Game Informer

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• Gran Turismo 7 Review - Earning Its Place On The Podium
• Trek To Yomi Is A Striking Side-scrolling Take On Classic Samurai Films
• JoJo's Bizarre Adventure All Star Battle R Brings More JoJos To The Party
• Valkyrie Elysium Is A New Chapter In The Valkyrie Profile Series
• Returnal's Ascension Update Coming Later This Month, Features Co-Op
• Square Enix Reveals The DioField Chronicle, A New Tactical RPG Coming This Year
• Forspoken Shows Off Fantasy Enchantment In New Trailer
• Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: The Cowabunga Collection Announced, Features 13 Games
• Competitive Multiplayer Gundam Evolution Gameplay Shown During State Of Play
• Stranger Of Paradise Final Fantasy Origin Gets A Third PlayStation Demo Today
• Capcom's Exoprimal Offers A World With A Crisis Of Dinos
• Eight More Women Add Accounts of Sexism At PlayStation To Class-Action Lawsuit
• You Can Kinda Pause In Elden Ring, Kinda
• Sony State of Play March 2022 Watch Along With Game Informer
• Square Enix Puts Extensive Soundtrack Library On YouTube Music
• Forspoken’s Dangerous Magic: 20 Combat Spells We’ve Seen So Far
• Jedi Master Obi-Wan Kenobi Makes Triumphant Return In New Disney Plus Series Trailer
• If You Claim Ghost Of Tsushima Legends On PS Plus, You’ll Be Locked Out Of Director’s Cut PS5 Upgrade Discount
• Tiny Tina’s Wonderlands Preview – Critical Hit!
• Horizon Forbidden West: Patch 1.07 Includes New Photo Mode Options, Performance Mode Improvements, And More
• Elden Ring Speedrunner Beats Game In Under Three Hours Without Dying
• F-Zero X Barrels To Nintendo Switch Online Expansion Pack This Week
• Fortnite: Buying Tiny Tina’s Wonderlands On The Epic Games Store Gets You The Diamond Pony Glider
• Tiny Tina’s Wonderlands Season Pass Detailed, Includes Four Content Drops
• New Final Fantasy 35th Anniversary Website Celebrates Series History, Teases Info On Upcoming Titles
• Gotham Knights Captures October Release Date
• Amazon Responds To Lost Ark’s Controversial Gender-Locked Classes

Gran Turismo 7 Review - Earning Its Place On The Podium Posted: 09 Mar 2022 03:45 PM PST Reviewed on: PlayStation 5 Also on: PlayStation 4 Publisher: PlayStation Studios Developer: Polyphony Digital Release: March 4, 2022 Gran Turismo has been a gold standard for the simulation-racing genre for over 25 years. The franchise has continually served as a showcase for PlayStation's latest hardware both from visual and technical standpoints. Gran Turismo 7 is no different in this regard; the racing has never felt more precise, nor have the vehicles ever looked truer to life. However, in the time since that initial entry, the field has caught up to Gran Turismo. This new entry is still an excellent driving simulation, but it's no longer lapping the competition. Gran Turismo 7 sets the tone early; this is the sim-racing series at its most self-indulgent. The several-minute-long, unskippable credit-reel chronicling the history of the automobile followed by a long in-game cutscene demonstrates just how serious it takes car culture. While other racing games have taken intentional strides to remove as many barriers to the fun as possible, Gran Turismo 7 has no qualms about doling out the action at its own pace. While this delivery is sometimes too slow in the early goings, once the career mode opens and rubber meets the road, sim racing doesn't get much better than this. Click here to watch embedded media Whether you're driving a finely tuned supercar north of 200 miles-per-hour on a straightaway or are precariously navigating a twisting offroad course in a four-wheel-drive vehicle, Gran Turismo 7 masterfully delivers one of the best driving experiences in gaming. Every inch of the road traveled carefully considers the conditions in which you're driving; elevation changes, weather, driving surface, road bank, vehicle downforce, and countless other factors seamlessly contribute to whether you successfully carry your momentum into a turn or spin out into the grass. Even the most minor miscalculation sends you sliding off the track. With no rewind functionality as seen in many modern racing games, I love the tense feeling of victory and defeat balanced on a razor's edge around every single corner. Unfortunately, if you want to use the assist tools to help you better compete on the track, the drive-line tool, which tells you the best path to follow through the course, is not only less informative than those of Gran Turismo's contemporaries, but it's also unreliable. On several occasions, I followed the line's advice and still slammed into the barrier, only to realize the brake indicator didn't properly populate on the track. Every time I got into one of these accidents, Gran Turismo 7's lack of damage modeling took me out of the experience; when a game is so focused on realistic visuals and controls, emerging from a high-speed wreck with little damage is jarring. Polyphony Digital's adoration of auto culture remains evident as you progress through Gran Turismo 7's unconventional career mode. Constantly returning to the in-game café, where you retrieve quests like collecting specific vehicles or winning a grand prix, you get an effective tour of the game's many modes and offerings. Each time you complete a car collection mission, you're treated to a rundown of the real-world history of whatever the theme is; I learned a lot about the history of the Ford Mustang in my early hours. Each time you get a new objective, Gran Turismo 7 clearly communicates what you need to do to complete it. Even the side modes, like time trials set to music, mission-based challenges, and specialized license events, had me mashing the retry button because I knew I could achieve a better time. Click here to view embedded media   Progression happens every step of the way, giving you incentive to play "just one more race." I lost track of time on more occurrences than I can count as I discovered the reward for the next race was a car I coveted. I was hooked by the career mode's structure around vehicle collecting, with each activity rewarding you with money, cars, and more. As your garage expands with the more than 400 cars available at launch, your collection level rises, unlocking more missions and features. The cyclical ecosystem Polyphony Digital leveraged in Gran Turismo 7 is satisfying, and by placing the emphasis more on building a garage than winning races, I rarely felt my progress stall, even if I couldn't take home the checkered flag in each event. Still, I loved juicing up my favorite rides using the robust tuning features to give myself the best chance to finish first. Sadly, the multiplayer suite often pumps the brakes on the fun. Currently, your options are to take part in scheduled Sport events, where you sign up for a session and then wait for it to start, or join multiplayer lobbies. Sport events are great fun – I particularly love Gran Turismo 7's emphasis on being well-mannered in your driving, actively discouraging collisions – but they take too long to get into the action. After signing up for a Sport event, you sometimes must wait longer than 10 minutes before the race starts. Sure, you can drive practice and qualifying laps while you wait for the race to start, but I wish these events just began once you entered a full session. Lobbies are a great way to circumvent the waiting period while setting your own rules, but with the front pages often populated by near-empty groups, the barrier to jump into a multiplayer session sometimes wasn't worth the hassle. Despite its multiplayer shortcomings, Gran Turismo 7 is a terrific racing experience. I love the emphasis on car collection and the respect paid to the history of automobiles and racing culture. Gran Turismo 7 provides some of the best driving mechanics available and gives you several guided ways in which to engage with it. While it sometimes spends too much time off the track, every long cutscene is clearly done with love, and that sentiment shines through even more on the track. Score: 8.75 About Game Informer's review system Purchase

Trek To Yomi Is A Striking Side-scrolling Take On Classic Samurai Films Posted: 09 Mar 2022 03:27 PM PST Platform: PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, PC Publisher: Devolver Digital Developer: Leonard Menchiari, Flying Wild Hog Release: 2022 Trek to Yomi is a stylish action title that may not have been on your radar before, but its latest trailer during today's State of Play presentation shows off why it may be worth keeping an eye on.  The game, developed by Shadow Warrior makers Flying Wild Hog, is an action sidescrolling take on classic samurai films. You play as a young swordsman fighting to protect his village and keep a vow to his dying Master. Human enemies aren't the only threat; the trailer shows off spectral warriors, grotesque swamp creatures, and other supernatural elements. The bloody swordplay looks even sharper under the striking monochromatic presentation, a stylistic choice that further evokes the game's cinematic inspirations.  Click here to watch embedded media Trek to Yomi launches this spring, so it shouldn't be much longer before we get our hands on it. You can find it on PlayStation and Xbox consoles and PC.

JoJo's Bizarre Adventure All Star Battle R Brings More JoJos To The Party Posted: 09 Mar 2022 03:00 PM PST Revealed as a part of the Sony State of Play presentation today, Cyberconnect2's 2013 fighting game is getting an update with the release of Jojo's Bizarre Adventure All Star Battle R. Click here to watch embedded media The trailer which premiered this first look at All Star Battle R showed plenty of the series' iconic characters like Jotaro Jostar, Giorno Giovanna, Kars, Guido Mista, and many more. Fifty characters are said to be on the roster, making this the new definitive version of All Star Battle. Faces from every generation of the JoJo anime and manga will be present and ready to fight. JoJo's Bizarre Adventure All Star Battle is a 3D fighter based on the work of Hirohiko Araki's JoJo's Bizzare Adventure manga and anime. The series revolves around the bloodline of Jonathan Jostar who was once forced to face an evil discovered and embraced by his adopted brother Dio Brando, and the results of that conflict have rippled through the generations. All Star Battle R brings the PS3-era fighting game to PlayStation 5 and PlayStation 4 with more characters and features in the "early fall" of 2022.  Sony is facing a potential class-action lawsuit alleging sexism, gender discrimination, bias against female employees, and more within U.S. offices. Right now, nine women, some former and some current employees, have shared their experiences of this at Sony PlayStation in court documents. The lawsuit was first filed in 2021 and in February of 2022, Sony asked a court to dismiss it. The hearing for that request will happen in April of 2022. You can read our previous coverage here.

Valkyrie Elysium Is A New Chapter In The Valkyrie Profile Series Posted: 09 Mar 2022 02:59 PM PST Platform: PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4 Publisher: Square Enix Developer: Soleil Ltd. Release: 2022 Sony's State of Play concluded today with the reveal of Valkyrie Elysium, an upcoming action RPG that serves as a new installment in the beloved Valkryie Profile series.  The trailer shows off a Valkyrie slaying all manner of monsters using flashy sword attacks and magic-based offense, including summoning copious amounts of lightning. She does so at the behest of the All-Father in order to prevent the world's destruction by way of Ragnarok.  The reimagined combat folds in gameplay elements from Valkyrie Profile games such as special attacks and combos. Whether or not you control a party of characters assigned to individual face buttons like the old games or if you only play as this Valkyrie remains to be seen. What is confirmed is that long-time series composer Motoi Sakuraba returns to score Elysium.  Click here to watch embedded media Like previous Valkyrie games, Elysium draws heavily from Norse mythology and combines third-person action with RPG mechanics. It marks the first real entry in the Valkyrie series in some time; what most fans would consider the last true installment was 2009's Valkyrie Profile: Covenant of the Plume for the Nintendo DS (though there was a mobile entry, Valkyrie Anatomia: The Origin, in 2016). To see the original classic game in action, check out this episode of Replay.  Valkryie Elysium launches later this year for PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, and PC via Steam.  Sony is facing a potential class-action lawsuit alleging sexism, gender discrimination, bias against female employees, and more within U.S. offices. Right now, nine women, some former and some current employees, have shared their experiences of this at Sony PlayStation in court documents. The lawsuit was first filed in 2021 and in February of 2022, Sony asked a court to dismiss it. The hearing for that request will happen in April of 2022. You can read our previous coverage here.

Returnal's Ascension Update Coming Later This Month, Features Co-Op Posted: 09 Mar 2022 02:50 PM PST Platform: PlayStation 5 Publisher: PlayStation Studios Developer: Housemarque Release: April 30, 2021 Rating: Teen Ever wanted to tackle the challenges of Returnal with a friend? Now you can! Coming with the Ascension update on March 22, players can tackle the entirety of Returnal in co-op mode. Well, almost the entire journey. Another new content offering coming with this update, The Tower of Sisyphus, cannot be played in co-op mode. This new locale is a gauntlet of trials, tribulations, and death. While we don't know exactly what to expect with the Tower, it's fairly safe to assume that it will feature some randomization elements, and possibly some new story beats, enemies, and bosses to add to the already impressive Returnal roster. Apparently, you can access the tower fairly early on in the game, after obtaining the Icarian Grapnel (this is off the second major boss).  I'm not sure which is more exciting – the prospect of bringing in a friend to take on Returnal with or tackling new Returnal content! Let's just go with it's awesome to see new stuff coming to Returnal this late in the game, and maybe the teamplay will even coax some new players into the haunting world of Atropos. Check out the new trailer right here. Click here to watch embedded media   Sony is facing a potential class-action lawsuit alleging sexism, gender discrimination, bias against female employees, and more within U.S. offices. Right now, nine women, some former and some current employees, have shared their experiences of this at Sony PlayStation in court documents. The lawsuit was first filed in 2021 and in February of 2022, Sony asked a court to dismiss it. The hearing for that request will happen in April of 2022. You can read our previous coverage here.

Square Enix Reveals The DioField Chronicle, A New Tactical RPG Coming This Year Posted: 09 Mar 2022 02:49 PM PST Revealed during today's PlayStation State of Play showcase, The DioField Chronicle's trailer begins with a storybook-like retelling of a war that ravaged a region. The Alliance fought against the Empire and in the end, it seems the Empire was left standing. However, the Kingdom of Alletain remain untouched during the war and now, the Empire is taking them on. The trailer seems to indicate that you, the player, are in control of Alletain and its soldiers.  Click here to watch embedded media As you can see, controlling soldiers on the battlefield happens through a system Square Enix is calling a "real-time tactical battle." In other words, The DioField Chronicle is a tactical RPG. Rather than fight with a more action-based combat system, you control multiple soldiers and move them around the battlefield to gain tactical advantages and more when fighting enemies. In a Fire Emblem-like fashion, after choosing what attack you want to use and who you want to attack, a quick animation plays that shows your attack actually happening.  Based on the trailer, players will pick a battle from a larger region map before heading into combat.  "An all-new tactical RPG with a deep and engaging story brought to life with a stellar cast, mesmerizing soundtrack, and introducing the new 'Real-Time Tactical Battle' system (RTTB)," the trailer's description reads. The DioField Chronicle, which is coming to PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Switch, and PC this year, is not the only game Square Enix revealed during today's State of Play, though. It also announced Valkyrie Elysium as well, and you can read more about that here.  Sony is facing a potential class-action lawsuit alleging sexism, gender discrimination, bias against female employees, and more within U.S. offices. Right now, nine women, some former and some current employees, have shared their experiences of this at Sony PlayStation in court documents. The lawsuit was first filed in 2021 and in February of 2022, Sony asked a court to dismiss it. The hearing for that request will happen in April of 2022. You can read our previous coverage here.

Forspoken Shows Off Fantasy Enchantment In New Trailer Posted: 09 Mar 2022 02:35 PM PST Platform: PlayStation 5, PC Publisher: Square Enix Developer: Square Enix Release: October 11, 2022 Are you ready to explore a mysterious fantasy world with magic, mayhem, and lightning-fast action? That's the question a new Forspoken trailer asks players! Featured today in a PlayStation State of Play, the new trailer showcases a ton of action segments, showing off a wide variety of environments, spells, and enemies. Frey must survive against the impossible odds in the lands of Athia, but she'll have plenty of abilities to fight back with. Check out the entire trailer right here: Click here to watch embedded media Of particular note in this trailer are a sensational battle against a titanic dragon and incredible area-of-effect spells against swarms of foes. Frey's traversal abilities are impressive, allowing for fast movement in and out of combat, both in aerial and aquatic situations. For more on Forspoken, check out our cover story hub for tons of info and exclusive content. Sony is facing a potential class-action lawsuit alleging sexism, gender discrimination, bias against female employees, and more within U.S. offices. Right now, nine women, some former and some current employees, have shared their experiences of this at Sony PlayStation in court documents. The lawsuit was first filed in 2021 and in February of 2022, Sony asked a court to dismiss it. The hearing for that request will happen in April of 2022. You can read our previous coverage here.

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: The Cowabunga Collection Announced, Features 13 Games Posted: 09 Mar 2022 02:23 PM PST Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: The Cowabunga Collection has been announced and it wraps up 13 TMNT games into one collection.  Revealed during today's PlayStation State of Play, this collection features remastered versions of classic TMNT games like Tournament Fighters, Turtles In Time, TMNT: The Arcade Game, and more. On top of that, multiplayer co-op action can be found in some of the games, with some featuring online multiplayer too, as indicated by the message at the bottom of the trailer that says PlayStation Plus is required to play online multiplayer.  Click here to watch embedded media "Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: The Cowabunga Collection is a collection of 13 previously released video games from the Arcade, Nintendo Entertainment System, Super NES, Sega Genesis, and the Nintendo Gameboy," the description for the trailer reads. "Immensely popular and very influential games, this collection provides a unique opportunity for gamers to experience these titles with a fantastic set of new quality of life features."  These features include: Added online play for certain games: TMNT (Arcade), TMNT: Turtles in Time (Arcade), TMNT: The Hyperstone Heist, TMNT: Tournament Fighters (SNES) Save anytime and rewind New gameplay modes: Boss Rush and Challenge Mode Eleven Japanese regional titles – release versions Button mapping HD texture updates Unique development and sketches Historic TMNT content  Here are the games in TMNT: The Cowabunga Collection:  Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (Arcade) Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Turtles in Time (Arcade) Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (NES) Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles II: The Arcade Game (NES) Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles III: The Manhattan Project (NES) Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Tournament Fighters (NES) Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles IV: Turtles In Time (SNES) Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Tournament Fighters (SNES) Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: The Hyperstone Heist (Sega Genesis) Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Tournament Fighters (Sega Genesis) Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Fall of The Foot Clan (Game Boy) Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles II: Back From The Sewers (Game Boy) Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles III: Radical Rescue (Game Boy) The Cowabunga Collection does not yet have a release date, but the reveal trailer does say it will be released for PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Switch, and PC sometime this year. It will cost $39.99.  Sony is facing a potential class-action lawsuit alleging sexism, gender discrimination, bias against female employees, and more within U.S. offices. Right now, nine women, some former and some current employees, have shared their experiences of this at Sony PlayStation in court documents. The lawsuit was first filed in 2021 and in February of 2022, Sony asked a court to dismiss it. The hearing for that request will happen in April of 2022. You can read our previous coverage here.

Competitive Multiplayer Gundam Evolution Gameplay Shown During State Of Play Posted: 09 Mar 2022 02:23 PM PST Gameplay from Gundam Evolution, a new competitive multiplayer game set in the Gundam universe, was shown today during Sony's most recent State of Play livestream.  The trailer showed various looks at 6v6 multiplayer matches, featuring a variety of different Gundams from the long-running anime series. According to the trailer, the game will have three competitive modes: point capture, domination, and destruction.  See Gundam Evolution in action below: Click here to watch embedded media While a solid release date was not announced, Sony did reveal the game is expected to be released later this year. It will be available on both PlayStation 5 and PlayStation 4. A network test is expected to roll out for U.S. and Japanese players sometime this spring.

Stranger Of Paradise Final Fantasy Origin Gets A Third PlayStation Demo Today Posted: 09 Mar 2022 02:12 PM PST Platform: PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, PC Publisher: Square Enix Developer: Koei Tecmo Release: March 18, 2022 Stranger of Paradise Final Fantasy Origins launches next week, but if you're still on the fence after previous trailers as well as a pair of demos, one final demo will become available on PlayStation consoles today. Like the two previous demos, this one is totally free and can be accessed on PlayStation 5 and PlayStation 4. There's no word on what it entails, but the past two demos let players explore sizable dungeons so it's probably safe to assume this third slice offers a similarly substantial sample.  Strange of Paradise Final Fantasy Origin launches March 18 on PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and PC. You can read the PC specs for the game here.

Capcom's Exoprimal Offers A World With A Crisis Of Dinos Posted: 09 Mar 2022 02:02 PM PST Putting a stunning foot forward with dinosaur weather reports and Exosuit-wearing warriors, Exoprimal looks wild. This new IP from Capcom was announced at Sony's State of Play presentation this afternoon with a trailer showing off its characters and a hint of gameplay. Click here to watch embedded media According to the debut footage, Exoprimal takes place in the year 2043, a time when the news has to give forecasts predicting when torrents of dinosaurs are going to drop on society. To combat the overwhelming prehistoric threat, an organization known as the Aibius Corporation and its powerful AI called Leviathan can predict when the dinos will appear and have developed advanced Exosuit tech for soldiers to battle against the beasts. Exoprimal is a multiplayer experience with co-op gameplay at the heart of it. The primary mode in the game is called Dino Survival and pits two five-person teams against one another to complete objectives while attempting to keep the raptors at bay. Tasks completed in matches include cargo deliveries or, as Capcom puts it, "desperate last stands against relentless assaults." While the game has a multiplayer focus, the narrative is said to be woven throughout, where the "world's deep history and colorful characters" can be learned about as the mystery of the dinosaur outbreaks unravels. Different Exosuits fill roles on the battlefield such as melee attackers like the Zephyr, Witchdoctor medic, tanks such as the Roadblock, and gun-toting models like the Deadeye. There's also a tease that a player can exit the suit and swap to another one mid-battle. Capcom's Exoprimal is set to hit PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and PC in 2023. Sony is facing a potential class-action lawsuit alleging sexism, gender discrimination, bias against female employees, and more within U.S. offices. Right now, nine women, some former and some current employees, have shared their experiences of this at Sony PlayStation in court documents. The lawsuit was first filed in 2021 and in February of 2022, Sony asked a court to dismiss it. The hearing for that request will happen in April of 2022. You can read our previous coverage here.

Eight More Women Add Accounts of Sexism At PlayStation To Class-Action Lawsuit Posted: 09 Mar 2022 01:41 PM PST Eight more women, some current and some former employees, have added their accounts of sexism experienced at Sony PlayStation to a proposed class-action lawsuit.  This news comes by way of Axios, which reports that these eight claims will be added to the claims of former Sony IT security analyst Emma Majo. She filed a lawsuit against the company last year, alleging that "Sony discriminated against female employees, including those who are female and those who identify as female, in compensation and promotion and subjects them to a work culture predominated by men."  Majo sought court approval in 2021 to turn her case into a class-action lawsuit, stating that she filed the suit on behalf of herself and all women who have worked for Sony before and those still working there. Then, in February, Sony asked a court to dismiss it. Now, Axios reports that eight more claims of sexism experienced at the company in U.S. offices have been added to the case. These womens' claims include demeaning comments, a lack of attention for their ideas and work, unwelcome advances, and a general sense that getting promoted within the company is harder for women, Axios writes.  One of them is Marie Harrington, a 16-year veteran of Sony PlayStation. Her filing says there's a lack of women considered for senior roles during "calibration sessions," citing that during one session, only four women were considered for promotions compared to almost 70 men that were considered. Harrington says she heard comments about female candidates' family lives in those sessions that weren't made for applicable male candidates, too.  Another one of the candidates said a third-party study found "a great imbalance in terms of employee distribution" amongst her team. Another, former program manager Kara Johnson, said, "I believe Sony is not equipped to appropriately handle toxic environments," in her court filing, according to Axios. Johnson also reportedly shared a letter she sent to female employees upon her departure from Sony that talked about multiple attempts to notify superiors about gender bias, discrimination against pregnant women, and resistance from a senior man in human resources to properly act on these claims.  Sony's request for this lawsuit to be dismissed won't be addressed until a hearing next month.  For more, be sure to Axios' full report. Read about how Sony asked a court to dismiss this class-action lawsuit after that. [Source: Axios]

You Can Kinda Pause In Elden Ring, Kinda Posted: 09 Mar 2022 01:28 PM PST Platform: PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, PC Publisher: Bandai Namco Developer: From Software Release: February 25, 2022 Elden Ring has been out for a couple of weeks and while people continue to shout from the rooftops how much they love the game – Game Informer gave it a rare 10 out of 10 – there are those asking for features found in other games.  Case in point, Elden Ring is void of a true pause button, something players are asking for. This means that if your dog starts throwing up on the couch next to you mid-boss fight (can you tell I'm speaking from experience?), you won't be able to pause. You can either continue the fight or address the mess your dog has left behind. Of course, a lot of Elden Ring is about quiet moments and simple exploration and in those times; it's quite easy to find a safe place to put the controller down.  Click here to watch embedded media In boss fights or legacy dungeons, that's not the case. You're left either frantically searching for a grace point or full-on quitting the game, which mind you, is low-key a very viable way to "pause," if you will – something Soulsborne modder Lance McDonald cheekily joked about recently on Twitter. However, Twitter user Iron Pineapple has seemingly discovered a way to pause in Elden Ring, mid-whatever you're doing.  guess what, Elden Ring DOES have a pause button just open "Menu Explanation" while on the inventory screen this isn't a meme, it actually works lmao pic.twitter.com/0tNLFaWwC7 — Iron Pineapple (@IronPineapple_) March 8, 2022 As you can see in the tweet above, it's by no means as simple as pressing a single button, but it does appear to legitimately pause the game. To do it, you need to open up your menus, access the "Help" menu and then go down to "Menu Explanation." For whatever reason, that seems to freeze the state of Elden Ring, pausing the in-game action. Is it an official pause? Not really. Does it work? Yeah. Is it annoying to use compared to a standard pause? For sure. Alas, it'll do for now.  For more about the game, read Game Informer's Elden Ring review to find out why we think it's one of the best games ever made, and then check out this story about someone who beat Elden Ring in under three hours without dying. Read about why one Game Informer editor thinks playing Elden Ring with friends is even better than playing alone.  Have you been enjoying Elden Ring? Let us know in the comments below!

Sony State of Play March 2022 Watch Along With Game Informer Posted: 09 Mar 2022 01:05 PM PST Platform: PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, PC Publisher: Capcom Developer: Capcom Release: May 7, 2021 Rating: Mature Sony has announced that it is once again going live with another State of Play, and we're streaming the whole thing. Join Game Informer as we react to all the big news, reveals, and gameplay from today's latest showcase starting at 3:45 p.m. CT! Click here to watch embedded media But who will be there for the exciting 20-minute event? You already know it has to be Alex Stadnik and Alex Van Aken hosting the festivities. Join The Council of Alexes live 15 minutes before the show, as they give you their hopes and dreams for what we'll hopefully be seeing during today's State of Play. Sony hasn't yet confirmed exactly what we'll be seeing today outside of its focus on a specific part of the world. To quote the PlayStation blog post, today's show will have: "a special focus on highlighting great games coming from some of our beloved Japanese publishers, though we'll have a few updates from other developers located around the world, too."  Reading the tea leaves, there's plenty that could show up today. Resident Evil Village may have come out last year, but Capcom has said fans can expect new adventures in the form of DLC. Sony consoles and the iconic zombie series have always shared a connection through the years, and it seems fitting that the next step in the series may end up on a digital Sony stage. Square Enix also has close ties to PlayStation and has plenty of games that could make an appearance. Forspoken, Game Informer's latest cover story, was announced during the first PlayStation 5 showcase and could be a great candidate to fill some of the 20 minutes of today's show. Speaking of Square games, it's been since September 2020 since we've seen anything from Final Fantasy XVI, and if the game has any shot of launching this year, it would be fitting to see it make its reappearance during today's State of Play. Thank you so much for watching. If you enjoy our watch-along streams, be sure to subscribe to our Twitch pages to get notified the second we go live and to get access to our tremendous exclusive Discord.

Square Enix Puts Extensive Soundtrack Library On YouTube Music Posted: 09 Mar 2022 12:40 PM PST Square Enix has created a new YouTube channel specifically for soundtracks and other music from various games and projects the company is known for.  Brought to our attention by the reporting of Video Games Chronicle, the Japanese game publisher created a YouTube channel called Square Enix Music. The company is hosting several playlists featuring the soundtracks of many of its RPG series and games. Want to listen to the Final Fantasy VIII soundtrack? It's there! In the mood for tunes from SaGa Frontier II? There's a playlist waiting! Even Balan Wonderworld's music can be found on the channel. Kick back and relax to your favorite Square soundtracks, just like I am while writing this article and head-bobbing to the Final Fantasy XIV: Shadowbringers OST. The opening of the Square Enix Music channel comes with the addition of over 5,500 Square Enix tracks that can now be listened to by YouTube Music users. These songs have long been available on other services such as Apple Music and Spotify. Still, it's great to see this incredible collection readily available to enjoy in even more places. If you're new to YouTube Music and looking to listen there, you can do it for free, though there will be some ads every once in a while. Upgrading to a premium subscription will allow users to download songs for offline listening and eliminate the commercials from the experience. Which Square Enix soundtracks are your favorites? I'm pretty partial to FFVIII and even incorporated some of its songs into my wedding. Let me know your favorites in the comments below!

Forspoken’s Dangerous Magic: 20 Combat Spells We’ve Seen So Far Posted: 09 Mar 2022 12:00 PM PST Platform: PlayStation 5, PC Publisher: Square Enix Developer: Square Enix Release: October 11, 2022 Forspoken's protagonist Frey Holland finds herself inexplicably thrust out of her native New York City and into the magic-laden world of Athia. To survive until she can find her way back home, Frey must learn to fight, but the game's combat system shies away from mundane weapons. However, getting through Athia's dangers means she, and the player, needs to master magical combat. "Magic is really at the heart of Forspoken," says co-director Takefumi Terada. "So, we've really made sure to make a diverse array of magic available for players." And it looks like the team has done just that. From melee-type spells to mystical traps and long-range enchantments, Forspoken offers a vast range of attack options. So, we gathered 20 combat spells we spotted in a recent exclusive demo into one list and stuffed even more into the enchanting video below. Click here to watch embedded media Attack Magic Shot – This basic spell, like the rest of the attack magic in this list, is mapped to the right trigger and doesn't require a cooldown. However, it deals minimal damage to compensate. The small bullet-like blasts are akin to throwing rocks at enemies than more war-ready projectiles. Burst Shot – The first version of this spell we saw indicated it was at level 3, which clued us in to the fact that you can upgrade various magic attacks. Burst Shot manifests a glowing chunk of rock in your hand, which you can hurl at enemies. Slice – Among the most visually exciting spells we saw in Forspoken, Slice conjures a magical sword dripping with fiery sparks. The shimmering red magic flies through the air as you swing the weapon. Arc Slice – Call up that fire sword once more to execute a powerful downswing blow, dropping the unlucky target of your fury to the ground. It hits harder if you're in midair, but the range is limited if your feet are off the ground. Blast Slice – Requiring a little more range than its counterparts, Blast Slice generates a weapon that looks like a cross between a spear and a lightning bolt. You can throw these at hostile creatures, and it will also affect the surrounding area. Bolt – Lob a blue orb at enemies that looks a little bit like a glimmering snowball. It won't cause much harm, but you can chuck the wintery ball of magic repeatedly without running out. Fan Bolt – Another upgradable spell, Fan Bolt takes the blue orb from the former spell and splits it into multiple, arrow-like projectiles. These will shoot out in a horizontal row, making it good for taking out multiple enemies. Cluster Bolt – One of creative producer Raio Mitsuno's favorite attacks, this spell fires a single mystical arrow into the sky. On its descent, the shaft breaks apart, showering anything underneath it with damage-dealing shards. Dart – This magical attack works very much like Shot. Greenish knife-like bursts spring instantaneously from your hand at a target. You seem to have an endless supply, but they're not very powerful. Pulse Dart – Before sending another blast of green at your enemies, this spell – which can be leveled up – lets you charge the attack in your hand for a second. The result is a noticeably more powerful barrage of darts. Support Magic Bind – Instead of doing direct damage, most support magic – which you can use by pulling the left trigger – gives Frey a boost or helps bolster other attacks. Bind, for instance, prompts vines to tangle up foes. This leaves them sitting ducks for your attacks. Prime – According to its description, this spell "places a magical trap in a spot of your choosing that explodes when stepped on, dealing area damage." It'll not only inflict damage but also allow you more time to charge another spell. Charge – Launch towards your enemies in an explosive burst, surrounded by mystical, magma-like tendrils. Sometimes a shoulder to the face is all you need to take out a foe. Distortion – Distortion is an area of effect attack that starts as a green orb in your hand. You then toss the enchanted sphere at your adversaries, causing a green burst of fog around them. Fusillade – Primarily meant as a defense option, this spell will cause several flame-touched swords to hang in the air behind you. Should an enemy attack while you are occupied with powering up for your next magical blow, these deadly weapons will fight them off. Legion – If summoning a series of swords to shield you sounds cool, you're going to want to learn Legion. Instead of inanimate objects, you'll find a horde of flaming allies at your back when you use this power. Crucible – This spell focuses on boosting the player rather than causing direct damage. Choosing to fire off Crucible will enclose the area in a fiery wall, inside which attack power is increased. Naedre – A bright purple streak weaves through the sky and flies towards and around foes, envenomating them. This also happens to be another of Mitsuno's favorite arcane tricks. Maelstrom – Maelstrom's in-game description reads: "Summons a watery pillar in the designated spot that protects against ranged attacks." The resulting column of twisting water looks just as cool as it sounds. Top of the Pyramid Forspoken's entirely spell-based combat system is represented in the UI as a triangle in the lower right side of the screen. The left and right points at the triangle's base hold support and attack magic, respectively. At the pinnacle sits your most intense spells. You can call these down on dangerous Break zombies or fierce mini-bosses, but, once exhausted, you can't use the attack again anytime soon. So, choose your moments wisely. These top-tier spells have eye-catching names like Genesis, Cataract, or Tempest, which you might have spotted in the video breakdown. However, during our hands-off demo we got a close look at Conflagration. This vicious enchantment lets the player call up a wall of lava that resembles an erupting volcano – with a bit of lightning thrown in for good measure – that wipes out everything unlucky enough to get caught in its path.

Jedi Master Obi-Wan Kenobi Makes Triumphant Return In New Disney Plus Series Trailer Posted: 09 Mar 2022 11:52 AM PST We've been talking about Obi-Wan standalone projects since 2017. And while news surfaced of a TV show dedicated to the wizened Force master, we haven't seen widely-loved Ewan McGregor don his ceremonial Jedi garb since Episode III (or The Force Awakens and Rise of Skywalker if you're counting his voiceover work). So, it's only fitting that Ben Kenobi makes his triumphant return in a new Disney+ trailer amplified by some of the franchise's most haunting, goosebump-inducing song(s) from the prequel trilogy.  Click here to watch embedded media The footage from today's teaser not only employs nostalgia to remarkable effect but also showcases new threats and briefly contextualizes Obi-Wan's off-screen journey that took place between Episodes III and IV. We get sweeping wide shots of the barren wastelands of Tatooine, the sprawling avenues of Mos Eisley, and the claustrophobic, sterile interiors of Imperial cruisers. A melancholic Obi-Wan says, "The fight is done. We lost. Stay hidden," as he watches over an adolescent Luke Skywalker from afar. Then, the choral music begins, and we're at the mercy of the pursuing Sith and the many catastrophes that lie in their wake.  Exciting, never-before-seen Dark Side initiates and Imperial commanders make appearances throughout the trailer, likely looking for Obi-Wan and Vader's progeny. The video description reads as follows: "The story begins 10 years after the dramatic events of "Star Wars: Revenge of the Sith" where Obi-Wan Kenobi faced his greatest defeat—the downfall and corruption of his best friend and Jedi apprentice, Anakin Skywalker, who turned to the dark side as evil Sith Lord Darth Vader. The series stars Ewan McGregor, reprising his role as the iconic Jedi Master, and also marks the return of Hayden Christensen in the role of Darth Vader." Other cast members include Moses Ingram, Joel Edgerton, Bonnie Piesse, Kumail Nanjiani, Indira Varma, Rupert Friend, O'Shea Jackson Jr., Sung Kang, Simone Kessell, and Benny Safdie. The Obi-Wan Kenobi limited series is being directed by Deborah Chow and will premiere on Disney+ May 25.

If You Claim Ghost Of Tsushima Legends On PS Plus, You’ll Be Locked Out Of Director’s Cut PS5 Upgrade Discount Posted: 09 Mar 2022 11:14 AM PST Platform: PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4 Publisher: Sony Interactive Entertainment Developer: Sucker Punch Productions Release: August 20, 2021 Rating: Mature Ghost of Tsushima Legends is the multiplayer component of Sucker Punch Productions' samurai RPG, Ghost of Tsushima, and it's a bonus PlayStation Plus game this month. However, at the time of this writing, if you claim the game as one of the PS Plus titles, you'll be locked out of the Ghost of Tsushima Director's Cut PlayStation 5 upgrade discount, as reported by PlayStation Lifestyle. This discount allows those who own Ghost of Tsushima on PlayStation 4 to upgrade to the PS5 version – the Director's Cut – for $29.99. If you own the Director's Cut on PS4 already, you can upgrade to the PS5 version for $9.99. But, if you redeem the Legends PS Plus title, or already have, you'll be locked out of that discount in the future. Click here to watch embedded media At the time of this writing, there is no official (and easy) fix for this unfortunate circumstance, but you can contact Sony PlayStation support to ask for a refund of the Legends PS Plus standalone title. Doing this will give you access to the Director's Cut PS5 upgrade discount again.  I own the base ps4 version of GoT. I redeemed the legends on ps4 plus and now I cannot upgrade to the DC version anymore because of the "trial". pic.twitter.com/LZhCIuZD8Q — Maxime Dubois Bergeron (@Maxime_DB) March 1, 2022 You may need to contact PlayStation Customer Support (or @AskPlayStation) and they can hopefully sort this out. — Ghost of Tsushima 🎮 Legends in March PS+! (@SuckerPunchProd) March 1, 2022 According to PlayStation Lifestyle, those who have contacted Sony PlayStation support are asked to restore licenses, which is another way of saying refunding the free PS Plus version of Legends.  For more about Ghost of Tsushima, read Game Informer's Ghost of Tsushima review and then read about the Rivals mode now live in Legends. Check out this story about how Ghost of Tsushima sold more than 8 million copies after that.  [Source: PlayStation Lifestyle] Have you redeemed the Legends PS Plus title? Let us know if you're experiencing this issue in the comments below!

Tiny Tina’s Wonderlands Preview – Critical Hit! Posted: 09 Mar 2022 10:34 AM PST Platform: PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, PC Publisher: 2K Games Developer: Gearbox Software Release: March 25, 2022 Rating: Teen The Borderlands franchise has given players four mainline campaigns, a ton of downloadable content, multiple spin-off games, and even an upcoming feature film starring A-list Hollywood talent. But perhaps paramount to those accomplishments are the series' characters. Along the way, players have met the likes of Claptrap, Lilith, and Handsome Jack, who have captivated players, leading them to wonder what could possibly happen next in the wild world of Borderlands. However, few characters are as memorable as Tiny Tina, the 13-year-old explosives expert introduced in the second game. Now, as the Borderlands franchise itself prepares to turn 13 years old later this year, Gearbox hands the reins of its ambitious new spin-off to the character that captured so many hearts (and likely stopped just as many from beating). We went hands-on with Tiny Tina's Wonderlands for hours and spoke with the team to learn why this unique direction for the franchise is such an exciting venture both for Gearbox and the series' devoted fan base.  Tiny Tina, Big Ideas Tiny Tina, voiced by Ashly Burch, proved to be an immediate hit with fans. She soon received her own downloadable content campaign for Borderlands 2, Tiny Tina's Assault on Dragon Keep. That DLC placed players in a game of "Bunkers & Badasses," an homage to Dungeons & Dragons, with Tiny Tina serving as the unpredictable "Bunker Master." Thanks to Tina's hilarious and unreliable narration, the high-fantasy themes, and comical references to fantasy games and movies, Assault on Dragon Keep is widely considered one of the best pieces of DLC in the series' history. The team at Gearbox noticed that, in addition to latching onto Tiny Tina as a character, the player base also enjoyed Assault on Dragon Keep's tabletop trappings and the duality of a game within a game. The team felt it had only scratched the surface of exploring what it could do in a fantasy setting with looter-shooter mechanics. "It became pretty obvious to us very, very early that it could be so much more than just an add-on to another game," creative director Matt Cox says. "With the fantasy looter-shooter and the character of Tiny Tina, the ceiling was way higher and just really deserved its own standalone treatment." Gearbox wants this new effort to deliver all the unique experiences of the Tiny Tina's Assault on Dragon Keep DLC, but with a lower barrier-to-entry. Since this is a standalone story, players can enter Wonderlands with no knowledge of Borderlands' lore or backstory. However, existing fans could notice various nods to established characters in the Borderlands world. Despite being a standalone adventure, Tiny Tina's Wonderlands retains many of the conventions and mechanics players have grown familiar with, while expanding on them in several fun ways. Wonderlands takes place in a D&D-like realm, but guns are still front and center. New gun types lean into the fantasy elements, with magic barrels you reload by sprinkling fairy dust and crossbow bolts that multiply their damage based on how many bolts you stick in an enemy. However, combat encounters are more diverse affairs, as spells play a prominent role. Spells change the way you approach encounters significantly and work in conjunction with the fun gunplay and wild weaponry Borderlands fans are already familiar with. Now, in addition to blasting enemies away with the latest and greatest loot you picked up, you can open fissures in the ground, summon pets to fight alongside you, and even cast protection enchantments for you and your allies. These spells act like the main series' grenades in that you have a dedicated equipment slot and button for them, but they operate on a cooldown and have a wide array of effects. "We knew we wanted to update that looter-shooter loop to something that's a little bit more unique to the idea of this fantasy world, and we thought these spells were an absolutely great way to move that forward," senior producer Kayla Belmore says. "We really want them to feel powerful and like an action skill. This allowed the guns to still really shine and be the stars of the show, but have an alternate part of the combat that felt really special and unique. And you know, who doesn't love summoning giant meteors from the sky and squishing your enemies?" Melee also receives an upgrade in Wonderlands' combat system. No longer meant as a last resort if an enemy gets too close, melee weapons now get their own specialized gear slot. Melee weapons can be picked up as loot, and they have different attributes that allow you to synergize and tailor your combat style to the way you want to play. I had the chance to see all these grand ambitions come together in a cohesive way when I fired up a pre-release build of Tiny Tina's Wonderlands. Getting Creative The differences in gameplay in Tiny Tina's Wonderlands go much deeper than spells and upgraded melee weapons. The gameplay structure combines the team's inspiration from RPGs and the tried-and-true Borderlands formula. Right out of the gate, players will notice that they now create their own characters rather than the Borderlands convention of giving you four established characters from which to choose. While I didn't get the opportunity to create my own, the two characters I played looked and sounded very different from one another. In this new creator, players can choose different personalities before selecting from two voiceprints and adjusting the pitch via a slider. Because the six character classes are separate from looks, Gearbox is excited to give players the opportunity to not have the character's identity be tied so tightly to their play style. This notion was carried over from inspirations like Dungeons & Dragons, other fantasy games, and even JRPGs. But at its core, this shift from the main series was the team wanting to empower the player to play who they want. "Allowing the player to express themselves was something very important to a lot of people on the team," Belmore says. "We really want players to be able to represent themselves, their fantasy self, or something completely outlandish if they feel like it. It's all up to them and what they want to see and what they want to do. That's really special for us." As you level up, each character has skill trees and hero stats to upgrade. Skill trees play out much like standard Borderlands progression. Meanwhile, hero stats allow you to upgrade typical RPG stats: strength (critical hit damage), dexterity (critical hit chance), intelligence (spell cooldown), and more. In my playthrough, I was landing a ton of headshots, so I poured a lot of my hero points into strength to boost the damage. My gameplay session takes place on Mount Craw, a snowy mountain full of caves, cliffs, and critters. If you're hoping for some goblins and trolls to fight amid this game's fantasy setting, my time in Mount Craw offers plenty. I can choose between two classes in this build, but there will be a total of six in the final version. While the Graveborn build gives me some great dark magic and a Demi-Lich companion, I love the Stabbomancer class, which allows me to summon magical whirling blades that deal persistent damage to enemies in the area. Regardless of how important spells and melee are to the overall equation, I immediately see what the team means when it says that guns are still the star of the show. Blasting through goblins (who all have their own weird weapons and powers) is so much fun, thanks to the interesting arsenal I pick up along the way. From an automatic scoped rifle that fires arrows to an SMG that launches area-of-effect bombs and restores some of your health with each successful shot, the Borderlands pedigree is alive and well, even in a fantasy setting. Tales from the Wonderlands Borderlands games have always allowed players to see their co-op partners' characters, but with more customization options available to players, Gearbox gives you more opportunities to marvel at your creation. One such opportunity comes through an overworld, which lets you walk about in third-person view, an idea Cox says was taken from old-school JRPGs and classics like Zelda II: The Adventure of Link. That's not the only difference carried over by way of the JRPG genre, as players can enter the tall grass in the overworld and engage in random encounters that reward you with loot and experience. When a random encounter occurs, you are pushed back into first-person view, and you battle the enemies just as you would in a standard mission. This overworld encourages exploration to allow you to fully experience the world of Tiny Tina's Wonderlands. In addition to overworld-specific quests, you can even discover completely new maps to explore and complete missions. For instance, the Mount Craw map I play is not a part of the main plotline. Instead, you discover that through the overworld. Once you're in Mount Craw, you have a self-contained storyline connected to the environment and its inhabitants. Mount Craw is just one example of these side maps that offer major quests for players that supplement the overall story and lore of the Wonderlands but are standalone in nature. Click here to watch embedded media As you find these extra maps, you'll notice more sidequests available in the hub world. For example, as you discover Mount Craw, you may start seeing "wanted" posters around the tavern for characters in that area. You can start quests by exploring in the Wonderlands, talking to NPCs, or by simply picking up notes at the tavern, making it so players have many opportunities to find this side content, then engage with it if they want. In my time exploring Mount Craw, I meet Jar, a small goblin fighting to free her enslaved race. To help her, I need to free prisoners, secure bombs, blow up a gate, and defeat a frost skeleton. Then I have to plunge his heart into a forge to freeze it, defeat powerful magic-wielding oracles, and finally take down a mechanical dragon in a tense boss fight. While that's the main questline in this standalone map, I can also take on sidequests, like helping Claptrap (made of wood) collect ore to use in his forge. Assisting Jar and freeing her fellow goblins is certainly the highlight, but this early build gives me hope for the sheer breadth of quest-driven content in the final game. With so much available to players at any given time, Gearbox has implemented a new system to ensure players cannot out-level quests. In Tiny Tina's Wonderlands, if you return to a quest you picked up in the game's early stages, the challenge levels with you. This provides commensurate rewards, making it both engaging and worthwhile to the player regardless of how much stronger they became in the time since accepting the quest. Bringing an All-Star Cast to the Table Celebrity Dungeons & Dragons campaigns have become more popular in recent years thanks to shows like Critical Role, and Tiny Tina's Wonderlands is set to give players the experience of role-playing alongside beloved comedic actors. Ashly Burch reprises her role as the titular Tiny Tina, but she's joined by Will Arnett (Arrested Development, Lego Batman) as the antagonistic Dragon Lord, Andy Samberg (Saturday Night Live, Brooklyn Nine-Nine) as Captain Valentine, and Wanda Sykes (Black-ish, Curb Your Enthusiasm) as Frette. Like Borderlands games, Tiny Tina's Wonderlands is fully co-op. But even if you're playing solo, Gearbox leverages this all-star cast to make you feel like you're not alone. "The whole idea with this game is that it should feel, even if you're playing all by yourself, like you're in a campaign, playing a tabletop game with your friends," senior producer Kayla Belmore says. "There's a lot of fun that can be had when you're listening to this banter and how everyone is interacting. Developing at a time when we were all really isolated, having this moment where you can be alone and still feel like you're playing with friends is something I think can be relatable for a lot of people." Rolling the Dice After Borderlands 3 gave players another Vault-hunting adventure in 2019, a game that shakes up the formula could be a perfect opportunity to energize the fan base. Tiny Tina has clearly demonstrated her staying power within both the franchise and the community at large, so thrusting her into the spotlight in perhaps the most chaotic and over-the-top game Gearbox has ever developed sounds like a match made in heaven. I had a blast exploring Mount Craw and experimenting with the various guns, spells, and melee weapons. I can't wait to see what else Tiny Tina's Wonderlands has in store for me when the game launches later this month.  This article originally appeared in issue 344 of Game Informer. Purchase

Horizon Forbidden West: Patch 1.07 Includes New Photo Mode Options, Performance Mode Improvements, And More Posted: 09 Mar 2022 10:27 AM PST Platform: PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4 Publisher: PlayStation Studios Developer: Guerrilla Games Release: February 18, 2022 Rating: Teen Horizon Forbidden West is a massive game, and if you're still tinkering around in it, the latest update, Patch 1.07, is going to make that experience even better.  Now live, Patch 1.07 brings with it a ton of bug fixes, some new Photo Mode options, improvements to the game's Favor Performance Mode, and more. As usual, it also includes a breakdown of known issues and status updates of where the team is at to fix them.  Click here to watch embedded media "Patch 1.07 is out," Guerilla writes in a tweet. "This patch includes an 'Always Off' option for weapons and ammo, and tools and potions in the Custom HUD options, a fix to speak to Porguf during side quest 'Breaking Even,' and more. We've made several tweaks to vegetation to improve image quality in the Favor Performance mode and will continue to investigate reported graphical issues regarding shimmering, sharpening, and screen saturation." As for the additions to Horizon Forbidden West's Photo Mode, here's what to expect:  You can also find new Photo Mode options in the patch! - The minimum focus distance has been reduced to 5cm - Increased precision in precision mode - Added many more focal lengths to cover the range between 10mm and 300mm in 35mm full frame ...and more! #VirtualPhotography — Guerrilla (@Guerrilla) March 9, 2022 Here are the fixes and improvements live in Patch 1.07, according to Guerrilla Games' patch notes:  Main Quests Fixed an issue in main quest 'Reach for the Stars' where the quest would not progress correctly if the second shuttle cable connector was shot first. Fixed an issue in main quest 'Reach for the Stars' where the player could exit the play space. Fixed an issue in main quest 'The Embassy' where rushing back through the Barren Light gate during The Embassy will get the player stuck in Barren Light. Fixed an issue in main quest "Death's Door" where the player could summon their mount in an underground location. Fixed an issue in main quest "Death's Door" where the player cannot interact with a console. Fixed an issue in main quest 'The Sea of Sands' where the objective to craft the diving mask updated incorrectly, blocking progression. Fixed an issue in main quest 'Thebes' where the player could squeeze through a gap in geometry near the Underwater Powerplant and fall out of the world. Side Quests Fixed an issue in side quest 'Breaking Even' where the player could not talk to Porguf to turn in the quest if Talanah was also present in Camp Nowhere. Fixed an issue in side quest 'Shadow in the West' where reloading a save could respawn the player outside of an enclosed combat space. Fixed an issue in side quest 'Blood Choke' where Atekka could be idling unresponsively outside Thornmarsh if the player approached from a certain direction. Fixed an issue in side quest 'A Soldier's March' where Penttoh could become unresponsive while moving towards the mountain peak, thus blocking progression. Fixed an issue in side quest 'The Second Verse' where the "Talk to Zo" objective does not update after abandoning the side quest midway. Fixed an issue in side quest 'Nights of Lights' where the "Gather the Gizmo" objective does not update. World Activities Fixed an issue in Gauntlet races where in rare cases the race did not start after completing a practice run. Fixed an issue in Gauntlet races where coming in last place could count as a win. Fixed an issue in Gauntlet Run: The Stillsands, where the player could be directed to play the Activity before the Activity can be started. Fixed an issue with the Elusive Fanghorn salvage contract where the quest would sometimes not complete correctly. Fixed an issue with the Elusive Fanghorn salvage contract where the machine trails would not show if the player fast traveled away during the objective. Fixed an issue with the 'Ravager Cannon' salvage contract where the objective did not update correctly if the player detached one of the cannons with a high damage, high tear attack. Fixed an issue with the Eastern Lie Regalla camp where loading a save made at the campfire would place Aloy at a different campfire. Fixed an issue in Salvage Contract Ancient Relics, where the "Gather Ancient Relics" objective would stay stuck on 2/3. Fixed an issue in Regalla Camp Devil's Grasp where enemies may not respawn after reloading a save game during the "Kill the Rebel Leader" objective. Fixed an issue in Rebel Outpost Jagged Deep where the player could teleport across the map when reloading a save game. Fixed an issue in Sunken Cavern: The Gouge, where the player could swim through a gap in the cave wall. UI/UX Added an 'Always Off' option for weapons & ammo, and tools & potions in the Custom HUD options. Fixed several outfit icons that used the incorrect assets in the inventory menu. Fixed an issue with the map where unnatural movement would occur when centering the view on the player or a quest objective. Graphics Added smoother transition between Tropospheric and Cirrus cloud layers, and better matching of the coloring of the supercell Anvil and Cirrus clouds. Fixed an issue with the Very Large Array Tallneck where the model would display low level detail at a certain distance. Made multiple tweaks to vegetation to improve image quality in the Favor Performance mode. Fixed an instance of flickering white lights in main quest 'Death's Door'. Improved stability of depth of field during cinematics. Reduced stepping artifacts from SSAO in extreme closeup situations Reduced changes to saturation on motion blur. Improved quality and stability of shadows. Improved quality of grass in specific situations. Performance and Stability Multiple crash fixes. Fixed several instances where NPCs and textures would visibly stream in on PS4™ when the player approached a settlement at high speed. Fixed several instances where loading screens or black screens would trigger unintentionally. Fixed an issue with streaming after the end credits sequence was skipped. Photo Mode improvements Increased precision in precision mode to allow for much more control when orienting and moving the camera, especially when using long focal lengths and large apertures. The minimum focus distance has been reduced to 5cm allowing for more creative shots and macro photography. Changed the film back to 35mm full frame, for more clear focal length and DOF translation, and more intuitive selection of focal lengths for virtual photographers. Added many more focal lengths to cover the range between 10mm and 300mm in 35mm full frame allowing for more creative expressions. Added a FoV match for the default camera. Increased the radius that photographers can use around Aloy from 5 to 10 meters. Various small quality of life improvements. The Auto Focus rectangle and the Rule of Third grid are now hidden when using the Hide UI option. Fixed an issue where a moire effect could be visible on characters' skin during close-up shots. Other Fixed a camera collision issue that would sometimes occur when the player was mounted and maneuvering near obstacles of a certain height. Fixed several animation issues with NPCs in settlements. Slightly increased the ammo cost of the Propelled Spike weapon technique for game balance reasons. Fixed an instance where Aloy could get stuck inside geometry in the Memorial Grove settlement when trying to jump out through a gap in the wall. Fixed an issue where the game would appear to hang briefly after skipping through the end credits sequence. Fixed an issue where the PS5 Operating System "Game Presets" difficulty would override the difficulty level in-game. Fixed an issue where interactable objects would sometimes lose collision, causing the player to fall through the object. Fixed an issue where the player might fall through the world when fast traveling while on a mount. And here are the known issues, according to Guerrilla Games:  "We are currently looking into several issues reported by the community. Please note that these issues are not yet fixed in this patch, but our teams are investigating them with high priority." In this patch, the team have made several tweaks to vegetation to improve image quality in the Favor Performance mode. Please let us know your feedback. The team will continue to investigate reported graphical issues regarding shimmering, sharpening and screen saturation. Some players have reported that the Firegleam icons do not get removed from the map after interacting with them; this will be fixed soon! Some players have reported that certain music tracks keep repeating during their playthrough. We have included a partial fix to prevent this issue from happening in patch 1.06, but are still looking into a fix for players who are experiencing this issue. If you encounter this, please use the Support Form to submit a video of where and when the music can be heard. For more about Horizon Forbidden West, read Game Informer's Horizon Forbidden West review and then find out why Aloy is on Game Informer's list of the top 10 heroes this generation. Read about why Horizon Forbidden West is on Game Informer's list of the best open-world games to play right now after that.  Are there any fixes for Horizon Forbidden West you're looking for? Let us know in the comments below!

Elden Ring Speedrunner Beats Game In Under Three Hours Without Dying Posted: 09 Mar 2022 09:45 AM PST Platform: PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, PC Publisher: Bandai Namco Developer: From Software Release: February 25, 2022 Elden Ring's popularity and success know no bounds. While most of us are still struggling against early-game legacy dungeons and the bosses that skulk around within them, some skilled (and lucky) few are rushing through the game with relative ease. One such speedrunner beat Elden Ring in under three hours, and they did it convincingly: they didn't suffer a single death.  Click here to watch embedded media So who is this legendary Tarnished? niko bellic (an obvious homage to the Liberty City everyman) spent their two and a half-hour playthrough dashing past non-essential bosses while on horseback. Eurogamer likens the Elden Ring speedrunning experience to Breath of the Wild – players found increasingly unique ways to challenge Ganon, despite being severely under-leveled. It's safe to say that niko bellic had to surmount similar restrictions as the only runes they likely collected were from a smattering of grunts and, primarily, mainline bosses. You can watch the speedrun above, but it comes with a healthy dose of story/gameplay spoilers.  Our very own Dan Tack awarded Elden Ring a perfect 10 out of 10 and fell in love with the lore, various tense encounters, and overall sense of player agency and discovery. He concluded his review by stating: "Elden Ring challenged me, captivated me, and enchanted me, an unyielding deluge of discovery and artistic vision unbound. Elden Ring represents a truly amazing combination of various game elements that all come together to create something fascinating, special, and unforgettable. Elden Ring isn't just the best game this year; it's one of the best games ever made." As a newcomer to From Software games, I can't help but agree. [Source: Eurogamer]

F-Zero X Barrels To Nintendo Switch Online Expansion Pack This Week Posted: 09 Mar 2022 09:00 AM PST Nintendo Switch Online Expansion Pack subscribers will have a new classic racing game to enjoy in the form of F-Zero X, which arrives on the service on March 11. F-Zero X is the sequel to F-Zero and launched on the Nintendo 64 in 1998. The first entry to utilize 3D graphics, it's perhaps most notable for introducing Death Race, a mode that challenges players to eliminate the 29 other racers on a specially designed course. F-Zero X can be played with up to four players, and the Switch version features online multiplayer.   Click here to watch embedded media Last month, The Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask joined the Expansion Pack, and Banjo-Kazooie was added in January. Nintendo has thus maintained a monthly cadence for the N64 library. Although new titles don't arrive in as plentiful quantities as some would like, getting one release a month beats the several-month drought that regularly occurs with the NES/SNES libraries. In other recent Nintendo Switch Online news, the company just introduced a revamped rewards system for completing specific in-game tasks. You can read all about it here.

Fortnite: Buying Tiny Tina’s Wonderlands On The Epic Games Store Gets You The Diamond Pony Glider Posted: 09 Mar 2022 08:01 AM PST Platform: PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, PC Publisher: 2K Games Developer: Gearbox Software Release: March 25, 2022 Rating: Teen Gearbox detailed the season pass for its upcoming looter-shooter D&D RPG, Tiny Tina's Wonderlands today, and now, the studio has revealed a collaboration with Epic Games and Fortnite.  If you buy Tiny Tina's Wonderlands on PC through the Epic Games Store (mind you, it's still available to purchase on Steam, too), you'll receive the Diamond Pony Glider to use in Fortnite. You'll receive the glider if you purchase either of the available editions of Wonderlands on the Epic Games Store and if you've already pre-purchased the game, don't worry – you'll be getting the glider too.  Click here to view embedded media   "In collaboration with Epic Games, the chaotic fantasy world of Tiny Tina's Wonderlands is crossing over with Fortnite via the Diamond Pony Glider, which you can get as a limited-time bonus when you purchase a digital copy of Tiny Tina's Wonderlands on the Epic Games Store," Gearbox writes in a press release. "Your enemies will be dumbfounded and extremely jealous when they see you soaring gracefully through the air with your Diamond Pony Glider. When activated, the magical diamond unicorn herself will magically teleport to your side with an elegant whinny, as she daintily excretes a gun that is quickly swept away by the wind before it can land on the island. She'll gallop underfoot, kindly letting you surf atop her sparkling back as the two of you fly through the sky leaving a rainbow trail in your wake."  If you're looking to use the Diamond Pony Glider in Fortnite on March 25, which is the release date for Tiny Tina's Wonderlands, the only way to get it is by purchasing the game on the Epic Games Store. However, Gearbox says that the Diamond Pony Glider will be available to purchase in the Fortnite Item Shop at a later date.  For more about Tiny Tina's Wonderlands, read about the Chaos Chamber and then check out this exclusive gameplay in the latest Tiny Tina's Wonderlands New Gameplay Today. Read about Tiny Tina's Wonderlands' Multiclass system so that you're prepared when the game launches later this month after that.  Are you excited for Tiny Tina's Wonderlands? Let us know in the comments below!

Tiny Tina’s Wonderlands Season Pass Detailed, Includes Four Content Drops Posted: 09 Mar 2022 08:00 AM PST Platform: PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, PC Publisher: 2K Games Developer: Gearbox Software Release: March 25, 2022 Rating: Teen Tiny Tina's Wonderlands is right around the corner, hitting PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and PC on March 25, and today, Gearbox has detailed its season pass.  Previously announced, we now know that the Tiny Tina's Wonderlands season pass consists of four post-launch content drops, and each begins in the Dreamveil Overlook. Here, the fortune teller Vesper peers into the Mirrors of Mystery that she oversees and in doing so, you'll be "whisked away to illusionary environments, each consisting of five levels to fight through followed by a fearsome new boss encounter." All four Mirror of Mystery content drops will come with the season pass, but you can also purchase each drop individually as well.  Click here to watch embedded media "The final boss within each Mirror of Mystery will grow more powerful over time, and Vesper's tales are designed to be replayed so you can test your mettle against the rising difficulty," a press release from Gearbox reads. "Each time you successfully vanquish the boss' increasingly fearsome forms, you'll earn Lost Souls that let you spin Vesper's Wheel of Fate. Spins of this creepy contraption can reward you with Legendary weapons, gear, and other items."  Gearbox says that completing a content drop will also add its respective levels and boss to the pool of possibilities in the Chaos Chamber, which is the endgame content of Tiny Tina's Wonderlands. The fourth post-launch content drop, which is included in the season pass, will also introduce a new class that will join the other six the game launches with. It will have its own Class Feat, two new Action Skills, and a unique skill tree to level up in. Plus, thanks to the Multiclass system of Tiny Tina's Wonderlands, this seventh class could drastically change the way you have your character spec'd out in-game.  Click here to view embedded media   "Rounding out the Season Pass is the Butt Stallion Pack, featuring cosmetic items approved by Queen Butt Stallion herself that'll make you the envy of other Fatemakers," Gearbox writes. "Included in the Butt Stallion Pack are the Diamond Guard Armor Presets (three items), the Crystal Glitter Makeup Pack (five items), the Adamant Throne Banner Set (two items), and the Diamond Hero Statue Material."  For more about Tiny Tina's Wonderlands, read about the Chaos Chamber and then check out this exclusive gameplay in the latest Tiny Tina's Wonderlands New Gameplay Today. Read about Tiny Tina's Wonderlands' Multiclass system so that you're prepared when the game launches later this month after that.  Are you excited for Tiny Tina's Wonderlands? Let us know in the comments below!

New Final Fantasy 35th Anniversary Website Celebrates Series History, Teases Info On Upcoming Titles Posted: 09 Mar 2022 07:29 AM PST Platform: PlayStation 5, PC Publisher: Square Enix It's a big year for Square Enix's Final Fantasy series. Not only does this year mark the release of Chocobo GP, a Final Fantasy kart racer, but it marks the release of Stranger of Paradise: Final Fantasy Origin, a game that promises to be one of the strangest spinoffs in the series yet.  However, above all of that, 2022 is Final Fantasy's 35th anniversary year and Square Enix has created a brand new website to celebrate that and tease information about new games and more. The website is a bit light on content right now, featuring just a handful of messages, a live feed of Final Fantasy Twitter accounts, and a portal to news, but it could be the host of new information about upcoming Final Fantasy games soon.  "We will continue to work hard making each Final Fantasy game one that you will remember for a long time to come," Final Fantasy VII Remake producer Yoshinori Kitase writes in a message on the site. "The FF 35th site will support new releases, sharing info on upcoming titles and merchandise. I hope you're excited for what's on the way for Final Fantasy."  Elsewhere on the site, Square Enix writes that "in this 35th anniversary year, we will be bringing you many exciting new ways to enjoy the worlds of Final Fantasy," and that fans should "please look forward to what Final Fantasy has in store."  As for what's in store this year, Chocobo GP hits Switch tomorrow, on March 10. Then, Stranger of Paradise: Final Fantasy Origin, a Final Fantasy I spin-off developed by the team behind the popular Nioh series, hits PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and PC on March 18. While not confirmed for 2022, there's also the chance that Final Fantasy XVI, a PlayStation console exclusive, releases this year, which would make for quite a Final Fantasy lineup in 2022. Perhaps we'll learn more about Stranger of Paradise or XVI during today's PlayStation State of Play that will have a "special focus" on games from Japanese publishers. Only time will tell.  To help celebrate Final Fantasy's 35th anniversary, you can now listen to all of the mainline Final Fantasy soundtracks thanks to a new and official Square Enix YouTube music channel that hosts a ton of the series' soundtracks and scores.  Are you excited for Final Fantasy's offerings this year? Let us know in the comments below!

Gotham Knights Captures October Release Date Posted: 09 Mar 2022 06:46 AM PST Platform: PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, PC Publisher: Warner Bros. Interactive Developer: Warner Bros. Games Montreal Release: October 25, 2022 Gotham Knights, the upcoming co-op action RPG that puts players behind the masks and cowls of Batgirl, Robin, Red Hood, and Nightwing, will be released this October.  More specifically, it will hit PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and PC on October 25, just in time for Halloween. Considering Gotham is probably a terrifying place to live, exploring it the week before Halloween sounds like a spooky treat. This news comes after a Gotham Knights trailer released during DC Fandome last October stated the game would be released in 2022. Now we know it's coming this October.  Gotham will always need its heroes. Suit up for an all-new adventure on 10.25.22. #GothamKnights pic.twitter.com/d7oV2LbcT8 — Gotham Knights (@GothamKnights) March 9, 2022 For the uninitiated, Gotham Knights is the next Batman game developed by Warner Bros. Games Montreal, the same studio behind Batman: Arkham Origins. However, Gotham Knights does not take place in the same universe as Origins or Rocksteady's wider Arkham series. Instead, it takes place in its own universe where Bruce Wayne, and subsequently Batman, is no more. As a result, the Bat-family has to step up to put an end to the mysterious Court of Owls waging war against Gotham.  Each hero – Red Hood, Batgirl, Nightwing, and Robin – fight with their own unique style and have individual RPG skill trees to work through. Plus, you can play with a friend to take down Gotham baddies like Penguin and Mr. Freeze, two villains we know will be present thanks to previous trailers. There's likely plenty more recognizable baddies to take on when the game hits PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and PC on October 25.  While waiting, read about how Gotham Knights was originally due out in 2021 before being delayed to 2022 and then check out the impressive voice cast behind the game. Watch the latest Gotham Knights trailer after that and then read about how Gotham Knight's open world was optimized for co-op.  Are you excited for Gotham Knights? Let us know in the comments below!

Amazon Responds To Lost Ark’s Controversial Gender-Locked Classes Posted: 08 Mar 2022 09:00 AM PST Platform: PC Publisher: Amazon Games Developer: Smilegate Release: February 11, 2022 Rating: Mature Lost Ark was released in Korea back in 2018 and finally came to the West, with the help of Amazon Games, earlier this year. Even though the MMORPG garnered success with solid review scores and popularity, controversy has arisen, urging Amazon to respond to the outcry surrounding Lost Ark's puzzling gender-locked classes and poor female representation. According to Eurogamer, "players have expressed disappointment in both the gender locked classes and the prevalence of revealing female outfits." Concerning the first point, men have warrior-centric classes, and women are mages. Developer Smilegate released a blog post last year mentioning that it's aware of the issue:  "From the earliest days of Lost Ark's announcement in the West, we heard players' feedback about gender locked classes loud and clear. While not every class in the game currently has a male and female counterpart available, we wanted to be sure to include those that do early on. In the future, Smilegate RPG will be creating more counterparts for classes that are still gender locked, and we will bring these to Arkesia in time." More recently, Amazon Games' franchise lead Soomin Park told Eurogamer that changes are incoming: "First let's start with gender-locked classes. This is something that will roll out over time. Classes are tied pretty closely to their character models in terms of function and animation, so bringing opposite gender characters to a class takes more work than just making a differently gendered model available. However, Smilegate RPG is actively working on this; the female Berserker is the next class coming to Korea. While not every class in the game currently has a male and female counterpart available, we made an effort to include those that do in our launch class lineup. In the future, Smilegate RPG will be creating more counterparts for classes that are still gender locked, and we will bring these to Arkesia in time." Park would go on to talk about the revealing female armor sets, saying: "As for armor sets, while we aren't altering any of the original costumes from the game, we are making adjustments so that the more revealing options won't be front and center in places like our marketing or the initial character creation screen (although the original character creator outfits are still available in-game as early drops). We are also including in some new outfit options that are not quite as revealing, but these are an addition and not a replacement. As we are aware of the balance between hardcore fans who want a Lost Ark experience that is close to the original Korean version and new players who may not like the current armor and costume options, we are adding outfits and alternatives to the game instead of taking away options." Hopefully, these changes and the promise of more appropriate, respectful content make Lost Ark a more enjoyable experience for its player base.  [Source: Eurogamer]

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