Game Informer

Get your shovels ready because Shovel Knight Dig will burrow its way onto Switch, PC, and iOS via Apple Arcade next month. 

More specifically, the exciting Shovel Knight follow-up/spin-off title will hit those platforms on Sept. 23. What's more is that if you have an Apple Arcade subscription, you can play the game for free. It'll cost $24.99 on Switch and on Steam, however.

This news was revealed in a comical trailer released by Yacht Club Games, which you can watch for yourself below: 

"When Drill Knight and his dastardly digging crew blast apart Shovel Knight's peaceful campsite and steal his loot, he grabs his trusty Shovel Blade and starts tunneling after them," a press release reads. "But as he and Shield Knight soon discover, this adventure goes much deeper than a simple heist."

"Meet new friends and foes, visit strange lands, and outfit yourself in your quest to keep the entire land from collapsing underfoot. Jump, slash, and dig your way down an ever-changing chasm of mystery in Shovel Knight Dig, an all-new Shovel Knight adventure." 

Let me save us all some time. I’m not going to tell you the size of Sonic’s shoes in Sonic Frontiers. I can’t tell you Amy’s relationship status – I don’t even know who she is besides being the cute pink one. And I’m certainly not an expert on Sonic games.

But I can tell you that Sonic Frontiers is the first entry in the series I’ve been looking forward to since the Dreamcast.  

For reference, the last time I was excited to play a 3D Sonic game, it was attached to the Dreamcast kiosk at my local target. And to be fair, the orca jumping over the racetrack in the Sonic Adventure demo was a great reason to bug my mom for a new Sega console. 

Fast forward 20 years, and I’m sitting in a behind-closed-doors Gamescom appointment to play Sonic Frontiers for the first time. While I’m not a fan of the series, I’ve always liked the concept of the games. I enjoy modern music. I like going fast, and I definitely like the Green Hill Zone. 

Gungrave G.O.R.E. marks the return of the Gungrave franchise after almost 20 years (well, besides that VR game), and today we found out that the sequel is coming just in time for Thanksgiving. A new cinematic trailer shown during Gamescom reveals a November release date, and it runs down the wacky cast of characters and why you'll be riddling them with bullets. 

The largely CG trailer sprinkles in a bit of in-game action, though you should check out this previous gameplay video for a better taste of the over-the-top combat. We’re introduced to Grave’s allies who band together to take on a fearsome foursome of antagonists looking to rule the world (probably). Fans of the PS2 games and the anime that spawned from them will be happy to know that G.O.R.E. looks as bombastic and absurd as they'd expect. Newcomers that enjoy bullets, blood, and insanity will likely feel right at home. 

Gungrave G.O.R.E. launches November 22 for PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and PC. Pre-ordering nets you a special Grim Reaper skin designed by former Tango Gameworks designer Ikumi Nakamura, who is working on G.O.R.E. as a character artist. 

Mafia celebrates its 20th anniversary today, and in a new blog post by Hanger 13, the principal minds behind the series reflect on its creation and history while also teasing what’s next.

Longtime Mafia designers Roman Hladík (general manager), Tomáš Hřebíček (head of production/media director), and Alex Cox (game director) sat down to discuss Mafia’s entire history and their most cherished memories of the franchise. It’s worth a read if you consider yourself a diehard fan (check it out here), but the most exciting news from the conversation is the confirmation that the next game in the series is in development.

Hřebíček writes: 

“I'm happy to confirm we've started work on an all-new Mafia project! While it's a few years away and we can't share anything more right now, we're really excited to keep working on this beloved franchise and to entertain our players with new stories.”

“A few years away” is a long time to wait, especially since the last mainline entry, Mafia III, is approaching six years old, launching in October 2016. But we're happy to see the series continue and are curious to see where it heads next. In 2020, Hanger 13 released enhanced remasters of all three games, the most substantial being a complete remake of the original dubbed Mafia: Definitive Edition. 

Netflix has reportedly canceled its Resident Evil series after just one season. 

This news comes from a report from Deadline, which reports that Netflix has decided not to move forward with a second season of the show following the release of Season 1 last month. As far as why, there’s no official reason as of yet but considering Netflix’s past, it’s likely that Resident Evil didn’t meet expectations in terms of both critical and audience response. The show will now join many other shows canceled after just one season at the streamer including Cowboy Bebop, The Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance, and more.

Deadline notes that Resident Evil’s release came right after the highly anticipated Season 4 of Stranger Things, which might have led to its less-than-stellar first weekend on the service. However, the series still debuted in the number two spot, behind Stranger Things, pulling in 72.7 million watch hours. Deadline reports that viewers watched Resident Evil for 73.3 million hours in its second week, taking the number three spot on Netflix, before dropping out of Netflix’s Top 10 by week three. 

Sony has acquired Savage Game Studios, which will join the company’s newly created PlayStation Studios Mobile Division. 

This new division will operate independently from PlayStation’s console development and instead focus on creating “innovative, on-the-go experiences based on new and existing PlayStation IP,” according to a PlayStation Blog post. Savage Game Studios is one of the first studios to join this new division, and PlayStation says the Savage team is working on a “new unannounced AAA mobile live service action game.” 

“Today, we announced that we have entered into a definitive agreement to acquire Savage Game Studios, a hugely talented team of creatives with many years of experience making some of the most popular mobile games enjoyed by players around the world,” head of PlayStation Studios Hermen Hulst writes in the blog post. “They were founded a few years ago with the goal of fearlessly exploring bold new ideas. We share their timeless ambition to innovate, along with a continued drive to expand our audience and bring PlayStation to more people than ever before, making them a perfect fit to join PlayStation Studios.” 

Do you have that food from your childhood that you just love, even though you know it’s not, objectively, that great? There’s something about the memory of that taste that is amazing, even if you know the sophistication of your palette has evolved a lot in the intervening years. That’s a bit how I feel about the early Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles games. I can recall with crystal clarity being gathered around a TMNT arcade cabinet with my friends, pumping in tokens to try and beat Shredder before the birthday party ended. Or spending a weekend banging my head against the wall of the first NES game and its absurd sewer challenges. The Cowabunga Collection exists to service the nostalgic recollection of these types of experiences, and it does so with aplomb. Are these truly great games worth remembering? That’s up for debate.

Digital Eclipse and Konami have worked together to craft an especially impressive collection of early Turtles video gaming fun. 13 titles are available to peruse and enjoy, running the gamut between arcade, NES, SNES, Genesis, and Game Boy releases. At their core, these games are restored in a form very close to their original incarnations, and it’s a lot of fun to spend time in the ones you know to remember individual sequences and smile. If the phrase “tonight I dine on Turtle soup” rings some bells in your distant memory, it’s likely you may feel the same.

Platform: PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, PC
Publisher: Neowiz
Developer: Round8 Studio
Release: TBA

You’ve likely heard of Lies Of P after it took the internet by storm after Gamescom Opening Night Live. If you haven’t, I’ll quickly catch you up to speed: it’s a Pinocchio-themed Soulsborne.

You play as the iconic marionette fighting to become human in a fictional French city inspired by the historic Belle Époque era – a time of abundant affluence for the country. Familiar characters like Geppetto, Pinnochio’s creator and father figure, and Gemini Cricket help familiarize the story, but Lies Of P promises intriguing twists through a dark reimagining. 

Platform: PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, PlayStation 4, Switch, PC
Publisher: Sega
Developer: Amplitude Studios
Release: TBA

Endless Dungeon, the successor to 2014’s Dungeon of The Endless, is a tower defense twin-stick shooter created by French developer Amplitude Studios; and after my hands-on session at Gamescom 2022, it has the potential to be the next big roguelite. 

Let’s rock, baby! Season 6 of Video Gameography gets stylish as we examine the Devil May Cry series! Over the next few weeks, we’ll be covering the history and lore of Capcom’s premiere action franchise. On this episode, we'll say "Jackpot" to Season 6 as we conclude with the latest title in the series, Devil May Cry 5.

Released March 8, 2019, Devil May Cry 5 serves as a return to the classic timeline after an over-decade-long hiatus. Nero reprises his starring role, but he's joined by Dante and mysterious newcomer V. The three demon slayers, alongside familiar allies, unite to combat a powerful demon lord. Longtime DMC director Hideaki Itsuno wanted to hit a "homerun" with the title after realizing he may not have many games left in him, so he went all out. That includes adopting Capcom's famed RE Engine to give the game its most realistic visuals ever and giving players three wildly different playable characters. We'll unpack the game's development history, its story (including the big twist), and ponder where the series could go next. 

Join me, Marcus Stewart (@MarcusStewart7), and guest Ty Galiz-Rowe (@owoathkeeper), editor-in-chief at Uppercut, as we explore Devil May Cry's big comeback. 

This week of All Things Nintendo, Brian chats with Game Informer's Marcus Stewart about some major anniversaries in the world of Nintendo and the various news items coming out of Gamescom 2022. Brian delivers his final verdict on Blossom Tales II: The Minotaur Prince before giving his hands-on impressions of Splatoon 3. The two also chat about the new Harvestella story and gameplay details coming out of the Nintendo Treehouse live stream. 

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

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!

Drinkbox Studios’ Nobody Saves The World is getting a shot in the arm via a new expansion arriving next month. Dubbed Frozen Heath, this update adds new forms, challenges, and a fresh region to explore.

Frozen Hearth takes place in an underground region that hosts The Tempering, a series of trials consisting of combat challenges and puzzles. Overcoming this contest rewards two new forms: the Killer Bee and the Mechanic, which can be used in the main game. 

On September 13 you can buy the Frozen Hearth expansion separately for $4.99 or pick up it alongside the main game in a bundle for $27.99.  

Nobody Saved the World launched in January and became one of our early favorites of 2022. Former editor John Carson scored the game an 8.25 out of 10, writing in his review that, 

“Despite its minor shortcomings, Nobody Saves the World kept me enthralled from start to finish as I leveled my way through form ranks for the next body or ability to work with. It's most fun when unleashing devious yet approachable combat scenarios, keeping me on my toes to find the best solution to survive. Thankfully, it gave me plenty of those unrelenting loops throughout, justifying the time to save this funny little world.”

Team Ninja’s dark fantasy action title Wo Long: Fallen Dynasty impresses in a new gameplay trailer that captures the fast-paced thrills you'd expect from the minds behind Nioh and Ninja Gaiden. 

Fans of the studio's previous action titles should find plenty to love with Wo Long if this video is any indication. Set during the Three Kingdoms era of China, you'll battle invading demons as a soldier using a blend of graceful swordplay and Chinese martial arts based on the Five Phases philosophy. The trailer shows off the many demonic foes awaiting your blade, including a bipedal tiger that is swiftly kicked out of the way by the protagonist. 

Next month, those attending Tokyo Game Show will be the first to play Wo Long: Fallen Dynasty via a show floor demo. Everyone else will have to wait until early 2023 to experience the game on PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and PC. It will also be available on Xbox Game Pass at launch.

Yesterday, Sony Interactive Entertainment announced it will increase the price of PlayStation 5 consoles in various non-U.S. territories due to global economic conditions such as inflation. Microsoft then declared later that day that it will not be doing the same with the Xbox Series X/S. Now, Nintendo has chimed in on the matter. 

In a statement to Eurogamer, Nintendo reiterates a quote from president Shuntaro Furukawa, made in June, in which he stated the company has "no plans to increase the trade price of its hardware.” Furukawa made this statement during the 82nd Annual General Meeting Shareholders that month, in which he also said: 

"While we cannot comment on pricing strategies, we currently do not have any plans to change the price of our hardware due to inflation or increased procurement costs in each country. We will determine our future pricing strategies through careful and continued deliberations.”

Although the PlayStation 5's price will remain unchanged in the U.S. (for now), both versions of the console have become more expensive in Canada, Europe, the UK, Mexico, Japan, and Australia. The price hikes have already gone into effect in those regions except Japan, which occurs on September 15. 

We're at Gamescom 2022 in Germany, and we've played Planet of Lana, the gorgeous upcoming game that looks straight out of a Studio Ghibli movie. Inspired by 2D platformers like Limbo and Inside, this cozy game promises challenging logic puzzles alongside beautiful scenery.

Watch the video below:

Enjoying our coverage from Gamescom 2022? Read our previews of A Plague Tale: Requiem and Minecraft Legends. Stay tuned for our interview with the developers behind this game in the coming days. 

It's late on a Thursday afternoon. It's time for a break. Let's finally getting back to our Gundam streams. We're going live over on our Twitch channel to build the Master Grade Tallgeese from Gundam Wing: Endless Waltz. 

Join us at 5:00 P.M. Central Time (6:00 P.M. ET/3:00 P.M. PT) to watch the build. We likely won't get through the whole thing today, but we'll be live for at least a couple of hours. 

And as you might've guessed from the picture above, we have a lot more Gunpla kits to get through. Bandai was nice enough to send us a few, and we'll absolutely be live streaming lots of fun hobby-adjacent activities over the next few weeks.

 Again, we're going live on our Twitch channel at 5:00 P.M. Central Time (6:00 P.M. ET/3:00 P.M. PT). Hope to see you there!

After revealing earlier this year that it was making a BioShock movie, Netflix has announced who will be directing it and who's writing the script. And you might recognize them, and if not, you'll almost certainly recognize the movies they've worked on. 

Netflix revealed in a tweet made today that Francis Lawrence (I Am Legend, The Hunger Games: Catching Fire, Slumberland) will direct this BioShock film adaptation and Michael Green (Loga, Blade Runner 2049, American Gods) will write the script. 

BioShock — our live-action feature film adaptation of the renowned video game franchise — will be directed by Francis Lawrence (I Am Legend, The Hunger Games: Catching Fire, Slumberland) from a script written by Michael Green (Logan, Blade Runner 2049, American Gods). pic.twitter.com/mDh4ut6ayJ

— Netflix (@netflix) August 25, 2022

And that's all Netflix had to reveal about the movie today. Perhaps we'll learn of casting soon. In the meantime, read about the original announcement. 

Does this director and writer announcement excite you? Let us know in the comments below!

Atomic Heart reemerged during Gamescom with a new trailer devoted solely to showing off its impressive, Bioshock-esque combat. Over three minutes of gameplay footage shows off the carnage you'll unleash against adversaries, both artificial and organic. 

Players wield melee weapons or firearms in one hand and more, shall we say, unconventional abilities in the other. That includes electrifying targets with lightning bolts, tossing them around with a telekinesis-like power, freezing foes solid with an ice blast, or using wires to hijack machines. The action-packed video shows off how players can creatively combine their arsenal to dismantle and disembowel anything standing in their way. 

Atomic Heart was first announced in 2018 and takes place in an alternative futuristic version of the Soviet Union in 1955. Robotic technology flourished post World War 2, allowing humanity to create a high-tech utopia. Unfortunately, these mechanical helpers have started rebelling against their human creators. If that wasn’t enough, killer mutants born from secret experiments have also run amok. Players control private agent P-3, who embarks on a secret mission to get to the bottom of what’s caused this seemingly perfect society to collapse and clean up this mess. 

Atomic Heart launches this fall for PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and PC. It’s also launching on Xbox Game Pass.

Platform: PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, Switch, PC
Publisher: Focus Home Interactive
Developer: Asobo Studio
Release: October 18, 2022
Rating: Mature

A video game sequel is hard to create, especially if the previous game was a commercial success. Why did the game resonate with fans? How many new features does the sequel need to justify another price tag? Should anything be changed at all? How do you make something fresh while retaining the identity established in the first release?

These are the questions developers constantly ask themselves while making a game. The road to publishing a project is full of pitfalls, and it’s easy to lose the path. 

Knockout City Season 7 is called Mutant Mutiny. Mutants named Neon, Susan, Ratfink, and Goober have come to the surface to fight for their place in Knockout City, but they aren't the only mutants coming to town. The Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles join them in the dodgeball battlefields of Knockout City this season.

When the 13-week season featuring Mutant Mutiny launches on August 30, Leonardo, Donatello, Michelangelo, and Raphael join the game as playable characters for any dodgebrawl match – each turtle features a unique intro pose. If players want more TMNT action in Knockout City, they can purchase the Premium Brawl Pass featuring TMNT rewards, a new map, new hideout customizations and more.

Those looking to get the most TMNT fun out of this season of Knockout City can look forward to the following bundles, passes, and events over the course of the next couple of months.

Each year, every NHL team strives to put the best squad it can on the ice. Sometimes, that means a full offseason overhaul. In other years, that means fine-tuning some lesser areas of an already solid team. NHL 22 was a good-looking game, but the gameplay felt long in the tooth and in need of changes. While NHL 23 doesn’t rebuild the gameplay from the ground up, it does offer several features, tweaks, and enhancements in hopes of being better than the last iteration.

NHL 23 represents the series’ second entry using EA’s Frostbite engine. As such, various refinements come online as the development team further familiarizes itself with the proprietary engine. EA Vancouver is also implementing several gameplay tweaks, including last-chance puck movement. This adds hundreds of new stumble animations triggered through any level of contact, plus additional plays that can turn any loose puck into either goal-scoring or goal-clearing plays. However, scoring won’t be easy, as goalies benefit from improved A.I. and more than 350 new save animations. Teams also have better power play and penalty kill strategies, with enhanced roles for specific players in the formations.

In February, we reported the server shutdown of Dark Souls 3 after a dangerous hack – Remote Code Execution – rendered affected PCs inoperable. Attackers "executed arbitrary code on a remote device, meaning they could take control of a player's PC." But thankfully, seven months later, the servers are back online. 

The official Dark Souls Twitter account initially confirmed servers would remain offline beyond the release of Elden Ring. However, the extensive deactivation period that ensued couldn't have been anticipated. The RCE hack affected all three Dark Souls games. And now that the third entry's multiplayer modes are available again, hopefully, the other games in the franchise will see the light of day, too. 

PC版『DARK SOULS III』におけるセキュリティの脆弱性調査と対応が完了したため、本日よりゲームサーバーを復旧し、オンラインサービスを再開しました。ユーザーの皆様にはお詫び申し上げますとともに、復旧をお待ちいただいたことへの御礼を申し上げます。 https://t.co/mPmnBK9Wbd

— FROMSOFTWARE PLAYER SUPPORT (@fromsoftware_sp) August 25, 2022

A translated From Software Support tweet (see above) reads as follows:

Update, 8/25/22, 2:58 p.m.

Following news from Sony Interactive Entertainment earlier today that it has raised the price of the PlayStation 5 in multiple non-U.S. markets, Microsoft has revealed that it will not follow suit. 

A Microsoft spokesperson told Windows Central that the company has no plans to raise the price of the Xbox Series X/S consoles. 

"We are constantly evaluating our business to offer our fans great gaming options," the spokesperson told the publication. "Our Xbox Series S suggested retail price remains at $299 (£250, €300) [and] the Xbox Series X [remains] $499 (£450, €500).”

The original story continues below...

Original Story, 8/25/22, 8:09 a.m.

Sony Interactive Entertainment revealed that it raised the price of PlayStation 5 consoles, both the digital disc drive editions, in multiple markets around the world. 

This news comes from a blog post released by the company today detailing the price increase, why it’s happening, and what markets are affected. Sony says the cause of the price increase is the result of the current economic environment of the world, including high inflation rates and more. 

The Dark Pictures Anthology returns this November with The Devil In Me, which serves as the season finale for the franchise (until the next batch of games arrive). A new trailer showcases the host of new features designed to ensure the season ends with a bang.

The Devil In Me stars actor Jessie Buckley and follows a group of filmmakers fighting for survival in a dangerous house, a replica of H.H. Holmes’ infamous “Murder Castle.” The new trailer runs down additions such as being able to use important tools from a character inventory and extended exploration mechanics; players can freely run, jump, and climb now. Supermassive also reveals the story is over seven hours long. An online shared story lets you enjoy the experience with friends from afar, though you can explore the adventure with friends in the room in local multiplayer. 

The Dark Pictures Anthology: The Devil In Me arrives November 18 for PlayStation and Xbox consoles and PC. You can get a better sense of the game's narrative by watching this recent story trailer. 

 

If you enjoy over-the-top, stylish action games with plenty of silliness, Wanted: Dead should be on your radar. First announced last fall, the game comes from Soliel Ltd, developer of the upcoming Valkyrie Elysium, and consists of Ninja Gaiden and Dead or Alive alumni. With those credentials, it's little surprise that Wanted: Dead looks absolutely bonkers. 

The story centers on Hong Kong cop Lt. Hannah Stone, a member of the Zombie Unit. She and her squad must get to the bottom of a corporate conspiracy, but the game doesn’t appear to be nearly as serious as its premise lets on. Gameplay blends stylish swordplay with explosive gunplay as players slice and/or shoot through gang members, mercenaries, and other foes in an adventure that looks ridiculous. The release date trailer also shows off anime cutscenes, rhythm music gameplay, cute cats, and whatever else it manages to cram in. 

Wanted: Dead is launching on February 14 and is coming to PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and PC.

Platform: Xbox Series X/S, Xbox One, Switch, PC
Publisher: Xbox Game Studios
Developer: Mojang
Release: 2023

I love Minecraft and have been playing it on and off since it landed on Xbox Live Arcade in 2012, but I couldn’t care less about the series’ spin-off games like Dungeons or the Telltale-developed Story Mode. While those games were fine, they defeated the point of why I love Minecraft – building, and crafting. 

Developer Mojang Studios is shaking things up with its next spin-off, and after my behind-closed-doors demo at Gamescom, I’m interested. 

Microsoft’s chief executive officer of gaming and Xbox head Phil Spencer believes games exclusive to a single console will become something we see less of over time. 

This news comes from a new interview with Spencer from Bloomberg discussing Microsoft’s in-the-process acquisition of Activision Blizzard, the landscape of console exclusivity, and more. He believes that this is a good thing for the gaming industry in the long run. 

“[It] is something we’re just going to see less and less of,” when discussing the idea of specific games being exclusive to a single device. “Maybe you happen in your household to buy an Xbox, and I buy a PlayStation, and our kids want to play together, and they can’t because we bought the wrong piece of plastic to plug into our television.

“We really love being able to bring more players in reducing friction, making people feel safe, secure when they’re playing, allowing them to play with their friends, regardless of what device – I think in the long run that is good for this industry. And maybe in the short run, there’s some people in some companies that don’t love it. But I think as we get over the hump and see where this industry can continue to grow, it proves out to be true.”

Pentiment, Obsidian Entertainment's medieval narrative adventure title, is coming on November 15. We first learned of the project during the Xbox Games Showcase in June. 

The game's art direction emulates medieval manuscript illustrations and woodcut prints while the story unfolds in 16th-century Bavaria. You play as an illustrator who becomes wrapped up in a series of murders over 25 years. You'll engage in choice-driven conversations where your decisions steer the plot and create lasting consequences in a tale that expands into a larger conspiracy. Check out the original reveal trailer below to see it in action. 

Pentiment is made by a small team within Obsidian led by director Josh Sawyer. You can pick it up on Xbox consoles and PC (day one on Game Pass). It will be the second game that Obsidian ships this year, following the 1.0 release of Grounded in September. 

Reviewed on: Switch
Platform: Switch, PC
Publisher: Playtonic Friends
Developer: Castle Pixel
Release: August 16, 2022

Modern homages to classic video games often go one of two ways: They either stick close to the gameplay conventions to which they are paying tribute, or they expand the original games’ styles in meaningful and innovative ways. Blossom Tales II: The Minotaur Prince, like its 2017 predecessor, is more the former than the latter, adhering closely to the classic Legend of Zelda blueprint, most notably that of A Link to the Past. Despite this lack of innovation, Blossom Tales II still manages to capture many of the acclaimed elements of what many consider to be one of the greatest video games of all time, and in the process, delivers a fun, retro-facing adventure worth embarking on.

Platform: Switch
Publisher: Nintendo
Developer: Nintendo
Release: September 9, 2022
Rating: Everyone 10+

When the Splatoon 3-focused Nintendo Direct hit two weeks ago, I was pleasantly surprised by the depth of the information and how much content the Splatoon team was bringing at launch. As someone who very much enjoyed the first two Splatoon games (as well as Splatoon 2's Octo Expansion), that Nintendo Direct was all I needed to bring my excitement levels up a few notches. However, having the opportunity to get my hands on the soon-to-be-released Splatoon 3 only skyrocketed this game up the list of my most anticipated 2022 releases.

Morty Smith from the popular cartoon Rick & Morty is now a playable character in the free-to-play stage fighter, MultiVersus. 

This news comes from a new Morty-focused trailer for MultiVersus that showcases the fighter in action. It features a look at how he plays as a Bruiser class brawler, complete with a muscle-enhanced left arm "Armothy" and the "Plumbus" all-purpose alien device.

Check these moves out and more in the trailer below:

"Morty, the teenage grandson of a mega-genius scientist Rick Sanchez, arrives as part of MultiVersus Season 1 and is a Bruiser class character with more than a few tricks up his sleeve," a press release reads. "Morty's moveset, which is on display in a newly released gameplay trailer, features a mix of skills and attacks, from his muscle-enhanced left arm 'Armothy' and 'Plumbus' all-purpose alien device, to his ability to whip himself at opponents and use of various projectiles."

The trailer also reveals the President Morty character variant, which is available as an in-game purchase right now.

Earlier this week, the Dead Island 2: Day One Edition leaked on Amazon, showing a Lenny Kravitz-like warrior on the box cover. So, it’s only fitting that Gamescom 2022 ended with two trailers (cinematic and gameplay) for the long-overdue zombie-slaying sequel. 

We follow a chiseled survivor named Jacob as he leaves the safety of his (bloodied) condo and ventures into a Californian hellscape swarming with undead. He kills several adversaries with an empty rifle, jutting it through their rotten bodies and smashing their heads against the pavement with its wooden butt. 

The gameplay trailer shows scenic beaches, forsaken suburbs, cratered city streets, and still-lit carnivals. In what is one of the most graphic clips I’ve ever seen at a game show, we watch as the player-character clobbers zombies with blunt objects, jump-kicks adversaries off roofs (parkour mechanics?), and shoots gasoline tanks to engulf hordes in flames.

A product description for The Outlast Trials says players can expect "mind-numbing terror," and that's exactly what we see in the game's newest trailer. Plenty of blood is shed as humans are used as lab rats in Murkoff Corporation's Saw-like tests. In some cases, the tests just look like torture and flatout murder.

The game looks overly graphic, yet also brings about comparisons to BioShock's tone and storytelling conventions. It'll be interesting to see how the narrative sews all of these wild experiements together. The Outlast Trials is designed as both a single-player and cooperative experience. The player clearly is free to explore at certain points, and appears to rely on trap-like devices to fight back and escape. In one sequence, we see two players helping each other up to higher ground.

The footage concludes with news of a short closed beta running from October 28 to November 1. No other release date news was shared.

Continuing his trend of showing up during Geoff Keighley's live-stream events and not showing new games, today during Opening Night Live, Hideo Kojima announced he's launching a Spotify-exclusive podcast next month. The show is called Brain Structure. Or to be specific, Hideo Kojima presents Brain Structure. 

As for what, exactly, the podcast is, it's a bit unclear. Kojima announced Keighley would have a regular entertainment news section and that the show will feature "very special guests from various fields." The first episode will be released on September 8, with subsequent episodes coming out weekly. English and Japanese versions will be available.

If you don't want to wait, a pilot episode is available now. Episode "#00 Prologue" dives into Kojima's creative process. Check it out right here.

All in! Games, the publisher behind titles like Ghostrunner and Chernobylite, revealed its first internal studio, Ironbird Creations, during today’s Gamescom Opening Night Live showcase. It also unveiled a 30-second teaser for its first game, Phantom Hellcat, a Nier-inspired hack-and-slash action-adventure game coming to PlayStation/Xbox consoles and PC. 

“Break a leg as Jolene, a rebellious young woman who makes the grave mistake of breaking the seal upon a cursed theater filled with dangerous dimensions full of pompous props,” a press release reads. “The theater’s seal holding back the darkness weakens until the evil trapped within takes Jolene’s mother hostage. Soon, twisted stories of humanity will begin to escape and wreak havoc upon the world.” 

Check out Phantom Hellcat for yourself in the teaser trailer below: 

As you can see, this new IP seems heavily inspired by Nier: Automata, specifically the end of the amusement park segment in the game. 

Telltale is known for choice-driven storytelling, and yet, the first trailer for The Expanse focuses entirely on action. As XO Camina Drummer keeps tabs on her mutinous crew, she'll also be tasked to navigate the ruins of a downed vessel on the outskirts of an asteroid belt.

The trailer showed Drummer space walking, dodging debris, and working her way through the massive vessel. We also see her throw a punch and grapple with someone in zero gravity. To bring this beloved science-fiction universe to life, Telltale enlisted the development talents of Deck Nine (best known for the Life is Strange series). The first pre-alpha footage looks ambitious and dark, delivering a cinematic viewpoint into an investigation riddled with death. The facial animations on the characters also look like an evolution from Telltale's previous work, yet some of the same facial features look similar.

The Expanse is slated to release in summer 2023.

Killer Klowns From Outer Space, the science fiction comedy horror from the late 80s, made a surprise crash landing during today’s Gamescom showcase. Believe it or not, the cult classic film is getting a game adaptation.

The trailer starts with a comical cinematic sequence – a teenage boy listens to loud music and plays the air guitar in his bedroom while the once-peaceful neighborhood beyond his window gets vaporized. When he notices the explosions and opens the front door, Killer Klowns with blasters reveal themselves from behind a stack of boxed pizza pies. 

Killer Klowns From Outer Space: The Game is “a crazy new take on multiplayer horror” from the executive director of Friday The 13th: The Game. Brief gameplay clips were shown, with Killer Klowns firing lasers at fleeing civilians in a carnival playspace. A band of teens plan a retaliatory attack from a nearby tower, and chaos ensues.

Killer Klowns From Outer Space: The Game launches on PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and PC in early 2023.

Something Wicked Games, a new studio made up of developers whose credits include Fallout 4 and The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim, has revealed its first game, Wyrdsong, in a new trailer. 

The trailer was released as part of the Gamescom Opening Night Live showcase hosted by Geoff Keighley, and while it was short, it featured plenty of mystery and fantasy intrigue.

Check it out for yourself below: 

As you can see in the trailer above, there's not too much to glean from it. However, we did note what was said by the narrator during it: "In the cracks of reality, there exists two lives, one before the shadow and one behind the eye." Sounds spooky. 

"Wyrdsong is an occult historical fantasy RPG set in a fictionalized Portugal in the middle ages," a press release reads. "Players will be challenged to question both their reality and the choices they make as Wyrdsong is set to expand, question, and re-define aspects of what makes up the current Role Playing Game genre." 

Shortly after the trailer's release, Jeff Gardiner, an ex-Bethesda Studios dev with credits in Fallout 76, Skyrim, Fallout 4, and more, posted a link on Twitter that leads to the newly-launched Something Wicked Games website. 

Squanch Games has released a new trailer for its upcoming first-person shooter High On Life, and this time, we get to watch our protagonist take down a boss. 

This trailer, which aired during today's Gamescom Opening Night Live presentation, highlights a fight between our protagonist and their loud-mouthed weapons and 9-Torg, an alien boss. The boss fight features some standard point-and-shoot combat, but it also features some platforming too by way of a grapple hook-like knife tongue thing in your arsenal. Because the weapons have personalities and speak, you'll get to hear said knife tongue thing drop more f-bombs than ever heard before in a boss fight, too. 

Check out the High On Life 9-Torg boss fight trailer for yourself below: 

As you can see, the boss fight looks like a great time, and it deserves some props for being more than just a who-shoots-who-more type of battle. High On Life hits Xbox Series X/S, Xbox One, and PC (via Steam and the Epic Games Store) on Dec. 13. 

For more, watch the High On Life reveal trailer from earlier this summer. 

Are you excited about High On Life? Let us know in the comments below!

Lies of P, a soulslike inspired by – of all things – the story of Pinnochio, got a new trailer today during Opening Night Live. 

The trailer was surprisingly substantive. On top of plenty of flavor text about the dark and gritty world, we saw several gameplay shots – including, but not limited to, destroying giant steampunk monsters in a victorian theater, massive open levels, and even lighting a marionette-inspired spider on fire. A Pinnochio-inspired soulslike might be a goofy sentence to type, but you know what? The game looks really neat. Check it out below: 

Lies of P doesn't yet have a release date. However, it'll be released on PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, Xbox Series X/S, Xbox One, and PC sometime next year. Better still, it's coming to Xbox's Game Pass on day one.