Disgaea 6: Defiance of Destiny, the latest entry in Nippon Ichi Software's daffy turn-based strategy series will, following its debut as a Switch-exclusive in the west last June, be making the leap to PC, PlayStation 4, and PS5 some time this "summer" in the form of a Complete edition.

In a lot of ways, its business as usual for Disgaea 6; once again, the series conjures up a ridiculous, comedic yarn to frame its strategy action - this time focusing on new protagonist Zed, a teenage zombie on a quest to defeat the God of Destruction - all in service to the series' wonderfully compelling turn-based battling and drive for ever-higher numbers.

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My last Elden Ring hands-on was illuminating, to say the least. As I got turned to mulch by a mechanical chariot, split in two by an ulcerated lizard, and bullied by a beast man, I simply... gave up. I said to myself, "I'll come back to this later. Yeah", with that final "yeah" escaping from my lips like a wisp of steam from a kettle.

The game boiled me alive, but its open world accommodated these feverish outbursts far better than previous Souls games. There were vast swathes of map to help bring my temperature back down from simmer to sparkling. One thing troubled me, though, and that was the rate at which I'd zip between bosses in-between distractions. It felt like I lacked the focus needed to keep up with Elden Ring's open world.

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Twitch streamer Alexandra “Alliestrasza” Macpherson, a prominent Hearthstone player and a member of esports organization Fade 2 Karma, was arrested on February 9. But it wasn’t her fault. She was swatted while playing the collectible card game live on stream, with police showing up fully strapped and ready to take…

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Platform: PlayStation 4, PC
Publisher: Sony Computer Entertainment
Developer: Guerrilla Games
Release: February 28, 2017 (PlayStation 4), August 7, 2020 (PC)
Rating: Teen

Horizon Forbidden West hits PlayStation 5 and PlayStation 4 on February 18 and it seems players are excited to return to Aloy’s journey because its predecessor, Horizon Zero Dawn, just surpassed a new milestone: 20 million copies sold. 

It’s no surprise – Zero Dawn is one of PlayStation’s best-selling games and it makes sense that more people picked it up in the run-up to Forbidden West. What better way to catch up on the story of Aloy’s first journey in the original 2017 game? Still though, 20 million is a massive number. 

Nintendo Switch Online players tackling Earthbound won't need to go through it with an unofficial walkthrough. Nintendo released a piece of gaming history alongside the game. People can now view Earthbound Player's Guide online. This pamphlet originally came with copies of the SNES game to help people through the JRPG. [Thanks, Nintendo Enthusiast!]

The Earthbound Player's Guide is a 135 page booklet. As expected of a strategy guide, it offers a step-by-step tour of the game. Characters, enemies, items, and secrets are all detailed. There are also fake newspaper articles going over events in different areas of the game. The Dusty Dunes Sesame Seeds side quest is also covered.

This isn't the first time Nintendo's offered the Earthbound walkthrough alongside a rerelease. When the game appeared on the Wii U, it was also possible to look through the strategy guide again.

What a ride for a cloud game Kingdom Hearts cloud is out, and it’s been rocky for folks ever since...

The post Kingdom Hearts cloud Switch is having launch issues and got a patch appeared first on Destructoid.

The other two teens were given three and four-year suspended sentences, though all three were arrested the same time, at 14-years-old, for posting political leaflets on their local FSB office.

The FSB searched their phones after the arrest and found videos of the teens making pyrotechnics and allegedly throwing Molotov cocktails, alongside their plot to blow up the virtual FSB building created in Minecraft.

Ah, Friday. The fifth day of the typical workweek. The end of said workweek, for many. But how nice would it be if [sentiment redacted by bosses]? Just ask folks from Blackbird Interactive, the developer behind Homeworld 3 and Hardspace: Shipbreaker and the latest studio to switch to a four-day workweek.

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Good Smile Company's WonHobby 35 event is under way, and one new announcement from the show could excite Metroid fans: A new Samus Aran figure. Part of the company's figma line of articulated action figures, the Metroid Dread figma is based on Samus' updated appearance in the game.

https://twitter.com/GoodSmile_US/status/1491945344824926230

Though no actual photos of the prototype were available, some artwork from Metroid Dread shows off what the final figure is likely to look like. As in the game, the figma will reflect the changes wrought by Samus Aran's visit to the planet ZDR. Rather than the classic orange-and-red color scheme, her Power Suit sports a dominant blue-and-white schema, with organic-looking threads connecting different sections of the armor.

The new look in Metroid Dread is a result of her Power Suit regenerating and changing following the events of Metroid Fusion, which Dread is a follow-up to. Later in the game, Samus gains upgrades that change her suit appearance to resemble her Varia and Gravity suits.

The Metroid Dread figma will be the fourth figma release based on the series. Two were released in 2014 and 2016 based on Metroid: Other M, representing Samus in her Power Suit and Zero Suit appearances. The third Metroid figma released in 2020 and was based on Samus' appearance in Metroid Prime 3.

The Metroid Dread figma is in development. The game itself is immediately available on Nintendo Switch. A free update planned for April 2022 will add two new difficulty levels.

Nintendo hacker Gary Bowser has been sentenced to 40 months in prison after he pled guilty to piracy charges. 

Bowser was one of the leaders of Team Xecuter, a sophisticated for-profit video game hacking group that created and sold console-hacking software and hardware, such as mod chips. The group consists of over a dozen individuals located worldwide, and their tech allowed consoles such as the Switch, Nintendo 3DS, the NES Classic, the PlayStation Classic, and Xbox to run pirated games. Unlike others in the emulation/modding community who create free, open-source software, Team Xecuter charged money for its services. Bowser’s role included running websites that, according to the US Department of Justice, marketed these products to customers while helping create and support online libraries of pirated games.

Naturally, their activity drew the ire of Nintendo, who roped in the US government to launch a formal investigation. Bowser and other Team Xecuter leaders, Max Louran of France and Yuanning Chen of China, were arrested in September 2020 and initially charged with 11 felony counts each. The men potentially faced over 20 years in prison. 

“These defendants lined their pockets by stealing and selling the intellectual property of other video-game developers–even going so far as to make customers pay a licensing fee to play stolen games,” said U.S. Attorney Brian Moran after the arrests in 2020. “This conduct doesn’t just harm billion-dollar companies, it hijacks the hard work of individuals working to advance in the video-game industry.”

Whenever a game like Lost Ark comes out, it shows the public is still hungry for something that looks and sounds and plays even a tiny bit like Diablo. Lost Ark does provide what is the crudest part of the appeal of something like Diablo - i.e. a thousand chittering enemies flying at you at once as you vaporise them with minimal clicking - but I wouldn't say it's a lovingly crafted version of it. Like the difference between the Wicked Witch in Snow White and a Halloween costume in a plastic bag labelled Legally Distinct Evil Magic Stepmother. But there are also things I appreciate about Lost Ark in general, and its version of [flaps hands] whatever this is.

In the spirit of Lost Ark's slightly older (one might even say dated?) sensibilities, I'm going to break it down like I'm reviewing the game in a 90s game mag, separating the game into its constituent parts - just as one can remove the egg from a cake after baking it. Although I should make it clear I'm not doing our proper Lost Ark review. That honour falls to Ed, who is more plugged in to modern MMORPGs than I am. I'm just here to talk about how Lost Ark does and does not compare to Diablo - specifically Diablo II, because that's the best one.

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It's tempting to think that a city builder should focus on covering more ground, simulating a wider range of those elements in a bid for authenticity, or comprehensiveness.

Power To The People takes the other approach. You're the decision maker of an energy company, tasked solely with providing electricity to towns you have no control over. Do a good job and you'll make enough money to scale up alongside the village/town/city. For such a simple premise it's surprisingly good at engaging the part of your brain that covers strategy and puzzles. Considering that power lines are normally an annoying hassle in games that simulate them at even a basic level, I'm also impressed by how entertaining it is.

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Head of PlayStation studios Herman Hulst has revealed that over 20m copies of Horizon Zero Dawn have now been sold across PS4 and PC.

Along with this heady number, Hulst additionally revealed that players have spent over 1bn hours playing through Aloy's debut adventure.

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In some surprising news, earlier today it was revealed that the cult classic black comedy thriller The Cable Guy, directed by Ben Stiller and starring Jim Carrey, would be returning…sort of. Everyone’s favorite psychotic handyman Ernie “Chip” Douglas will be returning for an upcoming Verizon TV spot that will play during the Super Bowl.

This is the first time we’ve seen the character since the movie debuted back in 1996. While it is a pretty quick trailer, you can check out the teaser for The Cable Guy yourself below.

When talking about the collaboration with AdWeek, Verizon CCO and SVP Andrew McKechnie talked about how excited Carrey was to reprise the role.

“Carrey was pretty psyched to do this and felt like this was the right time — you can’t get a better moment than the Super Bowl to do something like this,” McKechnie said. “Hopefully, when the viewers see it, it will feel like a great story both from a cultural standpoint and, in terms of 25 years later, what The Cable Guy ultimately represents.”

When people go through Salmon Run in Splatoon 3, they will see familiar Boss Salmonids, as Nintendo confirmed all Splatoon 2 bosses will return. The update came after the February 2022 Nintendo Direct. New screenshots of some returning foes showed up too.

Here's a look at some of the Splatoon 2 Salmon Run bosses in Splatoon 3. (Note that 10 bosses total appeared in the previous game and well be back.) In many cases, multiple Boss Salmonids appear in a single screenshot.

First, this screenshot shows a Steelhead Boss Salmonid. In the background, there's a Steel Eel.

The Steelhead and Steel Eel Splatoon 3 Salmon Run bosses are joined by a Flyfish in this image.

Meanwhile, an Inkling is going head-to-head against a Flyfish in this screenshot.

Guerilla Games’ anticipated sequel Horizon Forbidden West launches in a week’s time, and so it’s no surprise to see PlayStation ramp up its promotional efforts. Today, a new cinematic trailer tees up some of the stories to come as Aloy is seen reflecting on the lessons taught to her by Rost. Also, a franchise sales update reveals the IP has now sold an impressive 20 million units across PlayStation and PC platforms.

First, here’s the trailer:

The accompanying message in a PS Blog post regarding the new sales tally reads:

While we have your attention, we would also like to thank our amazingly loving and engaging community. We love seeing the never-ending flow of cosplay and in-game photography, and it’s amazing how fast the community has grown as well. We are happy to share that as of November 28, 2021, Horizon Zero Dawn has sold through more than 20 million units worldwide across PlayStation 4 and PC combined, and the community has spent more than 1 billion hours in the game! It humbles us, thank you so much for your love and dedication.

Mario Kart fans have been debating the graphical quality of the new DLC tracks set to be released.

Announced at the latest Nintendo Direct, an extra 48 tracks are on their way to Mario Kart 8 Deluxe on Switch; a mix of classics from past games and newer tracks from mobile iteration Mario Kart Tour.

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Platform: Xbox One, PC
Publisher: Xbox Game Studios
Developer: 343 Industries
Release: <time datetime="2021-12-08T12:00:00Z" class="datetime">December 8, 2021</time>
Rating: Teen

The original composers for Microsoft’s Halo franchise are suing the company over unpaid royalties that go back as far as 20 years, according to a new report from Eurogamer. 

Marty O’Donnell and Mike Salvatori are also exploring the option of securing an injunction on Paramount’s upcoming Halo TV series. If such an injunction is secured, it could delay the show’s release. 

Retro beat ‘em up Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Shredder’s Revenge isn’t pulling its punches. Indie developer Tribute Games revealed yesterday, during a mini-PlayStation indie event, that mutant rat and ninjutsu master Splinter will be playable in the arcade homage when it releases later in 2022. The event also shared…

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Fancy a spot of turn-based tactical violence this weekend? Hie thee to Steam to try a free full-game trial of XCOM 2 complete with its excellent expansion, War Of The Chosen. While the free trial only runs for a few days, if you want to keep playing, the game has some daft discounts right now—like '£6 for XCOM 2 and all the DLC and everything' daft. Ridiculous bargain.

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In bittersweet news for Marvel fans, today it was revealed that all of the shows in The Defenders series will be leaving Netflix. This means that Daredevil, Jessica Jones, Luke Cage, Iron Fist, The Punisher, and The Defenders crossover series will no longer be available on the streaming platform as of March 1.

The news comes by way of Forbes, who reports that viewers are receiving brief messages that these Marvel shows will be removed from the platform starting next month. While it may have been in the cards ever since Disney purchased Marvel, it’s still a sad moment for many who fell in love with these Netflix originals back in 2015.

From time to time, miHoYo releases official wallpapers for its games through its N0va Desktop application. This is one of those days. There is now a Genshin Impact live wallpaper for Albedo. It is free to get the app and set it up. However, like many of the applications recent releases, this one is only able to be used on PCs and Android tablets. You can't use it on Android phones.

The wallpaper takes Albedo to one of his most frequent hangouts. In the game, he often heads to the Dragonspine mountains to research and paint. In the Genshin Impact live wallpaper, Albedo is at an easel painting his surroundings. From time to time, he'll move and you'll get a glimpse of his face. (His back is to the viewer, for the most part.)

This Albedo live wallpaper is the first Genshin Impact one to appear in February 2022. Typically, two or three show up each month. For example, live wallpaper for Hu Tao, Klee, and Kokomi all appeared in January 2022.

Rookie and Dread The Metroid Dread difficulty update is here, addressing some criticism for the game from all sides of...

The post That big Metroid Dread difficulty update is live, here are the patch notes appeared first on Destructoid.

Platform: PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Stadia, PC
Publisher: Ubisoft
Developer: Ubisoft Montreal
Release: November 10, 2020 (Xbox Series X/S, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Stadia, PC), November 12, 2020 (PlayStation 5)
Rating: Mature

Lost Ark, despite just now being experienced by a great many players for the first time, isn’t a new game in the traditional sense. It was first released in South Korea back in 2019 for PC. After finding huge success there, Lost Ark publisher Smilegate has partnered with Amazon to bring the MMOARPG to the US and…

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Back when Gust first announced Atelier Sophie 2, Siliconera spoke with Producer Junzo Hosoi about its development. Now that its release date is drawing nearer, we again talked about what people can expect from the game. Since we know more about what to expect, this time we talked about some additional elements. For example, we talked about how Atelier Sophie 2 gameplay changed due to new additions and what people can expect from characters like Sophie, Plachta, and Ramizel.

Jenni Lada: Given the positioning of Atelier Sophie 2 in the series timeline, what kind of character development do you hope to show for both Sophie and Plachta in it?

Junzo Hosoi: Atelier Sophie 2 takes place between the stories of the Atelier Sophie: The Alchemist of the Mysterious Book and Atelier Firis: The Alchemist and the Mysterious Journey. Players will be able to see what kind of experiences Sophie had before meeting Firis and how she grew from those experiences, as well as see how Sophie and Plachta influence each other and how it benefits them both, so I hope everyone will look forward to seeing how these characters grow.

As usual, Sophie will have a number of allies on her side. Which one of the Atelier Sophie 2 characters do you feel is the most unique and why?

Crusader: No Remorse [Warning: Infernax contains brief flashing images, as depicted in the trailer below. There is an option to...

The post Review: Infernax appeared first on Destructoid.

Click here to watch embedded media

Since retro games became, well, retro, many studios making games today have attempted to emulate the music, art, style, and feel of classics like Castlevania, Super Metroid, and others. Nostalgia for games like that helps them a lot in many cases, but that only gets you so far – at the end of the day, you do actually need to create a great game when attempting to dig back into the treasure chest that is 8-bit and 16-bit action-adventure gameplay. I'm happy to report that Berzerk Studio's Infernax, which hits PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Switch, and PC on February 14, has been a blast so far. 

While I've not completed the game just yet, there's plenty within that I want to keep a secret for yourself to view in the full game. However, if you've not heard of Infernax or are looking for more information about it, we have you covered with the first 15 minutes of the game (and if you're anything like me, these first 15 minutes will sell you on the game quite well). 

In this New Gameplay Today, your hosts Wesley LeBlanc, Ben Reeves, and Marcus Stewart talk and walk you through the first 15 minutes of Infernax. Is it hitting the highs of the games it's inspired by? Find out in this special preview video. Thanks for watching and be sure to let us know what you think of Infernax. 

You might brave all sorts of horrors in the supernatural Victorian setting of Fallen London and Sunless Sea, but dare you face the greatest horror of all: love? Failbetter Games this week released a demo for Mask Of The Rose, a dating sim set in the same wonderful world.

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During WonHobby 35, Good Smile Company revealed over ten upcoming figures and Nendoroids for characters from Fate/Grand Order and other Fate properties. More information on their individual prices and release windows will appear in the near future. All of the figures are at varying stages of development and completion, and you can get an idea of which figures to expect first based on the pictures.

The full list of figures that will appear for purchase soon are:

Fate/Grand Order

• Mysterious Heroine X Alter Figma
• Artoria Pendragon Alter (Lancer) Nendoroid
• Mordred (Saber) Pop Up Parade
• Sherlock Holmes (Ruler) 1/8  scale figure 
• Miyamoto Musashi (Berserker) figma
• Sei Shounagon (Archer) 1/7 scale figure
• Arthur Pendragon Prototype White Rose Nendoroid
• Cu Chulainn (Lancer) Nendoroid

[gallery columns="4" link="file" ids="915983,915984,915985,915986"]

Fate/kaleid liner Prisma Illya

Just for a second, as you hit the apex of a particularly audacious jump, the bottom end of Dying Light 2’s audio drops out. It’s as if bass were a grounded concept you’d momentarily left behind - an earthy comfort for mortals. Then the tumble begins, and you’d better have already picked out a nice, safe spot to land. This is the irresistible dichotomy of the parkour game, as first defined by Mirror’s Edge in 2008 - an invitation to soar, with the understanding that true freedom doesn’t come for free. Height is earned, momentum is managed, and mistakes are punished with a 30 foot plunge.

Perhaps you’ve seen footage of Dying Light 2’s rooftop running and wondered, “How much of that is me?” In a medium where climbing systems are typically automated rather than simulated, and first-person control tends to end at the waist, it’s natural to suspect that what you’re seeing is a fancy set of animations, triggered by pointing your character in a given direction and holding down the parkour key. I’m here to tell you that Dying Light 2 is not that game: it’s the real deal. It is, among many other things, Mirror’s Edge.

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During WonHobby 35, Good Smile Company revealed prototypes of nine hololive Nendoroids and figures. Over half of the figures already have painted versions and look like they are close to the final stages of development.

The list of new hololive Nendoroids and figures are:

• Usada Pekora Nendoroid
• Ookami Mio Nendoroid
• Minato Aqua “Aqua Iro Super Dream” 1/7 scale figure
• Minato Aqua Pop Up Parade figure
• Houshou Marine Pop Up Parade figure
• Shirogane Noel figma
• Sakura Miko Pop Up Parade
• Houshou Marine figma
• Tokino Sora Pop Up Parade figure

[gallery columns="5" link="file" ids="915958,915959,915960,915961,915962,915963,915964,915965,915966"]

Capcom's unannounced but widely-expected Resident Evil 4 remake will have a spookier tone inspired by the company's original ideas for the game.

An earlier, abandoned take on Resident Evil 4 would have seen hero Leon up against creepy living dolls and spectral figures. This has inspired Capcom's upcoming remake, a new Fanbyte report claims.

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