Apr 12, 2018 | Game ON news

Thursday, April 12, 2018

News:: Jessica Jones renewed for a third Season

Netflix has renewed Jessica Jones for a third season only a month after the release of the second. Yes, that's right. Everyone's favorite PI/vigilante/alcoholic will be back for more in the near future.

Jessica Jones Season 2 released last month to a warm critical reception, and while it didn't receive as high of praise as the first season (at least according to IMDb) it's still one of the highest-rated Marvel series on Netflix.

There's no scheduled release date at this time, but we can assume that it's going to take a couple of years before the new season is available for streaming.

However, this news comes at an odd time. Disney, Marvel's parent company, is gearing up to launch its own streaming service, and you can only wonder if Disney has given any thought to the place Jessica Jones and the rest of the Defenders hold in Netflix's library. There's sure to be news on this in the future, but for now at least, Jessica Jones' home is still on Netflix.

I've come to like Jessica Jones and Daredevil a lot, despite not being a huge comic book fan. Jessica Jones in particular delivers a satisfying - sometimes heartbreaking - narrative that doesn't pull its punches. Let's hope Season 3 won't be a stranger for too long.

Jessica Jones renewed for a third Season screenshot

News:: Agatha Knife is a weird create-your-own religion game about butchering animals

Sometimes we get something in our tipline that makes me let out an audible, "What the fuck?" Usually it's the bad kind. More of a declarative statement than an utterance of pure inquisitive joy.

Agatha Knife gave me an audible, "What the fuck?" moment. But the good kind.

Agatha Knife is a weird create-your-own religion game about butchering animals screenshot

News:: Obscure Neo Geo puzzler Gururin drops onto modern platforms today

While most of Hamster's Neo Geo releases consist of SNK's flagship titles - or at least franchises that may jump-start your nostalgia cells - today's release, coming to PS4, Xbox One and Nintendo Switch, is a little more left-field.

Developed by FACE, Gururin is a block-busting puzzle title that hit the Neo Geo in 1994. Although at first glance your standard Puyo-Puyo-esque tile matcher, Gururin takes pride in its complete weirdness. Rather than blocks, a colour-clothed chibi civilization fall from the top of the screen, and the player must rotate the board in order to match them up with their similarly-coloured pals.

Problems arise when some of the tiny characters get attached, literally, holding hands and refusing to let go. The player must micro-manage the board to hit a specified target to complete the stage. Reaching your goal before the opponent bags you the win. Oh, right, opponents include an emotional insect-human hybrid, a fox who has joined a biker gang, and a drunken, aristocratic... squirrel? tanuki? I'm not so sure.

The game also has a super low bit soundtrack which, considering the release year, is about a decade out of time. Even the classic opening Neo Geo jingle sounds off. Regardless, if you fancy taking a step into Gururin's weird world, then the game is available today on PS4, Xbox One and Nintendo Switch, priced at around $8.

Obscure Neo Geo puzzler Gururin drops onto modern platforms today screenshot

via destructoid https://www.destructoid.com/obscure-neo-geo-puzzler-gururin-drops-onto-modern-platforms-today-498325.phtml

News:: Play Ghost Recon Wildlands and Skyrim for free this weekend on Steam

Praise be to Todd, now the last 5% of the population who didn't already own Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim will be able to play the Special Edition of it for the weekend thanks to a Steam promotion. Also available to play for free this weekend is Tom Clancy's Ghost Recon Wildlands which just received new DLC this week that paid tribute to Splinter Cell.

As it is with other free weekend promotions there are sales running on both games should you like what you played enough to keep playing past 1:00 PM PDT on Sunday. Ghost Recon's discount is 67%, while you can get Skyrim: Special Edition for 50% off the regular price.

Play Ghost Recon Wildlands and Skyrim for free this weekend on Steam screenshot

via destructoid https://www.destructoid.com/play-ghost-recon-wildlands-and-skyrim-for-free-this-weekend-on-steam-498376.phtml

News:: North American Collector's Edition revealed for BlazBlue: Cross Tag Battle

The newly-opened American division of Arc System Works has unveiled a Collector's Edition for their upcoming team fighter BlazBlue Cross Tag Battle. The set will be coming to North America as part of the division's drive to increase awareness and availability of the company's titles in the West.

The set itself includes a steelbook copy of the game, a 15-track jewel-cased CD, a 52-page soft cover artbook (featuring a slipcase with exclusive artwork) and a set of four acrylic standees of the poster character's of the crossover fighter's brands. These include BlazBlue’s Ragna the Bloodedge, Persona 4 Arena’s Yu Narukami, Under Night’s Hyde, and RWBY’s Ruby.

Although we do know pre-orders are set to open May 4, ArcSys America have not yet revealed a price tag for the set. The game itself will hit Japan next month, May 31, before launching in North America a few days later on June 5 and in Europe soon thereafter.

North American Collector's Edition revealed for BlazBlue: Cross Tag Battle screenshot

News:: 'Fortnite' is back online after a day-long blackout

The popular game Fortnite is finally playable across all platforms after a server outage and emergency update took it offline for almost a day. According to a Reddit post by a company employee, a "critical failure with one of [the] account service databases" made the login and matchmaking systems unstable. But for their trouble, Epic Games is giving players of both the game's battle royale and tower defense modes free in-game loot.

Source: Fortnite (Twitter), Epic Games

via Engadget RSS Feedhttps://www.engadget.com/2018/04/12/fortnite-back-online-after-full-day-blackout/

News:: BAFTA names What Remains of Edith Finch its best game of 2017

In what many will surely consider a "surprise" or an "upset" or a "wrong choice," the winner of the 14th British Academy Game Awards was neither The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild nor Super Mario Odyssey. It was What Remains of Edith Finch.

For what it's worth (and it's not worth much), I wholeheartedly agree with that pick. What Remains of Edith Finch was my very favorite game last year. It uses an interactive medium to tell a tight and meaningful story. It's creative and unique and important. But, Zelda and Mario haven't lost many award shows this year, so the choice is interesting and unexpected.

However, the British Academy of Film and Television Arts has its roots in other formats. Maybe it values different qualities than other organizations (like GDC and DICE) value. Well, the past three winners of Best Game at the BAFTAs were Destiny, Fallout 4, and Uncharted 4. Looking at the history of this category, it's actually kind of incredible a studio as small as Giant Sparrow was able to take home this hardware.

Here are the nominees and winners from this year's BAFTAs:

BAFTA names What Remains of Edith Finch its best game of 2017 screenshot

News:: Review: Super Daryl Deluxe

Despite the fact that this game has been in development for a few years now, I only just heard about it a couple weeks ago. It sports a delightful hand-drawn aesthetic, and the gameplay borrows from all across the spectrum. If Super Daryl Deluxe is nothing else, it’s definitely an interesting game.

The story revolves around a silent protagonist with all of the grace and style of a dead plant. It’s part of his charm. He attends an inter-dimensional high school where some funky stuff is going down. Nothing is quite as it seems here, and while it leaves a bit to be desired, it more than serves its purpose as a stage for Daryl’s journey.

Review: Super Daryl Deluxe screenshot

News:: Publisher Third Edition to localise books on Zelda, NieR, Final Fantasy and Dark Souls

French book publisher Third Edition have announced that their second Kickstarter campaign has been hugely successful, thus enabling them to localise a selection of their highly-acclaimed video game tomes.

Nearly 2,000 backers contributed over $155,000, and now work will begin on translating four of the company's titles into English. The three initial releases are Dark Souls: Beyond The Grave Volume 2. The Legend of Final Fantasy VIII and The Legend of Zelda: The History of a Legendary Saga (Volume 2: Breath of the Wild). As the Kickstarter reached its stretch goal, a fourth book, The Work of Taro Yoko: From Drakengard to NieR: Automata, joins the lineup.

This is the second successful crowdfunding campaign held by Third Edition. Back in 2016, the publisher raised the cash needed to localise books based on BioShock, Metal Gear Solid and Final Fantasy VII, as well as the first two volumes on the Zelda and Dark Souls franchises. Third Edition have stated that it hopes to translate their entire library in time. Given the success of these crowdfunding efforts. It seems a foregone conclusion.

Publisher Third Edition to localise books on Zelda, NieR, Final Fantasy and Dark Souls screenshot

News:: Fortnite's second crack at its 50 vs 50 mode is pushed back to next week

Fortnite players have to wait a little while longer to get back into their big team battles. Originally set to go live today, the return of the 50 vs 50 mode is getting delayed until next week.

Epic announced the setback this afternoon in a reddit post. It doesn't seem due to a problem with the mode, but rather something more overarching. Over the past day or so, Fortnite has had crippling issues with its accounts service. It was bad enough that Epic shut down the servers for emergency maintenance last night (prompting Pornhub to tweet that its servers would crash next if Fortnite weren't up and running soon).

So, 50 vs 50 will launch sometime next week. The first version of this mode, which released in December 2017, was met with a tepid reception. People felt like the matches ended up uneven and that it was generally too chaotic. Epic hopes to address these concerns by (among other things): giving each team its own party bus, making the final circle visible from the beginning of matches, adding a dotted line to indicate both team's half of the map, and altering supply drops.

Here are the full patch notes for anyone who wants to know the specifics of how 50 vs 50 has changed. For everyone who just wants to see the changes for themselves, well, you'll have to wait a few extra days.

50vs50 V2 Delay [reddit]

Fortnite's second crack at its 50 vs 50 mode is pushed back to next week screenshot

via destructoid https://www.destructoid.com/fortnite-s-second-crack-at-its-50-vs-50-mode-is-pushed-back-to-next-week-498387.phtml

News:: The Division is getting an Xbox One X update today

Ubisoft will be adding support for Microsoft's improved Xbox One console with The Division's 1.81 patch. Along with a 4K resolution boost, this update will also bring a couple of new events to each version of the game. Details are sparse, but players will be treated to "Blackout" in April and "Onslaught" in May.

The rest of the patch notes can be viewed below.

The Division is getting an Xbox One X update today screenshot

News:: Banner Saga 3 finishes the fight in July

The sun is about to set on The Banner Saga. More than four years after the original first launched, the conclusion to the trilogy is nearly upon us.

Publisher Versus Evil revealed today that The Banner Saga 3 will release on July 24. It's launching simultaneously on PC, PS4, Switch, and Xbox One; mobile platforms will follow sometime later this year. It's going to be priced at $25, but there will also be $30 and $40 versions that have bonus items.

For anyone who's new to Banner Saga, this might actually be a fine time to jump into the series. 505 Games is manufacturing physical editions of the Banner Saga trilogy for PS4 and Xbox One that will run $40. It's a lot of viking fighting but someone's gotta be a hero. Might as well be you.

Banner Saga 3 finishes the fight in July screenshot

News:: Nintendo Switch footage surfaces for Ys VIII: Lacrimosa of Dana

We're almost on the home stretch. After next week, there is just one more port of Ys VIII: Lacrimosa of Dana to be released and then, hopefully, NIS America can rest easy on the troubled RPG.

The publishers have released several videos showcasing the Nintendo Switch version in action, ahead of its June release. The videos feature Adol and pals mid-quest as they traverse the fantasy landscape, fighting monsters and crawling through dungeons. What do you think?

Ys VIII launched in Fall 2017 on PS4 and PS Vita, lumbered with a variety of (since resolved) issues. The much delayed PC port has finally been given a release date of April 16, with this Switch edition currently set for launch on June 26 in North America and June 29 in Europe.

Nintendo Switch footage surfaces for Ys VIII: Lacrimosa of Dana screenshot

News:: Forza Horizon 4 is most likely getting an E3 reveal

It's not exactly obvious, but Microsoft has turned Forza into an annualized franchise. The reason it's obfuscated a bit is because the cycle goes Forza Motorsport then Forza Horizon then Forza Motorsport again. They're very different series that are both under the same racing banner.

That's why it's not necessarily surprising to hear talk of Forza Horizon 4 getting an E3 announcement. Xbox's Fernando Delgado, the head of Xbox in Spain and Portugal, told GameReactor a little more than he meant to. Delgado sidestepped a question about the not-yet-revealed game by saying "There have been many speculations about where the next Forza Horizon will be and that is what we will tell later at E3." Xbox has since walked back Delgado's statement, ostensibly calling it speculation.

But if it truly were speculation (and it's probably not!), at least it's smart speculation. Xbox has had the pedal to the floor with Forza and there's no real sign that it intends to slow down. There's a rumor that Forza Horizon developer Playground Games is working on a new Fable, but Playground also recently opened a second studio. There's likely enough staff to commit to both. If so, Forza Horizon 4 would be one of the more rock solid and least shocking announcements of E3.

El nuevo Forza Horizon acelera con el E3 a la vista [GameReactor]

Forza Horizon 4 is most likely getting an E3 reveal screenshot

via destructoid https://www.destructoid.com/forza-horizon-4-is-most-likely-getting-an-e3-reveal-498374.phtml

News:: Here's the first look at the BlazBlue: Cross Tag Battle English dub

If you're into making dubs, Arc System Works just dropped the first look at the BlazBlue: Cross Tag Battle English dub on Twitter (which you can watch below).

This is significant as BlazBlue: Central Fiction, the last major BlazBlue game, did not have an English dub. Fans petitioned for one and rallied even weeks after its launch for a DLC update: but one never came.

I'm happy to see a lot of the same cast back, and once again, options are great! BlazBlue: Cross Tag Battle will be released on PC, PS4, and Switch on May 31 in Japan, and June 5 in the US. The European release is still not dated, and it's not entirely clear that the Switch edition will launch on time.

Here's the first look at the BlazBlue: Cross Tag Battle English dub screenshot

News:: Warhammer: Vermintide 2 clears a million sales

Fatshark's co-op melee action game Warhammer: Vermintide 2 pulled in half a million sales in its first week and now, five weeks in, the PC title has passed the million-units-sold milestone. That timetable is "far quicker than we ever expected," according to CEO Martin Wahlund.

The game's 10 percent off for the next week on Steam, which means it down to $26.99. Fatshark has done a good job with patches so far, too; it seems like Vermintide 2 is better every time I boot it up. It really does bring back those early Left 4 Dead memories, albeit with a melee-centric twist.

Vermintide 2 is only available on PC right now, but Xbox One and PS4 versions are on the way.

Warhammer: Vermintide 2 clears a million sales screenshot

via destructoid https://www.destructoid.com/warhammer-vermintide-2-clears-a-million-sales-498375.phtml

News:: You can check out PUBG for free on Xbox One next week

Microsoft have announced that, as part of next week's Xbox Live Gold Free Play Days promotion, Xbox One owners will be able to run around in battle royale title PlayerUnknown's Battlegrounds without dropping a dime.

Between April 19 and April 22, Xbox Live Gold subscribers can download the preview build of the popular online shooter, complete with all modes, and run around to their heart's content. Any BP acquired during the trial will be transferred to the main game should you pull the trigger on a full purchase.

In related news, PUBG received its twelfth update yesterday. The new patch continues to work on general stability and connectivity issues with the game, while also taking out a few bugs. Update 12 also added the new Western Military Crate to the game, providing you and your personal posse with new ways to become the last man/woman standing. A new map is also on the way You can check out the full patch notes right here.

PlayerUnknown's Battlegrounds is available now on Xbox One and PC.

You can check out PUBG for free on Xbox One next week screenshot

via destructoid https://www.destructoid.com/you-can-check-out-pubg-for-free-on-xbox-one-next-week-498319.phtml

News:: CCP unveils details for new EVE Online expansion 'Into the Abyss'

Today during their 2018 Fanfest keynote, CCP Games announced the new Into the Abyss expansion for EVE Online. It'll take them into the Abyssal Deadspace, a special new Deadspace location beyond the normal pockets. It's a unique hostile environment with new NPCs and rare loot.

Because of the way EVE is structured, it'll be free for all players, not just subscribers. As a reminder EVE went free-to-play in late 2016, and just last year CCP removed some of the training wheels for free accounts, allowing them to advance their characters more freely.

Into the Abyss will also feature Faction Citadels, player-created landmarks, a new race of NPCs with ships and modules (Triglavians) and a (non-retroactive) character progression activity tracker -- with multiple progression paths and milestones. The Triglavians "appear to be human" in their origin according to the lore, but are a bit off due to their isolation from other civilizations. You'll access the new Abyssal Deadspace through new items called "filaments," which are basically dungeon keys/Diablo III rifts that can be activated by cruisers with varying rarity.

Into the Abyss is the 38th named expansion for EVE and it'll launch on May 29. Their first was the Castor update in December of 2003, seven months after the original launch.

CCP unveils details for new EVE Online expansion 'Into the Abyss' screenshot

via destructoid https://www.destructoid.com/ccp-unveils-details-for-new-eve-online-expansion-into-the-abyss--498313.phtml

News:: French retailer unveils exclusive Limited Edition for Street Fighter 30th Anniversary Collection

French retailer Pix'n Love have tweeted out images of a Limited Edition set for Capcom's upcoming compendium Street Fighter 30th Anniversary Collection.

The set, which appears to be exclusive to the artsy retailer, contains the Nintendo Switch edition of the game, new packaging, a selection of A5 art prints from the whole Street Fighter series and an 80 page art book, looking at over three decades of iconic series' visuals.

Anyone interested in picking up this set should note that pre-orders open on-site tomorrow, April 13, at 10:00 CET. A previously noted, these appears to be a website exclusive, and it unlikely to be available outside of France.

Street Fighter 30th Anniversary Collection hits PC, PS4, Xbox One and Nintendo Switch May 29.

French retailer unveils exclusive Limited Edition for Street Fighter 30th Anniversary Collection screenshot

News:: 'Hearthstone’s first big expansion of 2018, ‘Witchwood,’ is live

With the release of the Witchwood expansion just now, Blizzard's card game Hearthstone has officially ticked over into a new year. That means all of the cards from 2016 have rotated out of the competitive Standard mode -- good riddance, Yogg Saron and Barnes -- to make room for new ones. As was the case in previous years, this first new set of cards for the year is the best time for interested players to get in the game.

Source: Hearthstone (Twitter)

via Engadget RSS Feedhttps://www.engadget.com/2018/04/12/hearthstone-s-first-big-expansion-of-2018-witchwood-is-live/

News:: Semblance is one adorable puzzle platformer

In between my meetings at PAX East I spent my spare time walking the floor looking for any games that might otherwise go unnoticed. After finishing up my meeting with the developers of Black Future '88, I ended up checking out another game nearby.

The game from South African studio Nyamakop is called Semblance, and its art immediately reminded me of LocoRoco, which was more than enough to pull me in. I got to chatting with one of the developers, Ben Myres, about the project's origins and what sets it apart from other platformers.

Semblance is one adorable puzzle platformer screenshot

News:: Nintendo wants startups to pitch new Switch hardware ideas

If you thought Nintendo opening the Switch to new indie games every quarter was a big shift for the company, wait 'til you hear that it's getting into startups. The venerable video game corporation has partnered with Scrum Ventures to find companies tinkering with new ways to play with or use Nintendo's flagship console.

Source: Bloomberg

via Engadget RSS Feedhttps://www.engadget.com/2018/04/12/nintendo-wants-startups-pitch-new-switch-hardware/

News:: Nintendo Download: Don't Starve

The big release this week on Switch is Don't Starve, but as usual the platform is dominating the landscape with 95% of Nintendo's eShop drops.

It's also hosting Breakforcist Battle, NeoGeo Gururin, Asdivine Hearts, Burly Men at Sea, Dragon Blaze, Drone Fight, Eternal Edge, It's Spring Again, Pirates: All Aboard, Regalia: Of Men and Monarchs, Rogue Aces, Skies of Fury DX, Streets of Red - Devil's Dare Deluxe, Word Search by POWGI, and Zotrix: Solar Division.

The Wii U getting the bizarre Shadow Archery, which is free for a limited time and will revert to $0.99. Are you a bad enough dude to boot up your Wii U to install it?

Nintendo Download: Don't Starve screenshot

News:: Najd, one of the most unique King of Fighters characters in years, is out today in KOF XIV's 3.0 update

Despite getting knocked off the main stage at EVO 2018, SNK has steadily been supporting King of Fighters XIV -- overhauling its visual style, adding new fighters, and tweaking old ones.

Part of that support is by way of patch 3.0, which adds in Blue Mary, Heidern, Oswald, and Najd -- the latter of which is the winner of a create-a-character contest. Created by Saudi Arabian artist Mashael Al-Barrak, Najd dons an Abaya at night that grants her shadow powers, and lives as a college student during the day. She's rad and I can't wait to try her out.

Oh, and there's a 31-page English changelog that explains everything in 3.0! SNK should really be commended for their support.

Ver 3.0 patch notes [SNK]

Najd, one of the most unique King of Fighters characters in years, is out today in KOF XIV's 3.0 update screenshot

News:: Rival Megagun is a PVP-centric shmup coming to Switch and other platforms

There are only a handful of popular competitive shmups out there, and when people even mention the fairly niche subgenre, Twinkle Star Sprites immediately enters the conversation.

Rival Megagun has the potential to make a similar impact when it releases later this year. Published by Degica and developed by Spacewave Software, Rival Megagun is set for the PC, PS4, Xbox One, and Switch platforms. The gist is that you'll battle each other via split-screen play, and players have the ability to morph into a boss and rain down hellfire on their opponent.

It also sports a nice little art style that's a good mix of new and old sensibilities. I'm in!

Rival Megagun is a PVP-centric shmup coming to Switch and other platforms screenshot

News:: Legendary warrior Siegfried returns in Soulcalibur VI

Bandai Namco have released a trailer showcasing the next fighter to return to the Stage of History. This time around, it's none other than the backbone of the entire Soulcalibur storyline, Siegfried Schtauffen.

Siegfried, who made his debut in the original Soul Edge and has been a series mainstay ever since, is a German knight whose mind was lost when he mistakenly beheaded his own father on the battlefield. Riddled with guilt and denial, the young knight began a bitter journey to capture the legendary weapon, Soul Edge, a journey that would see him transformed into the twisted azure knight, Nightmare.

Now returned to his true self, bitterly haunted by the memories of atrocities performed whilst under the weapon's power, Siegfried returns to battle, seeking redemption and the ultimate destruction of Soul Edge's terrible curse.

Soulcalibur VI launches on PC, PS4 and Xbox One later in 2018.

Legendary warrior Siegfried returns in Soulcalibur VI screenshot

News:: Senran Kagura, Fate/Extella Link coming west, Bullet Witch soars onto PC

Publisher XSEED Games has announced the localization of several anticipated titles for this year on multiple platforms. The games coming our way are Senran Kagura Reflexions, Senran Kagura Burst Re:Newal, and Fate/Extella Link. In addition, the company revealed that Bullet Witch, an older Japanese game with the misfortune to release exclusively on the 360, would be coming to PC this month.

You can check out the teaser trailer for the titles below.

Senran Kagura, Fate/Extella Link coming west, Bullet Witch soars onto PC screenshot

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Thursday, April 12, 2018