August 2020

Dontnod Entertainment’s games are often filled with compelling narratives, a strong cast of characters, and tough moral decision-making. These are successfully incorporated into their games like Remember Me, Vampyr, and their most recent game, Tell Me Why.

Most of all, Dontnod is known for developing the Life is Strange series. Tell Me Why, Dontnod’s latest game, hits nearly all of the checkboxes that helped make Life is Strange a success; in fact, it does this so much that it even feels like it could be the third entry in the series.

Tell Me Why follows twins Alyson and Tyler who have reunited after ten years apart and work together to uncover mysterious details about their childhood. Not only does it has the same distinct art style that Life is Strange games have, but thematically, they are incredibly similar in many ways.

The game’s narrative is driven through Tyler and Alyson’s shared experiences, not unlike the bonds shared between Max and Chloe, Chloe and Rachel, and Sean and Daniel. These are the relationships that drive the story forward and make them so memorable long after they are over.

Famous Japanese entertainer and personality, Pikotaro, has just released a brand-new music video called Pika to Piko and you might’ve guessed it already but the video is a collaboration with none other than the iconic Electric-type mouse Pokemon, Pikachu.

The music video is now available to watch on YouTube but it was initially premiered earlier today during the finale of the Pokemon Virtual Fest, a virtual amusement park event in Japan.

As someone who has never heard of Pikotaro until today, I find the music video to be very, very bizarre, but hey, this might just be Pikotaro’s thing.

In the music video, which you can watch below, Pikotaro and Pikachu dress up in some pretty rad outfits and then there’s a lot of strange singing and dancing.

In a press release sent to Twinfinite, there were several comments from Pikotaro on the collaboration and how he has always wanted this to happen.

Third-party developers have hit the ground running with their add-ons for Microsoft Flight Simulator and Aerosoft is bringing the big guns to bear as well.

After releasing the Paderborn/Lippstadt airport for free last week, Aerosoft (that is one of the biggest third-party add-on developers on the market) made its first announcements of upcoming products.

The first is the Bombardier CRJ line which will include the CRJ 700, CRJ 900, and CRJ 1000, as revealed by product manager Mathijs Kok. 

It’ll be a package similar to the popular and complex one available for Prepar3d, but entirely rebuilt for Microsoft Flight Simulator. 

Apparently Aerosoft helped Asobo build the development SDK for the game, so they already have quite a lot of experience with it. 

The developer hopes to release the package by the end of the year, even if it’s “impossible to say” at the moment if they’ll actually manage to. 

The second aircraft that the team at Aerosoft is currently working on is a de Havilland Canada DHC-6 Twin Otter, which will be awesome for those who love to fly those small island-hopping airlines. 

Also in development is the Airbus line including the 318, 319, 320, 321, and 330, but those aren’t being worked on as intensively as the CRJ at the moment. This whole plan is expected to take about two years and a half. 

Aerosoft is also working on airports, but Kok did not provide details on which ones, teasing that the developer’s current lineup for other simulators could provide a good indication of what might be coming. 

You can see the full video below, providing a look at the CRJ. 

Today MiHoYo released a brand new trailer of its upcoming action-RPG Genshin Impact.

This time around we get a teaser of the story. Actually, the video’s title mentions that it contains spoilers, even if it seems fairly mild to me. That being said, watch it at your own peril. 

Incidentally, the visuals look really good. 

Microsoft announced it is partnering with Monster Energy to give away XP boosts and in-game items for Halo Infinite before the game releases in 2021.

Studios have partnered with food and drink companies before to unlock game items and boosts through buying other products, but this promotion is a limited time only from Sept. 1 through Dec. 31, 2020, before Halo Infinite launches sometime in 2021.

Specially-marked cans of Monster Energy will offer 30-minute double XP boosts, and players will be able to bank up to 60 hours of boosts by saving their receipts, going to Monster-Halo.com to receive a code, and then going to Halo Waypoint to unlock boosts and in-game items during the four month period.

That equals to 120 cans of energy drinks to get the full amount of boost, but each receipt uploaded also enters a sweepstakes for 10 winners to receive a trip for “two to experience an out of this world Zero-Gravity Flight experience in Paris, France with all-inclusive flights and hotel stay plus $1,000 cash.” Two hundred winners will also receive an Xbox Series X console.

Each can also features a Snapchat code with Master Chief and Warthog filters for the first month and additional filters each month, though will be available for everyone without purchase. Completing each challenge for three months will unlock a Halo Infinite in-game item, such as a weapon skin or player emblem, shown below.

Starting on September 1, 2020, the Nintendo NY store will ease restrictions and not require reservations.

The post Nintendo NY Store Won’t Require Reservations Anymore appeared first on Siliconera.

Dragon Ball Z Dokkan Battle is staying lively, and the latest Majin Buu Saga event brings in Goku & Vegeta (Angel).

The post Dragon Ball Z Dokkan Battle Brings Angelic Goku and Vegeta in for the Majin Buu Saga appeared first on Siliconera.

Ubisoft's the latest company talking about PS5 backwards compatibility, as the company confirmed it only will support some PS4 games.

The post PS5 Backwards Compatibility Limitations Mentioned by Ubisoft Support appeared first on Siliconera.

Curious about Guilty Gear Strive's story? It will pick up where Xrd left off. The game will also have a new ranking system.

The post Guilty Gear Strive Ranking System Will Be ‘Completely Different’ appeared first on Siliconera.

There's a new Dragon Ball FighterZ rage quit penalty in place, and it can force people who purposely disconnect offline for a week.

The post New Dragon Ball FighterZ Rage Quit Penalty Added appeared first on Siliconera.

We’ve heard just about heck all about Gods & Monsters since Ubisoft announced it with a cinematic trailer in 2019 and then delayed it earlier this year. More information about the open world Greek god-saving action game may be forthcoming, well, soonish. Ubisoft might be changing the game’s name to Immortals Fenyx Rising when they reintroduce it.

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Paper Mario: The Origami King came out very recently, and while a lot of people seemed to dig it; a lot of folks still did not appreciate the fact that that it was settling further into the "new" action-centric Paper style and less in the vein of the RPG classic entries. That's fine!

Nintendo even explained that this shift was because Mario & Luigi served as the "RPG" companion to the "new Paper Mario" style: but with the former seemingly out of commission for now, who knows what the future might bring. Series producer Kensuke Tanabe is seemingly in the same boat.

Speaking to Eurogamer Germany (as translated by Nintendo Everything), Tanabe says that although the goal was to completely move away from the RPG genre with Sticker Star, it is possible that the series could go back to its roots, stating: "Even though we’ve stuck to that decision so far [of being an adventure game with a focus on solving puzzles], we haven’t decided yet whether or not we will keep doing so in the future. Personally speaking, I want to keep developing Paper Mario games that are both innovative and unique."

Tanabe says that he isn't "opposed" to listening to fans on the matter, but subscribes to Shigeru Miyamoto's brand of game development, which puts "innovative and unique gameplay systems" at the forefront. This explains why all of the last three Paper Mario games have felt different, right or wrong, and Tanabe wants to keep "surprising" fans, even if there's "no guarantee" that they'll succeed.

As part of the Future Games Show, held this weekend as part of the gamescom festivities, developer FYQD-Studio and publisher Playism released a new trailer for the upcoming hybrid action title Bright Memory: Infinite.

The new video sees special agent Shelia receive a new mission from her agency, SRO, before tooling up and heading out of her apartment, ready to face off against another realm-breaking phenomenon. Arriving at the mission location in the midst of a violent electrical storm, Shelia grapples, slices, and shoots her way through a squad of enemies, before finally facing off against a frightening samurai-like villain - but where, (or when), did this ferocious opponent come from?

That Blair Witch game arrived on Switch a few months ago, but it contained a little secret that the studio is just now revealing: a hidden code for an Animal Crossing hoodie in the Blair Witch style.

That very video is located above, so you can hunt for it if you wish (or just grab the solution below). Here's a tip: you can pause a YouTube video and press "," or "." (comma or period) to advance each frame. You can also opt for a slower playback setting by clicking the gear below the video. The code pops up very early on, so don't hunt for the full minute and a half for it.

Previously, on this review of Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles Remastered Edition, my Clavat caravaner completed his fourth year of travels, meeting some new friends and enemies along the way. And while his caravan is capable of holding three other adventurers, he completed his journeys alone. But riding solo on the road can get lonely, so for the second half of his quest to rid the world of miasma, he wanted to find a friend he could travel with.

Oh, if only it were that simple.

Riot Games has all kinds of projects going on right now. You know, they just launched an expansion for Legends of Runeterra that's pretty awesome, I've been summoning Celestials left and right and man it's a pip. But anyway, this is about a new board game. That's right, those things we play in physical reality.

Honestly, outside of this teaser trailer and what amounts to a skeleton website, we don't know much about Tellstones: King's Gambit. We do know it's based inside the world of League of Legends. Shocker there, hunh? But hey, whenever Riot is making a new game or something it's probably a good idea to check it out. You can watch the cool trailer below!

Update: 9/1/2020
Some various updates about the name change via Ubisoft social channels, essentially confirming the name change and relaying stay tuned for more on September 10.

👀 #UbiForward https://t.co/GpC1D0UaOy

— Immortals Fenyx Rising (@FenyxRising) September 1, 2020

Join us this September 10 for the latest reveals, updates and surprises at #UbiForward

— Ubisoft (@Ubisoft) September 1, 2020

According to a post by Gematsu, the Taiwan Digital Game Rating Committee has rated a game called Immortals: Fenyx Rising by Ubisoft. Of course, Ubisoft has not announced any title by that name, leading many to believe this is a name change from the already announced adventure title Gods & Monsters.

Are your ready to catch them all? Wait, that's another game. In this one, you fight monsters on your mobile device, in the scariest environment of them all - the real world! Ready to take on giant ogres, scorpion things, and griffins at your local park or take on a dragon on a water slide or something?

Nothing, not even training from Geralt himself, could prepare you for this! Take a look at some gameplay from the upcoming augmented reality experience where you can pop a poison lizard in the mouth while Grandma rants at Thanksgiving dinner (All socially distanced and safe of course!). Check out the trailer to see what all the monster mashing fuss is about!

Update 8/31/2020 7:15 PM EST: Ubisoft has removed this language from the support page.

According to an Ubisoft support page, the PlayStation 5 will not feature backwards compatibility for PS1, PS2, or PS3 games. While not exactly a shocker, any scrap of information regarding the upcoming console release is a tall drink of water in a knowledge desert, as we wait patiently for pricing and release date information.

PS5 is not backwards compatible with PS3/PS2/PS1 games, according to a Ubisoft supprot page https://t.co/j1wTcAApZ3 pic.twitter.com/hnbpndATPi

— Wario64 (@Wario64) August 31, 2020

While Microsoft provided a release window for Xbox Series X, Sony has yet to unveil any details of this nature. With console launches expected to hit the holiday window this year, both video game industry titans are holding critical information until what appears to be the last possible moment. 

[Source: Ubisoft via Wario64 on Twitter]

By leaning into (and continuing to improve) its brand strength, Sony aims to help PlayStation face off against increasing competition on PC and other platforms. ...

Six minutes into Windbound, I died. Shortly after the game started, I found myself stranded on an island with nothing but my wits and a knife. I saw a boar-like creature. It wasn’t bothering me, but it had something I needed. So I did what video games have taught me to do and struck it with my knife.

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I keep coming back to resilience. And how I hate how we consider it to be an essential and inherent and invaluable characteristic of Blackness. I hate it because it’s dehumanizing. Being born Black don’t make us any more resilient than anyone else. We ain’t stronger. We ain’t tougher. We’ve just been given more shit…

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Gather round folks, and let me share with you the absurd tale of my week-long hunt to find a stupid bull in Red Dead Online. 

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The latest Dragon Ball FighterZ update includes a new system that will impose harsh penalties on those who rage quit, in an effort to stem the tide of players disconnecting from online matches.

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A new support page about the transition to next-gen consoles over on Ubisoft’s website appears to confirm that PS3, PS2, and PS1 games will not be backward compatible on PS5.

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A Razer gaming accessories Gold Box, a $54 mini projector, a Nintendo Switch copy of Assassin’s Creed: The Rebel Collection, a Gooloo 2000A jump starter, a WFH (Wine for Home)

Control originally presented itself to me as a mystery. It was a new game from Remedy, the favorite development house for those of us unnaturally attached to Alan Wake and Max Payne, and it took place in some kind of shadowy government facility. I remained gracefully unspoiled and uninformed until I launched the game,…

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Hey, you got StarCraft in my Overwatch and Warcraft!

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Check your hype for five generations of gaming on PS5

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In a bid to attract new subscribers, Netflix is offering some of its original content for free

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The deals are part of the Intel Gamer Days sales event

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Even months after I played through Streets of Rage 4 and had a great time, I’m still a little shook that not only did Streets of Rage 4 actually happen, but it was also actually really, really good! Sega please take note at what happens when you let loose a bit with your IP and let talented developers take a stab at them, OK?

Anyway, with Streets of Rage 4 back in its rightful spot as one of the premiere beat-em-ups, of course cosplayers are going to react with some awesome takes on the game’s popular characters.

This Adam Hunter cosplay by Billy A Dunston, and with photos taken by Lance Allen Reis, is among the best I’ve personally seen so far. Co-developer of Streets of Rage 4, Lizardcube, seems to agree too and shared the work on their Twitter page. Take a look below!

10. Minecraft Dungeons

Best Switch Games of 2020

For the last 10 years or so, Minecraft has been heralded as one of the best sandbox games of all time. It gives everyone, regardless of age, a chance to experience an open-ended world that rewards exploration and curiosity.

Whether you’re someone who plays Minecraft or not, you can’t deny that it has become a worldwide phenomenon over the past decade.

When I first learned about Lemnis Gate I was extremely confused. There are few genres that seem more incompatible than something that is turn-based, with the fast-paced constant action of a competitive first-person shooter. It’s a thing though, apparently, and Lemnis Gate is doing it.

Recently, Twinfinite had the opportunity to talk to James Anderson, the game director of Lemnis Gate, to try and get as clear an explanation as possible of how these genres can co-exist and how this game will work.

Ed McGlone: For starters, explain how Lemnis Gate works to me like I’m five. It seems like the genres would be as incompatible as it gets. How does a turn-based FPS even work?

James Anderson, Game Director of Lemnis Gate: Pretend you and I are playing a game of 1v1. I’ll go first, I’ll play for 25 seconds, and what I’m going to do is try and achieve my objectives. So, for example, in the game mode Capture the Flag I will try and grab flags and bring them back to my spawn point to score points. I have 25 seconds to do that.

Once I finish my turn, my character and all the moves that my character did will loop over and over and over until the end of the match.

Now it’s your turn. You can see the time loop, you can fly around in spectator mode, you can see every single thing that’s happened and you have about a minute to think about what your turn is going to be. Then you have to make your choice. So then you choose a character and play for 25 seconds, but it’s the same 25 seconds, we play on top of each other.

After your turn there will be one of you and one of me in the time loop and we go to round two and add a second character, and then a third character… and a fourth character…

Yen Press will have a The Intutition of Haruhi Suzumiya English digital release ready in November 2020 too.

The post The Intuition of Haruhi Suzumiya English Version Will Appear in November too appeared first on Siliconera.

Captain Tsubasa: Rise of New Champions falls somewhere between fanservice and wide appeal, relying on the fun of arcade soccer to carry it through.

The post Captain Tsubasa: Rise of New Champions Is Smashing, Streamlined Soccer appeared first on Siliconera.

Sousai Shojo Teien model kits are coming from Kotobukiya and the Kizuna AI character designer. The first will launch in January.

The post Kotobukiya Sousai Shojo Teien Models Feature Designs From Kizuna AI Character Designer appeared first on Siliconera.

Earlier this year, Alice0 mused that it would be weird if Sony didn’t bring more exclusives to PC and by golly it looks like they were listening to her specifically because now they’re having a proper think about it. Sony now say they will “explore” bringing more games by Sony-owned studios to PC players.

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Humble Games has announced that it has secured the rights to publish upcoming retro arcade-action title Bushiden, which is currently in development for PC, PS4, and Nintendo Switch.

Developed by Pixel Arc Studios, Bushiden is a callback to the heady coin-op titles of the late-'80s and early-'90s, and sees a "cybergenetic" ninja on a do-or-die mission to rescue his missing sister, seemingly abducted by the diabolic Gaoh and his cyberised army of martial-arts masters. Our hero must pick his way through a stylised sci-fi universe, carving a swathe through a wide variety of villains and bosses is his to get to the bottom of his sister's disappearance.

You can check out a new trailer below, courtesy of Gamespot.

Ah battle passes: the "natural evolution" of the loot box.

But it's not so natural for a lot of studios, who saw the legislative writing on the wall for loot boxes and decided to give their playerbase another rat race to run. While several big companies are surprisingly doing right by the system, Magic: Arena still has a long ways to go, even after a number of course corrections.