Game Informer

Reviewed on: Switch
Platform: Switch
Publisher: Nintendo
Developer: Monolith Soft
Release: July 29, 2022

Monolith Soft has struggled to recreate and magnify the novelties of the first Xenoblade Chronicles adventure since its 2012 release. The third chapter in the science-fantasy JRPG series suffers the same frustrating fate as XC X and XC 2. Despite its first-rate combat and character progression features, Xenoblade Chronicles 3 is a bloated trek across vast but lifeless environments further diminished by an unaffecting narrative with one of the worst ensemble casts in the franchise.

XC 3 employs a real-time battle system where “Arts,” advanced skills mapped to the controller’s face buttons, give fights a natural, straightforward cadence. By canceling auto-attacks into Arts while balancing cooldown timers, I made quick work of most early-game enemies. However, seeking stronger challengers defending rare treasures or simply grazing off the beaten path forced me to reconsider conventional attack patterns and interact with every mechanic. From taking control of a healer and issuing a “group up” tactic so I could save my team with wide-reaching AoE Arts to toppling staggered enemies with combos, every decision I made felt valuable and rewarding. 

Hey, I don't want to go to work today. I want to stay home and play all my video games. Luckily, I can do just that. Care to join?

Today at 2:30 PM Central Time (3:30 PM Eastern/12:30 PM Pacific), I'll be playing Ben Esposito and Angel Matrix's fantastic Neon White on our Twitch channel. I reviewed the game a while back – and gave it my highest score ever, if you're wondering – but I'm starting a fresh save today, so spoilers should be minimal. 

After that, I'll be picking up where I left off on our ongoing Gunpla build from last week. We're building the Real Grade Wing Gundam, and there's still lots to work on. Come watch these little hands cut, sand, and assemble.

Hope to see you there! 

The Lord of the Rings: Gollum has been delayed. The upcoming adaptation was scheduled to launch on September 1 (with a Switch port coming sometime later). However, developer Daedalic Entertainment is taking a few more months to polish up Gollum's solo adventure. 

Fans have been critical of Gollum's perceived lack of quality, especially after a recent gameplay trailer where the game looked rough around the edges. Daedalic seems to have taken those concerns to heart. The studio didn't reveal a new release date, only saying it's delaying the game "by a few months." 

Here is the complete delay statement: 

 

Xbox Insider testers noticed a faster boot-up time for their consoles, revealing Microsoft’s recent initiatives to get players into their games quicker. According to The Verge, the cold boot-up time is now estimated to be around 5 seconds. The trick to the faster time lies in a shorter animation. 

Can confirm - worked with @harrisonhoffman and @jakerose27 to create a shorter boot up animation (~4s) from the original boot up animation (~9s), helping to reduce the overall startup time.

— Josh Munsee (@joshmunsee) July 23, 2022

The director of Integrated Marketing at Xbox stated (see above) worked alongside the principal product manager for connected TV apps, Harrison Hoffman, and senior product manager lead Jake Rosenberg to “create a shorter boot up animation (~4s) from the original boot up animation (~9s), helping to reduce the overall startup time.” However, there is a catch. You’ll have to set your Series X/S to Energy Saver mode to benefit from the faster boot-up. This means the console will completely power off when you decide to put the controller down and do something else. Nevertheless, this benefits the environment and helps drop the monetary load of electricity bills. 

Annapurna Interactive will hold a livestream showcase of upcoming titles on Thursday, July 28. 

A message shared by the publisher's Twitter account yesterday states that the presentation begins at 12 p.m. Pacific/3 p.m. Eastern. Other than that, it offers no hints as to what games will appear. Annapurna's last showcase took place just over a year ago, where it highlighted a variety of new titles and game updates, such as Outer Wilds: Echoes of the Eye, The Artful Escape, and more. 

this thursday // streaming on our channels + with a few partners // noon PT pic.twitter.com/hxUYXeszjk

A flying wyvern known as the Lucent Nargacuga will soon nest within a ruined society in Monster Hunter Rise: Sunbreak. This creature arrives on August 1 within a free title update for players on Switch and PC.

Capcom released a minute-long trailer that shows a battle against the Lucent Nargacuga within the Forlorn Arena, backed by beautiful moonlight. The wyvern can cloak to evade its attackers and spin within the blink of an eye to knock them back.

In our review for Sunbreak, John Carson said the game needs more threats. "The lack of new monsters plagues the early hours, but there’s plenty to love if you keep at it," he wrote. "The added flexibility of the Switch Skill Swap system is a freeing and fun expansion to combat for hardcore hunters and the new creatures in the Master Rank quests – when you get to them – breathe life into the experience. For someone already invested in Monster Hunter, there’s plenty to love in Sunbreak."

This title update brings at least one new beast to hunt. Here's hoping players stumble upon more as the world opens up and the new content is unearthed.

Funko, the collectibles manufacturer behind the wildly popular Pop line of toys, is partnering with 10:10 games to create a "AAA action platformer" for console and PC. The game is slated to release in 2023 and is spearheaded by video game developer veterans  Jon Burton and Arthur Parsons, who worked together on several Lego games at Traveller's Tales and are now at 10:10 Games.

“Creating iconic products that emotionally connect fans to their favorite fandoms is critical to each product portfolio decision,” said Andrew Perlmutter, CEO of Funko. “By partnering with 10:10 Games and utilizing the best creators in the business, we will have the talent to deliver games that reflect Funko’s unique look and feel across its lines and varied products.”

This quote implies Funko's stylistic characters with large heads and black eyes could be used for the game. Given the developers' track record of making games that feature hundreds of playable characters, it's not unreasonable to think this title may unite many popular brands that have gotten the Funko treatment. For now, all we have is a teaser trailer, which you can view above.

Star Wars Jedi: Survivor is the highly anticipated sequel to Fallen Order that brings back Cal Kestis likely in a Jedi Knight role. The game doesn't have a release date yet and was only shown once in a trailer, but will soon get its first action figure. Hasbro just revealed a six-inch Black Series action figure for the KX Security Droid, which will make its debut in the sequel game.

Stray has been out in the wild for a couple of days now, which means players have had plenty of time to answer one burning question: what did you name the cat?

The game’s furry protagonist lacks an official name. As you explore the post-apocalyptic world, have you given it one yourself? If so, what name have you settled on? 

Admittedly, I’m still figuring that out myself. I still have a good ways to go in Stray, and I’ve batted around a few options as I hopped across rooftops and meowed at robots. Some are more elaborate, like "Chester A. Tabby II" (the successor to my Palico’s name in Monster Hunter: World); others are more simple, like “Creamsicle," which has been growing on me. I’m hoping your responses inspire me to concoct the purr-fect moniker. I'm sorry. 

So let’s hear it: what do you call the cat in Stray? There are no wrong answers. Well, unless you named it “Dog.” Then we’ll have to snitch on you to the Cat Police. The Cats-apo? I'm going to stop now. Share your responses below!

Brian's on vacation this week, so on this episode of All Things Nintendo, he's joined by editor-in-chief Andrew Reiner to answer listener questions. Then, after the break, Brian gets the final verdict on Live A Live, Square Enix's the new HD-2D remake of the cult favorite RPG. Finally, Jill Grodt joins All Things Nintendo for the final time as a member of the Game Informer staff to give us some indie games to keep our eyes on in the near future.

If you'd like to follow the people from this episode on Twitter, hit the following links: Brian Shea (@brianpshea), Andrew Reiner (@Andrew_Reiner), Jill Grodt (@finruin)

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 MultiVersus roster expands today with the news that LeBron James, Rick Sanchez, and Morty Smith are stepping into the ring. 

King James joins the roster on July 26, the launch of the open beta, as the version of himself that appeared in Space Jam: A New Legacy. That means he’s rocking his Toon Squad jersey and unleashing all manner of over-the-top basketball moves. You can check him out in action in the gameplay trailer above. 

Mad scientist Rick Sanchez joins the roster when Season 1 begins on August 1. He’ll be rocking his portal gun and can summon Meeseeks, among other zany abilities. Morty joins him during the season, but his arrival date has not yet been confirmed. The young sidekick focuses on using projectiles such as grenade weapons, and he can whip himself at targets. 

The MultiVersus open beta begins July 26 and will be available on PlayStation and Xbox consoles and PC. Though if you played the closed alpha, you’re already playing the game right now. 

A not-so-long time ago in the same galaxy we all reside in, Respawn Entertainment deviated from its first-person shooter roots to create Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order. This third-person action game was the studio’s first stab at tackling the coveted Star Wars license, crafting an original adventure set five years after Revenge of the Sith. It stars Cal Kestis, a padawan turned junker (played by Shameless star Cameron Monaghan) that managed to evade the Jedi purge of Order 66. After he’s outed by the Sith, he embarks on a quest to recover an artifact capable of locating force-sensitive children while also avoiding capture by the Inquisitors, who are elite Jedi hunters. 

The game features a blend of lightsaber combat and a suite of Force abilities. Borrowing inspiration from FromSoftware’s Soul series, encounters are challenging, requiring a strategic blend of blocks and parries to outduel opponents. Meanwhile, the various planets take on a Metroid-inspired progression with players unlocking abilities to backtrack to previously inaccessible areas. 

Watch on Twitch!

Fallen Order was released on November 15, 2019, and was a critical and financial success. It also served as a saving grace for single-player fans, providing proof to an increasingly multiplayer-focused EA that linear story-driven experiences can still make the big bucks. With a sequel reportedly in the works, we’re revisiting this gem of the Star Wars video game pantheon. 

Resident Evil Village Gold Edition arrives in October and introduces the Winters’ story expansion. This content update includes an expanded version of the game’s Mercenaries mode, introducing Chris Redfield, Karl Heisenberg, and Lady Dimitrescu as playable characters. A new trailer shows off each of their abilities and how players can tear through hordes of monstrosities as this powerful trio. 

The update, called The Mercenaries Additional Orders, adds two new stages, Bloody Village and Bloody River, and lets players mow down adversaries such as the weapon-strapped Chris Redfield. When his arsenal of guns isn’t enough, the former BSAA agent packs a powerful punch that can have foes reeling, and activating his Onslaught gauge grants him an absurd speed boost, letting him move and reload in the blink of an eye. When all else fails, Chris can call in support strikes by pinpointing targets with his locator. 

If you want to get your Magneto on, Heisenberg can use his electromagnetic powers to toss buzzsaws and other objects, channel lightning, and smash foes with his massive hammer. He can also call in his Soldat Jets to lend a hand. 

In this episode of The Game Informer Show, Alex Van Aken takes over as host following Alex Stadnik's departure last week, and Jill Grodt leaves Game Informer of her own will following the recent layoffs of our staff. In a surprising turn, Wesley LeBlanc announces his return to Game Informer as Associate Editor. After these updates, the crew dives into the week's video game releases and discusses our Stray review with Blake Hester and why cats are a novel subject in video games. Rounding out the show, we chat about Live A Live and Saints Row with Andrew Reiner. 

Warner Bros. Montreal's character spotlights have given us detailed looks at Nightwing and Robin, and now we get a good look at Batgirl's combat prowess in Gotham Knights. In the trailer above, we see her acrobatic maneuvers make short work of a gang. The footage also shows what appears to be a boss fight and a couple of alternate skins that players can unlock for Barbara Gordon.

Slated to release on October 25 on PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, and PC, Gotham Knights tells the story of a Batman-less superhero world and shows how his wards rise to take his place. The playable characters are Robin, Nightwing, Red Hood, and Batgirl. You can play whoever you want, and it won't disrupt the game's cooperative play. Warner Bros. allows two Batgirls to run together, should players wish to attain an Elseworlds vibe.

The skins shown in the video will likely need to be unlocked by finding blueprints and acquiring the proper crafting materials to build them.

Following the success of Rocksteady's Arkham series and Warner Bros. Montreal's contribution, Gotham Knights has enormous shoes to fill. Here's hoping it's every bit as good as the titles mentioned. We need another great Arkham-like game.

In a lengthy behind-the-scenes video, Naughty Dog's development team walks through the changes players can expect from The Last of Us Part I, a high-end PlayStation 5 remake that should look just as good as its sequel. While the story beats will be mostly the same, Naughty Dog has reworked most of the gameplay and visuals.

Along with increased realism in the character models, players can expect seamless transitions between sequences, enhanced enemy and buddy A.I., more breakable objects in combat, accessibility features galore, and even a few new ways to play the game.

If you want to see how far you make it before dying, you can play a new permadeath mode. Naughty Dog has also added a speed run mode to see how quickly players get through the story.

Your time revisiting this amazing game is rewarded with new unlockables, like outfits for Ellie and Joel and a model viewer. The Last of Us Part 1 is slated to release on PlayStation 5 and PC on September 2.

Are you excited to revisit this classic? If so, will you play The Last of Us Part II right after you finish it?

Ubisoft has reportedly canceled several in-development titles, including the previously announced Ghost Recon Frontline and Splinter Cell VR.

The publisher announced the cancellations in an investor call, part of the same earnings report that revealed the delay of Avatar: Frontiers of Pandora. Ghost Recon Frontline was a battle royale take on the franchise unveiled last October. It boasted 100+ player matches and was positioned as Ubisoft's next big live-service title. Outside of a planned closed beta that never came to pass, Frontline never had a release window, and the game was heavily criticized by fans who wanted a more traditional Ghost Recon experience. You can watch the reveal trailer below. 

Splinter Cell VR was revealed in September 2020, and it was to be a brand-new Splinter Cell title made from the ground up for virtual reality. The game hadn’t made much of a peep since then. Assassin’s Creed VR, which was revealed alongside it, still seems to be happening, though. 

Avatar: Frontiers of Pandora, Ubisoft’s open-world title set in James Cameron’s sci-fi fantasy universe, will now launch sometime in either 2023 or 2024. The news comes from Ubisoft’s quarterly sales report. 

Unfortunately, the report, which you can view here, doesn’t narrow down Avatar’s release window more than that. According to The Verge, Ubisoft CEO Yves Guillemot explained in the earnings call that the company plans to make the Avatar franchise a larger gaming brand and that, in regards to Frontiers of Pandora, “It is important for us that we come with something that is perfect.”

Ubisoft had been quiet on Frontiers of Pandora since its big reveal during E3 2021, but it was assumed the game would launch sometime this holiday to coincide with the December 16 theatrical premiere of Avatar: The Way of Water. The first-person action game is built in the Snowdrop Engine, and players control a Na’vi in a new area of Pandora called the Western Frontier. Frontiers of Pandora is being developed by Massive Entertainment, the team behind The Divison. You can watch the E3 reveal trailer below. 

If you've spent any time on Twitter, you might've seen Stray was released. And you know what? It's pretty good! So good, in fact, that cats seem to love it. But what do dogs (the superior pet, if we're being honest with ourselves) think about this feline adventure? 

We've enlisted Regan, my real-life chihuahua, to help us play Stray. Watch as she almost certainly immediately falls asleep in my lap while I play the first hour or so. If you have any questions, feel free to jump in chat and ask! 

But that's not all. I recently convinced Editor-in-Chief Andrew Reiner to let me use my corporate credit card to buy a Gundam model. So, legally, I now have to do something work-related with it. Let's build it on stream. That's right, it's a double feature tonight, folks! Cats and Mecha. What a time to be alive. 

It's all going down on our Twitch channel at 3:30 PM Central Time (4:30 PM Eastern / 1:30 PM Pacific). See you there!

Every road trip has bumps along the way - unexpected potholes, constant traffic, and extra pit stops. There are stretches of nothingness, and your numb mind tries to pass the time until you reach the destination. Sometimes the open road instills a sense of freedom; other times, you feel trapped. However, the memories that help us power through the tedium often stick – singing along to a classic, having a heart-to-heart conversation, or observing a surprising sight.

In creating a game about a road trip, you could say Gone Home developer Fullbright experienced these highs and lows at every turn. Two years ago, the debut trailer for its third game, Open Roads, was met with excitement. And rightfully so, as it centered on a mother and daughter’s journey to discover more behind their family history – a different set of protagonists than we usually see in our video game adventures. The hand-drawn art style popped, but it also turned heads for the top-tier talent cast in the two leading roles: Keri Russell (The Americans, Star Wars: Episode IX - The Rise of Skywalker) and Kaitlyn Dever (Booksmart, Dopesick).

The future of Destiny 2 will be revealed in a livestream showcase set to air on August 23.

Bungie tweeted a cryptic video, posted below, and sent an equally vague press release that simply says to expect “exciting details about what’s next for Destiny 2.” The most likely announcement is an update on the Lightfall expansion, which is technically still scheduled to arrive this year despite The Witch Queen launching only a few months ago (due to a delay). Perhaps Bungie will narrow down that release window, but beyond Lightfall, your guess is as good as ours. 

Witness what's next.

August 23, 2022 pic.twitter.com/3oO2piSJHe

— Destiny 2 (@DestinyTheGame) July 21, 2022

You’ll have to watch Bungie’s Twitch channel that day to find out, though the developer has not revealed a start time or disclosed how long it will be. What do you expect or hope to see at the Destiny 2 Showcase? Let us know in the comments!

Platform: PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, PC
Publisher: Deep Silver
Developer: Volition
Release: August 23, 2022
Rating: Mature

In this episode of New Gameplay Today, we go hands-on with the upcoming Saints Row reboot on PlayStation 5. Join Andrew Reiner and Alex Van Aken for a glimpse of how the Saints establish their headquarters after 15 minutes of car-surfing and bulldozing hijinks.  

Purchase

If TMNT: Shredder’s Revenge hasn’t satiated your hunger for the Turtles, TMNT: The Cowabunga Collection should provide a heaping second helping when it transports you back to your childhood on August 30.

The collection bundles 13 Turtles games across classic arcades, consoles, and handhelds into one $39.99 package. In addition to traditional couch co-op, some of the games now support online multiplayer as well. Here’s the full list of titles:

Dragon Ball: The Breakers offers a unique spin on the franchise by letting a team of players work together to evade a player-controlled villain in asymmetrical fashion. A new trailer puts on a spotlight on one of those baddies, Lord Frieza, while also confirming an October launch date. 

For those unaware, The Breakers tasks a team of non-superhuman civilians (including Bulma and Oolong) with escaping the clutches of a powerful mastermind who has imprisoned them in a pocket dimension of sorts. This overseer, known as the Raider, ups the ante by pitting these ordinary captives against powerful antagonists such as Cell, Majin Buu, and, of course, Frieza. The townsfolk can work together or separately to escape to a time machine by using various tools and can apparently harness and utilize the abilities of heroes such as Goku. 

The new trailer highlights Frieza, showing how players can rain destruction as the emperor of the universe. This player can assume all of Frieza’s traditional transformations (his Golden form is unconfirmed) and unleash attacks such as his planet-destroying Death Ball. He even “Krillins” a victim by pulling them into the air and blowing them up. 

Platform: PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, PC
Publisher: Deep Silver
Developer: Volition
Release: August 23, 2022
Rating: Mature

Boisterous business discussions and the clanking of silverware ring out from the crowded patio of a corner restaurant in the heart of Champaign, Illinois, a small college town two hours south of Chicago. Lording over these hungry patrons is the stoic face of Deep Silver Volition. The studio’s logo hangs a few stories above the lunch spot on the side of a brownstone building. Many eating here today are likely Volition employees, and they have reason to celebrate with a feast, as their studio’s next game, Saints Row, is nearing completion.

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.

As we learned in June, Marvel’s Spider-Man Remastered swings to PC this August. If you've been wondering how the game will take advantage of your gaming rig, a new trailer runs down the list of features that will make Peter Parker’s adventure even more spectacular. 

Spider-Man will be treated to a host of graphical and performance upgrades, such as: 

In the 1990s, few characters reached the heights of Sonic the Hedgehog. Shortly after the 1991 launch of the Blue Blur’s debut game on Sega Genesis, his popularity rivaled Nintendo’s behemoth Super Mario franchise. However, much like the roller coasters that inspired Sonic’s original gameplay and level design, the subsequent decades included plenty of highs and lows. Even after a quick jump off the starting line, many feared the series was doomed to fall short of its potential forever.

However, the brand has experienced something of a renaissance in recent years. The Sonic the Hedgehog franchise is perhaps nearly as popular now as when it burst onto the scene just over three decades ago, bolstered by blockbuster movies, beloved comics, and promising streaming shows. Sonic Mania proved a successful retro reinvention, but the core development staff at Sonic Team has yet to deliver the final piece of the puzzle: a mainline game restoring the series’ legacy as one of the premier platformers.

Sega and Sonic Team think they have that final component with Sonic Frontiers. I traveled to Burbank, California, the American headquarters of Sonic Team, to sink hours into the upcoming open-world game to see if it truly is the fresh direction the franchise needs.

Read more...

No Man’s Sky’s 20th free update, Endurance, soars into the game today. Hello Games describes Endurance as an “overhaul” to the freighter captain experience, giving players new tools and functionality that make commanding a fleet of ships more entertaining and manageable. 

Players can oversee their brigade from a new bridge on their ship deck and now have instant access to teleportation rooms. Players can spacewalk on exterior walkways on their ship, which will provide views of the denser, more varied asteroid fields. Constructing manufacturing facilities lets players produce food and other resources, and you can construct other massive structures upon your capital ship. Perhaps the coolest of all is the ability to collect dreadnaught-sized aliens known as living frigates. Check out the trailer below for a glimpse of these features and others. 

Endurance goes live today in all versions of No Man’s Sky. Hopefully, that will include the upcoming Switch version, which launches on October 7. 

In case you missed it, the platforming roguelite Eyes in the Dark: The Curious Case of One Victoria Bloom launched last week. The game’s reveal caught my eye thanks to its striking art direction and unique gameplay. I’ve spent the last couple of days battling the darkness as the titular Victoria Bloom, a precocious young girl searching her ancestral home for her missing uncle after it’s been overtaken by shadow monsters. Armed with a powerful flashlight, you’ll battle a living darkness in an ever-changing mansion steeped in mystery and secrets. 

I’m enjoying the game, but it took longer than I would’ve liked to get used to its strange control scheme. Eyes in the Dark plays like a twin-stick shooter, with players using the left stick for movement and the right stick to aim their auto-damaging flashlight beam. With your thumbs occupied, jumping is on the right trigger. The left trigger fires a slingshot sub-weapon, and hitting the left bumper executes a dodge.

It’s an unorthodox setup that feels like patting my head and rubbing my stomach, mainly because I’m conditioned to hitting a face button, namely A, to jump. It’s probably the best approach, though, given how aiming works, but expect to feel like you’re crab-clawing the controller as you awkwardly leap across stages for the first few runs. Even after settling into things, I still have moments of wanting to treat the jump button like I’m activating the flashlight, causing me to hop around all over the place like an idiot. 

Far from describing a game with adventure in it (that would include a lot of games!), the adventure genre is loosely defined as one that emphasizes narrative and exploration over action, which may also rely on light puzzle mechanics. In other words, a game that doesn’t have enough simulation to be a sim, action to be an action title, puzzle-solving to be a puzzle game, and… you get the idea. Despite the nebulous classification, games in this genre are unambiguously incredible experiences, often exploring refreshing and fascinating concepts. Shooting for games that are rolling around in the zeitgeist right now, some of the genres’ towering giants are not listed here. However, for anyone looking to check out today’s great experiences, feel free to peruse our list of the best adventure games to play right now.

We learned in April that the Switch-exclusive No More Heroes 3 was expanding its horizons to other platforms, but now we know Travis Touchdown’s latest adventure makes the move in October.

A flashy new trailer reveals that on October 11, No More Heroes 3 migrates to PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and PC. These versions take advantage of their more powerful homes by boasting sharper HD visuals, improved framerates, and faster loading. 

No More Heroes 3 first arrived on Switch in August 2021. Former GI editor John Carson scored the game a 7.75 out of 10, writing in his review: 

“My time with No More Heroes 3 jumped between the short highs from entertaining bosses and cutscenes to long, ugly stretches in the world. Much of the design is dated, and I wanted to drop it after a few bosses to avoid the mundanity, but I’m happy I saw it to completion. There are many fun moments, and I love how unafraid it is to be strange or referential. Those who are already invested in the tale of Travis Touchdown should be right at home in this new No More Heroes. Still, I’d insist newcomers try out previous entries before diving into this Garden of Insanity.”

In a blog post on the official BioWare website, Star Wars: The Old Republic's creative director, Charles Boyd, announced his departure. Despite the sad news, the studio announced its commitment to the space opera franchise commending other leaders on the design team, from narrative director Ashley Ruhl to lead producer Eric Musco, and stating that the remaining developers will "carry forward our vision for the game."

The blog post ended with a few heartfelt words from Boyd: 

Mario Strikers: Battle League players will be treated to the game’s first free update on Thursday, July 21. A pair of new characters will step onto an arid new pitch outfitted in medieval threads. 

Princess Daisy struts her stuff as a new player with the ability to withstand knockdowns. She’s joined by Shy Guy, who serves as a flexible all-rounder to fulfill any role you see fit. Knight Gear will become available, letting players outfit their team in shiny armor that improves strength and shooting. Lastly, the Desert Ruin arena has three variations and can be used in quick matches or set as your club stadium.

For more on Mario Strikers: Battle League, read our review. 

Over the years, Lego has dished out its fair share of nostalgia-inducing sets, from massive Star Wars tributes to a faithful, brick-by-brick replica of the NES. Gamers can once again relive their childhood with the announcement of an incredible Lego Atari 2600 set. 

 

The Verge reports that the buildable model is reminiscent of the 1980 revision rather than the debuted console from 1977. At 2,532 pieces, the set includes the console itself, which, when opened, reveals a miniature 1980s living room, a controller with a movable joystick, and three game cartridges: Asteroids, Adventure, and Centipede. In a press release, designer Chris McVeigh emphatically said, “We hope that building this classic console takes you back to those halcyon days when a handful of pixels meant a world of adventure.”

MMA fighter Mikuru Asakura enjoyed his tour of Ryu Ga Gotoku Studio, capturing footage of the various workspaces, Sega president Haruki Satomi (he conducted the tour), and even some new Yakuza screenshots. Asakura might've inadvertently captured images from Yakuza 8 or the Like a Dragon sequel, but without any further context, the truth remains a mystery. You can watch the video below. 

Like a Dragon's protagonist, Ichiban Kasuga, and his friends appear in multiple screenshots. The charming hero's afro days are behind him as he now sports slicked-back hair and a ponytail. Based on a Famitsu report that Nibel translated (see below), Yakuza 8 takes place in a new location, and Mikuru Asakura makes an appearance.  

The off-screen screenshots are the first peak at Yakuza 8 (part of a behind-the-scenes YouTube video)

Article states that the game will feature a new town; Ichiban has his hair tied back instead of an afro

Also, it appears Mirai Asakura (MMA fighter/YouTuber) will be in Y8

Obsidian Entertainment's Honey, I Shrunk The Kids-inspired survival game Grounded has been tapped for a new animated series, Deadline reports.

Grounded, currently playable in Xbox Game Preview/Steam Early Access and slated to launch in full this September, will be adapted by writer Brent Friedman whose credits include Star Trek: Enterprise and Star Wars: Rebels/The Clone Wars. Waterproof Studios/SC Productions, Kinetic Media, and Bardel Entertainment are also attached to help produce in association with Obsidian and Xbox.

Deadline reports that the series, like the game, stars four friends who discover shrinking technology that zaps them to mere inches tall. The teenagers must now survive in a backyard laden with dangerous insects, spiders, and other threats while unraveling a corporate conspiracy threatening the town.

"The team at Obsidian have created an incredible world that has already grabbed the attention of the gaming community," says Carl Whiteside of MD, WP/SC Productions. "We are excited to work with our incredible partners to bring the story to life in an animated series."

The Grounded series has no announced cast, release window, or streaming platform. Meanwhile, the video game is only a couple of months from its full launch after spending two years in early access. It will be available on Xbox Series X/S, Xbox One, and PC.

Reviewed on: Xbox Series X/S
Platform: Xbox Series X/S, Xbox One, PC
Publisher: Xbox Game Studios
Developer: Interior/Night
Release: July 19, 2022
Rating: Mature

Decisions have unforeseen consequences. If one were to look for the thematic idea that links the story of As Dusk Falls with its gameplay structure, it’s hard to avoid that statement as a driving message. Life is filled with decisions big and small that shape the future, and we don’t always know how an errant word or turn down a different road might eventually conclude. Interior/Night’s emotionally rich and risky debut game isn’t interested in giving you the choice of how the character’s lives turn out; like in real life, that’s impossible to predict. Instead, the studio has crafted an intricate series of character portraits, linked them together by shared trauma, and asked the players to decide how to proceed. The nuanced narrative that unfolds is rewarding, often painful, and frequently gripping.

Reviewed on: PC
Platform: PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, PC
Publisher: Annapurna Interactive
Developer: BlueTwelve
Release: July 19, 2022

Stray is a game about being a cat. You see, explore, and mess with the world in the ways only they can. Because you're doing so in one of the more densely-packed video game worlds in recent memory, there's plenty of room for kitty antics. Luckily, Stray wastes no moment letting you fulfill any feline aspirations you may have. 

After being separated from their furry friends, the unnamed cat (we'll call "Stray") finds itself deep in an underground city walled off from the outside by a giant dome. Befriending a small drone named B12, Stray sets out to open the city, the wish of many of its android citizens, who have heard rumors but never once seen the sun, clouds, and the like.