Game Informer

If you’ve been roaming the world of Valheim, maybe you’ve come far beyond the Meadows and Black Forests and are ready to start exploring the more dangerous Swamp biome. Sure, the Swamp is crawling with advanced skeleton enemies, blobs, leeches, and more, but it’s also home to a number of Sunken Crypts.

Sunken Crypts are a small dungeon type, much like the Troll Caves or Burial Chambers you may be familiar with from the Black Forest. However, if you’ve just wandered into the Swamp from another biome without doing your homework, you may discover one unfortunate aspect to these Sunken Crypts. Unlike the dungeons before them, the Sunken Crypts are locked. Still getting started? Check out our starter kit here, our Black Forest delve here, and our introductory cooking class here.

We already knew that Sonic the Hedgehog 2 will premiere in theaters on April 8, 2022. What we didn’t know (at least officially) was that the follow-up will feature Sonic’s long-time sidekick, Tails. Paramount Pictures unveiled the film’s official logo today with a short teaser video confirming the two-tailed fox’s presence. 

In a nice touch, the video also includes a brief sample of Sonic 2’s Emerald Hills music to really set the tone for the sequel. Other than Tails’ involvement (which was hinted in the first film) we still don’t know what the plot of Sonic the Hedgehog 2 will be or which characters from the first movie will return, though you imagine Jim Carrey will be a lock. We do know that director Jeff Fowler and writers Pat Casey and Josh Miller are returning for the sequel, as is Ben Schwartz as Sonic. 

A new season has arrived in Destiny 2: Beyond Light and we're strapping on those Guardian boots once more to dive right in. Season of the Chosen brings Calus' daughter front and center while also introducing a new PvE element with Battlegrounds. From becoming an Avenger in the Guardian world with the War Table to learning more about pivotal characters from the franchise, we're exploring it all.

Join Liana Ruppert and fellow writer Damien Gulu as they tackle the Battlegrounds head-on while also taking on a few Strikes as well. Let's see what the new season has to offer, shall we? 

Season 13's main focus is jumping into the Battlegrounds. Battlegrounds is a three-player activity that will pit players against Caiatl's most valuable warriors in ritual-like combat meant to challenge and invigorate. If Battlegrounds aren't your cup of tea, Bungie is also bringing back Devil's Lair and Fallen S.A.B.E.R. Strikes for their return from the original Destiny ahead of a new Strike arriving with Proving Grounds. 

Sometimes in games, ideas don't make the final product and things are left abandoned on the cutting room floor. With Kaidan, he was a FemShep-only romance option in the first Mass Effect, only to later become available to both Shepards in the third game. Mods were able to restore pre-recorded voice lines for a Kaidan x Male Shepard romance in the first game, leading many to believe that the option was originally meant to be on the table only to be cut before the first game shipped. Now that we know that Jack was originally meant to be an option for both Shepards, the topic of what was cut and what wasn't is once more in the conversation. In the instance of Kaidan, however, director Mac Walters says that Kaidan was never cut and explains where the dialogue modders recovered came from. 

The 2021 Pokémon World Championships have been cancelled due to COVID-19 concerns. The Pokémon Company made the tough call today stating “the safety and well-being of our competitors, organizers, employees, local communities, and partners continues to be our top priority and is the primary consideration with every decision we make.” This marks the second year straight that the event has been postponed after the 2020 Championships were called off for the same concerns. The event will resume in London in 2022. 

The company made the decision after “careful review and pursuant to guidance set forth by local, regional, and national health authorities, as well as the World Health Organization, Public Health England, and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention”. According to Polygon, players who were invited to compete this year will instead be invited to next year’s event. The competition would have pitted the world’s best players to battle across the Pokmeon Trading Card Game, Pokémon Sword and Shield, as well as Pokken Tournament DX. 

Starting very soon, Genshin Impact players can head to Liyue Harbor to participate in one of the big new Lantern Festival events, Theater Mechanicus. That's a fancy word for a tower defense mode! Players are not able to use their weapons in this, but there are a ton of different towers to set up, build, and even co-op with other players in order to take on hordes of foes.

If you're not familiar with Genshin Impact, it's a big open world game where you can climb mountains, battle monsters, level up, and explore. There's a huge feature and mechanics set that is similar to most major MMORPGs, but in a framework that's perfect for the single player experience. The most controversial aspect of Genshin Impact is its implementation of the gacha system where players can pay real money to roll on characters. Learn more about gacha and all things Genshin in our starting guide here.

To get things started, seek out Ruijin in the northern section of Liyue Harbor. Players interested in the tower defense game mode can unlock all kinds of different perks as they play through a variety of levels, so the experience should stay fresh through its duration. You can play the mode until February 28, so there's plenty of time to earn achievements and awards. For Theater Mechanicus, you can team up with one other player to fend off the invasion. 

Striking Distance Studios, the team behind upcoming horror game The Callisto Protocol, has partnered up Skybound Entertainment, the media company headed by The Walking Dead creator, Robert Kirkman. The partnership means Skybound, a company that’s no stranger to promoting horror media, will assist in marketing and distribution with hopes that the game has the potential to perhaps grow into a broader multimedia franchise.

Skybound is known as the company behind all things The Walking Dead, but it has expanded into gaming with Skybound Games. When Telltale Games collapsed in 2018, the publisher picked up the pieces of the then in-progress The Walking Dead: The Final Season and finished the remaining episodes with help from members of the original development team. While Skybound also helps distribute games such as Slime Rancher and the enhanced Baldur’s Gate titles, The Callisto Protocol is the biggest blockbuster it has attached itself to yet.  

Crash Bandicoot 4: It’s About Time proved the former mascot still had plenty left in the tank, and more players can see just how much when the game comes to Playstation 5, Xbox Series X/S, and Switch on March 12. It will then come to PC (via Battle.net) later this year. The expansion to new platforms serves as a celebration of the series' 25th anniversary this year.

The PS5 and Xbox Series X versions improve the game with shorter load times, 4K visuals, and 60 fps performance. Best of all, players who own the last-gen console versions are entitled to a free upgrade (except in Japan), and they can also transfer their save data. The PS5 version makes use of the DualSense’s adaptive triggers, creating enhanced feedback when using Tawna’s hookshot or Neo Cortex’s blaster. 

You may have heard of Valheim, a Viking survival game that’s currently available on Steam in early access. Well, if you want to have a fighting chance at living through the many encounters you’ll face, you’ll want to go in armed with the knowledge of how to cook and eat the many foods available to you. The game is a challenging take on surviving in frigid lands swarming with trolls, skeletons, leeches, slimes, and more. You can even summon up huge bosses and take them on! If you’re just getting started, you should check out our guide to the early game here, and something a little deeper into the experience here.

Once you get the hang of the basics of cooking and eating in Valheim, the more advanced fare falls into place easily as you advance through your tech tree and base. At the beginning of the game, it’s likely your only experience with food at all will be from raspberries that you’ve pulled off of nearby bushes. In the game’s opening hour, you can probably expect to take on boars, deer, and necks (lizards). So, you’ve got some raw meat. What’s next?

Modders are back once more to make Super Mario 64 even better than we remember, this time adding ray tracing into the mix. The 1996 classic just got another modernized makeover, this time with the inclusion of a new visual flourish. 

As part of Mod Corner, I love sharing new ways that fans put their personal touches on some of our favorite games. Super Mario 64 itself is no stranger to being a fertile ground for growing mod ideas, but when a friend dropped the below video in Discord with the caption "I bought a $1500 GPU to play Super Mario 64 with RTX," I couldn't help but to laugh and share: 

The mod itself for the unofficial PC port of the Nintendo classic is still a work in progress, but it's pretty impressive. Necessary? Not really, but it is nifty when looking at what a difference ray tracing can make, especially with older graphics and when looking at those glorious water animations.

Call Of Duty: Black Ops Cold War is getting into the season of love once more with the upcoming Kiss Confirmed mode on the way with the upcoming Valentine's Day event. 

Kiss Confirmed is a Valentine's Day-themed twist on the popular Kill Confirmed multiplayer component. Instead of dog tags, players will instead be tasked with ending the lives of enemy players while collecting a candy heart instead. It definitely puts a spin on the phrase of stealing hearts, but it is an appropriate way to ring in the holiday of love within the Call of Duty setting. 

Kiss Confirmed arrives on February 11 and will run until February 18.

There are a few new bundles in the Call of Duty Store also coming available soon, including the Lunar New Year Tracer Pack: Year of the Ox bundle and the Golden Augx. A special Valentine's Day bundle is also available with Top Secret Admirer, for those that didn't satiate that sweet craving with those collected candy hearts. 

Skate City, the mobile skateboarding game from developer Agens and publisher Snowman, is coming to PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Switch, and PC, Snowman announced to Game Informer. The port is being handled by Room 8, which has also developed ports for What Remains of Edith Finch, Abzu, and Telling Lies. While no specific release date was given, Snowman tells us the port will be released "very soon."

CD Projekt Red has shared a threat the studio has received regarding a ransomware attack threatening to release Cyberpunk 2077's source code in its entirety. In a recent post, CDPR shared details of an alleged hacker that is threatened to release important data of the game should the hacker's demands not be met. 

The polish studio took to Twitter to share a note sent by the hacker in question, claiming that they not only have the source code for Cyberpunk 2077, but also Gwent and The Witcher 3 as well. Regarding the Witcher series, the note alleges that it has an "unreleased version" of the game alongside incriminating data such as HR documentation to release to the public. 

Important Update pic.twitter.com/PCEuhAJosR

— CD PROJEKT RED (@CDPROJEKTRED) February 9, 2021

In the above tweet, the studio says that an "unidentified actor" has bypassed all admin protections, firewalls, and data encryption belonging to CDPR. The studio states its backups "remain intact" and that the IT infrastructure has been restored in order to begin securing the data exposed. 

Bravely Default II arrives this month, so let's take a dive into the upcoming turn-based grind-heavy JRPG. Digging into the game's opening hours reveals many similar aspects to the "modern" take on the classic template, much like other games in the franchise and Octopath Traveler. Looking for more? Our review lands later this month.

Epic Games has announced a new Spring Showcase stream, which will coincide with an Epic Games Store sale. While we don't know if this Spring Showcase will give us the first glimpses at the new projects from well-established developers Epic Games announced publishing deals for last year, the stream could very well be worth tuning in to when it airs on Thursday, February 11 at 11 a.m. Pacific / 2 p.m. Eastern.

According to Epic Games, the Spring Showcase will feature, "new announcements, gameplay and extended looks presented by the developers creating the games we all love." Epic Games did not give any additional hints or details about what the announcements could be, but given the company's standing in the industry and its various high-profile business partners, the stream could potentially feature some blockbuster announcements.

Forza Horizon 4 is coming to Steam on March 9, marking the first time the franchise has appeared on a non-Microsoft platform. Like the Xbox version, the Steam port will feature full cross-play and all of its released DLC. The Steam version is a collaboration between developer Playground Games and Sumo Digital. 

The game was originally released in October 2018 to critical acclaim (including a 9.25 out of 10 from Game Informer), with many hailing it as one of, if not the best racing game of the last generation. What separates the Forza Horizon series from the mainline counterpart, Forza Motorsport, is its open-world approach to racing. Set on giant maps, players are free to roam around and complete a variety of race types and objectives (many of them silly) to increase their reputation, purchase new cars from a staggeringly large garage, buy fancy homes to house said vehicles, and more. Forza Horizon 4 introduced seasons to the series, which changed the dynamic of races on top of adding beautiful visual variety. Over the years various car packs and modes, including a battle royale, have kept the Horizon 4 going strong.  

COVID-19 caused most in-person events to be canceled last year, and with vaccines only now beginning to roll out, 2021 will continue carrying out digital alternatives to bringing communities together. According to recent reports, E3 2021 will be continuing on its all-digital front this year again as the ESA confirms to us that they'll have more details to share soon regarding what this means for gamers. 

The initial report of E3 2021 came from Video Game Chronicle with a person outside of the ESA sharing details on this year's event. While the ESA did promise a virtual showcase for 2020, the actual event didn't happen, instead shifting its focus to the year ahead with 2021's festivities.

According to pitch documents that were sent out to a variety of publishers, the company is looking to host a three-day live stream event that will take place between June 15 -17. According to the decks provided, there will be several two-hour keynote sessions for gamers to enjoy (much like the Coliseum during the actual in-person event) in addition to a whole host of streams from developers, publishers, and popular content creators. 

Jamie Lee Curtis is joining the cast of director Eli Roth's upcoming Borderlands movie, Collider reported earlier today. The storied actress is joining comedian Kevin Hart, who is set to play Roland, and Cate Blanchett, cast as Lilith, in the film. 

Curtis has been cast in the Borderlands film as the character Patricia Tannis, an archeologist that appears in all three games. "Working with the iconic Jamie Lee Curtis has been a life long dream of mine, and I am so excited for her to bring her humor, warmth and brilliance to the role of Tannis," Roth said about the casting. 

Most recently, Curtis appeared in Rian Johnson's 2019 murder-mystery Knives Out alongside an all-star cast, featuring Ana De Armas, Daniel Craig, and Chris Evans. She also reprised her role as Laurie Strode in 2018's Halloween reboot, directed by David Gordon Green. Curtis has had a prolific career spanning more than four decades, starting with her debut in the very first Halloween as Strode.

The Ys series has stuck around for a reason: its stellar combat and fantastic boss design never fails to provide an exciting adrenaline rush. Now our red-headed hero, Adol, is back for a new adventure that just came out last week on PS4 called Ys IX: Monstrum Nox. However, this isn't your typical Ys journey with a shipwrecked and confused Adol. In Monstrum Nox, Adol gains supernatural abilities and the power to exorcise monsters.

Even better? During his adventure, he encounters others gifted with these abilities who all have their own specialties to help in combat and traverse the city. It goes without saying, but we needed to see it in action for ourselves. Therefore, we're streaming a bit of the game today, playing the PS4 version on PS5. Note: It's coming to Switch and PC at a later date.

As a long-time Ys fan who enjoyed the last entry and called it an "adventurer's delight," I'm introducing Liana Ruppert to the series and showing her why Adol's adventures still have charm after all this time. We'll look at what the added verticality means for the experience and hopefully meet some of Adol's new partners in kicking monster butt. 

Join us today at 4:40 p.m. CT for a look at Ys IX: Monstrum Nox!

Many Mass Effect fans have been clamoring for a remaster for years now, including our own Joe Juba! While not everyone felt the need to revisit the Normandy once more, the aging of the first game and the desire to play the full trilogy on current generations have given passionate players a reason to cling to hope every N7 day. Now that we've got a release date for the upcoming remaster with the Mass Effect Legendary Edition, we spoke with BioWare to learn the history of the decision behind the nostalgic throwback. 

As part of our month-long celebration of Mass Effect as a part of our cover story this month, we sat down with project director Mac Walters and character/environment director Kevin Meek to learn more about our journey back into space as Commander Shepard. 

"We're just really excited to finally start talking about this," Walters tells us. Talk of the remaster started to ramp up not long after Mass Effect Andromeda, but the conversation itself has been ongoing for years, especially with each passing N7 Day: A fan-driven holiday celebrating the series on November 7 and modeled after the N7 military designation in-game.

If you checked out our starter guide for the Viking survival game Valheim, you’ve probably already beaten Eikthyrnir and started working on a happy homestead for you and your fellow Norse explorers. Your next mission tasks you with taking on the much bigger and badder boss The Elder and tackling the challenges of the Black Forest and Swamp biomes. After beating the first boss, the game opens up in several important ways that will take you in different directions. While Valheim is perfectly enjoyable as a solo experience, I recommend handling the journey ahead with a few good friends.

After Eikthyrnir’s demise, you’ll have the opportunity to fashion your first pickaxes from its antlers to mine stone, copper, and tin. These items can be found in the second biome in the game that spawns adjacent to your starting zone, the Black Forest. The Black Forest is much more dangerous than the Meadows, and includes Trolls, Skeletons, and a variety of deadly Dwarves. As you explore the Black Forest, be acutely aware of your surroundings and listen for the rumblings of Trolls. Trolls can kill you in one or two hits with your Meadows-tier armor, and corpse running through the Forest is a perilous endeavor.

Update:  So a cold bucket of water has just been dumped on eager fans waiting for more news about Final Fantasy VII Remake. Gematsu has tweeted that the news/translation of a new announcement related to Final Fantasy VII Remake may have been misinterpreted. Instead, co-director Motomu Toriyama will be participating in a program where he discusses the game, but does not explicitly state he'll share anything new about it. While that doesn't mean a new announcement won't happen, it doesn't confirm it either. You can read the clarification below. 

I'm seeing reports, based on this video, that Final Fantasy VII Remake co-director Motomu Toriyama is teasing an announcement for the Final Fantasy VII Remake Orchestra World Tour concert on February 13. These are inaccurate. Here is what Toriyama says: https://t.co/EuGZgv4idN pic.twitter.com/W9pzmpwTix

Valheim is an Early Access title that provides a brutal co-op experience rife with exploration and a desperate need to survive. The open-world survival game has only just been released in Early Access, but it's already dominating Steam's Top 10 Best-Selling Games as the player count continues to rise at an impressive rate. 

At the time this article was written, Valheim was trending in the number one top spot of the Best Sellers list. Not unexpected given that it's a new game, but impressive nonetheless. Our own Dan Tack has been diving into the world of survival and chaos, enjoying his time within the latest gaming adventure. He even recently offered up tips for how players can get started on the right foot before taking on this open world. 

Valheim is reigning supreme in the number one spot followed closely by Nioh 2 - The Complete Edition, Total War: Warhammer III, Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice - GOTY Edition, Rust, and Sid Meier's Civilization VI: Platinum Edition. Cyberpunk 2077 has dropped down from its usual top 5 spot, coming in just below Borderlands 3, Counter-Stirke: Global Offensive, and Becastled while Mass Effect Legendary Edition follows shortly after ahead of its May 14 release date. 

Haven't checked out Valheim yet? Here's what you need to know: 

Silent Hill composer Akira Yamaoka set the horror world ablaze with hope when he teased a new project. Immediately, fans wondered if this was the fabled return to Silent Hill that has been in the rumor mill for quite some time now. While the excitement was high, the interview in question was quickly pulled down, though Konami swears it had nothing to do with the takedown. 

Yamaoka sat down with the YouTube channel Al Hub to talk about what he's working on currently following his contribution to Bloober Team's The Medium. When the composer was asked what the immediate future looks like, he responded that his latest project would most likely be announced this Summer. Yamaoka added "I think it's the one you're kind of hoping to hear about," which set Silent Hills fans into an excited uproar. That return to the iconic horror franchise was further speculated when the interview in question was quickly pulled from YouTube as a whole. 

The YouTube channel took to Twitter to give notice of the removal, saying "We were asked to remove the clip, and it has been removed." No mention as to who removed the clip was given: 

Final Fantasy XIV continues to be a noteworthy MMO experience thanks to a bevy of large-scale content drops (Shadowbringers is incredible!) and consistent patch updates. The RPG always feels fresh, offering a bunch of interesting quests and dazzling environments to unearth for newcomers as well as dedicated players.

In addition to the recent announcement of “Endwalker” - an expansion that implements two new jobs, raises the level cap by ten, and takes players to the moon - Final Fantasy XIV is getting even more content with the “Death Unto Dawn” 5.5 update which will serve as an engaging preamble to Endwalker’s Fall release. Most importantly, however, a beta is launching on PlayStation 5 this Spring with a free upgrade for PlayStation 4 players. 

Terraria is a charming sandbox game that was first released back in 2011 on PC and has since made its way to a variety of other platforms. The latest home for the pixelated game was meant to be Google Stadia, that was until creator Andrew Spinks put his money where his mouth is in terms of the company's perceived poor customer service. 

Spinks took to Twitter late last night to tag Google in an impassioned post asking why the studio suddenly pulled its Google Stadia port. The post is a result of his Google account being disabled for over three weeks with no reason given for the abrupt disconnection. "I have no idea why," said Spinks in his post. He went on to mention the steps he went through to try to get it back, showing that the frustration with Google has been developing for a while. 

"After using every resource I have to get this resolved, you have done nothing but given me the runaround." He cites his frustration as being linked to thousands of dollars in-app purchases, movie purchases, and Google Drive data now being beyond his reach. Additionally, "I can't access my YouTube channel. The worst of all is losing access to my Gmail address of over 15 years."

I will not be involved with a corporation that values their customers and partners so little. Doing business with you is a liability.

During a feature presentation this evening, Square Enix revealed the latest expansion for the sprawling Final Fantasy XIV MMORPG. Endwalker is coming this fall. That's right. This year!

A teaser trailer briefly dipped into a number of story beats involving a warrior of light and the end of the world. Again! While many JRPGs only have room to chart the end of the world once, a MMORPG gives the team room to have a world ending event twice! The level cap is also increasing from 80 to 90 to facilitate the incredible voyage to the moon. Yep. That's where we're going, to save the world. Current story details are light, but that's the plan!

Endwalker features 2 new jobs. If you're not familiar with Final Fantasy XIV, jobs are similar to classes but you can shift between them at will. Hence, you are able to play many "classes" on a single character without having to create new ones. At today's presentation, only one of the new jobs was revealed. That job is a new healer type, the Sage. Sage features aether-imbued weapons that swirl and spin around the character as it uses abilities in combat. These weapons are called Nouliths, and are new to the franchise. Sages begin their careers at level 70, and you need to own the Endwalker expansion to create them. Check out some Sage gameplay below!

Super Mario World has a classic soundtrack. Just listening to some of those songs sends waves of nostalgia over me, whether it's an upbeat track from the early game or a foreboding dungeon theme. I don't much about music composition or the challenges developers face in getting that music onto a SNES cartridge, but thankfully, some people do. In fact, some people are committed to that in a way you might find surprising and delightful. And as a result of that commitment, you can now listen to certain tracks from Super Mario World in a brand new way.

What's so different about these versions? Well, the sounds used to create the songs in Super Mario World had to be compressed in order to fit on the game cartridge. That isn't necessarily a bad thing – the process is responsible for the classic songs as you remember them. However, thanks to a datamining leak, a community of enthusiasts were able to track down the original (and uncompressed) sounds, then use them to recreate the music. The result is fascinating. Just listen to the example below and see if you can tell the difference. 

This week, we got a closer look at Mass Effect Legendary Edition. For years, BioWare’s amazing trilogy has been at the top of my list of games I want to see retouched with modern technology. Granted, it is more of a remaster, but the enhancements and adjustments seem like enough to make a new playthrough feel fresh regardless. But that got me thinking: If I assume that a full Mass Effect remake is completely off the table now, what are the other games that I want to see get rebuilt from top to bottom?

It’s a tricky question to answer, because everyone has a different idea of what makes a good remake. In some ways, it’s about recreating a classic experience – but remakes should also be free to veer off the previous path and explore some new directions (like Final Fantasy VII Remake did).  The original game should also be old enough to see a clear benefit from new technology. With those ground rules in mind, here are my picks for the 10 remakes I want to happen.

Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order’s Cal Kestis may only rank 42/57 (so far) in our list of super scientific character rankings, but that doesn’t mean he wouldn’t make a cool action figure. Hasbro clearly agrees since it has unveiled the Gaming Greats Cal Kestis Black Series action figure. If you’re a fan of Fallen Order, or just want an odd, singular tribute expressing your combined loves of Star Wars, Shameless, Gotham, and whatever else Cal’s famous actor appears in, this figure could be right up your alley.

There’s been much excitement surrounding Mass Effect Legendary Edition, so much so we even put it on the cover of our most recent issue. BioWare’s remaster of the famed Commander Shepard trilogy is coming out May 14, and while fans have certainly pined for this remaster, one question that keeps coming up is: Why not a remake? It’s a valid question, especially since many series, like Resident Evil and Final Fantasy, have instead opted to remake beloved games to appeal more to modern audiences. However, BioWare didn’t feel like that was the right approach for the trilogy at this point in time. In fact, making it a remaster in the true sense was one thing the team agreed upon early on, before they even really got going.

BioWare started talking about finding a way to preserve Commander Shepard’s story shortly after it finished Mass Effect: Andromeda. Every year, a small team investigated what it would take – figuring out logistics and determining exactly what avenue would be best for it. The team always leaned more toward a remaster as they envisioned this undertaking. However, once they finally got everything greenlit, the team also wanted to approach it with what project director Mac Walters calls “fresh thinking.” This led them to ponder once again what it would take to create a remake or make large-scale changes, leading them down the path of considering upgrading engines. 

Nioh 2: The Complete Edition is available now. You can snag the samurai slasher on PlayStation 5 or PC, and as part of the big The Nioh Collection package. If you've been waiting to play Nioh 2, now is definitely the time, as the complete edition comes with all of the DLC content, adding on to the already meaty game. To say you could easily spend 100 hours on the game isn't embellishing things at all, and even then there are still always more weapons, builds, and set bonuses to try. If you like smashing (and getting smashed) by giant demons, Nioh 2 offers an immense surplus of treats for you to enjoy.  

So, we're going to stream some Nioh 2: The Complete Edition today! I'll be piloting our scrappy samurai warrior through some levels, taking on some deadly bosses, and inevitably dying a bunch of times over the course of today's show, where I'll be answering your big questions about Nioh 2, souls-likes, and the mysteries of life. While I can't pretend to be an expert with every build, weapon, and burst counter, I can offer a lot of general tips and suggestions and help you determine if Team Ninja's dark, punishing adventure is the right fit for you.

Everyone and their mothers are obsessed with the "Big Tall Vampire Lady" from Resident Evil Village, otherwise known by her actual name: Lady Dimitrescu. With cosplay and fanart galore, it looks like even KFC (yes, the fast food chain) is getting in on the thirst, because they revealed a crossover that no one asked for: Resident Evil Village meets I Love You, Colonel Sanders: KFC Dating Simulator. 

KFC is "hip with the cool kids" because it has its own gamer brand with KFC Gaming and it was there that the crossover that actually kind of looks cool the longer we look at it made its debut: 

KFC Dating Simulator: Part 2

A tall order to say the least... pic.twitter.com/RLie5R4hTO

The upcoming Resident Evil movie reboot from Constantin Film officially has its theatrical release date: Horror fans can look forward to it launching in September.

We had a few new looks at the upcoming movie earlier this year, including screenshots of Raccoon City up in flames, and production has officially wrapped up. The upcoming movie, directed by 47 Meters Down's Johannes Roberts, is slated for a September 3, 2021 release window in movie theaters around the world. 

“With this movie, I really wanted to go back to the original first two games and re-create the terrifying visceral experience I had when I first played them whilst at the same time telling a grounded human story about a small dying American town that feels both relatable and relevant to today’s audiences," said the director previously.

As far as the cast goes: 

The Game Boy Advance SP was one of the most influential handhelds ever made, as its clamshell design was a precursor to the wildly popular line of Nintendo DS consoles. Furthermore, the GBA was home to a large suite of games, ranging from classics like Final Fantasy Tactics Advance to childhood favorites like Pokémon FireRed. With all of this in mind, I recently bought a Game Boy Advance SP and started a small collection of cartridges that consisted of personal faves as well as certified masterpieces that I had yet to play on the machine. However, I quickly realized that the Game Boy Advance SP, at least in its original form, is no longer the best way to play its catalog of game releases. The handheld’s front-lit screen produces washed-out colors and a lackluster image that can be hard to read even in the proper lighting conditions, especially when compared to what’s possible with modern back-lit displays.

For a majority of the 2010's, developer Playdead captivated the gaming world with its eerie and thought-provoking work on games such as Limbo and Inside. But they weren't the only studio creating gorgeous yet grotesque sidescrolling spaces for players to delight in. Back in 2017, Tarsier Studios introduced players to the character Six and the world of Little Nightmares.

The game follows our raincoat-clad heroine on a twisted tale through The Maw, a creepy underwater structure that houses only the most ghoulish of creatures. Six is tiny compared to the rest of the inhabitants of The Maw and can't hang in a fight. Thus our small protagonist must sneak around and solve the many thrilling puzzles littered throughout the decrepit world. Its design lends itself nicely to the category of little person, big world, so you know Jeff Cork is all in.

Speaking of Jeff, join Andrew Reiner, Cork, Marcus Stewart, and me as we sneak through the harrowing hallways of Little Nightmares and try to make it through without dying (I have my doubts).

Ubisoft has delayed Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time Remake indefinitely to ensure its quality. The game was announced last September with a launch date of January 21 before it was pushed to March 18 back in December. Now we have no idea when to expect the much-anticipated remake of the 2003 classic. 

The game’s official Twitter account shared the following statement:

Ubisoft launched Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time in October 2003 and it became an instant classic thanks to its revolutionary parkour-style platforming (later adopted in Assassin’s Creed and countless other games), time manipulation mechanics, and charming narrative. The game was so beloved that it even got a live-action film starring (for some reason) Jake Gyllenhaal.