Melty Blood: Type Lumina is coming to PS4, Xbox One, and Switch in 2021
In a wonderful piece of news for 2D fight-fans, developer French-Bread has officially announced a brand new entry in is cult anime fighting game series Melty Blood. Launching later in 2021 for PS4, Xbox One, and Nintendo Switch, Melty Blood: Type Lumina will see new and returning characters square up for magical melee action.
The new sequel, the first major release since 2011's Melty Blood Actress Again Current Code, will retain the typical 2D one-on-one fighting action that is the series' trademark, but will be built upon an entirely new engine for the franchise's HD visual debut. Players will be able to choose from one of 10 initial characters - including new battlers taken from the upcoming visual novel Tsukihime: A Piece of Blue Glass Moon, which launches in August. The smaller overall roster reflects the new game's distinctly adaptive nature, focusing purely on the upcoming VN's narrative and cast.
PlayStation is giving out 10 fantastic PS4 games for Play at Home 2021
[Update: You wanted a reminder for the Play At Home free PS4 games, and you got it.]
We had heard that more free-to-keep PS4 games were coming soon from Sony after the Ratchet & Clank giveaway (which you can still claim today!), but I can't say I was expecting 10 more titles to show up for the Play at Home promo. It's not just about quantity, either – these are all quality releases.
You'll be able to grab nine games from March 25 at 8:00 p.m. Pacific until April 22 at 8:00 p.m.
- Abzu
- Enter the Gungeon
- Rez Infinite (PlayStation VR optional)
- Subnautica
- The Witness
- Astro Bot Rescue Mission (PlayStation VR)
- Moss (PlayStation VR)
- Thumper (PlayStation VR optional)
- Paper Beast (PlayStation VR)
Sony is also kicking in one of its own: Horizon Zero Dawn: Complete Edition. You can add the robo-dino-hunting adventure to your PS4 library for free from April 19 at 8:00 p.m. Pacific until May 14.
Unlike the usual monthly "free games," you do not need PlayStation Plus for any of these.
Play at Home 2021 also has an "extended" 90-day trial for Funimation/Wakanim. If you're a new member and you want to go on an anime binge to end all binges, you have from March 25 to April 22 to take them up on the offer. I'll leave recommendations to the readers – they know what's good.
To give you a little bit more context on how much I like the games on this list, I own everything here except for Paper Beast – and the only reason it's on my yet-to-play list is that I've been on a VR break lately. Subnautica is one of my all-time favorites, Astro Bot is PSVR at its best, and Horizon Zero Dawn is a crowd-pleaser. I'm envious of anyone about to carve through these games for the first time.
Contest: Win Brothers: A Tale of Two Sons on Switch from Super Rare Games
In today's contest you can win a physical Switch copy of Brothers: A Tale of Two Sons, courtesy of Super Rare Games!
I have two sisters, so I don't think I'm at all capable of relating to this game. Sad! I always wanted a brother, but you know, a little brother who was kind of a wuss so I could beat him up and stuff. And now that we're older I'd still give him a noogie and download Grindr to his phone while he wasn't looking so his wife would think he was cheating and divorce him and wow that got dark really quickly.
Um, anyway, Super Rare Games just put out their limited physical release of Brothers: A Tale of Two Sons on Switch! Win a copy and tell me what it's like to have a male sibling.
Dorfromantik, a peaceful city-builder, is out now on PC
No combat, tricky trade routes, overwhelming user-interface, or need to skim a wiki rundown – the peaceful city-builder Dorfromantik is just a chill game "to unwind with during turbulent times."
There's so much beauty in its simplicity, and while it's not finished yet, I can already see the appeal in jumping in with the Early Access version that launched today on Steam and GOG. The game's low price point – $8.49 if you show up by April 1 for a launch-window discount – certainly helps too.
The gist is that you'll build landscapes one tile at a time, lining each piece up as you see fit to create a cozy tabletop-esque world. I like that tiles are drawn from a stack in Dorfromantik – it's a nice balance in that it gives players the freedom to create while still having some structure to push back a bit.
Titles can have associated "quests" that encourage you to design the land in a certain way (say, a deer who might want to be near "a forest with at least 50 trees"). It pays to take your time while rotating and placing tiles to find them an ideal home. Quests award fresh tiles, and if your stack runs out, that's it.
Leaning into a "mid-late 2021" final release, the four-person team at Toukana Interactive says the "core mechanics of Dorfromantik are complete for us and we would now like to build on them with more complexity and variety. Next to a creative mode, we envision more biomes, more unlockable tiles (some with special behavior), more options to collect points, and more supported languages."
In other words, you can expect more content in Early Access but nothing that unravels the vibe.
Call of Duty Cold War and Warzone Double XP weekend kicks off tomorrow
If you're still rat-a-tat-tatting your way through Activision's gazillion-dollar shooter Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War and its battle royale sister title, Warzone, then you better get your fridge stocked and your calendar clear, as we have a new Double XP event incoming.
From tomorrow, March 26, until Monday, March 29, Cold War and Warzone players will earn Double XP, Double Weapon XP, and Double Battle Pass XP - all of which should help you see those numbers climbing high and offer the accompanying serotonin release. (The event starts tomorrow on PC and Xbox, but is live right now for PlayStation players).
This is an ideal opportunity to grind out the remainder of the current Battle Pass before the arrival of Cold War's next mid-season event. I still need to bag Portnova's "Artist" skin, so I'll be putting in time I'm sure - she's been rocking that Goth ensemble for too long now, and I'm sure those neon-orange leggings and tie-dyed bandanna will provide suitable camouflage.
In regards to mid-season, next week will see the Sanitorium map added to the cycle in Cold War's excellent Zombies Outbreak mode, which sees a squad of soldiers literally hopping portals and popping domes, fighting off wave after wave of the undead while completing a series of increasingly challenging objectives. It's absolutely the smartest Call of Duty addition in years, and with the addition of a new map, things can only get deader.
Finally, developer Treyarch has offered a sneak peek at the reworked "Miami" map, which has had a huge overhaul following player complaints about visibility, rotation paths, and general layout. I personally liked Miami - which probably makes me a monster - but I'm excited to see what the reworked "Miami Strike" brings to multiplayer. Maybe it will finally be the exciting and sexy locale that Will Smith told us all about.
Thymesia is going on my action-RPGs-to-watch list for 2021
I'm in "cautiously keeping tabs" territory with Thymesia, an action-RPG from OverBorder Studio and publisher Team17 that lets you "seize the disease from gruesome bosses and wield them as weapons."
The combat is speedier and more offense-oriented than the average Souls-like, which I appreciate, and the plague doctor protagonist can bust out a scythe. That's rad. But based on the gameplay's frankly lower-budget vibe and the sparse Steam summary, I'm far from convinced this can capture the magic of its inspiration, especially with Bloodborne fresh on my mind this week thanks to its sixth birthday.
I wasn't necessarily going to cover Thymesia today until I saw the beefy bat boss. They got me. As much as the environments look pretty same-y for the genre, I can't deny that I wanna wail on a bat beast, big time. If the combat is as relentless as it looks, I could have fun with this one. That's the focal point.
Thymesia is currently only announced for PC, and it's sticking to a "2021" launch for the time being.
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.
El Shaddai: Ascension of the Metatron is an interesting action romp that deserves a new lease on life, and it's getting one on PC. But what about other platforms? We asked director Sawaki Takeyasu for comment, and like most things in his life, he's holding out hope.
"If the Steam version sells, yes, I'd definitely like to consider it, but I'm always delusional," he tells us, with his classic wit. "I know there are some problems, because the game development itself ended in the middle, and story is in the middle [of things]. I will attach a mini novel this time, so if you read it and if the fans support El Shaddai strongly, I may eventually be able to release the full version someday. This is my dream to make it happen."
It's a tease within a tease. Not only does Takeyasu want the game to live on outside of Steam, he also wants it to continue in grand fashion, with a potential "remake" and a full realization of the story. And that dream will entirely depend on the sales of the Steam version, it seems.
Stay tuned for our full interview with Takeyasu tomorrow.
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.
A trio of new Godzilla games are stomping onto mobile
TOHO Studios will three free-to-play titles starring the iconic King of Monsters: Godzilla. Available on iOS and Android platforms, the three games will see old nuclear-breath engaged in his trademark activities of smashing cities, battling Kaiju and... competing in foot-races.
The first title, Godzilla Destruction, is pretty self-explanatory, and will see players with Doing the Stomp all over a variety of cities and neighborhoods, leave a path of annihilation in his wake. The second release, Godzilla Battle Line, is more of a strategy title, where players build a custom team of monsters from TOHO's long lineage of films to take on other teams in short three-minute dust-ups.
The best streamers have big boobies
Boobs. Boobs! Our first source of peace in this cruel, cruel world and great on a poster or perhaps even a commemorative mug, we all know and love boobs. Well, except for when people who have them take ownership of their bodies, of course. That sentiment has been applied to women for as long as their sexuality has been vilified (read: a long time), but in the late 2010s, it started being applied to femme streamers through a very specific term: boob streamers.
Interchangeable with "titty streamer" or "Twitch thot," it's not difficult to guess what the term means. Most often, it's used to refer to femme streamers who prominently display cleavage in their streams, like Amouranth and famously cat-throwing Alinity. It has been used in gross listicles with titles like "18 Hottest Female Streamers," by mean crusties on the internet, and, according to a detailed abuse report by GamesIndustry.biz, by male employees at Twitch, who have used the term to refer to women on their platform.
It's also been used in countless streamer-centric debates online, usually by misogynistic men who ponder why gaming has allowed a convention as supposedly evil as the titty streamer to flourish. These debates conveniently ignore how many male gamers also love to play games with sexy bikini-wearing characters, no matter how impractical said bikini might be. Male gamers have also issued death threats to developers who try to make video game women less unrealistically sexual and have uploaded Twitch streamer deepfakes to porn sites. But the gaming industry still coddles them — generally upholding the idea that men in games should be absurdly jacked (what men want to be) and that women should be obscenely sexy (what men want to have).
In other words, male gamers have created the demand for boob streamers, but when a real, human big-boobied woman uses that demand to her advantage — to get views, to cultivate a subscriber base, or to simply feel good about herself on stream — some start to see boobs as something evil. Something that takes power out of the male viewer's hands and places it in the palm of the woman streamer. And not everyone can handle that.
"I have been sent unsolicited nude pictures on my socials by viewers, and I have also received unsolicited requests for nudes for money," Twitch streamer and self-described booby-streamer LuminousSkye told me over email. "I know people who have been outright stalked and threatened with violence. It's absurd."
Skye said she was lucky to have a supportive audience that defends her when someone accuses her of "stealing views" with her body. "I display confidence in my body," she said. "I'm completely unashamed about it, there's nothing wrong with that. If someone chooses to give me bits or gift subs with the sole purpose of getting something in return, they're the ones using the platform wrong. Not me. I'm choosing to dress and wear what makes me happy and feel sexy."
Addressing how "boob streamers" is often used to minimize the work women streamers put in, Skye said that "some streamers who have been miscategorized as 'booby streamers' stream for up to 12 hours a day, engaging in conversations and giving pieces of themselves to other people...it's hard work, even if it isn't content [everyone enjoys]."
Twitch streamer Ashiirose, who wouldn't call themselves a "boob streamer" but has received harassment on Twitch for being femme-presenting in the past, echoed the sentiment in their email to me. "I find a lot of people assume that just because someone may be pretty, that makes streaming all of a sudden super easy," Ash said. "In reality, they're working their asses off."
And about misogyny on Twitch in general, Ash added, "I've had people come to me and be like, 'I'm so glad you're not a titty streamer,' and it's not the compliment they think it is."
"I've been sexualized during streams when I'm wearing a hoodie, or no makeup," Ash continued. "It has zero to do with how I look on any given day. I am me regardless of what I'm wearing, and I don't believe in trying to bring other women down in order to elevate myself."
And Twitch has demonstrated a fundamental misunderstanding of that fact, prohibiting women-identifying users from showing underboob or nipples, which, as we know from social media content policies at large, are inherently more full of wiles than the elusive male nipple. Meanwhile, women streamers with breasts of all sizes continue to experience violence or threats on the platform, especially if they aren't white, even after Twitch's recently updated content policy.
It's all the more reason why titty streamers are some of the most admirable users on streaming platforms. They're attuned to what their audience wants, they know how to cultivate their image, and they put long hours into creating engaging content. They're confident, they're sure of themselves, and they live through every day of incessant online abuse with glossed lips and perfectly straightened hair. It's pretty obvious that the best streamers also have huge titties.
[Image credit: HeiligesPannoid]
Sega and Annapurna Interactive are the top-rated gaming publishers, according to Metacritic
2020 was a year...is the most basic statement that's been said so far in 2021 on this site.
But we did have a lot of great games! Some of them were delayed until the tail-end of 2020, and some into 2021. But there's still a lot to celebrate, and Metacritic is doing just that, giving us a "game publisher ranking" chart for last year. The results are pretty interesting.
First up is Sega, who leads the way with the most amount of positive rankings. But it's Annapurna Interactive that actually holds the record for the highest average, coming in second with less total rankings than Sega. Next up is Capcom, then Sony, Activision Blizzard, Microsoft, Aksys, then No More Robots.
Humankind has been delayed to August
It looks like Humankind will have to wait. The new historical strategy game from Amplitude Studios is being delayed to Aug. 17, 2021 for a little more fine tuning.
In a press release today, the studio says it will be focusing on improving certain areas of work identified by the community during its recent Lucy OpenDev session. The team will be working on pacing, accessibility, diplomacy, AI, and more that's all outlined in detail in a new dev blog.
Additionally, some extra free content is being added for those who pre-order the game in the form of avatar sets of both "Lucy" and author Edgar Allen Poe.
Amplitude Studios is also currently working on Endless Dungeon, a squad-based tactical roguelite revealed last December, and has previously worked on the Endless series. Given their experience in the 4X space with Endless Space and Endless Legend—a personal favorite of mine—hopefully the extra time will help Humankind deliver on its promises.
We might get a Ghost of Tsushima movie from John Wick director Chad Stahelski
If everything goes according to plan, we're going to get a Ghost of Tsushima movie from John Wick director Chad Stahelski, and that's a (potentially!) thrilling sentence to write. Can it all come together?
Sony Pictures' movie development news was confirmed this morning in a PlayStation Blog post written by Ghost of Tsushima game director Nate Fox, who said the team at Sucker Punch Productions is "intrigued by the possibilities" of getting Jin Sakai's survive-at-all-costs arc on the big screen.
"[Stahelski's] vision for what could be, backed up by years of experience, combined to create some of the finest action scenes ever created. If anyone could bring to life the razor-sharp tension of Jin's katana combat, it's Chad Stahelski," said Fox. There's more to Ghost than action, of course, but if they can nail that aspect, Jin's struggles with The Code, and the game's picturesque flowing leaves, we're golden.
There's definitely an audience – the latest sales update for Ghost of Tsushima is 6.5 million copies sold.
Some of the best moments in this game for me were simply spent exploring the island's rolling hills on horseback. I also ended up really connecting with the side-stories, especially the (lengthy) Tomoe arc. There are multiple paths to take for this movie, and I'm curious to see what will and won't carry over.
Nintendo Download: Monster Hunter Rise
Monster Hunter Rise is the big dog this week: no question.
We haven't had too many of those this year so far for the Switch! A lot of the headliners have been things like Apex Legends coming to the Switch, or Plants vs. Zombies Battle for Neighborville coming to the Switch...and so on. Semi-recent games on other platforms.
But Monster Hunter Rise is a big deal. Capcom worked with Nintendo directly to make this happen, and although it's still going to be on PC within a year, it's a Switch exclusive upfront, and it's likely going to make waves.
Balan Wonderworld is going to be interesting too when it hits on March 26, and Narita Boy is out on March 30. Here's the rest!
Project CARS GO takes the driving out of the driving sim
If there is one genre that has been all but perfected for mobile gaming, it's the racing sim. Gameloft's Asphalt series has been killing it since it jumped to iOS in 2009, and even if its monetization systems get more aggressive with each release, the actual racing in those games is second to none in the mobile sphere. They're just legitimately fun and have created the perfect template for other racing games to mimic.
Project CARS GO, the recently released mobile spin-off of the Slightly Mad Studios racing series, goes in a different direction. Its focus is not on how well you can control your car around the small selection of tracks you'll repeatedly race, but how well you can time your taps of the screen, kind of like a rhythm game that's not set to any music.
Back 4 Blood backs up to October
Turtle Rock Studios' Left 4 Dead-like Back 4 Blood is taking some extra time. The developer announced today that Back 4 Blood is being pushed back from its original June date to October 12, 2021.
In an update posted to Twitter, the studio says its working hard to make Back 4 Blood the best it can be at launch and the team needs more time to do so.
— Back 4 Blood (@back4blood) March 25, 2021
If you're still eager for some co-op zombie action, you won't have to wait until Halloween is looming. Turtle Rock confirmed that an open beta will be coming this summer, so your team can get zombie apocalypse-ready before launch date.
Formerly Valve South and re-founded as an independent company in 2011, Turtle Rock is finally returning to its Left 4 Dead roots following some Oculus work and the humans-versus-monster competitive game Evolve. I've seen some old friends booting up Left 4 Dead over the course of the pandemic, as have I, and it's nice to see how well the ideas hold up. Hopefully Back 4 Blood can do the same when it arrives later this year.
What's in standard? A lot. And it's about to get even more cramped.
The Strixhaven: School of Mages set is joining Magic: The Gathering next month, and will be a part of standard play alongside of Eldraine, Theros, Zendikar, Ikoria, Core 2021, and Kaldheim. The theme is decidedly "Harry Potter meets Magic," and will center on multiple dual color schools, with varying philosophies.
We had the chance to meet with the development team virtually to see what the next set had in store, so let's take a look together.
When I think of hidden gem action games, my mind often wanders to El Shaddai: Ascension of the Metatron.
Along with obscure projects like Bujingai: The Forsaken City, I have a collection of this stuff waiting to go at any time, if I ever get the itch to enjoy a unique action system. And with El Shaddai, that go-to option is going to get even easier with a PC version launching sometime this year.
We recently had a chance to chat with director Sawaki Takeyasu, who also worked on character designs for classics like Devil May Cry and Okami, about how this all came about. The short answer? Development started around the Windows XP era.
Speaking to Destructoid, Takeyasu notes: "the PC version itself was made after we started El Shaddai development, but it was developed with Windows XP, and then since the times changed, it took time to move to the Windows 10 environment. Many past colleagues have helped me with this porting work. I am grateful that I had such a friend who helped me even after 10 years of the first release of the original game."
He goes on to explain that UTV Ignition Games' closure around the game's release was a big factor for the long wait, and he "didn't have a good feeling" about a possible continuation. In fact, he says he's been "working on about 10 projects," including "three small and three big ones," but that "so far, all of the projects have been canceled."
Takeyasu has hope still, though, noting "Making brand new gaming projects successful in Japan is very hard to make it, so if Steam version of El Shaddai's performance will be good, we may be able to remake El Shaddai in the future."
Stay tuned for our full interview with Takeyasu tomorrow.
Total War: Rome Remastered is coming to PC April 29
Publisher Sega, in association with developers Creative Assembly and Feral Interactive, has announced that a remastered edition of its game-changing strategy title Rome: Total War will launch on PC via Steam April 29, priced at around $30.
First released back in 2004, Rome: Total War was the third entry in the best-selling Total War franchise, following the release of Shogun: Total War in 2000 and Medieval: Total War in 2002. Rome was the first entry in the strategy series to feature a fully 3D map as well as free, open-world movement, as players managed (or mismanaged) the rise of the Roman Republic.
Would-be Caesars are responsible for the building of cities and micro-management of its citizens and economies, while fending off invaders and conquering new land via real-time tactical combat. Rome: Total War received rave reviews on release, and would go on to bag a plethora of awards.
Yakuza 6: The Song of Life is now busting heads on PC and Xbox Game Pass
All good things must come to an end, such is the way for the amazing journey of Yakuza protagonist Kazuma Kiryu. Following a lifetime of good deeds, heroic actions, and smashed bicycles, Yakuza 6: The Song of Life sees the sharp-suited ex-gangster face the final curtain.
Released back in 2016 on PS4, this final act in the story of Kazuma and Haruka is now finally available to purchase on Xbox One and PC, and is also available as part of the paid subscription service, Xbox Game Pass. With The Song of Life's arrival, the entire Yakuza saga (save for its spin-off releases) is now available to purchase on the Steam platform - including prequel Yakuza 0, both Yakuza Kiwami remakes, and the Yakuza Remastered Collection. If you want to go all-out, then 2020's Yakuza: Like a Dragon is also available, and sees new protagonist Ichiban Kasuga comfortably step in as the series' new lead.
Monster Hunter Rise is getting a 600MB day one patch
Monster Hunter Rise is here tomorrow, and the flood gates will be open.
Potentially 80 million Switch users are going to be jumping on the game, including a bunch of people at a company in Japan that has off work for the launch. If the demo crash is any indication, there should be a lot of people online tomorrow.
That said, you will need to grab a day one patch to go online. Capcom just confirmed the update this week, explaining that version 1.1.1 is required to play online, on top of the standard Switch Online membership. If you don't download it, you can still play locally, "as long as every player uses the same version."
As a note, the patch is 600MB, which brings the total size of the game up to 8GB. The meat of the update is "access to the content from the deluxe kit," as well as the pre-order and amiibo bonus content. So basically, they need to add all those extras in day one, and you'll need to download the update to get access to them; if you opted for the deluxe additions or the amiibo.
Speaking of, those amiibo are delayed by roughly a week in some regions, so you might not be opening those presents day one. You can check out the full patch notes below!
Version 1.1.1 [Capcom]
Scarlet Nexus shows off titanic battles in new gameplay video
While we've been hearing a lot about the world, concepts, and characters of Bandai Namco's upcoming hack 'n' slash RPG, Scarlet Nexus, we haven't seen too much in the way of actual gameplay. Fortunately, a publisher live stream held to "celebrate the release date announcement" contains around 20 minutes of action from the "Brainpunk" adventure.
The video is a little unwieldy, but features multiple short segments that showcase both the action and exploration elements of the upcoming sci-fi title, which follows a unit of psychic warriors - The OSF - as they attempt to take Earth back from an invading force of literal brain-eaters known as "The Others," drawn to the planet by its sudden radiance of mental energy.
Nintendo confirms you can still redeem Mario 3D All-Stars retail codes after April
So we're coming up on March 31, when a ton of Mario games are going away. And it's a pretty delicate situation, to be sure.
I've had people write in asking for all sorts of clarification, and we're slowly getting it at a snail's pace. One such thing that seemed incredibly obvious, but doesn't hurt to know about, is whether or not retail codes will still work for Mario 3D All-Stars after April. The answer is yes.
Speaking to VGC, Nintendo of Japan confirms that if you have a retail code for the game, you can redeem it on the eShop's backend "after April" (meaning, after April 1, when the switch is flipped). Note that you can still buy download codes right now even this close to the end of service/vault date. They also reconfirm that you can redownload the game if you already own it, something they clarified in the past.
I can see a weird scalping market rising up out of this. Folks will no doubt be in different financial situations after March 31. Perhaps they were holding out on Mario All-Stars for all this time, and can finally buy it after that date. Or, they didn't know it existed, and they want it at all costs. Welp, retail codes are flying around!
It's weird all over. I mean, Nintendo will likely bring it back for another Mario celebration of some sort? But for now, we're pretty sure they aren't going to go back on their promise.
Mario 3D All-Stars' digital version will still be available after April via retail codes [VGC]
Reggie Fils-Aime is stepping down from GameStop's board of directors
Turbulent times continue for GameStop. The gaming retailer has announced that several incumbent members of its board of directors will be stepping down at the company's 2021 Annual Meeting, which is set to take place in June.
As reported by GamesIndustry.biz, among the eight directors retiring from their posts on the board are former Nintendo of America president Reggie Fils-Aime, who took the part-time role with GameStop just over a year ago. Also stepping away from GameStop are former PetSmart CEO JK Symancyk and former Walmart U.S. CEO Bill Simon, both of whom were brought on-board with Fils-Aime in hopes of improving the retailer's fortunes.
GameStop's fortunes did indeed improve in the short-term, thanks to the release of next-gen platforms PS5 and Xbox Series X/S, which brought a serious boost to the retailer's fourth quarter for the year 2020-2021. In the long-term, however, GameStop had a difficult year, with an overall 21% decline in sales, leading to a loss in the region of $215 million USD. The recent "GameStonks" debacle - which saw online traders purposefully drive up GameStop stock cost in order to price out opportunists - no doubt lead to further headaches for the company's accountancy.
GameStop has been living on a relative knife-edge for several years, facing store closures, raising ire with its opening policies in a time of COVID, and struggling to compete with the ever-increasing growth of online retail. For now, however, the company remains afloat and many stores remain operational. With the new digital generation underway and COVID continuing to increase the pressure on high street stores, this will be a critical year for the retailer.
Reggie Fils-Aime to leave Gamestop [GamesIndustry.biz]
Final Fantasy VIII Remastered returns on iOS and Android
Square Enix has announced that one of the most loved RPGs of all time, Final Fantasy VIII, is now available on iOS and Android platforms in its FFVIII Remastered form. Fans can purchase the pint-sized adventure from their respective app store for the discounted price of $17, rising to $21 on April 4.
Originally released on PlayStation way back in 1999, Final Fantasy VIII has some mighty big shoes to fill, following in the amazing global popularity of its predecessor, Final Fantasy VII. Fortunately, thanks to its ornate world, stylish cast of characters, and wave of cool spells and summons, not forgetting - of course - the compelling "Triple Triad" card game, FF VIII was up to the challenge, and is thought by many today to be one of the very best entries in the Final Fantasy canon.
Former Tango Gameworks designer Ikumi Nakamura is in the process of founding her own independent studio, with which she intends to utilize her wealth of ideas and industry experience in the development of original video games and other design projects.
Nakamura revealed these plans in a somber-but-inspiring Cutscenes documentary, which sees The Evil Within and Ghostwire: Tokyo designer gingerly picking her way through abandoned and dilapidated locales, none of which would be out-of-place in her own games. Nakamura discusses her beginnings in the business, her struggles in an oppressive industry, her future plans, and the famous E3 2019 appearance that saw her blow-up on the internet - despite her own initial conviction that she had ruined both the presentation and her career. It's funny how brutally unfair we can be to ourselves.
Asterix and Obelix: Slap Them All is a new hand-drawn beat-'em-up
Earlier this month, word of Shredder's Revenge had me busting out my buried but thankfully-still-findable copy of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Turtles in Time. Now here's another announcement that has me pining for the Konami arcade glory days: a sharp-looking new Asterix beat-'em-up game.
The nostalgia-mining brawler is called Asterix and Obelix: Slap Them All and it's headed to PC, PS4, Xbox One, and Nintendo Switch in fall 2021 from publisher Microids and developer Mr Nutz Studio.
Today's press release suggests "pretty straightforward" beat-'em-up gameplay – which, hey, that can be totally fine! – and also confirms local co-op. Slap Them All will span "the most iconic places in the comic book series" with foes like "legionaries, pirates, brigands, and even the dreaded Normans."
I'm not sure how it'll feel to brawl with the Roman menace, but I appreciate the higher-than-usual effort that went into achieving the look of Asterix and Obelix: Slap Them All. Some nice details in there.
If you're curious to see more beyond the short clip, Microids has some more images over here.
(Update) Resident Evil x Rainbow Six Siege as classic Jill Valentine gear teased for Zofia
[Update: Zofia's Resident Evil-inspired Elite set is now available for purchase in Rainbow Six Siege. The DLC includes a classic Jill Valentine S.T.A.R.S. uniform, a chibi charm, weapon skins, head gear, and animated MVP pose. You can check out the skin on the official Siege Twitter.]
Capcom's Resident Evil is certainly making the most of its 25th anniversary celebrations. Not only is the survival horror series getting a brand new title in the form of Resident Evil Village, but it is also making its presence felt in other franchises, such as Ubisoft's The Division 2, and soon in its flagship tactical shooter Rainbow Six Siege.
As part of its flurry of new Year 6 content, GROM Attacker Zofia Bosak will be paying tribute to Resident Evil's top-tier hero, Jill Valentine. Zofia's new Elite skin will reflect Ms. Valentine's classic look from her 1996 debut, complete with beret, finger-less gloves, and hefty shoulder pads. Given that Zofia is already handy with a grenade launcher, it's a pretty snug fit. The kit will also include a matching charm, weapon skin, and win-pose.
Xbox is testing out removing Live Gold requirement for free-to-play games
Some changes are coming down the pipeline for Xbox Live users. Today, an update to the Xbox Insiders Alpha will remove the Xbox Live Gold requirement for Party Chat, Looking 4 Groups, and multiplayer in free-to-play games.
According to the release notes, these service changes are being flighted and tested ahead of general availability, implying they'll make their way to all Xbox users eventually.
Microsoft had already announced it would be dropping the Xbox Live Gold requirement for free-to-play games back in January, when it reversed course on a price increase for the Gold service.
Xbox Live has been undergoing a shift as well, with Xbox Live recently being rebranded to Xbox Network. "The update from 'Xbox Live' to 'Xbox network' is intended to distinguish the underlying service from Xbox Live Gold memberships," Microsoft told The Verge.
It's good news for folks wanting to get in on some Fortnite or Warzone without the Gold requirement, and could be interesting if Halo Infinite's free-to-play multiplayer experience falls under the same provision.
Genshin Impact blows past a staggering $1 billion in mobile revenue alone
According to the latest figures, miHiYo's phenomenally popular Genshin Impact has raked in an unbelievable $1 billion USD in revenue - purely for its mobile versions.
According to number-crunching intelligence network Sensor Tower, the free-to-play version of the anime gacha title has rocketed into the ten figures range in little more than six months from its initial September 2020 release. miHiYo's mobile juggernaut got off to a mind-blowing start, raking in $400 million in revenue during its first two months of release, while also scooping up numerous mobile game awards.
Rising Hell is a roguelite action-platformer about battling to the top of a hellish tower
I'm not so burned out on indie action-platformers that I have to scroll past new ones that show up – at least not at the moment. I could see myself getting invested in Rising Hell, a heavy-metal "vertical platformer" about fighting through hell, when it launches in May 2021 on PC and consoles.
There are several dates to keep track of here: it's coming to PlayStation 4 on May 18, Steam on May 19, Nintendo Switch on May 20, and Xbox One on May 21 from Indonesia-based studio Tahoe Games.
You might've come across Rising Hell on Steam before – it's been in Early Access since October 2019, and there's also a Prologue demo, if you're down. I can't say for sure that I've never seen it, but it looks fresh to me. I like the climb-out-of-hell premise, the inclusion of multiple playable characters (with melee and ranged attacks), and the person on Steam who likened it to Super House of Dead Ninjas.
Compared to earlier builds, the finished version on PC and consoles will have the final boss and endings, balance tweaks to make as many character builds as possible feel viable, and more polish passes. In other words, the usual "1.0" stuff for a roguelite game carving its way through Early Access.
Rising Hell seems like something for Slain and Valfaris fans to keep tabs on, for sure. If you want to see a typical run (and you don't want any commentary), here's an older playthrough from World of Longplays.
Time to get discombobulated with Sherlock Holmes Chapter One gameplay trailer
The olde-wurlde mystery-lovers over Frogwares have released the first gameplay trailer for upcoming mystery adventure Sherlock Holmes Chapter One.
Originally revealed during the summer of 2020, Sherlock Holmes Chapter One will tell the story of Holmes' formative years as the 19th century sleuth develops his astute and almost supernatural investigative powers and deductive skills. Riddled with demons and regret, Holmes will follow a trail to his childhood home of Cordana where, accompanied by his friend Jon, he will face the traumatic events of his youth and uncover the secrets behind his deep-rooted anguish.
Here's Nintendo unboxing the Monster Hunter Rise Collector's Edition, if you couldn't get one
The Monster Hunter Rise Collector's Edition looks neat. $99 neat? And maybe more, if you buy it scalped? You be the judge.
The Nintendo Minute just put out a new video cross-promoting their friends at Capcom, who are putting out the Switch-exclusive (for now, until the PC version comes next year) Rise. And guess what? It's an unboxing video!
Kit and Krysta take apart the box over the course of roughly 10 minutes, and go through the contents; from the box itself, to the Magnamalo amiibo (with size comparisons at the end), to the stickers. They also have timestamps in the video description if you want to skip to something.
As a reminder, Monster Hunter Rise is also peddling a special edition Switch, on top of a unique Pro Controller. They're going all out! Capcom knows this could approach the insane sales of Monster Hunter World, and wants to take advantage of the 80 million-ish Switch install base. It wouldn't surprise me to see Rise eclipse world eventually by the time the PC version is out.
Nintendo says this is "just the beginning" of Monster Hunter Rise videos, so stay tuned for more Palico and Palamute shenanigans in the future. If you're resisting getting into this game, it's going to be around for a while!
Valve to host Steam Next Fest live stream this summer
Have you got a live stream coming up? You, personally? If not, then who even are you? It's all about the live streams. You need two a month - no, a week - no, A DAY. Live streams is where it's at now in this brave new world. Live Stream Work Makes the Live Dream Work.
Valve is the latest publisher to hop on-board the broadcasting bandwagon, with the announcement that summer 2021 will see the mega-bucks publisher host "Steam Next Fest," a multi-day event showcasing the boldest and brightest PC releases headed to Valve's digital storefront in the near-future.
Essentially, Steam Next Fest is the new rebrand for what was previously known as the Steam Game Festival. And between June 16-22 PC fans will be able to get all of the hot gossip on the latest news, trailers, and announcements, interspersed with developer conferences, Q&A sessions, interviews, and much more. As always, a selection of time-limited demos will be dropping on the Steam platform, giving players a sneak peek at a variety of upcoming releases.
While the Entertainment Software Association continues with its hopes of holding a returning E3 event this summer - in digital form if nothing else - it seems that most publishers and platforms are already planning to advertise and showcase their wares for 2021 and beyond through their own communication channels. It already looks like 2020's "Endless 3" season is likely to return in summer 2021.
New Animal Crossing: New Horizons tool lets you create virtual island tours
If you've had trouble getting people to visit your Animal Crossing: New Horizons island, Nintendo's new tool might be just the thing you need.
Today, Nintendo launched the Island Tour Creator, a special website that lets you produce posters and trailers for your Animal Crossing island using screenshots and videos you've taken. Now all those beautiful gardens and perfect visualizations of rainy streets can be captured in a single video and shared on Twitter.
[Announcement]
— Isabelle (@animalcrossing) March 24, 2021
The #AnimalCrossing: New Horizons Island Tour Creator website is now available! Show off your island by creating fun posters and videos with content captured on your #NintendoSwitch. Here's just one example, featuring Ninten Island!https://t.co/mYxkogv0xu pic.twitter.com/ehxaS7UmQJ
All you'll need is some media to work with and a smartphone, though the screenshots and videos will need to be on your smartphone. Thankfully, the "send to smartphone" option has made this process much easier than it would have been before, and Nintendo included a handy tutorial for how to go through the process.
It's now, somehow, been a full year since Animal Crossing: New Horizons debuted on the Nintendo Switch and became a bright light in an otherwise stressful and worrisome time. It became a simply massive game, and almost a facet of daily life; I shared turnip prices, went on tours, visited friends' islands and attended social events through Animal Crossing.
I've since lapsed in playing and let my island fall to shambles, but maybe this new tool will be enough of an excuse to clean up, renovate, and get some new visitors on the island. Everyone's welcome, except for that nightmare of a bunny.
Hitman III will target the Seven Deadly Sins in new DLC series
They say in the land of the blind the one-eyed man is king. And in a world as sinful as Hitman III's, Agent 47 is practically a saint.
From next week, Hitman III players will have the opportunity to purchase the first of seven incoming DLC packs, each of which will feature a unique storyline, target, suit, and weapon. The upcoming content drops will take place over each of the stealth titles' seasons, and, intriguingly, will all fall under the banner of The Seven Deadly Sins.
Rocket League Sideswipe is a free mobile spin-off for iOS and Android
This probably isn't what you imagined Rocket League would be like on iOS and Android, but that might not be such a bad thing. Instead of trying to be a one-to-one port of the PC and console experience, Rocket League Sideswipe is a 2.5D spinoff created specifically for touch controls. It's interesting!
As much as it looks like a lighter game than the super-competitive source material, Psyonix says there are "advanced mechanics" in Rocket League Sideswipe – and there's even going to be online ranked play. Either way, you'll be able to play in 1v1 or 2v2 matches, and the rounds are only two minutes.
Customization will also be a major factor (whether you care for it or not) given that this is a free game.
While a regional alpha test is happening now in Australia and New Zealand (for Android), the full launch won't happen until later in 2021. Just based on the trailer footage, some people are going to be into this.
Lower skill ceiling or not, I expect to be dreadful at Sideswipe too.
The "Dragon Quest day" legend lives on forever. I remember hearing about it as a kid, and you probably have heard about it at times. The phenomenon where Dragon Quest release days are either legislated by the Japanese government or are allotted "holidays" for people to take off during a release.
It's not exactly true, but Dragon Quest releases have had interesting impacts on the cultural fabric of Japan. It was confirmed, years later, that Enix deliberately moved releases to Saturdays under public pressure because kids were skipping school for it.
But all around the world, folks also take time off from work for games. Releases like Destiny and other major shooters are rife with the practice. And Monster Hunter Rise (which is out this Friday) is no exception; which is why a Japanese company is doing something about it.
Shared on Twitter, the company Mark-on is taking things up a notch; the Rise release is now considered a holiday. The idea came about because so many employees were taking the day off, that the boss (CEO Masaki Hiyama) just decided to say "screw it," and call it a wash.
Given how successful Monster Hunter World was, how good the reviews are, and how many Switch consoles there are out there in the world (roughly 80 million), there's going to be a lot of people playing this day one. I suspect this company isn't alone in terms of responding to sick leave!
Jack Masaki [Twitter via Gaijinhunter]
Tekken 7 smashes past seven million sales, reports Harada-san
Despite approaching its fourth anniversary, it seems that there's no stopping Bandai Namco's excellent 3D fighter, Tekken 7. According to a coy tweet from producer Katsuhiro Harada, the latest installment of The King of Iron Fist tournament has now surpassed a huge seven million sales milestone.
The sunglasses-sporting head honcho teased the figure on Twitter while responding to a fan's praise, noting that the fan was now "one in seven million (players)" with a sly wink. This figure is not only impressive from a standalone perspective, but comes a mere six months after Tekken 7 officially hit six million sales. This revelation suggests Tekken 7 has raked in a further one million players in just half a year, despite having already been on the market for four years, well past a generation in typical fighting game terms.
With these new sales figures, Tekken 7 is now the second-best selling release in franchise history, with only 1998's legendary sequel Tekken 3 (8.3 million sales) standing ahead of it. One of the few fighters to see such a significant growth year-on-year, Tekken 7 stands to gain further followers thanks to its Season 4 content. This includes the release of Polish prime minister Lidia Sobieska, who joined the fighter's huge roster of 50+ characters yesterday. The war between G Corporation and Mishima Zaibatsu looks set to rage on.
The World of Warcraft Burning Crusade Classic beta is live now
It's time to enter a new era of World of Warcraft Classic. The best era of World of Warcraft. Flame shield, up!
Although Wrath of the Lich King is arguably the most popular bit of World of Warcraft history, Burning Crusade was one of the strongest, if not the strongest; at least in my experience with the game since the original Vanilla launch.
The new races added so much into the mix, and the raids were some of the best Blizzard had ever designed, particularly from a lore perspective. Sure it was a time sink, but not as much as Vanilla, and Burning Crusade brought a lot of depth and complexity into the mix without feeling overwhelming.
All that said, it's time to relive that era again in "Classic" form. As previously announced at BlizzConline, the Burning Crusade beta is ready to go and is live today if you opt-in. Blizzard claims that the Classic continuation is still ready to go this year, and will exist on separate realms from "Vanilla Classic," so you can choose to stay in Vanilla world forever if you want.
Oh, and it still comes with a standard WoW subscription. It's a win-win.
The Burning Crusade Classic Beta Has Begun! [Battle.net]
Streets of Rage 4 DLC listing pops up on Steam database
Great news for Streets of Rage 4 fans, as a new listing for previously unannounced DLC has popped up on the Steam store database (Steamdb). As spotted by Redditor MikeSaintJules, the mystery entry is titled "Mr. X Nightmare" - a reference to the Big Bad of the original Streets of Rage trilogy back in the halcyon days of the Sega Mega Drive.
There are no further details pertaining to this particular DLC drop, including a content explanation or a release date, but co-developers Dotemu has previously noted its intent to release new content for the fantastic 2D brawler, while asking fans to be patient in the meantime. After all, Streets of Rage 4 did take a helluva long time to see release. But boy howdy, it was worth the wait.
It goes without saying that I'm very much up for more SoR 4 action. In particular I'm hoping for the playable launch of cop-turned-vigilante Estel Aguirre, who was most definitely one of the highlights of the long-long-long-awaited sequel. For now, just tape up your fists and keep sitting pretty. The streets will come a-callin' when the time is right.
Monster Hunter Stories 2 is twice as big, file size-wise, than Monster Hunter Rise
Capcom is considerably ramping up the Monster Hunter series this year.
Not only do we have Rise, which is sure to sell boat loads, they're poised to launch Monster Hunter Stories 2 on both PC and Switch this July. It's a smart move, going with such a large install base out of the gate! It's also getting three amiibo and some form of connectivity with Rise. In other words, there's a lot of little tendrils involved to get you to buy it.
It's also going to be a bit of a big game, in terms of raw file size. According to the AU Nintendo storefront, Monster Hunter Stories 2: Wings of Ruin is 14.6GB. Compared directly to Monster Hunter Rise, which is 6.6GB (somehow), it feels even bigger. More than twice as big, actually!
The crazy thing is we still don't know a lot about the game. It's possible that Capcom is going to try and get the message out at events, much like they've been doing so far with "Monster Hunter Direct" style streams.
Monster Hunter Stories 2: Wings of Ruin [Nintendo] Thanks Rick!
Sony will reportedly close PlayStation Store on PS3, PSVita, and PSP this summer
Sony Interactive Entertainment is planning on pulling down the shutters on its PlayStation Store for PS3, PS Vita, and PSP this summer, according to a recent report by TheGamer.
Speaking with "sources familiar with the situation", TheGamer reports that Sony intends to close the PS3 and PSP versions of PlayStation Store in early-July, before shuttering PS Vita's online store in late-August. The move would prevent the future purchase of hundreds of games and DLC on these platforms, an action that can currently be completed directly through the PSN web edition of each store. It isn't clear at the time of writing whether owners will still have the option to delete/re-download their previously purchased titles at will once the supposed closure takes place.
Sony's current gaming hardware, PlayStation 5, is not currently compatible with re-released and downloadable PS3, PS2, or original PlayStation titles. As such, this report has led to understandable concern from PlayStation users that Sony will, in essence, be removing hundreds of titles from the platform's back catalogue from ready availability.
There are already testimonials of players "buying up" bagfuls of older titles from the PS3 store, lest they vanish completely. This is all well and good for Sony's bank balance, but is pretty shitty on the players themselves, who are now opening their wallets in fear that Sony's motion will fail to see generations of games accessible outside of their original, physical releases - which will no doubt see their after-market prices skyrocket.
While multiple news outlets have reached out to Sony for clarification on this situation, the corporation remains tight-lipped on the facts, with TheGamer suggesting an official announcement should be coming from Sony within the next week. Either way, we'll know the score about PlayStation Store's future soon enough.
Contest: Win Cartel Tycoon, new to Steam Early Access
In today's contest you can win a Steam Early Access copy of Cartel Tycoon!
Management sims stress me out. My day job is essentially a management sim -- I sure as hell don't want to continue to manage things in my free time, as well! Drugs also stress me out, so this one is a hard sell for me.
But hey, we're all different people so Cartel Tycoon might be right up your alley! Win a copy and become the drug kingpin you've always dreamt of being.
Dota 2 community makes its own tutorial ahead of anime premiere
Netflix's Dota 2 anime debuts for the public later this week, and with it, there will probably be at least a few people jumping into the game for the first time. Learning Dota 2, as many will tell you, is pretty tough; so some modders and community members have banded together to create their own tutorial.
Under the custom game title "Dota Tutorial," you can simply install it through the Steam Workshop or in-game through the Custom games tab, and you're off to the races. The project was launched as an IndieGogo campaign and has made almost 300% of its targeted goal by the time of this writing, with still 11 days left in the campaign. It features voice acting, scripted tutorials, little minigames, and even links to resources for further learning.
And I have to say, as someone with currently way, way too many hours played in Dota 2, it's a really good starting point. Hosts SunsFan and SirActionSlacks walk you through everything from simple moving and attacking to last-hitting, stacking creep camps, and denying allied units. There are even a few pretty good jokes, and plenty of cameos from popular community members and esports casters.
By the end of it, they even touch on some deeper facets of the game, like hero attributes and positions on a team. Mostly, it's encouraging and well-paced. In lieu of any official tutorial from Valve, playing through this makes the learning a little more engaging, and will definitely save your Dota friends some breath in explaining all the spinning cogs happening in a single match. Dota 2 has a massive knowledge barrier for new players, and this tutorial certainly eases the curve.
It does have one major snag though: currently, Valve places a limit on accessing custom games until your account has played 30 games of Dota 2. While that makes sense to block off bot accounts, it's a little counterintuitive to play that many Dota 2 matches before getting into the basics of the game.
The mod makers are petitioning for an exception to the rule, and we've reached out to Valve for comment on the matter.
Right now, it's a little bit more of a quaint, fun romp for veterans who might not have played in a while. (It will certainly help if you're coming back after a year or more away and are confused by those weird outposts.) Hopefully it can get an exception though, as any onboarding will definitely help everyone across the board.
The Dota 2 anime, meanwhile, premieres on Netflix on March 25.
Fans are flocking to Bloodborne again for Return to Yharnam
Just in time for Bloodborne's anniversary, the community-run Return to Yharnam event is back this week to beckon fans who only need the lightest of nudges to warrant another playthrough. I'll be honest, it would be a lot more tempting with a PS5 performance patch – but I respect the tradition.
Return to Yharnam will begin on March 24th, Bloodborne's 6th Anniversary! from r/bloodborne
For those of you who have never knowingly participated in the annual fan event (or could perhaps use a little refresher), Return to Yharnam runs from March 24 to April 7 and there's an optional Discord.
While there are overall suggestions – like flipping your Network settings to "worldwide," PVPing in each zone before moving along, and leaving cheeky notes behind that say "You're in the know, right?" – you can of course play as you see fit. A PlayStation Plus membership is needed for multiplayer, though.
To get the most out of player-on-player antics, it is recommended that you create a new character.
The guiding principle behind Return to Yharnam is to "engage in as much co-op as possible," a sentiment I truly appreciate. When it comes down to it, this is a chance to experience Bloodborne again with a lively community. It could be your moment to go hard with a new-to-you weapon or build – or maybe you need a helping hand to survive the Old Hunters. The First Vicar still gives me nightmares.
Happy sixth birthday, Bloodborne. I got you a fistful of slugs.
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?
Risk of Rain 2's Anniversary update is out March 25 with the Bandit
Risk of Rain 2 is a game that refuses to go on the back-burner, and for good reason. The next big content update – the last of its kind before Hopoo Games dives into paid expansions – is coming to PC first on March 25. The console release date isn't known yet, but it'll be staggered like prior updates.
The Anniversary update deals with cut content, quality-of-life changes, a new boss (Grandparent), revisited old items, the finished lore-filled logbook with 93 new entries, some character skill variants, a player-stats page, and the Bandit. [Update: The full patch notes also mention a nice surprise: the final stage was completely "redone" with "unique objectives" and a "new, large arena to play in."]
In a fun twist, the "scrapped" Bandit that modders have expanded upon will still be playable even after the official Bandit joins the game on March 25. "Working on the Bandit was both fun and rewarding for us, because it really highlighted how much better we've gotten at making content since the original scrapped inception of the Bandit in internal development," Hopoo Games wrote in a Steam post.
The updated Risk of Rain 2 roadmap as of March 2021.
Once this update is out and the dust has settled, the team will "shift towards working on the Expansion. "As we develop and shape it over time, we will let players know how it's going, and how big it will be."
As we've heard before, this will be a substantial paid add-on meant to "refresh the game for long-term fans." Hopoo is aiming for a multi-platform simultaneous launch with PlayEveryWare at the end of 2021, and to that end, they've got an internal team at Gearbox Software helping out "to bring all future content of Risk of Rain 2 to our console players with even closer parity to our PC version of the game."
Even if the dates slip here or there, it's nice to know that consoles – not just PC – are a priority.
With the way the post-launch support has been going, this shouldn't come as a surprise, but it's worth reiterating: Risk of Rain 2 has done really well for itself. It's at four million sales "on Steam alone."
I'm super curious to see what this crew works on next once everything is said and done.
"We have a lot of exciting things cooking – both for Risk of Rain fans and Hopoo Games fans in general – and we can't wait to share them with you – one day." Are fans reading into "cooking" too much?
Dev Thoughts #20 - 2 Years Later [Steam]
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.
