The Doom Guy saw his shadow and decided we could have a little treat Classic Doom with ray tracing is...

The post Classic Doom with ray tracing? Sure appeared first on Destructoid.

Taco Hog missed you If there’s one Japanese trend that it’s maybe better off we missed out on in the...

The post Famicom Friday returns with the legendary bait-and-switch Paris-Dakar Rally Special appeared first on Destructoid.

In MLB The Show 22, the difference between an ace pitcher and someone hurling meatballs might come down to your pitching controls more than your actual skills. Of all the different aspects of the game--batting, fielding, et al--pitching has the most options when it comes to controls. That's a good thing, as it means everyone will likely find their preference, but the process of doing that can be daunting. In this guide, we'll break down the many different pitching controls for MLB The Show 22 so you can pick the one that lets you most reliably leave batters looking at strike three.

MLB The Show 22 - Pitching controls explained

There are five pitching control schemes in MLB The Show 22, and like the game's batting controls, they range from simple and arcade-like to deep simulations of real-life pitching. Some will seem quite unwieldy for novices, so take care to find the one that's right for you.

Hot off the heels of releasing its successful Steam Deck portable console, Valve has already unveiled a powerful new member in its family of portable PCs: Steam Deck+.

Besides boasting a considerable power bump, the device’s most striking feature is the clamshell-style design that allows Steam Deck+ to be closed, similar to Nintendo’s line of DS handhelds. The top half boasts a 14-inch 4K touchscreen. A full keypad and trackpad occupy the bottom half. This innovation will be a godsend to mouse and keyboard players looking to line up precision headshots in CS: GO on the, well, go. Don’t worry, console fans: Steam Deck+ features two USB ports for plugging in your gamepad of choice. 

It may be bigger, but the Steam Deck+ remains a portable-first console. We spent a day transporting the device inside several backpacks and satchels and found it comfortably fits inside the average-sized luggage. It also feels nice to place the hardware on our laps while sitting or lying in bed, but we are concerned with how hot the bottom becomes while playing high-spec games at max settings. One of our editors suffered first-degree crotch burns while testing Cyberpunk 2077 on the bus. 

WowGrandma78, the elderly streamer who’s been broadcasting on the platform since January 2020, celebrated her 80th birthday last month. To honor her eight decades around the sun, WowGrandma78 is hosting a multi-day sub-athon on Twitch, which entered day 15 as of this writing. It’s unclear whether she plans to stop…

Read more...

Today Square Enix released a new trailer of the upcoming Mana mobile game Echoes of Mana.

The trailer showcases the cast of new and returning characters from several games of the series. We also get to see plenty of gameplay and a look at the way the story will be narrated.

It’s also a reminder that the pre-registration campaign for the game is ongoing.

You can check it out below.

Echoes of Mana (in Japanese the title is Seiken Densetsu: Echoes of Mana) is coming in spring 2022 both in Japan and in the west.

Below you can read a summary of the story.

You awaken, surrounded by nothingness except for a single tree.
The Mana Tree—the very source of all life,
and yet, it is set to soon disappear…

The last sanctuary in a place where all has already been lost.

Only the Mana Sword can save the Mana Tree and the worlds still weaved in its branches.
If only the sword were not lost as well…

Guided by the Mana Goddess, you must venture into patchwork worlds, meeting friends and foes both familiar and brand new as you piece together memories through the Echoes of Mana.

Get ready for a feast Food has never looked so delicious as it does in video games. Whole sub-communities have...

The post CD Projekt Red gets our mouths watering with an official Witcher Cookbook appeared first on Destructoid.

Last week, the official website for Masamune-kun’s Revenge confirmed that the anime had been renewed for a second season. Today, just a little while after an April Fools prank regarding a third season, a brand new promotional trailer for the sophomore season of the anime has been released.

You can check out the trailer and an official synopsis of the series premise right down below:

As an overweight child, Makabe Masamune was mercilessly teased and bullied by one particular girl, Adagaki Aki. Determined to one day exact his revenge upon her, Makabe begins a rigorous regimen of self-improvement and personal transformation.

Years later, Masamune re-emerges as a new man. Handsome, popular, with perfect grades and good at sports, Masamune-kun transfers to Aki’s school, and is unrecognizable to her. Now, Masamune-kun is ready to confront the girl who bullied him so many years ago and humiliate her at last. But will revenge be as sweet as he thought?

Masamune-kun’s Revenge first premiered as an anime back in January 2017, with its manga running in Ichijinsha’s Monthly Comic Rex magazine from 2012 to 2018, featuring a total of 10 volumes.

For more on Masamune-kun’s Revenge and other anime-related content, be sure to check out all of the other articles we’ve got for you down below. That includes plenty of features, news, and quizzes that fans of the genre will surely love.

18 quintillion planets, and you still can’t get away from the worst people on Earth. To wit: The central nexus of No Man’s Sky, a region of charted space known as the Galactic Hub, was recently menaced by a troll who players say is a “neonazi.” Developer Hello Games has banned the griefer, permanently, but players…

Read more...

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

There's only room to go up, right? The Halo series has been a rollercoaster thus far, and episode two proved to be one of the lower parts of the ride. Join us on this bonus episode of The Game Informer Show as we break down what we liked and hated from this week's adventure.

Click here to watch embedded media

Kirby and the Forgotten Land on Nintendo Switch

I’ve been a big Kirby fan for a while now; he’s always been my main in Smash (down b brick spam 4-life), and previous games have always been simple yet enjoyable. Despite also being pretty easy itself, Kirby and the Forgotten Land is the first time I’ve truly been addicted to a title in the franchise.

Like most stories surrounding everyone’s favorite pink circular vacuum, Kirby and the Forgotten Land starts out with a mysterious event that our titular protagonist is tasked with solving. This time around, instead of taking place on Popstar, his home Planet, Kirby is pulled through a mysterious vortex to a new world that gives him a unique and mysterious power, known as Mouthful.

Mouthful expands Kirby’s ability to suck in and use the power of objects, now allowing him to essentially morph into larger objects like cars, hang-gliders, and vending machines. This small but effective addition to the copy mechanic the series has always been known for is a blast, and opens up gameplay and puzzle mechanics considerably.

Minigames like racing, time trials, and much more are available in fun new ways thanks to Mouthful, not to mention how amusing it is to see Kirby take the form of something like a cone. It’s honestly really impressive just how much variety they were able to get out of the mechanic, and is very reminiscent of the Cappy mechanic in Super Mario Odyssey.

Paramount+’s Halo television show is now in full swing, already featuring plenty of action between The Master Chief and the alien Covenant race. While the combat is thrilling and intense, something seems like it is missing.

After you watch the edited clip of lore accurate weapon sounds below, you’ll know exactly what that missing element is.

Originally created by Youtuber Eliteious, the video above was cut together by Youtuber Visioncy, and shows just how natural the Assault Rifle, Plasma Pistol, Chaingun Turret, and Magnum video game effects sound when overlayed with the television show.

What do you think of the sounds? Should they have been used from the get-go? What are your opinions on the show in general thus far? Be sure to let us know in the comment section below.

And don’t forget to check out the rest of Eliteious’ channel, which features plenty of great Halo content from the tv series and video game franchise alike.

The Halo television series is also available now on Paramount+ and currently has two episodes out. For more information, be sure to check out all of the related features, news, and quizzes we’ve got for the series down below.

Loot shooter series Borderlands is about picking up a shiny new gun one minute and throwing it away for something more powerful the next. TIny Tina’s Wonderlands continues this trend, but with a few added wrinkles that can end up trolling unsuspecting players who aren’t paying close enough attention.

Read more...

Platform: PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Switch, PC, iOS, Android
Publisher: 505 Games
Developer: ArtPlay
Release: June 18, 2019 (PlayStation 4, Xbox One, PC), June 25, 2019 (Switch), December 3, 2020 (iOS, Android)
Rating: Teen

Not content with simply buffing Apex Legends' Mozambique shotgun to ludicrous levels for April Fools' Day, Respawn has taken things a step further for this year's holiday. This year, the Mozambique has been buffed to fire powerful Nessie plushies.

From now until the end of the weekend (April 3), you'll be able to find spider nests across Kings Canyon, Olympus, and Storm Point. Breaking them will cause a special golden Mozambique shotgun to spawn.

These unique sidearms only spawn with 10 shots, each of which is a Nessie plush that will cutely squeak on its way to torment your foes. If no one is nearby, the Nessie plush will eventually despawn.

Additionally, you'll find that the Prowlers that roam Storm Point have been replaced by violent Nessie plushies. Approach their nests with care--they'll aggressively attack you on sight.

It’s been nearly nine years since the evocative pixel-art action RPG Hyper Light Drifter first took my breath away in its Kickstarter teaser. Now developer Heart Machine has a successor planned and it’s just around the corner. It’s called Hyper Light Breaker, it will be 3D instead of top-down, and it’s coming to Steam…

Read more...

The Season 2 Reloaded update is currently underway for both Call of Duty: Warzone and Vanguard, but we're already looking ahead to the upcoming Season 3 content. Here is everything we know so far about the updates coming to Warzone and Vanguard for Season 3.

Call of Duty Season 3 start times

Activision hasn't announced an official start date for Call of Duty Season 3, but given the number of days left in the battle pass, players can expect the new update to arrive around April 26. Call of Duty's seasonal updates usually arrive around 9 AM PT/ 12 PM ET. Updates are always subject to change, but an official announcement and more details should be arriving later this month.

What to expect from Season 3

While nothing is officially confirmed yet for either title, a new season of Call of Duty content usually means there will be a new battle pass to level up, along with additional maps, modes, weapons, operators, and more. Seasonal events are usually popular with Call of Duty, so the timing of Season 3 could bring some late Easter content or spring seasonal events.

Warzone

Warzone recently received major visual updates to the Rebirth Island map with Season 2 Reloaded, and new features like the Weapon Trade Stations and Communication Towers have been added all around the prison island. Of course, with all of this TLC going to Warzone's smaller map, it's quite possible the Season 3 focus will shift back to the main Caldera map.

Every year, MLB The Show 22 offers more control schemes than just about any other sports sim. That means you have tons of options across batting, fielding, pitching, and baserunning. In this guide, we'll walk you through all of the hitting controls so you can learn about the pros and cons of each and eventually pick the control scheme that's right for you. Here's our guide on the best batting controls in MLB The Show 22.

MLB The Show - Hitting controls explained

There are three control schemes for hitting, and they range from being arcade-like to something more like a simulation. Your preference will likely come down to how involved you want to be at the plate. There are no objective wrong answers, but you may find that having more or less control of bat placement is the right tactic for you.

Before we jump in, note that the three control schemes share one thing in common: With any mode you choose, you'll get to use a normal swing, contact swing, or power swing. The controls on each platform are as follows:

The free Break the Bank update is worth playing There’s a generous (read: free!) Dead Cells biome update out this...

The post Dead Cells now has a Bank biome, and here’s how to find it appeared first on Destructoid.

It's the beginning of the end for AMC's The Walking Dead. The network has confirmed that filming has wrapped on the main series--this is very notable since this is the 11th and final season.

"It's been an incredible 12 years and we hope all the amazing cast and crew have a fantastic wrap day," AMC said in its announcement tweet. The show has spanned 11 seasons, 12 years, and 177 episodes.

The final season premiered in August 2021. There will be 24 episodes in all, split between three batches of eight episodes each. The Part 2 finale is coming up on April 10, with the final eight episodes to come later.

Insiders at r/GamingLeaksAndRumors have leaked a set of shocking new screenshots revealing one game journalist’s YouTube watch history – and the results are alarming. Alongside videos like “Easy Authentic Ramen at Home” and “How to Tie a Tie for Beginners,” Redditors have spotted a gaming tutorial titled “Kirby Forgotten Land – First Boss Guide.” Understandably aggrieved, commenters flooded social media, sharing a Change.org petition calling for the journalist’s immediate termination. 

“Imagine getting paid to play video games, and you still suck at them,” reads one post from user BayonettasHusband0, while another frustrated commenter changes the subject, stating, “Nintendo is so lazy. It’s literally just a copy and paste of Mario 64 with a new character. You should be embarrassed even to play this game.” 

Responding to the waves of backlash, the journalist’s recent Twitter post pleads, “Please leave me alone. My 9-year-old son was using my iPad.” Unsatisfied with the professional’s blatant attempt at saving his job, a user with a Hatsune Miku profile picture says, “Typical games journalists and their stupid Apple devices. Probably bought it with the money he got from scoring Pokémon Legends an 8.75.” For context, the journalist’s review of Pokémon Legends: Arceus is slightly higher than average, as the game’s current Metacritic score is a measly 82.

Biggest series launch in Japan and UK Nintendo’s latest smash release, Kirby and the Forgotten Land, is continuing to break...

The post Kirby and the Forgotten Land Sucks… up major worldwide success appeared first on Destructoid.

A recently surfaced website claiming to be for the Metal Gear franchise's 35th anniversary is a fake, Konami has confirmed, with the site's creator having also come clean.

The site Metalgear35th.com appeared on April 1, which is suspicious, but some fans still believed it could have been an official Konami project. When the site then posted about a Metal Gear 35th anniversary NFT collection, fans still weren't sure if it was the real deal or not, considering Konami itself has auctioned NFTs in the past as part of Castlevania's 35th anniversary.

Konami has confirmed that they are in no way affiliated with the site in a statement to TechRadar, stating that it was "currently considering how to deal with the site." The site itself has also been updated to make clear that it's all an April Fools' Day joke.

"This website was made as an April Fools joke to parody Konami and the Castlevania 35th Anniversary NFT auction, and is NOT affiliated with Konami, OpenSea, or the Metal Gear series," the website reads. "Nothing on this website should be taken seriously, and there are no actual NFTs for sale."

The website statement goes on to beg Konami not to sue the site's creator, but to instead use its resources to "buy the historical footage licenses needed to put MGS2 and MGS3 back on digital storefronts."

All of the focus may be on the new Warriors Collection Event currently taking place during Apex Legends Season 12: Defiance, but that's not stopping most fans from wondering what Respawn has planned next for their beloved battle royale game in the next season. Season 13 will no doubt bring plenty of balance changes, a new character, new events, and more--but when can we expect to dive in?

Apex Legends seasons run for three months each to allow for a total of four seasons per year. Since Season 12 began on February 8, 2022, Respawn is expected to launch Season 13 on May 3. Of course, that date is barring an unexpected delay that could arise for any number of reasons. Season delays have happened in the past, so it's not completely out of the question, but it remains an unlikely scenario.

As for what to expect in Season 13, there's very little concrete information. Early rumors and leaks hint at the introduction of a new legend, Blisk, who may be able to summon a titan that could aid in battle or scan the environment. Additionally, Loba is anticipated to be the next legend to receive an heirloom.

As for now, Season 12 continues to barrel forward with the limited-time return of the fan-favorite Control mode and the introduction of drone specialist Crypto's long-awaited heirloom.

In an effort to bolster his awards show, host Geoff Keighley has announced a bold new category for the 2022 Game Awards: The Game of the Week award.

“This prestigious award recognizes exceptional titles that pushed the boundaries of game design and captured players' collective attention and imagination for up to seven days,” Keighley explains. 

Guerilla Games' Horizon Forbidden West scored the first nomination. The well-received follow-up to Aloy’s 2017 adventure took the gaming world by storm until it suddenly didn’t, thanks to Elden Ring – a game critically lauded as the best game in the history of forever – stealing its thunder(jaw) a week later. 

Despite being a seemingly logical nomination and the fact that the awards are months away, that hasn’t stopped journalists and influencers from weighing in on whether or not Horizon deserves the accolade and speculating on other titles that could run against it. 

“I think it’s worthy,” says critic Josh Pardue. “I really enjoyed roaming Forbidden West’s stunning landscape atop my robot horse-thing until Elden Ring came out. Now all I think about is From Software’s magnum opus. I still like Horizon, but now I can’t help but wonder why my robot horse can’t double jump too. Shouldn’t it have rocket hoofs or something?" 

“Um, Nobody Saves the World, anyone?” tweeted Twitch streamer ChristiePlayz. “That game rocks and didn’t even get an hour in the spotlight before getting utterly buried by Xbox’s multi-billion dollar purchase of a problematic publisher. Nobody should win this award.” 

What a time to do a producer stream! Final Fantasy XIV patch 6.1 is dated and dusted for April 12,...

The post Final Fantasy XIV patch 6.1 will be out on April 12, no joke appeared first on Destructoid.

Steel yourself for more stylish exploration and violence next year with Hyper Light Breaker, a follow-up (but not a sequel) to 2016's Hyper Light Drifter. The "action rogue-lite adventure" will explore a new land in the same world, and this time in fancy 3D-o-vision. Plus, online co-op! Check out the announcement trailer below.

Read more

Game developer Damien Crawford has released a new golf video game that will be available for 24 hours only, and it sounds incredible. "Damien Crawford's Golf Experience 2022" puts players into the golf shoes of a person with only the most basic understanding of the game of golf.

As such, the game doesn't provide detailed statistics about how far away the hole is, nor does it allow players to apply any spin to a ball like other golf games allow. There is also no ability to hit fades and draws, and you cannot see where the ball goes after you've made contact.

In terms of what you can do, you can choose a club, decide how hard to swing ("full send it" is one of the swing power options), and then head out to find your ball and whack it again. In case there was any doubt, this is not a golf game that holds your hand or is anything close to traditional.

"Try to complete a course! They're technically able to be completed! You will hit the ball in the general direction of where you're facing when you select your club/power," reads a line from the game's description.

Damien Crawford's Golf Experience 2022 is available to buy now for whatever you want to pay, starting at $2. Crawford created the game as part of the Games that Shouldn't Be Games Jam 2022.

The best moment of any good puzzle game is when it rewires your brain and you suddenly feel like the smartest person in the world. That moment when you look at a puzzle and think to yourself, “Oh…that would work!” and then it actually does and you feel amazing. But a great puzzle game should also be filled with…

Read more...

Pixelated platform fighter Rivals of Aether is getting a sequel and a glow-up with Rivals 2. The indie development studio behind the series Aether Studios revealed the first trailer for the game today, and it's definitely not a joke.

Rivals 2 jumps to detailed 3D models, a huge visual change from the 16-bit inspired sprites from the original. The footage shown looks gorgeous, showing HUD-less gameplay of three Rivals duking it out. Fiery lion Zetterburn, the wind wielder Wrastor, and the poisonous frog martial artist Ranno all make their return and have plenty of screentime showing off their updated looks and moves. 

Click here to watch embedded media

While new characters weren't shown in the trailer, new mechanics were. Those who are familiar with Super Smash Bros. may be very comfortable with the additions. Shields are being added as a defensive mechanism, as well as grabs to counter them. Also, "throws look cool," says an FAQ answer for why they've been added to the game. More nuanced questions and answers for changes being made to the combat in Rivals 2 can be found on the game's FAQ page.

Nab some fantastic RPGs before the 3DS eShop boards the doors Nintendo eShop purchases for both the 3DS and Wii...

The post The Sega Spring eShop sale is live, so grab some good 3DS deals while you can appeared first on Destructoid.

Speaking to Game Infarcer, Hidetaka Miyazaki, director of Dark Souls and Bloodborne, among others, and president of From Software, shed light on his creative process – specifically saying criticisms of his most recent directorial effort, the lauded Elden Ring, were misunderstandings of deliberate design choices.

"I've seen people on the internet say the lock-on feature in Elden Ring is bad, that it never seems to choose the closest enemy to the player, leaving them completely vulnerable to attacks while they try and correct it" Miyazaki said. "Have you ever been in a fight? Ever had to deal with the threat of getting your ass kicked in? Do you think you'd be singularly focused on one opponent? No, in the rush of the moment, your lizard brain takes over, and your mind oscillates between the numerous threats surrounding you. It's hard to concentrate. We kept this in mind when designing Elden Ring. We implemented a very complex algorithm that makes your lock-on miss the target you want nine out of ten times." 

While Elden Ring's boss fights are generally fantastic, many have pointed to the Fire Giant as an outlier. Due to the creature's immense size, accurately reading attacks proves difficult for many players, who have taken to various social platforms to voice their frustration. The main issue is: if you have to be directly under the giant to attack at its ankles, then you can't see when the Fire Giant is swinging down upon you. 

Again, Miyazaki balked at the idea that this was somehow a design flaw on From Software's part. 

Four US senators have voiced concerns about Microsoft buying Activision Blizzard for $69 billion, urging the Federal Trade Commission to consider the impact on workers before approving the proposed merger. Elizabeth Warren, Bernie Sanders, Sheldon Whitehouse, and Cory Booke raised this in a joint letter to the FTC chair yesterday. Considering that Actiblizz are facing many, many, many accusations of discriminatory and abusive working conditions, and that the CEO who reportedly intervened to protect one alleged harasser is still happily with the company, they're worried that the merger might make things worse.

Read more

And it’s even open Wednesdays This Stardew Valley player market has one goal: stick it to Pierre. Setting up shop...

The post This Stardew Valley player set up a market right outside of Pierre’s appeared first on Destructoid.