Dota: Dragon's Blood is worth a watch, even if you don't play
One of the best things I can say about Dota: Dragon's Blood, the latest animated video game adaptation to hit Netflix, is that it's completely watchable for newcomers. In just eight episodes, it manages to cover a breadth of lore and overcome other adaptations' stumbling blocks, largely thanks to its characters.
Dota's impermeability can be a boon, as its mechanical complexity has kept players—myself included—playing for literal decades. The lore, on the other hand, isn't as tightly woven into the game's framework. It's largely relegated to item descriptions and hero bios, and over the course of thousands of hours of Dota 2, I don't know that I've ever stopped during a match to read about how the Heaven's Halberd I just bought from the shop got its name.
It's refreshing, then, that Dota: Dragon's Blood makes very few assumptions. Yes, there are plenty of callbacks and cameos that will appeal specifically to people who have spent hours upon hours in the Dota 2 client. But at its core, it's also a solid fantasy setting that, most importantly, has room to grow.
Dragon's Blood starts out with the basics of Dota 2. There is the primordial mind, split into Dire and Radiant, that will eventually involve the cosmos in its battle. There are fundamental elements, ancient dragons, and literal gods that roam the land. Most of this early table setting is to inform you that yes, the world of Dota is magical, but there are also a lot of normal humans who get caught up in it.
Davion, an up-and-coming Dragon Knight who travels to different towns and cities to deal with any dragons terrorizing the locals, serves as the more grounded viewpoint. He's talented but human, or at least he is until his blood mixes with the ancient eldwurm (the oldest and most powerful kind of dragon around) Slyrak's, fusing the two together. The ensuing discovery of new powers, and their terrifying consequences, serve as a human basis to the story.
Mirana embodies the other half of the story, as a loyal attendant of the dark moon goddess Selemene who is searching for a rebel elven girl—Fymryn—who stole some of the goddess' lotus flowers. The ensuing conflict can get muddy in using too many proper names and places, but it's a standard story of the loyal followers of two different deities waging war on one another, with both Mirana and Fymryn seeking a resolution that benefits their side.
Both have their reasons to fight, though Fymryn's story of loss and revenge is a bit stronger than Mirana's quest to return to Selemene's good graces. One of the larger stumbling blocks in this first season is that Selemene is characterized as a goddess that mends the broken, instilling unyielding obsession for her in the process; yet we rarely see the kinder side of Selemene. She's frequently scheming and manipulating, and one scene in particular—where she chides her general Luna for committing an atrocity she gently encouraged—made me wonder how Mirana manages to stay on that side of the conflict.
The heart of the story, and the real surprise of the series thus far, is the Invoker. In Dota 2, he's a boastful mage who gained renown for memorizing a litany of spells. Where most talented mages can master three or four spells in the course of their life, Invoker has an arsenal of magic at his disposal.
Dota: Dragon's Blood expanding on Invoker's backstory and history, with both the world and with specific characters like Selemene, is where it really shines. In flashbacks, he's shown as both the intense scholar and as a doting father, and his tireless efforts to cure his daughter of an unspecified illness explain his cold demeanor in the present. I never really thought the posterboy of toxic mid-lane players would be my favorite character in the animated series, but well, here we are. Invoker's story is well-told, and his place as both the behind-the-scenes manipulator and grieving father is a highlight.
There are also plenty of fights, and with Studio Mir—known for its work on, among other series, The Legend of Korra—animating them, it should be no surprise that they're excellent. What's impressive is the breadth of battles that happen: everything from a clash between an eldwurm and the superpowered Dragon Knight Kaden to small bouts where Mirana's bodyguard Marci gets to flex her impressive martial arts skills form a wide range of action sequences.
There's a special kind of excitement in seeing a Dota hero's abilities animated so well. During one fight late in the series, I was genuinely excited when the demonic Terrorblade—a demon so bad that hell made another hell just for him—used his Reflection ability and seemed to Metamorph mid-fight. Mirana's Starfall is fittingly dangerous, and I have a newfound appreciation for Luna's Lunar Beams and Eclipse, which are essentially the fantasy version of an orbital ion cannon.
Even if you don't get giddy about seeing a Gem of True Sight, there's still a lot to enjoy about Dota: Dragon's Blood. Alongside Invoker, Fymryn's character arc has a strong start and leaves her as another presumptive protagonist for future seasons. The jokes don't always land—Marci's expressions got the most laughs from me, and despite never speaking a word in the first season, she still ends up being one of the more memorable side characters.
Really, this first season is a foundation. By the end of Book 1, the party has been split in disparate directions enough to explore the world at large, and that's likely to be the more exciting content. The world of Dota is filled with some real wild characters—giant spiders and centaurs, living rocks and trees, a Greek god, and a gnarly butcher to name a few—and I'm hopeful future seasons find some time for one-shots to delve into the side content.
Pacing is the one major issue, as some storylines drag on a bit as characters move into place or dialogue wears on. The scene where Davion is arguing with the other eldwurms in the spiritual plane drags, and hampers the urgency of what's happening in the corporeal world.
Where it's at, though, Dota: Dragon's Blood is off to a good start. It's not quite Castlevania, but it's thankfully not Dragon's Dogma either. Pacing issues aside, there's a fair bit to enjoy in Dragon's Blood's relatively short runtime, and it leaves off on a strong note. If you've ever been interested in the lore behind the game, or just in seeing some cool magic and gorgeous Studio Mir-animated battles, Dota: Dragon's Blood is approachable and entertaining, with room to grow.
Climbing stairs is your greatest obstacle in Ghostbusters for the NES
It's impossible to understate the impact Ghostbusters has had on my life. I was fanatical about it when I was a child, and then I rediscovered it in my adolescent years and became fanatical all over again. I still carry a massive torch for it, dressing up in the costume I built in my teenage years, rewatching the cartoons and movies frequently, and pretending that no movies have been released since Ghostbusters 2, and none will ever be released again. Nope.
It's just unfortunate that video games have treated the franchise so badly. I'm still waiting on my Ghostbusters business tycoon game. I own both the best and worst games released under the franchise, but I don't think any have hurt me as badly as the NES release. It was first released on 8-bit home computers in 1984, the Atari 2600 in 1985, the Famicom in 1986, and finally the Sega Master System in 1987. Since that wasn't bad enough, North America would get their NES version in 1988. Thanks, Activision.
We played the new Nier Replicant, and it's still hauntingly gorgeous
Nier: Automata kind of blew the doors wide open on the Nier series. Sure, back in the day I loved this little Drakengard spinoff that could. But it wasn't until Platinum Games and Yoko Taro came together that Nier really came into its own in terms of a mainstream mainstay.
Now is the perfect time to capitalize on that goodwill. Enter Nier Replicant, a PC, PS4, and Xbox One re-release of the original Nier vision, due out in April. I'm glad it was greenlit.
Ratchet & Clank will have a 60fps update for PS5 in April, so hang tight if you're about to play it
In a move that PS5-owning Ratchet & Clank fans had been calling for, Insomniac Games is going to update 2016's PlayStation 4 title Ratchet & Clank to hit 60 frames per second when played on a PlayStation 5. The free update is planned to go out in April, which, oh shit, is already almost here.
Ratchet & Clank (2016) will be playable in 60 FPS on PS5 after a new update in April! As part of the Play at Home campaign, download the game for free now through 3/31. #RatchetPS4https://t.co/Iw6CMNByFU pic.twitter.com/VEFiW3IMWK
— Insomniac Games (@insomniacgames) March 29, 2021
Asked if there would be any extra DualSense integration, Insomniac simply pointed to the upcoming Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart. Between the free giveaway for Play At Home 2021 and now this update, it's clear that they're looking to refresh everyone and roll right into the new PS5 game in June.
If you haven't already done so, go ahead and grab the free copy of Ratchet & Clank by March 31.
I kind of wish I hadn't just gone back to platinum this sucker given how much the frame rate stood out to me until I adjusted to it (and even then). That said, I genuinely enjoyed my time with the game, so I can't complain. Even if the PS4 re-imagining is less than ideal from a series-wide standpoint, there aren't many games like it right now – which is a big reason I'm looking forward to Rift Apart so much.
More of these 60fps performance updates for PS4 games on PS5, please! Who's next?
Closing the Loop: Four Quarters on the making of Loop Hero
The first iteration of Loop Hero didn't come together on time. The latest game from the Four Quarters team started out as a game jam entry in Ludum Dare; the only problem was, by jam's end, it didn't really work.
On the page for what was called "LooPatHero" at the time, the team says they ran out of time for the 45th Ludum Dare, whose theme was "Start with nothing." And you really did start with nothing, starting a loop as an ambitious hero questing to take down the evil Lich.
Two weeks later, Four Quarters updated the page with a working build, including new sprites and a modified combat system. And on March 4, 2021, the team would launch a full version of Loop Hero that would become fairly successful on Steam, selling 500,000 copies in its first week on the platform.
Loop Hero is a continuously looping game, best described as the mash-up of idle games and management sims with the constant progression of a roguelite. The hero wakes up at camp and starts walking in a circle around the loop, and you can play various cards onto the field as tiles that will morph the world and place new challenges in the hero's path.
While the player controls what equipment the hero wears and traits they earn as they level up, combat is all done automatically and the hero always presses forward until they're either told to retreat or fall in battle. The idea is to basically play DM to your questing adventurer—placing just enough challenge ahead to not kill them, but make them stronger.
It's pretty similar to a roguelite, but according to one of its developers, Four Quarters didn't think about doing a roguelike in the first place. Aleksandr "blinch" Goreslavets, who worked on several aspects of the game but primarily served as composer, says the idea came from the concept of the Loop.
"We discussed the genre of 'Zero Player Games,' and our artist [Dmitry "Deceiver" Karimov] created the idea of a Hero who walks in the Loop," Goreslavets told Destructoid in an email.
The elegant simplicity of Loop Hero stems from this concept of a hero, wandering forward forever, and the player tasked with laying track out in front of them already makes it interesting. But what's kept me coming back has been the combinations—tiles don't exist in a vacuum, and part of the Loop Hero magic is discovering how different tiles interact.
Place a lot of Mountains, and the world will spawn an encampment of Goblins. If the Mountains are in the right placement, they'll also form a peak that's suited to harboring Harpies, which will start to fly down to hunt on the loop. Treasuries provide huge potential for resources, but an empty one—with every tile around it occupied—becomes a haven for Gargoyles, which can be tough for a low-level hero to deal with.
Balancing the placement of tiles, to gain resources and up the difficulty without sending your hero into a certain doom, is the balancing act at the heart of the loop. These combinations came about as a way to add more interest, as Goreslavets tells it.
"For example, Meadows were initially placed anywhere on the map and there was no special strategy in their placement," Goreslavets says. "Then we added a combination where if the player placed them next to other tiles, they began to give 50% more healing, which radically changed the principle of placing this card."
Getting to the end of a loop, and fighting the many bosses laid out in front of the hero starting with the Lich, might seem like the first goal. And yes, at first, the player will die a lot in pursuit of their first Lich kill. Over time, though, a build emerges; you learn to manipulate the tiles to your own benefit. Maybe a Blood Grove could counteract the healing of a Vampire-infested tile, or perhaps placing enemy generators under a Lantern's radius can limit how big the stacks get.
Killing bosses like the Lich is where the lore plays in, and though Loop Hero's story is sparse, it works to its benefit. There's something hauntingly intriguing about its world reduced to almost nothing, a void in which you're reconstructing new versions of itself. Karimov was responsible for the main lore of the game, as Goreslavets tells me, and the plot was written to answer why everything looks the way it does.
Because of this, bosses act as "anchors," as Goreslavets calls them, around which the plot advances. And beyond just killing an escalating list of giant adversaries, the Camp adds a sense of meta-progression. It was a way to change up the long-term of the game, as the core loop of the Loop is always the same—its shape may change, but there will always be a loop with vacuous space for tiles to be placed.
The Camp is also where resources come into play, and it ends up acting as a boon for players who are struggling with advancing on their own. While Loop Hero's additional classes and other abilities are unlocked through the camp, it's also where you get bonuses to help make future runs easier. Healing flasks, a smattering of free items at the beginning of each run, and new tiles to bolster existing combinations are all gained through the Camp.
When I ask Goreslavets about how other roguelikes have been implementing assist modes—for example, Hades' God Mode—he refers me to the Camp. "Loop Hero doesn't have any option for it, but we don't 'punish' players for losing," Goreslavets says. "Even if the hero dies—they will take some resources to their camp to upgrade some buildings. We didn't want players to feel afraid to experiment or punished for 'ineffective play.'"
The result has been a surprise hit for the team, previously known for their work on Please, Don't Touch Anything. Goreslavets says the team is shocked and still surprised by Loop Hero's reception; "We really liked the game, but did not expect that such a large number of people would like it too," he says.
As for what's next, it's a lot more Loop Hero. They had a lot of ideas left for post-release during the making of the game, and now they're starting to implement them. Though Goreslavets says it's too early to say what exactly will make it in, they drop a hint towards a recent tweet of some art as a new enemy.
Four Quarters is made up of four people, all in different cities and working from home, so the pandemic didn't affect any sort of in-person workflow. It still, of course, had other effects; there was a lot of "overall stress" due to the pandemic, Goreslavets says.
Still, the team finds time to play games together alongside developing them. They play Monster Hunter and Dota 2, and in one surprising turn of events, found a much-needed boost in another roguelike.
"At the end of 2020, at a late stage of development, the work was very intense and we started to burn out," Goreslavets says. "Then we accidentally discovered 'Slay the Spire.' This is a gorgeous and genius card roguelike which helped us relax in the evenings, when we gathered in Discord and took turns trying to beat it."
For the even further future, Four Quarters still has plenty of ideas. The team has made 15 games for Ludum Dare, spanning several different genres: from a Russian roulette RPG to a rhythm game about kaiju attacks, they've got ideas.
Even Four Quarters does not know what will be next, Goreslavets tells me. But if Loop Hero has shown anything, it's that any one of those 15 ideas is certainly worth keeping an eye on.
Electronic Arts announces next-gen PGA Tour golf game
Electronic Arts has announced that it is currently developing a new PGA Tour golf title for release on next-gen platforms. The new game is being developed at EA Tiburon, who are the team behind the million-dollar Madden franchise.
Speaking in a lengthy blog post on the PGA Tour website, it was revealed that EA Sports PGA Tour will become the "home of championship golf" and will allow fairway friends to build a custom career and experience the thrills of the entire PGA season including the PGA Tour, The Players Championship, and the FedExCup Playoffs. The new title promises multiple real-life courses and a selection of world-renowned professional players.
"We've partnered with EA Sports to bring immersive golf video game experiences to fans of all ages for years," said PGA Tour Chief Legal Officer Len Brown. "We are thrilled to continue working with EA Sports on its golf franchise to authentically represent the PGA Tour for the next generation. The newest game will give golf fans another way to experience their favorite sport, or to discover their passion for it."
More information, including platforms and a release date, will be revealed "in the coming weeks."
Anthem director and Mass Effect producer Jonathan Warner leaves BioWare
Anthem director Jonathan Warner has announced that he has left developer BioWare after 10 years with the company. Warner worked with the Canadian studio as a producer on the Mass Effect series, and also operated as the studio's Chief of Staff.
Speaking on Twitter, Warner wished his former studio best wishes, but did not denote his career plans going forward. "BioWare has been home to my grateful heart for nearly 10 years and I want to wish them all the best," he wrote. "[Dragon Age, Mass Effect] and [Star Wars: The Old Republic] are in good hands and I can't wait to play from this side of the screen."
Warner joined BioWare back in 2012, having already had a high-ranking career in the entertainment industry, having previously worked for Microsoft, Electronic Arts, and Walt Disney. Warner's final title for BioWare, Anthem, is in the process of winding down operations as BioWare focuses on its other IPs.
BioWare has lost three of its producers in the past six months, with the departure of Mass Effect director Casey Hudson and Dragon Age producer Mark Darrah back in December.
It's true: Sony says it will close the PS3, Vita, and PSP stores in 2021
Last week, there was a hugely disappointing rumor that Sony would close the PlayStation 3, PlayStation Vita, and PlayStation Portable stores this year. The report served as a wake-up call for people who see value in PlayStation's legacy platforms, and it was accurate – Sony confirmed the news this morning.
When do we lose access to the stores and, as a result, the ability to buy legacy games and DLC? These are the dates to remember: July 2 for PS3 and PSP, and August 27 for PlayStation Vita.
The silver lining (though I hesitate to call it that): we will still be able to re-download the games that we own as well as the games that we got through PlayStation Plus. We'll also be able to access our purchased media content and redeem game and PS Plus vouchers even after the stores are closed. That said, once the dates come and go, we won't be able to redeem PSN wallet vouchers on the old systems.
For many people, even just having download access is crucial. You'll be able to do it using the Download List on PS3, Vita, and PSP. The race is now on to get our libraries situated before it's too late.
It's a shame Sony put an end to the workaround that let folks use the "old" PlayStation Store in a web browser. Actually finding and buying content on the old consoles is an unwieldy mess in 2021. As it stands, this is going to be an all-out scramble even for people who know which games they're missing.
Where to start? Try this PS3 exclusives breakdown on Reddit. Wikipedia also has lists of PS3 games, Vita games, PSP games, PS1 Classics, and PS2 Classics that will be instrumental for collectors.
On my list: Yakuza: Dead Souls, Metal Gear Solid: The Legacy Collection, Puppeteer, Siren: Blood Curse, Afrika, and way, way too many PS1 and PS2 titles from Vagrant Story to Maximo: Ghosts to Glory.
Street Fighter V will be showcasing Rose and Oro in April 6 live stream
Fans of Street Fighter Alpha's Rose and Street Fighter III's Oro won't have too much longer to wait to see the characters make their grand return. Capcom has announced a new live stream, where the developer will show off both characters in their Street Fighter V form.
The Street Fighter V: Champion Edition Spring Update will take place on Tuesday, April 6 at 15:00 PT / 18:00 ET / 23:00 BST and will be viewable on Capcom's YouTube, Twitch, and Facebook channels. The stream will feature an in-depth look at Rose, spotlighting the Italian fortune-teller's range of Soul Power attacks, and will also give us our first SFV glimpse of the weird, boneless Oro. Both characters will arrive this year as part of SFV's fifth and final season of content.
Rose has been my Street Fighter main since her debut in 1995, so I'm very much looking forward to her scarf-twirling return. It will be interesting to see what Oro - making his first playable in-game appearance since 1999's Street Fighter III: 3rd Strike - brings to Street Fighter V's hyper-aggressive playstyle. I can't wait to see both in action!
Super Nintendo World just shot up on a lot of bucket lists, and it's going to be...a while before a lot of people can safely visit it. Thankfully Universal seems like it's going to be in this partnership for the long haul, even recommitting to a delayed 2025 date for the US version. Still, it is open in Japan, and lots of folks are flocking to it.
This recent insider info for one of their rides just made me even more interested in a future visit. Speaking to IGN, Universal Creative producer Tom Geraghty confirms that the Mario Kart ride is basically a game.
He explains: "Mario Kart was built in a game engine, so while [senior vice president Thierry Coup] was back in the States he could actually drive Mario Kart in a game engine, and give us notes in Japan. Because it's in a game engine, we can keep updating, upgrading, putting new characters [in], changing themes, changing actions on the fly. So if there's a special event, anything we want to release can be done overnight if we really wanted to. That makes it so much more flexible – it freshens up the experience. Every time you come back you could experience something new and exciting."
It's interesting on multiple levels. Not only could they test out the software virtually for guest experience notes (which came in handy during the last year!), but they could also feasibly update the game and add new iconic Nintendo characters into the mix. Or, for instance, promote a potential "Mario Kart 9," whenever that happens.
Having been to a lot of theme parks, one of the biggest issues locations can struggle with is stagnation. Some rides are "classic," others are abandoned and alone in a corner somewhere and dilapidated; only to be torn down eventually. The Mario Kart ride can avoid that by swapping things around every so often so repeat guests will keep going on it.
By the time you visit, it might be different!
Super Nintendo World's Mario Kart Ride Is Also a Video Game... But Just for its Developers [IGN]
The legendary Nobunaga's Ambition series will return later this year
Koei Tecmo has announced a brand new entry in the decades-long strategy series Nobunaga's Ambition. Details are extremely thin on the ground with no gameplay footage or platforms offered, but Koei Tecmo did release get a teasing cinematic, (which you can check out below), and a title: Nobunaga's Ambition: Rebirth. Developed by Kou Sibusawa, the new title is expected to launch in Japan later in 2021.
Mistwalker head would rather 'build something new' than re-release Blue Dragon or The Last Story
Mistwalker is a legendary name in some circles. They made Blue Dragon and Lost Odyssey ages ago: full stop, that's all you need to say to some people. They completely changed how a lot of people perceived the Xbox 360 with that pair of RPGs, but we're probably not going to see them on newer platforms anytime soon.
Speaking to VGC, Mistwalker head Hironobu Sakaguchi made it abundantly clear that newer projects are their top priority. Given that Fantasian is about to come out soon, that's obviously fresh, along with whatever they decide to do after that.
Sakaguchi notes: "To be perfectly honest, there aren't any plans for any remakes at the moment. Although they're called remakes, the amount of effort and resources it would command means the difference is basically nil between [developing] a remake versus a completely new game. I would personally find myself more attracted to the idea of coming up with another original story or world, or building something new."
I completely understand that a smaller studio may not have the resources to both revisit old games via remakes and work on new projects. With all that said, as a preservation advocate, there is merit in bringing older classics to a newer audience: not just from a monetary standpoint, but because it would allow the game to proliferate for a longer period of time and through more mediums.
Mistwalker also worked on basically nothing but Terra Battle properties for...oh....the better part of a decade. Although three games in the series is technically "new" material, I missed classic Mistwalker dearly as they were wrapped up in that free-to-play mess for so long. I'm stoked to see what Fantasian can do.
Sakaguchi says he's not interested in remasters of The Last Story or Blue Dragon [VGC]
April 4: Zipper is coming to get ya in Animal Crossing: New Horizons
It's that time of year again. Time to put aside your balloon parcels, shirt exchanges, and fossil trades and dedicate every single second, minute, and hour, of your Animal Crossing: New Horizons day to the coming of Zipper, Animal Crossing's dead-eyed, eerily cheerful bunny.
As reported by good doge Isabelle, non-denominational Bunny Day will take place on April 4 this year, which is this coming Sunday, and will see Zipper visit your island to collect all of the souls eggs that you have gathered. As of yesterday, you might start finding eggs here, there, and everywhere in the environment: buried in the soil, at the bottom of the lake, falling out of trees. Wherever you find them, be sure to save them for Sunday, when you can trade them with Zipper for a range of seasonal goodies.
Now, Bunny Day last year was a liiiiiittle bit divisive. While it's obviously a fun and cute holiday event, players were utterly frustrated by the amount of eggs turning up everywhere, at a time when most players were just hard at work looking for materials and resources. Perhaps this year, now the community is settled in their DIY homes, they can just chill and join in the spirit of the season.
After all, you wouldn't want to upset Zipper would you?... WOULD YOU?...
Here's a free code for a pack of Pokemon Sword and Shield items
Periodically, the powers that be share out Pokemon Sword and Shield codes and events in lieu of more expansion content.
I mean, we could still get that! We had a season pass already and two expansions, but for now, players are relying on Dynamax events and free item/creature giveaways. There's a new one in town thanks to a recent "Dynamax Adventure" Korean stream.
So here's the code (which you'll input via the in-game gift menu): "ADVENTUREB9F."
And here's what you get: Big Nugget x12, Exp. Candy XL x12.
Simple enough right? It does work for all regions, and the promo runs through April 3 at 10:59AM ET.
Item Distribution [Serebii.net]
Review: Evil Genius 2: World Domination
The evil genius archetype is one that fascinates me. It's not that outlandish that an eccentric megalomaniac could gather a group of underlings and launch a campaign against the world, but I can't convince a courier to leave a package at my doorstep, let alone a legion of faceless goons to lay down their lives for me. I also don't know what I'd do with the world if I ruled it. Enact permanent daylight savings and mandatory nap times?
Forget that, though; what would I make my minions wear? What humiliating nickname would I give my most loyal henchman? How would I mock secret agents? I'd probably invite them to tea and just repeat everything they say.
Back in 2004, Evil Genius provided me the chance to live my dream. Kind of. I really enjoyed the game, but it definitely had its problems. Nonetheless, Rebellion has seized the reins and has breathed new life into the property with Evil Genius 2: World Domination. Their approach to a sequel seems to be a complete do-over. The result is another game that may not be for everyone but certainly tightened the screws on the old doomsday device.
PSA: Monster Hunter Rise has a save lockout glitch, and Capcom is 'aware' of it
Monster Hunter Rise seems to be selling well, but now that millions of people have their hands on it, they're starting to discover little nuances: good and bad. In this case it's kind of bad.
The bug is none other than a save lockout situation, which is incredibly scary for some folks who have already put in a lot of time with it. Capcom doesn't outright say that it "deletes" your data or anything like that, it can just "prevent you from opening it." I know! But it seems fixable and Capcom is on the case.
Here's the full statement from Capcom so you have all the info: "We're aware of an issue with the Action/Hurt Pose DLC gestures where setting either to the action bar and quitting the game can cause an error preventing you from opening the same save file the next time you launch the game. We're working on an update to fix this ASAP."
In the meantime, Capcom suggests that you "avoid" these gestures via the action bar and/or remove them ASAP from yourself now, before the bug occurs. Capcom then clarified later that "this also occurs when setting the action/hurt pose to the radial menu."
As a refresher, Monster Hunter Rise has a host of voiced lines, emotes, and pictures that help facilitate online groups and break the language barrier. The Action/Hurt pose is one of those actions you can do in-game. Be careful!
Monster Hunter [Twitter]
Crash Bandicoot 4 fans frustrated at Battle.net's always-online requirement
Crash Bandicoot 4: It's About Time is an excellent release. Toys for Bob have done a fantastic job in creating a sequel that lives up to the mad marsupial's roots while implementing smart design ideas for a modern generation of platform games. Whether playing on PlayStation, Xbox, or Switch, players are in for a good time.
Unfortunately, however, it's not good news all around, as PC players have been dismayed to discover the that PC version of Crash's latest jungle jaunt is only available via the Battle.net dashboard and - like all Battle.net titles - requires a permanent internet connection to play.
(Update) The upcoming Cyberpunk 2077 1.2 patch has over 100 fixes
[Update: Surprisingly, the patch is already live on "PC and consoles." Stadia is apparently getting patched later this week. Here's the announcement!]
People will not soon (or ever) forget CD Projekt Red's mishandling of Cyberpunk 2077.
Not only was it a stain on the game's reputation short term, but folks will never look at the "champion of the people" publisher the same again: unless there's a massive management shakeup. But over time, wounds will heal when it comes to the game itself, especially if it keeps getting patched and fixed after the fact.
CD Projekt Red has shared what's to come in patch 1.2 for "PC, consoles and Stadia," and it's a massive list of over 100 fixes. The list is kind of crazy! Basically everything from crosshair effects, to individual quest glitches, to open world smoothing, to cinematic fixes. Oh, and good old fashioned graphical and UI alterations. "Fixed NPCs moving after being killed," classic open world bug!
Major quest pain points include The Pickup, Path of Glory, Queen of the Highway, and With a Little Help from My Friends. So if you're stuck on those, hold out. All of this is coming "soon." There's still no date yet, and CD Projekt Red is smart to be noncommittal.
We've posted a truncated list of PC and console fixes below.
Patch 1.2 [CD Projekt Red]
Monster Hunter Rise has already shipped four million global units on Switch
Capcom has proudly announced that its brand new release Monster Hunter Rise has gotten off to a brilliant start, with the company having already shipped four million physical and digital copies of the fantasy adventure worldwide.
The action-RPG, which launched on March 26, is already winning over both critics and fans with its vibrant worlds and challenging quests, all powered by Capcom's proprietary RE Engine. Monster Hunter Rise arrives at a time when the series has never been more of a household name, mainly thanks to the incredible success of 2018 release Monster Hunter World - the publisher's best-selling game of all-time.
As an interesting comparison, Monster Hunter World shipped five million copies in the same time period, but that was across two platforms. As such, Monster Hunter Rise is on course to becoming another juggernaut in Capcom's portfolio. Monster Hunter Rise is available now on Nintendo Switch, and will launch on PC early 2022.
Capcom is promoting Resident Evil Village with life-size Lady Dimitrescu standees
While it took the public a good few months to begin thirsting for Resident Evil Village antagonist Lady Dimitrescu, it has taken publisher Capcom far less time to capitalize on the thirst, speedily pushing the towering bloodsucker to the forefront of the upcoming sequel's marketing.
Case in point, a selection of cardboard standees of the House of Dimitrescu head have started popping up inside Hong Kong retailers. As spotted by The Gamer, Capcom uploaded a candid shot of Lady D to its Asian Facebook page, showing the 2D beauty as she stands tall over hapless shoppers. The standee is described as "life-sized," which would make it around nine feet and six inches (or just under three meters).
In my hellish formative decades in gaming retail, customers would clamor for standees such as these all the time - everything from Max Payne and Dead or Alive, to De Blob and WWE Smackdown! But something tells me that these particular standees are set to become incredibly sought-after by the Resident Evil community... or frankly anybody with (or perhaps even without) a pulse.
Resident Evil Village launches May 7 on PlayStation, PC, Xbox, and Stadia.
Revisiting Rule of Rose and its sad, depressing world of torment
I'm not sure if this is unusual since I don't typically discuss "emotions" with other "humans," but I generally play psychological horror games to feel sad rather than scared. Video games lost their ability to frighten me some time ago, but I straight-up bawled at the end of Yomawari: Midnight Shadows. Many games of this genre just seem to be very apt at deconstructing the human condition and then savaging you with it.
It's to the point where I seek them out whenever I'm feeling the big sad and feel like poking myself in uncomfortable spots. One place where I didn't expect to find a good poking stick was in Rule of Rose. This is partly because I knew absolutely nothing about it aside from the fact it was critically panned. The only reason I went to the extreme effort of seeking it out was that it was made by Punchline, who had previously created my beloved Chulip, and I feel like I owe them a kidney for bringing it into my life.
There is a start to everything. All conflicts and compassions require a catalyst, but finding the true zero point can range from easy to very, very tricky.
This is the setup of Genesis Noir, an adventure from developer Feral Cat Den that's both about a night gone terribly wrong and also kind of about the creation of the universe. What's best described as a surreal exploration of what drives humans—to love, to lose, to lash out and lament—and how we cope with the consequences.
It's heavy stuff, but it's all told in a way that's gorgeous and evocative, and had me constantly in awe of what new audiovisual spectacle it held next for me. It's a noir story, broken up into vignettes with sparse writing, but in place of long dialogues it relies on fantastic art, music, and discretely designed areas to communicate the journeys of the protagonist, No Man.
There's only so much WCW: Backstage Assault the human body can withstand!
The Nintendo 64 and original PlayStation basically lived their lives during the "Attitude" or "Monday Night Wars" era of wrestling. If you're unfamiliar, it was this incredibly tacky time where cartoonish machismo was replaced with edginess and sexuality. I'm not much of a wrestling fan, but when I do watch oiled up muscle men hug each other in their underwear, I prefer the Golden Age of the '80s where superheroes won out against unambiguously evil athletes using the power of believing in themselves. And steroids.
I don't know. A lot of people really loved that era and think of it as a big part of their development, but I didn't get into pro wrestling until, well, a few years ago when I started collecting the games on N64. I'm definitely not the best person to talk about pro wrestling, but watch me try anyway.
More than a dozen pro wrestling titles hit the N64 library if you count Japanese-only releases like Virtual Pro Wrestling 64 and its follow-up. A few of them, especially the ones created by AKI Corporation, still hold up today. The PlayStation would see its own success in its latter days with WWF Smackdown! and its sequel. This is not one of those games.
It's weird to think how Monster Hunter low key became Capcom's top franchise in an instant.
While Street Fighter and Resident Evil still reign supreme overall, with multiple entries dotting the top 10 list, Monster Hunter is the absolute king with over 16 million units of Monster Hunter World sold.
Why would Capcom stop now?
Hit the courts with your fists and slam a dunk on the top net with Nekketsu Street Basket
River City Ransom was an important game in the development of my retro appreciation. My early attempts at familiarizing myself with the NES included such titles as Kid Icarus, Friday the 13th, and -- I swear this is true -- Total Recall. It left me with the impression that I just didn't like NES-era video games. River City Ransom and Punch-Out!! corrected that perspective and led me down the path of having difficulty conversing with normal people.
It would also lead me to explore the Kunio-Kun series. See, in Japan, River City Ransom was part of this staggeringly large series of games that had the absolute most inconsistent and complicated naming scheme imaginable. Alternating between Kunio-Kun, Nekketsu, Downtown, and even Dodgeball Club, their monikers were typically long and all over the place, but the titles were unified with a cartoonish appreciation for violence and a memorably weird art style.
We got a few over here in the West, such as Super Dodge Ball and Crash 'N' the Boys, but the majority stayed in their home country. The unfortunate truth is that the best games in the series never landed on the NES. Let us introduce you to one of them.
Review: Story of Seasons: Pioneers of Olive Town
Reviewing Story of Seasons: Pioneers of Olive Town has been an interesting couple of weeks, to say the least. When I first got my review code, I was told there would be a day-one patch that would aim to alleviate many of the issues that have plagued the title since its initial release in Japan. While those who buy it on day one will get all of the updates at once, I've been playing through it as it's been slowly fixed in a piecemeal fashion.
It's real shame the developers have had to spend the past month scrambling to fix the game because it's is supposed to celebrate the 25th anniversary of the series. And generally, when you're celebrating a milestone year, you don't want a public apology to be part of the festivities.
Resident Evil at 25: Which is your favorite entry in the storied series?
Cblogs of 3/20 to 3/26/2021
-Kerrik52 reflects on the nature and application of crafting systems in video games.
-Eggs&BrewsterJr compares the Lord of the Rings games: Shadow of Mordor and Lego Lord of the Rings.
-RedHeadPeak asks which games were your greatest disappointments, his was Spore.
-Lord Spencer reviews Saga Frontier as part of his PS1 REVIEWS blogging series.
-Moths discusses Wolfenstein II's story and gameplay in this blog.
-Eggs&BrewsterJr shares a list of five games that could use an HD facelift.
-Sam van der Meer shares his thoughts on Super Mario Sunshine.
-ChronoLynxx opens last week's TGIF open community forum.
Watch out for Giant Enemy Crabs in Arcade Archives' Swimmer
If you need cooling off after last week's visit to the Mean Streets, then you'll be happy to here that Hamster is dialing down the intensity a notch with this week's Arcade Archives release, which sees Tehkan's 1982 release Swimmer make its return on PS4 and Nintendo Switch.
It will come as no surprise to anybody that Swimmer, given its age, is an incredibly simplistic title, which sees a dude (in what appears to be a grass skirt) breast-strokin' upstream - dodging logs, turtles, and other obstacles while gathering fruit, because its the early '80s and gathering fruit in video games is practically a law. After making his way past enough hazards and wildlife - including a crazy, bug-eyed, giant crab - our hero makes it to the shore of a treasure island, and we're done.
Swimmer is available to download now on PS4 and Nintendo Switch, priced at around $8. Today the game is obviously showing its age, but is a rare curio for retro game fans - if they can stomach the hefty price-tag. Check out the action in the video below courtesy of YouTuber RetroGamingLoft.
What's your favorite Monster Hunter Rise weapon?
Now that y'all have had a little Monster Hunter Rise under your belt, it's time!
Time to share!
What makes Kentucky Route Zero a classic?
Spoiler warning for the entirety of Kentucky Route Zero. If you haven't played yet, or don't want anything in the game spoiled for you, turn back now.
Kentucky Route Zero is one of those games where I spent a lot of my first playthrough feeling disoriented. I couldn't fully decipher my feelings until after I talked through the experience with my roommate. The first thing that struck me from our conversation was, due to the game's somewhat chaotic presentation of plot, character, and theme, we had very different readings of it. I come from a literary background, whereas she opted to study theater instead. When we started talking about how the game presents dialogue, which is very reminiscent of a script, its design prompted a discussion that made us realize we fundamentally disagreed on the definition of what makes a "play" a "play."
For me, that type of conversation is standard procedure when I play a game I really love -- I dive into YouTube looking for interviews with the creators; I scour the internet for blog posts and Reddit forums to see what other players got out of it; I play the soundtrack on a loop, just to remember the emotional beats that were so well crafted they brought me to tears.
While this research usually helps me gain a more complete, holistic understanding of a game I enjoy, any further exploration into the world of Kentucky Route Zero only complicated things. The more I tried to find others whose experiences playing the game were similar to my own, the more I seemed to come across players who had different readings entirely, like the Eggplant Podcast's conversations about the game's nods to architecture and the caving movement of the '70s and '80s.
In my initial confusion, I was searching for the one thing Kentucky Route Zero was trying to tell me. The reason I was having so much trouble though, was because the game is not using one character with one story to make one point, but instead presents us with dozens of characters with dozens of stories and no one correct way to think about any of them.
Blaster Master Zero III will come riding onto Xbox One in July
At the start of March, we received wicked news that Blaster Master Zero III was currently in development, and getting set to bring its interstellar action to PS4, PC, and Nintendo Switch. Publisher Inti Creates has now confirmed that this climactic chapter will also release on Xbox One alongside its aforementioned brethren on July 29.
This third and final entry in the resurrected retro franchise will see protagonist Jason get behind the wheel of the G-SOPHIASV battle tank one last time, going all-out in a do-or-die mission to save the life of his dear friend Eve. The new title will see the action return to the planet Sophia, as well as spanning several galaxies and dimensions. It sounds like an epic, and a great way to cap off a very enjoyable trilogy.
In Japan, Inti Creates will also release the Blaster Master Zero Trilogy: MetaFight Chronicle, which will include all three titles in the series, alongside their respective DLC. In addition, MetaFight Chronicle will feature newly recorded dialogue for the first two titles in the series. Unfortunately, there has yet to be any confirmation that this compilation will be headed west at any point.
Whatcha been playing this week, Destructoid?
This week has been all about The Tired. Tiredness in body, brain, and soul. It doesn't seem to matter whether I sleep 12 hours or two hours, everything has just felt slow and heavy. Like I'm a big ol' sack of spuds. I think a lot of us might be feeling this way at the moment, as pandemic fatigue sets in and we realize how long we've gone without socializing. But this too, will pass, and we'll all be back outside arguing about Star Wars or making ice sculptures or whatever you kids do these days. So stay rested and stay strong. You've got this.
Like any brain-drained maniac, I decided the best option would not be to spend my evenings resting or playing something restful and soothing, but to double down on the ultra stressful world of fighting games. Inspired by the arrival of the awesome Lidia Sobieska, I hopped back into Tekken 7 to bust a few nose bridges. From there I took a side-step into Street Fighter V, to rock a few rounds in Juri's new clobber. I ended the week returning to Mortal Kombat 11, but the toxicity of the online community remains too infuriating. I know we're there to fight but, frankly, you don't have to be an asshole about it.
But that's enough from me, let's pass the mic to you. Before you get settled into what I hope will be a happy, restful, and enjoyable weekend, jump into the comments below and fill us in on the video games that have been keeping you awake and alert during these strangely blurring times. It doesn't matter what you're playing, it's all welcome, so be sure to share your current gaming trends with us.
Have a safe and pleasant weekend, from all of us at Destructoid.
Giveaway: Hellpoint (Nintendo Switch)
Come one, and come all (heh) to another lovely giveaway! Today we have five copies of Hellpoint on Switch to give to you lucky folks (courtesy of the fine folks at tinyBuild). Released last year on PC, and back in February for Switch, this souls-like sci-fi/horror game is pretty cool in my opinion. It's had some good word of mouth, and if you also game on PC, you can take the stand-alone story for a test drive for free on Steam. No Steam? Let's go to the official blurb for an info dump:
Puzzle Quest 3, currently in early access, shows promise
Puzzle Quest is back! After a lengthy hiatus, studio Infinity Plus Two is taking up the mantle from Infinite Interactive, with 505 Games taking over publishing duties from D3 Publisher. You'd be right to be skeptical.
And while the free-to-play angle could get out of hand, so far, it seems worth a download, at least.
Lost '90s arcade game Clockwork Aquario will finally release very soon
Last summer, we reported on the strange-but-true news that Clockwork Aquario, an unreleased arcade platformer from the 1990s, would finally see release, some 30 years after the title's cancellation. And it seems that the party's about to start, as ININ Games has announced a launch window of Q2 2021 on PS4 and Nintendo Switch.
Clockwork Aquario was initially designed by Wonder Boy developer Westone Bit Entertainment, with the very ambitious platforming project scheduled to launch in 1992. Ironically, by the time said year rolled around, it was decided that the vibrant visuals and gameplay were outdated for the now fighter-heavy arcade scene, and Clockwork Aquario was shelved indefinitely, a sliver away from completion.
Monster Hunter Rise PSA: Don't forget to upgrade your buddies and check their skills
There's a lot of moving parts to Monster Hunter Rise. If you don't stop to look around once in a while, they'll pass you by!
Here's one thing that I didn't notice until much later into my playthrough.
The Bloodborne PS1 demake is shaping up nicely
Bloodborne's sixth anniversary is the perfect time to check in on Lilith Walther and Corwyn Prichard's promising Bloodborne PS1 demake that's in ongoing development. The mood is just right.
I don't know how I haven't brought this project to the site before – many of you have checked it out at one stage or another – but the game sure has come together since the last time I saw it in a hastily-read-in-line-at-the-grocery-store tweet. For everyone else, this footage is a great starting point.
Apart from the screeching Cleric Beast fight at the top of this article, there's also a longer Central Yharnam video to show off exploration. I can't believe I let a low-poly carrion crow startle me like this.
You can also catch this bonus clip if you want to see the good hunter melt the boss with the Flamesprayer. Most everything is still a work-in-progress, and with that in mind, I'm impressed. "There is still work to be done on the fight (it's pretty buggy), but it's all uphill from here," noted Walther.
The project is moving along, for sure. It's one thing to reinterpret a modern-day marvel through an old-school lens, but making sure it's actually enjoyable to play – or even playable, period – is a tricky task.
I look forward to playing this well past midnight in the hopefully not-too-distant future.
Someone brought a skin-crawling Junji Ito story into Animal Crossing: New Horizons using standees
Animal Crossing: New Horizons and Junji Ito together in one place? It's mad enough to work!
Players have wasted no time making the most of the newly-added Custom Design Pro Editor+ tool. For some creators, it's a chance to bring cats into the game with perfectly-laid-out custom umbrella patterns. For others, the upgraded tool is a way to unleash unspeakable horrors upon their islanders.
Gyo is far from my favorite Junji Ito tale, but I'll always appreciate it for its creepy-as-all-hell bonus story, The Enigma of Amigara Fault. That name may not ring a bell, but you might've come across a disturbing image or two cherry-picked for a comments section – it's the one about freaky human-body-sized holes in a mountain and the people who, against all reason, are compelled to snugly enter them.
Someone had the inspired idea to do this with the basic face-cutout standee template:
If you get it, you get it. You know how cursed this otherwise innocuous-looking creation is.
This is prime "Animal Crossing is actually messed up when you think about it!" fodder.
Animal Crossing: New Horizons creators are persistently creative in ways I'll never be, and this is my daily reminder. They know how to breathe new life into the game while we all wait for content updates.
noplaicelikehome [Tumblr]
Xbox announces over 20 indies coming to Game Pass day one
The Xbox Game Pass library has been great for accumulating access to a lot of games I need to get around to playing, and it's adding even more to the list.
At today's Twitch Gaming and ID@Xbox showcase, over 20 games were confirmed for Game Pass at launch. This means they'll launch day one on the service, so if you're eagerly awaiting a bunch of these, that's an easy way to nab them all in one fell swoop.
It's an eclectic group of indie games too, ranging from newly announced games from the showcase like Astria Ascending, while others are previously announced indies like Sable or S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2.
Check out the full list below, as well as which platforms they're coming to Game Pass on:
- Art of the Rally (Console, Cloud)
- Astria Ascending (Console, Cloud)
- Backbone (Console, Cloud)
- Boyfriend Dungeon (Console, PC)
- Craftopia (Console, PC)
- Dead Static Drive (Console, PC)
- Edge of Eternity (Console, Cloud)
- Hello Neighbor 2 (Console, Cloud)
- Library of Ruina (Console, Cloud)
- Little Witch in the Woods (Console, Cloud)
- Moonglow Bay (Console, Cloud)
- Narita Boy (Console, Cloud)
- Nobody Saves the World (Console, Cloud)
- Omno (Console, Cloud)
- Recompile (PC, Console, Cloud)
- Sable (PC, Console)
- She Dreams Elsewhere (PC, Console)
- S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2 (Console, Cloud)
- The Ascent (Console, Cloud, PC)
- Undungeon (Console, Cloud, PC)
- Way to the Woods (Console, Cloud)
- Wild at Heart (Console)
Looks like if you're using Game Pass, you've got some indies coming your way. Be sure to check out our preview of Drinkbox's upcoming game Nobody Saves the World for a glimpse of one of them.
Here's everything Microsoft announced at the ID@Xbox showcase
Microsoft just finished its "first ever" ID@Xbox showcase stream, and there's a lot to unpack.
As a recap, ID@Xbox kicked off in 2013, as a way for Microsoft to push indies forward specifically within their ecosystem. The publisher typically uses this branding for in house purposes, but over the years they've started to push it more toward a customer facing side, culminating in this stream; which brings the brand front and center.
But more importantly, a bunch of games were announced and reconfirmed. Like most "Summer of Gaming"-esque streams, there's a bunch of retreading here and some still-unconfirmed-nebulous-dates for stuff we knew about. But there's also a few new things, like the Zelda-esque Nobody Saves the World from Drinkbox, and Death's Door, a fantasy action game set in a world of mysterious death-decreeing crows.
We also have assurances that Twelve Minutes, previously known as "12 Minutes," still exists. That's good! As is the news that a ton of stuff is coming to Game Pass.
It was a lengthy stream, but it allowed a bunch of indie developers to get some much-needed airtime, and there's a bunch of cool things on the horizon. Mission accomplished.
Rust is coming to consoles this May
Rust has been a pretty popular entrant in the survival game genre, and in a few weeks, console players will be able to get in on the action.
Revealed during today's ID@Xbox showcase, survival game Rust Console Edition is coming to PlayStation 4 and Xbox One on May 21, 2021. In a press release, publisher/developer Double Eleven describes the console version of Rust as a "separate experience from its PC counterpart," specifically optimized for console players.
"Our Console Editions of Rust are certainly Rust as people know it, but under the hood - where we've spent the last few years - we've created an exceptional Rust experience designed for consoles and their players," said Double Eleven COO Mark South.
Rust has players start out with nothing, waking up alone on an island, and leaves it to you to survive, possibly thrive, in the harsh and uncaring wild. Does this lead to a lot of running around naked and scared with a rock? Yeah, definitely, but there's some fun to be had in that as much as surviving.
Eventually you can craft objects, escalating from torches to actual assault rifles. The console edition has looked pretty good when we've seen it in the past, and in a few weeks' time, you'll be able to test your own mettle in the wilderness of Rust.
DrinkBox's new game, Nobody Saves the World, has flashes of Zelda meets Hades
Even since Tales from Space: About a Blob, DrinkBox Studios was one to watch for me.
But it was in 2013, when Guacamelee hit, that they kind of became a "must watch" developer. You know the feeling, like when Thatgamecompany released Journey, or Supergiant gave us Bastion.
We sat down with a few people from DrinkBox recently, and embarked upon a hands-on preview adventure with Nobody Saves the World, their newest game. Oh yeah, that's a thing!
Want to immediately get better at Monster Hunter Rise? Actually use the training room
Monster Hunter Rise lets you access 14 different weapon types at once. At the start.
Wait what?! It can be a lot to take in at first, but just pick one, stick with it, and head to the training room right away.
Crash Bandicoot: On the Run! is way too much of a chore
Given the franchise's origins, it's surprising it took Activision Blizzard this long to make something like Crash Bandicoot: On the Run! I know the PlayStation original wasn't an auto-runner like this is, but seeing as mobile platformers like Sonic Dash and Spider-Man Unlimited copied its rear-view perspective to great financial success, I'm just a bit shocked it didn't get King working on this back in 2016 right after it bought out the mobile developer. Because had it released this in 2017 or 2018, it might not feel as dated as it does in 2021.
That's not to say there is no fun to be had with On the Run! I will admit I've enjoyed a few of its more difficult modes. Sadly, said modes make up a minuscule portion of a game that has a shocking amount of busywork.
Crash Bandicoot: On the Run! doesn't have a standard energy meter like similar games in the genre. Rather, it employs a crafting system to keep you waiting or paying to speed things up. To advance the actual narrative of the game and stop Doctor Neo Cortex, you need to unlock courses using items you craft in the hub world's labs. The ingredients for those items are found on different endless-runner stages that you can repeatedly play, scooping up whatever collectibles you run into. Just don't run them for too long, as those ingredients need time to refill after you grab them.
Once you have those ingredients, it's time to start waiting. Each craftable item has a timer attached to it. Those timers start at just a minute, but late-stage items can take six or more hours to craft. And yes, you will have to craft items to use as ingredients when crafting other times. Now, you can speed up the process by spending purple crystals that you earn or purchase, but there is no way in hell I would ever recommend doing that. Especially not for a game this decidedly average.
Literal G.O.A.T. Shanty now available in Them's Fightin' Herds
It's been more than few grazes since we last heard from Them's Fightin' Herds, but fans of equine smack-fest will be pleased to hear that developer Mane6 has finally released new DLC character Shanty, with the adorable hellraiser ready to hoof it up this week.
As previously reported, Shanty is a seafaring goat who makes up for her short stature with an almighty fiery attitude. Our bleatin' beater uses her lightweight nature to its fullest, with a masterful array of dash attacks, a combo-starting air throw, and, best of all, a selection of "off-the-wall" attacks, instantly recalling those cute viral videos where baby goats frantically spin-kick off of logs, ramps, and each other.
Moonglow Bay looks like a pretty chill fishing RPG
Who hasn't wanted to escape the hustle and bustle of city life? Games like Stardew Valley offer a rural farming respite, but upcoming indie game Moonglow Bay heads for a different place: the sea.
Revealed during today's ID@Xbox stream, Moonglow Bay is a slice-of-life fishing RPG that mixes quiet town life with sailing and fishing. Set in the town of Moonglow Bay on the Eastern Canadian coastline in the 1980s, you take up fulfilling the final wish of your partner to help keep the business afloat as the town faces bankruptcy.
Setting out to sea, you learn how to cast nets and catch fish, document the different species you find, and then bring them home to cook and sell. Make money, upgrade the boat, and gradually uncover the secrets of the "Mythical Monsters of Moonglow."
Yes, it would not be a quaint, quiet town without its fair share of superstition, and the locals are wary of the sea and the rumored monsters that lurk beneath the waves. Whether this culminates in some magical clash with sea-monsters of legend or not, Moonglow Bay looks very chill. There's also drop-in, drop-out co-op, in case you want to fish with a friend.
I enjoy a good farming life sim, but I'm pretty excited to see what a fishing life sim can be. Moonglow Bay will launch on PC and Xbox consoles in 2021, and it'll also be coming to Xbox Game Pass.
As I've talked about this week, El Shaddai: Ascension of the Metatron is a game that deserves to be remembered.
So we did just that, directly with the game's director, and frankly, father and steward, Sawaki Takeyasu. Let's dig in and see what the future might hold, and why it took so long to get a PC port.
The first thing you'll want to do in Monster Hunter Rise? Turn on gyro aiming, turn off auto-sheathe
Monster Hunter Rise is out today, and it's going to be a doozy of a game to pick up for brand new players.
Of which there will be many! Because there's basically 80 million Switch units out there and a lot of prospective Monster Hunter folks who are buying in for the first time. Here's a few quick tips to help you along your way.
9AM Eastern today. That was when the Sanrio Animal Crossing: New Horizons amiibo cards were supposed to go live for "in-store pickup" ordering at Target. You can guess what happened next.
Like most things amiibo related, the site broke immediately. I was there! The "in-store pickup" only proviso was bizarre enough, but I tried, regardless, to grab a pack for our own CJ Andriessen, to no avail. I had the pack in my cart at 9:00AM on the dot when the switch was flipped, and was greeted with a "you can't checkout because one or more of your items are currently unavailable at the selected store or delivery method. Try other stores or delivery method."
Welp!
Here's what Magic: Arena looks like on iOS compared to PC
Magic: The Gathering Arena has finally made its way to iOS.
It took Wizards of the Coast, what some refer to as a "small indie company," nearly two years to move the game off of the exclusivity of the PC/Mac platform and onto mobile devices.
How did it turn out? Mostly positive, if you have a newer device.
