Game Informer

Platform: PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Switch, PC
Publisher: Electronic Arts
Developer: Respawn Entertainment
Release: February 4, 2019 (PlayStation 4, Xbox One, PC), March 9, 2021 (Switch)
Rating: Teen

PlayStation has finally pulled back the curtains on its heavily-rumored relaunch of PlayStation Plus and PlayStation Now, and as expected, it combines Plus and Now benefits. 

Spread across three tiers – PlayStation Plus Essential (cheapest), PlayStation Plus Extra, and PlayStation Plus Premium (most expensive) – one of these is basically what Plus has been for years. At the same time, the other two add in Now's backward compatibility features. All three tiers launch this June, although PlayStation did not reveal an official release date. 

Here are the three tiers that will be available this June: 

Long Live Mortal Kombat: Round 1 – The Fatalities and Fandom of the Arcade Era is an upcoming novel detailing the origin and early history of Mortal Kombat. The book compiles interviews with MK co-creator John Tobias and other designers, critics, and fans to weave a comprehensive tale of the franchises' beginnings. Author David L. Craddock (Stay Awhile and Listen trilogy, Monsters in the Dark: The Making of X-COM: UFO Defense) has launched a Kickstarter campaign to get the book off the ground and shared an exclusive chapter from the book with Game Informer that you can read below.  

Long Live Mortal Kombat: Round 1 Book Cover

Long Live Mortal Kombat: Round 1 – The Fatalities and Fandom of the Arcade Era goes behind the scenes to reveal untold stories from the making of Mortal Kombat 1 through 4 and explores how the franchise impacted popular culture, and is funding now on Kickstarter. In this excerpt from the book, a small boy earns the respect of the drug dealers who rule his arcade by besting them in a fight—in Mortal Kombat.

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Platform: PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, PC
Publisher: Bandai Namco
Developer: Supermassive Games
Release: TBA

The Dark Pictures Anthology: The Devil In Me is the upcoming installment in Supermassive Games’ collection of horror games and the season finale. So far, a cinematic trailer has established the atmosphere for the scares to come, and now we know that Academy Award-nominated actress Jessie Buckley will star in the game.

Whether you're looking for a traditional one-on-one 2D fighter, an arena brawler, a platform/party game, or a frantic tag-team affair, the current fighting game genre is diverse and action-packed. Want something balanced and geared for competition? Have friends over and want to play something accessible and approachable? Do you have a nostalgic itch to scratch or want to connect with a popular character in a new way? Fighting games have all of these bases covered. You don't need to be a skilled tournament player to enjoy the games on this list, but the option is certainly there if you'd like. Presented in no particular order is a list that will mold and change as new games release. Here are the top fighting games you should check out right now.

Platform: PlayStation 5, PC
Publisher: Far From Home
Developer: Far From Home

Far From Home has released a new trailer for its upcoming first-person survival sci-fi game, Forever Skies, and it showcases the impressive verticality players will be scaling on an abandoned, decrepit Earth. 

Forever Skies was revealed back in January. Far From Home showed then that players will control a scientist who returns to a devastated Earth to scavenge for remains while discovering what’s changed on their former home planet. Following an ecological disaster, Earth has been left heavily coated in a thick layer of toxic dust, and you’ll need to discover why this happened and how to survive it while you’re there. At the heart of the game’s survival exploration is your airbase, which is like a sci-fi airship that serves as your headquarters. 

Platform: PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, PlayStation 4, PC
Publisher: Bandai Namco
Developer: Ilca
Release: 2022
Rating: 12+

Platform: PlayStation 4, Xbox One, PC, Mac
Publisher: Toge Productions
Developer: Toge Productions
Release: January 29, 2020
Rating: Teen

Fahmi, the creator and writer of the acclaimed indie visual novel game Coffee Talk, has passed away.

Platform: PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, PC
Publisher: Bandai Namco
Developer: From Software
Release: February 25, 2022

Elden Ring is a massive game, both in terms of the actual world and the scale/scope of the action RPG. Having been out for just a month, players are still discovering all kinds of secrets, and something tells us that will continue to happen for months, if not years. 

Platform: PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, PC
Publisher: Nexon
Developer: Eighting, Arc System Works
Release: June 28, 2022

A new trailer for Arc System Works and Eighting's latest fighting game DNF Duel has dropped, once again highlighting the Ghost Blade's combat style, but this time with a new beta announcement attached at the end. 

PlayStation 5 and PlayStation 4 owners (sorry, PC players) will get to grind out rounds of DNF Duel starting on April 1 at 7 p.m. Pacific and lasting until April 4 at 7 a.m. Pacific. The testing period's roster isn't confirmed, but every character is present in the trailer, just like in the previous beta announcement, leading me to believe all 11 characters will be playable this weekend. 

Platform: Switch
Publisher: Nintendo
Developer: HAL Laboratory
Release: March 25, 2022
Rating: Everyone 10+

Kirby and the Forgotten Land had a big launch in the U.K. and that’s usually a great sign for a game, as we wait for U.S. numbers (and others) to be released. 

Platform: PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, PC, Mac
Publisher: 2K Games
Developer: Irrational Games
Release: August 29, 2013
Rating: Mature

BioShock Infinite just had its nine-year anniversary on Saturday, having first released on March 26, 2013, and now, fans are noticing something odd about the PC version of the game: it has quietly received 13 updates this month. 

Platform: PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Switch, PC
Publisher: Nacon
Developer: Big Bad Wolf
Release: May 19, 2022

Vampire: The Masquerade - Swansong is an upcoming narrative RPG set within the cult tabletop universe and looks to be one of the more promising game releases in 2022. In this episode of New Gameplay Today, join Alex Van Aken alongside Kimberly Wallace and Wesley LeBlanc as they react to some of the wildest vampire mind control they've seen.

Platform: PC
Publisher: Endnight Games
Developer: Endnight Games

Endnight Games has announced that its upcoming survival game, Sons Of The Forest, has been delayed from its original May release window to October. 

This news comes by way of Endnight Games’ own Twitter, where the studio announced that its vision of the game is too ambitious for it to hit its May 2022 release date. The team needs more time to bring its vision to life, and it’s taking an additional five months to do just that. 

Now that season 4 of Video Gameography is complete, and the Uncharted series has been, well...charted, it's off to new frontiers and fresh faces. After saying farewell to co-host Ben Reeves in the last episode, we welcome GI Associate Editor John Carson to the podcast as the new co-host alongside the ever-present Marcus Stewart. Along with a series of guests, season 5 of Video Gameography will be an exploration and examination of 2K's Bioshock franchise.

So, we cordially ask, would you kindly follow us into the depths of the sea? We're headed to the city of Rapture, made by and for movers and shakers, unbound by the expectations and judgments of the surface world.

Developed by Irrational Games (AKA 2K Boston) and released in 2007, Bioshock reimagined and redefined what a modern shooter could be. In this episode, we explore the origins of the series stemming from the commercial failures of the well-loved PC franchise System Shock and the turbulent development cycle in which Bioshock triumphantly succeeded in spite of. We discuss director Ken Levine's inspirations of Rapture and its inhabitants like the industrial mastermind Andrew Ryan, the Big Daddies, Little Sisters, and much more.

Join hosts Marcus Stewart (@MarcusStewart7), John Carson (@John_Carson), and Game Informer Associate Editor Wesley LeBlanc (@LeBlancWes) as we unpack the history and narrative of the first Bioshock! 

Just like the last handful of weeks, this was another big one for great new games to play. Today specifically marks the releases of Kirby and the Forgotten Land, Ghostwire: Tokyo, and Tiny Tina’s Wonderlands, all of which we have reviewed (click the respective game title to read our write-ups for each). Despite having this glut of new adventures to embark on, this edition of Weekend Warrior features a fur-full twist.

Below you can find a mix of what the GI staff is up to over the weekend, but more importantly, an introduction to the animal friends we share our lives with. It’s raining cats and dogs on this week’s Weekend Warrior, and we’d like you to follow suit by introducing your companions in the comments.

Without further ado, meet the pets of Game Informer:

Andrew Reiner – Snow White

Margaret Andrews – Behold Prince Indigo, Fiercest Guardian of Treats and Mousies.

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Platform: Switch
Publisher: Nintendo
Developer: HAL Laboratory
Release: March 25, 2022
Rating: Everyone 10+

Kirby’s inaugural 3D adventure is finally here with Nintendo and Hal Laboratory’s Switch exclusive Kirby and the Forgotten Land. It’s a wonderful trek (read our review) through an abandoned land that looks awfully like our own, where the cute, yet dastardly Beast Pack have taken over the various cities, factories, malls, and theme parks. Here are some tantalizing suggestions to keep in mind while you venture into the worlds set in the Forgotten Land.

Platform: PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Switch, PC
Publisher: Warner Bros. Interactive
Developer: TT Games
Release: April 5, 2022
Rating: Everyone 10+

Lego Star Wars: The Skywalker Saga may let you relieve all nine films from the eyes of its greatest heroes, but where would they be without their foils? A new trailer runs down all of the baddies sworn to the Dark Side or otherwise that you'll be crossing plastic lightsabers with or play yourself.

The trailer gives us shots at humorous takes on Kylo Ren (with TT Games leaning into the shirtless Kylo memes), an organ-playing Palpatine, General Grievous, Boba Fett, and, of course, Darth Vader. The video also gives us an unexpectedly fun twist on Order 66. 

Platform: Switch
Publisher: Nintendo
Developer: Nintendo
Release: April 28, 2017
Rating: Everyone

This week's episode of All Things Nintendo is centered on the newest major Nintendo release: Kirby and the Forgotten Land. Game Informer's John Carson joins Brian to talk about his review of the newest Kirby game. However, before they can get to that, the two chat about the biggest Nintendo news from the past week and wrap up with a fun Definitive Ranking and the latest eShop Gem of the Week.

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

Platform: Xbox Series X/S, Xbox One, PC
Publisher: Xbox Game Studios
Developer: 343 Industries
Release: December 8, 2021
Rating: Teen

For the last decade-plus, the failure to launch a Halo show or movie has been as synonymous with the series as Needlers and energy swords. That all changes this year as Paramount Plus has finally released the first episode of the long-awaited series but does it live up to the hype? Join the Alexes, Reiner, and Shea on this bonus episode of The Game Informer Show, where they SPOIL and recap everything from episode one of the new Paramount Plus show.

Platform: PlayStation 5, PC
Publisher: Square Enix
Developer: Square Enix
Release: October 11, 2022

After flinging herself up a sheer cliff face with the help of some high-flying parkour magic, Forspoken’s protagonist, Frey, approaches a rotunda made of stone and metal. Blazing in the center of the structure is a pool erupting with a glowing, flame-like aura. This is our first introduction to a Seat of Reflection, a kind of mini-dungeon players will be able to fight through while traveling in Athia. Overcoming its challenges will be tough, and monsters lurk within which players won’t find outside the complex. But with the potential to enhance your fighting skills, the rewards promise to be great.

Platform: Xbox Series X/S, Xbox One, PC
Publisher: Secret Mode
Developer: Hugecalf Studios
Release: 2022

Rocket League’s blend of soccer and car combat proved to be a massively successful example of an idea “just silly enough to work.” Turbo Golf Racing borrows from a similar playbook by combining over-the-top arcade-style racing with, you guessed it, golf. 

The upcoming title pits players in a chaotic race to guide their respective giant balls into a big hole. You can jump, dash, glide, and flip your vehicles to knock balls through boost rings and past obstacles like sand traps and trees to get it in the hole before your opponents. Courses sport speed boost ramps, and barreling off hills deploys glider wings on the cars. Up to eight competitors can compete online, and you can get a taste of how races play out in the trailer below. 

Platform: PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, PC
Publisher: 2K Games
Developer: Gearbox Software
Release: March 25, 2022
Rating: Teen

Today on Twitch at 2 p.m. Central, we’ll be diving headfirst into Tiny Tina’s Wonderlands! Editors Marcus Stewart, Andrew Reiner, and Brian Shea will be blasting through the newly-launched Borderlands spin-off in co-op and showing off the game's first two hours. 

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

PAX East 2022 to Feature Larian Studios, Gearbox Software, Hundreds of Exhibitors

Game Industry Reunites in Boston this April for the Twelfth Annual PAX East

BOSTON — March 14, 2022 — PAX East 2022, the East Coast’s most attended gaming event, welcomes hundreds of exhibitors including some of the most popular publishers and developers in the industry to the Boston Convention and Exhibition Center (BCEC) from Thursday, April 21, 2022 to Sunday, April 24, 2022.

This spring, PAX East organizers invite the global gaming community to join a massive show floor replete with AAA creators for sneak peeks at the future of gaming. Witness the next step on the road to the launch of Baldur’s Gate III with Larian Studios. Gearbox Software returns after their blockbuster unveiling of Borderlands 3 at PAX East 2019 to celebrate the launch of Tiny Tina’s Wonderlands while looking toward the future. See new creations from Devolver Digital’s catalog of award-winning, critically acclaimed titles.

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Platform: PlayStation 5, PC
Publisher: Bethesda Softworks
Developer: Tango Gameworks
Release: March 25, 2022
Rating: Teen

Tango Gameworks is currently celebrating the release of GhostWire: Tokyo, which is out on PlayStation 5 and PC today, but the studio is already preparing for future titles. Namely, ones that will showcase the studio’s strengths in genres other than horror. 

Platform: PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Switch, PC
Publisher: Wired Productions
Developer: KeokeN Interactive
Release: October 10, 2019 (PC), April 24, 2020 (PlayStation 4, Xbox One), August 14, 2020 (Switch), May 19, 2022 (PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S)
Rating: Teen

Platform: PC
Publisher: Thunderful Publishing
Developer: ClockStone

Lego games are much more few and far between these days than they used to be last generation and the one prior to that, but there are still some releasing this year. Namely, Lego Star Wars: The Skywalker Saga, which looks great. 

However, a new Lego game has been announced for 2022 and it’s called Lego Bricktales. Set in an original world, Lego Bricktales is a game more focused on the creativity of playing with Legos and ultimately, building beautiful dioramas. Announced in a trailer, it’s being developed by Clockstone, the team behind Bridge Constructor, and published by Thunderful Publishing. 

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Platform: PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, PC
Publisher: 2K Games
Developer: Gearbox Software
Release: March 25, 2022
Rating: Teen

Tiny Tina’s Wonderlands, the latest looter shooter from Gearbox Software that takes place in the titular character’s version of Dungeons & Dragons, “Bunkers and Badasses,” is out today. To celebrate the launch of a new campaign, Gearbox has released a new launch trailer that showcases new enemies like banshees, some of the abilities we’ll be using in-game, and more. 

Platform: PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4
Publisher: PlayStation Studios
Developer: Polyphony Digital
Release: March 4, 2022

Gran Turismo 7 has been heavily criticized by its player base as of late due to the game’s live-service economy. The latest simulation racer from Polyphony Digital reviewed quite well – Game Informer gave it an 8.75 out of 10 – but since its launch, the game’s credit system has been heavily scrutinized, with players citing that it’s built around encouraging microtransactions.

Master Chief makes his official television debut today, but you won't find Microsoft's iconic green Spartan soldier on traditional TV stations. Despite being produced by Showtime, the live-action adaptation of Halo can only be found on the Paramount+ streaming service.

If you're new to Paramount+ and haven't had a subscription on file, you can sign up for a free seven-day trial and squeeze in the first episode, and maybe the second if you're quick enough when it releases next Thursday. Otherwise, a full-blown membership will run as low as $4.99 a month for an ad-supported plan or $49.99 for an entire year which saves $10 if you're okay with paying for the subscription upfront. You can sign up for the trial or subscription on the Paramount+ website. The app can be downloaded on a variety of smart devices, including the most brand synergistic way to watch Halo, on your Xbox. If you're a Game Pass Ultimate subscriber, you can snag a 30-day trial for Paramount+ thanks to membership perks available right now.

Netflix has announced its acquisition of a third video game studio in mobile developer Boss Fight Entertainment, according to The New York Times. 

Boss Fight Entertainment is based in Allen, Texas, but boasts 130 employees across studios in Austin and Seattle. One of its biggest titles is the strategy RPG Dungeon Boss, and the talent there consists of veterans that worked on games such as Halo Wars, Age of Empires, and Star Wars: The Old Republic. Netflix has not revealed how much it paid for the studio.

Since last September, Netflix has been gradually scooping up game developers to bolster its presence in the video game market. Earlier this month, it purchased Finnish mobile developer Next Games for $72 million. Netflix’s acquisition of Oxenfree developer Night School stands as its most noteworthy purchase so far. The team behind Afterparty is currently developing Oxenfree II: Lost Signals. You can read more about what the future holds for Night School in our interview with the studio’s director. 

Platform: PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Switch, PC
Publisher: Warner Bros. Interactive
Developer: TT Games
Release: April 5, 2022
Rating: Everyone 10+

April is shaping up to be all about brick building in a galaxy far, far away. At the start of the month, Lego Star Wars: The Skywalker Saga is releasing on almost every video game platform, and shortly after that, Lego is releasing three awesome new dioramas inspired by scenes from the original trilogy.

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Platform: PlayStation 5, PC
Publisher: Bethesda Softworks
Developer: Tango Gameworks
Release: March 25, 2022
Rating: Teen

In this week's episode of The Game Informer Show, the crew shares their review impressions from the month's biggest releases, including Tiny Tina's Wonderlands, Ghostwire: Tokyo, and the Nintendo Switch's newest 3D platformer, Kirby and the Forgotten Land.  

Platform: Xbox One
Publisher: Telltale Games
Developer: Telltale Games
Release: November 25, 2014
Rating: Mature

Activision Blizzard, which is already embroiled in multiple lawsuits from former and current employees detailing sexual harassment, discrimination against women and other marginalized groups, and more, has been hit with another lawsuit. 

This news comes by way of Bloomberg, which reports that the company behind franchises like Call of Duty and World of Warcraft had a lawsuit filed against it Wednesday by a current employee who alleges rampant sexism amongst other things. The suit was filed in Los Angeles County Superior Court by attorney Lisa Bloom, who held a public press conference in December regarding the company’s sexual harassment, on behalf of a current employee, referred to as “Jane Doe” in court documents. 

“For years, Activision Blizzard’s open ‘frat boy’ environment fostered rampant sexism, harassment, and discrimination with 700 reported incidents occurring under CEO Robert Kotick’s watch,” the lawsuit reads, according to Bloomberg. 

Developer Small Impact Games, along with publisher Team17, has announced a new first-person shooter called Marauders, which is designed with mixed PvP and PvE in mind.

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Set in an alternate 1990s where The Great War never ended, humanity has fled to space, where many people are forced to scavenge space stations and the like to survive. The setting is retro-futuristic, offering a dieselpunk aesthetic instead of a high-tech and clean space fantasy like Star Trek. Players will raid cosmic vessels solo or with up to three other allies for loot, such as new guns and gear, and hopefully, make it out alive in the end. If successful, you'll likely have all kinds of new weapons and tools to bring into upcoming matches and experience gains to boot. Or you can hock most of it for some extra spending cash.

Other players raiding the same place can spoil the run by taking your team out during firefights that are likely to break out. Alternatively, they could also hop in your ship and commandeer it as their own. Starships can be individually customized and upgraded, allowing players to escape safe and sound after gathering precious space plunder while also adding dogfighting opportunities to the match. Losing your means of escape, let alone one you've spent time beefing up between missions will be something you'll want to avoid.

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Platform: PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, PC
Publisher: Electronic Arts
Developer: DICE
Release: November 19, 2021

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Reviewed on: PC
Also on: PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, PlayStation 4, Xbox One
Publisher: Curve Digital
Developer: Neon Giant
Release: July 29, 2021 (Xbox Series X/S, Xbox One, PC), March 24, 2022 (PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4)
Rating: Mature

From the iconic works of Philip K. Dick to the seminal table-top RPG by Mike Pondsmith, fans of the cyberpunk genre are familiar with the theme of characters in search of an identity and purpose. The Ascent suffers from a similar identity crisis in its attempts to pull from dungeon-crawling RPGs and twin-stick shooters, but it never ascends to the heights of either genre. This mindlessly fun co-op experience features bombastic gunplay, engaging cybernetic abilities, and a visually impressive world to wreak havoc in.

HBO's The Last of Us was announced in 2020, but details outside of casting choices remain scarce. A small number of images have given fans brief glimpses at different setpieces, but a recent leak revealed brothers Sam and Henry. 

New HBO's The Last of Us set photos in Calgary!
Joel (Pedro Pascal), Ellie (Bella Ramsey), Henry (Uknown), Sam (Uknown) #TheLastofUs #HBO pic.twitter.com/9OObMY4JXk