Destructoid

After nearly seven years, the Xbox One is finally getting a function users have clamored for since launch: disc-ejecting with a controller.

By simply highlighting the disc in the main menu of the Xbox One, you'll soon have the ability to eject a disc by pressing X. Right now the feature is live by way of the Xbox Insiders program, but as is typical of these sorts of updates, it'll eventually arrive on other consoles. Astute Xbox fan will recall that the Xbox 360 had the ability to eject discs with a remote too!

It's such a simple thing, but more functionality rules. Consoles aren't as customizable as PCs, so we're completely at the mercy of manufacturers when it comes to esoteric demands like this. And after many years, folks demanded it! While it sounds like a pointless addition, a lot of folks have reported that their disc eject button or their disc tray has failed: now they'll have the chance to properly eject discs.

You can now press X to eject a disc using a controller [Reddit]

Arc Games has released a new update for the console edition of dungeon crawler Torchlight II. Along with a run of bugs fixes and stability improvements, the new patch - live in-game right now - adds three fun new pets to accompany you on your journey into the murky depths.

The three new pets are a woolly muskox (apparently an actual, real animal), a surprisingly cheerful-looking reindeer and, my personal favourite, a somewhat out-of-place seal. This menagerie will bravely follow your hero as they hack their way through Torchlight II's teeming sea of monsters, carrying your gear and juicy loot and willing to skip to the local store to sell off some of your unwanted baggage.

Although the brand hasn't been in the greatest shape in the past decade or so (most people point to 2007's Proving Ground as the beginning of the end, though some would say even earlier than that), the name Tony Hawk's Pro Skater is etched in the stars.

It was one of the biggest franchises of all time, and put both Neversoft and Toys for Bob/Vicarious Visions on the map (the latter pair would go on to make tons of cash for a hot minute with the Skylanders series). While 2015's Pro Skater 5 kind of killed off any hope of a resurrection, we can remember the past games for the icons that they were just fine. That includes the lens of an upcoming documentary "Pretending I'm a Superman," a moniker that references the memorable song from the original game's soundtrack: "Superman" by Goldfinger.

The project has actually been in the works for a while, but Tony Hawk himself took to Instagram to announce that the doc will premiere next week at the Mammoth Film Festival in Mammoth Lakes, California. Hawk will be there as well as pro skater Rodney Mullen, with a performance by "America's Finest Tony Hawk Cover Band," The Downhill Jam.

Festivities are set to kick off on February 29 at 4:00PM at the festival. Distribution rights for the doc after that haven't been discussed, but you bet your benihana I'm going to be following it closely.

Tony Hawk [Instagram]

It's been a pretty lucrative fortnight for Sega's famous mascot, Sonic the Hedgehog. Not only has the Blue Blur's cinematic endeavour met with resounding success, but said movie also appears to have given his game sales a boost, with Team Sonic Racing leaping up the UK Charts from number 22 to number seven in a single bound.

And that's not the only Sega success story this week, as the publisher's Bayonetta & Vanquish 10th Anniversary Bundle has also come shooting into the Top Ten, thanks to a recent physical release for the double-pack, allowing new fans to experience these frenzied action-adventures for perhaps the first time.

These are, however, the only notable moves in a continually stagnant UK Charts, with neither release coming close to shoving Electronic Arts' FIFA 20 from its seemingly cemented number-one spot. The football sim is followed by mainstays such as Activision's Call of Duty: Modern Warfare, Take-Two's Grand Theft Auto V, and the Nintendo Switch edition of Minecraft.

Every few months, Platinum producer/director Hideki Kamiya pops in to say "everything is fine with Bayonetta 3 guys!"

It's been like clockwork since the reveal roughly three years ago, but it's nice to check in officially every now and then to ensure that the project still exists, and to have something to point to when people say "what's the deal with Bayonetta," hopefully with their best Jerry Seinfeld impression.

This time Kamiya is checking in with Famitsu alongside of Platinum head producer Atsushi Inaba. The gist? Development is still going "smoothly," but it seems as if fans haven't uncovered everything in the rather lengthy teaser trailer that debuted many moons ago. According to Kamiya, there's actually more hidden info than people initially gave it credit for. You can find that trailer in the gallery below.

All of the rumors have pointed at Bayonetta 3 doing something markedly different compared to the original two entries, so the extended development time makes sense. That's especially the case if the open world reports are true. Bayonetta has developed a reputation as one of the greatest action franchises of all time: take as long as you need to ensure that the third iteration honors that legacy, Platinum.

Bayonetta 3 [Famitsu via ScreenRant]

[Update: DotEmu has released the new trailer for Streets of Rage 4, starring cybernetic new character Floyd Iraia. In addition to this reveal, the publisher announced the game will launch this spring and feature both online multiplayer for two players, or offline co-op for four.]

DotEmu, the publisher for upcoming brawler Streets of Rage 4, has announced its intention to drop a new update on the title this week. Fans can expect the reveal of the sequel's fifth playable character, and possibly a "little surprise" as well. The news will likely come out of this week's PAX East trade show, where SoR 4 will also be playable.

The current quartet of vigilantes waiting to lay waste to the scum of the streets consists of original Streets of Rage stars Axel Stone, Blaze Fielding, and Adam Hunter, rounded out with Adam's hard-rocking daughter Cherry. The identity of the fifth hero is teased by a silhouette in the game's splash art.

The next generation of gaming is nearly here. For some, that means excitement, launch parties, and endless gaming marathons. For others, it's a serious case of FOMO as they roll their eyes at the prospect of spending over $1000 on two new consoles at once (or in some cases, roughly $500-$600 on just one of them).

But alas the next gen is coming, and Xbox boss Phil Spencer is sharing a bit more info on the Xbox Series X in one very simple breakdown article. Some of it was previously confirmed, but here are the big takeaways that Spencer wants to share, mostly in the form of stats thrown at you: 12 teraflops (the main event), variable rate shading, hardware accelerated DirectX Raytracing, quick resume for multiple games and smart delivery.

So let's break that down. That "12 teraflops" stat is in relation to the GPU, which is "eight times" as powerful as the Xbox One and two times that of the Xbox One X, which is already the most powerful console around. Variable rate shading (or VRS for short) basically translates to higher frame rates and resolution through some visual magic. DirectX Raytracing, a tech buzz word I'm sure you've heard a lot of recently, essentially relates to enhanced in-game lighting effects and physics systems. Quick resume is just like it sounds: you can instantly return to suspended games sans loading screens. Smart delivery is basically a way to more accurately show consumers which version of a game they're buying (older gen or newer gen), which can double as cross-buy.

Pokemon Go is still making tons of cash, which means developer Niantic, and Nintendo (which is part of The Pokemon Company) are still supporting it. While previous early Niantic events have been disastrous, the company is still hosting them, and without the critical mass of players involved, the outages are less frequent.

The newest event on the block was expanded upon this past weekend: a Safari Zone celebration in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. It'll take place in Fairmount Park from Friday, May 8 to Sunday, May 10 of this year, and will feature the following Pokemon: "Voltorb (including a shiny), Alolan Sandshrew, Unown P, Bronzor, Rufflet, and more."

Tickets are on sale now and will run you $12 for the standard admission and $18 for early access (two hours early). Naturally, since this is a mobile game, there's also yet another add-on, or, real-life DLC, to buy. It's called the Explorer Pass, and will run you $8: you can find details on that below.

Pokemon Go [Twitter]

[Update: This is the last day to grab the promo Munna. After tonight (roughly 7PM ET), the service will be shut down forever!]

Make way for the new generation.

As 2016's Sun and Moon simmer, Sword and Shield are thriving on a brand new platform. The Switch is now the new lead for the Pokemon series, and thus some housekeeping initiatives are being enacted to help that transition. One of the casualties is the Pokemon Global Link service, which was active for nine years through multiple generations of the series.

To make way for Pokemon Home, Global Link is being deactivated on February 24, 2020, at which point Sun, Moon, Ultra Sun and Ultra Moon will cease to offer PGL services. If you want you can log in and grab a unique Munna; a direct lore shoutout to Generation V's Fennel, the in-game originator of the PGL concept.

A few takeaways here. Only hardcore fans will likely lament the loss of PGL (which involved online competitions), as other online services will remain intact. Another thing to unpack? We have a potential release window for Pokemon Home now of late February or early March 2020. That's entirely speculative, but lines up with previous post-launch deployments for prior generations and gives fans something else to chew on as PGL is jettisoned.

Pokemon Global Link [Pokemon]

As concerns heighten due to the expansion of the coronavirus, yet another outfit has pulled out of another major trade show.

While Sony and Oculus (Facebook) have already announced their intentions of skipping GDC, Kojima Productions has revealed that it too will be missing the event. The message is fairly brief, but notes: "Kojima Productions has made the difficult decision to cancel our participation at the 2020 Game Developers Conference due to increasing concerns related to coronavirus. Although much-anticipated, unfortunately this cancellation also includes Hideo Kojima’s session on the 19th and Eric Johnson’s session on the 16th."

That wasn't just a nominal panel: but two panels, one of which was hosted by Kojima himself. It seems as if the prevailing mentality for eastern developers is to avoid exposure at major events: last week we said the recent pullouts wouldn't be the last, and it seems as if they are cascading as we speak.

This isn't a last-minute decision either, but a calculated one. GDC doesn't start until March 16.

Kojima Productions [Twitter]

A gallery of screenshots from Capcom's upcoming Resident Evil 3 has leaked onto ResetEra. It is believed that the glut of images taken from the anticipated remake were expected to feature in a preview planned for later this week.

The images - watermarked by French website GamerGen - feature a slew of characters, locations and monsters that Jill and friends will encounter in this revamped take on the 1999 PlayStation classic. The new pics give us a good look at some truly nauseating boss types, including a sinewy Drain Deimos, and, of course, Ms. Valentine's ultimate nemesis... erm... Nemesis.

Aside from the main story campaign, the screens also feature Resident Evil 3's multiplayer component, Resistance, and show a young man and woman picking their way through locations such as a diner, a doughnut shop, and a casino. The gallery is rounded out with various concept art images of Jill, Carlos, Nemesis and other in-game assets.

You can check out the full gallery over at ResetEra or here at Imgur. Obviously expect minor spoilers/reveals.

Resident Evil 3 launches on PS4, PC and Xbox One April 3.

We've got a giveaway for closed beta keys for MMORPG action brawler Shadow Arena!

Who doesn't love trying out new games before everyone else does? No one, that's who. Why wouldn't you want to get in on the action earlier than the unwashed masses? It's madness.

Shadow Arena is getting a closed beta later this week, and we've got a bunch of keys to hand out so you can give it a whirl. So, just take one already!

It's hard to believe I've been playing Final Fantasy XIV regularly for nearly seven years. That's the Realm Reborn edition of course, which itself is a rebuild of the failed iteration from 2010.

To see a project like this — on this grand of a scale — get a new lease on life is pretty incredible. The formula still isn't perfect, but the story, world, and characters shine through like a divine light.

I was sold on Taur, a tower defense game about a literal laser-firing tower, in a single screenshot.

It's a weekend-eating strategy title about keeping hordes of robots, tanks, and bombers at bay, and while its minimalist aesthetic might seem low-key, its sense of scale and destruction are anything but.

Taur is the type of game you might see pop up on Steam and play on a whim. It's an itch-scratcher.

While we still await for the big announcement of 50 Cent (Fiddy aka Ferrari F Fifty) from 50 Cent: Blood on the Sand to finally make his appearance in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate, here's what's been happening in video games this past week:

• Grand Theft Auto IV is back on Steam (with a catch)
• No Man's Sky now has... Living ships!?
• Animal Crossing: New Horizons got a Direct with tons of new info and more!

Right before the Grand Finals of last week's Rainbow Six Siege Six Invitational tournament, Ubisoft Montreal debuted a CGI mini-movie to culminate both Year 4 and the end of the recent in-game event "Road To S.I." The exciting clip not only adds a little more to the ongoing Siege lore but also seems to shift both the tone and focus of the online shooter in a whole new direction.

During the six-minute Tournament of Champions cinematic, two teams taken from Siege's 50+ roster compete in a typical five-on-five face-off. The Attackers are comprised of Sledge, Thatcher, Hibana, Blitz, and Dokkabei, while the Defending team features Mira, Pulse, Doc, Mozzie, and everyone's favourite sociopath, Caveira. Throughout this intense, hard-hitting showdown, the operators are working together -- yet against each other -- to essentially "win" a sporting event, held before a screaming crowd of thousands in an abandoned Roman arena. A literal site of gladiatorial competition.

I've been reporting on the public nuisance that is cats for quite some time now, so it should come as no surprise that I'm back to alert the world to another cat-astrophic video game. This time, however, things take a slightly sadder turn as we're dealing with homeless kitties. They don't have homes! How could that not make you sad?

A Street Cat's Tale is set to hit Switch this March, and hopefully redeem the sullied name that house cats have given the species.

Sabotage Studios, the indie developer behind the excellent 2018 platform adventure The Messenger, is teasing the release of its next title, which it appears will be announced as soon as next month.

Keeping its cards close to its chest for now, Sabotage released a tweet featuring a slightly-animated image of a total eclipse, along with the message "New game reveal... Spring Equinox 2020... March 19." As to whether the new game will itself feature the upcoming equinox as part of its gameplay or storyline elements is a mystery - but that would sure make for some apt timing for said announcement. It should be noted that the music in the background is a cover of The Messenger theme "Beneath the Tides."

The Messenger launched back in the summer of 2018 to universal praise from critics and players. Initially released on PC and Nintendo Switch, the challenging love letter to games such as Ninja Gaiden was ported to PS4 in March of 2019, expanding its fanbase. The quality of The Messenger no doubt ensures fans are very excited for whatever Sabotage has lined up for its next release. Fortunately we won't have to wait much longer to find out.

The Messenger is available now on PS4, PC, and Nintendo Switch.

Nintendo's super-popular mobile battler Fire Emblem Heroes continues to push out the added benefits offered to those subscribed to its new and controversial monthly subscription pass. In a recent reveal, it is noted that pass owners will be able to outright buy Resplendent Heroes once each Summoning Event ends, should they fail to pull them as rewards.

Resplendent Heroes, summarised, are particularly limited characters, usually attired in lavish costumes as the name denotes. Subscribers will already be receiving two of these characters each month as part of the subscription plan, but previous Resplendents will also be made available to purchase for an extra $5 USD per hero - this is obviously in addition to the $10-a-month subscription fee.

It's hard not to be cynical, especially when it was recently revealed that Fire Emblem Heroes is the most successful Nintendo mobile title by a huge margin, having made over $656 million since its launch back in 2017. Comments from players on Twitter succinctly and sincerely convey the community's chagrin over these recent paid editions.

Fire Emblem Heroes is available now on iOS and Android devices. The "R0kkr Sieges" event gets underway this weekend offering Orbs and Hero Feathers as rewards for battling shadowy variants of popular warriors.

Less than a year ago today, the Sonic the Hedgehog movie was not in a good place. Leaks about the project pointed to a Sonic most fans wouldn't recognize and an extremely unfortunate teaser poster only made things worth. When the first trailer officially debuted, it was met with universal scorn from fans over Sonic's design. It got so bad, the director Jeff Fowler -- who I might add is making his feature directing debut with this movie -- promised the studio would redesign Sonic.

After a few million dollars and some extra time in post, we got a new Sonic trailer with a Sonic that actually looked like Sonic. It may have cost a lot of money and the special-effects company responsible for his redesign may not have survived long enough to see the film release, but that move may have saved this project. Because Sonic the Hedgehog is, dare we say...good? In fact, it may be the best video game adaptation to date.

That's just one of the topics on this episode of Podtoid. CJ, Charlotte, Occams, and Dan talk about hostess bars in Yakuza 2 Kiwami, Journey to the Savage Planet, clown porn, Final Fantasy VIII Remastered, and if the PlayStation 5 is worth $500. Then stick around after the show for an all-new Spoilsport covering Sonic the Hedgehog. All that, plus Charlotte says the word 'fluffer,' on Podtoid Episode 433.

We have gotten our first real look at the design of comic-book anti-hero Spawn as he will appear in Mortal Kombat 11. A tweet from Spawn's creator, Todd McFarlane, contains images of an action figure based on the grim avenger, sporting his NetherRealm Studios design.

Surprisingly enough, he looks like Spawn, complete with his unholy crimson cape, jacked-to-fuck body, and penchant for spiked gauntlets, boots, and belts. Most notable is the fact that Spawn is carrying a mighty short-sword, which will no doubt come into play on the many battlefields of MK 11. An alternate image sees Spawn carrying the dismembered head of MK's own revenge-filled inferno wielder, Scorpion.

The first gameplay trailer for Spawn will be broadcast next month at the Final Kombat tournament, which takes place in Chicago, Illinois on March 7. Spawn joins MK 11 on March 17, and is the final kharacter to arrive as part of the game's initial Kombat Pass. I'm in absolutely no doubt that this release will be followed by a second run of DLC kharacters in the future.

Mortal Kombat 11 is available now on PS4, PC, Xbox One, and Nintendo Switch.

Ooooh, yer boy Moyse is a little sickly this weekend. Perhaps its just the spirit of the season, or maybe the ol' convention/travel bugs from last week took a little longer to gestate than usual. Either way, I'm depicting a weekend filled with hot lemony drinks and ice-cream (a Proven Cure for all illnesses). But I'm fine, let's just call this an occupational hazard. I don't think it's unfair to suggest that I literally put my life on the line to bring you content.

Having been playing catchup since my trip to The Great White North, I've not been playing many games this week. I've put some time into obvious regulars Rainbow Six Siege (went pretty well) and Mortal Kombat 11 (utterly atrocious) all of which is keeping me away from the two games I'm actually trying to play right now: Bloodstained: Ritual of the Night, and Control. Hopefully this week I'll have the opportunity to jump on both.

But to business. You know what to do by now, drop us a quick note below fill in the community on your favourite vidya gamez right now. It doesn't matter if they're new releases, backlogged adventures, or replaying classics. This is always a popular post every week, and I for one really appreciate that you share with us. So yeah, "do the thing", as the great Macho Man Randy Savage once said.

Have a wonderful weekend, from all of us at Destructoid.

Ruiner excels at everything it sets out to accomplish. It's dripping in cyberpunk futuristic dystopia aesthetics, a visual assault of deep reds and neons. It's also a tough-as-hell action game, one that Anthony described as part twin-stick shooter and part bullet-hell in his review.

Now this Devolver-published gem is making its way to Switch. Developer Reikon Games announced the port this afternoon via this tweet:

So many things have changed for the Animal Crossing series, but I feel like I need to keep one old tradition alive for New Horizons: playing the game with a physical strategy guide by my side. I still have my original Official Nintendo Player's Guide. Against all odds, the GameCube book is in good shape!

I know, I know. We have access to reliably up-to-date wikis, and phones with which to easily browse them while we play – but it's just not the same experience. I like seeing all the full furniture sets I'll never be able to finish. I like having visual aids. The lack of auto-playing ads is pretty swell, too.

If you're coming at Animal Crossing: New Horizons from a similar mindset, you'll want to know that Future Press is handling the game's Official Companion Guide, a 432-page paperback. It's releasing a little after the game comes out – on April 9, 2020 – and it'll cost $29.99. Pre-orders are up.

Our next release is a very special one: the official companion guide for Animal Crossing: New Horizons! We’re truly excited to announce this book. It’s released early April and will be filled to bursting with invaluable island-building information!https://t.co/BWglpCZEOQ pic.twitter.com/66o4Ztw1US

You're a good Shepard. A well-meaning, considerate, kind, and benevolent Shepard. Well, at least 90 percent of you are. Other 10 percent? Total dicks.

There's a fascinating (and optimistic!) split between Paragon and Renegade playstyles in the Mass Effect games. Former BioWare cinematic designer John Ebenger revealed that approximately 92 percent of players chose a Paragon path through Mass Effect -- all while lamenting that the developer put a lot of work into the Renegade content that players couldn't bring themselves to see.

Count me among the masses who couldn't go about saving the universe while also being a jerk. I tried it once during the second run of the original Mass Effect (you needed three to hit max level and to play on Insanity difficulty), and that unofficial non-canon Renegade approach for an achievement still doesn't sit well with me. My third playthrough was pure Paragon, which I imported to Mass Effect 2 and carried all the way through the end of the trilogy.

It's always great when players take developers by surprise -- like when Ubisoft was blindsided that way more people played Assassin's Creed Odyssey as Alexios than it ever imagined. In theory, there are equal rewards and drawbacks between a Paragon and Renegade character. But, apparently being a good person is an irresistible reward unto itself. 

@EbengerJohn [Twitter]

Five years after launch, Dying Light is still hanging in there (and then some). Techland is celebrating the parkour zombie survival game's fifth birthday with a month of in-game events including new weapon DLC, a new difficulty option below Normal called Story Mode, and a free weekend promo on Steam.

Dying Light is free to play on PC until 10:00 a.m. on February 23, 2020. It's also discounted.

Story Mode plays around with a handful of factors to make life easier. Zombies deal less damage, you deal more, the impact of falls has been cut in half, and you won't run out of stamina nearly as much.

The best part? You'll lose 50% less XP if you die, days are 25% longer, nights are 25% shorter, and traders will pay 20% more for your wares. On the flip side, Story Mode dishes out 50% less Legend experience.

Out of curiosity, I checked today's most-played games list on Steam – Dying Light is in the top 50 with just over 15,000 concurrent players at the time of writing this post. The legs on this game!

Ever since Half-Life: Alyx was revealed late last year, demand for the Valve Index virtual reality headset skyrocketed. It shot to the top of Steam's best-sellers list, and quickly sold out in every region where it was available. As of right now, it's not officially available to buy until Valve can manufacture more. A new Half-Life is quite literally a system-seller, even when it comes to a $1000 VR platform that also requires a capable PC.

With Half-Life: Alyx just one month away, Valve has acquiesced and admitted that it won't be able to meet demand in time for the game's launch. The most prominent reason? The coronavirus outbreak in Japan.

In a statement to UploadVR, Valve says that more Index systems will be stocked prior to Alyx's launch, but not nearly enough to satisfy demand. Valve explains: "The global coronavirus health crisis has impacted our production schedules so we will have far fewer units for sale during the coming months compared to the volumes we originally planned. Our entire team is working hard right now to maximize availability."

This is hardly the first tech production disruption at the hands of the coronavirus. Considering that China is a manufacturing giant, many products have seen significant shortages due to the epidemic. In video games, both the Switch and Oculus Rift are notable examples of hardware that's in short supply as of late. Add the Valve Index to the list.

I can't say I've ever seen a tactical role-playing game that looks like Othercide.

It's committing hard to its black, white, and red aesthetic, and the subject matter – a war between Daughters, the "echoes of the greatest warrior to ever live," and Others, "dread creatures pulled from the worst of humanity's crimes" – is hard to pin down. It's all very abstract, but it sure is neat.

The cinematic trailer raises more questions than it answers, but the screenshots are more familiar.

Mechanically speaking, battles are turn-based and run on a timeline system. If you play your cards right, it's possible to interrupt attacks and intentionally delay your move to set up a chain, among other tricks. There's also a skill system, "roguelite features" including permadeath, and talk of "limited resources."

"Inevitably, you'll need to make the toughest decision and sacrifice one of your Daughters to heal another – survivors will get stronger, ready to fight the next battle," according to the creator, Lightbulb Crew. The team is looking to "test both your skills and sanity," so it's bound to be nerve-wracking.

I'm not quite sure what to make of Othercide yet, but I like that it's out here doing its own thing. The game is coming to PC, PlayStation 4, and Xbox One this summer from Focus Home Interactive.

Sony is really hammering the themed sales events as of late. There's the Essential Picks sale that just started Wednesday. Before that, there was the Critics' Choice sale and the Remasters and Retro sale -- the latter of which just wrapped up this morning. One sale ends and another begins.

Now, Sony is looking east with the Big in Japan sale. Across PlayStation 4 and PlayStation 3, there are more than 500 discounted games that have their roots in Japan. You've got your Resident Evils and your Devil May Crys, your Metal Gear Solids and your Final Fantasys. If you wanna go deeper, you have your Disgaeas and God Eaters, your Naruto Shippudens and your Senran Kaguras.

However, made in Japan isn't necessarily the theme here. There are a lot of western games that are published by Japanese companies. Series like Just Cause and Life is Strange are both represented because they're Square Enix properties. There's some stuff like that littered about, but it's largely Japanese games.

This sale is too big to list everything, but here are some suggestions to get you started:

Valve is hoping to make up for its Artifact stumble (no joke, I had to Google the name of that game, and I played it!) with Dota Underlords, which is already getting a lot more buzz and has actual support to boot.

Born out of the recent Auto Chess wars, Dota Underlords is the official Auto Battler of Valve, and uses the Dota name as well as its universe. It was previously available in Early Access form with various major updates adding in extra characters and functionality, but come February 25, it'll launch for real.

Valve is planning a full day of Underlords streaming, and although there is a soft reset for ranked play, players will keep their "Major Rank" for standard, duos and knockout play. Five new boards (read: aesthetic battlegrounds that serve as the main source of microtransactions for these games) will be tied to the season/battle pass, and more titles will be granted to beta players.

Along with this full launch and the Steam edition, Valve is also simultaneously porting the game to Android and iOS devices to keep up with the rest of its competition; which is highly targeting mobile players who tend to spend a lot on cosmetics.

Season One is Nigh [Steam]

While many of us are planning to play as much Doom Eternal or Animal Crossing: New Horizons as possible on March 20, 2020, some fans are going to spend the busy day hunting down Mother Demon in Doom 64. Nightdive and id Software's port of the Nintendo 64 game is also launching on March 20, and per a listing on the Nintendo Switch eShop page, it will only cost $4.99. That's a nice surprise!

Of course, if you're pre-ordering Doom Eternal on PC, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, or Nintendo Switch, you'll get a free copy of Doom 64 – for the same platform – as a bonus. But for people like me who want Doom 64 on Switch and Doom Eternal on anything else, the standalone price matters. (It's also worth remembering that, following a delay, Doom Eternal doesn't have a new release date on Switch.)

Just last night, I was debating whether I should buy Doom and Doom II again on Nintendo Switch for no particular reason. I'm still on the fence – I've got too many other games competing for my time right now as it is – but Doom 64? Yeah, I'm gonna want Doom 64, and I'm going to want it on my Switch.

If you saw the classic box art plastered all over but never bothered to buy or rent Doom 64 back in the day, a friendly heads-up: the game is its own thing. The story, levels, sprites, and lighting are new!

It's still crazy to think that those irreverent quiz games I played as a kid, You Don't Know Jack, are back and bigger than ever.

Flipping through Jackbox Party Packs when company is over (whether they dig video games or not) is now a staple in several households I frequent, including my own. Now we'll have a seventh version to add to that lineup.

Announced by way of their official site, Jackbox Games is creating Jackbox Party Pack 7, which is due out later this year. It'll host five games, and will launch on "the same platforms" as Jackbox 6, which includes PC (Steam, Humble, Fanatical, Epic Games), PS4, Xbox One, Switch, iOS, Amazon Fire TV, Comcast XFinity and Android TV. Odds are you have one of those devices!

The developer says this is all the info they're sharing, but will dole out more "in the coming months," which likely translates to which games are returning and being iterated upon, and which games are brand new.

We're making the Jackbox Party Pack 7 [Jackbox Games]

Last year, Sony started to relax its cross-play initiative, seemingly fueled by a meaningless marketing term: "PlayStation is the best place to play." As it turns out PlayStation is a fine place to play, but it would be even greater if you can play with more people: like the PC, Switch and Xbox One platforms already allowed.

Fortnite kicked off that full, actual cross-play trend, and many other games have since followed suit. That list includes PUBG, which is adding a new feature in the mix in addition to that basic cross-play functionality: cross-party play on consoles. So this one is really simple. The friend list on PUBG now supports multiple platforms, so you can actually play with friends directly across, say, Xbox One and PS4. Said list will actually show the platform they play on and will allow you to invite anyone.

PUBG is also getting an 8v8 team deathmatch mode with patch 6.2 (FPP, or, first-person perspective only), as well as sweeping grenade changes (led by 20% less damage with frags to prone players), a rework of the peeking/leaning mechanic, a waypoint feature for the map, a more clear Blue Zone (read: the encroaching, deadly wall that defines battle royale games), and a follow feature for parachuting.

If you're a hardcore player there's a lot more to pore over, but that's the big stuff!

PUBG Update 6.2 [PUBG]

The old-school arcade-heads at Taito have announced that classic shmup collection Darius Cozmic Collection will be available to download on PS4 (via the Japanese PSN store) on March 5.

The Darius Cozmic Collection will be available in two formats - "Arcade" and "Console" - with the former containing several arcade titles from the Darius franchise while the latter concentrates on the home released that were ported to consoles such as the Super Famicom and the PC Engine.

Considerations for the coronavirus have caused another studio to pull out of PAX East.

In addition to Sony, Square Enix's Final Fantasy XIV Japanese team (but not the US team, more on that in a moment) is pulling out of the show entirely due to health concerns. The studio shared their thoughts directly on the official Final Fantasy XIV blog, The Lodestone, citing the outbreak of the virus throughout the East Asia region. According to Square Enix, "This difficult decision was based on our desire to prevent any potential spread of the virus and to prioritize the health and safety of our team and our fans."

As a result, the PAX East festivities for XIV have been "scaled down," and will now pivot to a livestream from Japan (in English and Japanese) on Saturday, February 29 at 8:00PM ET (that's 10:00AM JST on Sunday). There will be no photo opp or autograph sessions or fan gatherings at PAX East, though the booth and demo stations will still be present: just with no dev team members manning it. Several other Square Enix related booths will be manned at the show.

GDC is also seeing its fair share of cancellations, as Sony and Facebook Gaming (Oculus) have pulled out of that show due to "the evolving public health risks." For reference, GDC, EGX Rezzed and SXSW Gaming are set to take place next month. We might be looking at more cancellations as more studios pull out.

SkyBox Labs stylistic platform adventure Stela will be making its way to PC and Nintendo Switch in just a couple of weeks, following on from its October release on the Apple Arcade and Xbox One platforms.

For those of you who missed out, Stela is an abstract adventure which follows a lonely woman's journey through a collapsing fantasy world, filled with surreal, dangerous creatures and bleakly beautiful landscapes. Not dissimilar to titles such as Gris and Limbo, Stela is a disquieting journey, equally creepy and captivating. You can check out CJ Andriessen's review right here.

If you've seen Parasite (which is very easy to do now since it's been re-introduced to a ton of theaters and is out on home video), you probably won't get its mansion out of your mind anytime soon. In case you want to ponder its themes even further in a first-hand investigation sort of way; you can check out this re-creation of the house in The Sims 4.

In a fascinating turn, the video below was created by "simkoongarchitect," an actual architect that tackles various designs (like Arendelle Castle from Frozen) under the title "Real Architect Builds." The clip is a VR tour: so you can click around and interactively check out the house.

If you haven't seen the film I recommend going in completely blind, without knowing anything about the house: so bookmark the video and come back later!

Following on from its previous 2019 delay, THQ Nordic has announced that wild west strategy sequel Desperados III will finally mosey on into town this summer, raising hell in a hand-basket on PS4, PC and Xbox One.

As a quick refresher, Desperados is an old west variant of the classic Commandos series, and tasks players with completing a campaign of challenging missions. each requiring the use of uniquely-skilled characters. This part must work in synergy to complete acts of espionage, robbery, assassination, and sabotage. The first two Desperados games launched on PC in the early '00s, so this sequel, developed by Mimimi Productions, has been a long time coming.

Record of Lodoss War is one of those franchises that's endured and withstood the test of time. Not only does the original anime hold up, but it also pops up every so often in the form of a new game or manga series. Always the fighter, it's getting yet another game, and it'll be playable very soon.

Titled Record of Lodoss War-Deedlit in Wonder Labyrinth-, the Team Ladybug-developed project is set to hit Steam Early Access on March 13, 2020. You'll play as Deedlit, the iconic elf heroine of the series, as you "awaken in a strange, unknown place" and meets "old friends" (main characters from the manga/anime) in an attempt to escape. The "first stage" will be playable in Early Access, with six stages set to accompany the final edition.

Team Ladybug promises an "immersive story" that "fills in blanks left in the original" tale, as well as "diverse stages," and a "wide variety of weapon and spirit abilities." So far, I dig the art style and the move to 2D, which suits this series well. Touhou Luna Nights was also fairly high in quality, so I trust them to some degree to give us something at least worth playing.

Record of Lodoss War [Steam]

If there's one (of many) elements that makes Nintendo's Legend of Zelda series so utterly enduring, it's the games' beautiful scores, which embody the spirit of dangerous adventure without ever losing the natural charm of the Zelda universe and its characters.

Link's Awakening is a perfect case in point, and fans of that particular entry's classic score might want to take a look at this brand new soundtrack set, which is coming to Japan next month.

The Legend of Zelda: Link's Awakening Soundtrack is a smart four-CD set which contains a huge 205 tracks in total, taken from both the 1993 Game Boy release and the 2019 Nintendo Switch remake, with each release receiving two CDs of wonderful, nostalgic music from composers Minako Hamano and Ryo Nagamatsu. The CDs come housed in a sleek collector's box, featuring the Japanese sleeve art for both games.