August 2022

While mooching around Samsung’s Gamescom booth, waiting for their 990 Pro SSD reveal, I took the opportunity to play with an altogether more unusual addition to their hardware catalogue. The Samsung Odyssey Ark, for the unfamiliar, is a kind of all-in-one entertainment screen: a mammoth 55in Mini LED panel that can act as a desktop gaming monitor or living room TV, complete with honking great speakers and built-in support for all the big game streaming services so you can play on it without a PC or console. Unlike other monitors of this magnitude, it can also rotate into portrait mode, leaving the top curve towering over you like an unsympathetic Victorian headmaster.

I actually enjoy a touch of design madness creeping into the occasional piece of PC gear, regardless of whether it can hang with the best gaming monitors that sensible people might buy. What I experienced with the Odyssey Ark, however, was a device that too often veered onto the wrong side of senseless – when it was even working properly.

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Back in February, Alice O. highlighted an expansion planned for Assassin’s Creed: Valhalla that’s reportedly being spun-off into a standalone stealth game. At the time the project was being referred to as Rift, but multiple sources are now saying the game will be called Assassin’s Creed: Mirage. Both Bloomberg’s Jason Schreier and Giant Bomb’s Jeff Grubb say they’ve been told by people familiar with the game that Mirage is accurate.

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Warner Bros’ licensed brawler MultiVersus won’t be getting support for online couch co-op anytime soon, game director Tony Huynh has said. Huynh was replying to a question on Twitter about whether the MultiVersus team were working on implementing a spin on that most Nineties of features. Speaking of Nineties nostalgia, you can watch a retro trailer for MultiVersus below. Makes me feel ten again.

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New World is getting its first major expansion in the form of Brimstone Sands, an arid endgame location for players to contest that comes bundled with a bunch of early game streamlining, and a brand-new weapon, too. I got hands-on with the expansion's first hour or so and had a chat with the game's creative director about it all. One year on, is it everything the game needs to satisfy long-time fans and attract newcomers? Yes! Well. Maybe...?

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I'm going to level with you: I'm not a GSG player. I play strategy, sure, but grand strategy has always been a bit beyond me. I'm a fundamentally un-grand person; I spend most days dressed like a 14-year-old fan of Tony Hawk, I do not like olives or scallops, and I'm unable to predict the consequences of actions if they exist outside of, say, a 12 month timeframe. A game like Victoria 3, where the whole point is making decisions that have country-wide effects and outcomes years in the future, is essentially operating in a different language to any I understand.

I'm trying to learn new languages, though, so it's not an unwelcome challenge. The problem is that previewing Victoria 3 is quite an advanced level to dive in, the Paradox GSG equivalent of being a live translator for a UN summit when you're only just about able to read the French version of The Famous Five. In a presentation before I and others were let loose on the better part of a week with the game, it was claimed that Victoria 3 is the best yet for onboarding newcomers, with a deep and detailed tutorial system. And to that I say: kinda. Luckily, the AI in Victoria 3 is so advanced it's better at playing the game than I am.

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Mafia devs Hangar 13 are going to make you an offer you can’t refuse. The first instalment in the crime sim series will be free on Steam for a limited time beginning on September 1st. The giveaway is to celebrate the Mafia series’ 20th anniversary, as the original game was released on August 29th 2002 in the US and September 6th in Europe. If the trilogy passed you by or you want to refresh your memory then publishers 2K have put together a 20th anniversary trailer, which you can watch below.

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Mamoru “zuga” Kano’s Umino Okami, which he made himself using Unreal Engine 5, has appeared at Yamagata Biennale 2022 as a playable display. The Yamagata Biennale is an art festival held every two years by the Tohoku University of Art and Design.

The game puts the player in the paws of a wolf, who crosses a lake in search of companions. While the story seems simple, the trailer shows a lot of surreal sights. For example, there are manatees flying through the air, as well as strange spirit-like beings you can encounter.

https://twitter.com/zuga/status/1563428363750232064

The game uses a lot of Yamagata’s history in the story, and the map uses the real Yamagata Prefecture’s geography. Umino Okami specifically focuses on the Mogaumi Legend, which states that there used to be a giant lake in Yamagata. Like how Mogaumi Lake “might have existed,” the usage of wolves in the game is because people say wolves “might have existed” in Yamagata. This idea appears to be the theme of the game, which is why there are fantastical elements in the story.

The Square Enix Store has added two new figures of Tifa in her cheongsam dress from FFVII Remake. One figure is part of the poseable Play Arts Kai figure line, while the second is a seated static figure that is part of the Static Arts line. As of writing, both figures are available for pre-order via the Japanese Square Enix Store. Each figure will cost ¥19,580 (about $141) and will release on March 25, 2023.

The Static Arts Tifa figure features the character sitting on a red cushioned chair. The figure has Tifa resting her chin on her hand, her dress drooped over her legs as she looks slightly upwards. It boasts high attention to detail and fabric textures, recreating her appearance from FFVII Remake as closely as possible.

[gallery ids="934508,934507,934509" link="file"]

On the other hand, the Play Arts Kai figure allows owners to pose the figure however they wish. Furthermore, it also comes with an interchangeable face part and several hand parts. The dress below the hips is also a separate part from the torso, allowing for better mobility and posing.

[gallery columns="4" ids="934515,934504,934514,934512,934511,934510,934506,934505" link="file"]

With the advent of data mining and instant information, getting video game campfire stories has become a rarity. It’s hard to spread a rumor that can immediately be fact-checked, and even legitimate mysteries tend to be deconstructed pretty quickly. But the beauty of modding is that it doesn’t have to be real. You can …

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Genshin Impact released its fourth major open-world region last week, and there have been significant additions to how open world travel works in Sumeru. After combing the new region for dozens of hours, I’ve come up with an essential, actionable list to make sure that you’re making the most out of your adventures in…

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UPDATE 31/8/22: Despite earlier word to the contrary and a listing on the Windows Store, Paradox has clarified Victoria 3 will be exclusive to Steam when it comes to PC on 25th October - meaning it won't be on Game Pass for the foreseeable future, at launch or otherwise.

Announcing the news on the Paradox forum, a community ambassador for the company explained, "After discussion with our partners it was decided that Victoria 3 won't be a part of Game Pass or Microsoft Store." Paradox offered no further explanation, only saying it "[looks] forward to sharing more details on our next partnership with Xbox in the future."

ORIGINAL STORY 30/8/22: Victoria 3, the latest entry in Paradox Interactive's long-dormant society builder series, has been given a release date and is coming to PC and Xbox Game Pass for PC on 25th October.

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YouTuber Akaki Kuumeri has created an adapter which lets you to use two Joy-Cons with one hand.

Kuumeri documented the design and testing process on YouTube, and also showed how to assemble all the pieces in the final design.

This isn't the first adapter Kuumeri has created for controllers. In January, Ed covered the DualSense adapter he designed.

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Hollywood legend Tom Hanks has a video game coming out.

Really.

Hanx101 is a trivia game due out exclusively on Apple Arcade this Friday, 2nd September.

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Microsoft has announced September's Xbox Games with Gold lineup.

Excellent dungeon crawler Gods Will Fall is available to download on Xbox One and Xbox Series X and S from 1st to 30th September. "Numinous landscapes and skull-rattling combat combine in this leftfield classic," Donlan wrote in Eurogamer's Gods Will Fall review from 2021.

Also on Xbox One and Xbox Series X and S is Double Kick Heroes, a zombie killing combination of shoot 'em-up and rhythm game. That one is available from 16th September to 15th October.

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Sonic Frontiers is coming soon, transporting the popular blue hedgehog into a brand new “open-zone” kind of gameplay.

This is certainly a rather large shift from previous Sonic Games, and to know more, we interviewed Sonic Team head Takashi Iizuka.

Izuka-san discussed this brave new frontier for Sonic, the challenges it created, the relationship with the team working on the movies, and the growing fanbase they have provided the franchise with.

Giuseppe: I have a feeling that it has been less challenging, as of late, to satisfy the fans with 2D Sonic, while it has been more difficult for 3D Sonic games to make the fanbase happy. Your team always appears to be trying to look for new things and to find the right recipe to make that happen. Are you confident that this is the right one, the one that’s finally gonna make the fans happy? 

Takashi Iizuka: Sonic Frontiers represents the modern Sonic kind of gameplay. It’s in the 3D format that we’ve taken to the next level and evolved that 3D game experience, turning it into what we have for Sonic Frontiers. The 2D gameplay has 30 years of history and it’s that classic original content that we understand the fans like and appreciate.

We have a good understanding of what they like about 2D Sonic. And actually, we did release Sonic Origins this year which is that 2D offering for those fans that really appreciate that content.

But when we talk about trying to get the fans happy about the content we provide, we never try to release one game that’s going to get our 2D fans and our 3D fans happy at the same time

When we released Sonic Forces, we also had Sonic Mania. We had a 3D game offering and a 2D game offering. This year as well, we’re doing the same thing.

Today Square Enix released a new and extensive trailer of the upcoming Star Ocean JRPG Star Ocean: The Divine Force.

This time around we get the reveal of several elements of the game, including the faction named Vyrians, who appear to be antagonistic toward the heroes.

On the other hand, a new playable character has also been revealed, and it’s Malkya Trathen, leader of a race that has lived on the planet for a long time.

We also hear more about the powers of the mysterious sentient being D.U.M.A. and several gameplay mechanics including skills, active defense, and more.

You can watch it below.

Star Ocean: The Divine Force releases worldwide on October 27 for PS5, PS4, Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, and PC.

Earlier today, EA and Maxis announced that two new kits will be coming to The Sims 4 library in just a few days. These two new kits will be known as First Fits and Desert Luxe

The First Fits Kit, dropping on Sept. 1, 2022, brings a whole new wardrobe to your young Sims. It features new dresses, sets, shoes, and accessories to help you dress your toddlers, kids, and teens in style. Whether you need the perfect outfit for the first day of school or just a trendy new pair of tennis to play in the yard, the First Fits Kit makes young Sims stand out from the crowd.

Following hot on the heels of Dragonball x Fortnite, a new event has begun and will last over the next week. This event is called Play Your Way and will involve visiting several different creative maps to earn colorful cosmetic rewards. Here are all of the Fortnite Play Your Way challenges, as well as what rewards you can earn.

Play Your Way Challenges

We will break this up into creative maps so you can keep track of the Island Codes.

Rainbow Crossroads: 0487-8528-5944

• Complete Achievements at Rainbow Crossroads (5)
• Complete Achievements at Rainbow Crossroads (10)
• Throw some paint at Rainbow Crossroads (20).

One Shot Gun Game: 0345-9115-1287

• Eliminate 3 Opponents without dying in One Shot Gun Game.
• Eliminate Opponents in One Shot Gun Game (55).

Frozst Survival: 2228-7588-2382

• Deal 10,000 damage in 10 seconds in Frozst Survival.
• Reach Level 20 in Frozst Survival.

Escape the World Parkour: 6831-5416-6480

• Complete 3 Biomes in Escape the World Parkour.
• Complete Escape the World Parkour.

GO GOATED!: 3305-1851-7747

• Deal Damage to Opponents in GO GOATED! (5,000)
• Destroy Structures in GO GOATED! (50).

Monster Wars: 4164-3090-6037

• Outlive Monsters in Monster Wars (3).
• Spend Gold in Monster Wars (750).

Play Your Way Rewards

None of the rewards are tied to specific challenges but do require completing 10 of the above to earn everything. Each completed challenge also rewards players with 10k XP.

Sonic the Hedgehog is going to have a really strong 2022 according to Sonic Team head Takashi Iizuka.

Twinfinite talked to the veteran developer at Gamescom 2022, and he mentioned that the second Sonic movie has been really successful and has ushered many people into the fanbase of the franchise.

On top of that, Sonic Origins was released right after that, while Sonic Frontiers will come on November 8, to which we have to add the Netflix TV show Sonic Prime.

Over the past 31 years, according to Iizuka-san, there has never been so much content coming for the fans of the franchise.

Due to that, he believes that “2022 is going to be the biggest year for Sonic.”

He also added that Sonic Origins is the perfect game for new fans who have just seen the movies so far and want to experience what made dedicated gamers fall in love with the franchise.

On the other hand, he believes that Sonic Frontiers is going to be “an amazing game” for those hardcore gamers who have already played many Sonic titles.

Of course, you should stay tuned on Twinfinite for the full interview, in which Iizuka-san talks in more detail about Sonic Frontiers.

With FIFA 23 comes a brand-new opportunity to build your dream team of players in Ultimate Team. With changes made to the ‘Chemistry’ system between the players in your team and the usual on-the-pitch gameplay tweaks, there’s ample reason to check out the ever-popular game mode this year. The FIFA 23 web and mobile apps are a great way to manage your team, show it off to friends, and complete SBCs when you’re away from your console. As such, some may be wondering what the FUT companion app release date is for FIFA 23.

Microsoft has unveiled the Games With Gold titles that will be available to subscribers in the month of September.

Here are the four games you will be able to add to your library. All are available on Xbox One and Xbox Series X|S. Thrillville is an Xbox Original title and therefore lacks achievements.

• Gods Will Fall: Available September 1 to 30
• Double Kick Heroes: Available September 16 to October 15
• Thrillville: Available September 1 to 15
• Portal 2: Available September 16 to 30

These are all the official descriptions given for the games if you are unfamiliar with any of them. Though, surely everyone knows about Portal 2 at this point.

Gods Will Fall

Take up the battle against the very deities themselves in this brutal action & adventure epic. The gods have lorded over the world for millennia ruling with a cruel iron fist that demands unquestioning fealty. You and your fellow Celtic warriors are the very last chance for humanity. Grab your mace, test your spear, and sharpen your ax to battle horrific beasts and minions that dwell in hellish lands of each god. Your decisions can make you a legend or you can be dust.

Double Kick Heroes

The Crucial P2 is a great value NVMe SSD, and now the 2TB model is down to £117 at Amazon UK - an incredibly low price for a drive that can hit 2400MB/s. The 1TB model has also been discounted in the same sale, from £86 to £63, making it cheaper than many SATA SSDs of the same size.

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Amazon is running one of its periodic Warehouse sales, offering a further 20% off the listed price at the checkout on a wide range of used items. This has historically been a great time to pick up PC components and peripherals in like new condition for much lower than new prices, so let's see what we can find, shall we?

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The thrill of a card game is in the hand you get dealt. Luck can either be on your side, or you can earn it back by using your wits, carving out a victory you never thought possible. Other times, it all goes to pot and you get absolutely walloped, but hot damn if you didn't go down fighting. ORX has these moments in spades. Part deckbuilder, part roguelike and part tower defence, this is a real-time strategy game played by the seat of your pants, where a rolling deck of cards determines not only what kind of defences you can build, but also what buffs, spells and additional forces you can deploy to help defend your keep from the oncoming hordes. It's a gripping mix that's already claimed over a dozen hours of my time in recent weeks, and it's a number I can only see going up and up and up as it continues to develop in early access.

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Xbox Game Pass' value for folks into indie games is increasing by seven titles. Humble Games, the publishing arm of Humble Bundle, will add seven titles to the Xbox Game Pass service on the day of their release. The first Humble Game Pass game, Midnight Fight Express, is already available as of this writing.

Check out a trailer for the Humble Game Pass games below. It includes looks at Midnight Fight Express, Prodeus, Ghost Song, Moonscars, Infinite Guitars, Signalis, and Coral Island.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o6MiMU3xLsc

Here's a description and trailer for each Humble Game Pass game.

Developed by Jacob Dzwinel, Midnight Fight Express is an isometric brawler that involves motion-captured combat animations and destructible environments. It's also available on PC via the Humble Store and Steam, and on PS4.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=41HGV9gOMmQ

From Bounding Box Software comes Prodeus, a retro "boomer shooter", an FPS that evokes the design of classic games like Doom and Quake. It's available on PC via Steam Early Access and Microsoft Store Game Preview now and will hit Xbox Game Pass later in 2022.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AUN7t2RyMSs

Torch Torch will produce the Powder Keg Hunter Badge from Bloodborne and sell it worldwide. Pre-orders for the real-life pendant are now available online, and people residing outside Japan can place an order via Buyee. The item will cost 24,200 yen ($180.78) and ship between January and February 2023.

The pendant's head will have a full length of 6 cm (~2.36 inches), while the brass chain will be 45 cm (~17.7 inches) long. Torch Torch will use borosilicate glass, silver 925, and a special alloy made from a combination of silver, copper, and brass to produce the badge.

One of the preview images that Torch Torch published shows how the real-life product will compare to the in-game item. In the original Bloodborne, players can obtain Powder Keg Hunter Badge from Djura to enable purchases of several items, such as the Stake Driver and Rifle Spear weapons.

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As if EA wasn’t going through enough this month, what with Madden 23's botched launch upsetting even pro athletes, it seems a certain segment of FIFA 23 players have gained access to the soccer simulator one whole month before its September 30 release date. Talk about a score.

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Pro gaming organization 100 Thieves has found itself embroiled in allegations of underpayment this week, levied primarily by former team member Erind “Froste” Puka. But in the wake of Puka’s statements, content creators have rallied en masse behind the org’s leadership.

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There is almost no feeling like that of playing a Zelda game—almost. The density of the forest, the span of the field, the anthemic quality of the score, the thrill of adventure, the sense of courage that comes from being told that you, Link, are going to save the world—again, and again, and again. The same, but…

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God of War Ragnarök is set to conclude the Norse era of the series, a saga that’s seen Kratos atone for his troubling past by becoming a more conscientious god and (mildly) affectionate father. In the upcoming sequel, Kratos and Atreus must stave off a preordained catastrophe, calling on old and new friends to succeed against Asgard and, hopefully, prevent all-out war.  

I spoke with God of War veteran and newly appointed director Eric Williams as well as some lead UX, combat, and level designers about their experience crafting the long-awaited sequel and the most significant changes coming to the action and exploration loops. Moreover, you’ll learn about Kratos’ tools/toys, a never-before-seen dwarven realm that feels lived in, the unprecedented number of accessibility features available at launch, and some quality-of-life updates, including new navigation mechanics.

Of course, that’s not all. We’ve got other God of War content for your perusal, including a ranking of our five favorite bosses from the franchise. Additionally, Alex Van Aken attended Evo, favorably comparing the storied event to the Olympics. Marcus Stewart got hands-on time with the next entry in the most prominent fighting franchise of all time, Street Fighter 6. There are even a few fantastic freelance pieces – one, for instance, documents the meticulous creation of a Cuphead boss fight. And if you’re wondering what big games are on the horizon, we’ve got you covered with preview pages dedicated to Square Enix’s role-playing farming sim, Harvestella, Game Freak’s Pokémon Scarlet and Violet, and so much more.  

Get your shovels ready because Shovel Knight Dig will burrow its way onto Switch, PC, and iOS via Apple Arcade next month. 

More specifically, the exciting Shovel Knight follow-up/spin-off title will hit those platforms on Sept. 23. What's more is that if you have an Apple Arcade subscription, you can play the game for free. It'll cost $24.99 on Switch and on Steam, however.

This news was revealed in a comical trailer released by Yacht Club Games, which you can watch for yourself below: 

"When Drill Knight and his dastardly digging crew blast apart Shovel Knight's peaceful campsite and steal his loot, he grabs his trusty Shovel Blade and starts tunneling after them," a press release reads. "But as he and Shield Knight soon discover, this adventure goes much deeper than a simple heist."

"Meet new friends and foes, visit strange lands, and outfit yourself in your quest to keep the entire land from collapsing underfoot. Jump, slash, and dig your way down an ever-changing chasm of mystery in Shovel Knight Dig, an all-new Shovel Knight adventure." 

Spade-wielding platform hero Shovel Knight will be embarking on a brand-new adventure on 23rd September, when Shovel Knight Dig launches for Steam, Switch, and Apple Arcade.

Shovel Knight Dig, a collaboration between Yacht Club Games and UK studio Nitrome, feels like it's been a long time coming, having first been revealed all the way back in 2019 - when Yacht Club explained it would take players deep into an "ever-changing chasm of mystery".

More specifically, it'll pit Shovel Knight against Drill Knight and his digging crew in a quest that'll see adventurers jumping, slashing, and tunnelling their way downward through stages procedurally stitched together from "thousands" of level chunks in a bid to reach the bottom.

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Rocksmith+, the new subscription service version of Ubisoft's long-running guitar learning series, finally has a release date and is coming to PC next Tuesday, 6th September.

Rocksmith+ was, you may recall, originally due to launch last summer, but Ubisoft made the decision to postpone its release based on player feedback during its closed beta, saying it wanted to "ensure we provide the best guitar learning experience [and] deliver a smoother experience for all guitar and bass lovers".

Nearly twelve months later, Rocksmith+ is finally ready for release and will launch next week via the Ubisoft Store, promising a range of tools to help players hone their music skills. These include interactive lessons featuring Adaptive Difficulty - said to dynamically adjust to a player's skill level while they play - and the Rocksmith+ Connect app for iOS and Android, which will take care of note detection and real-time feedback without the need for any peripherals.

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Crunchyroll has announced their slate of films coming to the service for the month of September. There’s quite a bit here so it’s absolutely safe to say there’s something for everyone. Jujutsu Kaisen 0 was already a known quantity, but there’s so much more. There’s definitely not going to be any shortage of things to watch this upcoming month.

That list of films coming to Crunchyroll next month are:

September 1

• Afro Samurai: Resurrection
• BanG Dream! Poppin’ Dream!

September 8

• ODDTAXI in the Woods
• PSYCHO-PASS Sinners of the System: Case.1 Crime and Punishment
• PSYCHO-PASS Sinners of the System: Case.2 First Guardian
• PSYCHO-PASS Sinners of the System: Case.3 Beyond the Pale of Vengeance

September 15

• The Girl Who Lept Through Time
• Sword of the Stranger
• Black Butler: Book of the Atlantic

September 21

• JUJUTSU KAISEN 0

September 22

• High Speed! -Free! Starting Days-
• Free! -Timeless Medley- The Bond
• Free! -Timeless Medly- The Promise
• Free! -Road to the World- the Dream

September 29