Get set for the more adorable little invasion you ever did see, as D3 Publisher, in association with Yuke's, has finally announced a western localization for the newest, pint-sized entry in the EDF franchise: Earth Defense Force: World Brothers, which will launch on PS4, PC, and Nintendo Switch on May 27.

The Japanese free-to-play card game will soon have its plug pulled.

The post Dragon Quest Rivals Ace Will Shut Down in July 2021 appeared first on Siliconera.

Microsoft has done a bang-up job in terms of game preservation and backward compatibility this generation.

The Xbox Series X is a powerhouse of a console in terms of cross-generation preservation, letting people play a large swath of games across the entire lifecycle of the Xbox ecosystem. The program expanded even further recently as Microsoft explained that backward compatibility support was headed to the cloud, with "classic Xbox and Xbox 360 games" available on mobile devices.

Responding to a fan on Twitter, Microsoft reiterated their commitment to the past. Here's the full statement from Microsoft's Xbox team: "As time goes on, it becomes more important than ever that we ensure gaming icons and classics are preserved for new and old players alike. Whether your first time playing Morrowind is from 2002 on your Xbox or 2021 on your phone, we're excited to share these experiences with you!"

Having played Morrowind in 2002, that statement is wild to think about. While I figured games would proliferate on as many devices as possible in the future, I never thought it would be a shared ecosystem like this; with pushes from cross-play and cross-progression.

I've said this many times, but Sony's "this is how you trade games" PSA is coming back to bite them now. Microsoft could have made that video ten times over this generation with all of their advancements, like the aforementioned backward compatibility push, as well as things like save and upgrade license transferring through "Smart Delivery." Oh, and last generation: cross-play, when Sony was the last big holdout.

Beats Solo Pro | $145 | Woot

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Aerosoft recently released I Gusti Ngurah Rai International Airport (WADD) for Microsoft Flight Simulator, bringing a new exotic location to the growing world of the sim.

The airport is located in an extremely scenic area on a narrow strip of land wedged between two gulfs, and it’s the second busiest airport in Indonesia.

It sees a lot of regular airline traffic year-round, but it’s perfectly suitable for general aviation, cargo, and charter operations as well. As a matter of fact, it’s one of the most lively airports I’ve seen in Microsoft Flight Simulator thanks to the live traffic feature (and AI aircraft don’t appear to encounter issues, which isn’t always the case with all third-party scenery).

You can purchase it on Aerosoft’s own store for approximately €20 including applicable VAT and it comes with its own installer. Getting things ready to go quick and painless and Aerosoft also has its own updater, which helps in keeping all of its products in tip-top shape.

Each spirit's skills and Spirit Battles serve as a introduction to the characters' unique traits and background.

The post SSBU Monster Hunter Spirit Event Will Add Magnamalo, Palico and Palamute appeared first on Siliconera.

Bloober Team - the horror-loving studio behind titles such as Observer and The Medium - as backed away from acquisition talks from various potential buyers. The Polish studio had been looking into merging or selling to a larger conglomerate, but has decided its best option is to remain relatively independent for now.

The news came in a report by Polish outlet Bankier, (as translated by VGC), where Bloober said it is more likely to try and work in cooperation with other companies, rather than be purchased or merged outright with them. Bloober believes that such a merger might jeopardize the studio's "strategic objectives" going forward.

"The company has decided not to continue discussions with potential financial and industry investors interested in acquiring a majority stake due to the high risk of losing its overriding strategic objectives," read the Banker statement. "At this stage it would be incompatible with the culture of the organization, and would significantly limit the potential growth of the company's value in the coming years, especially taking into account the projects implemented and planned."

Welcome to Morning Music, Kotaku’s ongoing hangout for folks who love video games and the cool-ass sounds they make. You deserve a break today, so we’re kicking off the weekend with something tasty from McDonald’s… McDonald’s Treasure Land Adventure that is, a game that plays and sounds better than a licensed…

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There was a time when the video game playing public didn't question silent protagonists. It was just accepted that the person you were controlling wouldn't say a word. These days, though, you can't shut them up.

But, we're not discussing the talkative lot on this edition of Mystery Steam Reviews. We're highlighting the strong and silent types, this week.

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Zack Snyder’s Justice League Funko Pops | Entertainment Earth

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The Inazuma Eleven compilation game will take a very long time to develop.

The post Inazuma Eleven: Great Road of Heroes May Be Released In 2023 appeared first on Siliconera.

Borderlands 3 has reached the point in its life where we're repeating events. In some cases, that's fine! A few of them have been pretty fun ways to inject some more personality into the loot system and encourage curated, timed plays where everyone is on at the same time. Show Me the Eridium was one of those lightning-in-a-bottle events, and it's back this week. 

There's actually three bits of Borderlands 3 news all at once, and we'll go step by step. Show Me the Eridium (one of many self-described "mini events") is running from now through April 8, and will increase the Eridium drops across the board. Oh, and Gearbox reminds us that you need to spend 500 Eridium to take on the Hemovorous the Invincible raid boss in the paid Director's Cut addon, which is still slated for April 8. Good to know!

So the second part is actually related: there's more Eridium rewards now. This change is facilitated through two new machines (Crazy Earl's Reroll and Maurice's Black Market Vending Machine). The former (which is near Crazy Early's abode in the cargo bay) lets you reroll gear similar to a lot of other looter shooters and MMOs, and the latter provides "top-tier legendary loot," with its location scattered across Pandora's non-DLC zones each week. In short, it's basically Xur from Destiny. 

Marvel leaves no potential connection unreferenced

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Final Fantasy XIV is soon going to receive a new update numbered 5.5 and titled “Death Unto Dawn Part 1” and today Square Enix released its trailer.

We get to take a look at the story and the new features that we can expect in the update, the next part of the NieR: Automata raid, and much more.

On top of that, we learn that the game has passed 22 million registered players since its release.

You can watch the trailer below with English and Japanese voices depending on your preferences.

Do keep in mind that some of the content of the trailer could be considered a bit spoilery.

The game producer who previously worked on Bloodborne and Tokyo Jungle has established his own company.

The post Ex-SIE Japan Producer Masami Yamamoto Established EPIGRAsm appeared first on Siliconera.

It has been a big week for One More Level's cybernetic hack 'n' slash adventure Ghostrunner. Not only was the entire IP - along with its underlying technology - purchased by Italian publisher 505 Games, but the new owners have also announced release windows for its upcoming DLC, as well as an exciting upgrade for the PS5 platform.

505 Games revealed Ghostrunner will receive three further content drops in 2021. Spring will see the arrival of both a Photo Mode, the new "Kill Run" mode, and an Amazon Luna port. The summer months will see the addition of two unannounced content bundles, as well as another new mode and a paid Vanity Pack, containing new customization options for yer boy Jack.

Icarus was teased at the PC Gaming Show in 2020 during E3 time, but the reveal there was a pure tease with nothing to show and essentially zero game information. Now, Dean Hall (DayZ) and RocketWerkz are ready to unveil their survival project at last, and guess what, it’s coming to PC this year. This new trailer is almost a movie unto itself, spanning over seven long minutes and laying the groundwork for plenty of mystery and intrigue. Thankfully, we also have a good deal of solid information on the game to work with now as well, but check the trailer first.

By now, you’ve probably played or tried a ton of survival games. If so, you know one of the issues that you face is the worlds becoming entrenched burdens or solved problems over time as your playgroup builds up massive encampments, settlements, castles, and renders the threats useless. The major change up in Icarus is that every survival experience is a timed drop. As survivalists, you and up to seven other players must manage what you bring down to a planet — and what you bring back. 

Hello! Welcome back to our regular feature where we write a little bit about some of the games we've found ourselves playing over the last few days. This time: loops, museums, and difficult cities.

I really like the buttons. I can almost feel them, like I'm pressing in some scraping stone button in a dingy temple somewhere, and that dingy temple is probably role-playing games from the 80s. I love how retro it feels. I also love Loop Hero's different take on an RPG, and how it's not an RPG really, but more of a kind of reverse tower defence game, where you're trying to attract more danger, rather than less, so you can chop through it and get more loot.

I like the rather simple amnesiac story that surrounds it, because it compliments and explains the set-up without getting in the way. I find it neat, literally - neat like a math's problem. And when you step back a bit, I suppose that's what Loop Hero is. It's like an equation you're forever balancing on the fly. You adjust your numbers in order that they produce more favourable equations than your enemies', swapping equipment and weapons, and placing tiles, depending on what comes in.

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A minute's silence. A toast to the departed. Let's remember the greatest of us: Mario.

I wasn't sure they'd go through with it, but Nintendo really did kill Mario this week. Super Mario 3D All-Stars for Nintendo Switch is no longer for sale digitally, and no new physical stock will be distributed. We knew this was coming. Nintendo had signalled as much. But why is it happening?

That's the question we ask on this week's Eurogamer News Cast. Join news editor Tom Phillips, reporter Emma Kent and me as we attempt to make sense of Nintendo's controversial decision in the video below.

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Monster Hunter Rise, as expected, is a powerhouse. It's a "system seller," and the data is showing that's the case, at least in Japan thus far.

Famitsu has reported its latest sales figures for Japan for the week of March 28, and no surprise, Monster Hunter Rise leads the way on Switch with over 1.3 million units sold. Trickling down, the Switch sold 190,133 units through the week of March 28, with a further 77,364 Switch Lite units (looks like the Lite was a good idea!).

For reference, the last Japanese chart numbers, for the week through March 21, had the Switch at 52,579 units sold and 36,525 Switch Lites. It's a significant jump! And given that Monster Hunter Rise can be played both online and locally, pretty much anyone can grab a Switch, grab the game, and go, and play with friends.

Looking at the rest of the chart, Super Mario 3D World + Bowser's Fury is still doing well, as is Mario Kart 8 Deluxe, which refuses to die in the region. It's kind of insane how dominant the Switch is, still, in terms of hardware and software. The next highest contender in the latter category is the PS5 with 51,931 units pushed that week, then the PS5 Digital Edition with 10,364.

Some weeks, it's not even a contest!

Monster Hunter Rise Switch Sales [Famitsu via Gematsu]

Rising up the charts!

The post Monster Hunter Rise Sells 1.3 Million in Japan in Its First Week appeared first on Siliconera.

The previously PlayStation-exclusive MLB The Show franchise coming to new consoles was already one new step for the series this year, and now it's making another big one. This year's entry of MLB The Show will be making its way to Xbox Game Pass on day one, or April 20, 2021.

It's confirmed in an Xbox blog that both the Xbox Series X|S and Xbox One versions will be available on Game Pass, as well as Android phones and tablets via Xbox Cloud Gaming for Ultimate users. Both Xbox platforms will receive the standard edition, and there will be cross-platform play and progression.

MLB The Show was already confirmed as coming to other platforms, but seeing it also come to Game Pass right away is very interesting. The above trailer even opens with an Xbox logo, which is immediately followed by a PlayStation studio. It's not exactly the only game crossing lines between the two either; both Deathloop and Ghostwire: Tokyo are PlayStation console exclusives at launch, despite now being under the Microsoft banner thanks to its purchase of Bethesda.

Get ready to Ride the Tiger once again, Virtua Fighter fans. An unannounced listing for Virtua Fighter 5: Ultimate Showdown has popped up on the website of that bastion of industry spoilers: the Game Rating and Administration Committee of Korea. As spotted by Twitter user @nokcha334 the new title was rated on March 19 and listed as coming to the PS4 platform. This news is dangerously close to April Fool's Day for my liking...

While this is total speculation on my part, this listing suggests that Sega is preparing to release another new update for its fantastic 2006 release Virtua Fighter 5. The one-on-one 3D slugfest last saw attention back in 2010, with the release of Virtua Fighter 5: Final Showdown. The beloved but relatively low-key franchise laying has laid dormant since, despite pleas for a sequel from hardened fighting game fanatics, yer boy Moyse included.

While this is not the Virtua Fighter 6 that we all might have hoped for, this ratings board listing suggests that Virtua Fighter might be about to receive some form of fresh attention - which no doubt ties in with the mysterious "Virtua Fighter x eSports Project" announced by Sega back in September 2020. You better believe we'll keep you updated should confirmation and new info be forthcoming. Don't you go all mobile port on me, Akira...

Pedro Pascal of Star Wars' The Mandalorian fame will star in the series.

The post HBO’s The Last of Us TV Show Will Begin Filming in July 2021 appeared first on Siliconera.

• IGN UK Podcast #585: It Takes Two and Pope Talk
• IGN UK Podcast #584: Let's Talk About The Snyder Cut, Then
• IGN UK Podcast #583: Loop Hero is Taking Over Our Lives
• IGN UK Podcast #582: Outriders Is an Electro-Freaking Good Time
• IGN UK Podcast #581: BlizzCon and State of Play Post-Mortems

Bravely Default II kind of came and went, but it's still on my mind.

This little JRPG helped kick off 2021 and it is still a Switch exclusive after all, so it's hard to forget! And it got a bit of My Nintendo merch, as a little extra marketing push. Now My Nintendo is back with another promo, but this one is a little more cheeky and less rewarding.

It's a "personality quiz" that you can access on the My Nintendo site. Thankfully it's zero Platinum Points, so there's no awkward digital barrier to pass. You just "buy" the quiz and have at it. While I presume a lot of folks will skip this over, it's a cute little time-waster for those of you who did dig the game, or might be on the fence.

More importantly for some, Nintendo also put out two digital wallpapers for the game, and they're pretty lovely. You can find them on the same page, or directly on the media section of My Nintendo. Like the other wallpapers, they're 50 Platinum Points each.

Find your Bravely Default II job with a new personality quiz [My Nintendo]

Sol Cresta will be released this year as a download title on the Nintendo Switch, the PlayStation 4, and Steam. “It is a brand new title bearing the soul of the classic docking and shooting games Moon Cresta (1980) and Terra Cresta (1985),” says developer Platinum Games in an official statement.

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Reyner Banham once spoke about the architectural properties of crisps. I would love to have been there. This week I am re-reading his thrilling book on Los Angeles, The Architecture of Four Ecologies, and I'm looking through twenty-year-old magazines.

I'm reading Banham again because his generous and perceptive take on LA always feels like comfort reading. In March 2021, just opening the book seems to bring the warmed-concrete spaciousness of that city, with its standing freeway pillars and playful flow between urban and wilderness, into the saggy darkness of the lockdown home.

And I'm looking through old mags because Banham sent me back to GTA 5 and then GTA 5 sent me back to a Wipeout Fusion print ad, a double-page spread, once seen and never forgotten, in which London has been chosen as a site for the development of a multi-gajillion pound anti-grav racing track, and the citizens are not happy about it.

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Coming fresh off of raptors, a map addition pretty much everyone is enjoying, Fortnite decided to lean into the memes and add the "Stonks Guy." You know, the "stocks are doing well" image you may have seen before? It was all for April Fools', but like several other jokes, this one is real.

The skin is 1200 V-Bucks (roughly $10), and references multiple goings-on recently, not just the meme itself. The phrase "the market is open and it's time to shine. Buy! Hold! Win!" with the subtitle "To the Moon!" is a direct homage to the whole WallStreetBets saga. He comes with the skin itself, which is basically Fortnite's take on the Stonks Guy, and the "Gains!" back bling, which is an orange rising arrow; also part of the meme. 

Epic was so proud of it in fact, that I had to watch a video of it when I loaded up the game. And you couldn't mash a button to skip it: you had to hold down the skip button for multiple seconds. I haven't seen the skin yet in multiple games with hundreds of players as a sample size, so if you hate the idea of this, the "silence, brand" mantra seems to be winning out.

The good news is that there's a lot of recent in-game business to distract people from this stunt, as Fortnite just kicked off the "Spring Breakout" series of quests, which comes with its own set of XP and a reward (Webster's Tactical Quaxes). All you have to do for the main legendary questline is collect bouncy eggs on the ground, which can be done in battle royale or Team Rumble.

I've found that the trees near the lighthouse in the northwest of the map is a great place to farm them.

Fortnite [Twitter]

Announced at the end of last year, we haven’t heard much about the sequel to The World Ends With You. Titled NEO: The World Ends With you, the game is set in Shibuya once again, and from the looks of the announcement trailer, production on the game seems to be coming along nicely as the environments and buildings all look rather detailed.

In addition to the game announcement, we also learned that the anime is getting a debut on April 9. Series creator Tetsuya Nomura has just stated that more info on the sequel will be released on April 9, at 3 p.m. JST, which just so happens to be the day of the anime series debut as well.

This announcement also comes with new concept art of one of the new characters in the sequel. You can check out the embedded tweet down below.

Hallo! With the Easter bank holiday weekend upon us, we'll be gone both Friday and Monday then return on Tuesday. Tradition would dictate we spend the weekend sat in a traffic jam on the motorway, growing increasingly resentful of each other's peccadilloes, but current restrictions thankfully means The RPS Minibus must remain under its tarp. Instead, hey, I guess we're playing video games. What are you playing this weekend?

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I'm always itching to jump back into Pokemon Sword and Shield, even though I've pretty much exhausted everything I can do at this point.

Whether it's messing around with expeditions or hopping into new Max Raid Battles, the call of getting a slightly different Pokemon is always there. And that's by design! But this time, for April Fools', folks were greeted with something else entirely.

You know how the game has Max Raid Battles from time to time? Well to add insult to injury, they were changed to allow Magikarp to be caught in every raid. And on top of that, he's unable to caught. Yep, Game Freak just trolled the entire playerbase.

I can imagine someone playing randomly, or maybe a newcomer trying to make sense of the situation, then slowly going "ooooooohh." These sorts of harmless pranks make up for a lot of the other nonsense this week! Though I'm sure some people aren't happy that the game is having any semblance of fun and want Game Freak to add the rest of the Pokedex in still.

I really wonder how the next game is going to go if the full 'Dex isn't in.

Pokemon Event [Serebii.net]

Today Level-5 released a new video about the upcoming anime soccer JRPG Inazuma Eleven: Great Road of Heroes.

The video stars the developer’s own president Akihiro Hino as he provides an update on the game’s development.

The first new detail is that there is another delay, and this is a long one. Level-5 is now aiming to release the game in 2023, two years from now.

You can watch the video below, which also showcases plenty of gameplay to soften the blow. Incidentally, it’s from the Switch version.

Hino-san also admits that development has gone through rough times, acknowledging the multiple delays and apologizing for that.

Yet, progress is being made and the development team is managing to solve the issues they had gradually.

He also talks about the goal of making sure that the game is great both when played solo offline and online.

If you’re unfamiliar with Inazuma Eleven: Great Road of Heroes (Inazuma Eleven: Eiyuutachi no Great Road), it used to be titled Inazuma Eleven: Ares no Tenbin.

Are you excited for the upcoming release of NieR Replicant? If so, and you're planning on picking up the remaster on PS4 come April 23, then you'll be pleased to hear that you'll also receive an exclusive download kit, allowing you to decorate your PS4's entire dashboard with NieR's haunting aesthetic.

The "first-run" set will include a dynamic desktop theme featuring protagonists Nier, Kaine, and Grimoire Weiss, as well as an avatar pack which includes a meaty 14 portraits of the apocalyptic adventure's cast of characters. In addition, players picking up the title early on any format will also receive a bonus "mini-soundtrack," which contains three cuts taken directly from NieR Replicant's sweeping score.

Disco Elysium was originally released at the tail-end of 2019, and I called it an incredibly bleak and gritty experience overall. It’s a tough game to play and it can be overwhelming, but just the sheer depth of the story and its character interactions make it worth checking out at the very least.

With the release of Disco Elysium: The Final Cut, the base game has been enhanced even further. This is a good time for newcomers to check it out, and for those who have already played the original release to return and see what’s new. Here are three reasons why you should be playing Disco Elysium: The Final Cut.

Feudal Japan has a lot more magic than you’d expect

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Today Koei Tecmo released a bunch of videos dedicated to the the Atelier Mysterious Trilogy Deluxe Pack.

More precisely, we get to see the alchemy in Atelier Firis: The Alchemist and the Mysterious Journey DX, and Atelier Sophie: The Alchemist of the Mysterious Book DX.

The latter also gets a second video focusing on providing a sample of its lovely soundtrack.

You can watch them all below.