The Colonists, a chilled-out city-builder, is coming to consoles
Depending on who you ask, Steam is overrun with city-builders, but there aren't a ton of options for the console crowd – and even then, it can be hit-or-miss to find games that are comfortable, legible, and run okay on consoles. Even if they aren't ideal, I'm open to these ports. I'll give them a chance.
The Colonists is a self-described "relaxing" settlement-building game about laying down efficient resource-gathering and transportation routes for robots who have left earth behind to build a new home. It's a logistics game, the kind that feels productive even though you've just spent the last hour unwinding instead of chipping away at that personal project you've been putting off for so long.
Developer Codebyfire has been doing its thing on Steam since October 2018, and The Colonists is in a good enough place for console ports to make sense. Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, and Xbox One versions of the game are coming in 2021 with an assist from Auroch Digital and publisher Mode 7.
Here are some preview screenshots taken from the PS4 build:
Apart from the noticeably larger UI elements, the port developers say they've reworked the controls "from the ground up" for consoles, added new hats for the bots, and worked on other "cute touches."
The favorable Steam reviews have drawn a lot of comparisons to The Settlers, and I dig that there are separate "peaceful" and "military" tracks for folks, like me, who don't necessarily want to duke it out.
"Very easy to get into from a mechanical perspective as well, so this is a great game for someone who hasn't tried a city builder before," wrote Steam user reviewer Sethyboy0. "For experienced players, the biggest challenge will be putting together a colony with good production without your roads getting clogged up with goods. You'll have to make good use of all the tools available."
I look forward to inevitably realizing that my supply chain is awful and fighting the urge to start over.
Contest: Win an Another Eden prize pack, featuring an official artbook and keyboard and mouse mat
In today's contest you can win an Another Eden official artbook and desk pad prize pack!
Happy birthday, Dtoid! I know it's our birthday, but that doesn't mean we can't give you a nice little present, right?
On deck today is a fun little prize pack from Another Eden, featuring an official artbook and a keyboard/mouse mat! Just try not to get wrist grease all over the mousepad, yo.
Happy 15th Birthday, Destructoid!
Hit the lights, strike up the band, pop the corks, lose your pants. We are gathered here today to celebrate the anniversary of the coolest and hippest video game website on the internet - right up there with such contemporary trends as Tamagotchis, Fidget Spinners, and The Macarena. Yes, friends, today sees Destructoid celebrate its 15th birthday.
It's been 15 long years since founder Niero Gonzalez started his own gaming blog for the sole purpose of blagging an E3 press pass. Suffering for his art, our affable overlord crammed his head inside a home-made, razor-sharp helmet and spread the gospel of a brand new games media experience. A website that aimed to take a wry look at the video games industry - its wares, people, politics, and curiosities, offering informed and honest information without taking itself too seriously.
Since those humble beginnings, Destructoid has grown into the "phenom" it is today - like The Undertaker, but without the weirdly right-wing clothing. For well over a decade, Destructoid has posted thousands upon thousands of features, reviews, videos, interviews, podcasts, show reports, and contests. The site has raised money for numerous charities and causes, while Destructoid alumni have birthed memorable series such as Podtoid, Jonathan Holmes' 'Sup Holmes, Ashly Burch's Hey Ash, Whatcha Playin'?, and The Jimquisition, hosted by the irrepressible Jim Stephanie Sterling.
SOMA sold a million copies on PC and it deserves every last sale
SOMA has got to be one of my favorite horror games of the past decade – doubly so when I try to think about contenders that aren't remasters, remakes, or rehashes. It's heartwarming to hear that I'm far from alone in feeling that way, and that it's continuing to sell well by Frictional Games' measure.
In a mostly Amnesia: Rebirth-focused blog post, the studio mentioned that SOMA has "sold more than one million copies on PC and quite a lot more if you combine it with sales on PS4 and Xbox One." The milestone actually happened "some time ago" – the developers just now got around to celebrating it.
"Reaching the one-million milestone once again shows that our games have a really long tail and the way we like to interpret that is as a seal of quality and that our games receive a strong push over time through word of mouth. The game even sold quite a lot more last year than it did the year before that, but that has probably a lot to do with the buzz surrounding our studio thanks to the Rebirth release."
I'm not afraid of the deep ocean, and SOMA messed me up big time anyway. Come for the disturbing horror-game sights, stay for the all-too-real existential dread that sticks with you well after you shut it off. You might've heard about a Safe Mode to keep the creeps at bay, but that can only go so far. This is one of those rare horror-adventures you put yourself through for the sake of a powerful story.
Before you go skimming the whole blog, watch out: there are (well-labeled) postmortem spoilers for Amnesia: Rebirth. Sales-wise, the game cleared 100,000 copies in its first five months. Is that enough? It's not profitable yet – but Frictional feels "really optimistic about the future for the game."
On a more concrete note, Frictional says it already has two new titles in the works: the developers "just initiated production on the next game (which has now had tons of pre-production time during Rebirth) and we're kicking off pre-production on a second project as we speak." Rebirth is still on my list.
Amnesia: Rebirth – Five months later and SOMA sells 1M+ copies [Frictional Games]
SkateBird's new office video puts the 'grind' in 'daily grind'
It's been a minute since we heard from avian xtreme sports title SkateBird, which will see your local bird-box buddies take to four-wheeled decks and bust out some sweet-ass feathered flips, bro. But developer Glass Bottom Games has returned with a brand new video, showcasing the absurd but fun-looking skater.
The new two-minute preview gives us a look at SkateBird's "Office," as our adorable feathered friends take advantage of desktops, staplers, magazines, and other stationery (literally) items in order to pull off a sick run, racking up combos, points, and bonuses along the way. The video is narrated by Glass Bottom Games' Xalavier Nelson Jr., who provides context for the amusing on-screen action.
Animal Crossing: New Horizons is adding more slots and options for custom designs
Nintendo covered a lot of ground in Animal Crossing: New Horizons today while previewing the March 18 update and other incoming content, but one year after the game's launch, the support plan feels incremental. We're waiting for exciting new stuff to do, and we're still (mostly) getting themed items.
Not to downplay that strat too much – some of the items do look cute. It's just hard to keep your expectations in check when you consider everything New Leaf accomplished and weigh it against New Horizons' content pace. There's also the matter of data-mining; folks are still wondering about Brewster.
The café will have to wait for another day. Here's what to expect from the March 18 update:
- There's a new Custom Design Pro Editor+ to unlock for 2,000 Nook Miles – it lets you deck out "umbrellas, small flags, uchiwa, and photo stands." Nintendo is also adding 50 more design slots for Normal and Pro custom creations if you could use the space.
- Nintendo Switch Online players can use the Able Sisters' Custom Designs Portal directly from their NookPhone.
- The 1st Anniversary Cake (check your mailbox at home).
- Sanrio Collaboration Pack support including furniture and fashion pieces (available at Target for $5.99).
And there are new seasonal items to snag:
- Nook Shopping will sell whoopee cushions from March 26 to April 1.
- The Able Sisters and Nook Shopping will have prom-themed apparel from April 1 to April 30, including "a prom wall, prom night flooring, and a prom sash."
Nintendo also previewed a late-March update for the Switch Online app that'll let Nook Link users earn daily Nook Points "by accessing the app to redeem prizes in Animal Crossing: New Horizons."
Fair warning: Bunny Day is returning on April 4. If there's any lingering business you need to wrap up on your island before the egg menace returns in full over-the-top force, you'd better get cracking.
Thankfully, the "newly-added" Bunny Day items for 2021 will be "exclusive to Nook's Cranny."
(Update) Rockstar pays modder $10,000 for fixing GTA Online's loading woes
[Update: Rockstar has applied a new update to the PC edition of GTA Online which - according to reports from PC Gamer - has seriously reduced load times across the board by minutes. Fine work, t0st, the GTA community owes you a debt of gratitude.]
Rockstar has offered thanks and compensation to a player/modder who discovered a way to severely reduce the load times of the PC edition of the publisher's bullet-riddled MMO GTA Online.
Back in February, a tinkerer going by the moniker "t0st" discovered a discrepancy in GTA Online's source code which could be manipulated to improve the epic title's load times, up to as much as 70% in some cases. As reported by Digital Foundry, t0st's discovery instructs GTA Online to bypass billions of unnecessary coding checks, allowing players to get into the murky online world and start robbing cars and popping domes faster than ever before.
Earlier this week, almost a month to the day that t0st made the game-changing discovery, Rockstar responded to the fan fix in a statement released to PC Gamer. "After a thorough investigation, we can confirm that player t0st did, in fact, reveal an aspect of the game code related to load times for the PC version of GTA Online that could be improved," said GTA's head honchos. "As a result of these investigations, we have made some changes that will be implemented in a forthcoming title update."
Rockstar offered its thanks to t0st for their hard work, with the modder noting that they had received $10,000 from the publisher via its "Bug Bounty" program, which rewards players for their feedback on serious tech and program issues within the GTA Online universe. While the program is generally only focused on security issues, Rockstar told t0st it was making an exception for this particular discovery.
GTA Online is the jewel in Rockstar's revenue crown. Since its launch way back in 2013, the highly hazardous MMO sees hundreds of thousands of players on a monthly basis, bolstering Rockstar's coffers with expansions and microtransactions, while contributing to Grand Theft Auto V's reign as one of the single best-selling video games of all-time.
Super Bomberman R Online headed to PC and consoles, and it's free-to-play
Previous Stadia-exclusive Super Bomberman R Online will come blasting onto PS4, PC, Xbox One, and Nintendo Switch at some point in the near future. Rumors of a port popped up back in February, after a listing for a PC edition appeared on The Game Rating and Administration Committee of Korea's website. Konami officially announced the multi-platform port earlier today.
Super Bomberman R Online takes the famous and frantic gameplay that is the franchise's trademark and applies it to a larger, battle-royale format. Up to 64 Bombermen are deposited across a selection of 16 maps, blowing each other (and often themselves) to kingdom come until there is a last bomber standing. Players can kit their custom master blaster out in over 100 different items, ensuring that they have the coolest-looking bomber on the block.
As Super Bomberman R Online features a heavy emphasis on customization, Konami has decided that the new port will be released as a free-to-play title. A "Premium Pack," which will retail for around 10 bucks, will include a selection of unique items and skins based on famous Konami brands such as Castlevania, Gradius, and Silent Hill. Players will also need to purchase the Premium Pack if they wish to set up private games or access the "Grand Prix" mode. The mammoth 64-player battles, however, will be available to everyone for free.
You can now listen to the Final Fantasy XIV: Endwalker theme without any voiceover or sound effects
Final Fantasy XIV: A Realm Reborn has a huge focus on music. Huge!
It drives so many of the boss battles, and adds a ton of flavor to the game as a whole. Hardcore fans look forward to hearing a new boss or raid theme just as much as the encounters themselves, at times. That's why it's such good news that Square Enix finally put out a version of the Endwalker expansion theme without background noise.
Previously folks were listening to it via the presentation stream video, which was full of noise from the actual trailer. But thanks to a tweet from Square Enix directly, you can listen to the isolated audio yourself. Check it out below.
Another added bonus of the video? It's informative!
Clocking in at just under two minutes and 50 seconds, you can get a bird's eye view of the entire expansion pitch. It goes through everything from the new story content, to the two dungeon teases, to the PS5 beta and the enhancements therein.
Neurodiver, sequel to 2064: Read Only Memories, is headed to PS5 and Switch
Mind-ripping animated adventure Read Only Memories: Neurodiver will be coming to PS5 and Nintendo Switch, in addition to its previously announced PS4, PC, and Xbox One editions, when it finally hits the market in the first quarter of 2022.
Developed by indie outfit MidBoss, Neurodiver is the sequel to 2015 release 2064: Read Only Memories, and will follow the escapades of psychic detective ES88 as they attempt to help a sketchy bounty hunter with a particularly dangerous pursuit. The esper will be able to use their abilities to delve into minds and read the innermost thoughts of those connected with the case. But handle with care, these are the heads of others that you're playing with, and you can cause much damage.
Originally expected to launch in 2020, Read Only Memories: Neurodiver is now tentatively scheduled to hit the airwaves in the first quarter of 2022. So start getting your brain in gear.
Fortnite's newest season is called 'Primal,' and has map changes as well as Lara Croft
Fortnite just kicked off their next season [battle] pass: "Chapter 2, Season 6."
Leaving the hunters and The Mandalorian in the dust, this new offering, dubbed "Primal," will feature none other than Lara Croft, a character that was heavily rumored to appear in the prior season.
"Primal" is more than just a name, as the new map is decidedly more wild, with crafting mechanics, a heavy focus on bows, and animals dotting the map.
Jade Raymond founds Haven Studios, already developing new IP for PlayStation
Canadian video game producer Jade Raymond has announced the founding of a brand new studio. Based out of Montreal, Haven Studios is a new and independent developer that has already gotten straight to working on a brand new mystery IP for PlayStation platforms.
"Many of the talented game developers I have worked with for years (and love dearly!) are coming together to do what we are most passionate about," said Raymond in an official PlayStation blog. "It's time for us to refocus on GAMES in a place where we can practice our crafts without any barriers or impediments. We want to create worlds where players can escape, have fun, express themselves, and find community. We want to pour our passion into a project. We want to make something wondrous for people to experience."
The founding of Haven Studios comes a mere month after the news that Raymond - formerly of Ubisoft and Electronic Arts - had left Google following the closure of Stadia's internal studios. In the introductory blog, Raymond alludes to the difficulties she has faced - both in games development and the world at large - over the past year, and how she hopes her studio will offer a metaphorical "haven" for its staff and customers.
"We want to make something wondrous for people to experience. Because we believe in the power of games to bring joy to people's lives. And Sony does, too. Their commitment to excellence is unmatched. It's why I couldn't be happier for their backing and support," continues Raymond. "Together, we want to create games that are a haven for players, and we want to build a studio that is a haven for developers."
Not finishing games you bought is a foreign thought to me, but it happens often!
I mean you're probably thinking to yourself: "I rarely finish games!" And data would support you, friend.
Based on a new trophy-scouring report from UnGeek, Ghost of Tsushima is one of the most-finished open world games on the PlayStation platform, but it still only clocks in at a 50.2% completion rate (for the main story). Before you react, that's actually pretty high!
The report looked at many other open world titles of the modern era, and found that only Marvel's Spider-Man beat out Ghost with a 50.8% completion rating. Assassin's Creed Origins was below it at 38.2%, followed by Far Cry 5 (36.7%) and Days Gone (34.7%). You can find the full list below.
In many ways, Ghost of Tsushima's quality speaks for itself in terms of why it was able to hook so many people. It's certainly a more involved and longer game than Spider-Man, which makes its completion stat all the more impressive.
Ghost of Tsushima has one of the highest completion rates among open-world games on PlayStation [UnGeek]
If you hated the Balan Wonderworld demo, there's going to be a day one patch to address 'feedback'
The Balan Wonderworld demo was...contentious, to say the least!
Some folks enjoyed the warm feelings that it evoked, as well as the nostalgic leanings toward Yuji Naka's older works. Others thought it was basic. We'll all get a chance to collectively see what the game has got in full when it's out in 10 days: but for now, we'll speculate.
A new blog post from producer Noriyoshi Fujimoto, in a rare display of humility, acknowledges some of the demo's more polarizing bits. Here's a quick blurb from Fujimoto: "There's been a wide range of opinions and responses to the demo, and unfortunately at the current stage of development, it simply isn't feasible to reflect every piece of feedback into the game. However, to offer you all a more balanced gameplay experience, we will be implementing a day one patch for the full game."
The blog post actually gives specifics! Apparently it will "adjust movement controls" as well as the camera, and will "rebalance" difficulty. Whether more "adjustments" will come later is unknown, but I'm sure some of you out there want them.
Again, I'm anxious to see what the full version has in store. I can deal with technical issues and limitations, so long as the rest brings its A game.
The many layers of Balan Wonderworld [Square Enix]
Nintendo is poised for a huge year for the Switch, with 'record software and hardware' sales
Right now the Switch is riding high. Just four years into its lifecycle,
Nintendo is touting roughly 80 million units sold, between the Switch and the Switch Lite. That's good! As in, it's approaching the top-five all-time best-selling console list good. All it needs to do is beat out 102 million PlayStation One units, and it'll have cracked the list and even overtaken the Wii, which is currently in sixth place. It's ready to crack the top 10 right now basically, as soon as it surpasses the PSP's suggested 82 million units. But what about the future?
Bloomberg reports that Nintendo is going to make a huge push this year and try for record-setting numbers in terms of software and hardware. Allegedly, there are plans to unveil more blowout software titles this year, which we could see as early as this summer.
Bloomberg also notes that part of the reason the Switch continues to sell is due to the lack of PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X/S hardware. Yet, Nintendo also faces the same bottleneck as Sony and Microsoft via manufacturer woes and shortages.
They are still pushing those reports of a Switch Pro, which would further propel Nintendo into 100 million sales territory "in the latter half of the year," if that plan comes to fruition. With "stronger blockbuster" software and a new alleged OLED/4K Switch model, Nintendo could easily hit their targets.
Nintendo Targets a Record Year in Switch, Game Sales [Bloomberg]
Quirky PS5 video features Resident Evil Village, FFVII Remake Intergrade, Returnal, and much more
PlayStation Japan has released a quirky promo that presents itself as a "leaked" internal video. The amusingly titled "PlayStation 5_Lineup_Presentation_File_2021-03" trailer features clips taken from a who's who of great titles, all available on (or headed to) PS5.
The five-minute preview includes Capcom's Resident Evil Village, Square Enix's Final Fantasy VII Remake Intergrade, Housemarque's Returnal, Bethesda's Deathloop, ArcSys' Guilty Gear Strive, Sega's Yakuza: Like a Dragon, and many, many more. As a catalogue of some of the exciting games already available or coming soon to PS5, it certainly presents a powerful advertisement for the new next-gen platform. Though it should be clarified that many of these titles are not PlayStation exclusive.
Microsoft is ready to share a few new Xbox Game Pass titles today, and it's quite the list!
As we knew, Outriders and Undertale are coming to the service, but there's several other big names too. Empire of Sin is already making its way to Xbox Game Pass, just several months after launch. NieR: Automata is another heavy-hitter too, as it will be available on the PC arm of Game Pass. It's one of the many evergreen titles that will give Game Pass value as long as it's on the service.
Octopath Traveler is another welcome title, which will be arriving on both consoles and PC on March 25! Add in Yakuza 6 and Star Wars: Squadrons, and you got a stew going.
This is easily one of the strongest months yet for Game Pass. You have a few classics to choose from, several newish titles that are bankable "Game Pass rentals," and Outriders, a brand new game coming day-and-date.
Microsoft is going all-in on Game Pass and I'm loving it.
Story of Seasons players sure love taking creeper photographs
We're a week away from the launch of Story of Seasons: Pioneers of Olive Town in North America, and if you've been following it all in Japan, you know things haven't been going so well. The game released there with a slew of issues that were so bad, producer Dai Takemura actually issued a public apology over the state of the game.
That hasn't stopped people from playing it and exploring one of the chief new features developers created for this entry. Photography plays a pretty decent-sized role in your farming life as you're asked to snap candid photos of wildlife. Of course, you can take pictures of whatever the hell you want, as evident by the photographs that populate the loading screens.
Most of these pictures are nothing out of the ordinary. There are shots of the town, shots of animals, and shots of people, about half of which are out of focus. There is also a nice collection of glitches people have captured, like this boulder owl.
Nintendo boasts improved Zelda: Skyward Sword HD controls that are 'smoother' on Switch
The day Zelda: Skyward Sword came out, I hooked up my shiny new golden MotionPlus controller and...had some mechanical issues.
Then I tried my two other MotionPlus-adapter-ready Wiimotes, and...had more issues. Namely, deadzoning for bomb rolling and a few aiming problems: sword swinging was mostly on point. It turns out Nintendo thinks that system can be improved upon, based on a new ad for the game.
Shared over on Twitter by Nintendo of America, Skyward Sword HD on Switch will apparently have new enhancements with more precise motion controls. Here's the rub: "the original controls have been recreated on Nintendo Switch, and are smoother and more intuitive than the original version."
It's a really bold marketing claim, to dump on the Wii like that; especially when Miyamoto got up on stage and touted how advanced MotionPlus technology was. But if it actually pans out, I'll take it.
It won't fix all of Skyward Sword's problems, but it's a start.
Nintendo of America [Twitter]
Batman x Fortnite comic Zeropoint will include in-game bonus items
DC Comics and Epic Games are teaming up once again for further Fortnite-based shenanigans. The comic-book giant has announced a new miniseries which will see the lawmakers and lawbreakers of Gotham City meet up with some of the battle royale title's cast of heroes and villains.
Batman/Fortnite: Zeropoint will see a tear in the fabric of space and time appear in the skies above Gotham, thrusting The Dark Knight into Fortnite's colorful and chaotic universe. Now struggling to regain his sense of being and identity, Batman will be forced to adapt to his new surrounding, while facing off against some of the strange new world's Champions - including Renegade Raider, Bandolier, and Fishstick...
...I mean, it's still better than that time he had to fight through all of American history.
"When DC first approached me about doing a Batman/Fortnite series I thought it would be a lot of fun," said Zeropoint writer Christos Gage. "After speaking with Donald [Mustard, Epic Games' CCO] and discovering just how deeply we'd be diving into the secrets behind the world of Fortnite, I was amazed! This series will reveal things about Fortnite that have never been seen or heard before yet are very much part of the canon of the game."
As a bonus, Fortnite fans who pick up the first run of physical issues will find codes for special in-game items and skins inspired by the mini-series. The first issue will feature a New Rebirth Harley Quinn gear, and players who purchase all six issues will get access to an exclusive Armored Batman Zero outfit for their character.
Batman/Fortnite: Zeropoint will launch in both physical and digital format on April 20, with following issues to release each fortnight... Naturally.
There's one week left before Fall Guys Season 4 starts
How does March 22 sound for Fall Guys Season 4? Ready or not, here it comes – a futuristic new season starts in one week, so if you have any ground left to cover in Season 3, you'd best get going.
The more trailers I watch for the game, the more this grim realization settles in: if someone – say a tricky Cenobite-type character – were to lock me in a room with the Fall Guys theme song blaring for a day, I would not need the full 24 hours to animorph into a bean man. It would be a quick and painful fate. Thankfully, this time, the iconic main-menu tune quickly fades into a far chiller track from Gunship.
I know this is a cinematic trailer, and we've only gotten a good look at one of the seven new Season 4 levels so far, but I'm pleasantly surprised. Even though "The Future" is such a widely-used theme in pop culture, it fits pretty well with the game-show concept of Fall Guys, and I'm sensing more creativity and ambition as Mediatonic scales up. I hope they go a little Running Man on us, even if it's just a simple nod.
Some of the levels being teased: Power Trip, Roll On, Big Shots, and the aforementioned Skyline Stumble. If you loathe team games on principle, well, it looks like there's at least one more on the way.
Apart from the Among Us crossover costume shown at the end of the video, which is pure headline bait, Fall Guys also has a cat costume lined up for Season 4 that I must add to my pile of never-worn outfits.
I wouldn't say Fall Guys necessarily has that gotta-be-there-day-one factor for season debuts to the same extent as other mega-popular multiplayer games, but it is clawing its way to that status. By the time the Nintendo Switch and Xbox versions are out this summer, I might have a whole new outlook.
This might come as a shock to you: I'm not a fan of the Crash Bandicoot series. I know this doesn't make sense, as I'm British, and we in Blighty love the mad marsupial as much as we love pie-and-mash and rewarding corruption... To be fair - I'm not a fan of Britain either. My general mood toward Crash is rooted in my dislike of "into-the-screen" platform games. There's a special place in the underworld reserved for the people who decided platform games needed to make the transition from the tried-and-tested horizontal layout.
I personally find it bizarre that a genre entirely based around perfectly gauging distance would choose to have its camera perspective changed in such an unholy fashion. And while the 3D Mario titles get away with it - thanks to their softer gameplay pace and large open areas - Crash Bandicoot seemed to want to capture the same frenzied speed and funneled action of a Sonic the Hedgehog, but with all-new depth perception issues, adding elements of frustration and false difficulty to the proceedings.
Still, as technology progresses and visual clarity improves, this has become somewhat less of a problem in modern 3D platformers. It has taken many years, but developer Toys for Bob has turned me around with its excellent Crash Bandicoot 4, which has won me over with its spirited world, infectious personality, creative level design, and fun, wholesome aesthetic.
I've finally found a Crash Bandicoot platform game that I enjoy playing. It's about time.
I'm the world's foremost expert on the Army Men series of games, and while I can see you raising a skeptical eyebrow, I have to ask: do you really want to challenge that claim? The series is something of a guilty pleasure of mine. A majority of it is mediocre, some of it is decent, but a lot of it is bad. The experience is a lot like dumpster diving; every once in a while, you might find a discarded treasure, but you're mostly just going to wind up with tetanus and a foul smell.
It's an interesting part of gaming history because a massive deluge of the titles hit between 1998 and 2002 before it coughed out the disturbingly depressing eulogy that is Army Men: Sarge's War shortly after 3DO went bankrupt. The rights were bought up by Global Star Software, a subsidiary of 2K. They tried rebooting the series twice before just giving up and leaving it to be forgotten.
Army Men: Major Malfunction is the first such effort. Developed by Team 17, it at least has some pedigree, but sometimes pedigree comes with severe medical complications and genetic mutations.
Tekken's Katsuhiro Harada debuts chilled, bar-based interview series 'Harada's Bar'
Katsuhiro Harada, the affable and charismatic Tekken producer, has debuted a brand new web series, which sees the sunglasses-sporting icon operating a classy drinking establishment whilst interviewing famous names from both the FGC and the video game industry at large.
"Harada's Bar" - as spotted by Event Hubs - sees Harada working the counter of a pretty smart-looking watering hole, which will be visited by new guests each and every week. The first episode sees the former Sony Computer Entertainment chairman Ken Kutaragi take time out from his undoubtedly busy schedule to enjoy a pint and set the world to rights - generously bringing along his own ornate casket of Saki as a gift for our host.
Sony is shutting down the PlayStation Communities service next month
Sony has announced that it is pulling down the shutters on the PS4's PlayStation Communities service. As of April the long-running dashboard feature - which allows players of particular games to build forum-style discourse, share screenshots, form parties, and other activities under the banner of specific titles - will be no more.
The announcement was made on the official PlayStation site as part of a general update about the changing face of the PlayStation 4 platform. Both PS4 and PS5 still allow for direct messaging, along with the public sharing of content, guides, live streams and tips for specific games. The PS5 in particular having a slew of features built around game-based communication, so it seems inevitable that Sony would start sunsetting some of its older social features. The PlayStation Communities mobile app was already shut down back in March of last year.
The PlayStation Communities service is expected to close with the arrival of update 8.5, currently expected to launch within the next five-to-six weeks. So if you have any PS Community pals you want to stay in touch with, best jump back into your local groups and start dropping some friend requests.
Ninja Gaiden: Master Collection will be 4K 60FPS on Xbox, as God intended
Thanks to the gift that keeps on giving (Microsoft Store listings), we now have a bit more info on Ninja Gaiden: Master Collection's technical specs.
The listing confirms that the game will feature 4K Ultra HD visuals, as well as "60FPS+." That's great news for any Ninja Gaiden purists, as they'll probably want the game to favor the latter in any case. Still, both is good. Just in case the listing gets taken down, we've screencapped the pertinent parts below.
Note that while this technically only applies to the Xbox editions of the game, it stands to reason that the PS4/PS5 editions and the PC port will sport similar compatibility. 4K on the Switch though is probably not in the cards.
Note that the collection is still on track for a June 10 release, so we're still a ways out. But really, a competent re-release of just Ninja Gaiden Black and 60FPS is all we need. The rest is extra.
Ninja Gaiden: Master Collection Deluxe Edition [Microsoft]
Fallout 76, Skyrim, Dishonored and other Bethesda games get FPS Boost on Xbox Series X/S
Microsoft has announced that a selection of Bethesda titles have today been bolstered by the developer's FPS Boost technology. Xbox Series X/S owners will be able to take advantage of the free fuel injection, which increases a title's frame rate from 30 FPS to somewhere around 60 FPS.
The five titles receiving the performance hike today are apocalyptic RPGs Fallout 4 and Fallout 76, fantasy epic The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim Special Edition, sci-fi adventure Dishonored: Definitive Edition, and finally interstellar action-horror title Prey. All five titles are available now on the Xbox Game Pass paid subscription service.
Oh, and to access FPS Boost, make sure the feature is turned on in your console's settings, then buckle up and PREPARE TO FEEL THE Gs!* More Bethesda titles are expected to receive FPD Boost tech in the coming weeks and months, as Bethesda starts to feel the benefit from the ZeniMax Media acquisition.
*moderate increase in animation frames
Oh look, an easy to replicate Zelda: Breath of the Wild first-person bug
A new Zelda: Breath of the Wild glitch? Well I'd never!
Although folks have been sleazing the game into forcing a first-person camera for a while, Twitter user Axk helped bring a new glitch to light that will make things a lot easier for people from here on out. No mods, elaborate "%" requirements, or wacky items needed.
You can basically do this anywhere at any point. The gist is to use the Sheika Slate camera mechanic, hold an item, then cancel it. Need more help? Axk elaborates in this two-part video. As they state in their Twitter account, they are a "no mods" player.
One huge noteworthy element of all this is the accessibility of the bug. It's very common for a crazy glitch to make the rounds and become a hit with a percentage of the game's playerbase; but to see this level of accessibility is semi-rare.
Folks could create some really cool videos very easily based on this method.
Axk_000 [Twitter]
Undertale finally comes to Xbox and Xbox Game Pass tomorrow
Spread the word, because it's actually happening. As of tomorrow, March 16, Toby Fox's highly regarded indie RPG Undertale will finally be arriving on Xbox. Microsoft announced that Sans, Undyne, Flowey and friends will be making their presence felt on Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, and the Xbox Game Pass service. A physical edition will be released by Fangamer at a later date.
Originally released for PC in 2015, before being ported to almost every contemporary platform under the sun, Undertale is a dramatic, evocative, funny, and surprisingly resonant adventure which takes place in a subterranean fantasy kingdom. Controlling a young protagonist who wanders into the bizarre realm, players will meet a cast of strange and memorable characters, confront demons external and internal, and perhaps even learn a little about themselves.
No introduction necessary, frankly. But check out the new announcement trailer below.
Doom Eternal DLC trailer teases The Ancient Gods: Part 2
Bethesda has released a trailer for a trailer, (because this is real life now), teasing the arrival of The Ancient Gods: Part 2, the next explosive DLC expansion headed to id Software's Doom Eternal.
The short video, which you can check out below, sees our pal the Doom Slayer rally up with some devastating intergalactic forces, preparing for one hell of an almighty showdown with his villainous alter-ego, The Dark Lord, who shows up to the war rocking some pretty almighty Warhammer-style battle armor. A brief glimpse of action, and we're done, with the full gameplay trailer dropping this Wednesday, March 17.
Doom Eternal, currently available on PS4, PC, Xbox One, and Nintendo Switch, is also expected to hit PS5 and Xbox Series X at some point later in 2021. As Doom is one of the properties that now falls under the Microsoft banner, (courtesy of the ZeniMax acquisition) it remains to be seen what the future holds for the franchise from an exclusivity stance.
Halo Infinite will not feature the iconic dual wield mechanic or playable Elites
Halo Infinite, thankfully, is getting more time in the oven.
It must have been an excruciating decision to delay it beyond the launch of a new console, but 343 seems to be using this time to make the game better, based on numerous updates just this year.
So what's the latest? An expectation check. 343 confirms that there will be no playable Elites in the game ("we're not currently planning on adding playable Elites"), and no dual wielding ("currently no, that's not in the cards right now"). Yet, the open world will focus around a night/day cycle, as well as a weather system. Ups and downs!
This comes straight from the Halo Infinite "Ask 343" stream presented by community manager John Junyszek, lead world designer John Mulkey, gameplay director Troy Mashburn, and lead sandbox designer Quinn Delhoyo.
You can find the bulk of the presentation distilled at roughly the 38:00 mark. This is where the development team really digs into the nitty gritty of some mechanics, and delves into a few fan questions.
Missed out on the Genshin Impact x KFC crossover event? You can grab new recipes in update 1.4
This weekend saw the planned Genshin Impact x KFC crossover event turn into something of a small disaster, as several restaurants in China were forced to close their doors after legions upon legions of GI fans turned up to bag exclusive in-game and physical items for the mega-successful gacha title.
If you weren't able to make it out to the Hangzhou district this weekend, don't sweat it, as developer miHoYo has announced that players logging into Genshin Impact 1.4 will be able to get hold of some new in-game recipes, inspired by the fast-food joint's famous Original Recipe Chicken featuring Seven Herbs and Spices - which is fully warranting of those capital letters.
Each day of the "Outland Gastronomy" login event - a feature of the highly anticipated Update 1.4 - will offer rewards ranging from Hero's Wit bonuses, to extra Primogems, Mora, and brand new Recipes. Siliconera additionally reports that any player logging into GI two days in a row will automatically receive the "Exotic Gourmet" recipe book, which will seemingly feature meals inspired by the KFC menu...
...Exotic Gourmet. It's called a "Zinger Tower".
Anyway, there you have it, all the anime fried chicken your party can eat, and you didn't have to wait in line, shout at any employees, or risk boosting one of the greatest health pandemics in documented human history in order to receive it. As for the other exclusive in-game items from the in-store events, they are expected to be made available to Genshin Impact players this summer. The physical items? I'm afraid it's the scalper's market for most.
Pokemon Go has been around since mid-2016, and it's been aggressively selling a number of microtransactions ever since.
One of the most contentious elements is the egg system, which is like a pseudo loot box; and has managed to evade legislation or mass scrutiny since launch. The gist is that players have to incubate eggs with in-game items (a process that can be quickened by paying), walk around, hatch them, and then pray they get the creatures they want.
This might be changing soon, as Niantic has confirmed that you could be able to see which creatures hatch from which eggs. Here's the rub from the tweets:
"Trainers, we're excited to share that we're starting testing where a limited number of Trainers will be able to see which Pokémon may hatch from Eggs in their Inventory! Trainers included in the test will be able to tap an Egg to see a list of possible Pokémon and their rarity level. Please note this will not show if the Pokémon may be Shiny."
So uh, it's about time? This sort of transparency has been commonplace for many loot box games for several years, but not by choice. After the global stage got wind of the gambling/gacha elements, also known as "surprise mechanics," many organizations added percentage and rarity clarity to boxes to sidestep legislation or hefty fines.
Given how slow Niantic and The Pokemon Company are to adapt anything in Pokemon Go, doing it largely after the fact fits with their modus operandi. Especially if there's more trouble brewing for microtransaction schemes behind the scenes.
Niantic Support [Twitter]
(Update) Outriders might come to Xbox Game Pass if this cryptic tease pans out
[Update: Confirmed! Microsoft announced it this morning. It will be added to the service on April 1 for consoles and android phones/tablets.]
Seeing big newer and newish games hit Xbox Game Pass is pretty exciting.
For a lot of folks, it's a way to economically enjoy stuff while it's relevant, but it also helps contribute to a healthy online scene for multiplayer romps. Outriders, a new IP, could benefit from both of these perks.
That's why people are so excited that it might hit the Xbox Game Pass line, based on a cryptic tweet that shares a jokey, PR-centric "email." Here's the email in full, from the faux Melissa McGamePass account:
"So much news today! Hope you don't mind if I add some more! (Although it's completely unrelated to the other announcements. That new game has been confirmed and is officially coming to the service! As always, keep this confidential. Before I go, I did have something I wanted to ask. Has anyone else noticed a mysterious signal appearing in the distance lately or am I the anomaly in this situation? Weird question, I know."
This lines up with events that take place in the Outriders demo. Whether it'll be there at launch is anyone's guess, but it's something to be aware of as you eye the game before, during, or after the review period.
Xbox Game Pass [Twitter]
We got a lore-filled tease for Tekken 7's Polish Prime Minister DLC character
Tekken 7 is still trucking after a 2017 PC and console release, and at six million units sold by the end of last year, Bandai Namco isn't interested in abandoning it. That includes more and more DLC fighters as the months go by, including the new Polish Prime Minister tease.
About that!
Tenchu's Masami Yamamoto is the latest producer to take their leave of Sony Japan
Sony Japan Studio, currently in the midst of a reorganization process, is losing another long-time producer in the form of Masami Yamamoto, previously responsible for producing the stealth ninja franchise Tenchu, and has also worked on franchises such as Soul Sacrifice and Bloodborne. Yamamoto has worked with Sony Japan since 1996, beginning in the industry giant's music division before transitioning into game development.
Speaking on Twitter, Yamamoto spoke of their 25 happy years with the company, before noting their excitement of not being tied to developing games on a specific platform. "from now on I can make games for any platform," wrote Yamamoto (as translated by Kotaku). "What a strange sensation!"
Yamamoto is one of a number of top-tier producers to leave Sony Japan for new ventures. The past six months as seen an exodus of long-term talent, including Gravity Rush and Silent Hill producer Keiichiro Toyama, Bloodborne alumni Teruyuki Toriyama and Maasaki Yawagima, and developers Junya Okura and Kazunobu Sato. Sony Japan's consolidation process is expected to take effect on April 1, seeing various in-house teams and divisions reorganized and merged to streamline day-to-day development.
Electronic Arts has confirmed that "one or more" EA accounts have been used in an illicit trading scheme within soccer sim FIFA 21. Dubbed "EAGate" by the player community, the scandal alleges that EA employees have been involved in the selling of rare FIFA Ultimate Team cards directly to individual players - in some cases for thousands of Euros.
After screengrabs of the alleged transactions leaked onto social media, EA announced that it would be launching a "thorough investigation" into the affair. Speaking in a new blog post this past weekend, the publisher confirmed that EA accounts have been used to activate specific FUT items in individual players' accounts.
"We learned that FUT items were granted to individual accounts that did not earn them through gameplay," said EA in the statement. "It appears that one or more EA accounts, which were either compromised or being used inappropriately by someone within EA, directly entitled items to these individual accounts."
"The alleged behavior is unacceptable and in no way do we condone granting or purchasing player items in exchange for money. This practice runs counter to the game's competitive integrity, is a violation of EA's User Agreement, and is not something we tolerate. We do not allow the trade or sale of items outside our game for many reasons, including that it would create an unequal playing field for our community."
EA says that the investigation is ongoing and that the publisher intends to take action against any employee found to be involved in this activity. Additionally, it will be removing any "under-the-table" FUT items from the FIFA 21 ecosystem, and will permanently ban all players who partook in unofficial trading. It is unlikely that those who spent thousands on said transactions will see any return on their money. For the duration of the investigation, EA will also disable the ability for developers to "grant" items directly to player accounts.
"We appreciate how concerning this is to all of our players, and we apologize for the impact of these improper grants within the community, "closes the statement. "We also appreciate how extremely annoying and frustrating it is that this practice might have come from within EA. We're angry too. We know that the trust of our communities is hard-earned, and is based on principles of Fair Play [...] This is a breach of that principle - and we won't let it stand."
The moral of the story is... Actually, I'm not sure where to begin...
We'll finally get a fresh update on Dying Light 2 this week
Techland is finally ready to offer new information on the development of Dying Light 2. The developer will release an update pertaining to the long-in-limbo sequel on Wednesday, March 17, giving patient fans a little more insight into the current state-of-play regarding the survival-horror release. The new info will be first announced via the official Dying Light Discord channel.
In a follow-up to Techland's update announcement on Twitter, the developer admitted that it had jumped the gun on Dying Light 2's reveal, which took place way back at E3 2018. However, Techland said that production has been continuously moving forward since the initial reveal, and as such the sequel was not in any form of "development hell".
Originally announced for PS4, PC, and Xbox One, Dying Light 2 was initially scheduled for launch in spring 2020, before being pushed back to an as-yet-undisclosed release date. Hopefully this week's update will shed a little more (dying) light on the release, lest fans continue to consider the sequel dead and buried.
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.
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]
