Game Informer

Platform: Switch
Publisher: Valve Software
Developer: Valve Software

Valve's landmark puzzlers, Portal and its sequel, Portal 2, are coming to the Nintendo Switch, as announced today during Nintendo's most recent Direct livestream. 

In terms of the releases, the Portal Companion Collection seems to be just that: both games in one package. The brief announcement trailer did not specify any new content coming to the games, aside from the change in platform. Nevertheless, playing the Portal games in handheld mode seems novel. 

Check out the trailer here:

Click here to watch embedded media

No release date was given for Companion Collection, though the trailer did announce the games will be released "this year." 

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

Kirby and the Forgotten Land is coming on March 25. In today's trailer shown during the latest Nintendo Direct, we got a new look at some of Kirby's abilities in the game. 

As you'd expect, they involve him sucking items up and transforming based on what he swallowed. This ability is known as Kirby's Mouthful Mode, and when he sucks up something like a car, for example, Car Mouth is activated. In Car Mode, Kirby can race around the level, ramming through any enemies in his way. 

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Platform: Switch
Publisher: Nintendo
Developer: Nintendo

During today’s 40-minute long Nintendo Direct, we got a glimpse at Splatoon 3’s frenetic cooperative multiplayer mode. 

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Platform: Switch
Publisher: Forever Entertainment
Developer: Forever Entertainment

Front Mission is back with Front Mission 1st: Remake coming to Nintendo Switch this summer. Announced at today's Nintendo Direct, a remake of Front Mission 2 has also been announced to come to Switch at a later point in the future. Check out the entire announcement trailer below!

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Platform: Switch
Publisher: Nintendo
Developer: Nintendo
Release: June 10, 2022

Today during Nintendo's latest Direct presentation, the company announced Mario Strikers: Battle League, a new entry in the series with an action-focused take on soccer. The game will be released on June 10, though pre-orders are available now. 

Twisting the original sport, Battle League pits two teams of five against each other to – as you might expect – score more goals than the opposing team. While the game can be played alone, it also features up to eight-player multiplayer and the ability to join online soccer leagues.

Check out the trailer below: 

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Platform: Switch
Publisher: Nintendo
Developer: Koei Tecmo
Release: June 24, 2022

Nintendo has revealed Fire Emblem Warriors: Three Hopes, which, as the name implies, is a Three Houses take on the Musou Warriors spinoff.

Fire Emblem Warriors was first released back in 2017, and it was the first Warriors game set in the universe of Fire Emblem. It's back in Three Hopes, which will bring Byleth, Edelgard, Dimitri, Claude, and all of your favorite students and teachers from Three Houses back for the fight. Despite having the "Fire Emblem Warriors" name, this is not DLC – it's a brand-new game. It will be released on June 24 on the Nintendo Switch, so you won't have to wait too much longer now. 

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Platform: PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, PC
Publisher: Mundfish
Developer: Mundfish
Release: 2022

Mundfish's Atomic Heart has been making the rounds in gaming forums since early footage was first showcased in 2018. A retro-futuristic take on 1950s Soviet Russia, the world of Atomic Heart is infested with rampaging automatons, wooly man-bear-things(?), gelatinous horrors, and much more. IGN premiered a brand new trailer with an assortment of story beats, English localization, and a surprise Fall 2022 release window. You can watch the new gameplay/cinematics below.

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

Sony teased an exciting AI reveal last week and today, it unveiled Gran Turismo Sophy, a new AI developed in partnership with Polyphony Digital that races vehicles so well that it outperforms professional GT drivers. 

On the surface, it looks like a very good driving AI and if you’re anything like me, you’ve had your butt kicked by AI drivers in the likes of Need for Speed, Dirt, and even Gran Turismo before. However, Sony’s presentation today, which included speakers from Polyphony Digital including Gran Turismo 7 producer Kazunori Yamauchi, showcased just how great Sophy is at Gran Turismo. 

When Microsoft announced its plans to purchase Activision Blizzard, one of the first questions was whether Call of Duty and the publisher's other existing titles would eventually become Xbox exclusives. Head of Xbox Phil Spencer quickly stated that Microsoft plans to honor existing contractual agreements between Sony and Activision regarding Call of Duty specifically and vaguely expressed a desire to keep the series on PlayStation. 

Though pretty definitive, the second bit of Phil's statement left room for interpretation. A new blog post by Microsoft further clarifies its commitment to keeping Activision Blizzard titles multiplatform. The post, which discusses a new set of Microsoft Store principles in preparation for the Activision acquisition approval process, says the following:

Platform: Switch
Publisher: Nintendo

The latest Nintendo Direct is here, and with it comes dreams of The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild 2, Hollow Knight: Silksong, and more, but will any of those titles actually make an appearance? Join Game Informer at 3:30 p.m. CT for our official watch-along and preshow live on Twitch!

Your hosts for the occasion are none other than The Council of Alexes (Stadnik and Van Aken). The two Alexes are here to take your questions, react live to all the big announcements, and show the chat a good time as we see what's next for the Nintendo Switch.

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Platform: PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, PC
Publisher: Warner Bros. Interactive
Developer: AdHoc Studio
Release: 2023

During a special livestream hosted by Geoff Keighly, The Wolf Among Us 2's first trailer premiered along with a release window of 2023. Keighly sat down with Telltale's designers and voice actors to spill the beans on what's in store for the long-awaited second season.

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

Update, 2/9/22:

Yesterday, we reported that the Battlefield 2042 petition had amassed over 25,000 signatures. Today the count has surpassed 70,000. According to the petition webpage, with 75,000 signatures, the refund petition will become one of the most supported initiatives currently on Change.org. The introductory remarks of the petition are as follows:

The original story continues below...

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

Platform: iOS, Android
Publisher: Square Enix
Developer: Square Enix

Octopath Traveler: Champions of the Continent is a mobile prequel to the 2018 RPG that launched in Japan in October 2020. It became wildly popular overseas and now Octopath fans in the west will have their chance to see why when the English version arrives this year.

Champions of the Continent plays similarly to the original title. The turn-based field command system remains but up to eight characters can take the battlefield instead of only four. Naturally, the game retains the original’s signature HD-2D art style. 

Platform: PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, PC
Publisher: Warner Bros. Interactive
Developer: AdHoc Studio
Release: 2023

The Wolf Among Us is a cult hit amongst fans of developer Telltale Games' distinct form of storytelling. But when the studio ran into financial trouble back in 2018, the world over wasn't sure if they'd see the continued tales of Bigby Wolf. Today fans are in for a treat, though, as we finally get to see what's behind the curtain on The Wolf Among Us 2 as we react live with you on Twitch.

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Platform: PlayStation 4, Xbox One, PC
Publisher: Bandai Namco
Developer: From Software
Release: April 12, 2016
Rating: Mature

Update, 2/9/22:

From Software has revealed that the online servers for its Dark Souls suite of games on PC will remain offline until the launch of Elden Ring. 

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

A new PlayStation 5 beta has been revealed and it brings new options to things like party chat, game base, the console’s user interface, and more. 

This beta, which kicks off today for those who have signed up for PlayStation’s beta program, is the PS5’s second and it’s only available to those in the U.S. and U.K. Of course, since this is just a beta, it doesn’t necessarily mean the rest of the world will see these options. Considering the test-like nature of this beta program, there’s the possibility that participants don’t like everything they see, which might cause PlayStation to change some things up. Only time will tell for now, though. 

In the meantime, here’s what you can expect in this new PS5 beta: 

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

Horizon Forbidden West is right around the corner – it hits PlayStation 5 and PlayStation 4 on February 18 – and while there are plenty of trailers to watch in the meantime, there’s some new Aloy-inspired content waiting for you in Ghost of Tsushima. 

Platform: PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, PC
Publisher: Activision
Developer: Sledgehammer Games
Release: November 5, 2021
Rating: Mature

Reviewed on: PlayStation 5
Also on: PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Switch, PC
Publisher: Private Division
Developer: Roll7
Release: February 8, 2022
Rating: Everyone 10+

Last week, I noticed my hand was sore. I didn't think much of it, mostly because I wasn't sure why it would be hurting. On Monday, while playing OlliOlli World, I found my reason. I'm not sure there's a better way to recommend World than that; it pushed my hands to their limit. 

Compared to the previous two OlliOlli games, which could be prohibitively difficult, World is simultaneously an easy-to-approach 2D skateboarding game with an impossibly high skill ceiling. Early on, the game does a great job quickly teaching you the basics of its trick systems (mostly tied to flicking and rotating the left and right thumbsticks) and then getting out of your way, dropping you in levels, giving you objectives, and letting you skate. Within minutes, I was pulling off increasingly large combos, and more importantly, having a fun time doing it. While I never truly got the hang of the first OlliOlli, in World, I felt compelled to continue to learn its systems because the game isn't front-loaded with frustration. Players of all skill levels should be able to find something enjoyable here. 

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Reviewed on: PlayStation 5
Also on: PlayStation 4, PC
Publisher: Sloclap
Developer: Sloclap
Release: February 8, 2022
Rating: Mature

Mastering a martial art takes years – if not a lifetime. Disciples must hone their bodies to the point that they perform every attack, every counter, every movement with pinpoint precision. A skilled warrior must move without thinking. Likewise, mastering Sifu's combat system takes a high degree of dedication and practice. Like a true martial artist, you must push through the practice pains before you reap any rewards.

In 2017, Sloclap released the martial arts-themed action/RPG Absolver, which let players design their own combat system as they battled other online players in a unique fantasy world. Absolver suffered from its barren environments and uninspired quest design, but its core combat was solid. Sloclap's follow-up game sharpens that combat system around a more focused single-player adventure. The premise is promising, though the execution is flawed.

Platform: PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, PC
Publisher: Sloclap
Developer: Sloclap
Release: February 8, 2022
Rating: Mature

Sifu, the Pak Mei Kung Fu brawler developed by Sloclap, is now out on all platforms. 

A console exclusive for PlayStation 5 and PlayStation 4, Sifu has also been released on the Epic Games Store on PC, and if you preordered or purchased the standard edition, which costs $39.99, you can now play the game. Of course, if you preordered the deluxe edition, which carried with it a $49.99 price tag, you’ve been able to play Sifu since Sunday as that edition granted players early access. 

To celebrate news of Sifu’s launch today, Sloclap has released a launch trailer that showcases what to expect: striking visuals, dope music, and of course, plenty of enemies to punch and kick down to the ground. 

Platform: iOS, Android
Publisher: The Pokémon Company
Developer: Niantic Inc.
Release: July 6, 2016
Rating: 9+

Pokémon Go is celebrating Valentine's Day in a couple of different ways. From February 10 through 14, you'll have the chance to engage in new events and catch Flabébé for the first time.

This fairy-type Pokémon rides atop a flower and can evolve twice. If you feed it 25 candies, it will transform into Floette. Offer up another 100 candies and it'll become Florges, but only after you earn 20 hearts with it as a buddy. Flabébé is from Generation VI and is number 669 on the Pokédex.

During the event, you'll also be able to evolve Furfrou in a new way. If you feed it 25 candies and 10,000 stardust, you can select the Heart Trip to give it a festive Valentine's Day design.

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), 2022 (PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S)
Rating: Mature

Scalebound was once one of the hottest Microsoft exclusives during the Xbox One’s early years. Developed by Platinum Games, the stylish action title combined Devil May Cry-style action and attitude with dragons. Despite the hype, the game was canceled in 2017 and has become one of gaming's curious “What if?” stories. Platinum's leadership is still interested in the idea, however, and wants to sit down with Microsoft to make it happen. 

In an interview with IGN Japan, Platinum’s president and vice president, Atsushi Inaba and Hideki Kamiya, respectively, reflected on Scalebound’s cancellation. Inaba states that Kamiya, the game’s creator, talks about reviving Scalebound “all the time.” This isn’t just wishful thinking; the pair wants to have serious talks with Microsoft about revisiting the project.

“Both Kamiya and I are serious – we really would love to work on Scalebound again,” says Inaba. “I’d like to discuss it with Microsoft properly.” Kamiya added that Scalebound's development was far along when it got the ax and that it's "pointless" for Microsoft to let the IP languish. 

“I’d like to appeal to Phil Spencer directly! Let’s do it, Phil!” says Kamiya. 

Tom Holland is best known for taking on the role of Spider-Man in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, starting with Captain America: Civil War way back in 2016. Since then, he’s gone on to star as Spider-Man in multiple films, but for now, he’s put aside the web slingers and increased the amount of “craps” in his vocabulary to play Nathan Drake in Sony’s upcoming Uncharted movie. 

In an interview for the Uncharted movie, Holland was asked by GameSpot what his dream video game adaptation is, and his response was … interesting, to say the least. 

Hey, @A24 and @Naughty_Dog. Tom Holland has a great video game adaptation pitch for you guys. pic.twitter.com/QKKbJYWedf

— GameSpot (@GameSpot) February 4, 2022

This sounds great, as long as Toni Collette and Alex Wolff are on the cast list.

The Lego set you are about to see is a big SPOILER for people who haven't watched the second season of The Mandalorian. Read on at your own risk. This set is based on a moment that you should first see in the show.

Lucasfilm has done a fantastic job of keeping secrets under wraps for all of its Disney+ Star Wars shows. The Book of Boba Fett continues to deliver them in its first season, but none have been as big or as unexpected as Luke Skywalker's appearance in The Mandalorian. It's a moment that set the internet on fire, and has filled Star Wars fans with the belief that anything can happen in these shows.

Once a secret character is revealed, toy manufactuers race to get product of that certain someone on shelves. We saw it happen with Grogu, and now the floodgates are opened to create product for Luke Skywalker's big moment.

Lego is one of the first toy companies to capture Luke Skywalker showing us how powerful he has become. The set is called Dark Trooper Attack, and it's scheduled to release on March 1. Along with a hooded Luke Skywalker minifigure, this set comes with three Dark Troopers and is set in a hallway where chaos unfolds. It's a smaller set, consisting of just 166 pieces and a price of $29.99.

The battle for the Light against Savathûn and her Lucent Brood is fast approaching in Destiny 2’s newest expansion, The Witch Queen, pitting Guardians against their Hive counterparts who share similar powers to our own. In a recent event, we watched some never-before-seen gameplay set on Savathûn’s Throne World, one of the main locations for The Witch Queen. We were also offered a glimpse at a versatile new weapon called the Glaive as well as a tour of what crafting our very own weapons will look like.

Destiny 2 has been out for almost half a decade yet doesn't show any signs of slowing down. Bungie's FPS juggernaut has been able to occupy the mainstream gaming zeitgeist through its constant updates and expansions, and today we're showing off new gameplay from the hotly-anticipated Witch Queen expansion!

Nintendo has announced that a new Nintendo Direct is happening this week, and you won't have to wait too much longer. 

That's because this Direct is happening tomorrow, February 9, at 2 p.m. PT/4 p.m. CT/5 p.m. ET. As for what to expect, Nintendo didn't name any game titles, but there's some straightforward extrapolation to be done. 

Tune in 2/9 at 2 p.m. PT for a #NintendoDirect livestream featuring roughly 40 minutes of information mainly focused on #NintendoSwitch games launching in the first half of 2022.

📺https://t.co/v0A3I7j0EE pic.twitter.com/jifj1aFIBQ

Last week was all about quarterly financial results for the likes of Activision Blizzard, EA, Nintendo, and PlayStation. Take-Two Interactive, the parent company of Rockstar, 2K and others, released its own results today and to nobody’s surprise, Grand Theft Auto V is still selling really well. 

You might be asking who doesn’t already own GTA V? The answer is millions. Last November, Game Informer reported that GTA V had sold 5 million copies that quarter, bringing the total up to 155 million units overall. In Take-Two’s latest results, the publisher revealed that Rockstar’s GTA V has now sold 160 million units, representing another quarter where the game sold 5 million copies. 

On this week's From Panel to Podcast, we dive deep into Rocksteady Studios' upcoming game, Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League. We dream up ways that Captain Boomerang, Harley Quinn, King Shark, and Deadshot could take down some of the universe's most powerful heroes.

We also breakdown last week's top books, hopefully giving you some new reading material. And also dive into the past for a couple of legacy comic series that all comic readers should have knowledge of. As always, we end the show by discussing the comics that are coming out this week.

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.

When I played a pre-launch build of Marvel Strike Force at the 2018 Game Developers Conference, I was excited to dive into the multiversal battlefield the team at FoxNext created. The solid turn-based combat, an ever-growing roster of beloved Marvel heroes and villains, and compelling hero-collecting elements borrowed from games like Star Wars: Galaxy of Heroes drew me in from the jump. I couldn't wait to get the launch version on my phone. When Marvel Strike Force arrived on iOS and Android in late March 2018, I was immediately hooked. 

Early on, the premium elements felt pricey yet largely unnecessary if you played the game a decent amount and completed all your daily objectives. Sure, dropping some cash accelerated your progress, but I was largely free-to-play for the first year of the game's life. However, once I did selectively begin spending money, the microtransactions I chose felt rewarding and valuable. Unfortunately, as the game's lifespan approaches the start of its fifth year, the transactions feel less "micro" as offers ranging from $50 to $100 a pop are more common in the game's marketplace, in addition to two simultaneous battle passes that set purchasing players back $20 each per month.

Intellivision Entertainment’s founder and CEO Tommy Tallarico is stepping down from his position, IGN reports. Tallarico, best known as a prolific video game composer, purchased and relaunched Intellivision in 2018 to manufacture the Amico, a new console aimed at attracting more casual players that has had a troubled production cycle since it was announced nearly four years ago. 

Tallarico will remain with Intellivision, transitioning to the role of company president. He is also the company's largest shareholder. Chief revenue officer Phil Adam will replace him as CEO. A statement from Intellivision provided to IGN says the change was done “to better align its resources with those new challenges" regarding the Amico's development. 

"As a 30+ year industry executive, I am excited to transition into the CEO role at Intellivision," Phil Adams says in the statement. "As a business closing in on the last phase before launch, Tommy felt it important to provide focused roles so he can continue to do the things he loves the most. As always, we will be working hand in hand to bring Amico to the market."

Rather than keeping all of my achievement-unlocking secrets to myself, I decided to put together a list of the games that deliver the easiest points in hardly any time at all. Should you find yourself obsessing over achievements as I do, I hope this guide serves you well. It'll be updated whenever I find a new game that you need to know about. As it stands now, this guide should boost your gamerscore well over 50,000 in no time flat.

6180 The Moon

• 16 Achievements
• 1,000 Points
• Time Requirement: 3-4 Hours

If you're respectable at platformer games, 6180 The Moon is a fun little game to venture into. While the challenges are difficult, checkpoints are in great abundance, and progress is inevitable if you stick with it. For each planet that is unlocked, the player nets a nice 50- or 100-point achievement. There are only two challenging achievements:

Gravity Free: 40 Points
M2 is the easiest stage to unlock this achievement on. It may take a few tries, but you should be able to make it to end without hitting the jump button.

Faster Than Light: 40 Points
As the difficulty ramps up, light is needed to make progress easier. While this achievement can technically be unlocked on numerous levels, VR3 is the one most people have had success with. Run along the barriers and you should be able to make it without the light.

Telltale Games went through a resurrection and reinvention after its shutdown in 2018, but returned shortly after with a return to one of its fan-favorite series in 2019: The Wolf Among Us 2. We learned more about the game in December of 2020 and then Telltale Games shared some more a year later, shortly after Game Informer’s feature about this new iteration of the studio, its Wolf Among Us sequel, and its upcoming game based on The Expanse went live. 

If you’re still craving some more information about The Wolf Among Us 2, then you’re in luck because Telltale Games has some more information to share this week. More specifically, the studio has announced a behind-the-scenes look at the game happening this Wednesday, February 9, at 10 a.m. PT/Noon CT/1 p.m. EST. 

Did you get a chance to check out the 18-page cover story on From Software’s Elden Ring? Join Dan Tack and Alex Van Aken to discuss 10-hours with the game, diving into various features, mechanics, and details. During the conversation, we chatted about some new information that didn’t make it into the cover story itself, along with some broad takeaways from the game.

Be advised there are topics that some may consider spoilers in this conversation, so if you’re looking to go into Elden Ring completely unknowing, check out another video instead. 

FromSoftware's catalog of games is synonymous with sweeping narrative design and challenging combat, the latter leading to some particularly memorable boss battles for millions of Soulsborne players. There are simply too many exciting encounters to list between all of Miyazaki's acclaimed projects. Good thing a bunch of PlayStation developers picked some of their favorite FromSoftware bosses and spoke about the combat design and spectacle of each fight. Even Miyazaki chimed in on the boss he's most proud of!

An extensive post on the official PlayStation blog lists the developers from many prominent studios, including Insomniac Games, Bluepoint Games, Naughty Dog, Bend Studio, and Santa Monica Studios. I've cherry-picked some quotes from these developers and listed them below. To read all of the entries, be sure to head over to the PS blog. 

Producer Randall Lowe – Bluepoint Games

"When you enter the Lothric chapel, the door closes, and the darkness engulfs the room. For me, one of the most memorable moments in games unfurled before my eyes. The Dancer, dangling from the pooled darkness, dropping down and sinuously moving to stand before my character."

Narrative lead Joe Pettinati – Naughty Dog 

Shinji Mikami is a horror legend in gaming, having directed the first Resident Evil, which spawned off an entire franchise with over a dozen entries in it today. He then left Capcom to create Tango Gameworks, now owned by Bethesda, which is where Mikami began his new horror series, The Evil Within. After a sequel, the team began work on GhostWire Tokyo, which is set to debut on PlayStation 5 and PC on March 25.