May 2022

6 Things to Expect from the Xbox & Bethesda Games Showcase 2022 (And 5 We’d Love to See)

1 year 10 months ago

Xbox and Bethesda fans rejoice! The publishers have announced the Xbox and Bethesda Games Showcase 2022 will take place on June 12, and with so many developers now part of the Xbox Game Studios family, we’ve been busy salivating over what could possibly show up during the big livestream.

Down below, you’ll find our six predictions for things we’d expect from the Xbox and Bethesda Games Showcase, and then 5 games we’d love to see show up in one form or another. We’ve taken a stab at predicting how these might appear, but a brief cameo would be enough for us in most cases. So, without further ado, let’s dive into the good stuff.

Author
Chris Jecks

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Balan Wonderworld and Sonic lead Yuji Naka says Square Enix "do not care about games"

1 year 10 months ago

Theatrical 3D platformer Balan Wonderworld released last year to dismal reviews, despite familiar names like former Sonic Team head Yuji Naka at the helm. Last week Naka took to Twitter to air his displeasure at Square Enix's treatment of him and the game, concluding by saying that he believes "Square Enix and Arzest are companies that do not care about games and game fans."

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Author
Graham Smith

Ron Gilbert is making the Monkey Island he wants, not the one you're expecting

1 year 10 months ago

Last month's news that original creator Ron Gilbert is making a new Monkey Island is the surprise of the year so far. For Gilbert, his involvement has apparently brought a lot of comments, and an expectation that whatever he's making will line up with comments he's made over the past twenty years.

Not so, says Gilbert. On the subject of his previous comments, he says "None of these are promises or anything I owe anybody."

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Author
Graham Smith

Ubisoft's troubled Prince of Persia: Sands of Time remake has switched developer

1 year 10 months ago

Ubisoft has announced that the development of its troubled Prince of Persia: Sands of Time remake - which was originally due to release in January last year - has been moved to a new studio and will now release "when it's ready".

Prior to today's announced, the Sands of Time remake was being developed by Ubisoft Pune and Mumbai, but the project has been dogged by setbacks since its unveiling in September 2020. Shortly after its announcement, Ubisoft moved its launch date from January 2021 to March that same year, but February brought a second delay, this time indefinitely, while the team worked on delivering "a remake that feels fresh while remaining faithful to the original".

A subsequent update in June last year gave the Prince of Persia remake a revised launch window of 2022, and it's all been pretty quiet since then.

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Author
Matt Wales

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Microsoft Flight Simulator PMDG Boeing 737 Incheon & Mumbai Airports Get Videos & Screenshots; Shenzhen Teased & Bydgoszcz Released

1 year 10 months ago

Today third-party developers had new reveals and a release to share about Microsoft Flight Simulator add-ons.

We start with PMDG, which released more videos of the much-anticipated Boeing 737-700, showing off the rich customization available for the engine and status displays, and the custom mouse handling developed by the studio.

At the moment, we’re still waiting for a release date and pricing details for this one, but we shouldn’t be too far off.

Speaking of 737, a recently-formed developer named TopKit Simulations is working on a classic model starting with the Boeing 737-400.

xBelow you can see a few images and read the latest development update outlining the state of the project.

Author
Giuseppe Nelva

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Activision urges shareholders to vote against proposed annual harassment and discrimination report

1 year 10 months ago

Activision Blizzard has written to shareholders urging them to vote against a New York State proposal that it should publish an annual report detailing the effectiveness and outcomes of its efforts to prevent abuse, harassment, and discrimination in its workplace. Similarly, it also wants shareholders to vote against a proposal to put an employee representative on its board.

As detailed in its latest shareholder filing, Activision Blizzard's board of directors is unanimously recommending shareholders vote against enacting the annual report, which would include several proposed metrics: the total number of pending sexual abuse, harassment or discrimination complaints the company is seeking to resolve through internal processes or ligation; details of the company's progress toward reducing the average time it takes to resolve sexual abuse, harassment or discrimination complaints; the amount of money it has spent settling disputes related to sexual abuse, harassment or discrimination, and finally pay and hours worked consolidated data.

While this kind of transparency might seem prudent given the shocking allegations that have surfaced in relation to Activision Blizzard's workplace practices over the last year, and given that the publisher remains embroiled in a number of lawsuits relating to those practices - including last July's State of California filing, which called the company a "breeding ground for harassment and discrimination against women" - its board says it believes the proposal isn't "in the best interests of the Company or its shareholders."

Author
Matt Wales

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Ni No Kuni: Cross Worlds Trailer Introduces the Destroyer Voiced by Akio “Solid Snake” Otsuka

1 year 10 months ago

Netmarble released another English trailer of Level-5’s online JRPG Ni No Kuni: Cross Worlds.

This time around, we get a rather comedic introduction of another playable class in the game, the Destroyer, following the swordsman, the witch, the engineer, and the rogue that we already saw.

Despite his menacing name, the Destroyer is basically a giant with a heart of gold, and he’s voiced by superstar actor Akio Otsuka, whom you may know for Solid Snake in the Metal Gear Solid series and tons more successful roles.

It’s worth mentioning that the game has already been active in Japan for several months, while pre-registration is already available in the west for iOS and Android. You’ll receive an “Explorer Outfit” if you register and the game will also be playable on PC.

You can check out the trailer below.

If you’re unfamiliar with Ni No Kuni: Cross Worlds, here’s an official description.

Author
Giuseppe Nelva

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Hands-On with Warcraft: Arclight Rumble

1 year 10 months ago

You will probably be able to tell if Blizzard's new mobile game Warcraft: Arclight Rumble, a "tower offense" game, as they call it, is for you within ten seconds of looking at it.

Warcraft: Arclight Rumble doesn't seem to be trying to hide the fact that it's Blizzard's foray into the kingdom of mobile strategy games that generally have an icon of some sort of wacky pack warrior yelling at you from the app store. It's stylized and whimsical even beyond the likes of Hearthstone, with familiar faces like Tyrande Whisperwind and the trusty orc grunt rendered in simple, garishly colorful, Saturday morning cartoon caricatures.

But credit where credit is due: some interesting things are going on here. The basic premise is that you have a gold bar at the bottom of your screen that fills up over time, similar to mana in Hearthstone. You then spend the bars to summon units from a pool of six "minis" that you collect and select to assemble a team ahead of time.

From tanky gnoll warriors to madcap gnomish inventors, these can all level up by gaining experience in PvE matches. Unique leader characters like Thrall or Tirion Fordring anchor your squad and change up your playstyle.

FLIP THE TABLE

Each board is different, but you'll typically be trying to capture towers and summoning stones which let you spawn minis closer to your enemy's side while doing battle with their own minions and eventually taking out their leader.

Author
Matt Kim

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12 Xbox Showcase Predictions – Unlocked 542

1 year 10 months ago

With Microsoft announcing the date for its upcoming Xbox-Bethesda Showcase, we waste no time in making our first round of predictions for the event. From Hellblade 2 to Starfield to Forza Motorsport to Gears 6 and more, we discuss what we think might happen at the biggest Xbox event of the year. Plus: we attempt to unravel the head-scratching mystery that is Embracer Group buying a few Square Enix studios and franchises, including Tomb Raider, Deus Ex, and Thief.

Subscribe on any of your favorite podcast feeds, to our YouTube channel, or grab an MP3 download of this week's episode. For more awesome content, check out our latest IGN Unfiltered interview, where Joseph Staten – one of Halo's original creators and now the head of creative on Halo Infinite – discusses his fascinating career:

Oh, and you can be featured on Unlocked by tweeting us a video Loot Box question! Tweet your question and tag Ryan at @DMC_Ryan!

For more next-gen coverage, make sure to check out our Xbox Series X review, our Xbox Series S review, and our PS5 review.

Author
Ryan McCaffrey

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Warcraft Arclight Rumble Is Blizzard's Long-Rumored Mobile Game

1 year 10 months ago

Get ready to Rumble in Blizzard’s long-rumored Warcraft mobile game.

Warcraft Arclight Rumble was revealed today for iOS and Android. The game invites players to build up an army of their favorite heroes and villains from the World of Warcraft universe and duke it out in a series of tactical-based battles.

The game takes place in Azeroth where Warcraft Arclight Rumble is sweeping through taverns and inns thanks to some clever gnomish engineering. Players will collect miniatures of famous World of Warcraft characters and build forces to overcome frantic challenges.

In the Gameplay Explainer and Developer Walkthrough video, Blizzard developers call it a “mobile, strategy, fast-paced hero [and villain] collector” with a “vast PvE campaign.” They also say they were inspired by tower defense games, but Arclight Rumble is more of a “tower offense game.”

Players will choose a Leader like Archmage Jaina Proudmoore and fill in the rest of their team with troops and powerful spells. Arclight Rumble offers more than 70 single-player missions to adventure through. If journeying alongside a friend is your preference, you can play co-op or even go head to head in competitive player-versus-player mode. Players will even be able to join guilds.

Author
Matt Kim

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Soul Hackers 2 for PS5, PS4, Xbox, & PC Gets New Trailer Revealing Flauros

1 year 10 months ago

Today Atlus released another daily trailer for its upcoming JRPG Soul Hackers 2, showing one of its demons.

This time around, we take a look at Flauros, which has been part of the Shin Megami Tensei series and even appeared in the latest chapter Shin Megami Tensei V.

As usual, the trailer also includes the daily horoscope, which places Taurus at the top of the luck ranking and Pisces at the bottom.

Soul Hackers 2 releases for PS5, PS4, Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, and PC (Steam and Windows Store) on August 26, just one day after the Japanese launch on August 25.

Author
Giuseppe Nelva

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Echoes of Mana Celebrates 1 Million Downloads With New Login Bonuses; Devs Considering Stamina System Changes

1 year 10 months ago

Developed by Wright Flyer Studios in conjunction with Square Enix, Echoes of Mana is a brand new mobile game based on the Mana JRPG series that’s just been released this past week. The game features plenty of characters across the Mana series, and is free-to-play, though you can expect there to be plenty of in-game purchases and a gacha system to boot.

Since the game’s launch, Echoes of Mana has seen over one million downloads, which is honestly a pretty impressive number considering that the Mana series has always been rather niche. To celebrate the big milestone, players will be able to enjoy new login bonuses for the next week including Lucre, 1,000 Spirit Crystals, and stamina recovery items.

Author
Zhiqing Wan

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Blade Runner Tabletop RPG Smashes its Kickstarter Funding Goal in 3 Minutes

1 year 10 months ago

We’ve seen no shortage of Kickstarter success stories over the past few years, but it’s always amazing to hear about games that are somehow able to meet their funding goals in short periods of time, and this Blade Runner tabletop RPG is no exception.

The project went live today, and within just three minutes, it met its funding goal of $13,980. Not only that, it also completely smashed that goal and is sitting at $1,137,465 worth of pledges at the time of writing. It has since met its stretch goals, and will now come with a full color map, custom dice, new character archetype, and more.

The Blade Runner RPG is set in a futuristic noir version of Los Angeles, where players will get together to solve various cases and crimes. The packaging itself looks incredibly well put together and fitting with the dirty cyberpunk vibes of the Blade Runner IP, and backers will be able to check out an early access version of the game soon after the campaign ends with downloadable PDF files and the core rulebook to get started.

Author
Zhiqing Wan

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Sifu Patch 1.08 Brings Difficulty Options, Advanced Training Mode, & More

1 year 10 months ago

With Sifu breaking onto the scene with its stylish action and challenging gameplay, developers Sloclap have every reason to continue supporting the game. Following the sharing of the upcoming roadmap for the brawler, the first of the big updates coming to Sifu is now live in the form of patch 1.08.

The Spring 2022 content update has some key features that will matter to players of all skill levels. The first is expanded difficulty options, adding to the original Disciple setting with the easier Student difficulty and the harder Master difficulty. A new advanced training mode will also allow players to practise their moves against the various enemies or bosses, giving you more mastery over your martial arts prowess.

In addition, patch 1.08 for Sifu implements the new outfit feature, where players can change the main character’s outfit in the Wuguan, together with support for dark mode and other UI improvements.

Here are the full details of patch 1.08 for Sifu:

Author
Jake Su

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EA Begins FIFA 22 Crossplay Tests on PS5, Xbox Series X|S, and Stadia

1 year 10 months ago

In an age where many multiplayer titles are making crossplay a key part of their strategy, one of the biggest sports games in the world is doing just the same. Forgoing the reluctance that has been evident in the past, EA Sports is now moving ahead to implement a limited rollout of crossplay for FIFA 22, which is great considering that it is one of this month’s free PlayStation Plus titles.

As detailed in the latest Pitch Notes from EA, players can give the crossplay functionality a whirl in both Online Seasons and Online Friendlies on the PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, and Stadia. In a bid to reduce any potential issues that might crop up thanks to crossplay, EA is choosing to roll it out in this limited manner. Once the feedback is in and the game remains intact, the company will then look to implement crossplay on a larger scale.

If you are eager to jump in, there are some steps to take. Once you are in the main menu of FIFA 22, find the widget at the bottom right-hand corner and open it with the corresponding button prompt. From there, players can enable or disable their crossplay test participation, as well as approximate location matchmaking.

Author
Jake Su

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Overwatch 2 Beta Stops Wrecking Ball in Its Tracks for Bug Fixing

1 year 10 months ago

With the Overwatch 2 beta currently underway, many players are getting a taste of the hero shooter sequel that is currently under development at Blizzard. Of course, being a beta and all, there are bound to be issues that crop up every once in a while. The most significant one centers around Wrecking Ball, with a bug causing servers to be overloaded and crashing the game client, and Blizzard has taken the hero off the board as a fix is being sought.

As shared by the official Overwatch Twitter account, the team has noticed that “Wrecking Ball’s powers are a bit too strong on the Beta server,” as such, Blizzard is “disabling him immediately while we work to address a bug that allowed him to cause other players to crash.”

Author
Jake Su

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Remembering Crystal Dynamics' original Tomb Raider trilogy

1 year 10 months ago

I am the right age to measure out a lot of my life in Tomb Raiders. The Core games took me through university - back when 3D itself felt weird and experimental and slightly (thrillingly!) unstable, with those jagged edges around the sides of the screen when Lara was exploring underground corridors. The long wait for a proper gen-hopping follow-up took place when I shuffled through temp jobs, then the eventual release of The Angel of Darkness.

Over the last decade we've had rebooted Lara: close-up, crafting her own arrows, skinning wolves and falling on rusty spikes. A Lara who fills the screen, who reaches out a hand to steady herself when she makes her way through a flooding cave: such a lovely human detail. I like these games a lot: I like their obvious production values and blockbuster sense of occasion, their sense of someone on their way to becoming the person they hope to be. But in between both extremes - marquee, character-arc Lara Croft and crackling, mysterious, old-school Tomb Raider - we got another version too.

This was Crystal Dynamic's first outing with the series once they took it on: Tomb Raider: Legend, Tomb Raider: Anniversary (co-developed with Buzz Monkey Software), and Tomb Raider: Underworld. I love these games. I properly love them.

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Author
Christian Donlan

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Reggie Fils-Aimé distances himself from Nintendo contract worker reports

1 year 10 months ago

Former Nintendo of America boss Reggie Fils-Aimé has distanced himself from recent reports concerning contract workers at the company, and said the issues raised were not representative of his time in charge.

Last month, a Nintendo of America staff member filed an official complaint concerning alleged company interference in unionisation efforts - though Nintendo itself later responded to say the employee had been fired for disclosure of confidential information.

Still, in the last two weeks, IGN and Kotaku have both published comments from various current and former contract workers at Nintendo, with criticism raised for how the company differentiates between full-time and contract staff in terms of pay, benefits and a feeling of inclusion, and claims it lacked a solid progression path to becoming a permanent employee.

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Author
Tom Phillips

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Hitman 3 game director joins Crytek to lead Crysis 4 development

1 year 10 months ago

Hitman 3 game director Mattias Engström has left IO Interactive and joined Crytek to lead development on Crysis 4.

The Crysis Twitter account shared the news: "We are happy to announce that Mattias Engström, known for his work as Game Director for Hitman 3 at IO Interactive, joins the Crysis family as Game Director for the fourth installment in the Crysis franchise, starting this week."

Engström worked across the Hitman trilogy, serving as level designer on the first two games before becoming game director for the third. He also worked as a level designer on Ubisoft's Far Cry 3 and Assassin's Creed: Revelations.

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Author
Ed Nightingale

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