Halo Infinite Will Feature a "Never-Before-Seen Weapon"

halo infinite

To say that the weapons players get to use is the most important thing in any first person shooter for multiple reasons would be an extremely obvious statement (but hey, I said it anyway). Halo has built up quite the sizeable and varied arsenal of weapons over the course of its many entries, and with the upcoming Halo Infinite, they're going to expand it even further.

While we can, of course, expect the return of several older weapons, and probably the addition of new variations of some of them, Halo Infinite will also have at least one completely new weapon that has never been seen before in a previous entry. The same was confirmed by the developers in their recent #Ask343 video for Halo Infinite, which you can view in its entirety below.

Halo Infinite is due out this Fall for the Xbox Series X/S, Xbox One, and PC, and 343 Industries have said they're making a concerted effort to ensure that the game is properly optimized for all the platforms it's launching on.

343 Industries will be providing the next big update for Halo Infinite in a couple of weeks, so stay tuned for those details.

Microsoft to Share "Enhancement News" for Xbox Series X/S Soon

xbox series x xbox series s

Owing to Microsoft's renewed focus on backward and forward compatibility, the Xbox Series X and Series S have a lot in common with the Xbox One as far as the interface and the OS are concerned- but at the same time, the new Xbox consoles also have impressive backward compatibility features that are capable of enhancing older games in pretty significant ways.

Recently, Xbox's director of program management Jason Ronald said that Microsoft would be releasing more backward compatibility enhancements for the Xbox Series X/S this year, and it seems those are going to be coming soon. In the latest episode of the Xbox podcast, Xbox's Larry Hryb (a.k.a. Major Nelson) said that though he can't say much about it right now, "there will be some enhancement news coming soon."

Jason Ronald also chimed in, suggesting that Microsoft has a lot of "exciting" things in the works that are going to be rolled out over the coming months. He said: "We've got a lot of really exciting things that are coming down the pipeline over the coming months and over the coming years."

Backward compatibility enhancements seem like a given at this point, but hopefully, Microsoft will be adding further system updates to the Xbox Series X/S as well. Not that long ago, for instance, Ronald said that a number of improvements to the consoles' capturing and sharing features were being worked on. You can read more on that through here.

Class Action Lawsuit Filed Against Sony for PS5's DualSense Drift

ps5 dualsense

Drifting issues in analog sticks of controllers have been an issue in consoles for a long, long time, but lately, it seems they've really come to the forefront. Joy-Con drift, for instance, is one of the biggest known issues with the Nintendo Switch, while lately, we've been seeing more than a few reports of analog stick drifting in the PS5 and Xbox Series X/S as well. As far the former is concerned, that issue seems to have really escalated.

The law firm Chimicles Schwartz Kriner & Donaldson-Smith (CSK&D) – who were also behind the suit filed against Nintendo for the Switch's Joy-Con drift – have now filed a class action lawsuit against Sony for the DualSense's drifting issues. The lawsuit calls the DualSense "defective" (via Eurogamer), and claims that Sony was well aware of these issues, owing to the fact that they've used the same components for the analog sticks that they did for the DualShock 4, which also suffered from drifting issues.

The suit also states that Sony hasn't readily provided a lot of options for repairs where these issues are concerned. "Customers are experiencing long wait times and having to deal with a maze of pre-recorded phone prompts before finally speaking with an agent concerning repairs for DualSense controller drift," the complaint reads.

CSK&D are asking for a jury trial and are seeking monetary relief "for damages suffered, declaratory relief, and public injunctive relief".

It remains to be seen how long it will take for this to reach a resolution, or even if there will be a resolution. We'll keep you updated on any new details that come our way though, so stay tuned.

Persona 5 Strikers Trailer Sets the Stage for More Stylish Action

persona 5 strikers

Atlus and Persona both broke out into the mainstream with the incredible Persona 5 in 2017, so it's not a surprise at all that fans are quite excited about the upcoming Persona 5 Strikers. A musou-styled action RPG co-developed by P-Studio and Omega Force, the game is positioning itself as a full-fledged sequel with a new spin on the Persona formula.

In a new trailer, we get to see more of that in action. From action-packed combat to key mechanics (like Persona fusion), there's plenty that's shown off in the trailer, while several elements of the central narrative premise are also set up. All of it is, of course, set against some typically excellent music. You can check out the trailer below.

Persona 5 Strikers is out for PS4, Nintendo Switch, and PC on February 23. You can get all the key details on the action RPG in our feature on it through here.

Resident Evil Village Receives Additional Gameplay and Story Details

resident evil village

As we approach the May launch of Resident Evil Village, Capcom have been revealing more new details about their highly anticipated survival horror game. Recently, a feature in the March 2021 issue of the Official PlayStation Magazine (issue 185) has revealed a bunch of new details, from the length of the game to why Ethan Winters is returning as a protagonist, and that same piece has also given us several new pieces of info on story and gameplay.

Where the former is concerned, producer Peter Fabiano assures that even though Resident Evil Village seems to have a lot of supernatural stuff going on with creatures and monsters that have more than a few similarities to vampires and werewolves and what have you, it's still very much going to be a Resident Evil story, and will be heavily connected to the series' lore as it continues the tale of Resident Evil 7.

"We don't want to spoil too much of the story but what I can say is that the creatures all fit within the context of Resident Evil's world," Fabiano says. "We can assure you that Resident Evil Village takes into account the overall world and history of the series."

Meanwhile, interesting gameplay details have also emerged. The castle, which we've seen plenty of in footage (and in the Maiden demo) will have lots of secrets, hidden pathways, and more. Exploration will, of course, be encouraged, with lockpicks returning as a mechanic- there will be a limited number of them, like RE7, which can be used to open certain locks to get additional items and resources. Meanwhile, similar to the bobbleheads in RE7, the Mr. Raccoons in RE2, and the Charlie Dolls in RE3, Resident Evil Village will have goat totems scattered throughout the game, and smashing them all will earn you a secret.

Combat will also introduce plenty of variety, addressing a key issue with Resident Evil 7. While it's been abundant already that there's going to be plenty of enemy variety in Village, different enemies will also demand different strategies. Some can be shot and killed directly, some need to be damaged using the environment, while some you will just have to run away from.

Finally, Fabiano has also confirmed that Resident Evil Village will also be implementing the unique haptic feedback and adaptive triggers of the PS5's DualSense controller. "You'll really feel the features come to life when using weapons, such as the pull and feel of firing a gun," says Fabiano. Features specific to the console's SSD and 3D audio have also been confirmed.

Resident Evil Village is due out on May 7 for the PS5, Xbox Series X/S, PS4, Xbox One, and PC.

Resident Evil Village "Took a Lot of Inspiration from Resident Evil 4," Says Producer

resident evil village

Since the moment Capcom started talking about it, it's been abundantly clear that the upcoming Resident Evil Village is taking a lot of cues from Resident Evil 4. From its castle and village setting to its gothic horror atmosphere to its briefcase inventory mechanic to the return of a merchant character, it's clear that Capcom have brought back a lot of ideas from RE4 for the series' latest entry.

In case you wanted that explicitly spelled out though, producer Peter Fabiano's now done that. Speaking in an interview in the March 2021 issue of the Official PlayStation Magazine (issue 185), Fabiano remarked on RE Village's similarities to Resident Evil 4, before going on to add that thanks to a balance between puzzles, exploration, and combat, the game will "keep you on your toes."

"You'll notice we took a lot of inspiration from Resident Evil 4," said Fabiano. "The team has put a ton of effort into creating a truly authentic feel. There are plenty of surprises to keep you on your toes; players will find a balance of combat, exploration, and puzzle solving."

In the same interview, Fabiano also said that Resident Evil Village is going to be a "much larger" game than Resident Evil 7, while also talking about why Capcom decided to bring back Ethan Winters as the primary protagonist.

Resident Evil Village is out on May 7 for the PS5, Xbox Series X/S, PS4, Xbox One, and PC.

Resident Evil Outrage Details Leaked by Insider – Out in Late 2021 or Early 2022, Timed Switch Exclusive, and More

resident evil

The recent Capcom ransomware leak revealed the company's plans for a large number of upcoming games over the next few years. Multiple Resident Evil games were leaked in the process, one of which is supposedly called Resident Evil Outrage– which, according to prominent Resident Evil insider Dusk Golem (a.k.a. AestheticGamer) is Revelations 3 in all but name, and will be a Switch-focused entry starring Rebecca Chambers as the protagonist.

Recently, in a series of tweets, Dusk Golem revealed several more potential details on the upcoming as-of-yet-unannounced titled. According to him, Resident Evil Outrage is going to be a timed exclusive for the Switch at launch, but that it will eventually be coming to other platforms as well, and will be a cross-gen release- so series fans can expect it to arrive on PS5, PS4, Xbox Series X/S, and Xbox One as well.

As you'd expect, Outrage is supposedly being built using the RE Engine, the way every entry in the series has been since the engine was debuted with Resident Evil 7 in 2017. According to Dusk Golem though (once again, as you'd expect), it's being developed using a modified Switch-specific version of the engine, similar to the upcoming Switch exclusive Monster Hunter Rise.

He also re-iterates that Rebecca Chambers – who last appeared as a playable character in Resident Evil 0 – will be the protagonist, while also stating that she will be joined by two more protagonists, both of whom are supposedly going to be returning characters.

Meanwhile, Resident Evil Outrage is supposedly a pretty big production. According to the leaker, it has been in development for about four years, and it's budget has far exceeded that of both Revelations and Revelations 2- supposedly even coming close to the budget of the upcoming Resident Evil Village itself. He suspects this is one of the reasons why Capcom probably won't end up not calling it Revelations 3 (even though it was supposedly Revelations 3 at one point in development). As per Dusk Golem, Resident Evil Outrage's production and development scope is similar in nature to that of Code: Veronica- which, of course, was essentially Resident Evil 3 in all but name.

As for when the game will be revealed and released, apparently, we don't have to wait too long. Dusk Golem says that the game is probably going to be announced a few months after Resident Evil Village's launch in May, as part of the series' 25th anniversary celebrations. It will allegedly launch not long after that- either late this year, or in early 2022.

As is the case with any leak, you should take all of this information with a grain of salt for now, even though Dusk Golem's proven to be a reliable leaker in the past, especially when it comes to Resident Evil. We'll keep you updated should we learn any new details, so stay tuned.

"Multiple" Yooka-Laylee Games Are in the Works at Playtonic

Yooka-Laylee

Yooka-Laylee developers Playtonic have been teasing their next game for some time now, but the most recent big announcement they made was not a new game, but the opening of Playtonic Friends, a new publishing label dedicated to supporting indie developers around the industry. But fans of their work need not worry- it seems they're more focused than ever on delivering new games.

Speaking in an interview with Eurogamer, Playtonic boss Gavin Price gave assurances that the new publishing label will function with a team that's separate from Playtonic's development staff. In fact, the studio has actually been staffing up as it continues working on its upcoming projects- and "multiple" games seem to be in the works at the same time.

"We're actually going to be increasing our development size, purely focused on achieving new games in the Yooka-Laylee universe," Price said. "For the first time in history there's multiple things on the go."

When asked about what things Playtonic in the works as far as new games are concerned, Price hinted that there's scope for a lot of games featuring characters from the Yooka-Laylee universe that would be "crowd-pleasers" for fans of the series. He then want on to talk about two ideas in particular that the development team is excited to work on.

"There's always going to some things which I'd say are a natural crowd-pleaser for our fans, but it'd also be great to start surprising them with something unexpected as well," he said.

"One game we're thinking about doing we're like, wow, this game would be great to have announced two years before launch and within that two years there's actually scope to keep doing lots and lots of cool surprises within those two years. The fact it might be known about for a while could be right.

"And then there's another game which is just like 'wow, it would be great if we could just say nothing, and then one day push a launch button… tada!' It could totally spectacularly backfire, you just never know."

Whatever it is, here's hoping their next project is announced soon. While the first Yooka-Laylee was a rather inconsistent experience in spite of the clear homage it paid to the Banjo-Kazooie games, its follow-up, Yooka-Laylee and the Impossible Lair, was a much better platformer, owing more of a likeness to Rare's 2D sidescrolling Donkey Kong Country titles.

We'll keep you updated as and when new details come our way, so stay tuned.

Yooka-Laylee Developer Announces New Publishing Label Called Playtonic Friends

playtonic friends

Yooka-Laylee developer Playtonic is celebrating its sixth anniversary, and to commemorate the occasion, they've made a pretty big announcement- the opening of a new publishing label, called Playtonic Friends (which is the rebranding they were teasing earlier). Speaking in an interview with Eurogamer, Playtonic boss Gavin Price said that the new publishing label felt like the next big step for the studio.

"About a year ago now, on the back of launching Impossible Lair, there was an opportunity to do some reflection and say 'Hey, how're our games going, how're our processes going, what do want to be doing with our own IP?' But also as a business as well to think, what else can we be doing?" said Price.

Price also spoke about this next big step for the studio, saying that Playtonic Friends' purpose is to help smaller titles get the recognition and success they deserve at launch. He remarked that with Playtonic staff (many of whom were at Rare during the Nintendo days) having had experience as first party developers, independent developers, and crowd-funded developers, they are in the unique position of having plenty to offer to indie developers in the industry.

"We like seeing great games come out and achieve success," Price said. "We don't like seeing great games come out and not get the attention or love, or the commercial success they deserve. Sadly that's too common a story in the industry.

"We thought, well, if we can help great games come out and get attention and have that better chance, having given developers this long-term sustainability, everyone wins… We've always had people coming to us for advice, but one of the advantages of being old is having all this experience. We've had experience of being first-party, being independent, of doing crowd-funding. We have a lot to share."

Price added that Playtonic isn't looking for any specific types of games to publish, and that they want to have no arbitrary restrictions in place for the same. Additionally, developers they work with through the publishing label might be considered later for work on games in Playtonic's own Yooka-Laylee universe.

"There's no barrier to the types of games and people we went to help," he said. "It would be arbitrary to say 'we can't help you because your game doesn't have a million different collectibles'. There's companies we'll be working with and games we'll be announcing which will make people go, 'woah, how did we get from a chameleon and a bat to this over here?'

"But as we're going to be working with great partners through the Playtonic Friends label, we may find some great people who can help us with content in the Yooka-Laylee universe as well."

Three developers have already signed on with Playtonic Friends for their next games- Awe Interactive (developer of BPM: Bullets Per Minute), okidokico (developer of OK Golf), and Fabraz (developer of Slime-san).

Star Wars Battlefront 2 Actor Seemingly Teasing New Game Set Around The Mandalorian

star wars battlefront 2

Nearly three and a half years on from its release, Star Wars Battlefront 2 – thanks to a remarkable post-launch recovery following the terrible start it got off to – is going stronger than ever. Considering the fact that support for the game by way of new content ended nearly a year ago, that's rather impressive. Now, however, it seems a follow-up might be in the works.

As spotted by a ResetEra user, it seems Janina Gavankar, the actor who played Battlefront 2 protagonist Iden Versio, is teasing a new game. Gavankar recently took to Twitter, and responding to a question by a fan, seemingly hinted at a new game starring Iden Versio set around the time of the events being portrayed in the ongoing TV series, The Mandalorian. In the same tweet, she also tagged Mitch Dyer and Walt Williams, both of whom were writers on Battlefront 2.

Meanwhile, both Gavankar and TJ Ramini – who portrayed Del Meeko in Battlefront 2 – recently also posted pictures to Twitter of motion capture gear, suggesting that recording of the game in question might be underway as well.

While all these Twitter posts by themselves might not amount to much more than circumstantial coincidences, they do seem to be very strongly hinting at a new game starring the Inferno Squad set during the time of The Mandalorian. Meanwhile, recently, EA confirmed that there are multiple new unannounced Star Wars games being developed.

Whatever comes of this (if something does), we'll keep you updated, so stay tuned.