eFootball Launch is "Basically a Demo," Konami Says

Konami's long-running Pro Evolution Soccer franchise is undergoing some major changes. The annual series skipped its 2020 instalment, and though its coming back later this year, it's doing so in rather unique fashion, rebranding itself as eFootball, which will be a free-to-play ongoing platform that will replace the series' usual yearly cadence of releases.

eFootball is due to launch this Autumn, but what exactly is that launch going to entail? According to Konami, you should basically look at it as a demo. The company recently published an FAQ thread via the game's official Twitter page, and confirmed that the game's early Autumn launch is essentially a demo, which will launch "with a limited number of teams and modes." More details will follow soon, but Konami says this is being done so people can "get hands-on with eFootball as soon as possible."

Konami has further explained that at launch, eFootball will be completely free-to-play with no microtransactions, though that (along with more content) will be added to the game over the course of Autumn. Speaking of microtransactions, Konami also confirms that previous iterations' loot box-style randomized monetization is being done away with, and will basically be replaced with a battle pass system (called Match Pass). Match Passes will grant rewards based on the number of matches played, and will have both free and paid tiers.

In terms of what'll be included in the game at launch, you will, of course, be able to play against the AI in single exhibition matches, though the option to edit and customize files is something that won't be added in until later in the year. Konami says this feature will come to the game as a free update for PS5, PS4, and PC later in 2021- there's no word yet on what that means for other platforms.

Finally, what about Master League, which is the series' equivalent of a career mode? Well, that, it seems, is not going to be free. Konami says the Master League will be added to eFootball as premium DLC "in the future." There's no word yet on what exactly the pricing model for that will be, or when it will release.

eFootball is due out for PS5, Xbox Series X/S, PS4, Xbox One, and PC this Autumn, and will also be releasing for iOS and Android later in the year.

Madden NFL 22 – 15 Things You Need To Know

EA Sports titles aren't usually the most revered among their fans, whether it's due to the copious amount of microtransactions or the lack of any real changes. Nevertheless, they remain popular and EA Tiburon's Madden NFL 22 looks to cash in on that with exclusive features for current-gen consoles, returning modes and much more. It's out on August 17th for Xbox One, PS4, PC, Xbox Series X/S, PS5 and Google Stadia. Let's take a look at 15 things you should know before taking the plunge.

Dynamic Gameday

Dynamic Gameday™ is exclusive to the PS5 and Xbox Series X/S versions and aims to make gameplay across each mode feel "fresh and offer a deeper level of strategy." This is divided into three components – Gameday Momentum, Gameday Atmosphere and Next Gen Stats: Star-Driven AI. Gameday Momentum introduces a "Tug-of-War" meter where different effects called M-Factors come into play, either providing benefits or challenges depending on how well you play. Make big plays and the meter increases faster (while teams playing on their home turf receive an extra unique M-Factor). EA Tiburon noted that this meter is "tuned differently" in modes like Tournaments, Online Ranked Head-to-Head and Ultimate Team Mode, hopefully being less viable as a steamroll option.

Next is Gameday Atmosphere, which has various factors – like the weather, rivalries, field quality, the crowd and so – bringing unique modifiers that can affect both teams. A good example is that slippery surfaces will decrease the change-of-direction ratings for all players. Finally, there's the Next Gen Stats: Star-Driven AI which sees player and team behavior being closely based on their real world counterparts. This means you'll have a different experience playing against the Pittsburgh Steelers who prioritize defense than the Buffalo Bills who are all about passing.

Movement, Blocking, Catching and Tackling Changes

Improvements have also been made to the core gameplay, whether its player movement, catching, tackling or blocking. Such improvements include ball carriers and defenders using "maximum effort" (yes, seriously) when breaking into a sprint while quarterbacks have more "smooth and explosive control" (with more animations and transitions to signify this). All of the most used tackles have been refreshed while new ones like Sideline Tackles, Early Hurdle Tackles and Touch-Player-Down Tackles have been added. Run After Catches in multiplayer are being toned down while catch height thresholds are tuned to allow receivers to have a bigger catch radius (while defenders have more range when trying to knock the ball away). New animations are also being added for blocking with interactions having a larger variety of angles to start from.

Various Improvements

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There are also all of the minuscule changes and improvements like Pass Lead and Pass Trajectory having increased range; more Scramble Sack interactions in multiplayer; nearby teammates helping your ball carrier up when the whistle is blown; and much more. Impact Blocks will now take the momentum of players into account while the High Throw mechanic is being made more effective. How all of this plays out in practice remains to be seen though.

Updated Playbooks and New Formations

Playbooks have been updated once again based on real-world NFL performance till the end of the last season so you'll see the Miami Dolphins leaning more into blitzing while the Baltimore Ravens focus heavily on runs. About 300 new plays have been added along with new formations like the Pistol Open Flex Close, Gun Empty Quads, Singleback Bunch X Nasty and others that I wish were made up. Other changes like better defender leverage against receivers, improved logic for Red Zone and End Zone defenders, and having the AI better recognize pass plays with vertical crossing routes are also being implemented.

Face of the Franchise

The closest thing to a Career mode this time around is Face of the Franchise. Dubbed "United We Rise", it sees players starting as a prospect for the 2021 NFL Draft. You'll get involved with team interviews, private workouts and various events and have to make choices for what to prioritize. A range of characters from your mentor Carter Landry to close friend and agent Jordan Wright are on hand to interact with as you attempt to increase your draft stock and win big.

The Yard

Another returning mode is The Yard which allows players to venture to different fields and venues with unique rules, completing different objectives and Proving Grounds games before tackling the boss (which is usually a high profile NFL player). There are four chapters overall and you can play it in either solo or co-op. Venues also offer bonus games with unique rules and Mastery Games with previous opponents returning stronger than ever.

Recruiting Bosses and Auto-Draft

One of the cooler aspects of The Yard is being able to recruit the defeated bosses into your own squad. This makes it possible to amass a potent squad by just playing through the mode. An auto-draft option is also available if you just want to jump into a game quickly, though it's still possible to manually draft your team beforehand.

Venue and Perfection Rewards

As you win and achieve different objectives in The Yard, you'll receive new gear, REP and CRED. Each venue has its own gear set to farm as well, providing enough incentive to replay them. Complete every objective in every game and you'll receive an exclusive gear item. These are high tier items ranging from jerseys to helmets and showcase one's dedication to the grind.

Classes

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A new addition in Face of the Franchise and The Yard are classes, each possessing unique Superstar Abilities and one X-Factor ability. Leveling a class provides Skill Points for boosting OVR while also bestowing gear, CRED and REP. Both modes have their own exclusive classes though progression is unified among the common ones. Classes revealed thus far include Mojo which is all about cornerback and the wide receiver position; the Freak which excels as an outside linebacker and halfback; and the Goliath, capable of numerous roles like middle linebacker and offensive lineman.

Season Engine and Modular Cinematics

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Franchise Mode offers a variety of new things like Franchise Staff, Franchise Staff Points to upgrade coach characters, Talent Trees and whatnot. But most intriguing is the Season Engine which provides 30 new scenarios that can occur at any time during the season based on how your Franchise progresses. New modular cinematics reinforce the narrative significance of these scenarios as well. And don't worry – you'll also be attending Press Conferences to field questions from the media, just like in real life.

Mix and Match Superstar X-Factor Abilities

Introduced in Madden NFL 21, Superstar X-Factor abilities once again make a return but with a unique twist. Along with new abilities being added, players can also mix and match X-Factor abilities after leveling different classes to create unique builds. Though it leans even more into the RPG aspect of the title, it does offer even more customization for players.

LIVE Events

LIVE Events are meant to coincide with real-world NFL events. The first major LIVE Event is the Pro Bowl competition, taking place in the new London field with a five game gauntlet. Details on other events will be provided in the coming months but the developer is touting some "exciting brand partnerships" for fans.

Superstar KO

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If you enjoy fast games with real NFL teams, then Superstar KO is the way to go. Its unique stadiums embody football culture and you can pick any team you want along with any Playbook (with numerous teams, stadiums and rosters debuting in Madden NFL 22). Options are available for 1v1, 2v2 and 3v3 games with modes like Superstar KO and traditional NFL rules.

Madden Ultimate Team Auction Changes

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Perhaps the least surprising return of all the different modes is Madden Ultimate Team with changes being made to Auctions. Details on recent sale prices for an item along with how many are up for sale will be offered. There will also be Price Ranges based on an item's median sale price on each platform (which goes up or down hourly based on market trends). This means that you can't price an item above a certain range and gouge other players.

Special Editions and Dual Entitlement

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Of course, it wouldn't be a modern sports title without multiple different editions to purchase. Along with the Standard Edition for $70 on Xbox Series X/S and PS5 ($60 on Xbox One and PS4), there's the Dynasty Edition for $120. This includes three day early access, 100 Franchise Staff Points, level 10 for the general starting player class and capsules for Tom Brady Gear and a Legend Athlete. You also have a choice between a Brady or Patrick Mahomes Elite item, a Curated Legends Pack for either player, a choice of one of out 32 NFL stars, exclusive challenges in the early access window and 22 Gold Team Fantasy Packs in Ultimate Team. The MVP Edition is slightly cheaper at $100 with 60 Franchise Staff Points, no Legend Athlete Capsule, only 11 Gold Team Fantasy Packs and no Curated Legends Pack.

Both special editions offer Dual Entitlement. This allows for upgrading from the PS4 and Xbox One versions to the PS5 and Xbox Series X/S versions respectively. It's essentially giving you two copies of the same game for either PlayStation or Xbox platforms. Cross-gen progression includes Madden Rank, Wallet, gear, vanity purchases, all progression from The Yard and Face of the Franchise, and MUT (save for competitive mode progress). However, you only have a two month window after launch for transferring progress from previous to current gen consoles.

2K Games Will Announce an "Exciting New Franchise" Later This Month

It seems 2K Games has something new in the works that the company is going to be unveiling very soon. During the recent quarterly earnings call of parent company Take-Two Interactive, Take-Two president Karl Slatoff said that a new announcement is coming soon, as early as later this month, and that the game in question is going to launch in the current fiscal year, before April 2022.

"Later this month, 2K will unveil details of another exciting new franchise planned for launch during this fiscal year," Slatoff said.

About a couple of months ago, leaks suggested that XCOM and Civilization developer Firaxis Games was working on a new turn-based tactics game similar to XCOM that would feature Marvel superheroes. It's likely that that's the game that Slatoff is referring to. Gamescom is set to kick off later this month, so the game might possibly be revealed there.

During the earnings call, it was also confirmed that 2K and Gearbox's upcoming Tiny Tina's Wonderlands would be releasing some time between January and March of next year. Read more on that through here.

F1 2021 is Still No. 1 in Weekly UK Retail Charts

The latest weekly charts for physical video game sales in the UK are in (via GamesIndustry), and the very top of the pile hasn't seen a lot of movement from last week. F1 2021 climbed to the top spot last week, and has retained that position this week in spite of a 42% week-on-week drop in sales. The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword HD is similarly holding strong in second place.

Olympic Games Tokyo 2020, which released back in 2019, jumped up in sales thanks to the currently ongoing Olympics, coming in at No. 8. One new entry in the top 10 this week is NEO: The World Ends with You, which sees somewhat tepid debut and comes in at No. 10. 63% of its sales came on the Nintendo Switch.

The rest of the top 10 features a lot of games that have been charting regularly in these charts, with the likes of Animal Crossing: New Horizons, Mario Kart 8 Deluxe, the Nintendo Switch version of Minecraft, Grand Theft Auto 5, Marvel's Spider-Man: Miles Morales, and FIFA 21 all continuing to exhibit long legs in terms of sales. 

You can check out the full top 10 for the week ending July 31 below.

Rank Game
1. F1 2021
2. The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword HD
3. Mario Kart 8 Deluxe
4. Animal Crossing: New Horizons
5. Minecraft (Switch)
6. Grand Theft Auto 5
7. Marvel's Spider-Man: Miles Morales
8. Olympic Games Tokyo 2020
9. FIFA 21
10. NEO: The World Ends with You

Blizzard President J. Allen Brack is Leaving the Company

Activision Blizzard has announced that J. Allen Brack, president of Blizzard Entertainment, is stepping down from his role at the company and leaving to "pursue new opportunities" effective immediately. Brack joined Blizzard in 2006, and became the company's president in 2018.

He is being replaced by Jen Oneal and Mike Ybarra, who will co-lead the company. Oneal was formerly the head of Vicarious Visions, and stepped into the role of executive vice president of development at Blizzard when Vicarious Visions was merged into the company earlier this year, and she has since then been working in a senior development leadership role for the Overwatch and Diablo franchises.

Ybarra, meanwhile, joined Blizzard as executive vice president and GM of platform and technology, overseeing Battle.net, in November 2019, prior to which he worked at Microsoft for nearly two decades, several of which were spent in executive positions.

This change in leadership arrives in the midst of controversies surrounding Activision Blizzard as a whole, who have been taken to court by the California Department of Fair Employment and Housing (DEFH), with the lawsuit bringing to light allegations against the company for widespread and persistent discrimination against and sexual harassment of employees, female employees in particular.

Activision Blizzard employees have been openly critical of the company's response to the lawsuit and its persistent practices over many years these last few days, while Activision CEO Bobby Kotick recently apologized for the same in an open letter penned to all employees.

In its announcement, Blizzard writes: "Both leaders are deeply committed to all of our employees; to the work ahead to ensure Blizzard is the safest, most welcoming workplace possible for women, and people of any gender, ethnicity, sexual orientation, or background; to upholding and reinforcing our values; and to rebuilding your trust. With their many years of industry experience and deep commitment to integrity and inclusivity, Jen and Mike will lead Blizzard with care, compassion, and a dedication to excellence. You'll hear more from Jen and Mike soon."

Ghost of Tsushima Raised the Bar for Open World Games

Few games from the last several years can stand toe-to-toe with Ghost of Tsushima in just about any measurable way. While it seems right at home among God of War, Horizon Zero Dawn, The Last of Us 2, and the other top-tier AAA PlayStation Studios exclusives, among its genre generally, it stands way out as a sterling example of its genre and Sucker Punch's ability to execute a massive, ambitious game. Most of the better games of this sort don't rely so much on innovation or reinvention, but rather lean more on their ability to combine common ideas that already exist in such a well-executed way that the derivative nature of them stays mostly hidden behind the glossy exterior of the game's polish and engrossing story. Ghost of Tsushima isn't very different in that regard, but it does manage to pepper in just enough of its own ideas and fundamental twists on the third-person action adventure format that it soared to the top of many players' lists of best games of 2020. Had the field not been so crowded by other behemoths like The Last of Us 2, Ghost probably would have emerged as an undisputed game of the year. Regardless of its competition through, or the timing of its release, Sucker Punch's Sengoku-era epic exceeded expectations and raised the bar for its genre in a variety of ways.

There's a lot of factors that determine how good or bad a massive, open-world action adventure game is or isn't. Gameplay, story, audio and video quality, and other things can make or break a game of this sort, and thankfully Ghost goes out of it's way to impress in nearly every category. Most noticeably at first in the graphics on display. Ghost of Tsushima has virtually no weak spot in its visual presentation, but beyond that actually knocks it out of the park in multiple areas here. The sunsets, the meticulously accurate architecture, the colorful flora and fauna that change in color palette in different areas of the island, the intriguing hidden caves, shores, and vistas that beckon continuous exploration, and of course the highly detailed characters themselves, rarely fail to impress. This game manages the negotiation between detail and quantity like virtually nothing before it, and the result, it ends up being a game that is just as dense with sharp details as it is immense with a colossal amount of space that lures you in from all directions.

All of this is noticeably intensified with the masterfully handled HDR effects that don't distract with overly vivid colors, but do intensify the mood of the game's many dazzling locations. From the big picture to the smaller stuff, like subtle particle effects from explosions of Jin's more advanced weaponry or Mongol gunpowder barrels serve as a nice cherry on top of the visuals in Ghost. But it's so full of other little touches it's hard to zero in on any one thing that really stands out. Even more impressive is the outstanding motion capture performances of the actors that capture everything from the subtle movements of characters' faces to the large, more demanding movements of the various characters' combat stances that all flow together seamlessly. Highly articulate mo-cap performances seem to be a major hallmark of the PlayStation Studios family these days, and Ghost of Tsushima handily keeps up with the best of them, particularly in the pre-rendered cinematics. The visual package in this game is outstanding by all reasonable measures. Just a few stiff NPC animations away from true perfection.

Despite how important visuals are in these sorts of games, gameplay is still the most important thing, and Ghost does a great job with its mechanics. Like all other games in the genre, there are a lot of systems at play in the game. From Jin's various skill trees for each stance, his personal skill tree, charms that buff various aspects of Jin's abilities to the different armor types that can give Jin an edge with detectability, health, and Jin's ability to find various artifacts, the game certainly gives you a lot to manage if you want – arguably more than God of War, Horizon, and the rest of its contemporaries. Managing Jin's resolve, learning his special moves, and mastering the one-on-one standoffs provide even more variety and depth. Just as importantly, though, a lot of that depth is optional. While sticking with one stance, and one armor set and one strategy throughout the game would be robbing yourself of the game's many different fascinating ways to play it, you could theoretically do it if you level up your equipment accordingly. While the water stance is certainly more effective against sheildmen, you could just as well have upgraded your arsenal of explosive arrows and black powder bombs to plow through whoever you want, or focus entirely on stealth and sail through most of the game as a silent assassin who doesn't need much more than patience and wind chimes.

The downside of Jin having access to so many things at once, is a fairly convoluted menu system that sometimes feels less than optimal in terms of how it's organized. Instead of one or two big weapon wheels that contain everything, Ghost has multiple, smaller menus that result in a system that takes a while longer to get used to than I would have preferred, but that's a very small bump in the road in light of how fun and engaging using those various tools are. The game gives you a lot to do outside of the main story. Following animals to various points of interest, including the hot springs that encourage a rare moment of calm and reflection in video games. Regardless of your goal, Ghost's navigation system is perhaps the most charming twist on the formula, as it simply lets the wind guide Jin to his next destination, which both makes sense contextually for the samurai movie-aesthetic of the game, while simultaneously avoiding cluttering the UI with compasses and objective markers. As you would expect in a somewhat more grounded take on samurai, the combat is not the arcadey hack 'n slash that you might find in other games. Mashing buttons won't get you very far, as countering multiple foes at once while landing hits of your own is a delicate dance that doesn't overstep with its difficulty, but does feel noticeably more technical than the Batman: Arkham combat system, to which it is often compared.

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The story of Ghost of Tsushima is probably the final of the three big things it gets the most right. The main beats of the first, second, and third act are perhaps a bit on the predictable side – even more so to the Kurosawa fans that the story is most precisely aimed at – but the meat of the story and interpersonal relationships between the larger macro points are where the narrative truly shines. Jin meets new friends and reconnects with old ones, and the way these characters' agendas intermingle is rarely anything short of completely entertaining. The thief Yuna and the jaded Ishikawa stood out most to me, but there's really no weak character among the main cast, and the story truly wouldn't be the same without any one of them.

Ghost of Tsushima is one of those rare games that rely on execution over innovation, but don't suffer from that decision at all, due to its handful of thoughtful twists to the formula that make it feel much more like a step forward than it otherwise would have. The outstanding gameplay, deep combat, and magnetizing story make it's few rough edges virtually invisible, so while an open-world samurai story might not quite be for everyone, clearly, Ghost of Tsushima is still one hell of a game.

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.

The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword HD Trailer Showcases Critical Acclaim

Nintendo's The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword HD may have released last month but it's still being promoted pretty heavily. In a new trailer, the various accolades that the remaster has received from different outlets are outlined. Check it out below.

The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword HD takes place from the very beginning of the timeline and sees Link embarking on a journey to save his childhood friend Zelda. Residing in floating islands in the skies, players must make their way to the world below and with the help of Fi, the Goddess Sword, defeat the forces of darkness. Along with improved visuals, the HD remaster also offers a number of quality of life features.

These include an autosave system, free camera control, support for button controls and an option to fast forward dialogue or skip cutscenes. Item information is also streamlined, preventing the same details on the same items from continuously showing up. For more details, check out our official review here.

Rainbow Six Siege – New Containment Event Starts Today, Adds New PvP Mode

Outbreak still hasn't returned to Rainbow Six Siege but Ubisoft is adding something else for fans while teasing the world of Rainbow Six Extraction. Revealed via a new trailer, the Containment event sees REACT agents battling against Proteans, an Archaean form that can mimic Operators (but only fight with melee attacks). It introduces a new PvP mode that takes place in a revamped Consulate map. Check it out below.

Though Proteans can't wield weapons, they can move very quickly, have more health and can use special abilities from Aruni and Oryx. The REACT agents have the regular loadouts but there's a reduced selection overall. Nest Destruction is the new mode and requires the attackers to destroy the nest and reach the final objective to win while defenders must stop them.

Alternatively, either team can just eliminate the other and win the round. Containment offers new cosmetic items for IQ, Amaru, Zero, Aruni, Kaid, Mira and more which includes uniforms, weapon skins and headgear. These can be purchased from the shop in time-limited bundles for 1680 R6 Credits. However, one can also purchase Containment Packs for 300 R6 Credits or 12500 Renown if they feel like rolling the dice.

The Containment event will be available until August 24th. Rainbow Six Extraction, meanwhile, is slated to release in January 2022.

No More Heroes 3 – 15 Things You Need to Know

Travis may have struck again in 2019 but on August 27th, the No More Heroes series is getting a proper sequel exclusively for the Nintendo Switch. No More Heroes 3 sees Grasshopper Manufacture returning to the formula of past titles while injecting all kinds of insanity, whether it's new combat mechanics or larger-than-life enemies. Here are 15 things you should know before buying.

Story

Our story actually begins several years before No More Heroes 1 with a young Damon Ricotello rescuing an alien larva named FU. After helping FU evade government agents and build a ship to return to his world, Damon promises that they'll meet again in two decades. Cut to the present day and Damon is a very successful businessman, utilizing FU's alien tech (which also gave him special abilities) to establish Utopinia. There's only one problem – FU, who became a prince and was subsequently sent to prison for blowing up a nearby planet, has returned with a posse of intergalactic criminals to conquer Earth.

The only thing he didn't account for is the return of Travis Touchdown to Santa Destroy. Following the events of Travis Strikes Again, he'll put his assassination skills to the test and climb the Galactic Superhero Rankings, taking down each of FU's nine minions before facing the prince himself.

Characters

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Compared to previous games, the stakes in No More Heroes 3 are way higher, to the point that designer/director Goichi Suda describes the threats as "Avengers-scale." Fortunately, Travis won't be alone. Sylvia Christel returns, working as Damon's secretary along with Shinobu Jacobs, Travis's foe-turned-pupil, and Bad Girl, who was properly revived in Travis Strikes Again's DLC. Whether Shinobu and Bad Girl are playable or not remains to be seen but at least they're both on Travis's side (for the time being).

Core Gameplay and Ranked Battles

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The structure will be familiar to fans of the first two games as it sees Travis taking part in Ranked Battles with assassins – or so-called Galactic Superheroes in this case. But first you have to pay the entry fee. This involves completing different part-time jobs to earn money (along with garnering upgrades for different equipment). Upon entering a Ranked Battle, you'll go up against various foes before tackling the boss at the end.

During Nintendo's Treehouse Direct at E3 2021, Grasshopper Manufacture showcased a battle with Gold Joe, who's number 9 in the rankings. After some back and forth quips, the battle begins and Gold Joe takes on a magnetic polarity. Find the matching polarity via the lighted squares on the stage and push Joe into the surrounding electric fence to deal damage. That's only one part of the fight though as you'll still need to rely on Travis's beam katana to finish the job.

Open World

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Santa Destroy is once again the setting for Travis's adventures in assassination, though it's undergone some changes since No More Heroes 2. It's still a tourist spot of sorts thanks to corporate funding but it's now split into five separate islands. While the scale of the open world isn't anything massive like Grand Theft Auto 5, players can still explore freely and marvel at the sights.

Demzamtiger and Fast Travel

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The good news is that you won't always be running around on foot, going from one activity to another and then back to base. Travis has the Demzamtiger, a futuristic-looking motorcycle, for getting around (and which also comes in handy for some activities). It comes with a boost function for added speed, though it's possible to crash if you're not careful. There's also the option to fast travel around the world, making it even easier to revisit old locations.

Volunteer Missions, Mining and Defense Missions

Part-time jobs return but this time, they're called Volunteer Missions. The premise is the same though – Travis takes on menial jobs to earn enough money for the Ranked Battle's entry fee. These include picking up trash, mowing lawns and so on. Mowing the lawn is peaceful enough but you may come across alligators while picking up trash near the shore, and have to suplex them to survive (yes, seriously). There are also Defense Missions wherein Travis takes on waves of foes in direct combat. You can also mine World's End Super Nova or WESN to upgrade your stats and skills.

Combat Details

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Speaking of combat, the usual light and heavy combos return along with the Ecstasy Gauge. Denoted by the pixelated tiger symbol on the lower right, the gauge is filled by dealing damage and not getting hit. Once it glows white, you can enter Super Mode for invincibility, increased speed and unlimited combos. Dark Side Mode also returns with Travis still shouting out "blackberry", "cranberry" and whatnot for different trances (though its effects are yet to be fully detailed). Of course, you can still use wrestling moves to break an opponent's guard along with Death Blows, executed by pressing the required directional input on-screen, to instantly slay foes.

Joy Con Motion Controls

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Those used to the Wiimote's movement from previous games can take note as Joy Con motion controls are supported here. Other mechanics like beam katana recharging (yes, that beam katana recharging), blocking and dodging also return. You can also sidestep foes which, when performed correctly, causes them to slow down. Dying in combat is also not super-punishing since you can gain a random stat boost conferred upon retrying.

Slash Reel and Full Armor

No More Heroes 3 - Full Armor

As you combat enemies, the Slash Reel constantly spins, providing different buffs and power-ups during combat. Perhaps the craziest power-up is Full Armor mode, activated upon scoring three 7s. It sees Travis transforming, gaining power armor and unleashing powerful attacks. One form allows for targeting enemies and unleashing homing missiles to annihilate them. Another form is seemingly for close combat, at least judging by Travis's transformed melee weapon, though its impact is yet to be seen.

Death Glove

No More Heroes 3 - Death Glove

Introduced in Travis Strikes Again, the Death Glove allows for equipping up to three skills which can provide unique advantages in combat, like increasing damage dealt by 10 percent (but with Travis taking five percent more damage). Other skills include Death Force, which functions like psychokinesis; Death Kick, which allows for teleporting and drop kicking an enemy; and Death Shower, which rains down damage on enemies within its circle. Along with garnering new skills for crafting Death Chips, you can also upgrade existing chips to make them more effective.

Jeanne and the Time Machine

The No More Heroes Motel is once again your HQ of sorts and also serves as home for Shinobu and Bad Girl. Along with tutorials for combat, players can play a minigame with Travis's cat Jeanne, which involves tossing a ball into a circle that becomes narrower with time. You can also venture underground into Dr. Naomi's laboratory and use the Time Machine to revisit past boss battles.

Cosmetics

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Players can also customize Travis's look at the motel, selecting different colors for his t-shirt along with toggling the jacket on or off (or just opting for a sleeping gown). Other shirts and outfits are unlocked as the player progresses so there should be plenty of different styles for Travis to don. Will there be t-shirts for indie games like in Travis Strikes Again? One can certainly hope.

Health, Special Arts and Sushi

After mining WESN, you can spend it on the arcade machine in the laboratory to unlock upgrades. These include increases to health, attack power and beam katana power along with Special Arts like the dash attack, long dash, blast attack, charge attack and Mustang Dodge. You can also use Scrap Parts to create new Death Glove chips or purchase some sushi which provides a number of benefits in battle like replenishing health and power, temporarily increasing attack power, etc.

Standard, Collector's and Deluxe Edition

No More Heroes 3 - Collector's Edition

Along with a Standard Edition, No More Heroes 3 has a Collector's Edition which offers a special box, physical version of the game, an artbook, certificate of authenticity and four lithographs for €79.90 courtesy of Pix'n Love. Only 2500 of these have been made but it pales in comparison to the Deluxe Edition. With only 999 copies and costing €149.00, it includes a large format box, a vinyl soundtrack, a certificate of authenticity signed by Suda, four large form lithographs, the artbook and a physical version of the game.

Requires 6.8 GB Space

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In terms of installation size, No More Heroes 3 seems to be on the lighter side. It was reported to require 6.8 GB of free space via the Nintendo eShop. It's been removed from the official listing since it's possible that additional space will be needed for the day one patch. Either way, it looks like it won't be too heavy on one's storage.

Tiny Tina's Wonderlands Releasing Between January and March 2022

While it was expected given the leaks, Tiny Tina's Wonderlands was still one of the more curious titles from E3 2021. It still embodies the co-op looter shooter action that made Gearbox's Borderlands franchise so famous but offers a fantasy setting based on Tiny Tina's Assault on Dragon Keep. Gearbox revealed an early 2022 release window at the time.

But in Take Two Interactive's recent quarterly earnings, a more specific window for the title was provided. It confirmed a Q4 fiscal year 2022 release which means somewhere between January and March 2022. This window is all the more interesting considering all of the delays this year but it could still be pushed back as we get closer. No further details were provided but "repeatable end-game content" was confirmed at least.

Tiny Tina's Wonderlands has been confirmed only for PC thus far but should be coming to Xbox and PlayStation consoles as well. Along with being more of a standalone story, it will introduce several new gameplay elements like melee weapons, armor and amulets, and spells that act like "mini-skills." Stay tuned for more details in the meantime.

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