If you've just learned what video games are this morning there's a chance you don't own a copy of The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim.
If you fit into this incredibly small group of people I have good news, you can play Skyrim for free on Xbox One this weekend.
This weekend #Xbox One users can return to Skyrim - for FREE - w/ our first ever free weekend for #SkyrimSpecialEdition http://pic.twitter.com/HCDjwkeSEg
— Bethesda (@bethesda) September 7, 2017
The Nintendo Switch doesn't have a lot of built in storage space for game downloads. While it is expandable with an SD Card, one way to mitigate the lack of a larger hard drive is by going the physical route. Game carts for the Switch don't (typically) require an install and you can amass a large collection of games without really needing to worry about filling up the 32 GB of storage the console has. That is, unless you plan on getting the Resident Evil: Revelations collection.
Capcom has updated the official Resident Evil website with information on the upcoming duo of remastered titles and it certainly isn't good news for people with storage concerns. Going the digital route will absolutely require an SD Card, since the first game clocks in at 13 GB and the second game takes up a whopping 26 GB. You can opt for them individually, however. You'd think physical buyers would be safe, but apparently the boxed copy only contains Revelations 1 on the cartridge, while 2 is only offered as a download code.
So, if you're really lucky and don't happen to have a lot of stuff on your Switch, you might be able to get away without using an SD Card if you go physical or only nab one game digitally. For most people, though, that isn't going to happen. Even without owning any retail games digitally, the few Nintendo titles I do own have patches that are a few hundred MB each, which roughly takes up a GB combined. Since system formatting isn't a 1:1 ratio, each Switch console has roughly 30 GB of usable storage, which means Revelations 2 will be eating up around 86% of your console's storage alone. That is the true horror of Resident Evil.
So while its unfortunate, I'd rather have you guys informed about this before buying the collection and realizing you can't actually play it. At least SD Cards aren't too outrageous in price and are constantly coming down. Eventually you'll be able to buy a 400 GB card and then storage space won't even be an issue.
Resident Evil Revelations Collection [Capcom]
Chloe Price isn't tough to role-play. Life is Strange's Max Caulfield felt like something of a blank slate. A thoughtful and mostly quiet young woman, malleable in how we wanted her to approach social interactions. There was a pressure to do right by Max, like the identity we were helping to carve was more important than all the supernatural disasters plaguing Arcadia Bay.
But we know what to expect from Chloe. Throwing two middle fingers in the air is what Chloe would do. Screaming "Fuck authority" is what Chloe would do. Burning down every meaningful relationship is what Chloe would do. She's about as subtle as a brick in the small of your back.
More and more games are supporting cross-play between Xbox One and Windows 10 as part of Microsoft's big "Better Together" summer push. But the newest Killer Instinct is opening the doors between those systems and Steam, allowing players on all three platforms to jam together.
Via: Windows Central
Source: Xbox Wire
South Park writers Matt Parker and Trey Stone haven't ever really shied away from social commentary (president Donald Trump notwithstanding) and that doesn't look like it's changing with the upcoming South Park: The Fractured but Whole. When creating your character in the make-believe superhero game, Eurogamer discovered that the darker the skin tone you choose, the more the difficulty level ramps up. "Don't worry, this doesn't affect combat, just every other aspect of your life," perpetual jerk Eric Cartman says in voiceover.
Source: Eurogamer
After watching the well-acted Dark Tower movie (and the fact that I can only praise the acting tells you a lot about the movie) I decided to read the books all over again in order to wash the taste out of my mouth. Getting back into that universe again, starting over the journey with Roland and his Ka-Tet has been an absolute joy.
The books are incredibly well-written and the concept explored within the pages allow the series to be more original than others that I've read in the past ten past years. Balancing out all the different tones and ideas must have been a headache, yet the way each individual storyline, as well as the overarching quest is presented, makes everything feel natural and simple.
To be fair, this could be said about a lot of King's other work, from It, Carrie, Misery, Green Mile, Shawshank Redemption, Stand By Me, Salem's Lot...they're all great pieces of literature in their own way and when you read great pieces of literature, you can't help but want to improve your own writing ability.
Finding excellent writing is always fun and the same could be said for finding excellent comments; this, of course, is why you're reading this here today and why I'm even writing this. So sit back, relax, and let TheLimoMaker take you on a wonderful journey through the depraved comments of Destructoid!
Nothing beats coming home after a long day of work and playing video games where you pretend to work. Nintendo systems have been lucky in that regard, with many critically acclaimed franchises like Ace Attorney and Trauma Center. Farming Simulator: Switch Edition aims to complete this holy trinity when it releases this November worldwide.
You'll be able to try Forza Motorsport 7 a couple weeks before launch on October 3. Turn 10 Studios is prepping a demo for September 19, and it'll be a chance to put your PC through its paces.
The Xbox One and Windows 10 demo will be split into three showcases. You'll have access to the Porsche 911 GT2 RS on Dubai's scenic Jebel Hafeet pass, the Mercedes-Benz Tankpool racing truck on Italy's Mugello Circuit, and the Nissan NISMO GT-R LM on the Nürburgring Grand Prix track.
I'd normally skip the demo, but I'm too interested to see how this runs on my PC.
Forza Motorsport 7 Has Gone Gold with Demo Arriving Sept. 19 [Xbox]
I figured something like Lethal League would live out its days as a one-off, but the projectile-smacking fighter is getting a surprise sequel. Lethal League Blaze is coming to PC and consoles next year.
I've gotta say, this is a good-ass reveal trailer. Short, sweet, and stylish.
The original game's boss, Doombox, is now a full roster inclusion -- no cheat codes needed. Team Reptile is also planning more characters, modes, and four-player matches for Lethal League Blaze.
The Podtoid Boys are back from PAX (minus Ray, fired for his refusal to drive cross-country to join us in Seattle) woo doggie, the stories we have to tell. Drugs, sex, violence, broken sinks, stanky nerds. Speaking of angels, I also watched End of Evangelion on the flight back and it made no sense. All of this and more on tonight's recording.
But we're also looking to hear from you, dear listener. Anything you want to ask us about? Really it could be any old thing. Career advice. Social etiquette. Fashion! Anything you want to let us know? Leave all suck things in the comments, or email us, podtoid[at]destructoid.com.
And listen to the last episode. Darren really undersells it in that post because he edited it without listening to a second, but it rules.
South Park has never been shy when it comes to comedy. While writers Matt Stone and Trey Parker will sometimes go for pure shock value, their satire tends to be very biting and very reflective of modern society. It looks like that final point is going straight into The Fractured But Whole, as a difficulty slider for the game will actually change your skin color.
There are options ranging from "Easy" to "Very Difficult," but as you opt to go for a harder selection, your skin color will get darker. The ever accepting Eric Cartman will even comment, "Don't worry, this doesn't affect combat. Just every other aspect of your whole life." Oooo boy, that is tough to swallow.
The only things that apparently get changed are how much money you'll receive and how other characters will approach you. It isn't meant as an actual difficulty selector, more just pointing out how modern society has a negative bias towards people of color. As clever as this satire might be, it also does reveal a pretty ugly spot that society still hasn't gotten over.
While I think this is quite funny, it does bring up points about mixing and matching "difficulty" and race. I know this is supposed to be a jab at racial tensions in America, but if a person of color actually wants to represent themselves in the game, why should they have a harder time playing it than someone else? I guess that is the kind of balancing act Ubisoft was willing to deal with and hopefully it pays off in the end.
South Park: The Fractured but Whole's difficulty slider changes the colour of your skin [Eurogamer]
Another digital card game is entering the fray. Wizards of the Coast has unveiled Magic: The Gathering Arena, a free-to-play title in production at the company's in-house Digital Games Studio.
Sign-ups are open for a closed beta, and while the game is currently targeting a PC release, it'll "expand to other platforms when it's ready." The beta will "start with Constructed play, where you can build decks using all 279 cards from the upcoming Magic set Ixalan. We plan to add Draft and Ranked Constructed later. Our goal for launch is to include all Standard-legal Magic cards."
"The focus of MTG Arena will be on the newest cards and game modes," notes vice president of digital game development Jeffrey Steefel. "Because of this, we know that Magic Online -- which has a library of nearly every card ever printed from the game's entire history -- will continue to offer experiences to players that are unique to Magic Online. Development on Magic Online will continue with new card sets, new updates, and ongoing tournaments."
It sounds like they're angling for the coveted live-streaming crowd, which is to be expected. "We want popular MTG Arena streams to consistently be among the most-viewed streams on Twitch. We want players to eagerly anticipate MTG Arena draft nights with their friends around the world. We want pro players' competitive ladder matches to be watched with the same fervor as a Grand Prix."
I'm no MTG player, but I have a sense that y'all have been burned before. You feeling this?
Everything You Need to Know About Magic: The Gathering Arena [Magic]
Just the other day, I caught Nioh out of the corner of my eye and wished I had a clone to level up my character during the day, as I worked, so I could finally dig into the Defiant Honor DLC. I'm way behind, to say nothing of the heightened difficulty options Team Ninja has added to the game post-release.
The third and final DLC, Bloodshed's End, is due out September 26 for $10.
"This is the final phase of the Sengoku-era, and the end of William's journey," says creative director Tom Lee. "Other than additional main missions, sub missions, and Twilight missions, one of the most interesting features of Bloodshed's End is a new mode called The Abyss. Here, the strongest warriors can test their skills in a perpetual battleground. This new mode offers epic battles and unique challenges for the most skilled players. We'll have more to reveal on this mode before launch."
That summary leaves room for interpretation and I am stoked. This is the game that keeps on giving. Even though it's clearly padded out, I don't mind. I have something to come back to every so often.
Also, this image has me feeling anxious. Raven Tengu give me more trouble than any other enemy in Nioh and I want nothing to do with anything beaked, thank you very much.
Nioh's Final DLC, Bloodshed's End, Launches September 26 [PlayStation Blog]
Xbox 360 owners with a taste for the more niche titles on that system may remember a game called Wartech: Senko no Ronde. It was published in the west by Ubisoft and was a rather unique title. Taking elements of a shmup and a 1v1 vs fighting game, it pit you against another opponent where you used bullet patterns and projectiles to take each other out.
Now, an enhanced version of the sequel, senko no ronde duo, has hit worldwide on both PS4 and Steam, courtesy of Degica games. Granted, the game has not really had much publicity or fanfare so the launch today may have flown under the radar for most but it's a really cool and interesting title which may be worth a shot for some. If you're a PS4 owner, there's even a free demo of the game for you to see if this one is a game for you!
Currently, Steam has the game available for a small discount until the 17th while PS4 owners have to pay a little more. Having said that, it sounds like the PS4 version will be the way to go for online play as us Europeans have downloaded the demo over 10,000 times! Here's hoping that those downloads translate to full game sales...
Senko no Ronde 2 [Official site]
While the Switch has plenty of options for playing games with various controller configurations, the official peripherals are ridiculously expensive. A single joy-con costs $50 and the Pro Controller costs a ridiculous $70. You could buy another game (or two) with prices like that! It's fallen on third party companies to make some awesome alternatives and PowerA has stepped up to the plate.
Officially licensed by Nintendo, these new pair of controllers come in at $29.99 each and have a removable USB cable for charging or playing wired and interchangeable joysticks. The two designs being offered are based on Breath of the Wild and Super Mario Odyssey; they also look incredibly sexy and more like the Xbox One pad than the Switch Pro Controller.
These controllers will be releasing on October 23 (just a few days before Mario Odyssey) and you can nab pre-orders for them on Amazon. Seeing as how Nintendo isn't manufacturing these, you'll probably be able to actually reserve one without resorting to scalpers. I've gotta say, I'm very tempted to nab these and I don't even really play my Switch in docked mode; I just love those designs.
Zelda: Breath of the Wild And Super Mario-Themed Controllers Revealed For Switch [Siliconera]
Last year, CD Projekt Red went on record to say that it wouldn't put out a PlayStation 4 Pro update for The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt, noting that it was prioritizing Cyberpunk 2077 and Gwent. The studio has since changed its tune. The game will not only get a PS4 Pro patch, but one for Xbox One X, too.
"We've prepared a 4K version which will be available on PlayStation Pro in just a few days and by the end of the year it will be available on Xbox One X," CEO Adam Kicinski said this week during a financial results webcast.
I'll be curious to see what all makes it into these patches. 4K would be nice for a game with such gorgeous vistas, but I'd also like to see a higher frame rate option. The more choices, the better.
4K PS4 Pro update for The Witcher 3 coming in "just a few days" [Eurogamer]
The latest issue of Blizzard's Free-to-Read Overwatch comic is out now. This issue looks at the events that brought together our favourite funny murderers, Junkrat and Roadhog.
The short story sees Roadhog meandering as a low-level reprobate, until a chance encounter during a bar-brawl in Junkertown teams him up with the poor man's Joker, beginning a bromance that will rock the Overwatch universe to its core, or at least frustrate a lot of people in competitive mode.
I personally don't care too much for either character, in-lore or in-game, but I do really enjoy these comics. They're incredibly breezy to read, but tell fun short stories, have pretty good art, and provide a bit of lore and background for the game's universe and roster of heroes and villains. If you haven't checked them out, give the first issue a try and see what you think, it only takes a few minutes to get through.
In related news, the first 12 issues of the publication will be collected in an upcoming trade paperback. Overwatch Anthology: Volume One, is published by Dark Horse Comics and will be available October 10.
Wasted Land [Overwatch Comic]
Chisato Shinjo has finally been unveiled as the next heroine in Summer Lesson. She lives in an old mansion which you'll venture to in order to teach her about the outside world including modern society and even manga, computers, and video games.
Chisato is apparently very sheltered and thus is quite selfish, which according the to creators will lead to "more surprising experiences and mysterious feelings than ever before." Mysterious feelings...I'm not sure I'm ready for that.
Here's another one for your Steam backlog!
If you never picked up Monaco: What's Yours Is Mine over the years, today's the day to nab the darling co-op heist title -- it's free to claim on Steam. And once it's in your account, it'll remain there for good.
This deal had me curious about Pocketwatch Games' next release, Tooth and Tail, a real-time strategy game where owls, skunks, and chameleons battle it out. Sure enough, it's releasing real soon.
Monaco is FREE (really free) for 24 hours! [Steam]
While we still don't have an exact release date for Iron Galaxy's fantastic fighter Killer Instinct's Steam debut, details have emerged confirming that the cross-play feature from the Windows 10 port will be included.
This addition will allow Steam users to land their 327-hit combos on KI players from both the Windows 10 and Xbox One communities. Having put a lot of time into the PC port of the game, I can confirm that the online is very solid, and that the PC port itself is one of the slickest I have come across.
Killer Instinct is in its twilight years, it was recently announced that the next balance patch will be the last for the free-to-play fighter, although it wasn't specifically noted whether it was also the end of the road for any new content for the game, now in its fourth year. Hopefully this Steam release will give the underrated fighter a final shot of adrenaline.
There is no date for Killer Instinct's arrival on the Steam platform, but according to community manager Rukari Austin, it can be expected to launch "within the coming weeks."
Killer Instinct on Steam will support cross-play. [PC Gamer]
Red Dead Redemption 2's release might've gotten pushed into next spring, but Rockstar Games has something else to fill that gap: an unexpected HD (and UHD) remaster of its 2011 detective simulator L.A. Noire. This goes beyond the expected gussied up graphics for modern consoles though, as it's also getting a pack of missions cases designed specifically for virtual reality.
Source: Rockstar Newswire, PlayStation Blog, Xbox Wire, HTC Vive
From the creators of El Shaddai comes The Lost Child, a dungeon-crawling role-playing game featuring a writer who investigates a suicide at Shinjuku Station when he is approached by a mysterious woman who aids him in uncovering mysteries.
The Lost Child originally release in Japan on August 24, 2017 but according to AllGamesDelta, the announcement trailer on NIS America's YouTube page (no longer available at the time of writing) and its video description leaked that NIS America will localize the game in the west.
Code Vein is in the peripheral at the moment for me. I'm to going all in on it just yet, as Bandai Namco has produced some alright hack and slash games in the past, but with Shift (God Eater) at the helm, it'll probably turn out alright.
Regardless of how I feel Bandai Namco is sharing more info as we approach its 2018 release on PC, PS4, and Xbox One, mostly as it pertains to the combat system. For one, the "Gift" mechanic is at the crux of combat, which basically work like perks, with a max of eight that can be equipped at a time.
Code Vein will also sport a stamina gauge, a precision type attack called a Drain, and a focus system, which sounds like a Devil Trigger/Wrath of the Gods super that charges up as you're hit or you dodge attacks. There's also a partner/companion system and create-a-character mode.
It seems like it has all of the standard hack and slash fare, now we wait to see if it's any good.
Stranger Things is one of those rare instances where the hype was fully justified. It successfully milked my ’80s nostalgia by invoking the spirit of films like The Goonies and E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial without ever feeling downright derivative. Everything from the badass, synth-heavy opening theme to Eleven’s Eggo waffle fetish was just disgustingly endearing.
Gearing up for the release of season two on October 27, the Stranger Things Instagram account will be releasing video game-themed artwork based on the events of the first season. According to Bannon Rudis, who worked on River City Ransom: Underground, "8 artists were picked to each represent an episode of season one. I'm episode 6: The Monster." Back in 2016, Rudis treated the world to the gorgeous pixel art pictured below, so I’m sure he’s stoked to be working on this stuff in some sort of "official" capacity.
HP went big with its Omen gaming machines last year, giving us some major Voodoo PC flashbacks in the process. Unfortunately, the laptops felt like a downgrade from the slick Omen gaming notebook HP launched in 2014. This year, the company decided to turn things around. The new Omen 15 fixes everything wrong with the previous model, thanks to a more stylish design and enough graphics power VR headsets. It doesn't really stand out from the increasingly crowded gaming laptop market, but it at least allows HP to stay in the fight.
