Game Informer

Game Informer

Bioware Says Dragon Age 4 Is In The Middle Of Full Production

Posted: 23 Feb 2022 10:15 AM PST

Publisher: Electronic Arts
Developer: BioWare

Last month, Bioware shared a blog post updating fans on the status of the studio while promising a future update on the next Dragon Age title. Today, a new post makes good on that promise by giving fans a better idea of where it is on the development pipeline and the designers leading the project.

According to Bioware GM Gary McKay, the unofficially titled Dragon Age 4 is currently in the middle of full production, writing "Our blueprint was completed last year, so we're now focused on building out our vision: creating amazing environments, deep characters, strong gameplay, impactful writing, emotional cinematics – and much more. The blueprint for the game is well understood and the team is focused." 

Bioware says this update is part of an initiative to better communicate with fans more often on its upcoming projects. The studio says to expect more information about Dragon Age in the form of blog posts and social media "later this year". The post also bids farewell to Dragon Age 4's executive producer, Christian Dailey who joined Bioware in 2018. The game's remaining leadership consists of Game Director and EA veteran Corrine Busche, Production Director and former Mass Effect Legendary Edition lead Mac Walters, and Dragon Age veteran Benoit Houle as Director of Product Development. 

The new Mass Effect gets a small mention with McKay reiterating its veteran team of developers led by ME Andromeda producer Mike Gamble. McKay reminds fans they shouldn't expect the game anytime soon, however, writing "AAA next-gen games take a long time to make – and we know our fans may want them sooner. But our Number One priority needs to be quality, and that simply takes time to get it right."

Overall, the update provides a smaller, more granular glimpse of Dragon Age 4's status but hearing about its progress on a more regular basis beats waiting around wondering what's going on with the project. The next Dragon Age currently has no release window. 

Overwatch: Reaper's Code Of Violence Challenge Is Now Live

Posted: 23 Feb 2022 09:10 AM PST

Overwatch 2 Reaper's Code of Violence Challenge Activision Blizzard

Platform: PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Switch, PC
Publisher: Blizzard Entertainment
Developer: Blizzard Entertainment
Release: (PC, Xbox One, PlayStation 4), (Switch)
Rating: Teen

Overwatch was released way back in 2016 and despite news of a sequel now in development, Blizzard is still releasing new content for the hero shooter. 

The latest round of content comes in the form of Reaper's Code of Violence Challenge, which is a new event that began yesterday, February 22, and will run until March 8. In it, players can earn multiple sprays, a new icon, and even a new Reaper skin. What's more, all you need to do is essentially play the game to earn these rewards. 

"He's leaving his past behind and readying up for his day of reckoning: Reaper's Code of Violence Challenge is here," Blizzard writes on the event's page. "Now through March 8, play games to earn exclusive rewards, including a player icon, sprays, and the Legendary Dusk Reaper skin. Plus, read the latest Overwatch short story: 'Code of Violence.'" 

In order to earn the Reaper's Code of Violence Challenge rewards, you need to play games in Overwatch's Quick Play, Competitive Play, or Arcade modes. At nine games played, you'll earn a new Reaper player icon. At 18 games, you'll earn a new Sombra spray and at 27 games, you'll earn the new Dusk Reaper skin, which you can see below: 

You can earn another spray by watching two hours of Overwatch via partnered Twitch streamers, another two sprays by watching an additional two hours, and if you watch a final two hours (bringing the total up to six), you'll receive three more sprays. For more information about that, head to the official Reaper's Code of Violence Challenge page, which is where you can also read the new "Code of Violence" Overwatch short story. 

For more about Overwatch, read about how the next Overwatch League season begins this May and will be played on an early build of Overwatch 2, and then check out this story about an Overwatch 2 producer that says Activision Blizzard CEO Bobby Kotick cost the team months of development. Read about this recent delay for Overwatch 2 after that. 

Are you going to jump back into Overwatch for this Reaper's Code of Violence Challenge? Let us know in the comments below!

Horizon Forbidden West’s First Patch Fixes HDR And Various Progression Issues

Posted: 23 Feb 2022 08:17 AM PST

Horizon Forbidden West Patch 1.05

Platform: PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4
Publisher: PlayStation Studios
Developer: Guerrilla Games
Release:
Rating: Teen

Horizon Forbidden West was released this past Friday and after a weekend where likely millions of players began Aloy's latest journey, Guerrilla Games has released Patch 1.05, the game's first. 

This patch takes aim at several issues in the game, such as an oversharpening of the screen image when HDR is on, and it fixes dozens of them while also listing out known issues the team is working on. It's par for the course as far as post-launch patches go but if you've held off on playing, Horizon Forbidden West is now an even better game as a result. And if you have been playing it and are looking for some fixes to issues you run into, there's a good chance Patch 1.05 addresses your problem. 

Click here to watch embedded media

Here's what to expect: 

Main Quests:

  • Fixed an issue in main quest 'Reach for the Stars' where reloading a certain auto-save after completing the first quest could block progression.
  • Fixed an issue during interlude 'The Eye of the Earth' where Aloy could fall out of the world after skipping a cinematic.
  • Fixed an issue in main quest 'Cradle of Echoes' where Varl would wander off on a reload from save.
  • Fixed an issue in main quest 'The Sea of Sands' affecting several grapple points.

Side Quests And Errands:

  • Fixed an issue in side quest 'Blood Choke' where Atekka would appear to fall out of the sky.
  • Fixed a progression issue in side quest 'In The Fog' related to fast travel during the quest.
  • Fixed an issue in errand quest 'Night of Lights' where a pullable box could get stuck and block the quest progression.

World Activities:

  • Fixed an issue where Relic Ruin: The Daunt could not be started in certain circumstances.
  • Fixed an issue in salvage contract The Greenswell: Plowhorn and the Plants where an optional objective could not be completed if the required item was sent to the player stash.
  • A rogue Tallneck near The Stand of the Sentinels that would sometimes change the direction of its route has been disciplined.

Gameplay Fixes:

  • The Second Chance skill should now work correctly.
  • Fixed an issue where the camera had an unintended position when using certain weapon techniques.

General Fixes:

  • Image oversharpening in HDR mode has been corrected.
  • Fixed an issue where some settlements would stream in, then stream out in certain circumstances.
  • Fixed an issue where the HUD would flicker when the player performs a loot action.
  • Fixed an issue where rapidly opening and closing the map could cause graphical anomalies.
  • Fixed an issue where Aloy's animation would sometimes jitter rapidly when climbing after picking up a plant has been fixed.
  • Fixed a global issue where the direction of Aloy's gaze, or that of certain NPCs, was incorrect.
  • Fixed several instances where Aloy, NPCs or enemies could get stuck in geometry.
  • Fixed an issue where roads and icons on the map would sometimes appear with a delay.
  • Fixed several streaming issues and unintended loading screens.
  • NPCs that seemed to suffer from insomnia and would gather in large groups at night in settlements should act more naturally now.
  • Petra will no longer teleport into her seat inside the Chainscrape brewery if followed immediately after the initial conversation with her.

Crash Fixes:

  • Fixed several crashes.

Other:

  • Various performance improvements.
  • Various other minor fixes and cosmetic improvements.

And here's Guerrilla's list of known issues: 

  • The team is investigating with high priority, several graphical issues reported by players regarding shimmering, sharpening and screen saturation when moving the camera.
  • Some players are experiencing an issue with infinite loading screens when attempting to load into Melee Pits.
  • Some players are experiencing an issue where Aloy's outfit appears blurry in Photo Mode.
  • Some players are experiencing an issue in main quest 'Reach for the Stars' where Aloy can't interact with a machine carcass, blocking progression.

While waiting for Patch 1.05 to download, read Game Informer's Horizon Forbidden West review and then check out Game Informer's guide about the staple skills you should unlock first in Horizon Forbidden West. Read these 10 tips and tricks to help you get started in Horizon Forbidden West after that. 

Have you been enjoying Horizon Forbidden West? Let us know in the comments below!

Nier: Automata Anime Revealed In New Teaser Trailer

Posted: 23 Feb 2022 07:01 AM PST

Nier Automata Anime Adaptation Square Enix Platinum Games

Platform: PlayStation 4, PC
Publisher: Square Enix
Developer: Platinum Games
Release:
Rating: Mature

Platinum Games' Nier: Automata is getting an anime. 

This was revealed by publisher Square Enix during the game's fifth anniversary livestream today by way of a new teaser trailer that you can watch below. The teaser, which is quite brief clocking in at just 31 seconds, doesn't reveal too much at all. It showcases what could perhaps be the anime's animation style, although it could just be concept art of 2B and her Pod companion bot. 

Click here to watch embedded media

As you can see in the trailer above, there's not too much to glean from it. However, Square Enix released some additional information about it after the fact, revealing that in this anime, humans have left Earth to go to the moon as a result of an overwhelming amount of seemingly dangerous machines on their home planet. 2B, who is playable in Nier: Automata, is sent back down to Earth to help reclaim the planet and if you're at all familiar with the game, you can probably see where this anime might be heading.

Aniplex, the studio behind anime like Fullmetal Alchemist, is working on this Nier: Automata anime. 

While waiting for this anime to drop, read Game Informer's Nier: Automata review and then check out this story about the upgrade patch Nier: Automata finally received on Steam after fans have been asking for it for four years. Read Game Informer's Nier Replicant ver. 1.22474487139 review after that. 

Are you excited for this Nier: Automata anime? Let us know in the comments below!

Elden Ring Review – Absolutely Astonishing Adventure

Posted: 23 Feb 2022 07:00 AM PST

elden ring review

Reviewed on: PC
Also on: PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, Xbox One
Publisher: Bandai Namco
Developer: From Software
Release:

Once in a great while, a game comes along that seamlessly combines impeccable gameplay, a wondrous world, incredible tone-setting music, and unparalleled art direction. That game is From Software's Elden Ring, an action RPG that channels the best aspects of the studio's last decade of work into one enormous package. This absurdly ambitious open world captivated my curiosity, enticed me with puzzles, secrets, and mysteries, and served up unbelievably satisfying moments as I experienced one of the most extraordinary adventures of all time. From my initial foray into the world to the final moments, every step of the journey is a note in a personalized epic that kept me coming back for more. This trek through dark and twisted fantasy is an endless exploration, continually serving up sensational sights that only get more enthralling and fantastic as the voyage goes on.

Click here to watch embedded media

The Lands Between is a world full of discovery, and while a clear path forward exists for those seeking guidance, roaming the lands unfettered without a particular goal in mind often yields surprises. I often had a spot to explore marked on my map and got off-track along the way, sometimes leading to entirely new areas and feature-dense zones. Elden Ring is not a theme park-style open world where each ride is bolstered by breadcrumbs so they won't be missed – there are significant areas, bosses, dungeons, and other huge revelations that can be passed by, making these finds even more delightful. Even after over 55 hours, I know that I've missed plenty. Instead of pining over what I haven't found, I'm inspired to keep exploring. The grandiose world is chock full of characters, quests, and various dungeon crawls ranging from tiny catacombs to massive multilayered tombs. While the journey starts with little caves, mines, and other dungeon delves, these experiences become more complex. Two-room affairs eventually become intricate teleport puzzles or scenarios where you discover unusual ways to interact with the environment, like learning to use traps for traversal or sniffing out secret walls. 

Even the most straightforward overworld dungeons house hidden boss rooms and treasures, in addition to their standard yields, rewarding the most inquisitive adventurers. Finding creative ways to travel to places that don't appear accessible before the standard path guides you there feels remarkably refreshing, and more than one area delivers picturesque vistas upon arrival. Looking over a new area for the first time and realizing you can go everywhere you see is breathtaking and overwhelming. Some open-world locals, like churches, ruins, and Erdtrees, feel a bit familiar from realm to realm, but make no mistake there are numerous and unique points to explore and get lost in for hours. From mysterious castles to haunted magical grounds, the world is full of exciting diversions.  

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Your character is incredibly customizable, which I found highly rewarding. You can attach various skills and scaling mechanics across the board, allowing you to truly create your own vision of a traveling hero. Respecialization and alterations allow you to finely tweak your creation without worrying too much about experimentation along the way as you arm yourself with everything from explosive pots to potent perfumes to complement your ever-growing arsenal. Combat will vary greatly from player to player and build to build, but the precise dance of melee combat is more refined and diverse than ever. Featuring a behind-the-scenes stagger system that rewards players for taking chances with timing, the flow of battle makes the singular spammy strike a lesser choice in the face of a daunting foe.

The open world is majestic, dripping with flavor and atmosphere, and full of fabulous finds. However, the legacy dungeons are the stuff of legend, often connecting to the outside from multiple points. These curated sprawls are a dream to dissect, and Elden Ring often offers different ways to maneuver through these areas. For instance, in one of these giant dungeons, I discovered a completely different way to "solve" the route to the final boss – and then went back and found a divergent path through another environment, leading to a wealth of battles, bosses, and loot. Sometimes, access to certain areas is in the last place you look, but the route to unearth it is laden with even more attractive paths to pursue.

Click here to watch embedded media

While some monster and boss designs are reused, the scope and scale of Elden Ring are enormous, which makes the repetition easy to ignore. I feel like I ran into around one hundred bosses in my playthrough. I'm not exaggerating. Some of these can feel commonplace and uninteresting, at the end of a small dungeon, like a repeat cave troll or magma drake, but the overall diversity of encounters meant that I never knew exactly what I was going up against at the end of any given expedition. I might run into a reskinned knight, but I might also go toe-to-toe against something truly astronomical. 

The big bosses, generally found at the end of legacy dungeons, feel like wonderful wars against demigods. These brilliant set piece battles are thrilling exclamation points to an outrageous odyssey, absolute spectacles, and masterful combinations of tension and triumph. Elden Ring has the distinction of having the best and most challenging boss battle in any From Software game to date. Hidden away and optional, this encounter had me waking up in the middle of the night to come back and crash against its beautiful and terrifying destruction over and over again. After finally besting this opponent, I let loose a triumphant victory roar there while sitting in the dark and wearing my pajamas, wanting nothing more than to experience the encounter again. This example speaks to how unbelievably compelling and immersive Elden Ring is; I regularly put it down with the intent of doing something else and found myself back within minutes. There is always one more gnawing mystery to unravel, one more boss to beat, and one more hidden route to find.

Elden Ring challenged me, captivated me, and enchanted me, an unyielding deluge of discovery and artistic vision unbound. Elden Ring represents a truly amazing combination of various game elements that all come together to create something fascinating, special, and unforgettable. Elden Ring isn't just the best game this year; it's one of the best games ever made.

GI Must Play

Score: 10

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Call Of Duty Will Skip 2023, According To New Report

Posted: 23 Feb 2022 05:27 AM PST

Call of Duty Treyarch 2023 Activision Blizzard

Platform: PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, PC
Publisher: Activision
Developer: Sledgehammer Games
Release:
Rating: Mature

For the first time in almost two decades, Activision Blizzard's Call of Duty franchise will take a year off, according to a new report from Bloomberg. 

This means that there will be no mainline Call of Duty game in 2023, a massive shift for the franchise which has had new entries released every year since 2005. Bloomberg's report posits that Activision Blizzard, which is going to acquired by Microsoft, has pushed its 2023 release out of that year as result of Call of Duty: Vanguard, which was the 2021 release for the series. Vanguard failed to meet expectations and some executives within the publisher feel that new iterations of Call of Duty are releasing too often for one to make as big ofth an impact as previous entries. 

Click here to watch embedded media

This decision is not related to Microsoft's acquisition of Activision Blizzard. In fact, Microsoft does not have any authority over the publisher as this acquisition is not set to close until next year at the earliest. 

Following Activision Blizzard's three-studio rotation for developing Call of Duty entries (Infinity Ward develops one and then the next year Treyarch develops a Call of Duty and then the year after that, Sledgehammer games develops a third before it's back to Infinity Ward), this would-be 2023 game is being developed by Treyarch. While Treyarch's Call of Duty is receiving at least another year of development, Bloomberg's report says Activision Blizzard will have other projects to fill 2023's release schedule. 

A new Call of Duty, a sequel to 2019's Modern Warfare developed by Infinity Ward, will still be released this year and that's one pipeline of content Activision Blizzard will have going into 2023. A sequel to free-to-play battle royale Warzone will be released this year as well. Plus, Bloomberg says there will be a "new free-to-play online title next year," as well and Treyarch will also be helping to develop this game. The report doesn't specifiy if this will be a Call of Duty game, though. 

"We have an exciting slate of premium and free-to-play Call of Duty experiences for this year, next year, and beyond," an Activision Blizzard spokesperson told Bloomberg in an email. "We look forward to sharing more details when the time is right." 

For more about Call of Duty, check out Game Informer's Call of Duty: Vanguard review and then read about Season 2 of Vanguard and Warzone Pacific, which is now live. Check out this story about Activision Blizzard's quarterly results, which showcase a decline in Call of Duty engagement and sales, after that.  

[Source: Bloomberg]

Do you think skipping 2023 is a good idea for Call of Duty? Let us know in the comments below!

Update: Final Fantasy XIV Free Trials Are Back

Posted: 22 Feb 2022 03:01 PM PST

Platform: PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, PC, Mac
Publisher: Square Enix
Developer: Square Enix
Release:

Update, 2/22/22:

After being suspended for more than two months, the free trial for Final Fantasy XIV is back and open to any and all players. 

The official FFXIV Twitter account announced the news today. For the uninitiated, the free trial was suspended back in December following widespread congestion issues in FFXIV. Those issues occurred as a result of the rapid growth the MMO experienced ahead of its Endwalker expansion launch. The free trial is live once more, though, which means players can play through the entirety of A Realm Reborn and the Heavensward expansion up to level 60 for free, with no restrictions on playtime. 

The original story continues below...

Original Story, 12/16/21: 

Square Enix has temporarily halted sales of Final Fantasy XIV due to the ongoing Endwalker congestion issues. 

The company has also offered up additional free game-time to players who own the game or have an active subscription, adding another 14 days of time on top of the seven announced last week. This news comes by way of an FFXIV Lodestone blog post made yesterday by director and producer Naoki Yoshida. Yoshida originally issued warnings of expected Endwalker congestion in November and as predicted, the servers filled up immediately, with some players hitting queues with over 5000 people ahead of them. 

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It's not surprising, though, considering the MMO added 1 million new players ahead of Endwalker's launch. 

"We apologize for the ongoing congestion that has been occurring since Early Access and the official launch of Endwalker," Yoshida writes in the blog post. "It's been nearly two weeks since the start of Early Access and players are still experiencing substantial congestion when logging into the game. As we have new content set to release in upcoming patches, I'd like to provide you with several updates on our plans to address these issues." 

Anyone who owns FFXIV and has an active subscription as of December 21, which is when Patch 6.01 is set to release, will be eligible for the 14 free days of game time. Yoshida also said that "due to the dense concentration of play hours which far exceed our server capacity, especially during the peak times," the sale and delivery of both the Starter Edition and the Complete Edition of FFXIV has been temporarily stopped. 

"Additionally, although those with an active subscription are prioritized to log in, Free Trial players are unable to log in outside of late night and early morning hours, and so we will temporarily suspend new registrations for the Free Trial," Yoshida writes. "These temporary suspensions will be phased in over the next few days as we work with our retail partners." 

Advertisements for FFXIV has been suspended for now, although Yoshida notes that some can't be suspended due to the nature of how they were set up. However, Expansion Packs and Collector's Edition digital upgrades will remain on sale for existing players. 

The director also reconfirmed that if everything goes according to plan, Patch 6.05, otherwise known as Pandaemonium: Asphodelos (Savage), will still be released on January 4, 2022. 

"We understand that there are concerns about World First races and first week progression, but Patch 6.05 will add a number of new elements, such as the addition of a new Allagan tombstone, new crafting recipes, as well as the new treasure hunt dungeon, the Excitatron 600," according to Yoshida. 

Elsewhere in the blog post, Yoshida says Square Enix hopes to have a roadmap for its plans regarding a new logical data center and additional server worlds sometime in January. 

While waiting to queue into FFXIV, watch the latest Endwalker trailer and then read about how you can earn an "Eat Pizza" emote.  

Have you been encountering these Endwalker-related congestion issues? Let us know in the comments below!

Destiny 2: The Witch Queen: Season Of The Risen Now Live, Overview Trailer Released

Posted: 22 Feb 2022 01:50 PM PST

Destiny 2: The Witch Queen Season of the Risen

Platform: PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Stadia, PC
Publisher: Bungie
Developer: Bungie
Release:

Bungie's latest expansion for Destiny 2, The Witch Queen, is now live and so is the accompanying Season of the Risen that will run until May 24. 

To help celebrate the launch of this new expansion and subsequent season, the studio, which is being acquired by Sony, released a Season of the Risen overview trailer that highlights what Guardians should expect. As expected, it's all centered around Savathûn and the Hive, which is now in possession of the Light. You can watch the trailer below: 

Click here to watch embedded media

As you can see, this season will be all about kiling Light-wielding Hive (and just good ole regular Hive, too). It seems a Cabal friend will be joining the fight to make it a little easier well. And of course, who could forget about the overarching villain, Savathûn the Witch Queen, who is sure to make virtually everything this season more challenging. 

Destiny 2's Witch Queen expansion and Season of the Risen is now live. When you need a break from Savathûn, read this opinion piece about why Destiny 2's recent season conclusion shows the good and bad of living game content and then watch this Destiny 2: The Witch Queen launch trailer. Check out this amazing Destiny 2 Savathûn statue after that. 

Are you jumping into Season of the Risen today? Let us know in the comments below!

Marvel’s Guardians Of The Galaxy Undershot Square Enix’s Initial Expectations Despite Strong Reviews

Posted: 22 Feb 2022 12:23 PM PST

Marvel's Guardians of the Galaxy Underperformed Expectations

Platform: PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Switch, PC
Publisher: Square Enix
Developer: Eidos Montreal
Release:
Rating: Teen

Square Enix has released some new financial results for its first three quarters of Fiscal Year 2022-23, something companies like EA and Activision Blizzard did earlier this month, and in it, the company reveals that Marvel's Guardians of the Galaxy did not meet sales expectations. 

This news comes alongside Square Enix revealing in its quarterly results that its net sales were lower this year than the same period in the previous fiscal year, which saw the release of titles like Final Fantasy VII Remake and Marvel's Avengers on new-gen consoles. Speaking specifically to the release of Eidos-Montreal's Marvel's Guardians of the Galaxy, Square Enix acknowledges that it reviewed quite well – Game Informer gave it a 8.5 out of 10. However, it underperformed financially. 

Click here to watch embedded media

"The HD Games sub-segment launched 'Marvel's Guardians of the Galaxy' in Q3," the results read. "Despite strong reviews, the game's sales on launch undershot our initial expectations."

Square Enix says that it has been using sales initiatives that it kicked off in November of 2021 to increase sales and the company intends to "work to continue to expand sales to make up for the title's slow start."

Hopefully, those sales can get Marvel's Guardians of the Galaxy up to expectations, and even past it, because it certainly warrants a sequel that we'd like to see. For now, read Game Informer's Marvel's Guardians of the Galaxy review and then check out these Adidas sneakers inspired by the game. Read about this patch that added ray-tracing to the game after that. 

Do you want a sequel to Marvel's Guardians of the Galaxy? Let us know in the comments below!

Destiny 2: The Witch Queen | New Gameplay Today Live

Posted: 22 Feb 2022 11:05 AM PST

Platform: PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Stadia, PC
Publisher: Bungie
Developer: Bungie
Release:

Eyes up, Guardians! Savathûn, the Hive god and Witch Queen has harnessed the Light to do her bidding. With it, she has molded part of her throne world into an opulent white cathedral and has gifted her Lucent Brood with powers, not unlike those the Guardians wield. Survival for Earth's champions is a must, and doing so means taking the fight to Savathûn's home turf and facing her terrifying Light-wielding forces head-on.

Click here to watch embedded media

Join associate editor John Carson at 2 p.m. Central on the Game Informer Twitch channel as he explores the opening hours of the new Destiny 2 expansion, The Witch Queen. There will be plenty of interstellar looting and shooting, checking out the new Void subclass changes, and maybe even some time with the new Glaive weapon archetype.

For more on The Witch Queen, check out our eyes-on preview of this expansion, and two wonderful pieces from our own Matt Miller who recently spoke with the team at Bungie, as well as his thoughts on how the live content strategy is faring as of late. 

Elden Ring Launch Trailer Promises A Celebration Of War

Posted: 22 Feb 2022 10:49 AM PST

Bandai Namco Elden Ring From Software Launch Trailer

Platform: PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, PC
Publisher: Bandai Namco
Developer: From Software
Release:

Bandai Namco released a new launch trailer for Elden Ring, which hits consoles and PC this Friday, and it promises a celebration of war for champions of the Lands Between. 

As you might expect with an Elden Ring trailer, or really any From Software game trailer, it's not easy to parse together exactly what's happening. A narrator talks about a celebration of war, possibly in a tournament-like setting, while another talks about heroes becoming forsaken and more. It's a lot to wrap one's head around but even if you aren't determined to piece together the new lore presented in the trailer, there's plenty to see. 

Click here to watch embedded media

There are some new looks at bosses and enemies as well as new settings and locales, too. We even get a look at a boss that looks very celestial and Bloodborne-like – could there be a Bloodborne connection in Elden Ring? Who knows? For now, only time will tell and fortunately, we don't have to wait long because Elden Ring hits PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and PC this Friday, on February 25. 

If you're curious as to when exactly you can head into the Lands Between, check out the Elden Ring global launch times. Read Game Informer's Elden Ring cover story after that for tons of details about what to expect and then check out this exclusive Elden Ring gameplay featuring Castle Mourne. 

Are you picking up Elden Ring on day one? Let us know in the comments below!

Super Smash Bros. Ultimate: Minecraft Steve And Alex Amiibo Delayed, Min Min Amiibo Releasing This April

Posted: 22 Feb 2022 09:31 AM PST

Min Min Amiibo Super Smash Bros. Ultimate

Platform: Switch
Publisher: Nintendo
Developer: Sora, Ltd
Release:

Super Smash Bros. Ultimate might be done getting new content after the release of Sora last year, but there's still some things coming out of the game, like the release of new amiibo. 

Min Min, the ARMS fighter, joined the Ultimate roster way back in 2020 and now, we finally know when her amiibo for the game will be released and fortunately, you don't have to wait too much longer. Nintendo announced on Twitter over the weekend that the Min Min amiibo, which looks quite nice, will be available for purchase on April 29. You can get a sneak peek at it in Nintendo's video below: 

As you can see, Min Min looks great as an amiibo. However, some not-so-great news follows the reveal of the Min Min amiibo's release date: the Steve and Alex Minecraft amiibos have been delayed. 

"The Steve & Alex Smash Bros. amiibo were previously announced to launch in spring 2022. However, due to a logistics and production delay, unfortunately the release timing has been delayed to later in 2022." 

It sounds like Steve and Alex will still be released as amiibo sometime this year, so at least they haven't been delayed to 2023. After Steve and Alex, you can expect a Sephiroth amiibo, one or two figures based on Pyra and Mythra, an amiibo for Kazuya Mishima, and of course, one last amiibo for the game's final DLC fighter, Sora. 

While waiting for those, read about how Ultimate director Masahiro Sakurai says the game's tuning is complete after a balance update released in December, and then check out this story about how Sakurai isn't thinking about a sequel but won't rule one out either. Read about how Sakurai says a sequel to Ultimate would need a smaller roster and less dependence on his vision after that. 

Are you going to pick up the Min Min amiibo when it's released this April? Let us know in the comments below!

Destiny 2: The Witch Queen Preview – Riddles Wrapped In A Mystery

Posted: 22 Feb 2022 09:00 AM PST

Platform: PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Stadia, PC
Publisher: Bungie
Developer: Bungie
Release:

It's time for the payoff. For years, Bungie has teased the potential of Destiny's most devious villain. In recent months, that tease has escalated. The Hive queen named Savathûn has infiltrated all the major storylines, insinuating herself into the events shaping the story. Now, at long last, the Witch Queen's trap is sprung, as she co-opts humanity's most precious resource – the Light that gives power to its Guardians – and uses that power to make deathless warriors of her own. 

With The Witch Queen, Bungie is betting big on a narrative twist that's been in the making for a long time and using that storytelling moment to push forward new twists on the long-established gameplay model, including a dramatic move toward playstyle customization for players. On the eve of the expansion's release, we spoke with the project's creative director and got the scoop on what longtime players, lapsed Guardians returning to the fold, and even newcomers can expect to discover in the next few months. 

"The villain, Savathûn, the most cunning Hive foe that we've ever had, is front and center," says creative director James Tsai. "And it would not be a Savathûn story if there were no trickery. She is the god of cunning." That focus on treachery, hidden meanings, and secrets doesn't end because Savathûn has now revealed her true identity and stepped into the light. And it sounds like a primary focus of The Witch Queen experience is matching wits against such a wily foe. "We've actually been talking about this as a mystery," Tsai continues. "The player fantasy is one of being like a psychic detective this time around. You're going into this uncertain destination, this creepy, beautifully grotesque, twisted Wonderland kind of place. What's the mystery here? What can you trust?"

Those dynamics of beautiful grotesquerie are on full display in the playspace that Tsai is describing. Savathûn's Throne World is a sprawling new area for players to explore, filled with secrets and opportunities for combat across several distinct regions. A reflection of Savathûn's mind, the Throne World is an old Hive Realm that is being remade and blessed by the Light that Savathûn has stolen. "She has the Light, so she has this opulent, well-manicured castle. Cool sculptures, courtyards. It's not the typical Hive area. Then you have this swampier, bayou kind of area that she has not yet rebuilt with the Light. And then there's this underworld section as well." There's even a new six-person matchmade activity called Wellspring that plays out in the Throne World, built to convey the fantasy of storming the seemingly insurmountable castle. Conceptually, the swamps, heat, and humidity represent something novel and distinct from what we've previously seen from the franchise.  

Across that new landscape, Bungie has big plans to make the new campaign especially memorable. "We call it the definitively Destiny campaign," Tsai says. "It's about bringing some of the awesome grandeur of some of our endgame aspirational feel into the campaign itself. Soaring through these really cool environmental setpieces. Memorable encounters that take a lot of thought and understanding. Bringing puzzles into the campaign for players. There's a really reinvigorated focus on the campaign in this release." 

The campaign's renewed importance also means new ways to play. Beyond the classic experience, players can confront a legendary version of the campaign. That translates into more enemies with more significant health pools, increased modifiers on combat, and tweaks to Darkness zones that ensure players can't trivialize encounters. In return, players can expect commensurate rewards with gear bundles that help push your Guardian into raid-readiness, upgrade modules, and even the possibility of exotic drops.

 The legendary campaign also features a new approach to fireteam size, adapting content and enemies depending on the number of Guardians in your playgroup. "Our intent is to make sure that there is no wrong way to play this," Tsai says. "You want to play it by yourself; you're doing it. You want to play with friends? You'll get the same tough experience and that same accomplishment." 

Whether in classic or legendary difficulty, players should expect one significant challenge to remain constant – the dire threat of the Lucent Brood. While players will still face the entire coterie of Hive enemies they've fought for years, Savathûn's forces are joined by new variants empowered by the Light. Like player character Guardians, the Lucent Brood wield supers and rise back from the dead after defeat. "It really does change the sandbox experience against them," Tsai says. "It's not just like fighting a set of Hive with new pajamas; you have to take these abilities into consideration."

Players can expect to confront ­newly empowered Knights glowing with Void shields like a Titan. Arc-powered Wizards fling out electrical attacks. And solar-fueled Acolytes wield fans of flaming knives. Upon death, these high-threat enemies remain dormant for a few seconds until their Ghosts bring them back to life and full health, ready to continue the fight. Your only option is to risk closing the distance to the enemy Ghost and then tapping your Finisher to grasp and crush them, ending the threat.

Meanwhile, more standard Hive enemies will get powered up by moths that infuse them with Light. "So, you might fight an Acolyte who is charged with Light, and when you defeat that Acolyte, then the moth comes flying out, and it seeks to infuse its power into another one of the nearby combatants, or it comes after you and tries to detonate," Tsai explains. Add up the implications, and battles against the Lucent Brood aim for high-intensity encounters that require up-close confrontations to end the fight definitively. 

To increase your chance of survival, Guardians have a few new tricks of their own. The glaive appears in both exotic and legendary varieties and acts as a combo melee and ranged weapon with significant potential for destruction. "It's our first new weapon archetype in the game since bows, and it's the only first-person melee weapon we have," Tsai says. Unlike the sweeping arcs of swords, the glaive is squarely targeted at single foe engagement. Aggressive jabs can be strung together with multiple button presses to produce a fluid combo. A glaive can also shoot out an energy blast at short or medium range and features a ­defensive shield that powers up as you defeat enemies. 

Glaives are just one of the many weapons you can build and tweak with the new weapon crafting system. This complex new system fulfills a desire many Destiny players have voiced for years: a chance to devise their own custom arsenals, modifying weapons to support a personal playstyle. Weapon crafting starts with a pattern, which can be used to create the initial form of a given weapon. Using that weapon in combat gains levels that enable you to further tweak its capabilities, from intrinsic properties like a ranged or handling increase, to magazine attributes and other more consequential adjustments. Eventually, you'll be able to alter its core traits and perks, like Rampage or Killing Wind. You're also gathering crafting resources, both through distinct sources out in the game world, as well as by dismantling other weapons. Optional consumable mementos even let you unlock cosmetic changes to your weapons. 

All of these weapon changes are enabled through the use of the Relic, both to create and subsequently customize your perfect tool of destruction. It's a new focus for investment in the game and personalization of your experience, and it's treated as such – a designated place you visit that features numerous options for making a given weapon your own. "The reason we have this relic is that we wanted this to feel like a personal, sacred, and emotionally intimate moment for you and give it some importance in the universe," Tsai says.

The Witch Queen is also set to see a further push toward play customization through revising the Void subclasses. That retrofit is the first such reorganization of Light-based subclasses planned for the year, with both Arc and Solar intended for rollout in later seasons. To get a sense of what to expect, look no further than the recent launch of the Darkness-based Stasis powers, with their aspects and fragments that let players reshape their approach to play. When applied to the Void classes, players shouldn't expect entirely new power arrays. Instead, it's about mixing and tweaking the existing power trees to build-craft the exact character you want. "We really feel it is a big quality of life improvement for those Light subclasses, being able to just ­optimize the way that you play," Tsai says. 

After a significant delay that pushed The Witch Queen into the new year, Destiny 2 players have high expectations for a refresh that invigorates the long-running hobby game. While the full scope of that refresh won't be apparent until weeks into the new expansion, it's safe to say that Bungie has a clear plan ahead for continued evolution. After all, The Witch Queen is just the first in a line of named expansions already in the books. But before that final shape can coalesce, the complete picture of Savathûn's deceptions and trickery must come to light, and those developments have the attention of a rapt fanbase.  

Check out the gallery below for more screenshots showing off what players can look forward to in the impending expansion.

Click here to view embedded media

 

This article originally appeared in Issue 343 of Game Informer.

Inside The Nintendo Power Hotline

Posted: 22 Feb 2022 08:30 AM PST

Kyle Hudson didn't know what Nintendo was. But it was 1988, he was just back from boot camp, and he needed a job. His friend, Jeff Palmer, suggested they both go work for Nintendo. Palmer's cousin Cliff worked there as a gameplay counselor; he got paid to play video games all day. Hudson and Palmer could do that, too, the latter said.

"Jeff sold it to me like, 'Hey, we're gonna sit in a cubicle and play games all day and answer phone calls,'" Hudson recalls. "And I was like, 'Hell yeah.'"

In 1987, Nintendo launched its Nintendo Power Hotline. If a player encountered problems beating a video game, they could call the hotline and get advice from what Nintendo called a gameplay counselor. It was effectively a call center. It was also so much more than that.

By the time Nintendo shut the hotline down in 2005, gameplay counselors had helped millions. It became a part of video game history, fondly remembered decades later by children that called. For some kids, gameplay counselors were heroes; they were literally people who got paid to play video games all day. For others, counselors were the first people in their lives to talk seriously with them about games. For many counselors themselves, the call center launched their careers – both within and outside of Nintendo. Despite not knowing what Nintendo was in 1988 when he applied, Hudson stayed with the company until 2012. More than two decades after taking his first call, he had worked his way up to Nintendo's product testing manager.

To get an idea of what it was like to work at the Nintendo Power Hotline, we recently spoke with 12 people. Talking to a wide variety of former counselors and people that called the Hotline growing up, we got a fly-on-the-wall look at what it was like to be part of this point in Nintendo's history. We also learned a lot about Nintendo of America's culture in the '80s and '90s, spearheaded by its former president, Minoru Arakawa.

The Best Job in the World

Nintendo wasn't picky about who could be a gameplay counselor. In the earliest stages, all a person needed was to show up at one of the many temp agencies employed to fill seats and complete an application. If the temp agency called back, the first interview was breezy.

"It was basically, 'Can you work this shift?' 'Do you have reliable transportation?' Just basic stuff," Hudson says. "'Are you breathing? Are you warm-blooded? Okay.'"

It was when people got to Nintendo that the process intensified. The company billed gameplay counselors as video game experts. If you had a problem with a game, the professional gamers in Nintendo's Redmond, Wash. office could help you – no matter how complicated or niche the issue may be.

Hand-drawn map for Super Metroid that GPCs would use to help callers. Image: Stephan Reese/Art of Nintendo Power

While Nintendo didn't require any of its counselors to actually enjoy games, once a person made it past the initial temp interview, it did require a weeks-long training process. New employees had to play through games, learn about their various chokepoints and secrets, and take a massive test before they could field calls.

"Instead of just answering one very simple question about Legend of Zelda, maybe you have to list all of the treasures in all of the dungeons in both quests," says former counselor Caesar Filori. "How do you get to the minus world in Mario? How many coins do you need for an extra life? They just wanted to make sure you actually knew the games inside and out, and the mechanics and how to beat the bosses."

"But I'll be honest with you. Myself, and a lot of people at that time, we cheated through the test," Hudson admits. "Because I was like, 'There's no way I'm gonna remember all this s---.'"

After a short shadow period, where new counselors would sit in while an experienced counselor took calls, they finally got on the phones. Calls were immediate and plentiful.

It's hard to nail down exactly how many calls a counselor would get on a given day, though most approximations land around 100 per shift. At its height, the call center had a couple hundred people taking calls for just under 24 hours a day. If each person is taking around 100 calls per day, in total, the call center was receiving thousands of calls every day it was in operation. Sam Hosier III, who worked there between '94 and '97, says at one point Nintendo gave out a shirt "that said we had done 28 million calls."

Of course, this number was exacerbated by the holiday season, when people across the country were getting new Nintendo games and consoles. The counselors dubbed this "Hell Week."

"When we had our full call center, they put up these telecaster boards that showed you how many calls were in-queue," former counselor Yvette Kirby Waters says about Hell Week. "We called it the 'Hellecaster' because you could feel the pressure when 100, 200 calls are in-queue – 300, you know? And there were over 100 people in the call center taking calls one after another – boom, boom, boom. And yet, the queue list is still in the hundreds."

Even though Nintendo required a certain level of memorization and expertise, it was understood gameplay counselors couldn't know everything every one of those millions of callers inquired about. To help with tough calls, each counselor had a large green binder full of notes, hand-drawn maps, and solutions. Get good enough at passive conversation, and a caller on the other end of the line would never know a counselor was quickly flipping through pages, trying to find an answer. To them, it might seem like this person is the all-knowing gamer Nintendo was pitching them as in its then-monthly magazine Nintendo Power. In each issue, individual counselors were highlighted in the "Counselors' Corner," featuring tidbits such as their highest game score and favorite Nintendo games, letting callers put faces to the voices on the Nintendo Power Hotline.

Despite the sheer number of calls, as every counselor we talked to tells it, after long enough working the phones, you start to identify the most common questions across Nintendo's most popular games. They may have taken over a hundred calls a day, but most of those calls were about the same two or three games. Work there long enough, and you can spend a lot of your day on autopilot.

"Once you heard the question, the response coming out of your mouth, you really didn't have to think about it," Hudson says.

This left gameplay counselors a lot of time to play video games on the clock – somewhat making good on the dream kids had that these were people who got paid to play games all day. In the Nintendo office was an ever-growing library with every single game the company had released up to that point. "There were no gaps in the collection," Hosier says.

Counselors could check out various titles, and their desks even had TVs and consoles where they could play games while taking calls.

"One of the risks that you have doing that is if you're someone who emotes when you die when you play a game, that can become problematic," Filori says, adding employees got good at muting the call. "I don't remember who it was, but I do know for fact a time where somebody got the mic button muting reversed, so all the person heard on the other end was profanity."

Gaming in the office led to many now-famous pictures. While, ostensibly, letting counselors play games on the clock was so they could stay up-to-date and familiar with all Nintendo's games, these photos worked double-duty as great recruitment tools. Kids could see counselors sitting in an office cubicle, making money and playing games. Who wouldn't think that was cool?

"The concept of gameplay counselors back in the day for a kid obsessed with Nintendo games was kind of this dream job," Phil Theobald, who called the hotline as a kid, says. "In my head, I had this vision of gameplay counselors as, like, the best job in the world."

There were, however, the "nightmare calls." For example, The Goonies, based on the movie of the same name, released by Konami in 1986. As Filori tells it, most of the areas in the game look identical; it was near-impossible to identify where a player was stuck. Same with Legacy of the Wizard. HAL Laboratory's 1989 puzzler Adventures of Lolo was another pain point for gameplay counselors.

"I mean, these are like the Candy Crushes of the time," says former counselor Casey Pelkey about Lolo. "People would call, and they're in, like, the 11th level or something like that. They're like, 'Give me step-by-step.' And we're talking block by block how to do something. It can take forever, and as soon as they do something wrong, it's a reset, right? Let's try it again."

"Lots of people would hang up on those calls," Filori says. "Then, because the supervisors could still hear what you're saying, even once you've wrapped up [since they would monitor calls for quality], they would just keep talking. They'd hang up and keep talking and then say like, 'Um, are you still there? Are you still there? Hello? Hello?'"

King of the Castle

Jack Sapperstein was on vacation in St. Thomas Island when he got stuck on a boss in The Final Fantasy Legend, released by Square in 1989. Despite the long-distance charges required to call the Nintendo Power Hotline, Sapperstein, who grew up in New York City, says his parents generally understood when he asked at home to call "the Nintendo people." However, in hindsight, he admits calling from the Caribbean was a bit outrageous.

Sapperstein was one of the millions of kids who bought into Nintendo's marketing around gameplay counselors. He really thought these were all-knowing game fans who could answer every question under the sun without much second thought.

"I just always felt like it was so official, and they were always kind of getting these answers off the top of their heads," he says. "As if I was talking to Mario himself."

And so he called. A lot. Not just for games he was stuck on. Sometimes Sapperstein called with impossible questions – like how to unlock Vega on the Super Nintendo port of Street Fighter II. He wasn't alone. Ben Rico, who grew up in the San Francisco Bay Area, called the Hotline numerous times. Rico says he was convinced there was a way to not automatically go down the pipe at the end of world 1-1. He called the gameplay counselors to try and confirm his suspicion.

"I was sitting there, like, 'There's gotta be a way to not automatically get sucked into it,'" Rico says. "Because I was, you know, a f---ing 9-year-old kid. I might have even been 8. The gameplay counselor – very nicely to this little kid – said that 'No, there's no way to do it. You get sucked in; you have to go to the next level.'"

Saperstein and Rico are what gameplay counselors refer to as "regulars." While the Hotline did require long-distance charges for anyone outside of the Redmond area code, that didn't stop people from calling so much that counselors began to remember them – somehow standing out among the thousands of other people they talked to every week. In some cases, these were just people who wanted someone to talk with. In other cases, they were dreaded calls; people counselors hated talking to. But in even more cases, they were just kids, entirely beside themselves with the idea of talking to their heroes – people that worked at Nintendo.

The Nintendo Power Hotline's years of operation coincide exactly with Nintendo's rise in pop-culture prominence and the video game industry's in general. Moreso than ever before, people were playing video games, and here was this entire service built around helping people play their games. While young male children made up a lot of calls, according to those we talked to, people from all walks of life also called the Hotline.

"There were some grandparents who were passionate about this," Waters says. "Maybe they started as a way to play with their grandkids, but they really got into it."

The importance of talking to that many people – and more importantly, that many Nintendo fans – was not lost on founder and then-president of Nintendo of America Minoru Arakawa, who impressed upon counselors that they were providing a service for people who loved Nintendo. Treating them with patience and kindness was paramount. Admittedly, they were also helpful marketing.

Fans write in to the Nintendo Power Hotline. Image: Stephan Reese/Art of Nintendo Power

"Mr. Arakawa, I remember him conveying to us through the managers that this is how we make this business successful," says Pelkey, who later worked as VP of marketing at the Tetris company, where Arakawa served as president until 2013. "If we don't get people through the games, then they're not going to want to buy the next one."

More so than many executives, people talk about Arakawa with an absolute level of respect and appreciation. A lot of the people we interviewed for this piece were teenagers or young adults when they first joined Nintendo – the call center was their first job, and of course, it was an entry-level one. But Arakawa and his management team were insistent that, should people put the work in, being a gameplay counselor could be a first step towards a career within Nintendo. It didn't matter how low someone was on the totem pole or what department they worked in; there was always room to go up at Arakawa's Nintendo.

"He was a very kind, generous, man," Hudson says. "I mean, what other CEOs knew every single employee's name?"

Arguably, however, that generosity did come back to bite Arakawa at least a couple of times.

For a brief period and in the '80s and '90s, Nintendo spared no expense when throwing its annual holiday party. It would rent out entire floors of luxury hotels in downtown Seattle, offer hotel rooms and limo rides to and from for every employee so they wouldn't need to worry about finding a sober driver, and give them top-shelf food and drink. Nintendo invited every employee – not just its C-suite. Former counselors we talked to describe being in awe of the parties. But for a group made up of many teenage boys and young men in their 20s, things quickly got out of hand once alcohol got involved.

"I do know some stories of people – whose names I can't remember, and it's probably good that I don't – who lost their job after a Christmas party because of inappropriate behavior and apparently actually broke an elevator at the Sheraton in Seattle," Waters says. "I don't know how you do that. Maybe they put too many people in the elevator or whatever, but [they] managed to get an elevator stuck."

"They ended up having to stop doing that," Hudson says about the holiday parties. "They were destroying these rooms, and Nintendo was hearing about it from the hotels. That only lasted a year or two before they put a kibosh on that, too."

No one we spoke to for this piece had anything negative to say about the culture of Nintendo or the call center at this time. However, with 30 years of hindsight, Waters does admit the culture probably wouldn't be acceptable by 2022 standards, likening the call center office to a "college dorm." It was also majority white and majority male. However, she does point out that her team – the bilingual call center employees, which served Spanish-speaking callers and French Canadians – was largely female.

"In the call center, there was a lot of things probably going on that I would say people would recognize now as inappropriate. But at the time, it was still sort of that fun [thing where] this organization was established by young people," she says.

"So, you know, there's some things you look at now and go, 'Woah,'" Waters adds, laughing.

Hang Up

The Nintendo Power Hotline ran until 2005. It was a major part of Nintendo of America's day-to-day business. Eventually, the green binders were replaced by a computer system called ELMO, or Electronic Manual Organizer, which streamlined looking up and finding answers. But after a while, technology phased out the need for gameplay counselors. If every walkthrough is easily accessible online – for free – why would you pay to call the Hotline? Especially after it switched to a tolled 900 number from its original Redmond area code number.

But if there's one thing that stands out and one thing that makes it unique, it's that it's remembered at all. There are numerous other call centers in the world, few of which have any longstanding legacy – much less any as fondly remembered as Nintendo's.

A simple reason for this is the call center focused on fun video games. It also helped that Arakawa required people in the call center to be kind to the people calling in. Beyond that even, he required every single letter sent to Nintendo of America to get a response; there was an entire team within the customer service office dedicated to just answering mail. As far as customer service goes, it was hard to beat Nintendo at this time.

Stephan Reese, who's dedicated his life to collecting Nintendo ephemera and runs the Art of Nintendo Power education exhibit, describes it succinctly: This was the first time many people had taken their hobby seriously. It was the first time people didn't talk down to them about liking video games.

GPC annotations on a map of Super Metroid's Brinstar area. Image: Stephan Reese/Art of Nintendo Power

"It really was a friend for a lot of these kids," says Reese, who called the Hotline once when he was around 7. "Specifically, a friend who spoke their language, who knew what they were talking about, who loved games as much as they did, and was able to articulate that back."

"These were the only adults in my life who were not openly mocking something that I love more than anything," Reese adds.

The call center was the first step to joining the game industry for the counselors we interviewed. Waters later worked on the Nintendo GameCube software development kit before moving on to a job at Microsoft. She's now a self-employed contract strategist. Hosier worked as an event production coordinator and assistant manager of trade events at Nintendo before spending time at other tech companies like T-Mobile. After working as a tester for Nintendo, Filori worked for EA, Microsoft, Nike, and Oculus. He's now a technical programmer at Meta. The list goes on.

But for all of them, it started in that call center.

"Sometimes you hear about something being this golden age, right?" Filori says. "It felt like a golden age at the time. This is different. It's something new; it's different; this is a unique thing. I don't know that it could ever be recreated or replicated to be part of the explosion of video games at the time."

"It was weird," he adds. "It was a very weird and unique thing."

This article originally appeared in Issue 343 of Game Informer.

Sony Pictures CEO Calls Uncharted A ‘New Hit Movie Franchise’ Following Strong Opening Weekend Box Office

Posted: 22 Feb 2022 07:58 AM PST

Uncharted Movie New Hit Movie Franchise Nathan Drake Tom Holland

Platform: PlayStation 5, PC
Publisher: PlayStation Studios
Developer: Naughty Dog
Release:
Rating: Teen

Sony Pictures and PlayStation Productions' latest movie, Uncharted, which is a prequel of sorts to the game series of the same name, have a hit on their hands. 

Fans of Naughty Dog's Uncharted series were…apprehensive, to say the least, when it was first revealed that Tom Holland (Spider-Man: No Way Home) would be playing Nathan Drake alongside a Victor "Sully" Sullivan portrayed by Mark Wahlberg. That apprehension remained with each trailer revealed for the movie and while that feeling might still be felt, now that the movie is in theaters, it seems it might be destined for a sequel. 

That's because not only did it beat expectations at the box office in its opening weekend, raking in $106.4 million worldwide, but Sony Pictures CEO Tom Rothman has called it a "new hit movie franchise," as reported by Deadline. He said that in a company-wide email sent yesterday praising the film, which was directed by Ruben Fleischer. Deadline spoke to Rothman and while the CEO didn't outright confirm a sequel, he expressed his hope that one is on the way. 

This comes after Uncharted earned $51 million at the domestic box office, beating out meager $30 million expectations for the movie, which cost $120 million to produce. Its grand total around the world is now more than $139 million. With the movie already in the green, it seems that Holland's Drake is destined for another shot at treasure (and if you watched the end credits scene, you likely already know exactly what treasure Sully and Drake will be searching for next). 

While waiting to hear about a potential sequel, read Game Informer's Uncharted movie review and then check out this story about why one Game Informer editor believes another Uncharted game should be made. Read Game Informer's Uncharted 4: A Thief's End review after that. 

[Source: Deadline]

Did you watch Uncharted in theaters this weekend? Let us know in the comments below!

PlayStation VR2 Headset Revealed Alongside New Look At Final Sense Controller Design

Posted: 22 Feb 2022 06:33 AM PST

PlayStation VR 2 Headset Sense Controllers Sony

PlayStation has revealed the headset for its upcoming PlayStation VR2 system alongside a new look at the final design of the accompanying PSVR2 Sense controllers. 

The company recently discussed this new virtual reality headset at CES 2022 last month alongside news that its popular Aloy-focused Horizon series would be getting a PSVR2-exclusive release called Horizon: Call of the Mountain. Since then, details about the headset have slowly trickled out but, until today, we didn't actually know what the headset looked like. Now, we do: 

Click here to view embedded media

 

As you can see, PSVR2 is heavily inspired by the look and feel of Sony's PlayStation 5 as are the accompanying Sense controllers. Talking about the design in a new PlayStation Blog posted today, Sony says the goal was to create a "headset that will not only become an attractive part of your living room decor, but will also keep you immersed in your game world, to the point where you almost forget you are using a headset or controller." 

Following feedback from its first VR system, PSVR2 will feature the same balanced headset weight with a simple and easy-to-adjust headband that makes actually wearing it comfortable. 

"Other features such as the headset's adjustable scope that places the scope area closer or further away from the face and placement of the stereo headphone jack also remain the same, so players will be familiar with it," the PlayStation Blog reads. "For the PSVR2 headset, we took comfort a few steps further by adding new features such as a lens adjustment dial, so users have an additional option to match the lens distance between their eyes to optimize their view." 

The headset also features a new built-in motor responsible for headset feedback and a vent system to help prevent fog from building up on the viewable glass within the headset. 

"When I started work on the design for the PlayStation VR2 headset, one of the areas I wanted to focus on first was the idea of creating a vent in the headset to let air out, similar to the vents on the PS5 console that allows airflow," Sony Interactive Entertainment senior art director Yujin Morisawa writes in the blog. "Our engineers came up with this idea as a good way to allow ventilation and avoid having the lens fog up while players are immersed in their VR games. I worked on many design concept to achieve this, and in the final design, you can see there is a little space in between the top and front surface of the scope that contains an integrated ventilitaion. I am really proud of how this turned out and the positive feedback I have gotten so far. I hope our PlayStation fans will also agree, and I can't wait for them to try it out." 

Finally, PlayStation revealed that the PSVR2 headset will include the stylish PlayStation symbols on its front and back bands. There's still no release date for the PSVR2, however, so it's unknown when we'll be able to see those symbols on the headset in person. 

What do you think about the design of the PSVR2 headset? Let us know in the comments below!

New Pokémon BDSP Update Targets ‘Illicit’ Trades And Expands Union Room, Colosseum Features

Posted: 22 Feb 2022 05:11 AM PST

Pokemon Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl Ver. 1.2.0 Update

Platform: Switch
Publisher: The Pokémon Company
Developer: Ilca, Game Freak
Release:
Rating: Everyone

After announcing over the weekend that most ongoing Pokémon games like Pokémon Masters EX, Unite, and Sword And Shield will be receiving an update leading up to this year's Pokémon Day on February 27, Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl have received a new update. 

Titled Ver 1.2.0, this update is now live in the latest Pokémon remakes and it brings with it new Union Room and Colosseum features, some fixes to improve gameplay, and a stop to the use of "illicit" Pokémon. Here's a full breakdown of what update Ver 1.2.0 entails: 

  • Union Room functions have been expanded: The maximum number of players you can play with via local or internet communication in Union Rooms has been increased to eight. Also, by selecting Greeting or Capsule Decorations, you can show each other your Trainer Cards or Capsule Decorations. 
  • Additional Colosseum battle feature has been added: Enter the Colosseum on the 2nd floor of a Pokémon Center to battle with other players using custom rulesets. In the Colosseum, you can set rules, such as the number of Pokémon to send into battle as well as their levels, and play Single Battles, Double Battles, or Multi Battles via local or internet communication. 
  • Pokémon Trading and Battles: Some Pokémon acquired via unintended methods or illicit modification now cannot be used in Link Trades or Link Battles. 
  • Fixes some issues for more pleasant gameplay. 

On top of that, Eurogamer reports that a datamine of this update reveals some features that might soon be coming to Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl. More specifically, mattyoukhana on Twitter reveals through a datamine that Pokémon brought over into Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl from Pokémon Legends: Arceus could have a special origin mark displayed on their entry. Plus, it seems the time travel awards is now complete and comes with art. And finally, the datamine seemingly confirms that Pokémon HOME transfers are on the way. 

Only time will tell if those datamined features actually come to Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl. In the meantime, check out Game Informer's Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl review and then read Game Informer's Legends: Arceus review. 

Are you still playing Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl? Let us know in the comments below!

Hulk Smashes, Thor Surprises, And We Get Nostalgic About Transformers | From Panel To Podcast

Posted: 21 Feb 2022 10:00 PM PST

From Panel To Podcast Game Informer

After a gargantuan week of comic book releases, we dedicate most of this episode to discussing those titles. The new Thor and Hulk from scribe Donny Cates are the highlights, but we were also pleasantly surprised by a couple of books we took chances on, including one that is all about cartoon dogs.

We'll get back to the movie and video game talk next week, but this episode should give you plenty of new and old books to read, many of which have ties to other entertainment mediums.

If you would like to follow us on Twitter: Andrew Reiner (@Andrew_Reiner) and Philip Hoff (@bnow23).

From Panel to Podcast is a weekly show created by two lifelong comic book readers who offer suggestions on which comic books you should be reading each week. Each episode also dives into the latest developments for comics in video games, movies, and television shows. We'll even discuss comic book collectibles and anything we think you should know about that pertains to this entertainment medium.

Be sure to subscribe to From Panel to Podcast on your favorite podcast platform. The show is available on Google Podcasts, Spotify, and Apple Podcasts.

If you'd like to get in touch with the From Panel to Podcast crew, you can do so by by joining the official Game Informer Discord server. You can do that by linking your Discord account to your Twitch account and subscribing to the Game Informer Twitch channel. From there, find the From Panel to Podcast channel under "Community Spaces."

For more Game Informer podcasts, be sure to check out The Game Informer Show, which covers the weekly happenings of the video game industry, and Video Gameography with host Ben Reeves, which explores the history of video games – one series at a time, and All Things Nintendo, a show that lives up to its name!

This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now

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