Nintendo has released the latest update for its mobile battler, Fire Emblem Heroes. In keeping with the spirit of these festive times, the newest in an endless line of in-game events sees a quartet of warriors don their Holiday finery to celebrate Chrimbo is style. 'Tis the season, after all.

Joining the Orb-greedy pull pipe from today are Path of Radiance's Sephiran, Three Houses' Hilda, and a new Harmonized Hero in the form of Radiant Dawn's Altina and her daughter, Path of Radiance's Sanaki - all of whom are rocking their best Santa Claus duds. Best of all is Three Houses' Bernadetta, who has single-handedly made me believe in the spirit of Christmas with her baffling new "log cabin winter storm" attack. Bless her heart.

Cyberpunk 2077 is a game all about player choice, and that includes romance options. Aside from one-night stands and hiring prostitutes, there are a handful of more fleshed out characters who you can get to know and, if you play your cards right, you can start a more meaningful relationship with them. Our Cyberpunk 2077 romance guide will walk you through how to romance Judy, Panam, River, Kerry, and Meredith, so you don’t have to worry about whether you’re making any wrong decisions during your journeys.

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We've seen gaming platforms expand beyond the scope of gaming in the past.

Microsoft banked the entire last generation on entertainment perks. The Wii had Netflix, and you needed a disc for it (I still have it!). Steam added full-on films and a ton of other non-gaming apps to its service a while back. Now, the Epic Games Store is joining the fray.

Announced this morning, the popular music/podcast streaming service Spotify is now available on the Epic Games Store: so you can listen to/complain about Joe Rogan in real time. Naturally it's free, so all you need to do is add it to your account and it'll be listed as an app. I just tried it! It's called "Spotify Music," and it'll show up with all of your other apps (there doesn't seem to be a filter for it yet).

An Epic rep has informed Destructoid that we can "expect more non-game applications" to hit the storefront in the future. At this point, anything is possible. Epic wants people sticking exclusively to their launcher, perusing around after a game or two of Fortnite and the like. Expect it to get even bigger than it already has in 2021.

Spotify [Epic Games Store]

17TH DEC 2020: Red Candle Games has issued a statement in response to CD Projekt's decision not to release Devotion on GOG.com.

In a tweet, the developer said "we are willing to understand and respect GOG's decision", adding: "This is a difficult predicament to overcome, but we won't stop striving."

ORIGINAL STORY 16TH DEC 2020: CD Projekt has come under fire for reversing the decision to release horror game Devotion on GOG.com.

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Ask tough questions, get tough executive answers!

This week, Polygon interviewed Nintendo of America president and Reggie-replacement Doug Bowser: who has remained relatively quiet during his tenure at the publisher. Just recently though he broke that silence by speaking to a number of Nintendo topics, like the destruction of some Mario games on March 31, 2021.

When asked why Nintendo was going with the vaulting strategy, Bowser replied: "Yeah, I think I use a simple word: celebration. It just — this is a celebration of Mario’s 35th anniversary. And we wanted to celebrate in unique and different ways, and we’ve done that through games like Super Mario 3D All-Stars, or we will be doing that through future releases, such as Super Mario 3D World + Bowser’s Fury."

Bowser also says that there are "various" other ways in which they're celebrating too, with releases like Mario Kart Live: Home Circuit. But that "with some of these titles, we felt it was an opportunity to release them for a limited period of time. They've done very, very well. Super Mario 3D All-Stars has sold over 2.6 million units in the US alone." He later clarifies that it's "not a strategy [they're] going to be  using widely."

Just in time for Christmas, Assassin's Creed Valhalla and Immortals Fenyx Rising are on sale from a couple of online retailers. With one game focusing on Norse mythology and the other on Greek mythology, you have the opportunity to spend the whole winter hanging out with ancient gods of all flavours.

You can check out our reviews of Valhalla and Fenyx Rising, but each one offers similar experiences: open world games in which you explore a world with climbing and melee combat. But while Valhalla is (marginally) more grounded, Fenyx Rising leans towards being more colourful and over the top.

We've checked around to see where each version is going cheapest, and we'll update this page if more details come out! One thing you'll notice is that Valhalla has a slightly bigger discount at Game, but you'll need to pay an eye-watering £5 for delivery!

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[Update: The developer has confirmed that cross-play is included with the Switch port of Among Us.]

Among Us may have launched back in 2018 on mobile and PC, but that hasn't stopped it from becoming a viral hit during 2020's quarantine.

Given that developer Innersloth canceled the sequel and decided to double down on the monster hit they eventually had, it makes sense that it's going to be proliferated on a ton of platforms. After two years, the day has finally come: Among Us is hitting the Switch today.

That's it! You can yell about your suspect memes on another platform now. There doesn't seem to be any special bells and whistles here, it's just the social elimination game it always was.

Like mobile, I can see playing it in person all together being pretty fun, so the Switch is a good choice for Among Us' first launch console.

In a recent interview with Variety, Resident Evil creator Shinji Mikami mused up his future in the video game industry, noting that while he has no shortage of ideas, he does not feel the same way about time and drive, and suggesting that he may have one last major project in him.

"I am getting old, and so it would be more of a matter of how much energy I have," said Mikami in candid comments. "My thinking is that if I had a chance to make a game from the beginning to end that’s completely my vision, then definitely, that would be my big last project as a director. It would probably be more fitting as that ‘last game I direct’ kind of thing."

Mikami - currently hard at work on cyberpunk adventure Ghostwire: Tokyo - has left a storied legacy within the gaming industry. Beginning his career in Capcom way back in 1990, Mikami had a hand in many releases before creating the most enduring title of his career, Resident Evil, in 1996. Mikami went on to oversee the production of titles such as God Hand and Vanquish, before breaking out into his own studio, Tango Gameworks, in 2010, returning to the horror genre with 2014's The Evil Within and its 2017 sequel.

Despite Mikami's indelible legacy, it seems that success hasn't changed the modest nature of the 55-year-old, exemplified when asked about his post-gaming career. "I'll take a part-time job working at a convenience store," joked Mikami. "The idea of making a rice-porridge restaurant has been scrapped, since there'd be too much competition."

Ghostwire: Tokyo will launch on PS5 and PC in 2021.

505 Games have released a new update for the PC edition of Death Stranding that sees Hideo Kojima's strange adventure title cross over with CDPR's equally dystopian release, Cyberpunk 2077.

Today Nihon Falcom and Nippon Ichi Software released the first screenshots of The Legend of Heroes: Trails of Cold Steel IV for Nintendo Switch.

The images showcase what the game looks like on Nintendo’s portable console, and are accompanied by a release date, March 18, 2021.

For now, this release date is only related to the Japanese market. We’ll have to wait for an announcement from NIS America to know when the game will launch in the west.

The PS4 version is already available, while we’re also waiting for a PC version, which will come in 2021 alongside the Switch version.

You can check out the screenshots below.

Capcom is continuing its series of trailers dedicated to the weapons of the upcoming Monster Hunter title Monster Hunter Rise.

The first trailer we see today is dedicated to the Sword and Shield combo, while the second showcases the game’s massive Hammers.

You can watch both videos below.

“Nimble, adept, and incredibly versatile. The Sword & Shield is a jack-of-all-trades capable of quick strikes and prompt evades. The shield serves a dual purpose of guarding and delivering bludgeoning damage.”

“Savage, smashing strength. The Hammer is a blunt force weapon that hits hard without giving up mobility. Smack enemies on the head to knock ’em down.”

Following the reveal of the new Trails game The Legend of Heroes: Kuro No Kiseki and of the remaster Nayuta no Kiseki Kai, Nihon Falcom released the first screenshots and artwork for both games.

The Legend of Heroes: Kuro no Kiseki will start what is described as the second part of the Trails series and will release in 2021, with platforms yet to be decided. It will celebrate the 40th anniversary of Nihon Falcom.

It’s set in the Republic of Calvard, a multi-ethnic country that is seeing unprecedented expansion thanks to the post-war reparations.

In a corner of the capital of a nation shaken by political unrest caused by immigration and bold political reforms enacted by the new president, a young man working as a “Spriggan” receives a strange request which will putt into motion events that will echo through the whole country.

The AT battle system has been renewed in this game, creating an evolutionary system that combines tactics with quick battles wich can seamlessly transition between turns and action.

We also hear about the “Topic System” that can create advantageous situations during negotiation by using clues (topics) obtained through talking to people in the city.

Characters also will have a specific attribute that will change between Law, Gray, and Chaos depending on playstyle.

There are a variety of original elements that take advantage of the setting of Kuro no Kiseki, like the “Alignment Frame” that affects the development of the story.

The game is created with Nihon Falcom’s new engine that promises a solid visual imprvements over its predecessors.

Meet Genshin Impact's Albedo! His trailer shows off two of his hobbies, alchemy and painting. Some of his Combat Talents were revealed too.

The post Genshin Impact’s Albedo Paints and Performs Alchemy in a New Trailer appeared first on Siliconera.

Today Genshin Impact developer MiHoYo released a new trailer for the popular action RPG.

The trailer focuses on one of the new characters that will be released with update 1.2. His name is “Albedo” and he’s a fairly… peculiar artist.

You can check him out below. He certainly appears to have the potential to become very popular among the fans.

Here’s a bried introduction about Albedo.

“Master Albedo is an artist of rare talent. His strokes are subtle, and he weaves his alchemy into them. But… surely, he has surpassed “craft” and entered the realm of “creation”…”

Bravely Default II has received a second--and final--demo, allowing players interested in the RPG sequel to check it out ahead of the Switch title's 2021 release. The demo is available now on the Eshop through the game's store page.

The Bravely Default II final demo features the game's four main characters some way into their adventure, meaning that many of the systems introduced early in the game are available to demo players from the start. Jobs and Abilities can be used and swapped, for instance.

Players who download the demo ahead of the game's launch will also be able to nab 100 My Nintendo Platinum Points, which can be redeemed for rewards through the My Nintendo portal.

The demo weighs in at 3.3GB. The game releases on February 26, 2021, and is available to preorder now.

Bravely Default II is, somewhat confusingly, the third game in the Bravely series. The original Bravely Default on 3DS was followed by a direct sequel, Bravely Second. This Switch game has a new cast of characters and setting, though.

There's a new Bravely Default II demo! This final demo looks at the first chapter. Grab it quickly enough, and you get My Nintendo Platinum Points.

The post Bravely Default II Final Demo Looks at the Game’s First Chapter appeared first on Siliconera.

Switch can still be quite a discount-centric platform - especially for games that cost $20-$25 on launch. But Nintendo has made some changes to shut down more egregious discounts - here's how. ...

Today Nintendo and Square Enix announced that the “final demo” of the upcoming JRPG Bravely Default II has been released.

You can find it on the game’s page on the Switch eShop.

If you download the demo before the game releases, you’ll be eligible to receive 100 My Nintendo Platinum Points.

The points will be added to your account automatically within 30 days of the download.

You can check out the announcement below

miHoYo explained how food, gadgets, and things around you can ward off Sheer Cold when you're visiting Genshin Impact's Dragonspine region.

The post Here’s How to Stay Warm in the Genshin Impact Dragonspine Region appeared first on Siliconera.

Developer Spry Fox has announced Cozy Grove, a new game set on a haunted island that's giving off some serious Animal Crossing vibes. But whether or not this game has taken inspiration from Nintendo's massive series, Cozy Grove's big difference is that the island is swarming with ghosts.

The game, which is coming to Switch, PS4, Xbox One, PS5, Xbox Series X/S, and PC in the first half of 2021, casts players as a "Spirit Scout". It's up to them to seek out the ghosts of the island and help them, building up a camp and crafting new materials as you go.

You'll also be able to go fishing, as the trailer below shows.

Spry Grove's earlier games include Road Not Taken and the Alphabear series.

What do you do when you launch an Assassin’s Creed game, include the option for your customers to pay $10 to level up faster, draw all kinds of negative reactions—many of them suspicious, wary—and then launch a new Assassin’s Creed two years later? Launch with that controversial paid booster again? Not quite. If…

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Zagreus can't be contained! Get ready to continue your escape attempts on every platform, as the Hades cross-save update is here.

The post Supergiant Shared a Hades Cross-save Update appeared first on Siliconera.

Today add-on developer Aerosoft released more images and details on its upcoming CRJ and Twin Otter add-on packages for Microsoft Flight Simulator.

First of all, we get to take an in-depth look at the cockpit of the Bombardier CRJ, which seems to be reproduced in extremely high detail.

Incidentally, project manager Mathijs Kok confirmed that the flight management system supports holding patterns and missed approaches. He also provided more insight on why wingflex isn’t modeled.

With the release of the PlayStation 5, I’ve taken the opportunity to go back and play through a few games from the previous generation to see how they take advantage of the new console. One of those games is Rockstar’s western epic Red Dead Redemption 2. It’s great fun, but I can’t help but wonder what’s going on with…

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Today Bandai Namco released the newest DLC package for One Piece: Pirate Warriors 4.

The pack is named “Land of Wano” and includes three new playable characters, Kozuki Oden, Kin’Emon, and Okiku.

The package is already available in some storefronts and will be released on all of them throughout tomorrow (Dec. 17).

This is the last DLC package announced for the game. At the moment, we don’t know whether we’ll get more down the line, but Jump Festa is around the corner, so we may get news then.

We also got a launch trailer, which you can watch below.

If you’d like to see and learn more about the game, you can check out the launch trailer and read our review.

Today Koei Tecmo and DMM launched the Christmas event on its popular free to play game Dead or Alive Xtreme: Venus Vacation.

The event features a new set of costumes split in several gacha, making it easier to aim for the girls you may not have unlocked (the latest heroine Tsukushi is, unfortunately, not available yet).

Login bonuses also lead to a SRR ticket for one of the Christmas costumes released in 2018, while those from last year are also available in their own gacha.

Incidentally, if you haven’t logged in lately, you likely should. The goodies from the latest livestream have been delivered, which means plenty of freebies including the December SSR trend ticket.

You can check the content of the event in the trailer below.

Big Pixel Studios, the developer behind the popular Rick & Morty mobile RPG spin-off Pocket Mortys, is shutting down. The studio, which was bought by Adult Swim in mid-2018 after making the Pokemon-like adventure, will be shuttered at the end of 2020, leaving is employees out of work.

According to a report from Gamesindustry.biz, around 40 people are affected by this closure.

Developer Laurie James announced the news on Twitter, saying that the team's next game won't be released. "Some hella good people here, who made something proper cool," he said. "Unfortunately you'll never get to play it, because capitalism."

The PlayStation 5 released worldwide in November, but right now it's very difficult to buy one, with stock in short supply. One issue since preorders opened has been the prevalence of scalpers, including bots that automatically buy systems to then resell at a higher price. Now, figures out of Japan suggest this might be an even more severe problem than first thought.

Bloomberg reports that strong console sales are not necessarily translating into software sales. Figures they've taken from Famitsu show that the system has sold 213,000 units in Japan since launch, but the sales for physical releases of the system's top 3 games (Spider-Man: Miles Morales, Demon's Souls, and an unnamed third-party title) come to just 63,000 units.

Comparably, the Switch sold 525,000 units in its first month, and saw that almost matched with 509,000 sales for its top 3 games.

There are numerous caveats here--because of forwards compatibility, it's likely that many customers have bought PS4 versions of certain games for less money, and digital sales figures have been on the rise. The PS5 also has a digital only version, which would drive down physical sales, too. But the disparity is great enough to signal an issue, and because the PS5 is sold at a loss--as most consoles are at launch--Sony is reliant on software sales to make money.

It's a snowy paradise on many islands thanks to the Animal Crossing: New Horizons December update and for those looking to make the most out of the new seasonal items, you're going to need to get real comfy with snowflakes. Snowflakes are incredibly important when crafting the latest seasonal goodies, so for players looking to get more bang for their snowbuck, here's what you need to know. 

How To Get Large Snowflakes In Animal Crossing: New Horizons

Like previous events, there is a special objective with the Winter festivities. With the December update, players are given a chance to craft Snowboy with the two snowballs that are randomly generated throughout the island. Players can take these snowballs and use them to craft this magical snowman. Get Snowboy and you'll unlock special Snowflake DIY recipes. Unfortunately, though, the number of Large Snowflakes accrued are limited, but there is at least one way to maximize that return.

With each Snowboy a player crafts and interacts with comes the distribution of a Large Snowflake, which are pretty scarce. These Large Snowflakes are then used to create those seasonal goods, which is a major incentive when returning to those islands during each event.

Continuing the fine work he’s done on previous games like The Witcher 3, the LowSpecGamer has picked up Cyberpunk, dropped all the settings to low and then gone further, poking around in the game’s code to turn one of the year’s most visually demanding titles into a blurry shitstain.

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Those who enjoy Compile Heart JRPGs but prefer a portable experience have one more reason to celebrate with the reveal of Death End re;Quest for Nintendo Switch.

For now, the announcement is only for the Japanese market, where the game will launch on December 24 at the lowered price of 3,800 yen.

At the moment, Idea Factory International, the western arm of the developer, has not made an announcement about a western version, but it’s likely to come at some point.

You can watch the trailer below, showing off the characters populating the game.

Nintendo's most recent Indie World showcase was a big one, and while we were busy watching it, an exciting new game dropped on the system. Dicey Dungeons, the latest game from VVVVVV and Super Hexagon creator Terry Cavanaugh, is now available on the Nintendo Switch.

In Dicey Dungeons, players choose from numerous playable dice characters, all of which have unique abilities. As you move between the nodes of each level, you'll come up against various enemies. Combat is based on dice rolls, with Yahtzee-like rules: you can play a rolled number on a corresponding attack, or you can re-roll dice several times to try and get numbers that better suit your abilities. As you go, you can power up and re-spec your dice, and if you die you need to start over.

The game costs $15 on Switch, with a 10% discount currently active for launch.

Most of this year’s best movies are available from the comfort of your own home

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Call of Duty: Warzone is never gonna let you down. New songs, including Rick Astley's classic Never Gonna Give You Up, have been added to the game as vehicle tracks.

One of the most exciting things you can do in Warzone is hop in a vehicle and soar through Verdansk while blasting the horn. Players can customize what sound they make when they honk their car horns--those options now include the infamous rickrolling song. They better hope that someone isn't hiding on a nearby rooftop with an RPG.

If you don't know what it means to get Rickrolled, this link should be a good explainer.

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