Game Informer

Game Informer

RoboCop: Rogue City Announced, Launches In 2023

Posted: 06 Jul 2021 02:14 PM PDT

RoboCop is making a comeback in video games with a brand-new title, RoboCop: Rogue City. The newly-announced action game is slated to launch in 2023 for yet-to-be-specified consoles and PC.

Rogue City sees good-cop-turned-cyborg Alex Murphy take on bad guys in an original story that draws on elements from the three classic films. Unfortunately, since the game's release is pretty far out, there's no insight on what gameplay entails. Development of Rogue City is being handled by Teyon, who previously shipped Terminator: Resistance in January 2020 (it also released an enhanced PS5 version this past April). Nacon and MGM will handle publisher duties.

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"We're delighted to be teaming up with MGM to offer a new vision of a popular franchise that was created over 30 years ago. This game is the perfect fit to pursue our aim of offering different gaming experiences to the widest possible audience," said Nacon CEO Alain Falc in a press release.

Not counting a pair of mobile titles, Rogue City will mark the first major RoboCop video game since the very bad RoboCop game that was released in 2003 for PS2, Xbox, and PC. The beloved '80s icon hasn't maintained the same cultural relevance compared to other film franchises of that era, like Indiana Jones or Rocky. (Remember the 2014 RoboCop reboot no one talks about?) In fact, you could seriously argue that today's generation only knows RoboCop for laying down the law against Scorpion in Mortal Kombat 11. Still, we think it's cool to see one of my childhood favorites get another stab at the limelight, and I'm itching to see what narrative direction the team takes.

Are you excited by the idea of a modern RoboCop game and what would make for a good RoboCop game, in your opinion? Share your thoughts in the comments!

Xbox Takes Us Back to the '90s With This All-4-One R&B Remix

Posted: 06 Jul 2021 01:40 PM PDT

Xbox took its fandom back to the mid-90s with its latest Xbox All Access announcement. The sultry R&B crew All-4-One made a music video appearance. A remix of their Grammy-winning hit,  "I Swear," emphasized the latest post on the official Xbox website. 

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Bogdan Bilan, Senior Marketing Manager at Xbox All Access, wrote, "In the music video, shot and edited in a nostalgic '90s-style, the band takes us on a journey from reminiscing about our favorite gaming experiences and memories of years past to those waiting for us on Xbox Series X|S with Xbox Game Pass Ultimate. Aptly narrated by the band with custom lyrics centered on Xbox All Access, "It's All There" highlights the benefits and ease of your all-inclusive pass to Xbox." You can watch the hilarious music video above.

The video comes equipped with all the '90s R&B stereotypes that you would expect: blurry, dream-like filters, off-screen fans with hair blowing in the wind, and heavenly background lighting. Of course there's also footage of The Sims and Seas of Thieves as well as a gift-wrapped Xbox Series S. And let's not forget about the constantly well-dressed gentlemen from All-4-One beautifully chanting: "It's all there: all-inclusive, next-gen paradise. There's so much Xbox to love for one price."

The post on the official Xbox website concludes, "Xbox All Access gives you everything you need to get into gaming with Xbox – not only an Xbox Series X or Xbox Series S console, but also a library of over 100 high-quality games for console, PC, phones, and tablets with 24-months of Xbox Game Pass Ultimate included. Plus, you get all new Xbox Game Studios titles the same day they release, including Forza Horizon 5, Halo Infinite, and so many more."

Are you even more interested in Xbox Game Pass now, or were you not a fan of the new music video? I recently wrote about how the New Xbox Cloud Upgrade Means Game Pass Games Will Look And Play Better, so, if you're still on the fence, maybe that'll be of interest.

New The Lord Of The Rings: Gollum Trailer Features Stealth And Parkour Gameplay

Posted: 06 Jul 2021 12:36 PM PDT

Daedalic Entertainment first revealed The Lord of the Rings: Gollum back in 2019. An uncanny deep dive into Middle Earth's expansive narrative, The Lord of the Rings: Gollum gives players full control over one of the franchise's most iconic characters: Sméagol. A new trailer was posted on Twitter today that showcased vivid locations that will be explorable, new and classic heroes and villains, and brief snippets of stealth/parkour gameplay.

A producer from Daedalic Entertainment provided some narration for the trailer and offered some glimpses into the places that players will see as well as the development process, "From his time in the slave pits of the Dark Tower to his stay with the elves of Mirkwood, Gollum will creep, sneak, and trick his way past faithful, detailed environments." You can watch the trailer above to get a good idea of the scale of each locale – lush shrubbery gives way to serpentine rivers and dark towers overlook rugged wastelands. 

"The Lord of the Rings: Gollum is a cinematic stealth action/adventure," the producer says about halfway through the video. "It mixes stealth and parkour gameplay and really leverages Daedalic's expertise in crafting engaging stories." While trying to survive Middle Earth's many dangerous biomes, players will run into familiar faces like Gandalf and never-before-seen characters like Thanduil, Legolas' father. Just like the environments, these heroes and villains will be true to their in-book descriptions.

Associate Editor Marcus Stewart got to see some exclusive, albeit 10-months old, demo footage and wrote, "The Lord of the Rings: Gollum emphasizes the character's two primary strengths: climbing and sneaking...Being a nearly year-old demo, the game looked undeniably rough. Animations looked rather stilted and cutscenes had an awkward quality to them. But the studio promises the game is currently in a much better state than what we were shown." 

The Lord of the Rings: Gollum launches sometime in 2022 for PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Switch, and PC. Are you interested in playing as Gollum? What do you think of the new gameplay trailer? Let us know down below.

Grand Theft Auto 6 Release Date Is Still A Long Way Off, According To Reports

Posted: 06 Jul 2021 10:46 AM PDT

Grand Theft Auto 6 leaks are nothing new, but a recent report from an industry insider has been making its rounds for more than just curiosity's sake. Numerous names are backing up a recent report about when we'll get a Grand Theft Auto 6 release date, including our own that are backing up those claims. 

Tom Henderson is a notable leaker that has a long track record of accurate early access information. In a recent video, he talked about Grand Theft Auto 6 and more about its setting. According to Henderson, the current state of Grand Theft Auto 6 centers around a modern setting that will prominently feature Vice City. He also added that the map would continue to evolve post-launch, much like what is currently being seen within the realm of Battle Royale. The video went viral after Bloomberg's Jason Schreier backed up Henderson's claims, saying that "everything Tom Henderson has said about the game matches up with what I've heard." 

Henderson was careful to portray his information as a prediction, but many, like Schreier, have backed up his claims with their own reports. Game Informer also reached out to an external source with close ties to the game, who simply replied: "That's accurate." 

Also included in the info drop is that GTA 6 will not be arriving any time soon. According to the report, which is what it is at this time, with so many with close ties to the studio corroborating the same story, the next Grand Theft Auto is still very early on in its development, making a possible release slated for a 2024 / 2025 timeframe. In the video, he referenced crunch — which has been a massive issue at Rockstar in the past — as part of the reason behind the more paced development in an effort to make the process safer and healthier for all teams involved. There is also 2020 to consider, which housed a global pandemic that is still very much around to this day, though thankfully on a downturn. COVID-19 forced many industries to make a hard pivot with how they approach the workforce. The gaming industry has been included in this sentiment, forcing development on ongoing projects to continue from home for safety reasons.

When we'll get Grand Theft Auto 6 is anyone's case. The predictions currently range between 2023 - 2025, though with reports that Rockstar leadership is making big moves to prevent future crunch, that longer timeline is not only understandable but also appreciated. To watch the full video to learn more about what the next Grand Theft Auto could possibly offer, you can check that out right here. 

What do you hope to see from Grand Theft Auto 6? Any thoughts on the projected timeline of release for the next GTA? Sound off with those hot takes in the comment section below! 

Elden Ring Lore Dives Deeper Into The Fall Of The Golden Order

Posted: 06 Jul 2021 09:26 AM PDT

Last month, Bandai Namco updated its site with new lore centering around Elden Ring. Now that we have a full official look, thanks to E3 2021, fans are excited to dive into the new IP from the studio that gave us gems like Dark Souls and Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice. For those interested in learning more about the "Tarnished of the Lands Between," you're in the right place. 

Though some are circulating this around the internet as a new addition, it was actually added last month but went largely unnoticed. That doesn't make the lore drop any less interesting, however, but given how many people have reached out to me about this, I figured why not share at large for those that may have missed it. 

The Golden Order has been broken, and the rise and fall have been anything but simple. Bandai already dropped a ton of info on us about key features regarding the open-world adventure, including how travel works through the Lands Between and what being Tarnished really means. The Tarnished of the Lands Between addition, for those curious, is as follows: 

The Golden Order has been shattered. Throughout the Lands Between, Demigods holding shards of the Elden Ring squabble and make war over the ruins of a perfect realm, now abandoned by the golden guidance of the Greater Will.

As the echoes of this conflict thunder in the distance, an outcast arrives. Once, their ancestors called the Lands Between home, but the blessed light of grace was lost to their tribe long ago, and they were expelled from the kingdom. They are the Tarnished, and they have returned to claim the Elden Lordship promised to them by legend.

This is the world of Elden Ring. As a Tarnished, the Lands Between await your exploration. You will ride through the vast fields, gallop over rolling hills, and leap to the top of rocky crags on your ephemeral steed, revealing a world teeming with life and danger.

In the grand fields where your journey begins, mythic creatures prowl the veldts, ineffable horrors lurk in the bogs and marshes, and all manner of soldiers and itinerant warriors are waiting for those who wander unawares. Shy creatures nibble on sweet grasses or scuttle through the underbrush.

Those few inhabitants who are not mad or hostile linger near the broken remnants of cities left behind by the Shattering. They may have answers for you if you help them. Above them all, ensconced in vast legacies bristling with traps, secrets, and guardians, the Demigods – warped Lords who began as members of a royal and noble family – rule their domains with the unyielding power granted by shards of the Elden Ring.

For anyone that may have missed the earlier gameplay reveal during E3 2021, check out the video below! We're Skyriming it up with horses, we're taking on hordes of enemies, and we're soaking up the new story that FromSoftware and Game of Thrones author George R.R. Martin have to tell. 

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So, you know: Puppy dogs and rainbows, everything is peachy with a side of keen. Our own Dan Tack is a master at the FromSoftware library, a true knowledge house of all things under this particular studio's umbrella. He's also provided a significantly detailed account of the information we've learned thus far about the upcoming game, which you can find right here. You can also learn more about the co-op and online play elements here with our previous coverage. 

Elden Ring makes its grand debut on January 21, 2022, for PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and PC players. 

Final Fantasy VII Remake Sequel Will Play A Lot Like Intermission

Posted: 06 Jul 2021 09:22 AM PDT

Yuffie made her grand appearance in Final Fantasy VII Remake Intergrade's Episode Intermission. Despite being a brief chapter in the Midgar arc, new exploratory mechanics and combat abilities set Intermission apart from the vanilla version of Remake that launched last year. Naoki Hamaguchi and Motomu Toriyama, two of Remake's directors, stated that the next mainline installment in Final Fantasy VII would draw from what made Intermission so great. 

In an interview with The Washington Post, both directors talked about how Intermission's cast of characters and flashy combos will inform the future of Remake. For instance, the synergized attacks that Yuffie and Sonon perform together will definitely be making a return, "Additionally, with Intermission, there's another element introduced: combo movies where Yuffie and Sonon team up…which makes for a different feel in battle strategy," Hamaguchi said. "I would like to leverage these, including other elements we tried out in Intermission, in our next story."

Toriyama talked about Remake being an exciting culmination of all Final Fantasy VII media. Even though Intermission focused on Yuffie, Dirge of Cerberus characters, Nero and Weiss, were introduced. We haven't seen Vincent just yet, but the crimson edge-lord will likely make his debut soon enough. "The world of Final Fantasy VII was vastly expanded through multiple works that followed after the original game," Toriyama stated. "We do want to make it a culmination of all the Final Fantasy VII-related works created up to this point. There are characters that I, too, do not know, but that is the same with Cloud and company as well." 

Toriyama would go on to say that any characters that didn't appear in the classic Final Fantasy VII game will be framed as the first encounter for Cloud and his crew. While information surrounding Remake's sequel is few and far between, both directors have made it known that the rapturous response to the first game is fueling their drive to deliver a second title that'll not only live up to fan expectations but reimagine the beloved story as a whole. 

What do you think about what's in store for the sequel? Let us know in the comments section! 

Netflix's The Witcher Spinoff TV Series, Blood Origin, Casts Michelle Yeoh Of Star Trek Fame

Posted: 06 Jul 2021 08:03 AM PDT

While we await Netflix's The Witcher season 2 news by way of a full trailer and release date, the prequel TV series in the works called Blood Origin continues to bolster its numbers. With previous reports pointing at Eredin Glas being cast, a confirmed casting has been revealed with Star Trek: Discovery's Michelle Yeoh. 

"Scían is the very last of her nomadic tribe of sword-elves," said Netflix about Scian, the character that Yeoh will be portraying. "No one can come close to her artistry with the blade, and no one carries as much loss within their heart. When a chance presents itself to retrieve a stolen sacred sword, taken from her fallen tribe by nefarious means, she launches herself into a deadly quest that will change the outcome of the Continent."

Yeoh joins Game of Thrones actor Laurence O'Fuarain, who will be playing the warrior Fjall, and Tom Clancy's Without Remorse actress Jodie Turner-Smith as Eile. There will be tales of strife, redemption, and the angst that The Witcher is known for. Going back before the time of Geralt, this will be yet another way fans of the fantasy adventure can learn more about the expansive world created by Polish author Andrzej Sapkowski. A world that was made even better by CD Projekt Red's The Witcher RPG series. 

So what is Netflix's The Witcher: Blood Origin about, exactly? According to the streaming company, "Set in an elven world 1200 years before the world of The Witcher, Blood Origin will tell a story lost to time - the origin of the very first Witcher, and the events that lead to the pivotal 'conjunction of the spheres,' when the worlds of monsters, men, and elves merged to become one."

"As a lifelong fan of fantasy, I am beyond excited to tell the story The Witcher: Blood Origin," said showrunner Declan de Barra when the prequel was first revealed. "A question has been burning in my mind ever since I first read The Witcher books – What was the Elven world really like before the cataclysmic arrival of the humans? I've always been fascinated by the rise and fall of civilizations, how science, discovery, and culture flourish right before that fall."

Co-showrunner Lauren Schmidt Hissrich is also attached to this project, which is perfect when reflecting on her work on The Witcher season one and continued efforts on season two. Book creator Sapkowski is also onboard as a creative consultant, alongside Jarek Sawko and Tomek Baginski as executive producers. 

What are your thoughts on Netflix's The Witcher: Blood Origin so far? What other casting decisions would you like to see revealed? Shout out those fantasy-loving hopes and dreams in the comment section below. 

Aiden Pearce Returns Today In Watch Dogs: Legion's Bloodline Expansion

Posted: 06 Jul 2021 07:44 AM PDT

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Ubisoft today released Watch Dogs: Legion – Bloodline, a standalone expansion that puts players in control of Aiden Pearce, the protagonist from the first Watch Dogs game. The expansion is a prequel story to the conflict between DedSec and Zero-Day within the core Watch Dogs: Legion game. If you purchased the Gold or Ultimate editions of the game, you can download the expansion now; otherwise you can purchase it on its own for $14.99 or in the season pass for $29.99. Even though it is a standalone experience, you will need the base Watch Dogs: Legion game to play it.

Bloodline sees Aiden trying to secure a prized technology from a Broca Tech laboratory, but he isn't the only one who eyes it. Wrench, one of the protagonists from Watch Dogs 2, also wants it and actually beats Aiden to the chase and gets his hands on it first. Aiden finds himself in a jam and calls upon his nephew Jackson to try to help him track down Wrench as they keep Broca Tech at bay. In a twist, Wrench is also a playable character, so you'll see the story's events unfold through both of these fixers.

If you purchased the season pass, both Aiden and Wrench can be used as DedSec Resistance recruits for the main game and online mode.

Aiden's abilities include Focus, which gives him a moment of slow-motion aiming after a takedown. He can also System Crash to disable electronics, and tap into a Gunslinger ability for reload buffs to damage.

Wrench can summon a custom drone, throw LTL flashbangs, and wield custom SMG and grenade launchers. He also has comes equipped with a hammer called Lady Smash.

Watch Dogs: Legion takes place in a sprawling open world London, and gives players a great degree of control over the experience with the recruiting system, which can turn almost anyone you see on the city streets into an ally.

Game Informer's Marcus Stewart gave the game a glowing 9 out of 10 review, saying "Legion feels like the realization of the hacker fantasy the first Watch Dogs tried to capture. Between the fun team-building, fantastic mission design, strong narrative, and a gorgeous world, everything comes together in a largely entertaining and cohesive package. Whether you're controlling a trained super spy or a gassy grandmother, Watch Dogs: Legion is a ton of fun."

New PlayStation State Of Play For July 2021 Announced, No God Of War 2 News Confirmed

Posted: 06 Jul 2021 07:17 AM PDT

Sony has just announced that a brand new PlayStation State of Play is on the way later this week for July 2021. This Thursday, PlayStation fans can look forward to a few different announcements as well as a deeper dive into Deathloop's gameplay before Arkane's new release hits. 

The upcoming State of Play is set for July 8 at 2 p.m. Pacific, 5 p.m. Eastern. The showcase is expected to last approximately 30 minutes long and will include nine minutes of new Deathloop footage, a game we extensively dove into with our previous cover story. Also included will be a lineup of indie titles that are on their way, as well as more news on upcoming third-party adventures, as well. 

Sony was also careful to temper expectations, letting interested fans know that no, there will be no new God of War 2 information revealed and that there will be nothing to share on Horizon Forbidden West. The company also confirmed that PSVR 2, this generation's iteration of VR on the PlayStation platform, will not be present either, though Sony did add that it will have "more updates soon" regarding the aforementioned properties throughout the Summer. 

PlayStation Blog

I'm interested in seeing more of Deathloop, the latest game from Arkane Lyon. Everything we've seen thus far has been exciting, violent, and epicly fast-paced. Knowing that we are getting nine more minutes of gameplay footage is great for those that may still be on the fence about the new IP on the horizon. 

It also makes sense that Sony isn't sharing more on Horizon Forbidden West at this time given the extensive showcase we had not too long ago. If you missed out the deepest of deep dives into Aloy's newest adventure, you can check out our previous coverage here to see her back in action. 

Are you excited for July's PlayStation State of Play? What sort of indie or third-party announcements are you hoping to see at the latest showcase? Sound off with all of those hopes and dreams in the comment section below! 

[Source: PlayStation]

Xbox Game Pass Adding 6 New Games, Including The Medium On Cloud

Posted: 06 Jul 2021 06:50 AM PDT

Microsoft has just announced even more titles coming to Xbox Game Pass this month, including Bloober Team's The Medium for Cloud and the adorable Dragon Quest Heroes 2. Here are the latest games coming soon to the rotating library for those with Xbox Game Pass or Game Pass Ultimate.

Before diving into what's on the way, here is a brief refresher on what Game Pass even is. The Xbox Game Pass library continues to change with new additions. From day one launches of hit games to indie treasures that deserve their time to shine, the Game Pass membership allows players a chance to have instant access to a wide variety of games without having to shell out 60 bucks for each experience.

So, what else is on the way? 

What's Coming To Xbox Game Pass: 

  • Dragon Quest Builders 2, Cloud - July 8
  • Tropico 6, Cloud, Console, and PC - July 8
  • UFC 4, Console - July 8
  • Bloodroots, Cloud, Console, and PC - July 15
  • Farming Simulator 19, Cloud, Console, and PC - July 15
  • The Medium, Cloud - July 15 

What Has Recently Left Xbox Game Pass - June 30: 

  • Battle Chasers: Nightwar, Cloud, Console, and PC
  • Marvel vs. Capcom: Infinite, Cloud, Console, and PC
  • Mistover, PC
  • Monster Hunter World, Cloud, and Console
  • Out of the Park Baseball 21, PC
  • Outer Wilds, Cloud, and Console
  • Soulcalibur VI, Console
  • The Messenger, Cloud, Console, and PC

Xbox Game Pass is a deal that is very much a massive conversation starter right now. This feature has grown exponentially since its launch, especially with recent acquisitions made by Team Green. With a growing library and a ton of more on the way thanks to Bethesda and ZeniMax, there are two versions of this membership to consider: There is the standard Xbox Game Pass and Game Pass Ultimate. Xbox Game Pass is $9.99, whereas the Ultimate version includes Xbox Live for $14.99. Ultimate comes with additional perks like partner offers, exclusive access to certain titles, and more. 

With more and more games coming with the $70 price tag, services like Xbox Game Pass, when done right, are a welcome option. Game Pass continues to improve as resources behind this library continue to grow, including the recent EA Play and Bethesda additions. With first-party day one games being a popular reason to join this particular membership, especially when looking at grabs like MLB The Show 21, Xbox continues to invest heavily into its new and improved ecosystem meant to bolster the player experience. 

Nintendo Switch OLED Announced With Vibrant 7-Inch Screen, 64GB Of Storage

Posted: 06 Jul 2021 06:35 AM PDT

Nintendo Switch 2 and Pro rumors have been at the epicenter of the Nintendo community for quite some time now, and we have our first look at what the company has been working on. The Big N announced its updated Nintendo Switch model that boasts a 7-inch OLED screen that promises vibrantly vivid colors to enhance the portable gaming experience. 

The Nintendo Switch OLED will come with a 7-inch screen, a wired LAN port, a stand for tabletop play, an improved audio experience, and internal storage of up to 64GB. It will run put to 720p (1080p docked) and will be releasing later this year on October 8, 2021, for $350. Check out the reveal trailer below to see the new system in action: 

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With the Nintendo Switch Lite making its grand debut two years ago, a smaller version of the hybrid platform that's downside was that it couldn't connect to TVs like the standard edition, the announcement of the OLED comes at a good time. That being said, we already know that this means that Switch 2 rumors will be kicking up here shortly, so brace for that. 

The Nintendo Switch has performed incredibly well on the market since its launch, making the Wii U a distant memory. With more third-party support than ever before and a ton of first-party adventures to enjoy, Nintendo is riding high on community love regarding its hybrid platform. To learn about the latest update for the Switch, you can check out our previous coverage here, including how the latest patch will make it easier to download updates in the future.  

What are your thoughts on the new Nintendo Switch OLED system? Worth the price tag, or are you content with the current Switch setups? Sound off with your thoughts in the comment section below! 

Mass Effect Legendary Edition Fans Can Now Cuddle Tali With Officially-Licensed Body Pillow

Posted: 06 Jul 2021 06:18 AM PDT

You've heard of the Garrus Vakarian body pillow; now it's time for Tali's time to shine. Just like BioWare has done in the past, they are giving fans of the space series a chance to canoodle with everyone's favorite Quarian. Induction Port not included. 

There are a million different reasons to love the Mass Effect trilogy, especially with the Legendary Edition now available, but one of them was the fact that the game offered friendships and relationships that were intimately crafted to bring the RPG aspect of the game to even more immersive heights. One of those romances is Tali Zorah. She can be your best friend, almost like a little sister, or your lovah! While we can't have the real Tali quite yet (we can dream), but at least there are body pillows thanks to the BioWare Gear Store. 

For those that may be unfamiliar, Quarians are a race of alien beings that are forced to wear bodysuits that are completely enclosed due to weakened immune systems following a war with the Geth. The Geth are a race of AI built by the Quarians, a race that was slaughtered when they started to show signs of true intelligence. The war chased the Quarians from their homeworld, forever changing their daily lives and forcing them to hide their true faces behind a helmet. 

Fans meet Tali in Mass Effect 1, a confused younger Quarian just starting out her Pilgrimage away from the fleet. With important information regarding disgraced Spectre Saren, she soon finds herself in a fatal dilemma, one that Commander Shepard and co. can get her out of. She became an instant fan-favorite, later returning in Mass Effect 2 and 3. She can be romanceable by Male Shepard in both the later games or — if both she and Garrus are unromanced, the Quarian and the Turian have a cute relationship instead in the third game. 

If you're interested in catching some Z's with the lovable Tali, you can purchase this cuddly Quarian for $35 right here. 

Now that you can buy the Mass Effect Tali body pillow, we've got to ask: if you could turn any prank product into a real, purchasable item - what would it be, and why is it a Wrex body pillow? Sound off with your dream picks in the comment section below! For even more Mass Effect goodness, check out our exclusive hub here with interviews, coverage, and even some cool mods!

Bluepoint Games Looks To Be Debunking PlayStation Acquisition Rumors As Leak Suggests Reveal Is Imminent

Posted: 06 Jul 2021 06:03 AM PDT

Recently, Sony confirmed that it was adding Housemarque, the studio that gave us Returnal, to its growing network of PlayStation-owned studios, but that confirmation came with a little more than intended. PlayStation Studios Japan accidentally used the wrong image in its now-deleted tweet about the Housemarque. The image used was the same one that welcomed House into the mix, but instead, the words on said image read Bluepoint Games.  This get would also be a good one to celebrate, given Bluepoint's talent at crafting and recrafting excellent experiences, especially in the realm of remakes such as Shadow of the Colossus. Still, Bluepoint itself is saying "not so fast" - even with a recent leak that suggests an acquisition announcement is imminent. 

The team over at Bluepoint Games has done a few things to combat the acquisition rumors that followed after the image went viral. The most immediate change can be seen in Bluepoint's Twitter profile that now reads: "Bluepoint Games is a fully independent self-funded studio. We are always looking for talented engineers, artists, and designers to join the team." 

At the tail-end of June, Bluepoint Games also posted a link to its Career Page, showcasing several roles the studio is currently hiring for. The same emphasis on the nature of the studio is "fully independent," and "self-funded" can be seen in many of those roles, which seems to be a passive way to parry that acquisition speculation. 

Contradicting this verbiage, XboxEra co-founder Nick Baker claims that an upcoming Sony Showcase will reveal the alleged Bluepoint acquisition: 

The team hasn't addressed the acquisition outright with a statement at this time. Still, the detailed precision that Bluepoint is making when adjusting how it is presenting itself and opportunities seems to be making that point regardless. What this means for the future is up in the air; plans can always change, solid offers can always be made, but at this time? It looks like the acquisition leak from Sony may have just been human error or wishful thinking, but it looks like we'll be learning something more official soon enough. 

What do you think? Do you think this is Bluepoint's way of firmly staunching acquisition talk, or are we looking too much into it? Sound off with your thoughts in the comment section below! 

New Nintendo Switch Update Makes 'Memory Full' Tweak To Make Patches Easier To Download

Posted: 06 Jul 2021 05:01 AM PDT

Before the latest Nintendo Switch update, if a player's memory was full on the hybrid system, a new patch would not work. Now with version 12.1.0, Nintendo has made a change to how downloads register with a new prompt about the state of the hardware's memory and microSD status regarding older versions of games. 

The latest update targets game updates as its main concern outside of the usual small enhancements, allowing for a prompt to urge users to delete previous versions of games before installing a newer, more improved version. This will allow for updates to download and work as intended, making the user experience much more fluid and operational. 

Outside of the "general system stability improvements" that are always included with Nintendo's patch notes, the rest of the update can be seen below: 

  • If there is not enough space remaining on the system memory (internal storage) or microSD card when downloading game software update data, you can now delete old data for that software, enabling you to download the new data.
    • When deleting the old data, you won't be able to play the game until the new data has finished downloading.

While this isn't the massive update that fans have been asking for, especially regarding different ways to customize a user's profile and themes like on Xbox and PlayStation systems, it is still one that will make the experience better and more optimized. Maybe one day we'll get some nifty themes outside of the standard Dark vs. Light mode options that are currently there, but for now, we'll take a more efficient software experience. 

With so many new games on the horizon, including more Monster Hunter goodness with Stories 2, this type of update comes at the perfect time, especially when looking at post-launch patches that are often present. 

What do you think about the latest update for the Nintendo Switch? If you could pitch your perfect update to Nintendo, what sort of new features would it include? Sound off with your thoughts in the comment section below! 

New Mass Effect Legendary Edition Mod Fixes Notorious Conrad Verner Glitch

Posted: 06 Jul 2021 04:44 AM PDT

From the original trilogy to the remaster, there has been a longstanding Conrad Verner glitch that has carried over into the Mass Effect Legendary Edition, a glitch that messes with the potential outcomes for Super Fan Conrad Verner. The glitch in question messes with how the game remembers certain decisions made regarding Verner, which can completely eliminate him from future games. 

Players first meet the Super Fan back in Mass Effect one where Verner tracks down Shepard several times to ask for an autograph only to later just fawn all over them. If players play their cards right, they can meet up with Mr. Verner in Mass Effect 2, and then later in Mass Effect 3, but one glitch in Mass Effect 2 tampered with how the game registered certain decisions. Regardless if players went the Paragon route or not, Mass Effect 2 always seemed to register that players instead aggressively rebuffed Verner's attentions, instead choosing to stare him down the barrel of a gun to intimidate him into backing off pretending to be an N7 recruit. 

For those that wanted to see Verner get his happy ending, eventually we learn of his wife and his own goals, this outcome was troublesome. While the glitch is still in the Legendary Edition, there was a little bit of a fix in Mass Effect 3 where Verner says that he's sorry for not remembering what happened correctly in an effort to address the Mass Effect 2 glitch. One modder decided to fix it entirely, and they did just that. 

Modder Marcus22Khaar offers said fix with the Conrad Verner Remembers (ME2LE) Bug Fix mod which not only corrects the bug in question, but also adds and additional datapad in Shepard's Captain's quarters aboard the Normandy. "Upon installing the mod you will find a picture of Conrad Verner in your cabin," said the mod's creator. "Inspecting it you will get some knowledge of how that got there and you will reminisce about your past encounters with him. Choose wisely, for whatever Shepard remembers to be what happened, Conrad will too. After you do that, the picture will not be usable anymore and the correct flags will be set. This must be done BEFORE EVER landing on Illium or it will NOT work. Once on Illium, enjoy the asari at the entrance of Illium, as well as Conrad behaving and dressing appropriately to your Shepard's decisions."

Interested in learning more about Verner? We broke down this character in a feature previously where the Super Fan can make things far darker than usual. You can also learn more about the remaster altogether, including more about mods, with our game hub here. 

You can download this mod for PC right here. 

Canceled Mass Effect Game For Nintendo DS, Corsair, Would Have Players As A "Han Solo" Kind Of Pirate

Posted: 06 Jul 2021 04:11 AM PDT

With the Mass Effect Legendary Edition bringing newcomers and veterans of the franchise back to the Normandy that we all know and love, a galaxy filled with turians, quarians, and those jerks at Cerberus is on a lot of people's minds, but what about a canceled Nintendo DS project called Mass Effect: Corsair? Former BioWare producer Mark Darrah recently revealed details about the spinoff that never quite made it off of the ground. 

When talking to our friends over at MinnMax, Darrah talked a little more about Mass Effect: Corsair, a spinoff experience that was projected to come out on Nintendo DS, but never saw the light of day. "It was a DS game, it was going to be like a first-person [game] where you fly around a ship," he told the show. He added that he couldn't remember exactly which part of the galaxy it was going to take place in but that it was somewhere "pirate-y," which most likely means somewhere either in Omega or somewhere else in the Terminus system (assuming it's in the same place as the trilogy and not Andromeda, given its timeline). "It was going to be a combination of sort of Privateer and Star Control. So you would have a ship, you would independent, you would be more like a Han Solo character, not a Spectre. You would be flying around, picking up cargoes, exploring; you could explore and then sell that information back to the humans and the Human Alliance and be like 'yeah, there's a planet 'x' here' and they'd be like, 'great, here's money.'" 

He added that the team had flight controls all planned out but nothing much more beyond that. BioWare was still focused on how the IP would work within the universe transferred into a handheld device, but it looks like it just wasn't meant to be. "The problem is," he added, "was that the economics of the Nintendo DS are just terrible. So like Sonic Chronicles was on the most expensive cartridge that was available on that console, it costs the cost of goods at $10.50.  And then that retails for 30 bucks, right? So you know, 30 minus 10; there's only 20 bucks left, and you haven't even taken your retailer's cut, so it's just squeezing."

Darrah said that at the end of the day, that was the biggest problem working against Mass Effect: Corsair - it wasn't cost-effective. Electronic Arts, at the time, was projecting sales to not exceed 50,000 units, a number that Darrah said was "complete nonsense," and that ultimately, the decision to cut was made. He did add that the pirate story, a story that he later placed as centered possibly around Batarians, probably would have been approved by former BioWare head Casey Hudson at the time, but at the end of the day, it just didn't really fit exactly as needed with the IP, especially when looking at the importance of FTL and how that works in this particular universe. 

There was a Mass Effect mobile game that eventually came out (called Mass Effect: Infilitrator), which was about as terrible as you'd imagine, but by that point, most of the team attached to Corsair went on to work on other projects like Jade where Darrah was on Sonic. 

You can learn more about what Darrah had to say about Mass Effect, Dragon Age, and more right here. 

Epic GoldenEye 007 Recreation Using Far Cry 5 Map Editor Officially Taken Down By Ubisoft And MGM [UPDATE]

Posted: 06 Jul 2021 04:10 AM PDT

At the beginning of June, we covered a really epic fan recreation of the N64 classic GoldenEye 007 using Far Cry 5's Map Editor. With the news that the Map Editor would not be present in Far Cry 6 and the games that will come after it, this recreation felt even more impressive in how it showed off the unlimited creativity this feature lends to players. It was an extensive feat that faithfully paid homage to the game that ruined our friendships back then, but Ubisoft stepped in and struck it down due to copyright infringement. 

[Update] July 6, 2021, 6:09 a.m Central: The levels have returned to Far Cry 5's Arcade Mode on PC under the term Golden Cry from u/Grasluoo. Original story as follows: 

The dedicated recreation of GoldenEye 007 came courtesy of YouTuber 'Krollywood,' and its removal was made public when the email they received from Ubisoft went live on Twitter. User @Graslu00 first noted that the GoldenEye maps were removed from Far Cry 5 (as spotted by Eurogamer), maps that were usable by the general public. After doing some digging, they were able to get to the root of the problem: copyright strike.

The above statement cites articles written by publications like us, IGN, and Kotaku that made their creation even more popular, putting more eyes on this recreation, including eyes a creator might not necessarily want. In the email they received from Ubisoft, it looks like MGM reached out to Ubisoft about the unofficial crossover. MGM, also known as Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Pictures, holds the rights for GoldenEye currently, so if that company seeks legal action, Ubisoft's step would be to seek removal before it reaches that point. 

The good news is that their work isn't entirely gone; they have all of the levels saved on the PS+ Cloud and a separate USB stick. They concluded their update to fans of their levels, saying, "I don't know if there is a legal way to upload [those levels] again, but I'm on their radar now, I think."

This YouTuber took their love of the 1997 shooter and made it tangible using Far Cry 5's map editor, completely rebuilding the N64 classic from the ground up. The YouTuber previously told Kotaku that this was no easy endeavor before its removal. This recreation took almost three years to make, and over 1,400 hours to see this project come to fruition. That's dedication, even more so for me because I give up after not even an hour of trying to make a dinky little house in Minecraft. So. There's that. I'm neither ashamed nor proud. 

The removal is sad but not entirely unexpected. MGM has a pretty long history of taking down fan projects that have to do with GoldenEye 007, and with Far Cry 6 around the corner, more eyes are on the Ubisoft franchise than usual. 
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