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Delisted horror title Devotion is back on the market, some two years following its initial release, after Taiwanese developer Red Candle Games opened its own store in order to sell the creepy adventure game directly to anybody who wishes to purchase it.

Originally launching in February 2019, Devotion was pulled from the Steam platform following a massive surge of negative reviews after a talisman was discovered in-game openly criticizing Chinese President Xi Jinping. Red Candle removed Devotion from sale, claiming that the offending message was a placeholder, never intended to ship in the finished product. But egos had already been damaged and, ultimately, Devotion would not return to the Steam store. In completely unrelated events, Devotion publisher Indievent had its business license revoked by China later that year.

The situation would then go quiet until December 2020,  when publisher GOG.com announced on Twitter that it was preparing to carry Devotion on its retail store. GOG would do a complete u-turn mere hours later, refusing to release the game "after receiving many messages from gamers." Clearly, Red Candle Games has decided that the only course of action - some two years later - is to step up and sell the controversial title directly to players.

Bungie has been having an issue with Trials of Osiris, one of its high-level premiere PVP events (alongside of Iron Banner) ever since it debuted in Destiny 2 last year.

Like many things Bungie, the team can't really figure out how to balance the mode's bugs, as well as player exploits. It's a balancing act for sure, but it's tough for Bungie to keep Trials up for extended periods of time at any rate.

What was the issue? Well last week, "fireteam rejoin functionality" was acting up, amid "win trading," which lets players earn high-end Trials gear. The short of  it is that Trials is that it's intended as a "win repeatedly or you're out" sort of high stakes deal, with the victors earning their right to see a special in-game area through "flawless" runs.

Instead of doing that, some folks are trading wins to guarantee victory. Right now the plan is to disable Trials again until March 23, at which point a decision will be made. Either way, folks won't "miss" rewards, as per Bungie, during this craziness.

Cheating and exploits have always been huge problems for the Destiny series, thanks to some spaghetti code in many respects and a lack of proper anti-cheat software. Instead of really giving a lot of these facets the love and care they need, Bungie is keen to take the "band-aid" approach to a lot of this; resulting in situations like this past week. It's becoming increasingly difficult to predict when they'll actually figure this all out. Some of us have been waiting nearly seven years.

Bungie [Twitter]

Hi there! My name is Noelle and I'm the new Features Editor here at Destructoid. I'm a cat mom, dancer, and K-pop fan (I'm particularly into girl groups like Blackpink, Twice, ITZY, and LOONA). But we all know what I'm really here for: video games.

My love of games has been lifelong, but I didn't really fall back into them wholeheartedly until a few years ago. It starts back in the days of 3D Pinball Space Cadet when we had the aptly named "Computer Room" in our family home, and through to the graduation up to various handheld consoles, a PS2, and an Xbox 360 in my pre-teen years.

However, around the time I hit middle school, I set games on the backburner to follow my love of books, and dove deep into a love of literary storytelling (much to the excitement of my mom, a third-generation English teacher). In college, I majored in Classic Literature, and planned to pursue a master's degree in that field as well -- that was until a friend sat me down and had me play The Last of Us. I was immediately floored by Naughty Dog's 2013 masterpiece of cinematic interactive narrative, which is really an all-but-perfect character study disguised as apocalypse genre fiction.

From that moment on, all I could think about was how games are paving their way as a new storytelling medium, and I knew I had to be a part of it. I dug into researching narrative design, the history of storytelling in games, and how they're evolving to tell better and better stories year after year. I even gave a TEDx talk about it at my university. Unsurprisingly, all of my current favorite games focus a lot on narrative, like Disco Elysium, Kentucky Route Zero, and Hades.

I'm going to cover this news even though they didn't include Leona in the promotional shot. Harumph.

SNK has released Neo Geo Pocket Color Selection Vol. 1 on Nintendo Switch. The retro compilation is now available to download from the Nintendo eShop for around $40, which is less than these titles would cost you if you picked them up today in their original form.

The compilation brings together great titles from SNK excellent but ill-fated handheld from the early '00s. Included in the package are the previously released Samurai Shodown! 2, King of Fighters R-2, SNK Gals' Fighters, Fatal Fury: First Contact, The Last Blade: Beyond the Destiny, and the brilliant SNK vs Capcom: Match of the Millennium. New to this compilation are cutesy golf sim Big Tournament Golf, RPG Dark Arms: Beast Buster, and both Metal Slug: 1st Mission and Metal Slug: 2nd Mission.

It's time for a really simple PSA post. Don't get too excited! It is dealing with Switch Online after all; one of the least flashy online services (you get what you pay for!).

As of now until May 10 at 11:59PM PT (so specific!), Nintendo is running a promotion that grants you extra Gold Points (read: gold can be redeemed on the eShop as cash) for Switch Online subscriptions. Specifically, 12-month plans.

If you get an individual membership, it's $19.99, and you'll be granted 200 Gold Points. If you're aiming for a 12-month family membership, that's $34.99, and 350 Gold Points. As a reminder, Gold Points roughly equate to one cent per one gold.

Normally, you earn them through buying digital stuff (which nets you 5% back), or physical games (1% back). Annoyingly, Gold Points expire after 12 months on the last day of the month they were earned. If you need an explainer, you can find one here.

That's it, it's basically a few bucks off the price of a 12-month membership, and not really "a few bucks off" so much as "you have funny money/gift card cash to spend on the eShop now." This should barely be considered a promotion, but it's something to be aware of nonetheless.

Buy a 12-month Nintendo Switch Online membership and get My Nintendo Gold Points [Nintendo]

It's time to wake up once again, detective. Developer ZA/UM has announced that its amazing, award-winning RPG Disco Elysium is getting ready to enthrall adventure fans all over again with the release of expanded edition Disco Elysium: The Final Cut, which will launch on PS4, PS5, PC, and Stadia on March 30. Xbox and Nintendo Switch editions will follow at some point this summer.

The Final Cut is described by the developer as the "definitive edition" of the abstract 2019 graphic adventure, which sees a beat-up, amnesiac detective on a brutal murder case, set against the backdrop of a dilapidated civilization, struggling to press forward in the aftermath of a nightmarish war. Upon its original release, Disco Elysium received rave reviews across the board for its fascinating universe, excellent writing, and inventive conversational style. It would go on to win numerous end-of-year awards, and was even chosen by TIME magazine as one of the previous decade's best releases.

Hello Destructoid! I'm Eric, and I'm joining on as a Senior News Reporter for the site.

Over the past six or so years, I've covered a lot in the realm of video games, reported and otherwise. I've written for a few different sites as both a staff member and as a freelancer, though you'll probably recognize me most as one of the folks from USgamer.

One thing the last year has made very clear is that news, as it pertains to video games, can be a much wider blanket than you'd think. Reporting has expanded a lot, even in just the last year; events shut down and game development slowed due to a health crisis, political candidates made Animal Crossing islands and Among Us lobbies, and a brick-and-mortar retailer became the focal point of a short squeeze.

My own work has stretched over a lot of these topics—covering how musicians used Minecraft to host concerts amid shutdowns, and how a studio managed to right the ship after a rough launch. I've also profiled some inspiring competitors in the scene, watched some really terrible movies, and yes, one time I found out why a guy was taped to the ceiling.

Prepare to grab your brush and beat the devil out of it, as publisher Finji has announced that charming-looking paint 'em up, Chicory: A Colorful Tale, will be launching on PS4, PS5, and PC this spring.

Developed by Greg Lobanov, previously responsible for the joyful Wandersong, Chicory tells the tale of a pupper artist who must wield a mystical artifact simply known as "The Brush" in order to recuse a fantasy world from its drab, monochromatic aesthetic. Guided by the titular spirit, our modest hero will bring extraordinary life, light, and color to the surroundings, using the power of art to solve puzzles, overcome obstacles, and generally put a little joy in some hearts.

We've seen various "4K Zelda" mods and the like, quite often actually, in the past year or two. But 8K and ray tracing? Well that's not something you witness every day.

Over on YouTube the channel Digital Dreams did just that, with the following parameters: "8K Zelda Botw CEMU - Raytracing GI Revo Reshade  -Ultra graphic comparison - Gameplay." To say it looks gorgeous is an understatement.

At the start of the video we're in the classic Lost Woods zone, sans extra framerate issues. Then they whisk us away to the open world, where we get to see a little combat demonstration against an unsuspecting Blue Bokoblin. Then we're sent to Faron, which is one of the most striking regions in the game and a perfect opportunity to show off the ray tracing effects, as well as the lovely water visuals.

Unlike a lot of other mods, this one doesn't sacrifice the core integrity of the game's visuals. It pretty much looks the same? Just a little snappier and more responsive. I know a lot of people are purists when it comes to this stuff, but I'd take a stable framerate and clearer draw distances any day.

Electronic Arts is working on new technology with which it hopes to tackle the problem of racism and other toxic behaviors within its globally popular soccer sim, FIFA 21. The publisher announced it is investigating new measures to reduce problematic behavior in-game in response to an online investigation conducted by Eurogamer.

Eurogamer found that one of the core problems with FIFA 21 relates to the title's Pro Clubs mode - a sort of "Fantasy Football" league which allows players to create their own which allows players to create their own individual footballers and clubs with which to compete in online leagues and tournaments. Players have used this mode in order to name their team members and clubs with racist or homophobic slurs, or direct references to far-right groups.

Despite the Pro Clubs feature being around for well over a decade, it seems that the problem remains not only prominent, but happen with very regular occurrence. EA told Eurogamer that it works to eradicate racism and toxic behavior in FIFA, noting that it had banned over 9,000 accounts and issued 35,000 warnings since FIFA 21's launch in October of last year. Furthermore, EA says that it is working on implementing new technology with hopes of further reducing the toxicity within Pro Clubs, as well as in FIFA 21 in general.

"Under our Positive Play Charter, our teams are focused on improving in-game reporting and moderation tools, along with a players' ability to report any offensive content at ea.com/report," EA told Eurogamer. "This helps ensure that when people don't play by the rules, there are easily accessible channels to report problem players or inappropriate content."

Following its tease earlier this week, Bethesda Softworks has released the full trailer for The Ancient Gods: Part 2, the second DLC expansion for id Software's hellish shooter Doom Eternal.

The new DLC, which drops on PS4, PC, and Xbox One tomorrow, March 18, sees the Doom Slayer and his small army of hellions rise up in battle against his vicious alter-ego, The Dark Lord. (I mean, Doom Slayer is pretty vicious himself but you get what I'm saying. The violent trailer is particularly epic in scale, with an all-out war perhaps beyond anything seen in the legendary franchise to date. 

The time has nearly come for Mario to face the music.

In just a few weeks, a handful of games will be removed from sale or service. One of the weirdest parts of this operation is that Super Mario Bros. 35 is going bye-bye, which is a huge shame given that it's one of the very few perks that Switch Online is actually offering up.

Alas, we're getting one last hurrah for Mario 35, a "Special Battle" that will take players through the full game. That's World 1-1 to World 8-4, mind, and it'll be in order of the original. Nintendo warns that this event is "short," and they mean it. It'll run from March 19 at 16:00 JST to March 22 at 15:59 JST.

Do I think that Mario 35 is gone forever forever at the end of the month? Probably not. It'll likely come back at some point, as Nintendo views this classic take on the franchise as evergreen. But it'll be going away for the foreseeable future, that's for sure.

It's just especially strange when Tetris 99 is still alive and kicking, but this has to be the one that gets the axe.

Super Mario 35th [Twitter]

Nintendo has proudly announced that Animal Crossing: New Horizons has had better first-year sales in Europe than any release in the company's storied history. The news of this record-breaking milestone comes just a few days shy of the cute social sim's first anniversary.

Since its release on March 20, 2020, Animal Crossing: New Horizons has sold over seven million copies in Europe, with the incredible number taking into account both physical and digital sales. The figure is a healthy chunk of New Horizons' global sales, which ranked around the 32 million mark as of Nintendo's December 2020 financial report. Nintendo has gone on record as stating that the title is responsible for a huge increase in Switch hardware sales. Whether Isabelle and chums will surpass Mario Kart 8 Deluxe as the best-selling Switch release ever, (around 33.4 million copies and counting), remains to be seen.

"We’re truly grateful that Animal Crossing: New Horizons has been embraced by so many players across Europe," said Stephan Bole, president of Nintendo Europe in a statement posted by VGC. "Animal Crossing has long been a popular franchise in Europe, and its continued growth is due to the love of our fans for this unique series."

[Update: And it's gone! It took roughly two weeks, but Bungie has put an end to the fun, as evidenced by the latest patch notes. Here's the rub: "Fixed an issue where players were able to cram 12 people into activity that clearly couldn’t handle the might of that many Guardians." It makes sense, but it was cool while it lasted!]

Interestingly, people are breaking Destiny again to make it more fun. Expect the police to arrive any day now!

As spotted by PC Gamer, folks have been forcing 12 players into Destiny 2 raids, which are normally six-player affairs. The gist? You form two fireteams (groups), one with five players on it, another with seven. Then you do some trickery with the invite/chat system and launch an activity; right as the timer hits two, you load both in at once.

So there's a bit of history around this. Scrub, the YouTube channel embedded below, perhaps showcases the effect the best in a very short video. But the trick was allegedly discovered by ChildCelebrity on Twitter, then popularized by this group in the Last Wish raid on February 26. Before that, it was only whispered about in some circles. It's gone viral now.

So it's been nearly a week since the playerbase has been engaging in these "extra player" raids, and the development team is aware of it. There has been no formal announcement on what a fix might entail or when it's coming.

miHoYo has released the hugely anticipated Version 1.4 edition of its gacha RPG Genshin Impact. The new update - now available to download on all platforms - brings with it a brand new character alongside new events, gear, quests, weaponry and much, much more.

Joining Genshin Impact's ever-burgeoning roster of characters is the solemn Sister Rosaria. This almost ghostly woman is a member of Monstadt's Church of Favonius and sports an attitude and social style as cold and sharp as her intimidating style, demeanor, and devastating polearm skills. One thing is for certain, she sure doesn't look like any nun I've ever encountered. And I've met, like, loads.

Depending on who you ask, Steam is overrun with city-builders, but there aren't a ton of options for the console crowd – and even then, it can be hit-or-miss to find games that are comfortable, legible, and run okay on consoles. Even if they aren't ideal, I'm open to these ports. I'll give them a chance.

The Colonists is a self-described "relaxing" settlement-building game about laying down efficient resource-gathering and transportation routes for robots who have left earth behind to build a new home. It's a logistics game, the kind that feels productive even though you've just spent the last hour unwinding instead of chipping away at that personal project you've been putting off for so long.

Developer Codebyfire has been doing its thing on Steam since October 2018, and The Colonists is in a good enough place for console ports to make sense. Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, and Xbox One versions of the game are coming in 2021 with an assist from Auroch Digital and publisher Mode 7.

Here are some preview screenshots taken from the PS4 build:

In today's contest you can win an Another Eden official artbook and desk pad prize pack!

Happy birthday, Dtoid! I know it's our birthday, but that doesn't mean we can't give you a nice little present, right?

On deck today is a fun little prize pack from Another Eden, featuring an official artbook and a keyboard/mouse mat! Just try not to get wrist grease all over the mousepad, yo.

SOMA has got to be one of my favorite horror games of the past decade – doubly so when I try to think about contenders that aren't remasters, remakes, or rehashes. It's heartwarming to hear that I'm far from alone in feeling that way, and that it's continuing to sell well by Frictional Games' measure.

In a mostly Amnesia: Rebirth-focused blog post, the studio mentioned that SOMA has "sold more than one million copies on PC and quite a lot more if you combine it with sales on PS4 and Xbox One." The milestone actually happened "some time ago" – the developers just now got around to celebrating it.

"Reaching the one-million milestone once again shows that our games have a really long tail and the way we like to interpret that is as a seal of quality and that our games receive a strong push over time through word of mouth. The game even sold quite a lot more last year than it did the year before that, but that has probably a lot to do with the buzz surrounding our studio thanks to the Rebirth release."

I'm not afraid of the deep ocean, and SOMA messed me up big time anyway. Come for the disturbing horror-game sights, stay for the all-too-real existential dread that sticks with you well after you shut it off. You might've heard about a Safe Mode to keep the creeps at bay, but that can only go so far. This is one of those rare horror-adventures you put yourself through for the sake of a powerful story.

It's been a minute since we heard from avian xtreme sports title SkateBird, which will see your local bird-box buddies take to four-wheeled decks and bust out some sweet-ass feathered flips, bro. But developer Glass Bottom Games has returned with a brand new video, showcasing the absurd but fun-looking skater.

The new two-minute preview gives us a look at SkateBird's "Office," as our adorable feathered friends take advantage of desktops, staplers, magazines, and other stationery (literally) items in order to pull off a sick run, racking up combos, points, and bonuses along the way.  The video is narrated by Glass Bottom Games' Xalavier Nelson Jr., who provides context for the amusing on-screen action.

Nintendo covered a lot of ground in Animal Crossing: New Horizons today while previewing the March 18 update and other incoming content, but one year after the game's launch, the support plan feels incremental. We're waiting for exciting new stuff to do, and we're still (mostly) getting themed items.

Not to downplay that strat too much – some of the items do look cute. It's just hard to keep your expectations in check when you consider everything New Leaf accomplished and weigh it against New Horizons' content pace. There's also the matter of data-mining; folks are still wondering about Brewster.

The café will have to wait for another day. Here's what to expect from the March 18 update:

• There's a new Custom Design Pro Editor+ to unlock for 2,000 Nook Miles – it lets you deck out "umbrellas, small flags, uchiwa, and photo stands." Nintendo is also adding 50 more design slots for Normal and Pro custom creations if you could use the space.
• Nintendo Switch Online players can use the Able Sisters' Custom Designs Portal directly from their NookPhone.
• The 1st Anniversary Cake (check your mailbox at home).
• Sanrio Collaboration Pack support including furniture and fashion pieces (available at Target for $5.99).

And there are new seasonal items to snag:

[Update: Rockstar has applied a new update to the PC edition of GTA Online which - according to reports from PC Gamer - has seriously reduced load times across the board by minutes. Fine work, t0st, the GTA community owes you a debt of gratitude.]

Rockstar has offered thanks and compensation to a player/modder who discovered a way to severely reduce the load times of the PC edition of the publisher's bullet-riddled MMO GTA Online.

Back in February, a tinkerer going by the moniker "t0st" discovered a discrepancy in GTA Online's source code which could be manipulated to improve the epic title's load times, up to as much as 70% in some cases. As reported by Digital Foundry, t0st's discovery instructs GTA Online to bypass billions of unnecessary coding checks, allowing players to get into the murky online world and start robbing cars and popping domes faster than ever before.

Previous Stadia-exclusive Super Bomberman R Online will come blasting onto PS4, PC, Xbox One, and Nintendo Switch at some point in the near future. Rumors of a port popped up back in February, after a listing for a PC edition appeared on The Game Rating and Administration Committee of Korea's website. Konami officially announced the multi-platform port earlier today.

Super Bomberman R Online takes the famous and frantic gameplay that is the franchise's trademark and applies it to a larger, battle-royale format. Up to 64 Bombermen are deposited across a selection of 16 maps, blowing each other (and often themselves) to kingdom come until there is a last bomber standing. Players can kit their custom master blaster out in over 100 different items, ensuring that they have the coolest-looking bomber on the block.

As Super Bomberman R Online features a heavy emphasis on customization, Konami has decided that the new port will be released as a free-to-play title. A "Premium Pack," which will retail for around 10 bucks, will include a selection of unique items and skins based on famous Konami brands such as Castlevania, Gradius, and Silent Hill. Players will also need to purchase the Premium Pack if they wish to set up private games or access the "Grand Prix" mode. The mammoth 64-player battles, however, will be available to everyone for free.

Mind-ripping animated adventure Read Only Memories: Neurodiver will be coming to PS5 and Nintendo Switch, in addition to its previously announced PS4, PC, and Xbox One editions, when it finally hits the market in the first quarter of 2022.

Developed by indie outfit MidBoss, Neurodiver is the sequel to 2015 release 2064: Read Only Memories, and will follow the escapades of psychic detective ES88 as they attempt to help a sketchy bounty hunter with a particularly dangerous pursuit. The esper will be able to use their abilities to delve into minds and read the innermost thoughts of those connected with the case. But handle with care, these are the heads of others that you're playing with, and you can cause much damage.

Originally expected to launch in 2020, Read Only Memories: Neurodiver is now tentatively scheduled to hit the airwaves in the first quarter of 2022. So start getting your brain in gear.

Fortnite just kicked off their next season [battle] pass: "Chapter 2, Season 6."

Leaving the hunters and The Mandalorian in the dust, this new offering, dubbed "Primal," will feature none other than Lara Croft, a character that was heavily rumored to appear in the prior season.

"Primal" is more than just a name, as the new map is decidedly more wild, with crafting mechanics, a heavy focus on bows, and animals dotting the map.

Canadian video game producer Jade Raymond has announced the founding of a brand new studio. Based out of Montreal, Haven Studios is a new and independent developer that has already gotten straight to working on a brand new mystery IP for PlayStation platforms.

"Many of the talented game developers I have worked with for years (and love dearly!) are coming together to do what we are most passionate about," said Raymond in an official PlayStation blog. "It’s time for us to refocus on GAMES in a place where we can practice our crafts without any barriers or impediments. We want to create worlds where players can escape, have fun, express themselves, and find community. We want to pour our passion into a project. We want to make something wondrous for people to experience."

The founding of Haven Studios comes a mere month after the news that Raymond - formerly of Ubisoft and Electronic Arts - had left Google following the closure of Stadia's internal studios. In the introductory blog, Raymond alludes to the difficulties she has faced - both in games development and the world at large - over the past year, and how she hopes her studio will offer a metaphorical "haven" for its staff and customers.

Not finishing games you bought is a foreign thought to me, but it happens often!

I mean you're probably thinking to yourself: "I rarely finish games!" And data would support you, friend.

Based on a new trophy-scouring report from UnGeek, Ghost of Tsushima is one of the most-finished open world games on the PlayStation platform, but it still only clocks in at a 50.2% completion rate (for the main story). Before you react, that's actually pretty high!

The report looked at many other open world titles of the modern era, and found that only Marvel's Spider-Man beat out Ghost with a 50.8% completion rating. Assassin's Creed Origins was below it at 38.2%, followed by Far Cry 5 (36.7%) and Days Gone (34.7%). You can find the full list below.

In many ways, Ghost of Tsushima's quality speaks for itself in terms of why it was able to hook so many people. It's certainly a more involved and longer game than Spider-Man, which makes its completion stat all the more impressive.

Ghost of Tsushima has one of the highest completion rates among open-world games on PlayStation [UnGeek]

The Balan Wonderworld demo was...contentious, to say the least!

Some folks enjoyed the warm feelings that it evoked, as well as the nostalgic leanings toward Yuji Naka's older works. Others thought it was basic. We'll all get a chance to collectively see what the game has got in full when it's out in 10 days: but for now, we'll speculate.

A new blog post from producer Noriyoshi Fujimoto, in a rare display of humility, acknowledges some of the demo's more polarizing bits. Here's a quick blurb from Fujimoto: "There's been a wide range of opinions and responses to the demo, and unfortunately at the current stage of development, it simply isn't feasible to reflect every piece of feedback into the game. However, to offer you all a more balanced gameplay experience, we will be implementing a day one patch for the full game."

The blog post actually gives specifics! Apparently it will "adjust movement controls" as well as the camera, and will "rebalance" difficulty. Whether more "adjustments" will come later is unknown, but I'm sure some of you out there want them.

Again, I'm anxious to see what the full version has in store. I can deal with technical issues and limitations, so long as the rest brings its A game.

The many layers of Balan Wonderworld [Square Enix]

Right now the Switch is riding high. Just four years into its lifecycle,

Nintendo is touting roughly 80 million units sold, between the Switch and the Switch Lite. That's good! As in, it's approaching the top-five all-time best-selling console list good. All it needs to do is beat out 102 million PlayStation One units, and it'll have cracked the list and even overtaken the Wii, which is currently in sixth place. It's ready to crack the top 10 right now basically, as soon as it surpasses the PSP's suggested 82 million units. But what about the future?

Bloomberg reports that Nintendo is going to make a huge push this year and try for record-setting numbers in terms of software and hardware. Allegedly, there are plans to unveil more blowout software titles this year, which we could see as early as this summer.

Bloomberg also notes that part of the reason the Switch continues to sell is due to the lack of PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X/S hardware. Yet, Nintendo also faces the same bottleneck as Sony and Microsoft via manufacturer woes and shortages.

They are still pushing those reports of a Switch Pro, which would further propel Nintendo into 100 million sales territory "in the latter half of the year," if that plan comes to fruition. With "stronger blockbuster" software and a new alleged OLED/4K Switch model, Nintendo could easily hit their targets.

Nintendo Targets a Record Year in Switch, Game Sales [Bloomberg]

PlayStation Japan has released a quirky promo that presents itself as a "leaked" internal video. The amusingly titled "PlayStation 5_Lineup_Presentation_File_2021-03" trailer features clips taken from a who's who of great titles, all available on (or headed to) PS5.

The five-minute preview includes Capcom's Resident Evil Village, Square Enix's Final Fantasy VII Remake Intergrade, Housemarque's Returnal, Bethesda's Deathloop, ArcSys' Guilty Gear Strive, Sega's Yakuza: Like a Dragon, and many, many more. As a catalogue of some of the exciting games already available or coming soon to PS5, it certainly presents a powerful advertisement for the new next-gen platform. Though it should be clarified that many of these titles are not PlayStation exclusive.

We're a week away from the launch of Story of Seasons: Pioneers of Olive Town in North America, and if you've been following it all in Japan, you know things haven't been going so well. The game released there with a slew of issues that were so bad, producer Dai Takemura actually issued a public apology over the state of the game.

That hasn't stopped people from playing it and exploring one of the chief new features developers created for this entry. Photography plays a pretty decent-sized role in your farming life as you're asked to snap candid photos of wildlife. Of course, you can take pictures of whatever the hell you want, as evident by the photographs that populate the loading screens.

Most of these pictures are nothing out of the ordinary. There are shots of the town, shots of animals, and shots of people, about half of which are out of focus. There is also a nice collection of glitches people have captured, like this boulder owl.

The day Zelda: Skyward Sword came out, I hooked up my shiny new golden MotionPlus controller and...had some mechanical issues.

Then I tried my two other MotionPlus-adapter-ready Wiimotes, and...had more issues. Namely, deadzoning for bomb rolling and a few aiming problems: sword swinging was mostly on point. It turns out Nintendo thinks that system can be improved upon, based on a new ad for the game.

Shared over on Twitter by Nintendo of America, Skyward Sword HD on Switch will apparently have new enhancements with more precise motion controls. Here's the rub: "the original controls have been recreated on Nintendo Switch, and are smoother and more intuitive than the original version."

It's a really bold marketing claim, to dump on the Wii like that; especially when Miyamoto got up on stage and touted how advanced MotionPlus technology was. But if it actually pans out, I'll take it.

It won't fix all of Skyward Sword's problems, but it's a start.

Nintendo of America [Twitter]

DC Comics and Epic Games are teaming up once again for further Fortnite-based shenanigans. The comic-book giant has announced a new miniseries which will see the lawmakers and lawbreakers of Gotham City meet up with some of the battle royale title's cast of heroes and villains.

Batman/Fortnite: Zeropoint will see a tear in the fabric of space and time appear in the skies above Gotham, thrusting The Dark Knight into Fortnite's colorful and chaotic universe. Now struggling to regain his sense of being and identity, Batman will be forced to adapt to his new surrounding, while facing off against some of the strange new world's Champions - including Renegade Raider, Bandolier, and Fishstick...

...I mean, it's still better than that time he had to fight through all of American history.

"When DC first approached me about doing a Batman/Fortnite series I thought it would be a lot of fun," said Zeropoint writer Christos Gage. "After speaking with Donald [Mustard, Epic Games' CCO] and discovering just how deeply we'd be diving into the secrets behind the world of Fortnite, I was amazed! This series will reveal things about Fortnite that have never been seen or heard before yet are very much part of the canon of the game."

As a bonus, Fortnite fans who pick up the first run of physical issues will find codes for special in-game items and skins inspired by the mini-series. The first issue will feature a New Rebirth Harley Quinn gear, and players who purchase all six issues will get access to an exclusive Armored Batman Zero outfit for their character.

How does March 22 sound for Fall Guys Season 4? Ready or not, here it comes – a futuristic new season starts in one week, so if you have any ground left to cover in Season 3, you'd best get going.

The more trailers I watch for the game, the more this grim realization settles in: if someone – say a tricky Cenobite-type character – were to lock me in a room with the Fall Guys theme song blaring for a day, I would not need the full 24 hours to animorph into a bean man. It would be a quick and painful fate. Thankfully, this time, the iconic main-menu tune quickly fades into a far chiller track from Gunship.

I know this is a cinematic trailer, and we've only gotten a good look at one of the seven new Season 4 levels so far, but I'm pleasantly surprised. Even though "The Future" is such a widely-used theme in pop culture, it fits pretty well with the game-show concept of Fall Guys, and I'm sensing more creativity and ambition as Mediatonic scales up. I hope they go a little Running Man on us, even if it's just a simple nod.

Katsuhiro Harada, the affable and charismatic Tekken producer, has debuted a brand new web series, which sees the sunglasses-sporting icon operating a classy drinking establishment whilst interviewing famous names from both the FGC and the video game industry at large.

"Harada's Bar" - as spotted by Event Hubs - sees Harada working the counter of a pretty smart-looking watering hole, which will be visited by new guests each and every week. The first episode sees the former Sony Computer Entertainment chairman Ken Kutaragi take time out from his undoubtedly busy schedule to enjoy a pint and set the world to rights - generously bringing along his own ornate casket of Saki as a gift for our host.

Sony has announced that it is pulling down the shutters on the PS4's PlayStation Communities service. As of April the long-running dashboard feature - which allows players of particular games to build forum-style discourse, share screenshots, form parties, and other activities under the banner of specific titles - will be no more.

The announcement was made on the official PlayStation site as part of a general update about the changing face of the PlayStation 4 platform. Both PS4 and PS5 still allow for direct messaging, along with the public sharing of content, guides, live streams and tips for specific games. The PS5 in particular having a slew of features built around game-based communication, so it seems inevitable that Sony would start sunsetting some of its older social features. The PlayStation Communities mobile app was already shut down back in March of last year.

The PlayStation Communities service is expected to close with the arrival of update 8.5, currently expected to launch within the next five-to-six weeks. So if you have any PS Community pals you want to stay in touch with, best jump back into your local groups and start dropping some friend requests.

Thanks to the gift that keeps on giving (Microsoft Store listings), we now have a bit more info on Ninja Gaiden: Master Collection's technical specs.

The listing confirms that the game will feature 4K Ultra HD visuals, as well as "60FPS+." That's great news for any Ninja Gaiden purists, as they'll probably want the game to favor the latter in any case. Still, both is good. Just in case the listing gets taken down, we've screencapped the pertinent parts below.

Note that while this technically only applies to the Xbox editions of the game, it stands to reason that the PS4/PS5 editions and the PC port will sport similar compatibility. 4K on the Switch though is probably not in the cards.

Note that the collection is still on track for a June 10 release, so we're still a ways out. But really, a competent re-release of just Ninja Gaiden Black and 60FPS is all we need. The rest is extra.

Ninja Gaiden: Master Collection Deluxe Edition [Microsoft]

Microsoft has announced that a selection of Bethesda titles have today been bolstered by the developer's FPS Boost technology. Xbox Series X/S owners will be able to take advantage of the free fuel injection, which increases a title's frame rate from 30 FPS to somewhere around 60 FPS.

The five titles receiving the performance hike today are apocalyptic RPGs Fallout 4 and Fallout 76, fantasy epic The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim Special Edition, sci-fi adventure Dishonored: Definitive Edition, and finally interstellar action-horror title Prey. All five titles are available now on the Xbox Game Pass paid subscription service.

Oh, and to access FPS Boost, make sure the feature is turned on in your console's settings, then buckle up and PREPARE TO FEEL THE Gs!* More Bethesda titles are expected to receive FPD Boost tech in the coming weeks and months, as Bethesda starts to feel the benefit from the ZeniMax Media acquisition.

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A new Zelda: Breath of the Wild glitch? Well I'd never!

Although folks have been sleazing the game into forcing a first-person camera for a while, Twitter user Axk helped bring a new glitch to light that will make things a lot easier for people from here on out. No mods, elaborate "%" requirements, or wacky items needed.

You can basically do this anywhere at any point. The gist is to use the Sheika Slate camera mechanic, hold an item, then cancel it. Need more help? Axk elaborates in this two-part video. As they state in their Twitter account, they are a "no mods" player.

One huge noteworthy element of all this is the accessibility of the bug. It's very common for a crazy glitch to make the rounds and become a hit with a percentage of the game's playerbase; but to see this level of accessibility is semi-rare.

Folks could create some really cool videos very easily based on this method.

Axk_000 [Twitter]

Spread the word, because it's actually happening. As of tomorrow, March 16, Toby Fox's highly regarded indie RPG Undertale will finally be arriving on Xbox. Microsoft announced that Sans, Undyne, Flowey and friends will be making their presence felt on Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, and the Xbox Game Pass service. A physical edition will be released by Fangamer at a later date.

Originally released for PC in 2015, before being ported to almost every contemporary platform under the sun, Undertale is a dramatic, evocative, funny, and surprisingly resonant adventure which takes place in a subterranean fantasy kingdom. Controlling a young protagonist who wanders into the bizarre realm, players will meet a cast of strange and memorable characters, confront demons external and internal, and perhaps even learn a little about themselves.

No introduction necessary, frankly. But check out the new announcement trailer below.

Bethesda has released a trailer for a trailer, (because this is real life now), teasing the arrival of The Ancient Gods: Part 2, the next explosive DLC expansion headed to id Software's Doom Eternal.

The short video, which you can check out below, sees our pal the Doom Slayer rally up with some devastating intergalactic forces, preparing for one hell of an almighty showdown with his villainous alter-ego, The Dark Lord, who shows up to the war rocking some pretty almighty Warhammer-style battle armor. A brief glimpse of action, and we're done, with the full gameplay trailer dropping this Wednesday, March 17.

Doom Eternal, currently available on PS4, PC, Xbox One, and Nintendo Switch, is also expected to hit PS5 and Xbox Series X at some point later in 2021. As Doom is one of the properties that now falls under the Microsoft banner, (courtesy of the ZeniMax acquisition) it remains to be seen what the future holds for the franchise from an exclusivity stance.