January 2022

The eighth RPS 2021 Christmas Cracker

2 years 2 months ago

Every year our clone forms degrade, and Katharine spends the winter break copying each consciousness into a new body. Don't worry: we can't feel a thing! Since our new forms are still coming online from their time spent in the primordial flesh soup vat of the RPS Treehouse, we can't post over Christmas, so we've prepared some Christmas Cracker jokes instead! You can help fund the research into longer-lasting clone bodies with the RPS supporter program.

Now, time to enjoy your nice joke!

Q: What kind of colourful legume is the main ingredient for rainbow humous?

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Author
RPS

The best games you missed in 2021: Agatha Christie - Hercule Poirot: The First Cases

2 years 2 months ago

2021 was hot boy summer for detectives. Well, not summer. Hot boy autumn? Is that a thing? Anyway, I not only played Sherlock Holmes Chapter One, but also an incarnation of Hercule Poirot as a bright young thing in Agatha Christie - Hercule Poirot: The First Cases. And yes, that name is a bit of a nightmare, but the game itself is very sweet. There's 'orrible murder, conspiracy, blackmail, union busting, and a cast of Cluedo-esque characters trapped inside a snowy manor. And yes, I am reusing the shoddy Love Island promo photo composite I made for a header picture, because it deserves the mileage.

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Author
Alice Bell

Triangle Strategy for Nintendo Switch Reveals Box Art by Naoki Ikushima for Japan

2 years 2 months ago

Today the Japanese arm of Square Enix revealed via press release the box art of its tactics JRPG Triangle Strategy.

The art is by Naoki Ikushima, who worked on the game as character designer. He is also well known for covering the same role within the development team of Octopath Traveler and Bravely Default II.

The art portrays a foreboding battlefield landscape surveyed by the lone figure of hero Serenoa Wolffort.

You can check it out below, keeping in mind that it has not been confirmed for the west yet.

Author
Giuseppe Nelva

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Exploring The History And Lore of Halo 3 | Video Gameography

2 years 2 months ago

Happy new year! Season 2 of Game Informer's Video Gameography podcast examines one of the biggest shooter franchises in existence: Halo. This week, we unpack Bungie's epic conclusion to Master Chief's original trilogy of adventures: Halo 3.

Released with all the hype in the world on September 25, 2007, Halo 3 served as both the pinnacle of the series as well as its supposed swan song for Master Chief. Using the now iconic tagline "finish the fight," Bungie created Halo 3 under the agreement that it would part ways with Microsoft after a new set of Halo games. The third game was the first of this batch, and its creation suffered from internal studio conflicts, including creative heads walking out mid-development. How did Bungie cope with matching Halo 2's quality, migrating to a new platform in the Xbox 360, and delivering a conclusion that lived up to expectations? Tune in to find out. 

Join hosts Ben Reeves (@BenjaminReeves), Marcus Stewart (@MarcusStewart7), and Game Informer video editor Alex Stadnik (@Studnik76) as we unpack the history and impact of Master Chief's grand sequel. And for more Halo, be sure to check out our definitive ranking of every Halo game.

Author
Marcus Stewart

Arc System Works Talks DNF Duel Beta; “More Resolute than Ever” About Summer 2022 Release

2 years 2 months ago

Today Nexon and Arc System Works released a video dedicated to the upcoming fighting game DNF Duel.

In the video, we hear from director Ryosuke Kodani from Arc System Works as he talks about the results of the recent beta test, what went wrong, and what the developer intends to do about it.

On top of that, we hear that the developer is now “more resolute than ever” about the Summer 2022 release window. This is significant considering that Arc System Works isn’t new to delaying products as a result of a beta test.

You can enjoy the video below.

DNF Duel doesn’t yet have a full slate of platforms, even if we know that it’ll at least come for PS5, PS4, and PC. an open beta test for PlayStation platforms only was recently hosted and you can check out more videos showcasing the basics of the game.

Author
Giuseppe Nelva

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Shin Megami Tensei V Has Shipped Over 800,000 Copies; Atlus Teases Unannounced Game

2 years 2 months ago

Today, as part of an article on Famitsu, Atlus shared sales data about its latest JRPG Shin Megami Tensei V.

We learn that the game enjoyed a “good start” by shipping over 800,000 copies.

On top of this, we learn that the developer is working on a surprise new game that has not been announced yet.

No further hints have been provided, so we’ll have to wait and see. Of course, we’ll keep you posted when it’s announced, likely this year.

Shin Megami Tensei V releases for Nintendo Switch on Nov. 12, 2021. If you’re unfamiliar with it, you can enjoy and a brief official description below and read our review.

“When a grisly murder scene in modern-day Tokyo blocks our protagonist’s walk home, an unplanned detour leaves him buried and unconscious.

He awakens in a new Tokyo, a wasteland ravaged by apocalypse now called Da’at… but before bloodthirsty demons can claim his life, a savior emerges, and they unite to become a mighty being neither human nor demon: a Nahobino.

With newfound power, the protagonist ventures through Da’at, an enigmatic realm filled with mythical deities and demonic tyrants in constant conflict for survival. Searching for answers, the protagonist must forge his own path in a battle between light and dark to dictate the fate of the world.”

Author
Giuseppe Nelva

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The Irregular at Magic High School Anime Sequel Announced

2 years 2 months ago

Aniplex has announced that a sequel to the TV series The Irregular at Magic High School (Mahouka Koukou no Rettousei) is in production.

The series 2014, inspired by the light novel franchise written by Tsutomu Satou and illustrated by Kana Ishida, had previously received a spin-off, The Honor Student at Magic High School.

Following yesterday’s airing of the film adaptation The Irregular at Magic High School: Reminiscence Arc, we got the news that the anime is finally getting a proper sequel.

That’s not very surprising considering that the light novels have sold 22 million copies cumulatively, of which 13 million only counting the original series.

At the moment, no information on airing dates or number of episodes has been shared, and the teaser trailer doesn’t really show much, but you can see it below.

Author
Giuseppe Nelva

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GoldenEye 007 Xbox Achievements Have Appeared Online, Possibly Hinting at a New Port

2 years 2 months ago

GoldenEye 007, the legendary N64 game from Rare that is one of the most beloved multiplayer experiences for many around the world, may be getting a new life on Xbox after Achievements have been spotted for the game online.

TrueAchievements, a website that tracks Xbox Achievement activity, recently picked up an Achievement list for Goldeneye 007 which had never been seen before. There are 55 Achievements that are worth a total of 1,000 Gamerscore, and that is another hint this may be a new port.

As many may remember, there was an updated version of GoldenEye 007 being developed for Xbox 360's Xbox Live Arcade that was just about finished before it was canceled due to licensing issues. Back then, XBLA games had a limit of 200 Gamerscore, so seeing GoldenEye 007 with 1,000 Gamerscore is an interesting development.

Furthermore, TrueAchievements' website also reveals that there are only two Xbox accounts that have earned any of these achievements - BIGsheep and xtinamcgrath. By searching for these names, it appears that BIGsheep and xtinamcgrath are Rare employees James Thomas and Christina McGrath.

While this doesn't necessarily mean that a new port of GoldenEye 007 on Xbox consoles is imminent, it is an exciting prospect for fans as we begin the new year.

Author
Adam Bankhurst

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Square Enix President Pens a New Year's Letter All About NFTs, Blockchain Games, the Metaverse, and More

2 years 2 months ago

Square Enix president Yosuke Matsuda has begun 2022 by writing a New Year's letter that is focused on the companies growing focus on NFTs, blockchain games, and the metaverse.

Matsuda began the letter by wishing everyone a Happy New Year and saying how the metaverse was "a hot topic in 2021, inspiring a lively global conversation first about what the metaverse is and then about what sort of business opportunities it presents."

He then noted Facebook's name change to Meta and how that was just one piece of "evidence that the concept is not a mere buzzword but here to stay" and that this attention caused 2021 to be dubbed the "Metaverse Year."

Thanks to advances in "extended reality (XR) technology, the increasing prevalence of the cloud and 5G, more sophisticated blockchain technology, and other technological evolutions that have taken place in a variety of fields over the past several years," Matsuda believes that the metaverse will "likely see a meaningful transition to a business phase in 2022, with a wide range of services appearing on the scene."

"As this abstract concept begins to take concrete shape in the form of product and service offerings, I am hoping that it will bring about changes that have a more substantial impact on our business as well," Matsuda said.

Author
Adam Bankhurst

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The Community Spotlight 2022.01.01

2 years 2 months ago
We did it! That's another year under our belt!
We did it! That's another year under our belt!

Should auld acquaintance be forgot, and never brought to mind? Anyways, welcome to 2022! Oh, and welcome to the latest edition of the Giant Bomb Community Spotlight! I, @zombiepie, am once again honored to be your host as we look back at all of the wonderful community-created offerings from the past week. This being another edition of the Spotlight that looks at user GOTY lists means there's a lot to mull over! Speaking of which, remember that Giant Bomb's 2021 GOTY coverage will begin in January and is NOT CANCELLED! Community voting will also take place during that time and is not cancelled as well. With all of that in mind, let's jump into the Spotlight because, as I said earlier, there's a lot to share this week.

Author
Marino - Brad Lynch

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Harry Potter MMO Was Cancelled by EA in the Early 2000s Because It Thought the IP Wouldn't Last

2 years 2 months ago

Before the Harry Potter franchise became the global phenomenon it is today, Electronic Arts was in the process of making a MMO based on its world. However, it appears it was cancelled in the early 2000s because the company didn't believe "that the IP would have a shelf life longer than a year or two."

As reported by Polygon, EA's former director of product marketing Kim Salzer discussed this Harry Potter MMO that was in development between 2000 and 2003 (before the release of the series' sixth book - Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince was released!) on a Twitch stream that her current firm - Orignal Gamer Life - hosted.

Author
Adam Bankhurst

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Chicory: A Colorful Tale Creator Greg Lobanov Teases the Studio’s Next Project With a GIF

2 years 2 months ago

Chicory: A Colorful Tale creator Greg Lobanov has teased that he and his team are officially working on a new game with a GIF of an adorable, hopping two-legged fox creature that I'd like to be my new best friend.

Lobanov shared the news on Twitter just one minute before 2021 became 2022, saying this announcement was a long time coming.

"Been waiting a long time to let everyone know: I'm working on something new with the chicory team =)," Lobanov wrote. "I can't wait to talk more about it!!!!! hope to share details in 2022."

The accompanying GIF of the aforementioned fox creature - which may or may not be part of the new game - is also featured on a job page for a Creature Concept Artist for this new project.

The job description itself gives a few more teases as to what this game may be, as this role is meant for someone that has, among other things, 'designs with lots of character/personality" and "interest in & inspiration from real world animals/biology."

Author
Adam Bankhurst

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Granblue Fantasy Relink Celebrates the New Year With Brief in-Game Clip of Gran

2 years 2 months ago

Cygames released a very brief clip of the upcoming JRPG Granblue Fantasy Relink to celebrate the New Year.

While the clip is really short, it does show the visuals of the game, and intriguingly, the wind effect on Gram’s clothes, as he’s flying on the Grandcypher.

You can check it out below. Incidentally, the tweet mentions that the team is working hard on the last spurt of development, asking fans to wait for a little while longer until the game can be released.

Granblue Fantasy Relink will be released in 2022 for PS5, PS4, and PC.

Author
Giuseppe Nelva

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Microsoft Flight Simulator Freeware Discus-2c Released; Boeing 757 & 707, Tijuana & Bydgoszcz Airports Get New Screenshots

2 years 2 months ago

Third-party developers delivered quite a lot of interesting Microsoft Flight Simulator goodies across the new year, especially on the freeware side.

We start with Got Friends, which released a full-featured Discus-2c glider, and it’s completely free.

It can be downloaded from flightsim.to and you can see it in action below.

  • Built in-game Winch Launch Control (No External Applications Required).
  • 6 Thermal Active Weather Presets (Alps Summer, Alps Winter, Coastal, Ridge, Cross Country & Standard)
  • B-21 Navigation Display and FSSoar Navigation.
  • Digital Variometer and adjustable Variotone volume and energy modes.
  • Swappable Metric and Imperial Gauges.
  • Working FLARM detection system.
  • Wingflex and Yawstring.
  • Functional Ballast Dump and Effects.
  • 8K/4K Texture Sets.
  • 4 Liveries (Paint Kit Uploaded Seperately).
  • Flight Manual Included

Next is WelshSimulations, which is working on a Boeing 757-200 and released new screenshots of the model.

This project is also freeware and you can follow its progress on the developer’s Discord server.

Author
Giuseppe Nelva

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Elden Ring Director Hidetaka Miyazaki Reveals Why He Hasn't Played Bluepoint's Demon's Souls Remake Yet

2 years 2 months ago

Elden Ring director Hidetaka Miyazaki has revealed why he has yet to play Bluepoint's remake of Demon's Souls and how the team at FromSoftware was so impressed by the game's visuals that they felt extra pressure when developing Elden Ring for PS5.

As reported by VGC, Miyazaki was interviewed by Edge magazine and shared that the Demon's Souls remake's focus on graphical fidelity was not something FromSoftware puts as a top priority on, and that's why his team - specifically the graphics creation staff - felt this extra pressure after the remake was released. However, that doesn't mean they aren't up for the challenge and Miyzaki has all the faith in the world in his team.

"And not just with Elden Ring, but with all the games we make," Miyazaki said. "Graphical fidelity is not something we put as the top priority. What we ask for on the graphics side depends on the systems and requirements of the game itself, and it takes less priority compared to the other elements of development.

“So this is always an area where I feel a little bit apologetic towards my graphics team because I know they work extremely hard. And they’ve worked extremely hard on Elden Ring – our graphics-systems team and our programmers have been pushing a lot of new features to create the best-looking games we’ve ever made.”

He then explained why he has yet to play the Demon's Souls remake, despite the original being another game he was the director of. What it boils down to, according to Miyazaki, is that he is not a fan of replaying his old work.

Author
Adam Bankhurst

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Former Rockstar Developers Share Details on the Development of the Cancelled Bully 2

2 years 2 months ago

While Rockstar Games is known best for the Grand Theft Auto series, Bully - its game about a juvenile delinquent student named James "Jimmy" Hopkins rising through the ranks of Bullworth Academy - is just as highly regarded by some. Many had hoped a sequel would be on its way, and although it has yet to happen, former Rockstar developers have revealed the details of the time they tried to make that dream come true.

Game Informer spoke to five of these former employees from Rockstar's New England studio - the team that was actually working on Bully 2 in the late 2000s - and they shared why this game never... well... graduated and made its way into the world.

Rockstar Vancouver was the team behind the original Bully, but Rockstar New England was entrusted to work on this sequel. They were excited to prove themselves worthy as Rockstar had recently purchased them when they were still known as Mad Doc Software.

While they wanted to be the "golden child in the Rockstar thing," it was hard to escape the shadow of Rockstar North - the main studio behind the Grand Theft Auto games.

“[Rockstar New England] wanted to be sort of the golden child in the Rockstar thing, but it’s really hard when Rockstar North was the one that was producing all the golden eggs at that time,” one developer says. “Living in the shadows of someone who casts a big shadow like Rockstar North, and trying to usurp that role, it’s really difficult and nearly impossible. But man, did they try. Oh, did they try.”

Author
Adam Bankhurst

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GoldenEye 007 Achievements For Xbox Leaked As James Bond News Teased For 2022

2 years 2 months ago

It looks like Rare's classic James Bond game, GoldenEye 007, might be headed to Xbox. Achievements for the game have appeared online, as spotted by Wario64 and posted on TrueAchievements.

Achievement pictures and a GoldenEye 007 thumbnail also appeared online, adding to the speculation that the 1997 Nintendo 64 game might be headed to Xbox in the future. There are a total of 55 Achievements worth 1,000 Gamerscore, according to the leak. Based on the text of the Achievements, it looks like both campaign and multiplayer are on the way.

2022 marks the 60th anniversary of the James Bond series. The company behind the franchise teased today that fans should "watch out for announcements, events, and new content across 2022." A re-release of GoldenEye 007 could be among the surprise announcements, it seems, though nothing is confirmed at this stage.

Author
Eddie Makuch

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Square Enix CEO's New Year's Letter Discusses NFTs, Metaverse, Blockchain, And More

2 years 2 months ago

Square Enix president Yosuke Matsuda has published a new letter to celebrate the new year and let fans and investors know what to expect from the company going forward.

Matsuda touched on subjects like the metaverse, NFTs, blockchain, and more. Starting with the metaverse, Matsuda said Facebook's decision to change its name to Meta demonstrates that the metaverse as a concept "is not a mere buzzword but here to stay."

Matsuda said the metaverse will become more of a commercial product in 2022, and it might end up having some applicability to Square Enix in the future.

"The metaverse will likely see a meaningful transition to a business phase in 2022, with a wide range of services appearing on the scene. As this abstract concept begins to take concrete shape in the form of product and service offerings, I am hoping that it will bring about changes that have a more substantial impact on our business as well," Matsuda said.

As for NFTs, Matsuda said this could become another significant business opportunity. Like others, Matsuda observed "speculative overtones" in some parts of the NFT landscape, but overall, the executive believes NFTs will become immensely popular over time.

"We do observe examples here and there of overheated trading in NFT-based digital goods with somewhat speculative overtones, regardless of the observed value of the content provided," Matsuda said. "This, obviously, is not an ideal situation, but I expect to see an eventual right-sizing in digital goods deals as they become more commonplace among the general public, with the value of each available content corrected to their true estimated worth, and I look for them to become as familiar as dealings in physical goods."

Author
Eddie Makuch

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The Biggest Games Releasing In January: Pokemon Legends Arceus, God of War, And More

2 years 2 months ago

Welcome to 2022! The year has officially kicked off, and it looks like the next 365 days will be packed full of high-profile releases on PC and console. While February 2022 currently has the Q1 lion's share of big-name releases, January feels like a deceptive calm before the storm. You won't see too many new games on this list, but there are a few big names that are taking advantage of the more subdued release schedule.

God of War (Jan. 14)

God of War

January is a month for more PlayStation console exclusives to arrive on PC, and that push continues with the arrival of Kratos in God of War. One of the very best games of the PS4 era, Sony Santa Monica's gripping tale of fatherhood, Nordic myths, and the most satisfying axe return-to-sender effect in all of gaming is an unmissable experience for anyone who's curious about God of War.

Author
Darryn Bonthuys

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Genshin Impact Gets New Trailer All About New Character Yun Jin

2 years 2 months ago

Following the reveal of Version 2.4 of Genshin Impact, developer MiHoYo released a new trailer featuring one of the new characters that will come with the update.

Specifically, we take a look at Yun Jin, in which she herself talks about her backstory. We also see her in action and we hear her opera singing voice at the end, provided by a professional performer from the Peking opera.

We know that she will become available when the update launches on January 5.

You can watch the trailer below. We also included the Japanese version, so you can pick your favorite voice-over language.

Author
Giuseppe Nelva

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The Page Boy Would Have Brought Messaging, an Early Form of Nintendo Directs, and More to Game Boy Color

2 years 2 months ago

A cancelled Game Boy Color add-on called the Page Boy has been uncovered and, had it been released, it would have brought with it messaging, web browsing, and even an early form of Nintendo Directs to Nintendo's beloved handheld.

Video game historian Liam Robertson shared the details of this lost Game Boy Color add-on in a new Game History Secrets video on DidYouKnowGaming? and revealed the story of how it came to be and, ultimately, how it ended up being shelved in 2002.

Image%20Credit%3A%20Liam%20Robertson%20-%20DidYouKnowGaming%3F%20-%20Game%20History%20Secrets

Following his work on another lost, unreleased Game Boy add-on known as the WorkBoy - which would have brought PDA-like functions like an address book, calculator, appointment book, and more to Nintendo's handheld - Source Research and Development's Eddie Gill began looking towards a new idea.

Gill still believed in many of the features that would have been present in the WorkBoy, and he began to work towards building a "spiritual continuation of the WorkBoy, with new ideas of its own" for the Game Boy Color.

Author
Adam Bankhurst

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The last RPS 2021 Christmas Cracker

2 years 2 months ago

Every year our clone forms degrade, and Katharine spends the winter break copying each consciousness into a new body. Don't worry: we can't feel a thing! Since our new forms are still coming online from their time spent in the primordial flesh soup vat of the RPS Treehouse, we can't post over Christmas, so we've prepared some Christmas Cracker jokes instead! You can help fund the research into longer-lasting clone bodies with the RPS supporter program.

Now, time to enjoy your nice joke!

Q: What medical procedure is taught to all Vikings upon entry to Valhalla?

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Author
RPS

Chicory: A Colorful Tale Developer Shares Intriguing Tease For Next Project

2 years 2 months ago

One of the cutest and most creative puzzle games that flew under a lot of folks’ radars last year was Greg Lobanov‘s unique color-’em-up, Chicory: A Colorful Tale.

Now, following the game’s release on PS4, PS5, Nintendo Switch, and PC, the brainchild behind Chicory: A Colorful Tale has shared a brief tease for his next video game project.

Taking to Twitter yesterday, Lobanov dropped a short message and an animated GIF of a two-legged fox-like critter, which you can check out below:

Author
Dylan Chaundy

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The best games you missed in 2021: Vagrus - The Riven Realms

2 years 2 months ago

If you're anything like me, when you start a game you will almost invariably try to run off into the woods or swamp and aggressively ignore anything even passably resembling a main story. After hours of feeling like a brave rebel by doing this in Vagrus - The Riven Realms, I realised it's how you're supposed to play it. This is not a game about some Epic Quest or grand campaign. It's a game about running a caravan in a world that just happens to have a cool history.

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Author
Sin Vega