Game Informer

This week on All Things Nintendo, Brian is back in the office, so as promised, he spends much of the episode catching up on the biggest news items from the world of Nintendo. After that, he and Wesley LeBlanc share E3 memories, recap Brian's recent interview with Eiji Aonuma and Hidemaro Fujibayashi, and chat about Brian's recent trips to The Game Awards and Tokyo.

If you'd like to follow Brian on social media, you can do so on his Instagram/Threads @BrianPShea or Twitter @BrianPShea. You can follow Wesley on Twitter: @LeBlancWes.

The All Things Nintendo podcast is a weekly show where we 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!

With Grand Theft Auto VI set to take players back to Vice City (albeit in contemporary times), we decided it was a good time to take another look back at the series' first spin on South Florida. Join Kyle Hilliard and Marcus Stewart as they dive right into the middle of Tommy Vercetti's rise to power and stay tuned for the reveal of our next Super Replay. 

If you enjoy our livestreams but haven’t subscribed to our Twitch channel, know that doing so not only gives you notifications and access to special emotes. You’ll also be granted entry to the official Game Informer Discord channel, where our welcoming community members, moderators, and staff gather to talk games, entertainment, food, and organize hangouts! Be sure to also follow our second YouTube channel, Game Informer Shows, to watch other Replay episodes as well as Twitch archives of GI Live and more. 

More than two months after leaving Platinum Games, co-founder and The Wonderful 101 and Bayonetta director Hideki Kamiya has revealed why he left the studio. In a new interview with IGN, Kamiya told the publication he decided to leave "because I felt that the direction the company was heading in was different from my beliefs as a developer."

"Without that element of trust, I couldn't continue working there, and so I left, so that I could continue working in what I consider to be the right way," Kamiya said. "I don't think of games as products, but rather as works of art. I want to put my artistry into games and deliver games that could only be made by Hideki Kamiya, so that players can enjoy Hideki Kamiya games exactly as they are.

"I decided to leave the company and forge my own path, to continue making games that reflect the developers who made them." 

Rocket Arena, the multiplayer rocket-powered shooter, developed by Final Strike Games as an EA Originals title, was removed from sale last month without warning or a word on why, as reported by RockPaperShotgun. Now, roughly a month later, Final Strike Games has announced Rocket Arena will be sunset and its servers shut down in March. 

More specifically, Rocket Arena will come to an end at Noon PT/3 p.m. ET on March 21, 2024. As for why, the team doesn't really address that in its announcement but presumably, it has lost the player count needed to sustain its live-service, multiplayer model. 

Rocket Arena will be sunset on March 21, 2024 12:00 PM PDT. We’ll have some community events leading up to the date.

Read more at https://t.co/B59QPBDLzk and https://t.co/7Okzpse1Ht. pic.twitter.com/hFnJViw8jz

Naughty Dog has announced it has ceased production of The Last of Us Online, its long-in-development multiplayer title set within its popular post-apocalyptic universe. 

In a blog post, Naughty Dog explains it made the “incredibly difficult” decision to cancel the project after it apparently became so big that the studio realized it would need to devote precious resources to support it post-launch for years to come. When faced with the reality of having to become a studio solely dedicated to supporting a live service game or to continue making single-player experiences, it chose the latter. 

Here's Naughty Dog's full statement:

Marvel's Blade was one of the most exciting reveals from the Game Awards. Not only is it the first proper video game adaptation of the beloved Marvel character, but it's being made by Arkane Lyon, developers of games like Deathloop and the Dishonored series. That said, the reveal trailer isn't that long, and fans are understandably hungry for more.

Luckily for them, co-creative director/art director Sébastien Mitton revealed a few images of concept art on X today. These images were created by Sergey Kolesov and Jean-Luc Monnet, and you can see them for yourself below:

Grand Theft Auto: The Trilogy - Definitive Edition didn’t launch in the greatest state, but after months of fixes, the game has been deemed ready to launch on mobile devices. The remasters of the series’ defining trilogy are now available on iOS, Android, and Netflix.

Like all Netflix titles, subscribers have immediate access to the Definitive Edition, which consists of modernized remasters of GTA III, Vice City, and San Andreas. On mobile, you can pick them up in the Trilogy bundle or purchase them individually.

Grand Theft Auto: The Trilogy - Definitive Edition first launched for consoles and PCs in November of 2021, while the mobile version was originally planned to launch in early 2022. These improved versions of the 2000s-era classics feature high-resolution textures, advanced lighting/weather effects, and modernized controls (modeled after GTA V), among other bells and whistles. However, due to the player complaints stemming from the collection’s poor launch state, the mobile version was hit with a lengthy delay as Rockstar worked to improve the released versions. 

Thanks to Manscaped for sponsoring today's episode! Get 20% OFF + Free International Shipping with my link GISHOW at Manscaped.com!

This episode of The Game Informer Show podcast sees returning guest Jesse Vitelli (@jessevitelli) join host Marcus Stewart and editors Brian Shea and Charles Harte to discuss the official demise of E3 and its impact over the years. Brian also breaks down his time spent playing Tekken 8's bonkers story mode, and Charles Harte takes the stand to talk about playing Apollo Justice: Ace Attorney Trilogy while quizzing the editors on their Ace Attorney character knowledge. Jesse and Charles also share their time spent in Fortnite Chapter 5: Season 1's new offerings such as Rocket Racing, Fortnite Festival, and Lego Fortnite. 

Marvel's Spider-Man 2 is one of the biggest successes of the year, but it launched missing a few features present in Insomniac's two prior Spidey games. The biggest omission was New Game Plus, but Insomniac assured fans it would come in an update to the game before the end of the year. Unfortunately, the developer won't be able to hit that deadline, as it posted this update on social media yesterday.

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Developer Hexworks and publisher CI Games have launched the Season of Revelry in its RPG Soulslike, Lords of the Fallen. This festive update includes new quests, weapons, armor, spells, snowball fights, and more, and it's available right now. Plus, it's only part one of this free two-part update, with Trial of the Three Spirits launching next week on December 21. 

As for what to expect in this Season of Revelry part one update, which Hexworks is calling Offerings of Orius, it includes quite a lot: 

Update, 9:37 a.m. ET, 12/14/23:

Earlier today, word got out that A24 and Kojiima Productions were partnering up for a live-action feature film adaptation of Death Stranding. News of this partnership came by way of a new A24 shirt adorned with some strands from Death Stranding; the t-shirt's description revealed A24 and Kojima Productions had entered an official partnership.

At the time, official channels for Kojima Productions and A24 had not said anything regarding this partnership. But now, the official A24 Twitter account has confirmed the partnership. 

"It's official: we've partnered with Kojiima Productions on the live-action feature film adaptation of Hideo Kojima's acclaimed video game, Death Stranding," the tweet reads.

It’s official: we’ve partnered with Kojima Productions on the live-action feature film adaptation of Hideo Kojima’s acclaimed video game, DEATH STRANDING. pic.twitter.com/ypZGRiZVvY

“Do you miss E3 in-person events?” Geoff Keighley reads calmly.

It would not have been, all things considered, an unusual question to ask one of the game industry’s leading personalities. The Entertainment Software Association’s Electronic Entertainment Expo, better known as E3, has long been a dominating feature of the summer. But in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, the ESA hasn’t been able to open the doors to the highly regarded in-person convention.

However, Keighley is the driving force behind Summer Game Fest, a newly established but increasingly successful showcase effectively competing with E3. The query came from one of the many viewers who tuned in to see him speak candidly on YouTube following the Xbox/Bethesda showcase, one of Summer Game Fest’s crowning jewels. Keighley’s answer notably dropped any mention of the ESA’s show.

Admittedly, talking about the rival event and the current, contentious shape of the summer showcases is a strange way to begin a look back at the renowned show. But, curiously, the question above underscores just how impactful E3 has been for the game industry. Without the apparent intention to slight Summer Game Fest’s producer, the viewer conflates the idea of a summer gaming convention with E3. The question concisely articulates what the show still means to many: a traditional, inevitable, and unshakable mainstay of the industry’s yearly agenda – even if E3 has undergone cancellations, adjustments, criticisms, and competition in the last few years. Despite its recent stumbles, the expo continues to hold on to its carefully cultivated clout, which goes back decades.

Since rolling credits (and platinum-ing) God of War Ragnarök shortly after its release last year, I have craved more of developer Santa Monica Studio’s take on Norse mythology. I was satisfied with how the story wrapped up, although admittedly, I would have liked a more bombastic finale worthy of the name “Ragnarök,” so I wasn’t necessarily looking for new story content just yet. I was fine to wait for a sequel years down the road, perhaps with Kratos and Atreus traversing through a new line of mythological lands and gods. But I wanted some reason to return to its beautiful world, adrenaline-inducing combat, and top-tier characters. 

Developer Sledgehammer Games and publisher Activision Blizzard have released a detailed look at the new accessibility options that launched with Call of Duty: Modern Warfare III, the best-selling game of last month. In it, the companies reveal some interesting statistics that show accessibility options and features are very popular with players and useful for everyone that plays Call of Duty games. 

For example, more than 40 percent of players customized their analog stick deadzone input in last year's Call of Duty: Modern Warfare II. More than half of all players in that game adjusted graphical accessibility settings, too, like motion blur, field of view, and camera movement. 

For this year's entry, Sledgehammer says, "Modern Warfare III provides even more ways to customize the visual experience for all players," like the High Contrast mode available in the campaign that "enables players with vision impairment or color blindness to see their allies and enemies more clearly." In this mode, allies are outlined with a blue-green color and enemies are outlined in red, and these visual markers change in real-time as you play. 

Update, 12/13/23:

Bethesda announced last year that Fallout 4 would be receiving a free new-gen update for PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X/S in 2023. However, as the year comes to a close, Bethesda has delayed the update to next year. 

"Than you for your patience with us as we work on the Fallout 4 next-gen update," a tweet from the official Fallout account reads. "We know you're excited, and so are we! But we need a bit more time and look forward to an exciting return to the Commonwealth in 2024." 

Thank you for your patience with us as we work on the Fallout 4 next-gen update. We know you're excited, and so are we! But we need a bit more time and look forward to an exciting return to the Commonwealth in 2024.

— Fallout (@Fallout) December 13, 2023

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Original story, 10/25/23:

Bethesda has revealed that Fallout 4 will receive a free new-gen update next year. 

Video game analyst group Circana has released its November 2023 U.S. Video Game Market Highlights report and in it, the company reveals that, unsurprisingly, Call of Duty: Modern Warfare III was the best-selling game of the month. It launched on PlayStation, Xbox, and PC on November 10 and is already the second best-selling game of 2023, behind Hogwarts Legacy. 

Tekken 8 hits PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, and PC in just over a month, on January 26, 2024. As the release date nears, developer Bandai Namco has been releasing more and more about the latest entry in its flagship fighting series. We learned about newcomer Reina last month, and recently went hands-on with the game, too – read Game Informer's Tekken 8 preview here. Now, Bandai Namco has revealed the first gameplay trailer for its "mechanized space ninja" Yoshimitsu. 

It did so with a new Tekken 8 gameplay trailer that shows Yoshimitsu ripping and slicing through various fighters in the game's roster. This ninja is no stranger to the Tekken series, having appeared in every mainline numbered Tekken game since the series' start – he's actually my favorite fighter, and for money, this is his best look yet. 

Check him out in the Tekken 8 Yoshimitsu reveal and gameplay trailer for yourself below: 

As you can see, Yoshimitsu unsurprisingly relies on his ninja sword to do a lot of damage to enemy fighters. And he does so with the speed the character is known for. 

Developer Bethesda Game Studios is working on bringing mod support, city maps, and "all-new ways to traveling" to its recently released sci-fi RPG, Starfield. It announced this by way of a Starfield subreddit comment from the official developer Reddit account, as reported by IGN. The team says it's working on other things, too, like quest fixes, hotfixes, and more. 

It says players can expect a rollout of fixes and updates roughly every six weeks, although if something can be corrected with a quick hotfix, it might launch those in between the six-week waits.

While bug and progression fixes are nice, it's the new ways of traveling and city maps that has me most excited. Traversing Starfield's cities is fun, but actually learning them is quite difficult without a map. And I'm hoping the new ways of travel makes traversing vast landscapes on alien planets easier – I'm tired of landing somewhere and walking 10 minutes to reach a point of interest. 

God of War  Ragnarök's Valhalla DLC is out now on PlayStation 5 and PlayStation 4, less than a week after it was revealed at The Game Awards 2023. It features a good bit of story content that acts as an epilogue to the events of Ragnarok, and it's packaged within a roguelite structure, meaning it's heavy on combat. Apparently, there's an endgame challenge in Valhalla so difficult that nobody on the dev team could complete it on the DLC's "Show Me Mastery" difficulty, according to Valhalla's director Mihir Sheth. 

"I am so, so curious to see how quickly players will humble us...as they often do...but maybe this time we've beaten them?" Sheth writes on Twitter, as first reported by Wccftech. 

There is an endgame challenge in #GodOfWarRagnarokValhalla that no one on the dev team has completed on the hardest difficulty 'Show Me Mastery'.

I am so, so curious to see how quickly players will humble us.. as they often do... but maybe this time we've beaten them? 👀

Mouse, an upcoming classic first-person shooter sporting a vintage rubber hose animation style, turned heads in May with its first look at gameplay. Although that initial showing was very much a work in progress, today’s video offers a more polished look at what’s to come.

The noir game stars a private-eye rodent cleaning up his corruption-riddled city by using his trusty tommy gun to mow down scores of mouse gangsters in cartoonishly violent fashion. Additionally, we get a look at other lethal methods, such as tossing dynamite, shooting down pianos to crash on top of foes, or just knocking goons' heads off with a good punch. Between all of that, the mouse protagonist consumes spinach and tea for presumably health while engaging in other activities such as collecting baseball cards and chatting with characters.

Mouse is the debut title from developer Fumi Games, and the trailer ends with the reveal of a 2025 release window. 

Platform: PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Switch, PC
Publisher: Capcom
Developer: Capcom
Release: January 25, 2024
Rating: Teen

There's never been a better time to get into Ace Attorney. Developer-publisher Capcom has spent the last few years remastering and re-releasing every game in the series, and with the Apollo Justice trilogy, you can now play every mainline game on modern consoles. And even though the three games in this collection are unchanged story-wise, after going hands-on, we can comfortably say that they've never felt better.

Update, 12/12/23: 

After reports in November indicated that Free Radical Design, the team behind the TimeSplitters franchise that had been reformed in 2021 to create a new entry in the series, was facing a complete shutdown, the studio closure happened yesterday. Game Informer reached out to Free Radical Design parent company Embracer Group for a comment on the closure – it pointed us to the following LinkedIn post by Plaion, which owns Free Radical Design. 

"It's with a heavy heart that we must announce yet another difficult decision," the post reads. "Today, we have to confirm the official closure of Free Radical Design, and say goodbye to many remarkable, talented, and hard-working people. We are beyond grateful for their incredible contributions to Plaion and wish them the best of luck and success on their professional journey from here on out." 

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Update, 12/11/23:

The Entertainment Software Association announced today that E3 is officially dead. After more than two decades, the long-running video game conference where developers, publishers, businesses, and press met to check out new games, watch reveals, and more, has been permanently canceled. 

The first E3 took place in 1995 and the last in-person conference happened in 2019. The 2020 event was canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic, but E3 returned for one last bout in 2021 with an all-digital event. The 2022 show was canceled, and this year's event, which was set to happen with ReedPop, was canceled as well. 

pic.twitter.com/y6dtVkBvNI

The Entertainment Software Association has announced that its long-running Electronic Entertainment Expo (E3) is officially dead, as reported by The Washington Post. The last in-person E3 conference happened in 2019 before the COVID-19 pandemic and other complications prevented it from coming back in full form since. Despite struggles, the ESA attempted to bring E3 back in various ways. 

It was canceled in 2020 as a result of the pandemic; the 2021 E3 was an all-digital event; the 2022 show was canceled, and this year's attempt with PAX organizer ReedPop was canned, too. 

pic.twitter.com/y6dtVkBvNI

— E3 (@E3) December 12, 2023

"After more than two decades of hosting an event that has served as a central showcase for the U.S. and global video game industry, the Entertainment Software Association has decided to bring E3 to a close," ESA president and CEO Stanely Pierre-Louis told The Washington Post. "We know the entire industry, players and creators alike have a lot of passion for E3. We share the passion. We know it's difficult to say goodbye to such a beloved event, but it's the right thing to do given the new opportunities our industry has to reach fans and partners." 

Platform: PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, PC
Publisher: Bandai Namco
Developer: Bandai Namco
Release: January 26, 2024
Rating: Teen

Following the events of Tekken 7, the stage for Tekken 8’s story is set up to be perhaps the most over-the-top yet. In the six months since the defeat of Heihachi Mishima, his son, Kazuya Mishima, has installed a reign of terror over the planet using his devil powers. And while the setup is, quite frankly, a lot to take in, if the first four chapters I played are any indication, the level of spectacle and bombast reaches new levels in Tekken 8’s Story Mode.

Hasbro, the parent company behind Wizards of the Coast, which itself is responsible for both Dungeons & Dragons and Magic: The Gathering, is laying off 1100 employees, as reported by Dicebreaker and The Wall Street Journal. The company, which is also behind the Transformers franchise (toys and other media),  announced this decision yesterday, on December 11. 

Hasbro CEO Chris Cocks called the need for layoffs in an email sent to staff a "lever we must pull to keep Hasbro healthy" and "a last resort." As noted by Dicebreaker, Cocks became CEO of Hasbro in February of last year and earns roughly $1.5 million in salary in the position – his total earnings for 2022 amounted to $9.4 million, however. 

"While we're confident in the future of Hasbro, the current environment demands that we do more, even if these choices are some of the hardest we have to make," Cocks writes in the email, which The Wall Street Journal published. "I know this news is especially difficult during the holiday season. There is no sugar-coating how hard this is, particularly for the employees directly affected." 

Terra Nil, the "reverse city builder" from developer Free Lives and publisher Devolver Digital, is coming to Switch next week. More specifically, it will hit the Nintendo console on December 18, as revealed in a new trailer you can watch below. 

While many simulation games task you with creating a new metropolis or saving a colony of humans from post-apocalyptic conditions, Terra Nil instead tasks you with saving nature from climate change and the effects of humans. Instead of building roadways and buildings, you build windmills, calcifiers, and more. 

As you can see, Terra Nil is not only a unique spin on the simulation genre, but a pretty one. It's sure to pop on Nintendo Switch OLED models, too, if you have one. 

If you're unsure whether or not the game is for you, read Game Informer's Terra Nil review to learn what we thought about it. Listen to us talk more about it on this episode of The Game Informer Show after that. 

Are you going to check out Terra Nil on Switch next week? Let us know in the comments below!

Update, 12/12/23:

Fntastic, the studio behind The Day Before, announced yesterday that it was shutting down. It said at the time that servers for the game, which launched last week on December 7, would remain operational but that the future of The Day Before is unknown. Now, less than 24 hours later, The Day Before is no longer available for purchase on Steam (although you can still visit the page). 

Plus, anyone who purchased the game is eligible for a refund, according to Fntastic. 

"Answer to those who ask for a refund," a Fntastic tweet reads. "[We and publisher Mytona are] currently working with Steam to allow refunds for any player who chooses to request one, regardless of the game time. Fntastic received $0 and will receive nothing from The Day Before sales." 

Notably, Steam allows users to refund games if they've played it for less than two hours and it hasn't been more than 14 days since the purchase date. Mytona, however, is offering refunds to anyone who purchased The Day Before.

Mytona also posted the following statement on Twitter:

Announced alongside Lego Fortnite, a new survival crafting experience, Rocket Racing is developer Psyonix's first new release since Rocket League in 2015 – and it's only playable inside Fortnite. Returning guest and gaming journalist Jesse Vitelli joins Game Informer's Alex Van Aken to show off Rocket Racing gameplay while discussing why the racing game is actually great.

See Rocket Racing In Action:

Subscribe to Game Informer's YouTube channel if you enjoy this look at Rocket Racing; and then catch up on previous New Gameplay Today episodes right here.

Hogwarts Legacy hit PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, and PC back in February – you can read Game Informer's Hogwarts Legacy review here. Now, as 2023 comes to a close, Google has released the top 10 trending searches in games on Google over the year and in the top slot is Hogwarts Legacy.

Developer Dlala Studios and publisher Walt Disney Games released Disney Illusion Island, a 2D Metroidvania-esque platformer, exclusively on Switch earlier this year. It was nominated for Best Family Game at The Game Awards 2023 – check out all the winners here – and now, Dlala has revealed it is launching new content this week. 

More specifically, the Keeper Up update will go live in Disney Illusion Island for free on Wednesday, December 13. It includes new time trial challenges, quality of life updates like an improved map, and more. 

At the top of the month, developer Epic Games launched Chapter 5 of Fortnite's popular Battle Royale mode. But with the start of this new chapter, the team also launched three new experiences within the Fortnite launcher. The first was Lego Fortnite, a survival Minecraft-like game, and soon after, the second, Rocket Racing, a new racing mode created by Rocket League developers Psyonix, went live. The third and final new experience of Chapter 5 (so far, at least) went live over the weekend – it's called Fortnite Festival and is basically Rock Band-lite but in the universe of Fortnite. 

We're officially past The Game Awards, and host Marcus Stewart and former GI editor Jason Guisao are unpacking all of the show's highs and lows. They're also diving into Grand Theft Auto VI's big debut trailer. Editor-in-Chief Matt Miller also makes a rare appearance to discuss his review of Avatar: Frontiers of Pandora.

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

This week on All Things Nintendo, Brian and Indie Informer's Jill Grodt run down the best indie games that came to Switch over the last calendar year. Brian and Jill chat about their favorite indies and hidden gems of the year, giving you plenty of ideas of games you may have missed and want to check out now that the game release schedule is slowing down. 

If you'd like to follow Brian on social media, you can do so on his Instagram/Threads @BrianPShea or Twitter @BrianPShea. You can follow Jill on Twitter: @Finruin. You can also find Jill's work at The Indie Informer.

The All Things Nintendo podcast is a weekly show where we celebrate, discuss, and break down all the latest games, news, and announcements from the industry's most recognizable name. Each week, Brian is joined by different guests to talk about what's happening in the world of Nintendo. Along the way, they'll share personal stories, uncover hidden gems in the eShop, and even look back on the classics we all grew up with. A new episode hits every Friday!

The Game Awards 2023 was full of announcements big and small, so if you're having trouble keeping track of them all, we've gathered up all our stories here in one place. You can also check out the full list of award winners here. Let us know which announcement excited you most in the comments!

Brothers: A Tale Of Two Sons Unreal Engine 5 Remake Revealed

Pony Island 2 Is The Next Game From The Creator Of Inscryption

Dead Cells Developer Motion Twin's Next Game, Windblown, Revealed

Metaphor: ReFantazio Gets Fall 2024 Release Window In New Trailer

Harmonium The Musical Is A Sign Language Music Adventure

Usual June Is The Latest From Finji

During The Game Awards, we learned that The Outlast Trials is wrapping up its time in PC early access and is heading to consoles next March. The game was first announced in 2019 and entered Steam Early Access in May. 

The game is a co-op take on the popular horror series, with up to four players controlling test subjects fighting to survive in a dangerous test facility. Check out its latest trailer below (headphone users beware: it's got a lot of shrieking streamers). 

The 1.0 launch will include a new Toy Factory trial with new MK challenges. It will also feature new evidence documents, character customization, cell decorations, legendary outfits, an increased level cap, weekly programs, and other quality-of-life improvements. 

The game will be sold alone in a $39.99 Standard Edition and a $49.99 Deluxe Edition that includes the Regent Start Pack, giving players four legendary skins, exclusive cell items, posters, and player icons. 

The Outlast Trials launches on March 5 for PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and PC. 

Alan Wake 2 hit PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, and PC on October 27, but shortly before its release, developer Remedy Entertainment revealed that it would be getting a New Game Plus mode with an alternative narrative and nightmare difficulty, amongst other things. During The Game Awards 2023 last night, Remedy, which picked up three wins during the show, revealed that "The Final Draft" update, which includes the aforementioned New Game Plus mode, goes live next week. 

More specifically, The Final Draft hits Alan Wake 2 on Monday, December 11. It features a new ending to the story of Alan Wake that Remedy says will spark speculation and theory crafting among its most dedicated fans. Plus, there's new lore to find in the form of new videos and manuscript pages. 

The Game Awards 2023 was a massive night for games, with more than 30 announcements, premieres, and more. It ended with developer Larian Studios taking home the Game of the Year award for its critically acclaimed RPG, Baldur's Gate 3. Shortly after the win, Larian revealed that the game was now available on Xbox Series X/S, meaning it's finally playable on PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, and PC.

 

Baldur's Gate 3 director Swen Vincke tweeted, "I had one job and that was to announce this if we won an award – sorry all but happy it's out there," meaning this might have been meant to be an on-stage announcement. Nonetheless, everyone's happy Vincke and the team took the extra time to praise its team of developers and thank fans for the reception during the Game of the Year award acceptance speech instead. 

Xbox players, it’s party time.

Baldur’s Gate 3 is now available for Xbox Series X|S; start your adventure today!
Get BG3 Here: https://t.co/cQgrmWoAQo pic.twitter.com/f08upIYL9z

Mecha Break is an new multiplayer co-op mech game by Seasun Games that premiered during The Game Awards tonight. Fans of games like Armored Core VI and Zone of the Enders may want to keep it on their radar. 

The game puts you in the cockpit of a variety of mech suits, which you can customize the look and weapons of, to take on other players across a variety of modes. The biggest battlefield is a 48-player battle royale. If you’d rather play alongside friends, a co-op option allows three-to-six players to team up to complete specialized missions. Other destinations include a 3v3 arena mode and a 6v6 battlefield mode. See the game in action below.

Mecha Break currently has no release window or announced platforms.

As Dusk Falls, the narrative adventure game about two families linked together by a burglary gone wrong, hit Xbox Series X/S, Xbox One, and PC in July of last year. More than a year later, developer Interior/Night is bringing the game to PlayStation, but you'll have to wait just a bit longer to play it.

That's because As Dusk Falls hits PlayStation 5 and PlayStation 4 on March 7, 2024. Interior/Night announced this news during The Game Awards 2023 tonight. It will also launch on the Epic Games Store and GOG on PC the same day. The studio released a new trailer to celebrate the announcement, and you can check it out for yourself below:

This new PS5 version of As Dusk Falls includes new exclusive features like haptic feedback and touchpad controls. Plus, a new audio description accessibility feature will be available on all platforms in March.

"In this uncompromising crime drama of betrayal, sacrifice, and resilience, players explore the entangled lives of two families across decades, starting in 1998 with a robbery gone wrong in small-town Arizona," a press release reads. "The story can be replayed to discover the vastly different outcomes depending on the decisions taken. As Dusk Falls has an innovative multiplayer mode supporting up to 8 players locally, online, or as a combination of both, using controllers or the companion app for Android or iOS."