Valve has left Half-Life fans in the lurch for nearly 13 years; the cliffhanger ending of Half-Life 2: Episode Two in 2007 set up an epic confrontation that still hasn’t been fully resolved. After all that time, we wondered if Valve had forgotten what made Half-Life special in the first place, but once you explore the virtual world of Half-Life: Alyx, it’s clear that Valve hasn't lost its magic touch.

The weather outside is frightful, and it’s not looking much better in the bumbling stumbling world of Fall Guys: Ultimate Knockout. Mediatonic’s wobble royale has entered its chilly third season, Winter Knockout, bringing in a blurry on seasonal new stages, suitably cosy new cosmetics, and – as an extra treat for us PC folks – the arrival of private lobbies that’ll let you tumble through the game’s challenges with 59 of your closest mates.

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Special Edition Animal Crossing Nintendo Switch | $300 | Amazon

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Microsoft announced today that Electronic Arts’ EA Play service will now be coming to Xbox Game Pass for PC and Ultimate subscribers in 2021.

Microsoft did not give a specific reason for the delay, only that the addition needs “more time.” It was originally scheduled to launch today, Dec. 15 and has now been delayed “until 2021.”

Microsoft and Electronic Arts announced that the EA Play service (formerly EA Access and Origin Access) would be coming to Xbox Game Pass subscribers at no additional cost last September. The catalog appeared for Game Pass Ultimate subscribers on consoles with a few titles available for Android last month alongside the launch of the Xbox Series X|S.

While those on Xbox One and Xbox Series X|S can simply access and download EA Play games from the consoles’ store, Games Pass for PC and Ultimate subscribers on PC will have to access the games through the EA Desktop app currently in open beta.

Xbox Game Pass Ultimate contains Xbox Live Gold, Game Pass for consoles, and Game Pass for PC for $14.99 per month. Microsoft is currently running a discount on the service at $1 for the first three months for new subscribers only.

Microsoft has announced EA Play will no longer be joining Game Pass for PC this month, as was originally planned, with the two services now expected to join hands some time in 2021.

In a short statement released through its Xbox Wire news service, Microsoft wrote, "When we originally set out to write this blog post, which would announce the availability of EA Play on PC with Xbox Game Pass, it looked a little bit different. Unfortunately, what had been a celebratory post is now one asking for a little more patience."

Despite initially announcing EA Play - which includes access to EA's library of games and early trials for new releases - would be made available to Game Pass for PC and Ultimate subscribers in December, Microsoft says it has now "made the decision to delay [launch] until 2021."

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The latest Build-a-Bear Pokemon plush is Dragonite, and it's got some clothing options that will protect it from ice-types.

The post Build-a-Bear’s Dragonite Is Looking Pretty Friendly appeared first on Siliconera.

A new Mass Effect game is in the works as confirmed by a teaser trailer shown off during the recent Game Awards. We saw our blueberry Liara once more within a cryptic trailer that closed the bridge between two galaxies with the messaging that Mass Effect "will continue." The older Liara had fans spinning with ideas about where the story will go next but the recent news of Mark Darrah and Casey Hudson's departure still weighed heavily on minds. For those worried about the teams coming together for the future of such an iconic franchise, BioWare's Michael Gamble did recently confirm a few returning faces specifically for this project. 

In a recent string of tweets, Gamble revealed a few Mass Effect veterans returning for the new game, including Dusty Everman, Parish Ley, Brenon Holmes, and Derek Watts. 

If some of these names don't sound familiar, here's a quick breakdown of who is who: 

Blizzard continues to truck along with development on Diablo 4 and has once again come back with a quarterly update that shares how the work has been going and what they are currently mulling on. This month, the team wanted to discuss their latest thoughts on respeccing, stats, weapon types, and how item rarity will work in Diablo 4 and what changes players should expect.

The post, written by lead game designer of Diablo 4 Joe Shely, first builds on something they spoke about last time: skill trees. While this update isn’t about skill trees again, they did want to share a development on respeccing.

Respeccing

While they do not want to remove the ability to respec in Diablo 4, they don’t want to make it so easy that you can so quickly undo everything you’ve decided on to copy someone else out there. As a result, Diablo 4 will have respeccing but it will have a cost associated with it that will match the effort put into the original effort to build it up to where it is currently.

In other words, a character that is still leveling up will be able to more easily respec than one that has their tree complete.

Primary Stats

Primary stats will be somewhat similar to previous games but with a more nuanced approach as compared to Diablo 3. Players, as they level up, will gain skill points to spend in their primary stats.

Primary stats will work differently for each class. Here’s the example that Shely gave compared Barbarian to the Sorceress.

Dream, YouTube’s biggest gaming channel of the moment, denies allegations

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While 2020 has offered plenty of new, original games, it's also been a fantastic years for reimaginings, remakes, and remasters of beloved games originally released as recently as just a few years ago and as long ago as the original PlayStation era.

To celebrate some of the finest remakes and remasters of the year that revitalizes RPGs, horror, sports, and Soulsborne games, these are our nominations for the best remake/remaster of 2020.

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Click through the gallery above or scroll down for the full list!

Demon's Souls

Bluepoint Games has struck gold once again, modernizing a decade-old game while staying impressively faithful to the source material. Demon’s Souls shines on the PS5 with its stunning environments and realistic lighting effects that just weren’t possible on the PS3. But Bluepoint didn’t just apply a fresh coat of paint; it meticulously rebuilt this classic from the ground up.

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Everything you remember from the 2009 original is here, which is sure to please die-hard fans. The addition of performance and fidelity modes allow you to choose the type of experience you want, and really showcases the power of the new console. Plus, the incredibly fast load times mean dying is just a bit less painful this time around.

For more, check out our full Demon's Souls review!

See Demon's Souls at Amazon

Ao Oni X will feature a number of endings that players can share online.

The post Ao Oni X Is Going Mobile, Will Launch Next Week in Japan appeared first on Siliconera.

Some might say Overwatch’s Winter Wonderland event has become as much of a holiday tradition as rewatching Home Alone, choking sipping on eggnog, and debating Die Hard’s status as a Christmas film. If you believe that, then you’ll probably be happy to know the 5th annual event kicks off today. As usual, it comes with a fresh wardrobe of holiday-themed cosmetics just aching to be unlocked. 

This year’s event introduces a new arcade brawl, the Freezethaw Elimination. In this 4v4 battle, victory comes when one team is able to completely freeze the other. Getting frozen acts the same as dying, but teammates can thaw each other to get back in the game. It’s like playing freeze tag, but more literal. Freethaw Elimination joins existing arcade brawls Mei’s Snowball Offensive, Yeti Hunt, and Snowball Deathmatch. 

Say hello to 4v4 Freezethaw Elimination and Penguin Mei

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Developer Derek Yu's much-loved subterranean platform rogue-like Spelunky - and its critically acclaimed sequel - are finally heading to Switch, with a launch window of "summer" 2021.

There's been a rising clamour for both games on Switch for quite some time, of course; partly because the brisk replay loop inherent in rogue-likes is particularly well-suited to portable play, but mostly, simply, because Spelunky 1 and 2 are just utterly masterful games.

Eurogamer called Spelunky "a creation of rare crystal clarity that sparkles from every angle" when it reviewed the acclaimed 2012 remake on PC, giving its refined procedural platforming a mighty 10/10 (and, later, an Essential badge when they came in).

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Cyber Shadow’s blend of classic Ninja Gaiden and Contra has impressed us in the past (check our hands-on impressions from Gamescom 2019), so it’s exciting to learn that it finally releases January 26th. Cyber Shadow comes from developer Mechanical Games and is published by Yacht Club, best known as the developer of Shovel Knight. Players control Shadow, a ninja who is the last of his clan in a world overtaken by an evil scientist’s synthetic army. 

Players must nimbly traverse the hazard-filled environments using precise air dashes and wall-jumps, all while slashing the robotic foes into ribbons using their sword. Recusing captive ninjas bestows permanent ninjutsu skills, such as a charge slash, parry, fireballs, and, of course, good old fashioned shurikens. You’ll need all the help you can get to take down 12 challenging bosses. Thankfully, Switch owners can get an assist by scanning any of the Shovel Knight amiibos to summon fairy-like versions of those characters. 

Cyber Shadow will be available for PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Switch, and PC.

Collection of SaGa is here and gives people a chance to replay the three Final Fantasy Legend games. Watch a refresher that goes over each entry.

The post Collection of SaGa Launch Trailer Offers Peeks at Its 3 Games appeared first on Siliconera.

You’d be forgiven for forgetting but, in eons past (well, June), as Cyberpunk received its second delay, CD Projekt led an explanatory letter to fans with the words:

“‘Ready when it’s done’ is not just a phrase we say because it sounds right, it's something we live by even when we know we'll take the heat for it."

“After 3 delays, we as the Management Board were too focused on releasing the game. We underestimated the scale and complexity of the issues, we ignored the signals about the need for additional time to refine the game on the base last-gen consoles. It was the wrong approach and against our business philosophy.”

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Is there a German word to describe a person who has stopped playing a live-service game but still keeps tabs on the outfits for no particular reason? That's where I'm at with Overwatch. I can't let go.

Today's Winter Wonderland 2020 event is adding eight new skins (three of which will be doled out in weekly challenges), and 4v4 Freezethaw Elimination, a mode in which eliminated players become frozen. It's basically a tug-of-war to de-thaw your teammates and fully wipe the opposing team, and if you aren't into it, there's also Yeti Hunt, Snowball Deathmatch, and Mei's Snowball Offensive.

Onto the new-for-2020 skins, starting with the challenge skins that require nine wins a piece:

Elf Junkrat (Weekly Challenge 1 from Dec. 15 to Dec. 22)

Gingerbread Ana (Weekly Challenge 2 from Dec. 22 to Dec. 29)

Frosty Roadhog (Weekly Challenge 3 from Dec. 29 to Jan. 5)

Nintendo held an Indie World Showcase livestream today that ran for about 15 minutes. During the presentation, there were several new titles for the Switch revealed and some of them are even out right now for you to download, such as Among Us.

Here’s everything Nintendo announced during the Indie World Showcase, for those that don’t feel like sitting through the whole presentation.

Spelunky 2

Indie World Showcase Announcements

The roguelike platormer, Spelunky 2, alongside its predecessor Spelunky, will be heading to the Nintendo Switch in the summer of 2021.

Today Black Desert developer Pearl Abyss released a music video dedicated to the upcoming release of the new character Nova.

The song is a special arrangement of “Yuki no Hana” (Snow Flower in Japanese), performed by popular singer and actress Mika Nakashima.

You can check it out below.

Nova will launch on all platforms (PC, PS4, Xbox One, and mobile) on Dec. 22.

Incidentally, we also hear that Pearl Abyss will take over the game’s service on PC as well starting on Feb. 24, 2021. The developer has already been taking care of the console and mobile versions.

It’ll be interesting to see if this will lead to a further standardization of the updates across platforms. Nova certainly appears to be an example of that.

A look at the final Diablo 4 blog of 2020

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A whole new Caribbean island has arrived in GTA Online with the launch of The Cayo Perico Heist today, inviting us to completely rinse the drug lord El Rubio. Yes, sadly, his party island is only for the heist, not a place we can visit any time. It’s an intriguing heist though, and one we can actually complete solo for once. And we get our own submarine. Also, Dr Dre pops up for like 30 seconds.

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I get it. Every article, podcast and video revolves around one topic and you’re almost at breaking point. But… if you’re not there yet, then listen to this episode of The PC Gaming Weekspot! The Big Game is indeed a big game, so there’s a lot to say about Cyberpunk 2077.

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The Nintendo Switch Funimation app will make its debut in the US and Canada today. Here are some shows you might want to watch on the service.

The post Funimation Shows to Consider Watching via the New Switch App appeared first on Siliconera.

How are you at pitching? When you're a big-brained business type, you don't need to sell things. You just need to sell ideas. And they don't even have to be good ideas! You just have to make them sound good.

Go ahead and pitch Microsoft on the wildest Space Jam game you can think of. If they like your pitch enough, it'll get turned into a real game and added to Xbox Game Pass.

All of this is a promotion for the LeBron James-starring Space Jam: A New Legacy movie that's due out next year. Microsoft's hosting a contest where two pitches for arcade games will go through development and released. All you have to do is pick one of the 16 pre-selected images that best depicts your idea, and then explain it in 500 words or fewer.

Did your mind instantly go to erotic visual novel? Mine neither. But if you can make your Space Jam-themed erotic visual novel sound intriguing enough, Microsoft will probably definitely fund it. Or, maybe pitch a grand strategy 4X game where Bugs Bunny is some kind of emperor. How about a walking simulator where you examine authentic NBA gameplay (traveling joke!). Let's talk, Microsoft. I got ideas for days.

Anyway, two winners get their game made and put on Xbox Game Pass, along with a prize package that consists of: an official credit, LeBron-signed merch, Space Jam and Nike merch, a personalized Xbox Series S (spring for an X, Microsoft!), a private screening of the film, and a virtual Microsoft coding workshop for their local community.

I've settled on my pitch: It's about a 5'9" games blogger who gets drafted into the NBA even though he's in his 30s and doesn't have much of a jump shot. It'll be a rhythm-based shmup.

Want to Help Design the Xbox Space Jam: A New Legacy Arcade-Style Video Game? [Xbox]

Armed with only one word—Tenet—and fighting for the survival of the entire world, the Protagonist journeys through a twilight world of international espionage on a mission that will unfold in something beyond real time.
Click to see more!

We have 10 digital copies ready to give away, all you have to do is enter below by 12/29/2020 for your chance to win one. You can enter once per day. Winners will be selected by random drawing from all eligible entries on or after 12/30/2020. Movies is rated PG-13. Full rules available with each entry method below. Good Luck!

Somehow, not everything was bad this year.

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Dustin, Jim Hopper, and both Mike and Nancy Wheeler are headed to Icewind Dale

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Mossmouth's two beloved roguelike platformers are coming to Switch. The announcement comes as part of Nintendo's Indie World Showcase, which brought a bevy of new and exciting announcements, including surprise launches like Among Us and Grindstone. Unfortunately, Spelunky and Spelunky 2 were not among the "available now" crowd, so those hoping to add them to their Switch libraries will have to wait until summer.

These two titles challenge you to dive into ever-shifting caverns and tunnels that change every time you play, delivering lava pits, aggressive spiders, deadly booby traps, and plenty more. Spelunky 2 takes all the excitement and challenge of the first, while adding new mechanics like mounts, online multiplayer, and branching world paths.

We've enjoyed both entries of the Spelunky series. In 2012, we gave the original an 8 out of 10, while this year saw us award a 9 out of 10 to Spelunky 2. To this point, Spelunky 2 is only available on PS4 and PC, but that changes when both games arrive on Switch this summer.

Earlier today, it was revealed that Super Meat Boy Forever would be heading exclusively to the Nintendo Switch later this month, Dec. 23. The news came via the December Nintendo Indie World event, as Team Meat showed off in-game footage of their indie platformer, which you can see below.

Don’t worry too much if you don’t own a Nintendo Switch, as Super Meat Boy Forever’s Switch launch is simply a timed console exclusive.

The indie platformer is still slated to release for PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, iOS, Android, and PC in 2021. It’s worth noting that Epic Games players will also get to play on Dec. 23 as well.

If you’re still looking for more Nintendo Indie World announcements and news, be sure to check out the live coverage here. We will also have plenty of info after everything wraps up, so head back over to Twinfinite for a full recap later today.

Coming Dec. 23, console exclusive to Nintendo

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Nintendo aired a brief livestream today dedicated to indie games coming to Switch in the next few months, and there are a lot of them.

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Yesterday, part of South America was treated to a solar eclipse, so I decided to try out an experiment in Microsoft Flight Simulator.

The game is known for a rather astonishing precision in simulating the world, including the specific dance of the sun, moon, and stars in the sky. Could it actually manage to simulate a solar eclipse?

Turns out that it can. I went to Los Pehuenches Airport in Lebu, Chile, which was one of the best places to see the eclipse yesterday (December 14) at around 4:00 pm GMT.

Clouds actually help block the glare of the sun, providing a nice view of the eclipse, as you can see in the video below. It’s very hard to see with a completely clear sky.

The best thing is that you can see it yourself even if the eclipse is already in the past. All you need to do is to go to the right location, set the correct date and time, and you can see eclipses both in the past and in the future.

That’s certainly a pretty neat and (at least for me) unexpected feature of Microsoft Flight Simulator.

Among Us is a "whodunnit" indie title that had an incredible second lease on life in 2020. A game featuring sus little jelly bean astronauts all trying to prove they aren't the ones murdering their friends, the 2018 hidden gem has been the talk of the gaming community over the past several months; and for good reason. Now even more players can get in on that suspicious action because during the IndieWorld showcase it was confirmed that Among Us is arriving on Nintendo Switch later today. 

No set time release was given other than "later today" but it is pretty nifty to see Among Us make the jump to the Nintendo Switch platform. While originally the team over at InnerSloth were planning on a sequel, the rapid onslaught of success had the small crew rethinking that plan, instead making the decision to make the original title more fruitful for players to dive into. 

Also confirmed is that this will require Switch Online to play, but the good news is that it is cross-platform compatible with mobile and PC versions!

The Spy Within turns Fortnite into a classic hidden identity game

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The Pokémon Company has unveiled a new gameplay mechanic called Battle Styles. Drawing inspiration from Urshifu, the new Legendary Pokémon from the Pokémon Sword & Shield Isle of Armor expansion, Battle Styles allows Pokémon cards to carry either Single Strike Style or Rapid Strike Style. The mechanic will be implemented as a part of the newly announced Pokémon Trading Card Game: Sword & Shield – Battle Styles expansion.

Much like Urshifu's styles in the Isle of Armor expansion, Single Strike cards have a tiny bit of red and deliver single, powerful attacks with the ability to knock out opponents in one shot. Meanwhile, Rapid Strike cards feature blue decoration with attacks that are a bit sneakier and more technical and let them attack their opponents when they least expect it. These styles are also available as Trainer and Energy cards, which assist Pokémon of the corresponding style to allow you to build decks centered around Single Strike or Rapid Strike.