March 2023

If you’ve paid any attention at all to Final Fantasy XVI, you likely already know how action-forward this game is. It’s easily the farthest a mainline Final Fantasy game has ever been from its traditional turn-based roots, with FFXVI being easily the most action-heavy yet. That’s not surprising, though, considering the game’s combat director is Ryota Suzuki, a former Capcom developer with nearly 20 years of experience designing the action in games like Marvel vs. Capcom 2, Devil May Cry 4, and most recently, Devil May Cry 5. 

With such a personal connection to Devil May Cry, I couldn’t resist asking: Who would win in a one-on-one fight: FFXVI protagonist Clive or Devil May Cry 5 lead Dante? Suzuki had to answer this question with two of his bosses right beside him – FFXVI director Hiroshi Takai and producer Naoki Yoshida – so perhaps we should take this answer with a grain of salt. But I don’t know, having played both Devil May Cry 5 and two hours of FFXVI during a recent hands-on preview (read about that here), I’m inclined to believe him. 

His answer, with a sly smile and a laugh: Clive. 

Suzuki says Clive’s Eikonic abilities, which allow him to tap into the power of Eikons like Phoenix and Titan, give him the ultimate edge. And just for fun, I asked who would win in a fight between Clive and Nero. 

In today's New Gameplay Today, your hosts Wesley LeBlanc, Kyle Hilliard, and Prima Games' Jesse Vitelli discuss Final Fantasy XVI after going hands-on with it during a recent preview. In this specific segment, Clive must fight the Eikon, Garuda. While he holds his own, he must tap into the powers of Ifrit to finally take her down, and you can watch all that play out in this new NGT. Enjoy!

As you can see, the Eikon fights are shaping up to be massive, climatic, and flashy combat scenarios that we can't wait to see more of in the final game. For more, you can read Wesley's full Final Fantasy XVI preview thoughts here. And you can read Jesse's thoughts over at Prima Games here. 

After previewing Final Fantasy XVI for roughly two hours, which you can read about here, I’m left most interested in the different styles of combat happening throughout the game. Clive has his own style of Devil May Cry-esque combat, party members controlled by A.I. up the ante, Clive’s dog Torgal can attack enemies, Clive can fight Eikons, and there are even Eikon vs. Eikon fights. It’s a lot for one game to juggle, and after my relatively short preview, I feel that the team is confident in this balancing act. 

But I wanted to learn more, so I asked FFXVI producer Naoki Yoshida, director Hiroshi Takai, and combat director Ryota Suzuki how the team manages so many unique combat experiences. 

“With regular Clive battles…this is the type of battle that players are going to be experiencing the most, and you spend most of the time controlling Clive,” Suzuki tells me. “You’re going to be playing this style of combat for the longest, and so through these battles, your character is going to be leveling up, and as you level up, the type of actions that you have will increase, and you’ll be able to upgrade those and get new ones.” 

In today's New Gameplay Today, your hosts Wesley LeBlanc, Kyle Hilliard, and Prima Games' Jesse Vitelli discuss Final Fantasy XVI after going hands-on with it during a recent preview. In this specific segment, you'll see protagonist Clive exploring a castle in search of Benedikta. Along the way, Clive runs into plenty of enemies to take down, some minibosses, and one big boss at the end. Enjoy!

As you can see, Final Fantasy XVI is looking to be the most action-heavy mainline game in the series. But traditional Final Fantasy mainstays like magic, potions, and, of course, Cid are still part of the formula. For more, you can read Wesley's full Final Fantasy XVI preview thoughts here. And you can read Jesse's thoughts over at Prima Games here. 

Final Fantasy XVI is the most action-forward mainline Final Fantasy game in the series yet, and that’s in no small part due to the person behind its action: combat director Ryota Suzuki. After nearly 20 years at Capcom working on combat for games like Marvel vs. Capcom 2, Devil May Cry 4, and most recently, Devil May Cry 5, Suzuki decided he was ready for something new. 

That "something new" turned out to be FFXVI. The game’s director, Hiroshi Takai, and its producer, Naoki Yoshida, offered Suzuki a role at Creative Business Unit III, leading FFXVI’s combat design. And now, on June 22, players will be able to feel what I felt during a recent hands-on preview of the game: it’s very Devil May Cry meets Final Fantasy, in the best way. 

While playing, one thing I noticed was that FFXVI doesn’t really grade your performance in combat like Devil May Cry, despite feeling like the kind of action game that would. That’s intentional, according to Takai. 

“You maybe didn’t realize it, but while you’re playing the game, the game is actually telling the score in the background,” he says. “The reason we don’t show this all the time goes back to that core concept of making this game not just for the hardcore players, but making it for everyone. 

“When someone’s playing a game, and they feel like they’re doing well…they think, ‘I’ve tried my best’ and then get Rank 6. We look at that as a demotivator for some players and we didn’t want that.”

The Final Fantasy series’ numbered entries haven’t been turn-based RPGs for quite some time. With each new game, the series moves further away from its classic turn-based roots toward a more action-oriented combat system. Combat has never been further from being turn-based in a Final Fantasy game more so than in Final Fantasy XVI, which is the most action-based game in the mainline franchise yet. I recently played about two hours of the game to dive deeper into the combat system’s mechanics, and you can read my preview thoughts on that here. 

But after playing some of the game, I spoke with the FFXVI producer Naoki Yoshida, director Hiroshi Takai, and combat director Ryota Suzuki about this continued shift to deep action and whether Final Fantasy will ever return to its turn-based roots. As for why the series has moved comfortably into action, each of these three development leads had an answer. 

Yoshida: "When creating FFXVI, you can't ignore the data that's been taken from the fan base, from Final Fantasy I to XV. 

I recently previewed Final Fantasy XVI, the new mainline single-player Final Fantasy game coming to PlayStation 5 this summer. You can read my full thoughts on what I think of the game after going hands-on with it for about two hours here. But during this preview, I was also able to participate in a group interview of FFXVI producer Naoki Yoshida, the game’s director Hiroshi Takai, and its combat director Ryota Suzuki. 

One facet of FFXVI’s development I was especially interested in is how Creative Business Unit III, the internal studio behind the upcoming game, is able to balance creating this new title while continuing to develop its extremely successful MMO, Final Fantasy XIV. Yoshida, who is FFXIV’s producer and director, says it’s not as different as you might think. 

Fans itching to watch Illumination’s The Super Mario Bros. Movie have two fewer days to wait. The animated film has been bumped up, releasing April 5 instead of April 7.

Why is the movie being moved up? It's unclear, but we're not complaining. The new date applies to over 60 global markets, though the Japanese premiere is set for April 28. For those wondering, April 5 lands on a Wednesday. 

Wahoo! The #SuperMarioMovie is moving from April 7 to April 5 in the US and in more than 60 markets around the world. The movie hits theaters in additional markets in April and May, with Japan opening April 28. pic.twitter.com/CjlikfC3cu

— The Super Mario Bros. Movie (@supermariomovie) February 28, 2023

Promotion of The Super Mario Bros. Movie has amped up, including Illumination releasing a new commercial and plumbing website for Mario and Luigi. You can also check out the trailer revealing Donkey Kong. 

During a recent hands-on preview with Final Fantasy XVI (read my thoughts about it after playing two hours here), I was able to participate in a group interview of the game’s producer, Naoki Yoshida, its director, Hiroshi Takai, and its combat director, Ryota Suzuki. One question asked was about why the game returns to the series’ high fantasy roots, and why it has such a different tone compared to recent Final Fantasy games. 

According to Takai, it all started with summons. 

I recently previewed Final Fantasy XVI, going hands-on with the upcoming game for roughly two hours. I learned a lot about the game, which is due out on PlayStation 5 this summer, including how developer Creative Business Unit III approached accessibility in FFXVI. 

You won’t find difficulty settings like easy, medium, and hard. Instead, there’s a story-focused mode and an action-focused mode. The story-focused mode will be easier, while the action-focused mode appears to be the default difficulty setting. And within each of these modes, there are special accessories that can be equipped to tailor the difficulty of combat to your liking. I was able to use five – I’m not sure if there are more  – and I liked how easy it was to swap them in and out, and the effects on my in-game combat actions were great. It’s quick, easy to understand, and effective.

Epic Games has revealed that Adonis Creed from the Rocky sequel series, Creed, will be added to Fortnite later this week, just in time for this weekend's premiere of Creed III. 

More specifically, the Adonis Creed outfit will be available for purchase in the Item Shop starting Thursday, March 2, at 7 p.m. Eastern. If you don't want to wait until then, though, you have a chance to earn the outfit early by competing in the Creed Cup on March 1. 

Special "Creed Quests" will go live on March 2 at 9 a.m. ET and will last until 9 a.m. ET on March 9. Completing these quests will reward XP, and if you complete five of them, you'll earn the Creed's Gloves Spray. 

In terms of the Adonis Creed outfit, you'll have the non-Main Event and Main Event styles. Plus, you can select the Adonis Creed Bionic Creed alt style as well, which will add some flair to each outfit. You can also toggle Bionic Creed's robe on or off. 

Check out these outfit styles below: 

I recently went hands-on with Final Fantasy XVI, the next mainline entry in the long-running series due out on PlayStation 5 this summer, to play roughly two hours of the game. Most of that playtime consisted of me controlling Clive as I battled alongside ally Cidolfus Telamon (always a Cid, right?) through a castle dungeon. However, toward the end of my preview, I was able to fight Garuda, one of the game’s Eikons, while controlling Ifrit, another Eikon. 

At this point in the game, roughly five hours in according to FFXVI producer Naoki Yoshida, Clive has little control over Ifrit. A special few in the world of FFXVI are Dominants, meaning they can tap into the power of an Eikon and even transform into them. Cidolfus, for example, can become the Ramuh Eikon. Clive, however, is not a Dominant (but his younger brother, Joshua, is). 

I’m not exactly sure what story events led to this moment – I tried asking the team but they remained tightlipped – but regardless, it was good fun. Ifrit features just a few attacks and lumbers around the giant battlefield while attacking Garuda. Yoshida says this fight reflects Clive’s inexperience utlizing the power of Ifrit. After I defeated Garuda, Cidolfus even had to transform into Ramuh to put an end to my uncontrolled, anger-filled rampage. 

Following the release of Forspoken earlier this year, Square Enix has announced that the game's developer, Luminous Productions, will merge into the company. 

It's a strange announcement, given that Luminous Productions was already a studio under the Square Enix umbrella. But now, it seems that Luminous Productions as an individual entity will be no more and, thus, won't be seeing its name appear on future titles.

"The merger is part of the Company's efforts to bolster the competitive prowess of the Group's development studios, a goal set forth under its current medium-term business strategy," a press release reads. "Square Enix has developed numerous AAA high-definition (HD) games and possesses a wealth of intellectual property (IP) and content. Luminous Productions Co., Ltd. is meanwhile equipped not only with AAA title development capabilities but also technical expertise in areas such as game engine development. Combining the two entities will further enhance the Group's ability to develop HD games." 

As you can see, it's not that Luminous Productions' developers are no longer with Square Enix; it's just that the team has been merged into the wider Square Enix umbrella. As for why remains unclear. Perhaps it's the result of Forspoken's mixed reception at release, but that's speculation. 

For more, read Game Informer's Forspoken review. 

Platform: PlayStation 5
Publisher: Square Enix
Developer: Square Enix
Release: June 22, 2023

Just a few days after the one-year anniversary of Elden Ring's release, developer From Software has revealed that an expansion for the game is currently in development. 

Revealed by the official Elden Ring Twitter account, this expansion is called Shadow of the Erdtree. Not much is known about the expansion, but those familiar with the game's lore (especially those that have completed the game) might be able to piece together what this new adventure will consist of. Alongside the news, From Software has released what appears to be a piece of concept art for the expansion. 

Check it out for yourself in the tweet below: 

Rise, Tarnished, and let us walk a new path together.
An upcoming expansion for #ELDENRING Shadow of the Erdtree, is currently in development.
We hope you look forward to new adventures in the Lands Between. pic.twitter.com/cjJYijM7Mw

How do you remake a game many consider to be a masterpiece? In our conversation with Resident Evil 4 (Remake)'s Director Yasuhiro Ampo and Game Director Kazunori Kadoi, we learned a few of the ways the team at Capcom is attempting this. From quality-of-life improvements and updated controls to a new knife system and parry mechanics, they've done quite a lot; and you can learn about it in the video below.

For more Resident Evil 4, check out Game Informer's YouTube Channel to see the rest of our coverage of the game. You can also visit our hub for exclusive RE4 coverage, or watch the new trailer revealed at Sony's recent State of Play.

Disclaimer: Capcom helped to arrange and cover travel accommodations for two in Osaka, Japan, in association with this cover story. As the world’s largest video game magazine, Game Informer’s editorial team is proud to remain impartial, professional, and committed to the truth in all forms of our content, regardless of any outside factors.

As part of today's Pokémon Presents livestream, Netflix joined the festivities to announce Pokémon Concierge. This new animated series is the first collaborative production between Netflix and The Pokémon Company and features a decidedly different direction from previous animated adventures in the Pokémon universe. 

The narrative, which is told through stop-motion animation from Dwarf Studios, stars Haru. a concierge a the Pokémon Resort, and Psyduck. The stories that unfold center around her interactions with the various Pokémon that pass through the resort. 

"Netflix is looking forward to delighting fans in Japan and around the world with Pokémon Concierge, an entirely new visual and storytelling experience featuring groundbreaking stop-motion animation set in the Pokémon world in close collaboration with The Pokémon Company," vice president of Netflix content in Asia Minyoung Kim said in a press release. "We're also excited to reveal this new series on Pokémon Day and provide fans with even more things to look forward to on this special holiday celebrating the popular franchise."

Ever since spring 2020, Netflix has been the exclusive home to the Pokémon anime in the United States. While those seasons have continued the story of Ash Ketchum and Pikachu, Pokémon Concierge represents a completely new focus within the world of Pokémon.

We don't know much more about this new series, but we did receive a teaser trailer, which you can see below.

The Pokémon Trading Card Game has been a staple pillar of the Pokémon franchise dating back to the late '90s, but through a new collaboration between The Pokémon Company, Ceatures Inc., and Nendo, the team behind the TCG hopes to deliver the definitive way to play. Pokémon Trading Card Game Classic delivers everything you need to play, including preconstructed decks and various elegantly redesigned gameplay accessories. 

The content of this premium set kick off with three specially designed 60-card decks. These decks are headlined by Base Set Venusaur, Charizard, and Blastoise but feature cards from the history of the Pokémon Trading Card Game. In addition to those classic cards, players can also look forward to all-new cards like Ho-Oh EX, Lugia EX, and Suicune EX. Cards included in this set are ineligible for tournament play, as these decks and cards were designed for balanced play within this set.

After last year's Pokémon Scarlet and Violet quickly became some of the top-selling Switch titles, it was just a matter of time before Game Freak and The Pokémon Company announced downloadable content for the Paldean adventures. During today's Pokémon Presents livestream, we got our first glimpse of the new stories and journeys that await in Scarlet and Violet's DLC.

The overarching tale, which unfolds over the course of two parts, is called "The Hidden Treasure of Area Zero." The first part, titled "The Teal Mask," begins with a school trip to the land of Kitakami, which features a big mountain with people living at the base. The Pokémon Company describes Kitakami as a "place of tranquil expanses featuring rice paddles and apple orchards." While there, the students can experience a festival happening in the village, with new friends to meet and new Pokémon to encounter. The story revolves around unraveling the mysteries behind the area's folktales. The story of The Teal Mask will lead directly into the second part, which is called "The Indigo Disk."

This week on All Things Nintendo, Brian and Wesley give a massive round up of impressions for games like Kirby's Return to Dream Land Deluxe, Octopath Traveler II, Metroid Prime Remastered, Theatrhythm Final Bar Line, and more. Before that, the two speculate what Pokémon Day 2023 might have in store for us, Xbox's new plans for Switch (yes, you read that right), and what the final trailer for The Super Mario Bros. Movie might have for us.

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!

Nintendo has confirmed that it will not participate in E3 this year. This comes in the wake of a recent report stating the three console makers plan to skip the annual event entirely this year. Sony and Microsoft have yet to confirm any formal attendance. 

In a statement to IGN, Nintendo say E3 didn’t fit into its plans but will continue to support the event alongside its organizer, the ESA. 

"We approach our involvement in any event on a case-by-case basis and are always considering various ways to engage with our fans. Since this year’s E3 show didn’t fit into our plans, we have made the decision to not participate. However, we have been and continue to be a strong supporter of the ESA and E3."

Although Nintendo was the first of the three console makers to stop holding live E3 press conferences in favor of pre-recorded Direct videos, it was also the last one to have a booth on the show floor. Up until the last traditional show in 2019, Nintendo still had a large, often elaborate area filled with demos and a stage where it broadcasted its Treehouse Live stream. Xbox moved its booth out of the convention center to the Microsoft Theater next door in 2018 (though it was still part of E3); PlayStation pulled out of the event entirely in 2019 and hasn't returned. 

Mortal Kombat 12 is apparently launching this year, and that news was revealed rather unceremoniously in an earnings call with Warner Bros. Discovery.

In a clip pulled from Warner Bros. Discovery's fourth quarter 2022 earnings call yesterday, Warner Bros. president and CEO David Zaslav states that “...there’s lots more to come, including the highly anticipated Mortal Kombat 12 and Suicide Squad: Kill The Justice League, games also set for release this year with ambitious launch projections.” You can watch the clip in the embedded tweet below. 

Here you go Brusk pic.twitter.com/GYqRd8CZt4

— Al¹³ (@Aluminum54) February 23, 2023

Developer Netherrealm Studios has yet to announce anything on its end. Yesterday, studio head and Mortal Kombat co-creator Ed Boon cheekily tweeted, “so who has heard the news about Injustice 3?”  referencing the fact that for years, Netherrealm has released an Injustice game between Mortal Kombat entries, so technically, that would be next if it maintained that pattern. 

So who has heard the news about INJUSTICE 3 ?

Kirby’s Return to Dream Land originally released on the Nintendo Wii in 2011 and is remembered fondly as a Kirby that relied less on gimmicks and felt like a fun throwback to the pink vacuum's original adventures. Join Kyle Hilliard and Brian Shea for a look at the Switch remaster of the game, which adds new content and abilities. You can also find Brian Shea's full review of the game right here.

Today’s PlayStation State of Play concluded with an in-depth look at Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League by Rocksteady Games. Set five years after Batman: Arkham Knight, the adventure centers on the villains turned government-mandated saviors trying to stop a global invasion by Brainiac, who has hijacked the minds of Earth’s greatest heroes.

Metropolis serves as the game’s open-world sandbox, and the adventure can be enjoyed alone or with up to three other friends in co-op (requiring an internet connection for both and supports cross-play). The video presentation highlights each Squad member’s traits. Harley Quinn is the most acrobatic, sporting a grappling hook to swing across buildings. Deadshot uses a jetpack to fly or hover while using various assault weapons to riddle foes with bullets. King Shark relies on his brute strength, while Captain Boomerang uses a speed force gauntlet to quickly zip around enemies.

As a third-person shooter, every character wields a variety of customizable firearms that can be outfitted with different attachments, such as scopes. There are even different weapon manufacturing brands a la Borderlands. Players can outfit the Squad with various gear pieces and costumes, and some grant the attributes of other bad guys such as Bane. The moment-to-moment action features plenty of superpowered leaping, swinging, and teleporting around the city while unloading gunfire; it’s not that dissimilar to Crackdown in terms of its absurdity. 

Today’s Sony State of Play included a new trailer for Street Fighter 6, which served to introduce three characters joining the roster – the last ones we should expect to join the launch game line-up.

The arrival of Zangief, the professional wrestler, comes as little surprise, since he’s been a part of the line-up for so long. He holds onto old standby moves like his Screw Piledriver, but gets some new moves on display in the trailer, like the Tundra Storm counter throw.

Likewise, it seemed only a matter of time before Cammy was revealed. We learned that the Heavy version of three of her signature moves – the Spiral Arrow, Cannon Spike, and Hooligan Combination – are being enhanced to “allow a delay which results in altered properties for some big damage,” according to a press release that went out concurrent with the trailer.

Lily is the one new addition to the fighting roster. She’s a descendant of the Thunderfoot tribe, the same cultural group that produced T. Hawk, a fighter who appeared in Super Street Fighter II. Lily’s a smaller fighter who appears to regularly speak to the spirits of nature. Her moveset includes titles like Condor Dive, Condor Spire, and Tomahawk Buster, and she pulls out war clubs to inflict damage in her attacks.

Street Fighter 6 is headed for PS5, Xbox Series X/S, PS4, and PC on June 2.  

It's that time of year again: today was Sony's first State of Play of 2023. While it showcased many indie games and an extended look at Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League, the presentation started with a look at five new games coming to the recently released PlayStation VR2 headset. If you missed the live stream, here's a refresher.

Sony showed a new trailer for Resident Evil 4 at the most recent State of Play live stream, and it's great. Now, the trailer is below the next paragraph, and I know you want to skip right into watching it. Which you should. However, let me give you the quick hits.

Luis is present in way more of the game now – he's shown with Leon in the minecart section (also we see the minecart section) – we get a brief look at the Krauser fight, more detailed views of combat, the late section of the game that goes full Call of Duty (which is and has always been good), some brief glimpses of Ashley's sections, and a tease for Mercenaries. Okay, the trailer is below. There's a lot more I didn't type out because you aren't reading this, and I do not blame you. Have fun, friends. The game looks great. 

For more Resident Evil 4, check out our exclusive coverage hub. The game will be released on March 24.

Accompanied by a somber cover of Radiohead’s “Karma Police,” Bungie rolled out a new look at Lightfall during today’s Sony State of Play presentation, and shared the expansion's launch trailer.

In this latest trailer, we get several new glimpses of the narrative that lies ahead in the expansion. If the trailer is any indication, we’re heading into a pretty bleak moment for the characters we’ve been following in this universe since 2014. Across the course of the trailer, we see the approach of The Witness, as it methodically seems to tear through Earth’s defenses and demoralize its defenders.

It’s no surprise that things are looking especially dire. In the long-running storyline of the Desinty universe, Lightfall is set to be the penultimate storytelling chapter of the current saga, ahead of next year’s The Final Shape. It won’t be a tremendous surprise if the events of Lightfall set up a seemingly insurmountable dilemma for humanity that can only be resolved with the story arc’s conclusion next year.

We won’t have long to wait to see the scope and direction of Lightfall’s narrative; the expansion is set to release next week, on February 28.

The mysterious population puzzle game Humanity has been shrouded in mystery since it was first announced in 2018, but today’s State of Play presentation revealed it’s coming this summer. Best of all, you can play a demo today.

The game comes from the creators of Tetris Effect and Rez Infinite and centers on controlling a dog to herd thousands of people across bizarre platforming challenges. The trailer also revealed tools to create your own levels and share them with other players. 

Humanity launches this May for PlayStation consoles, PlayStation VR and VR2, and PC via Steam. The demo is available now until March 6. 

Tchia, the new adventure game from Awaceb that's more than a little reminiscent of The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild, finally has a release date. As announced today during Sony's most recent State of Play livestream, Tchia will be released on March 21. 

It was also announced that the game will be available on PlayStation Plus via its Premium and Extra catalogs. 

For more on Tchia, check out our feature about the game's development, where we traveled with the team making it to the island of New Caledonia. 

Goodbye Volcano High is a game about anthropomorphic dinosaurs ending their high school adventure and getting ready for the end of the world. The latest trailer for the game shows some additional details about the game's characters and reveals and important detail about when we can actually play it.

Goodbye Volcano High releases June 15. You can check out the new trailer below.

 

Sony’s PlayStation VR2 launched recently with only a handful of proper exclusives. Horizon Call of the Mountain is the big showcase piece for the hardware, and Gran Turismo 7 has been updated to include impressive VR modes. Outside of those first-party games, however, the launch library is mostly made of previously released VR games. The one other major exception is from Capcom, which has made Resident Evil Village playable entirely in PlayStation VR2 with a free update.

Resident Evil 7 received a similar PlayStation VR port in 2017, but I found playing that game in VR underwhelming. It was released early in the VR lifecycle when the basic mechanics of the new platform were still being worked out, and you had to play with a controller. It wasn’t ideal. The recent VR remake of Resident Evil 4, on the other hand, is fantastic. Developer Armature Studio overhauled the classic game and translated it so well that it is now one of my favorite VR experiences.

With both of those Resident Evil VR experiences in my mind, I went into Village’s VR port with a bit of pessimism. Thankfully, on the scale of the mediocre Resident Evil 7 VR port to the excellent Resident Evil 4 VR, Village is much closer to the latter end of the spectrum.

In this week's episode of The Game Informer Show, the crew discusses why Atomic Heart is a game of many extremes, including jaw-dropping environments and some of the worst writing in recent memory. Alex, Kyle, and Blake also discuss Game Informer's Like A Dragon: Ishin! review and answer listener questions about which game is best for players looking to explore the Yakuza series. Lastly, Kyle tells us why Resident Evil Village VR is the best game on PSVR 2. 

Follow us on social media: Alex Van Aken (@itsVanAken), Kyle Hilliard (@KyleMHilliard), Blake Hester (@MetallicaIsRad)

Tango Gameworks’ founder Shinji Mikami is departing the studio in the coming months after a 12-year tenure. The news was first broken by TrueAchievements, who received and verified a company-wide email to ZeniMax staff announcing the departure before Bethesda publicly confirmed the news on Twitter.

Bethesda’s statement, posted below, doesn't cite a reason or a departure date but thanks Mikami for his tenure at the studio: 

PlayStation VR2 launches today, and the new VR version of Resident Evil Village alongside it. However, fans have wondered about the status of the previously announced PS VR2 port of the upcoming Resident Evil 4 remake that was briefly teased last year. Capcom has finally broken its silence with a small update.

In a press release, Capcom states that development has officially begun on Resident Evil 4’s VR mode. Additionally, this update will be released as free DLC. Unfortunately, Capcom doesn’t provide a release window, but if the studio has only now commenced serious work on the mode with RE4 a month away from launch, it seems unlikely that PS VR2 owners will be gunning down Ganados in their headsets on day one. We'll just have to wait and see. 

Resident Evil 4 launches on March 24 and is Game Informer’s cover story this month. Be sure to visit our coverage hub to find a month’s worth of exclusive features and videos dissecting the anticipated remake.

Fans of Castlevania, namely the Koji Igarashi-led titles such as Symphony of the Night, may want to keep an eye on Grim Guardians: Demon Purge. The game comes from Azure Strike Gunvolt developer Inti Creates and stars two demon-slaying sisters who must scale a monster-laden castle to rescue their high-school from destruction.

Each sister sports a unique playstyle. Shinobu fires a gun making her suited for long-ranged attacks, while Maya cuts down targets with close-ranged melee assaults. The game features two-player co-op, but playing alone lets you swap between sisters on-the-fly, each with their own health bar. This creates a unique form of strategy that we showcase in our gameplay footage below. Watch Marcus Stewart and Wesley LeBlanc explore Grim Guardian: Demon Purge's fiendish offerings to find out if it has the potential to be a worthy Castlevania successor. 

PlayStation VR2 is nearly upon us and with the hardware comes a whole host of VR games to play. There are very few exclusives only playable with PlayStation VR2, but many developers have ports available on day one. This is fantastic for new VR players, and perhaps a little disappointing to veterans. Whether you’re diving into VR for the first time or you’ve played plenty on competing headsets, here is a list of games, presented in alphabetical order, I enjoyed for the first time, or all over again in PlayStation VR2.

Reviewed on: Switch
Platform: PlayStation 4, Switch
Publisher: Square Enix
Developer: Square Enix
Release: February 16, 2023
Rating: Teen

The Theatrhythm series has been a standout, if criminally underplayed, example of how to both showcase a series’ excellent set of scores while celebrating a prolific franchise’s history. Since the previous entry’s release on 3DS in 2014, Final Fantasy music has evolved thanks to the releases of Final Fantasy XV, Final Fantasy XIV expansions, remakes, and more. Theatrhythm Final Bar Line folds these additions into a mix of returning classics and lesser-known tunes to create an amazing catalog of songs to play through in the series’ trademark take on the rhythm genre.

And just like in 2012 and 2014, it remains as quirky and eclectic as ever. I have minor gripes with the game, but they rarely get in the way of what matters: the gameplay. This new Theatrhythm sets a high bar for the entire series, continuing the trend of outdoing what came before it and showcasing just how well a celebratory series compilation can be done. 

Blumhouse Productions, the film and TV company primarily known for producing horror films, is getting in the video game business. The multimedia giant announced a new subsidiary to develop and publish games.

Dubbed Blumhouse Games, it will primarily partner with indie designers to create horror-themed projects. A press release states that the company will target titles with budgets under $10 million to “enable innovation and pushing creative boundaries." The games will target console, PC, and mobile platforms. 

Thirty-year industry veteran Zach Wood has been named president of Blumhouse Games. Wood most recently worked at Iron Galaxy but has previously worked at studios such as Arkane and Santa Monica Studio. Wood will be joined by CFO Don Sechler, former head of finance, operations, and strategy at PlayStation.

“Through my time in the industry, I’ve had the good fortune of working closely with developers to bring their ideas to life. There’s a unique opportunity for horror and genre in the indie game space, and I’m thrilled about teaming up with Blumhouse to meaningfully leverage the company’s brand, reputation, and creative talent,” said Zach Wood.