The Genshin Impact community can’t seem to stop harassing its voice actors. A few days ago, a queer Genshin voice actor made a negative tweet about “fujoshi,” a term most commonly attributed to straight women who consume anime media about gay men. The resulting firestorm of online harassment not only ensnared them and…
So you’ve played, or re-played, the epic fantasy saga that is The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt and its two critically acclaimed expansions, Hearts of Stone and Blood and Wine. Now you’re on the hunt for your next fantasy epic, but which to choose?
Sometimes you get really excited or nervous and have trouble sleeping. So you take a sleeping aid to help you get some shuteye. I do it all the time, as my brain never lets me sleep peacefully. But after Pedro Pascal took his Ambien, he received a call confirming he got the job and would play Joel in The Last of Us on HBO
Arc System Works spent years refining the Guilty Gear series. By the time Strive showed up, we essentially go the pinnacle of the series. The gameplay, storytelling, and fighters are so on point. It's a fantastic installment. So this week on Siliconera Speaks Up, we thought it'd be a good idea to go over the possible best Guilty Gear Strive characters, as a way to encourage people to learn more about the cast and perhaps explore using different fighters in-game. Because while everyone in the game is varying degrees of great, sometimes we feel certain ones deserve a little extra attention.
I've only brushed up a little bit against Guilty Gear Strive, but I've always had a soft spot for the Guitar Witch, I-No. Her capability at all ranges and inimitable sense of style make her iconic.
That said, the character you like is not always the same as the character you're most capable with, and to this day I get phantom pain in my wrists and palms remembering my attempts to learn how to play I-No in Guilty Gear XX.
In truth, I usually get better results from the balanced, basic characters, the ones usually tagged as "beginner-friendly," like your Sols, your Kys, and your Mays. Sorry, I-No. — Josh
There’s a minor delay when it comes to The Last of Us Part 1 PC release date on Epic Games Store and Steam. At The Game Awards 2022, Sony announced it would debut on March 3, 2023. Now, it’s been pushed back a few weeks. Instead, everyone will get a chance to play it on March 28, 2023.
Naughty Dog released a statement on Twitter going over the circumstances that led to The Last of Us Part 1 PC delay. Essentially, it is a quality control issue. The team wanted to make sure that it is at its best when it launches, and is using the extra three weeks to ensure that.
The Last of Us Part I PC will now be released on March 28. An update from our team: pic.twitter.com/lvApDT71Xj
— Naughty Dog (@Naughty_Dog) February 3, 2023
As a reminder, The Last of Us season 1 is airing on HBO. There will also be a second season of the show.
During its February 3, 2023 array of announcements, Viz Media confirmed it will release the Spy x Family Official Fanbook: Eyes Only and Family Portrait light novel in English. The novel first appeared in Japan in December 2021. The fanbook showed up in May 2022. Both will appear in English in North America in Fall 2023.
It confirmed the guidebook’s release first. This included a look at its cover. It also noted that the English title for Spy x Family Official Fanbook: Eyes Only will be Spy x Family: The Official Guide-Eyes Only. It shows the series’ art, insights about characters, and details about merchandise.
Announcement: The intimate secrets of the Forger family are revealed in the ultimate guide. Contains interviews with Tatsuya Endo, tribute illustrations, and more! Spy x Family: The Official Guide–Eyes Only releases Fall 2023! pic.twitter.com/CnASltgpjC
— VIZ (@VIZMedia) February 3, 2023
Next, here’s the light novel’s announcement. It features a number of different stories starring the cast.
Another one bites the dust in a year of live-service shutdowns. Smilegate’s CrossfireX, a game released a little less than a year ago, will end all support by the middle of May and will become little more than a figment of our imaginations.
As of right now, any sales on the Xbox Store have been halted, and no further content will be added to the game. Anyone who made any purchases within the last 14 days (as of Feb. 3) will be eligible to have them refunded, and the servers will go offline on May 18.
This shutdown also affects the Remedy Entertainment-developed campaigns, as they will also be delisted from the Xbox Store completely. Even more interestingly, this official CrossfireX FAQ regarding its shutdown mentions that players will be able to complete the campaigns “until servers close on May 18.” Thus, it appears CrossfireX will cease to exist in its entirety, no matter whether it’s the single-player or multiplayer portion.
The gaming world has been rocked by major live-service shutdowns as of late, with games like Knockout City and Rumbleverse going offline, but CrossfireX’s closure could very well be the biggest misfire of the bunch. It was the first proper American release in the Crossfire franchise, a series that has dominated Asian countries to the tune of one billion lifetime players.
Motive Studio’s remake of Dead Space has been out for a little over a week, and to little surprise, it’s doing numbers in the industry. Our review of it was stellar, as Motive successfully managed to faithfully recreate the survival-horror sensation that swept the nation back in 2008 while carefully adjusting bits and pieces to make it a complete experience.
After years of the “true remake” debate, the Dead Space Remake has given a solid definition of what a remake should look like moving forward. I’ve been pretty vocal about Dead Space to anyone who will listen or read about it as someone who’s been dying to see the remake mill start spinning again (I’m looking at you, Sony).
My playthrough has been overwhelmingly positive for the reasons I listed above, and I can’t wait to see what comes next from Motive Studio, whether it be Iron Man and/or Dead Space 2. Yet, aside from scarring me as much as it did when I played all those years ago at 5 am before school, my time aboard the Ishimura has left me in an odd state of remorse.
Seeing Dead Space so carefully reforged has me focused on that other survival-horror game that launched nearly two months ago: The Callisto Protocol.
Developer Smilegate has announced the impending closure of its year-old Xbox multiplayer shooter CrossfireX, which will shut down on 18th May - a move that'll also affect its Remedy developed single-player campaign.
CrossfireX - the console version of Smilegate's hugely popular PC shooter Crossfire - launched for Xbox One and Xbox Series X/S last February, combining the multiplayer component of the PC original with a specially developed single-player campaign.
A little over a year on from that troubled launch, Smilegate has announced it'll soon be ending support for the game. "It is with the deepest regret that we are informing you of our decision to end support for CrossfireX on May 18, 2023," it wrote in a statement on its website. "Since the launch of the game, we have worked tirelessly to bring it to a point where we can all be proud, and throughout it all we have had the honour and pleasure of supporting our players."
This week on All Things Nintendo, Brian is joined by Game Informer's Wesley LeBlanc as they count down the top 10 remakes in Nintendo history. Prior to that, Brian gets Wesley's impressions of his hands-on time with Theatrhythm Final Bar Line and his full review of SpongeBob SquarePants: The Cosmic Shake.
If you'd like to follow Brian on social media, you can do so on his Instagram: @BrianPShea. You can follow Wesley on Twitter: @LeBlancWes.
The All Things Nintendo podcast is a weekly show where we can celebrate, discuss, and break down all the latest games, news, and announcements from the industry's most recognizable name. Each week, Brian is joined by different guests to talk about what's happening in the world of Nintendo. Along the way, they'll share personal stories, uncover hidden gems in the eShop, and even look back on the classics we all grew up with. A new episode hits every Friday!
Be sure to subscribe to All Things Nintendo on your favorite podcast platform. The show is available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, and YouTube.
There are many gifts to be found on self-proclaimed “video game siren” Velvet Caveat’s TikTok, like gay Team Rocket and, most recently, an electric blue Gyrados puppet holding down Ariana Grande’s part of “Rain On Me” during a lip-sync performance.
Square Enix’s new fantasy parkour game Forspoken has had a bit of a rocky launch in terms of public perception among gamers, who found its Joss Whedon-esque dialogue in advertisements cringe-inducing. However, Forspoken’s lead actress says she isn’t bothered by all the discourse the game’s dialogue has caused online,…
If you, like many others, have been stuck waiting nearly a decade for Dragon Age: Dreadwolf, you have also been living off crumbs for the series since Dragon Age: Inquisition launched in 2014. Well, thanks to the wonders of social media engagement farming, we got a few new glimpses into the development of Bioware’s…
The r/Pokémon subreddit Discord is one of the bigger online meeting places for players and fans of the hit Nintendo series. It boasts over 300,000 users who use it to battle, trade, or just hang out in between work, classes, or whatever else is going on in their lives. And this week its owner was banned from the…
Artificial Intelligence is everywhere these days, with technologies like ChatGPT and DALL-E encroaching on human artistic creativity and expression. Sometimes it yields interestingly absurdist results, such as that AI-generated Seinfeld-like show Nothing, Forever. Other times, it feigns humanity, like the…
Atlus released another ranking video of the top 10 most popular songs in Persona 3 Portable, to celebrate the recent release of the P3P remaster. This new ranking comes a week after the release of a previous video about Persona 4 Golden’s most popular songs. Atlus held a poll in December 2022 asking fans to submit their favorite tracks from the Persona 3 Portable and Persona 4 Golden soundtracks.
This time, DJ Aigis is the representative for Persona 3 Portable and the one responsible for presenting the ranking and giving commentary on each song. DJ Waka reprises his role as the composer of the remix of the medley, so even long-time fans will experience some differences in the tracks presented in the ranking.
The top 10 most popular songs from Persona 3 Portable are the following:
The latest Genshin Impact live wallpaper is available on N0va Desktop, and this time Ayato Kamisato is the star. The background brings people to Inazuma. People can immediately access it via the app, which is available on Android and Apple iOS devices. However, this is one of the ones that can not be used on a phone.
This Genshin Impact live wallpaper brings people to the Kamisato Estate where Ayato, Ayaka, and Thoma live. While Ayato is known for being a workaholic in-game, he’s enjoying a quieter moment for this wallpaper. He’s in the courtyard outside, enjoying the day. As is common for a live wallpaper, people can watch as he makes subtle movements.
It’s been quite a while since HoYoVerse released a new live wallpaper for Genshin Impact via N0va Desktop. In November 2022, one showed up starring Ganyu. Then in December 2022, a Yae Miko one appeared. They do tend to appear after character banners appear in-game, however. Case in point, an Ayato rerun banner appeared in-game at the end of December 2022 and beginning of January 2023.
Genshin Impact is available for the PS4, PS5, PC, and mobile devices. N0va Desktop is available on PCs and mobile devices.
It seems crazy to say, but March marks the return of Resident Evil 4, Capcom’s survival-horror hit that reinvented the genre. After varying degrees of success in the reimagined editions of of Resident Evil 2 and Resident Evil 3, fans are patiently holding their breath in anticipation of how many changes will be present in Leon and Ashley’s struggle against the nightmarish cult.
The latest footage, courtesy of Game Informer, showcases a thirteen-minute walkthrough of the game’s fifth chapter. If there was any doubt that Capcom would make notable changes, the walkthrough completely shatters that in all aspects, as seen through the lenses of a torrential downpour.
The video starts with Leon and Ashley sneaking their way through the church, in an attempt to escape from the crazed fanatics. New enhancements show the conversations with Leon’s handler to be a seamless experience rather than a break in the action, as well as a much more modern take on the in-game map.
From there, the video focuses on other areas of enhancement. Leon is no longer an agent stuck in quicksand, as he can freely run and gun his way out of trouble. Something briefly previewed in previous trailers was the introduction of stealth, but there’s a better focus on it this time around as the player sneaks over to finish off an unsuspecting cultist. Interestingly enough, the commentator mentions they tried to sneak through the area with little success. Perhaps there’s room for this tactic to be viable in future chapters.
Activision Blizzard will pay $35m USD to settle charges raised by the US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) following a probe relating to workplace misconduct.
The SEC launched its investigation into Activision Blizzard in September 2021, subpoenaing CEO Bobby Kotick and other senior executives to provide their internal communications regarding the company's response to the high-profile allegations of widespread misconduct and harassment within the company.
After concluding its investigation, the SEC charged that the publisher had failed to maintain disclosure controls and procedures that would ensure it could adequately collect and analyse employees' complaints of workplace misconduct. As a result, it said, Activision Blizzard's management lacked sufficient information to "understand the volume and substance of employee complaints about workplace misconduct", leaving it without the means to determine whether larger issues existed that needed to be disclosed to investors.
Earlier this week, we saw a new teaser trailer for The Super Mario Bros. Movie. The teaser gave us a glimpse of Cat Mario's appearance in the film, as well as Donkey Kong's reaction. Today, Universal, Illumination, and Nintendo released the official movie poster for the Super Mario Bros. Movie.
In this new poster, we get a cinematic glimpse of the cast of main characters that we know of so far, including Mario, Luigi, Peach, Toad, Bowser, Donkey Kong, and Kamek. Additionally, we see the opposing worlds in the apparent conflict of the film, with the darkness of Bowser's Castle contrasted by the bright and joyful Mushroom Kingdom. While nobody quite matches Donkey Kong and Toad's wide-eyed and unbridled bliss, every character on the poster is at least sporting a smirk.
The unannounced game that Atlus and Vanillaware teased back in 2019 is at the end of its development cycle. This news comes from an interview about GrimGrimoire OnceMore that Nintenderos had with George Kamitani of Vanillaware. The trailer for this title first appeared as an extra feature in 13 Sentinels: Aegis Rim Prologue. In an interview with Siliconera, the title also came up. [Thanks, Gematsu and Nintenderos!]
During our interview with Vanillaware about GrimGrimoire OnceMore, Kamitami mentioned that the development team "may or may not be working on a similar, yet totally different project" from Grand Knights History. Of course, this is not a direct confirmation from Vanillaware as to the identity of the unannounced game. Yoshio Nishimura also mentioned "a major project within the company" that made it difficult to start development on GrimGrimoire OnceMore.
You can watch the trailer for the unannounced Vanillaware game here:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wr7_RTHy16c
The regular person with no unique or weird features, Xûr, is now live in Destiny 2 for the weekend until next week's reset. If you're looking to get your some shiny new Exotic armor or weapons for your Guardian, look no further.
Each week, Xûr has a random assortment of Exotic armor, one for each Guardian class, as well as a random Exotic Weapon and an Exotic Engram available for purchase. In addition to his Exotic wares, he's got a random collection of Legendary weapons and armor to deck out your Guardians.
We've rounded up all the info on Xûr for the week including where to find Xûr, which Exotic weapons and armor are available, as well as which Legendary weapons you should pick up, either for PvE or PvP.
Xûr's location can be found at Winding Cove in the EDZ on February 3 through February 4. To reach him, travel to the landing point at Winding Cove. When you arrive, make for the rock cliffs at the far end of the cove and look for a cave winding up to a platform next to some Fallen. There you'll find the retail monster who inspires us all.
Remedy Entertainment and Smilegate announced that they will be shutting down CrossfireX on May 18, 2023. This announcement comes right before the game’s one-year anniversary as it was released on Xbox Series and Xbox One back on February 10, 2022.
“Since the launch of the game, we have worked tirelessly to bring it to a point where we can all be proud, and throughout it all we have had the honor and pleasure of supporting our players,” CrossfireX’s development team said in a statement.
It continued: “Coming to this decision was not easy, however, we can proudly say that our players have been amazingly active, passionate, and enthusiastic in working with us to create a game that would be fun and enjoyable by all. We want to thank each and every one of our players for playing CrossfireX and being a part of this journey with us.
It is with deepest regret that we must inform you of our decision to terminate our service for CrossfireX. We want to thank each and every one of our players for playing and being a part of this journey with us. For full details, please visit: https://t.co/Kx03nYOmLA pic.twitter.com/Gl790Tn38T
— CrossfireX (@PlayCrossfireX) February 3, 2023
Sales for the game on the Xbox Store have already been disabled, and there will be no new content added to the game, including maps, modes, and camos. Additionally, purchases made within the last 14 days as of February 3, 2023, are eligible for a refund.
In an interview during the Taipei Games Show 2023, Producer Yasunori Ogura gave new details about Armored Core VI: Fires of Rubicon development and gameplay. The game was announced during the 25th Anniversary of the franchise in 2022, and will arrive 10 years after the release of the last Armored Core entry. Ogura talked about the setting of the game, how FromSoftware’s experience with the Dark Souls series and Elden Ring is shaping the development, and Hidetaka Miyazaki’s involvement in the title. [Thanks, Famitsu!]
When asked about Hidetaka Miyazaki’s involvement, Ogura said in the interview that FromSoft’s president participated in the early stages of development under the title of “Initial Game Director.” Miyazaki was in charge of deciding the direction of both maps and action. Meanwhile, Ogura is in charge of reexamining the way robot parts and customization works, how they affect player freedom, and the actions that can be performed with each different part. As for gameplay, like in previous entries, Armored Core VI will include barriers, quad legs, and pile bunker among other returning equipment. Ogura also said that the trailer already included many elements hidden within, in terms of equipment for the mechs.
Sons of the Forest developer Endnight Games has announced it will be changing the game's February 23 release date to an early access release date to prevent further delays and to allow fans to jump in and help the studio reach the finish line.
Endnight Games revealed its plan for the Sons of the Forest's release and development going forward via a post on Steam, and shared it very much wants the community's help as it did for the original game.
"It’s been a long journey since we first started ‘Sons of The Forest’ development and it’s grown into the biggest most complex game we have ever made," the post reads. "There is still so much more we want to add; items, new mechanics, gameplay balance and more. We didn’t want to delay again so have instead decided to involve the community in the continued development of this project and keep our February 23rd release date but instead release in Early Access.
"‘The Forest’ turned out to be a massive success, due mostly to the awesome community and the suggestions, feedback, and bug reports the players shared with us," the post continues. "We are really excited and hope that players want to come on this new journey with us to make this the ultimate survival horror simulator."
Way back in December 2021, Kotobukiya announced it would release a figure of Dohalim from Tales of Arise. Now, it seems one step closer to it being available. The company started sharing images of in-development figures at various stages on February 3, 2023 as part of a Kotobukiya Collection 2023 [Winter] event. Among them was an unpainted prototype of Dohalim.
First, here’s the official announcement tweet. It includes a link to the official site. There, it notes Dohalim will be a 1/8 scale figure.
【原型初公開】
『テイルズ オブ アライズ』より「テュオハリム」の原型を初公開！
ただいま鋭意制作中なので、続報を楽しみにお待ちください！▽コトコレ特設サイトhttps://t.co/kyKuVtexxI#テイルズ #TOARISE #コトコレ pic.twitter.com/QqUUkIW4tw
— コトブキヤ宣伝 (@kotobukiyas) February 4, 2023
Ufotable uploaded a short trailer for Demon Slayer, showing off the remaining Upper Kizuki members. So far, the anime has introduced three (technically four) of the six. Akaza was a major antagonist in the Mugen Train Arc, whereas Gyutaro and Daki were the main antagonists for the Entertainment District Arc. The Entertainment District Arc for the anime also ended with a teaser of Douma.
You can watch the trailer here:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t0d7_6WCls8&
The trailer quickly shows off the Upper Kizuki members, as well as a quote from them. Aside from introducing them, it also reveals the cast members for Kizuki who have not yet appeared in the show. In order of appearance in the trailer, the voice actors for them are:
Though she is not in the trailer, as she is technically a part of Gyutaro, Daki was also an Upper Kizuki.
One of the latest figure reveals at Kotobukiya Collection 2023 [Winter] involved quite a spoiler. The company showed off its latest Rebuild of Evangelion figure of Rei Ayanami. It is a recreation of a scene from Evangelion 3.0+1.0. While an unpainted prototype, it shows her holding a doll. It's only an unpainted prototype, but the company specifically called attention to the way her eyes are designed.
First, here's a look at the figure below. This involves the long-haired version of Rei. It also features eyes that look like they're barely open if you look at it from one angle, but seem completely closed if you view it from another perspective. The finished product will be a 1/6th scale figure.
【COMING SOON】
Take a first look at the sculpt for Rei Ayanami from EVANGELION:3.0＋1.0 THRICE UPON A TIME!
She can be seen with her eyes closed or slightly open depending on the viewing angle!https://t.co/zo6N0lv3Ve#Evangelion #ShinEvangelion #KotobukiyaCollection pic.twitter.com/ADhZSEJPZa
In addition to being an opportunity to show off painted and unpainted prototypes, Kotobukiya made announcements at Kotobukiya Collection 2023 [Winter]. One of them involved Guilty Gear. The company is now working on a Guilty Gear Strive figure of Bridget in the midst of the Return of the Killing Machine Overdrive.
Here's the official announcement for the Guilty Gear Strive Bridget figure. As she's still early in development, there's no prototype. Only an image appeared of her alongside Roger. However, we do know the finished figure will be a 1/7th scale one.
【COMING SOON】
A scale figure of Bridget from GUILTY GEAR -STRIVE- with "Return of the Killing Machine" is planned for release!Please look forward to more info!https://t.co/QLyyu27xeo#GUILTYGEAR #GGST #KotobukiyaCollection #Kotobukiya pic.twitter.com/LQgD6W4FGG
— Kotobukiya Official (@Kotobukiya_EN) February 4, 2023
Kotobukiya’s Bishoujo line of figures involves Shunya Yamashita creating new visions of characters, then merchandise being produced. A number of folks from shows, movies, and games are a part of the line. Now at Kotobukiya Collection 2023 [Winter], it confirmed a Star Trek Vulcan Science Officer is in development.
Here’s the official announcement for the Star Trek Bishoujo figure reveal. Keep in mind this is just a teaser. Only a silhouette for the woman is shown. The finished figure will be a 1/7th one.
【COMING SOON】
"Space, the final frontier." #StarTrek joins the #BISHOUJO series and will soon beam to your side! Look forward to #ShunyaYamashita's vision of Star Trek and see the series boldly go where no one has gone before!https://t.co/44rghOYNGA#KotobukiyaCollection pic.twitter.com/JHAkdgAvTi— Kotobukiya Official (@Kotobukiya_EN) February 4, 2023
One of the Kotobukiya Collection 2023 [Winter] announcements involved an unpainted prototype of a new take on an old character. The company is working on a scale figure of Vash the Stampede from Trigun Stampede. It will be a part of the ARTFX J line. As it is still early in development, there’s no release date yet.
Here’s Kotobukiya’s English tweet announcing the figure, which also showed the unpainted concept. It will be a 1/8th scale one. The official announcement page noted that they wanted it to look as though Vash is in the middle of a fight against enemies, with his gun also on display. Also, to note his desire to protect, the figure’s base makes it look like there’s a town in the background.
Check out the first reveal for the sculpt of Vash the Stampede from the currently airing anime TRIGUN STAMPEDE! The pose captures Vash as he faces off against his enemies!https://t.co/6CzjVmfEDa#TRIGUN #KotobukiyaCollection #Kotobukiya pic.twitter.com/Y679Mwl6Zu
— Kotobukiya Official (@Kotobukiya_EN) February 4, 2023
Activision Blizzard has been charged $35 million by the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) for "failing to maintain disclosure controls related to complaints of workplace misconduct and violating whistleblower protection rule."
The SEC shared the news in a press release, stating Activision Blizzard agreed to pay the $35 million to settle its violations, and the charges stemmed from issues dating back to 2016.
"According to the SEC’s order, between 2018 and 2021, Activision Blizzard was aware that its ability to attract, retain, and motivate employees was a particularly important risk in its business, but it lacked controls and procedures among its separate business units to collect and analyze employee complaints of workplace misconduct," The SEC wrote.
Between 2016 and 2021, the SEC stated Activision Blizzard also "executed separation agreements in the ordinary course of its business that violated a Commission whistleblower protection rule by requiring former employees to provide notice to the company if they received a request for information from the Commission’s staff."
As a result, Activison Blizzard was said to have violated Exchange Act Rules 13a-15(a) and 21F-17(a). The company did not admit or deny the SEC's finding, instead it just "agreed to a cease-and-desist order and to pay a $35 million penalty."
The Committee of Zero uploaded an uncensored overhaul patch for Chaos;Head Noah, and you can find it on its website. The page also leads to a spoiler-free guide if you wish to follow it and get every ending. This patch is available in both English and Japanese, and you can get it for Steam, Steam Deck, GOG, and Nintendo Switch.
The Chaos;Head Noah overhaul patch is not only uncensored, but it also fixes bugs and is an entirely original translation of the story. There are over 150 translated CGs, as well as additional subtitles and songs. The censorship mostly deals with content that Mages had to cut to lower the age rating for the PSP release. This patch will restore all eleven scenes (which are vital for a full experience) and the Lingerie Conversion Patch DLC.
There is a note from the translators explaining why they chose to re-translate Chaos;Head Noah. They strongly state that they support the translators who worked on the official release but they likely had little time or funds to get the translation to the level they wanted. There were so many mistranslations and inconsistencies, as well as out-of-character writing, that that the Committee of Zero had to re-translate it.
The snowdrops are out! This is still a sign of winter, but it's a sign of winter progressing, and the progress of winter inevitably leads towards spring. Then we'll have the crocus, and iris, and bluebell, and oh spring! I'm overwhelmingly excited by the realisation that come Thursday, sunset in Edinburgh will no longer fall during working hours. Ah, light! Life! But until then, what are you playing this weekend? Here's what we're clicking on!
It's astonishing how, eight years on and now freshly added to Game Pass, Darkest Dungeon still manages to feel unlike anything else. Blown up on my telly, this could easily be something new. That horror-movie voice over still shakes my bones, that paper-drawn art still oozes style. But it's not that which really stands the game apart.
What stands Darkest Dungeon apart is an invisible line, drawn in the ground somewhere, that determines how far developers go - how far they're prepared to go - to challenge their audiences. Cross that line and a game becomes unfair. Cross it, and you risk turning an audience away. Few do. But Darkest Dungeon doesn't care; Darkest Dungeon delights in it.
The entire premise of the game is cruelty. Cruelty towards the heroes you send into the depths and cruelty towards you, the player directing them. Whereas in other games, you're invisibly looked after until the game feels you're comfortable with it and attached to it, here, you're eternally, mercilessly, dragged down. In many ways, Darkest Dungeon doesn't want you to win. Why else would it pit so much against you?
Double Fine Productions founder Tim Schafer will be inducted into The Academy of Interactive Arts & Sciences' (AIAS) Hall of Fame.
Schafer - best known for games like Grim Fandango, Psychonauts, and Broken Age - will be honoured at the 26th annual DICE event later this month (not to be confused with EA's Stockholm studio of the same name).
"Tim's creative impact on the industry cannot be understated," said Meggan Scavio, president of the AIAS. "For over 30 years, he has heralded imaginative games that have inspired countless others with his humour and originality. We are thrilled for Tim to be inducted into our Hall of Fame."
Valorant’s cheap SMG has once again begun to dominate the meta, but the Stinger’s strength isn’t long for either Alpha or Omega worlds. Riot Games has confirmed the weapon will be nerfed in Patch 6.02 following its performance tracking over the past few weeks. The development team has concluded it’s “over-performing” and has plans in place to reduce its impact.
The news comes by way of a Tweet late on Friday afternoon:
After a few weeks of tracking, were upping the cost of the Stinger and adjusting the damage fall-off in time for Patch 6.02.
— VALORANT (@PlayVALORANT) February 4, 2023
We feel the Stinger is over-performing at its price point, especially in the early rounds, and lacks the right economic tradeoffs.
The following changes will be made to the Stinger for Patch 6.02:
The changes will mean that force-buying the Stinger, which had become commonplace in professional and ranked play recently, will be less viable. The damage fall-off changes will also make the gun generally less powerful against more expensive weapons, such as the Spectre, Bulldog, Phantom, and Vandal.
Destiny 2’s next raid is a little over a month away now, and players have been anxiously waiting and preparing for its arrival alongside the Lightfall DLC itself. However, Bungie has just announced that the contest modifier, which is normally on for 24 hours, will now be extended by an additional 24 hours.
This is the second time in Destiny history that a Day One Raid has been extended in some way, shape, or form. Last year, the Vow of the Disciple Raid was extended by an additional 24 hours due to several bugs that arose when the Raid was released. This time around, Bungie is adding an extra 24 hours to contest mode to allow for teams to complete the raid while the mode is active. Completing the raid while the mode is active will reward players with a very exclusive 24-hour emblem that cannot be obtained by other means.
It may be hard to believe, but today marks 10 years since Fire Emblem Awakening was released in the U.S. The legend behind its development has been told ad nauseam, to the point where details have become somewhat muddied and embellished. To oversimplify a complex situation, the series had historically underperformed commercially, leading to an expectation that this entry on the 3DS would serve as a swan song.
During a 2015 Iwata Asks interview, then-Nintendo president Satoru Iwata spoke with staff who had worked on the game, including producer Hitoshi Yamagami.
“To be honest, when we made Awakening, we intended it to be the last in the series,” Yamagami explained. “[Shinji] Hatano-san, who was working as the head of the sales department, he said ‘The Emblem series isn’t making the numbers, so this is going to be the last one.'”
Such a foreboding creed might discourage some, while the team behind Awakening saw it as an opportunity to implement as many mechanics and features as they could possibly fit on the cartridge.
“…the members said ‘This is going to be the last one, so let’s put in everything we want so we don’t have any regrets,'” Yamagami continued. “Then we had a big list of different things, ‘I want to do this’ and ‘I wanna do this,’ and the result was Awakening.”
