June 2023

As well as it runs on your average desktop PC, it wasn’t until I began playing Diablo IV on the Steam Deck that its demon-thwacking really clicked for me. Largely because this was my first experience of it with gamepad controls, and using thumbsticks and face buttons to move and toss out spells just feels more... I don't know, direct? Like I’m actually controlling my Necromancer and her boney bodyguards, not just clicking a unit and watching their animations.

It helps that Diablo IV’s Steam Deck performance is surprisingly spry, with fast 45-60fps framerates within reach even when leaving the majority of graphics settings on Ultra quality. Unlike all of the other best Steam Deck games, there’s no native support for its Battle.net launcher, but with some resourcefulness, that needs only be a temporary barrier.

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Two years after the launch of Monster Hunter Rise and a little under a year since the arrival of its mighty Sunbreak expansion, Capcom is ready to release its last-ever content update for Sunbreak players, bringing one final monster to Switch and Steam tomorrow, 8th June.

While elder dragon Amatsu was originally supposed to bring Sunbreak's story to a close in April's Ver. 15 update, Capcom says it decided to squeeze one last surprise in for players after it identified a few additional features it wanted to include.

As such, Sunbreak owners will face a final, formidable challenge when tomorrow's free Title Update 6 (AKA Ver. 16) arrives, bringing the expansion's story to a close with a battle against the Primordial Malzeno, revealing more on its relationship with the Kingdom. The fight - which features new moves compared to the original version of Malzeno - will be available to hunters at Master Rank 10 and above, and includes materials needed to craft new weapons and armour.

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Fntastic, the developer behind upcoming zombie MMO The Day Before, has addressed the rather unusual trademark dispute that led to the game being delayed.

As a quick reminder, The Day Before was originally meant to release on PC back in March. However, in a bizarre series of events, it transpired that Fntastic had failed to trademark the game's name, which had since been contested by the company behind a calendar app. All traces of the game were subsequently removed from Steam.

Talking to WellPlayed, Fntastic has now provided a small update on this trademark debacle, stating it believes "power is in the truth".

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Ever wanted to feel like a Sith Lord with a gun? Because thanks to Synapse, the upcoming PSVR2 action shooter from nDreams, you soon will! Or at least that's how I felt playing through a short demo of Synapse for this week's episode of VR Corner (above or on YouTube).

In that video, you'll be able to watch 12 minutes worth of Synapse gameplay as I use telekiniesis to crush enemies and explode red barrels with one hand and shoot them to smithereens with a gun held in the other. This delicious dual-wielding combo works really well and, if you've ever played nDreams' previous VR shooter, Fracked, you'll have a good idea of how fluid the shooting mechanics are here.

The smooth simplicity of Synapses' gunplay means that you're able to effortlessly utilise its other big gameplay mechanic, telekinesis. Thanks to the PSVR2's eye-tracking functionality, you merely need to look at an object that you want to hurl and then, with a squeeze of the trigger and a flick of your wrist, off it goes - into the sky or into an enemies face. It's up to you.

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Some eleven years after Diablo 3, Blizzard is back with another barnstorming hack and slash adventure. Diablo 4 is a return to the dark, realistic stylings of the first two series entries, with modern rendering tech and a focus on current-gen consoles and PC. At a glance, it's definitely a pleasing effort, especially when you consider the colossal visual leap from the prior games - but can it sustain the 60fps delivered by its predecessor? Do the new visuals take special advantage of the latest console hardware? And what about last-gen consoles?

The most impressive aspect of Diablo 4's visual presentation is the lighting. Essentially, most lights within the game world are shadow-casting, and the player gets a sort of soft frontward-facing light to illuminate the area around them that also casts shadows. The subtle play of the shadowmaps as you move through each interior space is very cool, very attractive, and very atmospheric. Light just dances through dark spaces in a really pleasing way, with softly diffused shadows moving in concert with the player character.

There are some interesting tricks going on here as well. Certain light sources showcase a kind of variable penumbra effect at times, with shadow detail falling off at range. And in some circumstances the lighting can cast multiple shadows at once off the same object. Diablo 4 isn't pushing any boundary-expanding tech here as far as I can tell, but a lot of attention has clearly gone into lighting the game, especially in the game's softly-lit, dark dungeon interiors.

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June is normally the month of E3, although for 2023 the event has been canceled. However, this doesn’t mean that we aren’t getting June game showcases full of new reveals and trailers. In fact, we’re getting so many individual showcases that it might be difficult to keep track of them all, especially with Summer Game Fest happening too.

So here is a comprehensive list of every show you can expect in the next few days, along with a rough idea of what each show is likely to contain.

June 7, 2023

Guerrilla Collective

12pm ET / 9am PT

A showcase focused entirely on indie games, also features a companion Steam page.

June 8, 2023

Summer Game Fest

3pm ET / 12pm PT

Capcom Taiwan announced Mega Man x Dive is ending on mobile devices and the PC via Steam, however, the Nebulajoy Mobile version on Android and iOS devices will continue running for the moment. The game will cut-off on September 27, 2023, though it is already no longer possible to purchase the real-money Element Metal. Leading up to the end, people will get one True Favorite Capsule per day that contains an S-rank character and Elemental Metal Supply Box and Dark Code Coin daily. [Thanks, Game Watch!]

Here's the official announcement from the Rockman x Dive Twitter account, which included a brief video. It confirmed the September 27, 2023 cut-off date.

【サービス終了のお知らせ】
『ロックマンX DiVE』は、2023年9月27日13:00をもってサービスを終了させていただくこととなりました。
これまでご愛顧いただいた皆様には、厚く御礼申し上げます。
終了までのスケジュールはお知らせにてご案内させていただきます。#ロックマンXDiVE pic.twitter.com/ndxjgA2FjO

As expected from the final Monster Hunter Rise Sunbreak Digital Event about the bonus update, we learned the last one’s release date. On June 8, 2023, PC and Switch players will gain access to new content like an additional monster and some other extra features like quests. For PlayStation and Xbox players, the contents from the fourth, fifth, and bonus updates will all arrive at once on August 24, 2023. Specifically, things close out with Primordial Malzeno. Also, new event quests will appear until July 27, 2023. There will be new rewards like layered armors from them. Version 16 will introduce DLC packs, since DLC ended with version 15.

First, in case you missed the showcase, here it is. It involved Producer Ryozo Tsujimoto and Game Directors Yasunori Ichinose and Yoshitake Suzuki all discussing this latest installment. Right at the very beginning, it kicked things off by showing the new trailer. Primordial Malzeno was the main focus. People can encounter it at MR 10. After the trailer, the developers noted that Amatsu was almost the last monster. However, they decided to add new armor updates and different kinds of cosmetics.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0gLJGooCBJg&ab_channel=MonsterHunter

A new line of Pokemon clothes and apparel will appear at Don Quijote retail stores in Japan from June 10, 2023. The lineup includes ten T-shirts, six shorts, and six sets of pile cloth pajamas with Pokemon on them. The full lineup of Pokemon creatures that will appear in the new line of clothes are Eevee, Mimikyu, Gengar, Snorlax, Slowpoke, Psyduck, Ditto, Eiscue, Teddiursa, Magnemite, and Dedenne. [Thanks, Inside!]

The Pokemon shirts are priced at 1,749 JPY (roughly $12), the shorts cost 2,189 JPY (~$15), and the pajama sets cost 3,289 JPY (~$23). The pajama sets are summer pajamas made out of soft fabric. All clothes will be available in sizes M, L, and XL (LL in Japan.) Not all creatures will be available for all clothing options. For example, Eiscue and Teddiursa will only be available on t-shirts.

You can take a look at the full lineup of Pokemon clothes that will appear at Don Quijote here:

[gallery link="file" ids="966925,966926,966927"]

As a reminder, the Original Stitch line of Pokemon shirts will stop being available once the Original Stitch store closes down on June 12, 2023.

The new line of Pokemon clothes and apparel will appear from June 10, 2023 at Don Quijote retail stores throughout Japan.

An Elden Ring tabletop RPG adaptation will appear in Japanese retail stores and digitally on June 20, 2023. The book costs 6,050 JPY (or roughly $43) and Kadokawa will publish it. The TTRPG will be comprised of three different volumes, and they will come packaged in an A4 size box. These will be a general rulebook, a skill and sheet book, and a enemy and scenario book. The tabletop RPG is available now for pre-order from Amazon Japan. [Thanks, Famitsu!]

The Elden Ring tabletop RPG is handled by Hironori Kato, and the cover art is done by Jun Suemi. Both previously worked on the Japanese Dark Souls TTPRG. A session of the game requires one DM (Dungeon Master) and between 2 to 4 players.

The stamina system of the original Elden Ring is a focal point of this tabletop experience, and it is reproduced using five dice. A simplified adventure system has been adopted to reproduce the vast open world of the original game. The scenario of the original game has also been reproduced, from its opening to its ending.

Players will be able to build their own characters freely, and the tabletop version of Elden Ring includes four unique starting classes: the Perfumer, Fighter, Scout, and Guide. Each class includes original art for both a female and male variant. Many of the weapons and equipment found in Elden Ring have been adapted in detail across nearly 700 pages of content, including full color pages.

Platform: PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, PC
Publisher: EA Sports
Developer: Tiburon
Release: August 18, 2023
Rating: Everyone

Madden NFL 23 effectively pushed the ball downfield for EA Sports' long-running franchise. Though the implementation of the foundational FieldSense system, which revamped how the gameplay feels on both sides of the ball, was solid, much like any rookie, it was clear it still needed to develop in order to reach its full potential.

Madden NFL 24 carries forward the gameplay improvements from last year while adding some exciting additions to modes like Franchise and the single-player-focused career mode. I traveled to Electronic Arts in Redwood Shores, California, to learn about what's new in this year's game and get my hands on the most recent build of the annualized football title. 

While out visiting EA Sports to get the lowdown on Madden NFL 24, I had the chance to speak with senior producer Mike Mahar. During our conversation, we veered onto the topic of EA Sports College Football, the revitalization of the long-running college-focused football franchise that ended with NCAA Football 14. In 2021, EA Sports announced the return of its college football franchise, but this time, leaving the NCAA name behind. In a somewhat humorous moment during the interview, when I mentioned "the return of the NCAA Football franchise," Mahar is quick to correct me that it's "College Football." 

We also dove into what it's like to develop an annualized title, along with the decisions that come with that. You can read those portions of the conversation below.

Game Informer: In developing an annualized sports franchise, the challenge is always that the sport doesn't evolve much from one year to the next, but you're expected to deliver something that's different enough from the prior year that people can justify dropping $60, or $70 in some cases. What does the team do to step up to that expectation while still staying true to the sport?

Doug Cockle, the man who provides Geralt of Rivia’s distinctive voice for CD Projekt Red’s Witcher games (not to mention staunch trans ally), has recently shared that he’s been diagnosed with prostate cancer. Fans and developers of the games have since come together to show their support in the wake of this upsetting…

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How far tubby honey bear Winnie-the-Pooh has fallen. Now that he’s entered the public domain, he can no longer merely stumble through the painless Hundred Acre Wood stuffing his face full of dessert with no pants on. Now, he plays the swollen and bleeding protagonist to the just-announced indie horror game Winnie’s…

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Former Dota 2 and StarCraft pro Souaïb ‘cArn’ Hanaf became Diablo IV’s first player to hit level 100 while playing on Hardcore mode (where death is permanent), immortalizing his name within the new hit action-RPG. But his overpowered Barbarian later died in the worst way possible, the grim fantasy world of Sanctuary’s…

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Spacebound survival game No Man’s Sky received a massive surprise update early on June 7, expanding on April’s stocked Interceptor update. This one, christened the “Singularity,” is “part expedition and part update with a ton of new content, story, gameplay and some of our most exciting rewards,” developer Hello Games…

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The E3 / NotE3 / Summer Game Fest news bonanza is upon us, and we'll be highlighting all the biggest and best announcements that catch our eye right here over the course of the coming week. We'll be keeping this liveblog up to date over the next few days with all the latest news, trailers, and links to our coverage from Summer Game Fest and the wider notE3 season, including the Xbox Games Showcase and Starfield Direct, the PC Gaming Show, Wholesome Direct, Day Of The Devs and lots more. So make sure you check back regularly for everything Geoff Fest.

TODAY'S SCHEDULE (Sunday June 11th):

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The development of Vampire: The Masquerade - Bloodlines 2 has already been a bumpy ride. Publisher Paradox stated they were "happy with progress" on the game in 2021 following a switch in developers (whoever they may be) and delay after delay, but a new announcement from Paradox today has some a little worried.

"We want to provide the best value to those of you who supported us via digital pre-order," the publisher said in a statement posted to its official blog. "We are thus offering refunds to anyone who has pre-ordered any edition of Vampire: The Masquerade - Bloodlines 2."

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The Guerrilla Collective involved a new reveal for Panstasz and Ysbryd Games’ upcoming title. There’s now a release date for the full World of Horror Switch, PS4, PS5, and PC launch. We’ll be able to play the finished version of the lo-fi adventure on October 19, 2023. There’s also a new trailer to remind people of how the horror game works.

First, here’s the new World of Horror release date trailer. It shows how you’ll investigate the town’s supernatural and scary mysteries, while also keeping track of your character’s wellbeing. You can also see different locations in the game and certain horrors you’ll face.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZfQ0KELzcqI&ab_channel=IGN

World of Horror has been around for some time now. It first debuted in early access on PCs in 2020. At the time, only certain scenarios and elements were present. The full game is expected to have 12 different mysteries and seven total characters. (You will need to first unlock two of them to play as them, though.) Back in April 2023, a Switch version was confirmed for World of Horror was confirmed. We hadn't heard or seen much of it since then, however.

Nintendo will re-run the Chesnaught, Great Tusk, and Iron Treads Tera Raids in Pokemon Scarlet and Violet. They’ll be available from June 16, 2023. They will then end on June 19, 2023. This will be one of the only chances for players to catch a Chesnaught in these two games. [Thanks, Game Watch!]

The Chesnaught raid will be a 7-star one, whereas Great Tusk and Iron Treads will be 5-star ones. Like over 7-star Tera Raids in the past, the Chesnaught will come with a Mightiest Mark. This particular Chesnaught will have a rock Tera Type.

In the past, when GameFreak initially ran these three Raids, a bug caused you to lose out on rewards and also crashed your game. This is why these three are re-running now.

Until Pokemon Home support for Scarlet and Violet appeared, Chesnaught was not a Pokemon you could naturally catch in Paldea. You had to get one through the Tera Raid, or trade with someone who did. However, both Great Tusk and Iron Treads are Pokemon that you can find in Area Zero. This is an endgame location though. As well, Great Tusk is a Scarlet exclusive and Iron Treads is a Violet one.

Toward the end of summer, people will get to head to Sandrock. The full Switch, PS5, PC, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X versions of My Time at Sandrock got a release date. People will find it on all of those platforms on September 26, 2023. However, one iteration will be absent on that launch date. The PS4 version is also in the works, but won't arrive until later in the year. There's also a new trailer accompanying the announcement.

While the full version isn't available yet, My Time at Sandrock is in early access on PCs. Like My Time at Portia, this involves farming, crafting, socializing in a town and helping its villagers, fighting, exploring, and building. There is romance and marriage in the game. Also, Pathea is working on multiplayer as well.

Here's the video, which goes over some of the features, teases some story elements, looks at characters, and goes over activities. It also introduces the town of Sandrock itself.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tThlReRJJ74&ab_channel=PMStudios

The My Time at Sandrock release date for the Switch, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X, and PC versions is September 26, 2023. The PS4 version will follow. It is now in early access on PCs.

HoYoVerse shared a Silver Wolf Honkai: Star Rail trailer and fan art contest now that 1.1 is live. The video is a closer look at her moveset in game on the "Keeping up with Star Rail" show. Meanwhile, the fan art contest runs until July 2, 2023, with judging happening after and winners getting Stellar Jades and real-world goods.

The video first begins by showing a little background about the Stellaron Hunter, with Prometheus (Friend) AI joining the host. It begins by showing her basic Quantum attack. After that, it shows how her Allow Changes? skill lets her force the enemy to be weak against one of the team’s elements while also dealing damage. Her talent can decrease opponents’ stats. Her Technique instantly attacks enemies when the battle begins. Finally, her Ultimate User Banned reduces defense temporarily and deals damage.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i92LJ6z7tyQ&ab_channel=Honkai%3AStarRail

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Shredder's Revenge, the wonderful retro brawler from Tribute Games, is readying to expand its roster with a certain samurai rabbit later this year, come the release of its newly announced Dimension Shellshock DLC.

Dimension Shellshock promises to bring fans an "all-new adventure" introducing the Ninja Turtles' occasional ally Miyamoto Usagi, who originally made the jump from his own Usagi Yojimbo comic series into the turtles' world back in 1987.

Alongside its new playable character (the announcement trailer teases new playable "characters" but doesn't elaborate further), Dimension Shellshock includes a mysterious new game mode, alternative colour palette options, plus new music composed by Tee Lopes.

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The first major Counter-Strike 2 update has arrived since the game launched as a limited test in March, bringing with it a radical new loadout system, new buy mechanics and - finally! - a new map for testing purposes, Mirage.

The loadout system has the potential to be the most disruptive change, as you can now choose five each of pistols, rifles and "mid-tier" (SMG/shotgun) weapons to take into a match. Previously, weapons like the silenced and unsilenced M4 were assigned to the same category, so you would have to go without one of them - but here, you could sacrifice one of the less-used rifles to have both options available. This change has been requested by players for a long time, and would also make it easier for developers Valve to add new weapons in the future, so it's a big win in my book.

When Counter-Strike: Global Offensive first appeared more than a decade ago, it sported a radial buy menu designed to mesh nicely to gamepad controls - after all, the game was originally intended to buy a console-focused iteration of the franchise. That menu has been replaced in the new Counter-Strike 2 update, in favour of a simpler grid-based buy menu that shows your teammate's purchases. Crucially, it's now possible to refund unused weapons, armour and grenades before buy time expires at the start of each round, saving you from the ignoble fate of spending all your hard-earned cash on a weapon you bought accidentally - always a pain given the importance of Counter-Strike's round-to-round economy system.

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Paradox Interactive is offering refunds to those who have pre-ordered Vampire: The Masquerade - Bloodlines 2, following multiple delays.

In an blog update today, the publisher acknowledged it had been a while since many pre-orders had been placed. Three years later, Bloodlines 2 still does not have a release date.

Paradox said it was still "dedicated to delivering" a great game, but that it was now updating its various editions and bonus content. "With the bonus content being updated, the prior physical edition offered items that are no longer representative of the game," it explained. As such, the publisher said it was offering refunds in order to "provide the best value".

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Try as I might, Diablo 4's endgame always remains just out of reach. My first run through the main chunk of the game, with a doomed, soon to be self-detonated Necromancer, came to an end just as Diablo 4's story did, before I hit the enforced reset before launch. My second, a wild sprint to still-not-quite-the-finish with a new Barbarian, remains ongoing. As you might've already seen, we delayed our review in part because we hadn't seen enough of Diablo 4 - but also because we hadn't seen the shop, or how its servers might fare when millions descend on it at once.

We know it's worked out surprisingly well in terms of stability - some way better than Diablo 3 infamously did, although you'd hope for that - and we know the shop has remained true to developer Blizzard's word. You can only buy cosmetics there, nothing that impacts gameplay. They are very expensive cosmetics - 10 quid horse armour feels like a twisted reference to where it all began - but they are just cosmetics. The first of Diablo's seasons, and its first battle pass, remains over a month away though, and that's a little too long for us to get to.

To talk straight down the lens for a second then, here's the plan. We're aiming to follow up on Diablo 4's endgame in proper depth further down the line. For now, I'll focus on what I've seen already. Call this a campaign review if you like - the Diablo 4 that presents itself to you after however many dozens of hours is almost a game of its own, and so best we do that game justice on its own terms later on.

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Video games are wonderful. They allow us to live out our power fantasies and explore the identities and lives of other characters.

But never did I think I'd get the chance to play as a virus infecting an increasingly grotesque Winnie the Pooh.

Yet here we are. Winnie's Hole, as it's known, is an actual real video game you can wishlist on Steam.

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Vampire: The Masquerade - Bloodlines 2 has slumbered in development hell since its 2019 reveal, but a much-anticipated update appears to be on the way. 

A tweet from the game’s official account invites fans to tune in this September for a “big announcement.” The team also shares a fresh batch of screenshots, which you can view in the gallery below. It’s unknown what state the game is in, but an FAQ reveals that launch information will be shared in the September update. Additionally, the game’s new developer will be named as well. 

Rise, Kindred, and join us in September for a big announcement! pic.twitter.com/RdmJY7pbgA

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Shredder’s Revenge keeps the ninja party going with the reveal of its Dimension Shellshock DLC. Launching later this year, this upcoming add-on takes the Turtles and their friends through time and space to take on new threats with the help of a familiar ally.

Ronin rabbit Usagi Yojimbo joins the game as a playable character. The samurai warrior has starred in his own self-titled comic series since the ‘80s, but many mainstream fans are likely familiar with him from his numerous crossover appearances in TMNT media over the decades. The trailer shows off Usagi’s formidable prowess with his katana, such as piercing through multiple foes with a single sword thrust. 

Dimension Shellshock also adds an unspecified new game mode, new tracks from composer Tee Lopes, and a fresh set of color schemes for the playable roster. Shredder’s Revenge is also getting another, separate free update that adds another batch of color palette options.

We’ll have to wait to learn more about Dimension Shellshock, but we’re excited to get our hands on it given the exceptional base game. You can read more about our thoughts on TMNT: Shredder’s Revenge by reading our review here.

Cyberpunk 2077 launched as a broken game. But as someone who was going through the early work of gender transition during a world-stopping pandemic at the time, it somehow made sense that the big-budget, mega-popular video game everyone was so hyped about was also falling the fuck apart.

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Iron Sheik, an iconic WWE Hall of Fame wrestler, has passed away at the age of 81.

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Last year’s retro-inspired arcade co-op brawler, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Shredder’s Revenge, was unexpectedly one of 2022’s best games. It was also one of the best TMNT games in years and a genuine hit. So it makes sense that Tribute Games, the developers behind Shredder’s Revenge, are planning to add more…

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After three-and-a-bit years in early access, the striking Junji Ito-inspired spook 'em up World Of Horror is committing to a release date for the full game: the 19th of October. This is technically a delay from the previously planned summer launch, but I'm pretty sure it's illegal to launch a horror game in summer anyway. This is also when it will launch on consoles.

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You know what works for me? To do lists. ThroughLine Games should give that a go, because here they are announcing a new game in the same world as 2019's platforming adventure Forgotton Anne. It's a parallel universe where forgotten items, known as forgotlings come to life and endeavour to be remembered again. This new game, due out in 2024, is actually called Forgotlings, and you play as one called Fig in a similarly actiony platformy adventure in a 2D "semi open-world Metroidvania". Fig is, by the way, an artist's wooden posing doll, and even though he has a head his face is in his torso. I find this greatly distressing and will not stand for it.

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Last year's arcade brawler Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Shredder's Revenge will receive DLC titled Dimension Shellshock later this year which includes a new playable character and game mode. Regular ally of the Turtles Usagi Yojimbo will join the roster, allowing players to dish out damage as the rabbit samurai. Developers Tribute Games have shared a trailer for Dimension Shellshock, which you can take a look at below.

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