Game Informer

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

To this point, Splatoon 3 has drip-fed players with new information about new weapons, music, and even a special Switch OLED model and Pro Controller themed after the highly anticipated family-friendly shooter. However, now that Splatoon 3 is the next major release on the Switch's release calendar, Nintendo officially opened the flood gates this morning with a wealth of information through a special Nintendo Direct all about the ink-covered shooter. 

After weeks of videos individually showcasing Gotham Knights’ Nightwing, Robin, and Batgirl, it’s Jason Todd’s turn in the spotlight. A new trailer shows off Red Hood’s brutal, more supernatural approach to battling the Court of Owls.

The in-engine footage showed off the former Robin’s deadly competency with firearms as well his Lazarus Pit-induced powers, such as his spectral leaping ability. We also get a look at a unique cosmetic skin featuring a horned helmet that gives off serious Darth Maul vibes. 

We'll see how the Bat family manages on its own when Gotham Knights swoops in on October 25 for PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, and PC.

We learned in June during the Xbox & Bethesda Games Showcase that Persona 5 Royal would be coming to Xbox consoles alongside Persona 4 Golden and Persona 3 Portable. 

With an official Xbox Series X/S version of the game coming out on Oct. 21, and the remastered version set to hit other consoles then too, we’re just a few months away from seeing what the full JRPG looks like running on a new-gen console. Now we have our best look yet, featuring Persona 5 Royal running at 60 FPS on an Xbox Series X, thanks to Faz on YouTube, as reported by Video Games Chronicle. 

Check it out for yourself below: 

Two Point Campus opened its door today, and we think it’s pretty darn good. But what does a real college professor think? Sega answers this burning question by releasing a video of a qualified educator putting the simulator through its paces. 

Sega enlisted Tracy Fullerton, professor, and director of the game innovation lab at the Univerity of Southern California Games, to enroll in Two Point Campus and react to its zany brand of higher education. Besides providing a nice look at the moment-to-moment gameplay for those curious about the title, it's fun to listen to Fullerton's takes as both a game maker and a college professor. Check it out below. 

You can judge Two Point Campus for yourself on PlayStation and Xbox (including Game Pass), Switch, and PC.

Embark Studios, a young team of former DICE employees led by ex-EA head Patrick Söderlund, has delayed its upcoming shooter, Arc Raiders. The title was initially slated to arrive this year but will now launch in 2023. 

The reason is that the team has decided to pivot and focus on launching another team-based shooter codenamed Project Discovery. A blog post written by Söderlund explains that Embark has several projects in development and that Discovery progressed so quickly that it seemingly caught up to Arc Raiders, presenting the team with the possibility of shipping two games within the same timeframe. However, doing would've been more than the small team can handle. 

“For a young, relatively small studio like ours, releasing two games in short succession would have strained our teams and resources, many of which are shared between the two projects.” Söderlund explains. 

“As such, we decided to let Project Discovery be our studio’s first game to market, pushing Arc Raiders to a 2023 release. It’s a decision that will also allow us to expand and refine the Arc Raiders experience.”

To say that Sonic the Hedgehog 2 was successful would be an understatement. The highest-grossing video game film in U.S. history already had a confirmed threequel in the works, but today we found out exactly when we'll see Sonic and friends return to the big screen, and it’ll be chillier than usual.

The official movie Twitter account announced the unofficially titled Sonic the Hedgehog 3 will premiere in theaters on December 20, 2024. This marks a big seasonal shift for the franchise as Sonic 1 and 2 arrived during the first halves of their respective years, with the first movie premiering on Valentine's Day and the second arriving in April. 

Running faster, flying higher, and punching harder. #SonicMovie3 hits theatres on December 20, 2024. pic.twitter.com/DcFGbaKUao

— Sonic the Hedgehog (@SonicMovie) August 9, 2022

The tweet doesn’t reveal anything else about the film, but if you’ve seen the post-credits scene for Sonic 2, you already have a good inkling of where the series is headed. 

Join host Wesley LeBlanc as he rides solo today to showcase a quick glimpse of You Suck At Parking, an upcoming racer with a very unique twist. Instead of racing to a finish line, your objective is stop...in the marked parking stop.  

Stopping in a parking spot might sound easy but as you'll soon find out, it's anything but because each track is littered with obstacles such as barriers that immediately destroy your car, magnets aiming to pull you off the track, boosters, jump pads, and more. You must survive through it all in order to reach the coveted parking spot at the end of the road. 

Check it out for yourself in the New Gameplay Today below: 

Enjoy this first look at You Suck At Parking as Wesley briefly introduces you to the world of the game before taking a back seat to let you enjoy some uninterrupted gameplay (that's harder than it looks so when you see me die a bunch of times, no you didn't). You Suck At Parking is slated to launch sometime this year on PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Switch, and PC. 

The Sonic the Hedgehog franchise may have turned 30 years old last year, but the party is still going for some. We already knew additional Sonic-themed costumes were planned for Fall Guys this month, but developer Mediatonic this morning announced the details of the collaboration event with Sega's iconic brand. The event is meant to celebrate over 30 years of Sonic the Hedgehog and includes a new Sonic-themed level and new outfits. 

The new level is called "Bean Hill Zone" and tasks the Fall Guys beans with collecting as many rings as possible to win special rewards. If players earn 200 points, they get a "Bean Hill Zone" nameplate. Earning 400 points yields 200 kudos, 600 points get a Bonus Rings Pattern outfit, 800 points gives 400 kudos, and 1,000 points gives you access to Sonic's iconic sneakers.

Those aren't the only rewards you can snatch up during this event, though. New costumes for Sonic, Tails, Knuckles, Super Sonic, and Dr. Robotnik are all available in the store during the event. You can also buy the Sonic Foot Tap emote.

Join host Wesley LeBlanc as he takes you through a full mission in Square Enix's upcoming real-time tactical RPG, The DioField Chronicle. Not only will you be getting a glimpse at what combat in the game looks like, but he gives you a brief glimpse of what you're doing in The DioField Chronicle when you're not in a battle. 

Developed by Lancarse and Square Enix, this RPG is aiming to feel unique amongst a sea of other tactical RPGs by infusing real-time combat into its formula. So while you are controlling units on a battlefield, you're watching their moves play out in real-time, and you must adjust your classic tried-and-true TRPG strategies to match it. 

Check it out for yourself below: 

Enjoy this first look at The DioField Chronicle as Wesley walks you through one full expedition in the game before showing you around the main palace that acts as your home base. The demo showcased here takes place completely within Chapter 1 so if you're worried about spoilers, you should be alright. The DioField Chronicle hits PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Switch, and PC on Sept. 22.

Marvel’s Midnight Suns, the upcoming card-based strategy RPG by Firaxis, as been hit with its second delay. A Take-Two earnings report revealed that the game had been pushed out of its October 7 date to an unspecified release within the 2023 fiscal year. That means it will now arrive sometime before March 31, 2023.

The game’s Twitter account confirmed the delay with a message, embedded below, that also revealed that the game will now have a staggered release. Midnight Suns will come to PS5, Xbox Series X/S, and PC first within the fiscal year. The PS4, Xbox One, and Switch versions arrive sometime after that. 

Important update from the Midnight Suns team pic.twitter.com/79yVfzpDED

Dragon Ball FighterZ is finally getting rollback netcode by way of the newly announced PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X/S versions of the game. The update will also be available on PC.

For the unfamiliar, rollback netcode is a system that provides a nearly lag-free online experience, hence why it's always a highly desirable feature in the fighting game community. During EVO 2022, DBFZ producer Tomoko Hiroki shared that the current-gen versions will support rollback netcode, whereas the PS4 and Xbox One editions will not. There's no release window for upgraded ports, but a message from Bandai Namco's Twitter account states we'll learn more information later and that it will take "some time" before the system is finished. 

While that's bad news for those who don't own a PS5 or Xbox Series X/S, Bandai Namco is at least planning some sort of upgrade path for existing game owners on current consoles (such as Smart Delivery on Xbox). There's no mention if the Switch version will receive a rollback netcode.  

Hiroki also announced that Dragon Ball FighterZ is now content-complete, meaning it will not receive any more fighters or balance updates. The game received three DLC fighter packs during its lifetime that added over a dozen characters to its roster. 

Bandai Namco revealed a big update for Tekken 7 during this weekend’s EVO tournament, which may have also teased the next entry in the long-running series.

A trailer running down the Tekken 7 balance update, which arrives on August 17 and introduces balance adjustments and new tactics, concluded on a tantalizing note. A clip of Kazuya’s semi-infamous Tekken 1 arcade ending, in which he drops Heihachi off a cliff before giving a cheesy smile to the camera, transitions to a smirking modern Kazuya with a message of “Get Ready.” The clip begins at the 1:40 mark. 

Fans have excitedly interpreted this footage as a teaser for Tekken 8. That would make sense; Tekken 7 launched on consoles in 2017, so it feels like the right time to begin hinting at the next entry. Perhaps it’s a different Tekken project entirely. Or Bandai Namco simply thought this would be a humorous footnote to wrap up its Tekken 7 news. 

What do you think? Let us know in the comments!

Nintendo has revealed that it will live stream a Splatoon 3 Direct this week. 

More specifically, it will begin at 6 a.m. PT on Wednesday, Aug. 10, and will feature roughly 30 minutes of updates. Check out the announcement for yourself below:

Tune in on August 10 at 6 a.m. PT for a livestreamed #Splatoon3 Direct presentation. Join us in the Splatlands for roughly 30 minutes of updates! pic.twitter.com/iFfaU3V6vM

— Nintendo of America (@NintendoAmerica) August 8, 2022

As you can see, there’s not much else to glean from this news. If you’re the kind of person who anticipates game-focused Directs to reveal information about other anticipated titles, I would say you should not do that with this one. It seems very much a “we’re only going to talk about Splatoon 3” kind of Direct announcement. Of course, I could be wrong, but you know, expectations and all that. 

However, if you’re a Splatoon fan, it sounds like Wednesday will be an excellent day. Not only are you getting new Splatoon 3 details and information, but “roughly 30” minutes of it – that’s a lot! As for what to expect, new weapons, characters, maps, and story details will likely be showcased. This will probably be the last Splatoon 3-focused Direct, too, considering the game hits Switch less than a month after it on Sept. 9. 

SNK revealed during the Evo 2022 fighting game tournament held in Las Vegas that a new Fatal Fury game has been greenlit and is now in development. 

This news comes from a short teaser trailer that showcases a new look at some Fatal Fury art alongside the following message, which plays on screen: “The city of legend still breathes. Hungry wolves back on the prowl. A new destiny hidden in darkness. New Fatal Fury/Garou green-lit.” 

Check it out for yourself below: 

As you can see, SNK didn’t reveal much else, and if you’re a Fatal Fury fan, you probably have many questions. Will this new game adopt a 3D art style like other modern fighting franchises such as Street Fighter 6, or will it stick with traditional 2D art? Which fighters are returning? Will there be new fighters? Only time will tell. 

If you’re unfamiliar with Fatal Fury, you might recognize the name Terry Bogard, who regained some popularity after his inclusion in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate. He’s the protagonist of the Fatal Fury fighting game series. If you don’t recognize that name either, nobody can blame you – the last Fatal Fury game came out 23 years ago, with Fatal Fury: Mark of the Wolves’ release in 1999. 

Capcom has revealed that Juri will join the roster of Street Fighter 6 alongside newcomer Kimberly.

Returning competitor Juri is a “sadistic thrill seeker who enjoys the suffering of others, taking immense joy in obliterating her foes,” according to PlayStation. She first appeared in Super Street Fighter IV. Before SF6, her primary motivation was exacting revenge on M. Bison, but since his fall in Street Fighter V, she now waits for a new motivation to arrive. If you’re a fan of Juri, don’t sweat – she retains many of her past moves in Street Fighter 6, although you can expect them to have “different properties” now. 

It is important to keep in mind what is going on within Activision Blizzard at this time regarding ongoing allegations about the work culture. The ongoing lawsuit from the California Department of Fair Employment and Housing (DFEH) against the company is over reported toxic workplace culture. The bulk of the suit focuses on "violations of the state's civil rights and equal pay laws," specifically regarding the treatment of women and other marginalized groups. To learn more about the proceedings thus far, including details listed in the lawsuit against Activision Blizzard, please check out our previous coverage here.

Infinity Ward and Activision Blizzard have revealed that Call of Duty: Next, a “franchise showcase,” will be broadcast next month, revealing the future of the series. 

More specifically, it will air on Sept. 15 and will “feature robust information drops detailing innovations, live gameplay, and a whole lot more,” including the following: 

When Nintendo first introduced the Switch Online classic games catalog featuring NES games, I bemoaned the announcement of what I saw as an inferior content delivery system. Not only were we asked to play with a substantially smaller library of games than what we had on Wii or Wii U, but I didn't even have the option to buy those games. Instead, we were given a small library of games from a single console with no way to carry over entitlements from previous purchases or actually own the classic games I was playing. I felt Nintendo Switch Online was a worse service in every way, even as Nintendo expanded the offerings to include a robust NES and SNES library.

Then in 2020, something changed. With many of my normal social activities put on hold, I found myself with more free time at home than ever before. I largely spent that time getting caught up on TV shows, movies, and, yes, video games. As part of that, I dove deeper into the classic game offerings on Nintendo Switch Online – after all, I was paying for the whole suite, not just Super Mario World, as my playing habits could have led you to believe. What I found was a wide range of titles I had either never heard of, never played, or completely forgot about from my childhood. 

This week on All Things Nintendo, Brian invites returning Game Informer editor Wesley LeBlanc to chat about the massive info dump on Pokémon Scarlet and Pokémon Violet. The two also chat about the new Mario Kart 8 Deluxe DLC, the first major info about AEW: Fight Forever, and Nintendo's latest financial report.

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

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

Saturnalia is an upcoming indie survival horror with one of the most interesting visual styles I’ve seen in the genre in a minute. 

Developed by Italy-based studio Santa Ragione, Saturnalia is influenced heavily by the folklore of Sardinia, Italy, and inspired by Italian Giallo horror films (typically more horror-esque mystery thrillers). In it, you control four different characters, all connected through a mysterious storyline that ties back to the “haunting traditions” of an ancient village. 

“The village itself is an elaborate maze with no two iterations being precisely the same – you will have to explore and solve mysteries of the game largely unguided,” the game’s website reads. “Die, and watch the village reconfigure itself into a new form. Solve puzzles and open shortcuts to new areas with tools and items you find along the way, unlocking every piece of the story with different characters, each suited for another aspect of exploration and investigation.” 

All of that sounds great, but Saturnalia's unique art style makes me most excited. It’s like a mix of stop-motion and sketchbook, which looks like it’ll lend itself nicely to the game's horror elements. Check it out for yourself below:

When Sonic Origins arrived on consoles and PC in June, it delivered a four-pack of classic Sonic the Hedgehog games from the '90s. While the bundle was praised for bringing Sonic 1, Sonic 2, Sonic 3 & Knuckles, and Sonic CD to modern platforms with various gameplay enhancements and other additions, it was also heavily criticized. Various bugs, mislabeled titles in the in-game museum, and overall stability (particularly with the PC version) frustrated the player base as they waited for Sega to fix the problems. This week, Sega released that long-awaited patch, addressing those problems and more, hopefully stabilizing the compilation and making the overall experience more enjoyable.

The two biggest items this patch addresses include fixing issues with the game crashing and one of the most annoying bugs of the year: Tails falling behind in Sonic 2 and constantly jumping instead of respawning on the player – we can finally turn off mute when playing Sonic 2. The patch also includes fixes for sound bugs, menu and controller issues, museum mislabels, and data-saving issues. Unfortunately, the replacement music in Ice Cap, Carnival Night, and Launch Base remain in place. 

The patch is available to download now for all platforms. Sonic Origins arrived on PlayStation, Xbox, Switch, and PC on June 23. For more on the speedy selection of games, check out our review here.

Together with our friends at Wargaming, the publisher and developer of the popular game World of Warships, we are kicking off their summer birthday festivities for World of Warships: Legends with an ultimate VIP gift package sweepstakes.

One lucky winner will receive the VIP gift package including Custom World of Warships: Legends gear. The package includes:

• Custom Legends Hammock
• 20 OZ Yeti Tumbler
• Bespoke Anniversary hat
• Exclusive Warship sticker set
• World of Warship Game Code (PlayStation or Xbox)

**Updates From the Publisher**
Three years and counting!
August 12 marks the third anniversary of World of Warships: Legends’ full release, and to celebrate, a boatload of in-game activities is available.
Players will receive an anniversary present, can take part in a special web event, see a sizable increase in first-win bonuses and enjoy the return of last year’s Arpeggio of Blue Steel: Ars Nova collaboration, which offers plenty of in-game items up for grabs. Two new projects will also be introduced, expanding with the offerings of the Research Bureau: A celebratory Anniversary project, dedicated to the last year’s significant events and another project centered around the French Legendary cruiser Colbert.

One of the most beloved fighting games of all time is finally getting the Arcade1Up treatment. Marvel vs. Capcom 2, the legendary crossover extravaganza from 2000, is the latest game featured by the replica arcade cabinet company. 

Marvel vs. Capcom 2 gathers 56 playable heroes and villains from both Marvel and Capcom's robust catalogs of characters in an over-the-top 3v3 fighting game. In addition to giving you something approximating the original arcade experience through this replica cabinet, the Arcade1Up release also features online play via Wi-Fi. 

As it has done with most of its recent cabinets, Arcade1Up offers more than just the game on the marquee. You can see the full list of eight classic Marvel games included in this cabinet below.

I love Final Fantasy. I’ve played nearly every numbered entry and have beaten most of them. I adore Final Fantasy Tactics. I watched both terrible feature films. My ringtone is the FFVII victory fanfare theme. But the biggest hole in my fandom for years has been Final Fantasy XIV.

MMOs have never appealed to me, but as I listened to friends and colleagues rave about FFXIV over its long existence, the more I felt like I was missing out on something special. Every expansion and free trial had me hovering over the purchase button, but I always told myself I didn’t have the time to invest in such a behemoth of a game. The excuses have come to an end. 

I’ve finally broken the seal and dived headfirst into one of the most celebrated games on the planet. Join me on Twitch at 2 p.m. Central as I trek through my first dungeon with the help of two of the biggest FFXIV experts I know. First up is the returning Jon Woodey, Game Informer web programmer extraordinaire. I’ll also have a special guest: MinnMax cohort Sarah Podzorski joins our party to lend her bubbly brand of insight. Watch along to learn some valuable tips and tricks and, if you’re like me, get an early taste of FFXIV to see if it’s something you want to jump into as well!

Watch on Twitch!

If you’ve been keeping up with what’s happening at Warner Bros., its streaming service HBO Max, and its new partner company by way of a merge, Discovery – collectively, it’s now Warner Bros. Discovery – then you know things have been bleak the past couple of days. 

The HBO Max film, Batgirl, a complete movie, has been canned alongside a sequel to 2020’s Scoob! There are rumors of massive layoffs at HBO Max to the tune of a 70% reduction in staff (thanks, The Wrap), as well as word that in-the-works projects like DC’s Supergirl movie will not be moving forward. Warner Bros. Discovery will roll HBO Max into Discovery's streaming service, Discovery+, with less emphasis on premium scripted content fans of HBO Max have come to know and love, as reported by The Hollywood Reporter. 

Amidst all this, Warner Bros. Discovery CEO David Zaslav has announced that DC movies will be “reset,” according to The Hollywood Reporter in a separate report.

Much in the same way Nintendo recently released its financial results for the first quarter of Fiscal Year 2023, which ends March 2023, Capcom has done the same. As a result, we now have an updated list of the best-selling Capcom games as of June 30, 2022, which is when the company’s latest financial quarter ended, as reported by MyNintendoNews. 

If you’re a Capcom fan, there’s likely no surprise as to which games are at the top, but there might be a few surprises for you in it elsewhere.

PlayStation revealed that the long-rumored remake of The Last of Us was real in a leak hours before Naughty Dog could officially reveal it during Geoff Keighley’s Summer Game Fest, but alas, it’s real nonetheless.

Following in the steps of its sequel, The Last of Us Part II, the remake is called The Last of Us Part 1, and it’s beautiful. It will also cost $70, and some fans have criticized Naughty Dog and PlayStation for that price, citing that $70 is a high price tag for a game released on the PlayStation 3 before getting remastered for the PlayStation 4 a year later. It also appears to be very much the same game – just with improved graphics and some changes to AI systems and other under-the-hood things. Nonetheless, it’s out on Sept. 1 and will cost $70. 

Since the reveal, Naughty Dog has been slowly dolling out information about the upcoming title, including neat comparison videos that showcase how drastic the visual upgrades are. The studio released a new one this morning, this time comparing a sequence with Ellie and Joel riding horses on a road. Check it out for yourself below: 

Reviewed on: PC
Platform: PC
Publisher: Kasedo Games
Developer: Dapper Penguin Studios
Release: August 5, 2022

Wisdom from those who have tried opening a restaurant informs you that it isn’t the easiest way to make money. If Recipe for Disaster is any indication, running a successful eatery is a challenging, trial-and-error affair with plenty of stress and frustration, but one that, once mastered, offers excitement and gratification to balance it all out.

In this restaurant-management sim, you manage staff, monitor your business, and work to ensure your lights stay on. Hiring the right employees to develop a balanced team composition and designing a functional and visually appealing restaurant are important, but this game goes deeper with its management tools. I particularly love how you can drill into the menu, even allowing you to create your own recipes.

Ooblets, the long-in-development indie title that blends monster collecting, farming, and dancing, has gone Gold. That means the game has completed certifications for release, signaling that its impending 1.0 launch is fast approaching. 

Developer Glumberland shared the news on Twitter, stating that they’ll announce the release date of the game’s full launch in the near future. Pre-orders for the recently announced Switch version will begin soon as well.

We just found out that Ooblets has gone 🌟GOLD🌟!!

That means we passed our main certifications so we'll be able to announce our 1.0 release date and open preorders on Switch soon ⏱️

We're so excited for everyone to get to play! pic.twitter.com/LHdJtgKTHV

In this week's episode of The Game Informer Show, returning guest Jesse Vitelli (Prima Games) joins us to discuss our Two Point Campus review, why Ghostrunner is an underrated cyberpunk game, and finally, whatever the heck "Nier Church" is. At the show's end, the crew talks about Stray's ending and why the game about being a cat is oddly poignant. Don't worry – we give plenty of spoiler warnings!  

Follow us on social media: Alex Van Aken (@itsVanAken), Wesley LeBlanc (@LeBlancWes), Jesse Vitelli (@JesseVitelli)

Mega Man fans in the west got a surprise treat with the global launch of Mega Man Battle & Fighters on Switch. The game was originally released for the Neo Geo Pocket Color and has never been released outside of Japan until now. 

The game was first released in 2000 and serves as a portable bundle of two arcade games: Mega Man: The Power Battle and Mega Man 2: The Power Fighters (both of which were recently included in the Capcom Arcade 2nd Stadium collection). Players can play as Mega Man, Proto Man, Bass, and Duo to engage in a series of boss battles against robot masters from Mega Man 1 through 7. A total of 40 bosses await, and players gain character data by defeating them with the added goal of filling a personal database. 

Despite launching stateside, this is a largely direct port of the Japanese version, and the game’s original link cable trading function has been disabled. You can pick it up now for $7.99.

Reviewed on: PC
Platform: PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Switch, PC
Publisher: SEGA Europe
Developer: Two Point Studios
Release: August 9, 2022
Rating: Teen

As a kid who grew up with little money, I’ve always loved the fantasy tycoon games realize: the possibility of cashing in on whimsical business schemes like theme parks, restaurants, and aquariums. It’s always been satisfying to start with an empty plot of land and then build the foundation of a business atop it, customizing small details like paint colors, furniture layouts, and walking paths along the way. 

But the genre’s bubble gum aesthetics often mask a darker side – one prioritizing profit over people. More recent big-budget entries forego subtlety altogether, cashing in on oppressive industries like prisons, drug manufacturing, and even cartel operations. I’m sure those games are fun in their own right, but I’m not interested in engaging in the fantasy of generating capital from those systems.

This is why Two Point Campus, the follow-up to the popular business management sim Two Point Hospital, feels so refreshing. You aim to invest in massive universities and specialized colleges to attract students worldwide, but you have to put people first if you want to turn a profit. 

Like Xbox and PlayStation, Nintendo also suffers from supply issues and component shortages. This might explain why a recent Nikkei report – relayed by Bloomberg's game and tech writer, Takashi Mochizuki (see below) – stated that there wouldn't be new hardware releases this fiscal year. 

Nikkei: there will be no new Nintendo hardware this fiscal year, which ends in March 2023. Not immediately clear whether that part of the article is from Nikkei's own reporting or what Nintendo President, who Nikkei interviewed for the story, said. https://t.co/HJVqk9Kbef

— Takashi Mochizuki (@6d6f636869) August 4, 2022

Mochizuki's tweet reads, "There will be no new Nintendo hardware this fiscal year, which ends in March 2023. Not immediately clear whether that part of the article is from Nikkei's own reporting or what Nintendo President, who Nikkei interviewed for the story, said."

Square Enix has revealed Tactics Ogre: Reborn, a remaster of the classic Tactics Ogre: Let Us Cling Together, and it’s releasing in just over three months. 

More specifically, it will hit PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, Switch, and PC (via Steam) on Nov. 11. Square Enix revealed this heavily rumored (and leaked) remaster today with the first official trailer, and you can check it out for yourself below: 

As you can see, Tactics Ogre: Reborn now features voice acting, improved visuals, and more. Square Enix says, “Tactics Ogre: Reborn features updated game design, fully-voiced cutscenes, improved graphics, and sound.” Tactics Ogre: Reborn will be available as a physical and digital Standard Edition on PS5, PS4, and Switch and a digital-only Standard Edition on PC. A digital Premium Edition will be available for all platforms the game is coming to later this year. 

The digital Standard Edition includes a selection of three songs from the remaster’s soundtrack as a preorder bonus. The digital Premium Edition contains the entire soundtrack as a preorder bonus and a “Tactics Ogre (1995) Digital Mini Soundtrack.” 

Funcom and The Outsiders have announced a metal concert happening at this year's Gamescom in Cologne, Germany to celebrate the impending release of their heavy metal rhythmic shooting game, Metal: Hellsinger. The concert, which takes place on August 25, hopes to become the largest concert ever put on at the massive annual gaming convention. 

Several of the vocalists featured in Metal: Hellsinger will be on hand to perform their songs from the soundtrack. Matt Heafy of Trivium, Alissa White-Gluz of Arch Enemy, Mikael Stanne of Dark Tranquility, Dennis Lyxzén of Refused and INVSN, and James Dorton of Black Crown Initiate are all currently scheduled to take the stage. The concert is set to kick off at 7 p.m. Central European Summer Time (1 p.m. Eastern/10 a.m. Pacific). The event is free and open to thousands of in-person attendees, with potentially millions being able to join through a livestream, which will be detailed at a later date. The first 200 people to enter the hall for the concert will receive a bag full of exclusive Metal: Hellsinger merchandise.

Metal: Hellsinger comes to PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, and PC on September 15. If you want to try the game for yourself, a demo is currently available on all three of those platforms. If you'd rather read my hands-on impressions, you can do so here.

Since its first season launch in 2016, I’ve always felt like the Westworld TV series offered an especially compelling commentary on the video game hobby. Like a lot of sci-fi, the show leverages futuristic technology and far-fetched ideas to get its point across. But at its core, it’s still a show about the psychology of people playing a game and how that game is really just about life and the decisions we make that shape that life. Westworld may not borrow from a longstanding video game license. Still, with its incisive and often surprising perspectives, it has emerged as the best show about video games, their potential, and their threat that I’ve ever seen.

SPOILERS follow for the entirety of the Westworld TV series, up to and including current episodes of Season 4.

Anyone who has played an MMO could grasp the setup presented as the show’s first season got started. Real-life player characters are dressed up in period-appropriate dress and flung headlong into a teeming world of quest givers, side objectives, and freeform exploration. Of course, Westworld’s all-important twist is the awareness and nascent sentience of the NPCs within that would-be massively multiplayer real world and the dangerous implications of a group of people willing to overlook others’ suffering to have a good time.

Throughout 2022's Pokémon Go Fest events in cities like Seattle, Berlin, and Sapporo, Ultra Beasts, wormhole-dwelling creatures introduced in Gen VII's Pokémon Sun and Moon, have appeared for trainers to catch. If you weren't able to attend those events (or the virtual event earlier this year), you've missed out on your opportunity to catch them to this point. However, that changes later this month, as the four Ultra Beasts are set to gather during the Pokémon Go Fest 2022: Finale event.

The finale is a global event that trainers can enjoy regardless of location. In addition to the Ultra Beasts, participating trainers will encounter other Pokémon they may not usually see in the wild, as well as the Mythical Pokémon Shaymin, who can be obtained by completing special research missions. This also features the conclusion of the story of Professor Willow being sucked into an Ultra Wormhole. The Ultra Beasts available in Pokémon Go through this event include Pheromosa, Nihilego, Buzzwole, and Xurkitree.

Finally, Daily Adventure Incenses have been added to the game. These special incenses can be used once a day and last for 15 minutes. This special daily item can attract Pokémon not typically found in your area and can even pull in Legendary Pokémon. 

On this episode of From Panel to Podcast we dive into last week's books, giving you a rundown of the best stories that you should add to your pull list. We also highlight the comics that are releasing this week and provide insight into why you may want to pick them up.

If you would like to follow us on Twitter: Andrew Reiner (@Andrew_Reiner) and Philip Hoff (@bnow23).

From Panel to Podcast is a weekly show created by two lifelong comic book readers who offer suggestions on which comic books you should be reading each week. Each episode also dives into the latest developments for comics in video games, movies, and television shows. We'll even discuss comic book collectibles and anything we think you should know about that pertains to this entertainment medium.

Be sure to subscribe to From Panel to Podcast on your favorite podcast platform. The show is available on Google Podcasts, Spotify, and Apple Podcasts.

Amazon's cloud-based gaming service, Luna, is the latest addition to the Samsung Gaming Hub, a recently added feature available on all 2022 Samsung smart TV and smart monitor models. Amazon Luna joins an ever-growing list of cloud-gaming services that already include the likes of Google Stadia, Xbox Cloud Gaming, Nvidia GeForce Now, and more in the Samsung Gaming Hub.

The hub, which was added to all 2022 models in late June, collects your various catalogs of cloud entitlements on one screen with no additional hardware required. That means if you own one game's entitlement on Google Stadia but another's rights on Amazon Luna, you can access them through the same hub without the need for any consoles. Not only that, but you can play these games using any supported Bluetooth controller.

Amazon Luna offers various subscription plans, with the top-tier subscription, Luna+, offering access to triple-A titles from publishers like Sega and Capcom as well as various independent titles. If you're an Amazon Prime subscriber, you can access a rotating collection of titles. This month's offerings include Control: Ultimate Edition, Myst, Steel Assault, and Garfield Kart. You can also add Ubisoft+ to your subscription for an additional cost to play games in franchises like Assassin's Creed, Watch Dogs, Ghost Recon, and Far Cry. 

Platform: Switch
Publisher: Nintendo
Developer: Game Freak
Release: November 18, 2022

During today's Pokémon Presents livestream, The Pokémon Company revealed a ton of new details surrounding the first fully open-world RPGs in the Pokémon franchise, Scarlet and Violet. During the extended trailer and subsequent deep dive, we received new info about the region in which the games take place, how multiplayer works, some of the Pokémon players will encounter during their adventure, and the new Terastal phenomenon that allows Pokémon to change.

During today's Pokémon Presents livestream, we received a ton of new information about Pokémon Scarlet and Pokémon Violet, the first open-world RPGs in the Pokémon franchise. As we get ready to embark on our Gen IX journeys in a few short months, The Pokémon Company and Game Freak released a new trailer showing off the region, some new Pokémon, and several of the characters we'll be interacting with.

The Pokémon Company describes the Paldea region as "a land of vast open spaces dotted with lakes, towering peaks, wastelands, and mountain ranges." Players can expect everything from small farming villages to bustling port towns.

You can see the full trailer from today's livestream below:

Pokémon Scarlet and Violet come to Nintendo Switch on Nov. 18. For more on the upcoming Gen IX games, check out our full screenshot gallery of all the new Pokémon and everything we learned about the games today.