Game Informer

Blossom Tales 2: The Minotaur Prince is coming this August, and a new trailer shows off the rogues' gallery of bosses fans can expect to confront in the sequel.

The follow-up to the 2017 Zelda-inspired adventure launches on August 16. Like the first game, players steer an adventurer named Lily through a choice-driven story told by a grandfather to his kids a la The Princess Bride. You’ll hack and slash through dozens of dungeons across both a main story and sidequests. For an idea of the retro-inspired dangers in store, check out the game’s latest trailer. 

Blossom Tales 2: The Minotaur Prince will be available on Switch and PC.

Madden NFL 23 is coming in August with some new tech set to change the game entirely on both sides of the ball. Our own Brian Shea recently went hands-on with the latest version of Madden and its game-changing feature FieldSense, which encompasses a variety of changes to gameplay and animations. You can check out a deep dive into everything FieldSense offers in the video above.

FieldSense, which is exclusive to the newest generation of consoles (PS5 and Xbox Series X/S), has a few different aspects that are covered in the video by senior game design director for Madden NFL 23, Connor Dougan. First is a set of new physics-informed animation as well as animation branching technology that brings a more realistic look to the action on the field. New gameplay techniques like 360 Cuts introduce more control for receivers and running backs, while Hit Everything is a feature that affects just about everything on the defensive side of the ball. For Quarterbacks, Skill Based Passing will let players fine-tune where they're throwing the ball for more precise passes that can be kept away from pass defenders. There are demonstrations of those new concepts and more in the almost five-minute breakdown.

Back at E3 2021, we learned that Plumbers Don’t Wear Ties, one of the strangest FMV games of the ’90s, was getting remastered for modern consoles courtesy of Limited Run Games. Now we know that John, Jane, and Thresher will return later this year. 

The news comes by way of today's Limited Run Presents showcase. What the heck is Plumbers Don’t Wear Ties, you ask? The 1993 game is best described as an interactive romantic comedy firmly aimed at adults, thanks to its mild nudity and sexual innuendo. Players guide a plumber named John, who tries to win the heart of a beautiful woman named Jane in an adventure laden with ridiculous hijinks. That includes dealing with an unreliable narrator and confronting a, shall we say, creepy boss. The gameplay involves making simple decisions in a choose-your-own-adventure format and watching live-action cutscenes. 

To editorialize a bit, Plumbers Don’t Wear Ties is absurd and pretty bad. However, as footage of the game found its way on YouTube over the years, the game has found new life as a cult favorite “so bad it’s good” oddity, not unlike Night Trap (which got a similar remaster a few years ago). Since Plumbers Don’t Wear Ties had a limited release on PC and the poor-selling 3DO console, not many folks have been able to play it themselves. 

Netflix has started a week-long celebration of its upcoming shows and movies coming to the streaming service, and on today's edition of Geeked Week, a new trailer premiered for the new Resident Evil series. Beware, the footage does contain violence, gore, and adult language.

Resident Evil takes place in two time periods, 2022 and 2036, following Jade Wesker (Ella Balinska) before and after the T-Virus is unleashed on the public, causing all kinds of monsters such as zombie people, zombie dogs, and the biggest monster of them all, pharmaceutical corporations. There's also a kaiju-sized caterpillar, and that's pretty cool too! The series also stars Lance Reddick as Albert Wesker, Tetiana Gaidar, and Connor Gosatti. 

Here's a brand new poster for Resident Evil featuring the Licker, an iconic creature that first premiered in Resident Evil 2:

You can start watching Resident Evil on Netflix beginning July 14.

Street Fighter 6 made a big splash during its PlayStation State of Play showing last week, revealing two more fighters, some sort of exploration story mode, and more. While we await more details on some of those features, Capcom has divulged some info on Ryu's new look and the game's place in the Street Fighter timeline.

The game's official Twitter account shared a statement by director Takayuki Nakayama that confirms Street Fighter 6 takes place after the events of Street Fighter III. This places the game at the end of the series' timeline given that Street Fighter V is set before SF 3. 

As for Ryu's new look, Nakayama explains his Buddhist robe, also called a kasaya, showcases Ryu's newfound dignity despite the warrior feeling he's "not there yet." What that means is up to interpretation, but the attire does pair well with Ryu's dashing beard if nothing else. 

About nine months after its release, Nickelodeon All-Star Brawl is getting a big patch today, introducing two much-requested features that will hopefully make the brawler feel like a more well-rounded product. Developer Ludosity has announced it's finally adding character voices and items to the game today.

Alongside voice acting and items, here are the latest patch notes! pic.twitter.com/gfTHwtz4Tj

— Nickelodeon All-Star Brawl (@NickBrawlGame) June 6, 2022

Paired with some substantial character balance adjustments and stage changes, Nick Brawl's fighters will now have voices, with many of the original actors for these characters reprising their roles. This includes what looks to be a big rework of Sandy, which you can see in the embedded tweet above. Here's the complete cast list as revealed by the Nick Brawl Twitter account: 

Last weekend's Pokémon Go Fest delivered two days of catching fun, along with the debuts of Nihilego and Shaymin within the mobile game. Now, Pokémon Go and the Pokémon Trading Card Game are crossing over with events that will touch both games. For Pokémon Go, the event begins on June 16 and brings the chance to catch Wimpod and a new version of Pikachu wearing a TCG hat.

For the Pokémon Trading Card Game, the next expansion is themed around Pokémon Go, and will feature cards based on Team Mystic, Instinct, and Valor. We'll have to wait to see just how many of the cards are true crossovers, but no matter what, it's great seeing these two popular games work together.

For the mobile trainers out there, Wimpod is one of those Pokémon that requires 400 candies to evolve. When this number is hit, Wimpod evolves into Golisopod. The creature that looks a bit like a dead fish transforms into one of the coolest Godzilla-like beasts in all of Pokémon.

This event also sees Mewtwo returning to five-star raids. All Mewtwo caught from June 16 to June 23 will have the Shadow Ball charged attack. Those caught from June 23 to July 1 will have the Psystrike charged attack.

Summer Game Fest kicks off in earnest this week, and one of the biggest presentations will be the Xbox & Bethesda Games Showcase on June 12. If you watch the show and find yourself clamoring for more information, Microsoft has announced an extended version of the presentation a couple of days later.

On June 14, the Xbox Games Showcase Extended airs at 10 a.m. Pacific/1 p.m. Eastern. This supplemental event features 90 minutes of new trailers, interviews, and in-depth looks at the titles shown during the Xbox & Bethesda livestream. Xbox Wire describes the presentation as “all-new,” suggesting it may be more substantial than just a rehash of the June 12 event with a few extra tidbits.   

We don’t know what the Xbox & Bethesda showcase has in store, but appearances from Starfield, Forza Motorsport 8, and Redfall seem like solid guesses. You can listen to some of our Game Informer editors pit their predictions against each other in this episode of the Game Informer Show. 

To learn more about what’s happening and when during Summer Game Fest, keep an eye on our evolving showcase streaming schedule.

After a night of being offline following the Collision event, Fortnite is back, once again shaking up the norm with new biomes to explore, skins to unlock, and gameplay techniques to master. In the final moments of last night's event, we saw Obi-Wan Kenobi locked in combat with Darth Vader. The feared Sith Lord is one of the new skins that is unlockable when you purchase this season's battle pass. At a later date in the battle pass bonus tier, archaeologist Indiana Jones will join the fight.

Fortnite Chapter 3, Season 3 is officially called Vibin', and true to form, it brings a colorful, party atmosphere to its new story thread and areas of the map. On the eastern coast, you'll see two new areas to explore: Rave Cave and Reality Falls. These Biomes feature giant mushrooms to bound across, as well as waterfalls and strange trees to interact with.

Happy Pokémon Go Fest, trainers! We have two long days of catching Pokémon in front of us. To be a part of this festival, you need to buy the ticket in the in-game item shop for $14.99.

As we complete research challenges that lead to a mythical encounter with Shaymin, we'll want to be on the lookout for three Pokémon who are leaving their regions and will only be here for the two days. Those Pokémon are: Tropius, Torkoal, and Galarian Mr. Mime. We'll need to use incense to lure all of them out when they appear in their habitats.

As the Fest unfolds, each hour brings a different habitat with different Pokémon to catch. Many can be the rare shiny variant. Here's what you will find in each, along with the shiny opportunities:

City:
Magnemite (shiny)
Costumed Pikachu (shiny, harder to find)
Galarian Weezing (shiny, harder to find)
Alolan Grimer (shiny)
Hitmonchan (shiny)
Baltoy (shiny)
Golett
Litten
Trash Cloak Burmy (shiny)
Bronzor (shiny)
Pidove (shiny)
Trubbish (shiny)
Gothita

Let's rock, baby! Season 6 of Video Gameography gets stylish as we examine the Devil May Cry series! Over the next few weeks, we’ll be covering the history and lore of Capcom’s premiere action franchise. This week we start from the beginning as we unpack one of the most influential action games ever, Devil May Cry.

Arriving stateside on October 16, 2001, the game stars Dante, a demon hunter (and half-demon himself) on a mission to stop underworld emperor Mundus from invading the human world. The game began life as Resident Evil 4, helmed by a hotshot young director named Hideki Kamiya who veered the game from survival horror to stylish action. While it proved too drastic of a departure for Resident Evil, Capcom knew they had something and reworked the project into its own franchise. Listen on to learn how Dante was conceived, our thoughts on the game’s story, and how we fared against the game’s legendarily brutal difficulty.

Join hosts Marcus Stewart (@MarcusStewart7), John Carson (@John_Carson), along with MinnMax contributer and former Game Informer editor Joe Juba (@Joejuba) 

Amazon Games has partnered with Disruptive Games, the studio behind Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 1 + 2 and Diablo II: Resurrected, to create a new intellectual property that will release on a variety of machines. Described by Amazon Games as an online multiplayer action-adventure with cooperative and competitive play, this new experience appears to be set in a post-apocalytpic or post-war world. This observation comes from two pieces of concept art that show crashed airplanes that appear to be heavily weathered.

The humans pictured in these artworks hold primitive weapons, such as a rifle with a bayonet. One of the characters appears to have mechanical legs. Several of these beings also wear headsets with tall antenna, likely for cooperative communication.

In a press release, Christoph Hartmann, the vice president of Amazon Games, says we can expect something different from this multiplayer experience. "The talented team at Disruptive Games is creating a fresh take on the multiplayer action-adventure genre, with strong game design and rich world-building that we're excited to help bring to players."

On Disruptive's official website, this new IP is amusingly codenamed "super secret project." We'll have to wait for more details, but the usage of concept art with game title implies it's a long way off.

Jurassic World Evolution 2 delivers plenty of prehistoric thrills, and will soon get a massive update based on the forthcoming Jurassic World Dominion motion picture, but it isn't the only new dinosaur experience on the horizon or that you can play right now.

I scoured the internet for dinosaur titles that are in the works and found five that look promising. The last one on this list is something you can download right now. Here's what we can look forward to soon:

Jurassic Architect
Humanity is in trouble. After depleting most of Earth's resources and polluting its air, the only hope for survival lies in the past. The world's powers come together to send humanity back to the prehistoric age where they can again mine the planet for its minerals and fill the air with waste. This city building experience tasks you to build new settlements for humanity within the world of dinosaurs. Some of these thunder lizards can be used to help you in the mines. Others can be ridden to expedite travel. A good number of them, however, are hostile. On an incredibly dark note, those killers can even be turned into gladiators for your own coliseum. Jurassic Architect is currently in development for PC and looks incredibly ambitious, almost like a sci-fi and prehistoric Sim City. Sadly, no release date has been given.

Big things are once again happening in Fortnite. On June 4, players are invited to experience a timed event called "Collision." This story-driven moment can only be played once and will kick off at 4 p.m. ET. Epic Games says the fate of the Zero point will be decided in this gameplay event, which I believe will lead into Chapter 3, Season 3.

The events in Fortnite are always fun, as they shake up the gameplay, change the environments, and introduce new characters to the battle royale universe. Collision hits just a week after Obi-Wan Kenobi is introduced. A mysterious tower has also appeared in the center of the island.

Epic Games is encouraging streamers and players to record the event, as it won't be repeated. The last event brought us The Foundation (played by Dwayne Johnson) and Spider-Man. The island also flipped over and gave us an entirely new map to discover. What will happen this time? The teaser image above gives us a taste of a monstrous return.

If you have the Battle Pass, you have just one week to complete it and get Doctor Strange (and his alternate costumes in the bonus tier). Fly through the missions you can for big XP bumps.

If you log in at any point on June 4 after 8 a.m. ET, you'll receive an exclusive loading screen and lobby track for Collision. You'll be able to log into the Collision lobby 30 minutes before the event begins.

What do you hope to see from Season 3? Any character skins you are hoping to see added or return?

This episode of All Things Nintendo chats all about the new Pokémon Scarlet & Violet trailer. Brian is joined by Wicked Good Games' and Not Another Gaming Podcast's Dom Mahoney to break down the new features and characters in the trailer, as well as chat about all the news from the week.

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

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!

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

Resident Evil fans have had a lot to celebrate over the years. Biohazard and Village have brought the series back to its horror roots in unique ways. The Resident Evil 2 and 3 Remakes have been a perfect way to relive the glories of the past with contemporary improvements. But what comes next? Resident Evil 4 Remake is the answer, and we're pouring over every detail of the new trailer in today's spoiler-filled breakdown.

Alex Stadnik is your host for the video and welcomes Resident Evil 4 superfan Blake Hester to dissect every nook and cranny of Capcom's surprise announcement from the latest Sony State of Play. As stated above, we go into a lot of spoilers of the original game, so if you haven't played it yet, please bookmark this video and come back.

The boys kick things off by discussing their levels of surprise when the fourth entry in the iconic series makes its first appearance. They then break the trailer down scene by scene, letting you know what they think will be different and what will stay the same. They also ponder if the remake will feature a character similar to Mr. X, Nemesis, or Lady D instead of creating a straight one-to-one recreation. Finally, they wrap by discussing whether or not the game will get delayed and what their levels of hype are after seeing Leon's return.

Sega revealed a quick 30-second teaser of Sonic Frontiers gameplay earlier this week, and IGN released a full seven-minute look at the open-world gameplay of the Blue Blur’s latest. Now, you can watch more than six minutes of combat from the game, and it looks like Sonic combat…in a 3D open world. 

As we previously saw, Sonic Frontiers’ world is beautiful and one of the most realistic-looking games in the franchise’s history. Today’s combat showcase takes place in the same area as the previous gameplay premiere but with decidedly less rail grinding and more spinball fighting action. As you might expect, Sonic fights in Sonic Frontiers like he always has – lots of jump attacks, spin moves, kicks, and more. However, it seems he does have a few new tricks up his sleeve. Namely, an in-air jolt attack that makes him dash all over the screen before doing an interesting rotating circle attack. Take a look for yourself below: 

Update, 6/3/22:

During yesterday’s State of Play showcase, Sony revealed Insomniac Games’ Marvel’s Spider-Man Remastered would be coming to PC on August 12. It turns out Marvel’s Spider-Man: Miles Morales is actually coming to PC this year, too, according to a PlayStation Blog Post spotted by IGN. However, while Spider-Man Remastered will be released on PC this summer, the PlayStation blog says Miles Morales will “launch on PC in fall 2022,” so presumably later than August 12. 

Oddly enough, PlayStation didn’t reveal Miles Morales was coming to PC during yesterday’s showcase, an odd exclusion for a segment of the show that was all about Spider-Man’s big PC release. Nonetheless, you can play through both of Insomniac’s Spider-Man games on PC later this year.  

The original story continues below...

Original story, 6/2/22:

Have you been wanting to web-sling as Spidey on your PC? You’re in luck! Today, at Sony’s State of Play, it was announced that Insomniac’s Spider-Man is coming to PC in its remastered form on August 12. Previously, you could only play the game on PS4 and PS5. 

Like clockwork, MLB The Show's arrival each spring always brings a familiar face. Ramone Russell has been there front and center to tell us what is new in each edition of this annualized series. Ramone is Sony Interactive Entertainment's product development communications and brand strategist, but I've always jokingly called him "the face of The Show."

In the years I've interviewed Ramone about The Show, I've learned he has an inspiring story to tell. People always ask me "How do I get into the video game industry?" and there's no easy answer to that. Everyone's journey will be different, but it always requires patience and a drive to make it. That drive is the backbone of Ramone's story. He knew he wanted to get into video games and sacrificed everything numerous times to get there. I recently talked to him about his path from working as a police officer to becoming a staple in PlayStation's communications.

If there’s one thing I’ve always said, it’s that Final Fantasy games should let us control our summoned gods and primals as if they were Godzilla and fight fellow summons in boss-like battles. Okay, I’ve never said that, but dangit, I wish I did because it looks like that’s precisely what Final Fantasy XVI is delivering. 

Yesterday, Square Enix released a new trailer during PlayStation’s State of Play showcase, and it was our biggest and longest look at FF XVI yet. This nearly three-minute trailer featured fresh details on this entry’s story, extended looks at combat and gameplay, and more. It also introduced us to several new characters that appear to be central to the narrative of FF XVI who can seemingly transform into, or at least embody, primals...or summons or gods or whatever you want to call them this time around. And it looks so dope. 

Sega has revealed its next miniature console, the Mega Drive Mini 2. 

This news comes by way of Video Games Chronicle, which reports that it will include 50 games from both the Mega Drive and Mega Drive CD, including ports of arcade games and games Sega calls “mysterious new work.” Sega revealed this mini console during a special livestream in Japan today. It included news that the company will release the Mega Drive Mini 2 on Oct. 27 (in Japan) with a roughly $75 price tag. Sega has not confirmed a release outside of Japan, according to VGC. 

 

VGC reports that these are the confirmed games so far:

You have Final Fantasy XVI on the brain if you’re anything like me. This game, which Square Enix’s Creative Business Unit III studio is developing, has admittedly been on my mind since Square Enix revealed it in 2020. However, it’s especially front and center today after the FF XVI trailer that aired during yesterday’s State of Play. 

That trailer featured new looks at gameplay, more information about the warring kingdoms, including the Empire, surrounding the story, and the key figures at the heart of it all. Yesterday’s trailer highlighted these characters because they seem to have the ability to transform into completely, or at least embody, the primals or summons seen throughout the Final Fantasy franchise – primals and summons such as Ifrit, Bahamut, Odin, Shiva, and more. Following that trailer, Square Enix has uploaded some new screenshots of the beautiful landscapes in FF XVI we’ll be trekking across, and they look fantastic. Check them out for yourself below: 

A new trailer for Final Fantasy XVI was released during today's PlayStation State of Play, and it revealed a whole lot of war, turmoil, and primals. 

It also gave us extended looks at gameplay and a summer 2023 release window, which might come as a surprise considering producer Naoki Yoshida said in April that FF XVI was near the end of development. The trailer, which dove deep into the story of FF XVI, focuses on the war that will soon be waged between warring kingdoms, with the Empire seemingly leading the charge. At the heart of this war are multiple key figures who appear to have the ability to transform into (or at least embody) primals, which have traditionally been summons in Final Fantasy games.

Check them out for yourself in the trailer below: 

Here are the primals/summons seen in the trailer: 

We haven't seen the jaw-dropping, peaceful-seeming indie since last year. Just a few months after its debut at The Game Awards, the title seemed to be stalled after several hostile workplace allegations. However, today's State of Play proved the game is still in development and aims to come out in Autumn. The unexpected release window is coming up quickly, but the gorgeous new trailer suggests Season: A Letter to the Future will be ready.

Season won't task you with fighting monsters or saving the world. Rather, the game puts the player in the shoes of a traveler named Estelle, who is recording everything around her for posterity. There are hints that Season's sweeping vistas, sun-drenched fields, and flowing waterfalls won't be around for future generations. The trailer explains that no one knows what will happen when "the season" ends, which makes the job of documenting the world for the future so important. We see the protagonist going about this assignment is various ways, like writing in a journal, taking photos, and recording audio. She also stops off to speak with the people around her while exploring the landscape on her bike.

As the narrative designer, Meg Hutchison explains:

Sony's State of Play debuted a quirky dating-action game called Eternights. In it, independent developer Studio Sai invites you to find love in the most trying times – during an apocalypse.  

The game challenges you to make the most of life during this catastrophic situation. That means finding life and saving the world. When a mysterious entity infects humans and turns them into monsters, you must race against the clock to find an answer for survival, especially if you want to save your new relationship. In the game, you scavenge, dungeon crawl, and date your way to answers. But be aware that you're doing it all on a deadline, with a clock constantly ticking, reminding you to meet your deadlines.

Studio Sai promises dungeons with traps and puzzles, alongside fun dancing minigames. You also get to pick from a cast of five characters for your romantic pursuits, each with their own unique stories and skills to help you battle. The action showcased in the trailer looked fast-paced and featured mostly hacking and slashing away at baddies while using the face buttons to unleash powerful skills and magical abilities. There was even a motorcycle sequence to get your adrenaline pumping. You can watch the trailer above to see it all in action for yourself. 

So get ready to hold hands, makeout, and fight to stay alive when Eternights debuts on PS5, PS4, and PC sometime in early 2023. 

Capcom brought out the big guns for Sony's State of Play Presentation, first announcing a remake of Resident Evil 4 is coming next year, but Street Fighter 6 is also confirmed for 2023. Not only did the next installment of the legendary fighting game franchise make an appearance, but there was plenty of in-game footage shown, along with a second trailer showing a revolutionary new feature. 

First, the footage shown in the State of Play introduced a new single-player mode for SF6 called World Tour, which has players roaming the streets in an open world picking fights with other world warriors. The other is Battle Hub which is where players can throw down in matches online. Capcom states the mode will "further expand the scope of player communication and engagement." 

As for the characters shown, Luke was at the heart of the trailer, displaying his powerful punches in a gym, and he looks to be teaming up with newcomer Jamie who utilizes some form of drunken boxing. Redesigns were shown for Ryu and Chun-Li, both of which are modeled to be a bit older than they were in SF5, with Ryu sporting his new beard and attire. Chun-Li is also seen going toe-to-toe with a woman who may be Li-Fen, who would also be debuting in Street Fighter 6.

If you thought football (both types) would continue being popular in the year 2030, you are apparently wrong. A new bloodsport called rollerdrome will apparently become all the rage in that year. Rollerdrome is in development at Roll7, the studio behind the OlliOlli series, and will be published by Private Division on August 16 for PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, and PC.

Anyone can compete in this deadly game, but the deck is stacked against them, as they take on house players (much like the American Gladiators show). The goal of each competitor is to achieve the highest score possible, by combining rollerskate tricks with eliminations. The player assumes the identity of Kara Hassan as she enters her first match. Your goal is to rise the ranks and hopefully become the Rollerdome champion – meaning you stay alive.

“It’s been amazing to see this project come to life from the original prototype that received a lot of love online, all the way to the brutal and intense experience it is now – thanks to the amazing work of the team at Roll7,″ Paul Rabbitte, creative director at Roll7, said. “We’re really excited for players to jump into Rollerdrome.”

<p><img src="https://www.gameinformer.com/sites/default/files/styles/body_default/public/2022/06/02/ae5a7113/stray.jpg" width="800" height="450" alt="Stray July Release Date PlayStation" typeof="foaf:Image" class="image-style-body-default" /></p> <p>A new trailer for Stray, <a href="https://www.gameinformer.com/2020/06/11/annapurna-and-blue-twelve-introduce-stray-a-game-about-cats-and-robots" target="_blank">the adorable cat game first revealed in 2020</a>, was released during today's PlayStation State of Play and it featured new looks at gameplay and the exciting news that we can play it next month.&nbsp;</p> <p>That's because Stray will hit PlayStation 5,&nbsp;PlayStation 4, and PC on July 19. As for the trailer, it showcased more of the behind-the-cat, third-person (err, third-feline?)&nbsp;gameplay central to the game. As previously seen, this stray cat inhabits a very cyberpunk-esque world, filled with robots and more. As for the titular stray cat's place in all this, it seems they're on a mission to help inhabitants of this world and ultimately, find a way home.&nbsp;</p> <p>You can watch the trailer for yourself below:&nbsp;</p> <iframe width="560" height="315" frameBorder="0" allow="autoplay" allowfullscreen="true" src="https://players.brightcove.net/694940074001/rydylbNsz_default/index.html?videoId=6307216595112"></iframe> <p>Here's what publisher Annapurna Interactive has to say about Stray: "In Stray, players take the role of a stray cat who must untangle an ancient mystery to escape a long-forgotten cybercity amidst the detailed neon-lit alleys and the murky environments of its seedy underbelly. Along the way, the cat befriends a small flying drone, known only as B12.

<p><img src="https://www.gameinformer.com/sites/default/files/styles/body_default/public/2022/06/02/1d697dfe/cal1.jpg" width="800" height="450" alt="" typeof="foaf:Image" class="image-style-body-default" /></p> <p>Today’s State of Play is bringing an array of exciting projects that are on deck for PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, and the upcoming PlayStation VR 2, but few are as anticipated as Callisto Protocol, the upcoming horror game from Striking Distance Studios. The game got a new trailer at today’s presentation, along with a December 2 launch date.</p> <p>For those not in the know, Striking Distance Studios is led by Glen Schofield, the same person who helped lead development of the original Dead Space way back in 2008. Even as EA is actively <a href="https://www.gameinformer.com/2022/03/11/dead-space-remake-ea-shows-new-look-at-gameplay-teases-early-2023-release">working on a remake</a> of that original game, Schofield’s team is charting out a new universe of horror that is clearly inspired by the gameplay and visual palette of that older game.</p> <p>In the new trailer, we get an extensive glimpse at the gory&nbsp;and terrifying gameplay in store for players when the game launches later this year. We see protagonist Jacob Lee as he makes his way through one scary-looking outer space locale to the next, often with the looming presence of the gas giant planet of Jupiter overhead. &nbsp;</p> <p>Jacob wanders&nbsp;through tight and dimly lit corridors before an array of monsters manage to get to him. We see an interesting mix of melee and ranged weapons that the scared hero can wield. But even with some helpful toys, things don't always go well for Jacob. Striking Distance is pulling no punches in regard to what happens to their lead character&nbsp;if players don’t manage to pull him out of trouble.

Tunic is finally making its way to Sony's machines. Announced Thursday during the most recent State of Play livestream, the indie darling will be released on PlayStation 5 and PlayStation 4 on September 27 of this year. 

When it was released on Xbox consoles and PC back in March, Tunic received near-unanimous acclaim from critics, who most often cited its Zelda-like exploration and Souls-like combat. It didn't hurt that the game, which stars a little fox on a big adventure, was painfully adorable. As we said in our review, "Tunic is a stunning achievement that manages to embody the best of nostalgia while being completely refreshing. It’s absolutely a must-play gem."

Check out the announcement trailer right here: 

For more on Tunic, make sure to read our in-depth making-of feature.

Sony opened Thursday's State of Play livestream by announcing the long-rumored, often-leaked Resident Evil 4 Remake. While the brief trailer didn't show much in the way of gameplay, it did show various locations and characters from the game, and most importantly, a release date: March 24, 2023.

Most strikingly – and predictably – the new Resident Evil 4 looks leagues better visually than its 2005 counterpart. During the minute-long trailer, we see protagonist Leon Kennedy, antihero Ada Wong, Ashley Graham, Luis, and brief glimpses of antagonists Osmund Saddler and Bitores Mendez. The trailer also shows quick looks at Salazar Castle and the iconic village from the beginning of RE4 and the baddies that inhabit them. The voiceover seems to indicate the game's story has been expanded and will act as a more direct sequel to Resident Evil 2, which also stars Leon as its protagonist. 

The trailer ends with a brief tease that VR content is also in development for Resident Evil 4. 

See the trailer in full below.

A new Horizon Forbidden West update was surprise announced during today's PlayStation State of Play stream and it's out now. 

It brings many new highly requested features to the game, including New Game+, transmog, and more. More specifically, this update, which can be downloaded now, will allow players to begin a brand new game with all of their endgame gear. If they find a new gear set they prefer, they can take on all the stats of it while keeping the look of their favorite set thanks to transmog. 

Elsewhere, this update allows players to completely reset their skills and redistribute skill points. That's going to be especially helpful for players who need to reshape their build in a new difficulty now live in Horizon Forbidden West: Ultra Hard difficulty. 

"Climb the mountain. Find out why the machines are attacking." Today's Sony State of Play brought fans another look at Guerrilla Games' VR adventure, Horizon Call of the Mountain, though the trailer didn't specify a release window. However, it did reveal some of the game's big narrative plot points. The trailer, which you can watch below, was also filled with lush environments and showed off several impressive, first-person shots of the world's monstrous machines.

You'll be playing as Ryas, an entirely new character, who was once a Shadow Carja. He finds himself mysteriously released from prison by Blameless Marad, the Sun King's right-hand man, to combat a deadly threat. Skilled at climbing and archery, Ryas ends up washed ashore after a Snapmaw attacks his two captors. The wild rapids look like they'll be an experience in the PSVR2 game's campaign, but players can check out even more rushing waters in the Call of the Mountain River Ride. This bonus feature offers to show you Horizon's world in a totally new way. 

A post on PlayStation's blog offered more insight for players who are ready to jump into the Ryas' story, saying:

Sony's State of Play livestream delivered plenty of fireworks in the form of notable game announcements. A few of these reveals are games designed exclusively for the forthcoming PlayStation VR2 headset. We still haven't gotten our hands on this highly anticipated device, and today Sony made the wait for this moment all the more difficult with the announcement that Resident Evil Village, The Walking Dead: Saints & Sinners – Chapter 2: Retribution, and No Man's Sky are all in development for it.

The footage for Resident Evil Village doesn't make the experience look much different, as it was already first person, but if it's anything like the other Resident Evil experiences, the headset will up the terror and immersion.

The Walking Dead gave us glimpses of using a chainsaw against zombie hordes, as well as other sharp instruments and firearms. Skydance Interactive and Skybound Entertainment say the game is slated to release in late 2022 for PSVR2.

No Man's Sky looks absolutely stunning, but we'll have to wait to get our hands on it to see if it's any different than the PC version.

What did you think of Sony's showcase? Are you excited for PSVR2? Let us know in the chat below.

Super Nintendo World opened in Universal Studios Japan last year, and word of mouth (and various YouTube videos featuring walkthroughs and more) says it’s a great theme park addition. Universal is clearly a fan of it because Super Nintendo World expansions have received the greelight at both Universal Studios Hollywood and at the Universal Studios theme park in Florida. 

Now, we know the first Super Nintendo World in the U.S. will open in early 2023 in Hollywood. This news comes by way of the official Universal Studios Hollywood Twitter account, which revealed the early 2023 timeframe today alongside a picture that reveals Mario is no longer the short king he’s always been. Instead, he has extra long legs that – I’m going to be honest – ain’t right. Luigi is the tall one, Universal! Not Mario!!

Get ready, #SuperNintendoWorld is coming to Universal Studios Hollywood in early 2023. pic.twitter.com/pCYaeHgWsq

Developer Shiny Shoe, the indie team behind 2020’s Monster Train, has announced its next game and it’s called Inkbound. 

Revealed today with a fancy new trailer that showcases gameplay and cinematics from the game, Shiny Shoe describes Inkbound as a mixture of action RPGs, tactics games, and roguelikes. It looks great, too, and you can check it out for yourself in the announcement trailer below: 

“Inkbound takes players on a journey through procedurally generated storybook worlds, battling monsters that are set on unraveling the nature of reality itself,” a press release reads. “Players can dive in solo or party up via online co-oop in hybrid real-time/turn-based encounters. All the while, heroes become more powerful the deeper they progress in each roguelike run.”

The season of game announcements is finally here, and it's Sony kicking off the fun as one of the biggest publishers in the world is taking the digital stage to show off what's coming to PlayStation platforms. Join Game Informer as we react live to everything shown during this State of Play presentation live on Twitch!

Watch on Twitch!

Your host for today's exciting show is the one and only Alex Stadnik. The big man will kick off the proceedings live starting at 4:45 p.m. CT for a little preshow where he'll give you some predictions and bring the hype. But what can people expect from today's State of Play? According to the official PlayStation Blog, fans can look forward to: "exciting reveals from our third-party partners, plus a sneak peek at several games in development for PlayStation VR2." We know one of those games is Horizon Call of the Mountain, developer Guerrilla Games' and Firesprite's collaboration featuring one of Sony's biggest franchises.

No longer shall it be called Dragon Age 4, as developer BioWare has revealed a new name for the upcoming RPG that will henceforth be known as Dragon Age: Dreadwolf.

A blog post announcing the title also goes into one possible meaning behind it. It's of course a reference to Solas, AKA The Dread Wolf, who happens to share a moniker with the game, although with a slight difference in spelling. Once an ally to players, this Solas is being set up as the big bad in Dreadwolf. The post describes him as maybe being "an ancient elven god, but some say not. Others say a betrayer of his people…or a savior who now seeks to rescue them at the cost of your world. His motives are inscrutable and his methods sometimes questionable, earning him a reputation as something of a trickster deity—a player of dark and dangerous games."

We're back with another loaded episode of The Game Informer Show! This week we're diving deep into our exclusive cover story of The Callisto Protocol and discussing the game's promising combat, story, and scares. We're also going around the panel and predicting what's going to make an appearance at next week's Summer Game Fest. Finally, we round out the show with one of the weirder editions of Listener Questions to end another great podcast.

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

00:00:00 - Intro
00:02:19 - The Callisto Protocol
00:27:17 - Summer Game Fest Predictions
01:13:45 - Housekeeping
01:23:02 - Summer Game Fest Content Plans
01:28:24 - Listener Questions

Follow us on Twitter: Stadnik (@Studnik76), Alex Van Aken (@itsVanAken), Andrew Reiner (@Andrew_Reiner), Brian Shea (@BrianPShea), and John Carson (@John_Carson).

Over two years after release, with multiple seasons of characters added, it looks like Arc System Works and Cygames aren't done with Granblue Fantasy Versus quite yet. Starting tomorrow, a new patch will be applied to the fighting game that will add balance changes to the roster, but more importantly, also add new mechanics to the game.

Patch 2.80 for Granblue Fantasy Versus is ushering in three new mechanics that will undoubtedly change the game in massive ways. First is Rush, a tactical move that dashes the character forward to quickly close the distance on the opponent and strike when they least expect it. Similarly, Backshift is a dash backward that allows for a quick escape from pressure or a dodge to use in dicey situations, like back-dashing on wakeup to foil the opposition's advance. Both are used by pressing L2 on the PlayStation controller (or corresponding mapped button) and the direction you want the dash to move in. Using either of these tactical moves consumes 50% of the Skybound Art gauge, so use them sparingly and only when needed.