Game Informer

2011's Ghost Trick: Phantom Detective rises from the dead and will possess the Switch, along with PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and PC, this summer. 

The news comes by way of today's Nintendo Direct. The cult favorite mystery game has been remastered in HD, and presumably, the gameplay has been reworked, given it was developed for the dual-screened DS. The Capcom-developed adventure game follows Sissel, who passes away under mysterious circumstances. It's up to his ghost to figure out how he died by way of solving puzzles. 

You can read our original review of Ghost Trick Phantom Detective here. 

Nintendo leveraged today’s Nintendo Direct as a chance to provide a new glimpse at Pikmin 4. Like in the original game, we see a human-like lead character crash-landing on a mysterious planet in the trailer, but there’s plenty of new twists to keep things fresh.

We see a variety of Pikmin with different abilities, including Ice Pikmin that help to freeze enemies and targets. There’s also a cute dog-like creature that seems to ally with the player to smash through barriers, act as a mount, and other as-yet unrevealed capabilities.

Nintendo also appeared to reveal a release date for Pikmin 4, flashing up the date of July 21, 2023. It’s a good bet that players will be able to have those tiny sentient plant followers trailing behind them on that date when the game arrives on Switch.

 

Nintendo announced today plans for a paid expansion pass for Splatoon 3. The first of two planned waves will be available spring of this year. It will allow players to hang out in Inkopolis from the original Splatoon game, and even meet and interact with characters from the original game, like the Squid Sisters, who will perform during Splat Fests.

No date or details were offered for the second wave, but it showed a Squid Kid in what appeared to be a snow-covered city. It also seems to have a more melancholy, sad tone. The second wave will be called Side Dish.

The Splatoon 3 expansion pass will be available to pre-purchase today.

"Honestly speaking, I didn't want to do it."

Those were the words of Capcom's Yasuhiro Ampo, co-director of the Resident Evil 4 remake. Alongside fellow director Kazunori Kadoi, their team has taken on the lofty task of reinventing the 2005 classic for a modern audience, recapturing the game's magic while also expanding it with new features. During our cover story interview with the two designers, they spoke candidly about the early phases of the game's development, their initial hesitation to tackle such an intimidating project, and how the team's approach in identifying areas for improvement gave them the confidence to see the project through. 

Ampo and Kadoi have plenty of experience working on Resident Evil. Their combined credits span the original 1996 game to titles such as Resident Evil: Outbreak, Resident Evil 5, and Resident Evil: Revelations 2, the latter two of which were directed by Ampo. As a directorial duo, the pair's most impressive accomplishment is leading the creation of the critically acclaimed remake of Resident Evil 2, which launched in 2019. 

Ever since the first bundle arrived in 2014, The Jackbox Party Pack has been a staple in many households when friends and family come over. The zany, creative, and often-irreverent games have proven to be crowd-pleasers over the last decade of annual iterations, with Jackbox Party Pack 9 releasing last October. Today, Jackbox Games announced a tenth edition of its party-game bundle, The Jackbox Party Pack 10, which will arrive this fall.

Like its predecessors, The Jackbox Party Pack 10 promises five games that offer players the ability to be creative, funny, and intelligent, often in an effort to earn the approval of their competitors and/or spectators. While we don't know what games will be included in The Jackbox Party Pack 10, Jackbox games will announce and detail the included titles in the coming months. The included games will be playable in English, Spanish, French, German, and Italian.

On top of that, Jackbox Games will highlight one previous Party Pack per month in the lead-up to the launch of 10. These celebrations will include behind-the-scene glimpses, special livestreams with the development team, and discounts in the official Jackbox Games shop.

The Jackbox Party Pack 10 arrives on all major platforms this fall. 

Forspoken players still exploring Athia or those hoping to jump in the future should be happy to know that developer Luminous Productions has announced an impending patch to make the adventure smoother across the board. 

In a statement by game director Takeshi Aramaki, the update will improve Forspoken’s graphics, performance, and playability while also adding “general updates” and fixes to both the PS5 and PC versions. There's no release date for the patch, nor does the message elaborate on the specifics of these improvements. 

“We are committed to making Forspoken the most enjoyable experience possible, and will provide an update about the timing of the next patch as soon as possible,” says Aramaki in the statement, which you can read in full below (click the image to enlarge). 

To many, Cities: Skylines is the premier city-building simulation. When the PC launched in 2015, it quickly became a fan-favorite release for those who felt let down by modern SimCity titles. When the sim title arrived on consoles two years later, the less-intuitive controls didn't detract too much from the experience, enabling it to still deliver a terrific city-building experience. Now, developer Colossal Order and publisher Paradox Interview have announced Cities: Skylines Remastered, which improves the experience for console players in myriad ways.

This new version of Cities: Skylines aims to let players create bigger and better metropolises than ever before. In addition to the obvious graphical and performance upgrades enabled by the newer hardware, players can take their city-planning skills to the next level with up to 25 buildable tiles instead the 9 on PS4 and Xbox One versions. Additionally, players can look forward to a quick-selection tool, user-experience improvements like precision placements and updated snapping options, a new environmental control panel, a map editor, and the ability to place structures freely.

Perhaps most importantly, anyone who owns the PlayStation 4 or Xbox One version and its DLC will receive Cities: Skylines Remastered and DLC (up to the Airports expansion) for free on their respective console family. Those who don't already own the last-gen console version can grab Cities: Skylines Remastered for $40.

You can see a very brief teaser rattling off some of the improvements the team made for this new version below.

Reviewed on: PlayStation 5
Platform: PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, PC
Publisher: Frontier Foundry
Developer: KeokeN Interactive
Release: February 2, 2023

Deliver Us Mars follows in the footsteps of hidden gem Deliver Us The Moon, a game with enjoyable puzzle-solving and storytelling that mostly overcame its technical and presentational shortcomings. The same is nearly true of this sequel set on the Red Planet, though its larger scope magnifies its problems. Thankfully, a captivating narrative does its best to keep this flawed mission on track.   

Despite being a direct sequel, you don’t need to play Deliver Us The Moon to grasp Mars’ plot. Earth has spiraled into an irreversible environmental collapse thanks to decades of man-made abuse. Soon it will become an uninhabitable rock, but hope arises when a transmission from Mars pinpoints the location of advanced life-giving ships called Arks. Years prior, a group of humanity’s best and brightest stole these vessels to abandon Earth to its fate and establish a new colony elsewhere. As Kathy, a bold and prodigious young astronaut, you join a small team tasked with bringing the Arks back to Earth, but Kathy has a compelling personal stake as well.

A new Nintendo Direct will air tomorrow, February 8, at 2 p.m. Pacific/5 p.m. Eastern. 

Tune in at 2 p.m. PST tomorrow, Feb. 8, for a #NintendoDirect livestream featuring roughly 40 minutes of information mostly focused on #NintendoSwitch games launching in the first half of 2023.

Watch it live here: https://t.co/8ce3reaEig pic.twitter.com/Pmf41dQWIw

Velan Studios, the developer behind Mario Kart Live: Home Circuit and Knockout City, has announced Hot Wheels: Rift Rally. This new mixed-reality racing game comes by way of a collaboration with toy maker Mattel, playing off the experience the studio accrued through past games.

Much like Mario Kart Live: Home Circuit, Hot Wheels: Rift Rally comes with a physical remote-controlled car, as well as physical course-creation elements, allowing players to design their own tracks within their house and race using the device's camera. The aptly named Chameleon physical RC car used for Hot Wheels: Rift Rally can digitally transform into more than 140 different vehicle variations, including iconic Hot Wheels vehicles like Twin Mill, Bone Shaker, Mach Speeder, and more. Rift Rally also includes several all-new original and licensed vehicles.

Hogwarts Legacy is prepping for release on February 10, but the provided review code allowed for a review embargo that was lifted earlier today. After just a few days with the game, I’m not ready to pass along a final verdict. But the roughly 18 hours I have played are helping to create a clear picture.

In that time, my most notable impression is that the developers have captured what is distinct and memorable about this fiction. Set many decades before the Harry Potter stories that unfolded in book and film, the game has a latitude to tell its own story with its own characters that is refreshing – even if there are a healthy smattering of familiar last names like Weasley and Black that are in the mix. For gamers familiar with the books or movies, it’s great fun to explore the massive castle and the surrounding countryside, which is brimming with secrets, side missions, unique characters, and magical discoveries.

Visually, the game is a treat, capturing the weird and wonderful elements that helped to make the franchise so popular in the first place, and finding ways to make every minute of gameplay pop with little magical tweaks, reminding the player that this is a fantasy world. However, I have encountered many technical hiccups, including frequent pop-in when moving quickly through an environment and some odd hitches in action and combat.

After spending a couple of years coming together in early access, Darkest Dungeon II is ready to go 1.0 this May. Those who haven’t been keeping up can sample the finished version by downloading a free demo today.

Darkest Dungeon II arrives on PC on May 8. The game first entered early access in 2021 and, like the original, tasks players with taking a dozen heroes through dangerous dungeons. This time though, you’re guiding them on a treacherous caravan ride through five dangerous regions.

Heroes can bond with or sour on each other via the Affinity System to create combat synergies or dysfunctions. Darkest Dungeon II also boasts a plethora of new upgrades and boons to bolster party members. The demo gives players access to the four starting heroes and two full regions to explore, but progress will not transfer to the full game. 

You can play Darkest Dungeon II on Steam and the Epic Game Store. To learn more, check out our feature on the game's new hero, the Runaway and a list of its most challenging enemies thus far. 

After its launch in October of last year, Overwatch 2 is ready to kick off its third season of content on February 7. This season delivers several facets of new content, including a new Antarctica Control map, Asian Mythology theme, and a Kiriko Mythic skin. On top of that, Blizzard announced some unexpected additions to its Overwatch offerings, including the first IP collaboration as well as a web-based game to coincide with Valentine's Day.

Last night's Grammy awards ceremony was the first ever to include a category for the best score soundtrack for a video game, and last year's Assassin's Creed Valhalla expansion, Dawn of Ragnarok, took home the win. 

More specifically, the DLC's composer, Stephanie Economou, won the Grammy for her score in the game. Her other credits include Netflix's Jupiter's Legacy and contributions to the scores and soundtracks of movies like The Martian, Mulan (2020), and more, as reported by Variety. The publication reports that Economou thanked "all of the people who fought tirelessly to bring this category to existence," thanking them for "acknowledging and validating the power of game music." 

Bandai Namco has confirmed that Nina Williams will be in the Tekken 8 roster. 

This news comes from a new gameplay reveal trailer that confirms Nina Williams as a playable fighter in the forthcoming game alongside footage of some new and returning moves. Running more than two minutes long, this trailer was just a small portion of a longer livestream where Bandai Namco discussed Tekken 8's fighting mechanics, different systems and fighters, and more. 

Check out the Nina Williams reveal trailer below: 

"Target located," a Bandai Namco tweet reads. "Nina Williams is back in business in Tekken 8. Get your first look at the silent assassin, back just in time for the next King of the Iron Fist tournament." 

Elswhere in the stream, Bandai Namco revealed that a closed alpha test for Tekken 8 will take place next month. Players can sign up for for a chance to be included when a website for registration goes live this month. 

For more, watch the Tekken 8 reveal trailer from last September and then check out the first Tekken 8 gameplay revealed late last year. 

Earlier this week, we saw a new teaser trailer for The Super Mario Bros. Movie. The teaser gave us a glimpse of Cat Mario's appearance in the film, as well as Donkey Kong's reaction. Today, Universal, Illumination, and Nintendo released the official movie poster for the Super Mario Bros. Movie.

In this new poster, we get a cinematic glimpse of the cast of main characters that we know of so far, including Mario, Luigi, Peach, Toad, Bowser, Donkey Kong, and Kamek. Additionally, we see the opposing worlds in the apparent conflict of the film, with the darkness of Bowser's Castle contrasted by the bright and joyful Mushroom Kingdom. While nobody quite matches Donkey Kong and Toad's wide-eyed and unbridled bliss, every character on the poster is at least sporting a smirk.

This week on All Things Nintendo, Brian is joined by Game Informer's Wesley LeBlanc as they count down the top 10 remakes in Nintendo history. Prior to that, Brian gets Wesley's impressions of his hands-on time with Theatrhythm Final Bar Line and his full review of SpongeBob SquarePants: The Cosmic Shake.

If you'd like to follow Brian on social media, you can do so on his Instagram: @BrianPShea. You can follow Wesley on Twitter: @LeBlancWes.

The All Things Nintendo podcast is a weekly show where we can celebrate, discuss, and break down all the latest games, news, and announcements from the industry's most recognizable name. Each week, Brian is joined by different guests to talk about what's happening in the world of Nintendo. Along the way, they'll share personal stories, uncover hidden gems in the eShop, and even look back on the classics we all grew up with. A new episode hits every Friday!

Be sure to subscribe to All Things Nintendo on your favorite podcast platform. The show is available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, and YouTube.

The remake of Resident Evil 4 is Game Informer’s cover story for February, and as part of our ongoing features, we’re sharing extended footage of the game’s fifth chapter, set right after Leon meets Ashley.  

I, Marcus Stewart, and video editor Alex Van Aken played this chapter at Capcom’s headquarters for our cover story. You'll get a great look at the section we played as well as our commentary for added context. The footage includes extended looks at the church and cemetery sequences, a demonstration of combat and exploration, capping off with a larger slice of the chaotic cabin battle with Luis Serra. 

To keep up with our ongoing Resident Evil 4 cover story coverage, click the banner below to find more exclusive features and videos such as our video interview with the game's art director and an extended breakdown of Ashley's revised gameplay. Be sure to subscribe to the Game Informer YouTube channel if you enjoy watching this video and to keep up with upcoming video content in the coming weeks. 

Since the remake of Resident Evil 4 graces Game Informer’s cover this month, we thought it’d be fitting to revisit the game that kicked off Capcom’s remake craze: Resident Evil 2. 

Capcom renovated Resident Evil 2 from the ground up into a modernized third-person action game. Led by directors Yasuhiro Ampo and Kazunori Kadoi, who now sit at the helm of Resident Evil 4, the game revitalized the 1998 classic, introducded it to a new generation of fans, and paved the way for the RE3 and 4 remakes to come after. Join me, Marcus Stewart, as I revisit my personal Game of the Year for 2019 to see how it holds up while discussing my Resident Evil 4 cover story.

If you enjoy our livestreams but haven’t subscribed to our Twitch channel, know that doing so not only gives you notifications and access to special emotes. You’ll also be granted entry to the official Game Informer Discord channel, where our welcoming community members, moderators, and staff gather to talk games, entertainment, food, and organize hangouts! Be sure to also follow our second YouTube channel, Game Informer Shows, for to watch other Replay episodes as well as Twitch archives such as Replay, GI Live, and more. 

The PC launch of The Last of Us Part I has been delayed by a few weeks. Instead of releasing on March 3, the game now arrives on March 28.

Naughty Dog wants more time to polish up the PC port, as stated in a message posted to Twitter that you can read in full below (click the image to enlarge). 

The Last of Us Part I launched for PlayStation 5 last fall and serves as a ground-up remake of the 2013 title. It features improved graphics, reworked controls, improved enemy A.I., and a remade version of the Left Behind DLC chapter. The remake helped usher in the premiere of The Last of Us HBO series last month, which has been heavily watched and received heaps of praise thus far. The show’s second season has already been confirmed.

Velan Studios has announced that it is shutting down its dodgeball multiplayer game, Knockout City, in June. 

The studio announced in February of last year that Knockout City was going free-to-play and saying goodbye to Electronic Arts, who originally published the game as an EA Originals title, to self-publish the game's future content. That free-to-play launch happened last June with the start of Season 6 and now, Velan has announced that it will shut the game down in June of this year. More specifically, Knockout City will be shutdown on June 6. 

"Today we are announcing that Season 9 will be Knockout City's final season," Knockout City director Jeremy Russo writes in a blog post. "Then, on the morning of June 6, 2023, over two years after our initial launch, all servers around the world will be shut down and the game will no longer be playable."

In this week's episode of The Game Informer Show, the crew shares exclusive details about the Resident Evil 4 remake while breaking down this month's cover story. During The Playlist, Blake shares notes from his Hi-Fi Rush review before discussing the changes in the Dead Space remake. At the show's end, we answer our listeners' burning questions about Resident Evil 4. 

Follow us on social media: Alex Van Aken (@itsVanAken), Marcus Stewart (@MarcusStewart7), Blake Hester (@MetalllicaIsRad)

As part of this month's cover story, we sat with Art Director Hirofumi Nakaoka to learn how Capcom designs old and new enemies in Resident Evil 4 (Remake). You'll learn about scrapped redesigns for the iconic chainsaw villager, how normalcy breeds horror, and how Nakaoka and the team created a new cow-headed, hammer-wielding villager referred to as The Brute. And folks looking for new Resident Evil 4 gameplay have some new footage to dissect in this video interview. 

Be sure to subscribe to the Game Informer YouTube channel if you enjoy watching this interview, as we'll publish additional videos in the coming days and weeks. Check out our Resident Evil 4 (Remake) coverage hub, which contains every post related to this month's cover story. 

Disclaimer: Capcom helped to arrange and cover travel accommodations for two in Osaka, Japan, in association with this cover story. As the world’s largest video game magazine, Game Informer’s editorial team is proud to remain impartial, professional, and committed to the truth in all forms of our content, regardless of any outside factors.

Resident Evil 4 centers on Leon’s mission to rescue Ashley Graham, daughter of the U.S. president. She’s been kidnapped by a mysterious cult and held captive in a rural Spanish village players must search and survive in. Once you find Ashley, you become both her protector and, sometimes, partner. Her mechanics and interactions with Leon have some big changes, so as part of our larger cover story, I asked directors Yasuhiro Ampo and Kazunori Kadoi to explain their reasons for making them. 

By clicking the right analog stick, Leon can tell Ashley to keep close (yelling "come on!") or to maintain some distance ("spread out"). You can no longer command her to stop; she follows no matter what. That means no more ditching her in a safe spot to clear out enemies lying ahead like in the original RE4. Capcom wants Ashley to stay by Leon’s side because, realistically, she would never want to be left alone in such a dangerous environment. 

“As a character, we wanted to have her by your side so she left an impression," says Ampo. “And as a game, having her hide while you went and fought in the original, that was fun in some ways. But having a character like Ashley and then having her basically disappear for a while felt like a waste. We wanted to avoid that in the remake.”

Platform: PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, PC
Publisher: 2K Games
Developer: Visual Concepts
Release: March 17, 2023
Rating: Teen

WWE 2K22 relaunched the franchise on the right foot, and 2K23 aims to build upon that success. The improvements and additions from last year’s game remain intact and expanded in some cases. The legendary John Cena gives his blessing of sorts by gracing the game's cover and starring in the centerpiece Showcase mode. That’s all well and good, but the addition of the long-requested WarGames match may be 2K23’s most exciting bullet point. 

Electronic Arts has reportedly canceled a single-player game set in the shared Apex Legends and Titanfall universe. 

This news comes by way of Bloomberg, which reports that three people familiar with the matter say EA canceled the project, code-named TFL or Titanfall Legends, that was in development at Apex Legends developer Respawn Entertainment. Roughly 50 people were on the team working on this game and EA will reportedly attempt to find positions for these employees elsewhere within the company. If positions cannot be found, some might be laid off with severance packages, according to Bloomberg. 

The publication says Mohammad Alavi (Titanfall 2, Apex Legends designer) was set to direct this now-canceled game, but he left the company in 2022. 

It's likely this canceled single-player game set in the Apex Legends and Titanfall universe was the one hinted at back in July in job postings that referred to the game as an "Apex Universe FPS Incubation Title."

Sony's latest financial results covering Quarter 3 of Fiscal Year 2022, which consists of the last three months of the year, reveal the PlayStation 5 had its best quarter on the market yet. 

The company has surpassed 32 million PS5 units shipped, sitting roughly at 32.1 million, after shipping 7.1 million during the last three months of 2022. It's important to note this isn't a sell-through number so theoretically, there could be consoles sitting on shelves still. But a company ships more units when the demand is there, so it's likely that the majority of these shipped consoles were sold. 

PlayStation did just as well on the first-party software side of things, selling 20.8 million during Q3 of Fiscal Year 2022, which is almost more than double the 11.3 million sold during the same period in 2021. Of those 20.8 million, roughly 11 million were of God of War: Ragnarok, which was the console's big holiday release. 

Sony is closing the PlayStation Plus Collection, the batch of PS4 essentials that PS Plus subscribers on PS5 could download and play for no extra charge. 

In an email sent to subscribers, the message states that on May 9, the 19-game collection will disappear, and subscribers have until that date to add its games to their game library. Sony didn't provide a reason for why it's closing the collection, but it also clarifies that other PS Plus perks, such as the monthly games, will not be affected. Here’s the full message below:

Reviewed on: PC
Platform: Xbox Series X/S, PC
Publisher: Bethesda Softworks
Developer: Tango Gameworks
Release: January 25, 2023
Rating: Teen

Hi-Fi Rush occupies an increasingly rare space in the big-budget video game industry: that of colorful, goofy, and light-hearted titles. For its 10 or 11-hour runtime, it has more in common with a Saturday morning cartoon than a thin attempt at gritty, prestige television, like most triple-A games these days, and that's easily its biggest strength. That its gameplay and combat are a unique melding of rhythm and stylish action games is merely the cherry on top. 

Main character Chai has big dreams of being a rockstar. To achieve this dream, he signs up for Project Armstrong, a program run by the megalithic tech organization Vandelay Technologies. Ideally, this would have replaced Chai's disabled arm, but he has to fight his way out of the facility when he's labeled a defect. While doing so, he meets Peppermint, who's working to take down Vandelay. The two team up, bringing various people disgruntled with the tech behemoth aboard to form a ragtag group of misfits hellbent on ending Vandelay's monopoly. 

Amnesia: The Bunker, the next installment in the psychological survival horror franchise, arrives on May 16 instead of its original March window. 

The Bunker offers a different spin on the Amnesia formula. Set during World War 1, players control a French soldier who gets separated from his comrades and trapped inside a military bunker. Within this labyrinthine, trap-laden sanctuary lurks a deadly creature that stalks the player, who must use their resourcefulness to survive. If you’re a fan of Alien: Isolation, The Bunker appears to aim for a similar style with a heaping dose of its signature mind-bending scares. Check out the original reveal trailer below.

You can check out Amnesia: The Bunker on Xbox Series X/S, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and PC.

PlayStation has revealed the February 2023 lineup of monthly games subscribers can download for free and it consists of Evil Dead: The Game, OlliOlli World, Destiny 2: Beyond Light, and Mafia: Definitive Edition. 

These are the four games all PlayStation Plus subscribers can add to their libraries starting next week on February 7, not to be confused with the PlayStation Plus games catalog that varies depending on the tier of subscription you have. 

Here's what PlayStation has to say about each of these games:

Tomb Raider Reloaded is a new mobile roguelike starring Lara Croft and it's out this month. 

Developer Emerald City Games and publisher CDE Entertainment, a group within the Embracer Group umbrella, announced the game with a new trailer. It reveals you can pre-register for Tomb Raider Reloaded, starting today. The game launches later this month on February 14 on iOS and Android devices. Plus, Tomb Raider Reloaded will launch on Netflix the same day, and subscribers can play the game without ads or in-app purchases. 

Check out the Tomb Raider Reloaded reveal trailer below: 

"Tomb Raider Reloaded takes players on an action-filled adventure as they jump into the boots of groundbreaking hero Lara Croft on her swan-diving, cliff-climbing, back-flipping quest to obtain the ancient Scion artifact, clearing ever-changing rooms filled with new and familiar enemies as well as hazardous traps and puzzles," a press release reads. "Along the way, they'll acquire run-specific boosts alongside permanent rewards, like XP modifiers, runes that improve Lara's stats, and manuals used to unlock and upgrade her outfits, such as her fan-favorite bomber jacket.

"As players progress through each level, they can stack perks to enhance Lara's abilities, and even craft weapons to upgrade her arsenal."

Hogwarts Legacy is finally out next week, after multiple delays that pushed it out of its original 2021 release date to 2023. And you can prepare the game's release with a new gameplay launch trailer released by developer Avalanche Software today. 

The trailer features roughly two and a half minutes of new Hogwarts Legacy footage, including a mix of both cinematics from the game and gameplay. We see Hogsmeade, professors, students, and plenty of Hogwarts, of course. 

Check it out for yourself in the Hogwarts Legacy launch trailer below: 

"Hogwarts Legacy invites players to embark on an epic journey as a fifth-year student at Hogwarts, gifted with a rare ability to tap into ancient, powerful magic," a press release reads. "Guided by the Wizard's Field Guide and unique instruction from professors and other characters, fans will uncover a compelling storyline filled with thrilling challenges and mysteries."

Valiant Hearts: Coming Home, the sequel to 2014's Valiant Hearts: The Great War, is now available to play for all Netflix members. 

This Netflix-exclusive game can be played by any subscriber on iOS and Android devices. The sequel brings players back to World War I "for a dramatic narrative game following four interweaving stories of friendship, survival, and sacrifice amidst the turmoil and tragedy of war." Valiant Hearts: The Great War was a surprise hit back in 2014, garnering attention and storytelling praise from critics and players alike. 

Check out the Valiant Hearts: Coming Home release trailer below: 

"James joins the Harlem Hellfighters to search for his heroic older brother Freddie, while Anna tends to the wounded and broken," a press release about the game reads. "Ernst, a German driver, and George, a British aviator, each face their own challenges, and Walt, the canine companion from the first game, is back to aid players in their progress through exploration, puzzle-solving, and action sequences." 

Ubisoft says original core members that worked on Valiant Hearts: The Great War at Ubisoft Montepllier in 2014 have returned to develop Valiant Hearts: Coming Home in collaboration with Old Skull Games.

Ubisoft has revealed The Crew Motorfest and it hits PlayStation, Xbox, and PC sometime this year. 

Revealed in a short teaser trailer you can watch below, The Crew Motorfest takes players to O'ahu, an island that's part of the Hawaiian archipelago. It's clearly positioned as Ubisoft's take on the open-world racing formula popularized by Playground Games' Forza Horizon franchise. 

Check out The Crew Motorfest teaser trailer for yourself below: 

"Evergreen car culture festival at the heart of the game, Motorfest has settled in the beautiful island of O'ahu, part of the Hawaiian archipelago," the game's website reads. "On your own or with your crew, come explore this beautiful new playground behind the wheel of hundreds of the most legendary vehicles. The festival will allow you to fulfill your ultimate action driving bucket list through a series of tailor-made races, themed events, and other unique challenges."

Electronic Arts is ending development on both Apex Legends Mobile and Battlefield Mobile. It is shuttering Battlefield Mobile developer Industrial Toys as well. 

This news was part of EA's Fiscal Year 2023 Q3 financial results released yesterday, in which the company revealed that it is also delaying Star Wars Jedi: Survivor to April.

EA says it is ending Battlefield Mobile, which hadn't been fully released yet (although many had played through betas), as part of a "pivot from the current direction to best deliver on our vision for the franchise and to meet the expectations of our players." The company adds that it is hard at work evolving Battlefield 2042, which launched to disappointment from fans, and in "pre-production on our future Battlefield experiences at our studios across the globe." 

As for Apex Legends Mobile, EA says that despite the game's strong start, "the ongoing experience was not going to meet the expectations" of its players. 

Iron Galaxy’s Rumbleverse, its pro-wrestling-flavored battle royale, is shutting down next month, only seven months after its full launch last August. 

Though Iron Galaxy doesn’t plainly state the reason for Rumbleverse’s demise, a blog post somewhat hints that a lack of substantial players may have played a role, stating in part:

“When you work on a video game, you imagine the community that will show up to play it someday. For years, we dreamed about a lively city filled with people fighting to become a champion. We strived to create a vibrant place that celebrated the competitive spirit. Our goal was to bring joy back to online multiplayer gaming. The people who gave Rumbleverse a chance and took it on as a new hobby have validated every day that we put into bringing our ideas to life.”

Rumbleverse’s online servers shut down on February 28 at 10 a.m. CST. Players who spent any money on or within the game will receive refunds. That includes the Rumbleverse Battle Pass or Brawlla Bills on any platform. The current battle pass will also be given to all players free of charge with double XP gain. Certain emotes and accessories have been made free to acquire as well. Today, Iron Galaxy will close the in-game store and will release the final update. 

Starting Tuesday, February 7th, dozens of games will be unable to purchase on the Xbox 360 Marketplace. The list varies by country and includes popular titles like Assassin's Creed Brotherhood, Left 4 Dead, and Limbo. In the United States, there are 46 games total. To see the full list for the US and other countries, the Xbox Support page has every list available here. While these games will no longer be purchasable, they'll still be playable and downloadable as long as you buy them before the deadline. Here's a list of the games leaving the marketplace in the US:

Respawn Entertainment has delayed Star Wars Jedi: Survivor, but thankfully the wait won’t be terribly long. Instead of arriving on March 17, the game will now launch a little over a month later on April 28. 

In a message posted to Twitter, Respawn states the game is content complete, and it's solely focusing on fixing bugs, ensuring stability, and polishing the experience as much as possible. The team is so committed that it’s taking another six weeks to make sure Survivor plays as smoothly as butter. Check out Respawn’s full message below (click the image to enlarge). 

Reviewed on: PlayStation 5
Platform: PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, PlayStation VR2, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Switch, PC
Publisher: Cygnus Entertainment
Developer: Cygnus Entertainment
Release: January 19, 2023 (PlayStation 5, Switch, PC), 2023 (PlayStation 4, Xbox One, PlayStation VR2), TBA (Xbox Series X/S)

The story of Sierra Entertainment is as timeless as its catalog, which includes multiple influential game changers. Iconic titles like Phantasmagoria and King’s Quest unlocked the code of possibilities for both developers and players, proving anything in your imagination can materialize in a video game. The ideas and dreams of Roberta and Ken Williams influenced so much of game development and publishing that it feels like a gift from the past to receive a 3D re-interpretation of a black-and-white text adventure game that ultimately gave life to Sierra.