Game Informer

Our latest look at Dying Light 2, now called Dying Light 2 Stay Human, includes a closer inspection of the upcoming sequel and how it will enrich what so many loved about the first game. Techland answered commonly asked fan questions while also delving into topics like choice impact on multiplayer and how big of jerks the Renegades really are. 

Dying Light 2 is enriching the experience with heavier choice options where player decisions can have the biggest - and smallest - of impact on the in-game world. Dawid Lubryka, animation director for Dying Light 2, talked a little bit about a reoccurring question that players have about said choice and what that means for multiplayer. As we've talked about before, Dying Light 2's choice system has the power to level the entire world: literally. So how does that impact the multiplayer experience? Burkda tells fans, "The host makes all the decisions, and our players experience them. So you can witness how the world of the host changes as a result of their choices, and you can compare this outcome to your own world. So all choices and their consequences stay with the host—they don’t affect your solo campaign, but you get to keep all the player progress you’ve made and all the loot you’ve found."

Square Enix announced during its E3 2021 livestream that it was remastering the first six Final Fantasy games for a series christened Final Fantasy Pixel Remasters. Although the old-school games have been re-released before, this batch would feature updated sprites and a reworked soundtrack, among other modern tweaks. Fans have waited with curiosity to see how Square handles these classics (again), and they can find out when the first three games arrive later this month. 

Final Fantasy I,II, and III Pixel Remasters launch July 29 for Steam and mobile devices. Final Fantasy I and II run for $11.99 while the remaining four games cost $17.99 each. Final Fantasy IV, V, and VI will launch later this year, but you can pre-order a bundle on Steam with all the games for a temporarily discounted price of $74.82. That’s 22% off of the standard price of $95.94. 

You're likely saying to yourself “well that seems pricey". I can only assume that has to do with the work put into these remasters. Each title boasts redrawn pixel art by original artist Kazuko Shibuya and a rearranged soundtrack overseen by legendary Final Fantasy composer, Nobuo Uematsu. Modern controller support along with touch controls for mobile, plus contemporary UIs and an auto-battle system, are among the features designed to make these classics easier to wrap your hands around. 

Marvel's Guardians of the Galaxy releases this October, and as part of our exclusive coverage of the game, we sat down for an exclusive interview with the game's Senior Creative Director, Jean-François Dugas, about how his team at Eidos Montreal is creating a faithful but truly unique story in the Marvel Games universe. We learned about the game's pre-production and initial pitch to Marvel, why the team wanted players to control Star-Lord instead of other characters like Rocket Raccoon or Gamora, and how player choice is weaved through this story-driven action game.

If you're interested in learning more about Marvel's Guardians of the Galaxy after watching this video, be sure to read our 12-page cover story. Here's a brief snippet that sets up the game's story:

There’s nothing on Earth that compares to playing your favorite games with the most immersive surround sound experience available. Unfortunately, unless you live in a home with a built-in 7.1 surround system and no neighbors to worry about bothering during your peak gaming hours, you’re sorely out of luck when it comes to getting that immersive surround sound experience!

That’s why we suggest gaming with a nice pair of 7.1 surround headphones. Whether you’re zooming across the galaxy as Commander Shepard in the Mass Effect series or scoring the top headshot count for your team in Apex Legends – 7.1 surround sound headphones with wireless support, like the Atrix E-Series Pro Black Wireless Headset from GameStop, can maximize your immersion and make you feel like you’re inside the game without costing too much or angering your neighbors.

Included 50mm drivers mean that you get to feel the bass behind every explosion and gunshot. That’s great for competitive games like Battlefield 2042 and Rainbow Six: Siege, but why stop there? Racing games like Forza Horizon 4 are especially intense with the E-Series Pro – you can practically feel the rev of your high-octane engine as you blaze a trail through North England.

At the tail-end of June, Ghost of Tsushima Director's Cut leaks came in fast, and now we've got confirmation that an improved version of the PlayStation exclusive is on the way. With new photo mode updates, added accessibility options, fixed lip-sync issues, 4K options, and more, it's a pretty solid deal for those that want a chance to revisit the game or to try it out for the first time. 

Sucker Punch's Andrew Goldfarb took to the PlayStation Blog to highlight what Tsushima fans have to look forward to. As the one-year anniversary of the samurai adventure looms closer, the team wanted to expand upon Jin's journey in a meaningful way. That's where the Director's Cut comes in. The Director's Cut will offer more to Jin's story, as well as ways to make the actual gameplay mechanics even better. 

Take a look for yourself in the video below: 

E3 may have been a couple of weeks ago at this point, but a few major players were missing from the festivities. Electronic Arts hasn't been an official part of E3 for a few years now, typically opting to host its separate EA Play event a few blocks from E3 when the event can happen in person. However, with E3 happening virtually this year, EA adjusted its schedule a bit. Now taking place in the middle of July, EA Play Live will feature four individual Spotlights centered on specific genres, franchises, and corners of the EA publishing arm, as well as one main stream on July 22 with the bulk of the company's major announcements.

The festivities kick off on July 8 at 10 a.m. Pacific / 1 p.m. Eastern with a Spotlight called "The Future of First-Person Shooters." In this panel, DICE general manager Oskar Gabrielson, DICE LA general manager Christian Grass, Respawn Entertainment founder and group G.M. Vince Zampella, and Apex Legends game director Chad Grenier will join IGN's Stella Chung to discuss Battlefield 2042, Apex Legends, and the future of the genre as a whole. The discussion will cover the Battlefield 2042 reveal and what fans of both games can expect to learn more about during the big July 22 EA Play Live broadcast.

Today at 2:30 CT, the Game Informer crew is going to try to survive against all odds in Dead By Daylight. As survivors, we’re going to face off against killers like Pyramid Head, Michael Myers, and of course, Resident Evil’s Nemesis. With the 5th Anniversary event going on and cakes giving everyone oodles more bloodpoints to play with and the Raccoon City Police Department map back in the rotation, now’s a great time for some horror fun. And fun will be had! 

Join Dan Tack, Liana Ruppert, and Alex Stadnik today for some extremely dangerous fun. Yes, we’re going to get put up on hooks and die. A lot. But there are party poppers and confetti involved so it’s very, very chill. We’re all relatively new players on the survivor side, so expect plenty of hilarious mishaps as we try to land flashbangs with Leon S. Kennedy, set up generator traps with Jill Valentine, and maybe even blind the killer once with a flashlight.

Back in June, Mortal Kombat creator Ed Boon shared our first look at the Mortal Kombat Legends: Battle of the Realms box art and the film's release date. At that time, we didn't have any video to go off of, but that's changed thanks to our first official trailer for the sequel to Mortal Kombat Legends: Scorpion's Revenge. 

Courtesy of IGN, our first official look at the upcoming animated film from Warner Bros. Animation and NetherRealm Studios includes the art style we know and love and returning faces that always mean a good time is ahead: 

Directed by Ethan Spaulding, the director of the previous movie and Batman: Assault on Arkham, and with the script written by Supernatural's Jeremy Adams, the Battle of the Realms is based off of the popular video game franchise originally created by Midway Games. It features iconic fighters, recognizable moves, and a storyline that will feel both fresh and familiar to fans of this fighting series. 

Techland went a mighty long stretch in between news when it came to Dying Light 2, but when the studio opened those floodgates, they opened them up all the way. Once the silence was broken, the inside looks at the upcoming sequel have been coming in a steady stream, and that includes the latest Dying Light 2 developer update with Dying 2 Know episode two. For those interested, here's how you can watch. 

The latest look at Dying Light 2 Stay Human drops today, July 1, at 12 p.m. Pacific. We here at Game Informer will be doing another watch-along, just like we did for the first episode. If you're interested in chatting with us while we check out what's new together, feel free to mosey on over to our Twitch page here during that time! We'll also be doing some more streams later today, as well, for some good 'ole fashioned gaming. 

Get in, Guardian, we're going loot-grabbing. Destiny 2's Solstice of Heroes event returns as Season of the Splicer continues its trek towards completion. As with every Solstice event, there will be special packages available for participating Guardians as well as gear to earn, including a brand-new Legendary Shotgun up for grabs. 

In order to celebrate those who took a courageous stand in defense of the Last City, we must play Destiny 2 in hopes of that sweet, sweet, God Roll. This year will tasks Guardians with going back to the European Aerial Zone in order to unlock caches and kick boss butt. Every day, players will need to pay special attention to the assigned element. Guardians will need to keep that element in mind when choosing how they approach battle and which sub-class to use. Doing so will charge one of four elemental buffs and then on Prism Days, players can charge all four buffs with the restriction of only one being active at any given time. 

The event is free for all to enjoy, so no Guardian is left behind when earning Class-specific and upgradable armor. Check out the new digs in our first look below: 

"You can't fight crime if you ain't cute" is a gem from the show Reno 911 that I live my life by, don't judge, and in Diablo 4, I can keep that montage going strong in the gaming-verse. For the first time in the franchise's history, players will be able to completely customize their toon the way they want, making the world of Diablo more immersive than ever before. Recreate yourself, make an atrocity - dealer's choice!

John Mueller, the art director for the game, took to the Blizzard blog to go into more detail about the character art in the upcoming game. Beyond just the characters, he also confirmed that they took tailoring the experience to the next level by adding in character customization options beyond the transmog for gear seen previously. In the post, Mueller opened up about why they've taken a slightly different approach this time around with the art style of the game, including how characters look and interact with one another. 

Earlier in June, Xbox unveiled a few different versions of exclusive Space Jam-themed wireless controllers. Now the team is adding to that Space Jam love by teaming up with Nike for a new shoe to celebrate the upcoming film. To sweeten the pot a little bit, another new Space Jam controller has been revealed that pairs with the new sneaker via the Nike SNKRS app. 

Warner Bros. Nike, and Xbox have just unveiled the Space Jam: A New Legacy sneaker bundle that comes with a Road Runner vs. Wile E. Coyote Nike LeBron 18 Low and an exclusive pairing Xbox Wireless Controller. "Taking inspiration from Wile E, Road Runner and the LeBron 18 Lows, the Xbox design team set out to tell a deeper story and bring together the controller and sneakers in a scene representative of the classic Looney Tunes rivalry., said Xbox principal designer Elliot Hsu in the latest Xbox Wire blog post. 

Halo has always been a staple for Team Green when looking at what the Xbox experience has to offer. The sci-fi shooter has been vital to the name of Xbox and has evolved much in the years since its birth, even changing hands from Bungie over to 343 Industries. Because of that, and the initial backlash to when Halo Infinite gameplay was first revealed in 2020, there is a lot of speculation as to whether or not Infinite will be the final "test" regarding Halo's future going forward. With Starfield, the new space IP from Bethesda, also being an Xbox-exclusive, some have even wondered if that could take the crown. According to Xboss Phil Spencer, Halo Infinite will not be a "make or break" situation, instead, it is a fresh start. 

HBO's The Last of Us TV series has just added another name to its growing cast with Nico Parker (Dumbo) slated to play Joel's daughter. Parker is the latest casting decision revealed to star alongside Pedro Pascal (The Mandalorian) as Joel, Bella Ramsey (Game of Thrones) as Ellie, Gabriel Luna as Tommy Miller, and Merle Dandridge as Marlene. 

The confirmation of the latest casting comes via Deadline for the upcoming adaptation that is set to take place within the timeline of the first game. Kanatemir Balagov is set to direct the pilot episode for the co-production between PlayStation Productions, Sony Pictures Television, Word Games, The Mighty Mint, and Naughty Dog itself. The Last of Us TV series also two new directors with Jasmila Žbanić (Aida) and Ali Abbasi (Border), revealed back in May. The pair joins Chernobyl creator Craig Mazin as the team works alongside Naughty Dog for creative direction. 

Starting today and running to July 15, Dead by Daylight is celebrating a 5th anniversary event. If you’re trying to farm up bloodpoints to unlock perks for your favorite survivor or killer, now’s probably the best time. Not only are cakes available for big bonuses during the event, but you can also take advantage of a special Shrine of Secrets rotation with reduced prices! Of course, there are all kinds of special cosmetics and other fun things to explore as well. Check out the trailer for the event below, which shows off some of the funfetti and cheer that are obviously quite at odds with the normal motif of the horror-centric Dead by Daylight.

In addition to all the fun stuff mentioned above, Anniversary Crowns are available to collect in matches and there are some large community meta goals to achieve to unlock special skins for David King and Wraith.

From Uldren to the Crow, this isn't the first time we've reflected on the reincarnation of Cayde-6's killer, and it won't be the last, but as the current season's story careens towards its close, we can't help but to reflect on something truly beautiful about this character. Back in March during Destiny 2's Season of the Chosen, I wrote a lengthy feature about how I hated Bungie for making me love this character as much as I did. I'm sad to report that my love has only grown stronger and is bordering on character study obsession. Them's the breaks, but I am happy to see that the trajectory I spoke of is relevant to The Crow's current standing. This week's mission for Season of the Splicer has only solidified him as one of the most humbly strong characters in the current Destiny 2 universe.

Acquisitions aren’t necessarily a new trend in the video games industry, but recently many studios have been parented by large conglomerates. For instance, EA recently forged a partnership with Dirt developers Codemasters, Sony has added Housemarque (and potentially Bluepoint) to their expansive list of in-house studios, and Microsoft’s multi-billion dollar purchase of Bethesda still has the community reeling, especially with the announcement of Starfield as an Xbox exclusive. Of course, some consumers have voiced concern over the surge of acquisitions, calling consolidation a negative aspect of the industry. Phil Spencer, however, feels otherwise; he thinks acquisitions are a good thing.

In an interview with IGN, Spencer talked about the highs and lows of the industry’s recent shift to expanding their brands. Spencer notes the difficulty that comes with starting small businesses and turnover. When hardships do occur, Spencer stated that simply not selling can be short-sighted:

Microsoft just revealed its Xbox Games With Gold lineup for July, and now it's time for PlayStation to show off what it's got. Where Xbox is leaning into that Conker love, PlayStation is going in a different direction with WWE, some Call of Duty action, and rats. Lots of rats. 

Just like every month, the new lineup is yours to keep as long as a PlayStation Plus membership is active. 

Free PS Plus July 2021 Free Games 

• A Plague Tale: Innocence
• Call of Duty: Black Ops 4
• WWE 2K Battlegrounds

Call of Duty: Black Ops 4 is about what you'd expect from a Call of Duty experience with the exception that the Zombies portion is so much more immersive. It also includes Blackout, which is the battle royale portion of the shooter. 

WWE 2K Battlegrounds is arcade-inspired, blending Superstars and Legends together into an experience filled with interactive environments alongside a new story mode. Kick your friends' butts, become the Superstar you were always meant to be, and get that belt. 

The "will they, won't they" concerning Konami and the future of Silent Hill is not even close to a new conversation, so much so it's almost a bore at this point. Still, with the Abandoned game inciting Hideo Kojima-related conspiracy theories and rumors of a new Silent Hill game having run rampant for years now, it looks like there might actually be some substance to the latest report. Konami and Bloober Team, the studio behind Layers of Fear and The Medium, issued a new press release to media talking about a fresh partnership between the two companies.

The Ace Attorney series is about as zany as you can imagine. Part visual novel, part puzzle game that sees players gather evidence and present court cases to an equally wild cast of characters. Though the North American fanbase has seen its fair share of entries featuring Phoenix Wright and the rest of his lawyers at large, two games have always eluded them. 

The Great Ace Attorney Adventures and The Great Ace Attorney 2: Resolve were released in 2013 and 2017, respectively, on Nintendo 3DS and mobile, but only for a Japanese audience. That all changes on July 27 as Phoenix Wright's ancestor, Ryunosuke Naruhodo, and the bumbling legendary detective Herlock Sholmes make their way west as Capcom is releasing these two titles as The Great Ace Attorney Chronicles collection for PlayStation 4, Switch, and PC! But what can North American fans expect from this new set of games?

Remedy Entertainment is keeping busy following the release of the PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X/S versions of Control. Announced in a blog post written by Control Director Mikael Kasurinen, Remedy has inked a new deal with 505 Games to expand the Control franchise into places it hasn’t gone before including a spin-off focused on multiplayer and a new high-budget Control down the road.

Kasurinen establishes why the team is bringing Control into a multiplayer experience: “Control is first and foremost a world, a place for multitudes of stories, events, and characters. A place where unexpected, strange, and extraordinary things occur. We kicked it off with Jesse’s entry into the Oldest House, but there is more to this world. Oh, so much more.”

“Project Condor” is the code name for this new multiplayer title set within the Control universe, though there’s not many details on what the game actually is yet. Mikael's blog only has one image hinting at what Condor might be. The picture depicts a group of four people decked out in various kinds of armor and gear crammed on a bench in a waiting room with a body bag at their feet. A battle-ready squad facing bureaucratic mundanity fits Control like a glove.

Magic: Legends, the free-to-play ARPG set in the Magic: The Gathering universe, is shutting down for good on October 31, 2021. If this seems really fast to you, you’re right - the game technically never even left the beta phase for an official launch, nor did it ever get its scheduled console launches on Xbox or Playstation. On the plus side, if you did play it at all on the Epic Games Store or Arc launcher, you’re getting a full refund for any purchases made.

Magic: Legends is shutting down on October 31, 2021. Read the full statement and FAQ here > https://t.co/BMQZDHTWrU pic.twitter.com/6viue1Sbs6

Casey Hudson announced that he was leaving BioWare once more back in December 2020, and now we're finally getting a look at what he's been up to since then. The former BioWare boss took to Twitter to share an inside look at his new gaming company called Humanoid Studios that has a mission statement we can stand behind, "unleash the creative freedom of developers." 

Hudson shared our first look at Humanoid Studios on June 29, with a sneak peek at what this new journey looks like. "I've been working with some colleagues on something awesome," he started. "And I wish I could tell you all about it! For now, though, I can say that [today] we are announcing a new independent videogame company built to unleash the creative freedom of developers - bringing innovation and artistry to players through an all-new IP." 

We are Humanoid Studios. This is the first tiny step in our journey, and we hope you'll come along with us on the adventure. https://t.co/b77Z2hbKFG

Bethesda confirmed back in October of last year that Starfield would be using an overhauled engine for the studio with Creation Engine 2. This news excited fans for obvious reasons. While Bethesda knows how to tell a solid tale, that doesn't mean that franchises like Fallout and Elder Scrolls have really done a good job at keeping up with the times in terms of tech and aesthetics. Now, following the Xbox-Bethesda E3 2021 showcase, Todd Howard is talking a little more openly about The Elder Scrolls 6, including confirming that it will utilize the same engine as Starfield. 

When sitting down with The Telegraph, Howard talked about a plethora of topics, including his original 2009 Indiana Jones game pitch. He also confirmed the engine news about both upcoming games, though Howard was careful to once again reiterate that The Elder Scrolls 6 is still a long way off. In fact, it's still in the "design phase." 

From the Studio: MMA fighter Cole Young must train to unlock his true power and stand with Earth’s greatest champions against the enemies of Outworld in a high-stakes battle for the universe.

Click to see more!

While it is available for purchase on digital now, we have 10 Mortal Kombat digital movies to give away, all you need to do is enter below by 7/12/2021 for your chance to win one. You can enter once per day via some methods below. Winners will be selected by random drawing from all eligible entries on or after 7/12/2021 and digital codes will be sent via email. Mortal Kombat is rated R. NO PURCHASE NECESSARY. Must be a legal resident of the U.S. age 17 or older to redeem movie code. Full rules available with each entry method below. Good Luck!

The next-gen update for Doom Eternal was first announced during the Xbox Games Showcase at E3. Today, the optimized game finally arrives on PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X (on Game Pass as well). A post on the official Bethesda website details the performance and graphical settings that’ll be available for next-gen console owners. For Consoles, there are three different modes that can be enabled while playing: Performance Mode which focuses on frames and smoothness, Balanced Mode which is a happy medium, and Ray Tracing Mode which, unfortunately, is not available on the Series S. 

With our latest look at The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild 2 during this year's E3 2021 Nintendo showcase, it's easy to see why so many have this particular universe on the brain. The first open-world adventure for the Breath series was expansive, beautiful, and a joy to traverse. While we wait to see what the sequel has to offer, one Breath of the Wild cosplayer brings her Urbosa cosplay to life in stunning detail. Which, of course, sent me down the rabbit hole of looking at her previous cosplays, and now I'm just sitting here thinking about how I can't even sew a button on correctly and basking in the talent that the cosplay community continues to share. 

The cosplayer in question goes by CutiePieSensei on socials, and her cosplay portfolio includes everything from Metroid to Apex Legends - even Marvel. But we're here to talk about her Urbosa take because, let's be real: it's pretty awesome. 

I came to feed y’all things since I never post here. I’m sorry lovelies!!

Look at this swimsuit Urbosa I designed and made thoooo!! Forgive me plz!! #botw2 #TheLegendofZelda pic.twitter.com/lqlgJ5lkDa

June is coming to a close, which means it's time to see what Xbox Games With Gold's July 2021 free games lineup has to offer. A little more niche than previous months, including June's which currently includes Injustice Gods Among Us and The King's Bird, July's offerings includes an arcade collection and a return to the Conker universe. 

Just like every month, Microsoft offers a select few games to give away for free, both for Xbox Live Gold and Xbox Game Pass Ultimate members. Whether you want to beat the tar out of a previous high score or you're looking to explore a vast world in Planet Alpha , here's what you have to look forward to on Xbox next month. 

Bethesda revealed its new Indiana Jones game back in January of this year, and fans were immediately interested in what Machine Games would bring to the fandom table. Now, Bethesda's Todd Howard is opening up a little bit on the road to here with the adventurous new game, sharing that he's actually been campaigning for this since 2009. 

Sitting down with The Telegraph, Howard revealed that the Indiana Jones game is something he and his team are very excited about and that he's been pitching this project since 2009. Back in 2009, he first shared the idea for Indiana Jones with George Lucas, and he's been "trying to find a way to make that" since that point. Luckily, that vision is seeing fruition thanks to the efforts by MachineGames, efforts that are "phenomenal" when looking at narrative craftsmanship and game design as a whole. 

"I think the work MachineGames have done, they're just phenomenal developers and storytellers," Howard gushed. "And when I started talking to them about it, it was a good fit. And we got the opportunity to talk to Lucas and Disney about it, and they were super excited." 

Sony has been making quite a few changes to its PlayStation website over the past few years, slowly removing features to consolidate down to the mobile app and console interface. In the latest update, Team Blue confirmed that a few more features are being slashed from the PlayStation site, including removing access to your game library, friend information, Trophies, and more.

[Update]: June 29, 2021 - The removal of the web-based functionality of the below features has now gone live. The original article was written on June 2, 2021. Original story is as follows: 

In a new blog update from Sony, the company confirmed that MyPlayStation will no longer be supported, which limits the following features: 

• Games library
• Parties
• Friends
• Trophies
• Profile information

The above features will still be accessible via PlayStation 4 and 5 consoles, as well as the PS App that continues to see more modernized updates. I would love to see the app offer a way to see your screenshots like the Xbox app does. It would be great for those who, like me, love to use those in-game captures as fancy wallpapers and such. 

The removal of MyPlayStation will be finalized on June 28, alongside the removal of the PS Vita messaging service. Back in April, Sony also removed PlayStation Communities from PS4 systems, though you can still access it through the app, as well. 

With WitcherCon right around the corner, many fans are gearing up to learn more about the various shows going on surrounding the witchers and their tales. This includes Netflix's The Witcher season 2 and the anime adaptation. What it won't have to offer, as confirmed by the fully-released schedule, is a new Witcher game announcement.

This bit of clarity is needed because the rumor mill began to swirl immediately upon the revelation of the first-ever WitcherCon, and for good reason. CD Projekt RED has already confirmed that a new Witcher experience is currently in the works alongside more work being done on Cyberpunk 2077. With members of the studio in attendance at WitcherCon for some of the panels, speculation was high about if the Polish studio would have anything official to reveal. Time to reign in those expectations a little bit, because the full schedule can be seen below: 

Want to know more about what we've got in store for #WitcherCon? You've come to the right place. We're teaming up with @CDPROJEKTRED to bring you an epic lineup of panels with the cast and creators, Season 2 sneak peeks, and much more.
Get the details at https://t.co/zQ2dBGS0k4! pic.twitter.com/OhMnWHXZeW

Both Sony and Microsoft are making power moves in recent years regarding studio acquisitions for the PlayStation and Xbox camps. Following E3 2021's Xbox showcase that celebrated the acquisition of Bethesda and other ZeniMax studios, Sony has just announced that it has purchased Housemarque, the studio that gave us Returnal. More than that, evidence suggests that Sony has also acquired Bluepoint. But first, let's start with what's confirmed.

PlayStation's Hermen Hulst took to the PlayStation Blog to talk about the latest acquisition. In the post, Hulst celebrates Housemarque's most recent successes with Returnal while reflecting upon the studio's past. "I have been a fan of Housemarque since the studio's early days when they introduced Super Stardust HD to PlayStation fans," he said. Adding Housemarque to PlayStation's growing creative team is a smart move and one that the studio's co-founder couldn't wait to celebrate, as well. 

Star Wars: Jedi Fallen Order was one of my favorite games of 2019. I say that without compunction, and in full knowledge that some of the game’s technical problems and other issues were a major turn-off for some players. But for me, I got a big kick out of the high production values in art, music, and characters, and a single-player Star Wars adventure is a hard thing for me to turn down.

That’s why I was especially delighted to see how much the game has improved for its recent upgrade onto new-gen consoles. After a release earlier this month, I was able to seamlessly upgrade my PS4 copy of Fallen Order to play on my PS5, and in recent days I’ve had the chance to dive back in and play through a significant chunk of the game.

While it’s easy to get lost in the jargon of these different games that have received upgrades on the new consoles, I think there are some important takeaways apparent right from the start. One of the biggest is load times. In a game in which character death is relatively common on higher difficulties, not to mention moving between various large areas, the long load times on PS4 were always an issue for me. Playing on PS5, those have been dramatically improved. I did a quick test loading into one game area on both consoles, and found my load time had been nearly halved on the PS5. 

Final Fantasy VII Remake Intergrade launched earlier this month, and now that I’ve gotten the chance to re-experience my favorite 2020 RPG all over again, I can confidently say there are more than a few new features and updates that make this next-gen title all the more polished and spectacular. Whether you’re upgrading your PlayStation 4 copy of the game or sprinting through Midgar for the first time, Intergrade has more than enough to offer to its player base. Here are five changes that make re-playing the whole experience worth it. 

I will caution the fifth and final entry in this short list comes with a spoiler warning.

Earlier this month, our own Kimberly Wallace wrote up a delightful feature on why gamers should check out the beloved Legend of Mana RPG franchise (if they haven't already) with the hopes of even more adventures on the way. It looks like she's getting her wish because Square Enix has announced a new Legends of Mana anime TV series is on the way. 

Square Enix revealed the news today about the upcoming anime alongside our first look with some promotional art, seen below: 

Square Enix

The Legend of Mana anime is officially titled Legend of Mana - The Teardrop Crystal and will follow the most recently released Mana title. Warner Bros. Japan LLC, Graphinica, Inc. and Yokohama Animation Lab are all collaborating for this new venutre, a series that will be released worldwide. If Yokohama Animation Lab sounds familiar to you, you may remember this company as the one that crafted the animated opening for the Legend of Mana movie.

Photo Modes are great, Photo Modes with more poses are even better. The Cyberpunk 2077 Photo Mode is pretty great in its own right with many different positions players can put themselves in, both with stagnant poses and those sweet action shots. That being said, this Cyberpunk 2077 mod takes that creative mode even further and by doing so, makes it even better. 

Ignoring the flaws that many players have encountered when in Night City and the numerous updates that have since dropped to correct said flaws, most that have played the game can agree that the Photo Mode was a nice touch. With how expansive Night City is and all of the nutso shenanigans that V finds themselves in, taking a fun snapshot in the moment (or even a highly dramatic one with the actionable poses) is highly enjoyable. There are tons of poses that vanilla players can choose from, but one modder wanted to add even more options into the mix for PC players. 

Pokémon as a series has about as many spin-off titles in its library as it does actual creatures in the Pokédex at this point. From the fan-favorite gems of the Pokémon Pinball titles to the recent entries of Pokémon Café Mix and Pokémon Smile, Pikachu, Charizard, and more have had plenty of opportunities to get out of their Poké Balls and entertain audiences in new, often bizarre ways.

In keeping with that tradition, Pokémon Unite is next up to try and spin the classic series out of its RPG roots and is throwing those classic creatures in the MOBA arena with all the lane combat one could hope for. Fans will be able to pick from a plethora of Pokés to form a team set on taking out NPC characters and humans alike to gain orbs to score at enemy-controlled points and win the round. But does just throwing Greninja into a new game genre equal success?

Break out those mobile calendars because the pre-registration period for Nier Reincarnation will eventually come to an end, meaning that players in North America, Europe, and Korea will finally get a chance to experience the first mobile game in the franchise. Better yet, now that 300,00 pre-registrations have been reached, milestones and rewards will be dished out. However, 600,00 is still the highest tier, so make sure you hop onto the Nier Reincarnation bandwagon sooner rather than later because the launch day has finally been revealed in a press release today.