Destructoid

In a delightful bit of news to start the day, it has been confirmed that Future Club - the indie developer born out of the dissolution of Lab Zero - will be directly involved in the creation of new Skullgirls content, alongside current developer Hidden Variable and publisher Autumn Games.

Last month, Autumn Games showcased a bright future for the awesome tag-fighting title, announcing a brand new season of content including multiple new DLC characters and stages. While this was wonderful news, it brought with it a twinge of sadness, with the possibility that the original Skullgirls team - many of whom left Lab Zero due to its toxic environment - would not be involved in the new content's creation.

But in a new tweet, Autumn Games confirmed that Hidden Variable will indeed be working with these developers and their new studio, Future Club, in order to design and create exciting new content for Skullgirls, to be drip-fed to its dedicated community of players over the coming years.

If you took part in last month's Guilty Gear Strive beta, you probably already know it wasn't the smoothest experience. Not all betas are, but the feedback from players on this one was enough to convince Arc System Works it needs to spend more time polishing up the game.

The developer revealed on Twitter Wednesday night that it is delaying the highly anticipated fighter from April 9 to June 11. As you can see in the message below, Arc System Works will use the extra development time to work on the game's online lobbies and server stability.

I've slipped into a sort of low-maintenance mode with Animal Crossing: New Horizons. If there's a substantial update with new characters or ways of interacting with my island, sure, I'll show up. But when it comes to recurring events or limited-time celebratory items, I'm far more likely to let them slip by. As much as I enjoy accumulating stuff, I don't need everything. I'm not out here min-maxing!

In the case of Shamrock Day, Animal Crossing's St. Patrick's Day equivalent, I'll play it by ear. The event runs from March 10–17 in New Horizons with outfits and rotating daily items, according to Nintendo.

On the to-grab list: a "Fáilte" Shamrock Doorplate, a Shamrock Rug, and okay yeah, a Shamrock Soda.

Nintendo also previewed the Shamrock Day apparel – sunglasses, a hat, a suit, and shoes – that will be sold by the Able Sisters. Don't let anyone pinch you. And be on the lookout for the Shamrock Wand.

I could take or leave everything except the Shamrock Soda. That's a keeper. As for Nintendo's fickle update strategy in general, I'm forcing myself to "let it happen when it happens." It's easier that way. Long-time Animal Crossing players are surely wondering what the holdup is with meaningful new content in New Horizons, and I don't blame them. At this point, it feels like a marathon, not a sprint.

In today's contest you can win a brand new Switch, and a copy of Everhood!

Have you ever heard of Everhood? Well if you haven't, now you have! It's a strange one, for sure, but that's just how I like 'em.

The lovely folks at developer Foreign Gnomes would like to not only give away some Switch copies of their brand new game, but also a brand new Switch to play it on! Isn't that nice of them?

Warning: The trailer below contains flashing imagery.

We live in an age where you can easily download the entire NES library, fire up an emulator, and spend five minutes with one game before getting bored. The internet never forgets, which is fortunate since there should be nothing ephemeral about a video game’s availability. If I wanted to go back and play something stupid and obscure like Classic Concentration, then I should be able to and you shouldn't be able to stop me.

While I know there are less-than-legal options that would allow me to do this, I’ve always preferred to go about things on the up-and-up. I’ve got walls of cartridges rather than a couple ROM folders, and sure, I’ll pay to have Leisure Suit Larry in my library. It’s comforting to know that my money will go to continued-ish support for the game. Best case scenario will be someone takes the time to convert it to widescreen and give it native Windows support, but maybe the effort isn’t worth it for something no one remembers, like Blake Stone. But, I mean, at least you can still buy Blake Stone! And you should!

The following is a list of games that have not received a re-release. Even GOG, the bastion for old games of yore, doesn’t feature these titles. They’re not completely unobtainable for someone determined enough, but they really should be available for everyone.

Here's one for all you retro fans. Ziggernaut Interactive, in collaboration with 612Games, has secured the rights to 15 classic arcade games from old-school developer Data East. The first eight of these titles are now available to purchase on PC, under the new "Retro Classix" banner.

[Update: Frogwares has issued a new statement regarding its issuing of the DMCA.

"A DMCA notice proved to be our most effective tool to give us time to gain further potential evidence and to also start the required and lengthy additional legal processes to prevent this from happening again," the developer told Vice. "We are aware that a final ruling on whether Frogwares are obligated to deliver a Steam version has yet not been made and could take years. As it stands, we have an appeals court ruling saying, until further notice Frogwares do not need to deliver a Steam version to Nacon. In the meantime, Nacon decided to take justice into their own hands and release a pirated build."

"We are also aware that the DMCA claim on this Steam version may only be a temporary fix and that the game may make a comeback - in this form or another. Providing partners like Valve with finalised rulings and third-party verified evidence so they can make their final decision takes time and resources. If in the meantime they decide they have to continue selling the game, we can only respect that while continuing to speak to them and provide them with more information."

As it stands, The Sinking City - as published by Frogwares - remains for sale on PS5, Nintendo Switch, and non-Steam PC outlets. The PS4 and Xbox One edition of The Sinking City  - as published by Nacon - remain available on their respective PlayStation and Microsoft stores.]

Original article:

In the latest update on the ongoing debacle surrounding The Sinking City, Steam has once again pulled Frogwares' horror-mystery from its storefront, following the developer's issuing of a DMCA against publisher Nacon, with whom it is embroiled in an increasingly ugly legal dispute.

I haven't revisited PlayStation VR since hooking up my PS5, but I haven't packed the headset up, either – it's crammed in a media-center drawer just in case there's something fresh to play this year.

Actually, there is! The headset is still hanging in there with software support. Sony highlighted six PlayStation VR games for 2021 in a series of PlayStation Blog posts today. Let's run through 'em.

After the Fall is a co-op shooter from the makers of Arizona Sunshine that's set in an "alternate 1980s" Los Angeles. Don't call them zombies – they're snowbreed. It's not every day we see a game with PlayStation VR Aim Controller support, and if you're going solo, you can team up with the AI.

Fracked immediately reminded me of that "Call of Duty in a kayak" game Phantom: Covert Ops, and I was on-point – it's made by the same team, nDreams. This time, you can ski and shoot! I think I'm down?

Following the recent arrival of Legendary Hero Claude von Riegan, Nintendo has announced "Seeds of Fodlan," the newest summoning event for its free-to-play mobile battler Fire Emblem Heroes. The new update will add further classy characters from Switch release Fire Emblem: Three Houses.

The latest quartet of characters consists of four officers taken from the hallowed halls of the Garreg Mach Monastery. Representing the Blue Lions are young polearm wielder Ingrid and the house's noble retainer, Dedue. Flying the flag for the Black Eagles is the notoriously subdued (read: lazy) Lindhart, while the Golden Deer are represented by introverted young mage, Marianne.

In late February, following years of tumultuous development, publisher Paradox Interactive announced further delays to its Gothic RPG Vampire: The Masquerade - Bloodlines 2. Most notably, Paradox announced that it was dropping the title's long-term developer, Hardsuit Labs, who had been working on the dark adventure since as far back as 2015.

Unfortunately, it appears that the changes in development have had serious repercussions for the studio's workforce, with various Hardsuit employees being laid off since the Paradox announcement was made. Producer Austin Maestre, as well as narrative designers Anna C. Webster, Samantha Wallschlaeger, and Nicole Stanford were among those who took to Twitter to announce that they had lost their respective roles at the Seattle-based studio, with Stanford confirming that Hardsuit's "entire narrative team" had been affected by the decision.

In a statement to several news outlets, Hardsuit Labs expressed its regret at the layoffs.

"While we worked hard to source some great work opportunities for the studio to move forward with, we were unable to provide work for a small number of individuals and thus made the difficult decision to part ways." reads the statement. "This decision was not made lightly and was done so only after we felt we had exhausted the opportunities to avoid such a layoff."

Monster Hunter Rise is poised to make a splash on Switch this month, but it also has a bright future ahead of it.

With a PC port slated for 2022, Rise will live on for a while, far beyond the initial excitement of the Nintendo console launch. And beyond that, it looks like the massive soundtrack is going to make a lasting impact on fans.

As revealed by Gamer.ne.jp, Capcom is producing a massive 117-song soundtrack that will be distributed across four discs. It'll contain all of the main Rise tracks heard so far, as well as any number of ancillary tunes from each level. It's slated to arrive on May 19, 2021 in Japan, and will retail at 4,500 yen, which is roughly $42 USD.

If you want a taste, the Capcom Sound Team has put out six of the 100+ song soundtrack out on Spotify, which includes core themes like Kamura's Song of Purification. If you played the demo you're probably aware that it sounds great so far!

The original soundtrack of "Monster Hunter Rise" [Gamer.ne.jp]

In just under a week's time, Electronic Arts will release its sci-fi infused battle royale title Apex Legends on Nintendo Switch. Developer Respawn Entertainment has released one last trailer, giving players one final look at the dynamic multiplayer title in action ahead of its official release.

The Nintendo Switch edition of Apex Legends admittedly has a little catching up to do, having arrived on PS4, PC, and Xbox One way back in February 2019. Not only that, but the new port was unfortunately further delayed from its initial 2020 release due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.

Regardless, the big day is almost here, and soon Switch owners will be able to battle it out with their Legend brethren thanks to the title's cross-play capabilities. Oh, and to help newbie Legends hit the ground running, Apex Legends will be offering all Switch players double XP until March 23. Lock 'n' load, folks. It's time to go a'lootin' and a'shootin' all over again.

It's strange to think we have another micro-anniversary coming off such a big, sprawling Zelda anniversary, but here we are.

Zelda: Breath of the Wild turns four today on March 3, 2021. I can't believe it! That also essentially marks the birth of the Nintendo Switch! Both of them feel like they've been around for longer than that. I mean, just look at the E3 2016 full reveal below: crazy right?

Although it had been talked about in different incarnations for a while, it wasn't until the summer of 2016 that Nintendo decided to officially call it "Breath of the Wild." People were able to play it right on the show floor that same week, and the rest was history.

It's also crazy to think that it's also a Wii U game. Nintendo dumped that thing like a bad habit so quickly after that, but much like the GameCube to the Wii generational leap with Zelda: Twilight Princess, so too did the Wii U get a swan song.

Let's watch, together, how it and the means in which players approached the game, evolved.

It seems like forever and a day since I first reported the shocking news that the next Yakuza title would feature tactical, real-time combat. Understandably this huge switch-up in Yakuza's tried-and-tested brawler gameplay was greeted nervously by many fans, especially for a title that was foregoing regular series' protagonist Kazuma Kiryu for a relatively unknown new star.

Today, many within the Yakuza community have long-since breathed a sigh of relief. Not only did Yakuza: Like a Dragon's new take on Sega's gang-smashing franchise hit it out of the baseball cage from a gameplay standpoint, but it also bequeathed us an absolutely delightful cast of new stars, led by the charming and somewhat goofy new lead, Ichiban Kasuga. Far from bury the franchise, Yakuza: Like a Dragon was warmly welcomed upon its arrival, hopefully securing the franchise's future into the new generation.

That future begins right now, with the launch on Yakuza: Like a Dragon on Sony's shiny new box, PlayStation 5. Ichiban's wild tale of loyalty and redemption is now available to purchase on PS5 in both physical and digital format. Current PS4 owners are able to take advantage of a free upgrade to the new PS5 edition - though it should be noted that your PS4 save data will not be compatible. While this upgrade path was struggling with some teething issues yesterday, Team Yakuza has since announced that these problems have been resolved, so get the band back together, hit the streets of Yokohama, and start putting bread to faces.

Blizzard really only has one chance to make a good first impression with Diablo II Resurrected.

I mean, there are millions of Warcraft III fans out there who were ready to sift through Reforged like a fine toothed comb. But hell hath no fury like a Diablo fan scorned. If they mess this up, the reputation of the publisher will only be further tarnished.

So far, so good. The way the development team talked about it with Destructoid makes it seem like they are persevering the original as best as possible. In fact, when it was brought up that Reforged was a disappointment, without directly dumping on that team's work, the Resurrected team reiterated that it would be a loving recreation, but the original skeleton was still there underneath.

The latest news for the game via PCGamesN also should quell some fears. While we knew about an initial alpha test for the game to potentially iron out some kinks and invite player feedback (here's how to get in), we've learned that there will actually be a second alpha period that will serve as a multiplayer stress test. Lead producer Chris Lena says it very plainly, stating: "We’re going to start with a single-player technical alpha, and then we’ll have a second technical alpha after that, which is kind of multiplayer and stress testing."

Xbox Game Pass is back in March, and this time, it's a little niche. Sports niche.

Madden NFL 21, halfway into its relevant lifecycle, is coming to consoles today. That's probably the biggest get. Beyond that on March 4 we're also getting Football Manager 2021, as well as NBA 2K21. Enjoy the rest of the virtual NFL and NBA seasons while you can.

"Later in March," Game Pass is adding NHL 21 into the mix to complete the sports trifecta, but there's another concession, just in case you don't like sportsball; Star Wars: Squadrons. It seems like such an obvious "hey, here's something else" addition, but I'll take it.

Squadrons is still a relatively new, and well received Star Wars game, which is becoming more and more rare these days. It's just a shame it's one of the only versions without VR support.

Since the November 2019 launch of Pokemon Sword and Shield, Game Freak has done a decent job of running various max raid events, as well as doling out items for random celebrations.

Some of them require a "community goal" of sorts (a modern staple of the series after online play was implemented widely), and a few are given out just because. Either way, you can sign in now and grab a free Mystery Gift reward. Spotted on Serebii, all you need to do is head to the main menu, select Mystery Gift, then "receive from internet" as normal. After you do so, you'll get 87 Dynite and 87 Armorite Ore.

This was all unlocked because 874,808 Pikachu creatures were killed off in the event announced during the recent Pokemon Day stream. For reference, Armorite Ore wand Dynite Ore were introduced in the Sword and Shield DLC expansions, Isle of Armor and Crown Tundra. While the merits of each can be debated, the latter is especially useful for folks who have exhausted everything Isle of Armor has to offer; as Dynite can be used to finish up your Pokemon collection via new Dynamax adventures.

Pokémon Sword & Shield - Item Distribution [Serebii.net]

Now this is something a little different. Following on from the appearance of cinematic horror legends such as Freddy Krueger, Leatherface, and Michael Myers - and not forgetting video game monsters like Silent Hill's Pyramid Head - the newest chapter in Behaviour Interactive's Dead by Daylight will see players stalked and slaughtered by a psychopathic K-Pop superstar.

The new chapter, titled "All-Kill", tells the tale of budding Korean boy-band superstar Ji-Woon, whose desire to become the greatest music sensation of all-time led, in a roundabout way, to the deaths of his fellow band members. Going solo as "The Trickster", Yun-Jin then took to murdering innocent people - including friends and fans - torturing them for days while sampling their death throes to be included in his newest records.

Funnily enough, this is something of a PR nightmare for The Trickster's producer, Yun-Jin Lee, and her label, Mightee One. The label dropped the maniacal star in a four-four beat. Unfortunately, however, The Trickster remains at large and out for revenge, setting his sights on his former producer with plans on making her his latest and greatest hit. Literally.

Publisher Koei Tecmo, alongside developer Omega Force, has announced that it has delayed the release of Dynasty Warriors 9 Empires. Originally scheduled to launch in "Early 2021," the warfaring sequel will now launch at a non-specified later date.

Koei Tecmo announced the delay on Twitter with the following statement.

"Although Dynasty Warriors 9 Empires was initially announced as an early 2021 release, the team is still working hard on delivering the best game possible, so we wanted to let our fans know the current situation and will announce the new launch window in future updates. We apologize for the delay and appreciate your continued support. In the meantime, check out this first look at a scene from our opening movie. (pictured below) Just a taste of what’s to come as we get closer to finishing the game."

Dynasty Warriors 9 Empires is in development for PS4, PS5, PC, Xbox One, Xbox Series X, and Switch.

The British Academy of Film and Television Arts (BAFTA) has released the nominations list for the 2021 edition of its BAFTA Games Awards, which will be taking place later in March.

The Last of Us Part II has received a record-breaking 13 nominations - the most any one video game has received since the event's inception back in 2004. Naughty Dog's dramatic and violent sequel is up in numerous categories, including Best Animation, Best Music, Best Audio Achievement, and Best Game Design. Ironically for such as story-heavy title, TLOU II is not nominated in the Best Narrative category. Several actors, including Ashley Johnson, Laura Bailey, and Troy Baker, are also nominated for Performer awards.

The nominations have seen Sony sweep all categories, with a grand total of 41 nominations among the award categories. Titles such as Marvel's Spider-Man: Miles Morales, Sucker Punch's Ghost of Tsushima, Media Molecule's Dreams, and Sumo Digital's Sackboy: A Big Adventure are all in-line for potential gongs. Fortunately, smaller titles such as Supergiant's Hades, Phobia Game Studio's Carrion, and Out of the Blue's Call of the Sea also get a look-in.

You can check out the full list of categories and nominations below. The 2021 BAFTA Games Awards will stream March 25, hosted by journalist and presenter Elle Osili-Wood.

So Final Fantasy VII Remake Intergrade instantly shot up on my 2021 radar.

Yeah, some parts of it are a bummer, like the PS5-specific requirement. And not everyone has one of those! Seeing as they're basically unicorn pieces of hardware. But for those that do, we have more Final Fantasy VII Remake to enjoy sooner than later (whenever Part 2 decides to actually come out).

To that end, folks are champing at the bit for more Yuffie DLC info, and we got it. As spotted on Game Watch (via Nibel), the Yuffice DLC bit will take place across two chapters. Yuffie will also be able to use "ninja-like" abilities outside of combat, and she will be accompanied by her companion, Sonon; who is a "warrior who studied under Yuffie's father Godo."

Both of the latter factoids were intimated in the trailer, but it's nice to see it spelled out. The chapter part is especially useful, so we have our expectations in check when this actually launches later this year. For reference, the base game was roughly 18 chapters, though the length of those varied some.

FFVII Remake Intergrade [Game Watch via Nibel]

The Mario and Luigi costumes truly creep me out in Animal Crossing: New Horizons, to the point where I've avoided checking in with my island since the late-February update went out. Actually, no... I've just been too busy with Stardew Valley split-screen co-op hogging 100 percent of my Switch time lately.

If you're more interested in the Mushroom Kingdom items than the costumes, same – and there's a trick for the Warp Pipe that'll come in handy if you find yourself running back and forth all the time.

Well, "trick" is probably overselling it a bit. Players have taken to using the Warp Pipes (known in-game as "Pipes") as a way to quickly hop back home to deposit spare items or redecorate. All you need to do is find a spot in your home (or wherever you frequently travel) for the first Warp Pipe and then hang onto the other one. If you ever need to fast-travel, just pull out the secondary pipe right there and pop in.

Here's a demonstration from Reddit user VictoryRoles. Before you ask: yes, there's a loading screen.

It's rare for me to want to play a game just to appreciate its environmental artwork, doubly so when it's stranded on a less-than-ideal platform like Apple Arcade. But that's where I'm at with Fantasian, a new RPG from Mistwalker (Terra Battle, Lost Odyssey) that's set in a painstaking world of miniatures.

I can't get over the craftsmanship that went into creating "over 150 handmade dioramas" for this game. Creators from Godzilla, Attack on Titan, and Ultraman helped establish the miniaturized look.

Hironobu Sakaguchi and co. know what they're dealing with here: there's a built-in way to postpone the random JRPG battles in Fantasian so that you can breezily take in the sights and sounds "uninterrupted."

A so-called Dimengeon Battle mechanic lets you push "previously encountered" foes into a "separate dimensional dungeon," at which point you can square off with the creeps when you're good and ready.

Arkane Studios has released a lighthearted video looking at its upcoming chrono-shooter Deathloop, which will launch on PS5 and PC May 21. The trailer sees the stylish title's designer, Dinga Bakaba, walk the viewer through the clock-warping concepts of Blackreef.

Deathloop concerns one single day of destruction for our protagonist, Colt, a professional hitman who awakens on Blackreef with a pocket full of targets and a mind full of holes. Cursed to live out the same day over and over again until he gets it right, Colt must efficiently strategize the use of his time in order to eliminate his targets: a band of merciless killers known as "The Visionaries." Not helping matters is Julianna, another expert assassin and every bit Colt's equal. Before this misadventure is through, Colt will find himself lined in chalk again and again, until he finally makes it to the top of the hit-list.

While time-looping very much seems to be the "in vogue" mechanic for gaming right now, Deathloop looks to stand apart with its charismatic cast, opulent style, and sharpshooting action. Check out Bakaba's video below if you want to know more about Deathloop's odd premise. Oh, and don't forget to check out the recent slick, 007-style theme song right here.

Blasphemous is one of those games that left me hoping it sold well enough for its creators to keep doing what they know and love. It's a gripping and often unforgiving action-platformer set in a world dominated by religious fervor, and as dark as it could be, the game really resonated with me.

Well, me and a bunch of other people. The Game Kitchen and publisher Team17 just announced that Blasphemous has passed "one million players." Here's a pleasant little video to capture the moment.

In a Steam post, the developers said "thanks to you we've been able to continue working on Blasphemous, adding even more free content to the game beyond what we initially planned."

Given all the free content updates, including the recent Boss Rush mode and Bloodstained crossover, I figured that Blasphemous was in a good spot financially, but it's nice to have a proper confirmation. I'll take a potential sequel – think of the lore! – but even if The Game Kitchen goes in a different direction with a new IP, I'll be there too. The post-launch support has been fantastic for this game. Truly.

PlayStation and Nintendo fans waiting to get eyeballs-deep in the grim 'n' gross world of The Binding of Isaac: Repentance have, at the very least, a release window with which to mark their calendars. Described by creator Ed McMillen as "the best version" of the twin-stick roguelike, Repentance will hit PS4, PS5, and Switch in the third quarter of 2021.

The supposed "final" chapter sees The Binding of Isaac fine-tuned to perfection, adding new playable characters, alternate paths and chapters, over 100 new enemies, a new final boss character, seven extra challenges, and multiple surprises. Nicalis Games suggests that Repentance brings with it "thousands of hours" of gameplay, ensuring that both newcomers and The Binding of Isaac's most fanatical followers will find plenty of dark deviance within.

The Binding of Isaac: Repentance launches on PC via Steam March 31 and on PS4, PS5, and Nintendo Switch later this year. In addition, pre-orders for PS5 and Nintendo Switch physical editions are now open on the Nicalis store, retailing for $59.99 USD.

Aniplex, in association with developer CyberConnect2, has released the new trailer for its upcoming video game adaptation of popular manga/anime series Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba - Hinokami Keppuutan, which launches on PlayStation, Xbox, and PC platforms later in 2021.

The new video focuses on one of the franchise's major demon slayers, Giyu Tomioka, who is the current Water Hashima, (essentially a posse of element-based swordmasters) as he lays waste to his hapless opponent. Barely breaking a sweat nor his stoic nature, Tomioka demonstrates his graceful and devastating sword skills, before winding up the battle by calling upon the very waves themselves. Better bring an umbrella.

Aniplex has restricted the trailer to specific territories, but you can check out a re-up of the video below, courtesy of Gematsu. Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba - Hinokami Keppuutan will launch in Japan on PS4, PS5, PC, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X later in 2021. The anime fighter is yet to receive official confirmation of a western release.

Lionsgate has added Ariana Greenblatt to its star-studded adaptation of Gearbox's Borderlands, with the young star having bagged the wild-eyed role of demolition expert Tiny Tina.

Greenblatt has worked in numerous Disney productions, and recently finished shooting drama 65 alongside Adam Driver. Most moviegoers, however, will know Greenblatt from Marvel's 2018 comic-book epic Avengers: Infinity War, where she portrayed a younger version of galaxy guardian Gamora.

Speaking to The Hollywood Reporter, Borderlands director Eli Roth expressed his excitement in Greenblatt's casting. "Ariana is a spectacular new talent in cinema," said Roth. "She has already worked with many of my close collaborators and everyone raves about her. She blew us all away in her audition, and I cannot wait to see her bring the wild, insane and unpredictable Tiny Tina to the big screen. She’s going to blow up on screen like one of Tina’s grenades."

Making her debut in 2012's Borderlands 2, Tiny Tina is an NPC known for her unstable nature and love of all things explosive. Tina came into her own in DLC expansion Tiny Tina's Assault on Dragon's Keep, where she took the mantle of Dungeon Master for a particularly over-the-top session of Pandora's favorite RPG "Bunkers and Badasses".

There are a couple of caveats to keep in mind, but boy, this is a well-rounded month for a lot of PlayStation Plus subscribers. We've got a super-high-profile RPG, a pretty decent PlayStation VR shooter, a Souls-like co-op shooter, and the day-one debut of a promising puzzle-solving adventure.

It's time to claim the March 2021 PS Plus games:

• Final Fantasy VII Remake (PS4)
• Farpoint (PlayStation VR)
• Remnant: From the Ashes (PS4)
• Maquette (PS5)

About those caveats: Square Enix is letting people who buy FFVII Remake upgrade to the enhanced PS5 version of the game for free, however, that's not the case with this free PS Plus edition. Something to keep in mind if you're dead set on playing FFVII Remake Intergrade or the Yuffie DLC in June.

In a huge but not exactly surprising move, Epic Games is buying Tonic Games Group, which means developer Mediatonic and Fall Guys: Ultimate Knockout are "joining the Epic Games family."

"With our publisher Devolver Digital supporting and championing us along the way with Fall Guys, Foul Play, and Hatoful Boyfriend, we've been able to bring some truly unique experiences to players as an independent studio," said Mediatonic. "Joining forces with Epic will accelerate our plans to improve the game and bring Fall Guys to as many players as possible, while continuing to support the community."

For now, I wouldn't expect any drastic changes to the game, and current Fall Guys owners should be in the clear – at least for a while – if Epic's Psyonix and Rocket League pickup is anything to go by. (As a reminder, Rocket League is now "unlisted" on the Steam store but it's still playable for owners.)

Mediatonic has "nothing to announce right now" for free-to-play plans, but yeah.

Well, what a thing to wake up to!

Don't worry, it's not an exciting thing to wake up to. It's just a thing. Nintendo updated the Wii U again, for the first time in a while.

Nintendo stealth-dropped a March 1, 2021 update, which adds the classic "stability" verbiage into the mix. Here's the full rundown, the same as updates from 2016, 2017, and 2018: "Further improvements to overall system stability and other minor adjustments have been made to enhance the user experience." As a note, the last time the Wii U was updated, even tangentially, was September 3, 2018.

When something like this happens out of nowhere, usually it's Nintendo patching up an exploit. Although the Wii U is dead and buried at this point (and frankly erased from existence on several official Nintendo sites), Nintendo is always looking for ways to fight piracy.

I still use my Wii U! Not only can you earn My Nintendo points by signing into the Wii U eShop once a week (as well as the 3DS), but there's still some gems left on it that either aren't ported over to Switch, or cannot be replicated as easily (Nintendo Land).

Ver. 5.5.5 U (March 1st, 2021) [Nintendo] [Thanks John!]

Chinese video game developer miHoYo has suggested that it raked in close to $800 million USD in revenue over the course of 2020, almost entirely driven by the overnight success of its fantasy gacha title Genshin Impact, which launches on PS4, PC, and mobile platforms last September.

In a behind-closed-doors speech given at the Shanghai Jiaotong University, miHoYo President and co-founder Cai Haoyu reportedly stated that the company's revenue had essentially doubled in a single year, with miHoYo rounding out 2020 with a total figure in the region of ¥5 billion, or roughly $774 million USD. According to the number-crunchers over at Sensor Tower, around $400 million of this enormous figure came directly from the sale of Genshin Impact (and its ensuing microtransactions) a mere two months into the title's launch period.

Genshin Impact is an anime-themed fantasy adventure in which players build a party of charming and likeable characters before seeking open-world adventure in the seven regions of fictional universe Teyvat. Players visit new locations and engage in battle with monsters and other characters, while managing their skills and abilities - purchasing new party members and weapons via in-game/real-world currency. Like many games of the gacha genre, Genshin Impact's rare item and character pull rates feature very low odds.

Genshin Impact's newest banner event begins today, and sees the arrival of spooky gal Hu Tao. Available now on PS4, PC, and iOS and Android devices, ports of Genshin Impact are currently in the works for PS5 and Nintendo Switch with release tentatively scheduled for 2021.

Nintendo has a rep for being conservative with their IP. You don't say! The publisher has always been ready to give third parties a shot at crafting first party experiences. Just look at Minish Cap and several other Zelda games, which were handled by Capcom: and are often celebrated.

But in recent years, they have started lending some of their bigger properties to smaller studios more and more, perhaps best shown through Cadence of Hyrule; which was heavily promoted by Nintendo. Either way, Nintendo is always aware of the damage they could do to their own brand. That mantra hasn't changed, even in 2021.

Speaking to Nikkei (as translated by Nintendo Everything), Nintendo President Shuntaro Furukawa is smart enough to recognize how easy it would be to tarnish a franchise. Furukawa explains: "We must keep in mind that the origins of the characters are in the games. These are characters that fans have grown attached to through countless hours of playtime. We must develop those characters in a way that won’t destroy fans’ memories of the characters in their worlds."

Furukawa goes on to say that "proceeding with caution" is key, and that they don't want to "damage the value of the brand." He explains that although short term sales could be easy to create with a short-sighted strategy, "there are other ways" to do this. Instead, Furukawa is focused on "keeping Nintendo a beloved brand in the long run."

Those of you still reeling from the inclusion of Ellen Ripley and a Xenomorph in Epic Games' Fortnite might take a little comfort in the news that a new, more "on-brand" game is also in the works. Aliens: Fireteam is currently in development at Cold Iron Studios and is expected to launch this summer on PlayStation, Xbox, and PC platforms.

Described as a co-op, third-person, survival shooter, Aliens: Fireteam will see your band of hoo-rah marines arrive on the outer colonies in response to a sudden distress signal. Surprise, surprise, it's fucking aliens. Players will squad up in teams of three to investigate LV-895, battling waves of Xenomorphs, Face-Huggers, and synthetic foes provided by everyone's favorite scumbag corporation, Weyland-Yutani. Check out the first trailer below.

Right around when Zelda: Skyward Sword came out so many years ago, folks were trying to figure out ways that they could emulate it with traditional controls.

I mean, I had that exact same thought. Given that motion was used for pretty much everything from shimmying around vines, to flight, to rolling bombs; deadzoning (even with the new Gold Wiimote and several other MotionPlus remotes I owned) was a problem for me. I longed for a traditional control method, and finally, we're getting one with Skyward Sword HD.

Will it work well? Nintendo thinks so, despite touting that motion was the only way to play way back when. A new tweet sheds some light on things already discussed in the presentation, most notably how sword strokes will work. The tweet showcases how sword motions are triggered by tilting the right analog stick, which allows players to enjoy Skyward Sword even in portable form (or on the Switch Lite, where traditional controls are their only option).

Truth be told, the mere existence of the Lite is a huge boon for me. I'm enjoying mine, to be sure, but I also like how it now forces Nintendo to try and support traditional controls as an option. Skyward Sword was occasionally fun with motion, but after that 1000th waggle to do a basic movement a button would have sufficed for, I was ready to swap to another control option; even for just a little while.

Nintendo of America [Twitter]

Video-game-loving restaurant Arby's has announced a fun new collaboration with Shovel Knight, bringing a range of cheeky themed DLC to Yacht Club Game's indie platforming hit.

For a limited time, customers who purchase Arby's Kids Meals at participating locations will receive a special Shovel Knight launcher token, complete with a Shovel Knight: Treasure Trove code. The codes - which can be redeemed on the platformer's Steam and Switch ports - will unlock one of seven exclusive in-game item, such as a sandwich erm... familiar, or the classic Arby's stetson. Check out the items on offer in the video below.

We don't have Arby's here in the UK. We almost got it in the early '90s, but plans fell through. Hell, we only got Taco Bell in the last decade. As such, I've personally not experienced an Arby's menu, I just know the sandwiches feature rolls of meat stacked in a bun. Is Arby's any good? I can't tell you. I can tell you that Shovel Knight is great, and well worth your time and money - whether accompanied by a tasty (checks notes) "Reuben" or otherwise.

Internet sleuths are at it again, and it seems as if Bandai Namco has trademarked a peculiar phrase.

"Bandai Namco Next" was recently approved, and evidently applies to "amusement parks, esports competitions, movies, toys, plays, musical performances, radio programs, computer networks, online publications, animated feature films, and games," according to TheGamer. Given that their prior Bandai Namco event was kind of a bust (consistently mostly of stuff we've already seen, very late at night in the US), I hope they bring it.

So if there is a direct, there's a lot of things they could go for in terms of gaming. The next Dark Pictures Anthology game could use a boost through a presentation like this, for example. We could also get a look at Digimon Survive, Tales of Arise, Scarlet Nexus, and Elden Ring.

The latter has been rumored to get an update for some time now, and this could be the way to do it: on Bandai Namco's own terms.

Bandai Namco Next [WIPO via TheGamer]

The furor surrounding mystery-horror title The Sinking City continues to get uglier with each passing day, as both publisher Nacon (formerly Bigben Interactive) and developer Frogwares continue to dispute ownership rights and numerous other contract issues.

Just before the weekend, Frogwares asked customers not to purchase The Sinking City, which had been recently re-uploaded to Steam, stating that it had no hand in the development of this particular version. Yesterday, the Ukrainian developer went one step further, openly alleging that Nacon had, in fact, hacked a copy of the 2019 title from another digital storefront, altered its code, and submitted it for sale via the Steam platform.

Frogwares has gone as far as to release a detailed video which it claims shows exactly how Nacon "cracked, hacked, changed [the] game's code and content and illegally uploaded" The Sinking City back onto Steam, without Frogwares' knowledge or permission. This accusation, alongside the video in question, can be viewed on Frogwares' website.

"In order to achieve the removal of this protection and checking system, Nacon modified both the game executable and the config files inside the packages," alleges Frogwares in its statement. "We believe Nacon did this to hide the fraudulent exploitation of the game on Steam but also on other portals which they may be planning to send the game to. Nacon wants Frogwares or anyone, including the French Justice, to never know the true scope of their exploitation of the game."

Nacon also released a statement yesterday, responding to Frogwares' earlier complaint.

Sony Interactive Entertainment has announced that, as of August 31, 2021, PlayStation users will no longer be able to purchase or rent movies and TV shows from the PlayStation Store.

Speaking on the official PlayStation blog this morning, SIE noted that all previously purchased films and shows will still be readily available, on-demand, via PlayStation consoles and mobile devices, but said content will no longer be purchasable as of the aforementioned date. You can check out SIE's full statement below.

"At SIE, we strive to provide the best entertainment experience for PlayStation fans, and that means evolving our offerings as customer needs change. We’ve seen tremendous growth from PlayStation fans using subscription-based and ad-based entertainment streaming services on our consoles. With this shift in customer behavior, we have decided to no longer offer movie and TV purchases and rentals through PlayStation Store as of August 31, 2021."

"When this change takes effect, users can still access movie and TV content they have purchased through PlayStation Store for on-demand playback on their PS4, PS5 and mobile devices. We thank our fans for their continued support, and we look forward to further enhancing the entertainment experience on PlayStation."

Fans of Bandai Namco fighter Tekken 7 had their curiosity piqued by the reveal of an all-new DLC character last week, whose appearance was teased during the Japan Fighting Game Roundtable presentation. Little was revealed about this new warrior, set to step into the ring this spring. We do know, however, that this newest ass-kicker is, in fact, the Prime Minister of Poland.

Further tidbits have been brought to light, courtesy of a leaked (since removed) Microsoft Store page. As reported by Reddit, it appears that our pugilist politician is named "Krystyna", and is entering the King of Iron Fist tournament in order to perform an industrial coup on the Mishima Zaibatsu corporation, claiming it for herself and the people of Poland. It also seems that she has "personal motives" with the Mishima family which, for 80% of Tekken's cast, means one of two things:

1) You're a member of the Mishima family.

2) Someone you loved died at the hands of the Mishima family.

And thus, Prime Minister Krystyna is ready to throw down with Anna, Law, King, Xiayou, and yes, even Lucky Chloe in a bid to get her hands on the Mishima Zaibatsu, breaking the conglomerate's hold over worldwide industrial and militaristic operations while improving the global standing of the nation she steadfastly holds near and dear. As the old saying goes: If you want peace, prepare for war(saw).