January 2022

I have a strange relationship with Dead Cells. I picked it up in 2019 and played it for a while, by which point I'd clearly had my fill. No DLCs to my name, nothing. I'd done a big run and put the game down.

Fast forward to now. Suddenly I own the latest expansion The Queen And The Sea, plus all the DLCs that came before it. I'm nonchalant, thinking that I dropped the game for a reason. Surely I can't be won almost three years later? Well, nope. I was wrong. The DLCs have opened my eyes to the game in ways I hadn’t anticipated. The combat is crunchy, the challenge is thrilling, and Dead Cells more than holds its own next to more modern darlings of the genre like Hades.

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If you prefer Earth be but a blue marble alone in the void, two of the latest Game Pass additions might tickle your spacefancy. Microsoft's subscription service today adds BioWare's remastered Mass Effect Legendary Edition trilogy as well as the beautiful clockwork mystery Outer Wilds, which was our favourite game of 2019. The cooperative and chaotic first-person firefighting game Embr hit Game Pass today too but that has, like, gravity? So passé.

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If you’ve been hankering for more Dead Cells, then you’re in luck. The game’s next paid expansion is out now and has you dive into some nautical newness. It's called The Queen And The Sea and is home to shipwrecks and lighthouses infested with monsters, mainly. And a throwable shark. That’s me sold.

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There's a new Attack on Titan Final Season Part 2 trailer, and this one focuses on how Eren, Mikasa, and Armin changed over the years.

The post Attack on Titan Final Season Part 2 Trailer Stars Eren, Mikasa and Armin appeared first on Siliconera.

The Switch and PS4 versions of Demon Gaze Extra are now available outside Japan, and three pieces of free DLC are also available.

The post Demon Gaze Extra Switch and PS4 and Its Free DLC Out Today appeared first on Siliconera.

We're back after our holiday streaming sabbatical to bring you live gaming goodness straight from the shores of Eorzea and beyond. That's right! Our first livestream of the year is centered on the latest expansion to Final Fantasy XIV Online, Endwalker. Join fearless adventurers and Game Informer editors John Carson and Dan Tack to venture into some of the new dungeons and explore the new zones, including the surface of the moon! 

The stream is set to go live at 2 p.m. Central this afternoon on our Twitch channel, so don't miss it.

The sky is falling and only the Scions of the Seventh Dawn and the Warrior of Light are prepared to take on whatever or whoever is causing the calamitous end of days. Endwalker signals the conclusion to the Hydaelyn and Zodiark storyline, a central conflict between the forces of light and darkness that's been at the core of FFXIV's story since its early days. The expansion brings multiple new zones and two exciting new Jobs, the Sage and Reaper. 

Far Cry 6 was released last October, and while the base game offered dozens of hours of FPS action gameplay, Ubisoft upped the ante by committing to free content drops and three paid DLCs. 

Some of the free DLC includes Los Pollos Hermanos and Heisenberg outfits from Breaking Bad, while the first paid DLC, dubbed Vaas’ Insanity, gave players the chance to play as the infamous villain from Far Cry 3. Vaas’ Insanity was the first part of a villain-focused trilogy included in the Far Cry 6 season pass that costs $40. The second villainous DLC will star Far Cry 4’s Pagan Min, and now, Ubisoft announced that it’s coming next week. 

Dive into the twisted mind of Pagan Min. The new Pagan: Control DLC is coming January 11. pic.twitter.com/2hIr1xoPkc

After weeks of public silence, Activision has responded to an ongoing strike at Raven Software. 

The ongoing Raven employee strike, which began after a dozen contract QA workers were let go in December, entered its third week this week with no formal acknowledgment from Activision. However, a new statement from upper Raven Software management (see: Activision management) given to GamesIndustry.biz reveals that the company is in active discussions with employees. 

Rockstar Games is back at it, as they just revealed this week’s brand new GTA Online update. This time around, players can get their hands on a brand new car, huge bonuses, and plenty of great discounts.

In addition to all of these goodies, this week brings Double Rewards in the Nightlife Leak Finale and the challenging Specialist+ Security Contracts – both of which debuted as part of The Contract. The full list of highlights from today’s update can be seen below.

Today Microsoft released a new update for Microsoft Flight Simulator, while third-party developers also had news to share.

The update is Sim Update 7, also numbered 1.21.18.0. It focuses only on fixing issues and you can read the patch notes below.

It has been in beta for a few weeks, but now everyone is required to download it.

The wildly popular party game Fall Guys: Ultimate Knockout has been supported by a steady stream of new content since its launch by developer Mediatonic, including in-game events and cosmetic packs that tie-in with other franchises. Today, PlayStation has revealed that the latest of those is with its Bugnsnax IP, the charming adventure game from Young Horses that was launched as a PS5 launch title in 2020.

A new trailer reveals some of the cutesy action to come:

Twinfinite reviewed Bugsnax when it first released via PS Plus and was pleasantly surprised, calling it “more than a meme” in reference to the catchy theme song that first introduced the game, and scoring it 3.5/5.

“Bugsnax is an odd and wacky experience that’ll be remembered as the black swan of the PS5 launch lineup, in the best way possible. It highlights PlayStation’s commitment to having a diverse catalog of games at the PS5 launch, and with Bugsnax being free on PS Plus for PS5 players at launch, there’s no reason not to try it if you’re a subscriber.”

Today BioWare general manager Gary McKay shared a post on the official website of the studio, providing an update on the situation.

Among other things, we read a brief update about the development of the next Mass Effect and Dragon Age games.

“And of course, we remain hard at work on the next iterations of Dragon Age and Mass Effect. I’m seeing some incredible work from both teams. If you’re curious about Mass Effect, I’d encourage you to take a look at the poster we released on N7 Day. If you look closely, there are a handful of hidden treats; by my count, there are at least five surprises, all of which point to an amazing future in the Mass Effect universe. As for Dragon Age, we have a veteran group of talented developers working on the next iteration of the franchise. We are focused on a single-player experience that is built on choices that matter.”

We also hear that rebuilding the developer’s reputation and regaining the trust of the fans is a big focus for the studio:

Developer Motion Twin has just dropped a brand new animated trailer for Dead Cells: The Queen and the Sea to coincide with its launch today on PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, and PC.

The new DLC will set you back $4.99/£4.49 (or you regional equivalent), and follows on from two previous expansions The Bad Seeds and Fatal Falls.

Go ahead and check out the new animated launch trailer for Dead Cells: The Queen and the Sea down below:

Clocking in at just over a minute long, the animated clip is equal parts cute as it is eerily forlorn. Centering on the recognizable protagonist, The Prisoner, the footage sees the flame-headed hero setting sail for a mysterious, ancient ship paving the way for the newly released expansion.

Specifically, the add-on introduces some new levels, new biomes, new weapons, new bosses, and a new possible ending as well.

When we reviewed Dead Cells back in 2018, we loved our time with the title ultimately awarding it a 4.5/5, concluding:

The hype surrounding FromSoftware’s Elden Ring has reached critical mass for fervent fans in the form of a very unorthodox debate. Surprisingly, the current discourse surrounding the highly anticipated Souls-like game isn’t centered on the same tired online argument over reused animation. Oh no, this debate is about…

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With the ongoing pandemic continuing to disrupt life as we know it, especially as the omicron variant fuels an increase in confirmed covid infections, developer BioWare plans to embrace a remote work ethos.

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With 2.3 and 2.4, Genshin Impact really stepped up its Geo characters game and made all kinds of party combinations possible.

The post Geo Characters are Getting Their Moment in Genshin Impact appeared first on Siliconera.

The Steelbook pre-order offer will be available outside Europe, as Best Buy is offering it as an incentive.

The post Stranger of Paradise Final Fantasy Origin Steelbook Pre-order Promotion Revealed appeared first on Siliconera.

Action! We all love it, and some of the best games have it, whether that takes the form of a bombastic shooter, sword-clashing melee fest, or good old-fashioned brawler. Action is one of the most universally beloved genres, so we’ve compiled a list of upcoming games that already have our adrenaline pumping. Rather than rank them, each game is arranged in chronological release order so you’ll know how long you’ll have to wait before you can get your hand on them. And hey, just because an action game didn’t make the cut doesn’t mean it won’t be worth a look! These are just the titles that, at a glance, raised our eyebrows the highest. 

Bioware general manager Gary McKay has posted a blog discussing the state of the studio as it marches into 2022. The post provides some insight into the company's development and cultural goals moving forward, as well as light updates on its upcoming projects.

You can read the full post here, but one of the biggest takeaways is Bioware’s acknowledgment of previous missteps and its mission to get back in the good graces of its fans. McKay states that “When I took on the GM role, I talked about rebuilding our reputation, and that remains a huge priority. We are laser-focused on building back the trust of our fans and community, and we plan to do that by delivering the types of games that we are best known for and ensuring they are of the highest quality.” McKay touts the positive reception of Mass Effect Legendary Edition, which hits Xbox Game Pass today via EA Play, as a significant morale boost for the teams, and the target Bioware wants its future titles to hit. 

***Minor spoilers for episode 2 of The Book of Boba Fett. If you haven’t watched up until this point and don’t want the plot point for the current state of Tatooine spoiled, I’d suggest coming back after you watch the most recent episode.***

After a bit of a short and slow, but still good, first episode, The Book of Boba Fett caught up ground quickly in episode 2, not only doubling the run time but also introducing a bunch of interesting currents and past plot elements that are sure to have large implications on the rest of the season. And yet, as excited as everyone is to see Boba Fett teach Tuskan Raider’s how to ride their first (Speeder) bikes, the most noteworthy plotline revolves around the return of The Hutts to Tattooine.

About a fourth of the way through the episode, two Hutt’s known as The Twins show up and stake their claim to Boba Fett’s territory, stating it is their right since Jabba was their cousin. Their introduction and the stakes it adds to the conflict were great, especially since it introduced fan-favorite comic Wookie Black Krrsantan.

Despite the imposing appearance of The Hutts and this death-metal Wookie, many simply couldn’t stop talking about the sheer strength of the servants that carried The Twins via a litter. As you can see in the image below, there are about six to seven servants in total per side of this palanquin.

We now have word on when the next event will be coming to Apex Legends. The new event, dubbed Dark Depths, will be starting this Tuesday, January 11.

The main new addition coming with the Dark Depths Event is a new Arenas map called Habitat. The Apex Legends site has this to say about it:

Storm Point is just one of many islands in the New Antillia archipelago. Habitat 4 is one of the smallest islands in the chain, and is best known as a Leviathan breeding ground. Early IMC research groups were surprised to find that a large population of local Leviathans gravitated toward the island, and designated Habitat 4 as an ethology base to study the creatures’ behavior. It’s been over a century since then, and while the IMC is gone, the gentle giants they studied here remain.

Habitat 4 was inspired by Leviathans and how it would feel to fight in their breeding grounds. It represents our vision of an arena established in a natural environment, while holding true to the tentpoles of arena design. With that being said, one of Habitat 4’s key features is a large waterfall. Through the passage of time it has eroded the landscape, forming trenches and terraces of varied elevation. Making this island a paradise for slides and quick getaways.

Teams will have plenty of options and choices to make from the start. Do you make a play for the quick high ground to get a read on the enemy? Or do you take a sneakier approach?

We also have a look at the prize track for the Dark Depths Event. Rather than only a single prize tracker, instead every week of the event will see a new track.

When Pokemon Brilliant Diamond and Shining (but hardly brilliant) Pearl dropped last November, we were re-introduced to the niveous Sinnoh region and its various personalities.

Here, the initial hurdle for aspiring Pokemon Masters is Oreburgh Gym and its Rock-type leader, Roark. Ignoring the fact that he literally gives you a lump of coal as a prize, he is unique among his contemporaries as the only ‘first badge’ Gym Leader to roll with a trio of Pokemon.

Two is the standard, you see, and Roark even spits in the squinty eye of Kanto’s Brock by brandishing his trademark Geodude and Onix, with a Cranidos thrown in for good measure. As such, he is infinitely superior to the more ballyhooed deviant of Pewter City fame.

Does this mean Brock is the worst starting Gym Leader of them all, then? Hardly.

To his credit, Onix is an intimidating Pokemon not made available until the Rock Tunnel, meaning that doe-eyed trainers are getting a sneak peek of the beasts yet to come later on. Rounding out the Rock-type leaders, Hoenn’s Roxanne also receives a passing grade for her pairing of Geodude and Nosepass. The latter is another preview of creatures awaiting you down the track, and a tough cookie in its own right.

Geodude, meanwhile, is just standard fare for their ilk, it seems. Got a pet rock? Congratulations, you’re now the Gym Leader of your local municipality. Feel free to throw it at passersby to defend your home turf.

Jonesing for a dose of good ol’ survival horror? Then Heaven Dust 2 may be exactly what you need right now. Indeed, developer One Gruel Studio‘s ode to old-school spookies, like Resident Evil and Dino Crisis, has released today on Nintendo Switch and PC.

Feel free to peruse the new footage down below:

As you can see, while the perspective has shifted to a more isometric view, Heaven Dust 2 clearly takes a lot of gameplay cues from those aforementioned classic survival horror titles from yesteryear. Ammo conservation, environmental puzzles, resource management, nasty bosses, and a horde of undead zombies with a penchant for human flesh await you.

The Electronic Entertainment Expo, or E3, will shift to an online-only showcase for the second consecutive year and a year off, according to GamesBeat.

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Despite its name, Halo Infinite is very literally finite. Like most story-driven games, 343’s barnbuster first-person shooter comes to a conclusion—and, man, it is bananas, teeing up all sorts of implications for where Halo’s narrative could go. By now, a bunch of you have seen it for yourselves. You probably have…

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The ESA confirmed that the in-person E3 2022 event has been canceled.

The post E3 2022 In-Person Event Canceled appeared first on Siliconera.

Horizon Zero Dawn set a solid foundation for Guerrilla Games to build upon in Horizon Forbidden West, and the developer isn’t about to let this opportunity pass it by. For the upcoming sequel, Guerrilla Games looked at fan feedback, revisited ideas that were too ambitious for the first game, and tapped into the studio’s well of creativity to make Aloy’s exploits even more exciting. For our latest cover story, we saw Forbidden West in action and learned firsthand about how the sequel is making some worthwhile changes to improve upon its predecessor. 

Better Cinematics 

We expect improved graphics with each new entry in a series, and so far, the footage shown for Forbidden West has been extremely impressive. But sometimes it takes seeing the game up-close to really notice its finer points. “Some of the big upgrades we’ve made to our cinematics include full motion-capture, better facial animation, and a top-tier cast,” says narrative director Benjamin McCaw. “That level of quality goes across the entire game, including some of our minor scenes.” In the demo we saw for the cover story, dialogue exchanges felt more authentic between characters due to these improvements, and it was especially noticeable in the facial animations. Aloy can now convey much more with her body language and eyes.

It looks like E3 2022 will follow in the footsteps of last year’s show by being a digital-only event. Although the hope after 2021 was a return to an in-person gathering at the Los Angeles Convention Center (with even the city’s mayor crossing his fingers), the ongoing pandemic has nixed those plans. 

In a statement to Venture Beat, posted below, the ESA confirmed that the coronavirus remains a major issue so it’s playing it safe for one more year:

As we all know, the pandemic is still very much a thing, especially with the Omicron variant running rampant. This isn’t the biggest shock in the world but still disappointing for fans, developers, and media hoping to reconnect in person this June. Since the pandemic started, E3 has been canceled outright in 2020 and the 2021 edition saw the event unfold through a series of livestreams and digital meetings held on the ESA’s website. If nothing else, it'll be interesting to see how the ESA iterates on last year's approach. 

We're back with 2022's first episode of The Game Informer Show! This week, we're breaking down our thoughts on the PlayStation VR 2 and Horizon Call of the Mountain, along with catching you up with all the games we've been playing over the holidays! Also, Inquisitor of Indie Games Jill Grodt and Marcus Stewart join the Alexes this week and add to another stellar round of Listener Questions to round out the show. If you missed our chaotic energy, it's back in full force and won't be going anywhere in 2022, so we hope you enjoy the episode.

Follow the crew on Twitter: Alex Stadnik (@Studnik76), Alex Van Aken (@itsVanAken), Jill Grodt (@Finruin), and Marcus Stewart (@MarcusStewart7)

One of the worst experiences I ever had in virtual reality was rolling credits on Half-Life: Alyx. Not playing the game – mind you – that was fantastic. No, I hated rolling credits on the game because I knew this phenomenal AAA VR experience was over, and I didn’t know when I would ever have another VR adventure of that caliber again.

Anyone who has ever put on a VR headset can tell you that the technology is promising. Anyone who owns a VR headset can tell you how slow the industry has been to fulfill that promise. I love creative offerings like Beat Saber, Superhot VR, and Pistol Whip. Those entertaining diversions make me happy to have a headset, but they only provide one type of experience. I still crave meatier, story-based VR adventures. Stuff like Half-Life: Alyx and … and … and well there aren’t a lot of other examples. 

A very creative person has designed Lego versions of the PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X and while they aren’t available to purchase at the moment, they could be one day. 

Twitter user BrickinNick revealed these two proof-of-concept Lego kits today with a stylish video and it turns out, with enough support, these could become real. That’s thanks to Lego Ideas, which is a unique Lego program where users can submit project concepts such as Lego new-gen consoles and ask for support. With enough backing, Lego could bring these conceptual kits to fruition. That assitance is what BrickinNick is asking for on Twitter and showing it requires simply creating a Lego Ideas account and clicking support. BrickinNick says 10,000 supporters can help this project become a Lego set so if you like what you see, help him out.

You might have noticed the internet being peppered by little green, white and yellow squares over the past week. They're from Wordle, a free once-a-day word puzzle where everyone is trying to guess the same five letter word. I've been hooked on it since Christmas - and you should be playing it, too.

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I'm not a huge fan of anime character art, but I could soak in the environment art of Genshin Impact all day long. There are plenty of pretty sights to see in the trailer for version 2.4, the latest update to add a new area, new characters and new weapons to the action-adventure gacha game.

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Ready or Not is a tactical horror game where you creep through sprawling mazes of American decay searching for violent suspects amidst cowering bystanders. Steam currently loves it, but after spending a few hours with it I can’t say I do. At its best it’s an admirably tense puzzle game punctuated by twitchy shootouts,…

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The creator behind Wordle, a free browser-based puzzle game, has no plans to include ads into his suddenly super-popular game, explaining in a recent interview that he doesn’t understand why some things can’t just be fun. Creator Josh Wardle also seems uninterested in converting Wordle into a mobile game as he doesn’t…

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If you listed, ooh, the top ten trends in games over the past year or two, I think you'd probably include "photo modes" and "petting the dog" on the list. So here comes Pupperazzi, nailing the zeitgeist as a game specifically about taking photos of dogs - who, of course, you can also pet. It's now just two weeks away from release, with a January 20th release date.

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