Gran Turismo 7 Producer Kazunori Yamauchi Discusses Importance of Attention to Detail & Improvement

3 years 4 months ago

Today, during the Gran Turismo Sport Nations Cup, Gran Turismo 7 producer Kazunori Yamauchi talked about the future.

Yamauchi-san mentioned that Polyphony Digital always pursues the best and don’t want to make concessions on anything. This is no longer just Yamauchi-san’s own way of thinking, but the mindset of all 200 or so staff at the studio.

In Japan they say “Divinity comes to reside in the details” and Yamauchi-san believes that it’s true. How much attention you pay to the fine details, how you hone things to perfection, and applying incredible amount of attention to this is Polyphony’s production style.

Quite interesting is the fact that Yamauchi mentions 200 or so staff at Polyphony Digital. The latest official figure was 170, so it’s quite possible that the studio may have staffed up to tackle the final stretch of development of Gran Turismo 7.

Later in the stream, Yamauchi-san mentioned that the developers at Polyphony have watched the growth of the drivers in the Gran Turismo Sport competitive scene over time, and they always exceed expectations and continue to move ever forward. And even for the Gran Turismo development team, this made them realize that they must also continue to grow and improve themselves toward the future. The GT Sport competitors gave them the courage to do so.

You can watch both clips below.

Author
Giuseppe Nelva

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CD Projekt investors may sue over Cyberpunk 2077's "materially misleading information"

3 years 4 months ago

A law firm has indicated that it is considering a class-action lawsuit against CD Projekt, the publisher of Cyberpunk 2077.

As reported by the New York Times (thanks, VGC), Mikołaj Orzechowski - a Warsaw-based lawyer and CDPR investor - has indicated that they are exploring the possibility of suing, alleging that the studio may have misrepresented itself to investors in order to secure funding.

According to a briefing prepared by the lawyer, they are inviting others affected by the "suspension of the sale of the Cyberpunk 2077 product".

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How well do you know the references and homages found in Genshin Impact?

3 years 4 months ago

One of my favorite things in Genshin Impact are the references that really get me to latch onto the world and its characters. I’m reminded that Mihoyo’s tagline -- tech otaku save the world -- probably isn’t just for show. There are plenty of references that are just passing verbal or visual references, but my favorite thing about Genshin Impact is several characters can be viewed as homages, right down to their visual design and even move set.

One reference that you may have seen floating around is the achievement that is a direct reference to JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure called Gold Experience Requiem. The achievement itself is the word-for-word name for Giorno Giovanna’s Stand from part 5, Golden Wind. On a smaller note, the Japanese voice actors for Diluc and Kaeya are the same as Giorno and Mista Guido respectively. Funnily enough, I recognized Diluc’s voice immediately due to how similar in temperament he is to Giorno, but I didn’t realize Kaeya’s voice actor until much later. Kaeya is very calm and composed, which contrasts Mista’s excited and usually panicked composure. I would’ve put two and two together sooner if Kaeya accidentally hurt himself the same way Mista ends up shooting himself more than his enemies.

How well do you know the references and homages found in Genshin Impact? screenshot

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Marcel Hoang

Sunday Comics: No Spoilers!

3 years 4 months ago

Hello! It’s time for Kotaku’s Sunday Comics, your weekly roundup of the best webcomics. The images enlarge if you click on the magnifying glass icon.

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Zack Zwiezen

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Minecraft Dungeons' "chilliest and thrilliest" event is now live

3 years 4 months ago

Minecraft Dungeons' latest event is now live, offering six "winter-themed trails" from now until the end of the year.

It also introduces three new collectibles and two new trial modifiers, which includes a changing number of chests, artifact cooldown changes, and the ominous-sounding "invisible mobs".

The chilliest and thrilliest event in Minecraft Dungeons history will run through December 30, 2020," Kelsey Howard wrote on the official website. "The event will have six new winter-themed trials with two new trial modifiers, including a changing number of chests, changing the cooldown on artifacts, and invisible mobs. Invisible mobs? For the sake of my nerves, I'm not going to dwell on that terrifying little tidbit.

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Shigeru Miyamoto's Kids Were Big Sega Fans Growing Up

3 years 4 months ago

No one is more closely associated with Nintendo than Shigeru Miyamoto. "Mario's dad" and the creator of series like Donkey Kong and The Legend of Zelda has been with the company for decades, and his own children grew up with access to Nintendo's game library. That's why it's particularly amusing that they were also big Sega fans.

Speaking to The New Yorker, Miyamoto said that growing up, his children were big fans of Space Harrier and Out Run--two classics we've seen on numerous systems, including Sega Genesis. They both hold up fairly well today, and you can actually play them both on Nintendo Switch via the Sega Ages series.

Perhaps that Sega love came as a result of the house's game consoles being owned by Miyamoto himself rather than his kids.

Continue Reading at GameSpot
Author
Gabe Gurwin

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Cyberpunk 2077 Save Data Could Be Corrupted If File Size Is Too Large

3 years 4 months ago

Especially if you are far along in the Cyberpunk 2077 storyline, you are going to want to monitor your save file size closely. Players are reporting that their save data is being corrupted after it goes beyond 8MB, and there isn't any way to recover the data if this happens.

Players on Reddit are discovering that, at least in some instances, their save files are corrupted and unrecoverable once they reach that 8MB mark. For those who have been crafting items extensively over the course of their playthrough, the file size can balloon, putting them at greater risk of having their data corrupted. It isn't affecting all players, and you seem to be more likely to corrupt your data if you've crafted literally thousands of items.

GOG support (GOG is owned by CD Projekt Red's parent company, CD Projekt) seemed to acknowledge that there was indeed a file size limit in a reply to a concerned player. The company said it may increase the save file size limit via a future patch but this would not revert already corrupted save data back to a useable state. It also recommended not using any item duplication glitches and loading a save file that hasn't made use of it yet. Because you can manually save, you can potentially keep a "safe" save file if you don't mind the risk of losing progress and reverting back to that file.

Continue Reading at GameSpot
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Gabe Gurwin

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The Quintessential Quintuplets Visual Novel Announced for PS4 & Nintendo Switch

3 years 4 months ago

Today Mages announced a new visual novel dedicated to the popular manga and anime The Quintessential Quintuplets.

To be specific, the game is tied to the upcoming second anime season The Quintessential Quintuplets ∬ that will air in January and it’s titled “Go-Tobun no Hanayome: Natsu Omoide Mo Go-Tobun,” which translates as “Five Equal Brides ∬: Summer Memories Are Also Split in Five Equal Parts.”

I guess you could adapt the title to The Quintessential Quintuplets ∬: Summer Memories Are Also Quintessential.

It will be released in Japan on March 25 for PS4 and Nintendo Switch. The standard version will cost 7,800 yen plus tax, the limited edition (including five drama CDs) will be priced at 10,800 yen plus tax, while the download version will cost 7,000 yen plus tax.

The theme song will be performed by the voice actresses of the quintuplets themselves.

You can check out the trailer of the The Quintessential Quintuplets ∬ below.

Author
Giuseppe Nelva

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Review: Nioh 2: The First Samurai

3 years 4 months ago

I had hoped – and even started to believe – that Nioh 2 was building up to a thrilling conclusion across its three DLC packs, but the final expansion, The First Samurai, is a bit of a letdown. It's not outright bad, and I'm just out here happy to be playing more Nioh, but this DLC surprisingly missed the mark.

If you're a Nioh 2 season pass owner, great – I think The Tengu's Disciple and Darkness in the Capital already proved their worth with compelling new weapon types, different-enough locales, and motivation to keep toiling away for the good of the grind. As a package deal, the bundle is priced fairly.

Taken on its own, though, The First Samurai lacks impact, originality, and excitement. It feels more like an obligation to get through rather than something you'd be genuinely stoked to dig into and explore.

Review: Nioh 2: The First Samurai screenshot

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Author
Jordan Devore

War of the Visions: Final Fantasy Brave Exvius Reveals NieR: Automata Crossover

3 years 4 months ago

Crossovers are always a relevant way for free-to-play games to draw in players (and their money) and War of the Visions: Final Fantasy Brave Exvius is no exception.

During a livestream hosted today from Japan, Square Enix announced a collaboration with the popular JRPG NieR: Automata.

The crossover will start on December 23 in Japan, and will bring 2B and 9S as ultra-rare characters.

The event will end on January 5 and will also feature Adam and Eve as bosses.

At the moment, the event has been announced only for Japan, considering that the western servers are a bit behind in content. At the moment, we don’t know when it’ll come west, but it likely will at some point.

You can check out the trailer below.

If you want to learn more about the game, you can check out our interview with global version producer Hiroki Fujimoto.

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Giuseppe Nelva

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CD Projekt Could Face Investor Lawsuits Over Cyberpunk 2077

3 years 4 months ago

CD Projekt could soon be facing yet another Cyberpunk 2077 problem, arguably bigger than having to offer refunds to upset players: a class-action lawsuit. It isn't from other players, either, but potentially from investors who felt they were misled about the game's quality prior to release.

According to VGC, multiple law firms, as well as a CD Projekt investor, are looking into a class-action suit related to potential misrepresentation by CD Projekt. The company could be accused of breaking an SEC rule that makes it unlawful to operate "as a fraud or a deceit upon any person" during security transactions.

In other words, this potential lawsuit would see investors taking aim at CD Projekt rather than the customers who bought the game. Given the massive drop in share value for the company over the last week, this isn't a huge surprise. Several of the executives and co-founders of the company have reportedly lost over $1 billion in their own stock value since the game's launch.

Continue Reading at GameSpot
Author
Gabe Gurwin

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The Legend of Heroes: Hajimari no Kiseki Announced for Nintendo Switch & PC Via Steam

3 years 4 months ago

Today Nihon Falcom hosted its Falcom Day 2020 Winter and announced two new platforms for the recent Trails game The Legend of Heroes: Hajimari no Kiseki.

The game will be released for Nintendo Switch and PC in summer 2021. The publisher is Clouded Leopard Entertainment.

Of course, for the moment this announcement is related to the Japanese market, but it’s quite likely that the game will come west for the same platforms at some point, on top of PS4, which was the original platform when the game launched in Japan and Asia back in August 2020.

The Legend of Heroes: Hajimari no Kiseki brings together the protagonists of the Trails games in a three-pronged JRPG with a story told through alternating points of view.

Earlier today, we also saw the reveal of the character designs of the hero and heroine of The Legend of Heroes: Kuro no Kiseki.

Switch fans in Japan can also expect The Legend of Heroes: Trails of Cold Steel IV on March 18, 2021.

On the PS4 side, a remaster of the PSP classic Nayuta no Kiseki, titled Nayuta No Kiseki Kai, which will also come in Japan in 2021 for PS4.

2021 marks the 40th anniversary of the foundation of Nihon Falcom, and the popular JRPG studio surely seems to be determined to make it a year to remember for the fans.

Author
Giuseppe Nelva

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The best game you missed in January 2020: Sands Of Salzaar

3 years 4 months ago

A screenshot of the Sands Of Salzaar character creator, showing a smiling, handsome man with his hair in a large, feathered ponytail. He has a black beard, and is holding a sword - clearly a warrior.

Good things, they say, come to those who wait. Like clichés in the first sentence of an article, this is often a load of toss, but a stopped clock is (“That’s enough of that, thanks.” – Ed).

Sands Of Salzaar leapt into Early Access this January, its huge success in China prompting promises of an English translation soon. But 2020 did a lot of things to the word “soon”, so we’ll forgive them for delaying that translation. Besides, it was worth the wait. Sands is a superb game that blends the hack and slash chaos of Dynasty Warriors with the open world RPG skirmishes of Mount & Blade.

Author
Sin Vega

The Legend of Heroes: Kuro no Kiseki Reveals Hero & Heroine Illustrations by Katsumi Enami

3 years 4 months ago

Today Nihon Falcom hosted its Falcom Day 2020 Winter and Dengeki Online revealed the illustrations of the hero and heroine of The Legend of Heroes: Kuro no Kiseki.

You can check them out below, drawn by Katsumi Enami, known for his work on Zero no Kiseki, Ao no Kiseki, and more recently, Onee Chanbara Origin.

At the moment, not much is known about the two characters. The hero works as a “spriggan” (which is a sort of underground problem solver) running an agency named Arkride Solutions Office in the cosmopolitan capital of the Republic of Calvard.

The heroine is a student who visits the hero’s agency with a request and a junior of Renne.

Author
Giuseppe Nelva

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GOG advises Cyberpunk 2077 players to "keep a lower amount of items" to avoid corrupting save files

3 years 4 months ago

In the latest of a long litany of issues, reports are now coming in that Cyberpunk 2077 save files are becoming permanently corrupted for players if they exceed 8MB in size.

Though initially reported as affecting games across all platforms, some now suggest it's just a PC issue. However, without confirmation from developer CD Projekt Red either way, players have been advised to "keep a lower amount of items and crafting materials".

In a response posted on the GOG website, CDPR has confirmed that once corrupted, there's no way to recover the save, so it recommends you keep "a lower amount of items and crafting materials".

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Review: Medal of Honor: Above and Beyond

3 years 4 months ago

We are now in an era where impressive-looking VR games are somewhat commonplace; it's no longer a selling point all on its own. So when I heard that Respawn Entertainment was working on a new Medal of Honor for VR, my interest was piqued, but I kept my expectations in check.

Always trust your instincts.

Review: Medal of Honor: Above and Beyond screenshot

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Author
Chris Carter

A month and some change later, I'm really happy I went with the Xbox Series S

3 years 4 months ago

One thing I've noticed with the past few console launches, something that became quite evident the day I preordered my Xbox Series S, is that I no longer feel the excitement I once did when moving into a new generation. Even last week, when I managed to secure an all-digital PS5 just minutes after I swore to stop trying until next year, it didn't push me to jump for joy. I used to jump for joy picking up a new console. I remember being quite giddy standing in line at Walmart to buy the GameCube on a cold November morning.

Maybe it's because the promise of better technology has lead to diminishing returns over the past two console generations. Maybe it's because there are no launch titles for the Xbox Series of consoles or the PS5 that I "must play now." Or maybe, it's because gaming is so prolific now that it's really all about the games rather than the hardware you choose to play them on.

Whatever it is, I do miss the excitement that comes with anticipating a new console. But with my Xbox Series S, that feeling has been replaced by something that might be just as fulfilling: the satisfaction of knowing you bought quality hardware.  I love my Series S not because I managed to buy the "hot new thing" but because this console is built so goddamn good.

A month and some change later, I'm really happy I went with the Xbox Series S screenshot

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Author
CJ Andriessen

Review: Cyberpunk 2077

3 years 4 months ago

CD Projekt Red has the benefit of releasing a major game once in a blue moon to a roaring applause.

I was hooked from the very first Witcher (which is frankly still some of their best narrative work), and continued on through Geralt's journey into card game-dom. Now, we're fast-forwarding that old fantasy timeline quite a bit with Cyberpunk 2077.

While it's more than adequate at giving us a general look at a dystopian techno-future, a lot of the details are muddled.

Review: Cyberpunk 2077 screenshot

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Author
Chris Carter

How videogames explore our ancient, troubled love affair with fire

3 years 4 months ago

Why do human beings love fire? Why do we find it hard to look away from even the smallest candleflame? Many anthropologists put it down to simple inheritance: the hominids who became our ancestors were those most susceptible to fire's charms, for all its peril. Fire gave us cooking and tool-making; it freed us from the tyranny of the sun, allowing people to gather and work after dark; the ability to control it conferred status and thus, a foundation for more elaborate social structures. It was both an everyday tool and a terrible supernatural force to worship and wield against enemies. Small wonder that, thousands of years later, we seek its likeness in artworks of all kinds, from the hellish radiance of Francisco Goya's El Incendio to the smouldering poltergeists of The Sims.

Artworks like these may explore and even celebrate fire, but they also illuminate our distance from it. As Professor Daniel Fessler of the University of California argues, fascination with flame today isn't a universal human hallmark, but specific to post-industrial, "developed" regions where actual, open fire is seldom encountered. Fessler notes that children in areas where fire is an ordinary sight are drawn to it at first, but lose interest around the age of seven. Those of us who grow up in more "civilised" places never learn to live with flame, and are thus never able to overcome this infant fixation. For us, fire remains exotic, alien, a thing we fantasise about even as we are encouraged to think of it as a viral invader.

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New Dragon Ball FighterZ DLC Characters Super Baby 2 & Gogeta SS4 Announced; 6 Million Units Shipped

3 years 4 months ago

During the playoffs of the Japanese national cup hosted at Jump Festa, Bandai Namco announced the new DLC characters for Dragon Ball FighterZ.

The new fighters are Super Baby 2 and Gogeta SS4. Super Baby 2 will be released on Jan. 15 while Gogeta SS4 will come at a later and yet unannounced time.

Those who purchased the FighterZ Pass will be able to access Super Baby 2 on Jan. 13.

You can check them out in action below.

We also learn that Dragon Ball FighterZ shipped 6 million units including both retail and digital downloads. To celebrate, all players will receive a new color for Vegeta and lobby avatars, which you can see below.

The previous update was at five million copies as of May 2020.

Author
Giuseppe Nelva

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Cyberpunk 2077 Devs Reportedly Confront CDPR Leadership Over Launch Issues

3 years 4 months ago
CD Projekt Red developers who have worked on Cyberpunk 2077 have allegedly confronted the leadership team over issues that include crunch and the game's rocky launch. As reported by Bloomberg, "frustrated and angry staff" questioned CD Projekt Red management during a recent internal video meeting and asked questions related to unrealistic deadlines, the mandatory crunch, and much more. This meeting took place before Sony's announcement that it would be not only offering refunds for those unhappy with Cyberpunk 2077's performance, but that it would also be removing the game from the PS Store indefinitely. [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2020/12/18/cyberpunk-2077-being-removed-from-playstation-store"] When asked about crunch, the directors said that they were planning on improving production practices, but didn't go into detail on the steps they would take to make it happen. Also brought up was CD Projekt Red's comments back in January 2020 that Cyberpunk 2077 was "complete and playable," despite the game's delay. The board answered that "it would take responsibility." Another developer asked if CDPR's directors "felt it was hypocritical to make a game about corporate exploitation while expecting that their employees work overtime.
Author
Adam Bankhurst

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Dragon Ball Xenoverse 2 Reveals Paikuhan DLC & Free Update; Has Shipped 7 Million Units

3 years 4 months ago

Today, during the celebrations of Jump Festa Online, Bandai Namco shared news about Dragon Ball Xenoverse 2.

First of all, the game has now passed 7 million copies shipped as of today including physical units and digital downloads. The latest update was at 6 million units back in May. That’s certainly not bad for a game released in 2016.

That’s why it shouldn’t surprise that it’s still getting new content, which is the topic of the next piece of news.

A new free update and a new paid DLC are coming in spring 2021.

The DLC will include a new character, Paikuhan, on top of Bardock and Gine’s costumes from the Dragon Ball Super: Broly movie.

The free update will include Janemba turned into a healing mascot. The developers have promised additional details, so there’s likely going to be more on the menu.

You can check out the announcement slides below.

Author
Giuseppe Nelva

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The Community Spotlight 2020.12.19

3 years 4 months ago

Hello and welcome to the latest edition of the Giant Bomb Community Spotlight! Well, I know I have a bit of a reputation for sounding like a broken record, but my work got the better of me I was not able to get to compiling the community created GOTY content on the site. I mean it when I say I will get to it during the week of Christmas. Nonetheless, last week was certainly "interesting," what with CD Projekt Red and Cyberpunk 2077 being on the news around the clock. As to be expected there are TONS of discussion threads and blogs related to Cyberpunk and its launch debacle. However, it's not all doom and gloom on the site, and with that in mind, let's jump into the site-related housekeeping!

Author
Marino - Brad Lynch

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Cyberpunk 2077 1.05 Hotfix Released for PC, PlayStation, and Xbox

3 years 4 months ago
Update (12/19/20) - CD Projekt Red has announced that Hotfix 1.05 for Cyberpunk 2077 is now available for PC as well. Original story follows. [poilib element="accentDivider"] CD Projekt Red has released Hotfix 1.05 for Cyberpunk 2077 on Xbox and PlayStation consoles, and it looks to address issues in quests, visuals, stability, and much more. The update for the PC version will "follow soon." As detailed on Cyberpunk.net, many of the changes listed should help with problems experienced in quests and some of the fixes ensure "Jackie will no longer disappear in The Pickup or The Heist" and fix "an issue preventing players from landing the helicopter in Love like Fire." What will hopefully most welcome, especially to those playing on base Xbox One and PS4 units, are the "multiple stability improvements, including crash fixes." [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2020/12/18/sony-pulls-cyberpunk-2077-from-ps-store-will-offer-refunds"] Visual improvements have also been added, and now NPCs in Suspected Organized Crime Activity: Just Say No and Gig: Hot Merchandise should no longer T-pose and V should appear "more modest in the inventory preview after the half year montage ;)." It will be curious to see how much it improves the experience on those consoles, and if it will prevent players from requesting a refund.
Author
Adam Bankhurst

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'Shop Contest: National Horse Day, Winners

3 years 4 months ago

Last week, we all came together (virtually and safely) to celebrate the most important holiday of the year: National Horse Day. And you all created some uh... interesting horse-related images to celebrate the day.

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Author
Zack Zwiezen

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Here's How the Mysterious Twitter 'Carp' Meme Came to Be

3 years 4 months ago

For a brief moment on Friday night, spectacularly bored and homebound Twitter users marveled in delight at a strange phenomenon on the social network: Everyone was tweeting the word “carp.” Questions abounded. What? Why? Huh? I’m missing something, right?

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Author
Andrew Couts and Shoshana Wodinsky on Gizmodo, shared by Zack Zwiezen to Kotaku

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DCS World Trailer Shows Gorgeous Aircraft & Teases Apache; Might Make You Tear Up a Bit

3 years 4 months ago

Can a the trailer of a military flight simulator make you cry? DCS World developer Eagle Dynamics set out to test that.

The studio has always proven itself capable of delivering rather amazing trailers and this is no exception, celebrating 2020’s achievement and teasing what is to come.

Combine what is essentially fighter jet (and prop) porn with the beautiful music by the masters of epic at Two Steps from Hell, and an uplifting message at the end of a trying year, and you may very well have tears streaming down your face by the end.

Incidentally, the music is by the same people who made the legendary launch trailer of Mass Effect 2 as impactful as it was. Good times.

The trailer also provides a tease of an Apache module for those eager to bring the iconic attack helicopter out for a spin.

You can check it out below.

If you’re unfamiliar with DCS World, it’s an absolutely gorgeous free-to-play sandbox combat flight simulator that offers a giant lineup of DLC aircraft for those who want to expand the experience.

Author
Giuseppe Nelva

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No More Heroes 1 and 2 Have Been Rated by the ESRB for PC

3 years 4 months ago
No More Heroes and No More Heroes 2: Desperate Struggle have been rated by the Entertainment Software Rating Board for PC, indicating they may become available on PC for the first time in the future. As spotted by Gematsu, No More Heroes and No More Heroes 2: Desperate Struggle are both listed for Windows PC on the ESRB's website, which gives a breakdown of each game's ratings and a summary of what players can expect to experience in-game. [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/no-more-heroes-launch-trailer"] No More Heroes 1 and 2 were both originally released on the Nintendo Wii, but were made available on Switch on October 28, 2020. Travis Strikes Again: No More Hereos did make its way to the PC in 2019, but the upcoming No More Heroes 3 will be a Nintendo Switch exclusive when it arrives in 2021. In our review of No More Heroes, we said "In the end, No More Heroes is a grab bag of highs and lows, and the end result is going to be different based on your expectations.
Author
Adam Bankhurst

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