January 2022

Pokémon Legends: Arceus is right around the corner, hitting Switch on January 28, and Nintendo has been slowly revving up its marketing for the upcoming hub-based RPG. That continued today with a new six-minute trailer released on the Japanese Nintendo YouTube account and while the entire video is in Japanese, it still gives us a great look at what’s in store for us in the Hisui region. 

Namely, the locations, pocket monsters, and NPCs we’ll be encountering. It also gives us our best look at the HUD and menu screens in Pokémon Legends: Arceus thus far as well. If you’ve been following this game since its announcement, you’ll notice that the game is looking much better than when it was first shown, too. 

Pokémon Legends: Arceus has been described by Nintendo as an open-hub game, akin to the Monster Hunter series, rather than an open-world one and while that’s still the case, this trailer reveals these hubs are actually quite large – big enough to make flying around on a Pokémon or riding on the back of one in water very viable. 

There are big changes coming to Valorant for its fourth Episode, and not just by way of new content. Riot Games looks set to deliver a major patch/update in tandem with its launch, as is typical, which seems as though it will include an overhaul of the game’s tropical island map, Breeze. The news comes by way of leaked images that yesterday surfaced across social media showcasing a host of small but significant tweaks to the map.

People will get to join Otsuu and Little Mermaid on their adventures in January, as Ghostlight set the Mary Skelter 2 PC release date.

The post Mary Skelter 2 PC Release Date Set appeared first on Siliconera.

The free horror PC game is currently only available in the Japanese language.

The post Hololive Error Horror Game Is a Free Download appeared first on Siliconera.

You will be able to play Monster Hunter Rise with cinematic screen effects.

The post Monster Hunter Rise PC Version Will Come With Screen Filters appeared first on Siliconera.

This new live wallpaper features the Geo Archon sipping tea in solitude.

The post Genshin Impact Zhongli Live Wallpaper Now Available for PC appeared first on Siliconera.

The beleaguered Battlefield 2042 is free to play this weekend on Xbox.

The offer is part of the platform's regular Free Play Days scheme open to anyone with an Xbox Live Gold or Xbox Game Pass Ultimate subscription.

Read more

The first year of the new console generation has been quite unlike any other - Xbox One and PlayStation 4 releases are still prolific and the hard cut-off on older hardware seen in prior transition phases simply hasn't happened. Although there have been a small amount of PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series exclusive, the new consoles are essentially getting beefed up versions of titles designed for legacy hardware. This puts Xbox One X and Xbox Series S into a particularly interesting situation: an older, but still potent GPU faces off against a less graphically adept, but arguably more rounded machine owing to its massively faster CPU and NVMe solid-state storage. However, Xbox One X can also run games from SSD, leading our latest thought experiment: how does a storage-enhanced One X fare against Series S?

The results are intriguing and in many way controversial - but this could apply to the whole concept of launching Series S in the first place in a world where a prior generation Xbox exists with more GPU horsepower, more RAM and much higher levels of memory bandwidth. Of course, we have Series machines replacing One equivalents and it's Xbox Series X that is the successor to Xbox One X - the clue's in the name. And by extension, we also need to be aware that One X and Series S target very, very different markets: we're talking about a machine designed for the hardcore up against a console designed for a more mainstream audience, less likely to desire the clarity delivered by 4K resolution and higher-end rendering features.

Read more

Mario Kart 9 is now in "active development" within Nintendo, according to Tokyo-based industry consultant Dr. Serkan Toto.

The continued sales success of Mario Kart 8 Deluxe had left many fans wondering if Nintendo was still planning an all-new Mario Kart for Nintendo Switch - or whether the platform would just be left with its hugely-popular Wii U port.

Read more

The latest update to Red Dead Online has not gone down well with players.

Rockstar shared an update for the new year, which includes experience bonuses and a handful of other extras for the next month, specifically for the A Land of Opportunities, Call to Arms, and Gang Hideouts events.

Read more

The Ascent looks set for launch on PlayStation 5 and PlayStation 4 soon.

Gematsu spotted a listing for The Ascent on the website of the Entertainment Software Rating Board (ESRB). This follows a similar listing spotted last month in Taiwan. I imagine an announcement isn't too far off.

Read more

Very good adventure game Lair of the Clockwork God is getting a fancypants, Limited Run, physical release on Switch and PS4.

I'm delighted because I've got a soft spot for Lair of the Clockwork God. I reviewed it on PC in 2020 and loved it. It's an adventure game and sometimes a platform game about two characters, Dan and Ben. And they bicker, endlessly. One represents point-and-clicks, and the other, platformers. And they don't always get along.

Read more

Hitting the gym in the new year isn't for everybody and you needn't feel pressured to buy a gym membership that you probably won't use. If you want to get more active this year and don't want the hassle or expense of monthly gym payments (or joining fees), the Ring Fit Adventure on Nintendo Switch is a great alternative.

Not only can it motivate you to add more exercise into your daily routine, it's also a one-time purchase with no guilt if you decide to take a break from it. Working out in the comfort of your home is also a big plus.

Read more

Days Gone staff discussed a potential open-world Resistance game and a Syphon Filter reboot with higher-ups at PlayStation.

Jeff Ross, the director of Days Gone who left Sony in late 2020, discussed some of these pitch ideas last night via video chat with former Twisted Metal developer David Jaffe. During the call, he went into further detail on how his hopes for a Days Gone sequel were squashed.

Read more

CES is a gloriously mad hodgepodge of different tech fields; the kind where smartphone chip makers share floor space with car manufacturers and sex toys. It’s also one of the biggest showcases of PC gaming hardware in the calendar, and CES 2022 has been no exception, with major component reveals from AMD, Intel, and Nvidia along with loads of gaming laptop, peripheral, and monitor announcements.

This year’s show is technically still going for another day, but like a Foo Fighters album, CES tends to front-load the good stuff. As such, it’s basically safe to start rounding up any PC gaming kit highlights. Some of these have been a long time coming – like the GeForce RTX 3050, Nvidia’s first XX50 desktop GPU with full ray tracing and DLSS support – while others might be pleasant surprises or eye-catching, if likely to be witheringly expensive, new concepts.

Read more

I was a little worried about Left 4 Dead-alike Rainbow Six: Extraction. You know, after it was announced as Rainbow Six: Quarantine, changed its name, dipped under the radar for ages, then re-emerged with news it was being delayed. Signs pointed to a shaky spin-off from Rainbow Six: Siege's popular Outbreak mode. But no, I was totally wrong! After an early hands on with the game, I’m now at ease, at least when I’m at a safe distance. You see, the zombies here may be fewer in number, but they don’t mess about. This makes for a tactical spin on zombie-slaying that truly rewards teamwork, and it’s wonderful as a result.

Read more

The cleverly named Pupperazzi, a cute game about taking snapshots of doggos that appeared during last August’s ID@Xbox Showcase, has a release date. Best of all, it’s coming in just a couple of weeks – January 20 to be exact.

Does the idea of Pokémon Snap but with dogs appeal to you? Pupperazzi has you covered. Armed with your trusty camera, you’ll capture a variety of dog breeds in a world seemingly populated with nothing but canines. You’ll catch them doing all manner of strange things, like jamming to music, riding bicycles (somehow), or executing death-defying skateboard tricks. You can adorn pups in different outfits and upgrade your camera to capture better, more dynamic photos. Watch the most recent gameplay trailer below if you need something to cheer you up.

Pupperazzi is slated for Xbox consoles and PC and is coming to Xbox Game Pass (console and PC) at launch. If photography games are your jam, here’s a handy list of similar titles aimed to please the shutterbug in you.

Former Bend Studio director Jeff Ross revealed earlier this week that Days Gone sold more than Ghost of Tsushima, but was not praised like it and instead seen as a disappointment by Sony and PlayStation. Discussing that with former God of War and Twisted Metal director David Jaffe on a recent livestream, Ross also revealed some other pitches Bend Studio made after a sequel to Days Gone was rejected. 

As first reported by Video Games Chronicle, Ross said he was especially interested in rebooting PlayStation’s long-dormant Resistance series, which was created by Insomniac Games back in the PlayStation 3 generation. Like the pitch to Days Gone 2, though, it was rejected. 

Look, I’m not going to lie – when Kilter Films, Bethesda Game Studios, and Amazon announced back in 2020 that a Fallout TV series was in the works, I immediately wrote it off. Surely it’d be another video game TV project that would stumble through development until it’s quietly canceled, only for the world to collectively ask years later, “Hey, what happened to that Fallout show?” That’s what video game movies and TV developments have done to me. In this instance, though, it appears I’m wrong because production is moving forward and the show now has a director. 

Those familiar with HBO’s Westworld series might recognize him, too, as it’s the same person who created and executive produced that series: Jonathan Nolan, the brother of famed director Christopher Nolan (The Dark Night, Inception). First reported by Deadline, Nolan will direct the premiere of the series, which will go into production this year. Alongside this news, the publication also revealed that Geneva Robertson-Dworet (Captain Marvel) and Graham Wagner (Silicon Valley) have been tapped to serve as showrunners. 

Oh, you thought Ska was dead? Wrong! Not only is it alive and well, but this precursor to rocksteady and reggae is thriving in the video game scene as well, as a group of artists have come together to create an album dedicated to Mario Kart 64 called Skario Kart.

Released under GameGrooves’ music label, Skario Kart is a 16-track album that features the work of 14 different artists, each bringing their own funky rhythm to the soundtrack. GameGrooves producer Allen Brasch had the following to say about this unique collaboration.

“Drawing inspiration from Skatune Network, I wanted to transform Mario Kart 64’s soundtrack into a ska-filled celebration. With the help of Brent and Jer from Skatune Network, I was able to contact several artists in the ska community, and together with existing GameGrooves artists, we created a one-of-a-kind album for fans of ska and video game music alike.”

The full tracklisting for Skario Kart: A Ska Tribute to Mario Kart 64 is as follows:

1. Mario Kart 64 Theme
2. 3 Raceways / Mario Stadium
3. Moo Moo Farm/Yoshi Valley
4. Koopa Troopa Beach
5. Kalimari Desert
6. Set up and Kart Select
7. Toad’s Turnpike
8. Frappe Snowland/Sherbert Island
9. Choco Mountain/Battle Arenas
10. Koopa Castle
11. Battle Arenas
12. DK’s Jungle Party
13. Banshee Boardwalk
14. Rainbow Road
15. Trophy Presentations
16. Victory Lap

Anyone interested in listening to Skario Kart can head over to Bandcamp, where you can also purchase a copy if you want to download it.

Good Smile Company revealed the Snow Miku 2022 Nendoroid and figma figures and confirmed an advanced sale period will start in February.

The post Snow Miku 2022 Nendoroid and Figma Pre-orders Open in February appeared first on Siliconera.

The latest of the Tales of Luminaria anime trailers shows childhood friends Leo, Celia, and Hugo reuniting under unfortunate circumstances.

The post New Tales of Luminaria Anime Trailer Focuses on Childhood Friends appeared first on Siliconera.

Hololive En Vtuber Amelia Watson just celebrated her birthday, and later in 2022 people will be able to get merchandise commemorating it.

The post Amelia Watson Birthday Merchandise Will Appear This Year appeared first on Siliconera.

Once again, Capcom confirmed that the Capcom Cup VIII will be canceled. The pandemic is to blame for no in-person event.

The post Capcom Cup VIII Canceled in Favor of Online Event appeared first on Siliconera.

So look, no one likes a busted video game. It’s not fun to play and leads to all kinds of headaches for developers and players alike. But worse than a busted video game are Angry Gamers™ demanding studios miraculously fix shit immediately. The latest game plagued by both such problems and such players is DICE’s …

Read more...

Former Bend Studio director Jeff Ross recently revealed that he pitched an open-world Resistance sequel after Sony made it clear it had no interest in a Days Gone 2. There were also talks of a new Syphon Filter reboot. But none of these projects made it very far, according to Ross in a new interview with David Jaffe.

Read more...

Halo Infinite’s big team battle mode has a big team problem, and it’s not the notoriously busted functionality. Infinite’s player base is, for perhaps the first time since launch, in lockstep on something: Developer 343 Industries should stop issuing BTB-focused challenges for the time being, players say, at least…

Read more...

With the release of Pokémon Legends: Arceus right around the corner, Nintendo has released a new gameplay overview that shows off the downsides of adventuring in the time before pocket monsters and humans became the best of friends. Avoiding the tall grass is not going to save you when Garchomp and Snorlax are coming…

Read more...

Video game marketers are eternally trying to one up each other with stupid terms. From the industry which bought you "levelution", the "drivatar", and "gameplay trailers" which aren't gameplay comes a new one: "gameplay lore trailer". The year has barely begun but Ubisoft are gunning it out the gate with the new Rainbow Six Siege trailer. This new gameplay lore trailer—yeesh!—explains why a game set within Tom Clancy's serious world of paranoid jingoistic masturbation is overrun with a weird parasite mutating people into monsters.

Read more

The person who edited Austin Powers into Mass Effect, to the delightful and horror of all, has now spliced up another storm. Their latest video melds Mr Bean clips with scenes from Cyberpunk 2077 and goodness me, he seems thrilled to enter a dystopian megacity. You might fear Night City will eat the rubber-faced fool alive, but maybe he's the only one of us who could survive it. Come watch!

Read more

2021 was the year of the time loop wasn't it? Deathloop topped a lot of charts and made an appearance in our game of the year list. Twelve Minutes: a timeloop thriller. Lemnis Gate: a tactical FPS where you out time loop one another. The Forgotten City, the Outer Wilds DLC, watching a man throw a “traditional shaped returning” boomerang on YouTube. All of them, time loops.

I’m absolutely sick of them. So here’s me hoping that 2022 is the year of the "time skip", instead. Or at least, one of these coming years an excessive number of games built around skipping time. Yes, they aren't without their flaws, but I'd argue they're less repetitive and capable of greater surprise. Alright, at least hear me out.

Read more

The King of Fighters XV is coming close to having a complete roster, with the frosty fighter Kula Diamond becoming the 38th member. 

Kula and her ice-centric moves were revealed in a new trailer this week. Formerly a member of Team K' in past King of Fighters installments, she's joined the tournament with newcomer Krohnen (who's mechanically a callback to the popular Akira-inspired KOF character K9999) and Ángel, a former NESTS assassin with a pro wrestling move set.

It would have been quite the shock if a fan-favorite face like Kula didn't make the main roster of KOFXV, but since she's the 38th character revealed from a confirmed roster of 39, other mainstays like Taekwondo practitioner Kim may have to wait for DLC or miss out entirely. There are rumors as to who the final character will end up being, but what we do know is there's only one spot on a team open, and it's alongside Ash Crimson and Kukri. 

South Park creators Trey Parker and Matt Stone revealed last August that a new South Park game is in the works alongside “several spinoff movies” and more, and now, we know what studio is developing that title. 

Revealed on a Careers web page, Question Games, the team behind The Magic Circle and The Blackout Club, is working on a new South Park game and a job listing might hint at multiplayer. The listing also reveals that the game will be developed in Unreal Engine with an aim to release on “modern systems” such as PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and PC. 

“Question and South Park Digital Studios are seeking a Lead Level Designer for work on a new video game set in the world of South Park,” the Lead Level Designer job listing on Question Games’ Careers page reads. 

A not-so-long time ago in the same galaxy we all reside in, Respawn Entertainment deviated from its first-person shooter roots to create Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order. This third-person action game was the studio’s first stab at tackling the coveted Star Wars license, crafting an original adventure set five years after Revenge of the Sith. It stars Cal Kestis, a padawan turned junker (played by Shameless star Cameron Monaghan) that managed to evade the Jedi purge of Order 66. After he’s outed by the Sith, he embarks on a quest to recover an artifact capable of locating force-sensitive children while also avoiding capture by the Inquisitors, who are elite Jedi hunters. 

The game features a blend of lightsaber combat and a suite of Force abilities. Borrowing inspiration from FromSoftware’s Soul series, encounters are challenging, requiring a strategic blend of blocks and parries to outduel opponents. Meanwhile, the various planets take on a Metroid-inspired progression with players unlocking abilities to backtrack to previously inaccessible areas. 

Watch on Twitch!

Fallen Order was released on November 15, 2019, and was a critical and financial success. It also served as a saving grace for single-player fans, providing proof to an increasingly multiplayer-focused EA that linear story-driven experiences can still make the big bucks. With a sequel reportedly in the works, we’re revisiting this gem of the Star Wars video game pantheon. 

Today Ubisoft launched a pair of new trailers of its upcoming tactical shooter Rainbow Six Extraction.

This time around we get a video in which REACT R&D director Dr. Elena “Mira” Alvarez (who also appears in Rainbow Six Siege as an operator) explains the backstory of the game.

The second trailer focuses on gameplay and talks about the enemies that we’ll face in Extraction.

You can check both out below.

*SPOILER WARNING: The rest of this article contains MAJOR spoilers for Black Widow, Hawkeye, and Avengers: Endgame. If you haven’t seen any of these films or shows and don’t want to have them spoiled, turn back now.*

Black Widow and Hawkeye are the two avengers that always kind of felt out of place. While specially trained and ridiculously talented, they were grouped up with a literal god, a giant green man, a super-soldier, and a billionaire in the best suit of armor money could build.

Despite this, they still played a prominent role in the team and were seen as valuable members of it. And because of that bond, Natasha Romanoff’s sacrifice in Avengers: Endgame really felt like it meant something. Yet, even though the end of her story arc was simultaneously crushing and satisfying, there was still something missing: a Black Widow film trilogy.

Of the two them, Hawkeye at least got enough recognition to the point where people actually cared about his absence in Infinity War, as well as a show on Disney+ later on. Natasha, on the other hand, got sprinkled into a handful of MCU movies with the occasional cameo. We heard plenty of general information about her past, but we saw almost none of it up until Black Widow. And Natasha absolutely had enough backstory to dig into for a solid trilogy of movies.

Now before you go off about how Black Widow was sub-par, I 100% agree. The movie, from beginning to end, was mostly forgettable with some decent action. There were a few good comedic interactions between Yelena and Natasha, as well as their interactions with Aleksei Shostakov/Red Guardian. In the same respect, there was also a bizarrely placed rendition of Smells Like Teen Spirit during the opening credits.

It’s time for award season here at Twinfinite, so we’re looking back at the best games from the past year. 2021 saw an impressive number of action/adventure games, each of them taking us on unforgettable journeys. Voted on by our very own editors and staff, these were the best action/adventure games of 2021 that offered the richest experiences in their genre.