Destructoid

Things have gone from bad to worse, from unfortunate to bizarre, and from Kinda Suspect to Super Murdery. That's Dontnod's MO, and everyone should know it by now. The French developer loves examining personal relationships, amplifying them through the lens of a much larger conflict, and then heaping an avalanche of emotion on top of it all. 

Twin Mirror is Dontnod's first attempt at explicitly leaning into the psychological thriller label, something it toyed with in previous games but never outright committed to. In a lot of ways, it feels like Alan Wake by way of Life is Strange. However, Twin Mirror is also Dontnod's first self-published game and that might be the reason it falls short of its promise. Everything isn't quite alright in the end.

Now five years into its lifespan, Rainbow Six Siege is arguably more popular than it's ever been. After an admittedly stumbling debut, Ubisoft's intense multiplayer shooter has gone on to attract over 55 million registered players with its taut, unforgiving, and breathless tactical gameplay. Eschewing the typical run-and-gun nature of most FPS shooters, Siege rewards patience, planning, precise team synergy, and efficient use of weaponry to create fast-paced, heart-stopping action.

Rainbow Six Siege is the sixth entry in the Tom Clancy's Rainbow Six series of strategy-based shooters that took the PC scene by storm in the 1990s. In the ensuing decades, the tactical franchise has been reinvented time and again in releases such as Rogue Spear, Rainbow Six: Vegas, and the canceled Rainbow Six: Patriots. For many, Siege represents the natural evolution of the franchise, melding everything that came before into one explosive and utterly compelling title. One of the greatest shooters of all-time? No doubt.

But Ubisoft is not the first developer to create a counter-terrorist gaming experience, nor was Red Storm Entertainment - the team behind the original 1998 release Tom Clancy's Rainbow Six. Way back in the late '80s, French developer Infrogames - still some years out from their industry-changing horror title Alone in the Dark - took its own shot at the high-drama, high-stakes world of siege warfare.

If you're up for a hardcore dose of classic Taito cuteness, then retro publisher Hamster has you covered. Arriving this week in the Arcade Archives range is the sickeningly adorable platformer The Fairyland Story, now available to download on PS4 and Nintendo Switch.

Released in arcades in 1985, The Fairyland Story exists within the same universe as other Taito classics such as Bubble Bobble, Parasol Stars, and The NewZealand Story. Players guide a super cute young witch known as Ptolemy, as she battles her way through single-screen stages against small armies of fantasy creatures. Fortunately, our little magic master has perfected the art of turning people into cakes, which she can then use to squash her other enemies. Once the screen is clear, it's on to the next stage.

Check out the action below, in this video from YouTuber World of Longplays.

Cblogs Recap: Week 49

-LaTerry reveals December's Band of Bloggers prompt, which focuses on games you have Unfinished Business with.

-Nior mourns the end of Flash Player by focusing on some of the best games designed with that limited program.

-JagGentlemann analyzes the history of the Musou games through its spin-offs.

-Kerrik52 reviews Ratchet & Clank: Size Matters as part of his Traveler in Playtime review blogs.

-Black Red Gaming reviews Chronos: Before the Ashes on PCs.

-Riley1sSpook thinks the publisher ignore function in Steam is a joke.

-Chimpomagee wonders about how video games can convey the past in the language of its own medium.

-OmegaNate shares his thoughts on SkyRoad, a 1993 platform runner that eventually became freeware and is an interesting piece of history.

-Humantofu revisits Far Cry 2, which is actually a popular blogging topic here.

-Black Red Gaming shares a list of his most anticipated games to be released in December 2020.

Developer Naughty Dog has announced that it is promoting its Vice President, Neil Druckmann, to the position of Co-President. Druckmann will now work alongside President Evan Wells, overseeing the Sony partner studio going forward.

"Neil Druckmann now joins me as Co-President of Naughty Dog, after serving almost three years as Vice President," said Wells in an official press release. "In addition, we’re welcoming Alison Mori and Christian Gyrling as Vice Presidents of Naughty Dog. Prior to becoming Vice President, Alison served as our Director of Operations and Christian served as our Co-Director of Programming."

"We have such an incredible team at Naughty Dog and being able to work alongside each and every one of them is especially meaningful these days. I feel proud of the team when I’m able to recognize their accomplishments and contributions to the studio. Please join me in giving them all a big congratulations!"

Druckmann has worked with Naughty Dog almost his entire video game career. Joining the company in 2004, The Israeli-American worked as an intern before taking up coding roles on titles such as Jak 3 and Jak X: Combat Racing. Druckmann's break came as a designer on the Uncharted series, which would eventually lead to a celebrated creative director role on uber-grim adventure The Last of Us.

Druckmann was promoted to the position of Naughty Dog Vice President during the lengthy production of equally dark sequel The Last of Us Part II. Druckmann's new role as Co-President arrives in the wake of the title's release this past summer, where it sold over four million copies worldwide in its opening week. Druckmann will also serve as a producer on the coming The Last of Us television adaptation.

And just like that, it's December. 2020 - both the fastest and longest year in the history of time and space - is about to come to an end. As the nights draw darker and the air a little chillier, the winter months see the coming of GOTY awards, spending sprees, gift-giving, and lashings of eggnog and hot chocolate. Even if a year as strange as this one, there's likely to be no stopping the typical spirit of the season. Just, y'know? stay sensible and safe. I'm not your dad (unless I am) but I do care about the well-being of you and your loved ones.

With the major review season mostly under wraps, I've actually taken a little time out from playing games this week, and instead have focused on trying to take a little time out when the day is kind enough to offer me the opportunity. I've been dropping in and out of regular haunts such as Street Fighter V, Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War, and Bloodstained (nearly finished!), but mostly I've just been trying to recharge the brain cells and reflect upon this particularly grueling year. Oh, I have had a run around in cutesy brawler Wonder Blade, so you expect some words about that soon.

I hope all y'all are still finding lots of great titles to keep you occupied on these frosty nights. Whether still beaming starry-eyed at your new next-gen console, cramming in some last-minute hits of 2020 for your own personal GOTY awards, or just sitting back with familiar favorites, we love to hear what you've been up to. You know the score, drop into the comments below and fill us in on the games that are keeping you warm as winter approaches.

Have a safe and pleasant weekend, from all of us at Destructoid.

Back in January, December 2020 felt like a lifetime away. Today, January seems like it was eons ago. Twenty-twenty was the year where time truly became a big ball of wibbly-wobbly, timey-wimey stuff. Hours felt like days, days felt like weeks, and something that happened just a few weeks prior felt like a lifetime ago. I mean, the election was less than a month ago. Doesn't it feel like that took place back in August?

What a weird year this has been, and while we can't blame it all on COVID, it certainly played its part in making these 366 days we'll never forget. It upended the lives of people around the world, forced businesses to offer work-from-home solutions, and pointed out who you should unfriend on Facebook. I know we have some frontline workers who frequent Destructoid, so to them, I just want to say thank you and sorry for having to deal with the troglodytes of our society.

I honestly don't know how I'll explain the year that is 2020 to my kids. Where do you start? All the canceled movies? All the delayed games? All the people arguing that crunch "is not that bad because they're getting paid?" Remember the awfulness that was the never-ending Summer of E3? Or how about watching Microsoft and Sony see who'd blink first in showing off their next-gen consoles? Or Ubisoft and all the shit that went down there this year?

I can't wait to say good riddance to bad rubbish, though I know the clock striking midnight on December 31 won't magically make everything better. Twenty twenty-one is going to be just as much a hassle of a year as this one but without the unfortunate sight of Rudy Giuliani's hair melting onto his face. I'm happy to mostly be through this year, and happy to have one more shot at answering your questions for the Podtoid team. Chris, Charlotte, Dan, Occams, and I are all on this week, so please leave your questions below. And remember, the more creative the question, the more likely it is we'll ask it on air.

[Update: Looks like we won't have to wait long for the trailer to officially be reposted. Following this morning's leak, Altus posted to Twitter that all will be revealed on December 8.]

A funny thing happened on the official Atlus YouTube channel tonight. A trailer confirming the western release for Persona 5 Strikers, the highly anticipated Musou spin-off of the best-selling JRPG, was put up with the title "ANNOUNCE." Less than ten minutes later, it was gone but not before the most important details leaked out. Persona 5 Strikers will launch on February 23, 2021, on Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, and Steam.

War never changes. Sometimes war gets stuck in traffic and shows up fashionably late.

Activision has pushed back Black Ops Cold War's season one content drop from December 10 to December 16. There's good reason for the slight delay. As Activision puts it, this is "an unprecedented amount of free content and the teams are currently prepping for the biggest Season One launch week ever seen."

The star of the show is probably the new Warzone map as Activision continues to push the free-to-play battle royale as its own platform. This update will add a second map, a new take on the Gulag, and more than 30 weapons.

However, Cold War itself is getting a lot bigger. New Zombies modes, new multiplayer maps (including Raid from Black Ops 2), 2v2 Gunfight, a new Fireteam map, and the cross-title prestige system -- that's all coming to Cold War in a couple weeks.

For your trouble (or patience), Activision is giving out double XP and double weapon XP from December 12 until December 16. There's also two free bundles -- "Field Research" and "Certified" -- that players can claim between December 8 and December 15.

Season One for Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War and Warzone Release Date Moved to December 16 [Call of Duty]

In a move that probably won't hugely affect that many people but is still interesting to note, Square Enix has stopped selling Dragon Quest XI: Echoes of an Elusive Age on the PlayStation Store and Steam in favor of only offering the just-launched Dragon Quest XI S: Echoes of an Elusive Age – Definitive Edition.

The digital PS4 version of Dragon Quest XI is "not available for purchase" from the PlayStation Store and the PC version is "unlisted on the Steam store and will not appear in search." So it goes.

In many regards, the Definitive Edition is a big step up from the prior release. There are worthwhile new features – like the labor-of-love 2D mode, a lovely orchestrated soundtrack, and an even faster battle speed option – but the visual fidelity took a hit, and that's been a sticking point for some fans.

As previously noted by Square Enix, Definitive Edition is "a port of the Nintendo Switch version, so the graphics are not the same as they were for the original Dragon Quest XI for PlayStation 4. Please note, however, that the resolution and frame rate are at least as good as they were for the [original release]."

Of course, the bigger issue is that the publisher didn't give players an upgrade path or discount. If you want to experience the new stuff, it's gonna be $40, even if you bought the original edition.

At least there's a gigantic demo!

Bold promotional move from CD Projekt Red. The Polish publisher is giving away the original Witcher: Enhanced Edition Director's Cut on GOG in the days leading up to the release of Cyberpunk 2077.

Imagine a world where some PC players who are eagerly awaiting Cyberpunk take advantage of this and check out The Witcher for the first time. They're hooked. After this, it's right on to Witcher 2. Then, they get to experience the magic of Witcher 3. Before long, they do not care or remember Cyberpunk. It's all Witcher all the time, baby.

A stretch, maybe. A video game from 2007 probably won't steal too much of the spotlight from the most highly anticipated video game since Red Dead Redemption 2. But if it does, CD Projekt has no one to blame but itself. 

Anyway, claim your free copy of The Witcher by heading over to the GOG Galaxy app, hit the giveaway banner, and agree to receive promotional emails. After that, you'll have a beefy RPG in your library. Just make sure to not get distracted and forget that Cyberpunk exists.

The Witcher: Enhanced Edition Now Free for All GOG Galaxy Users [GOG]

The "ultimate goof around simulator", Wattam, is preparing to make its debut on the Steam platform. Annapurna Interactive's curious tale of fun and freaky friendship has previously been available on PS4 and PC via the Epic Games Store, but will hit Steam on December 18.

Wattam allows players to explore a bizarre and colorful universe, with the goal of befriending as many people, creatures, and seemingly inanimate objects as possible. Lacking a strict sense of focus, Wattam rewards players' exploration and puzzle-solving abilities with a cast of over 100 completely off-the-wall characters, including sentient rocks, plants, animals, toilets and... erm... poo.

Created by Katamari Damacy's Keita Takahashi, Wattam retains not only the esoteric developer's eye for creating strange and charming worlds and inhabitants, but also his profound message on the natural joys of life, living and companionship. A message that goes some distance in 2020.

Idea Factory International has officially confirmed that upcoming PS5 release Neptunia ReVerse will indeed be coming to North America and Europe at some point in 2021. Arriving in both physical and digital form, pre-orders are now open on the official Idea Factory store.

Neptunia ReVerse, (or Go! Go! 5 Jigen Game Neptune reVerse) is the "definitive edition" of 2018 PC and PS Vita release Hyperdimension Neptunia Re;Birth 1 Plus, which itself is a remake of the very first title in the cute Hyperdimension Neptunia franchise. ReVerse will feature the Re;Birth RPG adventure in its entirety, along with a skill re-balance, new fishing mini-games, revised stats and abilities, and a completely unlocked cast from the get-go.

As I've noted before, it's disappointing to see that Nep-Nep's first foray into next-gen gaming is - of all things - a remake of a remake. But still, it is at least good to see that Idea Factory has faith in western Neptunia fans and will continue to push the adventures of Neptune, Vert, Blanc, Noire and friends into the coming year and beyond.

Sony Pictures and Jordan Vogt-Roberts' long-awaited movie adaptation of Metal Gear Solid has seemingly found its Solid Snake. As reported by Deadline, Oscar Isaac is on deck to play the gaming icon.

Sources told the outlet that Isaac – known for his roles in Inside Llewyn Davis, Ex Machina, and Star Wars, to say nothing of the upcoming Disney+ series Moon Knight – is attached to play Solid Snake

Also, it's just meant to be. You can see it in his eyes.

MARCH 2019.

OSCAR ISAAC CAST HIMSELF AS SOLID SNAKE. pic.twitter.com/bFbZ9K2TLf

— Big Boss (@LordBalvin) December 4, 2020

📦🐍👀❗️ pic.twitter.com/69LTfORITV

A new Dragon Age is something that we've known has been in the works for a long while now. The series has been on pause for six years now, patiently waiting its turn behind the likes of Mass Effect: Andromeda and Anthem. But it's almost time to go back to Thedas.

Geoff Keighley has confirmed that the next Dragon Age will make an appearance at The Game Awards, which takes place on December 10:

Did you finish the new Deep Stone Crypt raid in Destiny 2? Well, you still have plenty of time to do it going forward, but if you wanted the jacket, you had until December 1.

As it turns out, a lot of people tried to get that jacket, as Bungie has shared that 258,049 players cleared Deep Stone Crypt in the first 10 days of launch (starting on November 21). On day one, 29,814 plucky raiders finished the crypt and earned their "first-ish" emblem.

While the excitement for the raid opening is in the rear view mirror, December 8 is also a huge day for Destiny 2. The "next-gen" upgrade is coming, on top of the return of Iron Banner. At 9AM PT on that day, Iron Banner will return (a 6v6 PVP event), as will the chance to earn upgraded gear.

But the real main event is that new upgrade! It'll allow 4K visuals in both the Xbox Series X and PS5 arenas, as well as 60 FPS across all new platforms (PS5, Series X/S), 120hz Crucible (PVP) support on X/PS5, and enhanced field of view sliders and faster loads. It's a doozy! I wash hoping to jump into Beyond Light day one with these enhancements, but for now, a couple more days of waiting will have to do.

This week at Bungie [Bungie.net]

We are just under a week away from The Game Awards 2020. Once again, producer Geoff Keighley will be hosting the annual show, dishing out awards to some of the industry's best developers and releases, while also offering a cornucopia of new trailers and updates for some of 2021's most-anticipated titles.

Among the guest hosts helping Keighley out this year are a trinity of superheroes - in a fashion - as Tom Holland, Brie Larson, and Gal Gadot have all been announced as virtual hosts for the ceremony. Tom Holland is, of course, known for his role in the Marvel Cinematic Universe as web-slinger Spider-Man, while Brie Larson blasts through the stars as the titan-headbutting Captain Marvel. In the corner of DC Comics, Gal Gadot dons the golden lariat of the incomparable Wonder Woman, whose new sequel, Wonder Woman '84, is set to premiere on HBO Max later this month.

While this year's socially distanced endeavor will certainly feel a bit more low-key than previous TGAs, I must admit the idea of an all-star superhero showdown certainly livens up matters. Gadot is a little outnumbered here, going head-to-head with Holland and Larson's Team Marvel, but maybe she could call in her Fast & Furious/Game Awards alumni Vin Diesel for backup... Wait, he was also Groot, wasn't he?... Six degrees of Vin Diesel...

...And that's the end of the article. Have a good afternoon.

The Game Awards 2020 takes place Thursday, December 10.

This past week, Bethesda unleashed their Steel Dawn update for Fallout 76, a follow-up to their big Wastelanders expansion earlier this year. Like the latter, Steel Dawn was also free, and is seemingly being fueled by the game's Fallout 1st subscription service and new expanded season pass: on top of all the microtransactions.

As Bethesda has shared in the past, originally, Steel Dawn was going to be multiple updates. But instead, they decided to mesh two of the three parts together into one giant patch. Truth be told, it's probably the much smarter move, as these sorts of big free upgrades generate so much more buzz than a half-hearted tease.

This isn't the end of the Brotherhood of Steel though. Bethesda notes that there's still a third part, titled Steel Reign, that is coming in 2021. What lies beyond that, outside of more season pass runs, is unknown: that's the sort of thing they usually announce at an E3 showcase.

In more "right now" news, there's a double S.C.O.R.E week underway until December 7, with a Double XP Weekend set for December 10. On December 15 season three will start, with December 17-31 serving as the period for the holiday scorched event.

Inside the Vault [Bethesda.net]

In a truly surprising bit of industry news, Microsoft has purchased online tournament esports platform Smash.gg. Microsoft acquired the site for an undisclosed amount earlier in the week, with news of the purchase being broken on the Smash.gg Twitter account.

For those less-inclined, Smash.gg is a website that allows for the preparation, marketing, and execution of video game tournaments - both online and localized. Promoters can arrange events, receive sign-ups and collect entry fees, run brackets, post results, and more. Since its inception in 2015, Smash.gg has been considered a "go-to" site for tournament runners, and is used by local communities of players for friendly weekend punch-ups, as well as by major league esports companies for mass-market events.

Smash.gg has stated that it will be "business as usual" going forward, and that the site will still provide its tournament platforms for worldwide gaming communities in a self-service capacity. In these early days, it appears that Microsoft's initial plans are to boost the strength of the site via the use of its massive network of support resources, with a view to making Smash.gg the de-facto website for global esports tournaments.

[Update: The 40-person Naxxramas (Naxx) raid is now live in WoW Classic. Blizzard put out a trailer for the raid below, which is absolutely wild to see in 2020. So many memories are flooding back! Naxx felt like a punishing and proper end to Vanilla WoW, and a great way to usher in the new era of Burning Crusade. Now we see what Blizzard has planned next: a new announcement in February for BlizzCon online sounds likely.]

World of Warcraft Classic will eventually get to the point where it hits the end of Vanilla's lifetime: patch 1.12.2 (which is confusingly different from the nomenclature used for Classic, bear with me here!).

I mean, it's cruising there right now, as Classic just introduced the concept of Naxxramas to its Azerothian denizens, which heralds the end of the expansion and the lead-in to Burning Crusade, the best expansion: no need to at me, you know I'm right. It's also the point where a lot of my friends quit the game, as me and a few others got more into it starting with Burning Crusade on. It was an exciting time for WoW!

Let's break down where we're at right now. Classic just added the "Shadow of the Necropolis" patch this week, which is version "1.13.6" for Classic. In WoW terms, it's patch 1.11.0. After that, there are only five more patches to go until we start to get into 2.0 Burning Crusade territory. Most of them are minor fixes, before the "Drums of War" patch hits with 1.12.

Team IGA's great platform adventure Bloodstained: Ritual of the Night is now available to purchase on mobile devices, squeezing the Gothic horror title right into your front pocket. The new port can be purchased today on iOS and Android for around $10 USD.

The mobile port of Bloodstained features the 2019 metroidvania in its entirety, as our hero Miriam traverses a grim, monster-filled kingdom en route to a showdown with her former pal Gebel. Bloodstained for mobile not only includes all previously released console DLC, but also sports a redesigned U.I. that offers a little more clarity for the smaller screen.

Developer Artplay notes that it has brought Bloodstained to mobile without compromising on visual quality or gameplay fidelity. Impressive. In the near future, Bloodstained for mobile will receive additional features such as Boss Rush and Speed Run modes, as well as new playable characters.

Bloodstained: Ritual of the Night is available now on PS4, PC, Xbox One, Switch, and mobile platforms.

It wasn't two weeks ago that Warner Bros. cinematic adaptation of Mortal Kombat was teetering on the brink of The Pit. Initially, it seemed that the new movie was "indefinitely delayed" due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, then it seemed that it was to be released directly to paid streaming service HBO Max, before WB shot that idea down.

However, it seems that Scorpion and crew will finally have their day. In an industry-shaking piece of news, Warner Bros. Studios has announced that its entire movie slate for 2021 will launch in theaters and on HBO Max simultaneously, allowing audiences to choose where they wish to view the latest blockbusters in the current climate - unlikely to return to normalcy for the foreseeable future.

Mortal Kombat is among a string of major WB releases that will premiere on both the big and the small screen in 2021. Other titles include Denis Villeneuve's Dune, DC Comics' Wonder Woman '84 and The Suicide Squad, the fourth entry in The Matrix franchise and, most importantly, Space Jam: A New Legacy. These and other films will be available for streaming on HBO Max for 30 days from the date of their North American theatrical premiere.

Additionally, fans also got a new look at the Mortal Kombat movie's take on the franchise's iconic dragon logo. Replacing the previously seen (and rather bloody) affair, the new logo has a crisp metallic sheen to it, but remains true to the original artwork. I dig it.

Mortal Kombat will premiere in theaters and on HBO Max in 2021.

Supergiant Games revisited 10 of its songs from Hades, Bastion, Transistor, and Pyre for a special 10th anniversary orchestral album recorded at Abbey Road Studios with a guiding hand from Austin Wintory.

In a behind-the-scenes video, Wintory said the collaboration with Supergiant was "such a privilege."

"These songs are like opera. They're so dramatic, and tell such incredible stories. I love that. They don't just lay down a bunch of random words, but they actually really tell you something meaningful."

You can buy a digital copy of The Songs of Supergiant Games: 10th Anniversary Orchestral Collection directly from the studio for $10, and there are pre-orders for $35 and $50 vinyl sets shipping in Q1 2021 if that's more your style. Graciously, the entire album was also officially uploaded to YouTube.

Here's the track list and timestamps:

There are three very good Epic freebies on the horizon. One you can grab this week, the other two you can grab next week.

Let's start with the here and now. This week's free game on the Epic Games Store is Cave Story+. It's quite possibly the most influential and quintessential indie game ever. You owe it to yourself to play Cave Story, as it's a piece of gaming history.

Next week's freebies are going to eat up a lot of your time. Epic has lined up two of Obsidian's recent CRPGs to give away at the same time. Kickstarter mega-success Pillars of Eternity and 2016's Tyranny are free starting on December 10. 

If free games are your thing -- and they probably are by virtue of the fact that you're even reading this article -- you might want to keep your eye on December 10. That's when The Game Awards airs, and it's always ripe for promos and free stuff. But even if it isn't, Obsidian's got about 100 hours worth of RPG lined up for you.

Cave Story+ [Epic Games Store]

If your Nintendo Switch copy of Borderlands 2 has been broken for weeks, it's finally time for an update.

When players claimed the Commander Lilith & the Fight for Sanctuary DLC for free and installed it, many of them were unable to access the content and some couldn't even play the game in general due to persistent crashing. It got to the point where people had to use a workaround to delete the DLC and manually prevent it from re-materializing when they installed Borderlands 2 again on their Switch.

As of this week, the recurring crash should no longer be an issue. An update went out.

A patch for Borderlands 2 on Nintendo Switch has been pushed live to address reported stability issues some players experienced. Thank you for your patience as we worked on the fix.

— Borderlands 3 (@Borderlands) December 2, 2020

According to users on the BorderlandsSwitch subreddit, Borderlands 2 is all-clear.

The most fascinating part of this story is that players recently stumbled on (now-disabled) developer commands for Borderlands 2 that let them max out their Badass Rank, kill all nearby enemies, instantly level-up, earn a stockpile of Eridium, and use other mad-with-power cheat codes. What a saga.

Kickoff came a day early. The PS5 and Xbox Series X versions of Madden NFL 21 and FIFA 21 are scheduled to launch tomorrow, December 4. However, anyone who owns last-gen versions of those games can upgrade today.

EA Sports pulled the trigger on pushing upgrades out the door, which is a nice little surprise for anyone who's playing Madden or FIFA and making use of backward compatibility. Of course, PS4 versions can only be upgraded to PS5, and Xbox One versions can only be upgraded to Xbox Series S/X.

There are a few different scenarios at play here with EA's Dual Entitlement program. Anyone with a digital copy of either game can simply go to the PlayStation Store or Microsoft Store and grab the next-gen version for free. Those who have discs will be able to pop it into their new console and download a digital upgraded version. However, anyone with a disc but a disc-less console has to hit up EA support to validate the purchase.

Those who waited to buy Madden or FIFA can't take advantage of this early next-gen arrival. They have to wait until December 4 which is when it was supposed to go live in the first place.

In a surprising turn of events today at BioWare, two long-time staffers – Casey Hudson, the studio's general manager, and Mark Darrah, the executive producer of Dragon Age – announced they're retiring.

"Arriving at this point has been an opportunity for me to reflect on my own future, and 2020 has been a year that forced all of us to re-imagine how we think about work and life," said Casey. "For me, it's been the realization that I still have tremendous energy to create, but also that I need to try something different." With his retirement, he's opening the door "for the next generation of studio leaders."

"BioWare has always been about telling emotional stories through characters," said Darrah. "We have wandered away from this central guiding pillar at times, but I am confident that the next Dragon Age will show that we remain committed to this kind of game. We will have a lot to show you."

"Mass Effect too has an exciting future," he added. "I won't say too much but I am impressed by the growth of Mike Gamble and I am looking forward to all that franchise will do under his leadership."

EA's chief studios officer Laura Miele shared her own high-level update in a public statement.

This month's Game Awards are expected to feature a slew of announcements, trailer, and reveals, with many developers taking the opportunity to direct the audience's eyes towards their latest wares. One such developer is Pearl Abyss, who will be debuting gameplay footage from its upcoming fantasy MMO, Crimson Desert.

The natural evolution of 2014's Black Desert Online, Crimson Desert promises to be another dramatic and lore-heavy adventure set within a dangerous mythical universe. Players will explore a huge kingdom, engaging with "worldviews, religions, and characters" unique to Crimson Desert's universe. Threat and danger will come in the form of a menagerie of terrifying monsters and beasties, so come loaded for bear, and best bring comrades.

Currently in development for PC and consoles, Pearl Abyss is yet to offer a launch window for Crimson Desert, but perhaps more information will be revealed during this upcoming gameplay premiere. The MMORPG market is hardly starved of titles, so let's hope Crimson Desert can turn enough heads to carve out a sizeable following for itself.

The Game Awards 2020 takes place Thursday, December 10.

Last week, indie outfit Rayark announced that its ethereal rhythm-action remake Deemo Reborn would be coming to mobile platforms on December 17. Well, it seems that Nintendo Switch fans will also have the chance to get in on the melodious mystery, as a Switch has just been confirmed for the same date.

As a quick refresher, Deemo Reborn is a re-imagined edition of the 2013 PS Vita and mobile title Deemo. It tells a serene tale of a young girl who is thrust into a sublime-but-haunting universe, and must find her way back to her own reality, guided by the soft lilt of piano music and the strange sprite, Deemo. Players guide the protagonist through the environment, solving riddles and puzzles while mastering a score of over 60 classical tunes.

Deemo Reborn launches December 17 on Nintendo Switch, alongside iOS and Android platforms. It is available right now on PS4 and PC.

Naughty Dog has a new The Last of Us Part II trailer that documents Abby's side of things throughout the game. Here's the catch though: You really shouldn't watch it unless you've already played it. It's nothing but spoilers and plot points, the likes of which you should probably see firsthand rather than in a 149-second recap trailer.

This is where I, as a blogger, am at an impasse. I have not yet played The Last of Us Part II. My PS4 went kerplunk the literal week before Part II released, and I wasn't about to buy a new obsolete console months before the PS5 launched. Also, because of the pandemic, Sony wasn't accepting any out-of-warranty service work because it was prioritizing the in-warranty repairs. It's still sitting under my TV doing absolutely nothing.

So, I don't know -- I won't watch the trailer because I have not played the game because I'm unable to play the game until I can get my hands on a PS5. The best blogs are authored by folks who have a deep understanding of the subject material, and can offer insight and new perspectives that enrich the reader. This is, like, the literal opposite of that.

Watch the video if you want. Sorry all my words were useless!

Anyone who's still playing Arkham Knight can now dress Bruce Wayne up in a few new outfits. Rocksteady updated the game with two new skins as a holiday gift for players.

Here's what they look like:

Keiichiro Toyama, the driving force behind Silent Hill, Siren, and Gravity Rush, has left Sony to form an independent studio – Bokeh Game Studio – with Kazunobu Sato (the producer of The Last Guardian and a character designer for Siren) and Junya Okura (the lead game designer on the Gravity Rush series).

At their newly-established Bokeh Game Studio, Toyama hopes to "fulfill our fans' expectations" while enjoying "how fun it is to make games" again with more freedom. "Honestly, I can't forget the atmosphere we used to work in back in the day," he said. "Making things on a whim. Just improvising."

"Many people we've worked with in the past are joining us too," according to Sato.

In the introduction video, there are a few good glimpses of concept art for a decidedly body-horror-looking project. It feels like the end of an era in many respects, but I am so down to be scared again.

Arrowhead Game Studios, the fine folk behind Magicka and cartoony shmup Helldivers, has announced that it is beginning work on a brand new, AAA, third-person shooter. The Stockholm-based studio is currently staffing up for the untitled next-gen release.

"We are incredibly excited to create a new, next-gen, co-op experience for our fans and community," said Arrowhead Game Studios CEO Johan Pilestedt in a press release. "We are looking for talented developers to join us on this journey and are looking forward to sharing more details about the project at a later date."

The new title will boast next-gen graphics (well, obviously), innovative co-op gameplay, and "agency for the community to alter the course of the game." Arrowhead is also quick to note that the new title will feature the satirical and irreverent humor that is the studio's trademark. We will, of course, keep you informed when more information is forthcoming.

Although there are a few big games releasing this week, the original Fire Emblem Switch port is probably the most notable: remember, it's going away on March 31, 2021!

The other heavy-hitters arriving on the Switch eShop are Fitness Boxing 2: Rhythm and Exercise, Immortals Fenyx Rising, and John Wick Hex. Phogs is also coming out today, which features a co-op twist involving a creature that's basically a snake with a dog head on each end.

Variety! You can get in shape, check open world objectives off a checklist, and become a puzzle assassin. Games are great.

The dedicated Call of Duty datamining community has uncovered clues pointing to a brand new map headed to sister-title Warzone. As noted by Twitter account @BlackOpsLeaks, Rebirth Island, last seen in 2010's Call of Duty: Black Ops, will be joining the battle royale experience in the near future.

Rebirth Island - also known by its Russian name of "Vozrozhdeniya Island" - is a real-life location in the Aral Sea, which was used by the Soviet Union in the late-1950s for the development of chemical weapons. Entirely abandoned in 1991 following the dissolution of the Soviet Union, today Vozrozhdeniya Island exists as an eerie and dangerously contaminated symbol of the Cold War era.

The dataminers have uncovered an aerial image of the location, with any ounce of doubt stamped out with the giant Call of Duty: Warzone logo stamped on top of it. In addition to Rebirth Island, the datamine uncovered new multiplayer maps for Black Ops Cold War, including an abandoned shopping mall, and a rework of Black Ops II's memorable map Raid, depicting a swanky, mountain-top household.

The first season of Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War will begin on December 10.

I've quietly been stoked to play PixelJunk Eden 2, the sequel to Q-Games' underappreciated atmospheric platformer about zipping through abstract gardenscapes while chill Baiyon tunes work their magic.

After missing its initial summer 2020 window, it seems that PixelJunk Eden 2 is on track for a December 10 launch on the Nintendo Switch eShop. The new release date showed up on a Nintendo UK store page, and while the equivalent listing for North America still says fall 2020, I'm choosing to believe.

[Update: Q-Games confirmed the December 10 launch date for PixelJunk Eden 2. If you buy the game by December 16, you'll get a decent discount – $9.89 instead of the normal $14.99 price tag.]

Gameplay-wise, I'd expect a similar experience – you'll explore "gardens of psychedelic sights and sounds" to collect pollen, expand the flora to reach new heights, and generally melt into your chair.

As the studio puts it, you'll be able to "swing and spin from silk threads, in both single and cooperative play as you and a partner pirouette around one another in brush-strokes of light and color in the world on your journey to collect the all-important 'Spectra,' the source of all life in the world." It's a trip.

"More PixelJunk Eden" would've been fine by me, but co-op? That's the secret word.

The time has come for the western edition of Phantasy Star Online 2 to meet the original Japanese release.

As announced on Sega's official blog, PSO 2 is getting its major Episode 6 update on December 9. The main sticking points: more main story quests, an enhanced level cap of 95, more classes (Etoile/Phantom), more quests in general, and another difficulty setting for hardcore users (Ultra-Hard, or "UH"). It's...a lot!

The new classes should keep people busy for a while on their own. The Phantom is another mixed melee/ranged playstyle, and focuses on shifting their attacks rapidly to dish out more damage. The Etoile is a sturdier, mobile class, with the option to parry and release energy they've stored up: kind of like the Royal Guard style in Devil May Cry.

To recap, PSO 2 launched in the west under the Episode 3 patch, which actually hit in Japan nearly six years ago. To compensate, Sega eased players into subsequent chapters at a rather rapid pace. Now, the western version is poised to basically be in line with the original 2013 release. For some people it might be overwhelming, but for hardcore players, it's a near-unprecedented rollout for a live service action-RPG like this.

It's a pretty good time for the game to get a continuous amount of updates, as Phantasy Star Online 2: New Genesis is on the horizon next year. Sega is smart to keep people interested in PSO 2 and not feel like they're too far behind.

What's new in Episode 6 [Sega]

Square Enix's upcoming fantasy adventure Balan Wonderworld certainly looks to be one of the most colorful and fantastical titles heading gaming's way in 2021. Following on from the pomp and circumstance of its delightful intro cinematic, Square Enix has now released a lengthy video giving us a look at the PC and console title in action.

Balan Wonderworld follows the adventures of two young kids - Leo and Emma - as they pick their way through a wacky and phantasmagorical (oh yes) dimension presided over by the enthusiastic (and slightly creepy) ringmaster, Balan. Our heroes will utilise a wardrobe of 80 costumes - each with their own specific skills and abilities - to explore the environment, dodge hazards, solve puzzles, and engage with a wild cast of characters.

But it's not all just fun and games and familiar NiGHTS imagery. Each world will offer Leo and Emma the chance to do a spot of soul-searching, on a dream-like journey that will teach the hip kidz a few lessons about life, themselves, and each other. Though quite mad, Balan Wonderworld looks to be a fascinating trip for fans of Yuji Naka's weird worlds.

Balan Wonderworld is scheduled to launch March 21 on PS4, PS5, PC, Xbox One, Xbox Series X, and Nintendo Switch.

So in Japan, arcades might be hurting, but they're still kicking. And remember: there are a lot of weird publisher agreements that involve all sorts of weird IP swaps.

I constantly forget that Bandai Namco actually runs the Mario Kart Arcade line until I see their logo emblazoned on actual hardware in the wild, and it was just announced that they're bringing another big update to Mario Kart Arcade Grand Prix DX this week. Scheduled to arrive on December 10, it's adding a new mode called "all you can throw green shells," which is exactly how it sounds.

Players can throw green shells from the start to the end of the race, and the courses are themed to include tons of walls, so shells will be bouncing around constantly. It's...amazing! I want to see this as an optional mode in a future Mario Kart game. Hell, I want some sort of update for Mario Kart 8 Deluxe. With the sales it has, why hasn't this happened by now!? Nintendo could easily add in a Pikmin or Metroid update similar to how they handled the Zelda DLC.

Oh, and Wario is coming as a playable character in the arcade edition. To celebrate, the arcade units will get a new look. But forget Wario for a second: infinite green shells! Make it happen, Nintendo. Bandai Namco does what Ninten-don't.

Mario Kart Arcade Grand Prix DX new mod [Gamer.ne.jp]

Next year, the beloved Bokujō Monogatari/Story of Seasons franchise is celebrating its 25th anniversary, and it's doing so in a big way. Not only are we finally getting Rune Factory 5 sometime in 2021, but Switch owners will also be able to enjoy the next entry in the mainline series with Story of Seasons: Pioneers of Olive Town.

Originally announced during the last Nintendo Direct Mini Partner Showcase back in October, Pioneers of Olive Town will see players building their farms from the ground up in a land overrun with trees. We'll be able to design our farms as we please with new customization options to go along with the tried-and-true farming gameplay that has kept the series going for a quarter-century. The developers are promising more than 200 unique events, a fresh crop of bachelors and bachelorettes, and some features we haven't seen in the series before, such as a tourism system that allows you to send your farmer to another player's town on a sightseeing trip.