Valorant’s latest map, Breeze, is very different from anything the game has seen before. A much larger overall design with long sightlines makes it a unique experience to play, while its vibrant tropical setting is a sharp contrast to the cold, angular style of the last map introduced to the game, Icebox.

Today, Riot Games has lifted the curtain on the development of Breeze, from the conception of its basic design to the particulars of its various details and style via a new dev diary video. You’ll hear from game designer Sal Garozzo, level designer Joe Lansford, art director Devon Fay, and 3D environment artist Brandon Martynowicz as they talk us through the challenge of making Breeze.

Some interesting takeaways include the revelation that Breeze was actually the first map Riot developed post-launch, even though Icebox came almost six months after the game released. That means it’s the first map that has benefitted from player feedback, both casual and professional, and a principal reason why it is so much larger than the maps that have come before it.

I’m pretty excited for Sonic Colors: Ultimate. The original Sonic Colors, along with Sonic Generations, are arguably the two best 3D Sonic games ever made. Sonic Team really nailed with those two games and it seemed like the franchise was on the right path before they decided to throw all that progress in the garbage with Lost World and Forces.

Sonic Generations was available on PC, PS3, and Xbox 360, however, Sonic Colors was stuck on the Wii and has always been constrained by the limitations of that platform. Sonic Colors: Ultimate will finally allow the game to reach its full potential with wonderful visuals and improved controls.

If you’re looking forward to it like I am, you’ll probably enjoy this fresh new look at gameplay on Planet Wisp; specifically Planet Wisp Act 4. It should look familiar to anyone that has played Sonic Colors and the gameplay is reminiscent of the 3D Sonic gameplay of the PS3/360 era, which is a very good thing. Just, obviously, it’s a lot prettier now. Take a look for yourself below.

Sonic Colors: Ultimate releases on Sept. 7 for PC and consoles. Those that pre-order the digital deluxe edition will be able to play on Sept. 3 instead.

The latest Mario Golf: Super Rush trailer is here, and it looks at things like the Special Shots and items used in Speed Golf mode.

The post Mario Golf: Super Rush Trailer Shows Off Special Skills appeared first on Siliconera.

At long last, we finally got a proper look at Elden Ring during Summer Games Fest last week, and all of a sudden we now have a flood of information about what to expect in the upcoming game. In an interview with IGN, legendary director Hidetaka Miyazaki gave plenty of information on the background lore, along with some discussion of abilities, multiplayer and the game's structure.

One of the first topics discussed was Elden Ring's setting, The Lands Between, which has been deliberately designed to give "an enormous sense of scale and this broadness and openness". It's split into six major areas, each of which is the domain of a demigod. These are lined up to suggest a specific order in which to tackle them, but the player can make their own decisions about which to do first. "You won't be able to access everything from the start, but there are a lot of different ways you can approach each area," Miyazaki explained. "And there's a lot of freedom as to which order you tackle different areas as well."

Walt Disney Imagineering is guiding you through the design ideas behind Disneyland's Avengers Campus at this year†™s Game Developers Conference. ...

As revealed during Ubisoft’s E3 2021 Forward event over the weekend, the publisher is planning to expand its Rainbow Six franchise with a new standalone game called Extraction, which mashes up the tactical FPS action of Siege with co-operative PvE alien-slaying. Today, a new trailer explains how its cross-play and cross-progression systems will work across different platforms, as well as what sort of benefits Siege players will receive for getting involved with the new game.

As you’ll see below, Extraction allows players from PlayStation, Xbox, PC, and cloud gaming systems to play together via their Ubisoft accounts, which also means progression is saved across all platforms, including both current and previous generation devices.

As for bonuses, Siege players who play Extraction will unlock the “United Front Bundle,” which is comprised of two uniform sets in both games across four different operators. Playing both games also unlocks all 18 operators in Siege permanently.

Finally, those who pre-order the game will receive the Orbital Bundle on day one when the game launches Sept. 18.

It's Monday morning and I've had too much coffee, not enough sleep, and for neither the first nor the last time, Bethesda may or may not have just teased something about The Elder Scrolls 6. Here we go again!

This time, the tease in question is especially small: overnight after Xbox's big E3 showcase, someone trawled through Bethesda's new Starfield trailer, frame-by-frame, and found a tiny shape etched onto the interior of the spaceship - which they think looks like the location of The Elder Scrolls 6. Here's the image, with credit to u/Huhwtfbleh on reddit, who discovered it:

The suggestion is this little scratch looks awfully similar in shape to that of High Rock, Hammerfell and the Iliac Bay. Here's an image of the region Huhwtfbleh provided as a comparison:

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Halo multiplayer is all about hunting for power weapons

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Infinite will also give players more customization options than ever, including the AI voice in multiplayer

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Oh Elden Ring, now that we've seen a proper trailer, and a large handful of screenshots, it's time to comb both for clues about what's old and new compared with From Software's past Souls joints. One of the neatest new bits, which I think will actually impact how I play, is how From have expanded the summoning system for Elden Ring. Souls games have previously let you summon NPC characters and other players to fight beside you. According to an interview with game director Hidetaka Miyazaki, Elden Ring will also let you summon your enemies, and I'm simply thrilled by the idea of turning baddies into my sidekicks.

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Miyazaki shares insight to the world of Elden Ring, along with information about progression in the world.

The post Elden Ring Miyazaki Interview Reveals Its Story appeared first on Siliconera.

Bandai Namco is continuing to show off its upcoming JRPG Tales of Arise.

First of all, we get to see a brand new TV commercial from Japan, followed by a video in which the newly-revealed characters Kisara and Dhalim execute a team attack.

You can check both out below.

Tomorrow's update for Assassin's Creed Valhalla adds a new Mastery Challenge mode to the game.

Update 1.2.2 will arrive for PC, PlayStation, Stadia and Xbox around 1pm UK time and also adds new skills, river raid cosmetics and other improvements.

Mastery Challenge mode is the big addition, and can be found at "numerous shrines hidden in the world", Ubisoft said in its patch notes. Each shrine will host a Trial of the Bear, testing your combat strength, a Trial of the Wolf, testing your ranged ability, and a Trial of the Raven, testing your stealth.

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The Dominion boxed set pre-orders start June 19, with a retail release on July 3

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There's big opportunity to expand your game business into Asia-Pacific, but where do you begin? Gamasutra editor-in-chief Kris Graft speaks with Telstra VP Adam Day to find out how game companies can partner with telecommunications companies to grow business. ...

The Xbox & Bethesda Games Showcase has come and gone, but 343 Industries is still providing more details on the multiplayer gameplay for Halo Infinite, well ahead of its holiday 2021 release window. The developer made a pretty long blog post about the game’s free-to-play multiplayer yesterday, and now, we have a new overview trailer that provides even more info.

The overview focuses on three main aspects of the multiplayer: the sandbox, customization, and the Academy. The sandbox basically refers to everything available in a map, from the vehicles to the weapons, to the wide variety of devices that can be interacted with. And, of course, this includes power-ups.

One of the new gameplay features in Halo Infinite multiplayer allows players to use power-ups like Overshields and Active Camouflage whenever they want instead of having the powers activate as soon as they’re picked up. Instead, they’ll be stored in a little inventory for manual use. If you die with items in your inventory, other players can then pick them up.

The ‘Thotyssey’ comes full circle in A24’s hardbound edition

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Niantic's next mobile augmented reality game will be Transformers: Heavy Metal. A beta and soft launch are on the way.

The post Transformers: Heavy Metal AR Mobile Game Being Made by Niantic appeared first on Siliconera.

The Velocicoaster Is a Beautiful Ride & I Am No Longer Afraid to Die

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It’s been three years since Bethesda officially announced The Elder Scrolls VI with a short teaser trailer, and we still don’t know anything else about the game. But one eagle-eyed Reddit user spotted an Easter egg placed in yesterday’s Starfield teaser that could be a reference to the next Elder Scrolls game’s…

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343 has revealed more information about Halo Infinite's multiplayer in a new video.

The video, below, includes new Halo Infinite multiplayer gameplay as well as a raft of talking heads from 343.

There's a lot to run through, but the highlight for me was the news that Halo Infinite multiplayer lets you bring your own Personal AI onto the battlefield.

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Bethesda is known for hiding things in plain sight. It's because of that little insight that Elder Scrolls 6 hopefuls are pouring over every detail in the recent Starfield trailer shown during the Xbox-Bethesda E3 2021 showcase. There have been many rumors and fan theories about where The Elder Scrolls 6 will take us and, according to the most recent fan theory, the previous Hammerfall predictions could be more spot-on than originally anticipated. 

Before we continue, it's important to remember that this is 'just' fan speculation. E3 is about celebrating games and new announcements, and sometimes that excitement sparks the theorizing part of the community's collective. It's all in good fun, nothing official, but worth exploring for those itching to talk about what they are most hopeful for with the next iteration of The Elder Scrolls franchise. 

via GIPHY

It’s called the Academy

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A Ratchet and Clank: Rift Apart PS5 bundle has popped into existence at a number of retailers with a sale price of £509.99 in the UK.

Without much fanfare, the bundle was made available to purchase at Smyths Toys and Very, though the link to the latter store page has since been taken down. Naturally, as the hunt for PS5 stock is still a difficult one, that's because this bundle has already sold out.

It's not clear whether this bundle is also set to be released in the rest of Europe, the US or anywhere else in the world.

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Today Microsoft released a trailer about six games coming to Xbox and Windows over the next six months.

Starting with Microsoft Flight Simulator and ending with Halo infinite, there is certainly quite a lot to look forward to, even if not all games included in the trailer are exclusive.

The trailer is narrated by Canadian actor Simu Liu.

You can see the trailer below.

Here’s a full list: directly from Microsoft.

[Update]: June 15, 2021, 7:25 a.m. Central - The official Stranger of Paradise Final Fantasy Origin Twitter account has confirmed that the issue blocking access to the trial version has been resolved. Original story below. 

Stranger Of Paradise Final Fantasy Origin undoubtedly made a big splash during the Square Enix E3 showcase. The company chose to close the show by featuring several more Final Fantasy experiences following the reveal of what's new in Marvel. Whether people liked the action-focused combat or dunked on the trailer’s script, it has been a big topic on social media since the showcase ended. Square Enix wanted to get the game in the hands of fans at home, but the themes of chaos from Final Fantasy Origin have plagued these plans.

Announced in the trailer, a demo was set to hit PlayStation 5 soon after the new title was revealed. A short time later, folks were able to download the demo which clocks in at 11.39 GB. Unfortunately when going to launch the trial version, an error popped up with the following message: “can’t continue using this game or app. The data is corrupted. Delete it from your PS5, and then download it again from your library.” After uninstalling and reinstalling close to ten times over the past 18 hours, I have personally found this isn’t the fix we’re looking for.

Starfield might have had a spot at the joint Xbox-Bethesda 2021 E3 press conference, but the showing was quite light on actual details and devoid of any gameplay. We know that Starfield is slated to come out late 2022, and got a better feel for the vision of the game, but that’s about it.

Bethesda, however, has returned today to invite players to join them on the journey to 11.11.22, the day Starfield is released and their brand new game world is officially open to players.

In a new video called, Into the Starfield: The Journey Begins, Bethesda asks players to join Constellation, the last group of in-game team of explorers. In other words, they are asking players to join the game’s official Discord and check in on the game’s official website.

However, the video does offer a bit more than that. There’s some behind the scenes footage of the making of Starfield shown and more concept art and screenshots. Todd Howard, who narrates the video, is also promising an eventual look at the process behind making Starfield, but there was no announcement of any sort of event just yet. It may just end up on the official website at some point.

Starfield is aims to be the next great Bethesda open-world, player-driven, RPG; we still have a ways to go until we know for sure if Bethesda is able to achieve their goal. Starfield releases on Nov. 11, 2022 for Xbox Series X | S and PC, and will release day one on Xbox Game Pass.

RPS have been writing about the upcoming hellish, meaty, yet gorgeous-looking RPG Death Trash for years, and now we finally know when we'll get to play it. It's coming out in early access on August 5th, inviting players to a cyberpunk wasteland full of pure disgusting stuff - like giant flesh monsters and collecting your own puke. But honestly, it looks great.

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A Bleach: Brave Souls Arena mode is about to open, allowing people a chance to take part in real-time 3v3 PVP fights.

The post Enter the Bleach: Brave Souls Arena Mode appeared first on Siliconera.

Disney, the ultimate experts in brand tie-ins, did something very specific last Friday that stood out to anyone who has played Respawn’s terrific Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order game. To go along with the announcement that Fallen Order will get an upgrade for the PS5 and Xbox Series X, Star Wars: The Bad Batch’s latest…

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2018’s Far: Lone Sails is getting a sequel, and it’s arriving in just a few months. Far: Changing Tides debuted during the PC Gaming Show and, as the name suggests, this time players will be sailing the seas instead of the sands. 

As Toe, you’ll pilot an abandoned ship across a flooded landscape searching for answers as to what happened to your home. Like the first game, your slapped together, Jules Verne-esque vessel doubles as your home and can be upgraded to better withstand violent storms and other threats. You can also dive into the depths in search of salvage, fuel, relics, and solutions to new types of obstacles. 

Changing Tides maintains the lonely, meditative vibe of its predecessor. That extends to the soundtrack, composed once again by Joel Schoch. Of course, fans of the first game can expect to grow attached to their ship all over again. 

We enjoyed Far: Lone Sails which is why news of a sequel is a pleasant surprise. It wasn’t perfect, but it offered a memorable and novel experience that built a great foundation for a follow-up to improve upon. As former GI editor Kyle Hilliard said in his review: 

Today Sega Asia, which will release the English localization of Kimetsu no Yaiba: Hinokami Keppu Tan on the local market with the title Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba – The Hinokami Chronicles, released another character trailer in English.

The trailer focuses on Giyu Tomioka. While voices are in Japanese, we finally get English subtitles, making everything easier to understand.

Sega also published a second video showing the game in development, but this one doesn’t have any commentary, so there are no subtitles.

You can find both videos below.

Ubisoft Forward has come and gone, and it was a fairly decent show overall. There were plenty of reveals for new games, updates on existing titles, and a slew of trailers for fans of the company’s games to check out. At the same time though, there were some notable absences from the show that left us with five unanswered questions we have after Ubisoft’s E3 2021 Showcase.

What’s the Status of Beyond Good and Evil 2?

Unanswered Questions We Have After Ubisoft’s E3 2021 Showcase

Beyond Good and Evil 2 is the White Whale of Ubisoft’s catalogue of upcoming games.

You know, I've never been massively into Square Enix's games, but this time, I have to hand it to them. In an E3 week that's otherwise been a fairly tame affair, it took some real chutzpah to announce not just a big-budget original property, but one that's a direct lampoon of one of the biggest licenses in Hollywood. Gordon Galaxy And His Funny Space Mates is the sort of genius you might usually expect to come from the very fringes of the indie market. A whipcrack satire, thrown together by a lone hobbyist with nothing to lose, and looking to get a few laughs before the cease and desist orders come in. But no: this is a full-on, big budget, triple-A endeavour - and crikey, are Squeenix ever playing with fire here.

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Democratize space, then take careful inventory of your remaining fingers

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FromSoftware Director Hidetaka Miyazaki confirmed there will be six areas with dungeons to explore in Elden Ring.

The post There Are 6 Elden Ring Areas to Explore in The Lands Between appeared first on Siliconera.

Returnal, the PS5-exclusive roguelike about listening to a really popular ‘70s song, received another update this morning. It doesn’t do a thing about the maddening lack of of a save system, but it does purport to fix another notorious issue plaguing the game: trophies.

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Two Point Studios talks about its next silly simulation

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Two Point Hospital charmed us when it launched in 2018, but there was certainly room for improvement. However, three years and 20 free updates later, the hospital-management sim is in much better shape than it was at launch. Still, Two Point Studios wanted to improve upon that formula with its next entry in the Two Point County series, Two Point Campus.

After 3.5 million Two Point Hospital players and one big Two Point Campus leak, developer Two Point Studios is finally ready to talk more about its new project. Officially, this time. On the the morning after Microsoft's naughty store listing slip-up, I sat down with Two Point studio director Gary Carr and senior animator Chris Knott for a quick tour of the game, and a chat about how things were going.

As previously leaked, Two Point Campus is a university-building simulation sandbox and, on the surface, it looks a clear follow-up in terms of presentation and gameplay to the studio's hospital-set debut. But on further inspection I think it's fair to say Campus also represents a clear evolution from its predecessor, based on what I'm told about the virtual students themselves. Instead of churning through patients (and their money) to get them released as quickly as possible, Campus is more about the student experience, and ensuring their happiness (and their money) across four in-game years.

Of course, there are the wacky treatment rooms - sorry, classrooms - plus oddball VIPs to manage and money to earn ("it's still a business", Carr reassures, "you're just farming education rather than illness!"). But each location is meant to feel more uniquely yours, and each crop of students are designed to leave a lasting impression.

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