Game Informer |
- Sonic The Hedgehog 2 Movie Review – Full Speed Ahead
- Everybody's Golf Online Servers Shutting Down In September
- Forspoken | Exclusive New Gameplay Today (4K)
- Fast & Furious Crossroads Will Be Delisted Next Month, Less Than 2 Years After Release
- Judge ‘Prepared To Approve’ Activision Blizzard $18 Million Settlement In One Of Its Sexual Harassment Lawsuits
- Suicide Squad: Kill The Justice League, Rogues, Savage Spider-Man, And More! | From Panel To Podcast
- PlayStation CEO Says First-Party Games Will Not Launch Day One On Revamped PS Plus
- Bill Clinton Makes Amusing Cameo In Guilty Gear Strive
- Sega And General Mills Team Up For Sonic The Hedgehog Cereal
- Fortnite: Epic Games Announces Zero Build, A New ‘No-Build’ Mode For The Battle Royale
- The Legend Of Zelda: Breath Of The Wild Sequel Delayed To Spring 2023
- Game Theory Reveals Gaming Coffee Table
- April PlayStation Plus Lineup Reportedly Leaked, Includes SpongeBob Remaster And More
- Apex Legends Next-Gen Update Launches With 4K Resolution And 60fps, More Upgrades On The Way
- Sony Unveils New PlayStation Plus Options That Combine Plus And Now Together
- Read An Exclusive Excerpt From Long Live Mortal Kombat: Round 1, A Novel On The Early History Of MK
- Jessie Buckley To Star In The Dark Pictures Anthology: The Devil In Me
- Top 10 Fighting Games To Play Right Now
- The Top 10 Xbox Series X Games
- New Forever Skies Trailer Showcases Extended Look At First-Person Survival Gameplay
- One Piece Odyssey Is A New RPG Being Developed By The Pokémon Brilliant Diamond And Shining Pearl Team
- Coffee Talk Creator And Writer Fahmi Has Passed Away
- Elden Ring: Unused Files Point To An In-Game Bestiary Possibly Cut
- DNF Duel's Second Open Beta Set For This Weekend
- Kirby And The Forgotten Land Had The Biggest UK Launch In The Franchise
- BioShock Infinite On PC Has Quietly Received More Than A Dozen Updates This Month
- Vampire: The Masquerade - Swansong | New Gameplay Today
- Sons Of The Forest Delayed To October
| Sonic The Hedgehog 2 Movie Review – Full Speed Ahead Posted: 29 Mar 2022 07:00 PM PDT When Sonic the Hedgehog 2 launched on Sega Genesis in 1992, it took the foundation laid with the Blue Blur's debut entry and expanded it in myriad ways. In the 16-bit sequel, Sonic had new moves and a two-tailed fox friend to aid him, but with those upgrades came more significant threats from the evil Dr. Robotnik. Sonic the Hedgehog 2 on Genesis was immediately regarded as a definite upgrade over the already strong first entry in the series. Similarly, Paramount's Sonic the Hedgehog 2 movie expands the universe established by its predecessor and delivers a better overall film thanks to bigger action setpieces, laugh-out-loud gags, and some terrific fanservice moments. Warning: While I try to remain as spoiler-free as possible, some aspects of the narrative and characters are mentioned throughout this article. Sonic the Hedgehog 2 carries the unenviable task of following up a movie that was, by most accounts, a surprise hit. The first film succeeds by being a fun, family-friendly video game adaptation that tells a heart-filled story while paying homage to the character of Sonic the Hedgehog. While Sonic the Hedgehog's unexpected positive reception could have put its sequel in a difficult spot since it comes in with higher expectations, the Jeff Fowler-directed Sonic the Hedgehog 2 clears the higher bar, delivering a better movie in nearly every way.  The story picks up less than a year after the first film's events. Dr. Robotnik (Jim Carrey) is stranded on the mushroom planet, while Sonic (Ben Schwartz) acts as a vigilante. While the first movie's theme is the importance of friendship and family, Sonic the Hedgehog 2 centers on discovering what it means to be a hero. This theme doesn't quite attain Spider-Man's "With great power..." levels of meaningfulness, but some worthwhile lines and sequences hammer home that theme, particularly when Sonic's father figure, Tom (James Marsden), is involved. Despite that thematic shift, Sonic the Hedgehog 2 retains the heart that makes the first film so well-liked. Sonic remains energetic and endearing, thanks mainly to Schwartz's performance. Both Schwartz and Carrey truly come into their own in this film, further embracing their respective roles. Carrey, in particular, delivers one of his most over-the-top performances, full of exaggerated line deliveries and seemingly elastic body humor moments only he can provide. His performance as an increasingly unhinged antagonist is among the highlights of this movie.  The addition of Tails (Colleen O'Shaughnessey) and Knuckles (Idris Elba) also elevates the movie above its predecessor. O'Shaughnessey tackles Tails in a way only a voice actor who has spent eight years already playing the character could, delivering her lines with a genuine, earnest understanding of Sonic's sidekick. Elba also provides strong voice work as the dimwitted brute Knuckles, though with such a well-known voice coming out of the echidna warrior's mouth, I sometimes fell out of the immersion. These two characters fit well into the story, and their characterizations are authentic to what fans of the source material would want. One of the things I most desired from the first movie was a deeper exploration of the lore surrounding the planet Sonic came from, and Sonic the Hedgehog 2 delivers that. Once the film's early stages establish these new characters, the story efficiently gets up to speed as Sonic and Tails embark on an adventure to retrieve the powerful Master Emerald before Dr. Robotnik can get his hands on it. Along the way, we're treated to high-octane action sequences and more gags, one-liners, and quips than seem plausible. The action scenes are exhilarating; the snowboarding sequence shown in the trailers is a terrific tribute to similar moments from the games, while a confrontation featuring Sonic and Tails storming into battle aboard The Tornado biplane brought a smile to my face. The humor is equally crowd-pleasing, and I had multiple laugh-out-loud moments for every joke that felt too heavy-handed or obvious. Even the Easter eggs, while easily noticeable, were often cleverly injected in ways that garnered chuckles.  Fittingly, the pacing of Sonic the Hedgehog 2 is often speedy. However, inconsequential scenes sometimes drag too long, such as a dance number or one subplot featuring characters and arcs outside of the main storylines. The movie began to feel like a slog in those moments, but they are thankfully few and far between; whenever Sonic, Tails, Knuckles, or Robotnik are on the screen, Sonic the Hedgehog 2 is relentlessly enjoyable. Sonic the Hedgehog 2 retains all of what made the first film good while shedding much of its dead weight. Despite those sequences and arcs that overstay their welcome, whenever any of the main characters were on screen, I was captivated thanks to the high-flying action scenes or the humorous banter. I loved the characterizations of all the major players. I can't wait to see what's next for this franchise as it expands into another already-confirmed sequel, plus a Paramount Plus streaming show starring Knuckles. If the credits scene is to be believed, the next stop for this franchise is going to be an exciting destination for fans. 8.5 About Game Informer's review system |
| Everybody's Golf Online Servers Shutting Down In September Posted: 29 Mar 2022 03:00 PM PDT Platform: PlayStation 4 If you've been hitting the links online in Everybody's Golf, your days on the green are now numbered. Sony has announced that the online servers for the 2017 title are shutting down later this year. The shutdown occurs on September 30, as per a message that appears when you visit the game's PlayStation Store page. It also states that "all online features (including online multiplayer modes) will cease on that date. You will still be able to play and enjoy the game in single-player offline modes." That means Everybody Golf will lose its online open-course exploration, where players could freely roam courses and communicate with other players. It also lets players indulge in non-golfing activities such as fishing and swimming. Competitive options such as the game's Turf Mode and international tournaments will also fall to the wayside. Furthermore, this also means that the following online-dependent trophies will no longer be attainable: Platinum Trophy – "Push it to the Limit!" Gold Trophy – "Walking Encyclopaedia" Bronze Trophy – "Online Debut" Everybody Golf launched in August 2017 and was the first entry to drop the North American Hot Shots Golf branding (it was always Everybody's Golf in Japan). Though it wasn't exactly a hole-in-one in terms of features or depth out of the box, it's always sad to see another online mode fall to server cuts. There's no official explanation for the shutdown, but maintaining servers costs money. One must assume the online community isn't active enough to justify keeping the lights on at this point. To learn more about Everybody's Golf, check out our review. |
| Forspoken | Exclusive New Gameplay Today (4K) Posted: 29 Mar 2022 02:35 PM PDT Platform: PlayStation 5, PC After weeks of Forspoken fun, the video portion of our coverage is coming to an end. But we're not going quietly into that good night. We have one last 4K episode of New Gameplay Today with developer Luminous Productions' exciting followup to Final Fantasy XV, including even more exclusive looks at the game. Click here to watch embedded media Join Alex Stadnik as he assembles the dream team to go into the nitty-gritty of Forspoken with industry powerhouses Kim Wallace and Jill Grodt. The three of them kick things off with a look at an area of the game that has been ravaged by The Break, a storm that's causing inhabitants of Athia to mutate into fantastical and disturbing creatures. Just like our previous coverage, protagonist Frey Holland's powers are on full display, showing off her vast array of spells she can wield and all the gorgeous particle effects to compliment them. We also jump into our hands-off thoughts on the game's traversal and discuss why we hope it will be one of the highlights of our experience. Finally, we wrap up this fun 10-minute look at the game with our closing thoughts on Square Enix's next action RPG, and what we're thinking of our time seeing the game ahead of its October 11 release date for PlayStation 5 and PC. We know you're sad our coverage of Forspoken is wrapping up shortly, but fear not. We still have one more written piece coming to the website. If that's just not enough, you can enjoy plenty of Forspoken content, including our written and video looks at the numerous spells in the game, our preview impressions on an episode of The Game Informer Show, and so much more. Be sure to click on the image below to head over to our coverage hub as well. Thank you so much for watching, and we hope you enjoy this beautiful 4K episode of New Gameplay Today! |
| Fast & Furious Crossroads Will Be Delisted Next Month, Less Than 2 Years After Release Posted: 29 Mar 2022 02:15 PM PDT Platform: PlayStation 4, Xbox One, PC Publisher Bandai Namco has announced that it will be delisting Fast & Furious Crossroads on April 29, effectively ending all sales of it. This news comes by way of a small update on the game's official website that says "all product sales will end on" April 28, 2022 at 7 p.m. PT/10 p.m. ET/4 a.m. CEST (on April 29), as reported by Video Games Chronicle. What this means is that if you don't own Fast & Furious Crossroads come April 29, you won't be able to buy it digitally at any point after that. However, because it was released physically, you could always track down a hard copy of the game. Bandai Namco says that "if you bought the game digitally, it will remain in your library and can be redownloaded in the future." DLC for it will be delisted on April 29 as well, so if you're interested in owning that, you'll need to purchase it soon. The DLC is completely digital so don't rely on physical copies of Fast & Furious Crossroads to add it to your library, because that won't be possible. Despite all of this, its online functionality will remain active. For more about Fast & Furious Crossroads, watch its zany reveal at The Game Awards 2019, which saw stars Vin Diesel (Dominic Toretto) and Michelle Rodriguez (Letty Ortiz) take to the stage to talk about the game. Read Game Informer's Fast & Furious Crossroads review after that. [Source: Video Games Chronicle] Are you going to purchase Fast & Furious Crossroads before it's delisted next month? Let us know in the comments below! |
| Posted: 29 Mar 2022 01:30 PM PDT Activision Blizzard, the publisher-studio giant behind franchises like Call of Duty, World of Warcraft, and Overwatch, is set to bring an end to one of the multiple lawsuits filed against it with an $18 million settlement. It must be approved by the courts first, of course, and according to The Washington Post, U.S. District Judge Dale Fischer is "prepared to approve" Activision Blizzard's $18 million settlement in a sexual harassment lawsuit filed against it by the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission. It's important to note that this lawsuit is just one of many Activision Blizzard is facing and you can read more about the others, including this one filed last week, here. "The Court is generally satisfied that both the monetary relief and the nonmonetary provisions are fair, reasonable, and adequate," a California court filing published today reads, according to The Washington Post. These filings call the opposition's – in this case, California's Department of Fair Employment and Housing which has its own lawsuit against Activision Blizzard – evidence "speculative." As noted by Kotaku, during this settlement hearing, a DFEH lawyer argued to a judge that the EEOC's motion to proceed with this settlement was in violation of states' rights to its own judicial proceedings. On the other hand, the EEOC said that the DFEH had months to make this claim but waited until the "eleventh hour" to do so, going as far as to accuse the DFEH of delaying proceedings related to this lawsuit. The judge agreed and said DFEH's argument was "untimely," according to Kotaku, and that if a party disagreed with them, they could take it to the ninth circuit court. "We are pleased the Court recognizes our agreement with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission is fair, adequate, and in the public interest," Activision Blizzard said in a statement to The Washington Post. "Our goal has always been to provide immediate and meaningful compensation to eligible employees who choose to participate and to continue workplace improvements that make Activision Blizzard a model for our industry." The DFEH worries that if this settlement goes through, it will lose the opportunity to pursue further damages at a state court level, since this settlement would be happening on a federal level. "The DFEH will continue to vigorously prosecute its action against Activision in California state court," DFEH spokesperson Fahizah Alim said in a statement to The Washington Post. "In recent weeks, DFEH defeated Activision's request that the Court dismiss DFEH's case, and DFEH has sought documents and other evidence of sexual harassment, discrimination, and retaliation violations over many years by Activision. The Court has set a trial date in February 2023." A lawyer The Washington Post spoke to said claimants for both the EEOC's case, which is getting primed for a settlement, and the DFEH's suit could opt-in to receive compensation from this $18 million settlement. However, if they do choose to do that, they would be disqualified from continuing forward in the DFEH suit. The DFEH does not want this to happen, which is why it and the EEOC are at odds with each other in regards to these lawsuits. If this $18 million settlement is approved, it would be the EEOC's second-largest sexual harassment settlement ever negotiated by the federal agency. According to The Washington Post's report, money from the $18 million settlement will go toward creating harassment and discrimination prevention programs at Activision Blizzard, to be audited by the EEOC. Leftover funding could go to charities related to women in gaming, or charities committed to spreading awareness of gender equality issues in gaming. Speaking non-monetarily, this settlement includes provisions that require Activision Blizzard to expand its mental health counseling services and add new personnel evaluation processes that allow employees to leave feedback in regards to their bosses, according to The Washington Post. On top of that, an independent equal-opportunity employment expert will have to be hired by Activision Blizzard and they will report to the EEOC, and the company will also be required to give mandatory sexual harassment training. These terms would remain for three years and if Activision Blizzard breaks the terms, the EEOC could seek monetary relief. [Source: The Washington Post] |
| Suicide Squad: Kill The Justice League, Rogues, Savage Spider-Man, And More! | From Panel To Podcast Posted: 29 Mar 2022 11:13 AM PDT Platform: PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, PC Two big games were just delayed: the sequel to The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild and Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League. On this week's From Panel to Podcast episode, we talk briefly about the latter being moved into 2023, and also discuss Marvel Unlimited coming to Xbox Game Pass – a move that shocked us. As always, we spend most of the episode talking about last week's comic book releases, and end the show with a look ahead to what releases next Wednesday. 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. This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
| PlayStation CEO Says First-Party Games Will Not Launch Day One On Revamped PS Plus Posted: 29 Mar 2022 09:32 AM PDT Developer: Sony Interactive Entertainment Following Sony's unveiling of its heavily-rumored PlayStation Plus revamp, which combines the features of Plus and those of PlayStation Now into three different tiers, PlayStation CEO Jim Ryan revealed that players should not expect first-party games to launch on the service. Seemingly alluding to the fact that Xbox Game Studios titles launch day-one on Xbox Game Pass, Ryan said if PlayStation were to do this, it would break the company's "virtuous" release cycle. This news comes by way of a new interview with Ryan over at GamesIndustry.biz, who spoke to the CEO about today's PS Plus news. "We feel like we are in a good virtuous cycle with the studios where the investment delivers success, which enables yet more investment, which delivers yet more success," Ryan told GamesIndustry.biz. "We like that cycle and we think our gamers like that cycle. "[In terms of] putting our own games onto this service, or any of our services, upon their release…as you well know, this is not a road that we've gone down in the past. And it's not a road that we're going to go down with this new service. We feel that if we were to do that with the games that we make at PlayStation Studios, that virtuous cycle will be broken. The level of investment that we need to make in our studios would not be possible, and we think the knock-on effect on the quality of the games that we make would not be something that gamers want." However, despite Ryan saying publishing first-party titles on PS Plus would break the company's virtuous cycle, the CEO won't go as far as to say "never," noting that the industry is constantly changing. "The way the world is changing so very quickly at the moment, nothing is forever," Ryan said. "Who would have said even four years ago that you would see AAA PlayStation IP being published on PC? We started that last year with Horizon Zero Dawn, then Days Gone, and now God of War – a hugely polished and accomplished PC version of that game. [We've had] great critical success and great commercial success, and everybody has made their peace with that happening and is completely at ease with it. I look back four years and think nobody would have seen that coming. So I don't want to cast anything in stone at this stage. All I'm talking about today is the approach we're taking in the short term. The way our publishing model works right now, it doesn't make any sense. But things can change very quickly in this industry, as we all know." Elsewhere in the interview, Ryan touches on the pricing of the company's new PlayStation Plus tiers, alluding to the fact that when looked at as an annual charge, the tiers offer better pricing than Xbox Game Pass (although, of course, there's an argument to be made about which service is the better deal in terms of content). "It is a fact – for our services, at least – that the great majority of people subscribe through a 12-month subscription," Ryan said. "It's more than two thirds who subscribe that way. That is an area of value proposition that we have looked at very hard. What we are delivering is that, for a 12-month subscriber, and that is the great majority of people, the monthly subscription rate for PlayStation Plus Extra will be $8.33. And for PlayStation Plus Premium, it will be $9.99. We think, for what people are going to get, this is a terrific value proposition. And one that simply wouldn't be possible if we were to put our studio's games into the service upon release." Ryan said "every major publisher" will be present in the service, including indies, big games, and "things that celebrate our heritage." He also said the Premium tier isn't for everybody but that "once we can share the line-up with the world, we think there's going to be a lot of interest in that." "It's about rounding off the offer that we have," Ryan said. "With platforms, it is seldom just one single thing that makes a platform really attractive. It's a combination of many things. And having a really strong service proposition definitely helps." For more, read Game Informer's breakdown of today's PlayStation Plus news. [Source: GamesIndustry.biz] What do you think of the new PlayStation Plus tiers? Let us know in the comments below! |
| Bill Clinton Makes Amusing Cameo In Guilty Gear Strive Posted: 29 Mar 2022 08:40 AM PDT Platform: PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, PC Guilty Gear Strive launched last summer and is still going strong with DLC characters and Evo fighting tournaments. I bet you never expected a former president to make an appearance in the game. That's right, Bill Clinton is a prop in the background of one of Guilty Gear Strive's various arenas. Sure he's not a playable fighter, but he is a gracious spectator. Gamespot provided the details of why his inclusion is so cheeky and ironic. Clinton condemned a 1999 ad for the game: "kill your friends, guilt free." Guilty Gear wasn't the only title mentioned. Still, in a video I'll link here, Clinton does state that the violence apparent in the slogan mentioned above is "the most unbelievable [example]" of all the games he criticized. While this speech has seemingly been lost to time, Guilty Gear fans have taken pride in their favorite fighter's beratement. Now, Clinton is the latest addition to the game all these years later. Things always come full circle, don't they?
The picture of Clinton (seen above) is pretty blurry, but that's undoubtedly him. The update dropped yesterday with the White House Reborn map that features the 42nd president of the United States, the addition of fan-favorite fighter Testament, and the Digital Figure mode which was used to discover the Clinton photo in the first place. Guilty Gear Strive's second season is off to a hilariously good start. [Source: Gamespot] |
| Sega And General Mills Team Up For Sonic The Hedgehog Cereal Posted: 29 Mar 2022 08:00 AM PDT Ahead of next week's anticipated release of Sonic The Hedgehog 2 in theaters, Sega and General Mills have announced a partnership to bring the spikey blue hedgehog to breakfast nooks nationwide. General Mills will be releasing two Sonic branded food products, with the obligatory breakfast cereal taking center stage. Featuring honey-flavored rings with spin dash and chaos emerald marshmallows, this cereal is going all out on representing Sega's mascot. There's also a "fun back-of-the-box activity for a speedy way to start the day." Neat!  Michael Cisneros, Senior Manager of Licensing at SEGA of America has this to say about the partnership: "General Mills is one of the foremost brands in the food industry — especially when it comes to youth-focused products, so we're thrilled to partner up with them. This partnership is a really fun and creative way to integrate some iconic aspects of the Sonic games into a whole new product line, and we're excited to introduce it to Sonic fans." Also getting the Sonic treatment is a box of fruit snacks which we don't have any details about yet, other than its existence. Both products are considered "special editions," so don't expect these to last on grocery store shelves for long. They're going to go fast! Paramount Pictures' Sonic the Hedgehog 2 hits theaters April 8. |
| Fortnite: Epic Games Announces Zero Build, A New ‘No-Build’ Mode For The Battle Royale Posted: 29 Mar 2022 07:31 AM PDT Platform: PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Switch, PC, Mac, iOS, Android Epic Games unveiled Chapter 3, Season 2 of its popular free-to-play battle royale, Fortnite, by removing all building from the game. Many predicted that this was a temporary change meant to allow players to get used to new mechanics like sprinting, mantling, and more. Now, nine days later, Epic Games has unveiled Fortnite: Zero Build, a permanent mode where there is no building. This mode will sit alongside the return-to-normal building battle royale mode in Fortnite, giving players the option to choose between the two before jumping onto the island. "Zero Build is a pure test of weapon, item, and traversal ability," Epic Games' announcement reads. "Zero Build can be found in the Discover page as Solos, Duos, Trios, and Squads playlists (Access the Discover page by clicking on the 'CHANGE' button above 'PLAY!' in the Lobby). Without building, all players have the recharging Overshield as your first line of defense in Zero Build. Zip up Ascenders to access Blimps or use Mantling to get high-ground over your opponents. Don't forget to Sprint between cover on your way to a Victory Royale." Epic Games has also released a trailer about Fortnite: Zero Build, complete with gameplay from the new mode, to celebrate the news, and as expected, it looks like Fortnite … with no building. Many in the community have enjoyed this gameplay twist in Fortnite, so it being a standard option alongside the regular battle royale mode is a win for all players. Click here to watch embedded media For more, read about the launch of Chapter 3, Season 2, which brought Doctor Strange to Fortnite, and then check out this story about another Fortnite and Marvel team-up for a comic book. Are you excited about Fortnite: Zero Build? Let us know in the comments below! |
| The Legend Of Zelda: Breath Of The Wild Sequel Delayed To Spring 2023 Posted: 29 Mar 2022 07:16 AM PDT Platform: Switch Nintendo has delayed the sequel to The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild to Spring 2023. This news comes by way of a video shared by Nintendo on Twitter. The Legend of Zelda series producer Eiji Aonuma reveals that the development team needs more time to make it as special as Nintendo wants it to be. Click here to watch embedded media Here's what Aonuma says in the video, in full: "Hello, I'm Eiji Aonuma, producer on The Legend of Zelda series. I have an update to share on the launch timing of the sequel to The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild. We previously announced that we were aiming for a 2022 release for this game. However, we have decided to extend our development time a bit and change the release to Spring 2023. For those of you who have been looking forward to a release this year we apologize. "As previously announced, the adventure in this sequel will take place not just on the ground as in the previous game, but also in the skies above. However, the expanded world goes beyond that and there will be an even wider variety of features you can enjoy including new encounters and new gameplay elements. In order to make this game's experience something special, the entire development team is continuing to work diligently on this game, so please wait a while longer. That's all for today's announcement. Thank you." The video shared by Nintendo also features footage from the sequel, with at least one new shot. Unfortunately, Nintendo did not share an official name for the game, still referring to it as a sequel to Breath of the Wild. Since its announcement, that's how Nintendo has referred to the game and fans eagerly await the reveal of its title. Only time will tell when that will be and it sounds like we'll be waiting a little longer than expected to find out. For more, read about how Breath of The Wild's follow-up should expand on the games' fantastic emergent experiences, and then check out Game Informer's favorite Zelda moments and memories. Are you excited for this sequel? Let us know in the comments below! |
| Game Theory Reveals Gaming Coffee Table Posted: 29 Mar 2022 07:00 AM PDT Dedicated tabletop gaming tables have been gaining steam for some time now, offering custom solutions for players who want a more nuanced solution for where to play out RPG or board game nights. Game Theory Tables is one of the recognized players in the category, thanks largely to the success of its customizable Origins table. Today, the team is launching a new crowdfunding drive for that table and a recently announced new coffee table format of a similar design, alongside a substantial discount on their standard pricing. The original Origins table was most notable for its customizability, including a choice of wood color, playmats, cupholders, and optional accessories like USB chargers and dice-rolling towers. But its chief success lies in its recessed design, which offered a 4-inch recessed play area, which a dining top could cover, keeping in-process games in stasis while the family enjoys dinner, and allowing the game to pick back up when the group is ready to get back to the action.  The new coffee table variation of the Origins table seems to recognize that many players have switched to a more relaxed approach to game night get-togethers. The idea seems to be that the crowd is gathered in easy chairs and couches, leaning in to take a turn when the time is right, but you still want a suitable play space. Alongside the new coffee table twist, Game Theory is also updating the original Origins table for its latest run in 2022. The two options are headed into a new crowdfunding drive, with a planned slate of 650 units of each table available for purchase, and with pricing marked to 30 percent below Game Theory's standard website pricing. If you've been waiting and considering springing for a new play surface to enjoy with your gaming group, the Kickstarter goes live today. |
| April PlayStation Plus Lineup Reportedly Leaked, Includes SpongeBob Remaster And More Posted: 29 Mar 2022 06:44 AM PDT Platform: PlayStation 4, Switch, PC The April 2022 PlayStation Plus lineup has reportedly leaked. It includes Hood: Outlaws & Legends as its main PlayStation 5 title alongside two PlayStation 4 games: Slay The Spire and SpongeBob SquarePants: Battle For Bikini Bottom Rehydrated. This news comes by way of French forum Dealabs user billbil-kun, who has leaked the PS Plus lineup almost every month for the past seven months, as reported by Eurogamer. Now, while billbil-kun has been accurate in the past, it's important to note that this is still a potential leak and not official wording, so there's always the chance this lineup is incorrect. However, subscribers have an interesting lineup ahead of them for April if it's correct. Hood: Outlaws & Legends Hood: Outlaws & Legends was released less than a year ago, on May 10, and it's a gritty take on the classic tales of Robin Hood and others, in the form of team-based multiplayer combat. In it, two teams of various classes face off in a battle to collect stolen medieval riches, with four major character archetypes to choose from: ranger, brawler, mystic, or hunter, and each has plenty of customization options to accompany them. In short, Hood: Outlaws & Legends is a medieval, multiplayer heist game. Click here to watch embedded media Slay The Spire Slay The Spire is a deckbuilding rogue-like that's one of the best card-based games out there. In it, you use cards as tools to create classic fantasy archetypes of your choice to brave the dangers of various random dungeons. Each run, you're inspired to try out new cards, create new decks, and build upon reworked tactics to make it further and further up the titular spire. If you die, you restart knowing what went wrong last time. It's a fantastic game, and you can read about why in Game Informer's 9.25 out of 10 Slay The Spire review. Click here to watch embedded media SpongeBob SquarePants: Battle For Bikini Bottom Rehydrated SpongeBob SquarePants: Battle For Bikini Bottom Rehydrated is a June 2020 remaster of the original SpongeBob SquarePants: Battle For Bikini Bottom, first released in 2003. It's a classic mascot platformer with light combat and many collectibles to find. It's also widely praised as one of the best SpongeBob games, so if you need a Krabby Patty or two, Rehydrated might be right up your alley. It's one of many Steam Deck ready games, too, if you have that device and want to give it a go before playing it on PlayStation. Click here to watch embedded media If you haven't yet, add last month's PS Plus games, which include Ghostrunner, Ark: Survival Evolved, Team Sonic Racing, and a bonus in the form of Ghost of Tsushima: Legends. These will likely be available until the end of March, and if April's lineup is like previous months, the new PS Plus titles will be available for download starting this Friday, April 1. [Source: Eurogamer] Are you excited about this potential lineup? Let us know in the comments below! |
| Apex Legends Next-Gen Update Launches With 4K Resolution And 60fps, More Upgrades On The Way Posted: 29 Mar 2022 06:00 AM PDT Platform: PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Switch, PC Apex Legends is still one of the most bombastic and frenetic battle royales on the market. I've been covering its growth for a while, but The Warriors Collection event, dropping today, might bring the most notable and highly-anticipated change to Respawn's Titanfall-adjacent shooter in years: a next-gen update. This upgrade launches with 4K resolution and 60fps, among other exciting features. However, further additions are in the works.
According to Eurogamer, the next-gen version of Apex Legends comes with the aforementioned upgrades as well as higher draw distances (not all improvements are available on Xbox Series S) and high-res maps. Sure, the battle royale's comic-book aesthetic might not be as eye-popping as games with "realistic" graphics, but it'll be nice to see the new detailed textures on characters and geographical structures. Many console fans are waiting for 120fps, and that is undoubtedly on the way. Eurogamer reports, "further additions coming soon include 120fps, more visual and audio improvements, and haptic feedback and adaptive triggers on PS5." I predominantly play on Xbox, but even I can't resist checking out how Apex will feel with a DualSense controller when the next update is implemented. Click here to watch embedded media The Warriors Collection event brings the 9v9 Control mode back into rotation with a Caustic-themed map called Caustic Treatment. Moreover, a new arena, Drop-Off, is coming to the 3v3 playlist. Be sure to watch the trailer above for more info. Will you be hot-dropping into Apex Legends today? Let us know in the comments below! [Source: Eurogamer] |
| Sony Unveils New PlayStation Plus Options That Combine Plus And Now Together Posted: 29 Mar 2022 05:15 AM PDT PlayStation has finally pulled back the curtains on its heavily-rumored relaunch of PlayStation Plus and PlayStation Now, and as expected, it combines Plus and Now benefits. Spread across three tiers – PlayStation Plus Essential (cheapest), PlayStation Plus Extra, and PlayStation Plus Premium (most expensive) – one of these is basically what Plus has been for years. At the same time, the other two add in Now's backward compatibility features. All three tiers launch this June, although PlayStation did not reveal an official release date. Here are the three tiers that will be available this June: PlayStation Plus Essential
PlayStation Plus Extra
PlayStation Plus Premium
"The new Extra and Premium tiers represent a major evolution for PlayStation Plus," PlayStation's announcement blog reads. "With these tiers, our key focus is to ensure that hundreds of games we offer will include the best quality content that sets us apart. At launch, we plan to include titles such as Death Stranding, God of War, Marvel's Spider-Man, Marvel's Spider-Man: Miles Morales, Mortal Kombat 11, and Returnal. We're working closely with our imaginative developers from PlayStation Studios and third-party partners to include some of the best gaming experiences available with a library that will be regularly refreshed. "When the new PlayStation Plus service launches, PlayStation Now will transition into the new PlayStation Plus offering and will no longer be available as a standalone service. PlayStation Now customers will migrate over to PlayStation Plus Premium with no increase to their current subscription fees at launch." PlayStation says this launch effort will begin with a regional approach. In June, the launch will happen in "several markets in Asia, followed by North America, Europe, and the rest of the world where PlayStation Plus is offered." It aims to have most PlayStation Network territories live with these new tiers of subscription by the end of the first half of 2022. "Building upon more than 25 years of expertise in gaming innovation, this change to our subscription services highlights our continued efforts to evolve our network services business to match customer's preferences," the blog post reads. "With the all-new PlayStation Plus, we're focused on delivering a compelling game subscription service with curated content from our exclusive PlayStation Studios team and our third-party partners. The newly enhanced PlayStation Plus will enable our fans to discover and engage with more content than ever before, and deeper their connection with the PlayStation community through shared experiences." What do you think of these new PlayStation Plus tiers? Let us know in the comments below! |
| Read An Exclusive Excerpt From Long Live Mortal Kombat: Round 1, A Novel On The Early History Of MK Posted: 29 Mar 2022 05:00 AM PDT Long Live Mortal Kombat: Round 1 – The Fatalities and Fandom of the Arcade Era is an upcoming novel detailing the origin and early history of Mortal Kombat. The book compiles interviews with MK co-creator John Tobias and other designers, critics, and fans to weave a comprehensive tale of the franchises' beginnings. Author David L. Craddock (Stay Awhile and Listen trilogy, Monsters in the Dark: The Making of X-COM: UFO Defense) has launched a Kickstarter campaign to get the book off the ground and shared an exclusive chapter from the book with Game Informer that you can read below.  Long Live Mortal Kombat: Round 1 Book Cover Long Live Mortal Kombat: Round 1 – The Fatalities and Fandom of the Arcade Era goes behind the scenes to reveal untold stories from the making of Mortal Kombat 1 through 4 and explores how the franchise impacted popular culture, and is funding now on Kickstarter. In this excerpt from the book, a small boy earns the respect of the drug dealers who rule his arcade by besting them in a fight—in Mortal Kombat. ** Bulgaria's opioid crisis didn't happen overnight. The country was part of the Soviet bloc, a totalitarian regime whose agents policed drug channels in and out of regions under their control. Residents of countries such as the United States and Europe had access to a plethora of recreational drugs, but a drug network taking root in Bulgaria was viewed as next to impossible. That changed in 1968 when Bulgaria's International Youth Festival allowed young people to meet attendees from other countries. They traded stories of where they lived and what they liked to do for fun. Drugs, a staple of the counterculture movement in the U.S. and abroad, were a huge part of the gathering. Still, Bulgaria avoided an epidemic until the fall of 1990. At the Hemus Hotel, located downtown in the Bulgarian capital of Sofia, Iranian refugees who had fled to escape the politics of their homelands spread word that they were open for business. They were careful, operating out of locations such as the underground shopping area of the National Palace of Culture. Rates of heroin usage climbed over the next two years. In 1992, incidents involving heroin addicts soared by 31 percent as the drug spread. As those who ran the drug market grew bolder, their dealers emerged from the underground and set up shop in more public places. Amusement parlors became prime spots to conduct business. The clientele consisted largely of children and teens who were unsupervised, and the latter group showed an interest in substances that would guarantee them a good time. The market's reach grew as dealers worked together to trade secrets and strategies. To avoid detection by law enforcement, they stashed heroin in pockets or, bolder still, held it in their hands until they made a sale. With nothing to do between serving customers, they commandeered coin-op games until a buyer approached. Soon, they were unafraid of police intervention. Local law enforcement had no clue what was going on. By 1993, Bulgaria's dealers thought of themselves as kings. Anyone who game rooms knew not to approach a cabinet if local dealers were playing, usually surrounded by a coterie of toughs who were there to protect him, or push their own supplies, or both. If you weren't there to buy drugs, the cabinets with their flashing screens may as well not exist. No one dared oppose them. No one except a 10-year-old boy with preternatural hand-eye coordination and enough strength to tear a head free of its body. ** Growing up, Andrey Stefanov had zero interest in video games. He wanted to build kingdoms out of LEGO bricks. He dabbled in home games like Super Mario Bros. 3, but always returned to his bricks. Then he discovered Mortal Kombat. However, Bulgaria's Kombat cabinet looked nothing like the hardware found across North America. Coin-op games were expensive to import, so Bulgarian operators would buy kits to install in the cabinets of older games no longer earning. "We had MK1 with a three-button layout. It was not the original arcade design; it was used in some other game," Stefanov says. At first, Stefanov watched older kids play Mortal Kombat and didn't see what all the hype was all about. The graphics were great, with characters that looked more realistic compared to Street Fighter II, and the bloodshed was kind of cool. But so what? Take away the gore and it was just another punch-and-kick game. Then, at the end of a match between a ninja clad in black and yellow, and a cocky Hollywood star, the sky turned dark and the ninja peeled off his face to reveal a skull. Turning to his dazed and bloodied opponent, the ninja breathed flame and reduced the humbled star to charred bones. "I was like, 'That changes everything.' The real reason for me to start playing was Scorpion's fatality in the first game," he says. Every day, his parents gave Stefanov five coins for lunch at school. Every day, he made the five-minute walk to the mall near his apartment, climbed to the second floor, and ventured into the arcade where he spent his lunch money on Mortal Kombat. The game's learning curve was steep. His three-button layout had one punch, one kick, and block. With two buttons missing, he had to do certain moves by pressing combinations of buttons such as throwing Sub-Zero's ice by pressing down, forward, and high punch plus block. The second and larger obstacle was the drug dealers. As Mortal Kombat's popularity exploded, the dealers dictated who could play. Their rules were simple: they played, and everyone else could watch or get the hell out. When they weren't charring opponents or throwing fireballs, they stole lunch money from kids who wandered into the parlor. Some dealers knew Stefanov, so they took it easier on him. "The biggest threat I received was them taking my money for school," he recalled. Every now and then, the dealers let him play. The gesture was not made out of kindness. The dealer on duty would wait until Stefanov got near the end of the battle plan—an endurance match, or better yet, the fight against Goro or Shang Tsung—then insert coins, thrash Stefanov's character, and finish the game in minutes. "It was kind of humiliating," he admits.  Bullying was not enough to keep Stefanov away from the game room. He peeked his head in and played when the toughs weren't around, and resigned to being chased off when one of the dealers decided it was his turn to play. Instead of running away, Stefanov hung back and picked up on strategies like punching characters out of the air and thought about how he might string moves together to form combos. One with Sub-Zero was simple: hit a jumping kick, then immediately perform his slide before his opponent landed. Soon, a larger problem materialized. Stefanov only had so many coins. A solution materialized as a wealthy friend at school who lived in a huge house and had a Sega Mega Drive (known as Sega Genesis in the U.S.) with a copy of Mortal Kombat. "It is very different from the arcade, but you could practice on it, at least." Owning a Mega Drive was a status symbol. Bulgaria had been a communist country until mass demonstrations forced the government to adopt democratic reforms in the early 1990s. Part of the result was Bulgaria opening its borders to do business with foreign companies like Nintendo and Sega. Before democratic reforms were adopted, those and other game companies had no way of selling their products. That left the market open for imitators like the Terminator, a bootleg console that played Nintendo Famicom cartridges and some NES titles. Sega and Nintendo could release their 16-bit platforms in Bulgaria, but their machines proved too expensive for most consumers. Instead, most Bulgarians who had money for games bought the Terminator 2, a console with Super NES-like molding but colored black instead of beige, and only cost 23.09 Bulgarian Lev, or $13.68 in 2021 US dollars. Most games cost one Lev, or 59 cents. Stefanov's friend loaned him the Mega Drive and Mortal Kombat cartridge. After his family went to bed, Stefanov sat awash in the television's glow, practicing special moves and combos. It was the first of many nights he sacrificed sleep. One morning a week later, Stefanov dressed, collected his lunch money, then skipped school and headed to the arcade. One of the dealers was hogging the cabinet. He was playing as Sub-Zero. After every win, he boasted that no one could play ice ninja better than he could. Stefanov approached and politely asked if he could challenge him. The dealer smirked and waved him forward. At the character select screen, they both chose Sub-Zero. Two rounds later, Stefanov's character stood over the doppelganger's corpse, blood dripping from the severed spinal column. The dealer shot him a nasty look, then deposited more coins. This time he waited until Stefanov made his choice—Sub-Zero again—then counter-picked, a tactic where one player chooses a character based on their opponent's choice. The dealer chose Johnny Cage, the cocky Hollywood star. A crowd formed around them. Stefanov risked a glance at the dealer. The man's face had gone from scarlet to puce. This was bad. Stefanov dropped his right hand from the buttons. With his left hand, he tilted the joystick one way, then the other, causing his character to pace back and forth. The dealer took the first round with Flawless Victory. The onlookers, mostly friends of the dealer's, cheered and applauded. The dealer turned to his Stefanov wearing a smug grin. "It's fine. You can play. I'll beat you, anyway." Stefanov placed his right hand on the buttons. Within one minute, he'd won a round. Within two, he'd separated the dealer's head and spinal column from his body again. The dealer swore and shoved Stefanov against the cabinet, slapping him again and again. Then the man stormed off. Wincing, Stefanov left the arcade. He returned the next day. To his surprise, the dealers, including the one he'd killed twice, let him step up to the machine. This time, instead of bumping him off the cabinet or roughing him up, they asked questions. A grin split Stefanov's face. "You had to learn to play the game so you'd be able to do well even on single-player," he explains. "You had to learn respect to not be terrorized."
 David L. Craddock You can support Long Live Mortal Kombat: Round 1 – The Fatalities and Fandom of the Arcade Era by visiting its Kickstarter campaign. Craddock plans to hold a Reddit AMA today at 1 p.m. Eastern to answer questions and share additional content. |
| Jessie Buckley To Star In The Dark Pictures Anthology: The Devil In Me Posted: 28 Mar 2022 03:46 PM PDT Platform: PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, PC The Dark Pictures Anthology: The Devil In Me is the upcoming installment in Supermassive Games' collection of horror games and the season finale. So far, a cinematic trailer has established the atmosphere for the scares to come, and now we know that Academy Award-nominated actress Jessie Buckley will star in the game.  Buckley will lend her voice and likeness to the game's protagonist, Kate Wilder. The actress' film credits include The Lost Daughter (which earned her an Oscar nod for Best Supporting Actress at the 2022 Academy Awards), Wild Rose, and Judy. She's also had notable TV roles on series such as Fargo and Chernobyl.
The Devil In Me follows a documentary film crew that gets invited to explore a replica of the home of America's first serial killer, H.H. Holmes. While exploring the ominously named "Murder Castle," things quickly take a turn for the worse as the crew is stalked by a dangerous figure. The Devil In Me ostensibly launches this year given the yearly release cadence of previous Dark Pictures games but Supermassive has not confirmed a release window. It will serve as the finale of the first season of the Anthology. It was assumed that the final four entries in the planned eight-game series would make up Season 2; however, Supermassive recently trademarked the titles of five more games, bringing the total number to 10. Supermassive has a busy 2022 ahead because it also has the summer camp slasher horror game The Quarry hitting this June. The studio deems this star-studded title as a spiritual successor to Until Dawn. You can learn more about what that The Quarry entails here. |
| Top 10 Fighting Games To Play Right Now Posted: 28 Mar 2022 02:10 PM PDT Whether you're looking for a traditional one-on-one 2D fighter, an arena brawler, a platform/party game, or a frantic tag-team affair, the current fighting game genre is diverse and action-packed. Want something balanced and geared for competition? Have friends over and want to play something accessible and approachable? Do you have a nostalgic itch to scratch or want to connect with a popular character in a new way? Fighting games have all of these bases covered. You don't need to be a skilled tournament player to enjoy the games on this list, but the option is certainly there if you'd like. Presented in no particular order is a list that will mold and change as new games release. Here are the top fighting games you should check out right now.  |
| The Top 10 Xbox Series X Games Posted: 28 Mar 2022 01:00 PM PDT Platform: Xbox Series X/S, Xbox One, Switch, PC So you got your hands on an Xbox Series X? Congratulations! As you've probably noticed by now, the hardware allows for lightning fast gaming when compared to previous generations, and the Quick Resume feature that allows you to seamlessly change games is, well, a game-changer. While the feature set of the Xbox Series X is impressive (not to mention its stellar backward compatibility library), you probably want some games to play on that beast of a console. The team at Game Informer worked together to compile a list of the 10 games we think are the best on Xbox Series X/S. As more games come out, we'll update this list with the latest releases that we feel deserve to crack the top 10. Please note that while the list below contains 10 entries, we aren't ranking them. If a game has made it this far (and managed to stay here), it's a must-play, period. As such, we'll be listing entries in reverse chronological order. Also, with future updates, you'll find a rundown of previous entries at the bottom of the list. While those titles have gotten bumped over time, they are still all great games in their own right and worth exploring if you're already caught up on the latest hits. Here are Game Informer's picks for the top 10 games on Xbox Series X/S:  |
| New Forever Skies Trailer Showcases Extended Look At First-Person Survival Gameplay Posted: 28 Mar 2022 11:16 AM PDT Platform: PlayStation 5, PC Far From Home has released a new trailer for its upcoming first-person survival sci-fi game, Forever Skies, and it showcases the impressive verticality players will be scaling on an abandoned, decrepit Earth. Forever Skies was revealed back in January. Far From Home showed then that players will control a scientist who returns to a devastated Earth to scavenge for remains while discovering what's changed on their former home planet. Following an ecological disaster, Earth has been left heavily coated in a thick layer of toxic dust, and you'll need to discover why this happened and how to survive it while you're there. At the heart of the game's survival exploration is your airbase, which is like a sci-fi airship that serves as your headquarters. Click here to watch embedded media "Both on foot and in their fully adaptable airship, players must explore ruins above and below the dust in this strange new world, collecting samples and hunting for specific virus strains to find a cure for what remains of humanity, currently displaced in Earth's orbit," a press release reads. "New scientific technology, particularly the use of nanobot repair systems and advances in biology and biotechnology, will aid players on their journey. But the surface has become a dangerous and inhospitable environment in humanity's absence. Evolved fauna and flora and curious new microorganisms have emerged, making humans now aliens to their home planet." Click here to view embedded media Forever Skies will be a single-player game when it launches into Early Access this year on PC, but Far From Home has plans to add co-op and console support to it. As you can see in the trailer above, Forever Skies features plenty of destroyed locales to visit, and despite the ecological destruction, it looks great visually. The footage in the trailer is in-game pre-alpha footage, according to Far From Home, but we'll all be able to go hands-on with it sometime this year when Forever Skies hits Steam Early Access. In the meantime, be sure to watch the Forever Skies reveal trailer from January. Are you excited for Forever Skies? Let us know in the comments below! |
| Posted: 28 Mar 2022 10:30 AM PDT Platform: PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, PlayStation 4, PC Despite its acclaim and popularity, One Piece continues to be a harrowing viewing experience because of its unprecedented number of episodes. Good thing games like the Pirate Warriors series and World Seeker are around to quickly help fill in any story gaps or side content that players haven't seen yet. And now, a new RPG called One Piece Odyssey is joining that ever-growing catalog. The team behind last year's Pokemon Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl are helming the game's development. Click here to watch embedded media The One Piece Odyssey trailer (seen above) begins with a note of praise from legendary One Piece mangaka and One Piece Odyssey story writer Eiichiro Oda: "I thought to myself – wasn't it like 3 years ago when I designed the characters [for Odyssey]?! Hahaha! But when I actually saw the game…Wow! It felt like I was watching a MOVIIIIE!!! What incredible immersion!!" And based on the scale of the gameworld – monster-riddled beaches, underground caverns, open seas – Odyssey might be the console adventure that readers and viewers have been waiting for. Luffy, of course, is still the star, and his band of oddball pirates will accompany him on his latest mission. Ilca, Inc. is in charge of the RPG's development, while Tales of composer Motoi Sakuraba brings his talents to the soundtrack. There'll be plenty of boss fights, party member-specific abilities, and interesting plot beats to uncover. The trailer dramatically states and concludes, "Jump in, to a time of tears and laughter. Let's travel to the heart of memories. This point in history should have never happened…"
I have no idea what that means [Editor's note: I'm caught up on the manga and also have no idea – JC], but I'm sure One Piece fans will be excited to find out when the RPG drops sometime this year for Playstation 5, Xbox Series X/S, PlayStation 4, and PC. |
| Coffee Talk Creator And Writer Fahmi Has Passed Away Posted: 28 Mar 2022 09:40 AM PDT Platform: PlayStation 4, Xbox One, PC, Mac Fahmi, the creator and writer of the acclaimed indie visual novel game Coffee Talk, has passed away.  Fahmi's sister as well as the official Coffee Talk Twitter account broke the sad news of the Indonesian developer's sudden passing yesterday. Fahmi, whose full name was Mohammad Fahmi, was 32 years old. No cause of death has been given. At the time of his passing, Fahmi was working on the upcoming slice-of-life adventure game, Afterlove EP. Today we received a devastating news that Fahmi, the creator & writer of Coffee Talk, has passed away. May his soul rest in peace, and our hearts are with his family and loved ones. May all the good things he shared, story he wrote, live on with us forever. Thank you, Fahmi. According to IGN, Fahmi was born in 1990 and began his career at Gameloft as a programmer and designer. He joined Tangerang-based Toge Productions as a marketing and PR manager where he wrote and developed Coffee Talk, which released in 2020. The game became a critical hit and has since become Toge Productions most successful title; a sequel is currently in the works. Prior to working at Toge Productions, Fahmi was also the former Editor-in-Chief of the Games Department for the Jakarta technology outlet Tech in Asia. Following Coffee Talk's success, Fahmi went on to open his own studio, Pikslenesia, where he created the side-scrolling narrative adventure game What Comes After. Today we received the sad news that Fahmi, lead developer of Afterlove EP, has passed away. Fahmi was a unique and inspiring voice and we feel blessed to have known him. We are devastated by this loss and will miss him dearly. Rest in Peace, Fahmi, may your stories live forever Fahmi was a supremely talented creator and his passing is a major blow to the Southeast Asian game development community as well as the indie gaming scene at large. Game Informer extends its deepest condolences to Fahmi's family and friends. |
| Elden Ring: Unused Files Point To An In-Game Bestiary Possibly Cut Posted: 28 Mar 2022 09:10 AM PDT Platform: PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, PC Elden Ring is a massive game, both in terms of the actual world and the scale/scope of the action RPG. Having been out for just a month, players are still discovering all kinds of secrets, and something tells us that will continue to happen for months, if not years. One player, JesterPatches, who is well-known for digging deep into From Software games, posted on Twitter yesterday that they had discovered icons not used in Elden Ring (but still in the files of the game) that point toward what might have once been a bestiary, as reported by Eurogamer. This feature would have been an encyclopedia for the creatures and enemies of Elden Ring, likely displaying information discovered from fighting them, if it was to be anything like bestiaries in other games.
As you can see in JesterPatches' tweet above, they uncovered 128 icons showing different NPCs in Elden Ring. Each NPC has two icons, one greyed out and one filled in (perhaps for before finding them in-game and after, in the bestiary). Overall, there are 68 unique icons ranging from standard soldiers to the bird enemies, to demi-humans, godskins, and more.
We'll likely never know if a bestiary was planned for Elden Ring, but these unearthed icons certainly seem to point to one existing at some point in the game's development. Or, perhaps it's something From Software is planning to add after the fact. It did just update Elden Ring to include additional steps in NPC questlines and more, after all. For more, read Game Informer's Elden Ring review and then check out this story about how From Software wants to expand the brand of Elden Ring beyond just the game. After that, watch this player beat Godrick the Grafted with bananas. [Source: Eurogamer] Are you still playing Elden Ring? Let us know what you think of it in the comments below! |
| DNF Duel's Second Open Beta Set For This Weekend Posted: 28 Mar 2022 08:20 AM PDT Platform: PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, PC A new trailer for Arc System Works and Eighting's latest fighting game DNF Duel has dropped, once again highlighting the Ghost Blade's combat style, but this time with a new beta announcement attached at the end. PlayStation 5 and PlayStation 4 owners (sorry, PC players) will get to grind out rounds of DNF Duel starting on April 1 at 7 p.m. Pacific and lasting until April 4 at 7 a.m. Pacific. The testing period's roster isn't confirmed, but every character is present in the trailer, just like in the previous beta announcement, leading me to believe all 11 characters will be playable this weekend. Click here to watch embedded media The previous open beta allowed players to battle in online lobbies to test out the game's rollback netcode and the 10 characters available at the time. There's no word on whether other modes like training or offline multiplayer will be available for this beta. DNF Duel will be launching on June 28 for PS5, PS4, and PC. |
| Kirby And The Forgotten Land Had The Biggest UK Launch In The Franchise Posted: 28 Mar 2022 07:46 AM PDT Platform: Switch Kirby and the Forgotten Land had a big launch in the U.K. and that's usually a great sign for a game, as we wait for U.S. numbers (and others) to be released. Sometimes, a week or so after a game's launch, Nintendo will publicly reveal how much a game has sold like it did with Pokemon Legends: Arceus in February. While Nintendo hasn't yet done that for Kirby's first full-featured 3D debut, GamesIndustry.biz reports that it landed at the top of the "U.K. Boxed Charts in its first week," beating out what likely is its biggest release-week competitor, Tiny Tina's Wonderlands, which came in second. Click here to watch embedded media In fact, GamesIndustry.biz reports that Kirby and the Forgotten Land had the biggest launch ever for a Kirby game in the U.K., selling 2.5 times the number of copies in its first week as the previous best, 2018's Kirby Star Allies. This is actually Kirby's first top-spot debut, too. With less than a full week on the market, Kirby and the Forgotten Land is already the fifth best-selling Kirby game in the U.K. Elsewhere in U.K. video game sales, GhostWire: Tokyo, which also launched the same week as Kirby and Tiny Tina's Wonderlands, debuted in the eleventh spot. For more, read Game Informer's reviews of last week's new games: Kirby and the Forgotten Land review, Tiny Tina's Wonderlands review, and GhostWire: Tokyo review. [Source: GamesIndustry.biz] Have you been playing Kirby and the Forgotten Land? Let us know what you think of it in the comments below! |
| BioShock Infinite On PC Has Quietly Received More Than A Dozen Updates This Month Posted: 28 Mar 2022 06:54 AM PDT Platform: PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, PC, Mac BioShock Infinite just had its nine-year anniversary on Saturday, having first released on March 26, 2013, and now, fans are noticing something odd about the PC version of the game: it has quietly received 13 updates this month. That's quite a lot of updates, but it's more than a dozen on top of multiple that have consistently gone live in BioShock Infinite since roughly September 2021, as reported by TheGamer. What's odd is that 2K, the publisher behind BioShock Infinite, hasn't really publicly acknowledged these updates. On top of that, there's no confirmed reasoning behind them either as BioShock Infinite remains the same game it was before the updates started happening. According to TheGamer, it received seven updates in 2021 and now, in March alone, it's had 13. Players have begun speculating about what these updates mean, and why they're happening, and some have arrived at a possible remaster of BioShock Infinite, or a new-gen update (which could theoretically affect the PC version). Others think that perhaps 2K is working on some back-end stuff to make BioShock Infinite a Steam Deck-ready game. However, what seems most likely is some behind-the-scenes work on 2K launch integration, as pointed out by LitheBeep on Reddit. Zorklis on Reddit, in response, said one of the updates features "2K Launcher Development Branch" in it, seemingly confirming that the updates have to do with this launcher and not anything more exciting like a remaster or new-gen update. Perhaps 2K will end the speculation by letting everyone know what's going on with BioShock Infinite. In the meantime, read Game Informer's BioShock Infinite review and then listen to Game Informer's Video Gameography crew dive deep into the history of BioShock. After that, read about what we want from BioShock 4. [Source: TheGamer] |
| Vampire: The Masquerade - Swansong | New Gameplay Today Posted: 28 Mar 2022 06:00 AM PDT Platform: PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Switch, PC Vampire: The Masquerade - Swansong is an upcoming narrative RPG set within the cult tabletop universe and looks to be one of the more promising game releases in 2022. In this episode of New Gameplay Today, join Alex Van Aken alongside Kimberly Wallace and Wesley LeBlanc as they react to some of the wildest vampire mind control they've seen. Swansong releases on May 19 for PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X, PS4, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, and PC. If you enjoyed this early gameplay preview, be sure to subscribe to our YouTube channel and check out other episodes of NGT right here. |
| Sons Of The Forest Delayed To October Posted: 28 Mar 2022 05:55 AM PDT Platform: PC Endnight Games has announced that its upcoming survival game, Sons Of The Forest, has been delayed from its original May release window to October. This news comes by way of Endnight Games' own Twitter, where the studio announced that its vision of the game is too ambitious for it to hit its May 2022 release date. The team needs more time to bring its vision to life, and it's taking an additional five months to do just that. "Over these past few weeks, we have realized that our May 2022 release date for Sons Of The Forest was overly ambitious. To be able to deliver our vision of the next step in survival games, we've decided to move our release date to October 2022."
As you can see in the tweet above, Endnight Games included a quick snippet of video showcasing some things in Sons Of The Forest, including what appears to be a dazed NPC, the protagonist eating a raw fish, a log shelter being built, a target being unfolded, and more. The last we saws of Sons Of The Forest was in a December trailer that showcased how terrifyingly brutal the survival game is, with some sequences appearing to be straight-up horror. Sons Of The Forest builds upon The Forest's survival mechanics, which included collecting materials to craft shelters and build hunting tools, finding and foraging food to keep you alive, and more. Endnight Games' latest looks like a treat for fans of the genre. We'll all find out this October. For more, watch this release date trailer for Sons Of The Forest and then read about 30 gross things you can do in The Forest. Find out why it's one of our most anticipated horror games this year after that. Are you excited about Sons Of The Forest? Let us know in the comments below! |
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