September 2020

Last week saw the 2020 iteration of the annual gamescom presentation which - like many trade shows this wretched year - was forced to abandon its usual format and transition to an online showcase due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.

Despite this year's setbacks, gamescom has announced that it hopes to return to its traditional venue - The Koelnmesse in Cologne, Germany - for 2021. Gamescom 2021 is expected to be a hybrid event, offering news, reveals, trailers and panels in both a physical and online capacity.

"The extraordinary circumstances made Gamescom 2020 extremely challenging, yet especially exciting," said German Games Industry's Felix Falk. "The digital concept demonstrates how big the international potential of our games event - already the largest in the world - still is. At the same time, however, it has become clear how important the on-site conference, in addition to further digital development, is for the community and the games industry. So, we now have to take our experience from this year and use it to develop the ideal combined on- and offline event for 2021."

In statistics listed on the official gamescom website, it is reported that over two million viewers tuned in to this year's Opening Night Live presentation, with gamescom itself being viewed by an audience of over 10 million during the weekend's festivities.

We got a host of announcements from Nintendo this morning: but none of them are coming out this week. In fact, only one of them is coming out this month!

For now, we have NBA 2K21 as the big release on September 4, as well as Spellbreak, Spinch and AVICII Invector on September 8. The rest, as they say, is history. Or available to peruse below!

It's interesting that Mario 3D All-Stars is out as early as mid-September. What does Nintendo have planned for the holiday season? What does anyone have planned for the holiday season? Will the next generation see a delay? Stay tuned to Destructoid's front page to find out!

There are no rose-colored glasses with this one.

The post Gleamlight Gleams on the Surface, but There’s No Shine Skin-Deep appeared first on Siliconera.

Tetsuya Nomura shared a special message and illustration featuring Strelitzia & Chirithy for the 5th anniversary of Kingdom Hearts Union χ.

The post Kingdom Hearts Union χ Gets a 5th Anniversary Message and Illustration from Tetsuya Nomura appeared first on Siliconera.

We already knew World's End Club would appear in the Apple Arcade this week, but now the Switch version has a 2021 release window.

The post World’s End Club Switch Version Will Arrive in 2021 appeared first on Siliconera.

The last 13 Sega Astro City Mini games have been revealed, and the lineup now includes classics like Puyo Puyo 2 and Space Harrier.

The post Last Sega Astro City Mini Games Revealed appeared first on Siliconera.

The latest installment of the tongue-in-cheek Serious Sam franchise was first announced in 2018. While the game was known then as Serious Sam 4: Planet Badass, it will arrive on PC and Stadia later this month without the subtitle. Why this happened is different depending on who you ask.

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Do you remember your first job? The one where you got your foot in the door and found the motivation to prove yourself? Ashly Burch had two of those jobs: voicing Tiny Tina in Borderlands 2, and writing for a little show called Adventure Time. Currently, she flexes both these talents in the Apple TV Plus sitcom Mythic…

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SanDisk 256GB microSD Card | $50 | B&H Photo

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Yesterday, Rocket League developer Psyonix announced that when the game goes free-to-play later this year you’ll no longer need a paid subscription to play it online on PS4 or Switch. Unfortunately, that won’t be the case on Xbox One.

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In this GDC Summer session Avalanche's Victoria Setian discusses how to increase the number of women in your talent pool and support their growth into leadership roles via research-backed programs. ...

Microsoft Flight Simulator has caught the attention of over 1 million players in only a matter of weeks, and set new records for both the franchise and Xbox Game Pass for PC. ...

Fast-Paced Seasonal Schedule

By far the most important factor in Fall Guys not turning into a short-lived fad is that it needs to constantly evolve in a similar fashion that other battle royale games such as Fortnite have done.

Fall Guys is a very fun game, but if there’s one consistent knock on it is that it can get quite a bit repetitive. There’s a limited amount of minigames and the chase for a crown will only sustain some players for so long, especially if they have already won one before.

Bungie revealed the new Stasis subclass for the Titan class today that is coming with the new Destiny 2 expansion Beyond Light releasing this November.

The new Titan Stasis subclass is called Behemoth and places a large emphasis on getting close to enemies to smash them into pieces.

Its melee attack, known as the Shiver Strike, sends the player towards enemies and their fist becomes a “Stasis gauntlet” that slams into the enemy. The attack sends the enemy backwards and can slow nearby enemies.

The super ability for the subclass is the Glacial Quake, which also forms a gauntlet on the player’s fist, that sends shockwaves of Stasis crystals that can freeze nearby enemies by hitting the ground. While in the super ability, the player is able to jump higher, faster, farther, and has increased melee attacks.

Apex Legends Season 6 has been live for a few weeks now. It added numerous changes, including new gameplay features, new cosmetics, and a new Legend. Not all fans loved those changes though. So, with today’s patch, Armor health in Apex Legends is reverting to the pre-Season 6 values.

Fans have been more than vocal on Twitter about what they like and dislike about Season 6, and Respawn hasn’t been ignoring the concerns. A new patch is going live today to make a few major changes that have been talked about most.

An update was released not long ago to nerf the Devotion LMG and adjust loot spawns, so Respawn definitely knows exactly what players have on their minds.

This season, all Armor became Evo Armor, meaning that it can be leveled up by doing damage to other players. With that change came a decrease in all Armor health overall.

All Armor health went down by 25 at the start of Season 6, but that has now been reverted, though all Armor will still be Evo.

You can check out the official Apex Legends patch notes here to read up on all the other fixes that have been made in addition to the Armor ones.

The post Apex Legends Season 6 Patch Reverts Armor Health appeared first on Twinfinite.

Vlambeer are dead

. Almost, at least. The Dutch indie duo may have gone their separate ways, but they’ll stick it out to release one last game, frenetic puzzle-shmup Ultrabugs. But it’s their second-to-last game that may be most interesting, however, with an unfinished build of roguelite tower-defense FFFLOOD finding its way onto Itch earlier this week.

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‘Filming is temporarily paused’

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Nothing can contain Omen, not even actual walls

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Starting with Jaina’s very sad backstory

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What we’re watching, reading, and devouring this season

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From new series to returning favorites

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There’s something to watch however you watch

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From the return of Haikyuu!! and Inuyasha to original series

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Superhero standbys, classic literature, queer coming of age, and ... Tenacious D?

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Nearly 30 years after Heir to the Empire, the Star Wars author is reimagining the EU villain again

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‘It was really [about] trying to create as much of a plurality of perspectives as possible’

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Developer Ion Lands' gorgeous delivery driving neo-noir thriller Cloudpunk is currently revving its engine (or whatever it is that futuristic flying cars use to get about the place) and readying to swerve onto Xbox One, PlayStation 4, and Switch on 15th October.

Cloudpunk released on PC earlier this year, and immediately drew attention for its stunningly designed open-world playground, a vast rain-slicked metropolis shrouded in endless night and bathed in blazing neon that most definitely wouldn't look out of place in Blade Runner.

The city, Nivalis, is the very recent home of protagonist Rania, and the slowly unfolding story sets players whizzing across the expansive voxel world in a nippy flying HOVA car to complete jobs and survive their first night working for illicit delivery company Cloudpunk.

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Square Enix's Luminous Productions - the studio behind Final Fantasy XV - announced Project Athia via Sony's huge PlayStation 5 presentation. In a new video, Luminous Productions briefly revealed the technical power of their Luminous Engine's open-world-editing capabilities. The footage showcases dynamic lighting, lush foliage, and glistening river water. 

Written by Gary Whitta of Rogue One: A Star Wars Story fame, Project Athia follows the magical journey of a mysterious woman as she navigates the sprawling landscape and combats the wild fauna of a dangerous planet. Project Athia is slated to release on PS5 and PC. But if you're not ready to upgrade to next-gen anytime soon, you can get your hands on these PS4 masterpieces. 

Fortnite Chapter 2's Season 4 has a lot of content packed into its battle pass. Each Marvel skin, including Thor, She-Hulk, Mystique, Storm, Groot, Wolverine, and Iron Man, comes with a set of Awakening Challenges that unlock special emotes. Many of these unlockables come with Easter Eggs that give you special cosmetic abilities. They don't make you better at getting victory royales, but they're still cool.

You'll need to complete each challenge below while wearing the relevant skin. Be sure to take it easy on other players you find at the challenge locations; they're trying to do the same thing you are. Here is a breakdown of all the Fortnite Awakening Challenges for each of the Season 4 battle pass heroes.

Thor: Fortnite Thor Awakening Challenges

Thor unlocks as soon as you purchase the battle pass. He comes with an additional harvesting challenge that unlocks his legendary Mjolnir hammer as a harvesting tool. All you need to do is visit Mjolnir, located near Weeping Woods, while wearing the skin.

Destiny 2's new Stasis sub-classes are set to shake up Bungie's sandbox in a big way when they're introduced in November's Beyond Light expansion, offering players more options for teamwork as opposed to using overwhelming force to tear through enemies. Earlier this week, Bungie detailed how the new Warlock Shadebinder sub-class can immobilize foes from afar and then move in close for the kill with staff-based melee attacks.

Today's update on the Bungie blog revealed how Titans will become Behemoths when players harness the power of the Darkness. While Warlock Shadebinders are specialists at freezing opponents and Hunter Revenants can slow enemies down, the Behemoth sub-class can use Stasis for both offense and defense.

Behemoths can control the battlefield by creating crystalline walls to block enemy gunfire, or they can stop adversaries in their tracks with their new Super ability. Called Glacial Quake, the Titan Behemoth's new attack first forms a crystalline gauntlet around their fist that is then slammed into the ground and freezes enemies in place. Crystal armor then encases the Behemoth, allowing them to run faster, jump higher, and hit harder.

If all of the announcements in Nintendo's surprise Direct celebrating Mario's 35th anniversary haven't satisfied you enough, Nintendo is letting you complete numerous challenges for the chance to get a limited-edition set of enamel Mario pins for free.

If you live in a supported region (currently only the US and Canada), the new Super Mario Bros. collectible pin set features one version of the mascot plumber from his most recognizable adventures. That includes a pin from Super Mario Bros. 1, 2, and 3 as well as Super Mario World and Super Mario 64. They all look rather lovely.

To get the set for free, you'll have to complete five of the available six missions on offer. Many are ones you can complete today, such as taking a quiz on Mario's history or downloading your own "This is Mario" image from the rewards website. Another requires you to take part in the upcoming Super Mario Kart Tour event that begins this September 8. Here's every mission available:

Marvel's Avengers drops on September 4 for PC, PlayStation 4, Stadia, and Xbox One. And while many reviews remain unscored, early impressions are being published online. We've rounded up a handful of in-progress reviews to give you an idea of what critics think of Crystal Dynamics' take on Earth's Mightiest Heroes.

Anyone who pre-ordered the PlayStation Store Exclusive Digital Edition ($70) or Deluxe Edition ($80) was given 72-hour early access to Marvel's Avengers. And those who have been playing early can attest to the wealth of content Crystal Dynamics has packed into the game. From optional HARM Challenge Rooms to its campaign and side objectives to the gear you can collect, there's plenty of stuff for gamers and game critics to sift through to fully understand what Marvel's Avengers has to offer.

In our own Marvel's Avengers Early Review Impressions, editor Phil Hornshaw said he was enjoying it after about seven hours of playtime and called Kamala Khan (Ms. Marvel) "the heart and soul" of the game. You can check below for more of Hornshaw's thoughts, as well as what other critics think of Marvel's Avengers.

Fall Guys received a second Portal themed skin earlier today. Protagonist Chell, with her portal gun and trademark sweatshirt around the waist, is now available in the game's item shop for 10 crowns.

The costume comes in two parts, each purchasable for five crowns, and is available until Saturday, September 5. It's a legendary skin, meaning equipping it will work towards the Head Turner trophy.

Fall Guys got a different Portal skin, the P-Body costume, last month and a Team Fortress 2 Scout skin before that. The costumes are all available on both PS4 and PC, although the Scout costume has yet to reappear in the PS4 item shop. Hopefully it'll return one day.

Microsoft Flight Simulator is the longest-running series in Microsoft's catalogue, with the first game launching all the way back in 1982--predating Windows by three years. The latest game in the series, simply titled Microsoft Flight Simulator, launched just over two weeks ago, and Microsoft has announced that it's the series' biggest launch in its 38-year history.

More than one million unique players have taken to the skies so far, which also makes it the biggest launch in Xbox Game Pass for PC history. During its first two weeks, the community has flown more than 26 million flights and logged more than one billion miles flown--the equivalent of flying around the world over 40,000 times.

John F. Kennedy International is the most popular airport in the game, while the longest flight anyone has completed took 10.39 hours and encompassed 7,623 kilometres. The game has proved popular on Twitch, too, racking up over six million hours watched.

If you have wanted to play as Jack Black in Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 1 + 2, you're in luck. Though he isn't "officially" in the game, his likeness and voice are used in place of a fan-favorite secret skater.

In previous iterations of the mainline Tony Hawk's Pro Skater franchise, Officer Dick was an NPC that would drive around School II and chase players with his golf kart. Eventually, players were able to unlock and play as Officer Dick in the game. He was just a generic-looking rent-a-cop back then, but he gets a makeover in Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 1 + 2, with Jack Black's face and voice now front and center.

Unlocking this new version of Officer Dick in Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 1 + 2 requires some effort, though. In order to play as Jack Black, you must complete every Created Skater challenge, of which there are around 24 in total. After completing them all, Officer Dick (AKA Jack Black) will be selectable in the Select Skater menu.

Nintendo is adding another retro console to its nostalgic catalog this holiday by releasing a new Super Mario Bros. edition of the Game & Watch, the first series of Nintendo handhelds ever created. The Super Mario Bros. Game & Watch will have a limited run when it releases on November 13 for $50, so you'll probably have to scoop one up pretty quickly.

This slick new edition of the Game & Watch is loaded with Super Mario Bros., Super Mario Bros.: The Lost Levels, and the classic Game & Watch game Ball (a juggling game). It also has a Super Mario-themed digital clock and working alarm.

Crash Team Racing: Nitro-Fueled developer Beenox has announced that there will be no more updates for the popular kart racer. Fans of the game have been clamouring for new content, but the developer says it's busy working on other projects.

"We've been getting quite a few comments asking for more new content for CTR," Beenox said in a statement. "We're thrilled that you all are still enjoying the game."

The Beenox Pack, which was released back in March, is the final update for the game, and the developer says there's no additional content in the works. "Part of the reason is that we're hard at work on some incredible projects, including making the N. Verted modes in Crash Bandicoot 4: It's About Time (which will blow you away), and some other things we can't quite mention yet," Beenox said.

Marvel's Avengers is coming tomorrow, after a brief early access period for Deluxe Edition owners. Square Enix and Crystal Dynamics are planning to make the live game last well into the future with additional characters and missions, but how long can you expect the base story content to last?

Based on the experiences of GameSpot staff, you can expect the story campaign to last around 10-14 hours. That time includes completing all of the story-crucial missions, marked with the Avengers "A" logo, as well as some side-missions.

Of course, that's all contained strictly within the Campaign menu. That campaign is a self-contained story that unlocks the full team and awards you with some starting gear, but to really make the most of your heroes you'll want to play the post-campaign content in the Avengers Initiative menu. That's where Crystal Dynamics will be adding more heroes and limited-time events, including the Taking Aim event that will introduce Kate Bishop as the first DLC character.

Reports surfaced earlier this year that Nintendo was planning to re-release or remaster a number of classic Mario games for Nintendo Switch. With this month marking the 35th anniversary of Super Mario Bros., Nintendo finally decided to announce those games, and there's a ton coming. But one of the notable takeaways seems to be what isn't included--namely, Super Mario Galaxy 2.

The headlining aspect of today's surprise Nintendo Direct is Super Mario 3D All-Stars for Nintendo Switch. This packages together a major Mario game from the Nintendo 64, GameCube, and Wii--Super Mario 64, Super Mario Sunshine, and Super Mario Galaxy--with some improvements, like widescreen support and higher resolutions. It's something of a callback to the original Super Mario All-Stars, a SNES compilation of NES Mario games, and clearly isn't intended to compile together every single Mario game, or even the best ones (as Sunshine's detractors would no doubt point out).