Feb 27, 2018 | Game ON news

Tuesday, February 27, 2018

News:: Amazon listing points to Injustice 2: Legendary Edition

Definitive editions tend to be a matter of when, not if, for fighting games.

Based on a now-removed Amazon listing, a so-called Injustice 2: Legendary Edition is coming to PlayStation 4 and Xbox One on March 27, priced at $60. The package is said to include "10 additional characters including Darkseid, Hellboy, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles plus 5 Premiere Skins."

Legendary Edition was also spotted in an advert for Malaysian retailer Impulse Gaming.

Were any of you holding out for a re-release?

Injustice 2 Legendary Edition Spotted for Release in Late March for Xbox One and PS4 [The Nerd Mag]

Amazon listing points to Injustice 2: Legendary Edition screenshot

News:: Outlast hits Nintendo Switch, sequel coming next month

Outlast saw a semi-surprise release earlier today on Nintendo Switch. While we knew ports of the first-person horror titles were in production, it wasn't clear when exactly they'd arrive. Today's the day for the first game, it turns out -- and Outlast 2 is now set for Switch on March 27, 2018.

For $25, Outlast: Bundle of Terror comes with core game and its Whistleblower DLC.

Bring Mount Massive on the move. The Outlast: Bundle of Terror edition is now available on the eShop for the Nintendo Switch. pic.twitter.com/arXxx6bxKG
— Red Barrels (@TheRedBarrels) February 27, 2018

You're probably wondering how it performs on Switch. I'm right there with you. According to Red Barrels, Outlast runs at 720p and 30 frames per second in handheld mode. While docked, the game hits 1008p and 30 frames per second. "Nope, not a typo," the studio confirmed. "It's ~1008p."

The footage looks plenty good to me. And by that I of course mean "Everyone in Mount Massive Asylum is gross as hell and I don't want them anywhere near me. I'm hiding under a bed. Please send help."

Red Barrels [Twitter]

Outlast hits Nintendo Switch, sequel coming next month screenshot

via destructoid https://www.destructoid.com/outlast-hits-nintendo-switch-sequel-coming-next-month-491974.phtml

News:: It sure is nice to see Puyo Puyo Tetris on Steam

Puyo Puyo Tetris is a gem of a game, one I wasn't sure we would see make it over to PC. But it has! It's out today on Steam for $20, and early impressions of the port sound mostly positive.

"The best version of Tetris on PC hands down, and the best Puyo Puyo game on PC as well," said Steam user Redbl0odx. "Everything works, great port," wrote 3rd Strike.

Another reviewer, Danhanado, cited a few shortcomings with the PC version. Those include: an issue with music not looping correctly, occasional crashes, and the ever-pesky Denuvo DRM.

I wasn't expecting a flawless translation to PC, so those assessments sound fine to me.

Puyo Puyo Tetris [Steam]

It sure is nice to see Puyo Puyo Tetris on Steam screenshot

via destructoid https://www.destructoid.com/it-sure-is-nice-to-see-puyo-puyo-tetris-on-steam-491967.phtml

News:: My after-action report of the Rainbow Six Invitational tournament

After a steady influx of new players across its second year, Ubisoft's Rainbow Six Siege has solidified itself as one of the most popular online titles of the current day. The pro-league of the squad-shooter culminates in the annual Six Invitational tournament, where the top teams face-off in hopes of proving themselves the best in the world, as well as bagging a sweet $50,000 prize.

The Six Invitational 2018 was held last week in Montreal, Canada and was a resounding success, pulling in a peak 321,000 viewers on Twitch, a near 200% increase on last year's audience. Not only that, but Steam figures for the game have spiked since the event was held, with the game jumping back up the UK charts. Thus is the amazing marketing potential of such gatherings.

I was fortunate enough to be in Montreal for this event, having taken a slightly wrong turn in England and somehow ended up ankle-deep in snow on the other side of the Atlantic Ocean. I'm only what you would call a casual player of Siege. My eSports experience equates to my frequenting many fighting game tournaments nationwide. But I was keen to see how the big-bucks competitive scene shapes up, live and in living colour.

My after-action report of the Rainbow Six Invitational tournament screenshot

News:: You can finally stream Xbox One games to your Mac

Before now, if you fancied playing console games on your Mac, you'd need to use PlayStation 4's Remote Play to do so. Windows 10 users have been able to stream Xbox One titles to their PCs since 2015, but macOS users have been out of luck. A new $10 app called OneCast, however, has apparently figured out how to get your Xbox One games streaming to your Mac.

Via: The Verge

Source: OneCast

via Engadget RSS Feedhttps://www.engadget.com/2018/02/27/stream-xbox-one-games-mac/

News:: Four Xbox 360 games run better on Xbox One X now, including Crackdown

Some of the last console generation's most popular games now look and perform better on this console generation's newest hardware. For the first time since its launch last November, Microsoft has added to the list of Xbox 360 games that have been optimized for the Xbox One X.

The biggest addition is also the only newcomer to the backward compatibility program: the original Crackdown. Even though Crackdown was once a Games with Gold freebie (which are all backward compatible on Xbox One), it was long before backward compatibility even existed. That program started in November 2015, and Crackdown was free in August 2013.

The other three games that are now better on Xbox One X are The Witcher 2: Assassins of Kings, Fable Anniversary, and Forza Horizon. That brings the tally up to 11 Xbox 360 games that are Xbox One X enhanced. The others are: Assassin's Creed, The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion, Fallout 3, Halo 3, Gears of War 3, Mirror's Edge, and Skate 3.

As for what these performance upticks actually achieve, well, it mostly caters to the visuals. As Microsoft has said in the past, emulating Xbox 360 games on Xbox One X allows for: nine times the on-screen pixels as the original versions, a 10-bit color depth rather than 8-bit, and increased texture details and anti-aliasing. There's also framerate smoothing to bump the performance a bit.

Moving forward, it'll be interesting to see if Microsoft keeps slowly building this semi-niche catalog of games. Not everyone's into playing Xbox 360 games and not everyone owns that particular beefy model of the Xbox One. The middle of that Venn diagram is the target audience here. Still, it's always neat to see older things modernized as best they can be.

New Enhanced Xbox 360 Titles And Feature Come To Xbox One Backward Compatibility [Major Nelson]

Four Xbox 360 games run better on Xbox One X now, including Crackdown screenshot

via destructoid https://www.destructoid.com/four-xbox-360-games-run-better-on-xbox-one-x-now-including-crackdown-491951.phtml

News:: Seven fighting games assemble for the Humble Brawler Bundle

While its name doesn't necessarily conjure up fighting games, this week's Humble Brawler Bundle hits the mark where it counts: it has some good games for cheap. The $1 tier is pretty special.

Pay $1 or more:

Pay more than the average:

Pay $9 or more:

It's not every day you see fighting games bundled like this. Granted, your mileage is going to vary with some of these games as fans have moved on to newer installments. But, if you're just looking to dip your toes and you don't mind missing out on active online play, there's real value to be had here.

Humble Brawler Bundle [Humble Bundle]

Seven fighting games assemble for the Humble Brawler Bundle screenshot

via destructoid https://www.destructoid.com/seven-fighting-games-assemble-for-the-humble-brawler-bundle-491953.phtml

News:: Chrono Trigger has come to Steam, but it looks off

A cherished game like Chrono Trigger appearing on Steam should be a clear cause for celebration, yet once again, fans are torn. Today's PC version isn't how you remember the SNES classic.

"If you've had the pleasure of playing Chrono Trigger before, then you'll be pleased to find out that this version includes animated cutscenes, as well as the Dimensional Vortex and Lost Sanctum dungeons from previous versions of the game," Square Enix announced. "We've also updated the controls, graphics and sound to make this the definitive version of Chrono Trigger!"

That's all well and good, at least in theory. Unfortunately, though, the new $15 PC version is based on the mobile port of Chrono Trigger first released in 2011. So the game ends up looking like this:

Yeah. Not exactly ideal. It's the Final Fantasy V (and FFVI!) snafu all over again.

Chrono Trigger [Steam]

Chrono Trigger has come to Steam, but it looks off screenshot

News:: Get your groove on with Hatsune Miku VR next month

Degica Games have announced that blue-haired anime superstar Hatsune Miku, will be dancing onto your VR headset in a about a fortnight's time, as Hatsune Miku VR launches on Vive and Oculus March 8.

The rhythm-action game features the Vocaloid poster-gal performing a set of some of her greatest hits (well, I assume they are, anyway). The game features two difficulty settings and multiple languages, including both Japanese and English. Players use the VR controllers to hit all the right beats and keep Miku cheerfully two-stepping her way into your heart.

The song list features eight tracks, including Singularity, Sharing the World and Ievan Polkka. I am way out of my depth, here. Hatsune Miku VR is available for pre-order on Steam and launches on HTC Vive and Oculus Rift March 8.

Get your groove on with Hatsune Miku VR next month screenshot

News:: Yakuza 6's Prologue demo is now available

Yakuza 6's prologue demo is now available to download from the PlayStation store. It includes the prologue and a small section of the first chapter as well as letting you carry your save data into the full game. Since the demo is 36 gb (jesus), I'm guessing this is actually just the full game installation to make sure the save data has compatibility with the final game.

This demo is to make up for the delay that was announced earlier this month. While it sucks that we'll have to wait longer to actually play the final game, at least getting a head start on the opening chapter is nice. I honestly wish more demos would do something like this, since they tend to just be marketing nonsense more than anything.

Yakuza 6's Prologue demo is now available screenshot

via destructoid https://www.destructoid.com/yakuza-6-s-prologue-demo-is-now-available-491931.phtml

News:: Surprise! A bad mobile port of 'Chrono Trigger' is on Steam

Last year, Nintendo one-upped its NES Classic retro console with the SNES Classic, a powerful and value-packed trip back to the best of 90s gaming. But among all the gems bundled into the box, one was notably missing: Chrono Trigger. Out of nowhere, that exclusion was given a chance for redemption when the game appeared on Steam today. Unfortunately, a flood of negative reviews pointed out the truth: Apparently, the PC version appears to be straight-up ported from the 2011 mobile version.

Source: Chrono Trigger | Steam

via Engadget RSS Feedhttps://www.engadget.com/2018/02/27/bad-mobile-port-chrono-trigger-on-steam/

News:: Rocket League tags up with WWE for future content

A joint venture has been announced by Psyonix which will see driving-soccer title Rocket League team up with pro-wrestling sports-entertainment juggernaut WWE for a selection of upcoming DLC.

Although there were no vehicles, decals or any content announced. Rocket League took to twitter to proudly proclaim the collaboration. This is one in a line of big-bucks-brands the game has worked in partnership with, including brands such as DC Comics, Amblin Entertainment and the NBA.

The WWE-themed content is expected to be announced in April. Here's hoping for a a fully blinged up Sasha Banks car, complete with shuttered windscreen and Legit Boss wheels. Hopefully this combination of WWE and vehicular combat will work out a little better than bizarre 2003 release, Crush Hour.

WWE content coming to Rocket League soon [Twitter]

Rocket League tags up with WWE for future content screenshot

News:: Pokemon Go's third community event will feature Bulbasaur

To get more people playing (and probably paying), Niantic has been holding "Community Days" in Pokemon Go for the last two months. On a specified day for a couple of hours, the spawn rate of a relatively hard to catch Pokemon gets increased so that players can have an opportunity to catch and evolve their favorite critters. For March's event, Bulbasaur will be in the spotlight.

Taking place on March 25, 2018 from 11:00 am - 2:00 pm CEST, players will be able to find an influx of the grass Pokemon around their hometowns. As with February's Dratini event, any critters evolved into Venasaur will get a special move for raid battles, though that move hasn't been announced yet. The event will also have a triple XP bonus along with special three hour lures to help you power level.

Seeing as how I only catch about five random Pokemon on my way to the gym, I've remained pretty static at level 24 for awhile, so this could be a great way for me to finally level up a bit. If nothing else, I can finally find a Bulbasaur.

Pokémon GO March Community Day: Bulbasaur, 3x Catch XP [Pokemon Go Hub]

Pokemon Go's third community event will feature Bulbasaur screenshot

via destructoid https://www.destructoid.com/pokemon-go-s-third-community-event-will-feature-bulbasaur-491908.phtml

News:: ESRB addresses loot box controversy with ‘in-game purchases’ label

The controversy over loot boxes in games like Star Wars: Battlefront II, Need for Speed: Payback and Destiny 2 hasn't settled and state legislators in the US and governments abroad are considering legislation that would limit their use or straight up ban them. Central to the debate is whether loot boxes should be considered gambling and in that regard, the ESRB has maintained that's not the case, saying last year, "While there's an element of chance in these mechanics, the player is always guaranteed to receive in-game content (even if the player unfortunately receives something they don't want)." But that hasn't kept people from pushing the ESRB to do more. New Hampshire Senator Maggie Hassan sent an open letter to the regulatory body earlier this month, asking it to review its policies on loot boxes and take into account their potential to do harm. And today, the ESRB announced what it will be doing to address concerns over loot boxes.

Source: ESRB

via Engadget RSS Feedhttps://www.engadget.com/2018/02/27/esrb-loot-box-controversy-in-game-purchases-label/

News:: ESRB to start labeling physical games with in-game purchases

Finally getting off their asses and doing something about the rampant problem of runaway in-game purchases, the Electronic Software Rating Board announced today that they will begin to label physical releases of games that contain in-game purchases with a warning. The label will act similar to that of the ones that came about when interactive online play became more mainstream where it won't affect that game's rating but is deemed important enough to warn purchasers about.

ESRB to start labeling physical games with in-game purchases screenshot

News:: Some 'Hearthstone' cards will be phased out with April's expansion

Blizzard has solidified Hearthstone's annual flow of retiring old cards and welcoming new ones: For the third year in a row, a new expansion will come in April that signals a sea change in the digital card game. While we don't know the title or flavor of Hearthstone's next set, we do have a list of changes and new features that will arrive when 2017's Year of the Mammoth gives way to 2018's Year of the Raven.

via Engadget RSS Feedhttps://www.engadget.com/2018/02/27/hearthstone-expansion-year-of-the-raven/

News:: New Fighting EX Layer trailers star Jack, Shadowgeist and Blair

Yesterday we received a slew of news pertaining to Arika's upcoming one-on-one scrapper, Fighting EX Layer. This included the reveal of the latest addition to the game's roster of reprobates, Shadowgeist.

Today sees the release of multiple trailers featuring some of the game's more recently revealed characters in action. Poundshop-Leona, Blair, "Don't call me 'Cracker' anymore" Jack and the aforementioned Shadowgeist all show up to do their thing, namely lay a beatdown on anyone foolhardy enough to stand in their way.

As reported yesterday, Fighting EX Layer will launch on PS4 as a digital-only title. There are two price points of $40 and $60, both with their own respective features. Arika have said that they might consider porting the game to PC should the PS4 release prove successful. Though it seemed some of you in the comments were distinctly turned-off by the game's price and delivery method.

I'm personally all for this game and its unique gameplay style, but they gotta do something about that sound. From the cardboard strikes, to the one-note character vocals, the bored announcer and some of the music. Even if they're going for "retro-stylism" with it, it just sounds bad.

Fighting EX Layer launches on PS4 sometime around June.

New Fighting EX Layer trailers star Jack, Shadowgeist and Blair screenshot

News:: Hearthstone moves into The Year of the Raven with some big changes

Hearthstone is once again changing "years," which means that old cards are going away and becoming "wild" (Whispers of the Old Gods, One Night in Karazhan, Mean Streets of Gadgetzan) and new cards are becoming "standard" (tournament ready). The Year of the Mammoth is ending and will morph into the Year of the Raven.

Alongside of the aforementioned new cards will come a new Druid hero (Lunara, which you can win after 10 successful games in the new standard format), and more tournament opportunities with bigger prize pools. One of the biggest additions is the enhanced Fireside Gathering feature, which will make it easier to run player-led tournaments within the Hearthstone client -- think of it like a tourney mode in a popular fighting game.

The helpful infographic below shows off all of Hearthstone's expansions since 2014, and codifies that the Year of the Raven will host three of its own, with single-player content confirmed for all of them. For reference for all you hardcore players out there, the Coldlight Oracle, Ice Block, and an un-nerfed Molten Giant are being retired to the hall of fame, all of which are also in the gallery below.

Hearthstone moves into The Year of the Raven with some big changes screenshot

News:: Review: Florence

So this is love. Is it? I’m not sure. I’m not familiar with the sensation. Lust I get. Infatuation, longing, desire; I’m an expert in those. But love? No. I’m a chronically single 32-year-old with no prospects whose only relationship was 14 years ago for a whopping two weeks. And that was mostly just movies and car stuff afterward. Outside of a pet or a family member, I don’t know love and there’s a really good chance I never will. I want to though.

At least I did. I wanted it very much but after seeing the highs and lows of Florence, I’m not so sure anymore.

_{[Final warning for massive spoilers:]}

Review: Florence screenshot

News:: Tony Hawk wishes he had the license for the Pro Skater series and I hope he makes it happen

Most people who follow my work know that the Pro Skater series has a special place in my heart. It not only got me through some tough times; I also created a lot of fond memories with its versus mode. Even some of the more flawed entries later on kept the burning wacky fire alive, until they started to get hyper realistic, which quelled that flame a bit, and eventually, snuffed it out with rushed, glitchy entries.

It's sad that the series is stagnant now, a shadow of its former self, and the man Tony Hawk himself agrees. Speaking recently about folks asking for remasters or levying complaints about servers directly to him, Tony Hawk explained, "To anyone asking me to 'remaster" old games, or complaining about THPS servers being down: Activision owns the THPS license but I am no longer working with them. If I had the skills / authority to reboot servers or code games for newer systems on my own, I would be happy to..."

Directly afterward Mike Rose, representing developer RageSquid, put forth his services. He explained that given their experience with the mountain biking game Descenders, his team would be up to the task. Now for that to happen Hawk would likely have to buy the rights back -- but given his celebrity status and pull, that...could happen?

Either way I don't think we're done with Tony Hawk's Pro Skater or the extreme sports genre forever.

Tony Hawk [Twitter]

Tony Hawk wishes he had the license for the Pro Skater series and I hope he makes it happen screenshot

via destructoid https://www.destructoid.com/tony-hawk-wishes-he-had-the-license-for-the-pro-skater-series-and-i-hope-he-makes-it-happen-491903.phtml

News:: Best Buy and Walmart open preorders on Pearl and Marina amiibo

A couple of weeks ago, the planet cheered in unison at the first great video game news of 2018: Splatoon 2's rap-rock duo, Pearl and Marina were to be immortalized in amiibo form. Now, U.S. retailers Best Buy and Walmart have opened pre-orders for the dynamic duo.

The two-pack doesn't have a specific release date, with the site stating the typical placeholder of "December 31", but the gals are priced at $25. Kind of pricey given that you're planning on giving the Marina amiibo away.

The pre-order pages can be found at the following links for Best Buy and Walmart. Spare a thought for me, Off the Hook's UK ambassador, who brings you all this rad news of the ridiculous twosome constantly, yet is unable to pre-order from this location... *sob*

Marina and Pearl amiibo pack now available for pre-order [Best Buy / Walmart]

Best Buy and Walmart open preorders on Pearl and Marina amiibo screenshot

via destructoid https://www.destructoid.com/best-buy-and-walmart-open-preorders-on-pearl-and-marina-amiibo-491881.phtml

News:: Nintendo Switch sells like crazy in France, breaks fastest-selling console record

Right now, and this could change once Nintendo gives us an updated figure, the Nintendo Switch has sold nearly 15 million units. It's already surpassed the lifetime sales of the Wii U worldwide, and in many specific regions, and it's still not a year old yet (that's happening next week on March 3).

One of those specific regions that the Switch did well in is France, and we have a better idea of where it's at. According to the finance outlet Le Figaro Economie, the Switch just hit one million units in the region, making it the fastest-selling console in France. Now it still has a ways to go to reach the 6.4 million total mark of the Wii, but again, the Switch is having an easier time out of the gate than the Wii did.

To give you an idea of where Nintendo wants to be at in the area -- Nintendo of France head Philippe Lavoué thanks the Switch will reach two million by the end of the year.

Le Figaro Economie [Twitter via Nintendo Life]

Nintendo Switch sells like crazy in France, breaks fastest-selling console record screenshot

via destructoid https://www.destructoid.com/nintendo-switch-sells-like-crazy-in-france-breaks-fastest-selling-console-record-491906.phtml

News:: Review: Moss

For a few all-too-brief hours, I felt like I had a precious little pet mouse. That's the magic of Moss.

The PlayStation VR action-adventure game cleverly imagines you as a towering "reader," a sort of benevolent apparition that protects a young mouse named Quill (who so happens to be the protagonist of the book you're reading). She's on a journey to rescue her uncle in a miniature fantasy world.

What makes Moss so impressive is that it works on multiple levels. The narrated story and setting could believably exist in a children's novel not unlike Redwall. The puzzles and combat are well-polished with a nice and breezy feel. And the sense of scale brought on by VR is often astounding.

Review: Moss screenshot

News:: Fortnite is getting jetpacks soon

Epic Games is constantly introducing limited time modes and new weapons into Fortnite to keep players coming back for more and this next addition sounds pretty stellar. As noticed by many in the "Coming Soon" section while booting up the game, jetpacks will soon be entering the fray. Seeing as how Tribes is a favorite series of mine, I'd definitely intrigued by what jetpacks could bring to a battle royale game.

As mentioned in the PC Gamer article, the jetpack icon has a gold background which typically denotes legendary items. Whether this means jetpacks will be rare drops like some of the other in-game items or if this will be a limited time thing is anyone's guess, but some players over on the Fortnite subreddit are speculating that the jetpack might just be a portable jump pad.

Seeing as how no battle royale game currently has air based combat, this could be a potential way for Fortnite to blaze a trail of its own. If nothing else, at least they will let me believe that Tribes never died.

Jetpacks are 'coming soon' to Fortnite [PC Gamer]

Fortnite is getting jetpacks soon screenshot

via destructoid https://www.destructoid.com/fortnite-is-getting-jetpacks-soon-491896.phtml

News:: Good Smile to release Overwatch Widowmaker Figma

The people of Japanese toy manufacturer Good Smile Company have announced that Overwatch's sultry, deadly sniper Widowmaker is next in line to receive the Figma treatment.

A selection of stills shows the incomparable assassin in a range of stylistic poses. Widowmaker appears to feature the high quality sculpture the range is known for, as well as the typical Figma articulation, allowing the character, who stands roughly 6.5 inches in height, to be posed in all manner of dramatic action shots.

Widowmaker comes with her trademark "Widow's Kiss" rifle, which can be adapted to sniper or full-auto mode. Also included are her grappling gauntlet and visor. The Figma even has an alternate faceplate with one eye closed, to make sure her aim never misses her mark. What a fucking great looking figure.

Pre-orders open on Februray 27 until April 12 at the official Good Smile website. Widowmaker is expected to cost a little over ¥7,200 (or $67) and won't be shipping until December of next year. The next Overwatch-themed Figma to ship is Genji, who is scheduled for release in May.

Widowmaker Figma announced [Good Smile Company]

Good Smile to release Overwatch Widowmaker Figma screenshot

News:: 'Into the Breach' is monsters, mechs and a reset for strategy games

Subset Games' 2012 space command simulator FTL wasn't the first roguelike indie game to come out during the subgenre's renaissance, but it stood out from the rest. Players guide their single ship against a galaxy of enemies, and the challenge and high skill ceiling earned legions of fans and financial success. Last February, the studio teased its second game, Into The Breach, a grid-based strategy game where the player's trio of mechs must fight off an invading onslaught of colossal bugs while saving as many people as possible. The game comes out today -- and anyone that loved the studio's tough-but-rewarding first game will be equally charmed by its sophomore release.

via Engadget RSS Feedhttps://www.engadget.com/2018/02/27/into-the-breach-subset-games-ftl-sequel-gameplay-video/

News:: Why yes, I did want a new trailer for pinball adventure Yoku's Island Express

While it doesn't have a date nailed down, it's not long until the scheduled release of Yoku's Island Express during the second quarter of this year. In case you've forgotten about the pure bundle of joy/dung beetle pinball game, publisher Team17 has a new trailer out for it.

This one is meant to showcase some of the unique abilities the insect protagonist has to aid its Sisyphean quest. Some of these were available in the PAX West build, like the noisemaker that can grab the attention of nearby characters (or just blown at random all the time because it's fun). Others, like the Dive Fish, which lets our bug buddy swim are new to me. The trailer also shows off the ability to give the ball a paint job, which appears to be cosmetic.

Yoku's Island Express is coming out within the next few months on PC, PlayStation 4, Switch, and Xbox One.