Game Informer

After years and years of waiting, Dying Light 2 Stay Human is almost out and in the hands of players. In fact, it’s already in the hands of some players who have received early retail copies of the zombie parkour sequel. 

If you’re one of those people, Techland really wants you to resist the urge and wait until the game’s proper release on February 4 to play the game. That’s because there’s a Day One patch that will make the experience better. 

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High-gloss paper. Gold-foil covers. Uniquely-numbered issues. Ridiculously-low print runs. This is Game Informer Gold, an ultra-rare collectible that one of you can win through this sweepstakes. You need to get your hands on Game Informer Gold to truly understand how big of an upgrade it is over our standard edition. From its increased thickness to the gold shine on the cover, this is as high-end as magazines get.

This month, the copy of Game Informer Gold that is up for grabs is our Elden Ring issue. On the cover is The Knight of Scar, a mysterious figure that likely plays a role in the tale of Elden Ring, but we're not really sure exactly how yet. As always, this edition of Game Informer Gold is an extremely limited print run. The winner of this sweepstakes will get one of these issues. Only one person will win.

For more info on Game Informer Gold, watch this short video featuring our first Game Informer Gold issue #340:

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EA’s quarterly results for Q3, which was the three months that ended with December 2021, were released late yesterday and it turns out, it was one of the company’s biggest ever. 

That’s due to steady growth in long-running franchises like Fifa, Madden, and Apex Legends. As reported by GamesIndustry.biz, EA’s revenues were up 7% in Q3, which equates to $1.79 billion and net bookings were also up 7%, to $2.58 billion. However, net income was down 69%, dropping to $66 million. 

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“Q3 was the largest quarter in the company’s history for net bookings, underlying profitability, and cash generations,” EA CFO Blake Jorgensen said in regards to the quarterly results. “Our portfolio approach will enable us to deliver organic growth in the double digits this year, continue to deliver strong cash flow, and provides a strong foundation for growth as we look to the future.” 

Gardens is a new studio revealed today made up of former Skyrim, Journey, and Marvel’s Spider-Man developers that is designed to be remote-first, prioritizing studio transparency, sustainability, and empowerment amongst employees. 

The co-founders are Chris Bell (Journey, What Remains of Edith Finch, Sky: Children of the Light), Lexie Dostal (Dustforce), and Stephen Bell (Blaseball, What Remains of Edith Finch), but Gardens is already home to developers who have worked on projects like Marvel’s Spider-Man, the Ratchet & Clank series, the Fallout series, and more. While Gardens does not have a new game to formally announce just yet, it does say its “core mission is to create vibrant online games that foster meaningful multiplayer moments and relationships between players around the world.” 

“Gardens’ upcoming, yet unnamed game, builds upon the special ways members of the team have designed shared online experiences in the past (Journey, Sky: Children of the Light, Ashen, Baseball, Way), with players crossing paths in a mysterious and magical world driven by the concept art of ma-ko, art direction by Leighton Milne (Ashen, The Hobbit), and an art team led by Ryan Benno (Marvel’s Spider-Man, Ratchet & Clank),” the press release reads. 

Here’s a look at some of the concept art for this unnamed game: 

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Yesterday, publisher Team17 announced the MetaWorms NFT project. Basically, the plan was to create NFTs based on its popular Worms license with the help of NFT maker, Reality Gaming Group. Team17 billed these NFTs as environmentally friendly because they were a “side chain” of Ethereum and produced using RGG’s carbon neutral servers. Team17 even had plans to donate a portion of the revenue earned from NFT sales to global sustainability firm Coins 4 Planet and its Refeed Farms initiative, which promotes using worm beds as a cleaner method to process waste. The NFTs themselves were, of course, just various images of Worms characters, which you can see in the header up top. 

As we’ve recently seen in other instances of studios announcing NFT plans, fans were not pleased and expressed as much on social media. That’s not surprising; what did come from left field was the fact that some of Team17’s studio partners were apparently unaware of the initiative and became similarly upset. As a result, a few of these developers took to Twitter to independently announce that their titles will not support NFTs. 

That includes Yooka-Laylee developer Playtonic:

Yacht Club Games, creators of Shovel Knight have announced it's working on a new IP called Mina the Hollower, and like her platforming predecessor, Mina looks to build upon some classic inspirations. 

Unveiled during a presentation on G4 this afternoon called Yacht Club Games Presents, Mina the Hollower is a new title that shares elements of The Legend of Zelda and Castlevania. Not straying far from Shovel Knight's retro aesthetics, Mina looks like it was ripped from the Game Boy Color era. As Mina, you'll be whipping enemies, burrowing into the ground, and equipping various sidearms and trinkets to survive and save a cursed island full of deadly baddies and bosses.

Life is Strange was a surprise hit from DontNod way back in 2015 when it was released episodically over the year. Life is Strange: Before the Storm was also a hit, but not so much a surprise because after the original game, we all knew what DontNod and the Before the Storm team, Deck Nine, were capable of. 

Since the 2015 release of Life is Strange, we’ve received two mainline sequels in Life Is Strange 2 and Life is Strange: True Colors. The storylines have become even more branching and naturally, the visuals and performance of the series have improved. Now, those improvements have made their way back to the first two Life is Strange games and both are playable today in the Life is Strange: Remastered Collection. 

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As the name implies, the collection features Life is Strange and Before the Storm remastered with increased visual fidelity and faster (and smoother) frame rates. You can check out what that looks like for yourself in the new launch trailer released today. 

With Pokémon Legends: Arceus hitting Switch last week, and reviewing quite well here at Game Informer, you might be feeling the Pokémon bug. What better way to address it than by adding some new Pop! figures to your Pokédex, err, collection. 

Pop! is well known for its lineup of figures for basically everything and it’s Pokémon collection has been quite popular so it’s no surprise that the company is releasing more. Pop! announced today that three new figures are available for pre-order and if you’re a fan of psychic, fairy, or fighting types, these might be for you. 

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There’s never been a better time to be a fan of pop culture, superheroes and their villainous counterparts, D&D, fantasy books, and just general nerd culture. That’s because some of the world’s most popular licenses are making their way to consoles and PCs this year. These games promise to give us new ways to interact with some of our favorite media franchises like DC, Harry Potter, Star Wars, and more. 

What’s more is that each of these games is not only unique in license, but in gameplay too. That’s because these titles aren’t straddled to just one genre. Hogwarts Legacy is a third-person magic-casting RPG, while MultiVersus is a platform fighter. This list of games covers all kinds of genres and all kinds of licenses, and we can’t wait to check them out sometime this year. Here are Game Informer’s most anticipated licensed games of 2022, listed chronologically by release date. 

Hot on the heels of yesterday’s news that Sony is acquiring Bungie, the studio has released a new Destiny 2: The Witch Queen trailer that’s all about the gear and weapons coming with the new expansion. 

With The Witch Queen, Destiny 2’s latest expansion launching Feburary 22, it’s not surprising that Bungie is ramping up its marketing for it. After a trailer a couple of weeks ago all about Savathun’s Throne World, today, the studio opted to reveal some of the weapons our Guardians will be using later this month. 

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As you can see in the trailer above, there are a handful of exotic weapons coming to the game, starting with the Grand Overture, a Slug Launcher that charges full auto missiles. There’s also the new Parasite weapon, which is a worm launcher with increasing damage, and the Osteo Striga, which fires swarming projectiles that trigger toxic bursts on the battleground. 

If you consider yourself a diehard Pokémon fan, odds are you already own at least one replica Poké Ball. But there’s no such thing has having too many of them, right? The Pokémon Company and prop replica makers The Wand Company hope you agree because they're introducing a new line of premium Poké Balls throughout 2022. 

The Wand Company has previously manufactured upscale replicas of the Poké Ball, Great Ball, Ultra Ball, Dusk Ball, and Premier Ball. This upcoming batch will feature four new balls starting with the Heal Ball. This to-scale replica measures 3.5 x 3.7 x 3.5 in diameter and is made of a die-cast metal shell with a high-gloss lacquer finish. Its coolest feature is its touch/proximity sensor that causes the front button to light up when someone is nearby, and pressing the button triggers the light sequence that occurs when Pokémon are caught. The Heal Ball comes with a matte black display case where it can sit atop a stainless steel display ring. It also includes a manual and three AAA batteries. 

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Update: Titan reached out to Game Informer and provided more details. This series is written by Cullen Bunn, with art by Piotr Kowalski and Brad Simpson. The cover art featured below is by Kowalski.

Original Story: Titan Comics just revealed the cover of a forthcoming Bloodborne comic book that will be released on May 7 for absolutely free. As comic book fans know, the first Saturday in May is Free Comic Book Day. All of the major publishers in the industry are giving away free comic books on this day, and you should be able to walk out of your local shop with a stack of things to read.

This free comic is the first part of a new Bloodborne limited series that will also launch in May. Titan Comics' official description doesn't give us much of a hint of what we can expect from this series: "Enter the city of Yharnam through the eyes of its citizens, when new hunters take to the streets to fight against the cruel and unusual epidemic that has gripped the city. In the black of night, families and faith will be tested."

February is already a stacked month filled with major releases. In case Horizon Forbidden West or Elden Ring isn’t enough Microsoft has rolled out the next batch of incoming Xbox Game Pass titles. The North American debut of multiplayer shooter CrossfireX, one of the biggest games in the world, headlines the batch. Furthermore, it has a newly-created campaign made in part by Alan Wake developer Remedy Entertainment. If shooters don’t tickle your fancy, read on to find the other titles filling out the month. We've also included handy review links for the games we’ve evaluated if you need a second opinion on which titles to prioritize. 

If you've been following Battlefield 2042 since its launch back in November, then you likely know that Dice is facing an uphill battle when it comes to improving the game. It launched with bugs galore – something touched on in the Game Informer Battlefield 2042 review – and post-launch updates and patches have been focused almost exclusively on squashing them and fixing other issues. 

Through all of it, Dice has recognized the shortfalls of 2042, promising to get the game up to shape and meet fan expectations for EA's latest FPS. To do that, Dice is delaying the game's first season. 

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On this week's From Panel to Podcast, we breakdown what we want from WB Games Montréal's Gotham Knights, the successor to the beloved Batman Arkham series. With Batman supposedly dead at the outset of play, the Bat-family has a lot of weight on their shoulders to deliver a superhero experience that can live up to his legacy. We discuss the tone we want to see, gameplay direction, and also who should show up as villains.

For the comic readers out there, we go deep into two red-hot series: Something is Killing the Children and Saga. Yes, Saga is finally back after a three year break! We also talk about our favorite books from last week's new releases rack, and highlight the books we hope to pick up this Wednesday.

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.

Evil Dead: The Game is no stranger to delays. The asymmetrical multiplayer title based on the cult horror franchise was originally scheduled for 2021. Then it got delayed to an unspecified February 2022 date. It has now been pushed back once again, though this time it has a concrete release date: May (Friday) 13. 

The game, developed by Saber Interactive, simply needs more time to come properly come together according to a message from the game’s official Twitter. The team does promise a new trailer to premiere in February. 

Hey Evil Dead fans!

When we set out to create a brand new game worthy of the Evil Dead franchise, we knew it had to be groovy as hell. In order to deliver the best possible experience, Evil Dead: The Game is now coming on May 13, 2022. pic.twitter.com/BfuaOdcFVT

Cats and Dogs. Oil and Vinegar. Horde and Alliance. These pairs are in a constant primal (sometimes chemical) conflict, but an upcoming patch for World of Warcraft is about to make a seismic change. WoW director Ion Hazzikostas has a blog breaking down why and how these rival factions will soon be able to play on the same team.

Announced back in May of last year, Sony and Discord formed a partnership to bring the PlayStation and Discord ecosystems together. Today, we're finally seeing some movement in bringing Discord integration to Sony's consoles, or rather the other way around. 

As of today, you can now link your PlayStation account to your Discord ID. This lets your friends or other server mutuals see when and what you're playing on PS5 or PS4. The service works like any others, such as Steam, Blizzard, Xbox, Spotify, etc. The setup is the same as well.

Here's how Discord says to connect a PlayStation account:

"To connect your Discord account to your PlayStation Network account, open up Discord and head into User Settings > Connections on either desktop or web. On mobile, go to User Settings > Connections." From there, you'll enter your login information for your PlayStation account. Pretty easy. It also notes that you can toggle whether anyone can see your PlayStation status in case you need to keep something hidden for whatever reason.

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The gaming IP arms race continued today as Sony bought vaunted developer Bungie for a whopping $3.6 billion. But what does that mean for Destiny fans and the industry at large? Join us on this discussion video as we talk about all of that and so much more.

Alex Stadnik is here with associate editor Jill Grodt and Magazine Content Director, and huge Bungie fan Matt Miller to break down today's breaking news. We start by discussing the particulars of the deal as we know it now, including how Bungie is maintaining its independence. The studio has said that it still can self-publish and choose where its games can release. The studio's blog post also outlined that the goal is to keep Destiny communities intact and not strip the game away from Xbox users now or in the future. 

Shadow Warrior 3 has been a long-time coming for fans, but developer Flying Wild Hog finally confirmed the game is launching on March 1. A stylish (and self-aware) cinematic trailer celebrates the occasion in over-the-top fashion.

Hero Lo Wang returns and has some new traversal tricks up his sleeve such as a wall run, grapple hook, air dash, and double jump. You’ll still be slicing apart enemies with your katana or riddling them with bullets using a variety of firearms. He'll need all the help he can get as he teams up with a powerful witch to slay a colossal dragon and hordes of demons.

Flying Wild Hog also announced a new voice cast consisting of Mike Moh (Lo Wang), Andromeda Dunker (Motoko), and SungWon Cho (Zilla). Alex Dobrenko reprises his role as Hoji. Shadow Warrior 3 was first announced in the summer of 2020 for a 2021 release, a window that obviously came and went. Fans have waited somewhat impatiently for an updated launch date, making this a good way to start the week. 

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Shadow Warrior 3 will be available on PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and PC. Those who pre-order receive the exclusive Koromodako Katana in-game weapon. Purchasing early on consoles also rewards players with Shadow Warrior 1 and 2 for free. 

Hazelight Studios is looking to adapt its 2021 co-op romp It Takes Two to film or television thanks to a partnership with dj2 Entertainment. The news of this deal comes from an exclusive report from Variety. 

Outspoken Hazelight creative director Josef Fares sounds excited for the opportunity to bring It Takes Two to another medium. “Creating the world and story in ‘It Takes Two’ was so much fun for me and the team,” Fares said to Variety. “Since it has a strong narrative with many crazy characters and just as crazy co-op action moments, the potential is huge for a great adaption to film or television.” 

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The original Final Fantasy VII catapulted JRPGs into the limelight and established a new standard for expansive gameworlds and emotional stories. Final Fantasy VII Remake is an homage to and reimagining of its predecessor's motifs: Eco-activism, classism, atonement, and companionship (among many other important themes). We demonstrate how Remake's plot beats can be reevaluated with the themes of departure and reunion in mind.

Square Enix plans to tell Cloud’s extensive story in parts but, because the first entry solely focuses on Midgar, Final Fantasy VII veterans get to experience the original game’s introductory setting and characters in more nuanced ways. The high stakes remain the same: The fallout from the Mako Reactor 1 and 5 bombings, the eventual destruction of the slums, and Sephiroth’s sudden and terrifying return. Our video essay considers these emotional moments and looks to provide other interpretations surrounding Remake’s most important plot motivations.

Sony Interactive Entertainment has announced it is purchasing Bungie for $3.6 Billion. That means the studio that created Halo and Destiny is coming under the PlayStation umbrella. Sony’s announcement caps off an acquisition-heavy January that saw Take-Two buy Zynga for $13 billion and Microsoft announce plans to acquire Activision Blizzard for $68.7 billion. 

Bungie posted a blog post discussing the acquisition, saying that it will “continue to independently publish and creatively develop our games” and that SIE’s first, most immediate influence will be an acceleration in the studio’s hiring process. Bungie states that it’s staffing up for Destiny 2 as well as “all new worlds beyond", hinting at a new IP. Bungie is currently working on Destiny 2’s upcoming expansion, The Witch Queen, which is slated to launch on February 22. The game’s next big update, Lightfall, is tentatively set for later this year. 

Scarlet Nexus director Kenji Anabuki has revealed his vision for a potential sequel to last year’s Scarlet Nexus, that is, if Bandai Namco gives him and his team a greenlight for such a game. 

This news comes by way of a new interview with Inverse in which Anabuki said a sequel would be “even more mature.” He also said it would hone in on the “superpower” aspect of Scarlet Nexus, implementing these otherworldly powers into other elements of the game rather than just combat. 

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“If there is a sequel, I would personally want to utilize the ‘superpower’ theme in areas other than battles,” Anabuki said. “The world and settings of the story could potentially be created to suit an even more mature audience; by exploring themes like the dangers of having or using superpowers.” 

A potential sequel would also take into account feedback from reviews and fan reception. 

“We have received a lot of positive reviews regarding the battle system, story, and characters,” Anabuki said. “One reason might be due to the development experience I gained from working on the Tales Of series.” 

One of 2021’s most eyebrow-raising stories was MLB The Show, the PlayStation published and exclusive series, launching on Xbox platforms, including Game Pass. If you thought seeing the PlayStation Studios logo appear on an Xbox title was strange, we’re about to see it happen in Nintendo’s ballpark too. 

That’s because the newly announced MLB The Show 22 is coming to Switch, marking the series’ first appearance on a Nintendo platform. The game is also heading to Xbox for the second year in a row, including launching day one on Game Pass. Of course, you’ll still be able to play it on PlayStation consoles. Los Angeles Angels superstar player and American League MVP Shohei Ohtani graces this year’s cover, and the game is set to launch on April 5.

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In addition to standard editions, San Diego Studio promises to share more details on the Collector’s Edition on February 2. You can look for MLB The Show 22 on PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and Switch. 

Filed under “things we never thought we’d be writing,” Radar Pictures has announced that it is adapting EA’s American McGee’s Alice (in Wonderland) series into a television show. What’s more, Solid Snake voice actor and X2 writer David Hayter is attached to the project. 

This news comes by way of The Hollywood Reporter, which reports that Ted Field’s Radar Pictures now owns the rights to McGee’s Alice, which began as a 2000 third-person action-adventure series. A sequel, Alice: Madness Returns, was released by EA in 2011, and it featured the same Hot Topic-esque, third-person action-adventure gameplay. 

According to THR, the show will be a drama series and is the first small-screen adaptation for McGee’s Alice franchise. However, both McGee Alice games are based on Lewis Carroll’s Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland and Through the Looking Glass, and as you might know, Caroll’s books have been adapted into both movies and television shows by many (namely, Disney). 

“American McGee’s Alice and Alice: Madness Returns game series is a groundbreaking reimagining of the classic tale,” Hayter told THR. “It takes you into the heart of a corrupted Wonderland and throws light into shadowy corners the world has never seen. I am beyond excited to bring this world of madness and wonder to a global audience.” 

Fresh off this weekend's Royal Rumble is a new trailer for WWE 2K22. While previous videos have provided snippets of action, this new look at the trailer is a pure gameplay showcase.

While the video still presents the in-game action from a cinematic standpoint, it does provide looks at the models and animations on display. That’s important given that 2K22 runs on an entirely rebuilt gameplay engine, which 2K promises will be more intuitive than ever. The video also reveals previously unconfirmed superstars such as Asuka, Damien Priest, and Alexa Bliss. Cover star Rey Mysterio’s legendary career gets spotlighted in this year’s Showcase Mode and the trailer reveals one of the matches players can revisit: Rey vs Eddie Guerrero at WrestleMania 21. 

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WWE 2K22 launches March 11 for current and last-gen PlayStation/Xbox consoles and PC. It also comes with a few special editions, which you can read the contents of here.

2022 is a special year for Square Enix’s Final Fantasy franchise. Not only is it the series’ 35th anniversary, but it’s also the 25th anniversary of Final Fantasy VII (take a moment to breathe if you need it – that one hit us like a gut punch, too). 

To celebrate the 25th anniversary of what is considered by many to be the most popular Final Fantasy in the entire series, FF7 director Yoshinori Kitase and Final Fantasy 7 Remake director Tetsuya Nomura shared some words about what the series means to them. They also teased some exciting development in the universe of FF7-related games. 

Twenty five years ago today the original @FinalFantasy VII first launched in Japan, and to celebrate this very special anniversary we're delighted to present messages from both Yoshinori Kitase and Tetsuya Nomura. #FFVII25th pic.twitter.com/3Py8FwarIl

Tiny Tina’s Wonderlands is right around the corner – it hits PlayStation and Xbox consoles, and PC, on March 25 – and Gearbox Software has been doling out new information about classes, locations, and more. Today, that stream of information continues with a new trailer that reveals the final two classes in the game. 

We learned about Tiny Tina’s Wonderlands’ Stabbomancer and Brr-Zerker classes back in October. Then, in December, we learned about the Spellshot and Clawbringer classes. Now, the final two classes, Spore Warden and Graveborn, have been revealed in a new trailer detailing how each works. 

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“Graveborn are death-touched acolytes who sacrifice health to unleash devastating Dark Magic attacks and become the phantasmal Reaper of Bones,” a Gearbox press release reads. “They use their Demi-Lich Companion and sacrificial Action Skills to enact suffering upon their enemies, even at the cost of their own life force.”

CD Projekt Red is developing a single player, standalone Gwent game and it’s coming this year. 

Revealed by IGN, this Gwent game, which is based on the popular card game of the same name in the studio’s Witcher titles, is codenamed Project Golden Nekker. CDPR says Golden Nekker will be different from previous iterations of its Gwent titles, instead aiming to provide a “captivating single-player experience,” according to IGN. 

Because it’s a standalone game, players will not need to own other versions of CDPR’s Gwent games to play it. Once you boot up Golden Nekker, you’re all set to play. 

“It’s not another Witcher Tales game, but something different,” Gwent communications head Pawel Burza told IGN. “We’re aiming to provide a captivating single-player experience for players who prefer it over competitive multiplayer Gwent.” 

If you’re a fan of CDPR’s competitive multiplayer Gwent game, though, don’t fret – development is set to continue on that title at least through 2022, as the studio has released a 2022 roadmap that features new card drops in April, July, October, and December. When Golden Nekker is released, it will be the first CDPR game since the release of Cyberpunk 2077 back in 2020.

PlayStation has announced that it will air a State of Play this week all about Gran Turismo 7. 

The first State of Play of 2022, this one promises more than 30 minutes of new PlayStation 5 footage of the upcoming Polyphony Digital simulation racing game. It will also feature new details about GT7, which is slated to arrive on PS5 and PlayStation 4 on March 4. 

“The first 2022 State of Play arrives later this week, and we’re all revved up for just over 30 minutes of new PS5 footage and gameplay details for Gran Turismo 7,” a PlayStation Blog post reads. “Watch live February 2 on Twitch or YouTube starting 2 p.m. Pacific/ 5 p.m. Eastern/ 11 p.m. CET.” 

And that’s all that PlayStation had to say about the State of Play. Usually, PlayStation will mention that viewers shouldn’t expect this or that, but because it’s being dubbed a GT7 State of Play, there’s probably no reason for the company to give any caution in that regard. Basically, we don’t recommend going in this expecting PlayStation to surprise reveal a game or talk about Horizon Forbidden West in the showcase’s final few minutes. 

This State of Play will be the first in-depth look at GT7 in a while. It’s been a sure bet that we’ll see a trailer in recent PlayStation first-party showcases but beyond that, not much about GT7 is known. 

Happy Monday, folks! It's January 31st, so you're likely still working towards those resolutions from earlier in the month, searching for the perfect restaurant for Valentine's Day (you're welcome), or just clocking in to start the workweek. Regardless, we're here to keep you company, so strap in for some puzzle-solving shenanigans as the crew plays Escape Simulator on today's Multiplayer Monday stream!

Hosts Alex Van Aken and Alex Stadnik will be trapped in a virtual room with returning guest Jesse Vitelli when the party starts at 9:00 a.m. Central. Tune in to Twitch.tv/GameInformer to watch our Escape Simulator multiplayer session or bookmark this page if you'd prefer to watch the livestream in the video player below!

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As previously announced, a new trailer for Paramount’s Halo TV series premiered today, giving us an even better look at the much-anticipated adaptation and a premier date. 

The show starts from the beginning, with Dr. Halsey (played by Natascha McElhon) selling the UNSC on Master Chief’s exceptional combat prowess but, most importantly, his ability to be controlled. But when Chief encounters an ancient artifact, he uncovers a plot that may require him to act independently in a manner that may rub his superiors the wrong way. 

The new trailer provides the first looks at the Covenant, specifically Elites, who look pretty accurate in the brief clips of them battling Master Chief. We also get a glimpse of the show’s more human-toned (and slightly unsettling) Cortana, who is still voiced by Jen Taylor. The biggest adjustment will be getting used to Chief’s new voice, with actor Pablo Schreiber bringing him to life. Lastly, we found out that Halo premieres exclusively on Paramount + on March 24.

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What do you think of this new look at Halo? Will you be tuning in on March 24? Let us know in the comments!

After tackling Metroid in Season 1, the second season of Game Informer's Video Gameography podcast moves on to one of the biggest shooter franchises in existence: Halo. This week, we’re taking a look at the controversial Halo 5: Guardians, widely considered to be the most polarizing entry in the series. 

Halo 5: Guardians launched on the Xbox One on October 27, 2015, and was the tale of two Spartans. The campaign told a dual narrative centered on Master Chief and Jameson Locke, a soldier tasked with apprehending Chief after he goes AWOL to recover a rampant Cortana. Speaking of everyone’s favorite AI, her mission to subjugate the galaxy positions her as the main antagonist. Halo 5’s narrative didn’t universally land with fans and the game overall served as an unintentional poster child of the Xbox One’s flawed philosophy during its early years. How, you might ask? You’ll have to listen to find out.  

Join hosts Ben Reeves (@BenjaminReeves) and Marcus Stewart (@MarcusStewart7) along with Wirecutter lead editor Arthur Gies (@aegies) as we unpack the history, impact, and lasting legacy of Halo 5: Guardians. 

In the closed network test, players explored a small slice of Limgrave and Stormveil. When I went hands-on with the game, all of Limgrave and Stormveil were open to me, including the haunting Weeping Penninsula to the south. But to the north of Stormveil lies another realm, a biome with a completely different aesthetic. Each realm in Elden Ring has its own signature set of creatures, flora, fauna, and more. The big boss of Stormveil, Godrick the Grafted, does not need to be beaten before moving on to the realm to the north, as a mildly hidden mountain path can lead players into this area without ever stepping foot inside the dangerous castle dungeon. 

This is the home of the magical academy of Raya Lucaria, and instead of the pastoral greens and rolling fields of Limgrave, it is draped in different shades of blue. I had the least amount of time in this zone for my demo and was only allowed to adventure here for a brief 30 minutes. A half-hour of game time in Elden Ring feels like seconds, so I sped around on Torrent, hoping to take in as much as possible during my brief stay. Crystals adorn everything from the environment to enemies, and a dusty fog hovers over shallow waters that impede movement ever-so-slightly. Deeper into the zone, the waters deepen, and the player must traverse over the submerged tops of buildings as they get closer to the imposing, brilliantly-lit Raya Lucaria. 

From the Nexus to the Firelink Shrine to Majula, From Software’s dark fantasy realms have always had a place of respite to hang out, resupply, and talk to a variety of collected NPC guests gathered from adventures around the world. Access to Elden Ring’s hub realm, known as the Roundtable Hold, does not come right away when starting the game, though it may be possible to speed access given the player fulfills the right conditions. Sometimes when you come across a site of lost grace (checkpoints similar to bonfires in the Souls games) and rest, Melina will appear and offer some interesting words of guidance or commentary on the Lands Between. 

While Limgrave offers players a variety of smaller-scale dungeon and boss experiences, Stormveil Castle looms over the entire zone and features two major bosses. Many have already seen Margit the Fell Omen, who punished players in the closed network test. During my hands-on time with the game, I had the chance to face off with Godrick the Grafted himself, the current lord of Stormveil, and a serious challenge, especially for an “early game” boss. Granted, you don’t have to fight Godrick at all to get to other adjacent zones to continue exploring and powering up, so my path to the many-appendaged tyrant was brisk. I didn’t really do a whole lot of leveling up or gear optimization because the clock was ticking during my 10-hour play session, and I wanted to see and do as much as possible. It’s safe to say I was fairly underleveled compared to when From Software expects players to take on Godrick, but it’s important to reiterate that because of the open-world structure of the game, everyone’s experience is likely to be quite different. If you do wander into Godrick early on, perhaps it’s best to take a detour and check out the surrounding biomes before attempting to take him on.

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Boss battles in Elden Ring are frequent, ranging from small-scale affairs in coves, caves, and catacombs to incredibly intense boss battles in the legacy dungeons. However, there are also other boss battles located in both mid-tier dungeons and outside in the open world. While many players had a chance to take on a dragon in the Network Test, we encountered a new kind of open field boss in our time with Elden Ring, a ghostly mariner in the middle of a shallow lake. There’s no indication you will be entering a boss battle, other than fairly serious environmental clues. If you’re exploring organically, you may have also encountered the NPC “D” nearby, who hunts the undead and warns you that this small town has been beset by this ghostly fiend. Other than that, there’s just a big shallow lake with a glowing boat in the middle. It’s pretty safe to assume you’re wandering into dangerous territory, but it’s certainly possible to just be oblivious to everything around you and wander into the middle of the lake.