Alongside a new trailer showing what Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth will sound like in English, Sega also confirmed Like a Dragon Gaiden: The Man Who Erased His Name's English dub will release for free this month. The new trailer shows scenes that will be familiar to anyone who watched the Japanese trailer back in September, but it's nice to hear familiar voices connected to this new footage. The trailer also gives us a chance to hear Daniel Dae Kim's Masataka Ebina and Danny Trejo's Dwight. Here's what Ryu Ga Gotoku Studio has to say about the two characters.
Ebina is the de-facto leader for the Seiryu Clan, a yakuza syndicate whose current chairman is incarcerated. Dwight leads the Barracudas gang in Hawaii and supervises the world's largest counterfeit goods market, aided by his sharp sense of business and even sharper machete.
Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth releases January 26 PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and PC.
Posted on 1 December 2023 | 4:24 pm
Turns out CD Projekt has even more plans for Cyberpunk beyond its 2.0 update and Phantom Liberty earlier this year. During a stream detailing the update with developers Paweł Sasko and Monika Janowska, the team at CD Projekt revealed Cyberpunk will be getting a 2.1 update soon that will add a fully functional metro, radioport, replayable car races, boss fight improvements, accessibility features, and more. The update will be available December 5 (the same day Rockstar is launching the trailer for the next Grand Theft Auto), which will also mark the release of Cyberpunk 2077's Ultimate Edition.
The metro system, called NCART in the game, lets players move around the city and take in the views. The Radioport will let players listen to music outside of vehicles. The update will also allow players to to invite their in-game significant others to "quality time" together in V's apartment. The other previously mentioned updates are a little more self-explanatory, though CD Projekt did specifically mention that the boss updates were specifically applied to the late-game encounter with Adam Smasher. He is also now equipped with Sandevistan, which was seen in Cyberpunk: Edgerunners. New vehicles will be added like the Porsche 911 Cabriolet and others, motorcycle handling has been improved, and there are also technical updates like larger fonts and the option to turn off timers in the Breach Protocol minigame.
As stated, the 2.1 patch launches December 5 on all platforms. To read Game Informer's Cyberpunk 2077 review, follow the link. You can also read our Phantom Liberty review here.
Posted on 1 December 2023 | 4:04 pm
After teasing that it would be releasing a trailer in early December about a month ago, Rockstar confirmed an exact date and time this morning. The trailer for the next be Grand Theft Auto will premiere Tuesday December 5 at 9 a.m. ET.
pic.twitter.com/BguwiJokQt
— Rockstar Games (@RockstarGames) December 1, 2023
Rockstar shared the tweet above without any context, so it's worth noting that it is technically not confirming that this trailer will be for the next Grand Theft Auto. All it says is "Trailer 1" and a date. But, considering its early November tease explicitly read, "We are very excited to let you know that in early December, we will release the first trailer for the next Grand Theft Auto," it's safe to assume that this is what the tweet is referencing.
The art of the tweet also offers the first official tease for the game's tropical setting. It has long been rumored that the next Grand Theft Auto would return to Vice City and a massive leak in September where 90 video related to the game also made that apparent.
If you're on a video game website reading about Grand Theft Auto, it's safe to assume that the excitement surrounding this game does not need to contextualized, but the previous Grand Theft Auto is one of the video game industry's biggest hits of all time. In 2018 it was crowned the most profitable entertainment product of all time.
While waiting to learn more about Rockstar's next game, read Game Informer's Grand Theft Auto V review and then read our thoughts on Red Dead Redemption II. After that, read Game Informer's ranking of every single Rockstar game.
What do you want to see most in the next Grand Theft Auto? What do you think its title will be? Let us know in the comments below!
Posted on 1 December 2023 | 2:34 pm
After suffering a delay to next year, we now know that the driving-focused roguelite survival game Pacific Drive is arriving on February 22.
The news comes courtesy of today's PC Gaming Show: Most Wanted. Pacific Drive is a first-person adventure that unfolds in a surreal version of the Pacific Northwest. Players drive a station wagon to explore a forest filled with supernatural threats related to a government agency’s experiments gone wrong. Check out a recent story trailer below.
As a run-based game, the world shifts with every trip into the forest, and the only thing keeping you alive is your trusty vehicle, which you’ll repair, reinforce, and modify using materials found while exploring the unsettling landscapes. Your car will need to stay up to snuff in order to withstand dangers such as the Zone Storm, a recurring maelstrom that obliterates everything in its path, meaning players will have to outrun it to stay alive.
Pacific Drive will be available on PlayStation 5 and PC. For more on the game, you can check out our extended preview of the game here.
Posted on 30 November 2023 | 8:01 pm
Wild Bastards is a new roguelite space western and follow-up to 2019’s Void Bastards. The game was announced during today’s PC Gaming Show: Most Wanted showcase, and it’s coming next year.
Like its predecessor, Wild Bastards sports a stylized comic book-inspired presentation and blends first-person shooting with roguelite progression. A puritanical villain known as Jebediah Chaste has wiped out nearly all of the Bastards with only two surviving thanks to a rescue by a sentient ship called The Drifter. To strike back, you’ll assemble a gang of 13 playable outlaws, each with their own progression trees, to plot your path of revenge through the galaxy.
Wild Bastards’ loop involves visiting planets to commit heists and engage in shootouts using a variety of weapons and perks to take down anyone in the way. See it in action in the trailer below.
Wild Bastards is currently slated for PC and will arrive in 2024.
Posted on 30 November 2023 | 8:00 pm
The month of December brings many things: cold weather, the holiday season, and this year, a new crop of games on Xbox Game Pass. Highlights this month include Remnant: From the Ashes and Remnant II, giving subscribers a chance to try out both games if they haven't yet. It also gives them day one access to SteamWorld Build, the latest in the genre-shifting SteamWorld series. And for fans of big-budget open-world adventure games, subscribers will also get access to the latest entry in the Far Cry series. Below is the full list, their dates, and our reviews.
What's Coming To Game Pass
Remant II
Remnant: From the Ashes (Cloud, Console, and PC) – November 30 | Our Review
Remnant II (Cloud, PC, Xbox Series X|S) – November 30 | Our Review
Spirit of the North (Cloud, Console, and PC) – December 1 | Our Review
SteamWorld Build (Cloud, Console, and PC) – December 1 | Our Review
Clone Drone in the Danger Zone (Cloud, PC, and Xbox Series X|S) – December 5
Rise of the Tomb Raider (Cloud, Console, and PC) – December 5 | Our Review
While the Iron’s Hot (Cloud, Console, and PC) – December 5
World War Z: Aftermath (Cloud, Console, and PC) – December 5
Goat Simulator 3 (Cloud, PC, and Xbox Series X|S) – December 7
Against the Storm (PC) – December 8
Tin Hearts (Cloud, Console, and PC) – December 12
Far Cry 6 (Cloud, Console, and PC) – December 14 | Our Review
What's Coming To Game Pass Core?
Earlier this year, Xbox replaced Xbox Live Gold with Xbox Game Pass Core. It's a scaled-down console-specific version of Game Pass that allows players to play online and get access to certain discounts, but instead of Gold's two free games a month, Game Pass Core members get access to a smaller list of games from the full Game Pass library. There are currently 36 games available. This month, that roster expands by two.
Chivalry 2 – December 6
Totally Reliable Delivery Service – December 6
What's Leaving Game Pass?
Chained Echoes (Cloud, Console, and PC) – December 15
Opus Magnum (PC) – December 15
Potion Craft: Alchemist Simulator (Cloud, Console, and PC) – December 15
Rubber Bandits (Cloud, Console, and PC) – December 15
Posted on 30 November 2023 | 4:10 pm
We found out last August that Sonic the Hedgehog 3 was set to hit theaters on December 20, 2024, but a new teaser gave us another glimpse at its newest star: Shadow the Hedgehog.
I say “another” because Shadow briefly appears during Sonic the Hedgehog 2’s mid-credits scene, setting him up as presumably the antagonist of the third film. While we still don’t know his exact role or who will voice him, today’s image, posted above, provides a good look at Shadow below the neck (does he have a neck?), namely his signature air shoes.
Off and RUNNING. #SonicMovie3
Only in theatres December 20, 2024 pic.twitter.com/BUIlurNIC0
— Sonic the Hedgehog (@SonicMovie) November 29, 2023
Production on Sonic the Hedgehog 3 had stalled due to the SAG-AFTRA strikes, and today’s update confirms work has resumed following the strike's suspension. Jeff Fowler remains in the director’s chair, and the returning cast includes Ben Schwartz (Sonic), Colleen O'Shaughnessey (Tails), Idris Elba (Knuckles), and James Marsden (Tom Wachowski).
Whatever the third film entails, it has one heck of an act to follow. Sonic the Hedgehog 2 was a box office smash, becoming the highest-grossing video game film of all time in the U.S. until The Super Mario Bros. Movie took that crown earlier this year. A live-action TV spin-off starring Knuckles is also in the works and slated to release early next year.
Posted on 29 November 2023 | 8:01 pm
Beyond Good & Evil - 20th Anniversary Edition is arriving early next year. The news was accidentally posted early to the Xbox store and was even briefly available to play (albeit in unfinished form) on Ubisoft Plus.
According to its now-deleted Xbox Store page (which was shared by Wario64 on X), the 2003 adventure will now feature 4K graphics and 60 FPS with improvements to controls and audio. It will also feature auto-save and cross-save functionality. Here’s the full blurb:
Swoop into the marvelous world of Hillys as action-reporter Jade to investigate the mysterious DomZ alien attacks alongside colorful characters, like her adoptive uncle Pey’j or the valiant Double H.
Embark on this epic adventure in up to 4K, 60 fps with improved graphics, controls, and audio, along with brand-new autosave and cross-save features.
Enjoy exclusive new rewards as you explore the planet and discover more about Jade’s past in a new treasure hunt throughout Hillys.
Put your skills to the test thanks to the new speedrun mode and updated achievements, and learn more about the game’s development and secrets in the anniversary gallery!
Armed with her daï-jo and faithful camera, Jade’s adventure will get you to freely explore Hillys, combat creatures large and small, infiltrate dangerous areas, solve enigmatic puzzles, play addictive mini-games, race the best hovercraft pilots, and take pictures of the whole experience.
Be ready to dive into a trailblazing blend of action gameplay and thrilling emotional cutscenes!
This game leverages Smart Delivery allowing access to both the Xbox One title and the Xbox Series X|S title.
The store page also included a big batch of screenshots of the remaster, which can view in the gallery below.
According to Ubisoft’s statement to IGN. , the store listing went up early due to a “technical error”
"As we celebrate the 20th anniversary of Beyond Good & Evil, we're excited to share that the official launch is set for early 2024, and we look forward to sharing more with you in the new year," Ubisoft wrote in the statement.
Beyond Good & Evil originally launched for PlayStation 2, Xbox, PC, and GameCube in 2003. It stars Jade, a reporter and fighter who joins a resistance movement to uncover a conspiracy on an alien planet. Gameplay involves taking on enemies in martial arts melee combat while using Jade's camera to take photos of clues and evidence while solving puzzles. The cult classic received its first big remaster in 2011 in the form of an HD upgrade, while its long-lost sequel, Beyond Good and Evil 2, has seemingly been in development limbo since its formal reveal at E3 2017.
Beyond Good & Evil - 20th Anniversary Edition is expected to launch on PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Switch, and PC.
Posted on 29 November 2023 | 4:22 pm
Capcom held a new showcase for Dragon’s Dogma 2, showing off more of the game’s fantastical action but giving fans the one thing they’ve wanted most: a release date. The hotly anticipated sequel is coming on March 22.
If that date looks familiar, that’s because it was accidentally leaked not once but twice. The first instance occurred earlier this month, thanks to a PEGI rating that revealed the March 22 date. The second leak occurred just hours before today’s presentation courtesy of the game’s Steam page. But if you missed both early reveals, today is probably a nice surprise.
A new trailer shows off more of the game’s story while also offering up new gameplay footage. The trailer showcases the new Trickster Vocation alongside new enemies, such as the towering statue, mythical beasts, and, naturally, dragons.
Dragon’s Dogma 2 is launching on PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, and PC.
Posted on 28 November 2023 | 9:58 pm
Crossover skins are extremely commonplace for in-game stores in 2023, and Among Us is no different. Their latest collaborative effort introduces skins from a list of popular indie games; Undertale, Celeste, A Hat in Time, Crypt of the Necrodancer, Untitled Goose Game, Alien Hominid Invasion, and Castle Crashers. The cosmetics from all seven games will be included in a Cosmicube, which can be purchased with 7000 beans. The crossover includes 25 hats, 18 skins, 12 nameplates, 9 visors, and 6 pets. You can see a gallery of the featured skins below.
The update will also include a series of patches (which you can read right here) and will notably deprecate 2021 versions of the game, pushing players to use updated versions instead. "We’ve been supporting a lot of older versions of the game, and as it continues to grow and get new features, it gets harder to keep up," the patch notes read. "We have to remove older versions so we can focus on improving our system for everyone. Make sure you update your game and thanks for understanding!"
This is the first update to Among Us since they added The Fungle, a new map that takes place in a fungus-infested jungle. You can watch the launch trailer right here.
Are you planning on trying out the new cosmetics in Among Us? Let us know in the comments!
Posted on 28 November 2023 | 9:51 pm
Last month, something odd happened in the streets of Gotham. With no prior announcement or fanfare, people booting up Batman: Arkham Knight were greeted with a skin from 2022's The Batman starring Robert Pattinson. But then, as quickly as it appeared, it was removed, all without comment from the developers. While we still don't know exactly why the skin was added accidentally, we know exactly why it was created: it's a timed-exclusive suit launching with the Batman: Arkham Trilogy on Switch.
The collection brings Rocksteady's beloved trio of Batman games to Nintendo's hybrid console, complete with all previously released DLC. The trilogy will also include the aforementioned suit from The Batman, but it won't be limited to the Switch forever – other platforms will get access to the suit "at a later date."
Game Informer, much like the rest of the gaming community, is a big fan of the trilogy, with all three games appearing on our list of best superhero games of all time. While it's been eight years since the last game, Rocksteady has been hard at work ever since working on Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League, which is set to come out on February 2, 2024. If you want to stick to the classics, Batman: Arkham Trilogy launches this Friday, December 1.
Posted on 28 November 2023 | 6:07 pm
After a series of vague teasers and press releases, we finally have a first real look at what Amazon Prime's Fallout TV series is going to look like, courtesy of Vanity Fair. The images showcase all the classic iconography you'd expect from the series, including vaults, ghouls, and power armor.
Ella Purnell as Lucy
The Vanity Fair article goes on to give us the first concrete details of the show, thanks to an interview with co-creators Lisa Joy and Jonathan Nolan, who also created Westworld. The series will star Ella Purnell as Lucy, a "doe-eyed" woman who emerges from her vault with naivete and optimism but is forced to face the horrors of the wasteland.
"Lucy is charming and plucky and strong," Nolan says. "And then you see she’s confronted with the reality of, hey, maybe the supposedly virtuous things you grew up with are not necessarily that virtuous. If they are virtuous, they’re couched in a circumstantial virtuousness. It’s a luxury virtue. You have your point of view because you never ran out of food, right? You guys were able to share everything—because you had enough to share." These harsh realities were drawn directly from the themes that drive the game series.
The show will also give us a closer look at Vault Boy, Fallout's animated mascot, giving him an origin story of sorts. According to Todd Howard himself, "That was something that they came up with that’s just really smart." He says the show does a good job of balancing the franchise's signature comedy and violence.
Howard spoke to Vanity Fair on the creation of the show as well, saying he's done lots of meetings about potential adaptations over the years, but nothing ever felt right. Once they were getting serious about it, he threw out a dream creator he wanted to work with. “I’d said to somebody—and I won’t say who—but I was taking a meeting with another producer, and said: ‘Before I talk to other people, I want to hear that Jonah Nolan says he’ll never do it.’” Obviously, Howard's dream came true.
Walton Goggins as The Ghoul
And while we had an idea of who had been cast in the show, we now know what roles they'll be playing. Moises Arias plays Lucy's brother and Kyle MacLachlan is their father and the overseer of Vault 33. Out in the wasteland, Aaron Moten plays a squire in the Brotherhood of Steel, Sarita Choudhury is an unspecified leader, Michael Emerson is an "enigmatic researcher" named Wilzig, and Walton Goggins plays a ghoul, one of Fallout's radiated, noseless people. The Ghoul, as his character is called, is identified as one of the main leads, alongside Moten and Purnell's characters. The Ghoul is identified as the cynical foil to Lucy's innocent character.
You can check out the rest of the images from the show below.
[Source: Vanity Fair]
Posted on 28 November 2023 | 4:16 pm
Since premiering in late October, Five Nights at Freddy’s has become a big box-office success. It’s already the highest-grossing horror film of 2023, and it has now become horror production company Blumhouse’s highest-grossing film of all time.
The film adaptation of the popular 2014 horror game hit theaters on October 27, grossing a strong $80 million in its opening weekend, the best for any horror film this year. That’s even more impressive given that it premiered on the streaming service Peacock the same day it was released in theaters (becoming the most-watched title on Peacock during its first five days).
Five Nights At Freddy’s has continued to gain traction over the past few weeks and has now grossed over $295 million ($136 million domestically, $160 million overseas) during the month it's been in theaters. That ranks it at the top of Blumhouse’s highest-performing films, a record previously held by M.Night Shyamalan’s Split, while also climbing over top performers such as Halloween (2018), Get Out, and Glass.
FNAF is the BIGGEST @blumhouse film of ALL-TIME. Just passed SPLIT. thanks to Emma Tammi, Scott Cawthon, cast & the New Orleans crew, the Henson team, & our partners @universalpics & @peacock. @jhutch1992, @matthewlillard, @Piperrubios, @elizethdlail
— Jason Blum (@jason_blum) November 27, 2023
First announced in 2015 (roughly a year after the first game’s release), Five Nights At Freddy’s stars Josh Hutcherson (The Hunger Games series) with actors such as Elizabeth Lail and Matthew Lillard in supporting roles. The film is directed by Emma Tammi and produced by Blumhouse. The film joins the ranks of other highly successful video game adaptations to release in 2023, such as the other box office juggernaut The Super Mario Bros. Movie and HBO's critically-acclaimed The Last of Us.
For more on Blumhouse, read about how the production company is creating a video game development and publishing studio.
Did you watch Five Nights At Freddy’s? If so, what did you think of it? Let us know in the comments.
Posted on 27 November 2023 | 9:59 pm
Following the round of layoffs that recently hit Bungie, it had been reported that Destiny 2’s next big expansion, The Final Shape, had been internally delayed to the summer. Bungie has now confirmed that to be the case.
Originally slated to launch on February 27, The Final Shape now launches on June 4. In a blog post, Bungie states that the expansion “needs more time to become exactly what we want it to be”.
“The Final Shape is the culmination of the first ten years of Destiny storytelling and, for Guardians everywhere, countless hours spent together,” Bungie writes in the post. “We want to honor that journey, so we’re taking the time we need to deliver an even bigger and bolder vision, one that we hope will be remembered and treasured for years to come.”
The delay has caused some changes to the content roadmap. Destiny 2’s Season of the Wish begins tomorrow and runs until The Final Shape launches. Guardian Games has been bumped up to March, with Bungie stating it will have a “refreshed focus on class vs. class competition.” Three new PvP maps are slated to arrive in May.
Lastly, the studio announced Destiny 2: Into the Light, a two-month content update that arrives in April. The post doesn’t provide much details other than stating it will “prepare players for their Guardian’s journey into the Traveler.”
Destiny 2: The Final Shape was revealed in August and is billed as the conclusion of Destiny’s primary storyline that began when the first game launched in 2014. About a month ago, the team laid off over 100 employees, reportedly due to decreased Destiny 2 player engagement and underwhelming pre-orders for The Final Shape as player sentiment reached an all-time low.
Bloomberg initially reported on the rumored delay of The Final Shape while also stating that Bungie's upcoming extraction shooter Marathon had been pushed to 2025. Marthon's delay has not been officially confirmed by Bungie (nor did it have a release window to begin with), but today's confirmation of The Final Shape's delay certainly adds weight to Bloomberg's report.
Posted on 27 November 2023 | 6:48 pm
Chinese company ByteDance is best known for its ownership of TikTok, the international video platform, but it owns a number of other companies as well. One of those companies is Nuverse, a game publisher best known in the West for its work on Marvel Snap. Fans of the superhero card-battler had reason for concern this morning, as an article from Reuters reported that ByteDance had plans to leave the gaming space entirely, with intentions to "divest from titles already launched." This seemed to spell doom for Marvel Snap.
However, the official Marvel Snap X account issued a statement today that this would not be the case.
Dear SNAPPERS,
Some of our players have expressed their concerns regarding reported structural changes at Nuverse.
We wish to thank you for your concern and assure you that regardless of any changes at Nuverse, SNAP will continue to operate and flourish in the future!
— MARVEL SNAP (@MARVELSNAP) November 27, 2023
Dear SNAPPERS,
Some of our players have expressed their concerns regarding reported structural changes at Nuverse.
We wish to thank you for your concern and assure you that regardless of any changes at Nuverse, SNAP will continue to operate and flourish in the future!
It's unclear exactly why the PC and mobile game will be exempt from any changes, but we're happy to hear that one of the best games from 2022 isn't going anywhere. However, the fates of the workers at Nuverse and the company's other games are unclear, as Reuters reports that "the decision is likely to impact hundreds of employees." The report states that ByteDance will announce this restructure sometime today.
[Source: Reuters]
Posted on 27 November 2023 | 6:08 pm
Bloober Team has unexpectedly provided a light update on its upcoming remake of Silent Hill 2, ensuring fans that its development is “progressing smoothly”. You'll just have to wait for Konami to share more details.
In an X post, the team behind The Medium and Layers of Fear asks for fans’ patience in regard to new information on the game while stating that development is going according to schedule. Konami announced the Silent Hill 2 remake last October with a lengthy trailer showcasing the 2001 classic’s updated presentation. The game currently has no release window but will launch on PlayStation 5 and PC.
Here is Bloober Team’s full update:
As Bloober Team, we are proud to be a part of Konami’s plans for the Silent Hill franchise. Alongside our partner, we are diligently working to ensure the Silent Hill 2 remake attains the highest quality.
On behalf of our development team, we would like to clarify that the production is progressing smoothly and in accordance with our schedule. We understand that many players around the world are eagerly anticipating news about the game, and we appreciate your dedication.
However, we kindly ask for a bit more patience. Once Konami, as the game’s publisher, shares more information, we are confident that the wait will be worthwhile.
Thank you for your understanding and support!
Silent Hil 2 remake was one of many new Silent Hill projects announced last October. The first one to arrive was Silent Hill Ascension, an interactive streaming series that premiered on Halloween. Other projects in the pipeline include Silent Hill f, a new mainline entry set in 1960s Japan, and Silent Hill Townfall, a mysterious title published by Annapurna Interactive and developed by No Code, the creators of Observation. A new live-action film called Return to Silent Hill is also in production by original Silent Hill director Christophe Gans.
Posted on 27 November 2023 | 3:14 pm
Subscribers to Nintendo Switch Online's highest tier, the expansion pack, have access to an ever-growing catalog of modern and classic games, including a small library of N64 games. In December, that expansion pack is expanding a little more, as Jet Force Gemini is coming to the service.
First released in 1999, Jet Force Gemini is a third-person shooter developed by Rare, the studio originally known for the Banjo-Kazooie games, but most recently known for Sea of Thieves. It's set on a sci-fi alien world, where players blast through hordes of insect-like creatures.
The most recent way players could experience the game on modern consoles was through Rare Replay, a compilation of classic Rare games released on the Xbox One in 2015. For a refresher on the game, check out this 60-second rundown Rare put out a few years back.
The Switch Online currently includes 26 other N64 games, including the recently added Excitebike 64. It also includes Game Boy Advance games, Sega Genesis games, and DLC content for popular Switch titles, like Mario Kart 8 Deluxe and Animal Crossing. For the full list, check out our rundown here.
Posted on 22 November 2023 | 4:24 pm
One of the first ways Fortnite was able to prove its mainstream success was by introducing popular real-world people into the game. Whether it's Travis Scott, Lebron James, or Patrick Mahomes, it's become a sort of Hollywood Star of Fame to be featured in Epic Games' hit shooter. Today. Marshall Mathers joins the club – Eminem is coming to Fortnite.
The Grammy winner will be added to the game's item shop on November 29. The image above shows the three versions of the rapper that will be available for purchase. From left to right, they're called Rap Boy, Slim Shady, and Marshall Never More. This release comes a few days ahead of Fortnite's Big Bang event, which is set to happen on December 2 at 2 PM Eastern. Alongside whatever world-altering event phenomena Epic plans to introduce, Eminem will be performing a live concert. Attendees will receive the Big Bang loading screen, featured at the head of this article.
Fortnite has been in gaming news a lot recently, thanks to the rollout of Fortnite OG, a record-setting new season that throws players back in time to the earliest maps in the game. It's also come under fire for new rules about which skins are allowed in certain creator-made worlds: you can see their response to this controversy here.
What's your dream Fortnite collaboration? Let us know in the comments!
Posted on 22 November 2023 | 3:42 pm
After four seasons of brand new content, Epic Games injected a healthy dose of nostalgia into Fornite Chapter 4's fifth season, officially called Season OG, by bringing back the Chapter 1 map for players to experience once more. Season OG has included weekly updates to add items from Chapter 1's various seasons, too, making it a fun romp through what Fortnite was like years ago. However, Season OG ends on December 2, which is also when Fortnite's next live event, The Big Bang, goes live.
The Big Bang begins on Saturday, December 2, at 11 a.m. PT/2 p.m. ET, and Epic says, "This event marks a new beginning for Fortnite."
✅ Unforgettable event
✅ Evolving all things as you know them
✅ Memorable reveal toward the end
December 2, 2023. 2pm ET. pic.twitter.com/xAhMKtmwiG
— Fortnite (@FortniteGame) November 21, 2023
Before the event begins, Epic says players will see The Big Bang in the Battle Royale tile in the Discover section of Fortnite 30 minutes prior to its start; that way, you can jump in before the event starts to link up with friends and get your cosmetics in order. And speaking of friends, The Big Bang will support parties of up to four players.
The Big Bang will be available anywhere you play the most current build of Fortnite, including PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, Switch, and PC. If you won't be near a dedicated gaming device during the event, you can check it out using Xbox Cloud Gaming, Nvidia GeForce Now, and Amazon Luna services to play Fortnite via cloud streaming on your computer or mobile device.
"To prepare for The Big Bang, Fortnite experiences made by Epic will be disable starting 12 p.m. ET on December 2," Epic writes in a blog post. "Creator-made experiences will remain enabled until downtime for Fortnite v28.00 starts at 11:30 p.m. ET."
While waiting for The Big Bang event, read up on everything you need to know about Fortnite Chapter 4: Season OG, and then read about how Epic says it's aware it missed the mark with a recent cosmetic restriction update for Fortnite.
Are you hopping into Fortnite's Big Bang event next month? Let us know in the comments below!
Posted on 21 November 2023 | 2:32 pm
CD Projekt Red released Phantom Liberty, the first and last expansion for its 2020 RPG, Cyberpunk 2077, in September. We loved it – find out why in Game Informer's Cyberpunk 2077: Phantom Liberty review here – and if you enjoyed the base game, it's not an expansion to miss. Currently, it's only available for purchase as an add-on to Cyberpunk 2077, but if you haven't yet picked it up, it might be worth waiting just a couple more weeks. That's because CDPR has revealed Cyberpunk 2077: Ultimate Edition, which includes the base game and the Phantom Liberty expansion in one single package.
Cyberpunk 2077: Ultimate Edition hits PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, and PC on December 5, and will be released in both a digital format and physical. Check out the box art below:
Big news… Cyberpunk 2077: Ultimate Edition arrives on December 5th in digital AND physical form for Xbox Series X|S, PlayStation 5, and PC!
Experience the original #Cyberpunk2077 story as well as a new spy-thriller adventure in the #PhantomLiberty expansion in one package. 🔥 pic.twitter.com/IOBPCdTXFU
— Cyberpunk 2077 (@CyberpunkGame) November 21, 2023
All that CDPR has shared about this new edition is the tweet above so it remains to be seen if the Ultimate Edition includes any new goodies or enhancements. Given Phantom Liberty and the Cyberpunk 2077 2.0 update improved the game in big ways, reworking and revamping several of its mechanics in the process, it's unlikely the Ultimate Edition will include any changes in that vein. Only time will tell, though.
For more, read Game Informer's Cyberpunk 2077 review and then read Game Informer's Cyberpunk 2077: Phantom Liberty review. After that, read about the things to remember and know before starting Cyberpunk 2077: Phantom Liberty, and then check out this feature about how the team behind the expansion created its spy-thriller soundtrack. Read about this live-action Cyberpunk 2077 project that's now in the works, too.
Are you going to pick up Cyberpunk 2077: Ultimate Edition? Let us know in the comments below!
Posted on 21 November 2023 | 1:22 pm
Yakuza: Like A Dragon was a very silly game in spite of its dramatic narrative, but its follow-up, Like A Dragon: Infinite Wealth, looks to give it a run for its money. Between letting Ichiban ride a dolphin and its Animal Crossing-style city-building mode, fans of the franchise’s goofball nature should be in for a treat, and a new batch of screenshots highlight this.
The images provide looks at Ichiban, Kiryu Joryu, and their returning friends, such as Nanba, Adachi, and Saeko, kicking butt in a variety of classes and looking absurd doing so. Other familiar faces will be playable party members for the first time, such as Seonhee, who is shown brutalizing opponents with a whip in the images. It's clear that Hawaii will never be the same once these guys are done with it.
Like A Dragon: Infinite Wealth hits PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and PC on January 26. You can learn more about the game and see it in action in this pair of trailers. Be sure to also read our review of its direct predecessor, Like A Dragon Gaiden: The Man Who Erased His Name, here.
Posted on 20 November 2023 | 7:56 pm
PlayStation and developer Naughty Dog have revealed The Last of Us Part II Remastered, and it hits PlayStation 5 exclusively on January 19, 2024. It includes all the visual and performance upgrades you'd expect, like 4K resolution and an unlocked frame rate option for TVs that support variable refresh rate, as well as a new roguelike mode and more.
"The engrossing campaign returns alongside technological improvements, new modes, and new behind-the-scenes features that will deepen your understanding of Part II's creation," a Naughty Dog blog post reads.
Check out what The Last of Us Part II Remastered looks like in the announcement trailer below:
Perhaps the biggest surprise of this remaster is a new mode called No Return. Naughty Dog describes it as a roguelike survival mode "designed to let players prove their mettle in randomized encounters" and experience the game's combat in new ways. It includes various playable characters, too, some of which are playable for the first ever in The Last of Us franchise, and each features unique traits to suit different playstyles, too.
"Players will chart their own course on each run, choosing between various stealth and combat encounters that will pit you against a range of enemies, with unique twists that can add new, unexpected factors to any given encounter," a blog post reads.
Each run gives players the chance to choose the rewards they want, how they want to spec out their character, and more. And the more you play, the more characters and skins you unlock. Plus, you can customize your runs and compete on a global leaderboard as part of a Daily Run, which requires an internet connection.
If you've played The Last of Us Part II, you know it features a playable guitar. This remaster fleshes out that feature with a new Free Play mode, "[It will] let you strum the strings across a host of unlockable instruments, use audio FX pedals to modulate your performance, and play as different characters in several in-game locations to customize the mode and feel of your set."
Another big addition is a new set of Lost Levels, which allows players to experience playable sequences previously cut from the game. Naughty Dog says these aren't fully finished levels, "but rather, early-development slices that not only let you see some new glimpses of Part II's world, but also include embedded developer commentary to give them richer context."
The entire game's cutscenes feature newly recorded director's commentary from director Neil Druckmann, narrative lead Halley Gross, and actors like Troy Baker (Joel), Ashley Johnson (Ellie), and Laura Bailey (Abby).
On the remaster side of things, Naughty Dog says this new version of The Last of Us Part II features "enhanced graphics, including native 4K output in Fidelity Mode, 1440p upscaled to 4K in Performance Mode, an Unlocked Framerate option for TVs that support VRR, increased texture resolution, increased Level-of-Detail distances, improved shadow quality, animation sampling rate, and more." It also features DualSense features like haptic feedback and adaptive trigger integration and additional accessibility options like Descriptive Audio and Speech to Vibration.
The unlockable Speedrun Mode from The Last of Us Part I (the remake) returns in The Last of Us Part II Remastered, too. In this remaster, you can also unlock bonus skins for Ellie, Abby, and their weapons, all usable in the game's newly enhanced Photo Mode.
Finally, The Last of Us Part II Remastered is getting a W.L.F Edition that you can check out below – it includes the game, a steelbook case, digital content, 47 Society of Champion trading cards, a set of enamel pins, and a Washington Liberation Front patch.
If you don't want to buy this new edition because you already own The Last of Us Part II on PlayStation 4, you can upgrade to a digital version of The Last of Us Part II Remastered for $10.
The Last of Us Part II Remastered hits PS5 exclusively on January 19, 2024.
For more about the game, read Game Informer's The Last of Us Part II review and then read about how HBO's The Last of Us Season 2, which will adapt part of The Last of Us Part II, is set to premiere in 2025. After that, read about how Naughty Dog reportedly laid off at least 25 employees in October while its Last of Us multiplayer game is "on ice."
Are you picking up The Last of Us Part II Remastered next year? Let us know in the comments below!
Posted on 19 November 2023 | 6:41 pm
The year is coming to a close, which means it's time to lock ourselves in a room and decide, unequivocally, what the best games of 2023 were and crown one ultimate champion. Will it be The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom? Or maybe Baldur's Gate 3? What about Jusant, the charming climbing game the really surprised us? We will be sharing our picks for game of the year and other end-of-year awards like Best Horror in the next issue of Game Informer magazine with [redacted] on the cover, but we also want to hear from our readers and share your favorites of 2023.
To do that, we ask that you fill out the poll below. Send us your personal list of 2023's five best games and we will gather everyone's information and share the result early. You have until the end of the day on Sunday, December 10 to submit your list. We can't wait to see how your picks compare to ours!
Posted on 17 November 2023 | 7:30 pm
Final Fantasy VII Rebirth arrives in February, which isn’t too far on the horizon, so Square Enix is getting players prepared with a cinematic refresher of its predecessor, Final Fantasy VII Remake. The company pairs that with a batch of fresh screenshots and art, including the first glimpse of the Highwind airship.
The video sees Red XIII narrate the broad strokes of the 2020 adventure. While it doesn’t touch on the finer details and background of the characters, it provides a decent summary that's perhaps better served as a reminder for fans who played Remake rather than someone coming into Rebirth completely fresh. Unfortunately, the recap doesn’t touch on the events of the Intermission expansion that introduces Yuffie, who joins the party in Rebirth, so unfamiliar players will have to do their own homework on that.
Square has released some new images, including a piece of art depicting Aerith in front of the Highwind. The screenshots show off the town of Kalm, the summon Kujata, the abandoned Mythril Mine, and a few side characters. Oh, and Chadley is there too.
Final Fantasy VII Rebirth launches on February 29 for PlayStation 5. You can watch us play two demos of the game in this video and read our hands-on impressions here. You can also get the answers to some of Rebirth's burning questions in this interview with Square Enix.
Posted on 17 November 2023 | 3:41 pm
Update, 11/20/23:
Last week, developer Epic Games updated Fortnite to include a new rating restriction that applies to certain skins. Depending on a Fortnite skin, it might only be useable on a creative island with a T rating, meaning the Resident Evil Claire Redfield skin, which features a pistol in a holster on her thigh, can't be used on islands rated less than Teen. Players were upset with this change as it made skins they paid real money for (often $10 to $20 per skin) unusable in all the ways they might have previously been usable.
Epic said only 7 percent of Fortnite skins are only usable on Teen-rated islands, at the time, but it's clear enough skins are affected to have the community unhappy with this update.
Over the weekend, Epic released a statement through the official Fortnite Twitter account stating it missed the mark with the changes:
"Welp, our plan for cosmetics with the ratings update didn't hit the mark. We're working on a few new options that we hope to have in place for say...some sort of big in-game event. Stay tuned, we'll keep you posted."
Welp, our plan for cosmetics with the ratings update didn’t hit the mark.
We're working on a few new options that we hope to have in place for say... some sort of big in-game event. Stay tuned, we’ll keep you posted <3
— Fortnite (@FortniteGame) November 19, 2023
As for the big in-game event this account is teasing, it's likely referring to the Chapter 4 finale event, which will end Chapter 4 and put Fortnite into a period of downtime before Chapter 5 launches, presumably with a brand new map.
The original story continues below...
Original story, 11/17/23:
Yesterday, Fortnite players noticed that some of the skins in their locker had a new symbol on them – a triangle with a yellow outline and an exclamation mark inside – alongside a warning that said, "Items with the symbol can only be used in experiences rated 12+." Players were upset with the change, which arrived out of nowhere, as it made skins they previously used on various creative islands unusable on said islands due to the new age rating restriction. Developer Epic Games has now responded, revealing that about 7 percent of Fortnite skins, or Outfits as they're officially called, can only be equipped in islands rated Teen.
Shiina on Twitter posted about the change yesterday, and it didn't take long for players to notice that some of their favorite skins were unusable on creative islands rated Teen. The consensus is that skins featuring specific weaponry, like pistols or knives, are the ones restricted from islands with a lower age rating. But oddly, it seems quite strict on that specific criteria. For example, Michael Myers, a horror icon and fictional serial killer, is allowed on any creative island. The Michael Myers skin doesn't feature any knives or pistols but it is, quite literally, the killer from the various Halloween movies.
JoyfulTalmon on Twitter posted a look at his locker in Fortnite and every skin in the image below but their Michael Myers skin is rating-restricted.
Look at this and tell me you don't see a problem with the age rating. https://t.co/qPQjJ5u61w pic.twitter.com/dGZBER3IPK
— Leo (@JoyfulTalmon) November 16, 2023
It's quite odd, and players within the community are unhappy – not only are favorite skins no longer usable on certain creative islands, but many of these skins are ones people paid money for (often $10 to $20 depending) and now they can't be used as wanted in the game.
Game Informer reached out to Epic yesterday after the update went live to ask some questions about the change. An Epic spokesperson pointed Game Informer towards the tweet below, which reads: "More on today's rating announcement. About 7% of Fortnite Outfits can only be equipped in islands rated Teen. Ove the next year we will enable most of these Outfits to be compatible with all the ratings by having them auto-adjust appearance based on the island you want to play."
More on today’s rating announcement. About 7% of Fortnite Outfits can only be equipped in islands rated Teen. Over the next year we will enable most of these Outfits to be compatible with all ratings by having them auto-adjust appearance based on the island you want to play.
— Fortnite (@FortniteGame) November 16, 2023
The Epic spokesperson also told Game Informer that outfits aren't restricted based on an individual player's age or parental control permissions; it's based solely on an island's rating.
Notably, Epic says it's working over the next year to enable most of the skins in Fortnite to be compatible with all ratings by having them auto-adjust appearance based on the selected island. Presumably, the Resident Evil Claire Redfield skin, which features a pistol in a holster on her thigh, will auto-update to remove the pistol, for example. But that's speculation for now, and only time will tell. With hundreds of skins in the game, it could take a while, which is likely why Epic is giving itself an estimation of a year to make the changes.
These changes arrive as Fortnite is underway with its biggest season yet – Fortnite Chapter 4: Season OG, the fifth in this chapter. The battle royale recently had its biggest day ever with 44 million players thanks to this throwback Season OG. If you haven't yet jumped in, here's everything you need to know about Fortnite Chapter 4: Season OG.
How do you feel about the new skin-related changes in Fortnite? Let us know in the comments below!
Posted on 17 November 2023 | 3:30 pm
Super Mario RPG, the original and the remake, is full of secrets, references to other video game franchises, and a whole lot more. Arguably the most interesting secret boss of the original game was Culex. He is not a Final Fantasy character, but he looks and feels like one and features Final Fantasy music and sound effects.
Culex appears in Super Mario RPG remake as he did in the original game, which is to say he is a pixelated, 2D creature. He also features the original throwback soundtrack and sound effects. You access him the same way, too – by buying fireworks and trading them with the little girl nearby in Moletown for a shiny stone. You then use that shiny stone in Monstro Town on the locked door.
However, upon defeat, Culex teases another encounter in the future, which is where things in the remake get interesting.
The first thing you need to do to get on this path is beat Super Mario RPG remake. Once you do that, head to Merrymore and stay the night in the fancy suite. During the night, Geno will notice something happening on Star Hill. Upon visiting Star Hill, you will find new pink stars in the third area that seem to come from bosses you previously defeated looking for rematches.
Full transparency: I am not sure in what order you need to defeat these bosses or if it matters. Mallow’s frog father will provide additional hints beyond the stars to help you figure out where to go. These bosses can be tough, and though I will provide some hints that helped me, much if it comes down to everyone being max level 30 and equipping the right items.
In Monstro Town, you must go back to the school and show the teacher how to pull off the Triple Moves. Much of this fight comes down to pulling off Action Commands.
In Marrymore, you must fight the cake again. I had luck putting the non-cake enemies to sleep to prevent them from lighting all the candles.
In Belome Temple, you must fight Belome a third time.
In the Sunken Ship, you need to head back to the Pirate Base to fight Johnny the shark in a one-on-one fight as Mario. I kept Bowser and Geno in my party to take advantage of their upgrades, but this fight really comes down to pulling off Action Commands almost exclusively. Defeating him gave me an Extra-Shiny Stone.
Booster is back in his tower and has a devastating train attack that will wipe out your party. I had luck ignoring everyone but Booster, getting Geno’s speed as high as possible with Zoom Shoes, and trying to get hits in before he could work on his train.
Finally, I tackled Punchinello again in Moleville who ended up being my most difficult fight. He has low HP, but a powerful shield that only lets you do one or two damage at a time. The best strategy I found was using Mario’s Lazy Shell and Bowser’s Drill Claw to hit his bomb compatriots so that they turn around and attack him for 80 damage a piece. The bombs who continue to face forward will attack you, however, and often knock out party members in one hit.
Equipping Peach with the Enduring Brooch, which prevents the holder from going down once per battle, was valuable in all of these fights.
Once you defeat all those bosses and acquire their various items and weapons, head back to Monstro Town and Culex’s door will have reappeared, meaning it’s time for the rematch. Use your Extra-Shiny Stone to enter. This time Culex, his soundtrack, and sound effects are as remade as every other element of the game.
Good luck! And let me know if you have any tips, because I am still working on defeating him.
You can read Game Informer's Super Mario RPG remake review at the link.
Posted on 17 November 2023 | 5:00 am
Earlier this month, we launched a documentary called "Violence Is Inevitable: The Making of Humanity." And then, in a bit of a meta twist, we hung out with Humanity co-developer and publisher Enhance and discussed how we made our making-of documentary. Even cooler, we made a Game Informer level within Humanity – and you can play it now.
All this happened on the "HUMANITY Hub Community Stream," where myself (Blake) and Alex Van Aken discussed why we decided to make a documentary on Humanity, how we crafted the video, and even cutting-room floor content that didn't make the final product. We closed the show by putting our collective brains together to make a level based on the GI logo.
You can check out an archived version of the stream below:
By no means is our Humanity level an official partnership between Enhance and GI, but it's certainly a fun way to end a project that was a months-long labor of love. To play for yourself, either search via the name "GAME INFORMER FUN!" in the game's User Stages options or the stage ID: 013-020-5453.
To check out our documentary, click this handy link.
Posted on 16 November 2023 | 7:07 pm
Rocksteady Studios, the team behind Batman: Arkham Asylum, City, and Knight, has released the first installment of its Suicide Squad Insider series, which will break down aspects of Suicide Squad: Kill The Justice League from now until the game's launch in February of next year. Today's episode is all about story and gameplay and features more than 20 minutes of new gameplay and behind-the-scenes details about the upcoming third-person action shooter.
Before jumping into the action, we see the Suicide Squad make its way through a Hall of Heroes-style exhibition for the Justice League. After playing around with various Justice League tools like speedster braces, jetpacks, and other oddities like Riddler's hat of invisibility, the team learns the threat it's up against isn't just Braniac, who has taken over Metropolis, but a Braniac-controlled Justice League as well.
Check out the Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League action for yourself below:
In terms of insight, Rocksteady teases that fans of DC Comics can expect plenty of easter eggs, villains like Penguin, plenty of loot, and more. Beyond that, though, this first installment of Suicide Squad Insider seemingly aims to calm the fears of Rocksteady fans worried about the studio's pivot to live-service multiplayer gameplay rather than the single-player narrative driven action it's known for.
Elsewhere, we learn that each Suicide Squad member has a unique way to traverse Metropolis – Captain Boomerang uses a special speedster device to run and dash through the city like the Flash, for example – and that each has a special melee attack. As expected, each character specializes in different weapon types, with King Shark using sheer strength while others, like Deadshot, are all about gunplay.
Rocksteady says the next episode of Suicide Squad Insider will "deep-dive into more gameplay, combat mechanics, and how to take the fight to the enemy in your own unique style."
Rocksteady revealed Suicide Squad: Kill The Justice League in August of 2020. Later that month, the studio released the first trailer for the game. It wasn't until December of 2021 that we got our first look at Suicide Squad's gameplay, and while fans were somewhat excited, a later gameplay showing left potential players disappointed with news of a battle pass and a more live-service focus on content. That was in February of this year and two months later, in April, Rocksteady delayed Suicide Squad to next year to make the game the best possible experience for players.
Suicide Squad: Kill The Justice League hits PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, and PC on February 2, 2024.
What do you think of today's Suicide Squad gameplay? Let us know in the comments below!
Posted on 15 November 2023 | 7:44 pm
Video game analyst group Circana has released its October 2023 U.S. Video Game Market Highlights report and in it, the company reveals that Marvel's Spider-Man 2 was the best-selling game of the month. The PlayStation 5 was the best-selling console of the month, too.
Marvel's Spider-Man 2 taking the top slot last month isn't surprising – it's the fastest-selling PlayStation Studios game ever and sold through 5 million copies in just 11 days.
Behind Marvel's Spider-Man 2 on October 2023's best-selling list is Super Mario Bros. Wonder, the latest Switch exclusive from Nintendo at-the-time, and Assassin's Creed Mirage, the shorter throwback title from Ubisoft starring Assassin's Creed Valhalla's Basim. Last month's best-selling game, Starfield, the latest RPG from Bethesda, dropped to 14th place in October.
Other new releases in Circana's October 2023 report include EA's UFC 5, which debuted in 7th place last month, EA's NHL 24 behind it in 8th place, and Sega's Sonic Superstars in 9th place.
Here are the top 10 best-selling games of October 2023:
- Marvel's Spider-Man 2
- Super Mario Bros. Wonder
- Assassin's Creed Mirage
- Madden NFL 24
- EA Sports FC 24
- Mortal Kombat 1
- UFC 5
- NHL 24
- Sonic Superstars
- Hogwarts Legacy
And here are the top 10 best-selling games of 2023, year-to-date:
- Hogwarts Legacy
- The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom
- Madden NFL 24
- Marvel's Spider-Man 2
- Diablo IV
- Call of Duty: Modern Warfare II (2022)
- Star Wars Jedi: Survivor
- Mortal Kombat 1
- Starfield
- Resident Evil 4 (2023)
You can check out the full top 20 for October 2023 here and the full top 20 for the entire year here. It's important to note that these lists and results do not include digital sales for Nintendo-published titles.
Circana executive director Mat Piscatella writes on Twitter that spending on video game content fell 4 percent in October compared to October 2022, to $3.6 billion. He adds that "growth in physical consoles software and mobile spending was offset by declines in other areas, particularly digital premium downloads driven by the release date shift of Call of Duty."
Roblox hit PlayStation platforms last month and ranked 4th across all titles on the PS5 in terms of monthly active users in the U.S. It was behind Call of Duty: Modern Warfare II, Fortnite, and Marvel's Spider-Man 2.
The PS5 was the best-selling hardware platform in both unit sales and dollar sales for October 2023. The Xbox Series X/S came in second place for dollar sales while the Switch came in second for unit sales. Year-to-date hardware spending was 6 percent higher compared to the same period in 2022, at $4 billion. Overall video game hardware spending, however, fell 23 percent compared to a year ago, down to $327 million. Piscatella says, "All current generation consoles experienced a double-digit percentage decline in dollar sales compared to a year ago."
The PS5 DualSense controller – specifically the Midnight Black version – was last month's best-selling accessory. Overall accessory spending fell 2 percent compared to October 2022.
For all U.S. video game spending, it's up 2 percent year-to-date at $43.4 billion.
For more, read Game Informer's Marvel's Spider-Man 2 review and then read Game Informer's Super Mario Bros. Wonder review. After that, read Game Informer's Assassin's Creed Mirage review and then check out the September 2023 video game spending results.
Do any of today's results surprise you? Let us know which in the comments below!
Posted on 15 November 2023 | 2:38 pm
It's been a big year for Cyberpunk 2077 and The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt developer CD Projekt Red. It released Phantom Liberty, the first and only expansion for Cyberpunk 2077, debuted its soundtrack on streaming services, revealed plans for a live-action Cyberpunk project, and just this week, nabbed four nominations for The Game Awards 2023. Now, CDPR has announced it is working on a mod editor for The Witcher 3 that will hit PC sometime next year for free.
"We're thrilled to announce that we're working on a mod editor for The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt," a tweet from the official Witcher Twitter account reads. "It will allow you to create your own experiences in the game by making something completely new or editing existing quests and content. We're planning on releasing it for free in 2024. Stay tuned – we'll have more to share next year."
We're thrilled to announce that we're working on a mod editor for The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt! ⚔️
It will allow you to create your own experiences in the game by making something completely new or editing existing quests and content. We’re planning on releasing it for free in 2024.… pic.twitter.com/e2kvXRqegZ
— The Witcher (@witchergame) November 15, 2023
Notably, CDPR says this mod editor for The Witcher 3 will allow players to create their own experiences in the game, meaning people can develop their own fantasy adventures starring everyone's favorite monster hunter. In a reply on Twitter, the official account confirms this mod editor will only be coming to PC.
If you haven't yet played The Witcher 3, you should and you can read about why in Game Informer's review of The Witcher 3.
For more about CDPR, read Game Informer's Cyberpunk 2077: Phantom Liberty review and then check out this feature about how the team behind Phantom Liberty created its spy-thriller soundtrack.
Do you have any plans to use the mod editor coming to The Witcher 3 next year? Let us know in the comments below!
Posted on 15 November 2023 | 2:04 pm
Lies of P launched back in September and turned out to be a Soulslike favorite amongst critics and fans alike this year – we gave it one of our highest scores of 2023 and you can read about why in Game Informer's Lies of P review. To celebrate the game's reception, director Jiwon Choi released a Director's Letter video earlier this month to tease some images of Lies of P's DLC and reveal details about an upcoming update. That update is now out and it includes free cosmetic items, some bug fixes, and balance changes that should make the game easier.
Plus, alongside this update, developer Neowiz has officially released the Lies of P soundtrack; it's available for purchase on Steam for $9.99 and hits digital music streaming platforms later today.
Here's what's new in Update Version 1.3.0.0
New Features and Content
The following costume pieces have been added to Lies of P and can be found in the "Equipment" and "Bag" menu:
- Alchemist's Hat
- Treasure Hunter's Mask
- Treasure Hunter's Hunting Apparel
- Illusory Emerald Glasses
There is a new category in the Costume menu; players can now equip the "Mask" and "Accessory" together in the Hair section of the Costume menu. Short grey hair has been added to the game and is available at Geppetto's Tools after completing the game once. Plus, subtitle size adjustments have been added to Lies of P.
Balance and Content Improvements
Today's update adjusts the attack speed of some monsters to make their attacks more intuitive and increases the duration of stance breaks for some monsters. Plus, it adjusts the spawn locations of some monsters and traps to fit better with the flow of the game. And, as previously revealed in the recent Director's Letter video, the P-Organ's "Rising Dodge" ability is now a default ability. "Retain Guard Regain upon Pulse Cell use" has been added to the P-Organ to replace "Rising Dodge."
The following combat balance adjustments have been made as well:
- Increased the damage of some weapons.
- Increased some weapons to trigger stance breaks to monsters more frequently.
- Now relatively lighter Blades will gain more 'Guard Regain', while heavier Blades gain less 'Guard Regain'.
- Decreased the delay after an attack and the time to charge a 'Charge Attack' for some heavy handles.
- Now some heavier handles will have a faster attack speed depending on the assembled blade.
- Adjusted the 'Destruction Damage' inflicted to monsters by a 'Perfect Guard'.
- The weapon 'Puppet’s Saber Blade' will now have increased stats after enhancing.
- Increased the movement distance while using the 'Proof of Humanity' weapon's attack skill.
- Increased the damage reduction rate while guarding the weapon 'Etiquette' but reduced the fable’s charge amount for a set period of time when attacking.
- Enhanced the attack tracking mechanism after successfully performing the Fable Arts, 'Guard Parry'.
- Increased the damage buff of 'Bell of Provocation' to the player.
- "The Attribute Status Ailments will now stack faster for the following Fable Arts:
- - 'Thunderstrike'
- - 'Flamestrike'
- - 'Acid Slash'"
- Increased the damage of Fatal Attacks to better scale with the players stats.
- Increased the attack radius and tracking mechanism of the Legion Arm, 'Aegis III - Counter Charge'.
- The pillars in the 'Kill King’s Flame, Fuoco's room will now only be destroyed by Fuoco's Fury Attacks.
Two new items have been added to Polendina's Shop: two more Quartz can be purchased during the early stages of the game. After expanding the shop for the first time, one additional Quartz can be purchased. After expanding the shop a third time, two additional Full Moonstone of the Covenant can be purchased.
Bug Fixes
- Fixed a bug that sometimes caused the character to shoot into the sky while using the Legion Arm 'Puppet String III - Attack Link'.
- Fixed a bug while continuously pressing the guard button during the Guard stance Legion Arm 'Aegis' would trigger Perfect Guards every time.
- Fixed a bug that allowed some weapons to perform Perfect Guards unintentionally.
- Fixed a bug that caused some Electric Blitz attacks to be unguardable even with Perfect Guards or Guard Parry.
- Fixed a bug in which the Guard Regain would not reset after performing a successful counter-attack with the weapon Two Dragons Sword's charge attack.
- Fixed a bug in which arrows fired from traps could not be guarded.
- Fixed a bug in which the 'Monnphase Pocket Watch' could be used during boss fights.
- Fixed a bug in which attacks from some monsters would not register correctly to the player character.
- Fixed a bug in which the P-Organ ability 'Naturally recovers Durability of inactive weapons' reduced the weapon's durability while inactive during certain situations.
- Fixed a bug in which having the P-Organ 'Lower Damage while Dodging' activated and a specific Amulet equipped would trigger the player's stamina regain earlier than intended.
- Fixed a bug in which the deceased NPC 'Belle' at the 'Attacked Hotel Krat'.
- Fixed a bug in which players were able to abnormally approach certain areas of the map.
- Adjusted the Camera Rotation speed while using controllers to be not affected by the framerate.
- (Specific for Asian Regions) PS4 Controller Settings Resetting Issue has now been fixed and can be save regardless of the PS4's system settings.
- Updated some translations and typos for the following languages:
- 'English'
- 'Chinese'
- 'Japanese'
- Updated a typo in the in-game EULA.
- Improved game stability and bugs related to in-game UI.
And that's everything in Lies of P's Update Versio 1.3.0.0.
For more about the game, read Game Informer's Lies of P review and then check out Game Informer's Lies of P Soulslike tips, tricks, secrets, and more to help Pinocchio survive Krat in Lies of P. After that, read about how a September Lies of P update included various changes to make the game easier.
Have you played Lies of P? Let us know what you think of it in the comments below!
Posted on 15 November 2023 | 1:32 pm
Digital Bros Group, the parent company to publisher 505 Games, has announced plans to lay off 30 percent of its staff. It says it is doing so to align with "the new competitive market." 505 Games is the publisher behind games like Ghostrunner 2, Control, Payday 2, the PC version of Death Stranding, and more; it's unclear how much of that team will be affected by Digital Bros' overall plan.
"Digital Bros has reviewed its projects to align with the new competitive environment," it writes in a press release. "This is expected to represent a reduction of approximately 30 percent of the global workforce, but no significant effect of restructuring costs is expected on the annual project results for [Fiscal Year 2024]."
The company goes on to say that the video game market has evolved since the pandemic to be more selective with new games, noting that consumers are increasingly reverting to established IP and playing individual games for longer periods. "Digital Bros strategy has had to adapt to this new and evolving competitive scenario and will focus its efforts moving forward on the release of sequels and new versions of previously successful and established games, with a limited number of new larger budgets productions," a press release reads.
While it's unclear how many people at Digital Bros' various arms will be affected, the company does note that the majority of the 30 percent laid off will be "concentrated within the studios." It sounds like Digital Bros is making the decision to lay off employees – right as the holiday season begins, mind you – but keeping itself safe from the job terminations, instead reducing the workforce of the studios under its umbrella.
These Digital Bros layoffs join an unfortunately ever-growing list of layoffs happening in the gaming industry. Yesterday, Amazon Games laid off 180 employees. Last week, we learned Free Radical Design is on the verge of closing down and that Ubisoft laid off more than 100 employees. The week before that, roughly 100 employees were laid off at Destiny 2 developer Bungie.
In January, Microsoft laid off 10,000 employees amidst its ongoing $69 billion acquisition of Activision Blizzard, which it completed last month.
In August, Striking Distance Studios, the team behind last year's The Callisto Protocol, laid off more than 30 employees, and that same month, Mass Effect and Dragon Age developer BioWare laid off 50 employees, including long-time studio veterans. The following month, in September, Immortals of Aveum developer Ascendant Studios laid off roughly 45% of its staff.
Just last month, The Last of Us developer Naughty Dog laid off at least 25 employees, and Telltale Games underwent layoffs as well, although an actual number of laid-off employees has not yet been revealed. And in late October, Dreams developer Media Molecule laid off 20 employees.
The hearts of Game Informer's staff are with the people laid off from Digital Bros, along with everyone else who has lost a job this year.
Posted on 15 November 2023 | 1:06 pm
Nintendo shared its latest Indie World showcase this morning and has become typical with these showcases, we learned about a number of new exciting indie games coming to Switch and Switch first, as well as some hit already-released games that will be making their way to Nintendo's platform.
Shantae Advance: Risky Revolution was arguably the most interesting title. Developer WayForward began development on the game 20 years ago, but never completed it. Next year, the game will finally make its way to Switch, but retain the Game Boy Advance aesthetic it was always meant to have.
Outer Wilds: Archaeologist Edition is bringing the excellent space-exploring mystery game to the handheld console and will include the Echoes of the Eye expansion. The game releases December 7 and a physical version of the game is planned.
On Your Tail from Memorable Games and Humble Games is coming to Switch first next year and is a mystery adventure starring anthropomorphic animals.
A Highland Song is a beautiful narrative platfomer taking place in the Scottish Highlands. The game will also apparently include some rhythm elements. The game will be available December 5 on Switch.
Popular PC indie titles Backpack Hero and Core Keeper are both making their way to Switch. The former is available today and Core Keeper arrives summer 2024.
Howl from Mi’pu’mi Games and astragon Entertainment has a style reminiscent of Cartoon Saloon's films like Wolfwalkers. In the game, a plague from the howling wolves is causing havoc and you, as a deaf prophet, must fight against it.
Blade Chimera is a platformer seemingly inspired by games like Castlevania: Symphony of the Night, but takes place in the future and features a time-bending sword. Blade Chimera will come to Switch as a timed-exclusive spring 2024.
Death Trick: Double Blind is a new mystery game that takes place in a circus starring a magician and an amnesiac detective. The game will be available later today.
The Star Named EOS is a storytelling puzzle adventure where you must take photos to trace the footsteps of your missing mother. The game will be available spring 2024.
Raw Fury has had a good 2023 and that trend seems to be continuing with Moonstone Island. The game is a deck-building, animal collecting, cozy game with some procedural generation elements. The game will be a timed-exclusive for Switch in Spring 2024.
Along with those games receiving highlight, Nintendo also shared a number of other announcements related to indie games. Planet of Lana launched spring 2024 on Switch. Enjoy the Diner will be available later today. The Gecko Gods is coming to Switch spring 2024. Passpartout 2: The Lost Artist, the painting adventure game will be available on Switch today. Braid: Anniversary Edition releases April 30, 2024 on Switch. Urban Myth Dissolution Center is coming to Switch next year. And finally, Heavenly Bodies, will be available on Switch in February.
Posted on 14 November 2023 | 5:30 pm
Another month, another batch of fresh games set to hit Xbox Game Pass. This time around, you can expect new games like Persona 5 Tactica and the console version of Dune: Spice Wars, as well as DLC and updates, and more. And, per usual, some games are leaving Xbox Game Pass this month. Let's break it all down below.
Available starting today is Coral Island for Xbox Series X/S and Xbox Cloud gaming. Coral Island "invites players to be who they want and experience enchanting island living at their own pace – living off the land, nurturing animals, building relationships with a diverse cast of townsfolk, making the world around them a more vital and harmonious place." Check out a trailer for Coral Island below:
Coming Soon
While Coral Island is available starting today, the rest of this month's Xbox Game Pass titles don't hit the service until later. The first out after Coral Island's debut today is Persona 5 Tactica, which hits Xbox Game Pass on the game's launch day, November 17. It will also be available on PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, Switch, and PC that day.
"After a strange incident, the Phantom Thieves find themselves in grave danger until a mysterious revolutionary rescues them and offers a deal in exchange for their help," a blog post reads. "Assemble an all-star team of heroes in a brand-new story in this thrilling combat adventure set in Persona's iconic universe."
Read Game Informer's Persona 5 Tactica preview after going hands-on with the game, and then check out a Persona 5 Tactica trailer below:
After Persona 5 Tactica hits Xbox Game Pass on November 17, Dune: Spice Wars follows it on November 28 for Xbox Series X/S and Xbox Cloud gaming. It's a 4X real-time strategy game from the developers of Northgard set in Frank Herbert's Dune universe. In it, you must lead your faction and battle for control and dominance over the harsh desert planet of Arrakis.
Watch a Dune: Spice Wars trailer below:
That same day, on November 28, Rollerdrome hits Xbox Game Pass for Xbox Series X/S, PC, and Xbox Cloud gaming.
"Welcome to 2030," a blog post reads. "In a world where corporations reign and the lines between reality and performance are blurred, the public are kept distracted by a brutal new sport – Rollerdrome. Experience an adrenaline-pumping, third-person action shooter that blends high octane combat with tricking mechanics."
Read Game Informer's Rollerdrome review here and then check out some of our gameplay below:
DLC and Updates
On the DLC and updates side of this month's Xbox Game Pass drop, the Make It and Break It update is now available for Grounded, as is the Microsoft Flight Simulator Nordics & Greenland World Update XV. Plus, Valorant: Time to Duel or Die with Agent Iso in Episode_07 – Act III is available today, too.
Games Leaving Xbox Game Pass On November 30
Here are the games leaving Xbox Game Pass at the end of this month:
- Anvil (Cloud, Console, and PC)
- Battlefield 1943 (Console) EA Play
- Battlefield: Bad Company (Console) EA Play
- Battlefield: Bad Company 2 (Console and PC) EA Play
- Disc Room (Cloud, Console, and PC)
- Eastward (Cloud, Console, and PC)
- Grid (Console) EA Play
And that's this month's Xbox Game Pass update.
Which of these games are you most excited to check out on Xbox Game Pass this month? Let us know in the comments below!
Posted on 14 November 2023 | 2:26 pm
Lies of P is one of the year's best games – read why in Game Informer's Lies of P review – and both critics and fans have enjoyed the Bloodborne/Sekiro-style take on the story of The Adventures of Pinocchio. Mustakro on Twitter has taken their enjoyment of the game's boss designs and turned some of Lies of P's toughest challenges into Cuphead-style bosses, and it rules.
I came across Mustakro this morning, scrolling through my Twitter feed, when I saw a really awesome rendition of Lies of P's King of Puppets boss (one of the most difficult in the game) in the style of Rubberhose, which is that classic animation style popularized in the 1920s seen in Cuphead.
King Of Puppets in Cuphead/Rubberhose style! https://t.co/wI1aDcwZn1 pic.twitter.com/e7gTJZO43t
— Mustakro🐀 (OPEN commissions) (@mustakro) November 13, 2023
Then I clicked through some of Mustakro's other tweets to find even more Lies of P bosses in the style of Cuphead, and I love these renditions so much that I just wanted to share. So, enjoy their other art below:
Archbishop Andreus in Cuphead/Rubberhose style! https://t.co/SGtiDxHQJP pic.twitter.com/rVs0Wq8H4J
— Mustakro🐀 (OPEN commissions) (@mustakro) November 6, 2023
King's Flame, Fuoco in Cuphead/Rubberhose style!#LiesofP https://t.co/V0d0TPeBIn pic.twitter.com/V9YvvNCFxm
— Mustakro🐀 (OPEN commissions) (@mustakro) November 3, 2023
Scrappee Watchman in Cuphead/Rubberhose style! pic.twitter.com/RpwGkO4aD7
— Mustakro🐀 (OPEN commissions) (@mustakro) October 23, 2023
For more about the game, read Game Informer's Lies of P review and then check out Game Informer's Lies of P Soulslike tips, tricks, secrets, and more to help Pinocchio survive Krat in Lies of P. After that, read about how a September Lies of P update included various changes to make the game easier. And finally, check out these two new images teasing Lies of P DLC.
What Lies of P boss would you like to see in Cuphead style? Let us know in the comments below!
Posted on 14 November 2023 | 1:10 pm
After months of character reveals, Tekken 8 has announced the final fighter of its launch roster: Reina. This brand-new character sports a lightning-quick moveset, earning her the nickname “Purple Lightning," and has mysterious ties to the Mishima clan.
Bandai Namco states that little is known about Reina's history besides she’s a student of the Mishima Polytechnical School. For some reason, she really wants to fight Jin (move over, Hwoarang), and based on her gameplay trailer, she seems more than capable of taking him on. Check Reina out in action below.
With Reina’s addition, the 32-fighter roster is now complete. Here’s the full list of characters, with new fighters denoted and links to applicable articles/trailers:
- Alisa Bosconovitch
- Asuka Kazama
- Azucena Milagros Ortiz Castillo (New)
- Bryan Fury
- Claudio Serafino
- Devil Jin
- Feng Wei
- Hwoarang
- Jack-8 (New)
- Jin Kazma
- Jun Kazama
- Kazuya Mishima/Devil Kazuya
- King
- Kuma
- Lars Alexandersson
- Lee Chaolan
- Leo Kliesen
- Leroy Smith
- Lili Rochefort
- Ling Xiaoyu
- Marshall Law
- Nina Williams
- Panda
- Paul Phoenix
- Raven
- Reina (New)
- Sergei Dragunov
- Shaheen
- Steve Fox
- Victor Chevalier (New)
- Yoshimitsu
- Zafina
Additionally, the game's first Season of post-launch DLC will add four unannounced fighters. These characters will be released separately each season throughout 2024, with the first arriving sometime in the spring.
Tekken 8 launches on January 26 for PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, and PC. Check our early hands-on impressions of the game here.
Posted on 13 November 2023 | 7:59 pm
Amazon is laying off 180 jobs in its games division, hopping on the tragically overcrowded bandwagon of layoffs in the game industry this year. The news comes via Aftermath, which reports that the layoffs are focused in two areas – the Crown Twitch channel, which will reportedly be eliminated altogether, and the game growth teams. Employees were notified of the changes through an email from Christoph Hartman, VP of Amazon Games. This is the second wave of layoffs this division of the company has faced this year.
An excerpt of the announcement email can be read below:
I know this is difficult news and that the impact will be felt widely. It never feels good to say goodbye to colleagues. This isn’t a decision the leadership team came to quickly; it was the result of extensive considerations and road mapping for our future. We are proud of the work the teams have been doing, pushing into new areas with weekly content on Crown Channel, and finding more ways to help publishers reach new audiences with Game Growth. But after further evaluation of our businesses, it became clear that we need focus our resources and efforts to deliver great games to players now and in the future.
There have been so many layoffs in the gaming industry this year that it's getting hard to keep track of. Last week, we learned Free Radical Design is on the verge of closing down and that Ubisoft laid off more than 100 employees. The week before that, roughly 100 employees were laid off at Destiny 2 developer Bungie.
In January, Microsoft laid off 10,000 employees amidst its ongoing $69 billion acquisition of Activision Blizzard, which it completed last month.
In August, Striking Distance Studios, the team behind last year's The Callisto Protocol, laid off more than 30 employees, and that same month, Mass Effect and Dragon Age developer BioWare laid off 50 employees, including long-time studio veterans. The following month, in September, Immortals of Aveum developer Ascendant Studios laid off roughly 45% of its staff.
Just last month, The Last of Us developer Naughty Dog laid off at least 25 employees, and Telltale Games underwent layoffs as well, although an actual number of laid-off employees has not yet been revealed. And in late October, Dreams developer Media Molecule laid off 20 employees.
The hearts of Game Informer's staff are with the people laid off from Amazon Games, along with everyone else who has lost a job this year.
[Source: Aftermath]
Posted on 13 November 2023 | 6:37 pm
The Game Awards air on December 7 at 4:30 PT/7:30 ET live from the Peacock Theater and host Geoff Keighley revealed the full list of categories and nominees, including the coveted Game of the Year. Voting is open now for fans at the Game Awards’ website, and here’s the full list of categories and nominees.
Game of the Year
- Alan Wake 2
- Baldur’s Gate 3
- Marvel’s Spider-Man 2
- Resident Evil 4
- Super Mario Bros. Wonder
- The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom
Best Game Direction
- Alan Wake 2
- Baldur’s Gate 3
- Marvel’s Spider-Man 2
- Super Mario Bros. Wonder
- The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom
Best Narrative
- Alan Wake 2
- Baldur’s Gate 3
- Cyberpunk 2077: Phantom Liberty
- Final Fantasy XVI
- Marvel’s Spider-Man 2
Best Art Direction
- Alan Wake 2
- Hi-Fi Rush
- Lies of P
- Super Mario Bros. Wonder
- The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom
The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom
Best Score and Music
- Alan Wake 2, Composer Petri Alanko
- Baldur’s Gate 3, Composer Borislav Slavov
- Final Fantasy XVI, Composer Masayoshi Soken
- Hi-Fi Rush, Audio Director Shuichi Kobori
- The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom, Composed by Nintendo Sound Team
Best Audio Design
- Alan Wake 2
- Dead Space
- Hi-Fi Rush
- Marvel’s Spider-Man 2
- Resident Evil 4
Best Performance
- Ben Starr as Clive Rosfield, Final Fantasy XVI
- Cameron Monaghan as Cal Kestis, Star Wars Jedi: Survivor
- Idris Elba as Solomon Reed, Cyberpunk 2077: Phantom Liberty
- Melanie Liburd as Saga Anderson, Alan Wake 2
- Neil Newbon as Astarion, Baldur’s Gate 3
- Yuri Lowenthal as Peter Parker, Marvel’s Spider-Man 2
Innovation in Accessibility
- Diablo IV
- Forza Motorsport
- Hi-Fi Rush
- Marvel’s Spider-Man 2
- Mortal Kombat 1
- Street Fighter 6
Games for Impact
- A Space for the Unbound
- Chants of Sennaar
- Goodbye Volcano High
- Tchia
- Terra Nil
- Venba
Baldur's Gate 3
Best Ongoing Game
- Apex Legends
- Cyberpunk 2077
- Final Fantasy XIV
- Fortnite
- Genshin Impact
Best Community Support
- Baldur’s Gate 3
- Cyberpunk 2077
- Destiny 2
- Final Fantasy XIV
- No Man’s Sky
Best Independent Game
- Cocoon
- Dave the Diver
- Dredge
- Sea of Stars
- Viewfinder
Best Debut Indie Game
- Cocoon
- Dredge
- Pizza Tower
- Venba
- Viewfinder
Best Mobile Game
- Final Fantasy VII: Ever Crisis
- Honkai: Star Rail
- Hello Kitty Island Adventure
- Monster Hunter Now
- Terra Nil
Marvel's Spider-Man 2
Best VR/AR Game
- Gran Turismo 7
- Humanity
- Horizon Call of the Mountain
- Resident Evil Village VR Mode
- Synapse
Best Action Game
- Armored Core VI: Fires of Rubicon
- Dead Island 2
- Ghostrunner 2
- Hi-Fi Rush
- Remnant 2
Best Action/Adventure Game
- Alan Wake 2
- Marvel’s Spider-Man 2
- Resident Evil 4
- Star Wars Jedi: Survivor
- The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom
Best RPG
- Baldur’s Gate 3
- Final Fantasy XVI
- Lies of P
- Sea of Stars
- Starfield
Best Fighting Game
- God of Rock
- Mortal Kombat 1
- Nickelodeon All-Star Brawl 2
- Pocket Bravery
- Street Fighter 6
Alan Wake 2
Best Family Game
- Disney Illusion Island
- Party Animals
- Pikmin 4
- Sonic Superstars
- Super Mario Bros. Wonder
Best Sim/Strategy Game
- Advance Wars 1+2: Re-Boot Camp
- Cities: Skylines II
- Company of Heroes 3
- Fire Emblem Engage
- Pikmin 4
Best Sports/Racing
- EA Sports FC 24
- F1 23
- Forza Motorsport
- Hot Wheels Unleashed 2: Turbocharged
- The Crew Motorfest
Best Multiplayer Presented by Discord
- Baldur’s Gate 3
- Diablo IV
- Party Animals
- Street Fighter 6
- Super Mario Bros. Wonder
Best Adaptation
- Castlevania: Nocturne
- Gran Turismo
- The Last of Us
- The Super Mario Bros. Movie
- Twisted Metal
Super Mario Bros. Wonder
Most Anticipated Game
- Final Fantasy VII Rebirth
- Hades II
- Like A Dragon: Infinite Wealth
- Star Wars Outlaws
- Tekken 8
Content Creator of the Year
- IronMouse
- PeopleMakeGames
- Quackity
- Spreen
- SypherPK
Best Esports Game
- Counter-Strike 2
- Dota 2
- League of Legends
- PUBG Mobile
- Valorant
Best Esports Athlete
- Lee “Faker” Sang-hyeok (League of Legends)
- Mathieu “ZywOo” Herbaut (CS:GO)
- Max “Demon1” Mazanov (Valorant)
- Paco “HyDra” Rusiewiez (Call of Duty)
- Park “Ruler” Jae-hyuk (League of Legends)
- Phillip ”ImperialHal” Dosen (Apex Legends)
Best Esports Team
- Evil Geniuses (Valorant)
- Fnatic (Valorant)
- Gaimin Gladiators (Dota 2)
- JD Gaming (League of Legends)
- Team Vitality (Counter-Strike)
Best Esports Coach
- Christine “potter” Chi (Evil Geniuses - Valorant)
- Danny “zonic” Sorensen (Team Falcons - Counter-Strike)
- Jordan “Gunba” Graham (Florida Mayhem - Overwatch)
- Remy “XTQZZZ” Quoniam (Team Vitality - Counter-Strike)
- Yoon “Homme” Sung-young (JD Gaming - League of Legends)
Best Esports Event
- 2023 League of Legends World Championship
- Blast.tv Paris Major 2023
- EVO 2023
- The International Dota 2 Championships 2023
- VALORANT Champions 2023
What games are getting your votes? Let us know in the comments!
Purchase games featured in this article
Posted on 13 November 2023 | 6:24 pm
Earlier this summer, developer Evening Star Studios and publisher Private Division revealed Penny's Big Breakaway during a Nintendo Direct. While the throwback 3D platforming adventure looked great in its own right, what caught a lot of people's attention was the team behind it. Evening Star's creative director and lead engine architect is Christian Whitehead, one of the lead developers behind 2017's Sonic Mania. Whitehead isn't alone, though, as various other Evening Star developers also worked on Sonic Mania. While we've still got some time before the game's release – it's due out sometime in 2024 – Game Informer has a special sneak peek at its music and can exclusively reveal three tracks from the game.
Sonic Mania and TMNT: Shredder's Revenge composer Tee Lopes is scoring Penny's Big Breakaway and you can get a taste of his score below:
Jigs Up, Penny
Land-ho Diablo
Sparks of the Cobalt Sands
We also gained some insight into the creation of Penny's Big Breakaway and its score by Lopes from Evening Star, diving into inspirations, the first track created, boss music and more. Whitehead says the initial concept behind the game was always the yo-yo, even from the earliest brainstorming sessions. From there, the team arrived at a simple setup: "The player is a performer in the emperor's court. One day, a yo-yo routine goes very wrong. The yo-yo goes rogue and rips off the emperor's clothes thread by thread. The emperor is furious, and all eyes are on you. The performance hall is swarming with penguin guards. Use your yo-yo and make a break for it."
Whitehead says music was a big part of the game's foundation, too, noting that with Penny's Big Breakaway being Evening Star's first original game, "We felt it was important to define a musical style that stood apart from other projects we have worked on in the past." The studio also wanted the music to complement the Bauhaus-inspired world of the game, too. Whitehead says he was drawn to the sounds of early synth technology like the Ondioline and Moog but wanted to add in some "turn-of-the-millennium vibes" like Beck's "Midnight Vultures" era.
Lopes says the first track he made was for "Vanillatown," which is in the first world and one of the first songs players will hear in Penny's Big Breakaway. He says this track allowed the music team to establish the game's sound identity. "We began experimenting with all of these different sounds and genres from various eras to create a sound that's quirky, yet cool, with classic and modern elements that I think complement Penny's eccentric universe very well." Speaking to the collaboration within the game's score, game director Hunter Bridges provided the guitar on "Vanillatown."
Whitehead and Lopes worked together on Sonic Mania, but Evening Star brought in composer Sean Bialo to give the score "the touch."
"His compositions are bursting to the seams with energetic melodies that leave you with an itch, [so] when the opportunity to collaborate came up, it seemed like a perfect chance to channel that energy into some of our character and boss themes in Penny's Big Breakaway," Whitehead says.
Bialo says he's thrilled to be involved as a longtime fan of the work of Whitehead, Lopes, and others. "Tee and Christian had already done a lot to flesh out the game's soundtrack by the time I joined the project, so it was a blast navigating their excellent framework with my own musical voice," he says.
Bialo uses his favorite boss in the game, Sheila the Sailor, to explain his musical process.
"Sheila the Sailor's boss battle is super wild, and writing appropriately intense music for it was a fun challenge," he says. "In an early part of the story, Penny and Sheila's relationship starts off on the wrong foot, leading to Penny chasing Sheila's busted-up ship across the coastline. I wanted to match Sheila's personality as a rough and tough sailor, while also capturing the franticness of her boat going out of control."
You can listen to the Sheila the Sailor boss track near the top of this story – it's the one called "Land-ho Diablo."
While Lopes is the lead composer, others in the team, like Jonny Atma on guitar, and Andrew Gomes for mixing and mastering the score as well as audio director Jameson Sutton, help round out the full music team. "I think the result is a soundtrack that's full of personality, fun elements, and surprises at every turn, thanks to a very eclectic palette of styles [and] I'm proud of what we achieved and especially curious about player reactions."
Whitehead says the entire project has been about collaboration, teasing that he and Lopes collaborated to create the last track for Zaphara, the electric desert world in the game.
For more about the game, check out the Penny's Big Breakaway reveal trailer.
Are you excited about Penny's Big Breakaway? Let us know in the comments below!
Posted on 13 November 2023 | 5:00 pm
Nintendo has announced that it will air an Indie World Showcase tomorrow morning. It will feature 20 minutes of new announcements and updates on previously announced indie comes coming to the Switch.
More specifically, the next Indie World Showcase will air at 9 a.m. PT/Noon ET tomorrow, on November 14. As usual, Nintendo kept the announcement of this showcase light on details – all we know is that it's set to run for roughly 20 minutes with both new announcements and updates to games we already know about.
A new @IndieWorldNA Showcase is airing tomorrow, Nov. 14 at 9:00 a.m. PT! Tune in for roughly 20 minutes of new announcements and updates on indie games coming to #NintendoSwitch. #IndieWorld
Watch it live here: https://t.co/z39Mhr4n0K pic.twitter.com/2L7jUwk9eP
— Nintendo of America (@NintendoAmerica) November 13, 2023
As with every Indie World Showcase, the question must be asked: is this the time where we finally see Hollow Knight: Silksong, the Hollow Knight sequel from developer Team Cherry that began life as a DLC to the original game? It probably won't be but it's always fun to get your hopes up a little bit so that they may be gently crushed.
Tomorrow's Indie World Showcase for Nintendo Switch begins at Noon ET.
In the meantime, read Game Informer's Hollow Knight review and then check out everything announced during the last Indie World Showcase, which was held in April, for a glance at what to potentially expect with tomorrow's.
What game do you hope to see tomorrow during the Nintendo Indie World Showcase? Let us know in the comments below!
Posted on 13 November 2023 | 4:07 pm
Netflix began building out its gaming efforts slowly before barreling quickly into a library that will soon exceed 80 games. Over the weekend, the subscription streaming service announced another lineup of games, including new releases like Shadow and Bone: Enter the Fold and Chicken Run: Eggstraction and titles previously released elsewhere like Hades and more.
Some of these, like Oxenfree II: Lost Signals and Shadow and Bone: Enter the Fold are available right now on Netflix via mobile devices, but others like Hades and Braid: Anniversary Edition are "coming soon."
Here's the full lineup of games coming to Netflix via mobile devices either now available or coming to the service soon:
- Hades (iOS exclusive, coming soon) – Our Review
- Death's Door (coming soon) – Our Review
- Katana Zero (coming soon) – Our Review
- Oxenfree II: Lost Signals (now available) – Our Review
- Braid: Anniversary Edition (coming soon)
- The Dragon Prince: Xadia (coming soon)
- Chicken Run: Eggstraction (coming soon)
- Shadow and Bone: Enter the Fold (now available)
- Money Heist (coming soon)
- Slayaway Camp 2: Netflix & Kill (now available)
For more, read about how Supergiant Games is releasing Hades II into Early Access next year and then check out this story about how Braid: Anniversary Edition will turn back the clock next April. After that, read Game Informer's in-depth feature about Netflix's big bet on the game industry.
Are you going to play any of these games via Netflix? Let us know in the comments below!
Posted on 13 November 2023 | 1:48 pm
If you've seen Netflix's Arcane League of Legends animated series, there's a high probability you really like it – the show's great, even for non-League of Legends fans. It tells the heartwrenching story of sisters Vi and Jinx and their struggle to come to terms with each other in the high-tech (and magical) utopian city of Piltover and its seedy underbelly known as Zaun. The first season hit the subscription streaming service in November of 2021and now we know that Arcane Season 2 hits Netflix this time next year.
More specifically, Arcane Season 2 drops on Netflix in November of 2024. To coincide with the news, Netflix has released a short teaser featuring Jinx. Check it out below:
Arcane. Season 2. November 2024. #GeekedWeek pic.twitter.com/SmPjKZKhOx
— Netflix Anime (@NetflixAnime) November 9, 2023
With roughly a year to go before Season 2, if you haven't yet watched Arcane, which features voice actors like Hailee Steinfeld, Yuri Lowenthal, Ella Purnell, and more, you've got plenty of time to do so – and it's well worth your time!
In the meantime, check out the League of Legends Jinx champion skin that was added to Fortnite to celebrate Arcane, and then read Game Informer's review of Ruined King: A League of Legends story. Read about Convergence: A League of Legends Story after that.
Have you seen Season 1 of Arcane? Let us know in the comments below!
Posted on 10 November 2023 | 1:39 pm
Update, 11:28 a.m. ET:
Following a Bloomberg report yesterday claiming Call of Duty: Modern Warfare III, which launched today, originally began as an expansion to last year's Call of Duty: Modern Warfare II before becoming a full game (with a 16-month turnaround to boot), developer Sledgehammer Games released a statement its X account seemingly indirectly refuting the report. A passage from the statement says,
We’re proud to be the team to lead the way on Modern Warfare III. We have worked hard to deliver on this vision which has been years in the making. Anything said to the contrary is simply not true – this is our game and we cannot wait to play it online with all of you.
You can read the full statement in the embedded post below.
Statement from Aaron Halon, studio head, SHG.
“We’re incredibly proud of Modern Warfare III – both the full game experience at launch and the upcoming year of content we have planned for the community. On behalf of the extremely talented team across Sledgehammer Games and our…
— Sledgehammer Games (@SHGames) November 9, 2023
The original story continues below...
Original story, 8:19 a.m. ET:
Call of Duty: Modern Warfare III is finally out for everyone and while many are excited about its take on first-person shooter multiplayer gameplay, especially in that it includes every map from 2009's Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2, the campaign so far has not been well-received by critics and fans. A new Bloomberg report sheds some light on the harsh conditions and quick turnaround developer Sledgehammer Games worked with to get the latest Call of Duty out the door, which might explain the campaign's mishaps.
Bloomberg reports that for the first few months of the game's development, it was codenamed Jupiter and featured a smaller-scale spinoff-like story set in Mexico. It was designed this way to account for a faster turnaround compared to previous Modern Warfare campaigns. This follows another report from Bloomberg, which stated Call of Duty would skip 2023 and instead release an expansion or continuation of last year's Call of Duty: Modern Warfare II.
The report states Sledgehammer Games was pitched on making an expansion to Modern Warfare II, but it eventually morphed into a full game. Publisher Activision Blizzard, which is now owned by Xbox after a $69 billion acquisition, denied this when asked about it by Bloomberg, instead stating that Modern Warfare III was always conceived as a "premium game." Former and current Call of Duty developers Bloomberg spoke to said they were told it was an expansion.
This mid-development reboot to take the smaller-scale spinoff-like story set in Mexico and turn it into a traditional globetrotting Call of Duty campaign featuring the villainous Vladimir Makarov, who was the villain in 2011's Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3, resulted in the shortest development time for a new game in the series in years, according to the publication. Bloomberg writes that some Sledgehammer Games staff had to work nights and weekends to finish the game on a 16-month development cycle, which is roughly half the time usually allotted for a new Call of Duty.
Bloomberg reports that before Modern Warfare III, Sledgehammer Games had pitched a game codenamed Anvil set in the Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare universe it launched in 2014, but this was quickly shelved for the game now available today. On top of this, since it was developing a game set in Infinity Ward's Modern Warfare universe, Sledgehammer Games reportedly grew frustrated having to run its plans and content by Infinity Ward executives, which Bloomberg reports led to "inefficiencies waiting on feedback and making significant and sometimes unwanted changes based on directions from above."
Call of Duty: Modern Warfare III is out now on PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and PC.
For more, read Game Informer's breakdown of the best graphics mode for Modern Warfare III and then check out the Modern Warfare III PC system spec requirements. After that, check out this list of every Activision Blizzard series Xbox now owns.
[Source: Bloomberg]
Have you played the campaign of Call of Duty: Modern Warfare III? Let us know what you think of it in the comments below!
Posted on 10 November 2023 | 1:19 pm
Valve has unveiled its first upgraded iteration of the Steam Deck. Dubbed simply the Steam Deck OLED, the new handheld features several technical and form factor improvements, and it goes on sale next week.
As the name implies, the device boasts an HDR OLED screen to produce more vibrant colors. It also boasts a larger battery for an increased charge – 30-50% more battery life depending on the game, with Valve pointing out that the OLED screen consumes less power.
The device also includes an updated and more efficient AMD APU and Wi-Fi 6E, resulting in downloads up to three times faster for increased bandwidth and lower latency. Steam Deck OLED also runs cooler thanks to its bigger fan and improved thermals. Overall, the device is 5% lighter than the original model.
Steam Deck OLED becomes available for purchase on November 16 at 1 p.m. ET. It comes in three models based on storage and add-ons, including one Limited Edition variant featuring a different color scheme. Here’s a breakdown of the specs and price of each one:
512GB OLED – $549.00
- 512GB NVMe SSD
- 1280 x 800 HDR OLED display
- 7.4" Diagonal display size
- 6 nm APU
- Wi-Fi 6E
- 50Whr battery; 3-12 hrs of gameplay (content dependent)
- 45W Power supply with 2.5m cable
- Carrying case
- Steam profile bundle
1TB OLED – $649.00
- 1TB NVMe SSD
- 1280 x 800 HDR OLED display
- 7.4" Diagonal display size
- Premium anti-glare etched glass
- 6 nm APU
- Wi-Fi 6E
- 50Whr battery; 3-12 hrs of gameplay (content dependent)
- 45W Power supply with 2.5m cable
- Carrying case with removable liner
- Steam profile bundle
- Exclusive startup movie
- Exclusive virtual keyboard theme
Limited Edition Steam Deck OLED
Limited Edition 1 TB OLED – $679.00 (available only in the U.S. and Canada)
- 1TB NVMe SSD
- 1280 x 800 HDR OLED display
- 7.4" Diagonal display size
- Premium anti-glare etched glass
- 6 nm APU
- Wi-Fi 6E
- 50Whr battery; 3-12 hrs of gameplay (content dependent)
- 45W Power supply with 2.5m cable
- Limited Edition carrying case with removable printed liner
- Steam profile bundle
- Exclusive startup movie
- Exclusive virtual keyboard theme
Once it launches, Steam Deck OLED will become the default Steam Deck moving forward as Valve is phasing out the original LCD models. As such, the first generation Steam Decks have been permanently discounted: $349 for the 64GB LCD, $399 for the 256GB LCD, and $449 for the 512GB LCD. These models will be available until they're out of stock. You can wishlist and read more about Steam Deck OLED on its official Steam store page.
What do you think of the Steam Deck OLED? Will you be upgrading from your original model or is this enough to get you to buy the device for the first time? Let us know in the comments!
Posted on 9 November 2023 | 6:25 pm
In August 2020, it was announced that the 2008 indie classic Braid would be getting a modern remaster in the form of Anniversary Edition. Originally slated to release in 2021, the project has quietly remained in limbo for years, but developer Thekla Inc. has revealed that it’s finally arriving on April 30.
Braid was first released for Xbox 360's Live Arcade on August 6, 2008, and stars Tim, a boy searching for a princess captured by a monster. The 2D platformer centers on time manipulation mechanics that players utilize to solve puzzles and locate/assemble jigsaw pieces. The strong mechanics combined with its contemplative writing made Braid a critical hit, with many hailing it as a masterpiece. Braid has since been credited as the primary title that brought widespread interest and awareness to the indie gaming scene.
This remastered update features enhanced visuals in the form of repainted graphics by original Braid artist David Hellman, animated brush strokes, and smoother animations with additional frames. You can also switch between the updated visuals and the original presentation on the fly. The audio boasts improved sound and new mixes and variants of the soundtrack by Martin Stig Andersen (Control, Inside) and Hans Christian Kock.
Braid: Anniversary Edition also includes over 15 hours of commentary about the game’s creation and legacy from creator Johnathan Blow and other creators/historians, including David Hellman, Marc ten Bosch (Miegakure), Brian Moriarty (Trinity, Loom, Alvin and the Chipmunks:The Squeakuel), Casey Muratori (1935, Handmade Hero, Computer, Enhance!), Cris Moore (resident faculty at the Santa Fe Institute), Frank Cifaldi (Video Game History Foundation), Martin Stig Andersen, Hans Christian Kock, and Jakob Schmid.
“The goal is to make it the craziest, most-in-depth commentary ever put in a video game,” said Blow in a press release. “You can follow particular threads of commentary spatially, through wormholes that go from level to level to see evolutions of particular concepts; the commentary has lots of markup so we can circle stuff on the screen, point arrows at whatever visual detail we are talking about, show diagrams, play back recordings of gameplay to show what happens if you try doing this or that in a particular level, and many other capabilities.”
Braid: Anniversary Edition will be available for PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, PC, and Netflix.
Posted on 9 November 2023 | 4:23 pm
Sony announced it was acquiring Destiny 2 maker Bungie for $3.6 billion in January of 2022. A week later, in a quarterly financial results briefing, Sony CFO Hiroki Totoki revealed that PlayStation planned to launch more than 10 live service games by March 2026, with Bungie helping the company in the space. In an earnings call held today, Totoki stated that of its 12 live service games, it will only release six by Fiscal Year 2025, which ends March 2026, as reported by VideoGamesChronicle.
Earlier this year, Bloomberg reported that Bungie was evaluating some of PlayStation's in-development offerings, including Naughty Dog's Last of Us multiplayer project, which is reportedly on ice. It seems that evaluation has led to Sony retooling its approach as the company has delayed at least six live service games.
"We are reviewing this...we are trying as much as possible to ensure [these games] are enjoyed and liked by gamers for a long time," Totoki said on the earnings call, according to VGC. "[Of] the 12 titles, six titles will be released by [Fiscal Year 2025]. That's our current plans. [As for] the remaining six titles, we are still working on that."
Totoki continues, stating, "That's the total number of live service and multiplayer titles [and] mid-to-long-term we want to [push] this kind of service and that's the unchanged policy of the company. It's not like we stick to certain titles, but game quality should be the most important [thing]."
In terms of PlayStation multiplayer offerings, we know it acquired Firewalk Studios in April to develop a AAA multiplayer game, and we also know the next Last of Us game, assuming it is still released one day, is a multiplayer Factions-like project. Rumors point to Guerrilla Games working on some kind of online multiplayer game set in the world of Horizon, too. Plus, Bungie is working on Marathon, and while it will be released on PlayStation 5, it's also coming to Xbox Series X/S and PC.
Only time will tell which six live service games PS5 owners will be playing by March 2026, and which ones have been pushed to sometime beyond that.
For more, read about how Marvel's Spider-Man 2, a single-player-only game, is PlayStation's fastest-selling first-party game, and then read about how the PS5 has surpassed 46.5 million units sold.
[Source: VideoGamesChronicle]
How do you feel about Sony's live service direction? Let us know in the comments below!
Posted on 9 November 2023 | 1:50 pm
Marvel's Spider-Man 2 hit PlayStation 5 exclusively on October 20 – read Game Informer's review here to find out why we loved it so much. It turns out plenty of others enjoyed developer Insomniac Games' latest superhero effort, too, because Sony has revealed that in just 11 days, it sold through more than 5 million copies, making it one of the year's best-selling games.
For context, Marvel's Spider-Man 2 outsold Super Mario Bros. Wonder, which is the fastest-selling Super Mario game after selling through 4.3 million copies in two weeks. Marvel's Spider-Man 2 was named the fastest-selling PlayStation Studios game just three days after its release, too.
Woo! We're incredibly honored to announce Marvel's #SpiderMan2PS5 has sold over 5 MILLION COPIES!
Thank you to our incredible community for supporting us and helping us reach this milestone! #BeGreaterTogether pic.twitter.com/KkXGXbsAB5
— Insomniac Games (@insomniacgames) November 9, 2023
As for how Marvel's Spider-Man 2 sold so well, it helps that its predecessors, Marvel's Spider-Man and Marvel's Spider-Man: Miles Morales were so well-received. Plus, as of the latest financial quarter for Sony, which ended September 30, the PlayStation 5 has surpassed 46.5 million units sold, creating a large community of gamers who could have picked up Marvel's Spider-Man 2.
In total, the PS5 has sold through 46.6 million units in its lifetime, thanks to a strong second quarter in Sony's Fiscal Year 2023, where it sold 4.9 million PS5 consoles. That's 1.6 million more than the previous quarter. In this same quarter, Sony sold through 4.7 million first-party games – Marvel's Spider-Man 2 was not yet released – and, in total, 67.6 million PlayStation 4 and PS5 software, which includes any game released for the consoles. Sony says 67% of the games purchased for its PlayStation consoles during the quarter that ended September 30 were digital downloads.
By the end of this quarter, Sony tracked 107 million monthly active users on the PlayStation Network, with 47.4 million PlayStation Plus subscribers in the same time period.
For more, read Game Informer's Marvel's Spider-Man 2 review and then read about a new Marvel's Spider-Man 2 update that addresses various progress-stopping bugs, improves stability, and more. After that, read about how Marvel's Spider-Man 2 is missing this major New York City landmark and then check out the best graphics mode for Marvel's Spider-Man 2.
Have you beaten Marvel's Spider-Man 2? Let us know in the comments below!
Posted on 9 November 2023 | 1:12 pm
Marvel's Spider-Man 2 hit PlayStation 5 exclusively last month and quickly became Sony's fastest-selling first-party game. We loved the game – read Game Informer's Marvel's Spider-Man 2 review here – but players and critics alike have discovered bugs and issues leading to laughs, in some cases, and progress impediment in other cases. Developer Insomniac Games released a patch last week that addressed a handful of issues and now, it has released a new update that fixes even more bugs and issues.
Here's the full Update Version 1.001005 release notes:
- Addressed an issue where NPCs could spawn on top of each other in boats
- Addressed an issue where MJ could be defeated in one hit on higher difficulty settings
- Addressed multiple issues where hiding the HUD would cause some missions to fail to trigger
- Addressed an issue where collision was missing on the floor in the harbor
- Further addressed issues where players could become stuck in the finale of Marko's Memories
- Addressed an issue where players could switch character during the defeat sequence.
- Addressed an issue where the player could become stuck running on a wall
- Addressed an issue where the wrong Spider-Man could receive phone calls if the player switched characters during a call
- Addressed an issue where the player could lose the ability to jump
- Addressed multiple issues where inputs would not register after zipping to a point
- Addressed an issue where the game would not properly reload after being defeated by a boss.
- Addressed an issue where Peter Parker could become stuck on a bench or railing.
- Addressed an issue where Spider-Man could clip through the map and become stuck during combat
- Addressed an issue where the Hang Ten Trophy would not count flips accurately
- Addressed an issue where inputs would not register after grabbing a memory crystal
- Further addressed issues where models would not load properly after long play sessions
- Addressed an issue where the player character could leave a mission and enter the open world resulting in corrupted saves
- Improved stability
Hopefully, if ones of these issues has stopped you from progressing past certain points in Marvel's Spider-Man 2's various quests, or if you're been hoping for more stability, you'll find a better in-game experience after installing this update.
For more about the game, read Game Informer's Marvel's Spider-Man 2 review and then read about how Insomniac updated New York City for the sequel. Then check out this story about this missing NYC landmark in the game. After that, read our guide for the best graphics mode in Marvel's Spider-Man 2, and then check out our spoiler-free tips.
Are you still running into any Marvel's Spider-Man 2 bugs or issues? Let us know in the comments below!
Posted on 8 November 2023 | 5:12 pm
Publisher Deep Silver, which is owned by Embracer Group, announced in 2021 that it was reforming TimeSplitters developer Free Radical Design to begin development on a new entry in the series. Now, a new report from VideoGamesChronicle says this reformed Free Radical Design could be facing a complete shutdown, adding to Embracer's continued restructuring that has resulted in the closure of studios like Saints Row developer Volition Games.
Yesterday, Embracer COO Egil Strunke announced that he had resigned from the position to launch a new game company, as reported by PC Gamer, amidst Embracer's rough year. Today, VGC reports that people familar with the matters of Free Radical Design say the studio has been part of an evaluation within Embracer and that the studio could close as a result. The publication writes that Plaion, which is the Embracer division that runs Free Radical Design, must consult employees at least 30 days in advance before layoffs per U.K. law. That law is likely how Free Radical Design employees have learned about a potential closure.
VGC notes that on LinkedIn and social media, at least 15 Free Radical Design employee have said they're looking for new employment within the last 24 hours. Game Informer has reached out to Embracer to ask for confirmation and more details surrounding Free Radical Design's potential closure, and will update this story if more information is learned.
As noted by VGC, while the studio could close, that's not yet guaranteed. It could be acquired by a third-party interested in the team, or simply kept open with a change of mind by Embracer.
Embracer-owned publisher Deep Silver, who also published this year's Dead Island 2, announced in 2021 that it had reformed the original TimeSplitters developer, Free Radical Design, to create a new TimeSplitters game. This new version of Free Radical Design features key members of the original team, including founders Steve Ellis and David Doak, both of whom worked on games like GoldenEye 007 and Perfect Dark while previously employed at Rare.
The first iteration of Free Radical Design was purchased by Crytek in 2009 and then rebranded as Crytek UK. However, it was shutdown in 2014, with much of the staff moving to Dead Island 2 developer Deep Silver Dambuster Studio, which also developed Homefront: The Revolution.
Deep Silver owners Koch Media purchased the TimeSplitters IP in 2018, officially making Free Radical Design a Deep Silver studio in the process, all of which are now under the Embracer Group umbrella after Embracer purchased Koch Media in 2018.
Free Radical Design was set to develop the fourth TimeSplitters game in the series, but now its future as a studio remains unclear.
The potential Free Radical Design closure joins an unfortunately ever-growing list of layoffs affecting studios this year. Yesterday, Ubisoft laid off more than 100 employees, and last week, roughly 100 employees were laid off at Destiny 2 developer Bungie.
In January, Microsoft laid off 10,000 employees amidst its ongoing $69 billion acquisition of Activision Blizzard, which it completed last month.
In August, Striking Distance Studios, the team behind last year's The Callisto Protocol, laid off more than 30 employees, and that same month, Mass Effect and Dragon Age developer BioWare laid off 50 employees, including long-time studio veterans. The following month, in September, Immortals of Aveum developer Ascendant Studios laid off roughly 45% of its staff.
Just last month month, The Last of Us developer Naughty Dog has laid off at least 25 employees, and Telltale Games has gone through layoffs as well, although an actual number of laid-off employees has not yet been revealed. And in late October, Dreams developer Media Molecule laid off 20 employees.
The hearts of the Game Informer staff are with everyone affected by these layoffs and those at Free Radical Design.
[Source: VideoGamesChronicle]
Posted on 8 November 2023 | 4:31 pm
Nintendo isn't quite ready to say goodbye to the Switch, its second best-selling console ever. According to a new financial briefing from the company, it plans to support the Switch seemingly long after the release of rumored new-gen hardware expected to launch next year.
It's been a big week for Nintendo, with the company revealing that Super Mario Bros. Wonder is the fastest-selling Super Mario game in the series and that a live-action Legend of Zelda movie is on the way. We also learned yesterday the Switch has surpassed 132 million units sold on the heels of great results for The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom and Pikmin 4. Now, Nintendo has pulled back the curtains a bit on its approach to the Switch platform moving forward.
"Nintendo Switch will be entering its eighth year in March 2024," the financial briefing reads. "We will continue to release new titles and content for Nintendo Switch without being bound by the traditional concept of the platform lifecycle."
That last line above indicates Nintendo might continue to support the Switch, even after the release of its next console. This isn't too surprising, considering the Switch has sold so well, continues to sell well each financial quarter, and has a string of great releases in its future including a remake of Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door.
Nintendo goes on to say that it "would like to continue to see many consumers play Nintendo Switch, and to maintain our business momentum." Sunsetting the Switch a second early would likely end that momentum, and Nintendo seems highly aware of that.
Elsewhere in the financial briefing, Nintendo reveals over 330 million Nintendo Accounts have been created as of September 2023, noting that "even in regions where Nintendo Switch is not sold, our mobile applications have brought the Nintendo Account system to a wide range of users around the world." It says it will "strive to further spread Nintendo Account and grow it into a vital business foundation for Nintendo heading into the future."
Within those 330 million Nintendo Accounts, 38 million members have subscribed to Nintendo Switch Online, and 117 million users play their Switch annually, highlighting the Switch's legs as it enters its eighth year on the market.
For more, read Game Informer’s review of The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom, and then check out these Zelda and Ganondorf Amiibo figures that are now out. After that, read Game Informer’s list of the top 10 best games on Switch.
How long do you think Nintendo will support the Switch after it releases its next console? Let us know in the comments below!
Posted on 8 November 2023 | 3:15 pm
