Resident Evil Village – 2nd Demo Seemingly Uploaded to PSN Backend

Resident Evil Village Chris Punished

With Resident Evil Village less than a month away, Capcom is getting ready to ramp up the hype cycle. They recently confirmed a new Resident Evil Showcase for April 15, where a new trailer, fresh details, and more new gameplay details will be shared for the upcoming survival horror sequel. It also seems like a new demo will be coming at the same time.

As reported by MP1st, a second Resident Evil Village demo (titled "Resident Evil Village Gameplay Demo") has been uploaded to the PSN backend in the USA, Japan, Europe, and Asia regions. Images for the demo's icon, its splash screen when you boot it up, and the control scheme have also surfaced as a result. Supposedly, it's file size is going to be 10 GB. Capcom previously said that a second demo of the game would be releasing in the Spring. With it having been uploaded to the PSN backend, it's likely that the second demo will be going live on the day of the upcoming showcase itself, like the previous demo did.

It's been previously confirmed that unlike the PS5-exclusive "Maiden" demo, Resident Evil Village's second demo will be released for all platforms. The game's also going to be a much meatier gameplay experience and will feature combat. Capcom has also confirmed that it will include content from the final game.

Resident Evil Village launches for PS5, Xbox Series X/S, PS4, Xbox One, PC, and Stadia on May 7.

Resident Evil Village – New Gameplay and Trailer Confirmed for April 15th

Resident Evil Village Tall Lady

Capcom has dated its second Resident Evil Showcase for April 15th. It will be streamed at 3 PM PDT and feature a new trailer and gameplay for Resident Evil Village. A recent teaser was released to hype the same and included some brief new clips of the title. Check it out below.

If nothing, it seems we'll learn more about the bearded, sunglasses-wearing character that's appeared in previous trailers. There will be "other surprises" in store at the showcase, which could point to a release date for the second demo. The latter has already been confirmed for Spring on all platforms and, unlike the Maiden demo, includes content from the final game.

Resident Evil Village is out on May 7th and will be coming to PS4, PS5, Xbox Series X/S, Xbox One, PC and Google Stadia. Perhaps the showcase will properly unveil Photo Mode, which was briefly mentioned in the PS4 Pro gameplay trailer that released recently. Stay tuned for more details in the coming days.

Hideo Kojima Rumored To Be In Talks With Microsoft For Next Game

Hideo Kojima

It was 2019 when Hideo Kojima and his talented co-workers at Kojima Productions released Death Stranding. It was the first game Kojima had been involved with since his public split with Konami. It was a strange game, to say the least, and was also one that was done with a lot of involvement with Sony, hence launching as a PS4 exclusive (though, it did make its way to PC not long afterward). Now, though, it seems Kojima could be going to the competition, at least if certain rumors are to be believed.

According to known writer and leaker Jeff Grubb at VentureBeat, he has a source that claims Kojima is in talks now with Microsoft for his next game, whatever it may be. He said this was in response to recent speculation that the recently revealed Abandoned was secretly a Kojima Productions game and the reveal was part of some viral marketing. He says this isn't the case, especially with these talks.

"But the biggest piece of evidence I have that Abandoned is not a Kojima joint is that Kojima is in talks with Microsoft about publishing his next game, according to a source familiar with the matter. And yes, that statue on Phil Spencer's shelf was referencing a potential deal with the legendary developer. I cannot confirm if Xbox closed the deal yet, but my understanding is that Kojima is the focus of a Microsoft plan to leverage Japanese talent."

As always, keep all rumors with a grain of salt, even though Grubb has generally been reliable in the past. Kojima has had a long association with Sony, which made their Death Stranding partnership pretty obvious, but Kojima has released titles on Xbox in the past, and as a free agent, will no doubt go where the funding is. Kojima Productions has hinted a few times that their next game could be revealed soon, so if there's any truth to this, we could find out relatively soon.

The King Of Fighters 15 Introduces Mai Shiranui In Latest Trailer

The King of Fighters will once again bring together a group of many fighters from the world of SNK with the fifteenth entry in the mainline series. This entry looks like its leaning heavily into the nostalgia with a lot of the recent reveals such as King and Terry. Now they are going to the max with another female fighter that many fans will no doubt be happy to see.

This time around, they have revealed Mai Shiranui with a new trailer. Mai is probably the most iconic female fighter from the KOF series, if not SNK as a whole (though maybe some fans will take issue with that). She's known for her spicy moves and attire and both are on display here. You can check it out in full below.

The King of Fighters 15 has been announced to come out this year, but despite that we still have no platforms announced. The last game was exclusive to the PS4 before eventually coming to the PC, but it remains to be seen if 15 will see a similar release schedule.

Abandoned, A New First Person Survival Game, Is Coming To PS5 In Q4 2021

While existing IPs coming into a new generation is always exciting, there's a lot of fun to be had when a brand new experience comes about. Seemingly, out of nowhere, that's what we got today. Abandoned is a new first person survival game that was announced today, and it's seemingly going next gen only. 

The game was originally announced via the official PlayStation blog, which you can read through here. A teaser trailer also came with that, which you can see below. There isn't a lot of information just yet, only that you will play a man who finds himself waking up in a mysterious forest, and must fight to survive against those who have dark intentions. The trailer definitely gives off an eerie vibe and is said to be very cinematic in nature. A more extensive gameplay trailer is said to be coming soon.

Abandoned has been announced as coming exclusively to the PlayStation 5 in Q4 2021.

Godfall Will Add Matchmaking, More Details Over the "Coming Months"

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Counterplay Games' looter slasher Godfall launched to a less-than-stellar reception in November 2020. It had several gameplay and technical issues (which you can read more about in our review) but the most conspicuously absent feature was matchmaking for online play. That's going to be changing, according to the developer on Twitter.

It confirmed that it was working on "implementing matchmaking" and will continue to "monitor and implement changes based on your feedback." When matchmaking will be added is unknown but the developer said it would share "more details" in over the coming months. In the meantime, it's currently working on the game's first (and currently, only) paid expansion.

Godfall is currently available for PS5 and PC, having been the first title announced for Sony's current-gen console, that too before the console was even officially revealed. It received the "Primal" update in February 2021 which revamped the Tower of Trials endgame activity along with adding Ascension Levels and Primal Items. Whether these major updates will continue to roll out, especially following the expansion's release, remains to be seen so stay tuned.

Death Stranding on PC Generated Over €23 Million in Revenue

death stranding pc

Digital Bros, the parent company for 505 Games, has released its financial report for the year ending December 31st 2020. It announced that Death Stranding on PC has garnered €23 million (about $27.3 million) since its launch in July. In terms of revenue, it performed better than titles like Control and Ghostrunner last year, though the former earned about the same in a shorter span when it released for PC in 2019.

As for Ghostrunner, with 505 Games acquiring the IP and announcing more content for this year, it should be interesting to see how its revenue for 2021 pans out. In terms of platforms, PC comprised over 66 percent of total digital revenue for Digital Bros last year. Xbox, PlayStation and Nintendo platforms only comprised about 28 percent.

Though Kojima Productions hasn't revealed its next big title, art director Yoji Shinkawa stated in a recent interview that it could be announced "soon." In the meantime, long-time audio director Ludvig Forsell has left the studio after 10 years, the first five years being with Konami. Stay tuned for more details on the studio's next projects in the coming months.

Returnal – Why You Shouldn't Sleep on This PS5 Exclusive

The PS5 has been out for about five months at this point, though its lack of supplies continues to be as problematic. After all the hype building up to its release with the launch of big exclusives like Demon's Souls, Astro's Playroom and Marvel's Spider-Man: Miles Morales, there's a drive to find that next big release. Granted, there are plenty of big titles coming up, including Resident Evil Village and Deathloop. But there's something special about Returnal.

Developed by Housemarque, Returnal is a rogue-lite third person shooter that releases on April 30th. It's already gone gold, which means it's more or less ready for release. Even if there are bigger titles coming from more established studios, Returnal has been commanding my interest more and more as the weeks go, and it should for you as well. So what's the deal? Why should you be excited for Returnal or at the very least interested in what it has to offer?

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First, there's the story: It follows ASTRA scout Selene who crash-lands on an alien planet called Atropos (which, ironically enough, is one of the three Fates in Greek mythology and means "unalterable"). As she ventures across the planet, Selene begins to discover its various flora and fauna, the latter being all too quick to assault her. However, she also encounters her self or rather, her corpse. Upon death, rather than the eternal nothingness that should follow, she finds her self back on Atropos. Why can't she die? Why has Atropos changed, with desert ruins being replaced by snowy landscapes and other such oddities?

From the outset, there's an air of mystery, one that you don't typically see in Housemarque games. The studio has always been known for its arcade shoot 'em ups with Returnal being their first real crack at a complex narrative. What's most exciting about the set-up is how you're thrown right in, without any delay, learning about the planet alongside Selene. The premise is revealed bit by bit at the behest of the player – as you explore Atropos, you'll encounter audio logs and other entries to piece together what's going on. Narrative events will randomly pop up between runs, like that house that Selene has a connection to, but you won't get the full picture without replaying the game multiple times.

While those seeking a traditional single-player narrative may find this a drag, this is one of those story-telling elements that made Hades such a revelation. If a rogue-lite title's gameplay is involving enough, then it pushes me to pursue higher difficulties or unlock more items…but only up till a point. I still need an involving story in the end.

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In Returnal's case, there are already so many questions that I'm keen to see answered – Selene's past, her reasons for joining ASTRA, the truth behind Atropos, the alien race that settled there beforehand, what happened to transform Atropos in such a way, the constant cycle of death and rebirth, and so on. Will Selene find her way off of the planet or will she finally die there? The fact that both answers each present their own kind of resolution and mystery is enticing. No other characters have been seen thus far but there have been hints of Selene interacting with other versions of herself (which plays into the asynchronous multiplayer quite nicely since it allows for locating audio logs to expand on the narrative). How does this fit into the greater narrative structure? Is the planet just one giant experiment in time travel and parallel universes? The possibilities are exciting on the story front.

Gameplay-wise, it's hard to really say how good Returnal will feel without actually playing it beforehand. You could use Housemarque's other works, like RESOGUN and Nex Machina, as examples but this is a different type of game at the end of the day. So instead, let's look at what Returnal lets you do. Along with dashing around, avoiding bullet hell-like scenarios, you can pull out a katana to slice foes up close. There's an Active Recharge mechanic for guns, a la Gears of War's Active Reload, with properly timed reloads giving you an Overload buff for extra damage.

Kill enough enemies without taking damage and you gain Adrenaline levels which provide buffs like increased Overload (thus providing more damage). You're rewarded for playing better based on any experience and knowledge accumulated thus far. There's also the benefit of having your skill to fall back on when using a new weapon or experimenting with a new build. However, there's also the added risk of your Adrenaline resetting if you take any damage, ensuring that you don't get complacent.

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In terms of rogue-lite mechanics, Returnal also seems to have many of the genre's nuances in order while introducing some intriguing new twists. There are 10 default weapons with over 90 weapon traits (each having three levels), producing different kinds of weapon variants in each run. So while you may start out with the Spitmaw Blaster as an average shotgun, it can be upgraded to fire explosive shells (and it's possible to stack weapon traits for added effects, a la Risk of Rain). An alternate firing mode is also available on each weapon, providing more interesting ways to slaughter, and you can even unlock an additional ability after killing enough enemies. To offset this, however, Selene can only carry one weapon at all times so you may be encouraged to switch guns depending on your needs.

There are also different items and other benefits that can help you out on the journey. Maybe you want a build that returns health on each melee kill – the Kinetic Siphon consumable can help with that. There are Parasites which can provide benefits but also have trade-offs, like regenerating your health when it drops low but causing you to take more damage or having slain foes create acid pools. Daily challenges, loot containers which can "curse" you with a random debuff until purged by Obolites, unlockable tech that helps for reaching out-of-the-way locations in future runs, and much more further stir the pot, intertwining with each other like any good rogue-lite.

If you have a decent number of Obolites, then it's possible to spend them to activate a checkpoint. This allows you to keep your current items on death while providing a means to continue progressing. You also don't necessarily need to defeat a biome's boss in order to progress to the next and it's possible to fast travel between biomes. The developer has noted the high replay value and how several runs are required to truly unveil the story and what's going on with Atropos.

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What if the player manages to clear all of the biomes without dying? Is there a scenario that will compel Selene to die and reawaken on the planet? How will it change the world and progress the story? The scale of the game remains undefined, once again compelling you to return and understand more. It's one of those things that makes a great game even better, in my opinion.

Perhaps it's the hype cycle digging its claws into me, as I look for the latest and greatest game to be invested in. Maybe I'm just a big fan of rogue-lites, especially with how much more big-budget they're becoming. But Returnal has something unique about it; something that feels different from other titles before it. Whether you're looking to pick it up or simply waiting to see how it performs in reviews and/or sales, it's definitely worth keeping an eye on.

Note: The views expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily represent the views of, and should not be attributed to, GamingBolt as an organization.

Crysis Remastered Update Adds Graphical Modes for PS5, Xbox Series X/S

crysis remastered

A new update for Crysis Remastered is live for Xbox and PlayStation consoles, which adds a new level "Ascension" and the Classic Nanosuit menu. Various crashes have been resolved while performance has seen improvements. However, for Xbox Series X/S and PS5, a range of new graphical options are available.

These options are Performance Mode, Quality Mode and Ray Tracing, though their settings on each console are different. Xbox Series S players can run it 1080p/60 FPS, 2160p/30 FPS or 1080/30 FPS with ray tracing. PS5 players can experience the game at 1080p/60 FPS, 1800p/60 FPS and 1440p/60 FPS with ray tracing. Finally, Xbox Series X players can run the game at 1080p/60 FPS and 1440p/60 FPS with ray tracing but also at 2160p/60 FPS.

Though Performance Mode settings may be the same in terms of resolution and frame rate on all platforms, finer graphical details may differ. It is interesting that the Xbox Series X is capable of outputting at 4K/60 FPS while the PS5 runs it at the slightly lower 1800p/60 FPS. For more details on the Xbox and PlayStation updates, head here and here respectively.

Apex Legends Developer Intends to Add More Game Modes This Year

Apex Legends

Apex Legends has firmly established itself as a giant in the battle royale genre. Alongside the likes of Call of Duty: Warzone, Fortnite, and PlayerUnknown's Battleground, Respawn Entertainment's free-to-play shooter has become the go-to game for millions upon millions of players, and thanks to steady improvements and the consistency it maintains across its plentiful seasonal content, it's managed to not only retain its playerbase, but actively and constantly grow it.

Respawn, however, obviously wants to improve the game even further and keep building upon it. In a recent Q&A video published by the developer, design director Jason McCord suggested that one of the ways the developer intends to do that by the end of 2021 is to introduce "new ways to play the game" to allow players to experience the game's world and characters in different ways- which essentially means Respawn is adding more game modes outside of the regular battle royale stuff.

"We're looking at 2021," McCord said. "We're looking at- yeah, sure, Season 11 at the end of the year, what do we want the game to look like at that point… but also, what are the priorities for Apex this year?"

Currently, Apex is strictly a battle royale," he continued. "But we've built these characters and this world that I think players really want to be in, even if they don't love battle royales. So at a really high level, I'll just say that that's something that we want to focus on solving this year- other ways to play the game."

Given the fact that other major free-to-play battle royale shooters in the market have been offering players different new modes every now and then, it makes sense that Apex Legends will want to get in on that as well. Meanwhile, in the more immediate future, it seems there's more to look forward to as well, with the shooter seemingly in line to get "a ton" of Titanfall content in Season 9. Read more on that through here.

Apex Legends is available on PS4, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, and PC.