Nintendo Indie World Showcase Announced for Tomorrow

Nintendo has announced another new Nintendo Indie World Showcase for tomorrow, August 11. The presentation will steam at 9 AM PT / 12 PM ET, and it will be roughly 20 minutes long. Nintendo's given a pretty brief description of the show, saying it's going to feature "information of upcoming indie games heading to the Nintendo Switch."

Of course, most people are going to be hoping that we hear something about Hollow Knight: Silksong. Team Cherry's highly anticipated Metroidvania sequel has been missing from several showcases in a row, even having skipped E3. Earlier this year, the developers said they were nearing the final stages of development, so hopefully we'll finally get an update on when to expect the game.

Of course, that isn't the only major indie Metroidvania game soon. Axiom Verge 2 is also due out in Q3 of 2021, and with a release date not yet known, it would seem that we're close to a concrete announcement of the same. Update files of the game recently emerged on the Switch servers, so it certainly seems like that's the case.

Meanwhile, there's plenty other indie games coming to the Switch in the future, including the likes of The Forgotten City, Oxenfree 2: Lost Signals, OlliOlli World, and many more. Road 96 and Baldo: The Guardian Owls are both due out later this month, so maybe we'll see more of those as well.

We'll be covering all the biggest updates coming from the show, of course, so stay tuned.

Grand Theft Auto 5 Runs at 4K/60 FPS on PS5, as per PlayStation Germany

Rockstar Games' Grand Theft Auto 5 is unequivocally one of the most successful games of all time, selling over 150 million units across multiple consoles. Despite this, the developer has been fairly tight-lipped on the game's Xbox Series X/S and PS5 release, not revealing much by way of technical improvements. According to a new PlayStation Blog post, however, it seems the current-gen version will run at 4K/60 FPS on PS5.

The catch is that this is revealed via the PlayStation Blog for Germany. In a new post highlighting games coming too PS4 and PS5 this year, it notes that Grand Theft Auto 5 will run at a "smooth 60 FPS" and "4K resolution." Till now, Rockstar has only confirmed that the current-gen versions would have "technical improvements, visual upgrades, and performance enhancements" to make it "more beautiful and more responsive than ever." No specifics, much less the frame rate and resolution, have been revealed till now.

Grand Theft Auto 5 is slated to release on November 11th for Xbox Series X/S and PS5. Gameplay-wise, it's been confirmed that certain vehicles in Grand Theft Auto Online would be upgradeable exclusively on the current-gen versions. Expect an official announcement on its resolution and frame rate along with other graphical improvements in the coming days.

F1 2021 Reigns for Third Week in UK Sales Charts

Despite some stiff competition from Mario Kart 8: Deluxe, F1 2021 topped UK physical sales charts yet again according to Gfk Chart-Track. As revealed by GamesIndustry.biz, sales for the former rose by five percent week-on-week while the latter's dropped by 30 percent. Nevertheless, Codemasters' latest racing sim managed to claim the top spot for the third consecutive week.

The only other noteworthy title was Olympic Games Tokyo 2020: The Official Video Game. It saw sales increase by 43 percent, no doubt due to the buzz of the real-life Olympics, putting it in third place. Sadly, the buzz didn't help Mario and Sonic at the Olympic Games Tokyo 2020 which saw sales drop by 13 percent.

The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword HD saw a major dip, going from second to fifth place after sales dropped by 46 percent. NEO: The World Ends with You debuted last week in tenth place but sadly fell out of the top ten this week. Check out the Gfk top ten for the week ending August 7th 2021 below.

Title This Week Last Week
F1 2021 1 1
Mario Kart 8: Deluxe 2 3
Olympic Games Tokyo 2020: The Official Video Game 3 8
Animal Crossing: New Horizons 4 4
The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword HD 5 2
Minecraft (Switch) 6 5
Grand Theft Auto 5 7 6
Assassin's Creed Valhalla 8 12
Super Mario 3D World + Bowser's Fury 9 11
Marvel's Avengers 10 13

Path of Exile – Patch 3.16 Plans Could be Revealed Tomorrow

The launch of a new League for Grinding Gear Games' Path of Exile is usually a celebratory occasion. However, patch 3.15 and Expedition League have been met with a less than stellar response. Peak concurrent players at launch were down by 23 percent compared to the game's all-time record. Though this is something within the developer's expectations, player numbers on Steam have continued to drop.

With that in mind, co-founder and lead developer Chris Wilson will be appearing on the Baeclast podcast tomorrow at 11 AM PDT to discuss the current state of the game. It will be streamed live on Tarkecat's Twitch and the goal is to "have a very candid chat about Path of Exile's past, present and future and to answer any big picture questions about the current state of Path of Exile." Though Wilson won't go into too much detail regarding "balance/mechanics", there will be a discussion on "a variety of broad topics."

Interestingly, it's also likely that the developer will discuss "some" of its plans for patch 3.16. The newest League and patch usually receive details a few weeks before going live. What does it say about the current state of Path of Exile that Grinding Gear Games is already hyping up the next League? Probably not a whole lot positive. Stay tuned for more details and updates following tomorrow's stream.

Valheim – Hearth and Home Update Changes Food Mechanics

Iron Gate Studio has been working hard on its sandbox survival title Valheim with the first major update being Hearth and Home. In a new video, the developer outlines how the food system will be changing. The first major change is dividing food into three categories – health, stamina and a mix of the two.

The health and stamina focused foods will provide more significant buffs compared items that have a mix of the two. As a result, certain food items like Cooked Lox Meat will raise health by 50 instead of 70 and stamina by 10 instead 40. Blood Pudding goes from raising health by 90 to 14 and stamina by 50 to 70, which makes it more ideal as a stamina-based food.

New icons are also being added to denote food that provides health (a red fork), stamina (yellow fork) or both (white fork). There will no longer be a bar for one's food status with timers instead showcasing an effect's duration. Some new food items are also showcased like Wolf Jerky and Boar Jerky that provide health/stamina increases of 25/25 and 20/20 respectively. Interestingly, your choice of food buffs will impact your combat style with more details coming later.

Valheim's Hearth and Home update doesn't have a release date yet but it's "coming soon" as per the trailer. Stay tuned for more details in the meantime.

Psychonauts 2 Video Introduces its New Characters

Fans of cult classic Psychonauts have been waiting for a sequel for a long, long time, and now that it's finally almost here, the excitement and anticipation surrounding it are mounting by the day. Developer Double Fine Productions has been captalizing on that and regularly sharing new details on Psychonauts 2, and in a recently released video, they've talked a bit about the new characters that are going to be introduced in the sequel.

In the video, various members of the development team talk about the characters Raz will meet and befriend (or not) in the intern program of the Psychonauts, which is where he finds himself after the events of the first game. On the bottom rungs of the organization, Raz is going to have to deal with all sort of personalities, and in this video, we get a little bit of an idea of how that's going to play out in the story. Check it out below.

Psychonauts 2 recently wrapped up development, and will be launching on August 25 for Xbox Series X/S, Xbox One, PS4, and PC.

Rainbow Six Extraction Cash Shop and Cosmetics Leaked in New Video

It's no secret that Rainbow Six Extraction, Ubisoft's co-op PvE experience based on Rainbow Six Siege's limited-time mode Outbreak, has its detractors. Nevertheless, much like its PvP sibling, Extraction will have a cash shop with numerous categories of cosmetics to buy. In a new video by BigfryTV on YouTube, likely from an ongoing technical test, we get a closer look at all of the different items available.

Much like Siege, the premium currency is Credits (though they're called REACT Credits instead), ranging from $9.99 to $49.99, and are used to purchase individual skins and bundles. Categories range from Headgear and Uniforms to Weapon Skins, Charms and REACT Tech. There's quite a bit of outlandishness in the cosmetics' design with samurai and sci-fi themed armor among the choices.

Along with REACT Credits, there will likely be an in-game currency that can be used for acquiring certain cosmetics as well. It's also likely that some cosmetics can be unlocked by completing certain challenges or achievements. We'll have to wait for more details in the coming months. Rainbow Six Extraction is currently slated to release in January 2022 for Xbox Series X/S, PS4, PS5, PC, Google Stadia and Xbox One.

Hellblade: Senua's Sacrifice Has Been Played by More Than 6.3 Million People

Microsoft announced out of nowhere yesterday that Ninja Theory's acclaimed action-adventure title Hellblade: Senua's Sacrifice has now been optimized for the Xbox Series X/S, with the new dedicated version of the game boasting improved visuals, 4K resolution, ray-tracing, and much more. The developer, meanwhile, took the chance to announce an important landmark for the game.

Ninja Theory took to Twitter yesterday and confirmed that Hellblade: Senua's Sacrifice has been played by more than 6.3 million players since launch. The game came out four years ago, in 2017, for PS4 and PC, before making its way to Xbox One a few months later, which was followed by a Switch launch in 2019. We don't know exactly how much the game has sold, of course, but 6.3 million players is an impressive figure regardless.

Meanwhile, it's also been confirmed that the game's Xbox Series X/S update is also arriving for PC players soon. Read more on that through here.

A sequel, Senua's Saga: Hellblade 2, is also currently in development, but doesn't yet have a release date.

F1 2021 Guide – MyTeam Tips for Sponsors, Departments, R&D and Earning Acclaim

MyTeam has returned in F1 2021 but it's not without its changes. R&D has been more streamlined and there's more freedom for how one wants to develop their team. First off, you'll need to create your avatar. Choose an outfit and car livery along with creating a team logo. From the outset, there will be four sponsors that you can sign with and each provides a significant signing bonus along with a weekly income. Complete their goal for the season and you'll receive some bonus cash as well.

Here are all the sponsors along with their signing bonuses, weekly incomes and goal bonuses.

  • X-Formig – Provides $4.2 million signing bonus and $280,000 weekly income. Completing a full season nets $1.68 million as a bonus for the season.
  • RGB – Provides $4.4 million signing bonus and $268,8000 weekly income. Finishing in 10th position or better in the Constructors' Championship nets $2.24 million bonus.
  • Xenon Dynamics – Provides $4.5 million signing bonus and $268,8000 weekly income. If you earn 15 points in the Constructors' Championship, then $4.03 million bonus is awarded.
  • Echo – Provides $4.6 million signing bonus and $263,200 weekly income. If you achieve two point finishes in a season, then $3.92 million is awarded as a bonus.

You also need to choose an engine which will be subtracted from the signing bonus of whichever sponsor is chosen. Keep that in mind when choosing one.

Leveling up allows for another sponsor to be unlocked, though the contracts are shorter. These can be viewed under the Corporate Sponsorships tab and will often pay out based on goals achieved each week. A view examples includes completing all of the practice programs, getting the fastest lap for a race, ensuring that both your drivers don't get "DNF" and even just answering some interview questions. Go with those you're most comfortable with in a season.

You'll also need a second driver for your team and they'll have stats like Pace, Focus (which is akin to the driver's morale), Individual Acclaim, Rating, Experience, Awareness and so on. If you're not happy with a driver, simply sign some new ones via the Corporate Driver Market tab.

Let's take a look at some ways to get the best results out of a season. Right off the bat, look for the group that has a particular specialization you want. When questioned about one's favorite department in an interview, answering will rank up that department, providing an instant advantage. Try to be amicable during interviews (tempting as it is to be smarmy) since they're a decent source of Acclaim.

There are six key departments – Aerodynamics, which is all about turning speed and maneuvering; Powertrain which is focused on speed when racing down straights; Durability, which affects the overall wear and tear that a vehicle receives; Personnel, which influences a teammate's attributes; Marketing for more boosts and acclaim when completing team activities; and Chassis, which governs the weight distribution and performance of your vehicle. Again, based on the department chosen during interviews, you'll receive bonuses throughout the game. Certain events can also occur, like sponsors investing more money (which leads to resource point costs being reduced) and having to fix the facility when it gets flooded (leading to more or less money being lost).

It's also worth taking stock of how many calendar activities are available each weekend, especially if the season is shorter. Look for bonuses that you need in certain places while also accounting for your drivers' Acclaim. Taking Marketing in these cases can be highly beneficial when playing longer seasons.

As you upgrade different departments, you'll receive more parts for R&D, like Fabrication which increases the number of active projects at a time and Resource Point Generation which increases the amount of weekly research points. Along with calendar activities and events, Resource Points can be earned from departments and when achieving different goals in practice sessions. The Development Feedback perk for your driver also provides a slight increase to Resource Points earned and has three upgrade tiers. Other perks include Social Media Team (which increases the amount of Individual Acclaim generated), Power Mapping (reduces engine wear and tear) and Media Coaching (for more interview responses.

Delving deeper into the R&D tab, it's a lot easier to get into than F1 2020. Each department is organized neatly and various upgrades unlock in a pre-defined sequence. As you increase the Spec Rank, new technologies and features are unlocked. It's worth noting that developing certain parts may end in failure and will require another try, though it often succeeds the second time around.

Tales of Arise – 15 Things You Need to Know

After being announced at E3 2019 and pretty much disappearing until earlier this year, Bandai Namco's Tales of Arise is finally set to release on September 10th for Xbox Series X/S, Xbox One, PS4, PS5 and PC. Quite a lot has changed since the last title in the series, from the visual quality and scale of the world to the combat and skits. Let's take a look at 15 things you should know before buying.

Story

Tales of Arise is centered on Dahna and Rena, two worlds that prospered until the latter invaded the former. This led to Rena effectively subjugating Dahna's people, pillaging their resources and enslaving them for roughly 300 years. In the midst of all this is Alphen, a Dahnan who's lost his memory and can't feel pain, and Shionne, a Renan that inflicts pain on those who get too close. The two journey together to "challenge their fates" as it were, whether it's Alphen's goal to free his people or Shionne's desire to be rid of her curse.

Setting

tales of arise image

Many of the environments revealed thus far take place on Dahna. These include Calaglia, a desert land whose oil is being refined by large machines; Cyslodia, a snowy area which subsists on artificial light; and the green region of Elde Menancia with its luxurious capital Viscint. Each region has its own unique stories and NPCs to encounter, and thanks to the studio's "Atmospheric Shader", the environments have a more hand-drawn look and feel that's more vibrant.

Main Cast

Tales of Arise_03

Four other characters join Alphen and Shionne on their journey, starting with Rinwell, a Dahnan mage who can use Astral Artes and requests help to aid the resistance in Cyslodia. Accompanying her is Hootle, her pet owl (remember that name). Law is a close quarters combat specialist who's part of the police group Snake Eyes in Cyslodia and spies on any dissidents in exchange for making life easier for his fellow Dahnans. Kisara is a Dahnan soldier who fights alongside Renant troops, and is famed for her composure and skill with the hammer and shield. Finally, there's Dohalim, a Renan noble who treats both races equally and is interested in various art forms. Along with various NPCs, other characters like Zilpha, the leader of Calaglia's resistance group Crimson Crow, will be encountered and can provide support in battles.

Combat

Tales of Arise

Combat is where Tales of Arise makes some of the biggest changes to the series' formula, offering a more fast-paced and fluid experience. Battles take place in a 3D arena which the player can freely move about in. Along with a normal attack, you can map Artes to the other face buttons. Each face button can have three Ground Attacks and three Aerial Attacks (with six more techniques capable of being mapped through simultaneous button presses). Some of the newer aspects include evasion where perfectly timing an evade lets you avoid damage completely. Kisara can't evade but is capable of blocking enemies and counter-attacking with the right timing while also receiving a buff.

Boost Strikes are double team attacks which can be used to finish off low-health enemies and deal large amounts of damage to bosses. You also have Boost Attacks that allow for triggering a character's special move with different benefits (Shionne's, for instance, is good at grounding flying enemies). The aforementioned Support characters can also jump in and deal damage when called upon. Characters also have Mystic Artes, super moves with dedicated cutscenes that deal massive amounts of damage.

Titles

Tales of Arise - Shionne

Another interesting change is how Titles are handled this time around. While still providing various boosts to each character, each title has different nodes that you can unlock freely with Skill Points and which confer new skills and Artes along with stat increases. As the story progresses, new titles with different nodes become available, providing different bonuses and Artes.

Score System and Consecutive Battles Bonus

Tales of Arise_04

When completing battles in Tales of Berseria, players would receive Grades based on the difficulty and how well they'd perform. The Grade system won't be present in Tales of Arise, instead being replaced with Scores. Again, depending on one's performance and how quickly they defeat enemies, they can earn higher Scores, the difference being that this nets more Skill Points and allows for unlocking Skills more quickly. A bonus is also conferred for Consecutive Battles. Earn enough high Scores in consecutive battles and rare materials will get a drop rate increase (while the encounter rate of rare foes goes up as well).

Skits

Tales of Arise - Rinwell

Skits have been a long-standing tradition for the Tales series. They pop up on the field and often see characters conversing with each other through 2D portraits and dialogue boxes. Tales of Arise ups the production values on these considerably – characters are now portrayed through their in-game 3D models with stylish comic book-style panels. Along with detailed animations and facial expressions, the skits come across as more dynamic overall.

Lifestyle Features

Tales of Arise

When you're not beating down hapless foes or partaking in quests, there are various other activities to indulge in like fishing. Farming is a new activity and sees you tending to fields and managing livestock to "reap the rewards of the land." Cooking also makes a return and once again provides benefits on the field and in battles. It also looks way more involved as scenes are showcased with party members actually eating meals as opposed to recovering HP in a menu.

Coliseum

Other side content includes the Coliseum, which makes its return in Arise after being absent in Tales of Berseria. In a recent Q&A, the developer confirmed that there would be cameo characters for players to fight. However, what content the Coliseum will offer and the identities of those characters will remain a secret for the time being. If it's anything like previous Tales games, expect options for solo and team battles with weapons and armor as rewards.

Total Length

Tales of Arise_06

With everything that Tales of Arise has to offer, just how much playtime can you expect? According to the developer in the Q&A, it will be about the same length as Tales of Berseria. Naturally, there will be some replay value, though whether it will have New Game+ or not is unknown. Tales of Berseria clocks in at about 45 hours for just the story and if you indulge in the side content, that can go up to 68 to 70 hours. Either way, it seems that Arise will offer more than enough to keep the average RPG fan busy. Don't expect anything by way of follow-ups though – this is a self-contained story that won't be getting any prequels, sequels or expansions.

Free Demo Planned

Want to try the game out for yourself before launch? In the same Q&A, the developer confirmed that it is looking into releasing a public demo for players. Specific details like content that would be included, when it would be released and so on have yet to be revealed. But if Scarlet Nexus, another action RPG from Bandai Namco, could have a demo just a few weeks before launch, then it certainly seems possible for Tales of Arise.

4K and 60 FPS Modes on PS5 and Xbox Series X/S

There will be two visual modes to choose from on current-gen platforms. The first offers a 4K resolution while the second prioritizes frame rate and offers a 60 FPS experience. Furthermore, those who pick up the game on PS4 or Xbox One can upgrade to the PS5 or Xbox Series X/S versions for free. Whether cross-gen save progression will be supported has yet to be confirmed but at least loading times will be faster.

DualSense Support

Tales of Arise_08

Meanwhile, PS5 players will also benefit from DualSense support, particularly haptic feedback. The developer confirmed that there would be different feedback based on actions used. So if you're using electric magic to decimate foes, the vibrations will be different from using fire magic.

Pre-purchase DLC, Deluxe and Ultimate Editions

Tales of Arise_Asobi Store Collector's Edition

Tales of Arise will have numerous editions when it launches, including a Standard, Deluxe and Ultimate Edition. The Standard Edition includes the base game for $60 with pre-orders netting a new costume for Alphen and Shionne along with accessories, cooking recipes and ingredients. The Deluxe Edition includes all of that plus a Premium Item Pack with boosts, cooking items and gold; a Premium Costume Pack with 8 outfits and 6 accessories; and a Premium Travel Pack which provides "better" cooking and crafting abilities along with shop discounts, all for $85. As for the Ultimate Edition, it includes all of the Deluxe Edition content along with a School Life Pack, Beach Time Pack and Warring States Pack, each having six costumes for the party. There's also a mystery collaboration pack that offers three costumes for $110.

But wait, there's more. A physical Collector's Edition is also available for €199.99 which includes all of the digital bonuses and costume packs, the physical and digital soundtrack, a steelbook, 64-page artbook and an exclusive figurine of Shionne and Alphen. And if that's not enough, there's a special Hootle Edition available in limited quantities exclusively on Bandai Namco Entertainment's Europe store. It includes ten Hootle-themed accessories, a collector's box, physical and digital soundtrack, Hootle plush with 4 accessories, metal case, three art prints, the art book and stickers for €119.99.

PC Requirements

Tales of Arise_07

While a grade above its predecessor, the PC requirements for Tales of Arise thankfully aren't too heavy. At the minimum, one will need an Intel Core i5-2300 or AMD Ryzen 3 1200, 8 GB of RAM and a GeForce GTX 760 or Radeon HD 7950. Recommended requirements include a Core i5-4590 or AMD FX-8350, 8 GB of RAM and either a GTX 970 or Radeon R9 390. Both configurations require 45 GB of installation space overall.