October 2020

Among the many things NieR has going for it are its memorable characters, stunning artwork, and beautiful soundtrack. It makes perfect sense that a big fancy collector's edition would lean into all those things.

Square Enix has revealed the NieR Replicant White Snow Edition. It's a PS4 exclusive that seems to only be set to release in Japan. It runs ¥19,800 (about $190).

Here's what's in the White Snow Edition:

Grant Kirkhope is a legend. We know this. Having worked in the industry for nearly three decades, Kirkhope is responsible for scoring or performing a few of your childhood classics, including Banjo-Kazooie and Perfect Dark. Now, the master is back to revisit the former with a few spooky remixes.

"Just in time for Halloween," Kirkhope has tweeted out a link to his "Grunty Returns" remix, a take on the track from the original game. He also reminded us that he has a similarly themed Mad Monster Mansion remix available, dubbed "Mad Monster Mansion Rides Again." These aren't just one-offs though. Kirkhope notes that there is "more to come."

Exactly when will that happen? Well that's the bad news: it's all pretty vague right now in terms of a timeline. The good news is that they have confirmed on Twitter that they are "going to release a remix album of music from [Banjo Kazooie]," they just aren't sure if they'll "get to it all."

Although we don't exactly have a new Banjo game on the horizon (that we know of), the character did get plenty of attention when he was added to Super Smash Bros. Ultimate in 2019. There's hope! Either way, plenty of folks like Kirkhope will keep this classic alive.

Grant Kirkhope [Twitter]

Before Genshin Impact goes ahead and adds a whole new area, it has to finish with the current one. The developers, Mihoyo today confirmed that the main storyline’s chapter in Liyue will wrap up with the first major update on November 11th. That’ll also add reputation levels with cities, with useful rewards like a portable stove and treasure compass, as well as start the first event.

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Dota 2

‘s spooky seasonal event Diretide has been absent for quite a few years, a fact that the trailer for this year does not gloss over. You may have thought that the haunted forest would stay dormant forever but oh no, tricks and treats are back for 2020. This year’s event brings back a taffy-collecting game mode and a whole barrel full of rewards. You’ll have plenty of time to jump in because it’s on now and running for nearly two months.

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Season two of The Mandalorian began with an episode that was everything we expected and more. A few pieces of rumored casting were confirmed, some long-time questions were answered, and episode writer-director Jon Favreau gave fans a story straight from an old-school Hollywood Western with the biggest action set piece…

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Lab Zero Games developer Mike Zaimont has been suspended from work on an official Guilty Gear XX Accent Core Plus R netcode patch, Gamasutra reports. The fact that the former Skullgirls designer was working on this patch as recently as October 24 is surprising, given recent accusations by both fans and fellow employees

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Friday’s Best Deals | Kinja Deals

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It is once again almost that time: Tomorrow, the scary day will be upon us. In light of that, we did not talk about horror games/movies on this week’s episode of Splitscreen—that would be too obvious. Instead, we made our own. (Also, we talked about things in non-horror games that terrify us and a bunch of other good…

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Iwaihime has some truly horrifying visuals accentuated by gruesomely epic sound effect work, creating a brilliant Japanese horror experience.

The post The Sounds of Iwaihime Stick With You appeared first on Siliconera.

Mike Zaimont has been suspended from Arc System Work's Guilty Gear update. The company made several statements on the situation.

The post Mike Zaimont, Formerly of Lab Zero, Suspended from Guilty Gear Update appeared first on Siliconera.

Koei Tecmo wants to hear your feedback for the Samurai Warriors series in a new survey.

The post Koei Tecmo Wants Your Feedback for the Samurai Warriors Series appeared first on Siliconera.

Assassin’s Creed Syndicate, Star Trek Bridge Crew, and more will miss the new PlayStation generation

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My Dad the Bounty Hunter takes to the stars

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He’s now calling it ‘predatory’

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It’s a direct sequel to 2016’s Magic Cat Academy

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Sparrows get their best change ever

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The next generation of consoles is nearly here, and with it a number of new titles from every genre. This includes the horror genre, with games ranging from standard survival horror to more action-heavy and adrenaline-pumping thrillers. As is always the case though, some look to have more potential than others, which is why we’ve compiled a list of five next-gen horror games that you should be looking forward to.

The Medium

Next-Gen Horror Games

While the supernatural has been explored plenty of times in video games, it’s hard to say any next-gen game is trying to bring as fresh of a spin to the table as The Medium.

Today Marvelous Entertainment announced its financial results for the second quarter of the fiscal year, related to the period between July 1 and September 30.

For the whole company, sales were 9,419 million yen (-13.1% year-on-year), while operating income was 1,699 million yen (+34% year-on-year).

The Online business, which includes mobile games saw 3,998 million yen in sales (+12.5% YoY), and 975 million yen income (+94.8% YoY).

The Consumer business, which includes console games, recorded 3,900 million yen in sales (-25.6% YoY) and 1,111 million yen income (+26.9% YoY).

That being said, the drop in sales and lower operating income in the Consumer business is due to the fact that it also includes arcades that were impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. The performance of console and PC games was defined as strong.

Existing mobile games like Shinobi Master Senran Kagura New Link continued to perform strongly and Ikki Tousen: Extra Burst had a smooth launch.

The company intends to continue the stable operation and promote sales of Senran Kagura New Link and the other existing mobile titles, and to actively promote Ikki Tousen toward the end of the year.

On the console and PC side, Story of Seasons: Friends of Mineral Town performed strongly in the west contributing to profitability alongside repeat sales of older titles.

While Marvelous hoped to release Rune Factory 5 this year, it has been delayed to May 2021.

One of the coolest parts about Mario Kart Live: Home Circuit is that it allows people to build their own dream racing tracks but in real life. Using AR technology, Home Circuit brings the fun of Mario kart racing to your living room or wherever else you can manage to play it. Just don’t play with it outside or when your pets are around.

YouTube channel Critbox put out a new video today that shows off a DIY Rainbow Road track that’s totally inspired by the same Mario Kart track that everyone manages to fall off of. And if you say that you’ve never fallen off, then you’re lying. I don’t make the rules.

Javi, the creator of Critbox, mentioned in the YouTube description that this was the perfect opportunity to use all of the “Mario crap” that he owns, as well as some shiny LEDs, to bring the track to life.

Check it out below. It certainly impressed us!

Watch Dogs: Legion just launched on Xbox One, PS4, and PC, but Ubisoft has just released a video looking towards the future. Live Producer Lathieeshe Thillainathan and Lead Programmer Gavin Whitlock discuss how the game will run on an Xbox Series X.

The first thing you should know is that this game supports Smart Delivery, meaning that you’ll get a free upgrade to the next-gen version of the game, even if you buy it on Xbox One.

The most notable detail in the inside look video is that the Xbox Series X will run Watch Dogs: Legion at 4K resolution at 30fps. This is a good goal to target, especially for an open world game on console.

The Series X will use ray tracing to create realistic lighting, shadows, and reflections in the game’s futuristic version of London.

The console’s power will aim to provide high-resolution gameplay, no matter the activity, including driving cars or boats at high speeds.

Whitlock also stated that the Series X cuts down on load times, allowing for a more seamless experience when traversing the open world.

You can watch the video below to see actual footage of how Watch Dogs: Legion will run on an Xbox Series X:

The original Final Fantasy VII catapulted JRPGs into the limelight and established a new standard for expansive gameworlds and emotional stories. Final Fantasy VII Remake is an homage to and reimagining of its predecessor's motifs: Eco-activism, classism, atonement, and companionship (among many other important themes). We demonstrate how Remake's plot beats can be reevaluated with the themes of departure and reunion in mind.

Square Enix plans to tell Cloud’s extensive story in parts but, because the first entry solely focuses on Midgar, Final Fantasy VII veterans get to experience the original game’s introductory setting and characters in more nuanced ways. The high stakes remain the same: The fallout from the Mako Reactor 1 and 5 bombings, the eventual destruction of the slums, and Sephiroth’s sudden and terrifying return. Our video essay considers these emotional moments and looks to provide other interpretations surrounding Remake’s most important plot motivations.

Recently we wrote up about the returning Left 4 Dead 2 crossover to the first Dying Light. Immediately, the comments about "what happened to Dying Light 2" swarmed following several major changes happening behind-the-scenes. Following the in-depth look at the anticipated sequel during E3 2019, Techland has parted ways with key members of its team and placed the upcoming game under the 'delayed indefinitely' label. This begs the question: what is going on with Dying Light 2? 

The indefinite delay was announced back in January of this year where Techland revealed that the team's vision needed more time to make it a reality. CEO Pawel Marchewka later promised that there would be more news following the delay reveal, but then the world was thrust into chaos following massive wildfires, a global pandemic, and pretty much everything else this year could throw at us. With 'work from home' orders in place, the strenuous development progress presumably felt the heat of the events surrounding COVID-19, only to later lose an important part of the narrative team several months later. 

When the Blair Witch game was first announced, fans of the iconic horror movie franchise were eager to see what the story would be like. When Layers of Fear studio Bloober Team was confirmed to be at the helm, that excitement grew. While Blair Witch as a game was met with mixed reception due to its length and its mechanics meant to confuse the player, this horror adventure carved a unique niche for itself within the genre. Now that it's in VR, those scares are amplified and the in-game choices matter more than ever. 

We sat down with Daniel Engelhardt, Lionsgate Senior VP of Interactive Venture & Games, to talk about how this partnership with Bloober came to be and why the jump to VR despite the mixed reviews. Usually, when two companies come together over an IP, the process is long, complicated, and full of negotiations. Engelhardt tells us that this wasn't the case with Blair Witch. In fact, it was coffee and mutual fandom that made this a match made in heaven (or Hell, if we're talking horror). 

Black Mesa, the stellar remake of the original Half-Life, has just plopped its previously teased Definitive Edition update, intended to further improve the Version 1.0 release, into public beta.

Developed by Crowbar Collective, Black Mesa - which started out as a fan project before shifting to a Valve-sanctioned commercial release - finally got its full launch back in February, five years after entering Steam early access and a whopping 16 years after development began.

Writing at the time of Black Mesa's release, Crowbar described Version 1.0 as "the best, most polished, and most fun version of the game yet", but had already announced plans to revisit certain parts of the experience post-launch for polishing and improvement.

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In today's contest you can win a Cartel Tycoon ultimate prize pack, including a copy of the game, a Razer accessory bundle, and a chance to appear in the game!

Kiddos, we've got a doozy today! Publisher tinyBuild is gearing up for the release of their drug lord simulator Cartel Tycoon, and just dropped a surprise Uncut Earliest Access session on their site. Bold! And what good is a launch without giving away some free stuff on Destructoid?

Well, they really brought it with this one. tinyBuild and developer Moon Moose are offering up not only a copy of the game, but a super sweet Cartel Tycoon prize pack (complete with briefcase and goodies), a Razer accessory bundle (including a keyboard, mouse, and headset), AND a chance for you to appear in the game as an NPC! This is definitely one of the biggest prizes we've had here, so tie a rubber band around your arm and inject this contest into your bloodstream!

It's going to be an adjustment moving from Nintendo Switch to PlayStation 5 for Overcooked: All You Can Eat after spending dozens of hours with the former, but having everything from Overcooked 1 and 2 under one roof – including 200+ levels, quicker loads, and 4K/60FPS support – will be such a step up.

Team17 is now planning to get this two-game remaster out in time for the PS5 launch on November 12. (Previously, we were just told "late 2020.") As for the Xbox Series X/S version, it's "coming soon."

The team also announced that an update with cross-platform multiplayer is expected in "early 2021."

I was planning to pick this up sometime after the already-too-busy day-one PS5 rush cooled down, so I'll have to see where All You Can Eat can fit into my November schedule. And yeah, it's true: I already have a second DualSense controller lined up. Look at the silly things you make me do, Overcooked.

During almost any other time, I would not be interested in Dirt 5. I say this confidently because I was not interested in Dirt Rally 2.0 or Dirt 4. There have been seven previous Dirt games (!!) and I did not have a lick of interest in any of them.

Dirt 5 is different though because it looks so goddamn pretty on PS5 and Xbox Series X. That's the way it goes with new hardware. Racing games are a technical showcase because they always end up looking the most impressive. Dirt 5 is the next-gen racing launch game -- Gran Turismo 7 and Forza Motorsport don't have release dates yet -- and it seems like it'll nicely play the role of visual stunner.

The dates are a little staggered over the next two weeks. Dirt 5 first launches on PC, PS4, and Xbox One on November 6. Then it hits both new consoles on their launch days -- Xbox Series X on November 10 and PS5 on November 12. That's where Codemasters is promoting options for 4K resolution and 120fps gameplay. If you want to start early, know that both PlayStation and Xbox offer free next-gen upgrades. Just remember that saves won't transfer over from PS4 to PS5.

Are you ready to surrender your Nintendo Switch to Monster Hunter Rise in March? I sure am. The Great Sword isn't my weapon of choice, but I'm loving this six-minute gameplay demonstration from Capcom.

Between the fast, fluid, and very vertical movement, the more open-ended levels, and the ability to fling yourself onto a monster with the Wirebug (and the ensuing ripple effect that it will have on the flow of combat), Rise is appealing to me as a World fan who only ever dabbled in the old Monster Hunter style.

As the narrator in the video notes, the Wirebug-assisted weapon attacks are powerful in the right hands, but players will need to carefully manage their cooldowns. Efficiency is the name of the game.

I hope we get a highlight reel for every weapon.

Hyrule Warriors: Age of Calamity kind of blew my mind when I finally sat down to play the demo. Wait...time travel is involved? It took Omega Force to fully embrace the insanity of the Zelda timeline. I can't wait to see what madness they create.

Before we all sit down and read timeline debates yet again though, players have been uncovering several iconic locations from past Zelda games and sharing their theories. Here are a few.

If you’re in the mood for futuristic cars that shoot at one another you might like—no, it’s not Mario Kart and it’s not Wipeout either, though it’s definitely inspired by the latter. The name’s Pacer and it’s a futuristic racer where your fancy anti-gravity vehicles zoom around tracks while also shooting one another with guns and such.

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During their recent Minecraft Live presentation, Mojang introduced quite a lot of new blocks, features, and mobs (hello, axolotls) coming in the Caves & Cliffs update next summer. Among them is this horrible beastie, The Warden, who will live down in the Deep Dark cave biomes. Wardens have oodles of health and can slap you in the face for massive damage, so I know there are confident adventurers out there thinking “yeah, I’m going to kill it”. During a new Q&A session about the update, Mojang say they would rather you didn’t, or at least that they won’t encourage you to.

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This year for my holidays I was going to go on a road trip around a European country before it became too late, but then this summer became a bit of a write off. Enter the latest DLC for EA’s blockbuster life sim The Sims 4, a combined winter wonderland and chill hiking holiday. Snowy Escape is set in the “Japanese inspired” Mt. Komorebi, and the headline is that your Sims can do loads of winter holiday stuff. Having had access to a preview build, I have already shared my thoughts that Snowy Escape may actually be the precursor to Skynet, so this time I will ignore that sinister aspect of it and just share some holiday snaps.

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Crane games are sinister, alluring bedevilments with their bright flashing lights and happy jingles that tempt suckers like me into feeding them money. For just a few dollars you too can own this ugly yet endearing horse plushie you have no space for but look how precariously it’s perched and how its long neck is…

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Assassin’s Creed Syndicate and a few of the series’ spin-offs won’t work on PS5, Ubisoft announced today.

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This ingenious immigrant drama pits the ghosts of survivor guilt against a struggling couple

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Plus, Sarah Cooper’s comedy special lands on Netflix

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Collect and hand out Candy for some Spooky rewards

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Polygon carves up some pumpkins

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While Sony didn't list them on the PS4 only support site, Ubisoft says four of its Assassin's Creed PS4 games won't work on the PS5.

The post Some Assassin’s Creed PS4 Games Won’t Work on the PS5 (Update) appeared first on Siliconera.