Game Informer

At long last, the second chapter of Final Fantasy VII Remake was revealed during today’s 25th anniversary stream. It’s called Final Fantasy VII Rebirth and it launches next winter, or towards the end of 2023, for PlayStation 5. 

A cinematic trailer provided tantalizing glimpses of what’s to come, most notably gameplay of Cloud and Sephiroth exploring a section of the world together. While that may very well be a flashback, those who played Remake know that anything is possible at this point. Today's video also confirmed that Final Fantasy VII Rebirth is the second entry in what will be a three-game series. 

Be sure to follow the links below to read about the other big announcements from today's presentation:

Crisis Core: Final Fantasy VII Reunion announcement

Final Fantasy VII Remake confirmed to be a three-game series

Final Fantasy VII Remake Intergrade launches on Steam tomorrow

As part of Capcom's Dragon's Dogma 10th-anniversary celebrations, a sequel has finally been announced. Dragon's Dogma 2 is officially in the works and is set to land in 2023.

The announcement came as part of a video presentation commemorating the decade that's passed since Dragon's Dogma first arrived on PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360. Hideaki Itsuno, the game's director, and key dev team members, Daigo Ikeno and Kenichi Suzuki, announced the game by unzipping their hoodies triumphantly at the end of the presentation, revealing the name "Dragon's Dogma II," which was followed by a short animation of the official logo treatment to close out the video.

Before the big announcement, Itsuno introduced a look back at the development of Dragon's Dogma. It's a fascinating look at the director and his inspirations in fighting games like Street Fighter and melding that kind of flexible combat system with an expansive RPG story and gameplay. He also goes into the creation of the pawn system and wanting to make a single-player RPG that felt like playing with your friends online. The presentation is worth a watch for this mini-documentary alone.

This week's new episode of The Game Informer Show is here, and it's a massive one. We're breaking down our thoughts on Starfield, Redfall, and more from the Capcom and Xbox and Bethesda Showcases, along with our discussions of the Neon White and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Shredder's Revenge reviews. We also send off the one and only Kim "KStar" Wallace the right way and talk about her favorite cover stories, memories, and what's coming next in her wonderful career.

Follow us on Twitter: Alex Stadnik (@Studnik76), Alex Van Aken (@itsVanAken), Kim Wallace (@kstar1785), Brian Shea (@BrianPShea), Marcus Stewart (@MarcusStewart7), and Blake Hester (@metallicaisrad).

Grab a pizza slice, kick back, and watch us take on the Foot Clan in Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Shredder’s Revenge! Tribute Games and Dotemu’s throwback to the classic TMNT brawlers is out today, and a group of Game Informer editors will tackle the game live on Twitch today at 2 p.m. Central.

Shredder’s Revenge is a new adventure inspired by the 1987 TMNT cartoon. Up to six players team up to battle over a dozen stages to fold Shredder’s evil schemes. If you’re a fan of brawlers, Shedder’s Revenge hits all the right notes. In my 8.75 out of 10 review, which you can read here, I described the game as a “polished, raucously fun throwback that plays better than how I remember the original games.”

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Platform: PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Switch, PC
Publisher: Blizzard Entertainment
Developer: Blizzard Entertainment
Release: October 4, 2022
Rating: Teen

We’ve been hearing about Overwatch 2 since 2019, but nearly three years later, the game still hasn't been released. Through tumultuous development and terrible company-culture news out of Activision Blizzard, the Overwatch 2 development team has continued working on the game. As revealed on Sunday, the competitive multiplayer component will launch into early access on October 4. Today, Blizzard gave fans an additional glimpse of what to expect when this highly anticipated shooter sequel launches. We also hopped on a call with the Overwatch 2 team to learn more about what this news means for players.

<p><img src="https://www.gameinformer.com/sites/default/files/styles/body_default/public/2022/06/16/2755d353/screenshot_2278.png" width="800" height="445" alt="" typeof="foaf:Image" class="image-style-body-default" /></p> <p>This past week, we've witnessed an <a href="https://www.gameinformer.com/2022/06/07/the-biggest-news-from-summer-game-fest-2022-and-the-other-june-showcases" target="_blank">obscene amount of trailers featuring promising upcoming games</a>, many of which are coming from talented independent developers. Events like Steam's Next Fest even let us get our hands on playable slices to better understand what these games are and how they play. Starting next week, Xbox will again be offering playable demos for indie titles in a week-long event that console players can dive into and experience the near future for indie gaming.</p> <p>The ID@Xbox Summer Game Fest Demo Event will run from June 21 through June 27 and includes over 30 game demos for gamers to try out. In the <a href="https://news.xbox.com/en-us/2022/06/16/idxbox-summer-game-fest-demo/" target="_blank">blog post announcing the event</a>, Xbox reminds readers that these are the equivalent of "show floor" demos and are a work&nbsp;in progress.

<p><img src="https://www.gameinformer.com/sites/default/files/styles/body_default/public/2022/06/16/cfd0cb80/digimon_survive_trailer_screen.jpg" width="800" height="450" alt="" typeof="foaf:Image" class="image-style-body-default" /></p> <p>Digimon Survive makes its way to stores in July, and a new English trailer gives fans a gameplay overview for the visual novel meets strategy title.</p> <p>The story centers on protagonist Takuma Momozuka, a student on a school camping trip where he and his friends find their way to the Digital World. Each finds a Digimon partner – with Takuma befriending Agumon – and must find a way back to their world. The game’s drama unfolds in a visual novel style, and players can use a cellphone to scan the environment for hidden clues. Combat adopts a&nbsp;turn-based strategy format complete with a grid battlefield. The video also shows off the evolution chart displaying the digivolution paths your critters&nbsp;can take.</p> <iframe width="560" height="315" frameBorder="0" allow="autoplay" allowfullscreen="true" src="https://players.brightcove.net/694940074001/rydylbNsz_default/index.html?videoId=6308007509112"></iframe> <p>Digimon Survive launches July 29 for PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Switch, and PC.</p>

During his Summer Game Fest Showcase, Geoff Keighley was going to surprise reveal The Last of Us Part I, the long-rumored remake of the 2013 title. However, PlayStation seemingly had other (accidental) plans as the publisher leaked everything about Part I hours before its official reveal. 

Keighley and The Last of Us director Neil Druckmann took shots at PlayStation during the showcase, and it was clear the two were upset about the leak. Nonetheless, The Last of Us remake is real, and it’s out on Sept. 2. With all that behind it now, fans have begun to focus on the visual updates of Part I, which has seemingly split the community. 

Tess' glow up ✨@Wersching

9 years ago vs. September 2, 2022 -- #TheLastofUs Part I pic.twitter.com/jDoT9bMmL1

Platform: Xbox Series X/S, PC
Publisher: Fatshark
Developer: Fatshark
Release: September 13, 2022

Warhammer 40K: Darktide is an upcoming 4-player co-op FPS game releasing this September. In this episode of New Gameplay Today, Van Aken, Stadnik, and John Carson chat about how Darktide changes the formula introduced in the Vermintide series.

New Gameplay Today is your one-stop for the latest hands-on videos with anticipated titles and popular games receiving expanded content. Want an inside look at some of the industry’s hottest titles? You’ve come to the right place. We regularly post new episodes throughout the week. Catch up on previous episodes here.

Monster Hunter Rise had a great diversity of monsters to take on in its initial roster, and even more great hunts were had with the DLC inclusions. The upcoming major expansion called Monster Hunter Rise: Sunbreak is introducing new mechanics, a new base of operations, new areas to explore, and most importantly, new and returning monsters to hunt. 

Capcom has already revealed a significant handful of monsters that will make their Rise debut in Sunbreak, and we have them all conveniently collected below so you can know which creatures you can plan to go up against alone or with a group. We'll keep updating the list as more monsters are revealed, so keep checking this page in the coming weeks for changes.

If you're wondering what games are coming up in 2023, we've put them all in one convenient location. This list will be continually updated to act as a living, breathing schedule as new dates are announced, titles are delayed, and big reveals happen. This should help you plan out your next year of gaming and beyond.

As the gaming calendar is constantly changing, we highly recommend you bookmark this page. You'll likely find yourself coming back to this to find out the most recent release schedule for the most anticipated games across PC, consoles, VR, and mobile devices. If you notice that we've missed something, feel free to let us know! Please note that games will not get assigned to a month until they have confirmed release dates.

Platform: Xbox Series X/S, PC
Publisher: Bethesda Softworks
Developer: Arkane Studios

As much as I want Arkane Studios to return to the Dishonored series, this talented developer repeatedly shows it may be better off exploring new ventures. Prey and Deathloop support this theory with thunderous success, and the studio’s next experiment, Redfall, looks just as promising.

I recently sat down with Arkane Austin’s studio director, Harvey Smith, and co-creative director, Ricardo Bare, to learn what players can expect from this vampire-slaying experience.

“We’re taking on a giant creative challenge,” Smith says. “We want to hold onto Arkane’s core creative values while taking on an open-world game. It’ll still have the rich narrative design accompanying every square inch like we always do.”

Reviewed on: PC
Platform: Switch, PC
Publisher: Annapurna Interactive
Developer: Angel Matrix
Release: June 16, 2022

In 2021, while interviewing creator Ben Esposito about then-upcoming Neon White, he told me he wasn't trying to make a game appealing to everyone. He wanted Neon White to appeal to "really specific people."

Put another way, as Esposito said in one of the game's trailers, it's a game made for "freaks."

I guess that makes me a freak, then. Because Neon White is my favorite game I've played all year – by a large margin.

You assume the role of Neon White; a dead assassin pulled from Hell for a divine competition. Demons overrun Heaven, so the powers that be task White and a host of damned with cleaning up the mess. The banished soul with the best – and fastest – score wins the opportunity to spend eternity in Heaven. They do this by running as fast as possible through various districts of the Pearly Gates, blowing away demons with a varying arsenal of heavenly guns. 

Reviewed on: PC
Platform: PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Switch, PC
Publisher: Dotemu
Developer: Tribute Games
Release: June 16, 2022
Rating: Everyone 10+

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles carved its perfect niche in video games by way of the cooperative beat ‘em up. Titles like the 1989 arcade game and Turtles in Time let fans fulfill the fantasy of kicking shell alongside their friends, but it’s been a long time since our green heroes were the stars of a great video game. Shredder’s Revenge ends that drought, serving as a lovingly crafted homage to TMNT’s glory days that gives fans what they remember while sanding down most of the rough edges. 

Redfall kicked off the recent Xbox & Bethesda Games Showcase with a brand new look at gameplay. Bethesda also revealed additional information about the game, including details about its different characters, co-op, and more. 

Following that reveal, Redfall game designer Harvey Smith spoke to IGN in a new interview about the title’s co-op and how it works. Here, Smith revealed that Redfall’s campaign progress is tied to the host of the co-op party and that it’s only persistent for that host, as reported by GamesRadar. This means that if you’re teaming up with someone to play co-op and you’re not the host, you will not receive the campaign progress they might after completing a level. 

“So for the flow of things, you want to have to redo those,” Smith said. “The story would be very confusing if you got to mission eight and it said, ‘skip this one because you’ve already done it.'"

Update by Wesley LeBlanc, 6/15/22:

Atlus revealed that Persona 5 Royal, Persona 4 Golden, and Persona 3 Portable were coming to Xbox during the recent Xbox & Bethesda Games Showcase held on June 12. Now, Atlus has confirmed that Persona 4 Golden and Persona 3 Portable will also come to PlayStation consoles (Persona 5 Royal is already available on PlayStation platforms). 

"In addition to Xbox and Windows PC, Persona 5 Royal, Persona 4 Golden, and Persona 3 Portable will also be coming to Steam and PlayStation platforms," a press release reads. "Persona 5 Royal will be the first title to launch on Xbox, PlayStation, Steam, and Windows PC [on] October 21. We'll have more information about the release of Persona 4 Golden and Persona 3 Portable at a later date."

Now, the wait for a Switch release for these titles continues (please, Atlus). 

The original story continues below...

Original story, 6/12/22:

In a surprise announcement, three mainline Persona games are finally making their way to Xbox consoles. The announcement came Sunday during the Xbox & Bethesda Games Showcase. 

Persona 3 Portable, Persona 4 Golden, and Persona 5 Royal will all be coming to Xbox, company head Phil Spencer announced. The roll-out begins with Royal, which will be released on October 21. No word yet on the other release dates. 

You can see the reveal trailer here:

Bethesda and Xbox gave Starfield the spotlight during its recent weekend showcase, revealing more than 15 minutes of new footage and information from director Todd Howard. 

The studio didn’t mention this during the showcase, but shortly after, the Bethesda Game Studios Twitter account revealed some new details about dialogue in Starfield and how your created character – the protagonist of the game – interacts with NPCs. In short, speaking to NPCs will happen in first-person, and your character will remain silent as they do not have a voice.

“Yes, dialogue in Starfield is first person and your character does not have a voice.” 

Yes, dialogue in @StarfieldGame is first person and your character does not have a voice. pic.twitter.com/A8384m6rGN

In a video interview with IGN, Bethesda’s Todd Howard divulged additional details about Starfield. He also uttered the name “Fallout 5” and gave an idea of when fans can expect to see it. 

Speaking to Ryan McCaffrey, Howard confirmed that Fallout 5 will be the next game after The Elder Scrolls 6, which itself has entered pre-production:

"Yes, Elder Scrolls 6 is in pre-production and, you know, we’re going to be doing Fallout 5 after that, so our slate’s pretty full going forward for a while. We have some other projects that we look at from time to time as well."

Following up on Starfield’s big gameplay demonstration at the Xbox + Bethesda Showcase, Howard revealed additional facts about the new IP. Starfield's main story is 30-40 hours long, or 20% larger than any Bethesda game to date. New Atlantis, one of Starfield’s four main cities and capital of the United Colonies, is also the largest city Bethesda has ever made. For character creation, Howard states there are roughly 20 character backgrounds to choose from. 

Each time San Diego Comic-Con rolls around, we receive a ton of conference-exclusive collectibles to fawn over. While many of us will likely never get our hands on some of these unless we actually go to the show or find a vendor online, they're always fun to look at. This year, Funko is releasing a series of SDCC-exclusive Pop! figures. Game Informer can exclusively reveal the Pop Games: Sonic – Super Sonic First Appearance vinyl figure.

This version of Super Sonic features the ability to glow in the dark, paying tribute to his signature golden aura from the games, TV shows, comics, and movies. This vinyl figure stands at approximately 5.3 inches and gives the appearance it's floating above its stand. While I haven't seen the figure in person, the floating illusion probably combines with the glow-in-the-dark feature to create a cool effect when the lights dim.

<p><img src="https://www.gameinformer.com/sites/default/files/styles/body_default/public/2022/06/14/c853723e/valheim.png" width="800" height="450" alt="" typeof="foaf:Image" class="image-style-body-default" /></p> <p>Despite not having a trailer at the main Xbox and Bethesda showcase this weekend, eagle-eyed viewers may have spotted a popular survival title alongside the 2023 Xbox releases in an image near the show's end. Today it was confirmed that inclusion was very intentional, as <a href="https://www.gameinformer.com/2021/02/15/what-is-valheim-and-why-is-everyone-playing-it" target="_blank">Valheim</a> is not only coming to Game Pass on PC this fall but will be coming to&nbsp;consoles and will be exclusive to&nbsp;Xbox when it launches in 2023.</p> <iframe width="560" height="315" frameBorder="0" allow="autoplay" allowfullscreen="true" src="https://players.brightcove.net/694940074001/rydylbNsz_default/index.html?videoId=6307740239112"></iframe> <p>The Norse-themed cooperative survival game was released into Early Access on Steam in February of last year when it quickly blew up in popularity, <a href="https://www.gameinformer.com/2021/02/19/valheim-has-already-sold-over-3-million-copies" target="_blank">selling over 3 million copies</a> in its first few weeks on sale. For people like myself who never took the plunge on Valheim, its addition to PC Game Pass in a few months is a welcomed sight, as is its inclusion in the Microsoft Store on Windows.</p> <p>The other big news for Valheim is three-fold. First, the game is officially coming to&nbsp;consoles for the first time. There has been talk of its eventuality since controller support was added to the PC version earlier this year, but it's nice to finally have confirmation.

<p><img src="https://www.gameinformer.com/sites/default/files/styles/body_default/public/2022/06/14/b78ef70c/industria_header.jpg" width="800" height="450" alt="Industria Review" typeof="foaf:Image" class="image-style-body-default" /></p>

Reviewed on: Xbox Series X/S
Platform: PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, PC
Publisher: Headup
Developer: Bleakmill
Release: <time datetime="2022-06-09T12:00:00Z" class="datetime">June 9, 2022</time>
Rating: 12+

GSC Game World has confirmed that S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2: Heart of Chornobyl will now arrive in 2023. To hold fans over, the team released a new cinematic during today's Xbox Games Extended Showcase.

S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2 was slated to launch on December 2, but development was put on hold when the studio became caught in the crossfire of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. GSC Game World is based in Kyiv, Ukraine’s capital and some employees have helped defend the city. Given the situation, it seemed increasingly unlikely the game would make it this year, so today’s announcement isn’t totally unexpected. Although GSC is still working out of Kyiv, most of the game's development has resumed at a new office established in Prague, Czech Republic.

Meanwhile, a new trailer further establishes S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2's gloomy atmosphere.  

In addition, a developer diary documents the state of GSC Game World during the start of Russia's invasion and how it banded together amidst days of bombings (contains disturbing imagry of the war so viewer discretion is advised).

Platform: PlayStation 4, Xbox One, PC
Publisher: Blizzard Entertainment
Developer: Blizzard Entertainment
Release: TBA

The most recent Xbox and Bethesda Showcase is full of exciting looks at the next 12 months of games. One of those highlights from Microsoft's latest stream is Diablo IV, the return of the iconic action/RPG fans have been pining for since its announcement in 2019. Join us on this fresh episode of New Gameplay Today as we break down all the new information and dissect this new footage!

Your hosts for this episode are Alex Stadnik, Alex Van Aken, and John "King of Late Night" Carson. Join them as they guide you through three new looks at Blizzard's return to Sanctuary. 

Kingdom Hearts recently hit its 20-year milestone, but more importantly, Square Enix debuted Kingdom Hearts IV. The reveal trailer showcased a more realistic-looking Sora in a much different world, ushering the series into a new era. We couldn't think of a better time to sit down with director Tetsuya Nomura and discuss the series' evolution. He also dropped some hints about what to expect for Kingdom Hearts IV. Read on to discover the future of Final Fantasy characters, his hesitation about Sora's appearance in Smash Bros. Ultimate, and why you shouldn't worry about Disney's presence in Kingdom Hearts IV. 

The series recently celebrated 20 years. How does it feel to look back on the last two decades, and what do you hope Kingdom Hearts' legacy will be?

Nomura: I feel like 20 years is a very long time, except it also doesn't really feel that way. I have vague memories of visiting the Disney offices in the US and having meetings throughout the long history that we've had. But, when it comes to memories of the development and just making the actual game – it's just kind of fuzzy. It doesn't feel like anything has become a memory because the series is still continuing, and it's all still in real-time. The series is always evolving; the stories are still going on. Regarding the legacy, I suppose the heart is a central theme to the story of Kingdom Hearts. We will continue to depict that and tell the story of the heart in different ways.

Fortnite: Zero War released last week, giving us a great new Spider-Man skin for use in the game and a story that is pretty darn good. It was one of the week's better books, alongside a fantastic first issue for Poison Ivy, the continuation of Thor and Hulk's epic battle, and Dark Crisis. We end the episode with a look ahead to a week of comics consisting of over 20 must-have books!

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.

Ubisoft held a special celebration stream in honor of Assassin's Creed's 15th Anniversary today and during it, the company announced a new game mode for Assassin's Creed Valhalla, when to expect the finale to Eivor's story, a free gaming weekend, and plenty more. It also included a blink-and-you'll-miss-it tease of when to expect to learn more about the future of the Assassin's Creed franchise. 

Below, we'll break down each of the announcements: 

Assassin's Creed Valhalla

Ubisoft has revealed that Valhalla will get another year of content – aptly named Year Two – and it will include returning festivals, Mastery Challenge Pack 2, an armory update, and new tombs to explore. 

Plus, sometime this summer, The Forgotten Saga will hit Valhalla. This is a new rogue-lite inspired game mode that takes place in Niflheim. In it, the Daughter of Loki, Hel, is pushing Odin through an endless realm of death. Like any rogue-lite, Odin will die...a lot. You must learn how to overcome waves of enemies, all while growing stronger and using learned skills to advance forward, until you come face to face with Hel herself. The trailer revealed dragons, monsters, plenty of human enemies, and more. An official release date was not revealed but The Forgotten Saga will hit Valhalla sometime this summer and it will be free to all players. 

GoldenEye 007 redefined the shooter genre when it launched on Nintendo 64 in 1997. Moving away from other classic heavyweights like Doom and Wolfenstein, Rare's acclaimed James Bond FPS opted for aesthetic realism, intense single-player campaign levels, deep stealth mechanics with cognizant AI, and, of course, PvP deathmatch. GoldenEra, an upcoming GoldenEye 007 documentary, spotlights the development of the influential FPS. 

The trailer, uploaded on IGN, features snippets of developer insight into the creation of GoldenEye 007. Designers stated that, at one point, FPS titles were primarily made for PC audiences. GoldenEye, of course, made waves when it found critical and commercial success on consoles. Next-gen game-changers like Halo and Call of Duty, then, were directly informed by the tight gunplay and combat mechanics of GoldenEye. Be sure to watch the trailer above for more insight. 

GoldenEra will be available digitally this month on June 27.

[Source: IGN]

Dying Light 2 Stay Human's roadmap revealed five years of planned DLC. A new game plus option was implemented months ago, and optimization updates keep the gameplay fine-tuned and responsive. Post-launch plans continue to be underway as a new update – 1.4.0 – drops today with the first "Chapter," bringing photo mode and new zombies to the open-world parkour adventure. 

So, what are the most significant features coming to the game today? A post on the Dying Light website details the introduction of a new NPC named Harper, a rank system to help players build a rapport with Harper as they complete his tasks, daily/weekly bounties, more high-tier gear, two new currencies, never-before-seen infected enemies like the Mutated Infected, Volatile Tyrant, and Volatile Hive, and a time trial Chapter Mission. 

Of course, there's also the photo mode (only available in single-player) that comes with filters, special effects, and more. Other tweaks are incoming to help balance and streamline the fun – we're talking gameplay, co-op, UI/UX, and technical updates. Read all about it by clicking the link in the previous paragraph. 

Monster Hunter Rise kicked off the Capcom Showcase today, with new locations for hunters to explore on full display, along with plenty more monsters to take the fight to when the expansion releases. A demo will also be available starting tomorrow.

First off is the return of the Jungle area from the second generation of Monster Hunter, which has been completely redone for Sunbreak. While the Jungle sounds like it would be strictly filled with trees and other foliage, it's situated on the coast and offers plenty of sandy beaches and ruins to explore.

As for new monsters to hunt, Sunbreak has a lot of exciting new targets to take on. Espinas makes its return from Monster Hunter Frontiers. As its name implies ("espinas" is Spanish for thorns), this creature is covered in sharp spines that will easily cut hunters who get on its bad side. The trailer describes Espinas as a monster that "enjoys a quiet life and sleeps peacefully," but it has a two-faced nature and can easily fly into a rage when disturbed. 

Capcom leveraged its summer showcase event today to reveal some new details on Exoprimal, the upcoming action and shooting game in which players control warriors in exosuits as they fight off rampaging hordes of dinosaurs. An out-of-control AI called Leviathan is unleashing these dinosaurs through rifts in the sky, and forcing humans to fight them off in intricate (and frankly inexplicable) wargames – usually at high risk of death and destruction of urban landscapes.

Exoprimal's main event is called Dino Survival, where you join up in a multiplayer team of five and compete against another team to complete very specific objectives.

Those mission objectives are varied and dynamic. In Dinosaur Cull, your team must hunt and take down one specific dinosaur. VTOL Defense demands that your team protect an aircraft on the ground as it gets swarmed by the charging reptiles. Data Key Security is an escort-style mission, in which you must deliver a particular asset from one location to the next. Omega Charge is a mission in which players have access to a swarm-clearing Omega Hammer. And Energy Taker, as you might suspect, is all about gathering more energy than the opposing team.

Interestingly, Exoprimal will include sequences where you directly engage enemy players, but also moments where you team up to take down especially dangerous threats. No matter who you’re fighting against, you’ll earn XP to power up both your player character and their exosuit levels.

Today during the Capcom Showcase livestream, the company touched base on its recently-announced Resident Evil 4 remake – including showing all of a few seconds of gameplay. Admittedly, especially coming off the other deep dives of the presentation, it was pretty disappointing. 

Director Yasuhiro Anpo and producer Yoshiaki Hirabayashi led the presentation, filling players in on the story of RE4 and talking about how the game is both a reimagining of the source material and a faithful adaptation. Set six years after the events of Resident Evil 2 and 3, RE4 protagonist Leon Kennedy is now the personal bodyguard of the United States president. When the president's daughter goes missing, Leon is dispatched to a remote European village to find her. As you might expect, things don't go well. 

We then see our first look at gameplay, and to be clear, visually, it looks great. The footage is set during the very beginning of the game, when Leon arrives outside the village in the forest. Compared to the original game, the forest is far darker and scarier. "We want to nail the feeling of loneliness and fear of not knowing what lies ahead, even more so than the original," Hirabayashi said during the presentation. "Of course, there will also be thrilling battles."

Resident Evil Village made a surprise return during today's Capcom Showcase. After revealing the game has sold over six million copies worldwide, Capcom revealed a Gold Edition is on the way, boasting a number of notable additions. First up is a new story expansion called Shadows of Rose, which puts Rose in the lead for a mind-bending journey of discovery.

In this story, Rose, who is the daughter of Ethan, is in her teens or twenties. From the outset of play, you learn she's struggling with her powers. To try and control them, she enters the consciousness of the Megamycete and that's where the madness begins. Time and space are warped and she sees someone that looks just like her. The entire game is set from the third-person perspective.

Capcom is adding that new viewpoint to the core game, allowing players to see Ethan and experience the game much like Resident Evil 4 with over-the-shoulder aiming.

Lastly, Mercenaries mode is getting fleshed out with new missions and playable characters like Chris Redfield, Alcina Dimitrescu, and Karl Heisenberg. Lady Dimitrescu stands in at over nine feet in height.

Reviewed on: iOS
Platform: PC, iOS
Publisher: Blizzard Entertainment
Developer: Blizzard Entertainment, Netease
Release: June 2, 2022 (iOS, Android), 2022 (PC)

We gotta go fast providing commentary on some brief gameplay footage of Sonic Frontiers! Join Marcus Stewart and Alex Stadnik as they discuss the game’s current state after getting to play it during Summer Game Fest Play Days.

Sonic Frontiers drops the blue blur in his first “open-zone” adventure, and we have clips showcasing platforming, puzzle-solving, and exploration. Learn what Marcus’ overall impressions and expectations for the game stand after the event. You can also read a more in-depth breakdown of his 30-minute demo by reading our Sonic Frontiers preview. 

Be sure to check out other New Gameplay Today episodes coming out of Summer Game Fest, such as Cuphead: The Delicious Last Course and Marvel’s Midnight Suns!

After a release in Asian markets last month, the overhaul of PlayStation Plus is available today in North and South America. Here's everything you'll need to know about upgrading your plan.

Three tiers are now available, offering larger numbers of features, games, and trials to play as you go up in pricing, which is available in one-month, three-month, and 12-month subscriptions. Brief descriptions of what you get in each tier can be found below. 

Upgrading is fairly painless but will require a prorated upcharge to join the new Extra or Premium plans of PlayStation Plus. To do so, go to your PS+ tab on your PlayStation console. There, you'll find an option to upgrade. On PS5, it showed each tier and how much money it would cost to upgrade for the remainder of the month, which for most should only be a few dollars. Upon upgrading, it will tell you your next payment date and that it will charge you for a full-year subscription on that day. Don't panic. There is a way to change your subscription type. 

In this week's episode of The Game Informer Show, the crew recaps everything they played at Summer Game Fest Day 2, including Street Fighter 6, Outriders Worldslayer, A Little To The Left, Birth, and Glitch Busters. We're also joined by special guests Lucy James and Tamoor Hussain, two members of Giant Bomb's new core team, to talk about the legacy and future of the iconic gaming website. 

Follow us on Twitter: Stadnik (@Studnik76), Alex Van Aken (@itsVanAken), Marcus Stewart (@MarcustStewart7), Lucy James (@LucyJamesGames), Tamoor Hussain (@TamoorH)

Check out the timestamps below to jump to a particular point in the discussion:

01:07 – Introduction

03:08 – The Future of Giant Bomb

20:25 – Street Fighter 6

33:58 – Day of the Devs Games (A Little To The Left, Time Flies, Birth, Glitch Busters)

41:50 – Outriders Worldslayer

Platform: PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Switch, PC
Publisher: Sega
Developer: Sonic Team
Release: 2022

Sonic Frontiers raced among 2022’s most anticipated games when it debuted during the 2021 Game Awards. Sega has been secretive about what the open-world – or rather “open-zone” – game entails, agonizing fans eager to learn how the hedgehog fares in a larger world. During Summer Game Fest Play Days, I spent 30 minutes playing Frontiers to get a sense of how the adventure is shaping up so far. I still have many questions, but I walked away with clearer expectations and some glimmers of hope. 

An unexpected and fun surprise from the PC Gaming Show was the reveal of Klei Entertainment's newest game. Rotwood is a multiplayer action game, and it's expected to enter early access at some point, but that date is up in the air for now.

Thanks to the Steam description, we know a little more about Rotwood than what was revealed in the trailer. It's a roguelike dungeon crawler designed to be played with up to four people. Each run will bring your cute animal avatars through a dangerous forest where the challenge amplifies the deeper you go in. New armor and weapons can be crafted from items scavenged, and a safe haven can be built up and fortified as well.

In typical Klei style, the hand-drawn look of the characters and enemies is unreal. Once again, the studio is pushing the boundaries of making it look like you're controlling a cartoon character; Rotwood's models are expressive, fluid, and bursting with personality. I can't wait to see what Rotwood looks and plays like in action when I can eventually get my hands on it.

The trailer gave an early access date of "202?" which could be anytime in the next decade, though I'd expect us to play it well before 2030. Rotwood can be wishlisted on Steam, and it's unknown whether Klei is planning for release on any additional platforms at this time.

Platform: PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, PC
Publisher: Funcom
Developer: The Outsiders
Release: September 15, 2022
Rating: Teen

The very concept of Metal: Hellsinger appeals to me from the first note: Slay demons in a modern Doom-style first-person shooter to the beat of newly recorded tracks from some big names in rock and metal. As someone who grew up playing the original Doom and loves the modern iterations of the franchise, and has perhaps sunk more time into the Rock Band series than any other franchise, The Outsiders' upcoming game checks a lot of boxes. Still, coming into my hands-on time with the game, I was skeptical. Thankfully, the short demo I played at Summer Game Fest (which is also available now on PlayStation, Xbox, and Steam) reinforced my impression that this game is, indeed, for me.

After a long absence, Nightdive Studio's remake of System Shock made an appearance at the PC Gaming Show, and it's looking pretty cool. You can watch the trailer below for yourself, along with an interview with series creator and industry luminary Warren Spector.

This new trailer for System Shock gives a great look at the game's visual style, which toes the line of using modern graphical techniques while paying homage to the low-res look of the original game. More specifically, some of the in-game panels and monitors are intentionally blocky and pixelated, as if they were textures from a 90s first-person shooter. SHODAN, the antagonistic AI who is ever-present in System Shock, is also a prominent feature in the trailer as she talks smack to the player as they explore the Citadel Station.

System Shock is coming to PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and PC.