Destructoid

Where are all my tabletop fiends at? In case you missed it, the Game Manufacturers Association (GAMA) expo just happened mostly online this year (it was held right at the start of the pandemic last year!), and a few announcements have made their way out of the show from various publishers.

Details are very sparse right now, but there's going to be a Sonic the Hedgehog card game coming at some point. The game is literally called "Sonic: The Card Game," and is described as "fast family fun," in a competitive "racing" format involving players collecting "power-ups and rings to win."

Based on the image, it seems like a very pick-up-and-play/simplistic slam-style card game, much like Uno. Don't get too excited! Steamforged is also adding to the Horizon Zero Dawn board game, which will provide Rockbreaker, Stormbird, and Thunderjaw expansions to Kickstarter backers.

Steamforged has handled Monster Hunter World, Devil May Cry, Dark Souls, Pac-Man, Ni No Kuni II, and Resident Evil board game adaptations, so it's no surprise that they were granted access to another big license this year.

GAMA Preview [Steamforged]

It's been nearly eight years since Warframe first arrived on the scene and the game just continues to grow. Not only has developer Digital Extremes added a plethora of new content over the years, but it's also started to go back and revamp old content. We've seen this already with remasters of old tilesets that improve the look of some of the original areas of the game, but today's update is reworking old content in a different way.

The "Corpus Proxima & The New Railjack" update, now available on PC, is reimagining how space battles in the looter shooter work. The Railjack was first added to Warframe in 2019 and has been going through changes since. With today's update, many of the roadblocks keeping players from having a Railjack have been removed. For starters, players will no longer need a Drydock or Dojo to own a Railjack. According to Digital Extremes COO Sheldon Carter, the change came about because of player feedback, saying, "You told us straight up, 'give us more control and streamline the experience' and this update is built with that input in every aspect."

Capcom frequently holds Nintendo-centric sales, especially for titles in the Mega Man universe. But this time around a bunch of other games have tagged along, including games from the Phoenix Wright and Devil May Cry series. Oh, and a few 3DS games as well!

Highlights include Devil May Cry 1 and 3 (it's so weird that they skipped around like that!), and Dragon's Dogma Dark Arisen, which is half of right now ($14.99 instead of $29.99). Okami HD is also a steal at $9.99, as is Onimusha: Warlords for $7.99, which is more than 50% off.

On the 3DS side, pretty much any Phoenix Wright game is safe at under $10, and Monster Hunter 3 Ultimate/4 Ultimate/Generations are on sale at over 50% off. There's also a few really old and in the former case, rough 3DS games thrown in for good measure from 2011, including RE: Mercenaries 3D and Super Street Fighter IV 3D Edition.

It's a decent chunk of stuff to choose from! The sale runs from now through March 31 at 11:59AM PT.

Sales and Deals [Nintendo]

Cyberpunk 2077 has only gotten a handful of patches, and it still needs plenty of fixing.

Patch 1.2 is here, but it's being delivered in a quirky role-playing format! CD Projekt Red is getting a bit weird this time around, providing notes in-character in the form of Night City (N54) news, with developer commentary. If you're just looking for raw patch notes and want to avoid all the convoluted bits, we got you covered. Check them out below, all of which are delivered in an accompanying video format.

So what are the gists? NPCs, specifically police, are being adjusted to prevent weird spawning issues, and recon drones will make police feel more thematic as a whole and the world look less lifeless. Driving is also overhauled, and you can now adjust steering sensitivity with an in-game option. You can also use a new unstuck feature to rock vehicles out of glitchy areas (seems kinda stopgap, but hey!).

You can also more easily adjust keyboard controls, most notably dodging on double-tapping, which can be turned off. You have to give it to CD Projekt Red for trying, but for many, it's too little, too late.

Patch 1.2 Development Insight [CD Projekt Red]

The longer Gotham Knights simmers in my mind, the more I actively want to play it. I have reservations, sure – can WB Games Montréal really juggle co-op and character progression and everything else at this scale? – but even if the game ultimately falls short of the Arkham legacy, I'm very much in.

That said, a lot could change in a year. Chris sent me a vague Slack message this morning about "Gotham," and in my pre-coffee funk, I could only assume he was talking about this. For once, he wasn't!

pic.twitter.com/O1U4T0gK3u

— Gotham Knights (@GothamKnights) March 19, 2021

In a short and not-so-sweet tweet, WB Games Montréal said that it needs "more time to deliver the best possible experience for players," and as such, Gotham Knights has been delayed out of 2021.

If you need it, a refresher on Gotham Knights' "open-world city with drop-in co-op" structure:

And a gentle nudge that, last we heard, it will be playable offline in single-player.

Marketers and merch-makers continue to announce special commemorative items to celebrate the 30th anniversary of Sega's legendary mascot, Sonic the Hedgehog. Being added to the plush toys, card games, and LEGO sets is a special anniversary comic book, arriving in stores just in time for Free Comic Book Day, which this year will take place August 14.

The Sonic the Hedgehog 30th Anniversary Special - published by IDW - will launch with four cover variants, and will feature three stories packed into its 80 pages. The stories are "Dr. Eggman's Birthday," "Season of Chaos," and the amusingly titled "Sonic Learns to Drive," the latter of which will be penned and illustrated by The Adventure Zone's McElroy Brothers. A hardback edition of this special issue - complete with an extra story and other bonus content - will launch October 5, priced at $19.99.

IDW also announced that it will begin releasing compilations of its previous Sonic the Hedgehog comics from June 22. Retailing for $59.99 Sonic the Hedgehog - The IDW Collection Vol. 1 will include issues #1-12 of IDW's original 2018 run with The Blue Blur, with further volumes expected in the future. This is an excellent opportunity for fans who missed out on Sonic and pals' comic-book exploits to bag the whole series in a princely collection of hardbacks.

I got every single Bunny Day bonus last year in Animal Crossing: New Horizons, and I vowed to never do it again. I'm keeping that vow as Bunny Day enters the fray yet again in 2021.

Version 1.9.0 has been released for Animal Crossing: New Horizons, and it's bringing back a major event for one of the first times in the history of this iteration. Yep, New Horizons is turning one year old this weekend, and now we're at the point where Nintendo can just bring back stuff and have it feel fresh again.

For all the non-Bunny Day-celebrating folks out there, new mile redemption options are at the Nook Stop, as well as limited-run seasonal items. Fixes are also in tow, including a long-lingering bug that involved the wand (that was as old as July 30, 2020), and a problem with digging mechanics.

Another big aspect of the patch is prep-work for the Sanrio amiibo cards, which are being released exclusively in the US at Target on March 26. In a nightmare situation for collectors, pre-orders aren't up yet. Good luck!

Version 1.9.0 [Nintendo]

In annoying but not particularly surprising news, ZA/UM's upcoming release Disco Elysium: The Final Cut has been refused classification in Australia, effectively "banning" the twisted graphic adventure from sale within continental borders. The new release will therefore not be making its console debut in that territory on PS4 and PS5 on March 30.

The Australian Classification Board stamped Disco Elysium: The Final Cut with an "RC" or "Refused Classification" rating yesterday, March 18. Disco Elysium's listing on the ratings board's official website reads as follows:

"The computer game is classified RC in accordance with the National Classification Code, Computer Games Table as computer games that 'depict, express or otherwise deal with matters of sex, drug misuse or addiction, crime, cruelty, violence or revolting or abhorrent phenomena in such a way that they offend against the standards of morality, decency and propriety generally accepted by reasonable adults to the extent that they should not be classified.'"

Just yesterday, we learned that Marvel's Avengers will be welcoming Black Panther into the fray "later this year." But what about Spider-Man, the still PlayStation exclusive hero? Later...than later, apparently.

Speaking to IGN, Scot Amos, Crystal Dynamics' head of studio, noted that "formally, officially, people are working on him right now." However, there is a faint hint as to when that might be. He is coming "after Black Panther," which is listed in the "beyond" section of the "summer and beyond" point of the roadmap.

This comes after the news that Spider-Man is not even on the official content roadmap at all for 2021. Given that folks are "working on him right now," that isn't great news that he'll even hit that "later than later than" target. Marvel's Avengers is still struggling to acquire new players and keep the audience it has, and the slowish roadmap for new characters isn't helping much.

It makes sense that development is constrained right now, and not every studio has unlimited resources; but the rollout and messaging for this game has been all over the place. It could have been nipped in every avenue, but the drip-fed nature and release schedule of new heroes (two of which were archers named Hawkeye in the opening salvo), isn't helping things.

Marvel's Avengers: Spider-Man Being Developed, But Not Coming Before Black Panther [IGN]

In today's contest you can win an iPhone 12 Pro and in-game prizes for Cobra Kai: Card Fighter!

Hey, so this is a new one! I'm used to giving out game keys, in-game contest, and even consoles, but this is my first time giving away a phone! I mean, a phone technically is a console, right?

Cobra Kai: Card Fighter hits Google Play and the App Store tomorrow, and to celebrate, the team over at Boss Team Games (responsible for the upcoming Evil Dead: The Game!) wants to give away a brand new iPhone 12 Pro! I'll just sit over here all jealous with my four year old Galaxy S8 while y'all enjoy your new toys.

Capcom has released two brand new skins as DLC for its flagship scrapper Street Fighter V: Champion Edition. Both outfits belong to slick-kickin' antagonist Juri Han, chosen as the winning entries in a costume-designing contest held by the publisher back in 2020. The outfits are available for a couple of bucks each, or are included in the latest Premium Pass.

The Street Fighter community, jam-packed with talented artists, came through with an amazing collection of costumes for a variety of SFV's World Warriors. When the finalists were put to a public vote, however, the #JuriFeet army came out en masse, and both winning entries now hang in the Korean assassin's wardrobe. Admittedly, it would have offered more variety to incorporate a "one finalist per character" ruling, especially given how awesome some of the other entries were. But what's done is done.

For this week's giveaway, the Epic Games Store is handing out The Fall, a sci-fi adventure game about an advanced AI that has taken control of a combat suit after its pilot crash lands on an alien planet.

It's an older release – the original PC version of The Fall launched in May 2014 – but it is still remembered for its story and atmosphere. Even if the "side-scrolling shooter" screenshots put you off a bit from the puzzle-adventuring, it's worth a look. Doubly so when we're talking about a free promo.

If you're intrigued, we've got a review in the archives. The deal lasts until March 25.

I'll also need to set a reminder for Creature in the Well next week. The pinball-esque dungeon-crawler has been on my mind ever since I heard about Flight School Studio's next project, Stonefly, and I feel like I ought to play it. The inventive action game will be free on the Epic Store from March 25 to April 1.

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Ubisoft's Rainbow Six Siege has lit the fuse on its sixth year of content, with its newest season, Operation Crimson Heist, now live on PS4, PS5, PC, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X. The event sees the arrival of a brand new operator, as well as the addition of several new weapons and features in the immensely popular tactical multiplayer shooter.

Operation Crimson Heist welcomes Argentinian inventor Santiago "Flores" Lucero to the fold as a new attacker, bringing with him charm, wit, and a collection of highly explosive remote control drones - the "Ratero." Flores will be using all of his cunning and guile, earned during his dubious former life cat-burglar, to help his squad-mates with infiltration, recon, and the disturbance of even the most fortified locations. You can read more about this debonair and highly intelligent fellow in our previous report.

We're early enough into 2021 that I'm not burned out on video game news streams, but I'm bracing for impact. You thought last summer's events were too drawn-out? Here, how about a Spring Game Fest.

I'm kidding – kind of. But digital showcases have become second nature for many publishers. Next on the docket, we've got an indie-game-centric stream from Xbox on Friday, March 26 at 9:00 a.m. Pacific.

The ID&Xbox event is a collaboration with Twitch, and it'll feature "new trailers and gameplay for more than 25 games," including known-ish quantities like The Ascent and mystery projects from studios like DrinkBox. I've been dying to see what the team has been up to since Guacamelee 2. Annapurna Interactive, Devolver Digital, Team17, Humble Bundle, and Raw Fury are also on the presenter list.

[Update: While the original announcement for the event mentioned S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2, GSC has since re-calibrated expectations. There won't be a big new trailer, after all – but there's some new artwork.]

Between the game reveals, new trailers, and Xbox Game Pass announcements – to say nothing of developer interviews with "community favorite Twitch streamers" – it sounds like a busy event

You'll be able to watch the show on Twitch. It's gonna be a two-coffee morning for me.

After a particularly rough 2020, the annual fighting game tournament Evo is still hanging in there, in part, due to Sony Interactive Entertainment. Your eyes aren't playing tricks: Sony has "jointly" acquired Evo in a partnership with RTS, "a new venture born out of Endeavor's esports business."

The surprising news was shared on Twitter to the wider fighting game community this afternoon by PlayStation and Tony and Tom Cannon, the co-founders of Evo, who will stay on as "key advisors."

In a message to the community, the Cannon brothers acknowledged not just the pandemic's impact on the long-running event, but also "the circumstances surrounding the cancellation of Evo Online involving a former team member [Joey Cuellar] who has been completely separated from our company."

"We want to reaffirm that harassment or abuse of any kind has no place within Evo or any of our future events, and we're taking every precaution to make sure members of our community will always be treated with the respect, dignity, and decency you deserve," reads the letter.

Developer Raven Software has announced that it has purged Call of Duty: Warzone of a further 30,000 players on the grounds of cheating and/or hacking. The popular battle royale title is awash with foul play, and both Raven and Activision have stated that they are committed to the uphill battle of keeping Verdansk even relatively free of shenanigans.

This newest wave of bans sees a total of 100,000 players pruned from Call of Duty: Warzone so far in 2021. Of course, the free-to-play title is one of the most popular shooters on the market, with a playerbase of millions. As such - while the removal of every cheater or hacked account is to be praised by the community - it's a drop in the ocean compared to the rule-breakers who remain, not to mention those who simply rejoin under a proxy account.

In related news, two further Warzone cheaters were singled out and removed by one of Call of Duty's own. Alex Zedra, the streamer/model who portrays character "Mara" in the military shooter's universe, spotted some sketchy behavior from a couple who were both using in-game hacks while streaming. With the merciless nature befitting of a Warcom operator, Zedra sent word through to Twitch, an action that would eventually see both players suspended.

Cheating, particularly in FPS titles, is as old as the genre itself, and unfortunately very much "goes with the territory." Regardless, it's good to see developers at least make some effort to remove those who are spoiling the enjoyment of others. Ultimately, as long as there are video games, there will be cheating - some people simply have to win. But watch your step in Warzone, or you might even find yourself in Mara's crosshairs.

Did you miss that there are multiple Final Fantasy VII projects in the works...again?! It...begins!

The one in question here is Ever Crisis, which is a mobile game developed by Applibot, and will be a "reimagining" of the original in "monthly" episode form. Now, thanks to a new Famitsu interview with Tetsuya Nomura, we know that it's free, and will "try" to stick to 10 chapters.

Nomura explains that the party will get out of Midgar "in chapter three," leaving plenty of room to revisit the rest of the world of the game. But there's also "completely new, original" content, including a story team-up with The First Soldier (which is 30 years in the past, dealing with the founding of the SOLDIER organization).

It'll also have an original soundtrack that is based on the source material (neat), and will not function as a "replacement" for the remake project, but a "casual" version of it. In terms of monetization, chapters will be free, but it will be a loot box-based game, with boxes "containing random weapons." Nomura says that some weapons will also include "new costumes," which is exactly how they're going to get hardcore fans with the FOMO gacha system.

Are you ready for a ton of Final Fantasy VII media? I lived through it once before, and survived!

Bandai Namco has released a mecha-load of exciting information concerning its dynamic-looking action-RPG Scarlet Nexus. The post-apocalyptic anime adventure will come exploding onto PS4, PS5, PC, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X on western shores June 25, a mere day after its Japanese release.

First revealed back during last summer's Inside Xbox stream, before being showcased in December's Game Awards, Scarlet Nexus is set in a future completely engulfed by technology, where mankind has learned to harness the psychic powers of the human mind, evolving humanity far beyond its means. Unfortunately, this outpouring of mental energy has drawn in a species of mind-eating mutants, "The Others." who are attacking Earth in the hopes of devouring our all-powerful brains.

Of course, once man learned how to harness psychic power, he immediately weaponized it, resulting in the creation of The OSF (Other Suppression Force), a tactical military unit trained in the synergy of mind and machine to defeat the invaders. Scarlet Nexus will tell the story of one such battle unit's war to save the city from legions of truly grotesque, spine-shivering creatures from your darkest imagination.

It's the 25th anniversary of Tomb Raider this year, and to celebrate, Square Enix is releasing a trilogy collection where the earliest release is from 2013. Oh, and Lara croft is also in Fortnite, too.

It's called the Tomb Raider: Definitive Survivor Trilogy, and includes the 2013 Tomb Raider, Rise of the Tomb Raider, and Shadow of the Tomb Raider: that's a whole lotta Lara Croft! It's technically a $59.99 release, but it's on sale now for $20 if you grab it in the next two weeks (read: until April 2). The "Definitive" moniker refers to containing all pertinent updates and DLC for all three games.

Note that you can also buy the games piecemeal, if that's what you want. The 2013 reboot is a really respectable $2.99, Rise is $5.99 for the "20 Year Celebration" version, and Shadow is $14.99, which is nearly the price of the whole compilation on sale.

I can safely recommend them all in that one bundle at that price if you're prone to Tomb Raider shenanigans. They each have their merits, and although they don't redefine the action adventure genre in any major way, they're fun little tales, and a great way to reintroduce Lara Croft to the world.

You can grab the Xbox edition here.

And the PlayStation version here.

It's still hard to believe that Final Fantasy VII Remake has an upgrade...DLC...thing.

It's...kind of weird to me! To see a modern re-release of an old Final Fantasy game get a story extension, but the series is known for DLC now; that's just the way it is. Well, thanks to a new Famitsu interview, we've learned that it wasn't necessarily the intent for this to happen, and it may not happen again for the foreseeable future.

Speaking to the outlet, Tetsuya Nomura, who is one of several directors for the Intergrade project (but not for Part 2), notes that "Due to the nature of the upgrade system, it resulted in us having to label the new Yuffie sections as ‘downloadable content.’ However, the original intent was to create a PS5 version of Final Fantasy VII Remake and not to produce downloadable content. Accordingly, we do not have any plans for downloadable content at this time."

Nomura says they are "prioritizing the roadmap for completing the next game," and to never say never, and that although DLC isn't planned, it could come after the second part is finished. As for more details on Yuffie's story, there are several control modes (you can have Sonon, your companion, "act independently," or one where he mimics your commands). You can also "press L2 to switch between combo modes."

Oh, and Yuffie will have "new materia and summons." Remember, we also already know that it's two chapters. It sounds like a fully fledged adventure!

During the Square Enix Presents showcase, we got a peek at Black Panther and Wakanda in Marvel's Avengers. It's hard to get excited about a nebulous "later this year" release window, but it's something.

The War for Wakanda expansion will unsurprisingly add Klaw, "new enemies," and a jungle biome in which to endlessly fight them. It's a long time coming for Black Panther as a playable hero in Marvel's Avengers, and at this point, with the way this game's rollout has gone, I'm glad he's still coming.

Maybe the PS5 and Xbox Series X/S versions will magically turn things around? Anyone?

The Square Enix Presents showcase had a last-minute surprise: Project Athia! Or should I say Forspoken? The fast-moving magical action-adventure game from Luminous Productions has a real name now, and we got a proper look at its protagonist, Frey Holland, in a new trailer.

Somewhat surprisingly, Square Enix describes the game as a "narrative-driven adventure." The game is set in the world of Athia (hence the working title), and Frey is played by Ella Balinska (Charlie's Angels).

Do I want to leap up mountains and cast spells on nightmare bears? Absolutely. I'm in.

Dontnod's original supernatural adventure Life is Strange is getting a remaster this fall alongside Life is Strange: Before the Storm. If you've been looking for a reason to revisit Arcadia Bay, this is it.

The remastered versions will be bundled together in Life is Strange Remastered Collection, which you'll be able to pick up standalone or in the Ultimate Edition version of Life is Strange: True Colors. Platform-wise, we're looking at PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, and Stadia. No Switch version, it seems.

What's different? Deck Nine has "refined" the puzzles, reworked character animations with "full facial mocap," improved the visual fidelity for characters and environments, and upgraded the "engine and lighting." You're also getting the standalone bonus episode, Farewell, packed in.

As fate would have it, I just started replaying Life is Strange a couple of months ago – but I only finished the first episode before I got distracted by other games. Things worked out! No rewind necessary.

During this morning's Square Enix Presents spring showcase, we got our first (official) look at Life is Strange: True Colors, a new adventure-with-a-twist from Life is Strange: Before the Storm developer Deck Nine. It's launching on September 10 for PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, and Stadia.

Unlike past games, this is an all-at-once dealio. It's not an episodic format.

The new lead, Alex Chen, has psychic empathy: she can "experience, absorb, and manipulate the strong emotions of others, which she sees as blazing, colored auras." Alex will need to use her supernatural power to figure out what really happened to her brother, Gabe, during his "accidental" death.

The setting, the mountain town of Haven Springs, looks cozy. And the soundtrack for True Colors is a focal point, as you'd hope and expect. The game will feature "extensive" licensed tracks from the likes of Radiohead, Phoebe Bridgers, and other acts, as well as new music from Novo Amor and mxmtoon.

Square Enix is juggling a lot of properties to varying degrees of success, but when it comes to Life is Strange, I'm just generally happy to see the series continue to branch out. It's a special one. That said, for some fans who were enamored with Chloe and Max, the original game is still a tough act to follow.

Square Enix is hosting a digital event today at 10:00 a.m. Pacific, and running down the list of news on-deck, Life is Strange is the headliner – but that's just me. Maybe you unexpectedly adore Outriders, you're clinging onto Avengers, or you have a great feeling about Tomb Raider's 25th anniversary.

If you don't want to watch on YouTube, you can also catch the show on Twitch.

After some decent highs and horrible lows last year during the endless summer of video game news streams, I don't know what to expect from Square Enix Presents. I just know that the first 30 seconds or so will set the tone. I'm contractually obligated to stick with it, but you? You can bounce whenever.

At a minimum, we'll learn more about Life is Strange, Outriders, Balan Wonderworld (godspeed), Tomb Raider, Marvel's Avengers, Just Cause Mobile, other mobile games, and some "delightful" Taito titles.

The Square Enix Presents showcase for Spring 2021 is expected to last around 40 minutes. That's a lotta time for Takes. You might want to pace yourself, though – it's going to be another long year.

[Update: It's over! Here are the major announcements from the show:

[Update: Following yesterday's leak, Focus Home Interactive announced Necromunda: Hired Gun for PC (Steam and Epic), PS4, PS5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S. It's not going to be for everyone, but I'm on-board – it looks fast. And the store page had the date right. Hired Gun is coming out on June 1, 2021.]

There are arguably too many Games Workshop-based video games vying for our attention, but when so many ideas are thrown at the wall, some of them are bound to stick. Streum On Studio, the team behind E.Y.E. and Space Hulk: Deathwing, is back with a first-person shooter called Necromunda: Hired Gun.

I don't always like to bring up Microsoft Store leaks – sometimes, the store pages are too sparse or the games are too uninteresting for me to justify coverage – but that's decidedly not the case here.

This game looks sick as hell. You can take on bounties as a merc with a Cyber-Mastiff by your side.

Spring is in the air, and there's perhaps no video game that enjoys the changing of the season more than Nintendo's Fire Emblem Heroes. To that end, the mobile battler has launched its newest summoning event, bringing the spirit of funny bunnies to a selection of characters from its huge roster.

The new event sees lop-ears and fluffy tails adorning Fire Emblem Awakenings' hot-blooded Severa and handsome archer (does Fire Emblem have any un-handsome archers?) Inigo. Also joining the festivities are veteran franchise character Minerva, as well as The Sacred Stones' dragon gal Myrrh, accompanied by her equally scaly pal, Nah. Don't they all look totes adorbs?

Of course, the new summoning event will also see the coming of a brand new paralogue chapter. Titled "Wilfull Rabbits," the mini-adventure sees our batch of bunnies hopping into a lavish spring parade, filled with color, wonderment, and brutal, weapon-based combat. The new summoning event is now live in Fire Emblem Heroes on both iOS and Android.

It's re-release day again on the eShop!

Plants vs. Zombies: Battle for Neighborville is one of the big headliners, as the little online shooter that could is finally arriving on Switch. It's technically the "Complete Edition," and hits the eShop tomorrow.

Overcooked: All You Can Eat is huge too, as it rebrands both games into one package, and either of them is worth the price of entry that the All You Can Eat bundle includes. Tales from the Borderlands is a welcome trip down memory lane too.

Finally, Story of Seasons: Pioneers of Olive Town is out on March 23 as another fairly marquee Switch release. Here's the rest!

Sony has offered PlayStation fans a first look at its incoming VR controllers, which are currently in development for use with the company's new PlayStation 5 hardware in the future. The headset itself, however, remains a closely guarded secret for now.

"Our new VR controller speaks to our mission of achieving a much deeper sense of presence and stronger feeling of immersion in VR experiences," said Sony Senior VP Hideaki Nishino on PlayStation Blog. "It will build upon the innovation we introduced with the DualSense wireless controller, which changed how games 'feel' on PS5 by unlocking a new way to tap into the sense of touch. Now we’re bringing that innovation to VR gaming."

Super Nintendo World is officially open for business, and man, is it making an impact on people.

Between the little thematic "activities" to do around the park, the Power-Up Bands that double as amiibo, the cool looking food, and the three rides for folks of all ages, I've seen so many "I wish I lived in Japan" comments these past few weeks. For many people, it's a magical place come to life.

But it might get a little more magical. As reported by VGC, there's a mysterious door that leads to...nothing. But doesn't it look so obviously Donkey Kong themed? Yeah, everyone else thinks so!

Amid rumors of a potential Donkey Kong expansion, some users have taken to Twitter to provide an aerial look at the zone in which the door inhabits, which certainly allows for a proper expansion. Late last year, the official Universal app was also datamined, which confirmed the existence of Donkey Kong content. Coincidence? I think not!

Hopefully once the park concept comes to the west, they'll build the whole thing, expansions and all. I don't think a lot of people are going to be able to wait as-is!

Japan’s Super Nintendo World is already hinting at its Donkey Kong expansion [VGC]

[Update: So it seems as if NieR: Automata's PC version is different from the Steam iteration, which has given many people issues. The PC for Game Pass port is the "Become as Gods Edition," which is reportedly more stable.

It's a very strange situation because the Steam port is still broken some folks, yet this special Game Pass version has sidled in with a better, more stable build. If Steam was giving you issues, you have another option.]

Microsoft is ready to share a few new Xbox Game Pass titles today, and it's quite the list!

As we knew, Outriders and Undertale are coming to the service, but there's several other big names too. Empire of Sin is already making its way to Xbox Game Pass, just several months after launch. NieR: Automata is another heavy-hitter too, as it will be available on the PC arm of Game Pass. It's one of the many evergreen titles that will give Game Pass value as long as it's on the service.

Octopath Traveler is another welcome title, which will be arriving on both consoles and PC on March 25! Add in Yakuza 6 and Star Wars: Squadrons, and you got a stew going.

It must have been at least a week since I last told you all how much I'm looking forward to Housemarque's bullet-hell, third-person roguelike Returnal. So it's a good job the Resogun dev released a new trailer so I can remind you: I'm really looking forward to Housemarque's bullet-hell third-person roguelike Returnal.

And that repetition is fitting, as Returnal itself will see brave intergalactic explorer Selene forced to relive an onslaught of epic and brutal encounters again and again, having crash-landed on a mysterious planet and found herself locked into some sort of time-loop. As the new trailer below demonstrates, there's definitely more going on than meets the eye, as not only will Selene engage in pulse-pounding combat with an army of grim extra-terrestrials, she will also - somehow - find herself coming face-to-face with her own realized memories.

[Update: Nintendo now has an official landing page that is ready to usher Super Mario 3D All-Stars out, and let us know they mean business. They remind us: "If you’ve already purchased the digital version, you’ll still be able to play the game after March 31st. Even if you remove the game from your system, you’ll still be able to re-download any time."]

So the time is quickly approaching for the end of Mario's 35th anniversary. Wait, an end? Yes, doomsday.

But there's a chance that Nintendo will have a change of heart last minute, right?! I mean, Jump Rope Challenge got a zero hour reprieve! Well, maybe! Never say never. But as of March 1, 2021 (today), Nintendo isn't budging.

Square Enix has announced a new event - set to take place later this month - which will see upcoming remake NieR: Replicant crossover with the phenomenally popular mobile title NieR: Reincarnation.

As reported by GameWith, (with translation from Siliconera), the event will see NieR Replicant protagonists Nier, Kainé, and Emil venture into the bleak-yet-serene world of "The Cage," where they will no doubt encounter NieR Reincarnation's own protagonist "White Girl," accompanied by her ghostly sidekick, Mama. The event, which is being held to celebrate the upcoming launch of NieR Replicant, will offer NieR Reincarnation players the opportunity to bag exclusive themed items and login bonuses.

NieR Reincarnation has taken Japan by storm, having been downloaded over 10 million times since its launch a mere month ago. The free-to-play gacha title is currently in the process of being localized for a western release, and is expected to hit these shores at some point later this year. In the meantime, NieR Replicant will launch on PS4, PC, and Xbox One April 23.

Yesterday was a day of highs and lows for developer miHiYo. The day started out very positively with the launch of the long-awaited Version 1.4 of its money-printing gacha title Genshin Impact, but this release was also followed by the news that a chunk of content from its next major update had already up and leaked onto the information superhighway.

As these things are wont to do, the information was supposedly scored by savvy players via datamining, before quickly making its way throughout the internet via social media. The info supposedly authenticates the arrival of two new characters, as well as several other tidbits of information. miHiYo has released an official statement asking players not to spread the impromptu news.

"Recently, we discovered the dissemination of leaked version 1.5. content. Such behavior not only disrupts our plans to develop and promote the new version, but also causes some Travelers to have misconceptions about the content of the new version." said the developer on Twitter. "Here, we kindly ask for the support and help of all Travelers to resist leaks, and maintain a fair gaming environment. We will also increase our efforts to deal with such illegal disclosures."

Genshin Impact's Version 1.4 update, now live on all platforms, brings with it the new character Sister Rosaria as well as a fun spring event - The Windblume Festival - and new quests, gear, recipes, login bonuses, rewards, and side-features. You can read all about it in the official patch notes.

In today's contest you can win a brand new Xbox Series X, courtesy of Dungeon Defenders: Awakened!

I'd say the worst part of my job here is that I give away all sorts of cool stuff, but can't actually win any of it, myself. Case in point; I don't have an Xbox Series X. Today I'm giving one away. All my blood, sweat, and tears results in you winning a brand new next-gen console!

Isn't that kinda messed up? I want to play Dungeon Defenders: Awakened. But I can't. Well, at least you can if you win this Xbox.

Don't pack up your PlayStation VR for good just yet – there are a handful of new games coming to the platform in 2021, and one of them, Puzzling Places, is a 3D jigsaw puzzle game. Some might scoff, but I genuinely love that idea, I can already picture myself getting cozy with the PS4 version this winter.

Instead of grabbing flat puzzle pieces, inspecting them up close, and finding their rightful home on a board, in Puzzling Places, you get to construct "3D scans of interesting places from around the globe."

If I were allowed to upload audio recordings in my articles, you'd hear a distinct gulp. Assembling detailed photogrammetry models, one chunk at a time – in VR – sounds tricky. But watching the gameplay footage in the trailer and clips on the PlayStation Blog, it seems surprisingly doable.

"Each puzzle will also have multiple difficulty variants, so you have the choice if you just want to jump in for a quick 50-piece session or want to dive deep into the puzzle flow, challenging yourself with hundreds of pieces that could take a few days to finish," said Realities.io co-founder Daniel Sproll.

Better yet, you can try the beta now if you have an Oculus Quest or Quest 2. Imagine if this had co-op!

After a longer-than-expected rollout, Xbox Game Pass subscribers on PC will soon be able to play a bunch of EA-published games at no extra cost – including Star Wars: Squadrons. Game Pass and EA Play are bundling up. While that already happened on Xbox consoles, the PC side of things has been weirdly slow-going. The official start date? March 18 at 2:00 p.m. Pacific. Hey, that's tomorrow!

If you aren't sure where to start with this stuff, there's a minor hassle involved before you can access your free-with-a-membership games. You'll have to download the EA Desktop app, log in with a current or newly-created EA Account, and link it with your Xbox account. I know, I know. Too many steps.

That said, the actual process is pretty straightforward: just try to install an EA Play game through the Xbox app on PC and the system will point you in the right direction as far as the EA app is concerned.

It's also worth mentioning that you don't need to "sign up" for EA Play. It's an automatic perk.

You can find an up-to-date list of included EA Play games over here; highlights include Jedi: Fallen Order, Titanfall 2, A Way Out, Unravel Two, Spore, and 10-hour new game trials (click "See Games" in the Xbox app). All told, there's 60-plus PC games. Many aren't what you'd consider "recent," but they hold up fine.

If you have Xbox Game Pass for PC or Xbox Game Pass Ultimate, knock yourself out. I've said it before, but more often than not, "renting" EA games is my preferred method. Game Pass makes it easy.

In an interesting turn of events, Insomniac Games' pseudo-sequel Spider-Man: Miles Morales has clambered to the top of the UK Charts, just over four months after its initial November 2020 release.

Miles Morales' belated arrival at the No.1 position comes after the UK received a major restock of PS5 releases, with the next-gen version of the open-world adventure accounting for 90% of all Spider-Man sales over the past week. As reported by GamesIndustry.biz, even if you discounted PS4 sales, our boy Morales would still have found himself in the top spot, usurping Nintendo's Super Mario 3D World + Bowser's Fury after one full month in the premier position.

[Update: Techland's March status update for Dying Light 2 showed a few gameplay snippets, an unnecessary Mean Tweets-style bit, and a notice to "stay tuned" with a "2021" closer – you good?

"This is a huge and complex project, and we needed time to make sure it will live up to our vision," the team said in the video. "All of us here are putting our hearts into delivering a game that you will keep playing for months. We will be ready to start talking about Dying Light 2 very very soon."

It's tough to believe that release window will stick, but we'll see.]

Techland is finally ready to offer new information on the development of Dying Light 2. The developer will release an update pertaining to the long-in-limbo sequel on Wednesday, March 17, giving patient fans a little more insight into the current state-of-play regarding the survival-horror release. The new info will be first announced via the official Dying Light Discord channel.

In a follow-up to Techland's update announcement on Twitter, the developer admitted that it had jumped the gun on Dying Light 2's reveal, which took place way back at E3 2018. However, Techland said that production has been continuously moving forward since the initial reveal, and as such the sequel was not in any form of "development hell."