Tuesday, August 22, 2017

News:: Live Show: The GTFOMLG Show Episode 11.0

Tonight's episode of The GTFOMLG Show is special to me, because I get to show off one of my favorite arcade games that not many even know existed, Willow, from Capcom. The only place I've ever even seen the cabinet myself was when I was in a little movie theater while visiting some family in Florida. Other than that, the game has been an urban legend.

Why it never got a proper port on any system is truly perplexing, but if you've heard of the game or not, and are curious to see what it's all about, tune into Dtoid.TV this evening at 7pm PST and check it out. I think you'll be pleasantly surprised. It's really damn good.

Also, we have a new show launching this week on the channel, The Platinarium, with show host Pokedude97. This show is about exploring all different genres of video games in the pursuit of completing them to 100%, and learning about random genres along the way. If you're a trophy hunter and want to see a variety of games played to pure completion, tune in every Tuesday and Saturday at 11am PST right here on Dtoid.TV!

[The GTFOMLG Show airs Monday through Thursday at 7p.m. Pacific on Dtoid.TV. Watch Rick 'King Foom' Olson play a variety of retro games, chosen by the viewers. With a heavy focus on community interaction, you can be as much a part of the show as anything else.]

Live Show: The GTFOMLG Show Episode 11.0 screenshot



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News:: Call of Duty: WWII's social space looks good for goofing off

You might have heard about something called "Headquarters" in Call of Duty: WWII. It's a new in-game hub for social gathering, and while Sledgehammer has brought it up before, this is our first good look:

Among other things, players will be able to duel each other in the Pit, practice together at the Firing Range, watch live eSports matches in the Theater, and "man the AA guns to earn rewards."

Generally, I'm way into these sorts of hubs in multiplayer games. They can be a great way to warm up before matches, unwind after a few too many heated rounds, or just generally kill some time. But socializing in Call of Duty? Yeah... I'm less sure about that. The space itself looks good, at least.

Call of Duty: WWII's social space looks good for goofing off screenshot



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News:: Nine minutes of South Park Fractured But Whole that you shouldn't watch

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South Park: The Stick of Truth is an amazing game, one of the best in gaming at perfecting what it set out to do, a game truly deserving of perfect scores. A lot of fun is from the humor, and going in blind was the best experience. It's already bad enough to spoil yourself of too much gameplay for a video game, but one full of jokes is even worse because you save nothing for your own playthrough.

I only recommend watching this trailer if you're not entirely sold yet. I mean, the last game was made by Obsidian while this one isn't, and many great jokes and references regarding both South Park and video games were already made in the first game. So, I have my own reservations about how this one will stack up to its masterpiece predecessor, but I'm going to believe in the almighty Trey Parker and Matt Stone and enter the game blind without watching this or any other gameplay.

Nine minutes of South Park Fractured But Whole that you shouldn't watch screenshot



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News:: Metal Gear Solid 2 gets a surprise release for Nvidia Shield

If you've been longing for a portable version of Metal Gear Solid 2 and have seemingly forgotten about the PlayStation Vita, then your journey for a solution is finally at an end. Out of literally nowhere, Kojima's masterpiece of mindfuckery is now available for download on Nvidia's portable Android machine, the Shield.

At least this port is the HD version, bringing with it all of the updated textures and extra content that was included with that release. You'll have the bonus VR missions and 720p resolution at 60 FPS (something the Vita version couldn't do). Better still, the game is only $9.99, so its fairly cheap.

Why this is being released for the Shield and not just regular mobile devices is beyond me, but I guess those five people who own the thing will be excited. Hell, I'm even a little excited and I don't have a Shield.

Metal Gear Solid 2: Sons of Liberty HD Edition [Nvidia UK]

Metal Gear Solid 2 gets a surprise release for Nvidia Shield screenshot



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News:: Would hip teens think Sonic Mania is good?

So Sonic Mania is out and it's sounding like it's actually pretty dang good. But is it only good if you loved Sonic back in the '90s, or would somebody without that nostalgia still think it's great? That was one of the topics on this episode of Podtoid.

The other game on the docket was Tacoma. Ray thinks it's pretty good, but he never played Gone Home as reference. Oh yeah, Ray is on during a Darren week, meaning we've got four people on the show for the first time in a while. It's like usual, but more.

Mostly, the Podtoid boys talked about where we've been for the past couple weeks. Somehow Steven went on a two-week vacation in another country, despite always complaining about being poor. I think he secretly has a trust fund but he's embarrassed to admit it.

Of course, we rounded out the episode with an entry of SATPOTPAQ and a U.S. state-themed Hot Dish. Give it a listen below!

Subscribe to the podcast via iTunes or download it here.

Would hip teens think Sonic Mania is good? screenshot

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News:: In the PUBG lobby, you make your own fun

I probably played dozens of hours of PlayerUnknown's Battlegrounds before I realized there's an underground bunker in the lobby. For whatever reason (it's not my stupidly expensive fast internet or high-end graphics card!), I load into the waiting room late, and always make a mad dash for guns to practice shooting. When there are none, it's table-jumping, swimming out on the coast, or sprint punches.

I rarely wander over to the plane, which apparently doubles as a secret trampoline. Here's Reddit's r0fland with an excellent jump and wet dismount.

We have yet another goof for our wacky, hijinks-filled PUBG streams.

In the PUBG lobby, you make your own fun screenshot



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News:: The Adaptation: Batman Assault on Arkham

[I see this in my local retailer where I work, so NinjaSpped's synopsis of Batman: Assault on Arkham was pretty intriguing. Want to see yourself on the FP? Write a blog or even join in on the monthly prompt! ~Marcel]

When Dtoid posted this blog prompt, I thought it was great until I realized I didn't have anything to write about. When I was looking through Netflix a few days later, I saw Batman: Assault on Arkham, a movie I loved, and realized it would fit perfectly for this blog.

The Adaptation: Batman Assault on Arkham screenshot

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News:: Check out this cool Skyrim mod

I know The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim isn't exactly a "hot" "new" "game," but much to the chagrin of a commenter back in 2011 (and likely compounded in the years since), I haven't played Skyrim yet. Thus is exists to me as "new" in perpetuity. I can keep finding cool new things to post about Skyrim for years as long as I continue to never play it, even as they pump out "HD" versions five years later.

This old mod hasn't been updated since 2013, so I doubt it will work with your fancy new version of Skyrim (which is even newer to me!), but the rest of you can enjoy this fun little mod that replaces statues of Skyrim's fictional hero/god "Talos" with this absolute boy, a man called "Lenin" who is dual-wielding some badass tools in either hand. If he had a third arm I'd suggest a paintbrush, but it's a pretty cool looking statue as is.

Check out this cool Skyrim mod screenshot



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News:: Here's the first look at Gwent's single-player story mode

Gwent is finally ready to make an impact on the lore of the Witcher universe. Originally just a card game within The Witcher 3, it eventually spun off to become its own competitive standalone game. Now, developer CD Projekt Red has revealed its single-player mode.

Announced at gamescom, Gwent's story mode is called "Thronebreaker." According to the Gwent site, Thronebreaker features a new protagonist named Meve. Here's the description of her tale: "[Meve is] a war-veteran queen of two Northern Realms. Facing an imminent foreign invasion, Meve is forced to once again enter the warpath, and sets out on a dark journey of destruction and revenge."

CD Projekt Red also gave vague details as to what can be expected of this single-player campaign: "Explore new and never before seen parts of The Witcher world, embark on thought-provoking quests, gather resources, and engage in custom-made story battles, which twist the game's rules in wildly unexpected ways."

Alongside the reveal is this teaser trailer that's embedded above. It's sharp, but it may not be reasonable to expect a card game to be able to deliver the same kind of story that an action RPG can. We'll see when Thronebreaker releases later this year. In the meantime, Gwent is still in public beta on PC, PS4, and Xbox One.

Gwent Thronebreaker is Coming to the Witcher Card Game! [Gwent]

Here's the first look at Gwent's single-player story mode screenshot



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News:: Debut trailer of Swery's new cat game, The Good Life, isn't impressing me yet

The debut trailer for Hidetaka "Swery" Suehiro's newest game (and first at White Owls), The Good Life, is here, and it's not exactly great. Set in a rural English village where everyone becomes cats at night, a photographer from New York (likely the protagonist) discovers the dead body of a young woman and must figure out who the killer is.

I reserve full judgement until gameplay is shown, but it definitely looks like a low-budget role-playing game, almost indie. Makes sense in a new start-up company relying on crowdfunding, but it doesn't have any unique style to it. The art looks to me like it was made in Microsoft Paint, and I'm not getting that "what the fuck is going on" vibes Swery's games are known for. The theme just appears to be cutesy cats and I'm frankly just not feeling this yet, which I hate to say because I absolutely love Deadly Premonition and D4.

Debut trailer of Swery's new cat game, The Good Life, isn't impressing me yet screenshot

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News:: Anno 1800 will be a nice blast from the past

Fans of the city-building Anno series who prefer the older games to the last few future-set installments will be pleased to know that the next title is Anno 1800. We're headed for the 19th century, baby!

Even if you don't care much for Anno, this announcement trailer has a pleasant calming effect.

Ubisoft Blue Byte plans to incorporate community feedback into Anno 1800 with opportunities to vote on features, "create content," and partake in play tests. Right now, there's a poll open for NPCs.

I'm thinking The Occultist should make the cut. Exhibit A: "Her army of acolytes seem bewitched, letting no one and no thing obstruct their leader. They say it is Morel's destiny to set loose universal mysteries – for good or ill – and in doing so, change humankind forever." (There is no Exhibit B.)

Anno 1800 will be a nice blast from the past screenshot



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News:: Grab some wang (and Shadow Warrior) for free on Steam today

For one reason or another, the remake of Shadow Warrior is free on Steam today. Maybe this is to coincide with the release of some new content for Shadow Warrior 2, but either way, you can now experience some nice hard wang for the low price of free. If you want to opt for the "Special Edition" version of the game, you'll only be set back a paltry $1.99.

I didn't find Shadow Warrior to be an instant classic, but it was a fairly good game with a lot of great action set-pieces. It also was a far better remake of a classic IP than a similarly foul mouthed protagonist got a few years prior. It was Serious Sam meets modern tech with plenty of blood and enemies to slice up.

So, why not do yourself a favor and grab the game. Even if you don't enjoy it, you can't beat that price.

Grab some wang (and Shadow Warrior) for free on Steam today screenshot



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News:: Bethesda just revealed the release dates for the VR versions of Fallout 4, Doom, and Skyrim

With QuakeCon set to take place this weekend in Texas, Bethesda felt it a fitting time to let us know when some of its virtual reality projects would release. As it turns out, they're all coming this holiday season.

In a press release, Bethesda revealed the following release dates: Skyrim VR will launch on November 17 (PlayStation VR); Doom VFR will launch on December 1 (PlayStation VR and Vive); and Fallout VR will launch on December 12 (Vive).

As for what these are varies by title. It was confirmed at E3 that Doom VFR would be a separate game rather than a straight port of Doom. That's why it's currently priced at $30 on the PlayStation Store.

However, Skyrim VR seems to be the base game with all the expansions, but ported to virtual reality. As such, it's priced at $60 on the PlayStation Store. The same is true of Fallout 4 VR which is set at $60 on Steam.

Even though two of the three games here are simple ports to virtual reality, they'll likely all sell well. These titles all have their charms, and there's probably a decent cross-section of people who have already adopted virtual reality and would gladly play these games again. Doom may be the only new content here, but don't discount how many folks would gladly wander the Wasteland and Tamriel again in a more immersive way.

Bethesda just revealed the release dates for the VR versions of Fallout 4, Doom, and Skyrim screenshot



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News:: Ubisoft's next ‘Anno’ game relives the age of trade and empire

The Anno RTS series focuses more on civilization-building than straight-up combat, and its later editions explored that premise centuries into the future. But the franchise's next entry casts back a couple hundred years to the past when mankind's maps weren't fully filled in. Today at Gamescom, Ubisoft announced Anno 1800, putting players in charge of nations setting sail for trade and diplomacy.

Source: Ubisoft



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News:: The Crew 2 touches down in March 2018

By the time The Crew 2 releases on March 16, 2018, I'll be ready to dig into another open-world racer. I spent a stupid amount of time screwing around the scaled-down USA and grinding up my stats in The Crew, and even though the sequel will have the same general setting, it has some new tricks. Namely, its on-the-fly vehicle switching that lets you swap between a car, boat, or plane at any time.

Ubisoft has also confirmed a few more "disciplines" for the game. We're now looking at street racing, powerboat racing, aerobatics, jetsprint, rally raid, drift, single-seater, and motocross.

Leading up to launch, there will be a beta, which you can sign up for here (still no word on an exact date). Until then, The Crew players can work to earn rewards in the sequel by completing challenges.

The Crew 2 touches down in March 2018 screenshot



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News:: Final Fantasy XV on PC will receive mod support

The PC port of Final Fantasy XV is gonna get weird. You just know it is because director Hajime Tabata has confirmed that mod support is a priority. The players get the proverbial keys to the car on this roadtrip.

In an interview with Rock, Paper, Shotgun at gamescom, Tabata said "I think one of the biggest things [PC] players can expect is mod support. We definitely want to do it. We haven't actually managed to get our full modding policy or discussions on that finished but at the moment we do really want to do it. We'll have the full details around autumn time."

Tabata doesn't know whether we can expect mods at launch or a little bit later down the line, but he did mention that he'd like to include them as quickly as possible. He also pointed out that he'd like to see them with added without many restrictions. "I think a lot of people do want the mods as free as possible and with as few limitations from our side as possible, so we are going to look into making that the kind of system we have for the mods, so we'll have to figure out all the technical terms around that," he commented.

It seems like the details are still plenty hazy, but the sentiment is what's important: mod support is coming to Final Fantasy XV on PC. That means it's a lock that there's a lot more in store for Noctis and friends than just the mundanity of slaying giant creatures.

Final Fantasy XV will get mod support, says director [Rock, Paper, Shotgun]

Final Fantasy XV on PC will receive mod support screenshot



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News:: Assemble your wrecking crew for Rainbow Six Siege's next free weekend

To hype up the launch of Operation Blood Orchid, the next expansion for Rainbow Six Siege, Ubisoft will be holding a free weekend for their tactical house remodeling game. Available on all platforms (PC via Steam and Uplay, PS4, Xbox One), you'll be able to partake in the full Siege experience from August 24th to the 27th. All progress you make on your character will carry over into the full game, should you choose to buy it.

 

Assemble your wrecking crew for Rainbow Six Siege's next free weekend screenshot

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News:: Nope, 'Alto's Odyssey' isn't coming out this summer

It's going to be a bit before we can play Alto's Odyssey. The followup to the ridiculously relaxing snowboarding game Alto's Adventure won't be out any time soon, developer Built By Snowman writes. "The endless desert still awaits and it's even vaster and more mysterious than we envisioned when we first conceptualized a new adventure for Alto and his friends," a blog post reads.

Source: Built By Snowman



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News:: Immortal: Unchained is a Souls-like sci-fi shooter

A From Software-developed dark sci-fi RPG is the stuff of dreams for me, and based on the concept for Immortal: Unchained, I'm not the only one to feel that way. Toadman Interactive has taken that general idea and run with it. The end result? A "Souls-inspired shooter" for PC, PS4, and Xbox One.

"It's far from a reflex shooter," says designer Sebastian Thorwaldsson in a tidbit-filled PlayStation Blog post. "Mobility, attack direction and well-timed dodges are crucial for your survival and victory. Expect to get shot down a lot; just like its sources of inspiration, this isn’t an easy game. The satisfaction you feel when you evade an enemy attack to fire a burst of hot lead (or plasma, or acid, etc.) into its backside cortex and watch it go up in flames will make it worth it."

He also spoke about the setting, noting that "Immortal's Cosmos consists of many worlds, some of which you will visit in the game. All worlds are connected via a complex network knows as the Stream. Explore the Stream and its wondrous and deadly worlds on your mission and collect their clues, gear, and rewards to become a weapon strong enough to save the Cosmos."

Immortal: Unchained isn't due out until Q2 2018, so consider this an early look at the game.

Announcing Immortal: Unchained, A New Souls-Inspired Shooter [PlayStation Blog]

Immortal: Unchained is a Souls-like sci-fi shooter screenshot

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News:: SNES Classic has a bizarre yet ingenious rewind function

Just as these rad throw-back trailers suggest, the Super Nintendo Classic is coming with a couple of new features on top of it's 21 games. As expected, there are "suspend points" that let you save anywhere and at any time (much like save states on PC). There are also various frames you can put around the games as they run in 4:3 (I'm a dummy, but I suppose making them widescreen isn't possible?) and you can even add simulated scan-lines in CRT mode for that old school feeling. But the real story here is the rewind feature.

Depending on the game, you can watch your own recorded gameplay footage from around 30 seconds to several minutes. At any point you can jump back in and continue to retry certain sections or pick up something you missed. What's more is when you leave the console idle, the system will play that automatically recording gameplay as a screensaver.

SNES Classic has a bizarre yet ingenious rewind function screenshot



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News:: Star Wars Battlefront II's Starfighter Assault seems like a step up

The big talking point for Star Wars Battlefront II at Gamescom is its ship-based multiplayer combat. That aspect was the quickest to grow old in the last game for me so, admittedly, I've been tuning it out. Thankfully though, like much of the sequel, things are a bit more fleshed out for space combat.

Here's Criterion with an extended look at Starfighter Assault, a 24-player objective-based mode that's playable across the three movie eras. The main takeaway, especially for folks who tried Battlefront (2015) but never dipped into any of the expansions like Death Star, is that you aren't just mindlessly flying toward each other in the middle of the map in hopes of amassing easy kills.

It's also nice to see newfound depth with classes and card-based customization for ships. I doubt Starfighter Assault will be my mode of choice in Battlefront II, but it's reassuring to see it in this state.

Star Wars Battlefront II's Starfighter Assault seems like a step up screenshot



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News:: Retroid talks Mega Man tonight

Retroid is recording our sixth episode tonight, and for this one we'll be taking a look back at the Mega Man/Rockman franchise. There have been nearly 100 games tied to Mega Man, so there's a lot to cover! Fortunately, I'll be joined by some experts: both Jonathan Holmes and special guest Tony Ponce, all the way from Japan. One of our community managers will also join in, and he has extensive experience with Capcom's offerings. Making his podcast debut, it's Marcel "Strider" Hoang.

There's been quite a bit of retro news over the past couple of weeks, several releases including the impetus for the show, Mega Man Legacy Collection 2. If we have time, we'll also talk about Sonic Mania, Rez Infinite, StarCraft Remastered, and Night Trap. If the Mega Man discussion goes long, we'll get to these on another episode.

If you have questions or comments for us, you can post them below or tweet them to @RetroidPodcast on Twitter. And if you missed our last show, no time like the present to get caught up.

Retroid talks Mega Man tonight screenshot



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News:: Brink has gone free-to-play on PC after six years

We occasionally see multiplayer-focused games go free-to-play when they underperform. Evolve and Battleborn are two recent examples; publisher 2K Games eventually made them free when it was clear that residual sales had dried up, both in an effort raise the active player count and to earn some cash from in-game purchases.

Today's instance is a weird one. With no real heads-up, Bethesda has turned Brink free-to-play. History has long passed over Brink, as it's an old game without much of an audience anymore. This Steam player tracker estimates that there was a peak concurrent player count of 44 in July.

The timing is odd considering that Brink originally released in May 2011, but the way this game is generally regarded makes things even more confusing. Brink launched to a largely tepid reception, as reviewers mostly agreed that it never fully made good on its ideas for movement-based combat. It looked cool in a way that it couldn't deliver on.

The question attached to Brink going free-to-play is: What does Bethesda have up its sleeve? Publishers rarely give a product away for free without an ulterior motive, even if that product is six years old and incapable of driving revenue anymore. Is there some sort of Brink resurgence on the horizon, maybe via a sequel? Is the free-to-play version planning microtransactions in the near future?

Regardless, the free-to-play route is already working to some degree. At time of writing, 343 people were playing Brink. That might not be a particularly impressive number compared to other Steam games, but it's the most for Brink since July 2012. Improbably, this fast multiplayer shooter is back from the brink of death, even though many assumed it was already long dead.

Brink [Steam]

Brink has gone free-to-play on PC after six years screenshot

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News:: Julius Caesar and Cleopatra debut in new Assassin's Creed Origins trailer

Look, I love Assassin's Creed. Unlike many people it never really got old to me. Sure you can make valid complaints about the bullshit 100% Sync requirements, the combat, or repetitious side quests, but for me the fun is delving into ancient times in far away places. History is super interesting and what better way to pretend you're in ancient times than through a video game like Assassin's Creed? It has been one of the inspirations for me to get off my butt and go abroad, including studying abroad in Florence, Italy because I loved Assassin's Creed II so much.

On top of just the location, time, and society recreated as we imagine it was, I love meeting (and killing) historical figures, even if their existence or depictions aren't always 100% accurate. From hugging Leonardo Da Vinci to stabbing the Medici and Borgia out of existence, it's just fun to have them. Now we finally get a juicy new location and time period in ancient Egypt, and our historical figures include Cleopatra, Julius Caesar, and Pharaoh Ptolemy XIII.

Julius Caesar and Cleopatra debut in new Assassin's Creed Origins trailer screenshot

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News:: Sony 'won't allow' cross-platform dino survival in 'Ark' either

Stop me if you've heard this before: The makers of a huge multi-platform game want to unite their disparate users so everyone can play together, regardless of whether they're playing on PC, PlayStation 4 or Xbox One, and Sony is blocking that. This time, it's Ark: Survival Evolved. Lead designer was answering questions on Twitter recently and when someone asked if cross-network play would ever happen, he replied with the following. "We have it working internally, but currently Sony won't allow it."

Via: Eurogamer

Source: Jeremy Stieglitz



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News:: Review: The Defenders (Season 1)

When the Marvel Cinematic Universe first came to Netflix it seemed like such a great idea. Four individual series of shows focused on more grounded heroes eventually coming together in a small scale, Avengers-like fashion. But the excitement for the team-up waned as the series' began to show cracks, and eventually gave way to the majority of fans cooling on the prospect overall after Iron Fist's first season. 

Regardless of the path it took to get here, The Defenders, like its big screen counterpart The Avengers, is the culmination of years of build-up and effort. Unfortunately in trying to properly encapsulate and celebrate this "big" moment, The Defenders tends to harm itself in the overreach. 

Review: The Defenders (Season 1) screenshot

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News:: Dr. Quinzel will see you now in episode 2 of Batman: The Enemy Within

Everyone thinks they can do a Harley Quinn impression. They can't. But you'll have opportunity to practice this September, when Telltale Games release the second episode of Batman: The Enemy Within.

Episode two, "The Pact", will feature everybody's favourite bad-guy-DC-desperately-wants-to-be-a-good-guy, Harley Quinn. Whilst there is little in the way of plot details to report, it can be assumed we'll learn a little more about the titular "pact," first referred to by Riddler during the brutal finale of episode one.

I quite like the look of Telltale Harley. Very cool, confident and badass... and those boots...

Umm, anyway, Batman: The Enemy Within - Episode Two will be releasing on PS4, Xbox One and PC on September 26. The iOS/Android ports of episodes one and two will also launch on the same day

Dr. Quinzel will see you now in episode 2 of Batman: The Enemy Within screenshot

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