The following story sort of spoils the ending of Resident Evil 7. There is a big twist for series fans at the end of the game and I'm shocked that Capcom just so blatantly ruined it on the official Resident Evil Twitter account. In the interest of not spoiling that surprise for anyone who is casually browsing Destructoid and hasn't beaten the game, I'm going to refrain from embedding the Tweet. I'm also going to give you fair warning to turn around and post the information below this tacky picture I found.
This teaser trailer for Odd Tales' The Last Night has mere seconds of non-logo footage and yet here I am sharing it with you lovely people. It checks off more than a few boxes with its cyberpunk setting, eye-catching art direction (wait'll you see the gif), and genre influences (Another World, Flashback).
If you're a broke gamer, such as myself, and want to try out the latest Call of Duty title, then this weekend on Steam will be your dream come true. From now until February 26 at 1 PM PST, the multiplayer portion of Infinite Warfare will be free with no level cap limitations. You'll be stuck to the base maps and won't have access to zombies mode, but you can go prestige if you're crazy enough.
Alongside this free weekend comes a sale on Steam. You can grab the base game for $29.99 (50% off), the Legacy edition for $53.59 (33% off and includes Modern Warfare Remastered), or the Digital Deluxe edition for $74.99 (25% off and includes the Season Pass along MWR). Oddly, the season pass itself is not on sale, so you're out of luck if you already own the game.
Anyone interested might as well queue up the download now as the game sits at a pretty 50,600 MB. I guess we'll all convene after dinner, then?
2015's Axiom Verge was a love letter to the original Metroid, a throwback to the early days of 2D platform exploration games. It took designer and programmer Tom Happ five years to finish the title, and it's been ported to severalsystems since its original release on PS4 and Steam. Up until now, though, it's only been available digitally.
Earlier today, BadLand games announced that the title will be receiving a physical version later this year. Although the date has yet to be finalized, BadLand said that the release should be sometime within the next four months. There will be two versions of the physical packaging. The Standard edition will only be released for the PS4, and will contain nothing more than the game disc. The "Multiverse Edition" will include a copy of the game, a deluxe booklet with developer commentary and art, a double-sided poster, and a making-of documentary on DVD. This special edition will be available on PlayStation 4, PlayStation Vita, and Wii U, and other formats are yet to be confirmed.
Axiom Verge was a labor of love for its creator, who had this to say about the impending physical release.
"Fans have been asking for a physical retail version of Axiom Verge since the game originally launched. I'm extremely excited that the Multiverse Edition will be coming to retail soon. As a solo developer, it's always been a dream of mine to see a game that I made end up on the store shelves!"
I contacted BadLand to find out if the boxed copies will incorporate the speedrun leaderboards added to the Wii U version, but had not received a response at the time the article was posted. I'll update this article when and if I get a reply. The Multiverse edition is set to retail for $29.99 when it hits store shelves, and the Standard edition will cost $19.99.
[Update: the representative I contacted let me know that "We have "Speedrun mode" listed in the Key Features, so I assume all SKUs share the same feature set!" They also said they may need to wait until their contacts in the U.K. are active to confirm that the leaderboards will be available in all versions. ]
Popular fighting game Skullgirls has been released on almost every other modern platform; now it's time to play it on your smartphone. Originally teased last July, the free-to-play version of this fan-favorite title is slated to arrive in Spring 2017 for both iOS and Android devices.
"Save Lego City with a partner in two-player co-op."
And with that, I'm in for the upcoming PC, PS4, Xbox One, and Nintendo Switch version of Lego City Undercover due out April 4, 2017. As much as I like TT Games' output, I just can't play these games alone whether I'm going for that drawn-out 100% completion rate or just sticking to the critical path.
I skipped what feels like the last several Lego games, including Undercover on Wii U, so this'll be nice.
Halo and split-screen is a combination similar to peanut butter and jelly. They just go together so well and have provided millions with a tasty and nutritional meal...I mean, a fun evening killing each other...Maybe PB&J has lead to a death or two...I have no idea where I'm going with this metaphor.
Either way, 343 Industries has recognized that excluding split-screen multiplayer from Halo 5: Guardians was a big mistake. While the feature won't be coming to that specific game, all future first-person games in the series will include the feature by default. At the DICE 2017 conference, executive producer Bonnie Ross admitted that the exclusion of the cherished mode was one of the "painful learnings" that company went through with the franchise.
These 'learnings' were "incredibly painful for the community and us," Ross stated in her speech. She then gave some detail about how this choice (along with the launch of the Master Chief Collection) has led to some distrust within the Halo community. At least 343 has learned its lesson and we won't have to worry about any future titles locking us out from old fashioned sandwichy goodness...I mean, couch co-op action...I guess PB&J can be enjoyed cooperatively on a couch...
The newest Prey trailer comes with a hearty implicit endorsement from Fred Durst. Everything just keeps rollin', rollin', rollin', rollin' (come on!) Now I know y'all be lovin' this shit right here.
Prey's monsters can turn into mundane objects like chairs, and that's something that was sort of mocked after Bethesda's 2016 E3 press conference. But, the odds are evened because the player can eventually also turn into mundane objects. That's the Mimic mechanic and it means we might get to play as a pizza box squaring off against an apple. My money's on the maid.
Truthfully, I'm all keyed up to play Prey. Have been for a while and I can't really explain why. But Zack's preview spoiled the opening events for me and now I'm looking forward to it even more. Funny how that works sometimes, eh? Don't overthink it, just roll with it.
Since it launched in 2014, Blizzard's free-to-play digital card game Hearthstone has dominated its niche. To keep gameplay fresh, the studio has alternated new content additions between "Adventures," which guarantee some cards for a $20 flat fee, and larger expansion sets that dole out cards in randomized packs bought with in-game gold or real-world currency. Last week, the studio announced it will forgo any Adventure releases in 2017, instead launching three of the latter full-size content blocks for 2017. While this means a record amount of cards will be added, it will be harder -- and more expensive -- to get all of them.
In 2014, the studio behind acclaimed games like System Shock 2, SWAT 4, and BioShock shed the majority of its staff in a massive restructure. "I am winding down Irrational Games as you know it," co-founder Ken Levine said at the time. "To meet the challenge ahead, I need to refocus my energy on a smaller team with a flatter structure and a more direct relationship with gamers."
Years later, it's still unclear what exactly this small group of developers is working on under Take-Two Interactive, but the studio once known as Irrational now has a new name: Ghost Story.
"Ghost Story was founded by twelve former Irrational Games developers and our mission is simple: to create immersive, story-driven games for people who love games that ask something of them," reads a welcome post. "While we believe our new games will have strong appeal to fans of BioShock, our new focus allows us to craft experiences where the gameplay is as challenging as the stories."
On a job listing for a senior designer position, there's a call for:
Experience supporting environmental storytelling through design.
Intuitive understanding of how FPS games work and why people play them.
Previous experience working on levels, combat encounters, and missions/quests in FPS titles (scripting and design).
Strong content design skills, including experience with RPG systems.
Unreal Engine 4 experience.
Can easily break down core level design elements and use them when creating combat and traversal sections of a level.
Experience in semi-open (e.g. Borderlands, Shadow of Mordor) or open world games.
That certainly sounds like something Levine would want to create.
There has been a dearth of racing games recently, let alone ones focused entirely around motorcycles, so Ride 2 jumped out at me. I've always been a huge fan of the genre, but since I'm generally terrible at it I'm drawn to more arcade racing titles with less technical aptitude required. I've wanted to try a technical racer before, but felt overwhelmed by how much I really don't know about cars.
Despite a perilously steep learning curve, Ride 2 did alleviate my growing pains the more I played it. It's just a matter of whether or not to invest a hefty amount of time for such little return.
For all intents and purposes, Dead Space 3 is a pretty big failure. It eschewed the ideas that the first two games were building on and contained all of the worst bits of the modern games industry. There was a microtransaction-laden system which saw crafting materials drop at a lower rate to coax players into spending money, a co-op campaign that locked out some content in the campaign, and an ending that was hidden behind DLC. The game isn't necessarily a bad action title, but it fails to be Dead Space and ultimately does nothing to close out the story of Isaac Clarke.
To the surprise of no one, Dead Space 3's creative director Ben Wanat, who sat down for an interview with Eurogamer's Chris Bratt, confirmed that the original pitch for the finale didn't include any microtransactions or action-heavy elements. Detailed in the video below, Bratt goes over what the original plan for Dead Space 3 was and how EA's expectations for continued sales basically killed the game before it had a chance.
It's crazy how popular the Dead or Alive Xtreme series is after all of this time, and what's even crazier is Dead or Alive Xtreme 3: Fortune is still getting a steady stream of support a year after is release in Japan. Watching this trailer for the latest set of bathing suits, inspired by Senran Kagura Estival Versus, reminded me of why these games fare so well (and why Xtreme 3was imported to the West so heavily), and sometimes I you have a need to spend time with your virtual waifu.
If Koei Tecmo fully went the dating sim route as the Xtreme series teases, they could craft a great experience. I don't need adult scenes or anything like that, but I just want to ask Nyotengu out on a date, you know?
Natalie Dormer, of Game of Thrones fame, will be voicing the Asari doctor Lexi in the upcoming Mass Effect: Andromeda. She seems to be the only big name celebrity in the game, at least as far as reveals go. The previous titles had a few famous actors (Freddie Prince Jr., Keith David, Martin Sheen, Carrie-Anne Moss), but BioWare seems to be taking a different approach with Andromeda.
I'll happily get down with more games that draw from Ghouls 'n Goblins and this new one, Battle Princess Madelyn, has a few extra niceties going for it. Besides looking and sounding the part, there's the range of targeted platforms -- PC, PS4, Xbox One, Wii U, and Nintendo Switch -- and the joyous fact that the heroine has a ghost dog sidekick to help her get to otherwise out-of-reach areas.
Also, the game's origin story is rather cute:
"When Creative Director Christopher Obritsch's daughter Madelyn wanted to be in Ghouls 'n Ghosts, and fight 'Green Head', he said it was someone else's game - but he could make her one that was like it. 'But girls can't be knights, Daddy. Only boys…' she said, to which he answered 'Pshh…What color do you want your armor to be?'. The answer was pink. ;) And that's how this game started. Chris' daughter Madelyn loves the first stage of Ghouls ‘n Ghosts and makes him play it over and over because she wants to see him fight 'Green head', the Shielder boss at the end of the first stage. It's not hard for her to twist his rubber arm, as it's been his favorite game since it came out all those years ago."
Casual Bit Games is planning a "late 2017" release and I'm so gonna play this on Switch.
In a Polygon interview rife with info regarding the future of Bethesda and some of Todd Howard's potential future projects, one thing stands out -- we still know next to nothing about Skyrim on the Switch. When asked, Howard's response is that he "can't say" whether Skyrim will even be based on the remaster or the old version, which is pretty..not good as far as the future of third-party on the Switch goes.
As we gear up for the Switch in just under two weeks, the Wii U eShop is gearing down. In addition to Harvest Moon 64, it's also hosting Go! Go! Kokopolo 3D, forma.8, Ghost Blade HD, Maze Break, and Vaccine.
The 3DS is super low key this week with Shovel Knight discounts, which are also live on the Wii U. While we don't have any evidence that the Switch will replace the 3DS (they've said it won't, but then again they said they weren't killing off the Wii U before they killed it), I'm wondering what their focus will be in 2017, and if the 3DS is going to be getting as many killer games or E3 reveals.
Contra (or Probotector, depending on what part of the world you hail from) was one of the Nintendo Entertainment System's most iconic games, one that strongly resonates with people who grew up with it even today. The series just celebrated its 30th anniversary, as the arcade version began appearing in arcades in late February, 1987. The home version was one of very few early NES games to offer simultaneous two-player mode, which is likely the biggest contributing factor to the regard old folks like myself have for the title.
As much as I love Contra, my affection pales in comparison to a fellow who calls himself Captain Steve V1. He put together a fantastic tribute to Contra using nothing but some Nerf guns, some digital effects, and a whole bunch of free time. The video went viral on FaceBook, but some kind soul has uploaded a version to YouTube, and you can check it out below.
While the effects are somewhat low-fidelity, the video nails the sounds and feel of Contra. The attention to detail is exceptional: the hero even gets stunned by the electric fields when he's too eager to progress through the tunnel sequence in stage two. There's also a great sequence near the end that will be all too familiar to anyone who was ever disappointed by picking up the Laser weapon.
The video closes with a bit of behind-the-scenes footage showing what it looks like without the special effects. I wouldn't mind seeing another video like this, maybe incorporating some of Contra's weird aliens and other setpieces like the waterfall and exploding bridge. Here's hoping the creator feels inspired to make a sequel. Lord knows there won't be any games in the near future.
There's a lot of hubbub in the digital era regarding sharing games. Digital often features more drawbacks than positives, so things like family sharing on modern consoles, where you can download games to several systems, adds to the allure of forgoing physical media. But according to a recent Switch Q&A, Nintendo isn't going to offer anything like that at launch.
The exact question that was posed was if someone was to buy a second Switch for his kids, if they'd be able to play a digital game on both," to which Nintendo entertainment planning manager Shinya Takahashi explained: "Currently we don't have a system like that in place for Nintendo Switch. But we haven't made any final decisions about how we would approach that going forward in the future, so unfortunately I can't provide any concrete answer for you right now." So you're saying there's a chance!? Maybe. But for now, don't count on it.
While the response some of you who haven't enjoyed family sharing features are preparing right now is probably something like "why would Nintendo give you stuff for free?" it's a little more involved than that. Say you have two consoles, and you buy a cart for a game. You can swap that cart to either one, no problem. But if you go digital, you evidently can't swap them on the Switch -- whereas other consoles allow it by authenticating your PSN, Steam, or Xbox Live account.
It's just a little extra barrier to entry for digital, which is something platform holders don't want as more and more people are going that route.
With millions of gamers willing to watch people play League of Legends or FIFA for fun, major players in the entertainment industry see eSports as an intriguing business opportunity. Earlier this month, the NBA announced a partnership with Take-Two Interactive, developer of the renowned NBA2K franchise, to create a one-of-a-kind eSports league. This new professional gaming competition, known as "NBA 2K eLeague," will be the first owned by a major US sports organization when it starts in 2018. That's assuming the NFL, MLB or MLS don't make any sudden moves before then.
Turns out Gladiolus isn't just some crazy name, it's a flower! Naming a buff dude after a flower may be ironic, but you can learn more about this ripped flower on March 28 even if you didn't buy the season pass. Episode Gladiolus will cost $4.99 by itself per the official Final Fantasy XV webzone.
The upcoming Episode Ignis, Episode Prompto, and FFXV Multiplayer Expansion: Comrades DLC will also be available individually but their individual prices are not yet known. One would assume that the two remaining character episodes would be similarly priced, but they are leaving the door open for different pricing.
With the Switch launch only eight days away, Nintendo has finally broken its silence on what online features gamers can expect at launch. Disappointingly, the gaming giant revealed that early adopters won't be able to dip into the game company's vast back catalog, with Nintendo confirming that the Switch's Virtual Console service won't be there day one.
In a bid to appease fans, Nintendo has revealed that the F-Zero inspired indie racer FAST RMX will be arriving on the eShop day one, alongside two entries in the Shovel Knight series. Shovel Knight: Specter of Torment is the game's latest campaign which will be a timed exclusive for the Nintendo Switch. Alongside this, Yacht Club Games will also be bringing Shovel Knight: Treasure Trove to the eShop for launch - which serves as a collection of all the existing series content to date.
I spent a lot of time dueling other players in Dark Souls. I'd carelessly wander into the Darkroot forest and willfully invite the protectors of those shaded woods to come and try to force me out of them. I'd painfully claw my way through the game with a sub-optimal build for taking on the monsters of the land with gear designed to give me a slight edge in the one-on-one combat with other players I craved, regardless of how it compromised me in other areas.
And through it all, PvP in Dark Souls was always a secondary feature. An interesting sub-game tucked away in a much richer and varied world. It's always been the domain of ad hoc fight clubs, risky invasions, and inevitable ganks. But, I stuck with it, the thrill of patient one-on-one combat too irresistible to ignore.
That's why I was so looking forward to For Honor. A game that promised to take the tense beauty of staring down the edge of a blade and trying to get inside the mind of your enemy. Waiting for the slightest dip of the blade, the most innocuous shuffling of the feet, that micro-second moment of vulnerability to make your move.
When For Honor is at its best, it is that game. As beautiful and brutal as one could hope. Sadly, those moments are few and far between. While For Honor was supposed to bring the thrill of the duel to the surface, it feels more tucked away and obscured by poorly conceived game modes, obnoxious grinding, and technical glitches than it ever did in the deepest recesses of the Darkroot Garden.
As most of us expected, you won't need to install data in a mandatory fashion when using a cart, like you would if you're using physical media on the Xbox One and PS4.
After booting up Zelda: Breath of the Wild on the Switch this week, I noticed that after popping the cart in, the game just loaded instantly and didn't require anything else. Although day one patches and possible "booster packs" (like faster load times and the like) are a possibility, you won't have any space issues if you're going solely physical. It's not like we expected there to be mandatory installs with a cartridge, but confirmation is always nice.
Going physical is particularly easy to do on the Switch at launch, as a ton of indie developers are releasing physical editions, even for ports.
In the upcoming Prey, Mankind is in serious trouble. With the alien Typhon over-running the once prosperous Talos 1 space station our fate falls into the hands of unlikely protagonist, Morgan Yu. Having been experimented on and given Typhon abilities, the latest trailer shows Yu learning to mimic his surroundings, opting to defend the human race by turning into vaguely useful household objects.
As Injustice 2's May release draws closer, expect NetherRealm to double down on all of the cool trailers and reveals. The newest trailer -- the first part in a series called "Shattered Alliances" -- focuses on Superman and a bit of the sequel's story. I finally understand the complaint about the title's mo-cap animation as Superman's face does seem a bit janky. It's a bold move for a fighting game, so pulling it off successfully is going to make or break Injustice 2.
In other highlights, Cyborg is stealthily confirmed. Given his role in the first game (and upcoming Justice League movie) he was pretty much a given. I do hope he differs enough from the already tech heavy Blue Beetle's move set, however.
Injustice 2 releases on May 16th for PlayStation 4 and Xbox One
I was surprised to open up the box for the Nintendo Switch and see so much empty space. I mean, the system, basically, is comprised of the tablet you see above (or below), and the dock. Clicking in the two Joy-Con to the sides of said tablet adds a little extra weight, but not much.
As you'd expect, the setup was just as simple. You just plug in the tablet with the AC adapter, perform the initial setup (one minute, max), hook up the dock to your TV with the included HDMI cable then swap the AC adapter over to it, stick the tablet in, and you're done. From there you can take the tablet out to go into portable mode or stick it in again to enable it on the TV -- it's one or the other, unlike the Wii U, which could do both. If the tablet is out of the dock, the TV displays "no input," as there's not even a screensaver to keep you company.
