Game Informer

To probably nobody’s surprise, FIFA 22 has been a hit, with 9.1 million players joining the game since its launch on October 1. 

This news comes from an EA press release, as reported by IGN, that also mentions the company is looking into changing the name of the long-running football series. EA says the FIFA name is separate from its other football-related licenses. 

“As we look ahead, we’re also exploring the idea of renaming our global EA Sports football games,” the press release reads. “This means we’re reviewing our naming rights agreement with FIFA, which is separate from all our official partnerships and licenses across the football world.” 

Of course, nothing could come of it, but it’s interesting nonetheless that EA is considering changing the name of one of its best-selling franchises. However, fans of the FIFA games are likely to follow the franchise, whatever its name might become. 

EA’s other partnerships and licenses in the football world for its FIFA games include UEFA Champions League, UEFA Europa League, CONMEBOL Libertadores, Premier League, Bundesliga, and LaLiga Santander, and more. 

Now that Sora’s arrival has sealed the deal on the Super Smash Bros. Ultimate roster for good, I can finally say what I’ve been holding back for years: the game does not have too many “anime sword users.” It’s the most screeched complaint about the game, and it drives me up a wall. While I get where it comes from, it’s also completely overblown and inaccurate. I’m not saying you shouldn’t be concerned with such a thing – variety is the spice of life, and no one wants an overabundance of the same character type. But it isn’t nearly as much of an issue as sword-haters would have you believe, and I’m here to prove it in every scientific and absurd way imaginable.   

First, let’s break down the term “anime sword user.” What does that actually mean? The label “anime” doesn’t make sense as none of the characters in Smash come from an actual anime. They’re all original video game characters. There is no anime to be had. 

Everybody’s got that one snack they like to eat while gaming (unless you’re pure of heart and keep snacks away from controllers) and if Trolli’s gummi worms are your thing, you’re going to want to sit down. That’s because Trolli is giving away 20 custom gummi worm-themed Xbox Series S consoles. 

Announced as part of Xbox’s ongoing 20th anniversary celebrations, Microsoft has teamed up with Trolli to create limited-edition gummi snack packaging and give 20 lucky winners a custom Xbox Series S. 

Four Trolli snacks have received new packaging to showcase some of Xbox’s biggest games and partners: Halo Infinite on Sour Brite Crawlers, Sea of Thieves on Sour Brite Crawlers Very Berry, Psychonauts 2 on Sour Crunch Crawlers, and Destiny 2 on Sour Gummi Creations. 

Each of these packages features a code for one month of free Xbox Game Pass. If you upload your receipt to Trolli’s Xbox landing page, you’ll be entered in for a chance to win one of the 20 exclusive Xbox Series S bundles. Each of those comes with the custom Xbox Series S, a matching gummi-wormified controller, and three months of Xbox Game Pass Ultimate. 

Nintendo has a special place in the games industry. For many of us, a Nintendo controller was the first we ever held and remains one of our favorites to pick up today. This is not because of the form factor or the visual aesthetics of the controller itself, but rather because of the magic that plays out on-screen when we hold it. For nearly the last 40 years, Nintendo has played a crucial role in our gaming lives and the industry at large, and now we're creating a special place to celebrate that.

The All Things Nintendo podcast is a place where we can celebrate, discuss, and break down all the latest games, news, and announcements from the industry's most recognizable name. Each week, I'll be joined by different guests to talk about what's going on in the world of Nintendo. Along the way, we'll share personal stories, uncover hidden gems in the eShop, and even look back on the classics we grew up with. I've been covering Nintendo for more than a decade now, and I can't wait to bring that experience into this exciting new venture.

The All Things Nintendo podcast will be available on Apple Podcasts, Google Play, Spotify, and wherever else you get your podcasts. Join me every Friday and get your weekend started right with a nice dose of Nintendo. 

Sora’s inclusion in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate is so much more than just another fighter – he’s director Masahiro Sakurai’s goodbye to a franchise he created decades ago.  

Sakurai revealed yesterday that Sora will be the 82nd (technically 89th if you count Echoes) and final fighter joining the roster. It was a momentous occasion for all of games, something the director hinted at in a tweet made the day before Sora’s reveal.

One more day until the last DLC fighter for Super Smash Bros. Ultimate is announced.
Whether you're a Smash Bros. player or simply love games, make sure to tune in!https://t.co/gV1B8eYROw

As the writer of Game Informer's cover stories for Marvel's Spider-Man and Marvel's Spider-Man: Miles Morales, people ask me questions about the games, often wanting to know about the smallest of details or decisions made by the development team. They also want to know about the comic books that inspire the games. For the latter, one of the most asked questions is, "what's a good jumping on point for Spider-Man comic books?"

You know this is a loaded question if you read comics, especially when applied to Spider-Man's main continuity, running since the 1960s. Marvel provides a good jumping-on point for readers every few years, usually within the flagship The Amazing Spider-Man series. The openings for new readers most commonly appear with a change in the creative team. That happened today within The Amazing Spider-Man's 75th issue. Nick Spencer's long and incredible run on the book is over, and the narrative webbing is now in the hands of Zeb Wells, who is joined by artist Patrick Gleason to kick off a new era of Spider-Man stories.

Without giving away too many spoilers, this new jumping-on point sees Peter Parker swinging down New York's streets with another Spider-Man character in an all-new suit. The story is titled "Beyond," and it will run through 19 issues. You'll go through those issues quickly, as Marvel is upping Spider-Man's release frequency to thrice a month. Different creative teams will handle specific chapters, like issue 77 written by Kelly Thompson with art by Sara Pichelli.

Nintendo’s steady (ink) stream of Splatoon 3 news continues today with the unveiling of two new weapons: The Killer Wail 5.1 and the Big Bubbler. 

The company revealed these new weapons on Twitter today, with screenshots and descriptions of each. The first showcased is the Killer Wail 5.1, which is a modified version of the Killer Wail weapon seen in previous games. As the name indicates, the weapon is a riff on the 5.1 surround sound setup, which traditionally sees five standard speakers and one subwoofer speaker create a sound bubble, as it were. 

In Splatoon 3, though, the character will fire off a weapon similar to the original Killer Wail while the six floating speakers move and attack on their own. 

Ready for more #Splatoon3 special weapons?
The Killer Wail 5.1 looks like a modified version of an Inkopolis special weapon. The 6 floating megaphones move on their own & attack with lasers that chase enemies. For such a dusty place, the Splatlands are brimming with shiny tech! pic.twitter.com/yj39FMapg1

Go to exotic locations. Embrace the countryside. Behold the beautiful wildlife. Kill a lot of people. These are the pillars of Ubisoft's beloved open-world shooter series Far Cry, and now that our editors have had enough time to play through the latest game, we've put these murderous tourism simulators through their paces to figure out which one is the top dog.

Here are all the Far Cry games, from worst to best.

Nuclear Blaze is a sidescrolling action game that’s all about extinguishing raging infernos as a firefighter. The game comes from the mind of Dead Cells mastermind Sébastien Benard, and it’s coming to PC via Steam on October 18.

You’re a firefighter sent to uncover the cause of a blaze that broke out at a mysterious military facility. Things aren’t as they seem, save for the walls of flames that can melt your face off. You’ll douse scorched areas using your trusty hose while uncovering secrets and hidden plot details that expand the narrative. The gameplay promises to retain the smooth maneuverability of Dead Cells as players leap and roll across explosive areas. Take a look at the game’s reveal trailer from a few weeks ago to see it in all its blazing glory. 

Nuclear Blaze looks fun and if it plays half as well as Dead Cells, players could be in for a treat. What do you think of the game? Let us know in the comments!

Twitch has responded to reports that a massive data leak has occurred, confirming that such a leak did, in fact, happen. 

VideoGamesChronicle first reported that an anonymous hacker posted a 125GB link to 4chan earlier today filled with user information, payout amounts, source code, proprietary services, and more. The publication verified that those files posted on 4chan were downloadable, and it received word from an “anonymous company” that the files were legit. Still, without official word from Twitch, it wasn’t confirmed. 

We can confirm a breach has taken place. Our teams are working with urgency to understand the extent of this. We will update the community as soon as additional information is available. Thank you for bearing with us.

— Twitch (@Twitch) October 6, 2021

Now, Twitch has confirmed that the leak is real, which means the personal data of millions is out there available for download. According to VGC, all of Twitch’s source code was leaked, including comment history “going back to its early beginnings.” Furthermore, streamer payout numbers from 2019 were leaked, as were Twitch’s own internal security tools, proprietary services, and more. 

If you’re a PlayStation user, you may have received an email from Sony notifying you that the company plans to change how you buy PlayStation 3 and Vita software. Beginning October 27, users will no longer be able to use credit/debit cards or PayPal to purchase digital content or add funds to their wallets directly from the PlayStation Store on either platform.

To buy anything from the PS3/Vita stores going forward, you’ll have to access the PS Store from a PS5, PS4, PC, or mobile device. From there, you can add funds using a credit/debit card, gift card, or PayPal. Once you’ve added money to your wallet, you’ll then have to return to the PS3/Vita stores to make your purchase. For more clarification, here are the steps, per Sony’s email:

So why do you have to jump through hoops to buy Uncharted: Golden Abyss? In the email, Sony explains the measure is designed to “enhance online payment security for all PS3 and PS Vita owners.” 

Adidas has revealed new Xbox-themed sneakers to celebrate the 20th Anniversary of Xbox, and they are, as expected, very green. 

Xbox announced the news today, revealing that these sneakers will represent the first time the company has teamed up with another to create shoes inspired by a console. These shoes are inspired specifically by the special edition translucent green Xbox released for the launch of Halo: Combat Evolved way back in 2001. 

“The Adidas Forum Tech design balances nostalgia while embracing modern technology and is symbolic of how we look at our own Xbox history – celebrating the last 20 years and looking ahead to the limitless future of gaming,” Xbox’s blog post reads. 

You can see these snazzy Xbox Adidas sneakers above, but if they don’t fit your fancy, don’t sweat: Xbox says these shoes are just the beginning of its partnership with Adidas and that over the next few months, it’ll “continue to mark our 20th anniversary by launching additional sneakers inspired by past and present Xbox console generations, including the first-ever sneaker available for purchase by our fans later this year.” 

Metroid Dread is just around the corner. With developer MercurySteam's latest entry in the series comes one of the best versions of the classic platforming/exploring experiences in the long-running franchise. To celebrate such an occasion, we're sharing the fun with you and checking out the game live exclusively on our Twitch page!

Join Ben Reeves and Alex Stadnik as they ascend through Planet ZDR in the hopes of freeing Samus from this terrifying alien prison. We'll be going live at noon CT, so be sure to join us in the chat to get your burning questions answered by the game's reviewer! We're limited to only showing 30 minutes of gameplay, so today's stream will be a very brief affair.

The hype behind Samus' return is genuine, according to our own Mr. Reeves:

Universal Studios Japan and The Pokémon Company are teaming up to create a new theme park experience. 

Announced in a press release today, the two companies have entered a "long-term partnership" to explore new ways to immerse theme park goers in "groundbreaking entertainment." While the announcement doesn't exactly spell out an entirely new theme park, or at least a new area within Universal Studios Japan a la Super Nintendo World, it seems Pokémon will soon make their way into the park in some capacity. 

"Universal Studios Japan and The Pokémon Company will enter a long-term partnership to jointly explore groundbreaking entertainment that will immerse guests into the world of Pokémon with innovative technology and creativity beginning in 2022," the press release reads. 

Nintendo has often made an effort to iterate on its existing consoles, often to varying degrees of success. The Nintendo Switch is no stranger to iteration either, with the Lite and the upgraded battery model appearing on store shelves over the last four years. The Switch OLED is the latest update to the company’s flagship handheld console hybrid, and while those who primarily play on the TV shouldn’t feel the need to purchase the system on day one, handheld players will benefit the most from the shiny new update.

Nickelodeon All-Star Brawl draws obvious comparisons to Nintendo’s Super Smash Bros. series, and rightly so. It pulls heavy inspiration from Nintendo’s classic by assembling a cast of beloved characters and pitting them against one another in a platform fighting game. We only received the game a few hours before release, so I’m not ready to render a final verdict. However, my initial hours with developers Ludosity and Fair Play Labs’ fighter impress me. While it lacks some crucial components I expect form this kind of fighter, I’m having a lot of fun so far.

All-Star Brawl has a fun cast, with representatives span decades of Nicktoons. From Ren and Stimpy to Spongebob Squarepants to newer Nick faces like the Ninja Turtles, or Lincoln and Lucy Loud, there’s a wide range of characters. Every one of them looks nice, has a unique playstyle, and comes packed full of references from their show. I have no qualms with the current selection of All-Stars, though I’m excited for who might come down the road in the form of DLC.

MMORPGs are complex and evolving beasts. Even with over 100 hours played and a level 50+ character, I still haven’t arrived at the endgame yet. Every MMORPG is different in terms of character activities for max-level characters as they continue to try to progress past the cap. Speaking with Amazon Games’ game design manager Michael Willette, creative director David Verfaillie, and gameplay design manager David Hall, a picture of the core pillars of the endgame appears. While I’m not there just yet, I’m eager to continue plodding along through a world of blueberry farming, leather refinement, and chopping down cool-looking trees.

The first element that makes up endgame play is gear hunting. Not an uncommon endgame pursuit, because of how gear can roll in New World, finding a perfect piece with the exact modifiers you’re looking for can take some serious time. For instance, even in the mid-to-late gear game chase, I’m attempting to use my Azoth resource to hypercharge bags that I make, aiming to get the Extra Pockets modifier that lets me carry significantly more on my character, making hauling back resources easier. 

Established fans and newcomers alike are excited to see if Halo Infinite can live up to all that the Halo franchise stands for. Whether or not it can remains to be seen – we’ve got a campaign to play this December – but if the game’s latest round of multiplayer technical previews is any indication, Halo Infinite’s multiplayer is shaping up to be something truly special.

This past weekend, 343 Industries opened the game to Halo Insiders (which is a free program) who own an Xbox One or Xbox Series X/S and some PC players. This meant that two matchmaking-based modes – Social Arena and Big Team Battle – were quick and easy to jump into. I spent the majority of my nearly dozen hours with Halo Infinite in those two modes.

Epic Games has revealed that some of Universal’s classic and iconic monsters are coming to Fortnite. 

Epic announced the news today, revealing that the first monstrous icon to join the battle royale will be Frankenstein’s Monster. Throughout the month, more monsters will be added to the Item Shop, but Epic only revealed one more that players can expect: the Mummy (no, not the one Brendan Fraser fought, unfortunately). 

The Mummy is special, too, because not only will that skin be available in the Item Shop, but a Mummy will also be lurching on the battle royale island as a character trying to find their way back to the Underworld later this month. 

These monsters are being added to the game as part of this year’s Fortnitemares 2021 event, which sees the game transform in a number of ways for the Halloween occasion. Alongside Universal monsters, Fortnitemares 2021 will bring in new Halloween outfits and old ones from previous events. 

Microsoft announced yesterday that Xbox and Rockstar Energy Drink have teamed up to create some limited-edition Halo Infinite cans, and each comes with a code that unlocks in-game rewards. 

Each can features custom art created by five artists handpicked by Xbox and Rockstar, and they’re available for purchase now. You can visit the official Rockstar website to track down some of these Halo Infinite drinks near you, or you can purchase them in bulk on Amazon. 

The five flavors getting the Halo Infinite treatment are Original, Sugar-Free, Fruit Punch, Silver Ice, and Blackberry Goji, although that last one is only available in the U.S. This promotion will run until December 8 when Halo Infinite launches on Xbox consoles and PC, so there’s plenty of time to track some down and find some codes. 

Sony has laid out the October line-up of games for its PlayStation Now streaming service. Similar to Xbox Game Pass, PS Now is an on-demand service that treats subscribers to new offerings each month, some of which can be streamed over the internet or downloaded and installed traditionally. The Last of Us Part II headlines October’s batch, giving subscribers a chance to experience one of the PlayStation’s most celebrated (and divisive) experiences.

The Last of Us Part II is a downloadable title, meaning you don’t have to stream it in order to play it. It will be available on the service until January 3, 2022. If you play it on PS5, you can download the new-gen performance patch. The sequel to Naughty Dog’s critically lauded The Last of Us earned a perfect 10/10 score from us and was Game Informer’s Game of the Year for 2020.

The following titles join Ellie’s revenge quest and are available to play beginning today. Unlike The Last of Us Part II, these games will be available until further notice. 

Last week, Netflix announced it had acquired Night School Studio, developer of the Oxenfree series and Afterparty. During a recent interview, we briefly chatted with Night School's co-founder and studio director Sean Krankel about the new partnership and what it means for both the studio's immediate and long-term future. 

Night School is currently developing Oxenfree II: Lost Signals, planned to be released sometime next year. As Krankel tells us, the Netflix acquisition has no impact on the game's development; Oxenfree 2 is still on track. Despite now owning the studio, Netflix isn't involved with this particular project – MWM Interactive is publishing Oxenfree II. 

Greetings from scenic Santo Ileso! If you subscribe to the digital edition of Game Informer, you can now learn all about Volition's upcoming Saints Row reboot. Following today's cover reveal, our digital issue is now live to subscribers on web browsers, iPad/iPhone, and Android devices. Individual issues will be available for purchase later today. You can download the apps to view the issue by following this link. All of these digital options are included in a standard subscription.

The issue launches later this week on our third-party subscription apps including Kindle and Nook.

Not a digital subscriber yet? Convert your existing print subscription or start a new subscription here.

Earlier this year, Ubisoft unveiled Tom Clancy’s XDefiant – “fast-paced firefights meets punk rock mosh pits.” XDefiant bridged the gap between most of Tom Clancy’s beloved game franchises by showcasing playable operators from Splinter Cell, The Division, and more. Today, the next Ghost Recon chapter was announced. Tom Clancy’s Ghost Recon Frontline is the latest free-to-play team-based shooter to join Ubisoft’s ever-expanding catalog. A deep class system and an extensive array of tactical gadgets/tools enable deep customization and satisfying gameplay – outsmarting enemy teams is the key to victory.  Moreover, Frontline is a massive first-person PVP shooter with “epic 100+ player battles.”

Just when Xbox Game Pass subscribers thought their plates were full with Scarlet Nexus and Marvel’s Avengers joining the library last week, Microsoft has rolled out the next slate of games hitting the service in October. Here's what's coming and what's leaving this month. 

We already knew that Back 4 Blood was hitting the service the same day it launches on October 12. What we didn’t know was that Halloween fans would get another spooky adventure in Visage. This unnerving horror title, which we scored an 8.75 out of 10, launched almost a year ago and drops players into a haunted house plagued with... actually, we won’t spoil it. You’ll just have to brave its terrors yourself.

The Saints are back! Following its reveal in August, Saints Row is on the cover of the next issue of Game Informer, and we have so much information to share with you! The reboot from the development team at Deep Silver Volition promises to carry on the spirit of the original games while setting the table for a new story featuring a new cast of characters. For our cover story, we played several hours of the new game and spoke at length with key team members.

We played through two mainline story missions, two side missions, and participated in two Criminal Ventures, all-new mission chains that let the Saints earn extra cash performing illegal activities behind legal fronts. Not to mention all the spare time we spent exploring the various districts of the city. In the cover story, you'll learn all about the characters, the new city of Santo Ileso, the rival factions the Saints will face off against, the upgraded car combat, and plenty more. In our conversations with Volition, we learned why the studio decided to reboot the series, what elements were most important to carry over from previous games, and lots more. And that's only scratching the surface of what you'll learn in our 12-page cover story.

Nintendo has revealed that all of the Kingdom Hearts games are coming to Switch, but they’ll only be available as cloud versions. 

All three titles – Kingdom Hearts HD 1.5 + 2.5 Remix, Kingdom Hearts HD 2.8 Final Chapter Prologue, and Kingdom Hearts 3 – will hit the Switch at a later unannounced date. With all three titles, players will be able to experience the entire Kingdom Hearts saga. 

Kingdom Hearts HD 1.5 + 2.5 Remix features Kingdom Hearts 1, Kingdom Hearts 2, Kingdom Hearts Re: Chain of Memories, and Kingdom Hearts Birth by Sleep as playable games. It also features HD remastered cinematics from Kingdom Hearts: 358/2 Days and Kingdom Hearts Re:coded.

Kingdom Hearts HD 2.8 Final Chapter Prologue features a remastered version of Kingdom Hearts: Dream Drop Distance, Kingdom Hearts 0.2: Birth by Sleep – A Fragmentary Passage, and the Kingdom Hearts χ Back Cover cinematics. Kingdom Hearts 3 is just Kingdom Hearts 3 in its entirety, excluding the Re Mind DLC released in 2020. 

Nintendo has finally done it. It’s brought the Smash Brothers Ultimate party to a close with the reveal and release of the final Smash character, Sora. And with his reveal comes a new set of Mii Fighter costumes to be released alongside the much-requested Kingdom Hearts protagonist in a couple of weeks.

Talk about requested characters; the Doom Slayer (!!!!) is making his way into Smash by way of an upcoming Mii Gunner costume. Players can rip and tear through the cast of Smash Ultimate with this incredible space marine getup.

Click image thumbnails to view larger version

HBO has released the first teaser trailer for its Game of Thrones prequel series, House of the Dragon. The show takes place 200 years before the events of the original series and puts a spotlight on a yet-to-implode House Targaryen. 

House of the Dragon is partially based on author George R.R. Martin’s 2018 book, Fire & Blood, and tells the story of the decline of the Targaryens. By the time Game of Thrones began, the family had already collapsed, with Daenerys Targaryen as one of its few survivors. House of the Dragon lets fans see the silver-haired dragon tamers closer to their peak and witness the events leading to the civil war that ultimately destroyed them. 

Writer and producer Ryan J. Condal (Rampage, Colony) and George R.R. Martin serve as principal showrunners. The show’s cast includes Matt Smith (Prince Daemon Targaryen), Emma D’Arcy (Princess Rhaenyra Targaryen), Eve Best (Princess Rhaenys Velaryonand), Olivia Cooke (Lady Alicent Hightowerand), and Paddy Considine (King Viserys I Targaryen). 

House of the Dragon premieres in 2022 and will only be available on HBO Max. 

What do you think of this first look at House of the Dragon? Let us know in the comments.

 Nintendo has revealed that Sora is the final fighter joining the roster of Super Smash Bros. Ultimate. 

This news was announced today as part of the final Sakurai Presents, and the reveal came as a major surprise, but not because fans didn't want Sora. In fact, Smash. Bros. Ultimate director Masahiro Sakurai revealed that Sora has been the most requested fighter to date. 

When Nintendo sent out the Super Smash Bros. fan roster request survey back in the 3DS and Wii U Smash days, Sora was the fighter fans wanted the most. It took six years, but the day is finally here: Sora is now a fighter in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate.

He'll be available for purchase on October 18, the same day the game's three new Mii Fighter costumes become available. Like previously-released fighters, Sora can be purchased individually for $5.99 or as part of the Super Smash Bros. Ultimate Fighter Pass Vol. 2, which costs $29.99. 

Ubisoft has confirmed that the villain of Far Cry 2, the Jackal, is Jack Carver from the first Far Cry game. 

This news comes by way of IGN, which interviewed Far Cry 2 creative director Clint Hocking about the game. Far Cry fans have long believed that Far Cry 2's Jackal villain is Jack Carver, the protagonist of the first Far Cry, but nothing in-game confirmed this theory. Now, Hocking has revealed that this theory is correct. 

"The Jackal is actually supposed to be Jack Carver from the original Far Cry," Hocking said. "Jack Carver in the original Far Cry was this shifty, smuggler, gun runner kind of crook. The idea was (the Jackal) is just him, 10 years later or something, after he's seen whatever he saw on this island (in Far Cry)." 

Hocking says that perhaps Carver's Jackal transformation was drug-induced or the result of the trauma and stress endured on the island in Far Cry. 

As for how fans determined Carver must be Jackal, it stems from two critical pieces of information about the two characters: Jackal's background and the texture files of Jackal in Far Cry 2, as noted by IGN. 

We’re almost a year out from the releases of both the PlayStation 5 and the Xbox Series X/S, and the prevailing topic for the generation isn’t the games you can play on the new hardware but how hard it is to get your hands on a console. According to an executive at AMD, the chip supplier for Sony and Microsoft’s gaming machines, the drought is not quite at an end. Though, there is light at the end of the tunnel.

Sure, some of those players are probably sitting in a queue, but the Steam Charts for Amazon Games’ New World show that the game’s peak concurrency is somewhere around 913,000 players. What does that mean, exactly? That means 900,000 people are playing New World – at the same time.

That’s a whole lot of boar hunting, lumber chopping, and blueberry bush picking. Can it go higher? There’s no doubt that tons of people are hopping into the crafting, gathering, player-vs-player soiree. You can read a whole lot more about what I think of the game right here, but it’s also fairly interesting to see New World rocket past many of the staunch Steam standbys like Counter-Strike and Dota 2. 

You may have been introduced to the studio by Dark Souls, but Tokyo's From Software has a lengthy history in the game industry. While visiting the studio for our October cover story on Dark Souls III, we spoke with senior managing director Masanori Takeuchi about his 20-year career within From Software's walls.

Throughout the interview, Takeuchi stresses the internal consistency of the studio despite their recent explosion of western attention: "In the past, our games have been treated as sh--ty games... now they respect what we've been doing all these years." We also talk a bit about how they see Dark Souls III as a "turning point" and are eager to tackle brand new, smaller projects in the future. We should point out that, much like our video profile on working with Dark Souls creator Hidetaka Miyazaki, the translator's audio has been replaced by Game Informer's Jeff Cork to improve the audio quality. To learn even more about the history of From Software and the legacy of games like Bloodborne, check out Dan Tack's feature from earlier this year.

Tokyo Game Show 2021 concluded over the weekend, and we’re still learning great nuggets of information from the various streams and interviews during the event. One highlight was a Famitsu-hosted interview with Naoki Yoshida and Hironobu Sakaguchi, two developers who represent the present and past of the Final Fantasy series, respectively. Yoshida is currently heading the development of Final Fantasy XVI and has been the driving force behind the resurrection of Final Fantasy XIV Online since A Realm Reborn. Sakaguchi is, of course, the creator of Final Fantasy and has most recently released the mobile RPG Fantasian.

Some news slipped about Final Fantasy XVI when the topic switched to why Sakaguchi and Yoshida were drawn to the RPG genre. Yoshida questions what to even call Final Fantasy XVI since so many games have RPG elements. He reveals that Final Fantasy XVI has an “expansive” skill tree. After mentioning the one present in Fantasian, a skill tree that gives players the sense of the game opening up for character growth, Yoshida says XVI has something similar.

October opened with a fall festival for fans of indie games as Steam’s Next Fest is currently running with scores of short game demos to play for free. Formerly known as the Steam Game Festival, this PC-friendly event boasts hundreds of titles, which is more than enough to keep you busy during the 7-day run, even bordering on overwhelming. But don’t worry about the cold reality of indecision; you can take comfort in our blanket of suggestions. While the Steam Next Fest only lasts until October 7, there are plenty of full indie game releases to look forward to in the first half of the month. 

Jump On The Hayride; We’re Going To The Festival

Bountiful treats await gamers this week at Steam’s packed carnival. One of indie’s most anticipated titles, Tunic, has a demo for anyone that missed it in the summer. But newcomers to the scene are also in attendance and ready to give players a free taste of gameplay, like Lil Gator Game. New or old, familiar or little-known, here is a list of demos you shouldn’t miss.

New World taps into older MMORPG conventions to create something that feels new today, a stark contrast to other genre titles that ferry players through a linear and unified experience. Instead, New World challenges players to forge their path in player vs. player territory control, extensive crafting and gathering, and standard questing monster hunting. New World excels in the crafting and gathering department, with incredibly satisfying and meaningful progression to make your gear and help out your friends that may specialize in other crafts than yourself.

Want to do it all? You can. With New World’s skill system, you only need one character that can learn to do anything and everything, given enough time and resources. Putting the finishing touches on your first masterful craft feels fantastic. The player-driven economy also feels lovely, as unloading your bags back at your homestead for a few coins fuels the engine further. While the traditional monster mashing and questing are beyond mundane here, the other aspects of the game – crafting, gathering, progression of all kinds, and social focus – make the game feel compelling and exceptional today, even if these concepts were popular years ago on the MMO scene.