Destructoid

The Outer Worlds launched last October with some tiny, baby-sized font. Only hawks could make out the text without squinting. A month later, developer Obsidian released an update that included a toggle for increasing the font size. It still wasn't big enough for some people, especially the text for item descriptions.

Finally, we're gonna get some huge, geriatric-certified font. Obsidian is introducing a font-size slider to Outer Worlds sometime this week. Here it is in all its glory:

Ubisoft is reworking Ghost Recon Breakpoint on March 24 with a major update that will add Immersive mode – an alternate way to play the PvE side of the game for people who don't want to constantly deal with stat-altering loot and be beholden to an all-important Gear Score to make progress in the story.

Going forward, you'll be able to turn off tiered gear – and the HUD. And health regeneration.

"If you find the perfect fit, you can customize and keep the same weapon throughout your entire adventure," notes Ubisoft. "You are able to loot your enemies' weapons, allowing you to switch weapons realistically." Immersive mode will dole out new gear in "missions, rewards, and crates."

The other big change coming in the Ghost Experience update: Erewhon, the game's social hub, will no longer let real-world randoms run amok. In Immersive, you'll only bump into NPCs and co-op partners.

The original Breakpoint experience will live on in Regular mode, and players can switch between Regular, Immersive, and Custom mode (with lots of fine-tunable options that impact the difficulty and sense of realism) at any point. It's even possible to partner with players who are running different settings.

This content update is arriving later than expected, and Ubisoft still needs to add AI squadmates sooner than later, but hey, tangible progress. For many of us, there's simply no recovering from the botched launch, and that's where I'm coming from too. It's interesting to watch it all unfold, though.

There are still so many growing pains for games-as-a-service developers to work through.

The latest company to pull out of E3 is one that's more integrally attached to the show than the likes of Sony or EA ever were. The ESA is making efforts to turn E3 into something more akin to a festival, and part of that is transforming the whole floor experience. Production company iam8bit was recruited as creative directors in charge of this new E3.

Approximately a month after the partnership was revealed, iam8bit has backed out of the project. On Twitter, iam8bit wrote that it has "decided to resign." Here's the message in full:

Borderlands 3 launches on Steam exactly six months after its original release on the Epic Games Store. March 13 is the official date, but you can prep a few days ahead of time.

Gearbox has released an FAQ detailing the Steam launch, and one detail is that pre-loading will go live on March 10. That's when pre-orders start too. Borderlands 3 will take a little while to download. Gearbox recommends setting aside 75GB of hard drive space, but nearly half of that is for DLC; the base game is closer to 40GB.

Also, the different PC platforms won't be on their own islands. Borderlands 3 will support PC cross-play between Epic and Steam, which is powered by Gearbox's SHiFT matchmaking. Players will be prompted to create a unique PC display name, and then cross-play is enabled through the "Social" menu tab. However, there is no functionality for cross-play between PC and consoles.

Lastly, platform-jumpers can transfer their save data between Epic and Steam but there's no automated process. It requires manually moving save files. 2K will offer instructions for how to go about doing that, but Gearbox warns that anyone attempting it should probably make backups of their data in case something goes awry. For anyone who wants to hop over to Steam in hopes of unlocking achievements for progress they made on Epic, Gearbox makes it sound as if that won't necessarily work, saying "we can't guarantee that Steam will register these achievements consistently."

Borderlands 3 Steam FAQ: PC Cross-Play, Steam Pre-Load, Save Transfers, and More [Borderlands]

Even as someone who doesn't have any personal attachment to Seiken Densetsu 3, I'm confident Trials of Mana will work its magic. Today's a good day to check in on Square Enix's remake for PC, PS4, and Nintendo Switch if you haven't kept up. This "deep dive" trailer will bring you up to speed in a flash.

No, really – you don't need to have played a single game in the Mana series to follow along.

In a short preview version of Trials of Mana I played last year, I got a feel for the action-oriented combat as Duran, and the real-time battles were nice and fluid, even with just the basics in play. I can't wait to leap down the rabbit hole when it comes to character classes, abilities, and overpowered builds.

I had planned on finishing the whole Collection of Mana trilogy last year, but I took a week off, then two, and suddenly the whole schedule came crumbling down. The timing now feels tighter than ever – Final Fantasy VII Remake launches only two weeks before Trials of Mana – so I may just have to scrap the idea. Maybe I'll end up playing the SNES original after the fact with a completely different party.

If you have room in your life for another remake next month, Trials of Mana is out April 24 for $49.99. I can't speak for long-time fans, but I think newcomers are going to be pleasantly surprised by this one.

Psyonix has made the prudent decision to cancel the upcoming Season 9 Rocket League World Championship live event in Dallas, Texas because of health concerns stemming from the global coronavirus outbreak. The RLCS Season 9 LAN was scheduled for the weekend of April 24.

Rocket League's regular season play, regional championships, and promotion/relegation tournament all take place online, and those will all resume as normal. However, the top teams from each regional tournament face off at a live LAN every season where one champion is crowned. Teams from North America, Europe, Oceania, and South America all qualify for the World Championship, and the distance between all those regions isn't conducive to an online tournament. Psyonix says it's currently "evaluating all options to replace World Championship play."

The Rocket League esports broadcast team is also affected, as they won't provide analysis and commentary from a studio for the immediate future. Psyonix is keeping all of its talent remote, and RLCS broadcasts will be done completely online for the rest of the season. (Some of the talent presumably travels each week, and this will keep them out of airports and hotels.)

The two free PC games on the Epic Games Store for March 5–12 are GoNNER, a stylish platforming shooter, and Offworld Trading Company, an economic strategy game about beating rival CEOs on Mars.

GoNNER is one of those roguelikes I always meant to sink more time into – I never got far enough along in any runs to become irreversibly hooked. That said, it made enough of an impression that it's still on my "one day" list. The game isn't as universally beloved as some of its competitors, but it has its ardent supporters. I have to give props to any game protagonist that's capable of swapping out their head.

Offworld Trading Company is a strategy game for people who prefer paths to victory that don't involve bloodshed. "In order to win, you will need to make tough choices on what resources to acquire, what goods to build and sell, how to interact with the planet's thriving underworld, and what stocks to acquire and when." I should also add that it was created by Civilization IV lead designer Soren Johnson.

Think you'll give either of these games a chance? Offworld's premise is really tempting me.

A one-two punch of news for fans of shooter sequel The Division 2, as Ubisoft has announced that the riotous team-based title will be headed to the Stadia platform on March 17, a little over a year after its original release on PS4, PC, and Xbox One.

The Stadia edition of The Division 2 will launch with all previous DLC drops, and will also support cross-play with PC users, provided players are willing to sync up their Uplay and Stadia accounts. One aspect not mentioned, however, is the price. It will be interesting to see how much Stadia charges for a re-release of a year-old title, one that can be readily purchased for less than $10 in its base form.

Rebellion has announced that its Sniper Elite spin-off Zombie Army Trilogy will finally rise from its grave onto Switch this month. The British studio has also released a brand new trailer showcasing the horror-shooter's over-the-top, hyper-violent action.

Zombie Army Trilogy, as its name suggests, compiles the two campaigns that were previously released as DLC for Sniper Elite V2 with an all-new story chapter and a chaotic Horde mode. All of the above content supports co-op play for up to four players, allowing you and your pals to team up and lay waste to the resurrected Reich together.

And so the eternal struggle of balancing PVE-based games and gear continues. Gearbox is actually buffing a few legendaries in Borderlands 3, but not for the reasons you think. The Mayhem 2.0 difficulty is on its way, and Gearbox wants to get ahead of it before a lot of guns feel underwhelming.

Faisor is easily the big winner here, with buffs to weapon damage in both firing modes, with a drawback of increased reload time. Other big changes include the Hellshock, which now shoots two projectiles per shot, and the Sickle, which has an increased firing rate. Everything else is getting a straight damage buff, with Crader's EM-P5 getting a crit damage increase.

More bugs were also squashed with today's hotfix, including inaccurate Gunner (Moze) data values. It's all very small stuff and shouldn't impact your day-to-day, but if you're a theorycrafter and were wondering why numbers didn't line up, that's why.

As a reminder, the new DLC will launch later this month, and Mayhem 2.0 will arrive in April. Also don't forget the (5x) Golden Key Shift code giveaway:  C3KJB-3H9HZ-63KZW-9BKJB-WZRCR. You can enter it here.

Hotfixes: March 5 [Gearbox]

Mediums and pedigree are colliding over at HBO. Some of the best video game creators are working with some of the best television writers to make a series based on one of the most highly-acclaimed games ever.

As reported by The Hollywood Reporter, HBO has greenlit a television adaption of The Last of Us. It's being written by Craig Mazin, who achieved fame recently for creating the award-winning HBO limited series Chernobyl. The Last of Us writer Neil Druckmann is also attached as a co-writer and executive producer.

Although this is new territory for the PlayStation Productions division of Sony Pictures Television, The Last of Us' TV series won't take aim at any untold stories within the Cordyceps-ravaged America. It'll simply tell the narrative from the original game, meaning that Joel and Ellie will be the two central characters. It's said that a successful debut could lead to The Last of Us Part II being adapted for TV too, a second season so to speak.

The Last of Us as a TV series spells a merciful end to the saga of The Last of Us as a movie. Sony confirmed to IGN that the HBO series is replacing the film adaption that has been in development hell for years now.

This is PlayStation Productions' first crack at television, but Sony plans for this to be a semi-regular thing for its most recognizable video game properties. Sony Pictures Television co-president Chris Parnell said "This is the first of many shows we intend to develop with our friends at PlayStation Productions." 

Although The Last of Us was only just announced, HBO confirms that it's going to premiere "soon." 

Late last year DJMAX Respect V arrived on PC in Early Access after being an exclusive on PS4 for roughly a year. The time has now come for a full launch.

Announced on their official YouTube channel, developer Neowiz has announced that DJMAX Respect V's PC launch date is March 12. The PC port will feature "over 140 songs," including exclusive tracks from Riot Games' League of Legends. If you own the Early Access version you'll get a $10 DLC for free, which includes eight tracks, and will eventually be added to the PS4 edition. That pack has its own trailer, which you can sample below.

I mean, there isn't much to say about DJMAX Respect that hasn't already been said. It's one of the greatest rhythm games in years, so if you've been itching for an old school challenging romp in that arena, this is it. Based on the Early Access build the game seems up to the task of carrying on the legacy that the PS4 version upheld.

So, you know when Poirot announces that Everyone Did It, or that great moment in Columbo where the shabby detective reveals the ultimate clue and the killer's smugness just drains away? Well, what if they came to their ultimate conclusion just by solving a series of binary nonogram puzzles?

That's the question asked (not really) in Murder by Numbers, a new mystery VN by British developer Mediatonic. This intriguing puzzler tells the story of a successful television actor, Honor Mizrahi, whose hit show Murder Miss Terri is thrown into disarray when actual murder occurs on set. If that wasn't enough, then the suspect spotlight is shining brightly in Miss Mizrahi's direction.

Realising that the only way to clear her name, find the killer, and save the show is to investigate the grisly crime herself, Honor teams up with a discarded investigation droid to scour the set, speak to witnesses and colleagues, and gather evidence, which takes the form of nonogram (or "Picross") puzzles. Can you help Honor and her bot friend uncover the truth behind the mystery, or is your girl Mizrahi about to get cancelled... permanently?

After a couple of gigantic weeks with 30-40 games dumped on the eShop all at once, the storefront is taking it easy. Perhaps no one wants to compete with Pokemon.

Speaking of, Pokemon Mystery Dungeon: Rescue Team DX, a Switch remake of the original Rescue Team duo of games from 2005, is out on March 6. It's joined by Murder by Numbers, a wacky murder mystery game by Mediatonic, as well as the first round of Luigi's Mansion 3 DLC, which is sadly all multiplayer-centric outside of outfits.

There are no Wii U or 3DS offerings this week, just Switch.

Nintendo, still weathering the storm from several controversial monetisation decisions, has dropped a new trailer for its mobile battler Fire Emblem Heroes, showcasing a quartet of incoming characters from 2019 Switch release Fire Emblem: Three Houses.

Headed to FeH in its newest Summoning Event are the Golden Deer's steadfast noblewoman Lysithea, as well as the Blue Lions' cheerful boffin Annette. The new quartet is rounded out with the Black Eagles' ferociously competitive Ferdinand and the nervy-but-lovable Bernadetta, heart-breakingly described here as the "Eternal Loner." I feel you, sister.

Bungie has fully revealed the new Destiny 2 Season of the Worthy content arc, and the main event is the return of Trials of Osiris.

Of course that's not the only thing on offer, as Bungie is adding in a new PVE activity, three classic PVP maps, more weapons and armor, more Iron Banner events, an exotic quest, a new artifact, "100+" seasonal ranks and more exotics. That all kicks off on March 10 with the Seraph Tower event, which is that new aforementioned PVE activity.

From there Trials of Osiris will arrive on March 13 alongside of the Seraph Bunker (legendary lost sectors) from March 10 through 24. On April 7 the IO Seraph Bunker launches, with April 21 heralding in the Grandmaster Ordeal: a new Nightfall difficulty. April 21-May 11 will host the "Guardian Games," a class competition featuring new legendary armor. After that, a new Season will be prepared to take over.

You can find the full breakdown below!

If it feels like we've been waiting ages for Ghost of Tsushima to come out, it's because we have. It was originally revealed back in 2017 at Paris Games Week, helmed by the celebrated studio Sucker Punch, who shifted from Sly Cooper into yet another popular Sony franchise: Infamous. Is the third time also charming?

But like its title, the game's summer release window is no longer a legend: it's coming on June 26. That's a few weeks after E3 2020 (which may or may not happen), so even though Sony is not attending, we can probably expect to see its influence throughout the month. This is a huge game that Sony has been pulling out every so often for a while, and now it seems like they're ready to sound the battle horns.

The new story trailer below gives us yet another brief glimpse into this mysterious world, with plenty of violence and a bit of cursing: it's going to be an edgy one, folks! It's mostly narrative-related, but there's a string of gameplay starting at the 1:30 mark.

In Sucker Punch I trust. I've tried to avoid any in-depth looks at this game to go in as blind as possible, but they haven't let me down in a huge way yet (the original Infamous came close). If you're really into it, Sony has a host of collector's editions to peruse, which you can also check out in the gallery below.

Ghost of Tsushima [PlayStation Blog]

In a bizarre but delightful meeting of the minds, Square Enix has released a 20-minute-plus video interview between Final Fantasy VII Remake producer Yoshinori Kitase and pro-wrestling superstar and AEW Executive Vice-President Kenny Omega.

Omega, a lifelong video game devotee, sat down with Kitase to discuss the latter's notable career in the gaming industry, reflecting on memories of Final Fantasy VII and its indelible characters, such as Cloud Strife and the villainous Sephiroth. Omega even manages to squeeze in a question about 1998 PlayStation release Parasite Eve, a beloved franchise that fans frequently reference when wish-listing sequels and remakes. Here's to hope.

It's a great little interview, with Omega coming across as both enthusiastic and charming throughout. Hopefully, as teased at the end of the clip, we'll see more gaming-related interviews from The Cleaner going forward... Umm... He is still The Cleaner... right?

Final Fantasy VII Remake launches on PS4 April 10. A demo is available to download from the PSN Store right now. Kenny Omega features in Fire Pro Wrestling World, and can be seen in action on All Elite Wrestling's weekly show AEW Dynamite.

The Final Fantasy VII Remake demo is out, and if you're at all interested in the game, you might want to play it. In the demo, we got a clear breakdown of the dichotomy between the melee-based Cloud and the ranged expert Barret. But Square Enix also took to their official blog to give us a bit more info on the party members that populate the Final Fantasy VII Remake (Part One).

For starters, Red XIII is considered a "guest character" in part one (the thing launching in April), and will likely join the party full-time in the next chapter. We already know that Tifa and Aerith [Aeris] are joining Cloud and Barret, but thanks to the blog, we know a little more about them.

Tifa is described as a glass cannon of sorts, dishing out tons of damage while opening herself up for punishment. Aerith of course is still magic-based, but she'll be donning an MP-leech ability or a multi-cast Holy Circle buff: which the blog describes as a good strategy to use against Abzu. You can find the full character breakdowns below.

The blog also does a good job explaining what we've gone over in our hands-on, detailing how the ATB gauge works with the real-time combat feel. Based on the first boss, it seems like knowing weaknesses and exploiting them is absolutely key, which should be easy to do with the Assess Materia that you'll pick up before the Abzu sewers fight. Just a few more weeks and we can test it all out ourselves!

A closer look at combat [Square Enix]

NIS America has revealed the second of its two surprise announcements: Prinny - mascot of fantasy series Disgaea, as well as the NIS corporation itself - is bringing their own brand of wacky action to Nintendo Switch in the form of Prinny 1-2: Exploded and Reloaded.

The new double-pack will feature remastered editions of previous releases Prinny: Can I Really Be the Hero? and Prinny 2: Dawn of Operation Panties, Dood! which launched on PlayStation Portable about a decade ago. Exploded and Reloaded will feature both games, sporting upgraded visuals and complete with all previously released DLC.

You can also check out Prinny's spanking new website right here.

[Update: Following the declaration of a State of Emergency in Los Angeles yesterday, the ESA has issued a new statement regarding E3, which reads as follows:

"The health and safety of our attendees, exhibitors, partners, and staff is our top priority. While the ESA continues to plan for a safe and successful E3 show June 9-11, 2020 - we are monitoring and evaluating the situation daily."

"Our E3 team and partners continue to monitor COVID-19 via the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the World Health Organization (WHO). We are actively assessing the latest information and will continue to develop measures to further reduce health risks at the show."

"Again, please know that we will continue to evaluate new developments and provide updates, as needed."]

The Entertainment Software Association (ESA) has stated that its summer extravaganza, the Electronic Entertainment Expo (E3), is still on track to take place in June, despite growing global concerns over COVID-19, more commonly known as the "coronavirus."

"We will continue to be vigilant, as our first priority is the health, wellness and safety of all of our exhibitors and attendees," an ESA spokesperson told Vice. "Given what we know at this time, we are moving ahead full speed with E3 2020 planning. Exhibit and registration sales are on track for an exciting show in June." Of note, around 69,000 attendees were present at E3 2019.

When Half-Life: Alyx was revealed last November, the popular reaction wasn't a surprising one. It went something along the lines of "After all these years, Valve is finally making another Half-Life game." (Alternatively, the other popular reaction lamented virtual reality.) The people behind Alyx see it as a start rather than a finale, however.

In an interview with Game Informer, Valve programmer Robin Walker says that the developers working on the game "absolutely see Half-Life: Alyx as our return to this world, not the end of it." Walker also commented: "Half-Life means a lot to us, and it's been incredibly rewarding to refamiliarize ourselves with its characters, setting, and mechanics."

Hardly a confirmation of more Half-Life in the pipeline at Valve, but it sounds as though Alyx has re-energized people who want to work on the series. That's encouraging news for anyone who has spent more than a decade looking to find some closure for the way Half-Life 2: Episode 2 wrapped up. You want more Half-Life and so do they. 

Valve on Why Half-Life: Alyx Needed to be in VR [Game Informer]

Yakuza got me to take a look at Sega's Best of Japan PC game sale on Steam, and I'm glad I did.

You can get Yakuza 0 for $4.99, Yakuza Kiwami for $9.99, and Yakuza Kiwami 2 for $14.99, or buy the trio for $26.97. I'd recommend 0 to anyone with even a passing interest in the dramatic crime saga. It's not too late to surrender yourself to Yakuza – in fact, right now is arguably the best time to get the ball rolling. I know, I know. It's a daunting to-do list and your backlog is packed. Just take baby steps.

The Steam sale also has deals on other Sega-published games, some of which are surprising.

• Valkyria Chronicles ($9.99)
• Valkyria Chronicles 4 ($16.99)
• Puyo Puyo Tetris ($11.99)
• Puyo Puyo Champions ($4.99)
• Hell Yeah! Wrath of the Dead Rabbit ($3.74)
• Shining Resonance Refrain ($10.19)
• Binary Domain ($2.99) (I will always go to bat for Big Bo and co.)
• Tempo the Badass Elephant ($3.74)
• Condemned: Criminal Origins ($3.73)
• Renegade Ops ($3.75)
• The Club ($3.74)
• Castle of Illusion ($3.74)
• Shenmue I & II ($7.49)

Sega's had some missteps over the past decade-and-a-half, but this list brings back fond memories.

It has been a long time since we last heard from Ubisoft's arcade-like three-on-three roller derby game Roller Champions. After a surprise reveal at E3 (that leaked well ahead of time), Ubisoft launched an open alpha so that everyone could try it.

I wasn't exactly smitten by Roller Champions. While admittedly an amateur at the game -- everyone was, it had only been made available for a few weeks -- I couldn't help but wonder how high the skill ceiling could go. It's not necessarily fun when you play it poorly. Losing momentum and skating backward toward an empty track happened far too frequently. Is there enough depth here that it's worth putting in the hours to get truly skilled?

For its second round of testing Ubisoft is assuaging those concerns to some extent. There's a PC closed alpha taking place between March 11 and March 23. A new suite of moves have been added, including an extended tackle, an air tackle, a teammate-powered grapple boost, a grapple double jump, and a grapple double pump. Register here for a chance at being included.

Maybe this is the variation Roller Champions needs in order to impress on its second go-round. We'll find out soon enough. Meanwhile, Ubisoft says that Roller Champions is barreling ahead for a launch later this year on PC, PS4, Switch, Xbox One, and mobile devices.

Roller Champions Closed Alpha Rolls Out March 11 [Ubisoft]

If you're anything like me, you've watched enough footage of Resident Evil 3 and you'll politely refuse to see any more. You're good. But even still, you may want to catch this clip from a Capcom live-stream.

The video should automatically start at the right timestamp, but if not, jump to 42:13.

This developer footage is more of the same city scenes from the recent media blast, but it's a little calmer, with more emphasis placed on details you might've missed in other videos – like all of the cool posters and artwork you can't take the time to appreciate when it's your save file on the line.

The Resident Evil 3 clip doesn't focus on Nemesis, so if you're hoping to keep his new tactics as much of a surprise as possible, you're fine. I've seen enough of him that I'm anxious – in a good way!

Google Stadia hasn't inspired much confidence since its initial rollout last November. Recent game library additions and expanded phone support, while nice, haven't seemed to sway anyone. Stadia is what it is. The technology is there, but the business model doesn't make sense for many of us with data-cap and game-ownership concerns, and I can't see those factors changing anytime soon.

I'm still keeping tabs on Google Stadia news, but honestly, it almost feels like white noise at this point. About the only thing that can grab my attention is a headline about a new, novel, exclusive, built-for-Stadia game. I'm never going to get into Stadia for a game I could buy and keep on proven platforms, but I could be convinced to get into Stadia to play something I simply can't find anywhere else.

On that front, Google has opened a second Stadia game development studio in Playa Vista, following the first in Montréal. It's being led by Shannon Studstill of Sony Santa Monica and God of War fame.

"The new Playa Vista studio will focus on delivering exclusive games, using new gameplay mechanics, creative ways to play together and unique interaction models that we're just starting to explore," according to vice president and head of Stadia Games and Entertainment Jade Raymond.

"While we're not ready to share specific game plans yet, rest assured we are listening to what gamers want and adding our own Stadia twists to create new IP and experiences," she continued.

Studstill is "a visionary who, as the studio director, will lead and inspire the Playa Vista teams."

I didn't think I'd entertain the idea of playing Death Stranding again so soon on PC, but now that details are coming out for the enhanced port, well, here I am. Hideo Kojima shared footage of the new-for-PC photo mode, and it looks extensive, to say the least. I already know a few vistas I want to revisit.

As shown in this Twitter clip, Death Stranding's photo mode has a lot of customization options.

These are some examples from the Photo Mode in the PC ver. We will introduce on how to create them in another video later. Me, and some staffs that loves to take photos enjoyed making this Mode! Available, June 2nd.

Pre-order nowhttps://t.co/TxRuNL91u2 pic.twitter.com/WvMwqzPiBn

— HIDEO_KOJIMA (@HIDEO_KOJIMA_EN) March 4, 2020

You can alter Sam's pose, expression, and eyeline. You can even remove him from your scene altogether if you'd rather focus entirely on the desolate world's natural beauty. We'll also have depth-of-field, focus, aperture, contrast, and exposure settings to tinker with, among others. Filters, too!

I love and support any game that incorporates a photo mode, but there's something about Death Stranding, in particular, that captivates me. It's a contemplative game. Photo-taking seems like a natural extension of this one-step-at-a-time experience, not an after-the-fact add-on (even though it is!).

One of the top dogs at publisher Nacon (previously Bigben Interactive) has confirmed that a new entry in driving sim series Test Drive Unlimited is currently in development. The new title is being handled by French studio Kylotonn.

The quiet confirmation came from Nacon's Head of Publishing Benoit Clerc, during an interview with VentureBeat. "[Kylotonn are] based in Paris and Lyon. They're specialized in racing," said Clerc. "They're doing off-road racing with WRC, and they're doing two-wheel racing with Isle of Man TT. They're currently working on our biggest project by far, which is the next Test Drive Unlimited game."

Test Drive Unlimited first launched way back in 2006, where the realistic open-world driving simulator received plaudits for its expansive road map, gameplay freedom, and passionate attention-to-detail regarding its tarmac-burning roster of vehicles. Test Drive Unlimited 2 followed later in 2011 but failed the capture the same acclaim, chastised for its atrocious, bug-riddled gameplay, repetitive voice acting and dull atmosphere.

The franchise has remained dormant since then, with the brand often rearing its hood in "Whatever happened to...?" conversations online. But it seems that Test Drive Unlimited is back in the garage and getting revved up for a glorious return. Everyone loves a comeback, so here's hoping Kylotonn will be able to restore the TDU name to its former glory.

Nacon's Benoit Clerc: Becoming a Double-A gaming force [VentureBeat]

We're only a few days into March 2020 and I'm already feeling a renewed sense of energy. The video game release calendar is stacked, and once it gets going soon, it's not going to let up for quite some time. There's a lot to play! Especially if you're still catching up on past releases (aren't we all?).

Xbox Game Pass is getting a few notable games this month. NBA 2K20 and Train Sim World 2020 are up first on March 5, followed by Ori and the Will of the Wisps on March 11 and Pikuniku on March 12.

No one can convince me that Ori and the Will of the Wisps will be anything less than one of the best metroidvanias in years – I'm feeling that confident about the sequel. And Pikuniku? You owe it to yourself to play Pikuniku if you like the sound of a silly, light, low-key platforming adventure.

Ubisoft Montreal has announced another free-to-play weekend for its high-intensity team shooter Rainbow Six Siege. Anyone wanting to get in on the action gratis can do so from Thursday, March 5, until Sunday, March 8, on PS4, PC, and Xbox One.

Players will be given access to all maps and modes, as well as 20 "legacy" operators, so although your grubby mitts will be kept off of my girl N0kk, you'll still have Ash, Sledge, Thermite and friends with which to rock walls, doors, and eardrums with. Should you decide to pull the trigger (pun fully intended) on a full purchase, then any profile progression from the weekend will carry over to the main game.

In alignment with the free weekend, a price promotion on multiple bundles will see discounts of up to 70% on Base, Deluxe, Gold, and Ultimate Editions of Rainbow Six Siege across all platforms. This sale is expected to run until around March 18.

Mod fiend Kaze Emanuar is at it again, this time fusing two of the most beloved Nintendo 64 platformers of all time: Mario 64 and Banjo-Kazooie.

The mod actually transplants Mario himself and many of the enemies from his 64 iteration into the world of Banjo-Kazooie, and there's even a walkthrough video for the first stage: Spiral Mountain. Kaze says they intend to port "every level from Banjo-Kazooie" and already has a plan for where every star in the game would fit, with 12 Jiggy pieces floating around in each world.

Kaze notes that a "new Mario 64 modding tool" is being utilized for a much smoother experience, which turns "months" of work into "1-2 weeks." That said, they aren't keen on giving any release windows for the mod as they have multiple projects underway, and are fully aware of the "lag," framerate issues in the below video, which are expected to be smoothed over.

If you're interested, there's another similar mod you can check out.

An unannounced Star Wars title seems to have mysteriously popped up on the European PlayStation Store database. Star Wars: Project Maverick was revealed by Twitter account @psnrelease, a bot that scours the depths of the database for recent additions.

Other than a title image, which features a Star Destroyer and a few X-Wings in flight, very little info is available on the title - which one would assume is coming from Electronic Arts as they currently hold the rights to produce Star Wars video games. As noted by Gematsu, the Content ID listing does suggest that Project Maverick is not a VR title, but that it does feature multiplayer.

Curiouser and curiouser. We will keep you informed if there is any official word on this mystery release.

Unannounced Star Wars Project Maverick PlayStation Store leak [Gematsu]

While trawling through Deku Deals, I found a handful of recent Mega Man games on sale: it looks like Capcom is pushing several deals out on the low.

Perhaps most importantly is Mega Man 11, which is being sold at retail for $19.99 on Switch ($10 off MSRP, which is also the regular eShop price, still) and is currently $14.99 on the eShop. The other big games of note: most of the Legacy Collections are $9.99 now, including the duos for the classic and the X series. All of these are worth jumping on immediately at that price except for the second X Legacy Collection, which comes with a few unfortunate entries that helped seal the fate of the X franchise.

In other Mega Man Switch related news, the Mega Man Zero/ZX Legacy Collection is not on sale, but it was just released recently. Capcom is keeping this series fresh in everyone's mind, and is secretly working on another Mega Man project beyond the upcoming mobile spinoff.

Mega Man [Deku Deals]

The British Academy of Film and Television Arts (BAFTA) has presented its full list of nominees for the 2020 BAFTA Games Awards, which will take place in London in April.

In a huge list of categories - which includes gongs for Narrative, Animation, Family appeal and Multiplayer quality -  Death Stranding, Control, Untitled Goose Game, Life is Strange 2 and Disco Elysium all find themselves leading the charge, having been nominated for multiple awards.

The BAFTA Games Awards also gives some smaller British titles an opportunity to shine, such as Foam Sword's Knights and Bikes, which is listed in no less than four categories. The winners will be decided by the BAFTA global membership, which is comprised of a body of veterans from various aspects of the video game industry.

You can check out the lengthy list of nominees below. The BAFTA Games Awards will take place April 2 at the Queen Elizabeth Hall in London, hosted once again by comedian Dara O' Briain. The event will also be live-streamed across various social media outlets.

One of the greatest video games of all time, Castlevania: Symphony of the Night, is now available to purchase on iOS and Android, giving fans the chance to carry Konami's 1997 PlayStation classic with them wherever they may wander.

Directed by Toru Hagihara and Koji Igarashi, Symphony of the Night excels in its design, audio/visual elements, and deep, exploratory gameplay. As dramatic hero Alucard, players explore a huge gothic castle, acquiring gear, spells and acrobatic skills while battling a huge catalogue of enemies and grim boss characters, all en route to a final showdown with the Lord of the Night himself, Count Dracula.

Symphony of the Night set a new standard for Castlevania on its release, and its influence can be found in further series entries such as Dawn of Sorrow and Order of Ecclesia, as well as Igarashi's own Bloodstained: Ritual of the Night. Today, SotN remains one of the most influential titles in the so-called "metroidvania" genre.

Castlevania: Symphony of the Night is available for iOS via the App Store or Android via Google Play, priced at around $3. The mobile port is fairly bare-bones, but includes a new "Continue" feature, six language options, and supports game controllers.

Castlevania: Symphony of the Night now available for iOS, Android [Gematsu]

I can credit a lot of games with having a major impact on my view of the hobby. Dragon Warrior was the first major game I played where I felt overwhelmed and had something to work toward. Chrono Trigger opened up how I felt about narratives in the medium. And games like Viewtiful Joe constantly reminded me of how a bit of simple style can go a long way when it comes to crafting pure joy.

Viewtiful Joe, a platformer about a regular guy who becomes a super hero, was released in 2003 as Clover Studio's first game (or what would eventually become the legendary Clover). It was so popular that it spawned a sequel a year later, as well as two spinoffs in 2005. Several years later the director of the original, Hideki Kamiya, and his crew moved away from Capcom and into their current outfit of Platinum Games; the series has remained dormant. Kamiya would like to change that.

Speaking to Nintendo Enthusiast at PAX East, Kamiya says that although he has "no control" over the series anymore as it is in Capcom's hands, he'd love to see it return, specifically on Switch. Kamiya opines, "Personally, I really hope that it comes back. I don’t want it to be lost in the sands of time, so to speak. I’m requesting it! I would love it if that would happen." He goes on to say that he would love to "finish that trilogy" with Viewtiful Joe 3.

Luigi's Mansion 3 has been updated to Version 1.30, bringing new features and bug fixes to the spooky Switch adventure. In addition, Nintendo has released Multiplayer DLC Pack Part 1, which adds new games and costumes to both ScreamPark and ScareScraper.

Multiplayer DLC Pack Part 1 adds three fun outfits to Luigi's wardrobe, including a Mummy getup, medieval armour, and... erm... a '70s disco suit complete with quiff. Each costume also comes with its own matching ghost and ScareFloor aesthetic, which is a nice touch.

ScarePark receives three new games: River Bank, which sees players gather coins whilst floating in a waterfall; Tricky Ghost Hunt, where players battle to defeat ghosts on an electrified floor; and finally DodgeBrawl, which is pretty self-explanatory. You can check out the multiplayer content in the trailer below.

We've got Switch copies of brutal walking simulator BE-A Walker up for grabs in today's contest!

You know that one movie where the giant robots walk around and blast lasers and stuff at people trying to defend their planet? I don't remember the film right now, but that was a cool scene. So cool, it inspired its own video game where you can pretty much do the same thing!

BE-A Walker is a walking simulator with a twist -- you control a giant mecha sent to either enslave or defend an alien planet. So load up your cannons and prime your lasers for a Switch copy of this out-there game!

The Valve Index is in high demand ahead of Half-Life: Alyx's March 23 launch, but there aren't enough to go around. Because of the coronavirus outbreak, manufacturers in China aren't able to produce enough of Valve's headset, leaving it backordered for months now.

A few weeks ago, Valve confirmed that the Index VR set will be available to buy again in the near future, but stopped short of giving a firm date. Now we know that March 9 is the planned restock. It'll go up for sale at 10am Pacific.

Timing is key here because Valve has already said the restock won't be enough to meet demand. In fact, Valve expects this round of sales to go quickly. It'll be gone long before Monday, March 9 is over.

So, if you're in the market for a Valve Index, make sure to be waiting in the virtual line next Monday, credit card info ready to go, and hope fortune is on your side. Best of luck.

@Steamdb [Twitter]

If you see more Call of Duty: Modern Warfare players stop to stare down at their watches, there's a reason why. Infinity Ward added the Tomogunchi accessory today. Similar to a Tamagotchi, owners can hatch, raise, and evolve their pet – except in this case, the digital monsters have a thing for killstreaks.

The interactive trinket is available in a Tomogunchi Bundle that costs 1,000 Call of Duty Points ($9.99). (The bundle also comes with a dinosaur-themed calling card, emblem, charm, sticker, and spray.)

Call of Duty players need to keep their Tomogunchi pal happy and healthy by scoring kills, objectives, killstreaks, and wins, so they tie into Modern Warfare's gameplay. If they aren't cared for properly, they'll become depressed and perish. You can check on your pet's status by looking at little emoji faces on the watch. If they aren't lit up, you're golden. Otherwise, your pet could be hungry, dirty, unruly, or sleepy.

Tomogunchi pets start as an egg before growing into a child, teen, and adult, and they each have their own preferred way to level up a "bonus charge" meter to evolve. Some pets prefer captures, while others want you to land in the top three. Players can use the "Watch Interact" gesture to bank these bonus charges as they come up during matches and evolve their Tomogunchi pet more quickly.