is the starting point for the secret path.
If you look closely, you should notice rain landing on invisible platforms. Follow them to a secret area.
Vectorman prepared me for these invisible platforms.
You'll eventually come to a room guarded by a giant enemy – beat it, and the door will pop open. There are a few big-door-guardian rooms in Fractured Shrines, but this particular one leads to Serenade.
These big boys are more intimidating than anything.
Head inside to watch a short sequence and rescue Serenade from its tomb. This sword is a talker.
What does Serenade do, exactly? The power "summons a flying sword that will mark enemies; trigger it again to inflict critical hits on them while holding the weapon, and vice-versa! The sword will vanish after 30 seconds if you don't hit the marked enemies." The recipe costs 50 cells at the Collector.
It's probably not going to stay in my Dead Cells rotation for long, but I've enjoyed its company so far.
In a switch, you can now buy The Witcher 3 on the eShop without the DLC
While CD Projekt Red has its hands full with Cyberpunk 2077, The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt is still going strong.
It already dealt with its growing pains with a score of patches, and didn't piss off investors or the entire industry in the process. As such, it would behoove the publisher to keep rolling with that goodwill as they attempt to put out the fires they caused themselves with Cyberpunk. In the meantime, there's an interesting little option now for prospective Witcher 3 Switch players.
Originally, the game launched on Switch as a "Complete Edition" of sorts, and even came with the full version, DLC, included, on one physical game cart. But now there's an extra option available to just buy the base edition of the game, sans DLC, which is live in the UK now. If that's the sort of thing you're into, and feel like you can't get to the DLC at a later date (or not at all), it's something you can do now.
As Nintendo Life points out, all prior owners of the Complete Edition automatically own this other "lite" version, likely to weed out any potential mishaps and refunds. It's probably the least offensive way possible to roll something out like this! Better late than never.
The Witcher 3 [Nintendo via Nintendo Life]
Pinball FX reveals next-gen edition and monthly news show
I dig pinball. Do y'all know this? I don't know if y'all know this, but I do. And I also dig Pinball FX, which has kept digital fans flipping ever since its launch on Xbox 360 way back in 2007. So it's with no small amount of joy I bring you the news that Zen Studios is currently rebuilding its pinball simulator for launch on next-gen platforms in 2021.
The new version of Pinball FX will utilize the technology of platforms such as PS5 and Xbox Series X to deliver the flashiest and most visually arresting PFX experience to date. Not only that, but Zen is currently working on a whole host of new gameplay modes and additions, including "Pinball Royale" - a sort of "Last Ball Rolling" affair. A new career mode and score-attack challenges await, as do brand new online leagues, limited-time events, and even seasonal content.
We're gearing up for a huge Nintendo release (or should I say, another re-release that's probably going to be a huge hit) soon enough with Super Mario 3D World + Bowser's Fury, but for now, we feast on indies.
There's a lot of them today! Olija, Tohu (not that Touhou), and a handful of others like Golden Force. Amazingly, The 3DS is getting a new game today in Bricks Pinball 4, and the Wii U is hosting Seasonal Assistant. It's a miracle!
This sort of dual-release, no matter how small, hasn't happened in a good while. Usually we get a 3DS or Wii U game on their own every few months or so, but to see these systems still alive in some form puts a smile on my face.
One of Sonic's most iconic voice actors will no longer be voicing the character
Odds are you've heard Roger Craig Smith speak before.
Perhaps as Chris Redfield in modern Resident Evil games? Or in cartoons like Regular Show, as a host of different characters. He's even been the voice of Batman several times! But many ardent fans will always think of him as the main voice of Sonic following Jaleel White's turn in the role: until today, that is.
Shared on Twitter by the man himself, Smith had the following to say today: "Welp, 10 years was an amazing run. Onward to new zones! Much love to the fans who've been so kind. It's been an honor."
Fans are speculating that the parting was not mutual, using the broken blue [Sonic] heart in the tweet as evidence. While it's hard to say what went down; it's possible that Smith has become busy as he has no shortage of work, and offered the broken heart as a message to his fans. Or, Sega wants to offer the role to Mr. "Jean-Ralphio" himself, Ben Schwartz, who played the character in the feature film: or go a different direction entirely.
Schwartz would be a shrewd pick, as he has a history of voicing cartoons, so he'd slot into any sort of cross-media project Sega might have planned. Either way, Smith was a fantastic Sonic and was mostly beloved by fans (myself included), so I'm sad to see him go. We'll likely see the next stage of Sonic whenever Sega decides to unveil the new projects they've been teasing for forever.
Roger Craig Smith [Twitter]
Housemarque's Returnal pushed back to April 30
Sony Interactive Entertainment has announced that Housemarque's bullet-hell roguelike Returnal will not meet its March 19 release date, and will launch on PS5 on April 30.
In a brief message on Twitter, SIE noted the decision was made to push the interstellar adventure back in order to give the team "extra time to polish the game to the level of quality players expect from Housemarque." Returnal already looks pretty dang slick, but the short delay should at least give the Resogun devs the opportunity to fine-tune its weird world.
Returnal will tell the story a Selene, a space explorer who finds herself caught in a death-and-rebirth timeloop, ala Edge of Tomorrow. Players will guide our hero as she explores a beautiful but dangerous universe, using an arsenal of ridiculously powerful weaponry to press further forward with each demise, pressing closer and closer to the source of the planet's chrono-conundrum.
Activision says applying diversity hiring rule to all vacancies would be 'unworkable'
According to an in-depth report by Vice, Activision Blizzard is resisting a union-led suggestion that it interviews "at least one diverse candidate" for any of its future company vacancies, with the publisher's legal team calling the rule "an unworkable encroachment".
The so-called "Rooney Rule" - adopted by the National Football League back in 2003 - mandates that employers interview diverse candidates whenever looking for coaches, managers, or other office positions within their respective teams. The AFL-CIO labor federation, which works with Activision and Electronic Arts, requests that a similar rule be applied to both publishers' hiring practices going forward.
But it appears Activision has not taken warmly to the suggestion. According to a letter received by Vice, an Activision attorney told the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) that "While the company has implemented a Rooney Rule policy as envisioned [for director and CEO nominees], implementing a policy that would extend such an approach to all hiring decisions amounts to an unworkable encroachment on the Company's ability to run its business and compete for talent in a highly competitive, fast-moving market."
Activision also responded directly to Vice's report. "Our talent is the lifeblood of Activision Blizzard." said the publisher. "We value the diversity of the Activision Blizzard community and understand that our employees and players come from a wide array of backgrounds. In order to deliver epic and engaging entertainment for a diverse, growing global audience, our workforce must reflect these communities."
Conversely, Electronic Arts has stated that it will, at the very least, take the AFL-CIO proposal into consideration. "We're in regular conversations with our shareholders and we value the feedback we receive," EA told Vice. "The Board is committed to maintaining hiring practices that promote inclusion and diversity at EA. More broadly, EA believes that a diverse and inclusive workforce is key to our success.EA is committed to attracting diverse, dynamic talent - prioritizing inclusive values and practices at every step of the employee journey."
Activision is resisting diversity hiring push by America's unions [Vice via GamesIndustry.biz]
New Cyberpunk 2077 patch fixes a game breaking bug the last one added
Amid all of the Cyberpunk 2077 drama that's happening with lawsuits from investors and customers alike: CD Projekt Red also needs to hunker down and fix the game. And in an almost comical fashion, the last patch actually added another game-breaking bug into the mix, Bethesda style.
Breaking it down, patch 1.1 arrived on January 22, and was the first major update for Cyberpunk since launch. It fixed numerous stability issues alongside of some much-needed granular problems, but it also dealt with a particular quest called "Down on the Street."
Without spoiling anything, the gist was that an NPC needed to call you on the phone to actually keep the main story going: but depending on the circumstances, they may never call. That bug was fixed, but it escalated into another issue for select other players, where the NPC would never actually say anything. It was basically the same bug.
Alas, hotfix 1.11 is out today and should hopefully rectify that game-breaker, so you can actually continue on with the campaign. It's a real small hotfix in terms of notes, as the only other thing is that "item randomization has been restored to its previous state."
You can check out the full hotfix notes below, which mention the NPC by name, but don't give away any major story details.
Hotfix 1.11 [CD Projekt Red]
HBO Max 'premieres' trailer features first glimpses of Mortal Kombat movie
Warner Bros. has released a trailer showcasing the string of cinematic releases headed to theaters and streaming channel HBO Max in 2021. Buried among the films that feature in the exciting montage are the first live-action glimpses of the new Mortal Kombat movie.
Directed by newcomer Simon McQuoid and starring a cast of expert martial arts actors, Mortal Kombat will tell the story of a group of humans - including new boy Cole Young - hand-picked to represent EarthRealm in a once-in-a-generation tournament held by the evil sorcerer Shang Tsung. While several still images from the movie were revealed earlier in the month, the HBO Max trailer gives us our first look at the movie in action, with blink-and-you'll-miss-them appearances by Sonya Blade, Liu Kang, and the ice-master himself, Sub-Zero.
Resident Evil Village actor Jeanette Maus passes away
Actor Jeanette Maus, who the gaming community has already come to know through her upcoming role in Resident Evil Village, passed away on Sunday, January 24. She was 39.
Maus, who worked as an acting coach out of West Hollwood's John Rosenfeld Studios, gave voice and character to the witches of the House of Dimitrescu, the sinister winery at the heart of Resident Evil's newest chapter. The witches, known as "daughters" of house head Lady Dimitrescu, had already won favor of the fan community - long before Village has even seen its release.
Developer Capcom released a brief statement on Maus' passing. "We here at Capcom R&D 1 are deeply saddened to hear about the passing of Jeanette Maus, the talented actress who helped bring several different characters, including our witches to the world in Resident Evil Village. Our hearts go out to her family and loved ones."
Maus studied acting at the Cornish College of Arts in Seattle, before moving into her vocation as actor and coach at John Rosenfeld, where she has plied her trade for the past decade. Maus' colleagues at the studio offered a heartfelt tribute to their friend and co-worker, calling Maus "a force of nature" and "the best friend, the best teacher, and the best actor she could possibly be... Jeanette, we love you now and forever."
We at Destructoid offer our sincere condolences to her friends and family.
PlayStation Store's Remasters & Retro sale is calling my name
Not that you'd know it by browsing the PlayStation Store on a PS5, where deals are weirdly obfuscated compared to the browser-based store (which itself is a less-than-ideal shopping experience for deal-hunters), but a Remasters & Retro sale is running on PSN today through February 10, 2021.
If you're in the habit of snatching up discounted digital PS4 games, I think you'll find something.
Remasters & Retro sale highlights
- Ape Escape 2 ($4.99)
- Batman: Return to Arkham ($9.99)
- Borderlands Legendary Collection ($19.99)
- Burnout Paradise Remastered ($7.99)
- Call of Duty: Modern Warfare Remastered ($19.99)
- Castlevania Anniversary Collection ($4.99)
- Contra Anniversary Collection ($4.99)
- Crash Team Racing Nitro-Fueled ($15.99)
- Dark Cloud ($5.99)
- Dark Cloud 2 ($5.99)
- Day of the Tentacle Remastered ($3.74)
- Dead Cells ($12.49)
- Dead Cells: The Bad Seed ($3.49)
- Dead Rising ($5.99)
- Dead Rising 2 ($5.99)
- Destroy All Humans! ($4.99)
- Destroy All Humans! 2 ($4.99)
- Devil May Cry HD Collection ($14.99)
- Doom ($2.49)
- Doom II ($2.49)
- Doom 3 ($4.99)
- Doom 64 ($2.49)
- Dragon's Crown Pro ($6.99)
- Far Cry 3 Classic Edition ($9.89)
- God of War III Remastered ($9.99)
- Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas ($10.04)
- Grand Theft Auto: The Trilogy ($17.49)
- Gravity Rush Remastered ($9.89)
- Grim Fandango Remastered ($3.74)
- Hasbro Family Fun Pack Super Edition ($14.99)
- Jak and Daxter Bundle ($14.79)
- Katamari Damacy Reroll ($20.99)
- LocoRoco Remastered ($7.49)
- LocoRoco 2 Remastered ($7.49)
- Mark of the Ninja: Remastered ($8.99)
- Max Payne ($8.99)
- MediEvil ($14.99)
- Mega Man 30th Anniversary Bundle ($40.19)
- Metal Slug 3 ($3.74)
- Metal Slug Anthology ($5.99)
- Metal Slug XX ($5.99)
- Metro 2033 Redux ($3.99)
- Metro: Last Light Redux ($3.99)
- Namco Museum Archives Vol 1 ($9.99)
- Namco Museum Archives Vol 2 ($9.99)
- Okage: Shadow King ($4.99)
- PaRappa the Rapper Remastered ($7.04)
- PaRappa the Rapper 2 ($4.99)
- Patapon Remastered ($7.49)
- Patapon 2 Remastered ($8.99)
- Ratchet & Clank ($9.99)
- Red Dead Revolver ($8.99)
- Red Faction II ($3.74)
- Resident Evil 2 + Resident Evil 3 ($31.99)
- Resident Evil 4 + RE5 + RE6 ($19.63)
- Shadow of the Colossus ($12.99)
- Siren ($4.99)
- Spyro Reignited Trilogy ($15.99)
- Streets of Rage 4 ($17.49)
- Tearaway Unfolded ($4.99)
- The King of Fighters '97 Global Match ($3.74)
- The King of Fighters '98 Ultimate Match ($3.74)
- The Warriors ($8.99)
- Tomb Raider: Definitive Edition ($2.99)
- Twisted Metal: Black ($4.99)
- Uncharted: The Nathan Drake Collection ($9.99)
- Wild Arms 3 ($7.49)
- WipEout Omega Collection ($12.99)
- Wonder Boy: The Dragon's Trap ($7.99)
- Ys Origin ($7.99)
Five bucks is an enticing price point for the Castlevania and Contra collections, and I'm feeling the call of some of the high-res PlayStation Portable remasters – mostly Patapon, but also LocoRoco.
If you scoffed at Burnout Paradise Remastered, that's worth another look at $8. And Dead Cells is entirely worth picking up at $12.49; grab the first DLC, The Bad Seed, while you're at it too.
You can sort through the full selection of deals over here.
Mediatonic is 'working hard' to bring Fall Guys to 'every major platform'
Even if Fall Guys isn't coming to Xbox Game Pass as a recent mix-up seemed to imply, it feels like a matter of time before the beany battles spill out onto Xbox One and Nintendo Switch, to say nothing of the immense potential for a mobile version. I, for one, am ready to double-dip on Switch. So ready.
What's the latest on the PC and PlayStation exclusivity front? Speaking to GamesIndustry.biz, Mediatonic CEO Dave Bailey said the team wants Fall Guys "to reach as many people as possible," adding, "We want it to come to every major platform, and we're working hard to achieve that."
The interview includes a few other interesting tidbits, like how Fall Guys broke even "in about four hours," and why Season 2 felt like a miss to a lot of players, at least in part: it was "mostly pre-planned as our first update before the game had even launched." Season 3 was much more in-tune with expectations, and Season 4 will "step things up a gear in terms of the excitement," according to Bailey.
He also commented on how Mediatonic is scaling up to meet the "insatiable" appetite for new seasonal content: "...we had to be very careful to not overcommit to things we can't do because there's a lag between hiring new people and growing the content. And we can't just pull everyone from all the other teams, as some fans seem to think – that's just not how it works. We have other projects that we have obligations to and are passionate about continuing to support. Even if we wanted to, we couldn't just put everyone on Fall Guys tomorrow so people will have to bear with us."
There was a brief moment during the Season 2 lull that I worried about the future of Fall Guys, but those thoughts were shoved to the back of my mind by an unruly crowd of clumsy beans. I'm hopeful.
There's always a chance its popularity will wane – that's the nature of live-service games with rigorous schedules – but more than your average battle-royale shooter, Bailey says "there's a million different ways we can take this [game show concept] and I hope people will see that come through in the future."
The rise of Fall Guys and how Mediatonic plans to take it higher [GamesIndustry.biz]
Kaze and the Wild Masks looks like a rad time for 16-bit fans
For those of you pining for the halcyon days of anthropomorphic mascots and 2D platformers, you might want to take a look at PixelHive's upcoming adventure Kaze and the Wild Masks, which will come hop, skip, and jumping onto PC and consoles in March.
Taking its cue from the Sonics, Marios, Zools, and Bubsys of yore, (perhaps not the latter) Kaze and the Wild Masks in a side-scrolling platformer that sees our bunny hero, Kaze, on a dangerous quest to save their best pal from a curse that is plaguing their delightful world. Already pretty skilled in the ways of pit-jumping and head-bopping, Kaze can use a selection of animal-themed masks in order to add further unique skills to their repertoire.
For example, donning the Eagle mask will give Kaze new gliding abilities, donning the Shark mask will allow them to swim underwater, while the fearsome Tiger mask, (not Satoru Sayama), will equip Kaze with powerful pounce abilities. With these and more skills, Kaze will pick her way through 30-plus stages of pixelated goodness against an army of enraged... fruit 'n' veg?
Kaze and the Wild Masks launches March 26 on PS4, PC, Xbox One, and Switch.
Tomb Raider is the latest target for Netflix's video game anime push
Even though anime adaptations on Netflix tend to run hot and cold, I might be down for an animated series based on the ongoing adventures of Lara Croft. Legendary Television just announced a new show.
There aren't any visuals attached to the news, but the Tomb Raider anime will follow the recent Tomb Raider reboot trilogy that culminated in 2018's Shadow of the Tomb Raider, which could go either way depending on how the characterization is handled. Not everyone is into her modern interpretation.
According to Netflix, "the animated series will chart the globetrotting heroine's latest, greatest adventure." It's being written and executive produced by Tasha Huo (The Witcher Blood Origin).
"Beyond excited to bring to life my favorite game of all time," Huo said on Twitter.
I'm far more curious about a Tomb Raider anime than the live-action sequel with Alicia Vikander, I'll say that much. There's potential. There almost always is. Now we wait to see if they can capture it.
I respect Bloober Team's persistence in the realm of psychological horror games. They're not for everyone, and I understand the complaints that their games lack a certain impact, but I like 'em okay.
The Medium, Bloober Team's latest release following the back-to-back Layers of Fear 2 and Blair Witch, feels higher-profile. The horror-adventure game has been pushed quite a bit as an early Xbox Series X/S title due in large part to its distinct "two worlds" split-screen concept, but it's also out on PC.
That's where I played it, and after seeing the recommended specs, I was surprised to have pretty good performance with my setup: an i7-7700K, GTX 1080 Ti, 16 GB RAM, and SSD. I didn't have to make too many visual compromises at 1080p. Whether Marianne was in the spirit world, the real world, or she was inhabiting both realities at the same time side-by-side, the game ran consistently well for me.
But apart from The Medium working on a technical level, is its world worth exploring? Is it actually scary? And what about those stealth encounters with a trash-talking demon voiced by Troy Baker?
Werewolf: The Apocalypse - Earthblood is still looking pretty metal
Next week sees the launch of Cyanide's latest foray into the "World of Darkness" universe Werewolf: The Apocalypse - Earthblood. Previously teased with some of the most metal trailers in gaming, this newest video gives us a closer look at our howlin' hero Cahal in action.
Werewolf: The Apocalypse - Earthblood will tell the tale of Cahal - a "Garou" who went into self exile for being too damn REAL - whose violent rage and penchant for ultraviolence is called upon after a ruthless oil company begins laying waste to his former tribe's land. The company, Endron, is in fact a capitalist front for "The Wyrm" an evil spirit hell-bent on destroying the planet. This is the real deal, folks.
(Update) Right on cue, Hyrule Warriors: Age of Calamity just got a physical My Nintendo reward
[Update: Nintendo is also teasing a new "Age of Calamity acrylic panel art" piece (which you can view below) that's 5x7 inches, with a thickness of 1/8 inch.
[Update #2: The art panel is in! As expected it's 1000 Platinum Points, and you can find it here. This drop also came with a restock of the memo pad, which is still 600 platinum.]
It has not hit the My Nintendo marketplace yet, but if we had to guess, it would clock in at 800-1000 Platinum Points. Currently, the most expensive reward is the Tom Nook keychain for 1000 points.]
Just recently I noticed the trend of Nintendo releasing a first-party games, then dropping physical My Nintendo rewards for them on us after launch. It happened with belated drops for Animal Crossing, Paper Mario and Xenoblade Definitive Edition: with more timely arrivals for Mario Kart Live and Pikmin 3. So it would have made sense for Nintendo to deliver at least one Hyrule Warriors: Age of Calamity reward. They did.
It is just one reward, but it's sweet: for 600 Platinum Points, you can grab a memo pad themed after Age of Calamity. I mean, technically it has the Age of Calamity name on it, but really, it's an extension of Breath of the Wild merch with stylized drawings of Urbosa, Revali, Mipha, Daruk, Zelda, Link, and Hyrule Castle (which are done in the style of the flashback sequences in both games). The memo pad measures in at 8.5"x5.5, and it's 50 pages. I already got one to put with the rest of my Zelda collection.
As a reminder, if you need help scrounging up some quick points, look to our Pikmin website promo guide (100 easy points), make sure you sign into the Wii U or 3DS eShop this week, or check out Super Mario Run for a hot second. 600 is in the middle of the road for physical rewards this year, so make sure you really want it before dropping all those points on it.
As a general rule, it's smart to have around 600-800 points to use on something you really want, in case it sells out quickly. A few items have been restocked, but thus far, the most expensive item (a 1000 point Tom Nook keychain) is still sold out.
Hyrule Warriors Memo Pad [My Nintendo]
Balan Wonderworld is saving its best bits for the full game
Balan Wonderworld made a huge splash when its debut trailer dropped in the pre-show for an Xbox Games Showcase last July. It was bright, colorful, and full of as much whimsy as its creator, Yuji Naka. I was immediately smitten with it as it looked like a dream. After a week of repeatedly playing through its demo, I'm happy to report it plays like a dream as well.
Destruction AllStars got a State of Play breakdown one week before launch
With a week to go until Destruction AllStars launches on PS5 as a PlayStation Plus title, Sony put out a seven-minute State of Play video to clue everyone into how this car combat game actually plays.
It's more platforming-centric than you might've been expecting. In the three main multiplayer modes, you'll pick one of 16 heroes and generally work to charge up your personalized hero ability and hero vehicle by dodging other players, wrecking their vehicles, and collecting pickups. In the meantime, you'll be able to hop in and out of disposable "common vehicles" that are either fast, nimble, or beefy.
One hero, Lupita, leaves a trail of flames behind her, while another, Shyft, can temporarily turn invisible. When your hero ability is active, you'll be able to run around the stage faster and double-jump. The out-of-car movement seems crucial as characters can also wall run, vault, and even "vault boost."
Two of the modes – Carnado and Stockpile – revolve around attacking foes to collect their Gears and then banking them, and the third, Gridfall, is a lives-based brawl with a crumbling floor.
Destruction AllStars has two in-game currencies, and there's no "competitive advantage," according to game director Colin Berry. AllStar Coins are earned "by playing online and earning XP," while Destruction Points "can be purchased" or earned through daily and weekly online challenges "later this year."
Is there a single-player mode? Yeah, sort of. The different characters have their own challenge series that sheds "a little bit of backstory" and culminates in a face-off with their rival. The solo gameplay is built on the aforementioned multiplayer modes as well as a few other activities like Crash Course and Transporter. Here's the interesting bit: "each series can be redeemed with Destruction Points."
If you're a PlayStation Plus subscriber, you'll be able to claim Destruction AllStars from February 2 to April 5. "New modes, new characters, and refreshed playlists will arrive throughout the year."
I wouldn't buy this game, but I'll absolutely check it out for a week. I hope Sony does Warhawk next.
Jonas Neubauer highlight tribute reminds me that I'm still not over the loss of him
It's been a little over three weeks since Jonas Neubauer, arguably the greatest DAS Tetris player of all time and more importantly a wonderful human being, was taken from this Earth. Speaking as someone who was welcomed into his Twitch community for the past few years, it hasn't been easy since then for those who enjoyed his streams. I thought I was doing a bit better this week and could stand to go back on Twitch, then I watched AGameScouts' tribute video, and now I'm back to being sad again.
While in the current context it has a sad connotation, it is amazing to look back on what Jonas managed to accomplish in his 39 short years on this Earth. Not just the seven Classic Tetris World Championships, but also the mark he has left on the Tetris community as a whole through his positive demeanor.
It's an odd feeling to be sad over the death of someone I never met, but I guess this is the stark reality of living in an age when communication has few barriers. For those who are willing, a memorial fund is still being crowd-sourced in Jonas' memory and to help his family through the horrible time they find themselves in.
Did you back any of 2020's record-breaking Kickstarters?
Love it or hate it, the concept of crowdfunding came into its own last year - at least in regards to video games - with a record-breaking amount of money raised for gaming-related projects on prolific backer site Kickstarter.
As reported by industry analysts Ico Partners, 2020 saw a total of $23 million USD raised specifically for video game-related projects on the crowdfunding site - representing a 35% increase in backer donations when compared to 2019. Ironically, the actual number of projects themselves was slightly down on the previous year, with 1,331 Kickstarter projects accounted for, compared to 2019's 1,403.
Of course, not every project that opens itself up to the crowdfunding market will achieve its goals, and of the aforementioned 1,331 projects, only 408 actually hit their respective targets. Most notable among these are Suikoden spin-off Eiyuden Chronicle: Hundred Heroes, which absolutely shattered its initial Kickstarter goals by raking in a staggering $4.5 million USD in funds.
Despite these impressive numbers, Ico Partners suggests that video games continue to have a rollercoaster ride on Kickstarter, and are yet to return to the same level of prevalence as the medium held in the earliest years of crowdfunding. Regardless, 2020 has seen a definite upturn in both project interest and success stories, which is likely to continue in 2021.
Games projects raised $23m on Kickstarter in 2020 [GamesIndustry.biz / Ico Partners]
Here's what amiibo do in Mario 3D World + Bowser's Fury
Nintendo has been very choosy when it comes to anything amiibo-related in the past few years. Just look at the stark decrease in production!
But alas, Super Mario 3D World + Bowser's Fury is not only getting amiibo support for both modes (read: each game between the "plus" symbol), Nintendo is also reprinting the Bowser and Bowser Jr. figures to celebrate.
Here's a quick rundown.
Microsoft gaming revenue boosted over 50% since launching Xbox Series X/S
Microsoft has released its quarterly earnings report ending December 2020, revealing that, thanks to the launch of new hardware platforms Xbox Series X and Xbox Series S, the company's gaming division saw a huge 51% increase in revenue.
In a conference call with Satya Nadella, the CEO stated that the new consoles were the most successful in the company's history, surpassing records for previous hardware's launch months. Equally as profitable are Microsoft's various gaming services, such as its implementation of cloud gaming and the Xbox Game Pass service, the latter of which has seen a recent spike of three million new subscribers for a total of 18 million subscribers.
These gains represent an overall revenue boost in almost every field of Microsoft's gaming division. Operating income was up 25% to a total of $5.2 billion USD; hardware sales were up 86%; even PC products such as Windows and Surface saw a 14% spike. Overall, these numbers amount to an incredibly strong start for Microsoft and the Xbox brand as it enters its first full year of gaming's newest generation.
Xbox Series X/S launches help push Microsoft gaming revenue up 51% [GamesIndustry.biz]
February's PlayStation Plus games strike a nice balance between PS4 and PS5
The PlayStation Plus lineup for February 2021 is one of my favorites in recent memory – a mix of new, familiar, and overlooked. These are the games you'll be able to claim starting Tuesday, February 2:
- Concrete Genie (PS4)
- Control: Ultimate Edition (PS4 and PS5)
- Destruction AllStars (PS5 only)
I think it's fair to say that Concrete Genie flew under the radar for a lot of people in 2019, and to me, those are the kinds of games I want to see included with PlayStation Plus. It's a magic-paint-brush adventure that Chris called "Pixar-esque" in his review. Bonus points for the PlayStation VR side modes.
Control: Ultimate Edition has been through the wringer over its new-console-generation upgrade path for existing players, but it's a great Remedy game, and as a PS Plus freebie, I definitely want to revisit it for the 60 FPS Performance Mode (and to play the two expansions I never got around to trying on PC).
As for Destruction AllStars – who knows! Could be good, could be bad, but it's probably fine as a hero-based car combat game. The main question is: will people be into it? And for how long? I genuinely don't know. Sony also released a State of Play overview today that's our first good look at gameplay.
If you need to grab any of the January picks (GreedFall, Shadow of the Tomb Raider, and Maneater for PS5), then make sure you do so by Feb. 1. Also, Destruction AllStars will be free-to-claim until April 5.
Halo Infinite team committed to 'high level monthly updates' after delay
It's been a little while since we've heard about Halo Infinite. And that makes sense! At least to me it does.
After a lengthy delay, it would seem that developer 343 Industries is heads-down getting everything in order for the triple PC/Xbox One/Series X launch, and according to a new Reddit post, that seems to be the case.
Community director Brian Jarrard respectfully fired back in a Reddit thread worried about a lack of recent info, stating "Not saying it's right or a good thing, but considering we went 12 month stretches of total darkness and our last update was on December 8, I don't think there's any cause to worry." Jarrard goes on to clarify: " Keep in mind that many of us around the studio were out of office for 2 or more weeks to end the year and then it takes time to get back into the swing of things, etc."
That all makes sense, and is typical December PR fare. But Jarrard also gives us a glimpse into the future here in that same post: "That said, we're committed to at least monthly high level updates and the next "Inside Infinite" is coming out this week! This month we're talking with members of the sandbox team to share some insights into their vision for Halo Infinite and the work they're doing. To manage expectations, this won't have world premier big screenshots or huge things like a date announce, but our goal is to offer our community more context and insights into our team and the game we're making while we're all awaiting the larger beats and full marketing machine later this year."
"This won't have world premiere big screenshots or huge things?" Sounds good to me! Not everything needs to be on a Geoff-sized partnered hype platform. Frankly, it's kind of refreshing to see such a huge franchise like this cooled off a bit?
343 [Reddit]
EA establishes studio Full Circle to develop new Skate
During the never-ending nightmare of E3 2020, Electronic Arts announced that it was bringing back its skateboarding series, Skate. It seems that this project is about to get underway, with the establishment of new studio Full Circle, whose first duties will be the development of the new rail-grinding release.
In an interview with VentureBeat, Full Circle GM Daniel McCulloch announced that some of Skate's original band were getting back together, with leads Deran Chung and Cuz Parry reuniting to work on the new title as key designers. In addition, McCulloch suggested that the team would be looking to the community for input regarding the series' comeback.
"The fans wished Skate back into existence, and we want them to feel involved in the process from development to game launch and beyond," said McCulloch. "We want them to feel like they are a part of Full Circle. [...] We're all about having fun and making great games that people want to play with their friends. And, we're looking for more developers to help us build compelling worlds for players to explore."
Full Circle - which operates out of Vancouver, Canada - is currently accepting applications for various roles in Skate's development. So while it looks like the project is still some years away, at least fans can take comfort in the confirmation that the wheels are definitely in motion.
EA creates Full Circle studio in Vancouver to make Skate 4 [VentureBeat]
Monster Hunter Rise is getting a special edition console and Pro Controller
Nintendo has a long and storied history of console editions of varying value and quality. Some of them are super rare, others were produced in bulk. Several are really cool to look at, a few are the tackiest systems I've ever seen. There's going to be another one to judge pretty soon!
The publisher has announced that Monster Hunter Rise, one of the most anticipated games for the Switch this year (so far) is getting its own console and Pro Controller line. Both of them are out on March 26.
Originally the bundle and Pro Controller were confirmed for Japan for that same date, but eventually Nintendo of Europe came through and announced it for release outside of the east. Thankfully, the Pro Controller is completely separate from the Switch, just in case you want an extra without forking over for a new console.
The Joy-Con are unique as well, sporting icons and runes from the Monster Hunter series, while maintaining the original gray look of the launch Switch (the gray/rune theme continues on the back of the console). The dock is a little flashier, with gold etchings on top of the name "Monster Hunter Rise" emblazoned on it.
I kind of want it! But with two Switch units and a Switch Lite, I don't need it. But I want it!
Nintendo of Europe [Twitter]
Awesome mod turns Doom into a first-person Castlevania
id Software's Doom does not only hold the title of being one of the single most influential video games of all-time, but it also seems to be the go-to for a whole bevy of fun fan projects, from efforts to get the shooter running on every platform under the sun, to a host of amusing in-game mods and re-designs.
This particular hit in this long line of fan projects comes from modder Andrea Gori, who has used the Doom engine as the basis for their wicked first-person take on Konami's gothic classic, Castlevania. As you can see from the video below, the GZDoom mod - titled Castlevania: Simon's Destiny - sees the whip-cracking Belmont storm Dracula's castle in first-person form, taking on all of the series' original villains and perils from a whole new perspective.
Well, there might be three new Monster Hunter amiibo on the way
Great Scott! With three new amiibo confirmed that brings the grand total of 2021's known figures to...11. That's...kind of huge these days, given that we only got four real amiibo last year, and they were all from the Smash line.
Where are these new figures found? Nintendo Wire uncovered a trio of PlayAsia listings, which have placeholders set for "Heroine, Rathalos, and Felyne." No further details have been revealed yet, like any pricing info, launch dates, or even functionality. For now we just know they exist.
If you recall, Monster Hunter Stories had a grand total of six amiibo produced for it, so getting three more for a sequel isn't a stretch. Also, Capcom arguably supports the amiibo line more than Nintendo these days, so it seems like whatever deal is involved here is equitable for them.
Keep pumping out the plastic!
Monster Hunter [PlayAsia via Nintendo Wire]
PSA: You can select Bowser's Fury right away in Mario 3D World Switch
So this is definitely a brief PSA post, but I thought everyone might like to know!
As was hinted recently in a Japanese tweet, it seemed like you could select the Bowser's Fury portion of Super Mario 3D World + Bowser's Fury right away, without having to clear the 3D World part. Well, that's accurate!
We've gotten our hands on a build of the game and can confirm that this is the case. If you want, you can dive right into the completely separate Bowser's Fury addon without having to worry about anything else.
While we can't give away a ton of details yet (expect our full review closer to launch), suffice to say that this was a pleasant surprise, being able to play the new content immediately. Nintendo/Monolith Soft recently did this with Xenoblade Chronicles: Definitive Edition, and it's a pretty great trend. Keep it going!
The revered Saint Seiros is Fire Emblem Heroes' newest Mythic Hero
The armies of Nintendo's Fire Emblem Heroes continue to grow with each and every passing week. This week is no exception, heralding the arrival of the mobile battler's newest Mythic Hero: Saint Seiros.
Debuting in 2019's Fire Emblem: Three Houses, it's difficult to explain Seiros' backstory without venturing heavily into spoiler territory. Needless to say, she is the deity of the Church of Seiros, and a legendary figure of mythos to be both revered and feared for her power of dominion, devastating dragon abilities, and breathtaking, glorious visage.
Contest: Win the new Dead Cells DLC, Fatal Falls, for PC and consoles
In today's contest you can win Dead Cells' newest DLC Fatal Falls for PC, Xbox One, PS4, and Switch!
Guess what? I'm drunk! I'm usually at least buzzed when I write these (and also all the time), but today I'm going all-in. Deal with it, MOM! I mean, READERS!
Anyway, Dead Cells is pretty dope, and so it its newest DLC, Fatal Falls. So why pay for something when my broke ass is up here giving it away?! I put out a tip jar just in case you, ya know, wanna give something back.
Deep Rock Galactic originally aimed for 200K sales, and it just cleared two million
A whole lot of people were in the mood to squad up with their friends (and even strangers) in Deep Rock Galactic last year, and that momentum is only picking up. The cave-busting co-op game cleared two million copies sold – a big step up from Ghost Ship Games' original goal of 200,000 lifetime sales.
"Before we launched into Early Access, we reached an internal agreement that 200,000 units sold during the game's lifetime would be suitable, and would allow us to continue and do a new game," the studio wrote today. "But now we just crossed 2 MILLION units sold [across PC and Xbox One], and the game is performing stronger than ever – not only in sales, but also in the strength of the community."
Among many other nitty-gritty statistics about Deep Rock Galactic and its players, there's a yearly sales breakdown: 502K copies sold in 2018, then 404K in 2019, and finally 1.18 million sold in 2020.
This game has been drifting at the edge of my orbit for a while now, and it's about time I started my career as a high-tech spelunker and did my part to stamp out the infestation. I also fully expect to join the ranks of the 7.5 million player deaths caused by friendly fire. Happens to the best of us.
The next major push is Update 33 on February 4, and it's adding the Azure Weald and Hollow Bough.
The Past Within is a co-op point-and-click adventure from Rusty Lake
There's something so intriguing to me about solving two-player puzzles with a friend in a point-and-click adventure. That's the premise for The Past Within, a new PC and mobile game from Rusty Lake.
If you've checked out this team's prior work, you're likely on-board. The setup for The Past Within is to "travel through both past and future to piece together the mysteries surrounding Albert Vanderboom."
The live-action-meets-gameplay trailer is light on details, but it establishes the mood and its blend of 2D and 3D. The idea is that players will work together to make sense of their surroundings from two different perspectives using good old-fashioned communication. There's even the promise of cross-platform play, with PC, Mac, iOS, and Android versions launching in 2021. ("Hopefully" consoles too.)
"We have been working on this project for more than a year overcoming a lot of challenges, creating our first Rusty Lake game set (partly) in a 3D environment using Unity and mixing this with multiplayer gameplay. We still have a long way to go before we can communicate a release date, but we hope to keep you excited on our social media, our blog, and Steam on the development progress of the game."
The Past Within seems like a pretty decent entry point to this brand of puzzle gaming. I'll be watching.
The Past Within – Teaser Trailer [Rusty Lake Blog]
Ghosts 'n Goblins Resurrection has four difficulties and here are the differences
Coinciding with a gameplay overview trailer for Ghosts 'n Goblins Resurrection, Capcom shared a quick breakdown of how the difficulty settings differ. Knowledge is power (but I'm still gonna die a ton). There are four choices – Legend, Knight, Squire, and Page – and none of them look particularly kind.
Here's what to expect, going from the highest difficulty to the most forgiving:
- Legend mode: your armor can only take one hit and there are more on-screen enemies.
- Knight mode: you can take an extra hit.
- Squire mode: you can take an extra hit and there are fewer enemies.
- Page mode: you can revive yourself "on the spot."
Capcom also confirmed that if you clear Ghosts 'n Goblins Resurrection on Legend, Knight, or Squire, you'll be able to run it back and face tougher Shadow versions of every stage – the classic "second loop." That seems like a fair trade-off for people who want to go all the way and feel sufficiently rewarded.
The very end of the trailer shows noticeably faster-paced footage of Arthur outmaneuvering a leaping boss. There are apparently "more surprises in store" for this game, and that clip is one of them.
I'm curious to see the How Long to Beat listing for Resurrection.
Review: Atelier Ryza 2: Lost Legends & the Secret Fairy
Atelier Ryza: Ever Darkness & the Secret Hideout was my introduction to the long-running Atelier series. And while I definitely enjoyed it, it didn't leave enough of an impact for me to run with it and check out the rest of the millions of other games in the series. That's a big commitment, and that sort of thing terrifies me.
However, it did leave me thirsty enough for a sequel which has now arrived in the form of Atelier Ryza 2: Lost Legends & the Secret Fairy. It's time to hit the cauldron again and stir up some adventure and also find out if anyone has gained some fashion sense since the last game. Spoiler: they haven't.
Space-love adventure Haven blasts off on PS4, PC, and Switch next week
You may recall last year we reported on super-chill sci-fi title, Haven. The intergalactic indie adventure, about an eloping couple on a distant planet, is ready for launch, and will take off on PS4, Nintendo Switch, and PC (via Epic Games Store) February 4, following its release last month on PS5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X.
Developed by The Game Bakers, Haven is the tale of the young lovers, Yu and Kay, who escape the chaos of civilization to live together on a strange and exotic new planet. Haven sees one or two players control both Yu and Kay in harmony, both in exploration and combat, as they build a new life for themselves on the dreamlike world, filled with strange flora and fauna.
The Game Bakers hopes that Haven not only treats our protagonists' relationship with relatable realism, but also that players find the title a relaxing, low-intensity experience - featuring drop-in/drop-out multiplayer and gameplay that's easy to pick up or put down at a moment's notice. Explore the world, build a life, and work through the complications of Yu and Kay's new reality, backed by a score from French electro composer DANGER.
The Lord of the Rings: Gollum falls back to 2022
I'm not sure how much I'm into the idea of a Gollum video game, particularly since the first pre-alpha shots came out, but my stance could change with time. The Lord of the Rings: Gollum isn't launching this year, after all – it's now aiming for 2022 and Nacon is co-publishing with Daedalic Entertainment.
The companies reiterated that the release plans include PC, PlayStation, Xbox, and Nintendo Switch.
From what we've heard so far, Gollum is a blend of narrative decision making – a battle of wits between his dueling personalities – and slinking around in the shadows, striking only when the coast is clear. I can't say that sneaky climbing sounds all that riveting to me, but the more choice-based adventure gameplay could turn out well. As for the exaggerated art direction, we'll see. I'm just not sold yet.
It's been a wacky run for Lord of the Rings video games over the past decade, and I don't just mean Shadow of Mordor. Remember Guardians of Middle-earth? No wonder Chris sticks with the card game.
