Game Informer

Game Informer

Pokémon Snap Guide: Where To Find Pokémon In The Lental Region

Posted: 30 Apr 2021 04:05 PM PDT

New Pokémon Snap

New Pokémon Snap is now available, and you're probably wondering where you can find your favorite Pokémon across the Lental region's diverse biomes. As you may have seen in our other guide, which lists all the Pokémon we've discovered so far, New Pokémon Snap features a huge collection of your favorite monsters to find and photograph. While we haven't uncovered all the Pokémon scattered across the Lental region ourselves, we have a pretty good lay of the land.

The Lental region charges you with scouring 12 different diverse biomes across different research levels and times of day. As you might expect, different Pokémon live in different areas and conditions, while various species are also more active during the night, while others are energetic and visible only during the day.

Where To Find Pokémon In New Pokémon Snap

As you head into these maps, please note that this isn't a comprehensive list, but rather a guide to help you know what to keep an eye out for. As such, the below images and descriptions contain spoilers for which Pokémon appear where. Keep in mind that different Pokémon appear at different research levels, so if you see something on our maps but not in your game, keep leveling that area and the Pokémon will appear eventually!

Florio

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Florio Nature Park

The opening area of New Pokémon Snap eases you into the action, but that doesn't mean there aren't a ton of opportunities to discover and photograph iconic Pokémon in this wildlife park. Florio Nature Park lives up to its name, delivering a sprawling greenspace for Pokémon to congregate. Along the way, you can spot Dodrio prancing around, Bidoof building a dam, Swanna leading its Ducklett, and Bouffalant grazing. Come back at night for a chance to spot Scorbunny running amok, a showdown between Pinsir and Heracross, and some great opportunities with Combee and Vespiquen.

As you wrap up the mainline part of Florio Nature Park, you'll open up the Illumina Spot, which features Meganium. Keep the giant grass Pokémon glowing for the best photo opportunities. As you continue on repeated playthroughs, Pokémon like Eevee will begin appearing in the Illumina Spot.

Research Camp

One of the pleasant surprises of your New Pokémon Snap journey is the ability to photograph the myriad monsters that wander around the grounds of Professor Mirror's Research Camp. Not only does this enable you to get up close with Pokémon who are used to the presence of humans, but there are some monsters that are only present at the Research Camp. This location offers outstanding opportunities for photographing Meowth, Starly, Audino, and Stoutland, while the sharp-eyed researcher can find Cutiefly and Bunnelby just off the beaten path. Of course, it wouldn't be a fully populated camp without two of the most popular Pokémon: Pikachu and Eevee.

Belusylva

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Founja Jungle

After completing enough research in Florio Nature Park, you're able to jump to Belusylva and ride through the Founja Jungle. Liepard, Beautifly, and Bounsweet can get right in your face, but you might have to work a bit to attract the attention of Pikipek and Quagsire. Come back at night for a wider spread of critters, including Ariados, Ledian, Toucannon, Morelull, Yanmega, and others. 

Elsewhere Forest

The most mysterious of all areas, Elsewhere Forest carries an eerie feeling throughout your entire journey, giving us serious Lost-Woods-from-Zelda vibes. As you push through the disjointed course, you end each segment getting consumed by fog, only to emerge in seemingly disparate clearings filled to the brim with Pokémon like Bulbasaur, Trevenant, Espurr, and even Celebi.

Once you unlock the Illumina Spot of Elsewhere Forest, you can engage in an encounter with Milotic. Tracking the slippery water type can be tricky, but it gives you plenty to shoot while it swims all around you. On repeated playthroughs, Milotic is joined by creatures like Lotad, Magikarp, Serperior, and Espeon.

Maricopia

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Blushing Beach

The gorgeous Blushing Beach gives us a taste of the tropical life of Maricopia and surrounds you with Pokémon to match the theme. Whether you're talking the walking palm tree that is Exeggutor or the surfing Alolan Raichu, the luau theme is in full effect – especially if you play some music for the Bellossom. Machamp may be using the beach as an opportunity to workout and show off his muscles, but Blastoise is taking it easy along the shore. Come back at night and you can witness a battle between Seviper and Zangoose, or be an audience member as Primarina sings a song. You can also toss an apple at the red shovels on the beach to pull Sandygast out of hiding (and scare Octillery half to death in the process).

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Maricopia Reef

The beach is great, but what about the big game you can only spot further out at sea. Reefs are always wildlife hotspots, and the Maricopia Reef in New Pokémon Snap is no different. From aggressive Sharpedo that will not hesitate to snap right back at you if you hit them with a fluffruit to Squirtle chilling on the rocks, you have plenty of water types to shoot. As you navigate around a swirling whirlpool, you'll be able to spot several nautical flying types like Wingull and Pelipper, plus a Wailord that you couldn't miss even if you tried your hardest. Depending on the research level and time of day, you end the the stage with Pelipper, Corsola, Mareanie, Lapras, and Pyukumyuku.

Lental Seafloor

Perhaps the densest area of Maricopia, the seafloor gives you two completely different routes to explore once you unlock the Illumina Orb and can encourage the Clawitzer to blast away the rocks. While seeing Pelipper swimming beneath the water is cool, I was more fascinated by the interactions between Wailmer and other Pokémon like Octillery and Qwilfish. Later in the stage, you can get some great shots of two Clawitzer battling, as well as plenty of shots of Tentacruel as you head towards the surface. Once you unlock the cavern area of the Lental Seafloor, you have access to a few new Pokémon like Lanturn and Golisopod.

The Illumina Spot of the Lental Seafloor gives you a run in with Wishiwashi in both Solo and School forms. Watching the monstrous School form swirl around you is almost terrifying in the dark depths. Not a ton of other Pokémon travel that deep, but on repeated journeys through the deep seas, Wailmer showed up, but Wishiwashi's School form remained the star.

Voluca

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Sweltering Sands

If you're tired of water and water types, fear not, as it's off to the dry dessert! Sweltering Sands, despite being a barren landscape, features a pretty strong selection of Pokémon. It's hard to miss Cacnea rolling down the dunes or Mandibuzz circling overhead, but repeated playthroughs yield encounters with Pokémon like Tyranitar, Lycanroc, and more. If you come back at night, Lycanroc's Mightnight form comes out to cause mischief, other Pokémon like Silicobra, Sandshrew, and Kangaskhan stretch their legs. If you find yourself stuck on how to stop the tornado during the day, try lighting up all three Crystabloom plants by the one on the right to reveal Flygon.

Fireflow Volcano

If the dessert wasn't hot enough for you, how about an active volcano? Altaria and Archeops glide and lounge all around you, while majestic Luxray observe to make sure you don't pull any funny business. As you descend into the volcano itself, you'll spot all kinds of rock and fire types, including Monferno, Charmander, Aerodactyl, and Tyrantrum. Once you unlock higher research levels, you can take the right path to see a gathering of Flareon, Charmander, Slugma, and Torkoal, or go left and witness a showdown between Charizard and Tyrantrum.

The Illumnia Spot of Fireflow Volcano is probably the most difficult, but it's still pretty straightforward. The two Volcarona surrounds itself with flames, rendering Illumina Orbs useless. Toss some fluffruit their way and the fire will dissipate temporarily, allowing you to snap them in all their glory. On return visits to the spot, you can see additional Pokémon like Monferno, Talonflame, and Archeops, but you have better opportunity with them in the main Fireflow Volcano course.

Durice

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Shiver Snowfields

Up next, it's out of the frying pan and into the ... frozen tundra? The Shiver Snowfields deliver plenty of ice types for you to photograph. Beartic and Swinub are pretty easy to spot, as is Mamoswine, but don't miss the Skarmory off in the distance. Nighttime visitors will have a shot at Delibird, Jynx, Vanilluxe, and Mightyena. Don't miss your chance to lure out an Alolan Sandslash when you see its well-camouflaged quills sticking out from the snow.

Outaway Cave

Outaway Cave gives you lots of shots at Gengar, though few of them are truly great opportunities. The best way to get the ghastly ghost type on camera is to toss fluffruit into any swirling portals you see on walls or the floor. Always be on the lookout for bat Pokémon like Crobat and Noibat, as they're a pretty steady presence. As you descend deeper, keep a lookout for Croagunk singing their tunes.

The Illumina Spot features a massive Steelix bursting through tunnels and leaping all around you. Simply snapping photos of it won't do you any good; you need to light it up with several Illumina Orbs before Professor Mirror will accept your shots. Come back after you accomplish your mission and you'll also spot Noibat, Carbink, and Sableye on the path. 

Aurus

Ruins of Remembrance

The final area of the main campaign is the Ruins of Remembrance. Here, your research culminates as you learn more about the Illumina phenomenon. Houndoom prowl as if to guard what lurks beneath the ground, while Salandit and Noivern welcome you to the subterranean setting. Once you enter the main room of the ruins, you can spot plenty of creatures, ranging from Chandelure and Natu to Sigilyph and Golurk. You can also encounter Absol, but your main focus is to light up all of the Crystabloom plants to progress the story – try nudging the Natu that's asleep on the Golurk's shoulders if you can't figure out how to get that last one to light up. Also, Jirachi is easy to miss, but it appears on top of one of the Illumina statues at higher research levels.

The final Illumina Spot lets you chase down the grand prize: Xerneas. The Legendary Pokémon from Pokémon X teleports all around you as you do your best to snap photos of it. When you come back to the spot, Xerneas is joined by Pokémon like Woobat, Umbreon, Sigilyph, and more.

For more on New Pokémon Snap, be sure to read our full review here and see our list of every Pokémon we've encountered (so far) here.

New Dragon Age 4 Concept Art Brings Back The Grey Wardens

Posted: 30 Apr 2021 03:42 PM PDT

New Dragon Age 4 concept art has arrived just in time for the weekend, and it brings back the Grey Wardens front and center. The order has gone through the Void and back, especially during the events of Dragon Age Inquisition, and it looks like we'll be seeing them once more - perhaps to face down an Old God tied to Solas? 

I knew something was coming when Dragon Age 4 executive producer Christian Dailey  responded to a post from BioWare creative director Matthew Goldman about something "grey and pointy," and I'm so happy I'm an overthinker, because now I get to write about more Dragon Age. The latest glimpse at concept art is a proud Grey Warden with a sword raised and his shield held high.

Depending on what you did with the Wardens in Dragon Age Inquisition, the future of those that protect Thedas from the Blight is precarious and unstable. After being used as a pawn by Corphyeus due to a created False Calling, the Order was left in disarray, banished back to Weisshaupt to regroup.  

The last trailer to enjoy was given to us late last year, filled with even more artwork and our first look at Tevinter's high-society landscapes and a glimpse at those pesky Antivan Crows. Fans have been hungry to learn more about what's next - especially regarding a certain egghead named Solas. With Nevarra, Antiva, and Tevinter all on the horizon, Dragon Age 4 will be taking fans to the corners of Thedas previously unexplored yet heavily talked about. We might even see the hidden depths of Nevarra with a possible Mortalitassi companion, something we explored in-depth with our previous coverage here. 

With the books (especially the anthology Tevinter Nights) and comics (most recently with Blue Wraith) pairing beautifully with the ending of the Trespasser DLC in Dragon Age Inquisition, we've known that the next step for the Thedas tale would be set in Tevinter and the surrounding areas for awhile now. BioWare also previously confirmed this earlier this year, making the next step for the Dragon Age franchise an exciting one. With the concept art art showcasing the Wardens once more, does this mean we can add Weisshaupt to that list of destinations? I sure hope so! 

What do you think about the latest Dragon Age 4 concept art tease? Interested in learning some of our theories about the next game? Check out our in-depth breakdown of red lyrium here, including how we think Solas had the purpose along of self corruption. 

This Destiny 2 Cosplayer Looks Incredible With Her Petra Venj Cosplay

Posted: 30 Apr 2021 03:03 PM PDT

If you couldn't tell already, I love everything about cosplay and adore being able to share some of the incredible fan creations made within the cosplaying community. With that in mind, being a massive Destiny fan has made one particular Petra Venj cosplay stick out in the best way possible as she effectively brings the character to life in stunning detail. 

The cosplayer in question is Karin Olava and her portfolio is beyond incredible. For those that may be unfamiliar with who Petra is in the Destiny universe, she's an Awoken warrior that was in service of Queen Mara Sov until her disappearance during the Battle of Saturn. In Destiny 2, players can find her in the Dreaming City (and sometimes the Tangled Shore) as a vendor. 

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A post shared by Karin Olava (@karinolava)

How can you look at this Destiny 2 cosplay and not be impressed? From Mass Effect to The Elder Scrolls, her attention to detail and expert craftsmanship is inspiring and really is a strong testament to the passion she has for games. 

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A post shared by Karin Olava (@karinolava)

The cosplaying community is always growing, providing a space where fans can bring some of their most favorite characters to life. Sometimes, these recreations are exact representations. Other times, cosplayers put their own creative twists on a particular franchise. Either way, it's amazing seeing people express what they love, especially in a way that showcases their talent beautifully. 

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A post shared by Karin Olava (@karinolava)

With Destiny 2: Season of the Chosen coming to a close here soon with Season 14 bringing with it a plethora of new features (like Transmog), the Bungie community has seen a massive surge in its own ranks. Karin's cosplay is just one of many ways Guardians are showing off that Destiny appreciation, I can't wait to see what else this microcosm of communal fandom does next. 

What do you think about this Destiny 2 cosplayers' Petra cosplay? Who is your favorite character from the Bungie space shooter? Sound off with your thoughts in the comment section below! 

Borderlands Movie: Every Character Casting Confirmed So Far

Posted: 30 Apr 2021 12:59 PM PDT

It feels like every other week we are learning about a new Borderlands movie casting, so we decided to put all of the names together for your convenience. This list will be updated as more names are revealed, but for those curious – here is every confirmed character casting so far for Eli Roth's Borderlands movie. 

The upcoming movie that Roth is making with Lionsgate has some impressive talent behind it. Some of the casting choices have thrown fans off, while others have felt like the perfect fit. We've got names from Star Wars, American Horror Story, Halloween, and so much more. Check out the full confirmed cast list so far, a list that will be updated when more characters are confirmed. 

Every Borderlands Movie Character Casting Confirmed So Far 

The upcoming movie will center around Lilith, played by Cate Blanchett. This infamous outlaw has a past she's not ready for people to uncover, especially when she's forced to return to Pandora to find Atlas' lost daughter. To complete her latest mission, she must team up with some of the best of the best. That includes the adorably badass Tiny Tina, the annoying-yet-helpful Claptrap, and so many others. The upcoming movie, much like the games themselves, involves a few redemption arcs, some crass jokes, and a tenuous grip on sanity. The fate of the entire universe is in their hands, it's up to this group to band together and save the day. Again. 

The movie itself is set to begin filming soon in Budapest, a popular location for many shows and films due to COVID restrictions. 

The Borderlands franchise has been a standard for looter shooters ever since the first game made its debut back in 2009. With its witty banter and completely unique cast of characters, Gearbox has shown no fear when it comes to doing whatever it wants to do with the crazy world of Pandora. That creative freedom has paid off a lot for the series, so it will be interesting to see what Roth does with it going forward with this adaptation. 

Thoughts on the Borderlands movie cast so far? Any particular actor you'd rather see cast instead? Shout out those thoughts loud and proud in the comments below, we'd love to hear what you think! 

Pokémon Snap: Pokédex List Guide

Posted: 30 Apr 2021 12:29 PM PDT

New Pokémon Snap

Now that New Pokémon Snap is out and photographers everywhere are diving in, more and more players are discovering the wonders of the game's Lental region. In New Pokémon Snap, players are tasked with filling out their Photodex, a catalog similar to the Pokédex found in the mainline entries. The region contains various diverse biomes for players to ride along. While those areas certainly contain plenty of scenic vistas, the main attraction is how many different Pokémon they house.

New Pokémon Snap

Unlike the Pokédex, New Pokémon Snap's Photodex fills out as you go, meaning they are numbered in the order in which you can encounter them. This makes filling out a particular level simpler. Because of this, Pokémon and their evolved forms aren't placed next to one another. If you're worried your favorite monster didn't make it, we've got you (mostly) covered. 

All Confirmed Pokémon Snap Entries So Far

New Pokémon Snap features more than 200 different Pokémon to discover and photograph. Check out all the creatures we've encountered to this point in our photographic journey. Just be warned: The following list contains spoilers. Be sure to bookmark this page and check back as we continue to update the list of Pokémon found in New Pokémon Snap!

New Pokémon Snap
# Name
001 Vivillon
002 Pichu
003 Grookey
004 Scorbunny
005 Bouffalant
006 Pidgeot
007 Tangrowth
008 Emolga
009 Wurmple
010 Murkrow
011 Caterpie
012 Heracross
013 Pinsir
014 Dodrio
015 Ducklett
016 Swanna
017 Bidoof
018 Taillow
019 Torterra
020 Magikarp
021 Hoothoot
022 Comfey
023 Florges
024 Combee
025 Vespiquen
026 Sylveon
027 Shaymin
028 Meganium
029 Eevee
030 Pikachu
031 Cutiefly
032 Bunnelby
033 Scoutland
034 Starly
035 Meowth
036 Audino
037 Rattata
038 Trubbish
039 Sudowoodo
040 Dedenne
041 Aipom
042 Bounsweet
044 Beautifly
045 Arbok
046 Yanmega
047 Pikipek
048 Toucannon
049 Ariados
050 Morelull
051 Slaking
053 Liepard
054 Wooper
055 Quagsire
056 Swampert
057 Ledian
059 Leafeon
061 Trevenant
062 Espurr
063 Shiftry
064 Kecleon
065 Deerling
066 Sawsbuck
067 Unfezant
068 Drampa
069 Pancham
070 Bulbasaur
071 Serperior
073 Bewear
076 Lotad
077 Espeon
078 Celebi
079 Milotic
080 Wingull
081 Exeggutor
082 Crabrawler
083 Drifblim
084 Zangoose
085 Seviper
086 Bellossom
087 Inkay
088 Pyukumuku
089 Machamp
090 Stunfisk
091 Octillery
092 Corsola
093 Finneon
094 Clamperl
095 Primarina
096 Raichu
097 Sandygast
098 Sharpedo
099 Squirtle
100 Blastoise
101 Lapras
102 Mantine
103 Pelipper
104 Wailord
105 Mareanie
108 Luvdisc
109 Alomomola
110 Wailmer
111 Cradily
112 Lumineon
113 Qwilfish
114 Clawitzer
115 Tentacruel
116 Chinchou
117 Lanturn
119 Frillish
120 Golisopod
122 Wishiwashi
123 Skorupi
124 Cacnea
125 Sandshrew
126 Trapinch
127 Flygon
128 Kangaskhan
129 Mandibuzz
130 Minior
131 Silicobra
132 Torchic
133 Heliolisk
134 Lycanroc
135 Hippowdon
136 Tyranitar
137 Onix
138 Altaria
139 Shinx
140 Luxray
141 Talonflame
142 Monferno
143 Aerodactyl
144 Tyrantrum
145 Graveler
146 Archeops
147 Slugma
148 Torkoal
149 Charmander
150 Charizard
151 Typhlosion
152 Flareon
154 Volcarona
155 Furret
156 Cubchoo
157 Beartic
158 Mightyena
159 Weavile
160 Braviary
161 Swinub
162 Mamoswine
163 Skarmory
164 Sandslash
165 Abomasnow
166 Vulpix
167 Delibird
169 Frosmoth
171 Snorunt
172 Glalie
173 Froslass
174 Jynx
175 Spheal
176 Piplup
177 Vanilluxe
181 Glaceon
183 Crobat
184 Joltik
185 Geodude
186 Carbink
187 Gengar
188 Noibat
189 Pumpkaboo
190 Croagunk
191 Drifloon
192 Clefairy
193 Sableye
194 Rampardos
195 Hydreigon
197 Mawile
200 Steelix
201 Houndoom
202 Eldegoss
203 Natu
204 Absol
205 Salandit
206 Noivern
207 Woobat
208 Sigilyph
209 Beheeyem
210 Golurk
211 Chandelure
212 Umbreon
213 Jirachi
214 Xerneas

As you may have noticed, we're missing a few entries, but we will continue to update this as we discover more Pokémon on our journeys. For our full thoughts on New Pokémon Snap, be sure to read our review here.

New Pokémon Snap And Returnal Reviews – GI Show

Posted: 30 Apr 2021 12:04 PM PDT

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On this week's episode of The Game Informer Show, we discuss a handful of the games we've been digging recently, including New Pokémon Snap, Returnal, and Judgment. Sure that's not a long list of games, but they are pretty great games. Next, we take some time to reflect on the new Mortal Kombat film. Is it worth a watch? Listen and find out.

It's a full show, but we make time for another fantastic round of community emails. So please join Brian Shea (@BrianPShea), Dan Tack (@dantack), Alex Van Aken (@itsVanAken), Liana Ruppert (@DirtyEffinHippy), Marcus Stewart (@MarcusStewart7), and Ben Reeves (@Benjaminreeves) for another wild and ever-entertaining episode!

Thanks for listening! Please make sure to leave feedback below and share the episode if you enjoyed it. You can watch the video above, subscribe and listen to the audio on iTunes or Google Play, listen on SoundCloud, stream it on Spotify, or download the MP3 at the bottom of the page. Also, be sure to send your questions to podcast@gameinformer.com for a chance to have them answered on the show!

Our thanks to The Rapture Twins for The Game Informer Show's intro song. You can hear more of their music on their website.

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Borderlands Movie Casts Its Moxxi, Hammerlock, Marcus, And More

Posted: 30 Apr 2021 10:20 AM PDT

The Borderlands movie casting continues. Following the announcement that Star Wars Battlefront 2 star Janina Gavankar would be playing Commander Knoxx for Eli Roth's adaptation of the Gearbox franchise, we've got new actors joining the fray. The Borderlands cast continues to grow with our Moxxi, Jakobs, Hammerlock, and more getting their Hollywood counterparts ready to begin getting into character. 

Deadline reveals the latest talent joining the Lionsgate film featuring Gina Gershon (most recently of Riverdale) as Moxxi with Cheyenne Jackson (American Horror Story) playing Jakobs, Charles Babalola as Hammerlock, Steven Boyer as Scooter, Ryann Redmond as Ellie, and Benjamin Byron Davis as Marcus. 

So far, here is a list of all of the casting we have for the upcoming movie: 

  • Ariana Greenblatt - Tiny Tina

  • Benjamin Byron Davis - Marcus

  • Cate Blanchett - Lilith 

  • Charles Babalola - Hammerlock

  • Cheyenne Jackson - Jakobs

  • Édgar Ramirez - Atlas

  • Gina Gershon - Moxxi

  • Jack Black - Claptrap 

  • Jamie Lee Curtis - Tannis

  • Florian Munteanu - Krieg

  • Kevin Hart - Roland 

  • Steven Boyer - Scooter

  • Ryann Redmond - Ellie

Excited? Here is the full, official synopsis for the upcoming Borderlands movie adaptation: 

Lilith (Blanchett), an infamous outlaw with a mysterious past, reluctantly returns to her home planet of Pandora to find the missing daughter of the universe's most powerful S.O.B., Atlas (Ramirez). Lilith forms an alliance with an unexpected team – Roland (Hart), a former elite mercenary, now desperate for redemption;

Tiny Tina (Greenblatt), a feral pre-teen demolitionist; Krieg (Munteanu), Tina's musclebound, rhetorically challenged protector; Tannis (Curtis), the scientist with a tenuous grip on sanity; and Claptrap (Black), a persistent wiseass robot. These unlikely heroes must battle alien monsters and dangerous bandits to find and protect the missing girl, who may hold the key to unimaginable power.

The fate of the universe could be in their hands – but they'll be fighting for something more: each other.

The beloved looter shooter first began its wild ride back in 2009 and immediately it solidified itself as a trailblazer of the genre. From this franchise's hilarious narrative to its beyond off-the-grid cast of characters, the Borderlands series has always held a certain type of quirky charm that made it easy to dive back into the world of Pandora. The cell-shading art style adds to its magic, giving it the feel of an action-packed moving comic book, which makes this live-action adaptation an intriguing choice. 

What do you think about the latest casting decisions for the upcoming Borderlands movie? How are you feeling Eli Roth taking the helm of this movie take? Sound off with your thoughts in the comment section below. 

The Story Behind Supergiant Games' Pyre

Posted: 30 Apr 2021 10:00 AM PDT

In our latest issue of Game Informer, we have a studio profile devoted to Supergiant Games, but we didn't want to stop there. We're also taking the celebration online, sharing the stories behind each of the indie developer's fantastic titles. After looking at Supergiant's debut with Bastion and then its follow-up Transistor, we're finally moving on to its most distinct and involved project: Pyre. 

For its third game, Supergiant felt like it was time to increase the challenge and, in the words of studio director Amir Rao, "go bigger across all dimensions." What resulted is a game unlike any other. Both fascinating and complex, Pyre gave the studio a chance to take its detailed world-building even further, involve the players and their choices in a meaningful way, and most importantly, experiment with a new style of gameplay. "It's a game that pushed us creatively in many ways, like more than any game we've ever made, including Hades," says creative director Greg Kasavin. "Because with Hades, we did come back to certain types of ideas that were more comfortable for us."   

Pyre was all about not dreaming big and learning new skills, even if it meant having to accept some hard lessons along the way. And the team created it in three years, the same time it took to make a much smaller game – Transistor. 

New Studio, New Attitude

With two hits under its belt, Supergiant had the urge (and resources) to try something more ambitious. After having so many challenges on Transistor, the group was in a much better place when starting work on Pyre. Their newfound success allowed them to upgrade to a fancier studio, moving to a nicer part of San Francisco right next to a coffee shop and chocolate factory. 

According to principal voice actor Logan Cunningham, the work/life balance was starting to "click into place," as more team members were having families. New wellness policies, like mandatory vacation, were ensuring members took care of themselves. "The whole process on Pyre was just much more pleasant than anything we've done before," Cunningham recalls.  

The team also felt it had proved that Bastion wasn't just a flash in the pan, and it was ready to experiment in ways it hadn't before. For Pyre, the group decided to go bigger, with a party-based RPG and a procedural narrative. However, it also got a bit experimental and eccentric with NBA Jam-inspired gameplay. "We went wild, and I think we also went wilder than we thought we were gonna go," says art director Jen Zee. "I think what I remember as the motivating factor behind Pyre was we were sick of doing worlds where there was only one person." 

One important aspect of Pyre's development is how the studio decided on which ideas to pursue. Supergiant believes in a collaborative process, where members discuss their interests and pick the elements that most excite them. As a way to avoid Transistor's long and fraught pre-production issue, Supergiant Games got straight down to business on Pyre. "We just told everybody to go chase their passions and then we'll figure out how to put it together," Kasavin says. 

Kasavin tackles the synthesis of those ideas, combining everyone's contributions and deciding what ties them all together for a game concept. "I would go so far as to say that's my primary role," Kasavin says. "That's probably one of the most important things I do, because we're not a studio where one person says, 'Here's the game we're making.' So with Pyre as a concrete example, Amir and Gavin were prototyping this competitive sport. Jen was creating these wild characters – tree people and worm people – and I'm giving my own ideas about what the world and what the play experience can be."

The Power Of Saying Goodbye

While the Supergiant team might be shy to use the word "sports" to describe Pyre's genre, it was on the studio's mind. Technical director Andrew Wang recalls fantasy football becoming popular at Supergiant, and the sports fans were wondering how to incorporate the fun of following a team. Then things took an interesting turn. "Amir was talking about retirement, specifically in a sports context when a star athlete has to make that calculation," Kasavin recalls. "Do you go out on top? Do you play another season? And what's going through your head when you do that? That led to these broader conversations about the experience of saying goodbye to a close friend."

That last part is what made players connect with the game in a special way. Sure, competing in Rites to win against other teams brings the adrenaline rush of competition, but you essentially were fighting to give a character you've befriended their freedom from exile, or as Kasavin likes to put, "giving them a return to glory to where they came from." Every Rite came with the opportunity to give a character a better life, but the goodbye always hit hard, as they were out of your party for the rest of the game. 

"A lot of players who enjoyed Pyre, they remark on these moments in the game, the liberation rites, where you have a chance to say goodbye to someone you care about," Kasavin says. "I'm really glad that that worked out, because in hindsight, that was a really hard thing to prototype. You needed all the surrounding context and the build up [to these matches], but you also needed to have time with these characters and grow to care about them for the stakes of that moment to be meaningful in any way. Then you need all the stuff after that moment to [create the] experience of them no longer being around and have other characters talk about how they miss that character."

And this is only a sample of the extra thought and care Supergiant had to put into everything in Pyre. The game succeeds because of how all of its parts complement one another, but it took a lot of effort to make everything come together, both technically and creatively. 

Ambitious Undertakings

Having more characters who interacted with one another, playing in bigger spaces, and accounting for player choices gave the team a lot to take on, and they did it all while staying the same size: 12 people. "We dreamed big for Pyre, and from the technical side, it ended up being quite challenging," Wang says. "Pyre was almost like doing two games. On the technical side, there were very different requirements for being able to see this wide-open world versus the more reactive, action-oriented sports stuff. What I optimized in one version wouldn't necessarily help the other."

The project bred challenge, especially for the narrative having to account for the different states a player's party could be in due to their choices. "For my part, it was this big exploration into procedural narrative," Kasavin says. "Essentially, there's a lot of optional procedural scenes that are varied based on the character. We had to account for you having any number of characters in your group at a given time." 

This meant supporting a playthrough where the player lost every Rite and still having it make sense for the overall story. Kasavin knew this was a big task, but felt it fit with the game's themes of accepting failure and moving on. 

Pyre was also the first time Kasavin wrote dialogue for characters in a game, which was refreshing and would later provide an invaluable learning experience that would come in handy for Supergiant's next title. "Pyre was the first time where two, sometimes three, and sometimes even four characters may be talking to each other and have a scene like that," Kasavin says. "That was a fun experience for me. A lot of that, certainly on the narrative side, Hades picked up right where Pyre left off."

On Pyre, everyone was constantly learning new things due to the ambition of what the team wanted to accomplish. Composer and audio director Darren Korb found the sound for the game early with what he calls "its acoustic '70s fantasy rock," which is more in his wheelhouse. "My goal for [Pyre's music] was to extrapolate a genre of music from the intro to [Led Zeppelin's] "Stairway to Heaven," just the flute and the guitar thing. So, that's what I tried to do and it was a useful creative guide." 

However, creating the sound didn't come without some challenges, especially when having it be more reactive to what the player is doing. "There is a very complicated dynamic music system in [Pyre]," Korb says. "The whole piece could dynamically switch based on what was happening in the game. It was really valuable from a learning perspective for us. One of the things we learned was after a certain amount of interactivity, there's diminishing returns if it's too subtle, if it's not noticeable. After all, the point of the interactivity is to notice it." 

The Biggest Challenge With Pyre...

Development director Gavin Simon sums up Pyre in a way that captures its beauty and also its problem: "With Pyre, we made a game that there probably is no counterpart for in the game industry," he says.

If anything cost Pyre some of its appeal, it was the difficulty people had understanding exactly what the game was. "I think it was alienating for some of our other fans and very hard to pitch and describe to people," Zee says. 

Kasavin agrees: "If we have trouble clearly articulating what we're working on, we have to ask ourselves, 'Do we want that?' I love Pyre. I think some of the best work I've ever done is in that game, but the part where it was hard to describe to people? I don't love that part.".

Pyre launched and received stellar reviews, but it didn't match the sales or status of Bastion and Transistor. However, Pyre did what it needed to. "What we look for in our games is, 'Did it do well enough for us to be able to keep going? And is it a capable game? Do some of our players love it the most out of all our games?' [Pyre] absolutely hit those checkmarks for us," Kasavin says. 

Even if Pyre didn't shine as brightly as the studio's previous titles, it was a stepping stone for what would ultimately be Supergiant's biggest hit. "I've said it before and I'll say it again: I can't imagine that Hades would even exist if not for Pyre," Kasavin says. "I didn't ever get it out of my system – the idea of escaping from purgatory."

Be sure to check out our previous features on Bastion and Transistor, and stay tuned for our final entry, with Supergiant's journey through Hades, coming soon.

Super Replay Is Back With Bloodborne

Posted: 30 Apr 2021 09:05 AM PDT

Click to watch embedded media

It's Souls farming time! Wait, is that actually on a t-shirt? Anyway, we're back today with more Super Replay and more Bloodborne! The journey has been a terrifying one, and with many bosses behind them, the crew is about to face some of its biggest challenges yet. Join us for part eight of the Bloodborne Super Replay today at 2 PM CT!

Are you ready for a chilling thrill ride through FromSoftware's masterpiece? Bloodborne is a dark horror action/RPG that tasks the player with navigating through haunted streets full of werewolves and shuffling, shambling ghouls – and that's just the first hour. Bloodborne showcases immaculate environments dripping with atmosphere, creative and cruel monster designs, and terrors ripped from the great beyond. And we're going to play through it! Super Replay, the legendary Game Informer series that pairs pro players with even more professional commentary, is back.

Click here to watch embedded media

As the flagship revival title, Bloodborne is going to be live and uncut every Friday at 2 PM CST. So won't you come join us for a blood-tinged brawl? How many times will I choke during boss fights? Will I even remember how to use the parry guns? (Probably not).

But I have faith that together, we will make it through, even if that includes farming up a mess of blood vials to get past a grotesque pig and other creatures of the night. This is a raw, organic playthrough at its finest, as I haven't really touched the game since my second playthrough of The Old Hunters shortly after it launched. In short, it's the perfect way to bring all the fun and intensity of the Super Replay directly into your eyeballs, shot live and beamed into reality via livestream. 

"Bloodborne is a blood-drenched horror gem that has only the faintest of cracks in its façade. Bloodborne succeeds through sparse storytelling, lush atmospheres (conjuring up notions of the best of Lovecraft's work), and tight combat that forces you to be aggressive," I said in my Game Informer review. "While this new IP doesn't stray far from the established Souls franchise, it is a magical, wondrous work that admirably instills both terror and triumph in those brave enough to delve into it."

Checkout the entire Replay series here and get started with the Bloodborne run in epic fashion here.

Do you like Super Replay? Are you glad to see it back? What other games would you like to see featured in the future? Let us know in the comments!

Dungeons & Dragons Podcast Features Jeff Goldblum As An Elf Sorcerer

Posted: 30 Apr 2021 09:03 AM PDT

A Dungeons & Dragons podcast with Jeff Goldblum as an elf? We're calling it now, we're rating it 10 out of 10 Goldblums. In this new D&D podcast, Goldblum takes on the role of a sorcerer that goes by the name of Balmur as part of the Dark Dice podcast. This makes a new season for the ongoing D&D campaign, which is slated to kick off next month. 

The Jurassic Park star is getting in touch with his magical side for his latest role alongside five other characters. Just like with any other Dungeons & Dragons campaign, we have no idea how his character will fare until the dice are rolled. The plot thickens, and so does our excitement because Goldblum is a national treasure. 

As reported by Deadline, the newest season of the Dark Dice podcast is called The Long March and is set to air on May 12. This is an audio-only podcast, so we can't see his exaggerated expressions as an elf in person, but his voice can be recognized from a mile away. You can catch up on the journey thus far right here. 

Interested in learning more? Dark Dice is a horror podcast that centers on the Dungeons & Dragons universe and uses incredible sounds, music, and other special audio effects to create an immersive experience for listeners to enjoy. The main scope of this horror adventure focuses on six travelers that set forth on a journey into the "ruinous domain of the nameless god." The podcast creators promise that there are plenty of twists and turns, and that "they will never be the same again." 

I honestly haven't heard this podcast myself until writing this, but listening to the first season while typing this up and imagining Goldblum in the mix has me excited. The audio craftsmanship is impeccable. I genuinely can't wait to dive deeper into this D&D experience more in detail this weekend. 

Are you excited to see how Goldblum takes to the world of Dungeons & Dragons? Sound off with your thoughts in the comment section below! 

Call Of Duty's New Battle Pack And In-Game Challenge Will Help Fund Veteran Employment

Posted: 30 Apr 2021 09:00 AM PDT

May is Military Appreciation Month, and Activision is lending a helping hand to veterans in need by launching the Call of Duty Endowment Medical Heroes campaign. The initiative aims to raise money to place combat veterans, such as medics and hospital corpsmen, into high-quality jobs. Beginning today, Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War and Call of Duty: Warzone will feature a special battle pack with proceeds from its sale helping fund the initiative. 

This pack, dubbed the Call of Duty Endowment Battle Pack (posted above), includes a new Operator skin created in partnership with Timothy Hobbs Jr., an Army Veteran Combat Medic and Call of Duty fan. Endowment helped find Hobbs a job once he returned home, and all net proceeds from the pack will fund the campaign with $2 million being the goal. You can get a look at the battle pack and hear all about Hobbs' story in the short video below.

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Also beginning today is the Revival Challenge. Until May 9, reviving five people while playing Warzone unlocks the unique Endowment calling card. If one million players complete the challenge, all Warzone players will be treated to a double-XP day. Furthermore, Activision will donate $1 to Endowment for every completed challenge up to $1 million.

Activision hopes to raise $3 million total between the Battle Pack and Revival challenge, which would be enough to help $5,800 veterans find work. The Call of Duty Endowment program has used similar events through the years to help place over 81,000 veterans into quality jobs and hopes to raise that number to 100,000 by 2024. 

Helping veterans successfully transition back into the workforce has been a growing issue in the U.S. for decades. If you're interested in helping veterans get back to work beyond this specific campaign, you can visit the Call of Duty Endowment webpage to learn other ways of providing aid.

Destiny 2 Season 14: Here's How Vault Of Glass Raid Will Approach 'World's First'

Posted: 30 Apr 2021 07:57 AM PDT

Destiny 2 Season 14 is just around the corner, which means a ton of new features and gear to look forward to. With the return of the epic Vault of Glass raid from the first Destiny game, some have questioned how Bungie is going to handle the World's First event that puts prizes on the line for the fireteam that can run it blind first. Since Vault of Glass isn't new, will there still be a World's First? Or are there enough changes to justify this tradition? Luckily, Bungie has given Guardians some answers. 

It's time to take the fight back to Antheon once more and the ability to do just that is least an a month away! While the overall story of Vault of Glass isn't being touched at all, that doesn't mean that the raid mechanics are staying the same. "Our goal is to keep the feeling similar to how you remember, but we have made some updates to bring this content to Destiny 2 standards," said Bungie in its latest update blog post. 

Tweaks are expected, but what does that mean for the event that hardcore Guardians crave? Ignoring that I hilariously failed even remotely placing with Deep Stone Crypt's arrival, which I documented here, it's a little tricky doing a World's First when many of the competing Guardians took part in the raid when it was first released. Not to worry, Bungie planned for that. While the overall raid hasn't evolved beyond recognition, there have been changes that players will have to adapt to. According to Bungie, here is how the team is "shaking things up" a bit: 

  • Vault of Glass will launch with Contest Mode (explained here) enabled for 24 hours
    • You will need to be at 1300 Power to be at the cap for all of the encounters
  • Clearing Vault of Glass with Contest Mode active is the first step to access the new Challenge Mode in the Director and the Tempo's Edge Triumph
  • Completing Tempo's Edge, a curated list of Triumphs, in this newly unlocked Challenge Mode, will be how a fireteam crosses the World First finish line and claims their prize
  • To enforce the Triumph requirements in the Challenge Mode, your team will wipe if you fail the success conditions during each encounter

It wouldn't be a World's First without prizes, right? Bungie made a belt, seen below, to commemorate those that place, but the studio also wanted to do something special for those that took part in the original World's First for Vault of Glass. Because of that, you'll notice the OG World First fireteam emblazoned in the belt below: 

Both the Tempo's Edge Triumph and Challenge Mode will only be available to players for the first 24 hours of the race to World's First before it disappears. If you miss out, don't worry; Bungie promises that those challenges will make a comeback later on in the season. Rewards, a shiny new emblem, the adrenaline of just kicking ass? It's going to be glorious. The adventure begins on May 22 at 10 a.m. Pacific. 

Are you excited to see who wins the latest Vault of Glass World's First? Are you going to be joining your fireteam to try to be the Guardian that secures the win? Sound off in the comment section below. Zavala would want you to. 

IO Interactive Is Reportedly Working On A New Fantasy Game For Xbox

Posted: 30 Apr 2021 07:26 AM PDT

IO Interactive is still celebrating the successful launch of its most recent Hitman game, but that doesn't mean that the studio is resting on that alone. In a new report, it is revealed that the studio could very well be working on a brand new fantasy IP for Xbox (in addition to the James Bond game that is also in the works). 

The latest report comes via Windows Central in the video below. In the video, it is revealed that Microsoft has a few exciting projects in the works concurrently, among them being a fantasy game from IO. This is interesting because several weeks ago I had an anonymous message tell me through the social app Tumblr that a game with "dragons" (likely saying this knowing my love for fantasy games) was coming from the Hitman studio, though my trail ended there. Now, Eurogamer is stating that their own sources have seemingly corroborated that message, and the report from Windows Central, stating that it is a AAA game and is years away from being revealed. 

Click here to watch embedded media

IO working on a new IP isn't a surprise. IO's own Hakan Abrak previously spoke on what's next as part of the GameIndustry.biz keynote when looking back on self-publishing the Hitman franchise. In that video, which you can see here, Abrak talks about the trials and success of the Hitman series and teased that the team is working on a "third universe" that is a "bit different" but something the studio is excited about. With the most recent Barcelona IO location opening up, the dev team is heads-down on working on its next big adventure, including a new James Bond game. 

Whatever the new game aims to be, it's reported that it will be under the Xbox Games Studio umbrella. This will give the studio more resources and more support to see their vision flourish. Xbox, under the leadership of Phil Spencer, has pivoted sharply in the last few years, taking a more aggressive approach to game development that was significantly lacking in the Xbox One era. Aggressive in terms of being unafraid, yet maintaining a creative distance from studios working under its name so that the process remains undisturbed and true to original ideation. 

So what do you think? A fantasy game with dragons? A medieval fantasy game about dragons? Sound off with your thoughts in the comment section below, we'd love to hear what you think! 

CD Projekt Red Execs Receive Massive Bonus Following Cyberpunk 2077 Launch

Posted: 30 Apr 2021 07:10 AM PDT

The Cyberpunk 2077 launch was one of the most anticipated launches in recent years, making its post-release hardships all of the more shocking. From mismarketing to veiled review restrictions to even game-breaking bugs where many felt last-gen version of the title was something else entirely, it's been a tumultuous post-launch period for the Polish company. With sales-tied bonuses acting as a light at the end of the tunnel, how that bonus was allocated has been made public and sees top-level executives winning big with other employees receiving less than what was expected. 

The report broke over at Bloomberg about post-launch Cyberpunk 2077 bonuses. While the entire staff is expected to get the promised incentives, the numbers don't add up to what was expected. Keep in mind that the gap between executives and the rest of a company is nothing new, but that doesn't mean it's right. More than that, however, the gap between what the execs are getting and what the devs are getting is raising more red flags. Especially given the talk leading up to the game's launch, including members of the team calling out leadership and shareholders on the development road leading up to this point. Before diving into the numbers a little bit here, I do want to call attention to the fact that the original report even states that it's "not all bad," and that the attention surrounding everything that went wrong with Cyberpunk 2077 beyond its glitches has put an effective spotlight on the studio's culture. Mixed messaging, a "wing it" attitude, and poor planning are all just some of the many puzzle pieces that made up this chaotic picture. However, that is changing, and the higher-ups are looking at restructuring to make CDPR a healthier place to work for retentive purposes. This was publicly acknowledged during the financial call, as well. 

Despite a rocky launch and even being de-listed from PSN by Sony, Cyberpunk 2077 was still the biggest selling game for the studio. An annual report document has been released, citing that CDPR CEO Marcin Iwinski is netting a $6.3 million bonus, with co-CEO Adam Kicinski making the same. Board member Adam Badowski is slated to take home an estimated $4.2 million. 

It was relayed to the broader team that the profit-sharing bonuses would range between $5,000 - $9,000, with senior personnel netting anywhere between $15,000 to $20,000. A spokesperson told Bloomberg that there was a total of $29.8 million allocated for bonuses across nearly 870 employees. That number seems odd, given that five CDPR board members netted a total of $28 million. The former number, the $29.8 million, breaks off to be around $34,000 each, according to the spokesperson, in addition to smaller bonuses that were granted earlier this year, including the stock bonuses that were allocated late 2020. 

That being said, even the higher level members of the board took some financial hits as CDPR stock took a sharp dive following the launch chaos and formal investigations into the studio. Even with the knocks, the bonuses that executives received are astronomical and were, according to the CEO, just. "We earned this money and the company earned this money," said Kicinski when he was asked if the top-level bonuses were "appropriate." He added, "But more net profits, more bonuses." 

This isn't the first studio to suffer mismanagement, but the many layers as to why the launch went so wrong dives into several deeper issues within many industries, not just gaming: Management not effectively caring for those that work under them, non-transparency with the public (though they did a phenomenal job at making it look the opposite), and the refusal to make adjustments when certain aspects along the process no longer made sense (e.g. the base PS4 and Xbox One launch). 

The studio has promised to correct the issues the Cyberpunk 2077 launch faces, and has done just that with countless patches post-release. Still, the board of directors needs to be clear about how they are going to make the work environment safer and better for employees; now is not the time for vague replies. That being said, after speaking with a few developers ourselves, there are some that are reporting a feeling of hope that the changes ahead will be good. 

[Source: CDPR via Bloomberg]
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