Game Informer

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

Bandai Namco released a new launch trailer for Elden Ring, which hits consoles and PC this Friday, and it promises a celebration of war for champions of the Lands Between. 

As you might expect with an Elden Ring trailer, or really any From Software game trailer, it’s not easy to parse together exactly what’s happening. A narrator talks about a celebration of war, possibly in a tournament-like setting, while another talks about heroes becoming forsaken and more. It’s a lot to wrap one’s head around but even if you aren’t determined to piece together the new lore presented in the trailer, there’s plenty to see. 

Platform: Switch
Publisher: Nintendo
Developer: Sora, Ltd
Release: December 7, 2018

Super Smash Bros. Ultimate might be done getting new content after the release of Sora last year, but there’s still some things coming out of the game, like the release of new amiibo. 

Platform: PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Stadia, PC
Publisher: Bungie
Developer: Bungie
Release: February 22, 2022
Rating: Teen

It’s time for the payoff. For years, Bungie has teased the potential of Destiny’s most devious villain. In recent months, that tease has escalated. The Hive queen named Savathûn has infiltrated all the major storylines, insinuating herself into the events shaping the story. Now, at long last, the Witch Queen’s trap is sprung, as she co-opts humanity’s most precious resource – the Light that gives power to its Guardians – and uses that power to make deathless warriors of her own. 

Kyle Hudson didn’t know what Nintendo was. But it was 1988, he was just back from boot camp, and he needed a job. His friend, Jeff Palmer, suggested they both go work for Nintendo. Palmer’s cousin Cliff worked there as a gameplay counselor; he got paid to play video games all day. Hudson and Palmer could do that, too, the latter said.

“Jeff sold it to me like, ‘Hey, we’re gonna sit in a cubicle and play games all day and answer phone calls,’” Hudson recalls. “And I was like, ‘Hell yeah.’”

In 1987, Nintendo launched its Nintendo Power Hotline. If a player encountered problems beating a video game, they could call the hotline and get advice from what Nintendo called a gameplay counselor. It was effectively a call center. It was also so much more than that.

By the time Nintendo shut the hotline down in 2005, gameplay counselors had helped millions. It became a part of video game history, fondly remembered decades later by children that called. For some kids, gameplay counselors were heroes; they were literally people who got paid to play video games all day. For others, counselors were the first people in their lives to talk seriously with them about games. For many counselors themselves, the call center launched their careers – both within and outside of Nintendo. Despite not knowing what Nintendo was in 1988 when he applied, Hudson stayed with the company until 2012. More than two decades after taking his first call, he had worked his way up to Nintendo’s product testing manager.

Platform: PlayStation 5, PC
Publisher: PlayStation Studios
Developer: Naughty Dog
Release: January 28, 2022
Rating: Teen

Sony Pictures and PlayStation Productions’ latest movie, Uncharted, which is a prequel of sorts to the game series of the same name, have a hit on their hands. 

PlayStation has revealed the headset for its upcoming PlayStation VR2 system alongside a new look at the final design of the accompanying PSVR2 Sense controllers. 

The company recently discussed this new virtual reality headset at CES 2022 last month alongside news that its popular Aloy-focused Horizon series would be getting a PSVR2-exclusive release called Horizon: Call of the Mountain. Since then, details about the headset have slowly trickled out but, until today, we didn’t actually know what the headset looked like. Now, we do: 

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Platform: Switch
Publisher: The Pokémon Company
Developer: Ilca, Game Freak
Release: November 19, 2021
Rating: Everyone

After announcing over the weekend that most ongoing Pokémon games like Pokémon Masters EX, Unite, and Sword And Shield will be receiving an update leading up to this year’s Pokémon Day on February 27, Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl have received a new update. 

After a gargantuan week of comic book releases, we dedicate most of this episode to discussing those titles. The new Thor and Hulk from scribe Donny Cates are the highlights, but we were also pleasantly surprised by a couple of books we took chances on, including one that is all about cartoon dogs.

We'll get back to the movie and video game talk next week, but this episode should give you plenty of new and old books to read, many of which have ties to other entertainment mediums.

If you would like to follow us on Twitter: Andrew Reiner (@Andrew_Reiner) and Philip Hoff (@bnow23).

From Panel to Podcast is a weekly show created by two lifelong comic book readers who offer suggestions on which comic books you should be reading each week. Each episode also dives into the latest developments for comics in video games, movies, and television shows. We'll even discuss comic book collectibles and anything we think you should know about that pertains to this entertainment medium.

Be sure to subscribe to From Panel to Podcast on your favorite podcast platform. The show is available on Google Podcasts, Spotify, and Apple Podcasts.

Platform: PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Stadia, PC
Publisher: Bungie
Developer: Bungie
Release: February 22, 2022
Rating: Teen

Destiny 2’s upcoming expansion, The Witch Queen, doesn’t launch until tomorrow but you can have the titular villain orchestrate intricate schemes your own home with this grotesque statue of Savathûn.

Platform: PlayStation 4
Publisher: Sony Computer Entertainment
Developer: Naughty Dog
Release: May 10, 2016
Rating: Teen

I'll be honest; I came up with this headline before I thought about what this article would really be about. Because, realistically, what can I say here? "Remember that blockbuster gaming franchise that everyone loves and has just gotten a film adaptation? They should make more of those." It's kind of a "no duh" situation. I'm not the first person to say they liked *good thing* and want another *good thing*. I should probably say something a little more sensational. Okay, fine: Uncharted is an incredibly unique, industry-shaping series that resonated with me powerfully, and we deserved more of it.

The United States of America has had 45 presidents. Chrono Cross has 45 characters you can recruit as party members. Despite existing in different realities, our commanders-in-chief share some staggering similarities with the denizens of the classic PlayStation RPG – including their hobbies, mannerisms, and physical appearances. But which pairings work the best?

We don’t need to keep explaining how this works; you’re probably sick of seeing “Which president approximately equals which Chrono Cross character” lists all over the internet by now, but we’ll try to throw in some nontraditional picks to surprise you. So strap yourself in, because all of this is about to make complete and total sense.

01. George Washington = Kid
If you had to choose a single person to represent the concept of President of the United States, you would choose George Washington. Likewise, Kid is the face of Chrono Cross. Even though she’s not technically the protagonist, she is at the center of the story, and that visual of her on the beach is the first image that comes to many players’ minds when they think of the game.

Today America voted for its next President. Is it too late to change our vote to one of these five video game presidents? Which of these fictional Commander-in-Chiefs would you vote for?

President Adam Benford from Resident Evil 6

Political History: President Benford, A.K.A. President Evil, is close friends with both Leon and Sherry; Sherry even refers to him as uncle. Benford helped recruited Leon as a U.S. Government Agent. In Resident Evil 6, he tried to do the right thing by telling the American people the truth about what happened in Raccoon City, but he ended up with a craving for human flesh and a fatal case of bullet through the brain.

Controversy: Cannibalism. Can we really trust a president who eats human flesh?

Solidus Snake from Metal Gear Solid 2: Sons of Liberty

Halo premieres on Paramount+ next month, and its showrunners have already answered one of the series’ biggest questions: yes, you will see Master Chief’s face for the first time.

IGN’s Ryan McCaffery interviewed Halo’s cast and creators and when he popped the million-dollar question, the show's executive producer and 343 Industries Head of Transmedia Kiki Wolfkill confirmed Chief's face will be shown. She explains it as a storytelling necessity by saying, “We set out to tell a character story and a personal story, and once we really got into what that story was, it became clear that you really needed to see the person in the armor and under the helmet. So you will.”

Wolfkill continues by saying, “We absolutely respect both sides of that fence, those who really want to see Chief’s face and those who really don’t. But for the nature of this story, it felt really important to connect with the Master Chief in a different way, and that meant showing the face.”

Platform: PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Stadia, PC
Publisher: Activision
Developer: Bungie
Release: September 6, 2017 (PlayStation 4, PC, Xbox One, Stadia), December 8, 2020 (PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S)
Rating: Teen

Amazon Prime’s Fallout TV series has found one of its lead stars. Walton Goggins has been confirmed to star in the show, according to a new report by Deadline on Friday. 

Goggins’ most notable TV roles include portraying Boyd Crowder on the Western crime drama Justified, voicing Cecil Stedmen in Amazon’s hit series Invincible, and Baby Billy Freeman in The Righteous Gemstones. Goggins film credits include The Hateful Eight, Ant-Man and the Wasp, and the most recent Tomb Raider film. His role in Fallout series is unknown, but Deadline reports that he’s rumored to portray a Ghoul, a human mutated by radiation in the Fallout universe. 

Platform: PlayStation 4, PC
Publisher: Square Enix
Developer: Square Enix
Release: June 20, 2017
Rating: Rating Pending

Final Fantasy XIV: A Realm Reborn famously arose from the ashes of its ill-fated first iteration in 2014. Since then, the MMO has exploded in popularity thanks to several well-received expansions, including its latest, Endwalker. If you somehow thought Square would be slowing down after eight years, you’d be grossly mistaken. During its recent Letter from the Producer Live presentation, the publisher discussed its plans to support the game for the next decade.

Publisher: Capcom
Developer: Capcom

If you were busy doing important things such as sleeping, Capcom announced Street Fighter 6 during the wee hours of the morning following the conclusion of the Capcom Pro Tour. A brief cinematic teaser trailer of Ryu and Street Fighter V upstart Luke is all we have to go on for now in terms of details, but that doesn’t mean we can’t speculate on what we want/expect from the title. So World Warriors, what do you want from Street Fighter 6?

As a Street Fighter fan who grew up loving SF II, was less hot on III, got back on the wagon with IV, and completely skipped V, I’m a bit out of the loop, so I'm not entirely sure myself. I'm confident the gameplay itself will be fine, but the reason I never got around to playing the fifth game was due to its infamously botched launch. SFV released missing desired features (like an arcade/story mode) for so long that I stopped caring and had occupied myself with other fighting games by the time they arrived. So I suppose my number one request for Street Fighter 6 is not to do that again. 

Platform: PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, PC
Publisher: Atlus
Developer: Atlus
Release: August 26, 2022
Rating: Mature

Atlus announced the next entry RPG will be a follow-up to its cult-favorite Devil Summoner: Soul Hackers, aptly dubbed Soul Hackers 2. 

In Soul Hackers 2, the world faces an apocalypse. An entity named Aion tasks two AI agents, Ringo and Figue, to halt Earth’s destruction. The pair must track down and resurrect slain Devil Summoners, humans capable of summoning and commanding demons, using their Soul Hack ability. These Devil Summoners represent different Devil Summoner factions and their murders played a role in triggering Earth’s downfall. It’s up to Ringo and Figue to discover why that is and how to stop it. 

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Platform: PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Switch, PC
Publisher: Frontier Foundry
Developer: Okomotive
Release: March 1, 2022
Rating: Everyone

Far: lone Sails was first released in 2018 and it gained quite a fan base – Game Informer gave it an 8.25 in our review – thanks to its unique premise, meditative gameplay, and interesting world design. Developer Okomotive is back with a sequel to it with this year's Far: Changing Tides and it promises to bring all of the environmental puzzles with it. 

Platform: PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Switch, PC
Publisher: Capcom
Developer: Capcom
Release: June 24, 2022
Rating: Teen

In addition to revealing Street Fighter 6, Capcom also announced its celebrating 35 years of fighting games with a new collection. Aptly dubbed the Capcom Fighting Collection, it bundles 10 games from across the company’s most beloved (and niche) franchises including Street Fighter, Darkstalkers, and more.

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Publisher: Capcom
Developer: Capcom

Capcom’s weeklong countdown clock has expired and on the other side is the announcement of Street Fighter 6.

The reveal fittingly came at the conclusion of the Capcom Pro Tour. The cinematic teaser showed a face-off between Ryu and Luke, the final DLC fighter to join Street Fighter V who Capcom previously said would play an important role in the franchise's future. The art style resembles a more traditional 3D look compared to the ink brush style that defined Street Fighters 4 and 5, though this could only be for the trailer and not indicative of the in-game graphics. Unfortunately, nothing else was revealed other than the promise of more information coming this summer. 

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Shortly after the reveal, Yusuke Hashimoto, the director of Bayonetta 2 who has also worked on the Resident Evil series and God Hand, announced on Twitter that he's among the game's designers. 

Platform: PlayStation 3
Publisher: Sony Computer Entertainment
Developer: Naughty Dog
Release: October 13, 2009
Rating: Teen

After tackling Metroid in season 1 and then Halo in season 2, Game Informer's Video Gameography podcast turns its gaze to one of Sony's biggest properties: Uncharted. Last week, we kicked things off with Drake's Fortune, and now we move on to Uncharted 2: Among Thieves, the superb sequel that catapulted the franchise into the stratosphere.  

Reviewed on: Switch
Also on: PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, PC
Publisher: The Arcade Crew
Developer: Berzerk Studio
Release: February 14, 2022
Rating: Mature

In the first 10 minutes of Infernax, I faced a choice to kill or spare someone who asked to die. I chose to kill them, and without a moment’s hesitation, my character’s mace crushed through their skull. Their face was mangled, with eyes popping out the sides, as the mace destroyed everything between their nose and the cowlick on the back of their head. It is a brutal introduction to the “kill or spare” choice system that presents itself a handful of times throughout Infernax, and it was only a taste of the carnage that’d soon color my crusader’s journey to defeat evil once and for all. 

Infernax’s quick and beautiful prologue is reminiscent of Castlevania II: Simon’s Quest, which this game seems to be heavily inspired by. It plays right after you begin a new game, setting up what’s in store for you. Infernax is one part an homage to those retro games of old – sometimes to a fault if the punishing difficulty of the NES era is not something you enjoy – and another part Berzerk Studio’s crack at creating something new. For the most part, it expertly replicates those experiences that defined that era of games. 

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Last year, Wizards of the Coast announced a partnership with Capcom to release a set of Universes Beyond Magic: The Gathering Cards based on Street Fighter. Yesterday, the entire Secret Lair set was revealed, sporting eight mechanically new Magic cards representing the original eight characters from Street Fighter II. Fortunately, all of them are flavorfully spot-on to their fighting game counterparts and look to be fun additions to any Commander deck they'll fit in.

Each card looks to be lovingly crafted to mimic their fighting style as best as possible within the Magic ruleset. Ryu, is, of course, always training and delivering devastating attacks, while Ken can put a little extra fire onto his beefy attacks. Chun-Li utilizing Multikicker is just a chef kiss design, and Dhalsim with reach and plenty of card draw will control Commander games like he controls Street Fighter matches. My favorite is E. Honda, who encourages your deck to go wide with creatures and can buff up to one hundred of them while attacking. It's all just super fun stuff to play around with in all of these new cards.

You can see the whole Secret Lair set below:

Platform: PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Stadia, PC
Publisher: CD Projekt
Developer: CD Projekt Red
Release: December 10, 2020 (PlayStation 4, Xbox One, PC, Stadia), February 15, 2022 (PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S)
Rating: Mature

Reviewed on: Xbox One
Also on: PlayStation 4, Switch, PC, Mac
Publisher: Studio MDHR
Developer: Studio MDHR
Release: September 29, 2017 (Xbox One, PC, Mac), April 18, 2019 (Switch), July 28, 2020 (PlayStation 4)
Rating: Everyone

Cuphead made me shout obscenities at a flower. Its cheerful dragon tempted me to head-butt my television. And the candy princess? Oh, you don’t even want to know. I didn’t appreciate it until much later, but those early maddening hours with Studio MDHR’s run-and-gun platformer were like a kiln, hardening my skills and turning me into the best damned Cuphead player that I could be. That trial by fire is ultimately one of the most satisfying parts of the overall experience, but players who just want to enjoy its unique aesthetic are going to get burned.

Platform: PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4
Publisher: PlayStation Studios
Developer: Guerrilla Games
Release: February 18, 2022
Rating: Teen

Today, the long-anticipated sequel to Horizon Zero Dawn hits PlayStation 5 and PlayStation 4, and to celebrate, we're going to stream the early hours of the game. Join associate editor John Carson (AKA the King of Late Night) on Twitch at 2:30 p.m. Central as he jumps into the post-post-apocalyptic world of Horizon Forbidden West.

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You may be thinking, "But, John, where's Super Replay? I want to see Marcus be a badass Jedi." I hear you, and I'd like to see that as well. We're giving the Replay crew the day off to enjoy the long holiday weekend, and they'll be back to their usual antics next Friday.

Platform: PC, iOS, Android
Publisher: Square Enix
Release: July 29, 2021

Square Enix announced back in December that its Final Fantasy VI Pixel Remaster would be releasing this February, and now we know it’s coming next week on February 23. Since revealing that release date, Square Enix has released some footage from the remaster and fan response has been mixed. 

Platform: PlayStation 4, Xbox One, PC
Publisher: Ubisoft
Developer: Ubisoft Singapore
Release: 2022

Skull & Bones was announced in 2017 and other than a few trailers and gameplay showcases, things have remained mostly quiet on it. In fact, much of the news that has since come out about Skull & Bones has been regarding delays, directors leaving, and more. Just last month, it was revealed that one of the game’s co-directors departed from Ubisoft. 

Platform: PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Stadia, PC
Publisher: Ubisoft
Developer: Ubisoft Montreal
Release: November 10, 2020 (Xbox Series X/S, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Stadia, PC), November 12, 2020 (PlayStation 5)
Rating: Mature

If you’ve been paying attention to the video game industry as of late, you likely already know that 2022 has so far been defined by one word: acquisitions. 

Platform: PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, PC
Publisher: 2K Games
Developer: Visual Concepts
Release: March 11, 2022
Rating: Teen

WWE 2K’s simulated grappling can be fun, but there’s something satisfying about booking your own shows, managing contracts, and drafting wrestlers, which is why 2K22’s MyGM mode is attractive. I got to sit down with this latest reinvention of the fan-favorite mode, guiding my chosen brand through a 15-week ratings war. 

Platform: 3DS
Publisher: Nintendo
Developer: Nintendo
Release: February 13, 2015
Rating: Everyone 10+

Update, 2/18/22:

Nintendo announced last month that The Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask would hit its Nintendo Switch Online + Expansion Pack subscription service in February. Now, we have an official release date. 

Nintendo revealed in a tweet late last night that Majora's Mask will hit the service next week on February 25. To help celebrate the news, a new trailer for Majora's Mask was released as well and you can check it out below: 

Platform: PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4
Publisher: PlayStation Studios
Developer: Guerrilla Games
Release: February 18, 2022
Rating: Teen

Horizon Forbidden West introduces six skill trees: Hunter, Warrior, Survivor, Trapper, Infiltrator, and Machine Master. Each contains numerous abilities that allow players to sculpt the Aloy of their liking. Whether she’s a melee-focused butt-kicker or a stealth-oriented machine hacker, there’s no wrong answer in terms of what you choose. It can, however, be paralyzing to know where to start. 

Platform: PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4
Publisher: PlayStation Studios
Developer: Guerrilla Games
Release: February 18, 2022
Rating: Teen

Horizon Forbidden West’s new setting is teeming with exotic, dangerous, and never-before-seen machines. We already broke down the fearsome Slitherfang, and Guerrilla divulged some additional details on previously revealed robotic creatures. But, for those who haven’t kept track of the game’s fearsome new faces, here’s a handy round-up of the new machines that have been revealed thus far. 

Platform: PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4
Publisher: PlayStation Studios
Developer: Guerrilla Games
Release: February 18, 2022
Rating: Teen

Platform: PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4
Publisher: PlayStation Studios
Developer: Guerrilla Games
Release: February 18, 2022
Rating: Teen

Platform: iOS, Android
Publisher: Riot Games
Developer: Riot Games

On this week's episode of The Game Informer Show, the crew is joined by Kinda Funny's Greg Miller to discuss Horizon Forbidden West review impressions and the upcoming Nintendo eShop closures on 3DS and Wii U systems. We also briefly discuss our time playing Lost Ark, Rune Factory 5, and OlliOlli World. Lastly, a listener question sparks a conversation about which video game characters we would draft as the new Suicide Squad – and my controversial pick might surprise you!

Spoiler: I chose Tingle because I hate that creepy video game toddler man and hope we finally bury him.