News:: Street Fighter V's season three sees a bunch of returning veterans

The Arcade Edition re-release of Street Fighter V is coming out next month and to hype everyone up, Capcom has unveiled the entirety of Season Three's cast. Sakura will be the first new character to join the fray, but she'll be followed by returning veterans Blanka, Cody and Sagat. The two new characters, Falke and G, have only been given names and a portrait. I'm curious to see what they are about (and if G will transform into Q, given their single letter names).

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News:: 'Evil Within 2' trial gives you a taste of surreal survival horror

Free trials (aka demos) are good ways to get a feel for a game before you buy, but they could be particularly helpful for The Evil Within 2. How are you going to wrap your head around Shinji Mikami's surreal survival horror game based on second-hand info? You don't have to. Bethesda has released a free trial of Evil Within 2 for PS4, Xbox One and Windows PCs. The sample lets you experience a few chapters of detective Sebastian Castellanos' bid to rescue his daughter, including some open world experiences and character customization. Any progress you make can transfer to the full game if you decide to splurge.

Via: Windows Central

Source: PlayStation Store, Microsoft Store, Bethesda (YouTube)

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News:: 'Street Fighter' anthology brings online play to classic brawlers

The original Street Fighter turned 30 this year, and Capcom is marking it in style... if a little late. It's releasing a Street Fighter 30th Anniversary Collection in May 2018 that not only bundles many of the pre-3D titles (ranging from the first game through III 3rd Strike), but adds online multiplayer. Fire up II, II Turbo, Alpha 3 or III 3rd Strike and you won't have to gather rivals in the same room to show off your Ryu or Sakura skills.

Via: Kotaku

Source: Digital Eclipse (Twitter), Street Fighter (YouTube)

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News:: Splatoon 2's Films vs Books Euro Splatfest cuts to credits

This weekend saw Europe battle on Nintendo's Splatoon 2 over their latest Splatfest, pitting Pearl's love of movies against Marina's love of booky-wooks.

Wow. I didn't see it being this one-sided. Films took a 2 - 1 victory over the printed word, taking a huge seventy six percent of the votes, and just nudging out the Team Play category. I'll have to do some research, like a writer, but this might be the most one-sided vote yet... Hang on... Ok, this ties with the Cake vs Ice-Cream vote, which went 76% Ice-Cream.

Once again we were treated to some lovely art for this event. Pearl broke my heart a little, not only choosing to watch a film in shit-filtered 3D, but also eating popcorn and therefore annoying fellow cinema-goers. Maybe eat before you go? It's only two hours at best. Can you go without? You can probably go without. How about have dinner? All that said, if she loves movies so much, I bet it's her own home cinema setup. What a doll.

Marina has a cactus on a shelf.

Splatoon 2 is available now on Nintendo Switch.

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News:: Street Fighter 30th Anniversary Collection has 12 games, a Switch version, and the best Street Fighter - Alpha 3

So uh, this is a random surprise. Capcom just announced the Street Fighter 30th Anniversary Collection for PC, PS4, Xbox One, and Switch. It arrives in May 2018, and will include Street Fighter, Street Fighter II, Street Fighter II: Champion Edition, Street Fighter II: Hyper Fighting, Super Street Fighter II, Super Street Fighter II: Turbo, Street Fighter Alpha, Street Fighter Alpha 2, Street Fighter Alpha 3, Street Fighter III, Street Fighter III: 2nd Impact and Street Fighter III: Third Strike. That's 12 games at a $39.99 pricepoint.

According to Capcom four games will feature online play (Street Fighter II: Hyper Fighting, Super Street Fighter II: Turbo, Street Fighter Alpha 3, and Street Fighter III: Third Strike) -- which will have CPU battling sequences while you wait for people to fight. Lobbies support four players and there will be ranked matches and global leaderboards. A museum mode and music player are confirmed, too, as is a physical version for consoles.

Yeah, so Alpha 3 is in this, that's enough for me to get it physically to ensure I always have it on a modern platform.

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News:: 'MechWarrior 5' will revolve around co-op and user mods

Piranha Games is starting to open up on what MechWarrior 5: Mercernaries will entail after a year of teasing, and it's good news if you don't always want to play alone. The robot battler should launch in December 2018 with co-op play as a central feature -- up to four players can take on the game's central campaign. Your friends stand in for the AI teammates in your unit, which could be helpful when you absolutely need someone watching your back.

Via: PC Gamer

Source: Piranha Games (YouTube), MechWarrior 5

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News:: Clam Blitz and balance changes hitting Splatoon 2 this week

This week will see the new mode, Clam Blitz, join the ranked playlist on Nintendo's arena-shooter Splatoon 2. The mode was first revealed in a trailer last month.

The new mode sees teams race to collect clams, naturally, before depositing them back at their home point. Once a set amount of clams have been gathered, a Power Clam (Folks, I just report it) will attack the enemy base. The game continues until one bas has been destroyed. Splatting opponents will obviously make them drop their clams, which sounds like a worrying euphemism.

In addition to the new mode, a host of tweaks are being made to Splatoon's weaponry, as well as the implementation of a few bug fixes. Clam Blitz and the balance update go live December 12. The huge list of patch notes can be found right here.

Splatoon 2 is available now on Nintendo Switch.

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News:: New 'Ready Player One' trailer reveals more of the real-world story

The initial trailer for Steven Spielberg's adaptation of Ready Player One focused on the virtual world of OASIS, and for understandable reasons: it's a visual showcase for a crucial part of the story. However, Warner Bros. wants to remind you that reality plays an important part as well. It just posted a new trailer that dives deeper into the real-world story, even as it makes a few extra nods to video game nostalgia.

Source: Warner Bros. (YouTube), Ready Player One (Facebook)

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News:: Jessica Jones season 2 trailer shows Jessica still likes a drink

Jessica Jones is returning to Netflix in Spring 2018 and, thanks to this handy dandy trailer, we know she'll be up to her usual tricks: Punching, jumping, walking, and drinking.

The uninitiated might think she's just another photographer. One thing that's blissfully true though: there was delightful absence of Danny Rand, something that couldn't be said for the last two Marvel seasons released on Netflix.

Jessica Jones Season 2 is live on Netflix March 8, 2018.

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News:: Review: 7 Wonders (iPad)

It's been out for roughly six years, but in the past six months or so, 7 Wonders became my tabletop group's board game of choice -- either for warmups for heavier games or a cool down afterward ("dessert," as it's called). Our group has all the expansions, around 50 custom boards, and the two-player Duel edition. It has that catch-all Dominion presence.

Not all of that magic is translated into the official app, but this is still the same at its core.

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News:: Owlboy artist makes playable mock-up for new Mega Man game

I wanted to see if I could. Apparently I can.

I am not making a promise to make anything. It's just something fun to mess with during my weekend. And yes, you can do a slide shot. http://pic.twitter.com/RGDBQyr0Oc

— Simon S. Andersen (@snakepixel) December 10, 2017

It's Mega Man's 30th birthday and Capcom is finally showing their once-thought-dead mascot some love. By this time next year, every mainline Mega Man and Mega Man X will be available on just about all the major consoles, and with any luck, Mega Man 11 will be out by then as well. This all new entry in the classic Mega Man series is the first since Mega Man: Powered Up to embrace the polygonal look, and if the comments in my analysis of the game's run animation are any indication, fan reaction to the game's graphics are mixed. Some of you thought I was bananas for critiquing it, while others seemed to see exactly what I meant. 

I have the feeling that Simon Andersen from D-Pad studios is in the second of those two groups. His mock-up for a new 8-bit Mega Man looks pretty much exactly like what I'd want from a new look for the classic series. He told me on Sup Holmes years ago that the Mega Man series is big part of why he became an artist in the first place, so I know this project comes from the heart. 

I hope he has the time and energy to finish up a level or two, then maybe give it a cute name like Mega Man Mania and release it for fun. If it were a Nintendo property we were talking about, like his mock-up for a new Wario Land game, I'd probably caution him against that, seeing as AM2R and No Mario's Sky were both taken down shortly after release. On the other hand, Capcom formally published a Mega Man fan game not that long ago, so there is a chance they'll be generous towards this theoretical project as well. In the meantime, check out Simon's twitter for more screenshots of this hopefully-real-someday game. 

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News:: No DLC has been better than Burial at Sea: Episode 2

The whole Loot Box debacle that has rolled out of the past several weeks has been interesting to watch. It's wonderful to see gamers and game journalist coming together to fight the common enemy of publishers attempting to nickel-and-dime us on every goddamn game we buy. Loot Boxes are the en vogue enemies for those distraught with the state of gaming, but I remember when it was DLC that faced the firing squad. Even today, many are sickened by DLC, Season Passes and everything else we have to pay for that should arguably be included in the full price of the game.

But not all DLC is equal, and while we all have our anecdotes about shitty practices, we probably all also have some DLC we absolutely love. For me, Burial At Sea is not only the best DLC I've had the pleasure of purchasing, but it's also better than the game it's attached to.

My coworker basically forced me to pick up Bioshock Infinite because he wanted someone to talk about it with. I hadn't played the original at this point -- though I would several months later -- but I relented and rented it one weekend. By the time I wrapped up my adventure through Columbia, I liked what I saw but not necessarily what I played. And while time hasn't been kind to the game, Burial at Sea has aged exceptionally well.

And let's be honest, I'm only talking about Episode 2 here. Episode 1 is fine if not more of the same, but taking control of Elizabeth in the moments leading up to the downfall of Rapture is beyond compare. The decision to make it a stealth experience is what truly makes it magical. Bioshock Infinite prioritized world-building and moments that were supposed to leave us slack-jawed over gameplay. As a shooter, it was exceptionally average. Tackling Episode 2 using stealth forced us to actually think about the environments we were running through. We couldn't just run and gun our way through bullet-sponge baddies. We had to think, study, act and retreat when necessary.

Burial at Sea Episode 2 did what the original Bioshock could and what Infinite couldn't: it made a game that combined compelling story with compelling gameplay. One didn't overshadow the other and jumping between Rapture and Columbia really brought the series full circle. Yes, the Daisy Fitzroy retcon was bad with a capital B, but beyond that, it's a fitting way to end the BioShock series if it really is at an end.

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News:: Review: Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle

Before we begin, let’s bring all parties to the table, peacefully. When discussing Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle, the soft-sequel, hard-reboot to 1995’s Jumanji, there are clearly two camps of thought. One camp will profess a love and nostalgia for the original, Robin Williams vehicle, and not really understand how you can take a movie about a board game come to life and replace it with a story about a people being put in a video game. The other camp will gape at the assembled comedy all-star team (adorned with some ample eye candy) and the accompanying overuse of Guns N’ Roses in the marketing campaign, and declare that this reboot-sequel-hybrid looks like a lot of fun. 

Or, doing so imagines a divisiveness in an audience that’s just whelmed, not over or under, and no one cares that much. In either case, Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle attempts to appease both camps, imagined or not, through careful allusions placed throughout the film, acknowledging the existence of its predecessor and paying homage to it, while also attempting to take advantage of the talent of its current stars.

In doing so, it half-succeeds in both regards; I can believe that Jumanji, the fictional game-come-tormentor-come-life-instructor, evolves to find a way to tempt people to play it, however, many of the other allusions seemed forced, and hardly tie the two films together. Additionally, while the talent of the cast is palpable, they’re really the only thing keeping this story afloat, as the narrative itself is weak.

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News:: Interview with Pesky Bees, creators of Tell Me What You See

The well-deserved winner of the Most Innovative Newcomer award at the PLAY creative games festival, held in Hamburg, Germany from 1–5 November, was Tell Me What You See, a co-op VR puzzle-adventure game. It is being developed by Pesky Bees, a Copenhagen-based student dev team. A lot of the games on display at the festival showed creative flair in their own special ways, but Tell Me What You See had a distinctive style and charm, and earned brownie points in making use of tricky HTC Vive VR technology.

The build I played at the festival was a two-player demo. One player would sit at a computer screen, and would have a zoomed-out overview of the entire level, which is a diorama of a child's bedroom. The other player would wear the Vive headset, and would be in the life-sized bedroom. Communicating via headset microphone, the player at the computer monitor assists the second player in escaping the room, using machines straight from a child's vivid imagination that are made out of cardboard boxes.

The art style is a joy, and all of the interactions with objects in the game feel natural. As an aside, I'll admit this was my first attempt at a VR game, and I embarrassed myself a fair bit. I was so taken aback by everything being in front of my face that I giggled uncontrollably – and loudly – throughout the entire experience. I also collided with one of the team, who were running the demo booth themselves, and was not very graceful in plonking myself on the floor to "climb" into an object.

But out of all of the exhibits, it was the one with which I had the most fun – which is why I loved this game so much, and why I just had to get an interview with the developers. Keep on reading for my chat with the team! 

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News:: PREPARE TO FRIENDSHIP: Dtoid's Master Gaming Contact List

_{[We're halfway to Christmas and I have accomplished precisely jack, when it comes to shopping for my friends and family. How are you doing with yours, everyone? Are you in a Secret Santa? Do you miserly horde your unused Steam keys? No, I didn't think so! Happy Holidays, everyone!  -Panda]}

Good morning/afteroon/tomorrow, my friends/robots/Gardevoir/Current Dtoid Meme Here

It has been made aware to me that, just perhaps, you all enjoy video games. It might even be said that you... like to game with others? Now now, don't be that way, I don't mean to lump you into some sort of box. You're all just such lovely folks, it pains me to watch you, struggling in vain to connect with each other, striving to engage in...

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News:: December live stream will deliver new info on Persona 5 the Animation

2018 will see the premiere of Persona 5 the Animation, essentially a movie of the Persona 5 narrative, for those of you who might not have the fifty-odd hours to hand to play through Atlus' super-trendy RPG.

While there hasn't been many details forthcoming about the film yet, it is expected to be an adaptation of the game, as were Persona animations past. A live-stream has been announced for December 24, dubbed the "Super Secret Information Reveal! Broadcast Special". It will be broadcast on Abema TV's New Anime Channel, as well as on YouTube Live.

Hopefully we will get a release date, and it would be great if you could confirm English subs, thanks. I'm sure many of you will be too busy Christmas Eve/Day to check the stream out. But have no fear, as I will be sure to update you with all the deets here on Destructoid.

Persona 5 the Animation [Official Site]

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News:: After Math: Game On

This has been a celebratory week for video games, what with the industry coming together at the the Microsoft Theatre in Los Angeles on Thursday to honor 2017's standout titles. Celebrities were spotted and hobs were knobbed but that's not the only news! Overwatch players are in for a holiday treat on December 12th, Bayonetta's third installment is coming to the Switch and HTC showed off its $600 standalone Vive for the Chinese market. Numbers because how else are we going to determine the high score?

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