Super Mario Bros. 'warp pipe' pot plants anger UK residents
The residents of English town Walsall have levied complaints at their local council over the implementation of 15 enormous plant pots, which bear more than a striking resemblance to the "warp pipes" of the Super Mario series. While this is obviously a positive boon to any city, some members of the Always Pleased British public are unhappy with the "eyesores."
According to local newspaper Birmingham Mail, the Walsall council was asked to slash £29 million from its budget, which is leading residents to question why taxpayer cash has been splashed on the admittedly huge installations, which have been situated throughout the quiet market town. Rumors that running across Walsall's rooftops allows you to skip a few worlds are yet to be substantiated.
"We've had so many shop closures in the last few years and the best thing the council can come up with is these garish monstrosities," said local florist Andrea Loveridge to the Birmingham Mail, before cementing her point with delighfully old-school phrase "It beggars belief."
Here's a good look at Heroes of the Storm's new Overwatch Cosplay event
Heroes of the Storm is back!
After months of slight balance patches, the team has been emerging from the ground to speak to fans again on social channels like Reddit, and now the game just got a big-ish patch on top of a new event. It's none other than the Overwatch Cosplay theme that was teased but not spoken about or announced at BlizzConline; and features outfits for several characters.
Valla is rocking the Reaper digs (Shadow Stalker), Johanna is cosplaying as Reinhardt (Gleaming Peacekeeper), Stitches is fittingly Roadhog (Hogmeat Stitches), and Raynor is Soldier 76 (Raynor 76). This joins a few other Overwatch cosmetics, like the notable Widowmaker skin for Nova: at this point, there's a lotta Overwatch in Heroes!
I have to say, all of them except the Valla skin look pretty rad. It doesn't really feel "Reaper" to me, while all of the others are so obvious at a glance, even with a behind the back overhead view. Given that they cost 525 gems or 600 shards for each tint (Hogmeat Stitches is a little more), I would have liked a little more flair.
If you're not into buying skins, you can check out the full live patch notes here. Coincidentally, all of the above heroes have been reworked this week. And the loot boxes have finally been changed from the winter event to Nexomania II.
Rambo and John McClane lead Call of Duty's slew of mid-season content
Tomorrow sees the launch of Call of Duty's season three mid-season, kicking off a selection of neat in-game content across both Black Ops: Cold War and battle royale title Warzone. Activision has shared details of the incoming "80s Action Heroes" banner, which brings a couple of silver screen legends to the first-person shooter.
Leading the charge are new premium operator bundles for John Rambo and Die Hard's John McClane, which add new operators and weapon skins as well as alternate knives, watches, and other themed accessories. These bundles will only be available for a limited time, and are expected to sell for a meaty 2400 CoD Points each.
In keeping with the movie theme, several new locations are being added to Warzone's Verdansk map, including the P.O.W. camp and CIA Outpost from 1985's Rambo: First Blood Part II, and a replication of Nakatomi Plaza from the fantastic 1989 classic, Die Hard. New modes "Rambo's Gun Game" and "Die HardPoint" will also be temporarily added to mode rotation.
(Update) WoW Burning Crusade Classic's pre-patch is coming soon, here's how the transition will work
[Update: The pre-patch is now live, and you can begin the process of transferring your characters between each classic game. This is what your launcher will look like going forward. There's an option for "Burning Crusade Classic" as well as "World of Warcraft Classic."
Upon logging in I was able to make the switch and it was relatively painless. After changing one of my Druids over to Burning Crusade, the game told me I could clone my character into WoW Classic for $15 at a later date, which I'm electing not to do. Simple enough!
I gotta say, fumbling of the clone fee aside, it really takes me back seeing that Dark Portal splash screen again.]
WoW Classic is about to be cleaved in two.
On one side of the Dark Portal: Classic Classic. On the other, Burning Crusade Classic. We knew this day would come, and for months we tried to figure out how this would actually work. But just recently via Blizzard's BlizzConline stream, we know how it'll work. And it involves two completely different servers.
When May 18 hits, the "pre-expansion patch" will go live in Classic. At this point you'll have two choices: you can bring them forward into the new expansion or stay in the old hotness (which will confusingly be brought forward into new "old" servers). Or, you can "clone them" for a fee.
Blizzard is now ready to fully explain how it's all going to work, through this detailed blog post here. This is the gist of how cloning happens: "Upon installing and logging into the other game, in this case, World of Warcraft Classic, you'll see [your character] listed and is greyed out. The text under her name now reads as, 'Clone Available.' A Clone icon will appear next to Thuata's name as shown below. A tip will appear on mouse-over of the Clone icon. If you click the Clone icon, a confirmation window with more information will appear. It shows the 'cloned' date of the character which includes all progress on the character up to that date." Then you pay the fee, and you're good to go.
Between the video below and this full rundown, you should be fully set to log in on May 18 and plan your course. As a reminder, Blizzard recently changed the price for cloning characters from $35 to $15.
I'm planning on just bringing everything forward, if Blizzard keeps up this process of continuing on with expansions. It's a lot less overhead and I don't mind slowly replaying the game progression style all over again.
Playing Ahead: Making Choices in WoW Classic [Battle.net]
It doesn't look like we're getting any Hollow Knight: Silksong news at E3
While ethereal sequel Hollow Knight: Silksong remains high on the wishlist of many video game fans, developer Team Cherry has warned its followers to temper their expectations going into the E3 season.
Speaking on its official Discord, Team Cherry's marketing head, Matthew Griffin stated, in no uncertain terms, that the team does not have any blogs or announcements scheduled for E3 this year — suggesting that the charming Hornet and her long-anticipated subterranean adventure still remain some way away from seeing the daylight. The statement was then shared to the Hollow Knight Reddit by user Echo_The_Shadow.
Hollow Knight: Silksong was originally drafted as a DLC expansion to the best-selling 2017 release, Hollow Knight. However, as scope increased and the project became more ambitious, it was decided to make Silksong a fully-formed sequel instead. While this update will no doubt come as a disappointment to fans — who have eagerly anticipated a release date for some time now, the Hollow Knight pedigree suggests that Silksong will be more than worth the wait when Hornet and her trusty needle finally venture into the world of Pharloom.
Hollow Knight: Silksong is in development for PC and Nintendo Switch.
Vote now for the next Pokemon Sword and Shield distribution event reward
I'm actually fairly impressed with Pokemon Sword and Shield's in-game support over the past one and a half years.
I know I know, there's plenty to criticize overall. But the team has been rolling out Gigantamax events and distribution methods on a regular basis this entire time, giving hardcore fans something to look forward to when they log in. They're not game-changing to be sure, but I love that at pretty much any point when I feel like getting back into either game there's something there. Nintendo has been doing the same thing for Super Smash Bros. Ultimate: it's great.
So anyway, the next event is actually crowdsourced through a fan voting process on this Twitter account, and you can pick the items that will be doled out to plays "later this summer," as part of the Players Cup IV broadcasts.
This Zelda: Skyward Sword amiibo is lovely, but its feature should be in the game by default
So first up I have to really compliment the sculpt of this new amiibo figure. Job well done, folks.
A new Zelda amiibo? Yes. With loftwing? That's a two for one! This figure is super rad and I dig that games like Skyward Sword are getting commemorative figures. For the most part, 2020 and 2021 have been dead on the amiibo front (although this year has already surpassed 2020). Onto the bad news.
My hype dwindled a bit after watching the below trailer, which introduces the duo. So normally the game offers "fast travel" using specific statues in-game to go back to the main hub (Skyloft). But with the amiibo, you can just tap the figure to the NFC point, and instantly travel back to Skyloft. Even better, when you use it again, you'll go right back where you left off.
Am I crazy or is this a basic remaster quality of life feature? I'm typically all for amiibo unlocking cosmetic content (even "early unlocks" are fairly innocuous), but this is something a lot of people probably expected to be in the base game. If this figure is hard to track down too (just like the recent Monster Hunter Stories 2 figures, which aren't even being sold online in the US), it'll be even more of a pain.
As a reminder, we've kept a running tally of every amiibo figure released to date since 2014. You can check it out here.
Deathloop preview: Arkane's greatest hits with an asymmetrical twist
Deathloop always starts back at the beginning. Colt, struck with amnesia, wakes up on a beach with one heck of a hangover and the revelation that time, on this island, is looping. He has a simple objective: to hunt down the Visionaries spread around Blackreef and kill them all in a day, closing the loop in the process.
He can wield handguns, nail guns, shotguns, a machete, and a handheld hacking device, all in the name of taking out Blackreef's partygoers and scholars, but there is one problem larger than the legion of Eternalists between him and his targets: Julianna Blake. She's armed, and she has one goal: stop Colt from ending the loop.
I recently attended a preview session for Deathloop, where we got to see a slice of hands-off gameplay of the time-looping adventure. Across the preview, we saw a few different options for Colt: means of approach, ways of playing, and methods with which to dispatch the various Visionaries. And it looks pretty dang good.
Early Access Review: PowerWash Simulator
Folks, I've spent over 10 hours power washing, and I feel great.
Ahem. I've spent over 10 hours power washing houses, cars, and even a skate park... inside a simulation PC game. I know what you're thinking — you've got that trademark Simpsons "Yard Work Simulator" image ready to go — and I don't disagree. But for what it is, this game is surprisingly well-thought-out.
I wouldn't go so far as to call it "fun," but I'm enjoying this comfortingly mundane experience.
Resident Evil: Infinite Darkness will premiere on Netflix July 8
It looks like there's only two months to go before we get to see the dynamic duo of Leon Kennedy and Claire Redfield back in action. Netflix has announced that its upcoming series Resident Evil: Infinite Darkness will hit the streaming service July 8.
Five more NES & SNES titles are joining the Nintendo Switch Online Collection
Nintendo has announced that it will be adding four new titles to the Nintendo Switch Online Collection app — a compilation of classic NES & SNES releases that are readily accessible to all users who have a Nintendo Switch Online subscription.
Joining the roster on May 26 will be Jaleco's Ninja JaJaMaru-kun, a rarity that first launched for the Famicom back in 1985. From the 16-bit SNES era, the Online Collection will be receiving Natsume's 1991 action title Spanky's Quest, Culture Brain's 1991 sports release Super Baseball Simulator 1.000, Data East's arcade platformer Joe & Mac: Cavemen Ninja and, also from Data East, one of my personal favorite puzzle games, Magical Drop II, which is getting its first ever western release.
Now, admittedly this is hardly the most exciting or world-renown of releases, but it's definitely an interesting batch of oddities. The Nintendo Switch Online Collection seems to be a solid blend of the obvious (Super Metroid, Super Mario World, StarFox) and the sublime (Wild Guns, River City Ransom, Gradius). But I hope that Nintendo will continue to pull both popular and unknown releases from its extensive back catalogue of yesteryear's hits.
[When Destructoid reader PatBateman17 blogs, we listen. -Jordan]
If you've seen me lurking on any number of AMA posts here, you know by now my absolute favorite gaming question is, "What is your most emotional gaming moment?" Gaming is by far my primary hobby, but I want more than just good action, cool design, or grand setpieces. I want a deeply emotional story that goes places. I want a dev that takes me on a journey from start to credits — and if you can absolutely demolish my heart in the meantime, I'm even more here for that!
Give me an emotional game any day
Sure, I enjoy my shooty bang bang games as much as the regular lot, my puzzle games with minimal story, the highs and lows of Mario Kart... but what I really enjoy are the games that rip my heart out of my chest and leave me gaping at the screen after I've wrapped, totally distraught and in awe of the journey the developer has taken me on. NinjaSpeed's excellent blog got me thinking about what I really connect with in the games I've played throughout the different times of my life. I could go on and on with this one, but I figured I'd hit the highlights that immediately come to memory.
The Game Band secures funding to develop more Blaseball
The Game Band, the indie outfit behind the fantasy sports sim/metafictional narrative experiment Blaseball, has secured funding to keep making more. Today, the studio announced a "significant investment" from Makers Fund, with additional investments from 1Up Ventures and Matthew Ball.
The investment will be used "first and foremost" to pay the Blaseball team for all of the hard work that's been put into the development of the ever-growing community sports sim, and then to grow the team, according to founder and creative director Sam Rosenthal.
"We've read all of your feedback and have so many ideas of our own," wrote Rosenthal in the statement today. "Now we'll have the resources to be able to start to put some of them into action. And finally, the investment enables us to look to the future and plan out new projects without the fear of going under."
Blaseball will also remain free-to-play, and The Game Band will stay an independent studio. A subsequent tweet from the studio's account also confirmed that a mobile app is in development.
If you're unfamiliar with Blaseball, it's maybe best described as fantasy sports with an emphasis on fantasy, and with a heaping help of community participation. Players can bet (fake, not real, money) on simulated matches playing throughout the week, and spend that currency to vote for decrees and decisions that will alter the future of the league.
It might sound pretty straightforward, but even in its earliest seasons, Blaseball players were resurrecting people from the dead, watching their favorite players get incinerated, and fighting a godlike entity in the form of a massive peanut. It's a surprisingly deep community that ended up being a welcome and constant respite of mine throughout 2020. You can sign up over at the Blaseball site and play in your browser, and just remember: the commissioner is doing a great job.
Baldur's Gate: Dark Alliance's re-release on Switch delayed to May 20
[Update: The Nintendo Switch release of Baldur's Gate: Dark Alliance has been rescheduled for May 20, 2021. Black Isle called the delay "an unfortunate set of circumstances out of our control."]
There's a new Dungeons & Dragons: Dark Alliance on the way, and today, Black Isle and Interplay have released a re-release of the classic Baldur's Gate variation of Dark Alliance. It's out now on PlayStation 4, PS5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X|S, but the Nintendo Switch version has hit a snag.
On Twitter, Black Isle Studios posted a statement saying that "due to unforeseen issues," it would be delaying Baldur's Gate: Dark Alliance's Switch launch for a few days. "We're incredibly sorry about this and we're working hard to remedy this as quickly as possible."
Hey all,
— Black Isle Studios (@BlackIsleStudio) May 7, 2021
Due to an unforeseen issue on the Nintendo Switch store, we’re going to have to delay the launch for a few days to fix it.
We’re incredibly sorry about this and we’re working hard to remedy this as quickly as possible.
Thanks for your patience! pic.twitter.com/qw3h8hey1L
The re-release of Baldur's Gate: Dark Alliance has higher resolution graphics, though it will still have the classic hack-and-slash action of the original. It will also have the ability to adventure with a friend, a key piece of the original Dark Alliance's appeal.
The only thing better than dungeon crawling and looting is doing so with a pal. Hopefully the Switch version snafu can get fixed up soon.
Mass Effect Legendary Edition smooths out the first game, but it's still ME1
Damn, it feels good to be back on the Normandy.
Booting up the Mass Effect Legendary Edition for the first time last week, I was hit with waves of emotions. Dueling swathes of nostalgia and newfound wonder at seeing this, all this, in a single package slammed me over the head. I've played through the whole trilogy a couple times, and through the first game the most; yet booting it up here, in 2021, in the Legendary Edition, I couldn't help but feel a little warm about jetting off in the Normandy once again.
I'm currently playing my way through the trilogy, and we'll be looking to do a more holistic review once I've seen the whole thing start-to-finish, as it's clear there are some changes littered throughout the saga. It's worth checking in now though, after I've seen credits roll in roughly 25 hours of the first Mass Effect, to see what the Legendary Edition is up to thus far. It's important to note that this is a remaster—so while the gameplay has been tuned and even some content adjusted, this is not a remake on the scale of Resident Evil 2 or Final Fantasy VII.
How a tiny robot convinced me to visit Japan
It was pouring down rain on Akihabara. The girls dressed as maids had an extra layer of transparent raincoat on, and I was happy to find that basically every shop carries cheap, plastic umbrellas for 500 yen. I was exhausted after a two-week trip around the country by rail, carrying a backpack roughly the size of a refrigerator. My back had a knot in it, I wasn't sleeping well, and my constant nausea meant the only thing I could put in my stomach that night was a donut and a cup of tea from Mister Donut.
It was 2014, and most people near me couldn't believe that I'd be traveling Japan alone. The idea seemed to come out of nowhere. I'd never traveled by myself before, it was a rare day that I wasn't grappling with anxiety, and I'd spent most of my life as an extremely picky eater. I was a homebody, an introvert; hardly the worldly traveler. So what suddenly changed? Why did I make such an effort to see another country?
It was a video game. One that never saw release in North America.
Review: Shin Megami Tensei III Nocturne HD Remaster
Shin Megami Tensei is criminally underrated.
Look, I understand that it's rated. In JRPG circles, it's spoken of constantly, and fondly. But the name doesn't carry as much weight in general scenes as, say, Persona. That needs to change at some point.
And Shin Megami Tensei III Nocturne HD Remaster is helping that happen.
Saints Row: The Third Remastered has a free PS5 and Xbox Series X/S upgrade lined up
Shortly after the Steam and GOG release of Saints Row: The Third Remastered on May 22, Deep Silver will be rolling out the PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X/S versions of the remaster. I know, I know — this (surely) isn't your favorite entry. But what if I told you the new console editions are a free upgrade?
Saints Row: The Third Remastered will be available directly on PS5 and Xbox Series X/S starting May 25, and it's a free upgrade from PS4 and Xbox One. Always nice to see. Apart from new lighting and texture work compared to the original game, there's a performance boost — expect to hit dynamic 4K at 60FPS, and in the case of Series S, your choice of either 1080p at 60FPS or 4K at 30FPS.
The developers are calling this "equivalent to the PC edition at high settings."
On the PlayStation 5 front, there's Activities support. That might sound minor if you haven't used the PS5 cards before, but they're great time-savers when they're implemented with care. Also, the DualSense controller will glow purple while you play The Third Remastered because of course it will.
I liked the game well enough in 2011 (which is to say "less than Saints Row 2"), and I don't know if I'll ever go back. I'm looking forward to the future and whatever bonkers direction this series takes, though.
PlayStation is giving out PS4 themes and avatars for Days of Play 2021
[Update: The Player Celebration event starts today, and Sony announced the date for the Days of Play Sale — May 26. We're getting deals on Demon's Souls, Miles Morales, Sackboy, and Nioh Collection. There's also going to be a PlayStation Plus "free online multiplayer" promo from May 22–23.]
Sony is hosting a PlayStation Player Celebration for its Days of Play 2021 event, which is just a fancy way of saying that if you sign up this month and play games and earn trophies, the community at large can work together to earn some free stuff — namely, PlayStation-themed avatars and themes.
Before I get into the minutia, here are the prizes:
Sign-ups for the PlayStation Player Celebration opened up today and they'll stay open until May 31, 2021. You've just got to log into the PlayStation Store and click a link. That's about it for right now.
There are three "stages," each with distinct avatars and themes on the line, as well as bonus goals. For instance, the first stage, on May 18, has a goal of 2.4 million games played and 7.2 million trophies earned. Stage two starts on May 25, and stage three will begin on June 1. If we collectively reach all the baseline goals, we'll get a "cumulative prize": a neat theme and avatar with the PlayStation symbols.
If you can rope any of your friends into this scheme, you'll get double the goal progress for any games you play together online. Too complicated? Just register and do your own thing. I'm sure we'll hit it.
Even though I've got a PS5, I haven't left my PS4 Pro behind yet — it still has a tremendous library of games and cross-saves keep me connected. As such, there's still some value in themes, but I do wonder when, if ever, the PlayStation 5 will get themes. It's got to be one of the top "nice-to-have" requests.
Nintendo says roughly '20% of Switch sales' come from households that already have one
Look to your left. Now your right. Now in front of you. Now behind you. Now up above. Odds are you're looking at someone who has two Switch units, because that attach rate is roughly 20%, Nintendo says.
Via the new financial results briefing to investors for the last fiscal year, Nintendo president Shuntaro Furukawa opens up about just who is buying Switch hardware by giving us another demographic: multi-buyers. This past fiscal year ending in March 2021, he says "roughly 20%" of Switch sales were from people who already owned one.
Here's his full statement: "In the previous fiscal year, household demand for multiple systems accounted for roughly 20% of unit sales of the Nintendo Switch family of systems. Going forward, we expect demand for multiple systems per household will increase even as hardware unit sales grow. By region, significant sales growth is continuing in Asia, and we believe there is still room for sufficient growth of new demand in Europe and the United States, considering the sizes of those populations. To this end, we must thoroughly convey the appeal of existing titles and future titles to consumers."
This is something Nintendo has been hammering home for years, trying to get people to buy into the idea of the Switch being a "family" console and portable. And it's paying off. Right now based on their sales report of 84.59 million Switch units sold, multi-buyers added 16.91m to that number, which is an impressive jump that allowed Nintendo to get ahead of lifetime Xbox 360 and 3DS sales.
If they can keep the momentum, they'll hit 100 million soon enough. Furukawa is probably pushing them to release more exclusives as soon as possible.
Q&A Summary [Nintendo]
Shooter-RPG The Ascent is coming to Xbox and PC in July
Neon Giant has set a date for its action-shooter RPG The Ascent. The fireworks will start on July 29, 2021 when The Ascent arrives on PC, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X|S.
The Ascent takes place in a contained corporate metropolis, which quickly becomes a battlefield as multiple groups move in to seize power. Essentially, see bad guy, start blastin'. It's got a vibe of co-op alien shooter Helldivers, but with more RPG mechanics.
It looks mostly isometric, though there are some other camera angles and twists in the trailer. Neon Giant says The Ascent will have a "free-roam play style" set in a cyberpunk, dystopian world, but also have some RPG features that let you build your character up over time.
The Ascent is also playable in either solo or up to four-player co-op mode, and to help with that, it will also be coming to Xbox Game Pass on its launch day as well. Looks like if you're aching for some co-op shootin' with an RPG flavor this summer, The Ascent might be able to make that happen in July.
This Zelda: Breath of the Wild animated box art video effect is incredible
Zelda: Breath of the Wild has some incredible art, both in and outside of the game.
The box itself was pretty much perfect, showing off our hero Link in his new digs, overlooking a vast world that invited you to explore it. Artist Dion42o decided to take that beautiful art a step further and animate it.
I tried to make it as clear as possible in the headline: but this is a video effect imposed on the box itself. You can find a full rundown of how Dion42o did it here in this time-lapsed video. They used Adobe After Effects, as well as Photoshop.
The creator stated their original vision: "I really wanted a Guardian fight scene for the open case part, I was envisioning link parrying a beam and it shooting way outside of the case but I couldn't find anything like it."
Hey, this works! That Gold Lynel piece is one of my favorite all-time single selections of Zelda art. It really sums up the imposing feeling of squaring off against one for the first time: and all of the memories that go along with conquering them.
Fallout 76 is hosting another big test soon
The Fallout 76 team continues to pump out more content, as the game sustains itself on the subscription service, microtransactions, and season passes: it's give and take.
The recent Locked and Loaded update added a ton of quality of life upgrades and generally more oomph to "dailies," and now the squad is going to build on that foundation with a larger content update. Specifically, we're getting a Steel Reign narrative mini-expansion, that builds on the Brotherhood content released several months ago.
That's in testing now, actually! If you have the game via the Bethesda launcher, you can boot up and select the PTR and give the upcoming content a go. In fact, Bethesda says that "the entire Steel Reign questline" (!) is in, which features the "conclusion of the Brotherhood of Steel story" in Fallout 76. It's meaty!
Other additions include the legendary crafting/attribute rework, as well as the Meat Week event. Bethesda is going to release the Steel Reign update after the testing period concludes, but they also have more minor patches to deliver before that happens.
This month 76 will host a patch on May 25, which is "mostly prep work" for Steel Reign, and involves bug fixes. Welp, the game could always use those! A lot of the big stuff (and more importantly, the egregious quality of life issues at launch) has been addressed, but the original foundation was so shaky, the team is still catching up.
Inside the Vault [Bethesda.net]
SNK releases first gameplay video for mobile title Metal Slug Code: J
SNK has released the first gameplay footage taken from "Metal Slug Code: J," the in-development mobile project currently on the workbenches at Tencent's TiMi Studios. The still-unnamed (and undated) run 'n' gun adventure is in the works for iOS and Android devices.
Mass Effect: Legendary Edition didn't ship with an FOV toggle on PC, so fans made one
I can get by without an FOV slider in a lot of games, especially if they're re-releases. But in 2021, it's a little weird to release something on PC and not have it in at launch. Fans are answering the call with Mass Effect: Legendary Edition. It's just how most AAA releases go these days!
This mod, found here and created by "Jade," allows players to utilize an FOV toggle for "the entire trilogy." Now I'm using the phrase "toggle" here rather than the traditional slider, because you need to install an individual mod for each game. In short, on this page here you'll find files called "ME1[-3] 80, 90, and 100 FOV."
You'll need to essentially pick one of those settings and install it for each trilogy entry. If you don't like it, follow the instructions and swap to another one until it's just right. It's not a huge leap as it only takes a few seconds, you just need to settle on a setting. The same creator has a whole suite of mods for the old PC versions of the trilogy if you're interested, including a minimalistic launcher and a "skip launcher video" mod for the Legendary Edition.
All that said I dealt with a lack of an FOV slider at launch and I can deal with it now. While it would be nice to see BioWare add it in (and developers have even started implementing it on consoles now with the latest generation), I can live without it.
Better Camera (Higher FOV) [Nexus Mods]
Grand Theft Auto V launches on PS5 and Xbox Series X November 11
Rockstar has announced a release date for the PS5 and Xbox Series X/S versions of what is arguably the company's magnum opus: Grand Theft Auto V. The open-world crime epic — now one of the greatest-selling video games of all time — will bring its brand of mayhem to the next-gen platforms on November 11.
Originally released on September 17, 2013 for PS3 and Xbox 360, GTA V was an instant smash seller and has continued to shift copies in its ensuing seven years, with an estimated 140 million units on the market. GTA V tells the story of three very different hoodlums — Michael Townley, Franklin Clinton, and Trevor Philips — whose paths cross in a spiraling story of chaos, betrayal, and violence, all viewed with the series' trademark satirical eye.
Alongside GTA V, November 11 will see the world of GTA Online open up to PS5 and Xbox Series X/S players. The MMO — which has been a cash cow for Rockstar for many years thanks to a slew of paid expansions and microtransactions — will offer PS5 users their first three months of mayhem free of charge, before resuming its typical paid subscription service in February 2022.
Finally, Rockstar hinted that there were some "fun surprises" in store for the 20th anniversary of one of the single most influential release of all-time: Grand Theft Auto III. It is hinted that these surprises pertain specifically to GTA Online so, for now at any rate, it probably isn't worth getting amped up for a full remaster/remake of the 2001 PS2/Xbox title.
For full details, check out the official press release over on the Rockstar Games blog.
Peggle 2 is coming to Xbox Game Pass, along with a bunch of other stuff
Remember when PopCap was pumping out a ton of hits that weren't freemium affairs or microtransactioned to death? It's hard to believe that was so long ago.
It was 2011 when EA took over, and their entire business model changed. Peggle 2 was one of the last games that maintained the same magic as their old releases, and now you can enjoy it on Xbox Game Pass via the cloud edition of the service.
I still think of Peggle all the time. My wife and I played the first one endlessly, side-by-side with multiple copies, having a blast. Somehow, someway, I hope PopCap can bounce back from the cold grasp of EA and start having fun again.
Other notable games hitting Xbox Game Pass this week include Plant vs. Zombies: Battle for Neighborville (cloud), Maneater (all platforms), and Fuzion Frenzy (cloud). You can find the full list below!
Mass Effect: Legendary Edition dethrones Resident Evil Village in UK Charts debut
Electronic Arts' epic space opera, Mass Effect, is back on top of the UK Charts for the first time in many years. Remaster Mass Effect: Legendary Edition debuted at number one in the physical sales charts this week, dethroning Capcom's equally rad horror sequel Resident Evil Village after just one week.
It should be noted that Mass Effect's physical sales were not extraordinary, merely enough to usurp that of Resident Evil Village, which saw a sales drop of almost 60% on last week's numbers. Both Mass Effect: Legendary Edition and Resident Evil Village can be considered successes, and digital sales figures for both titles will far outweigh those represented in the UK Charts.
Elsewhere in the Top Ten, an influx of PS5 stock saw Spider-Man: Miles Morales rocket back up the charts, with the web-slinger nestling at number three. Additionally, underwater escapade Subnautica: Below Zero made a modest debut at number five, while a Nintendo Switch double-pack — featuring Below Zero and the 2014 original — sits at number 38.
[This is a fun conversation starter from Destructoid reader NinjaSpeed. I can't believe I waited until Kingdom Hearts III of all games to try the series for the first time, and I'm still working through that mental whiplash. -Jordan]
Are there any beloved video game series that you've completely missed out on?
Resident Evil was one of those series for me. I noticed the positive buzz around Resident Evil 7: Biohazard, but didn't pay too much attention to it as someone who'd never touched a survival horror game before. I wasn't interested in those kinds of games... or so I thought. Enter: Resident Evil 2.
Sludge Life, a wild graffiti adventure, comes to Nintendo Switch on June 2
I haven't forgotten about Sludge Life, a wonderfully weird graffiti platformer-adventure game from Terri Vellmann, Doseone, and Devolver Digital, but I had forgotten that it was coming to Nintendo Switch. The day's almost here, too — the Switch version and Steam release are both planned for June 2, 2021.
The first-person / open-world / vandalism-centric SLUDGE LIFE is coming to Nintendo Switch and Steam on June 2!
— Devolver Digital (@devolverdigital) May 17, 2021
All SLUDGE LIFE merch comes with a Steam code for a limited time: https://t.co/1hC1IZLYb7 pic.twitter.com/X6tvlYHQIC
Over the past year, Sludge Life has been available for free on the Epic Games Store. That's where I messed around with it originally, and the free-to-claim-and-keep deal is still valid until May 28 if you're only hearing about this now. (Normally, the game will cost $14.99, so do what you gotta do.)
If you're someone who can tolerate a bit of the old crude humor and you enjoy exploring lo-fi 3D spaces, especially when just-out-of-reach collectibles are involved, then you're gonna have fun figuring out what's what. There's little to no hand-holding, so poking around the world, chatting with the locals, and figuring out how to get up to that one spot up there that's taunting you is a big part of the experience.
What else do you need to know? There's a glider. That should just about do it.
Lady Dimitrescu had a great run, but Shadow Warrior 3's Motoko is here now
Work continues on boom-a-riffic shooter sequel Shadow Warrior 3. Developer Flying Wild Hog and publisher Devolver Digital continue to drop trailers and tidbits pertaining to the cataclysmic sequel, which is scheduled for release on PS4, PC, and Xbox One later this year.
The developers might have outdone themselves this weekend, however, with the reveal of amazing new character Motoko — the last remaining sorceress of the Kumo Brotherhood. Very little has been revealed about this fascinating new villain, but we do know that she holds mastery over electrical elements and that she plays host to an explosive and opulent fighting arena, which is fittingly titled "Motoko's Thunderdome."
We also know that she looks fucking awesome. Look at her...
Mass Effect Legendary Edition project director says Mass Effect 3's multiplayer could return
The Mass Effect Legendary Edition is out now, and contains most of what the original trilogy had to offer. One notable absence, however, is Mass Effect 3's renowned multiplayer. And while it was known it wouldn't make the LE cut, there might still be some hope.
Speaking to CNET, Mass Effect Legendary Edition project director Mac Walters said he would "never say no" to Mass Effect 3's multiplayer mode coming back in some form. "We want to see what kind of reception the Legendary Edition gets and what the demand for the multiplayer is," said Walters. "And then we'll ask ourselves if we have the resources and time to bring it up to the quality level we and fans want."
It's not much, but it's something. Previously, BioWare has cited the logistical concern of resurrecting the multiplayer mode for why it was absent. But now it seems that if enough people are hungry for it, we could be teaming up to take on the Reapers after all.
Among the many changes made to improve the overall experience of these games—especially the first one—I'd certainly be excited to play some Mass Effect 3 multiplayer again. It was essentially a horde mode in the Mass Effect universe, with tons of different races and classes, and some unique playstyles to learn apart from your Shepard's loadout. Returning to Mass Effect's single-player is fun, but I can't deny I'd like to load up a map as the Geth Juggernaut or Salarian Infiltrator too.
Get out some of that pent up aggression against pedestrians in Courier Crisis
Nineteen ninety-five was a rough time for games. The market was transitioning to 3D graphics, and there was a lot to figure out. To prove this, you need only look at the earliest PlayStation games; the ones that came in those ugly cardboard clamshells. Games like ESPN Espn2 Extreme Games and the original Twisted Metal plainly show the difficulties developers had with the new hardware. Warping textures, awkward physics, and…
Oh, hold on a moment...
Courier Crisis came out in 1997!? Wow, that's embarrassing.
Rough-and-tumble vehicle sim SnowRunner is coming to Xbox Game Pass
If you've been eager to brave the treacherous roads behind the wheel of massive vehicles, a pretty good option is coming to Xbox Game Pass. SnowRunner hits Microsoft's subscription service on Xbox consoles and Windows PC tomorrow, May 17.
Carrying forward the MudRunner legacy, SnowRunner has you drive a bunch of different vehicles across rain, snow, and more. Yes, that also includes mud.
Last year, Snowrunner came to Xbox for the first time​
— Xbox Game Pass (@XboxGamePass) May 17, 2021
tomorrow, it comes to the XGP library pic.twitter.com/Gp9XFBM0Kz
Games like Euro Truck Simulator have made it apparent that driving around from point A to point B can be serene and relaxing, but if you're looking for a challenge, SnowRunner might be able to offer that. Putting a snorkel on your exhaust to handle heavy water certainly sounds pretty hardcore.
Xbox Game Pass has been getting a bunch of games lately, including Dragon Quest Builders 2 and the upcoming Dungeons & Dragons: Dark Alliance. A number of games have also received an FPS boost on the new set of Xbox consoles, too. New games aside, it seems like spring's been pretty good for filling up Xbox players' backlogs.
Stadia heads want Stadians to know platform is 'alive and well'
Google has stated that cloud gaming platform Stadia is "alive and well." The statement comes from the industry giant following a slew of headlines that suggest the Stadia platform — still in its relative infancy — is suffering from numerous setbacks.
"We're well on our way to over 100 new games launching on Stadia in 2021, and we're continuing to make Stadia a great place to play games on devices you already own," said development marketing lead Nate Ahearn in a statement to GamesIndustry.biz. "I'd tell any non-believers to take notice of how we're continuing to put our words into action, as we grow the Stadia Makers program and partner with AAA studios like Capcom, EA, Square Enix, Ubisoft and others."
The words come in the wake of numerous eyebrow-raising headlines concerning Stadia's direction. Following disappointing first-year sales, Google announced it was closing its internal game development studios in February of 2021 — a decision that led to an exodus of developers, including producer Jade Raymond, who has since formed her own studio and with several former Stadia staff. This was followed by the news that Stadia's VP & Head of Product, John Justice, had also left Google. Justice's role has since been filled by Stadia co-founder Dov Zimring.
"Dov has been instrumental as a senior leader in the product development for both Project Stream and Stadia," said a Google spokesperson. "He will be leading the team toward our goals of creating the best possible platform for gamers and technology for our partners."
Google no longer publishes figures regarding Stadia sales, subscriptions, or users. As such it is difficult to accurately ascertain the status of the platform as of May 2021. While there are major releases joining the Stadia service this year, (Capcom's Resident Evil Village, for example), the proof of the pudding will not be in what Stadia is able to achieve in the remainder of 2021, but how many users — and importantly, publishers — continue to invest in the platform's future come 2022.
Google says Stadia is "alive and well" [GamesIndustry.biz]
Mass Effect Legendary Edition changes infamous photo of Tali
As players have been tearing through all three games in the Mass Effect Legendary Edition, they've been discovering the changes that have been made throughout the trilogy. One in particular addresses a very well-known photo that can appear in Shepard's cabin.
(Spoilers for Mass Effect 3 follow)
During the course of Mass Effect 3, Shepard can carry on a romance with a number of different crewmates, including quarian squadmate Tali. In the course of her romance, Shepard can even end up with a photo of her in their cabin.
In the original Mass Effect 3, this photo turned out to be an edit of a stock photo that didn't sit well with some folks. Now, with the Legendary Edition, BioWare has replaced the old picture with a new one, as confirmed by Reddit user "Maxgoods" and others.
Whether it's an improvement or not is your call. It certainly looks like Tali, though the original photo stood out for showing her without the usual enviro-suit, which I liked to think of as her on the world of Rannoch. It was nice to think of her getting to finally experience the breeze on her homeworld, and Shepard preserving the memory. That said, this one is definitely closer to how we see Tali in the game—still wearing the suit, though without any apparent face-shielding. Still, it's probably a better version for fans as opposed to an edited stock photo.
While some of the larger changes of the Mass Effect Legendary Edition were detailed in the run-up to launch, but it seems like there are still a number of differences to spot in the details. It'll be interesting to see what else has been across all these games as players dig deeper into them.
Review: Path of Exile: Ultimatum
Somehow, Path of Exile is simultaneously in its best and worst state. Every league, it just gets more bloated as Grinding Gear Games (GGG) adds previous league mechanics into the "core" game. As someone who has played in a pretty serious capacity the last handful of leagues, I enjoy the new challenges and additions as I come up with zanier and zanier build ideas.
But the new player experience is at an all-time low. I cannot seriously recommend people to just jump into Path of Exile today and enjoy what's there. I'd recommend spending hours and hours performing some research first, and probably DMing me, and then tempering expectations before jumping into Wraeclast. As a result, this review will mostly be catered to those who have a decent understanding of the game, and ideally a conversation piece for others to share their opinions.
I'm officially in the "log in and do my weeklies" phase of World of Warcraft.
Look, the past year hasn't been easy on anyone, especially game developers. But right now World of Warcraft: Shadowlands has a severe content drought, and unfortunately, the studio didn't pivot to give us smaller content drops over time. Instead, we have to wait for the new Chains of Domination update to arrive. It's one of the longest waits between major content patches to date, and I feel it.
Thankfully, Chains does look like it's shaping up to be a fun romp so far, especially after this recent preview of the new eight-boss Mythic mega-dungeon. It's called Tazavesh: the Veiled Market, and it runs the gamut of insane-looking and likely-fun-to-fight bosses.
Timecap'n Hooktail, a giant dragon who Hulked out after having her heist hijacked, rules. I'm glad Blizzard is still experimenting with silly boss fights every now and then. So'leah, the final boss, also looks sufficiently epic, and I love how she fits into the overarching story of the in-universe cartel. I'm getting big Court of Stars vibes here and I love it.
A Blizzard community manager also hopped into the comments section to explain how it's going to work: "you will need to follow a (short) questline to locate the new mega-dungeon. Once you arrive there, you can learn a flight path and travel easily between there and Oribos [the new main hub]."
As of this week, they still don't have a date for Chains of Domination. It can't come soon enough. We have PTR patch notes, at least!
Shadowlands: Take a Day Trip to Tazavesh, the Veiled Market [Battle.net]
The Mario sports spin-offs have always taken a broader, zanier approach to their respective athletic past-times. In the latest trailer for the upcoming Mario Golf: Super Rush, it definitely seems like the trend is carrying forward, with a surprising number of modes to boot.
Today's trailer showcases some of the modes included in Super Rush, both multiplayer and single-player. On the competitive side, we've already seen Speed Golf, the fast-paced race to the finish where golfers can use special abilities to get ahead. Battle Golf is one step further: a Speed Golf variant with multiple holes to capture, in an almost Mario Kart-like battle arena.
Of course, there's still standard golf with a host of quality-of-life features. Mario Golf: Super Rush will also have a solo mode called Golf Adventure, where players can take their Mii through the ranks at a country club, completing a variety of challenges and leveling up in the process.
As someone who bounced off Mario Tennis Aces after a week or so, I'm eagerly looking forward to this one. The single-player side seems like it's got some interesting challenges to hold the player's attention, and I am all about the bonkers battle modes. I'm really just here for the incredibly good golf attire—did you see Bowser's visor?—but it looks like Mario Golf: Super Rush is gearing up to bring some more good golfin' to the Switch on June 25.
Phantasy Star Online 2: New Genesis has a lot of potential, based on the beta
Look, Sega doesn't have to sell me on a new Phantasy Star Online project.
It's been... a while since we've gotten one of those. I mean the west just got PSO 2 recently, which is great! But the prospect of starting something on a completely level playing field, at the ground level, is extremely enticing.
Based on what I've played of the PSO2: New Genesis beta, I'm even more jazzed for that day to come.
Did you check out Guilty Gear Strive's final beta?
Arc System Works' has entered its final marketing chapter for upcoming fighting sequel Guilty Gear Strive. After a long wait, some exciting character reveals, some fan frustrations, and an eventual delay, the wild roster of the GG universe is set to let rip on PC and PlayStation platforms June 11.
The publisher held one final beta this weekend in order to stress-test the effectiveness of GG Strive's rollback netcode — a key component in ArcSys' plan to make the new sequel a success within the global fighting game community. In addition to its run of crash course character guides, ArcSys also dropped a new video giving newcomers a brief overview of Guilty Gear's storyline. For a deeper look at the GG universe, be sure to check out our own Zach Bennett's in-depth guide to the series' world and roster.
Stylish deduction RPG Gnosia is coming to PC in 2021
It's time to put on your Sherlock Holmes hat and re-open your detective agency. Publisher Playism has announced that the super-cool, ultra-hip "social deduction" game Gnosia will be coming to PC later this year, following its launch on Nintendo Switch back in March.
Over time, Destiny 2 has become more of a grind. But the recent transmogrification system (or "transmog," or even simpler, the ability to swap out cosmetic looks for gear, similar to MMOs) is a grind upon a grind, seated on a throne of microtransaction shortcuts.
So we knew it was going to suck. We had a heads-up where Bungie for some reason explained the system in detail like people weren't going to push back against it, like it was a good idea; to convolute a really old mechanic that developers nailed over a decade ago. But this Reddit thread from alonie-homie sheds some light on just how bad it is.
Remember how you needed to grind out materials to earn the right to start the transmog process? well apparently drop rates of those mats aren't based on kills: they're time-gated, according to community testing. So it can take about five hours to get past step one: then you need to actually collect bounties and complete them.
By some estimations, it would take roughly 150 hours to grab all of the ornaments across the three classes, or about 50 hours per class. Note that transmog is gated by season. Or, you can pay real money (silver) and skip this.
It's kind of indefensible, and Bungie will probably use their "we hear you and will adjust" shtick. But the extent to which people are willing to actually sit through it is dwindling over time, especially given the aggressive monetization of this whole mechanic.
Synthtrand isn't based on kills it's based on time [Reddit]
Danganronpa V3: Killing Harmony Anniversary Edition is coming to iOS and Android next week
We may have moved beyond Danganronpa's 10th anniversary celebrations, but that doesn't mean that there aren't still some goodies in-store for Kazutaka Kodaka's super-twisted murder-mystery franchise. As spotted by Touch Arcade, next week will give fans the opportunity to take the series acclaimed second sequel for a pocket-sized spin, courtesy of Danganronpa V3: Killing Harmony Anniversary Edition, which launches on iOS and Android platforms May 26.
Originally released on PS4, PS Vita, and PC back in 2017, Killing Harmony was the first mainline series entry to launch on home consoles alongside their handheld brethren. The dark sequel features the typical investigative gameplay of its predecessors, as abducted high school student Kaede Akamatsu finds herself trapped alongside a group of similarly aged strangers, each an expert in his or her own field. The party is forced to take part in a violent "game" of kill-or-be-killed, once again presided over by the sinister Monokuma.
So the Nintendo Switch is on fire. It's so hot in fact that it just hit roughly 85 million units sold this year, and it still has plenty of life left in it.
It'll clear 100 million by the end of the year, which puts it right on pace for defeating the Wii, Nintendo's most successful home console to date. That's huge! The Switch's rise to fame has been more low key than the "my uncle bought a Wii Fit and never played it" obviousness of yesteryear, but Nintendo, like other hardware producers, is struggling to meet that demand.
It's all due to the semiconductor shortage, amid other supply pipeline issues, which have been raging since this past year. And Nintendo president Shuntaro Furukawa recently shed some light on Nintendo's strategy during these trying times (though he did not offer us an egg).
Speaking in a Q&A for the company's financial results briefing of this past fiscal year, Furukawa states: "As for production, we achieved steady hardware production through the end of last calendar year, and as a result, in the previous fiscal year we set a record for our highest fourth-quarter sales volume. Meanwhile, demand for hardware continues to exceed our expectations even after the beginning of this calendar year, and production has currently not caught up to this high demand due to the tight supply and demand situation for semiconductor materials worldwide."
He goes on to say: "Although we are currently striving to produce as many units as possible, the fact is that our production plans are more uncertain than they were at the beginning of previous fiscal years. Our full-year sales plan is based on the premise that we can secure the materials necessary for production, but if we are able to produce more units, we will work hard to meet the strong demand, and to be able to ship and sell those units."
It's a tall order. Nintendo needs to wheel and deal and get those Switch units out as quickly as they can while the going is good. And if their history with the industry is any indication, they can pull the strings to make that happen.
Q&A Summary [Nintendo]
Resident Evil Village puppets meet a special guest in their latest episode
Last week saw Capcom release the newest episode of "Let's Play in Bio Village," the infectiously creepy-cute puppet show starring the villains of Resident Evil Village. This episode is particularly special, as it features a guest appearance from another member of the horror sequel's Rogues' Gallery.
The episode begins with Big Sister Dimitrescu suggesting Moreau brush his teeth with a razor-sharp brush, with predictably messy results. While the edict of the entire show is that Resident Evil Village "is not scary," this latest gory happening proves too much for Angie, who admits to being terrified of the whole show. Dimitrescu and Heisenberg then question their recent, kind actions — embracing their dark side and giving in to their murderous intent.
Samurai Shodown hits Steam June 14, Shiro Tokisada Amakusa joining roster
Great news for fans of SNK's great 2019 fighter Samurai Shodown. The one-year exclusivity deal with Epic Games Store is coming to an end, which means that the tense fighting title will finally launch on the Steam platform June 19. In addition, that same day will see the launch of a brand new DLC character: The notorious Shiro Tokisada Amakusa.
Amakusa is a recurring villain in the SamSho universe, having featured in numerous iterations in the decades-long series. Amakusa is a loose interpretation of a legendary revolutionary who was executed in Japan in the late-1600s after leading a band of Catholic followers in an attempt to overthrow the Shogunate. The SamSho iteration of Amakusa started out as an evil, power-hungry monster, but the lore has since pushed a "dual-personality" slant, with two independent spirits battling for dominance of Amakusa's soul.
Shiro Tokisada Amakusa will be the third of Samurai Shodown's Season Pass 3 characters, following on from the recent releases of Cham Cham and Hibiki Takane. The fourth and final character will be a Guilty Gear guest star and is expected to arrive this summer. Samurai Shodown is a fine fighting title, unlike much else on the market. Hopefully the Steam release will open the reboot up to new players.
Hades for PS4 listed on the Korean Ratings Board
The greatest spoiler organization on the planet, The Game Rating and Administration of Korea, are at it again. As spotted by eagle-eyed Resetera users, the board has released a new listing that appears to show Supergiant Giant's much-loved dungeon crawler Hades is preparing to cut loose on PS4.
Launching on PC and Nintendo Switch in September of 2020, Hades won over an army of fans with its compelling story, super-cool style, wry sense of humor, and hot-as-hell (literally) cast of "heroes" and villains. Hades would go on to sell over one million copies by the end of 2020 — winning numerous end-of-year awards — and is still finding new followers all the time. A PS4 port would only add to this Army of The Damned.
For clarification, there has been no official confirmation that Hades is headed to the PlayStation platform, but time has long shown that once a title appears on the Korean listings site, it's more or less all the confirmation that you need. Here's hoping Hades arrives soon, I really miss Dusa... and Zagreus... and Nyx... and Megaera... and...
Striving to understand Guilty Gear's lore for Guilty Gear Strive
If you're looking for something to chew on until Guilty Gear Strive releases June 11th, look no further than its story. Guilty Gear's narrative is far from "easily digestible," so let's all take a lore laxative and gloss over some of the story's broader strokes. Below is an overview of every character's story arc leading up to the events of Strive. It's the kind of series that uses narrative to justify changes to characters' in-game moves between iterations: a beautiful, if not convoluted, piece of art.
So, what even is a Gear? And why is it guilty? Gears are augmented beings. Originally intended to speed up our biological advancement—and cure disease along the way—the military naturally gravitated toward Gears to use as weapons of war.
Keep in mind, this is a story told across decades of arcade and console games, manga, Japanese drama CDs, literal pachinko machines—it's a wild ride. But before we get into each character, we must first set the stage.
Get acquainted with Konami's Getsu Fuuma Den before playing Undying Moon
The announcement of GetsuFumaDen: Undying Moon caught me off guard. It's like running into your human wreckage of an ex. You thought all they did was gamble away their money constantly, but here they are talking about their new job like nothing ever happened. You start remembering all the good times, you dare to believe that maybe they've finally cleaned up their act. Maybe Konami has really changed and this is proof of that. Truthfully, I'm expecting to wake up and find my wallet and jewelry missing.
What's weird about this, however, is that GetsuFumaDen: Undying Moon is actually based on a Famicom exclusive title from 1987; Getsu Fuuma Den. It was never released in North America, it never received a sequel, all we got were some cameos in games like Castlevania: Harmony of Despair, while Japan would see him again in the Wai Wai World titles. I wouldn't go as far as saying the series was forgotten, but when Konami is sitting on a treasure trove of marketable franchises, it's strange to see them reach this far into the bucket.
Of course, it's unlikely you'll need to be versed in Getsu Fuuma Den to understand the new game. It's technically a sequel taking place 1000 years later, with the actual core gameplay being completely different. There is a connection there for fans, but likely nothing so intense you'll need to have the background. Nonetheless, let's take a moment to get acquainted with Konami's not-quite-classic.
