Game Informer

Game Informer

Marvel Future Revolution Preview – A Deep Dive Into Marvel's New Mobile Action/RPG

Posted: 28 Jun 2021 08:00 PM PDT

Marvel Future Revolution

Publisher: Netmarble
Developer: Netmarble
Platform: iOS, Android

Whether you're talking Insomniac's beloved Spider-Man games or the recently announced Guardians of the Galaxy title from Eidos-Montréal, there's never been a better time to be a gaming Marvel fan. On top of the handful of recent and upcoming triple-A console and PC titles available, those who want more quick-hit experiences can dive into the world of mobile gaming. With titles like turn-based hero collector Marvel Strike Force and ever-expanding fighting game Marvel Contest of Champions, mobile players have several options as well. Those options are expanding by one later this year, as Netmarble, the team behind action/RPG Marvel Future Fight, is back to one-up itself with an all-new open-world action/RPG for mobile devices called Marvel Future Revolution.

Click here to watch embedded media

Initially revealed at PAX East 2020, Marvel Future Revolution takes the multiverse concept to new levels, with multiple Earths from different realities converging to create one "Primary Earth." The story, which is penned by Marvel Comics writer Marc Sumerak, kicks off with Vision sacrificing himself using the Convergence Engine to prevent the newly unified worlds from being destroyed. This locks the worlds together, bringing together disparate pockets of reality.

Marvel Future Revolution

Heroes and Villains

While this event brings together all kinds of heroes from different realities, it also brings together a massive alliance of villains. Now, the new heroes must work together as Omega Flight to stop the villains who are trying to rise up and take advantage of the situation. At launch, players will have the ability to select from eight different heroes as they battle the forces of evil. When the game is available, the roster will include Iron Man, Captain America, Spider-Man, Captain Marvel, Doctor Strange, Black Widow, Storm, and Star-Lord. When you fire up Marvel Future Revolution for the first time, all eight of those heroes are available to you to select and play as, with no unlock requirements.

Unsurprisingly, that roster will only grow as time goes on (Netmarble's other Marvel game, Marvel Future Fight, currently features more than 200 characters, while the roster of Scopely's Marvel Strike Force is rapidly approaching that milestone). In fact, by the end of the year, a new playable character will join the Marvel Future Revolution roster.

Marvel Future Revolution

While each character has an iconic look, they are also fully customizable with tons of different costume combinations. You can swap out individual costume components for each character's body, hands, feet, and head. With this ability to mix and match, Netmarble hopes to deliver more than 400 million different costume combination possibilities per hero. In addition to costumes inspired by known moments in the comic books, players can also look forward to costumes from the Marvel Cinematic Universe as well as original costumes inspired by the various world regions in the game (more on those later).

Of course, there's no need for a massive team of heroes if there isn't a coalition of powerful villains to thwart. In the footage I saw, iconic villains like Thanos, Red Skull, Maestro, Ultron, Kingpin, MODOK, Yellowjacket, and Loki were facing off against the legions of heroes. These heroes and villains collide and clash across various regions of this new Primary Earth, delivering unique areas from the pantheon of Marvel comics.

Marvel Future Revolution New Stark City

The Arenas of the Revolution

Now that we know all about the characters that'll be flashing across our screens, what about the places you can visit? After all, this isn't some ordinary version of Earth these battles are taking place on. In fact, Marvel and Netmarble were able to dig deep and flex their creative muscles with the settings available in the game. 

Marvel Future Revolution Xandearth

"We sat down when we first met and we just started writing locations and characters and things that a Marvel fan would dream of having access to," Marvel Games VP of creative Bill Rosemann says. "Usually in stories, you could travel to Xandar or travel to Sakaar or go through a time-warp to experience Hydra America. That was a dream of, how can we bring these locations that are all based on popular characters, popular stories, really cool villains, and bring them all together so that you can go from one to another. If you're a new Marvel fan, it looks cool and it's fun to explore this fantasy world. But if you're a longtime Marvel fan, let me tell you, the amount of – I won't even call them Easter eggs – it's just Marvel ingredients that fill every nook and cranny."

Marvel Future Revolution Sakaar

At launch, players can do battle across five regions, each with its own striking visual style. Hydra Empire poses the question, "What if Hydra took over and reigned after World War II?" This puts players into that scenario as they battle through a Hydra-controlled portion of the United States. Next, Midgardia is where survivors of Asgard have built an Asgardian city on Earth. Next up is New Stark City, which is a technologically advanced metropolis built by Tony Stark. New Stark City houses Omega Flight as well as many of world's most brilliant scientific minds. In the Earth version of Sakaar, you fight through a desert wasteland full of arenas, ruled by Maestro. Finally, Xandearth arrives on Primary Earth from a reality where Xandar was destroyed by Thanos and the survivors moved to Earth and created a new capital city.

Marvel Future Revolution Hydra Empire

"We thought about each character – Star-Lord, Storm, Spider-Man, Captain America – could there be environments that are drawn from their history, so it might mean more to them?" Rosemann says. "So in the story, they might have a more personal connection like, you can imagine when Captain America goes into the Hydra Empire, game on! He's taking down Skull. We just kind of did a greatest hits; we just started writing down great stories, great characters, great locations, and we knew that we could pick and choose. There is nothing holding us back, because in this story, all the worlds – and not only different worlds, but different realities – are all coming together. It just opened up the entire Marvel toy box to us."

Marvel Future Revolution Midgardia

Within these regions, the battles play out across various game modes, giving players additional ways to engage with the content, but also more rewards.

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Mobile Heroics

While the hero and region lists are always intriguing to keep up with, the most important aspect is in how the game plays. Since this is a more action-based game than something turn-based or passive like Marvel Strike Force, Netmarble is using the virtual d-pad convention, where no matter where your finger is on the left side of the screen, you'll be able to guide your character by sliding your finger or thumb in the direction you want. Then, you can select which skill you want your hero to use with an ability wheel. 

"How it plays out depends on how skillful you are with the combo of the active skills that are given to you," Netmarble executive producer Joe Lee says. "The cherry on top for this game would be that we are including a lot of superheroes that fly around, so the flying element that allows the player to actually attack from air to ground and ground to air, all of that is going to be included and it's going to be a unique selling point of this game."

As you play more, you level up your heroes via various progression systems. In addition to conventional leveling, players can also add gear, while some costumes are more than cosmetic, providing additional functionality and efficiency in combat. Through the various modes, you can loot gear and material to acquire that gear for the heroes. 

Marvel Future Revolution

In addition to a single-player story campaign, players can expect several different modes at launch. Blitz and Raids offer four-player co-op PvE scenarios where they battle against bosses and supervillains like Thanos and Ultron. Special Operations offer another four-player co-op experience, but every character has balanced stats and specs to provide an even playing field. In Special Operations, you have objective-based missions like wave-based defenses or a goal to save civilians being held in the battle zone.

Omega War mixes up the experience, offering PvP between two teams of 10 players. This can last anywhere between 4 to 10 minutes in a mode that looks chaotic as can be – until Netmarble told me about Dark Zones. In Dark Zones, players enter a 50-player, free-for-all. Dark Zone offers some of the best loot to players, but you're competing with up to 49 other players, participating in both PvE and PvP combat. You can enter solo, with friends, or with your guild as you take on other players, enemies, bosses, and monsters to secure some of the best loot Marvel Future Revolution has to offer.

Marvel Future Revolution

Spending Money to Save the Day?

Of course, being a free-to-play mobile game often brings with it the apprehension of egregious or exploitative microtransactions. While that is something that players are rightfully fearful of, Netmarble feels it is striking a healthy balance with its monetization. "Unlocking characters is going to be free, and that's going to stay free in the future too," Lee says. "When you say 'free-to-play' kind of game, a lot of people have different ideas about it. We always know from our experience that at least 97 or 98 percent of the total players that we get stay free. And we still want those players to also enjoy the game as much as possible."

"In general, let's just say it will be fair," Marvel Games director of production Danny Koo says. "We are not looking into a free-to-play players versus pay-to-win players kind of competition. The goal of the game is to even the playing field for both sides of the players."

While that is certainly nice to hear from the developer, players are right to be skeptical of microtransactions in a free-to-play game given how so many mobile games work. With so many PvP modes and elements in Marvel Future Revolution, Netmarble has a tall task in front of it, but the company is confident in how its gameplay works.

"We don't want to go too deep into [microtransactions adding stat boosts to characters]," Lee says. "The gameplay that we're providing is actually going to involve a lot of players knowing the right kind of combos at the right time when it comes to boss fights and stuff like that. Even when you're fully geared with lots of dollars invested into the game, unless you know how to play the game properly, you're not going to win the day. That's the basic philosophy that we wanted to have this founded on."

Marvel Future Revolution

Seeing The Future

Marvel Future Revolution seems to have a strong foundation in place for its upcoming launch, but as with most mobile games, the experience will continue to evolve. Not only will players be able to play through the various modes with new heroes, but new villains will present themselves as well. Those new characters also come with new content, new regions, new scenarios, and special events tied to what's going on in other parts of Marvel's massive entertainment empire. Marvel Future Revolution launches on iOS and Android sometime later this year. Pre-registration opens starting on June 29.

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Now Is A Great Time To Get Back To Jedi: Fallen Order

Posted: 28 Jun 2021 03:00 PM PDT

Star Wars: Jedi Fallen Order was one of my favorite games of 2019. I say that without compunction, and in full knowledge that some of the game's technical problems and other issues were a major turn-off for some players. But for me, I got a big kick out of the high production values in art, music, and characters, and a single-player Star Wars adventure is a hard thing for me to turn down.

That's why I was especially delighted to see how much the game has improved for its recent upgrade onto new-gen consoles. After a release earlier this month, I was able to seamlessly upgrade my PS4 copy of Fallen Order to play on my PS5, and in recent days I've had the chance to dive back in and play through a significant chunk of the game.

While it's easy to get lost in the jargon of these different games that have received upgrades on the new consoles, I think there are some important takeaways apparent right from the start. One of the biggest is load times. In a game in which character death is relatively common on higher difficulties, not to mention moving between various large areas, the long load times on PS4 were always an issue for me. Playing on PS5, those have been dramatically improved. I did a quick test loading into one game area on both consoles, and found my load time had been nearly halved on the PS5. 

Of course, it's more than just speed. While some of the improvements are subtle, the combination of better shadow and texture work, 4K/HDR Resolution, and overall a smoother technical experience compared to the 2019 launch has made new-gen Fallen Order a far more enjoyable game to play. Outlines are sharper. Character faces are better lit. I notice very little in the way of frame glitches, where in the original, it was a consistent problem.

And while I'm aware that many of these changes were made months ago, I appreciate that EA and Respawn have been consistently improving and adding to the game, from new accessibility features to the New Journey + mode and the Meditation Training game modes that come with it.

Fallen Order was never a disastrously broken game by any stretch, but I suspect even its development team would be the first to acknowledge it had some problems at launch. And while some of those issues, (I'm looking at you, sliding-down-hills mechanic) are intrinsic to the game's design, many others have been quietly chipped away at and improved in the time since the original release. And if you now have access to a PlayStation 5 or Xbox Series X/S, the new-gen shine certainly makes a big difference.

If you're like me, and you enjoyed the original release but found some of the technical elements jarring, now is an excellent time to give it another look. And if instead you were warned away from playing this Star Wars game back at launch, and you never gave it a try, I'd recommend giving it a shot. At a dramatically reduced price on most digital and physical storefronts, it makes for a great summer getaway into a fictional universe we all like to revisit.

5 Best Changes In Final Fantasy VII Remake Intergrade On PS5

Posted: 28 Jun 2021 02:00 PM PDT

Final Fantasy VII Remake Intergrade launched earlier this month, and now that I've gotten the chance to re-experience my favorite 2020 RPG all over again, I can confidently say there are more than a few new features and updates that make this next-gen title all the more polished and spectacular. Whether you're upgrading your PlayStation 4 copy of the game or sprinting through Midgar for the first time, Intergrade has more than enough to offer to its player base. Here are five changes that make re-playing the whole experience worth it. 

I will caution the fifth and final entry in this short list comes with a spoiler warning.

Yuffie

How could I not start with Episode Intermission, the most noticeable new feature that comes packaged with Remake Intergrade? You get to sprint throughout Cloud and co's old stomping grounds: the slums. While there, you'll run into familiar faces like Johnny and Roche while mastering a new competitive tabletop tower defense game called Fort Condor. Of course, there are also side missions to complete. Chadley's new virtual challenge(s) and the Happy Turtle flyer quest are standouts. 

I reviewed Yuffie's adventure and enjoyed the frenetic action and synergized combos that could be performed with a new party member, Sonon. The master ninja is such a joy to play because her whimsical personality bleeds through every interaction – from impossible mid-air combat pirouettes to simply flinging her oversized shuriken at far-off crates in minigame segments. 

Normal (Classic)

On the PlayStation 4 version of Final Fantasy VII Remake, we were only given the Classic setting on Easy difficulty. At first glance, auto-combat appears to expedite encounters by taking away analog control. However, I'd like to argue that when coupled with Normal difficulty, players can get the best of both worlds with some solid challenge: real-time and turn-based combat at any given moment. Some of the most rewarding moments in Final Fantasy VII Remake's combat occur when you fill that pesky ATB gauge to stagger foes with a focused strike. Now you can sit back, relax, and input attacks on the fly while switching between party members. Ultimately, it adds to the intensity and micromanagement of engagements, if that's your thing.

Performance

I'll just say it: Performance Mode is better than Graphics Mode. While the narrative is timeless and seeing beloved characters like Tifa and Sephiroth in 4K is always a treat, Final Fantasy VII Remake's crown jewel is the combat system. With Performance Mode activated, these fighting sequences come to life in 60 FPS. I can't promise that you're sure to complete all of Chadley's virtual boss fights, but watching the battlefield come to life with fluid controls helps amplify the RPG's already definitive real-time action. 

Moreover, the fast loading times on PlayStation 5 are impressive. Loading into any given chapter takes no time at all. While this is specific to the game as a whole rather than attached to the Performance Mode setting, I can't stress it enough: there's just no better way to play Final Fantasy VII than on a next-gen console. 

Photo Mode

There's not much to say here other than now you finally get to take 4K pictures of the entire team during some of Final Fantasy VII's most iconic moments. Perhaps you'd prefer the classic image of Aerith praying in the Midgar alleyway at the start of the game, or Cloud performing his dramatic flip off the screeching-to-a-halt train moments before the Reactor infiltration. Remake Intergrade is already a gorgeous-looking game, no matter what mode you've enabled. Now that you can take pictures with a bevy of filters and mechanical settings like exposure, you can compile the perfect nostalgic photo album in between the moment-to-moment action.

New Ending Cutscene

Spoiler Warning!

I won't present any actual details for this one, but after completing Episode Intermission, there's a cool, albeit brief, cutscene that plays once the credits end. The cinematic not only places Yuffie within the context of Remake Part II, it also hints at what's next for the main cast as they set out to travel the world beyond Midgar's metallic hull.

Are there any changes you think NEED a spot on this list too? 

New Legends Of Mana Anime TV Series Announced

Posted: 28 Jun 2021 01:39 PM PDT

Earlier this month, our own Kimberly Wallace wrote up a delightful feature on why gamers should check out the beloved Legend of Mana RPG franchise (if they haven't already) with the hopes of even more adventures on the way. It looks like she's getting her wish because Square Enix has announced a new Legends of Mana anime TV series is on the way. 

Square Enix revealed the news today about the upcoming anime alongside our first look with some promotional art, seen below: 

Square Enix

The Legend of Mana anime is officially titled Legend of Mana - The Teardrop Crystal and will follow the most recently released Mana title. Warner Bros. Japan LLC, Graphinica, Inc. and Yokohama Animation Lab are all collaborating for this new venutre, a series that will be released worldwide. If Yokohama Animation Lab sounds familiar to you, you may remember this company as the one that crafted the animated opening for the Legend of Mana movie.

Legend of Mana began its journey into our RPG-loving hearts back in 1995 with Trials of Mana and since then, has grown into a fantasy powerhouse. "What I love about Legend of Mana is that it doesn't hold your hand, and forces you to seek out your own stories within its various landscapes," said Wallace when she urged Game Informer readers to give the latest remaster a chance. "I look at the game as one big storybook, but you must find the pages. You advance the narrative by stumbling upon vignettes, that trigger through exploration and placing artifacts. These offer short slices of story and gameplay, so no level overstays its welcome. There's something satisfying about interacting with the world and putting the pieces together to activate these short jaunts, like seeing an event and following a character from it, or hearing a villager discuss an issue and going to the scene in question. Some of these chapters end on cliffhangers, while others are stand-alone, but my favorite part is the variety within these stories, which can get deeply philosophical but are also balanced out by more humorous, light-hearted adventures."

We don't have any release information at the time for the Legend of Mana anime TV series, but at least we know it's on the way. 

What are your thoughts on the announcement that a Legend of Mana anime is coming down the pipeline? What do you hope to see in the upcoming TV adaptation? Shout out with your hot takes in the comment section below! 

This Cyberpunk 2077 Mod Makes Photo Mode Even Better With New Poses

Posted: 28 Jun 2021 01:09 PM PDT

Photo Modes are great, Photo Modes with more poses are even better. The Cyberpunk 2077 Photo Mode is pretty great in its own right with many different positions players can put themselves in, both with stagnant poses and those sweet action shots. That being said, this Cyberpunk 2077 mod takes that creative mode even further and by doing so, makes it even better. 

Ignoring the flaws that many players have encountered when in Night City and the numerous updates that have since dropped to correct said flaws, most that have played the game can agree that the Photo Mode was a nice touch. With how expansive Night City is and all of the nutso shenanigans that V finds themselves in, taking a fun snapshot in the moment (or even a highly dramatic one with the actionable poses) is highly enjoyable. There are tons of poses that vanilla players can choose from, but one modder wanted to add even more options into the mix for PC players. 

"Since I first got into taking pictures in-game, I've wanted more ways to have V immersed in and interacting with their surroundings in shots - in particular, I was missing ways to have V sit, lean, and lie down to interact with various furniture," says the mod's creator. "This mod aims to fill in that gap with a host of Photo Mode poses that allow V to sit wherever they may please (and some other poses, as well). This mod works for both feminine- and masculine-framed Vs. The masculine V option also impacts the Photo Mode poses available to Johnny."

Because mod support is still incredibly limited for console players beyond Bethesda titles, this particular Cyberpunk 2077 add-on is locked to PC players. For those interested, you can download this bad boy right here to put those in-game modeling lessons to good use. 

Want more mods? Check out a few of my other favorite Mod Corner picks below: 

What are your thoughts on Cyberpunk 2077 and its current state? Any particular mods out for PC that are your go-to? Sound off with your thoughts in the comment section below! 

Pokémon Unite – New Gameplay Today

Posted: 28 Jun 2021 11:57 AM PDT

Click to watch embedded media

Pokémon as a series has about as many spin-off titles in its library as it does actual creatures in the Pokédex at this point. From the fan-favorite gems of the Pokémon Pinball titles to the recent entries of Pokémon Café Mix and Pokémon Smile, Pikachu, Charizard, and more have had plenty of opportunities to get out of their Poké Balls and entertain audiences in new, often bizarre ways.

In keeping with that tradition, Pokémon Unite is next up to try and spin the classic series out of its RPG roots and is throwing those classic creatures in the MOBA arena with all the lane combat one could hope for. Fans will be able to pick from a plethora of Pokés to form a team set on taking out NPC characters and humans alike to gain orbs to score at enemy-controlled points and win the round. But does just throwing Greninja into a new game genre equal success?

I brought in the experts to answer that exact question. Join Alex Van Aken and Liana Ruppert (who have untold hour counts in League of Legends) as they break down the latest footage from the Japanese beta of Pokémon Unite and discuss whether or not this game will be loved by the hardcore MOBA fans of the world or if it will be best enjoyed by those looking to enter an otherwise intimidating playspace for the very first time (like yours truly).

If you're excited to battle it out with your friends in Pokémon Unite, you don't have long to wait. The hard release date is still unannounced, but the new game will launch in July exclusively on Nintendo Switch before making its way over to mobile platforms later this year! For more on the MOBA, be sure to check out our look at everything you need to know about the game before its upcoming summer release.

Nier Reincarnation Gets Summer Release Date

Posted: 28 Jun 2021 11:21 AM PDT

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Break out those mobile calendars because the pre-registration period for Nier Reincarnation will eventually come to an end, meaning that players in North America, Europe, and Korea will finally get a chance to experience the first mobile game in the franchise. Better yet, now that 300,00 pre-registrations have been reached, milestones and rewards will be dished out. However, 600,00 is still the highest tier, so make sure you hop onto the Nier Reincarnation bandwagon sooner rather than later because the launch day has finally been revealed in a press release today. 

In case you were worried about the minds behind Reincarnation, series veterans Yoko Taro, Keiichi Okabe, and Yosuke Saito have lent their talent to the upcoming mobile game. Here's a brief synopsis as well: "A girl awakens on a cold stone floor. She finds herself in an infinitely vast place filled with buildings that touch the very sky. Guided by a mysterious creature who calls herself Mama, she begins to explore her new surroundings. To reclaim what she has lost—and atone for her sins—she sets off on a journey through this place of unknown creation." Sounds like the perfect blend of mystery and abstraction for a Nier game, doesn't it?

More recently, Nier Replicant launched and it was the perfect opportunity for me to experience the first chapter in my favorite franchise for the first time. I enjoyed my time with it and wrote:

"Despite some dated shortcomings, this "version upgrade" is more than the sum of its parts. Novel design choices like camera and genre shifts are as impressive today as they were more than 10 years ago. Main characters are dynamic with their own interesting backstories, and the plot is as deliciously devastating as you'd expect. Nier Replicant might not convert players that were turned off by the original or Automata, but there are more than enough quality-of-life updates and story-centric nuances to keep longtime fans and new initiates coming back for subsequent playthroughs."

Nier Reincarnation launches on iOS and Android devices on July 28. Are you going to be a day-one player? How do you feel about the gacha mechanics? Let's hear it!

Final Fantasy VII Remake Part 2 Could "Differ Significantly" From The Original, Says Director

Posted: 28 Jun 2021 11:21 AM PDT

We have no idea when we are getting Final Fantasy VII Remake Part 2, or even how many parts there will be in total, but we do have a new look at what could potentially be on the horizon thanks to a new blog post over on the Square Enix website. In the most recent post, Final Fantasy VII Remake co-director Motomu Toriyama opened up a little bit more about the first part of the revisitation of a fan favorite, including about how we almost got a Cloud pole-dancing sequence. In the same post, however, Toriyama mentioned that Part 2 could possibly go in some pretty creative directions, something that could surprise die-hard original fans. 

For those that have played the Remake, you may remember how the Honeybee Inn sequence took a very different turn than in the original. They took a scene that many loved in the original and, in my personal opinion, made it significantly better. That entire sequence was beloved by many for its humor, its action, and it's levity that it provided without using the drag community as a punchline. It was pretty cool and according to Toriyama, it is just once instance in which the Remake will add something new, something the team hopes fans enjoy. 

"This scene is a key example of something that was changed dramatically from the original Final Fantasy VII," the co-director said. "I was a bit worried about what fans of the original game would think, but the whole scene got a much more enthusiastic reception than I could ever have hoped for, so I was quite relieved."

He added, "Going forward, I'm sure some parts of the Remake will differ significantly from the original. I hope this scene can be a good example of how to approach such changes."

We already knew that there would be some key differences by how Part One ended and the sequence seen with Zach. Where it will go, however, is a mystery at this time outside of those currently working on the game. We don't have any looks at what Part Two will have to offer. No release dates, no trailers, no direction, but it looks like Square Enix could be shaping up for some kind of a reveal in the coming months. In the meantime, players can dive in with a new experience now on PlayStation 5 with Yuffie's episode and with Intergrade that gives the entire experience a next-gen makeover. You can read our review on that experience, thanks to our own Jason Guisano, right here. 

What do you hope the team at Square Enix does with Final Fantasy VII Remake Part 2? Any specific changes you're hoping to see? Any particular sequences you hope they don't touch? Sound off with your thoughts in the comment section below! Tifa would want you to. 

Super Smash Bros. Ultimate Kazuya Gameplay Revealed

Posted: 28 Jun 2021 10:24 AM PDT

For a little over 30 minutes, Super Smash Bros. Ultimate Director Masahiro Sakurai presented to brawler fans all over the world from his comfy studio desk. The next fighter coming to Ultimate is none other than Tekken's Kazuya, and Sakurai was ready to reveal the character's combos with new gameplay footage. You can watch the full presentation below.

The presentation started off by showing off what Kazuya will bring to the table and ended, unfortunately, with the confirmation that Dante will never be added to the Ultimate roster outside of a Mii costume. For those excited to see Kazuya in action, check him out in the video that went live earlier today on June 28. 

Sakurai knew that the team would somehow have to translate Tekken's middle, high, and low fighting system to Super Smash Bros. Ultimate's location-based mechanics, "Tekken is more of a game about understanding space between characters and where to hit," Sakurai stated while Tekken 7 gameplay was being demonstrated. "Super Smash Bros. is a game of location. It's more about playing offensively using heights and distances. Your fighter's areas of safety and danger change depending on where they're located. It requires a different skillset."

With extensive research, Sakurai decided to highlight Kazuya's Devil Gene – a dormant power that was passed down to him from his mother, and consequently passed to his son, Jin Kazama. And because Heihachi doesn't have the gene, Kazuya was chosen to be the latest fighter to join the fray. Sakurai explained, "I thought Kazuya would work well in this game if we made his normal attacks as similar as possible to those in Tekken, while using the Devil's Power for his midair jumps, smash attacks, and special moves." On a visual level, it's very cool to see Kazuya spread his wings on the fly. 

Kazuya's Final Smash is called Final Buster; a volley of Devil Blaster attacks are shot from his chest in a fan-like pattern; the spread is actually quite forgiving. However, make sure you hit that first beam because, if not, the ability will fail. Play shorter characters like Pikachu to potentially dodge the move. Sakurai also made sure to go into Kazuya's fighter characteristics, "Generally, he's great at making comebacks. His attack power is extremely high...he's at a disadvantage with reach and attack range. His attack speed is also rather slow…"

At the end of the presentation, Sakurai showed off some zany Mii fighter costumes, which we also reported on here. Challenger Pack 10 will be available on June 29 for $6. Are you planning to main Kazuya when he is implemented into the game? Let us know what you think about his move set below?

Former Dying Light 2 Writer Chris Avellone Addresses Sexual Misconduct Allegations, Sues For Libel

Posted: 28 Jun 2021 09:38 AM PDT

In 2020, Chris Avellone, a notable writer within the gaming space, was removed from Dying Light 2 when sexual misconduct allegations became public from a few different sources. After addressing the allegations soon after they came out, Avellone went publicly silent regarding the accusations until recently. In a new statement, Avellone addressed the claims against him and bared that he is seeking legal retribution against those that accused him for libel and loss of work. 

Avellone took to his Medium blog to address previous allegations with an entry entitled "Ending Silence." "Last year, a woman named Karissa made accusations against me, and so did her close friend, Kelly," began his statement. "The accusations were surprising. They concerned our first meeting almost 9 years ago and they were untrue."

He went on to say that he "spent the last year" pouring over what happened and convinced himself those that came forward did so out of a "misguided sense of self-righteousness." He then mentioned that he has since tried to allow the voices surrounding this conversation to be heard, as this was around the time when there was a growing "Me Too" movement surrounding Ubisoft and the work culture there. However, upon reflection, he felt that "in keeping silent, I was wrong."

He then goes on to explain his thoughts that the allegations against him were inspired by a "bad breakup" he had with Jackie, a close friend to both Kelly and Karissa, a breakup that happened around seven years ago. "Jackie was a woman Karissa had encouraged me to hit on at a bar at the same convention a year after Karissa and I first met. It is an unusual thing for someone to do to a friend with someone they believe to be a 'sexual predator.'

He added, "Jackie and I saw each other for a year. We were not dating, we were not boyfriend/girlfriend. We stopped seeing each other 7 years ago. I had to break it off, in no small part to Karissa continually, angrily inserting herself into our relationship — which Jackie encouraged."

According to Avellone, he believes that Karissa's desire to come forward with the allegations against him followed after a video interview with IGN went viral. The interview in question is something Avellone said he didn't want to do but was encouraged by PR to do so. The interview "disgusted" Avellone when it was discovered that it cut out the woman lead that he was working with. He said he didn't want the attention and feels that said attention is what spurred Karissa to speak out. Once Karissa did so, Kelly did the same in a manner that Avellone said was "hard (but not impossible) to disprove." 

He added that he spent the last year compiling evidence and has reached out to seek legal action. He was clear in saying that this decision was "not to silence Karissa and Kelly, but to encourage them to speak more." He then went on to say that other women came forward, but that addressing that is not the core goal right now, addressing Karissa's statements is. "This is because Karissa's claims were, unfortunately, echoed by others as truth, which allowed these falsehoods to spread and seem to be true via repetition. Whether this was done out of malice or ignorance doesn't matter. They are untrue." 

He added that when Karissa does speak her piece in court that "these other claims" will be seen in a different light. He ended his statement by saying the following: 

For now, my focus is Karissa and her statements. Making a case on Twitter is pointless. Karissa has told me she owes me "nothing" concerning her accusations. Like her accusations, this is also not true.

When you accuse someone of a crime, when you present falsehoods as facts to harm another, you must provide proof of your claims and address the evidence that shows your words to be false. It's called accountability.

As I said before, I spent the last year trying to persuade myself these acts were done out of misguided self-righteousness. I tried to correct the record, allow voices to be heard, but I was wrong; these attacks were malicious, and they must be challenged.

When the allegations first came out, the nature of the claims centered on forced sexual interaction during a convention. "He got me blackout drunk on Midori Sours (on the company dime)," Karissa Barrows wrote at the time. "He and two friends somehow got me back to my room, where he pounced in front of the other guys. They left after a few moments (also drunk), and one of them told me what he had witnessed the next evening."

She continued, saying, "I had very vague impressions that someone had made out with me when I woke up that morning, but thought it was a dream. When I asked Chris about it, he told me that I had eventually refused him. When more of the night came back to me, I realized the ONLY reason I was able to refuse him in my blackout stupor was because I was on my period that weekend. The ONLY reason."

Avellone says that the pair did kiss and that "she looked" his age. Consent was not talked about but that he did not seek to hold any sort of power over her in the industry, though it is important - and not meant to discourage his statement - that his perception of the kiss being welcomed is just that: his perception. While that is something to consider, that is not a ruling or judgment by any stretch, simply a detail that is a part of this evolving story. He did later add that he helped her get "interviews for her friends" and other networking help, though not through reciprocation of sexual conduct. 

Currently, Avellone is seeking a Strategic Lawsuit Against Public Participation (SLAPP) suit against his accusers and many others that were unnamed in his post. To learn more about what a SLAPP suit is and what its general purpose is in relation to Avellone's case, you can learn more at the Cornell Law resource center here. Avellone also provided a deeper follow-up piece, which can be found here. 

Dungeons & Dragons Movie Reportedly Adds Benedict Cumberbatch To Cast

Posted: 28 Jun 2021 09:32 AM PDT

We got our first look at the upcoming Dungeons & Dragons movie earlier this month with some nifty on-set images and now we've got possible new casting news, as well. Allegedly joining the all-star cast that includes Michelle Rodriguez, Chris Pine, and Huge Grant is none other than Doctor Strange himself, Benedict Cumberbatch. At least according to a new report. 

In a new report from The Sun, Cumberbatch is the latest star to be signed up for the upcoming Dungeons & Dragons movie following previous work he's done with Wizards of the Coast for an animated D&D short. This is unconfirmed at this time, though we have reached out for comments. The Sun reports that the D&D casting is local to Cumberbatch due to his residence in the UK, though ComicBook points out that this could be misconstrued for his work on Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness. 

Both John Francis Daley and Jonathan Goldstein are at the helm of this movie venture as the film's directors. We also know that Chris Pine, Regé-Jean Page, Hugh Grant, Justice Smith, and Michelle Rodriguez are all signed on as part of the cast, though specific storyline details are still largely unknown at this time. This is also only one of several other Dungeons & Dragons projects in the works currently with numerous live-action TV takes. 

The Dungeons & Dragons movie was hit with a delay earlier this year with a new release date set for March 3, 2023. The first delay pushed the movie's release from November 19, 2021, to May 27, 2022, but COVID-related issues and the uncertainty surrounding the film industry's future forced plans to change. With the recent on-set images surfacing, it looks like the delays may be behind us, but time will tell as production continues work. 

Unlike other casting news, which has been revealed steadily earlier this year, this report is unconfirmed at this time. While we wait to hear from the team, take any report or rumor with a grain of salt until verified. If true, however, this would be a pretty awesome addition, making an already impressive cast infinitely more so. 

What are your thoughts on the casting decisions that we do have confirmations for so far on the Dungeons & Dragons movie? What do you hope the storyline this team adapts is? Sound off with your D&D-related hopes and dreams in the comment section below! 

Devil May Cry's Dante Is In Super Smash Bros. Ultimate ... As A Mii Joined By Skyrim's Dovahkiin

Posted: 28 Jun 2021 08:30 AM PDT

Good news! Devil May Cry's Dante is coming to Super Smash Bros. Ultimate. Bad news! The arrival in the Mii Costume form pretty much kills any hope we had that he would be arriving in the roster as a fully playable fighter and not in his current Mii form. Alas, the world is cruel and unkind, but we do have to admit that he looks kind of cute as a chibi Mii character. Dante will be arriving in the Nintendo fighting game alongside Shantae, Tales of Symphonia's Lloyd, and Skyrim's Dovahkiin. 

Smash director Masahiro Sakurai presented a closer look at Tekken's Kazuya before his arrival in the game as a playable fighter to kick off a new week. The live stream event ended on the latest Mii costume reveal. It's a long-standing joke in the Smash community that the Mii section of any Smash presentation is the kiss of death. If something arrives in Smash as a Mii, that's a confirmation that the character in its accurate portrayal is Dead On Arrival when it comes to roster addition possibilities. So, with the confirmation of the latest Mii costumes, we both pay homage to Dante and say "fare thee well" at the same time: 

Click here to watch embedded media

Jokes aside, Dante as a Mii is kind of adorable. His costume is accurate to his in-game persona, and the same very much applies to the Skyrim addition, as well. From the iconic helm that has spawned a million memes to the inclusion of Shantae as the third addition, the latest Mii costumes will arrive on June 29, the same day that Kazuya drops. Each costume will retail for $0.75. 

Another important takeaway from the latest Super Smash Bros. Ultimate stream event is that the director confirmed that the next character that will be revealed for the game would be the title's last. It's been an incredible run so far, and the latest fighting entry has more than earned its Ultimate name. The latest Super Smash Bros. has been a treat from start to finish, with surprising crossovers and an impressive roster. We can't wait to see what the final character will be. 

Thoughts on Dante and the crew joining the game as a Mii costume? What are your predictions for who the last fighter will be? Sound off with your thoughts in the comment section below. 

Ask Us Anything: Submit Your Questions For Our Next Issue

Posted: 28 Jun 2021 08:23 AM PDT

Each month, Game Informer prints questions that are submitted by readers via email and standard mail. We'd like to give our website readers the chance to make the magazine as well.

You'll need to log in to your GI account, and click "okay to print" for your letter or question to go through. We'd also love it if you included your location (city, state, or country will do). We'll look through the questions and pick a few to include in our next issue, which releases on July 27.

In each issue, we ask readers a "Question of the Month." For the Marvel's Guardians of the Galaxy issue that should be hitting mailboxes now, we ask...

"What comic book character deserves to be featured in a game?"

You can answer this question and/or include any other feedback you want. Thank you again for all of your support throughout the years, and we hope many of you get the chance to have your letter printed in an upcoming issue!
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