Game Informer

Mortal Kombat was not supposed to die. Many regard Mortal Kombat vs. DC Universe as one of the lowest points of the series. Its minigame-centric fights and awkward movement were damning, but it also lacked the silly, over-the-top violence Mortal Kombat is known for – a sad reality for appeasing license holder Warner Bros. Batman can cripple impoverished criminals, but he can’t be cut in half by Tarkatan blades.

It would have been disappointing to end on an ill-fated crossover, but Midway’s untimely demise could have made that so. Layoffs, uncertainty, and publisher implosion aren’t how franchises live; it’s how they die. But the then-newly formed NetherRealm Studios reinvigorated the entire franchise after its darkest period with one of its most beloved entries: the 2011 reboot, Mortal Kombat 9. Read more...

 

I am, admittedly, new to the world of Final Fantasy VII. I have vague memories of seeing a TV commercial for the original PlayStation game when I was young and remember playing the game’s first few hours in a friend’s attic between Mat Hoffman’s Pro BMX sessions. It wasn’t until much later, when I found an inexpensive green label copy at a Circuit City, that I gave it another shot, but, again, I only made it through the first few hours. When Square Enix released it in such a way that I could play it on my PlayStation 3 and move it over to my PSP, I made it the furthest. I left Midgar, saved my game, and turned off my PSP, fully lying to myself that I would pick it back up again soon. That was more than 10 years ago.

All of that is to say my understanding of the world of Final Fantasy VII is limited. I know most of the main characters, I know what Midgar is, and I am aware of the Lifestream and the purpose of Mako. Thankfully, to my benefit and the benefit of those who love the original, Square Enix is spending an incredible amount of time and money to remake Final Fantasy VII. I played Remake in full when it was released, I look forward to its sequels, and I reviewed Crisis Core: Final Fantasy VII Reunion earlier this year. I am starting to understand the world of Final Fantasy VII, even if I don’t understand how human flight is possible with one wing.

If you walked into an arcade in the 1990s, it undoubtedly had a Street Fighter II cabinet. If you went at the right time, you probably even saw a crowd gathered around it. As one of the most profitable games in arcade history, Street Fighter II drew more than its fair share of quarters and tokens during the arcade heyday. But the franchise transcends that one moment in time. To say that Street Fighter has sparked multiple revolutions in its genre throughout its history is not far-fetched.

Arcades aren’t omnipresent the way they once were, but the Street Fighter name has endured the ever-shifting grounds of the games industry. The fierce fistfights made the leap from mall game rooms to the living room, the internet, and even tournaments broadcast to massive, international audiences. As the franchise turns 35 years old, we met with the people involved to understand the series’ origins and how it remains relevant three-and-a-half decades later. Read more...

Microsoft’s road to acquire Activision Blizzard has been a rocky one, to say the least. The most recent (and significant) roadblock comes from the American Federal Trade Commission (FTC), which filed a lawsuit a few weeks ago to prevent the deal from going through. Now, Microsoft has fired back with a response, saying the FTC is violating their fifth amendment rights to due process. 

The full document (which you can read here) claims that the deal should be allowed to go through for several other reasons as well, stating that Xbox and Activision Blizzard are “just two of hundreds of game publishers.” The claims that the FTC violates the constitution are listed on page 34 and are just a handful of defenses against the lawsuit in a list of two dozen. 

While the basis of the FTC’s lawsuit is that Microsoft’s deal will suppress the competition by limiting access to certain titles, Microsoft’s response claims that “Xbox wants to grow its presence in mobile gaming, and three-quarters of Activision’s gamers and more than a third of its revenues come from mobile offerings.” The FTC does not appear to be concerned with this (their complaint excludes mobile gaming as a relevant market) and instead focuses on the fact that Microsoft will own one of the largest game franchises in the world: Call of Duty.

The story of Cuphead is indie gaming legend. Brothers Chad and Jared Moldenhauer worked for years, risking their finances founding Studio MDHR and hiring a host of talented artists and animators to bring their tough-as-nails run ‘n’ gun game to life. The gamble paid off in spades. Inspired by both 1930s animation and classic games like Contra and Gunstar Heroes, Cuphead has sold more than six million copies, amassing critical acclaim, legions of fans, a TV show, and multiple world records along the way.

With Cuphead’s staggering success, it’s not too surprising the team at MDHR wanted to deliver one more serving of sharp shooting excitement and aggravation. Opting for DLC as opposed to a full-on sequel, the Cuphead developer set about outlining The Delicious Last Course, released in June 2022. Early in production, MDHR decided that a boss concept from the original game, one scrapped due to time constraints, would be the perfect starting point for this newest outing. Read more...

<p><img src="https://www.gameinformer.com/sites/default/files/styles/body_default/public/2022/12/27/0a4f353f/marvel_vs_capcom_2_gi.jpg" width="800" height="450" alt="marvel vs capcom 2 arcade1up" typeof="foaf:Image" class="image-style-body-default" /></p> <p>Arcade1UP sent us the <a href="https://www.gameinformer.com/video-feature/2022/08/10/we-played-the-marvel-vs-capcom-2-arcade1up-cabinet-at-evo-2022" target="_blank">Marvel Vs. Capcom 2 cabinet</a> to set up in Brian Shea’s home arcade. Luring me to his house with promises of trading Pokémon Cards, I brought my camera to Shea’s house to film him unboxing and building the cabinet. Don’t worry; we sped up the build and captured Shea’s first impressions on camera.&nbsp;</p> <p>Thanks for watching, and happy holidays!</p> <iframe width="560" height="315" frameBorder="0" allow="autoplay" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/c3yoOGKaDKU" width=""></iframe>

Dead Island 2 will feature six playable survivors right from the jump. You might already be familiar with one, and that's Jacob, the Lenny Kravitz-esque character featured in the re-reveal trailer for Dead Island 2. During my cover story trip, I played roughly seven hours of Dead Island 2, but I didn't go hands-on with Jacob. I did, however, play a few hours with both Dani and Ryan, two very different survivors that add their own flair to the story of this zomb-pocalypse. 

I came out of this cover story trip convinced Dani is the survivor for me, but Ryan was great, too. And there are still the other four survivors I didn't get to play. Nonetheless, I want to tell you about Dani, and Dambuster Studios does, too (read about Ryan here).

In today's installment of New Gameplay Today, hosts Wesley LeBlanc and Marcus Stewart discuss Clive 'N' Wrench, an upcoming 3D platformer inspired by games like Banjo-Kazooie, Spyro the Dragon, and more. You can watch roughly 15 minutes of gameplay alongside their discussion, including exploration in one of the game's multiple themed worlds and a fight against one of the early bosses. Enjoy!

As you can see in the video above, Clive 'N' Wrench is shaping up to be a fun 3D platformer to keep your eyes on ahead of its release next year. Speaking of which, Clive 'N' Wrench hits PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, Switch, and PC (via Steam and GOG) on February 24, 2023. 

For more, check out this Christmas World trailer for Clive 'N' Wrench. 

Are you going to check out Clive 'N' Wrench next year? Let us know in the comments below!

Even though it’s a remake of a game released in 2013 for the PlayStation 3, The Last of Us Part I is, in most respects, the same game as the original The Last of Us. Players first experiencing the game through the remake will understand the plot in much the same way. They follow the same story to the same conclusion, meeting the same characters and feeling many of the same feelings. They experience the same vision of a post-apocalyptic United States, where one traumatized man, Joel, reckons with his inability to part with his surrogate daughter, Ellie.

But even a remake sticking as close to the original script and general design of its original as Part I is, ultimately, a new game in its own right. By making a game look “better” than it did before, it’s changed into something else. Whether in small or large ways, it is altered. Read more...

Nier: Automata is coming to the small screen. Beginning next month, NieR:Automata Ver1.1a will begin airing in the United States on Crunchyroll.

You can check out a brand-new trailer for the show below: 

From the looks of it, Ver1.1a will stick close to the storyline from the video game, released in 2017 as a partnership between publisher Square Enix and developer Platinum Games. Series creator Yoko Taro is also involved with the project. 

The series is in production at A-1 Pictures, a subsidiary of Aniplex. In the past, the production house has worked on series such as Black Butler, Your Lie in April, Fate, and Sword Art Online. Ver1.1a is being directed by Ryoji Masuyama, who's previously worked on KILL la KILL, Evangelion: 2.0 You Can (Not) Advance and Evangelion: 3.0+1.01 Thrice Upon a Time, as well as Gurren Lagann.

NieR:Automata Ver1.1a will begin airing in Japan on January 7, 2023. As of right now, it's not entirely clear what day it will hit Crunchyroll. However, the streaming service does often have the right to begin showing anime in the west within 24 hours of their original airtimes, so time will tell if Nier gets the same treatment. 

Publisher Deep Silver revealed Dead Island 2 in 2014 and Los Angeles was its primary setting (with a tease in the game’s logo that San Francisco might be in it as well). Fans were excited about the sequel for several reasons – that original reveal trailer was great – but the question on many minds was this: Why is Dead Island 2 set somewhere that’s not an island? 

I traveled to Nottingham, England to visit Dambuster Studios, and this was one of the first questions I asked. Unsurprisingly, considering this is the team that's been developing this game since 2018, lead narrative designer Khan had an in-depth answer. 

Simply put, Los Angeles has become an island, metaphorically speaking. 

This week on All Things Nintendo, Game Informer's Kyle Hilliard joins Brian to chat about a wide array of news stories related to Pokémon Trading Card Game, Super Nintendo World, Amiibo figures, and more. Then, the two chat about Kyle's review of Crisis Core: Final Fantasy VII Reunion before the return of Definitive Ranking and eShop Gem of the Week.

If you'd like to follow the people from this episode on Twitter, hit the following links: Brian Shea (@brianpshea), Kyle Hilliard (@KyleMHilliard)

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, and Google Podcasts.

After 25 years, the latest season of the Pokémon anime saw protagonist Ash Ketchum finally achieve his dream of becoming Pokémon World Champion. Now that he’s reached the top of the mountain, the series is giving the perpetually young hero his last hurrah before kicking off a fresh adventure starring a new cast of characters.

The Pokémon Company announced that beginning January 13 (in Japan), Ash and Pikachu’s final chapter begins. It consists of 11 special episodes serving as a grand send-off celebrating the duo's achievements. It also features some familiar faces from Ash’s past, including Misty and Brock.

Sometime later in the year, a new yet-to-be-titled animated series set in Scarlet/Violet’s Paldea region kicks offs. It stars two young trainers, Liko and Roy, joined by the three starters of that region: Sprigatito, Fuecoco, and Quaxly. The trailer also teases the appearance of a shiny Rayquaza.

So this is it. If you spent your childhood following Ash's exploits or have stuck with him for his entire run, how does it feel to finally see the character get his flowers and ride off into the sunset? Are you looking forward to finally seeing a series starring new heroes and storylines? Let us know in the comments!

Fortnite is crossing over with another big anime. This time, the saviors of My Hero Academia join the fight. Beginning today, you can rack up victory royales as characters from the hit series, compete in a new game mode, and earn rewards by completing special challenges. 

You can purchase outfits for Izuka Midoriya, All Might, Katsuki Bakugo, and Ochaco Uraraka. Each comes with a matching back bling and pickaxe. New items include the Deku’s Smash item, which allows players to pummel opponents and structures by challenging the power of One for All. You can also pick up two new emotes: Symbol of Peace and Hero Analysis. All Might will also be showering the battlefield with loot-filled supply drops. 

You can sharpen your superhero skills at the Hero Training Gym. This new Creative mode lets players select one of three classes to face other players in team battles. You’ll earn Rescue Points for your squad by eliminating players or capturing Rescue Zones that pop up in the arena. The first team to earn 100 points wins the challenge. 

Completing limited-time My Hero Academia quests earns XP and special items in either battle royale mode or the Hero Training Gym. These missions are:

Reviewed on: Xbox Series X/S
Platform: PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Switch, PC
Publisher: No More Robots
Developer: PanicBarn
Release: November 29, 2022

Soccer Story is a charming role-playing adventure that seamlessly builds a joyous and often goofy story around something as simple as kicking a ball. A cataclysmic event causes soccer to be banned unless sanctioned by the evil Soccer Inc. (with more than a few parallels to real-world FIFA), and our young hero’s father goes missing during the catastrophe. A year later, a magical soccer ball comes crashing into our hero’s life. What comes next is an often silly and fun story about bringing soccer back to the world, filled with anthropomorphic panda goalkeepers and an evil soccer corporation.

Players first set out to Soccertown to put the magical ball to use. The town is a shell of itself. The stadium is locked up, graffiti goals are sprayed around town in an act of rebellion, and evil Soccer Inc. referees are constantly monitoring for illicit five-a-sides. Existing in this soccer-mad world is delightful, thanks in large part to its absurdity.

In this episode of The Game Informer Show, the crew chats about our High On Life Review, why we're loving Fortnite Chapter 4, and all of the games we're playing in the final gauntlet to Game Informer's Game of the Year, including Vampire Survivors, Immortality, and The Callisto Protocol. 

Follow us on social media: Alex Van Aken (@itsVanAken), Marcus Stewart (@MarcusStewart7), Kyle Hilliard (@KyleMHilliard), Charles Harte (@ChuckDuck365)

The Game Informer Show is a weekly gaming podcast covering the latest video game news, industry topics, exclusive reveals, and reviews. Join host Alex Van Aken every Thursday for a chat about your favorite games – past and present – with Game Informer staff, developers, and special guests from around the industry. Listen on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or your favorite podcast app.

PlayStation has revealed that Marvel's Spider-Man 2 will hit PlayStation 5 sometime next fall. 

This news comes after leaks from earlier this week indicating the game would be hitting the console in the fall of 2023. It seems those leaks were correct. While we do have this fall 2023 release window, PlayStation did not reveal a release date. 

"What a year it's been for PlayStation Studios; here at Insomniac Games we've been in absolute awe of the work of our peers," Insomniac Games creative director Bryan Intihar writes in a PlayStation Blog post. "Congrats to everyone on a successful 2022... and here's to next year being just as exciting as we continue to get Marvel's Spider-Man 2 ready for release next fall." 

Not much else was revealed about this upcoming sequel, but PlayStation says, "Following the events of Marvel's Spider-Man and Marvel's Spider-Man: Miles Morales, the Spider-duo of Peter Parker and Miles Morales are back in the next blockbuster action chapter of the Marvel's Spider-Man series." 

Amazon Games will publish the next Crystal Dynamics Tomb Raider game, which was announced earlier this year. 

In April, Crystal Dynamics revealed that it was developing the next Tomb Raider game in its series that began with a reboot back in 2013. They did so during the State of Unreal 2022 presentation, revealing that this Tomb Raider sequel – the fourth in this rebooted series – will be built on Unreal Engine 5. Now, Crystal Dynamics has announced that Amazon Games will publish this sequel. 

"Amazon Games and Crystal Dynamics today announced they have reached an agreement under which Crystal Dynamics will develop a new multiplatform Tomb Raider title, with Amazon Games providing full support and publishing the game globally," a press release reads. "The as-yet-untitled new Tomb Raider is a single-player, narrative-driven adventure that continues Lara Croft's story in the Tomb Raider series.

Two months ago, Studio MDHR announced a physical retail edition of its smash hit Cuphead. The charming trailer features physical puppets of Cuphead and his friends out on the high seas, searching for sunken treasure. What they find is news of a physical and collector's edition of Cuphead. The cute trailer runs at just around a minute long, but the set and puppet designs are intricate, making you wonder just how much work went into creating the trailer.

Today, the studio released a behind-the-scenes look at how its retail partner iam8bit created the sets and puppets of that trailer. You can get a look at the team building and shooting it in the video below.

"A physical edition of Cuphead is something we've been excited about for a very long time," Studio MDHR director Maja Moldenhauer said in a press release. "A big part of the nostalgia that fueled the design of Cuphead centers around the wonderful, tactile experience of getting that game you love off the shelf, opening the case, and diving into a new challenge or grand adventure. There's nothing quite like it, and we couldn't be more thrilled with the teams at iam8bit and Skybound for helping us bring Cuphead into players' hands with the same meticulous care and craftsmanship that underpins how we made the game itself. In a year full of so much excitement here at Studio MDHR, I truly can't think of a better way to round things out than with this release."

A new PlayStation Blog post highlights six new PlayStation VR2 titles coming from various Japanese developers, including a sequel to the 2000 PlayStation 2 rhythm game, Fantavision. 

Other games announced include action game Altair Breaker, rhythm game Kizuna AI – Touch the Beat!, and more. We'll break down what PlayStation has to say about each of these six new titles below. 

Fantavision 202X

Fantavision is a puzzle-rhythm game released on the PS2 in 2000 and it's somewhat of a cult classic. The series has remained dormant since that original release, but developer Cosmo Machia Inc. is bringing it to this decade with a brand new sequel called Fantavision 202X. 

Resident Evil Village's VR mode will hit PlayStation VR2 the day it launches, February 22, and it will be available as free DLC to anyone who owns Village on PlayStation 5. Those who own the Gold Edition of Village will get it for free, as well. 

You will need, however, the $549.99 PSVR2 hardware in order to check out this new mode for Village, as its name suggests. The VR mode isn't just a slice of Village; you can play through the entire campaign in this new (probably horrifying) way. And you can do so the day you bring home your PSVR2 system. 

"A deeper and more captivating adventure awaits with PlayStation VR2, as Ethan Winters' journey takes full advantage of the headset's advanced features," a press release reads. "VR Mode utilizes the 4K HDR display, eye tracking, and 3D audio to make Resident Evil Village more realistic and intense than ever."

Capcom says the platform's PSVR2 Sense controllers will add even more immersion to the new mode. 

"These [controllers] represent Ethan's famously resilient hands and allow intuitive actions to be performed in-game," Capcom writes in a press release. "Players can hold up their arms to guard against enemies that get too close for comfort. Weapons all feel tangibly more realistic in VR Mode with new gameplay elements that dial up the immersion, such as dual wielding and natural motion controls for reloading firearms and brandishing knives." 

In a blog post, Epic has announced it is shutting down the servers and online services for many of its older titles beginning today. The reason is the company wants to, in its own words, “move to solely support Epic Online Services with its unified friends system, voice chat features, parental controls, and parental verification features.” 

Epic states that by January 24, the following titles no longer be playable online (albeit with some caveats, which are noted). Epic has also started removing these titles from digital storefronts and will disable DLC purchases. Most of these games can still be played offline if you own them. The list of affected games are:

Mega Man, Lan, and the whole NT crew are making their return via the Mega Man Battle Network Legacy Collection on April 4.

The bundle includes remastered ports of the 10 Game Boy Advance titles divided from the first six entries, such as:

• Mega Man Battle Network
• Mega Man Battle Network 2
• Mega Man Battle Network 3 White
• Mega Man Battle Network 3 Blue
• Mega Man Battle Network 4 Red Sun
• Mega Man Battle Network 4 Blue Moon
• Mega Man Battle Network 5 Team Protoman
• Mega Man Battle Network 5 Team Colonel
• Mega Man Battle Network 6 Cybeast Gregar
• Mega Man Battle Network 6 Cybeast Falzar

You can play these games solo or challenge other players in online matches. Legacy Collection even tosses in previously exclusive Battle Chips, such as those offered at Japanese promotional events. The collection also includes an optional high-resolution filter for each title, and museum features include over 1,000 pieces of artwork and nearly 200 music tracks. 

As an added bonus, Capcom announced plans to stream Seasons 1 and 2 of Mega Man NT Warrior, the anime that the Battle Network series is based on, on its Twitch channel early next year. The episodes will also be available to watch for free on Capcom’s YouTube page. 

Mega Man Battle Network Legacy Collection will be available on PlayStation 4, Switch, and PC.

In this special travel vlog, Game Informer's Alex Van Aken and Brian Shea tour Super Nintendo World while visiting Osaka, Japan. The pair show off everything the park offers, including Peach's Castle, Bowser's Castle, Toad's Cafe, Yoshi's Adventure, and a final battle against Bowser Junior. Universal Studios' rendition of the Mushroom Kingdom is magical and easily the best theme park we've experienced.

Earlier this morning, Nintendo announced that the first Super Nintendo World U.S. location is opening in February 2023. 

If you enjoyed this video, watch our other travel vlogs, including our recent trips to the Persona 25th Anniversary Café in Los Angeles and the Pokémon World Championships in London. Special thanks to freelance video producers Nick Lawler and Shawn Thomas for editing this vlog. 

PlayStation revealed earlier this year that it was developing new TV shows based on Gran Turismo, Horizon, and God of War. At the time, PlayStation Productions said the Horizon series was happening at Netflix (read some details about that here) and the God of War series was being handled by Amazon. That was it, though. 

Now, we know a little bit more about this God of War series, courtesy of Amazon Prime Video, as reported by Deadline. Amazon Prime Video has officially given a series order to God of War and as the name suggests, it will be based on the hit PlayStation franchise (which just received a sequel last month). More specifically, it will take place during the Norse era of Kratos' adventures, seemingly bypassing his more gruesome and violent Greek history. God of War (2018) director Cory Barlog will executive produce Prime Video's series. 

Developer Avalanche Software and publisher Warner Bros. Games has released a new gameplay showcase to highlight three different aspects of its upcoming wizarding RPG: the open world, combat, and the famed castle's Room of Requirement. 

Hogwarts Legacy hits PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, and PC on February 10, with a recent delay pushing back the PlayStation 4 and Xbox One versions to April 4 and the Switch version to July 25. Perhaps as a way to soothe the news of yesterday's delay, or as a way to get players excited about February, four new looks at Hogwarts Legacy gameplay have been released, and you can watch all four below: 

Each of these aired during today's Hogwarts Legacy showcase. 

PlayStation has revealed the December 2022 PlayStation Plus game catalog lineup, and it's quite a collection of games, especially if you're a fan of the Yakuza series or the Far Cry franchise. 

This lineup hits PlayStation Plus alongside this month's three free PlayStation Plus titles – Mass Effect: Legendary Edition, Divine Knockout, and Biomutant – that you can download now. As for the PlayStation Plus, all Premium and Extra subscribers can download and play the following games starting December 20: 

The first Super Nintendo World in the US will finally open in February. 

More specifically, the opening day will be February 17, 2023. This news comes by way of a new trailer showcasing what to expect in the new park within Universal Studios Hollywood. There's a look at Mario Kart: Koopa's Challenge, Yoshi's Adventure, the decor of the park, and of course, Mario and Luigi. It looks fantastic, as expected, given how great Super Nintendo World in Japan turned out to be (check out our photo slideshow from our recent visit to the park).

Check out Universal Studios Hollywood's video announcing the Super Nintendo World release date below: 

As you can see, the park is looking great. We can't wait to visit one day! Universal Studios Japan opened its Super Nintendo World last year and back in June, Universal revealed that Hollywood's Nintendo-themed land would be opening in "early 2023." Now we know the opening day is February 17, 2023, so get your travel dates in order if you plan on visiting this new park next year. 

Are you planning to visit Super Nintendo World at Universal Studios Hollywood next year? Let us know in the comments below!

High on Life, a game where you use talking guns to stop humans from being sold as drugs, is the newest title from Squanch Games, a development studio founded by Rick and Morty co-creator Justin Roiland, When I played their last game, Trover Saves the Universe, a few years ago, I was surprised by how naturally Roiland’s brand of improvised dialogue translated to video game form. Characters would ramble on as long as you stuck around to listen, and I would find myself standing in certain spots for upwards of five or six minutes, just listening to Roiland (who voiced many characters, Trover included) riff on one joke over and over again. While High on Life and Trover are two very different games, Roiland’s style of comedy is featured heavily in both. When I got a chance to talk to Roiland (and design director Erich Meyr), I was surprised to learn he originally wanted this game to have a different direction.

“I didn’t really want to do the main gun,” Roiland says. “I was trying to get out of it. But the team was like, ‘no, you have to do it.’”

Meyr interjects and echoes the team, “It’s kind of our signature at this point.”

Roiland ultimately agreed to it because the team pushed so hard. “I have to be wrong if everyone else is saying that,” he continues. “So I was like, alright, I'll do it. And I knew that it would be helpful from a production standpoint for me to do it.”

The Switch and last-gen versions of Hogwarts Legacy have been delayed. The game is still slated to release on February 10 for PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, and PC. However, everyone else will have to wait a few more months. 

The open-world Wizarding World adventure now has two additional release dates. The PlayStation 4 and Xbox One versions launch on April 4. The Switch port comes a few months later, on July 25. Developer Avalanche says it decided to stagger the release to ensure the best possible experience on each platform. 

Hogwarts Legacy will launch on April 4, 2023 for PlayStation 4 and Xbox One and on July 25, 2023 for Nintendo Switch. The team is looking forward to bringing you the game and we want to deliver the best possible game experience across all platforms.

— Hogwarts Legacy (@HogwartsLegacy) December 13, 2022

Additionally, a game FAQ about the change in dates clarifies that the PS4/XB1 Deluxe Editions will not include the 72-hour early access that the current-gen and PC bundle is receiving.

Platinum Games vice president Hideki Kamiya doesn't see the Bayonetta series ever ending. 

He told IGN Japan this during a new interview, which touches on the creator's post-Bayonetta 3 thoughts, possible spin-off games, and a brand new game with the codename Project G.G. When asked if there's a chance players get a Bayonetta 4 or even a Bayonetta 5, Kamiya said he wants to make both of those games. 

"I personally can't conceive the Bayonetta series ever ending," Kamiya told IGN Japan. "I want to make a Bayonetta 4 and Bayonetta 5, and I intend on pitching them to the company."

Kamiya goes further, revealing that the team often talks "internally about how we could make nine of them." He also said he wants people to believe him when he says, "I'm not going to do anything that will betray the players." 

Reviewed on: Xbox Series X/S
Platform: PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, PC
Publisher: Electronic Arts
Developer: Criterion Games
Release: December 2, 2022
Rating: Teen

Since its inception nearly three decades ago, Need for Speed’s best entries have combined style and substance to produce thrilling homages to the street racing scene. Need for Speed Unbound feels like the ultimate realization of that philosophy, creating one of the franchise’s best in years.

Sliding into the driver seat of the nearly 150 cars in Need for Speed Unbound feels terrific. Blasting down a straightaway in a McLaren delivers a remarkable sense of speed but nailing a corner drift in a Mitsubishi feels just as good. Actions like drifting and drafting fill your boost gauge, creating a satisfying rhythm in the moment-to-moment racing as you flow from one move to the next.

Join hosts Wesley LeBlanc and Kyle Hilliard as the two discuss all things One Piece Odyssey, an upcoming One Piece JRPG based on the hit anime and manga series. 

Wesley recently went hands-on with the game for a couple of hours, exploring One Piece Odyssey's first two chapters, and he had a blast. In today's New Gameplay Today, the two discuss the game's narrative, its combat and what it's doing different in the JRPG genre, and why One Piece makes for such a fun world to play around in. Enjoy!

As you can see, One Piece Odyssey is shaping up to be a great time, especially for pirates. While we only got to experience the game's opening hours, we're excited about the full release in January. In the meantime, read Wesley's full thoughts on this preview here. 

One Piece Odyssey hits PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and PC on January 12. 

Platform: PlayStation 5, PC
Publisher: Square Enix
Developer: Square Enix
Release: January 24, 2023

I’ve been excited about Forspoken since its reveal as Project Athia in 2020. The fish-out-of-water game set in a medieval fantasy realm is developed by Luminous Productions – an internal Square Enix team that helped develop Final Fantasy XV, a game I quite enjoyed despite its problems. It also features the talents of Uncharted series creator Amy Hennig and Rogue One: A Star Wars Story writer Gary Whitta on the narrative side, which makes me interested in playing through protagonist Frey Holland’s journey. 

On paper, it’s precisely the type of RPG I like to spend my time playing. After going hands-on for a few hours and talking with some of the team about decisions behind Forspoken’s design, I’m even more excited for January, even if I still have some reservations about this studio’s first new IP. 

In this week's episode of The Game Informer Show, the crew reacts to the big reveals from The Game Awards, including such hits as Death Stranding 2, Hades II, Armored Core VI: Fires of Rubicon, and of course, Crime Boss: Rockay City. We hope you enjoy this episode featuring our favorite Diablo IV correspondent, John Carson.

Follow us on social media: Alex Van Aken (@itsVanAken), Marcus Stewart (@MarcusStewart7), John Carson (@John_Carson)

The Game Informer Show is a weekly gaming podcast covering the latest video game news, industry topics, exclusive reveals, and reviews. Join host Alex Van Aken every Thursday for a chat about your favorite games – past and present – with Game Informer staff, developers, and special guests from around the industry. Listen on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or your favorite podcast app.

The Pokémon Company has announced several changes coming to the Pokémon Trading Card Game, starting with the first expansion in the Scarlet and Violet series hitting in March. In addition to the ex gameplay mechanic that was announced for the series in August at the Pokémon World Championships, players can expect several changes to the cards and the packs in which they are housed.

First up, those yellow borders U.S. players and collectors are so used to will become a thing of the past. Starting with Scarlet and Violet, the borders will be gray to match the Japanese cards. The move is said to provide a more seamless experience for the Pokémon Trading Card Game while putting a greater emphasis on the actual artwork of the cards. Additionally, Trainer cards will now have subcategories displayed at the top left corner of the card for more visibility in players' hands; examples given for this include Supporter, Item, and Stadium. Basic Energy cards will feature another Energy symbol at the bottom right for easier tracking during gameplay, and expansion symbols will be replaced by expansion codes and language codes across all cards.

This week on All Things Nintendo, Brian is joined by a rotating cast of Game Informer guests to break down the news of the week. First, Marcus Stewart joins him to cover news surrounding Call of Duty, Mario Kart 8, and Atari. In the main segment, Charles Harte joins the episode to talk about his time with Dragon Quest Treasures. Finally, Wesley LeBlanc joins the show to break down everything coming out of The Game Awards.

If you'd like to follow the people from this episode on Twitter, hit the following links: Brian Shea (@brianpshea), Marcus Stewart (@MarcusStewart7), Charles Harte (@chuckduck365), Wesley LeBlanc (@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!

The Game Awards have come and gone, and on top of giving quality games, creators, and performers their flowers, we got a boatload of new games to look forward to. So we ask: what was your favorite game announcement of the show?

A generation of fans may love From Software for its litany of Souls games, but the studio was once primarily known for its other beloved series, Armored Core. Tonight at The Game Awards, the studio revealed a new entry in its mech shooter franchise: Armored Core IV: Fires of Rubicon. 

A cinematic trailer set the table, which begins on a rather gloomy (and lava-filled) note before the mechs emerge to kick up the tempo a few notches. Fires of Rubicon is the first entry in the series since 2013’s Armored Core: Verdict Day, so fans have waited a long time for tonight’s news. Check out the trailer below. 

Armored Core VI: Fires of Rubicon is launching in 2023 for PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and PC.