October 2023

Infinity Strash: Dragon Quest The Adventure of Dai is one of the strangest games I’ve ever played. To be clear, this is a console experience meant for the PS5 and PC, but it has a mobile game-like progression at its core. As a result, the much-anticipated retelling of the classic Dragon Quest spin-off manga and anime series arrives in a bizarre video game form.

Instead of exploring a vast world, players choose which stage to jump into, starting with the first chapter and its first section, known as 1-1. This format never changes as you progress, and you move through the different chapters, such as 2-2 and 3-4, etc. This linear progression style is a lot closer to a mobile game, and yet the gameplay feels like a solid action RPG.

Players take the role of Dai, a kid with exceptional powers who grows up on a remote island raised by monsters. He soon joins a party of heroes to save the world from the Dark Lord. Infinity Strash retells the most recent anime story by letting the player control Dai to hack and slash his way through various environments and boss battles.

Remember Corridor Digital, the Los Angeles-based production studio that made waves a few months back with its AI-generated “Rock Paper Scissors” anime video and the team’s claims that the tech could “democratize” the animation industry? That video wound up pissing off professionals who felt it was effectively just…

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Assassin’s Creed Mirage, Ubisoft’s latest entry in the long-running franchise, is out now across Xbox, PlayStation, and PC. And unlike recent games in the series, Mirage isn’t some giant 200-hour RPG. Instead, most players will be able to wrap up the main story and most side content in the game in under 25 hours.

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Cyberpunk 2077’s first (and only) DLC expansion, Phantom Liberty, was just recently released for Xbox Series X/S, PlayStation 5, and PC. But developer CD Projekt Red is already sharing more details about Cyberpunk 2077’s big-budget sequel, currently known as Project Orion. However, it sounds like it’s still years and…

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Call of Duty Modern Warfare III is the latest installment in the massively popular first-person shooter, and today's COD Next livestream was chock-full of details about the new multiplayer modes, zombies, and warzone. Whether you didn't have time to check in for the hours-long event or you just want a recap on everything that was announced, we've gathered all the major announcements right here. These are all the biggest Call of Duty Modern Warfare III announcements from the COD Next Showcase.

Multiplayer

The feature that put Call of Duty on the map is back and bigger than ever. The game will feature sixteen maps from 2009's Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2, which will now be compatible with newer game modes, like Hardpoint and Kill Confirmed. Additionally, large-scale maps will be added to accommodate Ground War modes, which allow you to play with more players in wider areas.

In this episode of The Game Informer Show, we discuss our latest cover story for Super Mario Bros. Wonder! Brian Shea has spent more time with the game than anyone outside of Nintendo and spoke with members of Nintendo about creating the big step for 2D Mario. Then we kick Brian out of the show to welcome Wesley LeBlanc to tell us about his experience with Assassin's Creed Mirage. Wesley has finished the game (and it took him less than 20 hours) and has thoughts on the game's strange place in the pantheon of Assassin's Creed games. Lastly, Alex shares his latest Pokémon card escapades and decides who in history he can successfully fight.

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It feels like forever ago that For the King 2 - the sequel to IronOak Games' wonderful tabletop-RPG-meets-digital-board-game adventure - was announced (it was actually about 18 months ago, it turns out), but it finally has a release date and is coming to Steam on 2nd November.

For the King 2, which is set some 20 years after the events of the first game, promises another bout of optionally co-operative rogue-like adventuring - this time for up to four pals both locally and online - as players take on the kingdom of Fahrul's tyrannical queen.

Everything shown so far suggests the sequel is more about refinement than radical reinvention, meaning you should expect the same blend of familiar RPG staples - dungeon crawling, questing, turn-based exploration and combat, loot acquisition, and so on - with some neat story generation through and randomised narrative events, only this time with a few notable tweaks.

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CD Projekt Red announced a partnership with Anonymous Content to develop a Cyberpunk 2077 live-action project. Anonymous Content is an independent media company known for producing popular shows and films like True Detective, Mr. Robot, The Revenant, and Spotlight. More information about the live-action project will be revealed at a later date.

While little information about the project was revealed by CD Projekt Red and Anonymous Content, the two companies did reveal that the project is in early development and they are currently recruiting for a screenwriter. Garrett Kemble, David Levine, Ryan Schwartz, Bard Dorros, and Charlie Scully will be producing the project and AC Studios will serve as the studio the project is developed under at Anonymous Content.

This new live-action adaption would not be the first multimedia project developed for Cyberpunk 2077. Back in September 2022, a 10-episode anime with an original story based in the world of Cyberpunk called Cyberpunk: Edgerunners was produced by Studio Trigger and released on Netflix worldwide. CD Projekt Red also released the novel Cyberpunk 2077: NO_COINCIDENCE written by best-selling sci-fi author Rafal Kosik in August 2023.

Cyberpunk 2077’s highly acclaimed and massive expansion, Phantom Liberty, almost feels like its own game. That’s probably because the developers behind the expansion spent over $60 million on developing Phantom Liberty and $21 million on marketing it, bringing the total cost of producing the DLC to about half of…

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I've decided to base part of my personality around liking Cyberpunk 2077. I thought I was long-since past the point when it was possible to construct my identity around liking a piece of media, but here I am, aged 38, researching tattoos.

So the news that CD Projekt Red have partnered with a production company to create a live action adaptation project set in the world of Cyberpunk 2077? I'm onboard.

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Kairosoft announced that it is working on a Doraemon game called Doraemon’s Dorayaki Story (Doraemon no Dorayaki-san Monogatari). According to the official website, it will come out some time in 2024. It will appear on mobile devices, as well as “various TV consoles,” which likely mean consoles such as the Switch, PS4, and PS5. There is no information on a PC release.

The game will be a business simulation game. From screenshots that Kairosoft shared, it looks like you can put together a menu and price it, as well as combine various food items to make a set. For example, a combo comprising of a dorayaki and a cup of tea can cost 1500 JPY. Familiar faces from the Doraemon series will appear, alongside characters from Mami the Psychic and Pajamaman. In other words, characters from other Fujiko Fujio works will also show up.

Compile Heart announced five new upcoming games. Some of these titles are works in progress, so there’s the chance that developer will reveal them in the future with a different name. The five new games from Compile Heart are Todokero! Tatakae! Calamity Angels, Touhou Space Carnival, a new untitled shooting game, Madou Monogatari 4, and Death end re;Quest Code:Zion. [Thanks, Famitsu!]

During an interview with Famitsu, Naoto Tominaga (president and CEO) and Hikaru Yasui (producer) explained that Compile Heart shifted its gears to focus on a more niche market about two or three years ago. Instead of making games for the mass market, it would focus its games on a more specific audience. It will also start making them for multiple platforms, as well as make it easier to sell them to a global market. This is so that players interested in their games but couldn’t buy them before will have the opportunity to do so.

As part of its new company focus, Tominaga also explains that Compile Heart will now focus on quantity. Not everyone wants to play an AAA game or a game that has hours and hours of play time. Compile Heart will focus on releasing as many games as possible. This will also be a way to gauge consumer interest.

Bandai Namco posted a short Tales of Arise DLC skit involving Kisara and Dohalim on its official Twitter account. This skit will be in the Beyond the Dawn scenario, which will launch on November 9, 2023. Both Kisara and Dohalim seem to be making plans for a fishing date in the future.

You can watch the Kisara and Dohalim Tales of Arise Beyond the Dawn skit here:

The skit seems to start right in the middle of their conversation, so Bandai Namco likely cut out whatever caused Dohalim to approach Kisara. However, he states that he was drawn to how Kisara looked while fishing. Kisara excitedly invites Dohalim to fish with her, going on and on about how much fun fishing is as a hobby. Dohalim turns her down, but then suggests that he watch her fish while chatting with her instead. The skit then ends with Kisara asking if it would be alright to invite him the next time she fishes, and he welcomes it.

Sanrio will release special Oshi no Ko merchandise in TSUTAYA stores nationwide in Japan. The line-up of characters in this new merchandise collection includes Ai with Little Twin Stars, Ruby with Hello Kitty, Aqua with Cinnamonroll, Kana with My Melody, Akane with Kuromi, and Mem-cho with Pompompurin.

For those who purchase over ¥2,200 in Oshi no Ko x Sanrio collaboration goods, they will receive a special postcard on a first-come, first-served basis. There are 6 postcards available featuring the cast of Oshi no Ko and they are chosen at random.

Here is a list of the merchandise available at TSUTAYA stores in Japan alongside their price:

• Hologram heart-shaped can badge (6 types in total, random) - ¥605 (~$4) each or ¥3,630 (~$24) for the complete box
• Acrylic cards (6 types in total, random) - ¥660 (~$5) each or ¥3,960 (~$27) for the complete box
• Deca acrylic key holder with star-shaped eggplant (6 types in total) - ¥1,320 (~$9)
• Acrylic stand plate (6 types in total) - ¥1,815 (~$12)
• Jewelry compact mirror - ¥1,870 (~$13)
• Royal blanket (knee size) - ¥5,500 (~$37)
• Set of 7 stickers - ¥660 (~$5)

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Telltale Games, the resurrected developer behind the likes of The Expanse: A Telltale Series and the upcoming The Wolf Among Us 2, has confirmed layoffs at the studio after a former employee shared a message on social media claiming "most of" his team had been let go last month.

News of layoffs at Telltale began circulating after cinematic artist Jonah Huang - who's worked at the studio in both its current and original incarnation, which closed down in 2018 - claimed the studio "laid most of us off early September".

Huang also appeared to imply further troubles for The Wolf Among Us 2 - which was originally due to release this year before Telltale pushed it back into 2024 to avoid burnout and crunch - saying he couldn't comment on the status of its development due to a binding NDA.

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Earlier today, former Telltale Games cinematic artist Jonah Huang revealed on Twitter that he had been laid off from the studio in early September. In his tweet, he writes that "Telltale laid most of us off in early September," and that the layoffs occurred weeks after the company acquired U.K.-based studio, Flavourworks, which developed Erica. 

This is a sore subject, but I feel it necessary to add to the gaming layoff news: Telltale laid most of us off early September. Status of TWAU2, I can't say (NDA).

Now, I focus on what matters to me—my own game, and the following words:

Games industry, we must UNIONIZE.

1/5

— jjonahjonahson (@jjonahjonahson) October 5, 2023

Telltale has now confirmed to Game Informer that layoffs at the studio did occur, although its official statement features no mention of just how many employees were let go. The statement doesn't mention severance for laid-off employees, but Huang notes on Twitter that he's received a severance package.

Here's Telltale's statement to Game Informer, in full: 

Foxhole is a fascinating topdown World War 2 shooter that plays out like Company Of Heroes if each individual soldier was controlled by an individual player. Later this month it's getting a new major update: Naval Warfare, which appends the trenches and railway supply lines with new at-sea combat.

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Square Enix uploaded an interview with the Final Fantasy VII Ever Crisis and Final Fantasy VII development teams that focuses on the Shinra Company. It goes over all of the history behind the scenes in regards so Shinra before moving on to talking about Ever Crisis. Yoshinori Kitase, who wrote and directed the original Final Fantasy VII, discussed the evolution of Final Fantasy as well.

The Fragaria Memories Twitter account showed off Rimicha, who is a knight of Kimiri-chan. You can also check out his biography via the official website. It looks like Sanrio will reveal one final Red Bouquet character, and we’ll likely see him tomorrow.

According to his profile, Rimicha is a bit of a lovable trouble maker. He seems to get really lost in his emotions, since he laughs as much as he gets upset. Though he’s a knight, he hates work. He talks in a very childlike manner. If we are to compare Fragaria Memories with Twisted Wonderland, he’s very similar to Floyd.

Saku Hyuga voices Rimicha in Fragaria Memories. He had minor roles in Princess Connect Re:Dive, Fly Me to the Moon, and Tales of the Rays. As for the artist, Kuroume illustrated him. Kuroume is an illustrator who has previously provided artwork for Vocaloid music videos, with their art appearing for songs like “Guuzou Janai,” “Heart Heart,” and “Melancholia.”

Hello! Welcome back to our regular feature where we write a little bit about some of the games we've found ourselves playing over the last few days. This time: pizzas, songs, and witches.

If you fancy catching up on some of the older editions of What We've Been Playing, here's our archive.

I love this whole cosy game movement - games that aren't too taxing but sound nice and feel nice. They're the game equivalent of lo-fi beats to chill to, if that means anything to you, and I am all for them.

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Payday 3 has had a rather rocky start, with server issues plaguing its launch leaving many unable to play the always-online heist shooter. Now, another rock has made its way onto that already bumpy road, with developer Starbreeze announcing it has chosen to delay its upcoming patch.

This patch was initially meant to be released yesterday, 5th October, and address "200+ QoL-improvements for all platforms". However, the developer has pushed it back until an unspecified time in mid-October. This, the Payday 3 team has said, is to "ensure its stability".

"The patch needs some changes that would require us to go through console certification again," Starbreeze explained. In a follow up post, the team confirmed that this will mean the game's "PS5 bonus content will remain unredeemable until this patch is ready".

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A new update for Armored Core 6 has been released, making a huge number of balance changes.

The game was patched a couple of weeks back but, as anticipated, this new patch is aimed at PvP and makes changes to the majority of weapons - including the game's best.

Yes, I'm talking about the Songbirds and Zimmerman.

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This week on the Eurogamer Newscast, we discuss the topic of video game industry layoffs, something that seems to be rarely out of the headlines over the past few weeks and months.

Layoffs are nothing new, of course, but this year in particular feels like a particularly tough time, at companies big and small. From tech giants such as Microsoft and Epic Games down to development studios such as Telltale Games, the bad news just keeps on coming.

We discussed the job losses at Creative Assembly last week following the cancellation of Hyenas. Since then, we've heard of deep cuts at Team17, and more job losses on Dragon Age. We consider these examples and more, and consider whether each is part of a wider pattern, or a more individual example. Joining me this week are Eurogamer's Victoria Kennedy and Liv Ngan.

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Climbing is one of the great joys of video games. It's one of the things I am always looking out for.

It felt like it was a rarity in games until something like Crackdown came along. I was a long way through Crackdown before I realised that it wasn't really about shooting people or driving cars - its purest pleasures involved navigating the game's complex interlocking 3D world. For years I described it as a platform game, until I had a chat with John from Digital Foundry, who argued that if it was a platforming game, it wasn't a brilliant one. He was right, of course. Crackdown's not a platforming game so much as a climbing game.

Now climbing games are much more common. Grow Home was a great climbing game. This year I've played demos for Jusant and Surmount, both of which handle climbing in their own ways. And this week I played Assassin's Creed Mirage, which is an Assassin's game, an open-worlder, a historical game - its Baghdad is a wonder - and also a great example of how weird triple-A games often are these days. But also, what I'm left with more than anything else, is the realisation that it's a climbing game. All Assassin's games are.

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I'll level with you: for a good long while I absolutely despised The Lamplighters League; approximately one half of it is clumsy, clunky, often deeply annoying, and dubiously conceived. For all that, though, I've become oddly quite fond of its weird mishmash of real-time stealth and heavily XCOM-inspired turn-based action, even if I'm not exactly sure it ever entirely rises above its litany of flaws.

But first, welcome to an alternate-history 1930s, where the suits are sharp, the dames are tough, and an occult-obsessed cabal is gathering an army to bring about the end of the world. It's a set-up that's pure 1930s pulp, The Lamplighters League's gorgeously evocative art style and sultry, swinging soundtrack perfectly capturing the globetrotting, rip-roaring spirit of the classic adventure genre in its heyday. There's a little bit of everything here – Edgar Rice Burroughs, H. Rider Haggard, Raymond Chandler, a big old chunk of H. P. Lovecraft, a wink to Indiana Jones – and The Lamplighters League doesn't miss a beat as its loveable cast of wisecracking rogues gleefully leaps between moonlit cobbled streets, vine-strangled temples, dank swamps, arid deserts, snowy highlands, and tropical island hideouts as it works to halt the apocalyptic designs of the Banished Court.

Following boldly in the wake of The Thing, The Terror and, errrr, the experimental artist Ellie Ga, who spent months drawing and sketching aboard a drifting icelocked research vessel, Black Salt and Team 17's Lovecraftian fishing sim Dredge is heading to the Arctic in its first DLC pack, The Pale Reach. Batten down the hatches and check out the trailer.

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Microsoft plans to finally buy Activision Blizzard for $68.7bn next Friday, 13th October, according to a fresh report from The Verge.

That date is still contingent on the UK's Competition and Markets Authority giving the deal an official green light - though the regulator has already signalled it is likely to do so.

The CMA has until 18th October to weigh in with its final decision, following a deadline today for feedback on the deal's revised form - now Microsoft has agreed to sell off streaming rights for Activision Blizzard games to Ubisoft.

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It's not that there's anything actually wrong with Payday 3. The levels are well-designed, encouraging the kind of outside-the-box thinking that rewards both the bold and the curious. The effervescent glee you feel each time you saunter past a security camera with a sports bag stuffed full of money on your back is unrivalled, and for those opting for a less stealthy approach, the gunplay – if requiring a little acclimation at first – is punchy and impactful.

The trouble with Payday 3, though, is that whilst in isolation, it's a perfectly perfunctory shooter that'll happily keep you sated for a few weekends, when compared to its own predecessor, the new game repeatedly comes up short. Yes, we have some new gadgets to try, and yes, there are new ways to manage the civvies caught up in your criminal shenanigans, but ultimately it's a faded facsimile of what's come before it - and that's without taking into account a release so bungled, the game was essentially unplayable for the first five days of its launch week.

For those unfamiliar with the formula, Payday 3 sees you and a gaggle of pals pull off increasingly outrageous heists, using your brain, brawn – and often both – to get the better of the security systems that separate you from your prize. The missions we have – there are just eight right now, which feels like a meagre offering – take you right across New York City as OG Payday stalwarts Dallas, Chains, Hoxon, and Wolf return with some other familiar faces to pull off daring robberies, from the obligatory bank burglary to elaborate art heists.

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Final Fantasy 14 players have been analysing a pair of legs in a bid to work out the next playable race to be added to the game.

Earlier this week, the game's latest patch (6.5) was released and in its ending cutscene there's a pair of legs that appear to be from a potential new playable race.

Reddit user Drbiohazmat has datamined the legs to find out some more detail: the legs have hair all over, a unique running and jumping animation, and a hole where a tail should be.

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PlayStation has launched the Sony Pictures Core app on PS4 and PS5, which allows users to buy and rent Sony films from their consoles.

The app is the successor to Bravia Core, which is currently available on Sony's Bravia TVs and Xperia devices.

Up to 2000 films will be available through Sony Pictures Core. Users of the app will also be able to buy select Sony Pictures films during an exclusive, earlier period. In select regions including the UK, France, Germany, and Japan, the first film which will be available to buy earlier will be the Gran Turismo movie.

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I Expect You To Die 3: Cog In the Machine is notable if only for being the third entry in a series on VR games. Most VR titles can consider themselves lucky if they get a sequel, let alone attain the hallowed status of "trilogy". Then again, few VR games have found a formula that is as dependable and repeatable as Schell Games' collection of spy capers. Much in the same way that the James Bond series has a set structure and tropes, only I Expect You To Die's blueprint involves pastiche and puzzles rather than cars, gadgets, and variously objectified women.

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Having hollowed out the Asteroid of Co-Op (Resource) Extraction FPS, Ghost Ship are sinking their drills into the Planet of Roguelite. The just-announced Deep Rock Galactic: Rogue Core is a crafty feat of genre-splicing in which one to four dwarven miners investigate an alien world whose "core has gone rogue". As in the original Deep Rock Galactic, which we loved, you'll be tunnelling down and fighting critters (exact species TBA) while harvesting precious ores. But this time, there's no returning to the ship once you've loaded up enough. The only way out is down.

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