March 2023

Sam, Bill, and Neal reunite... or did they never leave?

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A small-scale take on the grimdark future

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Will Ganon ‘meat’ his match?

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The upcoming Planescape reboot will also play an important role

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Step one: Don’t call them “skylands”

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But will the Honor Among Thieves actor play Diablo 4?

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Learn more about Fuse, Recall, Ascend, and Ultrahand

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The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom has received its first gameplay demonstration, courtesy of producer Eiji Aonuma himself. Showcasing a number of new abilities available to Link, such as weapon fusing, a more intricate crafting mechanic and the ability to ascend through the ceilings of structures, the sequel to the 2017 Nintendo Switch launch title looks set to expand upon the foundations of the critically-acclaimed game quite significantly. While the abilities were the primary focus of the gameplay demo, though, if you looked carefully, you could also spot a Korok which hints the cute little creatures may have a more significant purpose than being mere hidden collectibles as they were in Breath of the Wild.

Spotted at the 1:22 mark in the gameplay demonstration, a Korok with a backpack can be seen exclaiming “I need to reach my friend!”

As part of the gameplay demonstration for The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom released today, Nintendo also announced a Tears of the Kingdom edition OLED model of its current Nintendo Switch system.

The console is set to release on April 28, two weeks prior to the release date of the game its design is inspired by. The special edition system will not include a copy of The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom. You can check out the system itself below.

Today, Nintendo has shared roughly 10 minutes of gameplay for The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom. Hosted by producer Eiji Aonuma, it revealed a series of brand new features in the hugely anticipated action-adventure title.

One power revealed is “Recall”, an ability that rewinds the trajectory of an object and, in turn, can grant access to the brand new Sky Islands. As you’d imagine from their name, these are giant floating land masses boasting trees, man-made structures and rivers.

The developers did promise multiple methods to reach the Sky Islands, with ‘Recall’ confirmed as one of the ways to access them.

We were also given a glimpse of a new enemy known as ‘Construct’, defeated in the released gameplay by a tree branch scavenged from the ground. When the branch broke, Link’s new ‘Fuse’ ability was revealed.

James Gunn has a lot on his plate currently with his reboot of the DCU. With this reboot in mind, Batman canon needs a change that fits more in line with DC Comics. Batman has been one of the most influential characters in comic book history. Not only that, but he is also one of the oldest characters in existence alongside Superman, both of which have remained at the forefront of DC content. His iconic sidekick, Robin, has been included in animated and live-action series as well, but his live-action presence has pretty much been non-existent in the 21st century.

Instead of including Robin, the dynamic that has dominated recent Batman content is of him and the Joker. But, by rehashing the Batman vs. Gotham villain storyline, we are being robbed of the complexities that come with every member of the Bat-Family. Movie fans don’t even know that there have been multiple Robins over time because of this under-representation. Batman: Under the Red Hood is a storyline that has been received well by fans, and it deserves a spotlight in the DCU.

When Resident Evil 4 first launched on the GameCube in 2005, it would drastically shift the course not only for the franchise, but survival horror as a whole and, more broadly, gaming itself.

The change to an action-skewed over-the-shoulder perspective would ingrain itself as an industry standard that has endured to this day, swapping out the methodical, slower paced exploration of its predecessors in favor of constant adrenaline as Leon Kennedy mowed down hordes of displeased Spanish residents.

It is rightly lauded as a pinnacle of gaming, acclaimed by critics and fans alike for being the peak of Resident Evil. On the surface, this success after a lengthy and gruelling development period is deserving of universal approval, however there is a subset of the fandom lurking angrily within the depths like Del Lago itself; festering and wondering what could have been.

The shorthand version of events is that, due to underwhelming sales of 2002’s Resident Evil 1 Remake, series director Shinji Mikami was obligated to take things down a different path. For a franchise that had long been locked into fixed camera angles, emphasizing resource management and meticulously planned strategies, Resident Evil 4 would throw a myriad of ideas at the wall before settling into its final form.

Cyberpunk 2077’s metro mod has always been a welcome addition to CD Projekt RED’s acclaimed 2020 title. It offers a players a more immersive way of getting around Night City, without ever really being integral to the gameplay or story. Recent rumors, however, have suggested that a subway system may be officially added into the game as part of a future update, such as the Phantom Liberty expansion.

Recent rumors have centered around a new subway system, with players hopeful that the ideas behind the currently available metro mod could be built upon and made even more comprehensive. The rumors can, at least to some degree, be traced back to a translated interview with a developer in which Cyberpunk 2077‘s transit system was touched upon.

However, on March 28, CD Projekt RED Global Community Director Marcin Momot responded and poured cold water on the gossip.

Attached to an image of a Reddit post which shared the translated comments, he said: “A word of clarification on this topic as many people have been tagging me since yesterday. Nothing has changed regarding the metro system in Cyberpunk 2077 – we do not plan on adding it in the future.”

Modern Warfare 2 and Warzone 2 fans will undoubtedly be expecting more weapons to drop with future updates. It’s become the established formula in the Call of Duty world, with original weapons and CoD classics alike being reincarnated.

Season Two Reloaded brought the Tempus Torrent AR and, with Season Three rapidly approaching, fans are getting their first proper idea of what could come with that update – and the ones after.

Twitter account ‘Task Force Leakers 141’, in a March 27 post, claimed to reveal all future weapons coming to Modern Warfare 2 during its life-cycle.

Among other weapons, they claimed that the fan-favorite FAMAS assault rifle – which has featured under various names and guises across the CoD series – will make a return. Specifically, it will re-enter the fray as the FR 5.56 in Season 3.

It’s officially time to kiss goodbye and give a send-off to the Nintendo eShop on the 3DS and Wii U systems after being a stable digital game vendor for these systems since their respective release dates over ten years ago.

The Nintendo eShop closed its doors to owners of the consoles for good today, officially shutting off the servers forever. From now onwards, Wii U and eShop gamers will be unable to purchase and download new games through the eShop.

These two systems have some brilliant titles on them, so gamers around the globe were urged to make any last-minute purchases in the hours leading up to the final closure. Here’s a post made by IGN summarizing some of the best-hit titles across both systems:

While the eShop may be gone for good in terms of new online purchases and downloads, players can still re-download content onto their systems that they had previously purchased before the store closed down earlier this evening. Online play is also still currently available for system titles on the Nintendo 3DS and Wii U, so gamers using these systems can still connect to the internet inside their game titles and team up for co-operate and multiplayer game modes.

The original Resident Evil 4 from 2005 featured a DLC release titled Separate Ways, which allowed players to play through a short campaign as Ada Wong and experience the story from her perspective. With the Resident Evil 4 Remake, while Ada does still play a pivotal role in the narrative, she’s not actually playable.

That being said, thanks to the work of dataminer Gosetsu from the RE wiki, it looks like Capcom might just have an Ada DLC planned for us after all.

Pokemon Center is every Pokemon enthusiast’s biggest official merchandise store, offering Pikachu, Pokeball, and miscellaneous Pokemon-themed items, including trading cards, plushies, clothing, accessories, and more.

The latest addition to the beloved Pokemon Center’s store is a series of poster prints featuring maps of all nine Regions in the Pokemon World. If you’ve ever wanted to show off the locations you’ve visited during your in-game Pokemon journeys, these Regional posters provide the perfect opportunity. You can catch a glimpse of them for yourself below:

As you can see, there’s a map for every Region – Kanto, Johto, Hoenn, Sinnoh, Unova, Kalos, Alola, Galar, and Paldea. This is the first Pokemon product that showcases these high-quality, beautiful, vibrant illustrations of each geographical Region and its terrain, so there’s no doubt that Trainers from all around the globe will be rushing to add these to their collections. They would make the perfect decoration in any gaming den or Pokemon-themed room, so you can only hope you’ll have enough wall space to occupy all nine prints.

Kiriko is one of the newest characters in the Overwatch franchise, debuting in Overwatch 2’s Season 1. From the beginning, Kiriko quickly became a fan-favorite for her kitsune-inspired design, powerful Support abilities, and lore intertwined with the Shimada Clan brothers, Genji and Hanzo.

Luckily for the guardian of Kanezaka, she’s received a gorgeous animated short and a handful of beautiful Hero Skins, such as the Witch, Visual Kei, and Amaterasu designs, to show appreciation for her precise kunai-throwing, ofuda-healing skills, and confident personality. While these have all been big hits in the community, a lot of players can’t help but feel that the majority of skins for Kiriko — and every other character in the game — are inconsistent in terms of quality and visual appeal and don’t match the same excitement these outlier skins bring.

Numerous times in Overwatch’s history, a brilliant fan-made Hero skin design has popped up and blown the official concepts out of the water. Once again, this is one of those moments. Popular Overwatch 2 news and leaks Twitter channel OWCalvary recently posted an adorable fan-made Magical Girl-themed Kiriko by talented concept artist Rene Reza, and fans immediately jumped on their post to show their appreciation and love towards the design.

The epic showdown between the famous Warner Bros. characters is finally reaching its end as the Open Beta approaches its conclusion. Fortunately, players can still look forward to its full launch in the following year, enhancing the experience even further by incorporating fan feedback into the final version in early 2024.

According to the announcement, the Open Beta will close on June 25, 2023, to maximize the game’s performance, specifically for the bug and errors that have accumulated since its initial release. In particular, some players have noted character animation issues, as well as disconnections from the lobby that prevent them from playing Multiversus.

Various glitches have been fixed in the past few months, including a resolution for Superman’s Ice Breath and Tom’s premature dynamite explosion. Therefore, players can anticipate seeing other improvements as Player First Games adjust any pressing issues. We can also expect additional upgrades with maps, modes, matchmaking, and the progression system.

Once the Open Beta closes, Multiversus will be taken offline, but the training room, also known as the Lab, and local matches will be available to prepare you for the upcoming battle. Additionally, all characters and cosmetics are accessible in these modes, and you can anticipate even more fighters upon the game’s launch.

Nintendo has announced that the Legend of Zelda series producer Eiji Aonuma will host a presentation featuring gameplay from Tears of the Kingdom tomorrow morning. The presentation will feature about 10 minutes worth of gameplay, which is by far the most we will have seen so far.

The news came from the Nintendo of America Twitter account, which shared that the presentation will take place on Tuesday, March 28 at 7:00 am PT / 10:00 am ET on the company’s official YouTube channel.

The Resident Evil games have always been a speedrunner’s paradise, and it looks like Resident Evil 4 Remake is no different either. The game features one of the most iconic intro sequences the series has ever seen: the village attack.

In this sequence, you’re tasked with surviving for as long as possible –no mean feat, as the villagers are relentless, and one hit from the chainsaw-wielding Dr. Salvador will result in an immediate Game Over. However, Reddit user u/Tactical_Banter has discovered a new skip for this sequence, and we gotta say, it’s pretty ingenius.

Essentially, once the attack starts, you’ll want to head to the second floor of the house with the shotgun, pop out the window on the right, then shoot the church bell from there. You can check out the skip in action here.

It’s worth noting that it’s likely impossible to pull off this skip on a fresh file, as Leon will only have the handgun and shotgun available to him. Aiming at the church bell requires quite a bit of precision, and you’ll likely only be able to shoot the church bell with a sniper rifle, which is obtained in the following chapter where you meet the Merchant for the first time.

Even so, this could be a great skip to keep in mind for speedrunners playing on new game plus.

Resident Evil 4 Remake is now available on PC and consoles.

Resident Evil 4 Remake has been released much to the delight of fans of the series, both longtime and new. Despite the love many have for the original game, it is one of the least connected games to the overall franchise, which the remake has seemingly tried to fix. A big way that Capcom might have done this is by having a possible reference located in the in-game files to the RE7’s Baker family, Jack and/or Joe Baker, to be exact.

Something that the remake has in spades is offering players expanded character arcs and motivations that provide more detail on the people found within the original game. One of these characters is Krauser, Leon’s former mentor, who gets involved with the Los Illuminados cult, with him, in fact, being the person who abducted Ashley for the group’s plans to take over the world.

Interestingly enough, right before battling Krauser, Leon stumbles upon a tent filled with information regarding what Krauser has been up to, including notes on Operation Javier and the plan to kidnap Ashley. In the file explaining the latter event, Krauser notes two people by name who helped him in the mission to get the President’s Daughter, an Able and a Baker.

While it could be just a coincidence that RE7’s signature family name is included in the note, it would be an exciting crossover if it was the case and seemingly doesn’t majorly break the lore of either game. It’s important to remember that brothers Jack and Joe Baker were former U.S. marines, so it stands to reason that they may have crossed paths and even befriended Krauser at some point.

MLB The Show 23 on PS5

Sports simulations can be tricky. With each passing year, this craving for a heightened sense of realism grows, which oftentimes can lead to a glaring imbalance in the final product. And while I would argue that no simulation ever strikes said balance exactly right, MLB The Show’s latest offering comes closest. Not necessarily because of everything we’ve come to expect from the series, but rather the steps they’ve taken to improve on past missteps. The latest entry from San Diego Studios plays the hits all while bringing history to the forefront, and that is where it shines. First, though, let’s talk about a potential sticking point for anybody looking to play quickly.

As I continue to learn through playing various sporting titles, the battle between patience and impatience can become very real. And every year, particularly with The Show, that is where things seem to break down most often. You can breeze through a FIFA match in 15 minutes if you’d like, for instance, and even quicker if you’re not playing Ultimate Team. With an accelerated play clock in Madden, not to mention an ability to focus only on Key Moments, an NFL game can be wrapped up in 15-20 minutes as well. Depending on what you’re looking to do in The Show, that’s not always going to be the case. Sometimes, a game is going to take as long as it takes. Fortunately for the player, there are countless options to choose from — though, with varying levels of attention.

Pokemon Scarlet and Violet fans are eagerly awaiting the arrival of the DLC Expansion pack, The Hidden Treasure of Area Zero. This DLC pack is split into two content updates: The Teal Mask, which is arriving in Fall 2023, and the Indigo Disk, which will be available in Winter 2023. These updates will bring new adventures and areas to explore, brand new Pokemon, and even more familiar Mons from previous Regions. While many returning Pokemon remain a mystery, we’ve rounded up the most deserving candidates. Without further ado, here are the top 10 Pokemon fans want to see return in Scarlet & Violet’s DLC add-ons.

The Sims 4: Growing Together on PC

Despite its release in 2014, The Sims 4 continues to prosper with its numerous expansions, kits, and frequent updates. Several packs stood out amongst the rest as they broadened the game’s spectrum in terms of mechanics and fashionable items, reinvigorating my love for the franchise with each passing installment. However, there are times when these new features fall flat with content, and it causes some to wonder if certain ones are even worth the buy. 

Now, that begs the question of whether or not the latest expansion pack merits a purchase, with its extension of the classic family dynamic. Fortunately, Growing Together is a change for the better due to its realistic approach to parenting and childhood. There were so many heartfelt moments between every Sim that occasionally made me blurt out an “aww” as family members reacted to each other in various ways, thanks to the new dynamic system.

While the Jokester Family Dynamic produces silly interactions, Support demonstrates a healthy parent-child bond. I enjoyed seeing the adorable occurrences from these relationships, primarily when household members would either comfort each other during bad times or exchange a few inside jokes. But, of course, not all bonds are positive, considering the Strict and Distance Family Dynamics, furthering the genuinity of the franchise where every character has their own journey. 

With the upcoming release of Star Wars Jedi: Survivor on April 28, there are plenty of changes that will bring a fresh and vibrant feel to the game, without outright changing many of the qualities that players enjoyed from Fallen Order. From updated characters and new locations to ridable mounts and grappling hooks, here are some of the major confirmed changes coming to Star Wars Jedi: Survivor.

The Lenovo Legion 5 is a laptop that I've recommended here at RPS on several occasions, as it gets excellent reviews online yet still provides much better specs and build quality than you'd expect for the money.

Today though, the Legion 5 is the best deal I've ever seen on an RTX gaming laptop, with this spec including a Ryzen 5 5600H and RTX 3060 Laptop graphics card for just £730.98 when you use code CATCH20 at CCL's web store on Ebay. That's an exceptional price for a brand new laptop that's still selling for £1100 at Amazon - Spring Sale or no.

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Square Enix announced the release of Final Fantasy VII Anniversary Art Museum Digital Card Plus, a physical and digital trading card collection with characters, scenes, and artwork of FFVII. The collection is made out of 207 cards. Each pack contains 6 cards and one collectible NFT card. Each pack costs 440 JPY (roughly $3 USD), and the release date for the collection is stated as late March 2023. A box of 20 physical card packs is available for pre-order from the North American and European Square Enix online stores, from roughly $79.80USD/79.99Euro.

The 207 cards in the FFVII Anniversary Art Museum Digital Card Plus collection are divided between 102 normal cards, with another 102 being premium foil versions of the same cards. 3 cards from each normal and premium cards have also been described as “another normal” cards. In addition, the collection includes 3 secret cards. Each FFVII card pack includes an exchange ticket for an NFT.

You can take a look at some of the cards included in the collection in the gallery below.

[gallery columns="6" ids="957394,957395,957396,957397,957398,957399,957400,957401,957402,957403,957404,957405" link="file"]

A Nendoroid based on the Human from Undertale is now available to pre-order on the Good Smile Company official site. The figure had previously appeared at the WonHobby 36 event along with another one based on Toriel. The Human Nendoroid will cost ¥6,100 from the Japanese site or $42.99 from the US online store. It's scheduled to release in August 2023 in Japan. It will appear in the US in Q4 2023.

This Nendoroid will come with an expressionless face as the only face plate available. However, it will feature a SOUL item, a hand to connect with the future Toriel Nendoroid, and a Flowey miniature figurine. Regarding the latter, in the images you can see that it will be available with two face variants.

Check out a preview of what Undertale’s Human Nendoroid and its accessories will look like below.

[gallery columns="4" ids="957355,957354,957353,957352,957356" link="file"]

With this reveal, there are now four Nendoroid figures available based on Undertale, counting the previously released Sans, Papyrus and Undyne ones. Likewise, Good Smile Company recently revealed a new Nendoroid based on Ralsei from Deltarune, another Toby Fox game.

Resident Evil 4 combines two of my least favorite things in the world: shooting and horror. But with the remake out, and nearly twenty years passing since my initial adverse reaction to it (you can’t expect an elementary schooler to adequately handle their character being axed in the head), I thought I was ready to…

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Tuesday, Nintendo showcased a 10-minute look at the hotly anticipated sequel to The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild. While most fans went wild over the new handyman crafting abilities Link sports in Tears of the Kingdom, a subset of fans have been salivating at the opportunity to pummel both minor enemies and…

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Twitch streamer wudijo has done the unthinkable and beaten Diablo IV’s big world boss, Ashava the Pestilent, (mostly) by himself on the hardest difficulty. I’m stunned, especially since the dragon is already a tough challenge to face.

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UPDATE 29/03/23: Naughty Dog has released a statement on Twitter responding to issues with the PC port of The Last of Us Part 1, confirming patches are in the works.

"The Last of Us Part I PC players: we've heard your concerns, and our team is actively investigating multiple issues you've reported," reads the statement.

"We will continue to update you, but our team is prioritizing updates and will address issues in upcoming patches."

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Developer Volition has shared a new post-launch roadmap for its beleaguered Saints Row reboot, detailing some of the free and paid content coming before the end of August.

Volition's newly released roadmap marks the first time the studio has discussed additional content for the reboot since last October when, following a particularly bug-riddled launch, it announced it would initially be prioritising "improvements over new features".

Now though, having released a number of significant patches to address Saints Row's most pressing issues in the months since its launch last August, Volition is ready to talk new stuff, starting with a free Dead Island 2 cosmetics pack this April.

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5 Cozy Games You Should Definitely Play Read More »

Released earlier today, The Last Of Us: Part 1's long-awaited PC port is being torn apart in Steam reviews. It currently sits at a "Mostly Negative" rating after nearly 3000 reviews, with players reporting regular crashes and plentiful performance issues.

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After a year or so spent fighting down the long Epic Games Store corridor in a single continuous take, kung fu brawler Sifu has finally reached Steam. It also comes bearing a fourth and free expansion which adds an Arenas mode.

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Balsa Model Flight Simulator launched into Steam Early Access last year, to positive reviews and few sales. It is, like its developer's previous game Kerbal Space Program, about building a machine designed to fly, crashing it back to earth, then constructing something better.

Now its developer has announced they're doing something similar with the game itself. Balsa Model Flight Sim will relaunch later this year with a new name, Kitbash Model Club, a more ambitious physics construction sandbox, and a plan to release as a complete game rather than into early access. Existing owners of Balsa Model Flight Simulator will get Kitbash Model Club for free.

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Company Of Heroes 3 had rough beach landing, garnering mostly positive reviews from critics (like us) and mixed-to-negative reviews from players on Steam. Today's release of its first major update, titled Operation Sapphire Jackal, may help address that disparity given that it promises to fix "hundreds" of bugs in the base game. On the other hand, it also adds cosmetics - both those that can be unlocked for free and via spending real money.

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Whoa, these Amazon Spring Sale deals keep rolling in. This one is a cracker though - you can now pick up a 28-inch 4K monitor for just £181, a great choice for anyone that plays slower-paced PC or console games, or wants a high-quality 4K monitor for content creation and consumption. This Lenovo IPS monitor normally costs £260, so to get it for nearly £80 less is quite a scoop.

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