April 2021

Today third-party developer FlyInside released the first payware helicopter for Microsoft Flight Simulator, the Bell 47-G2.

The developers overcame the challenge of injecting a custom flight model into the young and growing simulator, and the helicopter is available to purchase for $34.95 at the developer’s own store.

It’s certainly an important step for those who enjoy helicopters in flight simulators.

Below you can read an official features list and take a look at a few screenshots.

Today the ESRB published a rating for Ni No Kuni II: Revenant Kingdom Prince Edition, and it’s for the Nintendo Switch.

This appears to indicate that Bandai Namco and Level-5 are finally ready to release a port of the 2018 JRPG on Nintendo’s hybrid console.

This is nothing new for the publisher, that often publishes Switch ports of its games long after their release on other platforms.

Of course, this has not yet been confirmed by Bandai Namco, so it should be taken with the customary grain of salt until the official announcement.

In the meanwhile, Ni No Kuni II: Revenant Kingdom is currently available for PS4 and PC. You can read our review and an official description below.

“Welcome to the beautiful world of Ni no Kuni!

After being overthrown in a coup, the young king Evan sets out on an extraordinary quest to found a new kingdom, unite his world and protect its inhabitants from the dark forces that threaten them.

Join him on an unforgettable adventure which blurs the line between animated feature film and video game. Developed by LEVEL-5, Ni no Kuni II features enchanting character designs from the legendary artist Yoshiyuki Momose and a stirring soundtrack composed by the world-famous Joe Hisaishi.”

If you’re interested in Ni No Kuni adventures that aren’t three years old, you can also take a look at the new mobile game, Ni No Kuni: Cross Worlds, which should come to the west next year.

The Borderlands movie casting continues. Following the announcement that Star Wars Battlefront 2 star Janina Gavankar would be playing Commander Knoxx for Eli Roth's adaptation of the Gearbox franchise, we've got new actors joining the fray. The Borderlands cast continues to grow with our Moxxi, Jakobs, Hammerlock, and more getting their Hollywood counterparts ready to begin getting into character. 

Deadline reveals the latest talent joining the Lionsgate film featuring Gina Gershon (most recently of Riverdale) as Moxxi with Cheyenne Jackson (American Horror Story) playing Jakobs, Charles Babalola as Hammerlock, Steven Boyer as Scooter, Ryann Redmond as Ellie, and Benjamin Byron Davis as Marcus. 

So far, here is a list of all of the casting we have for the upcoming movie: 

• Ariana Greenblatt - Tiny Tina

• Benjamin Byron Davis - Marcus

• Cate Blanchett - Lilith 

• Charles Babalola - Hammerlock

• Cheyenne Jackson - Jakobs

• Édgar Ramirez - Atlas

• Gina Gershon - Moxxi

• Jack Black - Claptrap 

• Jamie Lee Curtis - Tannis

• Florian Munteanu - Krieg

• Kevin Hart - Roland 

In our latest issue of Game Informer, we have a studio profile devoted to Supergiant Games, but we didn’t want to stop there. We’re also taking the celebration online, sharing the stories behind each of the indie developer’s fantastic titles. After looking at Supergiant’s debut with Bastion and then its follow-up Transistor, we’re finally moving on to its most distinct and involved project: Pyre. 

The Cyberpunk 2077 launch was one of the most anticipated launches in recent years, making its post-release hardships all of the more shocking. From mismarketing to veiled review restrictions to even game-breaking bugs where many felt last-gen version of the title was something else entirely, it's been a tumultuous post-launch period for the Polish company. With sales-tied bonuses acting as a light at the end of the tunnel, how that bonus was allocated has been made public and sees top-level executives winning big with other employees receiving less than what was expected. 

It was only a few months ago that Square Enix announced multiple Final Fantasy VII projects like it was the 2000s again, but the VII universe is here to stay.

Part of that multifaceted plan includes The First Soldier, a free-to-play-with-microtransactions mobile battle royale. It's something I'm sure no one asked for, but I'm interested in seeing how it goes all the same. I mean, for free, I'll try it!

The game is gearing up for release at some point this year, and for now to hype it up, Square Enix created an official Discord server for the game. In the past year or so it's become more and more prevalent for publishers to control the message and use their influence to create their own curated communities; rather than let unofficial ones run wild.

You can find the direct link to join the server right here.

As of the time of publication it has over 1500 members, with channels to view game news in both English and Japanese. The ability to chat with other players is "coming soon."

Speaking of soon, there's a livestream arriving on May 7 at 20:00 JST. We embedded the direct link below!

Final Fantasy VII The First Soldier [Twitter]

The official Twitter account for Sega's hard-brawlin' detective franchise Judgment has been posting a selection of short gameplay clips, ahead of its mysterious "Judgment Day" announcement.

While most of the video is taken from the original 2018 RPG, some of the clips feature unrecognizable locations, enemies, and cinematic setups, which would suggest that they have been captured from a possible sequel or spin-off. This all but officially confirms that there is a new Judgment title in the works, likely to be revealed on Sega's "Judgment Day," May 7.

All we can ascertain about the new title from these short clips is that it will once again star gritty, double-fisted investigator Takayuki Yagami, and will feature the bone-crunching action that won over so many fans in the original. Team Yakuza is, of course, renowned for producing multiple sequels that follow extremely similar gameplay designs as their predecessors. As such it would stand to reason that a "Judgment II" would essentially be more of the same, but with a fresh story and a few tweaked features and mechanics. We'll see soon enough.

Judgment, previously available exclusively on PS4, launched this week PS5, Xbox Series X, and Stadia.

Lionsgate continues to round-up stars for the cast of its wild-sounding cinematic adaptation of Gearbox shooter Borderlands. The latest industry veteran to join the all-star cast is the wonderful Gina Gershon, who will be taking the coveted role of Mad Moxxi.

Moxxi, as Borderlands fans will be aware, is the highly charismatic and sexually charged hostess of The Underdome, where she presides over explosive and chaotic deathmatches with a flamboyant P.T. Barnum spirit. Despite her wild attire and entertaining hostess nature, Mad Moxxi is a powerful and feared figure in Pandora, as unpredictable and dangerous as she is charming and captivating.

It's a snug role for Gershon, who has spent much of her career playing sexy femme-fatale types in movies such as Red Heat, Bound, and Face/Off. Gershon has more than proved her penchant for glam idol roles in her appearances in Ugly Betty, House of Versace, and Paul Verhoeven's camp classic Showgirls. On a personal note, Gershon is also one of my favorite actors, so you'll forgive your boy a hint of bias when I say I'm really excited for this casting choice.

That Guardian in the header staring into the sky kind of sums up how I've felt about the Destiny series' various implementations of MMO-like features pretty much since it started.

In case you missed it, Bungie finally explained what transmog (appearance changing) will actually require of players in Destiny 2 and it was worse than we could have imagined. To change your gear's look you need to chase multiple new items, complete pseudo-bounty busywork, and go through even more effort to alter a limited amount of gear per season.

Instead of the studio heads addressing the issue, that falls to community manager Cozmo23 (who frequently cleans up top brass messes with finesse) , who stated on Reddit: "We are definitely monitoring feedback around Armor Synthesis and sharing it widely within the studio, but I didn't think that mentioning the issue without any new information would be constructive here. Happy to hear thoughts on this for the future though."

In some ways, it makes sense not to react this quickly. But on the other hand: how did this system possibly even get greenlit? Not only has Bungie made a decades-old system needlessly complicated, but they also tied it directly into FOMO and monetization. It's actually a step up from their usual routine of implementing something backwards.

In other news though, heavy weapons, one of the few weapon types that are being altered next season, are getting some changes. Linear Fusion Rifles are getting buffed in PVE and nerfed in PVP, and in Season 14, shotguns are going to be tweaked with "specifics coming later."

People with the PC version of Dragon Ball Z: Kakarot can now grab a mod that makes Majin 21 a playable character.

The post Dragon Ball Z Kakarot Majin 21 Mod Released appeared first on Siliconera.

MegaHouse is going to make another Yu-Gi-Oh Art Works Monsters figure and asked people to vote for which character it should be based on.

The post MegaHouse Opens Yu-Gi-Oh Art Works Monsters Figure Poll appeared first on Siliconera.

Hibiki can regret or relish fighting in Samurai Shodown, depending on how you finish off enemies or if you press a button when choosing her.

The post Samurai Shodown Hibiki Character Select Trick Changes Her Personality appeared first on Siliconera.

Not too far back we learned that Hitman 3 developers IO Interactive are working on an upcoming James Bond game. Makes total sense, sure. Guy in a suit with guns and gadgets murdering lots of folks on secret missions falls neatly into their repertoire. What comes as more of a surprise is that the third game they're working on is something totally different. According to rumors, it might be a medieval setting with dragons. Go on then, IOI.

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Epic Games has announced that it's acquiring ArtStation, one of the major portfolio platforms for visual artists across different fields. ...

Take a look at the different session formats for the all-digital GDC 2021. ...

Someone made a $19 Fortnite card with it

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It’s like an internet horror story, but real

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When is role-play not role-play?

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Pick up two weapons and two armor pieces

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Riot announced updates to its privacy policy today that will allow the company to record and evaluate reported player voice communications in its team-based shooter Valorant.

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Baffling nerfs. Connection issues. Inventory wipes. Since Outriders launched a month ago, the game has been plagued by issues. For every step forward, the loot-shooter seemingly takes two back. Today’s update, the first significant one in several weeks, is no exception.

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Bandai Namco and NetherRealm Studios have announced plans to no longer work with esports org WePlay, which over the last month has hosted big money events for Tekken 7, Soulcalibur VI, and Mortal Kombat 11.

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We heard people want to play Titanfall 2 this weekend? So do we!

If you're the kind of person that lists big stompy robots, feisty FPS action, and parkour as three of their favourite things, then you've almost certainly already played Respawn Entertainment's Apex Legends pre-cursor, Titanfall 2. But if you somehow haven't, then you can do that very thing for free this weekend on Steam.

Titanfall 2 released back in 2016 to much acclaim (its commercial reception was less favourable, perhaps due to publisher EA famously dubious decision to wedge its release between Battlefield 1 and Call of Duty: Infinite Warfare), with ample praise piled on the first-person shooter's sterling blend of the aforementioned robots, guns, and zippy traversal.

It's biggest surprise, however, came in the form of a brisk but immensely entertaining single-player campaign. "Like the best Mario games," enthused Eurogamer's Essential review, "Titanfall 2 picks a trick, themes an entire level around it, and then drops it the second it threatens to become overfamiliar. And just like Mario, it's all backed up by those rock-solid fundamentals that mean when you are just in firefights, or are asked to navigate a chasm using wall-running, everything feels nigh-on flawless."

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Today third-party developers had more news to share about their upcoming scenery add-ons for Microsoft Flight Simulator.

SamScene3D opens the dance floor with the first gallery of screenshots of its upcoming Chongqing scenery, which will include both the city and its Jiangbei International Airport (ZUCK).

This is great considering that the simulator’s rendition of China certainly needs all the help it can get.

Star CItizen developer Cloud Imperium Games announced today the calendar for the next Invictus Launch Week.

If you’re unfamiliar with the growing space simulator, this doesn’t mean that it’s finally released. Invictus Launch Week is the annual celebration dedicated to the in-game UEE Navy.

The good news is that everyone will be able to try the game for free between May 21 and June 1. On top of that, all the flyable ships will be rentable without needing to spend a single credit on a rotation basis depending on their brand. You can find the calendar below.

The PlayStation Store isn't shutting down yet, but you still shouldn't wait. Here are the best Vita games to download before it’s too late!

The post The Best Vita Games to Download on the PlayStation Store appeared first on Siliconera.

It feels like every other week we are learning about a new Borderlands movie casting, so we decided to put all of the names together for your convenience. This list will be updated as more names are revealed, but for those curious – here is every confirmed character casting so far for Eli Roth's Borderlands movie. 

The upcoming movie that Roth is making with Lionsgate has some impressive talent behind it. Some of the casting choices have thrown fans off, while others have felt like the perfect fit. We've got names from Star Wars, American Horror Story, Halloween, and so much more. Check out the full confirmed cast list so far, a list that will be updated when more characters are confirmed. 

Every Borderlands Movie Character Casting Confirmed So Far 

Now that New Pokémon Snap is out and photographers everywhere are diving in, more and more players are discovering the wonders of the game's Lental region. In New Pokémon Snap, players are tasked with filling out their Photodex, a catalog similar to the Pokédex found in the mainline entries. The region contains various diverse biomes for players to ride along. While those areas certainly contain plenty of scenic vistas, the main attraction is how many different Pokémon they house.

Unlike the Pokédex, New Pokémon Snap's Photodex fills out as you go, meaning they are numbered in the order in which you can encounter them. This makes filling out a particular level simpler. Because of this, Pokémon and their evolved forms aren't placed next to one another. If you're worried your favorite monster didn't make it, we've got you covered. 

Complete New Pokémon Snap Photodex

New Pokémon Snap features 214 different Pokémon to discover and photograph. Check out all the creatures you can encounter in this photographic journey. Just be warned: The following list contains spoilers.

On this week's episode of The Game Informer Show, we discuss a handful of the games we've been digging recently, including New Pokémon Snap, Returnal, and Judgment. Sure that's not a long list of games, but they are pretty great games. Next, we take some time to reflect on the new Mortal Kombat film. Is it worth a watch? Listen and find out.

World of Warcraft updates have been exceedingly slow, and although it's obvious why, a lot of other MMOs are picking up the slack. Shadowlands has slowed to a crawl in recent months, as we wait for the next big content patch to drop.

The hope is that it actually delivers a huge new area and tons of stuff to do, but a lot of folks are speculating that it's going to be a small to mid-sized update. So what is Blizzard to do in the meantime? Break the emergency sale glass.

Illfonic's asymmetrical survival shooter Predator: Hunting Grounds is now available on PC via the Steam platform, having passed its one-year exclusivity deal with Epic Games Store. The new release is published by Sony under its new label PlayStation Mobile.

Originally released in 2020, Predator: Hunting Grounds sees a team of players camo-up as a squad of heavily-armed soldiers, dropped into a map with the goal of hunting down another player, who gets to don the gauntlet and weird slimy jaws of the galaxy's greatest hunter. And if dodging the deadly red dots isn't difficult enough, the fireteam must also keep one eye for invading mercenaries and militants, eager to wipe everybody off the map.

So this is new!

Imagine for a second that you jump into a ranked game of Apex Legends, and you're having a bit of fun. Suddenly, your teammate urges you into a specific area. "OK, I'll follow their lead, if we split I'll probably get teamshot" you say to yourself. Yep, sound decision. Then you're teamshot anyway as your "teammate" sits idly by. Then he respawns you, and the same enemy squad takes you out again. And again. Uh, Groundhog Day anyone?

There's no kooky Bill Murray character here, it's one of the latest tactics from ranked players to farm kills. How it works is two squads are in cahoots, farming kills at the expense of someone else. It's important to note that if that person who gets punked leaves, they'll incur a penalty for doing so. So it's a lose-lose.

The process was shared on Reddit by user MohSSEEZZ, who chronicled it via video. As soon as they shared their story, more shared theirs in solidarity. As Eurogamer points out, this has been happening on a lower key stage than the recent Reddit blowup post for a little while now. The aim for some is merely boosting accounts for rewards, but some players are also selling those very same accounts for straight cash.

Obviously this is against the TOS, and will need to be addressed at some point. If you play, keep an eye out for it and trust no one!

Nintendo Power founding editors Gail Tilden and Howard Phillips share their memories of launching (for better or worse) one of the most influential video game periodicals in this classic 2012 feature. ...

Ashif Hakik, the composer behind a number of PlayStation classics like Sly Cooper and the Thievius Raccoonus and Crash Nitro Cart, has passed away. ...