July 2020

If we're ranking the toughest bosses in Bloodborne, we'll probably never reach a consensus – the perceived difficulty of a fight can vary wildly depending on your playstyle, character build, and composure. I've been through the From Software wringer, and to this day it's tricky to pin down exactly what makes certain fights easier or harder for me than the average player. Everyone's different.

That said, a few contenders stand out to me. Laurence from the Old Hunters DLC is at the top of my most-despicable list. He's not necessarily the "hardest," but no one tested my patience more.

The First Vicar is a lava-spewing war of attrition. He's beefy. He doesn't let up. His room feels too cramped. The longer you persevere, the more aggressive Laurence seems to get. Near the end, when he's forced to crawl, it's super tempting to just finish the fight already – but that can be a mistake.

Bloodborne often rewards aggression with its health-regain mechanic, but the "don't be greedy" adage from the Souls series rings true, as illustrated in this tragic clip submitted by Reddit user TrubberDox.

[Update: The seventh of our popular Destructoid AMA sessions is now live! So stop by our official forums and take the opportunity to Ask Your Anything to Destructoid's Features Editor, Podtoid producer, and all-round good dude CJ Andriessen. Have Fun!]

Yup! You heard that right. Starting this month, we’ll be hosting a series of AMA ("Ask Me Anything") sessions with members of Destructoid and our sister sites on the new and improved Destructoid forums.

If you've never been to one of these, the way it typically works is that the host commits to an hour to thoughtfully answer questions as they are submitted in semi-real time. You can come on the event day to participate, or enjoy the responses any time after.  It's a great way to connect with the people that run this joint.

Here's the full schedule so far:

If recent rumors pan out, the Breaking Bad universe will be able to lay claim to two of Far Cry's key villains. Before his biggest break as Nacho Varga in Better Call Saul, Michael Mando voiced Vaas in Far Cry 3. Now, it seems as though drug-kingpin-disguised-as-chickenman Gus Fring is ready to leave his mark too.

In an interview with Collider (the whole thing is embedded above), actor Giancarlo Esposito acknowledges in passing that's he's working on a major video game. "This video game I did, which is going to be huge... [but I] can't really mention [it]," Esposito says. Everyone has just simply accepted that he's the villain in Far Cry 6. It's just what makes sense.

However, in a now-deleted article, Gamereactor flat-out states that Esposito's role he teases is, in fact, in the next Far Cry. It's impossible to tell if this is some sort of embargo-breaking declarative or merely hyper-confident editorializing. If it's the latter, why pull the article? 

Under Night In-Birth Exe: Late[Cl-R] Collector’s Edition | $49 | Amazon

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Long-running video game franchises (or uh, in this case very short ones) all have to start somewhere, and it’s not always pretty. Looking back to that origin point can show us not just how the greats began, but how far they’ve come since. Today we unearth the very first Rocko’s Modern Life video game.

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Niantic has announced that Gastly, the runner-up in the community poll, will be the Pokemon GO July Community Day Pokemon.

The post Get Ghostly With Gastly in Pokemon GO’s July Community Day appeared first on Siliconera.

Alatreon is looming over Monster Hunter World: Iceborne ahead of its free Title Update #4 coming July 8, 2020.

The post Monster Hunter World: Iceborne Alatreon Gameplay and Free Title Update #4 Details appeared first on Siliconera.

Animal Crossing: New Horizons' summer update has arrived, bringing with it a new visitor, Pascal. In exchange for a scallop--one of the 40 new sea creatures you can catch while diving--Pascal will give you a mermaid-themed DIY or clothing item. There are 14 mermaid DIYs to collect in all, and there are four different items of mermaid clothing.

Below is a complete list of all the mermaid DIYs. To craft these mermaid items, you'll need pearls, a new material you can find while swimming, and often regular seashells as well. None of the mermaid items are customizable. We also have a list of the new mermaid clothing items. Credit for these lists goes to Nookazon as we work to verify the items through regular play.

July 3 marks the first wave of Animal Crossing: New Horizons' summer update, and with it comes a whole bunch of new features, including swimming and diving, a new category of critter to find, new visitor interactions, and a new DIY recipe set. Here's everything new to Animal Crossing this week and how to dive in.

Swimming And Diving

The biggest new feature from the update is the ability to swim and dive in the ocean around your island. We have a full guide on how to get a wetsuit and swim, so check it out to get started.

Pascal isn't a newcomer to the Animal Crossing series, but he did make his first appearance in Animal Crossing: New Horizons after wave one of its summer update went live this week. The red sea otter loves scallops and will trade you DIY recipes in exchange for them. He can also gift you pearls, a rare crafting item requires for certain recipes, including the new mermaid set.

How To Find Pascal On Your Island

You can find Pascal while swimming and diving in your island's oceans. If you don't know how to do either yet, check out our Animal Crossing swimming guide for instructions on where to get a wet suit and how to swim.

Once you're in the water and start diving for sea creatures, Pascal will eventually appear, but only when you find a scallop. He won't appear every time you catch a scallop or even the first time--it's random, and we're not quite sure what the rate is, but it seems to only be once a day. It does seem like he can appear on your island alongside other special visitors, however. Leif was in my island's town square on the same day I met Pascal.

For many of us, playing video games is a much-needed break from all the trials and responsibilities of everyday life. When COVID-19 forced the globe into quarantine, gamers shared how playing games like Animal Crossing was an important part of both having fun and maintaining mental health while in isolation.

Despite elements of randomness that are pervasive in many games, video games often feel like a level playing field. Unlike life away from our controllers, the rules of video games are explained, the parameters and limitations made clear. Whether it is Mario jumping over pipes or fighting a boss in Final Fantasy, the avatar is an extension of you. Getting your Pokémon to Level 99 is a reflection of the time and effort (and money) you invest in the game. Though scholars like Christopher Paul warn us about the toxicity that can arise from seeing video games as pure meritocracies, it isn't inherently wrong to see video games as one of the few places where (to the greatest extent possible) you get out exactly what you put in. Everything that happens is a function of your input, no matter what demographic you come from.

Lego Art is a new line of sets that allow you to build artwork, specifically portraits. The first series consists of sets for Star Wars: The Sith, Iron Man, The Beatles, and Andy Warhol.

If you purchase the Star Wars: The Sith set, you can construct a 2D portrait of one of three Sith Lords (Darth Vader, Kylo Ren, and Darth Maul). The pieces in the box let you make any one you want. If you want to display all three of them at once, you need to buy three sets (which sell for $119.99 each). If you do fork out the cash for all three, that opens up a fourth building option: a larger image of Darth Vader.

You can do the same thing with the Iron Man set to make a fourth image of him in action. In any set you are tasked to build both the portrait and frame. The portrait is made up entirely of circular colored pieces. The Star Wars set consists of 3,406 pieces. The suggested building age is 18-plus. Lego is currently listing a September 1 release date for all four options. You can find out more about the sets at LEGO's official site, and take a closer look at them in the gallery below:

Click image thumbnails to view larger version

Update: The stream has concluded, but stay tuned for more exciting Game Informer stream projects!

It's Friday afternoon and it's not quite time to break out the fireworks, brats, and charcuterie platters. Instead, join PC Editor Dan Tack for some streaming fun as he explores some of Season 4's rowdy and rambunctious action in Call of Duty: Modern Warfare.

Kick back with an ice-cold beverage and chat games, rockets, and delicious food options! You can tune in by heading to https://www.twitch.tv/dansnax.

Epic has announced it will be screening Opus United's anti-racism presentation We The People in Fortnite's Party Royale mode this weekend, starting tomorrow, 4th July.

We The People is hosted by news commentator Van Jones, and is described as a "series of conversations that advance the dialogue around race in America with prominent BIPOC (Black, Indigenous and People of Color) voices in business, sports, media, music, and entertainment".

Guests include former Teen Vogue editor-in-chief Elaine Welteroth, journalist Jemele Hill, rapper Killer Mike, and hip hop musician Lil Baby, and the panel will discuss how to change systemic racism in media, culture, and entertainment. 

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Ubisoft vice president of editorial Maxime Beland has resigned from his role after being accused of sexual harassment and assault. ...

Today, during a panel at Anime Expo Lite, Bushiroad announced that its mobile game  D4DJ Groovy Mix is coming west.

During the panel, we learned that the mobile game, which is part of a cross-media project also including anime and concerts, will be released in English, even if no release dates were revealed.

The Japanese version of the game was revealed back in February, focusing on several groups of idol DJs named Happy Around!, Peaky P-Key, Photon Maiden, Merm4id, Rondo, and Lyrical Lily. 

You can see the whole cast of D4DJ Groovy Mix portrayed below.

In today's contest you can win a Switch copy of Infliction: Extended Cut!

Happy 4th of July, everyone! The 4th is cool and all, but a little too patriotic and a little too un-scary for me. The ratios are way off, here. I don't like it, so let's change things up a little bit.

We've got some Switch copies of a creepy first-person horror game called Infliction: Extended Cut to give away to help make this holiday weekend a bit more spooky. Why should we have to wait until October to have all the scary fun?!

The Death Generator – a site that lets users swap out the text in classic video game intros, scenes, and dialogue boxes with their own silly writing – is making the rounds again on Twitter. It's fantastic.

Maybe you've come across this meme generator before, maybe you haven't. (For a bit, I was convinced we had already covered it on Destructoid, but I didn't find a trace.) Either way, the Death Generator is back, and it's precisely the kind of time-waster I want to mess around with on a holiday weekend.

You can choose from over 150 games, pop in your text, and save your image or insta-upload it to Imgur with a click. In some cases, like Sonic the Hedgehog 1 and 2, there's even an animated gif export.

This text generator is my favorite gaming culture project since that brain-racking sound effect quiz.

[Created by @Foone] [Via @rob_sheridan]

Prove you’re really feeling it with the #Tetris99 14th MAXIMUS CUP, featuring #XenobladeChronicles: Definitive Edition! Earn at least 100 event points in the Tetris 99 mode from 7/3, 12am PT to 7/6, 11:59pm PT to unlock the Tetris 99 theme! @tetris_official pic.twitter.com/AyFOMn8zPX

— Nintendo of America (@NintendoAmerica) June 24, 2020

Nintendo hasn't tried to hide the fact that it is using its quasi-free-to-play battle royale Tetris 99 as a glorified advertising vessel. Every time a first-party Nintendo game comes out, it's almost guaranteed that it will get a theme and a weekend event in Tetris 99.

The trend continues with Xenoblade Chronicles: Definitive Edition, which has an event this weekend. Starting earlier this morning and running through Monday night, players can earn points based on placement in matches. Unlike prior events, there is no prize associated with this competition, but once you earn 100 points, you can use the Xenoblade theme post-event.

Funimation Naruto streaming has been announced for the company's app. The entire first series will launch on July 6, 2020.

The post Naruto and New One Piece Dubbed Episodes Are Coming to Funimation’s App appeared first on Siliconera.

Today, during a panel at Anime Expo Lite, Square Enix officially revealed an anime series based on the popular JRPG The World Ends With You.

The announcement was teased last week, and today it was announced that the anime will be aired worldwide in 2021

It’s directed by Kazuya Ichikawa, who previously worked on Shadow Skill and the Monster Strike series. You can see the official key artwork above, providing a hint of the visual style. The anime is created in 3D CG. 

We learn that the team has always oped that the game would be made into an anime. 

The main voice cast from the game will return and the developers are also collaborating on the series.

About 90% of the music is completed and it was composed by Takeharu Ishimoto.

Below you can check out the first trailer and a few glimpses at the animation and character design showcased during the panel. 

Good Smile Company is teasing some of its line-up online and in a "virtual" booth as part of its WonHobby Gallery 2020 showing.

The post New Good Smile Company Figures Shared in Wonder Hobby Gallery appeared first on Siliconera.

TWEWY anime will launch worldwide in 2021, and original game staff members like Gen Kobayashi and Takeharu Ishimoto are involved.

The post The World Ends With You Anime Will Launch Worldwide in 2021 appeared first on Siliconera.

All three of the Demon Slayer Tamagotchis will be released outside of Japan. You'll only be able to find one of the three designs at Amazon.

The post Demon Slayer Tamagotchis Will Be Released Outside Japan appeared first on Siliconera.

Townscaper might be about the simplest game I've ever played. It's a game about building a town and the only buttons you have are to build and unbuild and select a colour. There's no discernible aim to the game other than to make your town look nice. And that's it. It's mesmerising.

It helps that it's gorgeous. You simply cannot build an ugly town. You cannot even build in a straight line. It's as if the game adheres more to the warm, wobbly lines of your imagination than it does the cold angles of real life. Even if you try to build a square, the edges bow and warp.

What I love most is how you're never sure what's going to appear. I mean, broadly you know. You know if you build in the water that a kind of harbour block will appear, with nice red trim and fences for safety around the top, and you know if you build on top of it, a building will appear. But exactly what kind of building depends on what's around it. Things clump together in Townscaper. Build a row of houses and they clump to make a terrace, build in a square(ish) pattern and they make a bigger kind of house. Build upwards to make a tower.

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We’re having another quiet one on the notE3 front, though we’ll be back into it next week with streams including Ubisoft and Devolver Digital blasting their games about on the weekend.

What are you playing this weekend? Here’s what we’re clicking on!

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David Bowie might once have asked if there is life on Mars, but Desert Golfing developer Justin Smith is quite confident that – if there is – they’ll be well up for a round of the king’s game. Six years later, and Golf On Mars is swinging onto Steam with a more alien take on the 2014 golf ’em up’s peaceful procedural putting. It’s more golf, it’s extraterrestrial golf, but is it better golf?

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I'm going to hit you with a pretty wild truth, folks. We are now halfway through the year. That's right, only halfway. When I think back to January 1, 2020, I can't deny it feels like it happened on March 22, 1988. But nevertheless, we are here. I am here, as are you, and we'll continue to push forward as the tight-knit posse of pals that we are. Stay safe, and look after those around you. We'll keep the ball rollin'.

I haven't played much this week. I did put some time into Danganronpa: Trigger Happy Havoc, which is my first foray into the crazy/cute/creepy world of Monokuma and pals. I'm kind of digging it, though I'm sure the sequels are probably a little tighter and more accomplished as interactive experiences.

It's not only the weekend, but it's also July 4, so Happy Independence Day, my American friends. So before you man your crop-dusters to battle an army of extra-terrestrials, drop us a quick note below and let us know what games you've been hitting recently. Good luck out there, I hope you do President Bill Pullman proud.

Have a safe and pleasant weekend, from all of us at Destructoid.

Photography games are very in right now, haven’t you heard? Lifting off earlier this week, Cellular Harvest is a wonderfully relaxing short game about exploring vivid lo-fi wildernesses, capturing alien fauna on camera, and reporting back to HQ so your corporate overlords can turn all those creatures into bug juice. Shooting with cameras, not guns, doesn’t make you any less complacent in extinction it seems.

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Square Enix has announced that the anime adaptation of The World Ends With You will launch worldwide in 2021. The first teaser trailer for the anime was premiered during a special panel at Anime Expo Lite 2020.

The World Ends With You the Animation will see Neku, Shiki and friends relive their strange, psychedelic escapades in "The UG", an alternate reality version of Tokyo's jam-packed Shibuya district. Having awoken on Scramble Crossing with no knowledge of any recent events, Neku and his band of hot-headed teen pals must now face the wrath of the "Reapers' Game" if they are to understand the twisted fate that has befallen them.

During the third anniversary for The Idolmaster: Million Live! Theatre Days, Bandai Namco announced an anime adaptation for the subseries.

The post The Idolmaster: Million Live! Will Get an Anime Adaptation appeared first on Siliconera.

Chinese megacorp Tencent has launched a new studio in California, USA.

As reported by our pals at GI.biz, the new studio - LightSpeed LA - will be headed by former Rockstar developer, Steve Martin, and will reportedly "focus on the development and publishing of AAA titles".

"We're ushering a new era of game culture by combining world-class development with a stress-free work environment," Martin said. "From day one, our teams will be focused on building the highest caliber games while promoting integrity, proactivity, collaboration, and creativity."

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The characters from the next Five Nights At Freddy's game, Five Nights At Freddy's Security Breach, have appeared online courtesy of a promotional tweet from Funko advertising a new FNAF range of action figures and "mystery minis".

While these kinds of leaks typically come from premature social media campaigns and are usually deleted pretty sharphish, Funko's tweet appears intentional and while one of the preorder links included on the tweets doesn't take you anywhere yet, the Walmart page confirms they'll go on sale on 17th September, 2020 - perhaps to coincide with the game's release? - and confirms the characters' names, too (thanks, Comic Book).

The tweet itself remains online, despite hundreds of complaints from fans disappointed that the tweet spoils the surprise of what characters will be appearing in the game, not least because we've yet to see any trailers or in-game footage.

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From classic comedy to Sundance standouts

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It was announced during Anime Expo Lite this weekend that The World Ends With You will be getting an anime series that’s directly based on the cult JRPG that was originally released on the DS back in 2007.

To celebrate the big news, The World Ends With You: Final Remix is 50% off on the Nintendo Switch eShop, bringing its $50 price tag down to $24.99. You can grab it here.

This “ultimate edition” of the DS game features improved visuals, remixed music tracks, a new story chapter, touch controls, and even motion controls with the Switch Joy-Con.

The story focuses on teenagers that have managed to get trapped in an alternate version of Tokyo to participate in the Reapers’ Game and no spoilers, but the stakes are very, very high.

Before you go and make the purchase on Switch though, we would recommend looking into some other versions of the game first. It plays perfectly on the Nintendo DS thanks to the dual-screen support and the mobile ports aren’t too bad either.

Duke Nukem – Duke Nukem Series

Our first hella American video game character is none other than Mr. Duke Nukem himself. He’s essentially all American stereotypes wrapped up into a big, muscular package.

He’s loud, obnoxious, arrogant, blonde, muscly, dumb, and incredibly violent. On the more positive end of the stereotype, he also heroically and regularly defends Earth from every bad guy known to man.

He’s a former military man as well so we’re swooning over here with how much of #America his character designers decided to pack into his biography.