Jan 22, 2018 | Game ON news

Monday, January 22, 2018

News:: 'Sonic' designer Yuji Naka joins Square Enix

Here's a game industry move you probably weren't expecting: Sonic the Hedgehog co-designer Yuji Naka has joined Square Enix. He'll continue to pursue game development, but he isn't exactly dropping many hints as to what's next. Naka wants to make an "enjoyable game," which sounds like a good goal to shoot for. It's not clear what will happen to his game studio, Prope, with the change in career path.

Via: Gamasutra

Source: Yuji Naka (Twitter)

via Engadget RSS Feedhttps://www.engadget.com/2018/01/22/sonic-designer-yuji-naka-joins-square-enix/

News:: John Cena in negotiations to star in Duke Nukem movie

Well, color me surprised. According to The Hollywood Reporter, John Cena is in talks to star as Duke Nukem in an upcoming film adaption of the '90s FPS franchise. Yeah, you heard that right.

The film was originally going to be made by Dimension Films, but it seems that Paramount is picking up the movie for development. Michael Bay's company Platinum Dunes is set to produce the silver-screen adaption of one of video games' most famous action-heroes.

Someone went and did it. Someone thought to themselves, "Let's combine arguably the world's most famous lovable meathead with arguably gaming's most famous lovable meathead," and turned that fantasy into something more.

But this move does make some sort of sense. John Cena is a hulking, charismatic actor/wrestler/internet meme with near-universal appeal. Fusing his star-power with a well-established video game series that revels in its masculine ultra-violence and quippy dialogue sounds like a perfect fit for the actor. Let's hope the negotiations pan out.

John Cena in negotiations to star in Duke Nukem movie screenshot

News:: The new Overwatch skins are making it hard to play favorites

Blizzard is dropping off a bunch of new Overwatch skins, sprays, icons, intros, and emotes tomorrow alongside the game's latest map, Blizzard World. Since we last checked in on the cosmetic reveals, the studio has previewed several more including "Kabuki" Hanzo, "Black Cat" D.Va, and "Asp" Pharah.

Tomorrow our cosmetics update arrives in Overwatch!

Today's reveal: BLACK CAT D.VA (Legendary Skin) pic.twitter.com/5D9jgQDnWd
— Overwatch (@PlayOverwatch) January 22, 2018

Only 2 more days until our cosmetics update arrives in Overwatch! Join us as we count down to their release with new item reveals every day.

Today's reveal: EPIC SKINS pic.twitter.com/1n711BCAe2
— Overwatch (@PlayOverwatch) January 21, 2018

Only 3 more days until our cosmetics update arrives in Overwatch! Join us as we count down to their release with new item reveals every day.

Today's reveal: KABUKI HANZO (Legendary Skin) pic.twitter.com/P5Ef6C3Ks0
— Overwatch (@PlayOverwatch) January 21, 2018

Only 3 more days until our cosmetics update arrives in Overwatch! Join us as we count down to their release with new item reveals every day.

Today's reveal: CAPOEIRA LÚCIO (Legendary Skin) pic.twitter.com/psgyAgJ2ss
— Overwatch (@PlayOverwatch) January 20, 2018

Only 5 more days until our cosmetics update arrives in Overwatch! Join us as we count down to their release with new item reveals every day.

Today's reveal: ASP PHARAH (Legendary Skin) pic.twitter.com/hDROJPh8WZ
— Overwatch (@PlayOverwatch) January 18, 2018

I'm a Lúcio main, but Pharah, sweet Pharah...

You can find a running list of everything right here. Worth stressing: the new cosmetics will find their way into standard loot boxes, so you aren't under any particular time constraints to earn them.

Overwatch Cosmetics Update Countdown [Blizzard]

The new Overwatch skins are making it hard to play favorites screenshot

News:: Thatgamecompany's Sky gets a 30 minute trailer

It has been quite some time since we last heard about Thatgamecompany's Sky. I forgot it was even working on a new game, let alone a mobile one. I've associated the company with Sony for the better part of a decade thanks to its PS3 works. Regardless of all of that, this new trailer shows us quite a bit of the game; 30 minutes, to be exact.

From the looks of things, this definitely is reminiscent of Journey. The game appears a little more involved since you're actively collecting things and interacting with environments, but it still exhibits the studio's minimalist style. You can even customize your character with different wigs, capes and clothing options. That is fun.

There still is no release date for the title, but I'd assume the game is pretty far along. This trailer looks like a finished game, at least.

Thatgamecompany's Sky gets a 30 minute trailer screenshot

News:: Review: Iconoclasts

What’s the best level you’ve ever played in a 2D platformer? Maybe something classic like World 1-1 in the original Super Mario Bros., or the intro level to Mega Man X? Those fantastic examples of great game design that teach the player everything they need to know without telling them? Or maybe exploration is your jam, and you’re thinking back to your favorite area in Metroid Fusion or Castlevania: Aria of Sorrow.

Doesn’t matter, you’re all wrong. The best level to ever grace a 2D platformer is the Dice Palace in Gunstar Heroes. It’s the most ridiculous level in a ridiculously good game. A roll of the dice can toss you into a sudden puzzle, a surprise boss fight (complete with absurd gimmicks) or just some strange, novel situation that only seems to exist to tickle the player with how odd and strange it is. It’s a level defined by constant change, surprise, and delight.

Iconoclasts is the Dice Palace exploded out into an entire game. It combines the expert game design of classic levels like World 1-1 with the exploration and puzzle elements of the best metroidvania games, but somehow never loses that incredible feeling of surprise and wonder. From start to finish, Iconoclasts is always throwing something new and strange the player's way, and it is an absolute joy to discover what’s waiting at the edge of the screen.

Review: Iconoclasts screenshot

News:: Far Cry 5's PC specs are a real bear for the highest settings

PC players who are looking to systematically dismantle a cult in Far Cry 5 won't need too much from their system to make it happen. But, those who want to look the best while doing it will need a rig that's crazier than Eden's Gate's leader.

Ubisoft has revealed Far Cry 5's PC specs today and they're all over the place. They range from pretty dang reasonable to nearly top of the line. Here's what you'll need just to get the game to run:

Far Cry 5's PC specs are a real bear for the highest settings screenshot

News:: One kid already had the Nintendo Labo concept down pat last year

Now that the Nintendo Labo cat is out of the bag, various videos have been making the rounds, but this one stands out the most out of all the ones I've seen so far.

Evidently back in October of last year, a Twitter user by the name of masaki_samurai showed off a creation for his kid -- a custom Splatoon 2 gun that works with the Switch's motion controls/Joy-Con. It's a short one, but it shows the general make of the gun accessory, how the Joy-Con slots in, and how it works in action.

If Nintendo didn't already have the idea to create gun accessories for non-violent games like Splatoon, they do now.

Masaki [Twitter] Thanks Jeff!

One kid already had the Nintendo Labo concept down pat last year screenshot

News:: Monster Hunter: World's platinum trophy is going to be an ordeal

The trophy/achievement list for Monster Hunter: World has leaked a few days ahead of the game's release, and it indicates what we probably could've guessed: It's going to take a serious time commitment to get them all.

PowerPyx discovered the trophies list (achievements should be the exact same minus the platinum), and it indicates that nabbing everything will require scouring every corner of the world. There are a lot of cumulative-based tasks like earning a certain amount of money or hunting a certain number of different kinds of monsters. There's also one for reaching rank 100, which is presumably the highest rank possible.

However, it's the crowns that are the most intimidating. Monster Hunter's beasts all have randomized sizes each time you encounter them. If you're lucky enough to hunt one that's at the extreme end of the spectrum (either small or large), you'll earn a crown for your guild card.

Two of the trophies make use of the crown system. They're acquired by "Obtain[ing] a miniature crown for almost every monster in your hunting log" and "Obtain[ing] a giant crown for almost every monster in your hunting log." There will likely be 50-some monsters at launch (the final number isn't confirmed yet) and seeing these variations will rely entirely on RNG. It could take a very long time.

Here are all the trophies/achievements for Monster World: Hunter:

Monster Hunter: World's platinum trophy is going to be an ordeal screenshot

News:: Early Access Review: DUSK

For the last decade or so, the first-person shooter genre has been dominated by the likes of Call of Duty and Battlefield. These two behemoths of gaming started a trend of “ultra-realistic” shooters that basically all play the same. You’ve got iron sights for more accurate aiming, regenerating health, incredibly linear level design, and a strong focus on an RPG-lite multiplayer system. This wasn’t always the way things were.

In the days of old, shooters were more focused on creating intricate, sprawling levels that required players to remember the location of locked doors as well as providing an arsenal of crazy weapons that had no practical use in real life. Enemies were also varied and required different tactics, unlike the abundance of hit-scanning enemies that populate the modern landscape. Multiplayer was more a skill-based affair instead of a measurement of the amount of free time you had.

DUSK harkens back to the golden era of PC shooters were things were blocky and pixelated, but also labyrinthine and absurd. To say I’m in FPS heaven would be an understatement, because I’ve been waiting for a real Quake successor since Quake II came out.

Early Access Review: DUSK screenshot

News:: Rust is finally leaving Steam Early Access next month

Rust's four-year run on Steam Early Access will soon wrap up. The multiplayer sandbox survival title will appear on Steam proper as of February 8, 2018. That said, its development is far from over.

Announcing the decision in a blog post, Facepunch founder Garry Newman said the launch will happen "without much fuss" and it will essentially be "business as usual" -- aside from a price increase. Rust is $20 right now and it'll cost $35 once it's out of Early Access.

"Don't think of this as us claiming that the game is done," said Newman. "Think of this as us saying that if Early Access didn't exist we'd have released the game on Steam by now."

"Please try not to compare the game to some other finished game or some idealised version you have in your head," he added. "Compare the game now to how it was when we entered Early Access. That's the delta that we feel qualifies us to leave Early Access. Think of it more like we're leaving Prototyping and entering Alpha."

The studio plans to shift toward a monthly update cadence for the sake of stability. "That means that not rushing in features and fixes that end up breaking something else," according to Newman.

Rust will have a main branch (monthly updates and hotfixes) and a staging branch ("bleeding edge, daily updates"). It's an approach other big Steam games have used to good success.

As ever, I'm curious what Rust will look and feel like when it's considered complete. This transition out of Early Access might not coincide with any "big reveals," but it's the end of an era.

Leaving Early Access [Rust]

Rust is finally leaving Steam Early Access next month screenshot

News:: Sonic the Hedgehog co-creator Yuji Naka joins Square Enix

Speaking on Twitter, former Sonic Team head Yuji Naka has announced that he has taken a role working with Square Enix. Naka will work within the game development department to develop new titles.

Naka was one member of the three-man team responsible for leading 1991's Sonic the Hedgehog to multi-million-dollar glory on the Sega Mega Drive/Genesis. Working alongside stage designer Hirokazu Yasuhara and character creator Naoto Ohshima, Yuji Naka was lead programmer for the legendary flagship title.

After going on to oversee titles such as Burning Rangers, Nights into Dreams and Phantasy Star Online, Naka would leave Sega in the mid-2000s to work within his own company, Prope. Yuji Naka's new role in Square Enix is already in effect. In the tweet, Naka asks fans to look forward to his upcoming projects.

Sonic the Hedgehog co-creator Yuji Naka joins Square Enix screenshot

News:: The 38th Razzie nominations have been announced

Awards season continues this week with the nominations for the 38th Annual Golden Raspberry Awards. Contrary to every other award show of the year, seeing your name on the list isn't particularly gratifying. The Razzies have come to represent the worst that Hollywood has offered up for the year through phoned in performances, unnecessary sequels, and poorly written scripts.

The usual troupe of nominees is here once again with the 50 Shades, and Transformers sequels picking up where they left off. Some newcomers are The Emoji Movie, and the dark universe destroying The Mummy. The big surprise for me is to see art-house darling Darren Aronofsky on this list. I know the response to mother! was very polarized but didn't think it would undo all the previous work he has done. Then again I still have yet to see it so maybe I'll agree after watching it. Another surprise is that longtime Razzie punchline Adam Sandler is not nominated at all for the second year in a row. Could he be in line for the Razzie Redeemer this year? Find out when the awards are announced on March 3.

The 38th Razzie nominations have been announced screenshot

News:: Here is everything that Monster Hunter: World's day one update will do

I know I shouldn't be surprised by this news, but Monster Hunter: World will be receiving a day one update. Buying the game and putting the disc in your console won't be enough if you plan to play online. After acquiring the game, you'll then need to download an 815 MB patch that will grant you access to the servers. How convenient...

The day one patch won't only just enable online support, though. The other changes are relegated to language support, which is at least nice. I'm not sure why this wasn't just included on the disc, but at least non-English speakers will have the opportunity to experience Monster Hunter.

Here is everything that Monster Hunter: World's day one update will do screenshot

News:: The original SteamWorld Dig is coming to the Switch very soon

Image & Form has had a pretty good run since 2010. Once it pivoted into the SteamWorld universe, which is now comprised of a tower defense game (yep, on DSiWare), two platformers, and a strategy title. It's a great stable for sure, especially since they're all connected in one big likable universe.

With the Switch taking off it made sense why Dig 2 and Heist made the cut on the new platform, and now, the original SteamWorld Dig will hit Nintendo's latest too. It's set to arrive on February 1 according to a reveal from Daan Koopman's eShop Action Committee podcast, and will be priced at $9.99.

I'm already in on the PS4 and Vita, and I may triple-dip for this one. Both core games are just so easy to replay on a dime.

The original SteamWorld Dig is coming to the Switch very soon screenshot

via destructoid https://www.destructoid.com/the-original-steamworld-dig-is-coming-to-the-switch-very-soon-483859.phtml

News:: The men and women of Squad 7 return in Valkyria Chronicles 4 DLC trailer

Sega have released a new two-minute DLC trailer for upcoming strategy sequel Valkyria Chronicles 4. The exclusive mission is featured as part of the game's Limited Edition release.

Joint Operation will see the new band of heroes from VC 4's Squad E team up with the recognisable faces of Squad 7, the heroes of previous Valkyria Chronicles titles. Alicia Melchiott, Welken Gunther, Isara Gunther and others will return to face the opposing forces of the Eastern Imperial Alliance.

Upon completion of Joint Operation, the Squad 7 characters will be available to use in VC 4's main campaign mode. While there has been no confirmation that the DLC will feature as a part of the game's Western release, we all know how this is going to play out.

Valkyria Chronicles 4 launches on PS4 in Japan in March 2018, with a Switch release to follow in Summer. The Western release is scheduled for sometime in 2018.

The men and women of Squad 7 return in Valkyria Chronicles 4 DLC trailer screenshot

News:: Star Trek Online kicks off its 8th year with a ton of Star Trek: Discovery stuff

Another year, another year of Star Trek Online, now arguably the oldest continuously running Trek property, now that it's set to celebrate its 8th birthday.

As with previous anniversary celebrations, Cryptic have stuffed a bunch of activities into the game, and are giving away a load of prizes, including a Bajoran Interceptor, as well as party favors, and access to a new main story mission featuring Geordi LaForge and voicework from LeVar Burton himself.

The Anniversary giveaways also coincide with the debut of a ton of Star Trek: Discovery-related items in-game. Though the game gave away the Discovery uniforms earlier, the latest "Discovery Lock Box" loot box promotion gives players a (small) chance of winning the U.S.S. Discovery herself, here classified as a "Crossfield-class Science Vanguard" ship, complete with special gimmicks patterned after the ship's teleporting stunts in the show. Klingon players, can score a Dreadnought Carrier ship patterned after the Sarcophagus ship from the first season. Even fans of Captain Georgiou's U.S.S. Shenzhou aren't left in the cold, as the Walker-class Light Exploration Cruiser will be added to the game's Lobi store. \

I'll admit that I've been playing less STO since discovering gacha games (not necessarily a positive development, but I don't regret the times I do come back. Just...don't turn on general chat.

Star Trek Online kicks off its 8th year with a ton of Star Trek: Discovery stuff screenshot

via destructoid https://www.destructoid.com/star-trek-online-kicks-off-its-8th-year-with-a-ton-of-star-trek-discovery-stuff-483704.phtml

News:: SOS turns battle royales into performance art

I am not the funny friend. I'm not a performer, either. In any social situation, I'm good for either two half-decent jokes or one drunken cover of "She Hates Me" if I can get my hands on a karaoke mic. Suffice to say that whatever muse inspired history's greatest poets decided not to visit me.

But here I am, a few seconds away from making my introduction on a reality television show. Well, it's a fictional show inside of a video game called SOS. But still, the pressure's on. The other contestants introduce themselves with goofy impressions. Their avatars gesture and wiggle, miming actions with comedic timing that tease bits of their in-game personalities. Some of them are bringing baggage in the form of backstories. I'm up next and already sweating my two seconds of fame. I want the crowd to love me. I want to win the game.

SOS turns battle royales into performance art screenshot

News:: Call of Duty: WWII returns to the top of the UK Charts

After last week saw near-five year old Grand Theft Auto V return to the top of the U.K. charts, the status quo was re-established this week and Activision's Call of Duty: WWII regained the number one spot.

Elsewhere in the Top Ten, advances were made by a selection of Switch titles, with Mario Kart 8 Deluxe, Zelda: Breath of the Wild and Super Mario Odyssey all making an advance from last week. Rounding out the Top Ten was the debut entry of niche RPG title Digimon Story: Cybersleuth Hacker Memory.

This week sees the release of multiple titles, spearheaded (quite literally) by the hugely-anticipated Monster Hunter: World and Dragon Ball FighterZ. Some of November 2017's best-sellers should beware, there's new guns in town...

Call of Duty: WWII returns to the top of the UK Charts screenshot

News:: New Final Fantasy VII Remake art debuts at Anniversary Exhibition

We don't know much about Final Fantasy VII Remake, despite the fact that it was announced in 2014. Although director Tetsuya Nomura has wanted to show us more, including additional video footage, Square has denied his requests -- presumably waiting until the perfect moment to show it off.

Until then we'll deal with drip-fed information, some of it coming from fans. That's just what this story entails, as Twitter user Junshen was able to visit the Final Fantasy 30th Anniversary Exhibition at the Mori Arts Center Gallery in Tokyo, Japan. Running from January 22 until February 28, it'll showcase various bits of Final Fantasy history, including concept art from Final Fantasy VII Remake.

I'm still torn on the episodic approach, especially if they wait a year or more between chapters. I'm a proponent of Nomura's over-the-top work, but he's not known for working well with deadlines.

Junshen [Twitter]

New Final Fantasy VII Remake art debuts at Anniversary Exhibition screenshot

News:: Jumanji is set to outsell every superhero movie released last year

When you first saw the trailer for Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle did you think, "Hey, there's a movie that's going to stay in the number one spot for four straight weekends and most likely beat the global box office for every superhero movie released last year."? Neither did I, but here we are.

Jumanji has crushed industry expectations and pulled in $375 million domestically, and projections have it reaching $900 million mark, putting it ahead of any of the major super hero films. In fact, it's already become Sony's highest grossing film outside of Spider-Man movies. It's got legs longer than Jessica Rabbit, and there is literally nothing to stop it from taking the number one spot until Black Panther releases or everyone in the world has seen it.

Speaking of legs, The Greatest Showman is a bit of a sleeper hit. The film was never number one, but it's weekend grosses have been remarkably consistent, pulling in solid numbers week over week without seeing the normal drop off other films do.

Jumanji is set to outsell every superhero movie released last year screenshot

News:: Second season of Castlevania anime gets release window

Series' producer Warren Ellis has announced that the second season of Netflix' Castlevania anime will be screened this Summer, exclusively on the paid-television service. The second season will also double its episode count from four to eight.

The first season of Castlevania debuted last Summer. The season one arc told the story of down-and-out vampire killer Trevor Belmont, who is forced to step up his monster-hunting game when darkness envelopes the cursed European town of Wallachia.

It was a pretty good show. Telling a recognisable story, at a good pace, featuring some nice action scenes and attractive characters. The season ended with a clearly established setup for the second arc of the story, loosely based on Konami's legendary video game series.

Castlevania Season Two, which is doubling its episode count from four to eight, will be broadcast on Netflix Summer 2018.

Second season of Castlevania anime gets release window screenshot

News:: Review: The Red Strings Club

Brandeis is plummeting towards the ground. It's silent as he falls; the city he worked so hard to save has gone to sleep, blissfully unaware that the hacker will meet his end face-down on the pavement. Though his life will be over shortly, Brandeis remains calm. He accepts that this is his destiny, and instead of meeting it with anger or fear, he just wants to know when, exactly, he sealed his fate.

But while the fall is the end of Brandeis' story, it's also where The Red Strings Club begins. Its first scene is one character's final moment, and the rest of the game explores just how it all came to be.

Review: The Red Strings Club screenshot

News:: Review in Progress: Dragon Ball FighterZ

Dragon Ball FighterZ has undoubtedly been one of the most anticipated fighting game releases of 2018. The hype was strong for this as fans of the Dragon Ball franchise had been dreaming of a game that could match the anime series for quite some time.

Past games have managed to fulfill some aspects of this, whether it be the flashy supers in Budokai, a fully traversable 3D map in Tenkaichi, or even letting series fans live out their super dreams with Xenoverse's character creation. But each game fell by the wayside due to a failure to incorporate a fully realized fighting engine.

Dragon Ball FighterZ seeks to fix this problem plaguing the Dragon Ball series, and definitely has the potential to go beyond super should everything hold together in the end.

Review in Progress: Dragon Ball FighterZ screenshot

News:: Review: Batman - The Enemy Within: What Ails You

Despite getting off to a promising start, Season Two of Telltale Games' take on The Dark Knight has stumbled. With only five episodes to Tell said Tale, the story has become overbooked, with too many characters all jostling for screen-time in an effort to build an emotional connection with the player. This is not to mention the sporadic technical issues that have befallen the series, with hard crashes, animation freezes, and texture pop-in issues troubling some players in the past.

However, there are still two episodes of The Enemy Within remaining and, in its favour, some great work has been done in building the shaky relationship between not only Bruce Wayne and his smiley pal John Doe, but also between Bruce Wayne and his own conscience. Even with the series' plotting problems, and a few less-than-magnetic performances, Telltale still has time to pull all the narrative threads together to deliver a superb finale.

Review: Batman - The Enemy Within: What Ails You screenshot

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Monday, January 22, 2018