On January 31, publisher Team17 announced a Worms NFTs and was roundly rebuked by fans and studio partners alike. A day later it apologized and canceled the whole thing. According to a new report by Eurogamer, that was only the tip of the iceberg of Team17’s bullshit, which also included bad pay, rising workloads, and…
Rocket Panda Games released a new trailer and gameplay of the upcoming 2D fighting game Phantom Breaker: Omnia introducing one of the playable characters.
To be specific, we get to see Ende and her massive mechanical hand. The gameplay clip shows her involved in a match against Ren. It’s also a good chance to hear the Japanese voices.
This follows a string of more character trailers of which one featuring Mikoto, one showcasing Itsuki herself, one featuring Waka, one starring Yuzuha, one showcasing Ren, one focusing on Ria, one revealing Maestra and Artifactor, one focusing on Sophia, and one showcasing Shizuka.
You can check the videos out below.
Platform:
PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, PC
Publisher:
Ska Studios
Developer:
Ska Studios
Release:
PlayStation's Twitter is having a whole morning of indie announcements, and Devoured Studios' newest game Salt and Sacrifice joined the party with a PS Blog post about its PvP and a sneaky announcement of its release date on May 10.
Microsoft has said it will be watching Activision Blizzard's leadership during its acquisition approval process to ensure the embattled Call of Duty publisher has the "right people" at the top to facilitate positive cultural change.
Activision Blizzard has, of course, been the focus of months of disturbing allegations surrounding its workplace culture following the launch of a State of California lawsuit calling the company a "breeding ground for harassment and discrimination against women" - made all the more unsettling after a damning Wall Street Journal report claimed Activision Blizzard CEO Bobby Kotick had been aware of the allegations of sexual misconduct and mistreatment of female employees across many parts of the company "for years".
Make beautiful memories of hideous atrocities Scarlet Nexus is a great game, and was low-key one of the most entertaining...
The post Scarlet Nexus gets top-tier difficulty option and new photo mode appeared first on Destructoid.
A change is coming for people who use Steam for Final Fantasy XIV. FFXIV will soon require account linking between the Steam account version and an official Square Enix account. Square Enix announced it will be required starting in March 2022. Once it happens, folks will have to use the New Launcher Layout option too.
Square Enix cited FFXIV Steam account linking as a means to ensure security. A person must have the game’s license. Once the change goes through, people need to go through the one-time process. This ties it to a Square Enix account. It also means after that people need to launch the game from Steam to play and can’t use Original Launcher Layout.
This process won't be required until after the Letter from the Producer LIVE Part LXVIII presentation. Director and Producer Naoki Yoshida will go over things to come on February 18, 2022. It is possible there could be a more exact window for FFXIV Steam account linking and other technical updates. Ahead of that presentation, people can also submit questions for Yoshida to possibly answer.
It’s live now for nearly another week As we’ve established, Genshin Impact is constantly adding new stuff to do, whether it’s...
The post The Genshin Impact Eight Locales event is like a greatest hits from launch until now appeared first on Destructoid.
Staff at Worms developer Team17 have spoken out on issues of sexual harassment, low pay, and poor treatment within the studio in the wake of public backlash following its NFT U-turn.
Increasing numbers of staff have allegedly left Team17 in recent years due to the issues that allegedly include a dismissive HR team, demeaning boss, and a culture of being overworked, more than a dozen team members told Eurogamer.
Staff said the company's HR team failed to act appropriately when women reported sexual harassment such as being sent degrading messages and suggestive photos by male colleagues. HR "minimized" the incidents, gave the accused "a slap on the wrist" and told victims to sort it themselves.
Team17's group CEO Debbie Bestwick was also criticized. One staff member said: "Debbie posts so many things about being a woman in the games industry on Twitter, and yet harassment is going on in her company and people are being told, essentially, it hasn't happened."
Staff hold "mixed feelings" overall for Bestwick who has allegedly made staff cry by singling them out in meetings. One employee told Eurogamer that they're so overworked that "things are going to get missed" and "you're sat in a meeting being asked 'why the hell did this game not meet our expectations?'"
Horizon: Forbidden West includes dozens of accessibility settings to "create an immersive and accessible experience that can be enjoyed by everyone," Guerrilla revealed in a PlayStation Blog post.
Some settings have been brought over from the original Horizon: Zero Dawn but others have been added, including options to sprint automatically, heal automatically, and turn on context reminders.
Principal designer Brian Roberts said in the post: "Early on in the game’s development, we established that we wanted to bring the game to as many fans as possible and create an immersive and accessible experience that can be enjoyed by everyone.
"We hope these features help craft the gameplay experience that works best for you, and look forward to hearing your feedback so we can finetune even further."
One option added because of player feedback is the Co-Pilot mode that allows a second player to take over if need be through a second controller. Buttons are also completely customisable and can be changed between toggle and hold for convenience.
Assist settings can also alter specific areas of gameplay to, for example, slow time down when aiming, automatically activate Concentration mode to show weak spots, or enable aim assist.
A full list of the accessibility settings can be seen below:
Platform:
PC
Publisher:
Wizards of the Coast
Developer:
Wizards of the Coast
Release:
Rating:
Teen
Sometimes, a Magic: The Gathering set comes along that breaks multiple boundaries you thought would never be considered, or at least not for a while longer. Kamigawa: Neon Dynasty is one of those sets. Not only did Wizards of the Coast bring us back to this often maligned, yet fan-favorite plane based on Japanese mythology, but we're seeing it 1200 years in the future from when we last stepped foot on Kamigawa. For the first time ever, Magic has gone high-tech with this new take on Kamigawa introducing plenty of neon lights, mechs, and transforming equipment to join the familiar sights of samurai, ninjas, and spirits.
We all know Daisy is a little weird, what with her third eye and all. But were you also aware that she’s the only prominent woman in the Super Mario series with teeth? Well, now you are. I’m sorry.
Also, Putt-Putt This week is dominated by a series that occasionally pops up and takes over headlines: Kingdom Hearts. Specifically,...
The post Nintendo Download: Kingdom Hearts Integrum Masterpiece appeared first on Destructoid.
Platform:
PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Switch, PC
Publisher:
Dotemu
Developer:
Tribute Games
Release:
2022
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Shredder’s Revenge is among the most exciting releases for nostalgic fans of beat 'em ups. We still don’t have a release date for the arcade-inspired brawler, we now know that the Turtles’ wise teacher, Master Splinter, is joining the fray. We also have confirmation that the game is heading to PlayStation 4 and Xbox One alongside Switch and PC.
2D puzzle platformers often have some fairly recognizable similarities. I’ve played enough to know that I’ll probably unlock a double jump at some point, eventually find a new item to beat enemies I can’t harm yet, or likely find some sort of lantern if there are areas obscured by darkness. Animal Well has all of those things, but never quite in the way I was used to. Instead of a double jump, you’ll be blowing bubbles to hop on top of, and instead of a lantern you’ll get a glowy yo-yo. It twisted my expectations of the genre at every turn, and consistently delighted me as I discovered more of its quiet, pixelated world.
Animal Well has you hopping around as a little blob, exploring the branching paths of its map to do… something. It’s rarely explicit with its explanation of pretty much anything you are doing, but I never felt like I was lost or didn’t have a drive to find more either. I simply picked a path and explored what I could, and it was rare I wasn’t rewarded for doing so. I enjoyed that freedom, even when it occasionally left me wondering if I should have gone up instead of down.
Universal Pictures has finally dropped the debut trailer for its upcoming dinosaur-centric sequel, Jurassic World Dominion. Scheduled to arrive in theaters on June 10, 2022, the pic is all set to continue the huge cliffhanger left by 2018’s Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom.
Go ahead and feast your eyes on the new footage down below:
Clocking in at just under three minutes long, the new video teases the welcome return of a handful of iconic legacy characters from the series. That’s right, not only does the new trailer feature OG palaeontologist Alan Grant (Sam Neill), but it also boasts the return of Ellie Sattler (Laura Dern) and Ian Malcolm (Jeff Goldblum), too.
Of course, the new generation of Jurassic World characters like Owen Grady (Chris Pratt) and Claire Dearing (Bryce Dallas Howard) will be reprising their roles as well. Narratively, the follow-up will take place three years after the ecological disaster of the original Jurassic World, and will focus upon a world now teeming with carnivorous reptiles.
A 32-year-old man in Lincolnwood, Illinois was arrested by police after breaking into an elderly woman’s home and holding her hostage for 17 hours. Police were called by the woman’s family to do a wellness check after she failed to send her daughter the usual morning Wordle puzzle.
Platform:
PlayStation 3, PlayStation Vita
Publisher:
Sony Computer Entertainment
Developer:
Naughty Dog
Release:
June
As you all know, Tom Holland truly manifested his rise to prominence. A decade ago, the young movie star voiced his interest in donning the iconic Spider-Man spandex, and now he's a beloved household name in the MCU. Holland is also slated to portray Nathan Drake in the upcoming Uncharted movie. However, his latest dream project – a Jak and Daxter film adaptation – might not be a mere delusion of grandeur. Uncharted director, Ruben Fleischer, is set to make a Jak and Daxter movie next.
Earlier today, the PlayStation Blog let its fans know that they were in for a nice little surprise every 15 minutes of their morning, as the platform revealed a new update or announcement for indies coming to PS4 and PS5 during that timeframe. In total, users got seven new important pieces of information regarding games like Moss Book 2, Animal, Well, and more.
To make things easy for you, we’ve compiled every announcement down below, which includes plenty of new games, release news, and even first looks at gameplay. So sit back and enjoy the seven new PlayStation indie updates and announcements for yourself right now!
In Animal Well, players will get the chance to explore a forsaken pixel art labyrinth and unravel the many secrets it has to offer. The new indie title will feature plenty of action and platforming, all set within a beautifully animated and colorful backdrop.
Find out more about Animal Well when it arrives on PS5 at a later date.
Today Konami has announced the release date of its upcoming mobile game Edens Zero Pocket Galaxy, inspired by the manga and anime by Hiro Mashima.
The wait won’t be much longer, as the game will launch on February 24, including the west.
Below you can take a look at a trailer.
The listings for iOS and Android are already available.
In the meanwhile, the console action JRPG which was announced at the same time during Tokyo Game Show 2020 is still completely missing in action and we haven’t heard about it since. The only mention is in Konami’s quarterly financial documents, which appear to indicate that it’s still in development.
There exists within the indie gaming world a vocabulary that few can capture faithfully. It’s that bespoke patois that can be found in A Night In The Woods, in Oxenfree, in A Short Hike. None sounds the same as the other, and yet all have that same cadence, a truthfulness about their dialogue that is missing from the…
During the February 2022 Nintendo Direct, worldwide Nintendo Switch Online releases of Earthbound Beginnings (Mother) and Earthbound (Mother 2) came up. Prior to the reveal, Mother series creator Shigesato Itoi teased on Twitter that people might expect something. Now as a follow up, Itoi offered additional thoughts on the two JRPGs becoming more widely available on a new platform. [Thanks, Nintendo Enthusiast!]
The video began with Itoi explaining how he anticipated the release. He also recreated his excitement at learning it would appear via the service. After that, he mentioned how he appreciated how these additions mean people who haven’t been able to play because they didn’t know where they could now have a place they can go to. At the end, he also joked, “And, you know, now I can make friends young enough to be my great-grandchildren.”
Itoi also followed things up with another tweet. This time, he shared a photo showing that he's just started replaying Earthbound on the Switch.
しまった、はじめちゃった！ pic.twitter.com/IJ0FcwCMAp
One minute I want to finish Eastward and be done with it. The next, I don't want it to end. It's a charming RPG that has me lurch between anger and glee at an alarming rate. Right now, I'm not sure how I feel about it. I think I'm nearing its end, which I'm relieved about! But also quite sad? My weird relationship with this game has taught me the value of an ending, though. It doesn't know how to end things, but it's also remarkably good at it when it does.
Inkle, the studio behind such narrative-focused delights as 80 Days and Heaven's Vault, has formally unveiled its next endeavour, A Highland Song, which comes to Switch and PC "soon".
If A Highland Song looks familiar, that might be because Inkle hasn't been particularly secretive about its latest project, sharing some of its early production work on the title via regular updates on its blog. Today, however, marks its official unveiling, bringing with it an immediately arresting, wonderfully evocative reveal trailer.
Ubisoft’s Assassin’s Creed Valhalla might over 18 months old, but the developer is far from done with its support of the acclaimed title. Following two meaty expansions (Wrath of the Druids, and The Siege of Paris) and a host of seasonal events throughout 2021, this year promises the launch of something even more substantial. Ragnarok is a 30-hour DLC that might as well be its own game, and at a preview event last week Twinfinite got a sneak peek at what’s to come.
In Ragnarok, Eivor is once again embodying Havi (Odin) in an adventure that takes place in the realms of Norse mythology including Svartalaheim and Muspelheim. The adventure follows on from the questline in the base game, this time featuring both dwarves and fire giants in an epic narrative that sets off the chaotic events of Ragnarok. In the preview showcase, we were shown interactions with both factions, which are such a huge part of Norse mythology and look set to prove an interesting catalyst for quality storytelling and interesting character arcs.
There’s more than just a story to unravel, though, with new mechanics helping to freshen a gameplay experience that is likely to feel very familiar –possibly a little stale– to those who have already spent a couple of hundred hours with Valhalla already.
Ragnarok features an all-new legendary Polearm weapon that has its own unique combo system, which has been designed to reward precision play. It’s called Atgeir, and it can be upgraded with a new Divine quality upgrade tier that allows weapons to take on special runes.
Perhaps more than anything else, the Borderlands series has been defined by its distinct, hand-drawn, comic-book look. That's definitely the defining feature of the series. Also, the guns of course. And the loot. And the humor. But the look is undeniable in its uniqueness, and the art style of the mainline series carries over into Tiny Tina's Wonderlands.
While Borderlands' overall style is best described as "cartoonish sci-fi outer space western," Wonderlands is closer to "cartoonish sci-fi outer space western with fantasy elements." Take a look at the slideshow below to see some of the concept art that helped form the distinct look of Wonderlands.
We're showing off Wonderlands all month long as part of IGN First for February. You can follow it all on our Tiny Tina's Wonderlands hub page, or check out our Tiny Tina's Wonderlands hands-on preview. Also be sure to check out how Tiny Tina's Wonderlands spells complement Borderlands' already rock-solid gameplay loop, and be sure to keep checking back all month long for even more exclusive Wonderlands content.
Seth Macy is Executive Editor, IGN Commerce, and just wants to be your friend. You can find him hosting the Nintendo Voice Chat podcast.
Another Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles staple is joining the fight in Tribute Games and Dotemu’s next title. In TMNT Shredder’s Revenge, Master Splinter will join the turtles in the field. There’s a new trailer showing off how he’ll look in-game.
Here’s the full look at Splinter in TMNT Shredder’s Revenge.
He also featured prominently in a new PlayStation Underground installment.
In addition to Splinter showing up, there’s another update for TMNT Shredder’s Revenge. It won’t be a Switch and PC exclusive. People will also be able to fight in the beat’em up on the PS4 and Xbox One too. However, there’s still no release date for any platform beyond a general 2022 launch window.
Ubisoft has never been one to shy away from reinventing the Assassin’s Creed series, whether they’re killing off their protagonist , taking a brief detour into competitive multiplayer, or transforming their most recent games into stat-driven RPGs. And the upcoming expansion for Assassin’s Creed Valhalla, Dawn of Ragnarök, looks to be no exception. Taking on the role of the iconic Norse God Odin on a quest to rescue his son, you’ll find yourself with a plethora of over-the-top, game-changing supernatural powers that are unlike anything we’ve seen in the beloved saga of cloaks and daggers.
Among the abilities available to Odin are the Power of Jotunheim, which turns you into a frost giant and lets you teleport while dodging, rolling, or firing arrows where you want to reappear. It also lets you blend in with frost giants if you’d rather avoid conflict. Similarly, the Power of Muspelheim turns you into a fiery demon, making you immune to lava, fire, and explosions while also letting you trick fellow lava lads into thinking you’re one of their own.
Platform:
PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Stadia, PC
Publisher:
Ubisoft
Developer:
Ubisoft Montreal
Release:
(Xbox Series X/S,
PlayStation 4,
Xbox One,
Stadia,
PC),
(PlayStation 5)
Rating:
Mature
For more than a decade, Ubisoft Sofia has busied itself behind the scenes, building bits and pieces of various Ubisoft open worlds. The 250-person team from Bulgaria worked on the Curse of the Pharaohs expansion for Assassin's Creed Origins, and made several areas of the main Assassin's Creed Valhalla campaign (Wessex and Jotunheim).
Its most prominent project to date was Assassin's Creed Rogue, the oft-overlooked ship-based sequel to Black Flag which remixed the series' popular pirate entry in various ways. And there's a similar feel here to Dawn of Ragnarök, which remixes Valhalla's gameplay and adds a couple of fresh flavours to the mix.
The many lives of Mario Kart 8 continue with Nintendo’s DLC announcement during its first Direct of 2022, which will see courses from the series’ past added through 2023. But it’s not all sunny circuits and rainbow roads for longtime fans. Many are currently comparing screenshots between what Nintendo aired during the…
Assassin's Creed Valhalla is reaching its end-game, by which I mean the upcoming DLC Dawn Of Ragnarök is positioned as an end-game DLC, after last year's Wrath Of The Druids and The Siege Of Paris expansions. As such, this article is going to contain big honking spoilers for some of the more unbelievable bits of the AC: Valhalla story (which is most of it, tbh), because I really won't be able to set up talking about the Dawn Of Ragnarok preview presentation I attended the other week without mentioning those spoilers. All right? All right.
Never Alone 2 is officially on its way, with a sequel to the 2015 BAFTA winning platformer in pre-production.
The news came in a trailer (below) that also showed off the original Never Alone on Nintendo Switch, which arrives on February 24 in the form of the Arctic Collection that includes the base-game and Foxtales DLC.
The trailer ends with a short teaser that shows a number 2 appearing above a snowy landscape as we hear a giggle and a fox bark.
As well as being an accomplished platformer, Never Alone is also a collaboration with Alaska Natives, aiming to spread knowledge of indiginous culture. IGN said Never Alone is "a charming puzzle platformer" and "an indie not to be missed", and it went onto win the 2015 Gaming BAFTA for Best Debut.
Developer E-Line Media's president and co-founder Alan Gershenfeld said: "We are pleased to announce that we've begun pre-production on a sequel to Never Alone, building upon the same inclusive development partnership for sharing and celebrating Alaska Native culture and storytelling with a global audience."
Little else was mentioned about Never Alone 2, but it will likely include similar puzzle platforming gameplay set amid a world rich in traditional Alaska Native culture, playable solo or in co-op.
When a new Telltale Games formed in 2019 from the purchased ashes of the fallen studio, one of their first actions was to announce they would make The Wolf Among Us 2. And that was about all they had to say for several years. Now, they've finally opened up, with a new trailer and 20 minutes of devchat. Guess which fictional character the Big Bad Wolf is giving a kicking this time!
Konami have announced that Yu-Gi-Oh! Master Duel will run its first in-game event, the XYZ Festival, between the 17th and 24th of February. XYZ Festival duels will tweak the rules, limiting the cards in your Extra Deck to XYZ monsters, and offer medals to those who take part. These medals will then grant you some unannounced rewards when the event ends.
This announcement comes alongside a promise to investigate reports of cheating, as Konami say they "strive to create a safe and enjoyable gaming environment for all Yu-Gi-Oh! Master Duel players".
Salt and Sacrifice, the follow-up to Ska Studios' stupendous 2D Soulslike Salt and Sanctuary, finally has a release date and will be striding forth to PlayStation 4, PS5, and PC on 10th May.
Salt and Sacrifice, as is amply evident from its release date trailer below, reprises much that made the original so good, serving up another deliciously gloomy slab of side-scrolling exploratory platforming and measured combat. It promises to be more than a retread of past glories, however, offering players - this time in the role of a Marked Inquisitor - a range of new features to experiment with, including a refreshed choice of classes: Highblade, Paladin, Assassin, Cleric, Dualist, Fighter, Ranger, and Sage.
Nintendo and Monolith Soft have revealed more details about the protagonists and key characters who will appear in Xenoblade Chronicles 3. It will have six main characters coming from the two warring nations of Keves and Agnus. All characters were designed by Masatsugu Saito, who made his return from Xenoblade Chronicles 2.
Noah and Mio will both be the protagonists of Xenoblade Chronicles 3. When Monolith Soft unveiled the first trailer at the February 2022 Nintendo Direct, it included a notable scene where both characters play flutes. This is because Noah and Mio work as off-seers in their respective nations of Keves and Agnus. They play the flutes to mourn for fellow soldiers who fell on the battlefield.
Two more characters from each nation will accompany Noah and Mio. Noah will be joined by his childhood friends Lanz and Eunie. Lanz will mostly act on the frontlines, as his greatsword can also double as a shield. Meanwhile, Eunie will focus on healing her teammates.
Mio will also bring two allies with different specialties. The warrior Sena will lead the way with her physical strength and blunt weapon. The strategist Taion will support from behind with his intellect and numerous drones.
Publisher aNCHOR had a couple of relevant reveals for ongoing and upcoming Muv-Luv games.
We start with Project Mikhail: A Muv-Luv War Story. It received a sizable update that pretty radically changes how the game plays.
You can find the update notes at the bottom of the post.
Next, we take a look at new character and mecha artwork for Immortals: Muv-Luv Alternative, featuring Chizuru Sakaki, Miki Tamase, Kei Ayamine, and Marimo Jinguuji, on top of a Type-94-1C Shiranui TSF.
You can check them all out below.
