It may only be March, but I'd wager the cast of Gnosia is the most infatuating group of eclectic weirdos we'll see in gaming this year.
The 14 characters that make up the passengers of this wayward spaceship are a diverse bunch, with captivating stories to tell and styles that will undoubtedly inspire professional and amateur cosplayers alike. Throughout the game, you'll get to know each one of them, learn their often devastating histories, and figure out their tells for when it comes time to eliminate them.
Because one or more of these passengers is not who they say they are. They may look human, but in reality, they've been replaced by a Gnosia, an alien entity hellbent on the destruction of the human race. If any survive this galactic voyage, humanity is most assuredly doomed. But with no way to easily identify a Gnosia, the only thing you can do is hold a vote for who you think is most likely to be the enemy and hope to God you are right.
Content Warning: This game, and thus the review, contains depictions and descriptions of depression, anxiety, and suicide.
Having been Kickstarted in 2014, Omori seems to have gone under many people's radar, myself included. While at a glance, it may be easy to write this off as something chasing the popularity of Undertale. But that does this game an incredible disservice. Sure, plenty of similarities exist, and I do think that fans of Undertale will enjoy Omori, but man is Omori in its own category here, for better or worse.
What memories do you have of gaming with your family?
Cblogs of 3/6 to 3/12/2021
-Exber responds to this month's Band of Bloggers prompt about video game mysteries.
-Kerrik52 reviews Thief (2014) as part of his Traveler in Playtime review blogs.
-Eggs&Brewsterjr discusses five games he didn't quite lay as intended.
-Necrowondo shares his thoughts on Moon, the famously weird JRPG game.
-Eggs&Brewsterjr thinks that Valkyria Chronicles is an exceptional experience.
-Black Red Gaming shares their gaming collection.
-The Baked Potato is being subjected to poor service from Blizzard and isn't going to take it.
-TaviaM introduces herself and her hopes to blog to our community.
-Alphadeus turns 40 and celebrates the 10th year anniversary of their music.
-ABowlOfCereal suggests a move set for Master Hand and Sandbag in Super Smash Bros.
-ChronoLynx is back with another TGIF open community thread.
Thunder Dragon brings '90s shmup action to PS4 and Nintendo Switch
It's Saturday, so it's time to take a gander at the newest entry in the Arcade Archives range, courtesy of the retro fans over at Hamster. This week sees the publisher fall back on the tried-and-tested shmup genre, with the release of NMK's sky-high battler Thunder Dragon.
Released in arcades in 1991, Thunder Dragon puts players in the pilot seat of a highly advanced helicopter, fending off an almighty invasion by what appears to be an alien force but - according to the game's flyer - is actually a terrorist organization piloting stolen military technology. Huh. Thunder Dragon offers fast-paced, vertically scrolling action in efforts to capture the gameplay style of the then mega-popular Raiden series, but with a super patriotic U.S. aesthetic. Amusingly, the bootleg version of the Thunder Dragon JAMMA board actually went as far as to rip-off the Raiden's actual OST.
Despite being packed with explosive effects, flashy weapons, and a head-bangin' soundtrack, the forgotten shmup did not receive a home conversion and, as such, is a very welcome addition to the Arcade Archives range. Thunder Dragon is available to download now on PS4 and Nintendo Switch, priced at around $8. Check out the action in the video below, courtesy of YouTuber Urien84.
I hope you like monotony, because The Tick on SNES and Genesis is crammed full of it
Licensed games are sort of a low-hanging fruit in terms of kusoge, and I have no shame in picking them. They have always, always been hit or miss. You either get a developer that loves the property and tries to do it justice, or you get someone that's just cranking games out of contractual obligation. That's why, on one hand, we have Batman on the NES, which is awesome, while on the other hand, we have Predator on the NES, which is the video game equivalent of drinking a warm glass of garbage water.
Then there are these games that are in between. They're not horrible, someone on the team obviously had some affection for the license, but somewhere along the line, something was lacking. Maybe it was talent, maybe it was vision, or maybe it was corporate meddling. The Tick on SNES and Genesis is one such game. It's not completely bad at first glean, but dig too far beneath the frosting on top, and you wind up eating sand.
Path of Exile is messing with Harvest crafting, and the community is up in arms
Last year, one of Path of Exile's three-month-long leagues was titled Harvest, allowing players to grow gardens of seeds to spawn monsters and ultimately use "deterministic crafting" on their items. This meant that if players had some sweet loot that was just missing one special statistic (say, additional life), they could put in the work to get just that. Most players weren't big fans of the gardening aspect of the league, but just about everyone loved the ability to improve their gear with specific mods.
This mechanic, like many before, has since made its way into the core game. The current league, Ritual, allows players to come across the Harvest zone while playing the endgame and get a small selection of randomly selected crafts to use on gear. Not everyone is crazy about how it is implemented, but in general, many are happy to have "Harvest crafting" back in some capacity as it allows for some great build diversity and plenty of strong gear.
Naturally, developer Grinding Gear Games (GGG) is nerfing the system for players moving forward.
China's Genshin Impact x KFC crossover events shut down due to COVID-19 concerns
KFC was forced to shut down several restaurants in China this weekend after masses of Genshin Impact players turned up to take part in the fast-food outlet's crossover event.
KFC announced that it would be offering exclusive Genshin Impact pins and in-game items to customers who turned up and shouted the phrase "Meet in another world, enjoy delicious food!" at the restaurant's employees. However, as reported by Kotaku, KFC outlets in the Shanghai, Nanjing, and Hangzhou district were overrun with fans. Despite authorities' best efforts to maintain crowd control, it was deemed that the gatherings violated China's particularly strict COVID-19 regulations, forcing the partial-abandonment of the event.
As noted by industry analyst Daniel Ahmad, COVID-19 figures are currently relatively low in China, making the country safer than several other major international communities. Regardless, holding an in-store promotion for one of the zeitgeist's biggest video games while a worldwide pandemic is still in effect is somewhat irresponsible. I feel sorry for the poor saps who were in-costume portraying Genshin Impact characters Diluc and Noelle. I hope they got out of there before being swarmed by fans, huggers, and selfie-takers.
The in-game items from the event are expected to be made available to all players later this summer, while the physical pins have very limited availability. As such, these are highly sought-after items in the Genshin Impact community, which is currently estimated to rank in the region of 30-35 million players.
Whatcha been playing this week, Destructoid?
Time might be a man-made construct, but that doesn't necessarily mean I, a man (I think), am either its master or have any control over it. This was proven to me earlier this week when I spent the whole of Tuesday completely convinced it was Wednesday. Then, at midnight, I was setting my alarm and it was NOW Wednesday. Essentially, I added an entire working day onto my week. What fun. Is a good thing I love all y'all and they dropped that TMNT trailer to help push me through to the weekend. Because now it is finally Saturday. OR IS IT?
This week has seen me mostly squinting into my Nintendo Switch, while my medically prescribed glasses stare at me from the sidetable like "What the Fuck?" I've been elbow-deep in cutesy platformers, having spent time with the Switch port of Crash Bandicoot 4: It's About Time, and retro-painted styling of Kaze and The Wild Masks. Who doesn't love rabbit gals? Apart from all those people who got salty about Space Jam: A New Legacy, obviously. Anywhoo, you'll be hearing about both those titles from me soon. Stay Tooned!
But let's hear about some video games from you, the Destructoid community. Hoppity-hop into the comments below and let us all know what you've been playing this week/weekend. It blows my mind the way y'all gobble through video games with reckless abandon, but I'm very happy that you still find so much love and joy in the happy medium. Whether you're playing something new, replaying a classic, or abandoning a disappointment, join in the discourse below, before time runs out for ALL OF US.
Have a safe and pleasant weekend, from all of us at Destructoid.
Contest: Win a Gioteck Premium Wireless Controller for Switch or PS4
In today's contest you can win a Gioteck Premium Wireless Controller for Switch or PS4!
I'm not wasting any time today -- we're giving away a freakin' purple controller! Also a camo one. Sorry, I don't mean to diminish camo, but up against purple there's no contest. It's just how it is.
Even if you don't like purple or camo, it's a free controller! Stop complaining, and let's give away some free stuff!
Unlucky Stardew Valley players can't hatch their ostrich egg and I share their pain
When's the last time you genuinely struggled to get a rare drop in a game and put in hour after hour only for your unlucky streak to persist well beyond reason? What stopped you from calling it quits?
I'm trying to hatch an ostrich egg in Stardew Valley – my first and only – but I can't, and I'm not alone.
You see, I'm on this island, and each day, I bomb the hell out of hundreds of rocks in a volcano while kinda-sorta-but-not-really dodging lava beasts. I'm trying to get a particular fossil to pop out that I can donate to a professor in exchange for a specific incubator that will let me hatch my new animal buddy. But there's a problem, at least for some of us: the item we need – a Mummified Bat – just won't drop.
Am I one of the unlucky few? How unlucky is too unlucky? Let me back up for a minute.
This could be me! [Image Credit: Lord_Evanshire]
I've been playing an unholy amount of Stardew Valley lately, and despite owning it on a few different platforms, only now – with the 1.5 update that added split-screen co-op – have I gone this overboard.
I never thought I'd be one of those people who strive to "do everything." I was perfectly cool with having a dodgy-looking farm, a few animals, and sticking to my quiet loner life, but not anymore. With a second Stardew player to share the daily load, there's so much more room for activities. One of us could focus on fishing while the other mined. One of us could tend to the crops while the other was on animal duty. One of us could be the gift-making chef while the other harvested materials. The list goes on.
Having graduated from "someone who occasionally consults the wiki" to "someone who plays Stardew with a phone practically glued to their hand," I've now reached the point, some 70 hours after starting our co-op farm, where I need to hatch this dang ostrich egg. It's a need, not a want. I've gotta do it!
Here's how it's supposed to go down:
- You get yourself situated on Ginger Island by finding enough Golden Walnuts to unlock the major areas and buildings, including Professor Snail's Island Field Office.
- You go about your day-to-day on the island, earning Journal Scraps along the way. You finally find the tenth clue, allowing you to smack a dig spot near a tree by the Volcano Dungeon entrance. The ostrich egg is yours – don't eat it or cook it or lose it.
- You slowly but surely collect all of the distinct fossils needed for Snail's collection, and in turn, he gives you rewards, the last of which is the Ostrich Incubator.
- You live happily ever after, the end.
For some console players, the process works. For the rest of us, everything is easily obtainable except for the Mummified Bat. There's a lot of speculation as to what's going on, why it's such a struggle for a portion of players, and whether or not you can go to extreme luck-boosting lengths to get the bat.
For his part, ConcernedApe says he's heard hundreds of reports and feels "certain something is wrong."
The latest update fixed the weird blue floors on Ginger Island, but not this bat business. "There will also be another round of patches on all consoles for a few other bugs, including the shaking stones and the mummified bat issue," the developer said on Feb. 23. There's still hope. We should wait it out. Should.
Of course, that's easier said than done. I keep telling myself I'm over these bombing runs. The sentiment never sticks. I've heard of Stardew players spending full in-game years on this egg-quest, while others had no trouble whatsoever. I've even tried a few player-suggested tricks to no avail.
jhoff80: On my main Switch save, I've probably spent 75-100 in-game days in the volcano and haven't gotten a single one (save existed pre 1.5). I don't use bombs frequently, but I use the napalm ring so I guess that has the same effect.
An online coop game hosted on a friend's Switch (also a save that is pre 1.5), literally the first rock I broke in the volcano was a Mummified Bat.
River-Zora: I couldn't find the bat for an in-game month/season of digging, then over the last few in-game days I've found about 10. I don't know if there's some timer that makes them more likely after a certain amount of time looking - but right now I'm drowning in bats (on Switch)! Haven't found a single Snake Vertebrae though.
wojuff: Found a solution that should help everyone, I got Qi seasoning and made gold star ginger ale and pumpkin soup to give a total of +5 luck and got it on the third floor the first time after trying this. It was on my fifth bomb so I would advise people to try this and if you have a luck ring that might help but it's not necessary.
aware_nightmare: Took me a while to find it but I only went into the volcano on super lucky days, eat Spicy Eel to increase my luck, and wear a lucky ring to also increase my chances of finding it. Bring lots of cherry bombs to bust open the rocks faster.
Hopefully your game isn't glitched like mine. In nine years I never organically found a Rare Disk. I had to use the Marnie item number cheat to complete my museum collection.
You know you're in too deep when you're trying to crowdsource a solution to a problem that's near-guaranteed to be fixed in the coming weeks. That's the awe-inspiring power of the ostrich.
Is this going to be one of those "desire sensor" cautionary tales? Will I suddenly be flooded with Mummified Bats the moment I give up the grind and move on with my life? I'd be fine with that!
You might not have my exact ostrich woes, but I bet you can relate with one game or another.
Yes, we'll learn more about Phantasy Star Online 2: New Genesis very soon
You know that Jack Nicholson nodding gif? That's how I feel whenever I hear the phrase Phantasy Star Online 2: New Genesis.
I mean, I love playing PSO 2 on the Xbox One. I've been waiting for it for years! But there's something special about the idea of playing a Phantasy Star offshoot at the same time with everyone else; sans a giant years-long Japan region lead. It's glorious, and reminds me of when my whole group dove into Phantasy Star Online together on Dreamcast and the OG Xbox.
We've already gleaned a bit of info from various Sega goings-on these past few months, but now we're diving even more headfirst into it really soon. How soon? March 18 at 7AM ET, otherwise known as 21:00 JST. You can watch it right here at that time.
As the listing reminds us, New Genesis is scheduled to be released "sometime in 2021" on PC, PS4, and Switch (via cloud version) in Japan. In the US, it'll also arrive on the Xbox One and Series X/S.
PSO 2 [Sega]
Throw down in Nintendo's own lost classic, Joy Mecha Fight
In 1991, Street Fighter II radically altered the video game landscape. It opened a portal through which all sorts of pretenders started flowing out. Some of them were good! Most of them were bad. The one I present to you this Famicom Friday has mostly been forgotten.
That's right, Famicom. And not Super Famicom, either. This one was entirely 8-Bit and was a pretty incredible effort to replicate the 1v1 experience on the aging console. By 1993, most arcade kids were arguing about whether Mortal Kombat's blood and fatalities were better than Street Fighter II's actually good gameplay, but on the Famicom, you were hard-pressed to find anything close.
Whoa, seeing all of the Nintendo-published physical Switch games in one image is neat
So as of...give or take a week and a half or so, the Switch is officially four years old. Which also means that Zelda: Breath of the Wild is four.
It's been a long time coming to see Nintendo at the top of their game again (as I continue to pour out numerous beverages for the Wii U, which never got its due - no, I won't let it go), but this infographic from Redditor GreenDonuts88 (great name) shows us how far they've come.
Note the parameters for this image here. It's "all the Nintendo Switch games with physical releases that were published by Nintendo." It's several qualifiers in one, but it gets the job done and shows you just how far Nintendo has gone to personally ensure the Switch is a hit.
It also really reminded me of the early days of the Switch: the wild wild west where 1-2 Switch was a thing, and we were milking cow udders as a minigame. Also, Arms! The list takes me back in a big way, mostly with positive fuzzy feelings.
I think I own like...95% of this list?
Here's All the Nintendo Switch Games With Physical Releases That Were Published by Nintendo [Reddit]
Chibi-classic Powerful Pro Baseball is getting a pint-sized anime show
Well, here's a weird one to see the week out. Konami has announced that its adorable baseball franchise Powerful Pro Baseball - previously known as JikkyŠPowerful Pro Yakyū and Power Pros - is to receive a web-based anime adaptation.
The show, which is currently in development at anime studio CloverWorks, will tell the story of two childhood friends and their efforts to achieve their dream of playing ball at the Koshien Stadium. The series is expected to run for a mere four episodes at the scant runtime of 10 minutes per episode, as short as its totes-adorbs cast members, I suppose.
You can check out some super-cute concept artworks over at PR Times.
The eternally feel-good Astro's Playroom soundtrack is streaming
One of the absolute highlights of getting a PlayStation 5 – even now, as more high-profile games are about to roll out – is digging into Astro's Playroom. This has got to be one of the most pleasurable games I've played in recent memory. Everything about it, from the inviting art style to the care-free platforming to the memorable way it feels to physically use the DualSense controller is spot-on.
Astro's Playroom makes me happy, plain and simple. It makes me happy in a way that pretty much only Nintendo can routinely pull off these days. The soundtrack is a big part of the relentlessly feel-good vibe. It's best paired with the cheerful world of Astro, but even without context, it's smile-inducing.
Starting today, Kenneth C. M. Young's high-energy soundtrack for Astro's Playroom can be streamed on Spotify, Amazon Music, Apple Music, and YouTube Music – and you can buy it from Amazon or Apple.
"CPU Plaza" and all of its variations are going to stick with me for a long, long time. It's the best!
For a window into how the Astro's Playroom soundtrack came together, check out this PlayStation Blog post from the composer that follows the revisions leading up to the final version of "I'm Your GPU." It's one thing to just read about the creative process, but it's another to hear the progress step by step.
Best soundtrack for a console pack-in game ever? I'd need to dig around first... but possibly!
[Thanks, PatBateman17]
Do you use Xbox One's OneGuide? Oh. Well anyway, it's going away in May
Xbox has announced that it will be retiring its Xbox OneGuide app. The TV listings service, which has stuck around since the Xbox One's initial release in 2013, will be removed from the Xbox dashboard in May, bringing an end to many years of... knowing what's on TV right now.
"Based on customer usage and feedback, we're constantly evolving the Xbox experience," said Xbox in a recent blog update. "To that end, beginning this May we'll be sunsetting live TV listings for OneGuide on Xbox One. You can continue to use OneGuide to view your connected HDMI devices or USB TV tuner. You can also keep using OneGuide for HDMI-passthrough and to watch TV via USB TV tuners, but you won't be able to access the on-screen TV Listings guide."
Xbox is not the only platform to start re-evaluating its multimedia usage. A fortnight ago, PlayStation announced that it was calling time on the ability to purchase movies and TV shows via the PlayStation Store, pulling the shutters down on its online catalogue August 31.
[Via Eurogamer]
Crash Bandicoot 4: It's About Time comes spinning onto PC March 26
Activision, in association with developer Toys 4 Bob, has announced that wacky platformer Crash Bandicoot 4: It's About Time will finally make its debut on PC (via Battle.net) March 26.
Already available on PlayStation, Xbox, and Nintendo Switch platforms, the long-time-coming sequel sees Crash, Coco, and Tawna reunited on a dimension-hopping adventure to stop the nefarious Dr. Cortex and the arrogant Dr. N. Tropy - both of whom are attempting to wreak havoc through the very fabric of time and space itself.
Stuffed with unlockable skins, hidden surprises, bonus stages, time trials, challenges and more, all dressed up in Crash Bandicoot's colorful, recognizable style and laced with the franchise's very silly sense of humor. Crash Bandicoot 4: It's About Time is a great return to form for the much-loved franchise. Fans of 3D platformers would do well to give it a whirl.
It's back!
Bethesda just announced that the Fallout 76 PTS (public test server) is ready for business again, which will allow players to try out all of the upcoming major additions to the game. Those additions, mind, have a date: April 27.
So what's coming? As Bethesda has been hinting for a while now, you'll be able to further customize your loadouts and your CAMPs, which is going to please a lot of hardcore and casual players alike. Fallout 76 is heavily based around role-playing for a ton of folks, so more CAMP options are great. When the update hits, it'll be called "Locked and Loaded."
If you want to get a quick look at the big new features (again, SPECIAL loadouts, CAMP slots), you can watch the dev gameplay video below. Four Fallout 76 developers walk us through how the new mechanics work in roughly 10 minutes. Daily Ops (dailies) are being expanded too.
The gist? CAMP slots let you "place a new CAMP on top of the one you already have," which also increases your fast travel points and building capabilities. SPECIAL loadouts are more self-explanatory, as you can now swap between specs like a lot of popular RPGs and experiment more quickly with new builds.
Win/win! Especially if the host of bugs get reported before the still-a-month-and-a-half-out update launch.
Inside the Vault [Bethesda.net]
The new Mario Kart speedrunning craze is called 'Blue Yourself,' and it's a hoot
Tobias Fünke really needs to listen to himself when he talks. But he did come up with a hell of a catchphrase, so we'll let it slide.
You guessed it: the new speedrunning craze in Mario Kart 8 Deluxe (which is still a wildly successful game with over 33 million sales under its belt) is called "Blue Yourself." It involves trying to hit yourself with a blue shell as quickly as possible, and there is a fierce competition going on right now in the Mario Kart community.
To achieve this task, you'll acquire boost items, strategically hang back so your odds of getting a blue shell are high, then boost ahead quickly and "blue yourself" with the blue shell. There's chance involved, but given how quickly runs are, it's not maddening. The whole process takes roughly 40 seconds or less.
Just recently, YouTuber Skilloz (below) beat out the world record of GsFlint, which was set at 39.56 seconds. Skilloz managed to sneak under with a decent chunk of extra time, clocking in at 37.89 seconds with Baby Peach.
I think one of the most virtuous aspects of the speedrunning community is when folks make up new parameters and stick with them as a group. The "All Dog Treasures" runs in Breath of the Wild are proof of that.
13 Sentinels: Aegis Rim celebrates 400,000 sales and media award selection
Vanillaware has proudly announced that 13 Sentinels: Aegis Rim has hit 400,000 sales. The story-driven action strategy title launched on PS4 in Japan back in 2019, before heading west in the fall of 2020.
Written and directed by George Kamitani of Dragon's Crown fame, 13 Sentinels sees players take control of 13 individual characters, whose stories and fates intertwine against the backdrop of an alternate history 1985 - occasionally bouncing back to the past and forward to the future. The epic tale consists of dialogue-heavy story sequences, complex RTS battles, and side-scrolling action, all decorated in Vanillaware inimitable visual style.
Dragon Ball Z: Kakarot on Switch? Bandai Namco says it was a mistake
Wait what? And it's gone!
In case you missed it, Bandai Namco's Latin America Instagram account (what a wild world we live in with global brands on social) had a little snafu recently. In a new ad for Dragon Ball Z: Kakarot (which came out last year but is getting new DLC soon), a conspicuous "Switch" logo was spotted at the bottom.
Now, as we know, Kakarot is only out on PC/PlayStation/Xbox. But is there a Switch version in the cards, perhaps for a Game of the Year-like release bundled with that DLC? Not anytime soon, at least. Bandai Namco acknowledged the mistake, and noted that the logo was added in error.
It is strange, because Kakarot on Switch is entirely believable. It's not the most graphically intensive game, plus, Bandai Namco has made an effort to bring a ton of games to Switch these past few years; even from third-party developer partners.
Although it was a "mistake" to have the logo on this particular ad campaign, I wouldn't be surprised to learn about a port down the line.
Bandai Namco [Instagram via Twitter] Thanks Rick!
Rust: Console Edition videos showcase uncut PS4 and Xbox One gameplay
Earlier this week, Double Eleven put the word out to the wastelands that its survival epic Rust would be making its way to PS4 and Xbox One in the coming months. Following on from the port's first trailer, the publisher has released two "uncut" gameplay videos showcasing Rust: Console Edition in action on both platforms.
The first video runs a lengthy 17 minutes and spotlights Facepunch Studios' multiplayer adventure as it appears on PS4 Pro. The video features a raid on an isolated village, followed by a spot of scavenging and scrounging for food, weaponry, and other resources. After all, the local 7-11 is hard to come by in Rust's brutal wilderness. At this stage, gameplay looks relatively smooth, with the PS4 Pro handling Rust's action with comparative ease.
The second Monster Hunter Rise demo, with Magnamalo, is live on the Switch eShop
Capcom just put out a new Monster Hunter Rise demo, which you can download now on the eShop.
As announced, this demo is practically identical to the first one, but with one major difference; it adds a Magnamalo hunt. It's described as a "seasoned hunter" challenge, but it'll also have the other four quests available if you're not up for it.
To accompany this new big bad, Capcom has posted a new clip that showcases Magnamalo firsthand, with a few of their abilities in tow. I gotta say, the neon purple aesthetic and the Akuma-like fireballs really make it stand out. That huge amiibo is going to look nice in the collection case.
As a reminder, this is the last demo planned for Monster Hunter Rise. The game is launching at the end of the month after all!
Monster Hunter [Twitter]
Phil Spencer leans in on Xbox Game Pass exclusivity for forthcoming Bethesda releases
With each and every passing statement, Xbox continues to lean in harder on the exclusivity benefits the green brand has earned thanks to its mighty pricey purchase of ZeniMax Media and its subsidiary studios, most notably the AAA developer/publisher Bethesda Softworks.
During yesterday's "roundtable discussion" video, where Xbox and Bethesda converged on stream to discuss the multi-billion dollar buyout, Xbox VP of Gaming Phil Spencer stressed the exclusivity potential of Bethesda's wares, particularly as it pertains to the Xbox Game Pass subscription service.
"We have games that exist on other platforms, and we're going to support those games on the platforms they're on," said Spencer on the subject of console exclusivity. "There are communities of players. We love those communities and will continue to invest in them."
"Even in the future, there might be things that have either contractual things, or legacy on different platforms, that we'll still do [...] But, if you're an Xbox customer, the thing I want you to know is this is about delivering great exclusive games for you that ship on platforms where Game Pass exists."
During the stream Xbox and Bethesda also revealed a slew of the latter's titles that are being added to the Xbox Game Pass service. You can check the full list out right here.
Now you can struggle to hear Tenet's dialogue on Game Boy Advance, just like Nolan intended
Movies on PSP UMDs. Motion pictures on the Game Boy Camera. 3D movies on the 3DS.
Plucky young filmmakers have been messing with the medium for ages now under the lens of video games, but this YouTuber has taken it to a new level. Putting Christopher Nolan's film Tenet on a Game Boy Advance.
Wulff Den decided to riff on the idea that Nolan "really wanted people to see Tenet in theaters" during a global pandemic last year. Amazingly, it also dunks on the notion that some of Tenet's dialogue was hard to hear in theaters: an ongoing debate that has come up in several Nolan features.
The full film actually spans five Game Boy Advance carts, and uses "a legally obtained copy of Tenet," and a bunch of GBA carts to "cannibalize." As expected, the framerate tanks, it's hard to hear, and clocking in at two hours and 30 minutes, it needs to span all those carts to account for the 30 minute maximum per cart. They are .avi files and need to be scrunched down far below 480p.
The amazing thing about all this is how it reminds me of David Lynch's (NSFW) "playing the movie on a telephone" rant. Lynch is able to just say what Nolan takes multiple paragraphs to spit out in an instant.
Madden on Switch? Wait, Madden wasn't already on Switch?! Nope!
It's crazy isn't it? I mean, I thought at some point in the last eight years or so that Madden had graced the Wii, Wii U, or Switch. For a while everything still got Wii ports: just ask Ubisoft.
But nope, there hasn't been a Madden game on any Nintendo console since Madden NFL 13 in 2012. That's almost a decade ago. But that could change, based on the verbiage in this new job listing for a Madden developer.
According to YouTuber Doctre81, not only does the listing mention "Nintendo game consoles" by name, but it's not typically wording found in specific software engineer postings for franchises: indicating that this could be proof of a Madden Switch port. As Doctre81 points out, EA is finally making an effort to port games on the Switch and get in on that money train. It's possible! Even if it's a stripped-down or spinoff version.
Even if it's not for Madden 21 this year, it could very well be proof of the next Madden hitting Switch. EA would be crazy to leave all that money on the table now that the Switch has proven it can hang.
Online Software Engineer - (C++) - Madden [EA via YouTube]
PlayStation Japan has announced a special live stream discussion to showcase some of the most exciting titles headed to PlayStation in 2021. "Play! Play! Play!", as well as sounding vaguely threatening, is described as "a talk show that makes you want to play" and will be broadcast March 21 at 20:00 JST and will run for around an hour.
Scheduled to make an appearance on the stream are Capcom's sepia-tinged horror Resident Evil Village as well as Square Enix's upcoming PS5 release Final Fantasy VII Remake Intergrade. A selection of hosts will be on hand to discuss their respective titles, including Capcom director Morimasa Sato, and Square Enix producer Yoshinori Kitase. It is unclear whether the presentation will include English subtitles, but hopefully there'll be lots of juicy new video for our eyeballs.
If you want to watch the Play! Play! Play! presentation, then you can check out the action on the PlayStation Japan YouTube channel. In the west, the stream will broadcast on March 21 at 03:00 PT / 06:00 / 11:00 GMT... Maybe just wait for the highlight reel on this one.
Resident Evil 2 Remake actors will return for Netflix series Infinite Darkness
Netflix has released new details regarding its upcoming CGI animation series Resident Evil: Infinite Darkness, which will premiere on the TV/movie streaming service later in 2021.
The series will see two of Resident Evil's most likable heroes, Leon Kennedy and Claire Redfield, cross paths once again when their individual investigations converge, pointing toward more shady conspiracies, reanimated horrors, and a zombie raid on The White House itself. In a very fan-pleasing piece of news, Netflix has confirmed that actors Nick Apostolides and Stephanie Panisello will be reprising their roles from 2019's excellent Resident Evil 2 Remake, adding some immersive familiarity to the show's protagonists.
Behind the scenes, the production of Resident Evil: Infinite Darkness will be supervised by Capcom's Hiroyuki Kobayashi, who has worked in close proximity on many Resident Evil games and anime adaptations. The animation is being produced by the legendary TMS Entertainment, a long-running anime studio most recently renown for their great work on CGI movie Lupin III: The First.
While no specific date has been announced for Resident Evil: Infinite Darkness' premiere, the show will feature at the Anime Japan 2021 festival on March 27. Hopefully we'll receive further details, and perhaps even a new trailer, during the course of that weekend.
Contest: Win Monster Energy Supercross 4 for PS4, Xbox Series X, and PC
In today's contest you can win Monster Energy Supercross - The Official Videogame 4!
Look, I just refuse to put the "The Official Videogame" part in this title. It's just too long. Monster Energy Supercross 4 is a perfectly fine title without having to complicate things by noting that's it's the official videogame of the brand. Are there imposters? Is there an unofficial version? We can just assume it's official at this point.
Anyway, we've got some copies of Monster Energy Supercross 4 to give away! Just remember that it's the official videogame.
Little Nightmares II sold a million copies and the series has five million players
The creepy horror-adventure game Little Nightmares II has cleared one million sales in its first month. After recently getting into the original game in preparation for the sequel and ending up loving them both, it's nice to hear. If you enjoyed the panicked intensity and dread of Inside, add 'em to your list.
In a press release today, publisher Bandai Namco also confirmed that the "Little Nightmares franchise has now reached over five million players, a very important milestone for this western-lead franchise."
What's on deck for the series? We're for sure getting PS5 and Xbox Series X/S versions of Little Nightmares II this year, and if you're upgrading, you won't have to pay again. I also have to believe there will be DLC sooner than later – like the original game, there's great potential for side-stories here.
"We can't wait to share with you what's next in the Little Nightmares universe," the publisher said.
We can't talk about the future of Little Nightmares without acknowledging that the developer, Tarsier Studios, was added to Embracer Group's staggering lineup. That said, Bandai Namco owns this brand. Based on the early sales for Little Nightmares II, I have a feeling there will be a third game.
It can be dodgy whenever a series is handed off to a new team, but I'd be down for more.
The original version of Metro 2033 is free to keep on Steam
Celebrating a whole decade of Metro – oh my gosh, it's really been that long? – developer 4A Games has decided to give out free PC copies of Metro 2033 on Steam this week. It's free to keep for good.
All you need to do is claim the game by Monday, March 15 at 10:00 am Pacific.
In a fun twist, 4A Games is giving out the original version of Metro 2033 from 2010, not the Metro 2033 Redux release that showed up four years later – so if you ever wanted to go back, now's the time to act. Some fans prefer the distinct look and feel of the original over the glossed-up, optimized remaster.
Meanwhile, the rest of the series is on sale right now, including the most recent game, Metro Exodus. With the anniversary discounts, you can get the Redux titles for $3.99 each and Exodus for $13.59.
Ten years ago, I wouldn't have expected Metro to be where it's at. 4A Games has done well for itself.
Have you got what it takes to bring down Monster Hunter Rise's Goss Harag?
With a little over two weeks to go until the release of Monster Hunter Rise on Nintendo Switch, Capcom continues to release videos in order to give fans new and old some insight into the mechanics of the iconic adventure series newest entry.
One such video features a breakdown of an entire hunt, from its planning stages, through tracking, and finally a titanic showdown with the fearsome Goss Harag. The near 15-minute video gives new players an example of Monster Hunter Rise's gameplay, showing how the early stages of the hunt can be as important as the fight itself, while also spotlighting the need for quick wits and the need for adaptation in battle.
Beyond a Steel Sky brings old-school adventure to consoles later this year
Microids has announced that it will be bringing Revolution Software's cyberpunk adventure Beyond a Steel Sky to PS4, Xbox One, and Nintendo Switch in the third quarter of 2021. The dystopian adventure - a sequel to the 1994 DOS classic Beneath a Steel Sky - launched on PC and Apple Arcade in the summer of 2020.
"Signing this publishing deal with the renowned Revolution Software studio delights us!" said Microids CEO Stephane Longeard. "We're thrilled to give players the possibility to rediscover the long-awaited sequel to Beneath a Steel Sky on consoles by diving into a captivating story supported by clever gameplay mechanics and gorgeous graphics."
WRC 9 puts pedal to the metal on Nintendo Switch today
The latest entry in the long-running World Rally Championship series finally got the green flag on Switch today, as WRC 9 finally launches on the Nintendo platform, following its September 2020 release on PlayStation, Xbox, and PC
WRC 9 for Nintendo Switch comes jam packed with all of 2020's WRC content, including three rallies through Japan, New Zealand, and Kenya, along with 15 iconic vehicles, 14 environments, and a huge 110 special stages. WRC 9 also features a deep career mode, which adds mechanics such as staff and calendar management to the free-wheelin' action.
WRC 9 is now available on PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X, and Switch platforms, as well as on PC via Epic Games Store. You can check out a new trailer for the Switch release below.
Humble Bundle raised over $30 million for charity in 2020
While 2020 was most certainly not a year to look back on with any great fondness, the trials and tribulations of what should have been a promising start to a new decade did not stunt the kindness and generosity of the gaming community. Games Done Quick, Pokemon GO Fest, itch.io, Extra Life, and many other events and companies donated/raised funds for a variety of important and worthwhile causes. And discount gaming store Humble Bundle was no different.
Over the course of the year, Humble Bundle raised a total of over $30 million USD via the sales of its gaming and book bundles, with the impressive total reaching a total of 224 global charities. Of this figure, some $8.1 million was donated to COVID relief and healthcare causes such as Direct Relief, Medecin Sans Frontiers, and Partners in Health, all of whom worked tirelessly in efforts to provide resources, PPE, and healthcare during one of the worst global pandemics the planet has ever faced.
Humble Bundle also raised around $2.2 million to help fight the terrible Australian Bushfire crisis, which saw 46 million acres of land and wildfire decimated between the months of September 2019 and March 2020. In the summer of 2020, at the height of the Black Lives Matter protests, Humble Bundle raised almost $5 million in a single week to benefit multiple Black charities including the NAACP Legal Defense Fund, Race Forward, and The Bail Project. The publisher also committed $1 million to an initiative that prioritizes publishing titles from Black developers.
Since its inception in 2010, Humble Bundle's "Pay What You Want" sales methodology is expected to have raised over $200 million for charity. This is one in any number of stories I've reported on that showcase the compassionate and supportive side of this often maligned industry and community. While the world remains deeply embroiled in much of 2020's negativity, it's endlessly comforting to see publishers and players contribute toward better times, even in the hardest of times.
Loop Hero is adding more speeds and mid-run saves
Devolver Digital and Four Quarters have quite the roguelike strategy hit on their hands with Loop Hero, a game that's hard to fully "get" until you've looked at the clock and realized you just lost several hours in an instant. Plenty – and I mean plenty – of curious players have come to that realization this week.
Loop Hero has passed 500,000 sales in its first week on Steam, and players are averaging 12 hours.
What is this game? It's a distillation of moody old RPGs, card-drawing deck builders, idle games, and gambling. Okay, that last one isn't technically true – but I sure feel like I'm pushing my luck whenever I play. I never know when to retreat with my pile of resources before it's too late and I'm screwed.
Litter the map with structures from randomly-drawn cards to help and hinder your hero, passively watch them battle it out with fantasy foes, actively equip incrementally better gear drops that fit your class, and keep them alive until they can face the big boss – that's the idea, anyway. Loop Hero is tough.
It's one of those games with an old-school mystique about it where you've got to test things out for yourself to discover synergies or even whole game mechanics, or you've gotta consult the wiki.
I've yet to clear the second stage – I was so close with an absurdly fast-hitting Rogue once – but maybe I'll have my breakthrough soon. I also want to get better with the Necromancer because skeletons rule.
Apart from the sales update, Four Quarters also confirmed a few upcoming features: "a system for saving during expeditions, new speed settings, and a deck of traits gained from bosses." The developers also intend to give Loop Hero more card types, character classes, and tile transformations this year.
Denuvo is offering its Anti-Cheat technology to PS5 developers
Tech firm Irdeto has partnered with PlayStation in order to offer Denuvo's anti-cheating technology to any developer creating titles for the latter's newest gaming platform, PS5.
"Cheating ruins video games for honest players," said Denuvo MD Reinhard Blaukovitsch in a statement. "This can lead to lower engagement, game traffic and shrinking revenues for game publishers. We are really proud to be able to help the world's most talented developers to bring rich experiences for gamers on PlayStation 5."
As part of the Tools and Middleware program, developers will be able to license Denuvo's patented Anti-Cheat tech for use within their titles to "secure online gameplay and securely reward offline progress." Understandably, the news has been treated with concern from some PS5 owners, as Denuvo's controversial "Anti-Tamper" PC software has come under fire from players and developers in the past, accusing the piracy-prevention tech of hampering performance and draining CPU resources.
It should be noted that, for now at least, Denuvo is specifically offering its Anti-Cheat tech to PS5 developers, not its Anti-Tamper tech. Denuvo claims that some PS5 games are already utilizing Anti-Cheat, (though it negates to divulge which games), so hopefully we won't see a repeat of the furor that hit Doom Eternal back in 2020. Regardless, for some video game fans, the mere term "Denuvo" is linked with negativity, so this news will understandably be treated with trepidation, regardless of its ultimate outcome.
Borderlands 3 Director's Cut DLC pushed back to April 8
Borderlands 3 players waiting for that next – and surely not final – reason to revisit the game will have to wait a few more weeks. Gearbox has delayed the Director's Cut DLC to April 8, 2021.
Hey Vault Hunters, we have an important update for you. pic.twitter.com/Vqn1VSrDGK
— Borderlands 3 (@Borderlands) March 11, 2021
In a statement on Twitter, the studio cited "challenges arising from the severe weather that impacted Texas" in February as the main force behind the delay. "Thankfully, all of our team members and their families are safe and healthy, but our work on Director's Cut was unavoidably disrupted and we've ultimately decided to shift the release date to ensure we deliver the best possible experience."
As a quick recap, the Director's Cut DLC is the second half of Season Pass 2 and it's focused primarily on Hemovorous the Invincible, a Varkid raid boss, and a series of "murder mystery" missions with Ava.
The add-on also adds Vault Cards to keep the progression/reward grind alive for the rest of 2021.
As I said last time we talked about Borderlands 3, I'm not too keen on Season Pass 2 – I don't feel a "need" any of this stuff – but enough of you put in a good word for the first content pass that I'll check it out. As it stands, I enjoyed my time with the main campaign in split-screen co-op. It was fun!
Xbox Game Pass has 20 Bethesda games lined up including Fallout 76 and Morrowind
There are short- and long-term implications with Microsoft's acquisition of ZeniMax Media and all of its studios, and we're already starting to see them play out. Unsurprisingly, Xbox Game Pass is getting a lot of Bethesda titles this week – 20 games, almost all of which will be playable on Xbox and PC.
Here's the list of Bethesda games that you can play with Xbox Game Pass on March 12, 2021:
- Dishonored Definitive Edition (Console, PC, Cloud)
- Dishonored 2 (Console, PC, Cloud)
- DOOM (1993) (Console, PC, Cloud)
- DOOM II (Console, PC, Cloud)
- DOOM 3 (Console, PC, Cloud)
- DOOM 64 (Console, PC, Cloud)
- DOOM Eternal (Console, PC, Cloud)
- The Elder Scrolls III: Morrowind (Console, PC)
- The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion (Console, PC)
- The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim Special Edition (Console, PC, Cloud)
- The Elder Scrolls Online (Cloud, Console)
- The Evil Within (Console, PC, Cloud)
- Fallout 4 (Console, PC, Cloud)
- Fallout 76 (Console, PC, Cloud)
- Fallout: New Vegas (Console)
- Prey (Console, PC, Cloud)
- Rage 2 (Console, PC, Cloud)
- Wolfenstein: The New Order (Console, PC, Cloud)
- Wolfenstein: The Old Blood (Console, PC, Cloud)
- Wolfenstein: Youngblood (Console, PC, Cloud)
Better yet, the Xbox team noted that "a few of these games will also benefit from FPS Boost on Xbox Series X/S." Could it be time to revisit Morrowind and Fallout: New Vegas? Some people never even left!
It's worth noting that quite a few of the aforementioned games either currently are – or were, at some point – included with Xbox Game Pass subscriptions. It can be tricky to track this stuff as games are added or pulled from the service each month, but hopefully the list above will only grow over time.
Notable omissions at a glance? DOOM (2016), The Evil Within 2, Wolfenstein II, and Fallout 3.
Nintendo Download: Crash Bandicoot 4: It's About Time
The time has come!
Like other Activision remasters/remakes, Crash 4 has inevitably hit the Switch. Today!
Also on Switch, Stubbs the Zombie is being resurrected, and is out on March 16. Then there's Cyanide & Happiness - Freakpocalpyse. And a bunch of other stuff!
Oh, and Apex Legends just arrived on Switch yesterday. There's a lot of old/semi-new stuff to explore on the eShop this week.
Murder most foul in The Outer Worlds' next DLC expansion
Dig out your Sherlock Holmes hat and prepare to re-open your detective agency, because there's foul play afoot in the world of The Outer Worlds. Eridanos' most treasured celebrity, Halcyon Helen, lies dead in her office, right before her endorsement of new brand Spectrum Brown Vodka. But whodunnit? And why? WHY?
These will be among the questions you and your crew will have to answer in The Outer Worlds' newest DLC expansion "Murder on Eridanos." Armed with only your wits, the sleuthing Discrepancy Amplifier, and, oh yeah, a shit load of laser guns, it will be up to you to journey through the floating islands of Eridanos and get to the bottom of Halcyon Helen's untimely end. Just be sure that someone doesn't end up getting sent to investigate your untimely end.
The Outer Worlds: Murder on Eridanos will launch on PS4, PC, and Xbox One March 17. A date was not announced for the Switch release, but given the delayed arrival of previous DLC Peril on Gorgon, no doubt it will make its way to the Nintendo platform in good time.
But, it's not even the "summer of streams" yet!
Alas, every publisher and their brother is getting a stream, and now Square Enix is ready to announce their next project: Square Enix Presents. It's a new Nintendo Direct-like video program, and it's described as a "series of shows," so we're getting more than just the upcoming March 18 debut, folks.
It's crazy how diverse Square Enix's catalog is at this point, but updates for Life is Strange, Outriders, Just Cause mobile, Marvel's Avengers, Balan Wonderworld are announced, as far as specific titles go. In the broader picture, they'll "celebrate" the 25th anniversary of Tomb Raider somehow, and show us "new mobile game announcements," as well as what TAITO (Bubble Bobble) has been working on.
The exact time for the first Square Enix Presents stream is 1PM ET on March 18, and it will last "approximately 40 minutes." You can find a full list of everything the publisher intends to showcase below.
So the new Nintendo dream island is finally open for business in Animal Crossing: New Horizons, and it's fairly easy to access.
While it's nothing to write home about within the confines of the game, it does get you a quick and easy Mario mission completion. Here's a quick runthrough.
Yesterday saw publisher Dotemu come leaping out of the sewers (erm... no offense) with the announcement of a brand new Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles arcade brawler.
TMNT: Shredder's Revenge is in development for PC and consoles at Tribute Games - a studio not only responsible for the enjoyable Mercenary Kings, but who also houses developers who worked on Ubisoft's great 2010 brawler Scott Pilgrim vs. The World: The Game. Powered by this trinity of brand, studio, and frenzied fan nostalgia, it's fair to say that much of the internet lost its collective mind when the trailer dropped yesterday morning.
From the short gameplay teaser, it's clear that TMNT: Shredder's Revenge is hoping to capture the awesome multiplayer action of Konami's 1989's arcade classic Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles and its 1991 sequel, Turtles in Time. With fans suffering from severe shell-shock at the announcement, there's a few details featured in the trailer that might've passed them by.
(Update) Microsoft to discuss Bethesda acquisition and what it means for Xbox fans later this week
[Update: Xbox has announced that it will premiere a "Bethesda Joins Xbox" video today at 10:00 PT / 13:00 ET. Described as a "roundtable conversation," Xbox Aaron Greenberg notes that the video will not focus on major news or any game announcements. You can check out the video on the official Xbox YouTube channel.]
Earlier this week, Microsoft received approval from both the U.S. Securities & Exchanges Commission and the European Commission regarding its $7.5 billion USD acquisition of ZeniMax Media, essentially making the latter's studios and publishers Xbox-owned studios.
According to sources speaking with VentureBeat, Microsoft is planning to discuss what this industry-shaking transaction means for Xbox going forward, with specific regard to the Xbox Game Pass service. According to VentureBeat's sources, Microsoft is currently preparing a video presentation for broadcast Thursday, March 11, in order to better explain its plans for its newly owned studios such as Bethesda Softworks.
Of course, one of the biggest concerns from a customer standpoint revolves around exclusivity deals, and whether Xbox will now hold firm to titles such as The Elder Scrolls, Fallout, Doom, Wolfenstein, and others. At present it remains unclear as to whether Microsoft intends to broach this subject in the presentation, focusing more on its plans to bring the aforementioned franchises to the Game Pass service.
It is also noted that the presentation is not an E3-style "reveal" deal. This isn't going to be a showcase for new and upcoming games. The report states that this is more a matter of business, as Microsoft begins to set out its goals for its soon-to-be-acquired portfolio of new studios and blockbuster brands, boosting its inventory to some 23 development teams. We will, of course, let you know as/when further details of this presentation are officially confirmed.
Xbox and Bethesda will talk this week about what the acquisition means [GamesBeat]
PSA: If you're playing Apex Legends on Switch maybe turn off cross-play
So Apex Legends is out on Switch. That's good!
But it also has some performance issues. That's bad!
But it has cross-play. That's good!
But cross-play can cause you to get smoked by players with twice the framerate and better visuals. That's bad!
Electronic Arts has announced it has begun a "thorough investigation" into allegations that one of its employees has sold rare FIFA Ultimate Team (FUT) cards directly to players in the FIFA 21 community.
In what has been dubbed by the internet as #EAGate, (because of course it has), multiple Twitter users posted images - as collated by Eurogamer - that allege to show evidence of deals made between FIFA players and at least one EA employee via direct messaging services.
The supposed transactions revolve around the direct selling of FUT "Icon Moments" - incredibly rare cards based on legendary footballers such as Pele, Zinedine Zidane, and Ruud Guillet. One tweet shows an alleged transaction that features one Icon Moment and two Team of the Year cards changing hands for a total of €1,000 (roughly $1,200 USD). Another example allegedly shows three Icon Moments and two Team of the Year cards selling off-market for €1,700 (or around $2,000 USD).
This morning, Electronic Arts released an official statement regarding the scandal, announcing that it was in the process of launching a thorough investigation into the situation. "We understand how this creates concern about unfair balance in the game and competition," said the publisher on Twitter...
...because sometimes a punchline just writes itself.
FIFA 21 rocked by "EAGate" scandal after employee is alleged to have sold cards [Eurogamer]
(Update) Kickstarter campaign launched for X-COM: UFO Defense book
[Update: The Monsters in the Dark Kickstarter has hit its target goal of $12,000. The crowdfunding campaign will remain open until April 8, at which point the book will go through its final proofing and publishing process. It will launch in digital format soon thereafter, with a physical paperback to follow in summer 2021.]
A Kickstarter campaign has been launched for a new book that will tell the story behind the development of 1994's X-COM: Enemy Unknown, (released in North America as X-COM: UFO Defense and also as UFO: Enemy Unknown in Europe), the first release in the genre-defining strategy series that is still zapping aliens and fending off intergalactic invasions to this day.
Monsters in the Dark: The Making of X-COM: UFO Defense is an independently produced book by author David L. Craddock, who previously penned the excellent Stay Awhile and Listen series, recounting the formation of Blizzard Entertainment and Blizzard North, as well as the development and launch of the legendary Diablo series
"I read David Craddock's book, Stay Awhile and Listen, and I thought it was quite an intricate, deep-dive into the inner workings of Blizzard Entertainment," said X-COM co-creator Julian Gollop. "I would like to see the X-COM book as kind of a historical record of a game that was influential. Hopefully, it can provide some inspiration, and also some fascination for how things were done in the early days of the games industry- and in some cases, how badly things were done as well."
The Magnificent Trufflepigs is an adventure game with 'laid-back metal detecting'
The Magnificent Trufflepigs is a walking, talking, metal-detecting narrative adventure game from the lead designer of Everybody's Gone to the Rapture. Doesn't that sound cozy? As someone who just yesterday tossed on this background-noise video of cows grazing in the mountainside, I'd say so!
The upcoming game – a collaboration between Andrew Crawshaw's new studio Thunkd and publisher AMC Games – will set you loose on an English farm with a metal detector and a walkie-talkie.
You're looking for a long-lost earring, a sort of "local treasure," before the farm is taken over by an energy company. Playing as Adam (voiced by Arthur Darvill), you'll chat with Beth (Luci Fish), who found the first half of the pair years back and hopes to feel a "childhood sense of adventure" again.
Beyond the easygoing premise, there are hints that this seemingly simple task might spiral out of control by the end. It's tough not to point to Firewatch even if the comparisons are probably surface-level, but either way, there's plenty of room for more games in the conversing-in-nature space.
The Magnificent Trufflepigs is coming to Steam and Nintendo Switch in early summer 2021.
Yakuza's Ichiban Kasuga is an awesome dude, and his story may have only just begun
Back when Destructoid nominated its favorite new characters of 2020, I talked about Yakuza: Like a Dragon's hapless hero, Ichiban Kasuga. Nobody but nobody, it would've seemed, could successfully fill the role of long-term Yakuza protagonist Kazuma Kiryu - one of the coolest, likable, and most beloved protagonists in Sega's, nay, in gaming history.
But, somehow, new boy Kasuga hit the ground running, masterfully blending stoicism, bravery, pathos, heroism, and just the right amount of complete and utter idiocy to immediately win the hearts of the Yakuza faithful. The boy came good, and despite having only been around for a single release, it already feels like Kasuga has been around for the franchise's full 15 years.
Speaking in a (spoilery) interview with The Verge, Team Yakuza writer and designer Masayoshi Yokoyama reflected on the impact created by the burgundy-suited maniac. Yokoyama noted that, having spent the past 18 years in prison, Kasuga has a whole life to catch up on, with more than enough time to get tangled up in a hell of a lot of dramatic and catastrophic shenanigans as he readjusts to the outside world.
"I think that Yakuza: Like a Dragon is only the first chapter of Ichiban Kasuga's life," mused Yokoyama on his character's future. "Since he was in prison for 18 years, he has only just begun his life as an adult man. I'm sure there's probably many trials and tribulations that await him."
