Sony has released a new patch for Horizon Forbidden West that fixes a number of issues.
However, most notable is that the widespread issue of shimmering graphics is still yet to be fixed, though the team has acknowledged it's working on it.
Eagle Dynamics, developer of flight combat sim DCS World, has asked people not to upload footage from its game and claim it to be footage from the ongoing Russian invasion of Ukraine.
The company behind the military combat simulator made a plea to users, requesting they respect the sensitivity of real-world events: "it is paramount to avoid generating images that could be misconstrued and potentially put lives in danger... we beg you to be sensible and avoid using DCS to create videos of this nature".
The deputy prime minister of Ukraine has called on video game companies, esports organisations and specifically both PlayStation and Xbox to do more to pile pressure on the Russian regime.
In an open letter published via Twitter today, Ukraine deputy prime minister Mykhailo Fedorov called for support, and for companies to do "everything possible to protect Ukraine, Europe and finally the entire democratic world from bloody authoritarian aggression".
Square Enix will release a Kingdom Hearts III glasses case in June 2022. The glasses case will feature several major motifs found throughout the Kingdom Hearts series. These include the Kingdom Key and Heartless symbols. The Kingdom Hearts III glasses case will cost 3,850 yen ($33) and is immediately available to pre-order. [Thanks, Gamer!]
The case itself is available to be folded and flattened down. This will make the case easy to carry. Additionally, the case is made out of synthetic leather. Other motifs that appear on the case include the Organization 13 logo, the symbol of the Unversed, and the Lucky Emblem design. Each of these symbols appear not only on the front of the case, but down the back.
You can take a look at the Kingdom Hearts III glasses case below.
[gallery columns="4" link="file" ids="918545,918546,918547,918548"]
Bandai Spirits will release a series of Quintessential Quintuplets figures, which feature each sister in a uniquely designed black dress. Each figure will be rolled out through the months of February to June 2022. The Quintessential Quintuplets black dress figures will be available to obtain through any participating game center within Japan. As expected, a total of five figures will be available to collect. Each figure will be roughly 18cm tall. [Thanks, Dengeki Hobby Web!]
The release order of the figures will be as follows:
This line of figures is based off of designs that appeared on the cover of Japanese magazine B.L.T. The cover featured illustrations of each Nakano sister in a unique black dress. You can take a look at the Quintessential Quintuplets B.L.T. black dress figures below.
[gallery columns="5" ids="918519,918517,918518,918520,918521,918522,918523,918524,918525,918526,918527,918536,918535,918534,918533,918532,918531,918530,918529,918528" link="file"]
Piccolo is getting a new look in Dragon Ball Super: Super Hero. The latest trailer for the upcoming CG anime film shows him and Goku's son Gohan squaring off against the "Super Heroes" of the Red Ribbon Army.
Toei Films uploaded the "Part 2" trailer to its YouTube channel on March 1, 2022. The "Part 1" trailer debuted at Jump Festa 2022.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EwXiAhcSv2o
The new form Piccolo takes on in Dragon Ball Super: Super Hero is named "Potential Unleashed." Gohan used a similar technique (also known as "Ultimate Form") in the past. This form is revealed during the Dragon Ball Super: Super Hero trailer, after the Namekian fighter is attacked by Gamma 2. When shifting to his Ultimate Form, Piccolo's skin color changes from deep green to a light yellow. Other scenes from the trailer include Gohan confronting Gamma 2. He also faces the Red Ribbon Army and its boss, Magenta, in an attempt to rescue his daughter Pan from their clutches.
The new key visual for the film emphasizes Gohan and Piccolo's battle against Gamma 1 and Gamma 2.
In an interview with Famitsu, the developers of Soul Hackers 2 shared a bit of information about the title. This includes their efforts to team up with creators outside of Atlus. Additionally, the developers spoke briefly about the general development of the title. The interview shares some insight as to how the developers of Soul Hackers 2 plan to keep this entry in line with previous titles in the series. [Thanks, ryokutya2089!]
The development team of Soul Hackers 2 is actively trying to team up with creators outside of Atlus. The interview mentions the music production studio led by Keiichi Okabe, MONACA. Okabe has helped compose the score for the NieR series, as well as for select entries in the Tekken series. However, outside of MONACA, no other creators are mentioned for potential collaborations.
You can read the interview excerpts below:
It's safe to say Sylvanas Windrunner is among the most beloved characters in the vast Warcraft universe, so it's only fitting that she becomes the subject of the latest World of Warcraft tie-in novel. IGN can exclusively debut an excerpt from writer Christie Golden's World of Warcraft: Sylvanas ahead of its March 29 release date.
Golden has penned a number of World of Warcraft novels in recent years, including 2009's Arthas: Rise of the Lich King and 2012's Jaina Proudmoore: Tides of War. As with Arthas, Sylvanas aims to provide a full account of the titular character's life and death and the cursed existence that now defines her. The book will also lend new insight into her relationship with the being known as the Jailer.
This excerpt takes place early in the novel, revealing a young Sylvanas' first encounter with her infant brother Lirath.
As Elden Ring continues to prove itself a cultural phenomenon, it's now extended beyond the gaming sphere into the world of candy.
Trolli has created its own range of official Elden Ring gummies called Sweet Peachie Elden Rings, though unfortunately they're incredibly limited and not actually for sale.
In a tweet, below, Trolli Candy joked: "We have searched The Lands Between with our delicious sour gummi bodies and have found these Sweet Peachie Elden Rings.
"For the sake of all the Tarnished, we will devour them with great speed!"
We have searched The Lands Between with our delicious sour gummi bodies and have found these Sweet Peachie Elden Rings.
— Trolli Candy (@Trolli_USA) March 1, 2022
For the sake of all the Tarnished, we will devour them with great speed! #ELDENRING @ELDENRING pic.twitter.com/Caz3nVNO8P
Sadly, Trolli made clear to one fan that the Rings are not for sale – and they seem to have been created purely to send to influencers and notable figures in the game industry. Game Awards creator Geoff Keighley clearly liked them, tweeting, "CAN YOU SEND SOME MORE?".
Ghostwire: Tokyo – Prelude has been released on PlayStation 4 and 5, a visual novel prequel that focuses on one of the game's main characters, KK, six months before the events of the main game.
KK is the voice inside protagonist Akito's head in Ghostwire, but in Prelude he's a normal human detective investigating a series of urban legends come to life.
Announced on the PlayStation Blog, Prelude has been designed to give players a taste of Ghostwire's world ahead of the main game's release date of March 25.
Scenario writer Takahiro Kaji said: "There’s a different, kind of more relaxed atmosphere in the visual novel. KK is a veteran, accustomed to the situation, working within his realm of expertise and there’s good teamwork with Rinko’s group.
"By understanding KK a little better through Ghostwire: Tokyo – Prelude, the player would be able to gain more perspective and see another side to KK’s dialogue in Ghostwire: Tokyo.
The visual novel is seemingly meant to be played multiple times, as the blog states that players will encounter new elements of the story with each playthrough.
Prelude and the main Ghostwire are both set in a Tokyo where supernatural creatures from Japanese mythology make their way into the real world.
February was a bumper month for PC games, wasn’t it? As if Elden Ring wasn't enough game to be getting on with, we also had strategy behemoth Total War: Warhammer 3 alongside surprise hit Lost Ark. You could argue that after a month as busy as February, we could all do with a bit of space to actually play these enormous games before we throw anything else onto our already bursting backlogs.
Sadly, I come bearing terrible news. March is yet another jam-packed month for new releases, with huge titles such as GhostWire: Tokyo and Tiny Tina’s Wonderlands threatening to tear our attention away from the wonderful Elden Ring. And that’s before I tell you about promising indie releases like Tunic and Weird West!
One of last year’s most popular anime is getting a second season, and it’s already almost here, as it was revealed that Komi Can’t Communicate’s sophomore season would be arriving early next month. To be exact, the anime is set to begin broadcasting in the west on Apr. 6, 2022, though only in sub format at the moment.
Komi Can’t Communicate took the anime world by storm when it debuted last year, as many fell in love with its unique presentation, storylines, and characters. The franchise originated from a manga by Tomohito Oda that has been serialized on Weekly Shounen Sunday since 2016 and is still ongoing.
You can check out a brief synopsis of the premise, courtesy of Viz Media, right down below.
Riot Games has this week kicked off Valorant’s second Act of Episode 4, which brings with it a substantial new update that not only adds the typical array of battlepass and skin content but also gameplay balance changes. As reported in our recent article, the patch notes reveal changes to several controllers in the game, including Omen, Viper, Astra, and Brimstone. Also, an overhaul of the map Icebox. But perhaps the most highly anticipated change is the rework of Yoru, the teleporting Japanese duelist who has long been at the wrong end of Valorant’s meta.
Today, a trailer celebrates the launch of Act II, and Yoru is front and center as the sequences highlight his reworked belt of utility, as well as showcase all of the new Act II content. Check it out below.
Today, independent game developers FoamPunch have revealed that they are releasing a brand new snowboarding game later this month. Called Shredders, the game places players in the shoes of a professional snowboarder that is looking to win a big invitational and make a name for themselves.
To do so, they’ll need to master the art of park riding, buttering, rails, and launching off massive kickers while competing against a slew of other talented participants.
You can check out some official screenshots and a list of features for Shredders right down below:
Today NIS America announced the western release date for North America and Europe of the legendary JRPG by Nihon Falcom The Legend of Heroes: Trails From Zero.
The JRPG, which was never localized when it was originally released for PSP in 2010, will finally launch in the west for PS4, Nintendo Switch, and PC on September 27, 2022.
The announcement comes with a trailer, which you can watch below. incidentally, you’ll also notice that the NIS America logo has been officially changed.
We already know that a limited edition will be available for both PS4 and Nintendo Switch. As usual, PC players will have to be content with a digital release.
Game engine maker Unity is donating $623k to humanitarian charities in the wake of Russia's devastating invasion of Ukraine.
Details from the company this afternoon included plans to support relief organisations throughout the year with money from company reserves and donations from employees, which will be triple-matched by execs.
When it comes to buying a new mobile phone deal, purchasing a SIM-free handset, upgrading your phone or finding a new SIM-only deal is usually the best way to save you money. Getting the newest iPhone or Samsung phone directly from the brand is usually the most expensive, so you're going to need to know where to look to find cheaper deals from other retailers.
If your phone contract is coming to an end, you're probably wondering whether you should renew your current mobile phone plan, buy a new smartphone with a cheaper tariff, or switch to an affordable SIM-only plan. Or perhaps you're looking to buy one of the latest Apple or Android models outright? Whatever the reason, there are loads of cheap mobile phone deals available on the market these days, and we're here to help you find the best option for you.
Twitch has announced it will celebrate Women's History Month with a spotlight on women creators throughout March.
Hundreds of women will be featured on the Women's History Month shelf on the front page of the platform, showcasing a diverse range of talented streamers.
NIS America promised The Legend of Heroes: Trails from Zero would appear in Fall 2022, and now it has a release date within that window. People will be able to find it on the PS4, Switch, and PC on September 27, 2022. There's also a new trailer looking at Lloyd Bannings' adventure to go with the announcement.
The new video helps explain what’s going on. People familiar with the localized entries in the Trails of Cold Steel series likely already met Lloyd. The trailer offers an idea of what Lloyd is dealing with as a Crossbell Police Department officer and shows his allies. It begins with him looking at a picture of his family, before shifting to Elie MacDowell, Tio Plato, and Randolph Orlando. (Again, familiar faces to people who keep up with The Legend of Heroes.) It then shows Crossbell proper. After introducing everyone, it hints at people might investigate in the city-state.
Here’s the Trails from Zero release date trailer.
NIS America revealed a new logo and a refreshed website ahead of its 20th anniversary in 2023. The new logo employs a sumi-e style, imitating simple brush strokes. This look is understated compared to the previous NIS America logo, which used a gradient of red, blue, and purple colors. The text in the old logo even wiggled and dissolved at the tips.
For reference, below is the old company logo:
Video game publisher and developer Nippon Ichi Software established its NIS America branch on December 24, 2003, and it is rooted in Santa Ana, CA. NIS America handles game localization, marketing, and publishing in the region.
Square Enix will release a Final Fantasy VII Remake glasses case bearing the Shinra Electric Power Company logo. The glasses case will also feature red detailing to match the Shinra logo and corporation colors. It will cost 3,850 yen/$34.99. It is set to release in June 2022 in Japan and October 2022 in North America. It is immediately available to pre-order through the Square Enix e-STORE and Online Store.
The Final Fantasy VII Remake Shinra Electric Power Company glasses case is made out of synthetic leather. While most of the glasses case is black, the sides are red to match the company's logo. Additionally, there is slight beveling in the synthetic leather to give the case the appearance of being screwed together. The case is collapsible, which means that it can be stored away neatly when not in use.
You can take a look at the Shinra Electric Power Company glasses case below.
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Famitsu has revealed the list of nominees for the Famitsu Dengeki Game Awards 2021. This award presentation will give honors to specific game titles based on Japanese user votes.
Tales of Arise, Resident Evil Village, and Uma Musume: Pretty Derby have noticeably occupied many award nominations in this list. These titles are highly popular in Japan, and all of them made their way into the top five most-searched video game titles in the country in 2021.
Here is the full list of nominees for the Famitsu Dengeki Game Awards 2021:
Game of the Year
MVC - Most Valuable Creator
Best Scenario
Editor's Note: The war in Ukraine is an ongoing, painful and emotive topic. IGN urges community members to be respectful when engaging in conversation around this subject and does not endorse harassment of any kind.
Kyiv-based STALKER 2 developer GSC Game World has defiantly said that development on the game will continue after Ukraine's victory over Russia in the ongoing war.
In a video uploaded to GSC's YouTube channel titled "Lights! Camera! War...", the studio explained how its world had been turned upside down due to the Russian invasion.
Captions in the video read: "The previous week we were editing the video about our motion capture studio. We wanted to show how the cutscenes were created, took time to watch the videos, write scripts and speak with actors. The previous week was ages ago.
"On the 24th of February Russia declared war on Ukraine and sent rockets, tanks, and soldiers to our homeland. Our country is forced to fight for existence again.
"Now we are striving to help our employees and their families to survive. The game development shifted to the side-lines. But we will definitely continue. After the victory. Glory to Ukraine."
GSC previously called for support from fans and the industry, and asked people to send funds to the Ukrainian army. It comes as many in the games industry have thrown support behind Ukraine after Russian president Vladimir Putin launched a full-scale invasion into the country.
Capcom is bringing Resident Evil 2 Remake, 3 Remake, and 7 to PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series later this year, with free upgrades for existing owners.
The three games will receive visual enhancements for the new consoles, and those who already own them on PS4 and Xbox One will receive free digital upgrades.
Capcom also confirmed that PC versions of the games will receive upgrade patches at the same time as the PS5 and Xbox Series versions are released.
Each of the three titles will be updated to include ray tracing, high frame rate, and 3D audio. The PS5 versions will also utilise the DualSense controller's Haptic Feedback and Adaptive Triggers.
This means that four out of the eight mainline Resident Evil games will be officially available on Sony and Microsoft's next-generation hardware without having to use backwards compatibility.
Resident Evil 7, which IGN said was good, is, oddly, the oldest of the three games having released in 2017, while Resident Evil 2 and 3 were released in 2019 and 2020 respectively as remakes of the original PlayStation games, both of which IGN said were amazing.
Elden Ring publisher Bandai Namco has informed its Japanese staff that they will all receive a pay increase from this April. The average monthly salary will be increased by 50,000 yen.
Announced to staff on February 28, the publisher said in a press release (translated by IGN Japan) "Bandai Namco Entertainment Inc. will increase the ratio of basic salary to annual income from April 2022, with the aim of improving working conditions by stabilizing employee income. We will introduce a new compensation system that raises the basic salary by an average of 50,000 yen per month for all employees. In addition, the starting salary will be raised from the previous 232,000 yen per month to 290,000 yen per month."
The press release outlines Bandai Namco's aim to "connect with fans" via its games. "In order to realize this vision, it is essential to promote the active participation of diverse human resources in multiple fields, which is why we have decided to make this revision."
The average boost for Japanese employees at Bandai Namco will be 50,000 yen, but the press release notes that those on the new graduate starting salary will see a 58,000 yen per month increase as their pay goes up to 290,000 yen. This salary includes a 10,000 yen allowance awarded for the "Entertainment Input Opportunity Provision System", a scheme recently introduced as part of Bandai Namco's "Activity Based Working" system. Alongside this input opportunity scheme, the system is designed to allow staff the ability to choose when and where they work depending on their project goals.
It’s a Pokemon world, and we just live in it. To prove this undeniable fact, the Pokemon Company has announced the next new mainline games in the series. Pokemon Scarlet and Pokemon Violet are coming exclusively to Nintendo Switch in late 2022. You can preorder either or both games right now.
Read on to find out where to secure a copy, how much it costs, details about any preorder bonuses, and much more.
Preorders are rolling out for this pair of games. We'll add more retailers as the listings go up. As yet, there are no special editions or preorder bonuses available. If that changes, this is where you'll find that info.
Pokemon Violet and Scarlet are the next pair of mainline Pokemon games. They’re not remakes, like Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl. They’re not genre-expanding spinoffs, like Pokemon Legends: Arceus. But that’s not to say they don’t push the series forward. These are open-world games in which “various towns with no borders blend seamlessly into the wilderness.”
Elden Ring is already being played by a Twitch chat, as players continue to seek the wackiest ways to play developer FromSoftware's latest.
Twitch streamer Bruce Greene put his chat to work when he stepped away from his computer in a stream to support charities helping Ukrainian civilians and refugees.
The Twitch chat took control of his Elden Ring gameplay as Greene slept (in a tent with a bonfire) by spamming chat-based commands to move forward, back, roll, use items, and so on, in a trend that gained prominence in 2014 with Twitch Plays Pokémon.
I've figured out a way to play Elden Ring FOREVER
— Bruce Greene (@brucegreene) February 28, 2022
- I play during the day
- Twitch Chat plays while I sleep and work out
- I'm sleeping in a tent with a bonfire
50% of proceeds go to Ukraine (UNICEF and Red Cross) pic.twitter.com/1xXyaebEmo
The results were naturally chaotic, and resulted in death after death, but the chat was eventually able to move around with a bit of consistency. However, don't expect the triumphs of a Twitch plays Pokémon with this – with a bigger world, more commands, and more difficulty, just getting to new areas was the real victory here.
A few days before Steam Deck preorders began shipping out, I called up Valve engineer Pierre-Loup Griffais and designer Jake Rodkin for a chat about the handheld PC. At this point I’d already been testing it for a while, and as you can now tell from my Steam Deck review, was already sold on both the promise and (mostly) the execution of this plastic go-anywhere gaming machine. Now, it was time to find out more about how it came to be, what new tricks we can expect in the future, and what work is already going to on ensure compatibility with as many Steam games as possible.
Upcoming action-adventure slash rain-soaked neon city simulator Ghostwire: Tokyo is getting a prequel in the form of a free visual novel. It'll be out on PC next week, ahead of the release of the main game later this month.
I'm replaying the first Portal at the moment, so maybe I'm just extra-susceptible to the Valve man coming around selling tickets for his hype-train, but playing Aperture Desk Job was like sitting in a nice warm bath. It's a "playable short" - basically a 30-minute tech demo designed for the Steam Deck, to show off how to use all the little flaps and controller bits on Valve's new handheld PCxGameboy toy (like the Aperture Hand Lab for VR from a few years back). Crucially, though, Aperture Desk Job is: a) free; 2) playable on a regular PC; and iii) set in the Portal universe.
In fact, it has surprisingly large implications for said game series (no spoilers in this post, btw). And it just reminds me how good Valve are at, you know, making games. Please, Valve, make more games.
Co-op zombie shooter Back 4 Blood will be back 4 more blood in April. Its first major DLC, Tunnels of Terror, will bring the a new cooperative PvE mode along with more playable characters, weapon skins, and so on.
Platform:
PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Stadia, PC
Publisher:
Capcom
Developer:
Capcom
Release:
(Xbox One,
PC,
PlayStation 4),
(Stadia), 2022 (PlayStation 5,
Xbox Series X/S)
Rating:
Mature
Capcom announced that the Resident Evil 2 and 3 remakes along with Resident Evil 7 Biohazard are making their way to PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X/S this year.
After purchasing the anime streaming service, Crunchyroll, last year, Sony Pictures Entertainment is shifting its other anime-focused service, Funimation, and all of its content under the Crunchyroll banner.
Effective immediately, Crunchyroll is now the home to an even more massive library of anime titles including many English dubs that previously were produced by and presented by Funimation. A full list can be found on the Crunchyroll site, but here are some of the shows now available for Crunchyroll viewers:
Today Sony Interactive Entertainment and Polyphony Digital revealed an upcoming Gran Turismo 7 collaboration with streetwear brand Anti Social Social Club.
The collaboration will be open tomorrow, February 4, and those who will purchase any dedicated item will receive a voucher code for the Anti Social Social Club livery, game.
You can see what it looks like in the brief trailer below.
Gran Turismo 7 will be released for PS4 and PS5 on March 4, 2022. You can check out the announcement trailer and the video that shared the release date.
Today, Capcom revealed that Resident Evil 2, 3, and 7 will be getting PS5 & Xbox Series X|S releases with visual enhancements later this year. Alongside the improved graphics, framerate, and audio, PlayStation players will also get to experience unique Haptic Feedback support and Adaptive Triggers via DualSense on their PS5 controllers.
The news came by way of a tweet, which gave fans a glimpse into some of the visual improvements they can expect.
Resident Evil 2, 3, and 7 are coming to PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X|S with visual enhancements later this year!
— Resident Evil (@RE_Games) March 2, 2022
Those who currently own these games on PlayStation 4 and Xbox One will be eligible for a digital upgrade at no additional cost. pic.twitter.com/MNPZcZBl7i
You can find out a little more about the games with some brief summaries right down below:
Last month, it was revealed that all of the Marvel shows that were Netflix Originals would be leaving the streaming service, as the platform’s deal to withhold their rights had since expired. Thankfully, shows like Jessica Jones and Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D aren’t gone forever; they’ll simply be moving over to Disney+.
Today we learned exactly when that will happen, as the streaming service tweeted out earlier that Marvel’s Daredevil, Jessica Jones, Luke Cage, Iron Fist, The Defenders, The Punisher, and Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D will all arrive on Disney+ as of Mar. 16, 2022.
FromSoftware’s Elden Ring has released to critical acclaim and has enjoyed a positive reception from both long-term fans of the Soulsborne series and newcomers alike. While retaining the series’ core, crippling difficulty, Elden Ring also makes a number of improvements and refinements — including going open-world in its design — making it the most accessible entry in the series thus far.
While its sprawling world just begs to be explored and its incredibly designed bosses eagerly await their partner (you) for a deadly dance of dodge rolls and well-timed attacks, not everything is absolutely perfect. Here, we’re going to run through three ways in which Elden Ring could have been even better.
We’re noting now that these really are largely just us nitpicking (bar the final entry). But in the strive for absolute perfection in the industry, resolving these minor issues can go a long way to pushing the medium forward, as developers take notes and learn from one another. Pobody’s nerfect, after all.
The Nintendo Switch first launched five years ago this month and its smaller, handheld-only, brother the Switch Lite came out in the second half of 2019. If you were an early adopter of these great consoles you probably have a big library of games. Or, you might have just got yourself the awesome Switch OLED model that came out in October last year and are looking to build your collection of games.
Whatever your situation, storage for your Switch games is something you can't have too much of. All of the Switch models use microSD cards which can easily be swapped out to help you store all the data you need, no matter how large your library is.
If you've been a regular dabbler in XCOM 2's multiplayer mode over the last six years (or have simply been meaning to get around to giving it a go at some point), you might like to know developer Firaxis will be pulling the plug on the acclaimed turn-based strategy sequel's multiplayer and challenge modes as of the end of this month on Steam.
That news comes via an announcement on the official XCOM Twitter feed earlier today, with Firaxis confirming XCOM 2's multiplayer and challenge modes will cease to function on the Steam version of the game as of 28th March this year. When that day comes, the developer will release an update permanently removing both features from the game.
