July 2021

Never mind that Ariana Grande concert. Fortnite fans are today busy mourning the lovable Bushranger, one of the game's best-loved characters, who looks like he's been killed off for good.

Last week's story quest saw players aiding the anthropomorphic tree in a series of missions to raise an alien hatchling and restore peace with the invaders - all part of the game's current UFO season storyline.

The quest appeared to end in success - until today, when Bushranger is no longer available to find on the game's island map as an NPC, and instead there's a small grave marked in his usual spot with some flowers.

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The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword HD was released earlier this month, and as far as remasters go, it’s a great effort.

Several big changes were made to the game, including an entirely new control scheme to allow for button controls instead of mandatory motion controls. In addition to enhanced visuals and audio, there are also plenty of quality-of-life improvements that weren’t present in the original game.

Although Skyward Sword HD is a standout game with more positives than negatives, there are still several things that annoyed me while playing it. Some of these could have been straightforward changes, while others would have taken a lot more time and effort to fix.

In any case, here are five things I still hate about Skyward Sword HD that I wish could have been different.

Earlier today Entertainment Weekly (Christian Holub) published an exclusive first look at the upcoming Disney+ program, Hawkeye. The article talked about the introduction of Kate Bishop (Hailee Steinfeld) to the MCU and featured a couple of informational tidbits via Jeremy Renner.

But first here’s a quick rundown for the uninitiated in the world of the MCU. Clint Barton (Jeremy Renner) aka Hawkeye is one of the founding members of the Avengers, a group of superheroes that protect the Earth from certain destruction.

Fast forward to today, and a few members of the old band have moved on or been killed off like Black Widow (Scarlett Johannson), Iron Man (Robert Downey Jr.), and Captain America (Chris Evans). These former members of the Earth’s mightiest heroes are now passing the torch to the next generation, and it looks like a new sharpshooter is stepping into the ring.

But first, Hawkeye will need to impart all of the knowledge he has to Kate Bishop. Apparently, Bishop is just a massive fan of Hawkeye, but that doesn’t necessarily mean they always get along. As Renner puts it, “She has a wonderfully annoying and equally charming manner about her, because she’s such a fangirl of Hawkeye.”

Despite Bishop’s fangirling over the Avenger’s best (and only) archer, Renner explains that surface-level characterization grows deeper as the series goes on. He also mentions that, “…the biggest problem for Clint is Kate Bishop and the onslaught of problems that she brings into his life.” It’s currently unclear exactly what Renner is referencing, but it will likely become apparent as the story unfolds.

Today Izanagi Games reached out with a press release to provide an update about the upcoming escape game/bullet hell shoot ’em up hybrid Yurukill: The Calumniation Games.

The game, which was initially scheduled for 2020 and then delayed to this year, has been delayed again. It’ll now release in the spring of 2022 for PS5, PS4, PC via Steam, and Switch.

Below you can check out a new character reveal for Binko on top of Sengoku Shunji and Rina Azami.

We also get a glimpse at the story of Yurukill: The Calumniation Games.

In his latest YouTube video, Ninja explains why he feels the UFOs introduced in Chapter 2 Season 7 have been ruining the Fortnite experience.

After being abducted into one of the Abductor UFOs that fly overhead a few named locations on the map each match, Ninja talks about how the Vault Orbs that players need to collect in the time limit are making it far too easier to have an incredibly powerful loadout.

After a rather disappointing performance in the mothership mini-game with his teammate CouRageJD where the pair only managed to get ‘Uncommon Vault Tier Access,’ Ninja talks about the problem with the minigame and the rewards you get.

“You don’t have to do it, but like dude, if we got the gold bro, we would have had a full gold loadout and it’s disgusting.”

While Ninja makes a valid point regarding just how many legendary rarity containers players get access to if they’re able to get all five Vault Orbs in the mini-game, this only happens once per match, and it can be difficult to obtain all five of orbs when competing with other teams.

Outer Wilds from Mobius Digital is a phenomenal space program adventure that was met with positive reviews and excitement for the future of indies. The universe is constantly evolving, changing, and every mystery reveals ten more just beyond it. Because of this freedom, this exploratory wonder, a new Outer Wilds experience is on the way. During the Annapurna Interactive showcase, a first for the publisher, new Outer Wilds DLC has been revealed called Echoes of the Eye. 

The newest adventure begins with a strange satellite photo that can't be explained and a question emerges: is it better to uncover all of the mysteries that the universe holds, are is some knowledge better left alone? Secrets like who build the alien ruins on the moon and what secrets does the ominous Dark Bramble old. The Echoes of the Eye expansion takes that adventure one step further when the Hearthian space program finds an anomaly that has no tangible traces to the galaxy we know, something new entirely. 

See what Echoes of the Eye has in store with the reveal trailer below: 

BlueTwelve Studio walked us through its cat-centric game, Stray, during the Annapurna Interactive Showcase today. The new trailer focuses on the game’s protagonist and world, including a look at one friendly little drone, and breaks the news that Stray will now launch in early 2022 on PlayStation 5, Playstation 4, and PC.

Though the game seems poised to become an indie darling, probably fueled by the internet’s well-documented love of cats, we didn’t know much about Stray before today. First shown at Sony’s PlayStation event last summer, Stray’s announcement trailer communicated two things very well. One, Stray has a cat in it – that sometimes wears a tiny backpack. Two, the game’s fearless feline inhabits a grim cityscape populated by mechanical beings. Humanity, it seems – if several graffiti messages in the trailer are any indication – has met with some unkind end. Between the game's intriguing, though foreboding, world and its adorable character, we were eager to see more.

Luckily, today’s showcase was happy to oblige. Stray’s new trailer explains the game's lead has been separated from its family. Lost and hurt, it makes its way through a hostile and unfamiliar metropolis just trying to survive. The player will experience this through the cat's eyes. Whether it's crossing a lake of toxic sludge or finding a way past whirling fan blades of death, it looks for a while like you'll be left alone to fend for yourself. Until B-12 appears.

It’s been a little over a year since Heart Machine’s second project, Solar Ash was unveiled during Sony’s PlayStation 5 reveal event, but the wait for this fast-paced, interstellar adventure is almost over. The game’s eagerly awaited release date was officially announced today during the Annapurna Interactive Showcase, and it’s only a few months away.

Solar Ash’s trailer didn’t reveal many more details about the game’s world or its story but did include one piece of information we’ve been waiting for all year, the launch day. You’ll be able to grapple, weave, and fight your way through the cosmos when Solar Ash comes to PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, and PC on October 26.

All of you lucky Game Informer readers and stream viewers have quite the treat today. Shortly after Dan Tack and Alex Stadnik wrap up watching the Annapurna Interactive 2021 Showcase today, we’re going live yet again to play one of this week’s big releases: Final Fantasy III Pixel Remaster. At around 3 p.m. CT, Associate Editor John Carson and PC Editor Dan Tack will be partying up and venturing forth onto Twitch to show off this classic the way we never got to see in North America.

Daniel Benmergui of Ludomancy is an Argentinian independent game designer that I've respected for a long time because his approach to creation is so unique and explosive in its intent. He has been behind some incredible thought-provoking games like Today I Die and I Wish I Were the Moon, and with today's Annapurna Showcase, he showed off Storyteller, a game that made its first debut back in 2008 but is now ready to be shared with the world. 

Storyteller is a creative spin on the puzzle genre where players have the complete freedom to tell a story of their choosing. Whether it be a comedy or a heartbreaking tragedy, players are given a toolbox filled with characters, settings, and emotions to craft a narrative that can inspire love, revenge, and resonate with the deeper depths of our emotions. Twist a supernatural tale, if that's your fancy, or go the more Shakespearean route; the choice is yours. 

Sitting down with Benmergui, he opens up to us about the more vulnerable side of being a game developer, especially with a tale such as this. There's a lot of himself in this game and with so many years building up towards its release, he admits that the thought of launch day scares him a little. "In the case of [Storyteller], it was very ambitious," he says. "Why don't you make a game about people making stories? It's very difficult to relate it to other things we've done." 

Money is tight these days, but that doesn’t mean you have to miss out on high-end personal audio features such as fantastic 7.1 surround sound for your favorite games, or exquisite headphone comfort courtesy of HyperX’s very own signature memory foam. The HyperX Cloud Core 7.1 is a breathtakingly good deal for its performance, giving you many high-end features for the comparatively low price of $69.99. Needless to say, this headset is an incredible bargain, especially if you’re looking to fully immerse yourself in the latest releases like Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart or Scarlet Nexus.

There are several core features that make the HyperX Cloud Core 7.1 better than its similarly-priced counterparts, and they’re pretty easy to spot! After all, the HyperX Cloud core 7.1 is a super straightforward piece of equipment; what you see is exactly what you get, and what you're getting here is a fantastic piece of gear for gaming enthusiasts on a budget.

It features Virtual 7.1 surround sound, which allows you to experience games with the sheer intensity afforded by 7.1 channels of breathtaking audio. Basically, plugging in a Virtual 7.1 surround sound headset like the HyperX Cloud Core 7.1 is like listening to audio in a movie theatre. The regular set of left and right channels that you'd normally hear in a stereo headset are bolstered by left and right surround channels as well as an additional LFE channel for bassy sounds like explosions and engine revs, meaning that sounds can zoom past you from every direction, including above and underneath you.

While it may not have the AAA-clout of a Microsoft or Sony, publisher Annapurna Interactive has been able to translate its understanding of storytelling in cinema and convert it for a more interactive audience. Whether you've realized it or not, the group is responsible for arguably some of the best indie games of the last few years, including Florence, What Remains of Edith Finch, and Kentucky Route Zero, to name a few. But now it feels like the publisher is just getting started with a very exciting slate of new indies just around the corner.

This brings us to today. Annapurna Interactive is hosting its 2021 digital showcase, and we're going to be there with you live! The show kicks off at 2 p.m. CT, but we'll be starting the fun 15 minutes earlier to discuss what we're excited to see from the day's announcements and trailers. But who's we, and why should you tune in? We've assembled an exciting duo of Alex Stadnik and Dan Tack for the day's festivities, so we hope you'll join us over on Twitch!

Spelunky developer Derek Yu joins Gamasutra's Kris Graft and Alissa McAloon in a live GDC Podcast to talk all things Spelunky, how indie game development has changed over the years, and how game development is an exploration of ideas. ...

Capcom opened up a The Great Ace Attorney Chronicles survey that asks people's thoughts on the game and series and offers free wallpaper.

The post Great Ace Attorney Chronicles Survey Asks About the Series, Offers Wallpaper appeared first on Siliconera.

Because of her moveset and nature, Ayaka feels helpful and practical in Genshin Impact even if she's at a far lower level than her allies.

The post Ayaka Feels Helpful Even at Lower Levels in Genshin Impact appeared first on Siliconera.

Kairosoft announced that Game Dev Story +, its game developer sim, is now a part of the Apple Arcade lineup.

The post Game Dev Story ++ Added to Apple Arcade appeared first on Siliconera.

I wanted to like Tribes of Midgard. It has great style, with wonderful visuals that feel ripped out of an ancient painting. The combat is fun and responsive. But it also incorporates some of the worst parts of roguelikes and survival games and quickly becomes repetitive, with little payoff or progression.

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Annapurna Interactive, the publisher of well-regarded sleeper hits like Sayonara Wild Hearts and Maquette, held its first showcase today. Historically, the mega-purveyor of indie darlings has shown off its games in buzzy pressers put on by far larger companies, hitching its wagon to the likes of Nintendo, Sony, and…

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We finally know when Marvel’s Avengers will receive its next major expansion after a long period of uncertainty: War for Wakanda launches for free on August 17.

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Outer Wilds, the first-person space exploration game beloved by everyone at or no longer at Kotaku—and also every other sentient being on this planet—is getting an expansion. It’s called Echoes of the Eye, and is slated for a September 28 release. Developer Mobius Digital announced the news on Thursday’s Annapurna…

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Tonight's Annapurna Interactive showcase revealed an array of new projects, updates and release dates for the many eye-catching indie games the company currently has under its wing.

The top-drawer indie publisher showcased more than a dozen upcoming titles including The Artful Escape, Stray and Outer Wilds, plus confirmed new partnerships and ports.

The showcase opened with another look at the long-awaited The Artful Escape, which you can read more about here. Its starry voice cast and a 9th September release date for Steam and Xbox were also announced.

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Rock opera adventure The Artful Escape will finally launch for Steam, Xbox One and Xbox Series X/S on 9th September.

The long-awaited and glorious-looking platformer will also launch directly into Xbox Game Pass.

The Artful Escape stars Teen Wolf's Michael Johnston and newcomer Caroline Kinley as main characters Francis and Violetta, plus Game of Thrones' Lena Headey, Fargo's Jason Schwartzman, Kingsman's Mark Strong and The Mandalorian's Carl Weathers.

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Outer Wilds developer Mobius has officially confirmed Echoes of the Eye, the game's "first and only expansion" which will arrive on 28th September for PC, PlayStation and Xbox.

The story of this new chapter, revealed as part of tonight's Annapurna Interactive showcase, remains largely a mystery.

"It's going to weave directly into the existing world and narrative," creative director Alex Beachum teased. "Now, if you've played the game, you might be wondering how. And also why. And those are very good questions."

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There is no denying that Cyberpunk 2077 had a lot of issues. Whether it was performance, story, or just failing to deliver on promises, the game ended up being a disappointment for a lot of people. With that said, there is no denying that the game has a lot of beautiful elements to it.

You need no further proof of the game’s beauty than by looking at the time-lapse image that one Redditor just created. Below, you can see the result of user GAME-LAPSE’s two-day in-game recording of Night City, which took place across the span of six real-life hours.

Ubisoft is in the midst of a major transition. Once a bastion of content-rich single-player games across multiple different genres, from Ghost Recon to Assassin’s Creed, the company’s portfolio is fast becoming almost exclusively a selection of “live-service” multiplayer experiences — a change in strategy likely sparked by the immense commercial success of Rainbow Six: Siege and The Division. And earlier this month, Ubisoft announced the impending arrival of yet another of the same ilk: Tom Clancy’s XDefiant.

Hardcore fans of Tom Clancy video games, which have traditionally been grounded in gritty military realism and tactical gameplay, already seem upset by XDefiant. Its debut trailer, which hasn’t enjoyed a positive reception based on its like/dislike ratio, showcases a fast-paced, arcadey shooter complete with Overwatch-like abilities and colored by a similarly bombastic line-up of hero personalities. These are all in vogue and, honestly, predictable design choices for a contemporary shooter, but none that represent the hallmarks of Tom Clancy in any way, shape, or form.

When you consider the celebrated lineage of Tom Clancy games, which were original stories but still felt authentic and genuinely connected to the author’s beloved universe, it’s not difficult to understand why some perceive XDefiant as a betrayal of everything that it means for a game to be affiliated with the Tom Clancy brand.

Fortnite is getting ready for its next big event with another big-time artist. The three-day music festival titled Rift Tour was announced by Epic Games and is scheduled for Aug. 6-8.

Fortnite announced the Rift Tour on Epic Games’ official website, giving players a chance to partake in another musical event. The game will have five shows in the next three days featuring a “record-breaking superstar.” Players can get access to the event once they register in-game and schedule the days and times that they plan on attending through the Rift Tour tab in the game menu.

Epic Games does suggest to fans that they must arrive an hour before showtime. The playlist for the tour should be live and accessible 30 minutes before the show. Fortnite also shared a tweet announcing the big event that drops in about a week.

For fans of iconic British sci-fi TV series, Doctor Who, we may have some bad news for you. According to a new report from The Hollywood Reporter, Jodie Whittaker – the 13th Doctor, and the first ever female to play the titular Time Lord – is set to step down from her lead role. In addition to this news, long-time showrunner Chris Chibnall is also bowing out from the popular time-bending franchise.

Thankfully, there’s still a six-part series which will air later this year, as well as a trio of Doctor Who specials scheduled to drop in autumn 2022. In other words, at least both Whittaker and Chibnall will be able to give fans a final swansong before they officially leave the show.

Interestingly, Jodie Whittaker made a statement to THR looking back at her experience acting in Doctor Who, saying:

My heart is so full of love for this show, for the team who make it, for the fans who watch it and for what it has brought to my life. And I cannot thank Chris enough for entrusting me with his incredible stories. We knew that we wanted to ride this wave side by side, and pass on the baton together. So here we are, weeks away from wrapping on the best job I have ever had. I don’t think I’ll ever be able to express what this role has given me. I will carry the Doctor and the lessons I’ve learnt forever.

I know change can be scary and none of us know what’s out there. That’s why we keep looking. Travel hopefully. The universe will surprise you. Constantly.

Clearly, Whittaker sounds like she had a blast playing the eponymous Time Lord, and looks back fondly on her time-travelling TARDIS days.

Earlier today, a brand new teaser for the upcoming anime film Jujutsu Kaisen 0 gave fans a glimpse into what they can expect from the feature, including a reveal that Megumi Ogata is voicing Yuta Otobone. You can check out the trailer below.

While brief, the video does give us some insight into the relationship between the characters on screen, as well as what can be expected for the tone of JuJutsu Kaisen 0. This news came directly from the official website, featuring input from the original author, Gege Akutami, as well.

When talking about Yuta Otoko’s voice, Akutami said “It is neutral, soft, and kind, and there is also a large range of emotional fluctuations and heads.” He also mentioned that he felt Megumi Ogata was the ideal example of who should play the character when thinking of who should play the character.

Like the show, the film will derive its source material straight from the manga, Jujutsu Kaisen 0, which was released earlier this year. Viz Media provided the following description of its story:

Minecraft Dungeons's latest DLC is out now, promising "the conclusion of the Minecraft Dungeons story." Conclusions sound to me like the sort of thing you ought to include in the base game - but the DLC does also add the Minecraft biome known as "The End", Endermen mobs, and new items. There's a trailer below.

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Mobius Digital's excellent space exploration game Outer Wilds is getting an expansion. Announced during Annapurna Interactive's NotE3 showcase, Echoes Of The Eye is set to release on September 28th. While the devs say it will be involved in the game's existing narrative, they're keeping quiet on what exactly we'll be getting up to. But, judging from the name, it likely has something to do with Eye Of The Universe, a mysterious object in the solar system that you spend most of your time in Outer Wilds trying to reach.

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Space Engineers feels ancient to me at this point, but it seems only to grow in popularity. Its developers continue to support the game, too: today saw the release of the 1.199 major update and the Heavy Industry DLC pack. The changes are largely cosmetic, but it's good stuff if you like building big factories full of pipes.

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Tonight, Annapurna Interactive held their very first E3-like showcase, showing off loads of games they're publishing over the next year or so, as well as revealing new developers they're working with. We saw new gameplay for Stray, Neon White, Skin Deep, and a very special announcement from Outer Wilds developers Mobius Digital about a cryptic new expansion.

If you missed the stream, read on, because we've made a big list of everything that happened at the Annapurna Interactive Showcase.

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Skin Deep, the next game from Quadrilateral Cowboy and Thirty Flights Of Loving developer Brendon Chung got a new gameplay trailer at tonight's Annapurna Interactive showcase, showing lots more weird and wonderful ness for the "Die Hard in space"-like. It's a game where you've been, uh, "hired" by cats to be their insurance guy during a space flight. So, when pirates attack the ship, they pop you out of a container to fend them off.

Naturally, I had to ask Chung: why cats?

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Announced at the Annapurna Interactive showcase, the skating, monster-killing, vibey and vibrant Solar Ash will be released on October 26th. It's the next game from Hyper Light Drifter developers Heart Machine, sharing Hyper Light's cool and colourful 80s aesthetic, but flipping from 2D to 3D and putting a real emphasis on fluid movement throughout a huge world.

I had a chance to chat with the devs about Solar Ash, and they told me a bit about why they decided to go for something so different, and about the challenges of making such a speedy character.

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Neon White sounds like a lot. As you may have seen from tonight's Annapurna Interactive Showcase, it's a speedrunning first-person shooter where you use decks of cards that represent weapons to stop demons invading heaven. It also has dating sim aspects where you can chat and have a nice time with the other Neons (the demon slayers you're sort of working with). Better yet, it's made by the developers of Donut County, and designer Ben Esposito tells me that massive tonal change was because he wanted to go "apeshit".

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Starbase looks like one of those games you could lazily suggest throws everything but the kitchen sink at the player, but after seeing the asset browser in the latest trailer, I think it might even have one of those in there, too. It’s Trine developers Frozenbyte’s fulsome space survival sim, one where you find resources, build ships, explore, trade, and fight with others. I could have listed way more things, but it was getting silly. And this is an early access release, so there’s more to come.

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Annapurna Interactive's showcase today brought news of both familiar and new projects, including the announcement of a new studio working on its first project with Annapurna Interactive's backing. ...

A month after the flurry of events surrounding E3 week back in June, indie publisher Annapurna Interactive put on a gaming showcase of its own. The company's debut presentation was filled with fun game announcements, release date reveals, and a few surprises.

We were excited to see more of several Annapurna titles going into the show and we were not disappointed. Stray, Solar Ash, The Artful Escape, and Neon White, among others, all took the spotlight today with fresh trailers and exciting news to share.  The show even revealed a handful of new indie projects and we may have to update our list of indie games to watch.

If you missed the Annapurna Interactive Showcase, don't worry. We have rounded up all the exciting games and announcements from the show for you. 

What do you get when you have a team that just really wants to make a really weird shooter? A really weird shooter where cats are in charge. That's exactly what the team over at Blendo Games is doing, under the publishing umbrella of Annapurna Interactive, with its newest title called Skin Deep. There's sneezing, there is getting weird stuff stuck to the bottom of your feet, and there is the need to survive while trying to escape a group of pirates after being frozen on a cargo ship by an insurance firm run by ... cats. Yeah. 

We sat down with Brendon Chung, the head of Blendo Games, to talk more about the studio's latest title. Coming off of creating some wild experiences like Atom Zombie Smasher, Thirty Flights of Loving, and more, Skin Deep fits right into the growing library of oddball experiences that are just about having fun. Not every game has to have a billion subplots, not everything needs to be super complicated to be enjoyed. With Skin Deep, it's about having fun, the thrill of a shootout, and not taking life too seriously. 

Ben Esposito is not making Neon White for everyone – in fact, even though he admits it's probably not the best marketing move, he says he's trying to make a cult game. He wants Neon White to find players that love it the way he loves the cult games that influenced him, like God Hand, Danganronpa, and El Shaddai: Ascension of the Metatron.

Put another way, as Esposito said in the game's most recent trailer, Neon White is a game made for "freaks."

On Thursday, during the Annapurna Interactive Showcase, Neon White made its latest showing after being announced back in February. But this time we have a better idea of the game itself; how it's played and a bit of the story. You can see its latest trailer below: