Game Informer |
- Death Stranding Director's Cut Is Worth Another Trek Across America
- The Stanley Parable: Ultra Deluxe Release Date Announced, And It Was Always Right In Front Of Us
- Diablo 4 Boasts Five Explorable Regions With Over 150 Dungeons
- Game Of Thrones Prequel Series House Of The Dragon Premieres In August
- Tales Of Arise And Scarlet Nexus Get Stylish Crossover Today
- Hands-On With Bugsnax Expansion The Isle Of Bigsnax
- Unpacking Moves To PlayStation Consoles This Spring
- Child Of Light's Aurora Joins Bloodstained As Free DLC Tomorrow
| Death Stranding Director's Cut Is Worth Another Trek Across America Posted: 30 Mar 2022 02:30 PM PDT Platform: PlayStation 5, PC Admittedly, it'd take very little for me to be on board with a Death Stranding Director's Cut. It only needed to be more Death Stranding for me to be sold on revisiting Hideo Kojima's latest vanity project. Luckily for me, that's exactly what the Director's Cut is. I love the original release, and this is a perfect excuse to dive back in. I think you should play it, too. But maybe not for the reasons you think. Death Stranding Director's Cut is pitched as an expanded version of the base game that came out in 2019, the definitive version of Kojima's vision. After 26 hours – and much, much more still to go – my knee-jerk impression is that the Director's Cut moniker is marketing spiel more than anything. Still, there are some fun and creative new additions that enhance the overall experience. For new players, all the bells and whistles you've come to expect from PlayStation re-releases are present in Director's Cut – performance/resolution modes, unbelievably fast load times, 60 frames per second, and all that good stuff. More interestingly, new missions and deliveries have been added into the game somewhat seamlessly; they appear within the primary campaign itself rather than offset as the "New Content."  Returning or revisiting players are likely to get more out of these additions solely based on prior experience with the game. And to be fair, some of the additions are really good. I especially liked the cross-over with Valve's Half-Life Alyx, which puts the Gravity Glove into Director's Cut (this was in the PC version of Death Stranding, but this is the first time it's been on console), allowing you to grab items in the world without actually walking over to them. The Maser Gun, which quickly incapacitates human enemies with a bolt of electricity, is also a great touch – though the game's wonky aiming makes the weapon better for stealth than combat. The new racetrack makes for a fun diversion to the main path, but the game's poor car controls mean it can be frustrating when you're constantly crashing against walls. A Jump Ramp for motorcycles is fantastic because you can do sick stunts. Lastly, new songs included within new porter missions are all consistently solid. And as an aside, the way the game – both Director's Cut and the original release – implements licensed music into its mission structure is so good; I wish all games were as clever in their use of music as Death Stranding. Importing a PlayStation 4 save means you can instantly access a lot of the new content in Director's Cut. However, if you're like me and want to start a new playthrough of Death Stranding, know the new stuff is scattered throughout the game's entire campaign. At 26 hours into my playthrough, there's still a lot, if not a majority I haven't found – I cannot wait for the Cargo Catapult in Chapter 5. I think this is a smart way to implement new elements into the game and the best way to experience it; I feel like I'm stumbling upon it organically rather than just running down a checklist of everything I haven't seen before. When I come across something that wasn't in the base game – sometimes after hours and hours of old content – it makes the game feel fresh and new, even if it's not. The Director's Cut is the best way for newcomers to experience Death Stranding in some respects, but I wouldn't discount buying the base game if you want the original experience instead. Both ways have their merits. I haven't personally found anything in Director's Cut that radically changes the core Death Stranding experience in such a way that it'd be impossible to play anything but – especially if you want to save a little money by buying the original release. But none of this really gets at the core of why I think you should play Death Stranding.  A Messy, Holistic ExperienceThe more time I spend with Director's Cut, the less interested I am in running down a list of new or old mechanics – which sits at odds with my assignment: write a simple impressions piece on the game's new content. The Gravity Glove is nifty, for sure, and the race track is fun enough, but I wouldn't say any of the new content alone is reason to run out and buy Death Stranding Director's Cut. At the same time, I think you should play Death Stranding if you haven't, and the Director's Cut only reinforces that opinion. My impression is this game needs to be experienced, no matter what form you decide to play. What makes Death Stranding great, and why I think it's one of the best games of the last generation, has less to do with any individual aspect and more to do with the entire package. As a triple-A, Sony-published video game, Death Stranding is a baffling product. Not in the sense that its lore is confusing – it's not; it's remarkably straightforward within its fiction. Instead, Death Stranding is simultaneously a masterclass in holistic game design – make no mistake, the game is literally about walking from here to there – combined with one of the thematically messiest stories I've ever experienced. Kojima is wildly all over the place with what he seems to think about any given topic, leading to a lot of contradictory ideologies. But in all respects, Death Stranding's earnestness seeps out of every pixel. Click here to watch embedded media Playing Death Stranding, you get the sense that Kojima put it all on the table – his ideas about the video game industry, climate change, and for whatever reason, westward expansion and the dream of an America that maybe never existed. That the majority of the game is, in the purest sense, a walking simulator, where you manage balance, stamina, and the weight on your back, is a daring gameplay choice ostensibly meant to alienate some players. And in 2021, a game about a world-shattering event that forces everyone inside and away from human contact hits harder than when the game was first released in 2019. I think Kojima stumbled into that coincidence, but it gives the events of Death Stranding more gravity regardless. I love Death Stranding for everything it is. More so than almost any game last generation (save for maybe Nier Automata), it's a game I find myself thinking about and reminiscing on; I often pull up YouTube videos just to see it in action or hear someone talking about it. Part of this comes down to the core gameplay. Walking from point A to B, delivering packages, is a meditative and calming experience for me. I enjoy planning my routes, assembling my cargo, and setting out across the vast reaches of nothingness. I love that nothingness more than anything else in the game. When Death Stranding does eventually dip its toes into action, I don't like it as much. I admire the way the game goes against trends. While many games try and cater to the player's every want and need, Death Stranding requires you to meet it on its terms. Playing the game is challenging and obtuse. Mastering the game requires patience and commitment. You're not running around, clicking on the bad guys' foreheads, watching blood and sparks go everywhere. You're largely alone in this world, putting one foot in front of the other in a way that's often tedious and monotonous in the moment but immensely satisfying at the end of any given journey.  As an entire piece of work, Death Stranding largely stands on its own. There are, truly, not many other games like this from a narrative and mechanical standpoint – and that includes Kojima's other work. The story's attention to detail to a meticulous degree, the way it builds its lore and universe is fascinating. Even if it doesn't always stick the landing – Kojima has a habit of thinking his concepts are harder to grasp than they actually are, leading to a lot of over-explanation – the commitment to world-building in a way that's believable if you're willing to buy into its fiction creates something unlike much else in video games. There's an almost literary quality to the way Death Stranding takes its time to establish every minute detail in its lengthy story. You can argue Kojima's previous Metal Gear series did the same thing narratively, but those games don't reach quite as far as Death Stranding when it comes to obtuse game design. If anything, the closest thing to Death Stranding might be P.T., the "playable teaser" for Kojima's infamously cancelled Silent Hill reboot, which was similarly inscrutable at times. The fact that Death Stranding exists isn't surprising. The fact that Death Stranding exists as a Sony first-party release costing untold millions of dollars, with a full-blast marketing campaign reserved for only the biggest games, and celebrities a lot of games couldn't afford, is one of the most surprising things that's ever happened in the game industry, as far as I'm concerned. I'm so glad it does exist, though. If you've never played Death Stranding, I think you should. Whether it's the original release or the new Director's Cut, the game is worth experiencing. Not to say it's perfect by any means (read Game Informer's review for a second opinion). But there's nothing like Death Stranding. And there may never be again; I struggle to think Sony or any other publisher will ever let Kojima be this free a second time – at least not with this kind of budget. That's what makes Death Stranding worth experiencing. Gravity Gloves, race tracks, and cargo catapults are just icing on the cake. |
| The Stanley Parable: Ultra Deluxe Release Date Announced, And It Was Always Right In Front Of Us Posted: 30 Mar 2022 01:30 PM PDT  Click here to watch embedded media Platform: PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Switch, PC 427 isn't just Stanley's employee identification number. The number cleverly is also the release date for Crows Crows Crows' The Stanley Parable: Ultra Deluxe.
The developer took to Twitter today, where it posted a new trailer announcing the release date of Ultra Deluxe, which is coming on April 27. The trailer starts like a bland corporate training video and gets intense in a hasty fashion. A video explains Stanley's place at the company where he works, pressing buttons on a computer all day. Then the camera zooms out to the player's perspective, who runs into the hall revealing endless rooms with the same video projected onto screens. The trailer's tone gets more frantic as the camera moves into a maintenance room, whipping around to different points of interest before arriving at a painted brick wall and a handwritten sign that reads, "Welcome back Employee 427!" You can check out the trailer for yourself above. Initially announced in 2018, The Stanley Parable: Ultra Deluxe marks the first time the game will be playable on consoles. This expanded and enhanced version will be available on PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Switch, and PC when it releases next month. You can read our review of the original game here. |
| Diablo 4 Boasts Five Explorable Regions With Over 150 Dungeons Posted: 30 Mar 2022 12:45 PM PDT Platform: PlayStation 4, Xbox One, PC Blizzard Entertainment released a Diablo IV Quarterly Update yesterday, and several devs chimed in on what the upcoming open-world RPG will offer players. Recently-appointed game director Joe Shely voiced that Diablo IV will be "an immersive world you can wander through and enjoy getting lost in." These words held even more weight when art director of environments Brian Fletcher and lead exterior environment artist Matt McDaid added that Sanctuary (the game world/mortal realm) boasts five explorable regions with over 150 dungeons. There's much to do and see in Diablo IV. The dungeons that players encounter brim with dynamic weather, lighting effects, and props so that each foray feels unique and personalized. As far as visual storytelling and direction go, the team focuses on two pillars, "old masters" and "return to darkness." Art director Chris Ryder said it best: "We approach creating the environments of Diablo IV through a darker and more grounded interpretation than earlier installments. The "old masters" pillar gives us a lens to filter our art through, considering the techniques classical painters like Rembrandt used, with their controlled use of detail, tonal range, and expert use of color palettes. The "return to darkness" pillar is a through-line in everything from dungeons to lighting and embodies the idea that Sanctuary is a dangerous and dark medieval gothic world." There's more insight from other creators at Blizzard, so click the link above to read the extensive Quarterly Update. Dan Tack got to play a demo of Diably IV back in 2019 and concluded his impressions by stating: "Much has been said about the grim aesthetic that Diablo IV brings to bear, but it's different seeing and playing in it. There is blood and bodies everywhere, a world without much hope, ridiculously dark – after Diablo III, it's a stark contrast indeed. Moving through the world to try and find as many cool things as I can before the demo time runs out, I manage to clear out both dungeons available before the end … The task of slaughtering monsters en masse is as satisfying as ever, a loop that I'm sure will feel more meaningful outside of a demo where leveling and customization aren't available. While Diablo IV is definitely quite a ways away, the demo is a great showcase for the direction that the game is headed." Are you excited about Diablo IV? Let us know in the comments below! |
| Game Of Thrones Prequel Series House Of The Dragon Premieres In August Posted: 30 Mar 2022 11:45 AM PDT House of the Dragon, the prequel series to Game of Thrones centered on House Targaryen, premieres on August 21, HBO announced on Twitter today. The 10-episode series, which will only be streamed through HBO Max, is set 200 years before the events of Game of Thrones, when the Targaryens were still in power. However, House of the Dragon centers on the inner turmoil that led to their downfall, particularly a civil war known as the Dance of Dragons. The show draws partial inspiration from author George R.R. Martin's 2018 book Fire & Blood.  The cast includes Matt Smith (Prince Daemon Targaryen), Olivia Cooke (Lady Alicent Hightower), Paddy Considine (King Viserys I Targaryen), and Emma D'Arcy (Princess Rhaenyra Targaryen). Writer and producer Ryan J. Condal (Rampage, Colony) and George R.R. Martin serve as principal showrunners. You can watch House of the Dragon's first trailer, which premiered last October, here. Are you excited to watch House of the Dragon? Let us know in the comments! |
| Tales Of Arise And Scarlet Nexus Get Stylish Crossover Today Posted: 30 Mar 2022 10:45 AM PDT Platform: PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, PC Tales of Arise and Scarlet Nexus were two of the best JRPGs of 2021 (if you're a fan of the genre, you should also go play Nier Replicant!). Leading up to its release, Arise was slated as the definitive 25th Anniversary Tales game touting a more expansive game world than previous entries and an engine switch that would boost the series' graphical capabilities. Scarlet Nexus, on the other hand, was a surprise hit with fun telekinetic abilities and fast-paced combat. Today, Bandai Namco is celebrating its 2021 success stories with a free, stylish crossover event for both games. Click here to watch embedded media If you'd like to see the incoming cosmetic items in action, watch the trailer above. Both games are getting three equipable items and a music track: Tales of Arise
Scarlet Nexus
Last year, we enjoyed playing both games. I awarded Tales of Arise a 9.25 and wrote, "Tales of Arise is a fantastic reinvention of Bandai Namco's tried and true formula. It might even be the best installment in the franchise to date." Dan Tack gave Scarlet Nexus an 8.75 and concludes his review by saying, "Whatever brainpunk's take on over-the-top psychic reality is, I'm into it now. Bandai Namco has crafted something truly strange and quite satisfying with Scarlet Nexus, and I hope we get a slightly more refined sequel." If you're a fan of both games, be sure to check out the crossover event today and don your favorite gear. |
| Hands-On With Bugsnax Expansion The Isle Of Bigsnax Posted: 30 Mar 2022 09:59 AM PDT Platform: PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, PC The oddly lighthearted and heartfelt adventure Bugsnax launched November 2020, making it one of the first games many played on PlayStation 5, which was released the same day. Nearly a year later, Young Horses, the game's developer, announced during a Sony State of Play the game would be getting a new DLC. Called The Isle of Bigsnax, the expansion will be free for players who already own the base game. On top of a fresh story, which should take three to five hours to complete according to the creators, fans can expect a slew of new content. And while it's aiming to release in the first half of 2022, we got an early hands-on look at the game at GDC. Adding hours of playtime to the original game, Young Horses announced players would receive their own in-game dwelling to renovate. Now you can feel like part of the Grumpus community. The hut begins as a glorified pile of sticks. But, by completing requests from fellow villagers, players gain access to options for furniture, paint, decorative items, and even an upstairs. Many of these received objects reflect the giver. The exercise-obsessed Chandlo may offer players a weightlifting trophy, while Snaxburg's Mayor Filbo might gift an adorable stuffed Grumpus.  New players are shown to their new abode right after entering Snaxburg for the first time. However, returning players get a tour of their shack upon talking to Filbo and find their mailboxes already stuffed with retroactive rewards for any requests they've unwittingly completed. The developers at Young Horses explain the pile of new tasks and objectives should give players a good reason to continue exploring Snaktooth island and engaging with its inhabitants. Keeping this goal in mind, Young Horses' latest expansion will also introduce hats for your favorite scrumptious Snax. Did you ever wonder what happened to the head adornments of your Grumpus companions after they take on a Bugsnax form? Well, it looks like the island's tasty residents got them, and it's up to you to track them down. More than just a simple and silly cosmetic feature, players have to earn each hat in a scavenger hunt-like search. Hats can be found on certain Bugsnax in the wild, and capturing them grants access to a new cap. There are around 25 in total and include a chef's hat, witch's hat, and Chandlo's "Snax" baseball cap. The developers hope this gives players a fun challenge that makes revisiting previous locations worthwhile.  The Isle of BigsnaxI got a chance to go hands-on with the upcoming DLC, and, from what I've played so far, the expansion will be another merry romp through a strange world. The Isle of Bigsnax gives players more – and bigger – Bugsnax, content that builds on the original experience, and a chance to dive deeper into the relationships and story from the base game. The demo begins just before the point of no return in the initial story and sets me on a beach with the muscle-bound Chandlo, scientific Floofty, bone-carrying archeologist Triffany, and spiritual Shelda. The titular island has appeared in the middle of the ocean, and, having made it to the beach, we are now out of range from the rest of the villagers. The experience boasts numerous puzzles, and most are built around my arsenal of unusual gadgets. The first puzzle asks me to bridge a gap by lighting a torch. In another instance, I rdiscovered several mazes with moving pillars and winding corridors too small for any Grumpus to fit into. However, it was perfectly sized for my ball-bound Strabby, which I guided through the obstacles to hit a door-opening switch.  Players can also look forward to several larger-than-life Bugsnax encounters. My first new sighting, a giant Bunger, sends Chandlo flying into a pile of jars that just happen to contain dust that makes Bigsnax smaller. But even slimmed down, the creature still needs to be stunned to catch. So, I grab the tripwire and then feed my prize to the weakened Chandlo, giving him the strength to go on. The team then sets up camp, and the story begins to take shape. This archeological adventure may uproot accepted beliefs about Mother Naturae, who Shelda worships, as the jars of Bugsnax-catching dust was found at her shrine. At the camp, I have a choice between four different quests. However, I'm instructed to follow Triffany's storyline for this preview. She has me work my Snax-guiding magic to open a few blocked-off areas. This includes one puzzle that triggers a boulder-like Bigsnax to pop out at us, a nice Indiana Jones reference that highlights the game's humorous tone.  I encounter plenty more Bigsnax in my short adventure, though I don't have any handy shrink dust to capture them. Each enlarged Snax takes on an entertaining form, like a sentient celery stick that carries separate, chocolate-looking critters on its back. I saw lobster made from macaroni noodles that loved cheese. And one of my favorite new Snax was called a Millimochi, made of a group of frosty treats lined up to create a multi-snack creature. The Isle of Bigsnax is aiming to come out in early 2022. Considering that the window is waning fast, fans might soon have their hands on the expansion. Including the hut, hats, and fresh adventure, the new content is about 80 percent as big as the original game, according to the developers. So, if it took you 10 hours to finish the base experience, it may take around 8 hours to explore everything the super-sized expansion has to offer. |
| Unpacking Moves To PlayStation Consoles This Spring Posted: 30 Mar 2022 09:00 AM PDT Platform: PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Switch, PC Unpacking became one of 2021's hidden gems when it launched on Xbox, Switch, and PC last November. Soon, PlayStation fans will have a chance to experience this unique narrative adventure when it comes to PS5 and PS4 this Spring. As the name suggests, the game's premise involves unpacking the belongings of a woman throughout multiple stages of her life. From childhood to adulthood, you'll open box after box to place her most precious objects in various rooms throughout different homes. Though you can put most items wherever you please (creative placements can unlock hidden achievements), some can only go in specific spots, which you'll have to figure out. Besides being a relaxing good time, Unpacking was praised for its effective use of environmental storytelling to take players on a journey through the protagonists' life. Click here to watch embedded media Publisher Humble Games also announced physical versions of Unpacking for PS5, PS4, and Switch. You can pre-order a copy, which runs for $34.99, by visiting Limited Run Games. Are you interested in giving Unpacking a shot on PlayStation? Let us know in the comments! |
| Child Of Light's Aurora Joins Bloodstained As Free DLC Tomorrow Posted: 30 Mar 2022 08:04 AM PDT Platform: PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Switch, PC, iOS, Android Aurora, the tenacious main character from Ubisoft's Child of Light, will be available as a playable character in Bloodstained: Ritual of the Night starting on March 31 for select platforms. Her inclusion was originally teased back in 2019 along with Yacht Club Games' Shovel Knight. Bloodstain's publisher 505 Games released a brief trailer that teases Aurora's impending inclusion, but more information can be found in a new blog post on the game's website. There, a smidge of context is given to why she has arrived in a new franchise. Click here to watch embedded media "Aurora has lost her way and awoken in a strange, dangerous new land. Armed with the Sword of Matildis and accompanied by the loyal Igniculus, she must find a way to escape. Despite the dire situation, Aurora is not alone. Johannes is on hand to help her increase her power by transmuting items found in chests throughout the game," says 505 Games community manager Jason Ryan. Aurora will be available for free and can be selected as the playable character when starting a new Bloodstained campaign. She'll be listed alongside the game's native characters, Miriam and Zangetsu. This DLC won't be appearing on every version of Bloodstained quite yet. Tomorrow marks Aurora's arrival on PlayStation, Xbox, and PC, but Switch owners will have to wait for an unspecified later date. Click here to view embedded media Child of Light is a 2014 turn-based RPG developed by Ubisoft Montreal that stars Aurora, a princess who finds herself in another world and fights for a way back home with the help of her firefly partner Igniculus who also appears in the Bloodstained DLC. Bloodstained: Ritual of the Night is the spiritual successor to Koji Igarashi's games in the style of Castlevania: Symphony of the Night, which released in 2019 following a successful Kickstarter campaign in 2015. You can read our review of it right here. |
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