Game Informer

Game Informer

Frankenstein's Army Director Claims Resident Evil Village Monsters Are Based Off His Designs

Posted: 10 May 2021 03:41 PM PDT

Resident Evil Village has a ton of new monsters for Mr. Ethan Winters to face, but not all of them are totally original designs. At least according to Frankenstein's Army director Richard Raaphorst. 

Raaphorst took to LinkedIn and Twitter to draw similarities between his designs and those of some of the creatures in Resident Evil Village. The similarities are so striking, that even his fans began taking to social media in order to point out the seemingly carbon-copied takes on those that go bump in the night. For direct side-by-side shots, Twitter user @CloneKorp broke it down in the simplest way, showing side-by-side shots of Village monsters next to their Frankenstein's Army counterparts: 

It's hard not to see the similarities and Raaphorst himself even retweeted the above thread with a reply, saying, "Oh dude, this is worse than I thought. First I felt angry, then proud, but now I see this, I feel sad." 

When PC Gamer's Mollie Taylor spoke with the director, he told her that he wasn't sure if Capcom took the designs purposefully, but that the similarities across the various creatures was "too much of a coincidence" to ignore. He also added that he would have been "super flattered" if Capcom had reached out to him to inquire about design inspiration, but that the lack of credit (if it was intentional) turned the entire experience sour. 

Some in the replies mention that this isn't proof of theft, that all horror entries draw inspiration from a similar place. While that is true, can that be said when there are so many obvious ties to the film material? Is this a giant coincidence or did Capcom get a little bit too tribute happy without consent? You decide. 

So, dear reader, what do you think? Do you think some of the creature artists were a little too inspired by Frankenstein's Army or is it all just a misunderstanding? Sound off with your thoughts in the comment section below! Be sure to also check out our Resident Evil Village review here if you're interested in learning more about the latest Capcom adventure. 

Resident Evil Village Spoilercast: The Biggest Twists And Surprises

Posted: 10 May 2021 03:22 PM PDT

Click to watch embedded media

Resident Evil Village is one of the biggest games of the year, and in many ways it doesn't disappoint, but it's not without its flaws either. Several Game Informer editors, including Dan Tack (@dantack), Blake Hester (@metallicaisrad), Liana Ruppert (@DirtyEffinHippy), Kimberley Wallace (@kstar1785), and Ben Reeves (@Benjaminreeves) all sit down to talk about those highs, lows, and all the surprising twists in-between. On this show, we're also joined by freelancer Suriel Vazquez (@SurielVazquez), who offers some valuable insights. 

We want to emphasize that we SPOIL everything about this game including the boss fights, Chris' role, and the post credit scene. If you haven't beat Resident Evil Village, we highly recommend you do that before you watch this video. Bookmark this page and come back when you're ready as we'd love to hear what everyone thought about the game! Also there are a number of uncensored curse words in this episode. 

If you enjoyed the video and want more coverage of Resident Evil Village, be sure to check our spoiler-free tips, the written review, and the video review!

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!

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A New Halo Infinite Trailer Is Being Teased

Posted: 10 May 2021 01:28 PM PDT

It looks like a new Halo Infinite trailer is dropping very soon for those itching to see more Craig the Brute. Halo Infinite's Joseph Staten took to Twitter to share an update for his week, and it very much looks like he's teasing a new trailer for the ongoing Master Chief tale. 

343 Industries recently stated that it would have more to share on Halo Infinite "soon," and it looks like "soon" could very well be this month. Even more so with Staten's follow-up tweet, which you can see below: 

The "117" is obviously a reference to John 117, also known as Master Chief. Sneaky, sneaky Staten! 

I'm personally excited to see more gameplay. When the studio behind Halo Infinite first shared gameplay, the reactions to the inside look were mixed. Some thought it was a lackluster show of the "power" of next-gen technology with the Xbox Series X. In contrast, others were excited that it looked like an authentic Halo experience. For me, I definitely fell in the second camp. While I certainly understand the criticisms, all I got from that gameplay demonstration was heavy Halo Reach vibes, which made me so happy. Every part of what was shown looked artistically like Halo and authentic in its stylization. The reveal had me excited for the next step, though the community was very much divided. That being said, the decision to delay came shortly after the criticism, and the team is hard at work at making Infinite the Halo experience fans are craving. To see the hard work 343 has put in following the previous reveal is going to be interesting. 

We don't have an estimated release date at this time, though an actor allegedly tied to Halo Infinite did seemingly confirm that the next step for this story would be arriving this November.

Thoughts on what you hope to see from the upcoming trailer? What are you looking forward to the most about the upcoming continuation of Master Chief's story? Sound off with your thoughts in the comment section below! You can also catch up on what else is new with our dedicated Halo Infinite hub here. 

Nine Inch Nails And Animal Crossing: New Horizons Collide With 'Nine Inch Nooks'

Posted: 10 May 2021 12:42 PM PDT

Animal Crossing: New Horizons is one of the most wholesome games out on the market. Nine Inch Nails is definitely not one of the most wholesome bands, but that doesn't stop me from simping Trent Reznor and his delectable dark tunes. So when I saw a mashup of the two worlds with a Nine Inch Nooks Closer cover, it was just too weird not to share. 

The cover was made by Jenn Welch and is a shot-by-shot remake of Nine Inch Nail's Closer song. If you're a fan like I am of Reznor's music, then you know what the lyrics to this are, so uh, it makes sense then that Welch would use a version of the song without lyrics, instead using vocal sounds from the game when bringing it into the realm of Animal Crossing: 

Click here to watch embedded media

I'm not going to lie, it's pretty perfect, especially when you compare it to the original music video for Closer. Is this the crossover I was expecting to see? Not even remotely, but I can tell you that I'm not even close to being mad at it. 

Animal Crossing: New Horizons fans have made some pretty epic mashups in the past. We've seen that Agatha scene recreated from Wandavision, Rick & Morty has gotten its own crossover, and even an impressive Billie Elish cover can be seen. Don't even get us started on some of the more official crossovers, especially when Hello Kitty crashed the island scene. The sky is pretty much the limit here, but for music fans? This one is definitely top-tier. 

What do you think about the worlds of Nine Inch Nails and Animal Crossing: New Horizons colliding? Spot on Closer recreation, or are you still stan'ing the original? Sound off with your thoughts in the comment section below! 

New Battlefield Info Might Be Coming Very Soon

Posted: 10 May 2021 12:29 PM PDT

Funny To A Point – Bold Plot Predictions For Fall's Biggest Games

The next epic entry in the Battlefield franchise has been kept under wraps for quite a while. Recent installments have focused on major historical conflicts like World War I and II, but it's anyone's guess as to what EA Dice has in store for the future. However, the world might not have to wait much longer as new Battlefield info could be dropping much sooner than anyone originally thought.

A tweet from the Official Battlefield Twitter account has the gaming community absolutely reeling with excitement. "Words that rhyme with Soon: June Boom," the post reads, likely hinting at a potential reveal for the long-awaited next chapter in the large-scale FPS series. At any rate, this summer just got a whole lot more exciting!

The new Battlefield game was first announced towards the end of last year, with an expected launch period set for Holiday 2021. Electronic Arts CEO Andrew Wilson offered some very positive information alongside the reveal, ""DICE is creating our next Battlefield game with never-before-seen scale. The technical advancements of the new consoles are allowing the team to deliver on a true next-gen vision for the franchise. We have hands-on play testing underway internally, and the team's been getting very positive feedback on the game as we've begun to engage our community."

EA's commitment to Battlefield has never been more apparent as Criterion Games, the team behind the Need for Speed series, was tasked with pivoting away from their classic racing franchise to assist in the development of the popular shooter. Moreover, A New Battlefield Game Was Announced For Mobile, that looks to find the same success that Call of Duty: Mobile and Fortnite garnered on the tiny screen.  

Are you looking forward to whatever EA Dice plans to announce in June? Share your excitement in the comments below.

Nier: Automata HD Texture Pack Mod Completed After Four Years Of Development

Posted: 10 May 2021 11:52 AM PDT

Nier: Automata has a loyal PC playerbase despite the action-RPG's brief Steam review-bomb period that happened at the end of March earlier this year. Steam users were upset that visual upgrades were still absent from the game many years after its release. Square Enix and PlatinumGames acknowledged these issues and announced a newfound effort to bring the much-needed enhancements to Steam at some undisclosed point in the future. Good thing the modding community is so generous because an amazing Nier: Automata HD Texture Pack got its final major update over the weekend after four years of development. 

GPUnity, the mind behind the HD Texture Pack, posted the simple, but important, reason for why they worked tirelessly on the mod: "NieR: Automata is one of my favourite games. Unfortunately, it suffers from some blurry textures that hurt the presentation. My goal is to provide a natural restoration to the low-res textures, maintaining the intended look." 

Click here to watch embedded media

The final update solidifies GPUnity's meticulous work on over 300 textures. There is a warning for small performance drop, but GPUnity also provided a version of the HD Texture Pack for players with lower-end systems. You can watch the latest video about the graphical improvements above.

I, for one, was blown away by GPUnity's mod. The updated character models are particularly great to look at and gives Nier: Automata a new lease on life. Speaking of "version upgrades," Replicant came out a few weeks ago and as the resident Nier-fanatic (and loremaster) at Game Informer, I can confirm that the reupholstered visuals and combat system go a long way, "This bittersweet narrative is supported by enhanced character models, satisfying hack-and-slash mechanics, and a haunting soundtrack that spins a riveting tale of its own."

Do you own the Steam version of Nier: Automata and are you planning on downloading GPUnity's HD Texture mod? If you already have, let us know what you think of the changes!

[Source: Eurogamer]

Gears Of War Studio Moving To Unreal Engine 5

Posted: 10 May 2021 10:37 AM PDT

Gears of War studio The Coalition has announced it is moving its future projects to Unreal Engine 5. The announcement comes following the release of Gears 5: Hivebusters, a rare mainline campaign expansion in the Gears of War universe. The Gears of War series has always used Unreal Engine (the series was originally developed by Unreal creators Epic Games after all), but with Unreal Engine 5, The Coalition feels it can bring things to the next level.

"As we look to future games, we're excited to start shifting our resources to next-gen development using Unreal Engine 5," the blog post announcing the engine migration states. "Gears of War has always been at the front of Unreal Engine development – as a breakout 720p title for Xbox 360 through last year's 120FPS multiplayer update for Xbox Series X/S – and we're excited to continue that tradition by developing on UE5 for multiple new projects in the coming years."

The move to Unreal Engine 5 means major improvements for The Coalition's future titles, but it also brings with it a lull in the new titles coming out of the studio. "Shifting to a new engine is a big undertaking, so we want to be clear that we will not be announcing any new projects or titles for some time," the blog post states.

However, those who are still playing Gears 5 shouldn't worry too much about being cut off, as the studio confirmed it still has new content coming. Operations 7 and 8 are on the way, each containing two drops including new characters, new maps, and special events. Operation 8 will be the final Operation, but there will still be stuff to do in-game, services will continue, and Tour of Duty will continue to refresh, according to a Reddit post from senior community manager TC Shauny. The Coalition also committed to store updates with new content and featured playlists through the end of the year.

2020 was a busy year for The Coalition. Not only was Gears Tactics launched in April with co-developer Splash Damage, but the studio also re-launched both Gears Tactics and Gears 5 on Xbox Series X/S with myriad performance enhancements. The studio's busy year was capped off by the aforementioned Gears 5: Hivebusters expansion, which came out in December.

Rumors have been swirling about what the studio has been working on, ranging from Gears 6 and helping out on Halo Infinite development to a brand new IP and a Star Wars game. Unfortunately for those hoping for a Star Wars game from this studio, TC Shauny debunked those rumors in a separate Reddit post. "Just to clarify regarding the Star Wars thing: We are not working on any such title," he said. "We have nothing else to announce at this time."

The Coalition took over the Gears of War series beginning with Gears of War 4 following Microsoft's 2014 acquisition of the IP from original developer Epic Games. The most recent mainline entry from The Coalition, Gears 5, came to Xbox One in September 2019 before receiving its Xbox Series X/S enhancements in November 2020.

[Source: The Coalition, Reddit (1), (2)]

Tribeca Film Festival Unveils Its First Official Games Selection

Posted: 10 May 2021 10:18 AM PDT

The Tribeca Film Festival announced the line-up of games chosen for its first-ever Tribeca Games Official Selection. Although L.A. Noire was the first video game to be honored by annual event in 2011, this marks the first time the medium has been treated as a full-fledged category with multiple titles in contention. The winner will receive the inaugural Tribeca Games Award.   

According to Tribeca's press release (as shared by Gamasutra), the award honors an upcoming game for "its potential for excellence in art and storytelling through design, artistic mastery and highly immersive worlds." Here are the eight games nominated:

Tribeca is positioning this move as the launch of a broader initiative for spotlighting video games as interactive art. In a press release, Tribeca Festival co-founder and CEO Jane Rosenthal states that "For over a decade, our mission has been to be a catalyst for placing games and their creators at the forefront of mainstream and artistic culture alongside film, TV and VR/AR. We continue to embrace the cross pollination and intersection of these storytellers with this year's Tribeca Games Official Selections. And this is just the beginning."

To that end, this year's event will also feature unspecified "world premieres" and a live performance of the Red Dead Redemption 2 soundtrack by its producer, Daniel Lanois, his band, and some unannounced "special guests". Tribeca will also showcase the Official Games Selection as part of this year's Summer Games Fest.

Furthermore, from June 11 to June 20, viewers can play digital hands-on demos using Parsec's remote streaming technology. It's not clear if these will be demos of these specific games or other titles entirely. Regardless, you'll have to reserve your sessions, though, which you can do beginning May 24. To reserve your spot as well as read more information about each title in the Official Games Selection, you can visit Tribeca's website. The Tribeca Film Festival 2021 will be held in New York City and kicks off June 9 and concludes June 20.

What do you think of Tribeca honoring games alongside films? Are you looking forward to any of the titles chosen? Share your thoughts in the comments! 

[Source: Gamasutra]

The Witcher 3 PS5 And Xbox Series X Upgraded Version Might Use Fan-Made HD Mods

Posted: 10 May 2021 09:54 AM PDT

The Witcher 3 stands as one of the most revolutionary RPG experiences of the last-generation of console gaming. The third title in CD Projekt Red's acclaimed trilogy is slated to get substantial visual and technical improvements for next-gen consoles. However, according to Kotaku, some of these aforementioned enhancements might be coming from fan-made mods that focus on HD textures and models.

Earlier this month, one modder named HalkHogan, provided an update in the posts section of their extremely popular The Witcher 3 HD Reworked Project modpage, saying "I know I announced a new HDRP preview in early March but I was silent the whole time. Sorry for that. But in return, I have some good news, and the reasons why I was quiet and why I don't have too much to show. I think the most important news is that I got an official message from CDPR about cooperation." HalkHogan went on to say,  "While it's not certain yet, it's very likely that HDRP will be included in the official next generation update."

IGN reports that CD Projekt Red maintains "no binding agreements with any such party," but that talks to potentially incorporate beloved mods are still being conducted. 

Click here to watch embedded media

The Witcher 3 HD Reworked Project has over 60 thousand endorsements and 4 million downloads. HalkHogan's mod has been in development for over five years, with 18 versions being tweaked and updated over that timespan. The project was finally finished and uploaded last September. If HalkHogan's mod (as well as any other modders' work) is included, hopefully they are appropriately compensated for their hard work and loyalty to the franchise. You can watch the release preview video of HDRP above to check out some very impressive visual upgrades. 

The enhanced version of The Witcher 3 will launch on PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X at some point in the latter half of 2021. In recent, more troubling news, The Witcher 3's Director Resigned From CD Projekt Red Following Workplace Allegations that accused him of bullying members of the team and contributing to toxic culture.

[Source: Kotaku via IGN]

Bloodborne 2 Fan-Made Concept Gameplay Trailer Offers New Bosses, New Lore, And So Much More

Posted: 10 May 2021 08:47 AM PDT

"Where is Bloodborne 2" is among the most common gamer inquiries in the gaming community, and while we don't have anything official at this time, we do have a really extensive (and cool) fan-made concept that shows off what could be. 

Called Bloodborne 2: Blood Hunt, Resetera user 'Garden of Eyes' took to the forums to show off their concept Bloodborne 2 gameplay trailer. This is a fully-realized concept design with its own gameplay seen in the trailer below. Check it out, but spoiler? It's awesome: 

Click here to watch embedded media

The concept includes new bosses and new NPCs, but also an idea for a new Boss Arena as well. "After the events of the first game," says the creator, "the nameless hunter has defeated the source of the Dream, the nameless Moon Presence, and has transcended into a higher plane; ushering a new Childhood's Beginning, and earning the name: Apotheos." If you thought the hunt was going to end once and for all, think again...

The original post, seen here, shows off different new bosses, including the following: 

  • Aziel, the Lost King - inspired by the vampire name Raziel from Legacy of Kain
  • Eylah, the Messenger of the Cosmos - inspired by the Turkish name Ayla, which means "halo of light around the moon" 
  • Shula, the Scorched - inspired by the Arabic word for "flame"
  • Zaar, the Storm Elder - inspired by Saar, a Hebrew name meaning "storm"

The concept also includes Blood Rifts, giving players a chance to travel throughout the world of Yharnam in order to "return back to when it all started" in order to end the nightmare. With the goal of cutting the ties that bind mankind and the Great Ones, this marks a fan-made adventure taking it back into an older time. 

Below, the concept creator also shared their idea for a new Void Boss Arena. "In this realm, the player can summon the different enemies, NPCs and bosses they fight through their journey, and apply various effects and buffs on their health and damage multipliers," they shared. "This allows for endless possibilities of challenging fights and battles, creating new combinations of boss battles in different arenas that the community can engage in, using Glyph Codes to share these battles. In addition, the player can use "Eyes of Truth" to pit these enemies to fight against each other, allowing for interesting A.I. interactions and different perspectives in these battles, and create cinematic what-if scenarios."

The idea is awesome but there's just one downside: Now we want Bloodborne 2 even more! You can join in on the conversation about this Bloodborne 2 design right here, let the creator know what you think! 

Thoughts on this impressive take on what Bloodborne 2 could be? Weigh in with your impressions in the comment section below! 

Limited PS5 Stock Could Continue Into 2022, Says Sony

Posted: 10 May 2021 07:54 AM PDT

The PlayStation 5 has broken the world record for US console sales since its release, but that doesn't mean everyone who has been interested has gotten one. With low stock and scalpers always at the ready, the journey into next-gen has been a rough one for many. Unfortunately, that doesn't look like it's going to change, because Sony warns that the PS5 stock issues could very well extend into next year.

Sony Group Corp. recently gave a heads up to an analyst group that the PlayStation 5 shortage is expected to be a reality leading into 2022. The company also mentioned that this supply issue has provided a stress point for sales targets, despite the recent numbers boasting impressive feats for the gaming brand. 

"I don't think demand is calming down this year and even if we secure a lot more devices and produce many more units of the PlayStation 5 next year, our supply wouldn't be able to catch up with demand," Chief Financial Officer Hiroki Totoki said in a statement received by Bloomberg. 

He continued, telling the analyst group that Sony is in need of a serious ramp-up in production when that is possible. There were reports of a new PS5 model in the works to circumvent the supply issue, but we could not get verification of that here at Game Informer. While COVID-19 certainly played a part, Totoki did mention that the supply woes would have been immense regardless of the global pandemic. He also assuaged analyst concerns that Sony can't keep up with the demand, especially with the economic impact of COVID, and responded that he "can't imagine demand dropping easily."

It was previously reported that PlayStation has peaked at its highest revenue to date during F2020, reporting just over $25.04 billion in revenue. This shatters the previous industry record in place, including Sony's own high of $20.8 billion. This yearly report also boasts that Q4 was a magical time for Team Blue, reporting an all-time high of $6.24 billion for that period, making a +32.6% jump from its previous Q4 reported data. Sony also kicked off its next-gen stint strong with 3.3 million units sold (LTD: 7.8 million), making it the best-selling console during the first fiscal year of all time. A large part of those sales is due to less-than-honest means of purchasing. With bots and scalper groups lined up when restocks go live, inventory is sold out almost immediately. Those scalped units are being resold, which shows strong buyer interest regardless of the scalper situation. 

What Sony does next will be interesting, but it is disheartening to hear that the stock issues will continue for some time yet. 

Thoughts on PlayStation 5 stock woes and the PS5 shortage potentially going into 2022? Sound off in the comment section below! 

Watch New Venom: Let There Be Carnage Movie Trailer Here

Posted: 10 May 2021 06:13 AM PDT

Who doesn't love a little bit of Carnage? The Carnage vs. Venom showdown was teased in the first Venom movie as a post-credits scene, and now we get to see the action up close and personal with a new trailer. The new trailer for Venom: Let There Be Carnage movie also comes with a release date, with a theatrical debut on September 24, 2021. 

Directed by Andy Serkis, Tom Hardy returns once more to again transform into the "lethal protector" Venom. This anti-hero, hero, non-hero is complicated, to say the least, making him one of my personal favorite characters from the Marvel universe. To see Hardy go toe-to-toe as Venom against Woddy Harrelson as Cletus "Carnage" Kasady is a real treat, check out the trailer below: 

Click here to watch embedded media

In the trailer, you can see the return of the more comedic moments with Hardy's character, but let's not ignore the most important part: the action. Carnage is vicious, he's a killer, and he's out for blood in this new trailer. In the upcoming movie, he also seems to be a much more formidable foe than Riot in the first film. While I'm still not feeling the wig the creative team gave to Harrelson as Carnage's human counterpart, despite that he's still a terrifying serial killer that has nothing to lose and nothing to curb his fatalistic blood lust. 

The sequel to Venom was originally slated to release back in October of last year, but COVID-19 had other plans. Now, Marvel fans will be able to experience the second flick in theaters now that the world is starting to begin the journey back into a semblance of normalcy. 

Venom: Let There Be Carnage is poised to debut on September 24, 2021, in theaters. 

Are you excited to see Carnage on the big screen? Thoughts on the above Let There Be Carnage trailer? Shout out those Marvel-driven thoughts and dreams in the comment section below and tell us what you think about the continuation of Venom's story in cinema. 
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