News:: Comments of the Week 45: April Fools' Redux

Welcome back to Comments of the Week 45! Wait, 45? Wasn't that last week? Yep! But considering that it was April Fools we couldn't help but join in on the pranks with the ooktar-centric CotW last week. But fret not! We didn't forget about all the great comments from you guys also!

For the uninitiated, I am Perro, and I will be your guest host for this Street Fighting edition of CotW, so get ready to GO FOR BROKE!

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via destructoid https://www.destructoid.com/comments-of-the-week-45-april-fools-redux-497997.phtml

News:: Xbox One backward compatibility adds eight original Xbox games including Morrowind

A bunch more original Xbox games will become playable on Xbox One this month, but Microsoft is splitting them up into two groups. The first wave rolls out today. Here's what we're looking at:

• Blinx: The Time Sweeper
• Breakdown
• Conker: Live & Reloaded
• The Elder Scrolls III: Morrowind
• Hunter: The Reckoning
• Jade Empire
• Panzer Dragoon Orta
• SSX 3

Straight up, backward compatibility is one of the best things going for Xbox One. If you own these on-disc, you can just pop 'em in, otherwise you can grab the games digitally from the Microsoft Store.

The next group of backward-compatible Xbox games is set for April 26 and it'll include Mercenaries: Playground of Destruction, Star Wars: Republic Commando, and Destroy All Humans.

via destructoid https://www.destructoid.com/xbox-one-backward-compatibility-adds-eight-original-xbox-games-including-morrowind-499075.phtml

News:: The Last Jedi gets some tables in Pinball FX3

Zen Studios' Pinball FX series is no stranger to Star Wars tables, so obviously some DLC based on The Last Jedi was in the works. Now available for Pinball FX3 on everything but Switch, you can relive Rey's training with Luke on Ahch-To and stare at some very creepy renditions of Daisy Ridley and Mark Hamill. Like, seriously, Rey looks terrifying.

The DLC also includes a second table that acts like a basic summary of the plot of the film, which is neat. Captain Phasma and Finn end up looking better, but I still can't get over how stiff and awkward the posing is. I wonder how the actors feel about portrayals like this.

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via destructoid https://www.destructoid.com/the-last-jedi-gets-some-tables-in-pinball-fx3-499065.phtml

News:: Ubisoft confirms E3 presser for Monday June 11

Two of the few E3 press conference constants over the past several years are that Ubisoft goes Monday afternoon and Sony goes Monday evening. Sony hasn't yet confirmed its plans, but we have assurance that Ubisoft will go on exactly as expected.

Ubisoft confirmed today that it will hold its E3 2018 presser on Monday June 11 at 1pm Pacfic at the Orpheum Theater in Los Angeles. Just like last year. And the year before that.

Of course, the greater E3 questions are about the what rather than the when. In 2017, Ubisoft had its best press conference in recent memory. Maybe ever, actually. How does it follow that up?

Well, we're nearly guaranteed to learn a lot more about The Division 2. Of course, Assassin's Creed will probably play a prominent role. Oh yeah, there's still a lot to reveal surrounding Beyond Good & Evil 2. And we haven't really heard about Skull & Bones since last June.

The point is that there's stuff to show, and that's without considering new reveals. As we were reminded last year, E3 bombshells have a way of elevating your press conference's profile. Just two more months until we find out if Ubisoft can extend its one-year streak of throwing a surprisingly-good presser.

via destructoid https://www.destructoid.com/ubisoft-confirms-e3-presser-for-monday-june-11-499087.phtml

News:: Popular arcade shmup Psyvariar is coming to Switch and PS4

Psyvariar has been around for a long while. Originally it debuted in Japanese arcades in 2000 from developer Success Corporation, but it's since gone on to develop an audience on PS2, spawn several upgraded iterations, and a sequel. It was just released on consoles in Europe and Japan, but it's about to get a whole lot more accessible later this year.

As confirmed by Famitsu, Psyvariar is coming to the PS4 and Switch with an HD tuneup an an additional gametype under the moniker Psyvariar Delta. It's great that it's being released on PS4 and Switch specifically -- two of the easiest platforms to get region free games for.

Long live the shmup genre!

Psyvariar [Famitsu via Siliconera]

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via destructoid https://www.destructoid.com/popular-arcade-shmup-psyvariar-is-coming-to-switch-and-ps4-499022.phtml

News:: Reflecting on the recent history and future of the collectathon platformer

There are few words that tickle our nostalgia bones like “collectathon” does. Exploring 3D locales and collecting MacGuffins by the truckload are simple gratifications that reward our curiosity and love of increasing numbers. Many of the biggest hits from early 3D gaming like Super Mario 64 and Banjo-Kazooie built upon those foundations, making “collectathon” a word that instantly brings to mind jagged and colorful polygons. That genre has also rarely been seen since the advent of HD consoles… until last year!

2017 saw the releases of Yooka-Laylee, A Hat in Time, and Super Mario Odyssey, all collectathons greeted with enthusiasm and hype. Last year meant many things to games, but to platforming enthusiasts, it meant the resurgence of a long-dormant subgenre. Because I’m too stubborn to let this new age of collectathons fade out of my grasp, I’m going to recap how these games were received and how they impacted the recent history of collectathons. Afterwards, we’ll take a look at the forecast for this genre’s near future and why it’s heading in that direction.

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via destructoid https://www.destructoid.com/reflecting-on-the-recent-history-and-future-of-the-collectathon-platformer-498916.phtml

News:: Activision has reportedly dropped the single-player campaign from Call of Duty: Black Ops 4

Treyarch's line of Call of Duty: Black Ops titles are often praised for their conspiracy theory-fueled stories about military covert operations. If a new report is true, the fourth installment will eschew that strong suit altogether.

Polygon is reporting that it has sources who say Activision has canned Call of Duty: Black Ops 4's single-player campaign. Supposedly, the project was behind schedule and it became clear that Treyarch wouldn't be able to complete the story campaign by the game's October 12 release date.

To compensate, Activision shifted to focusing on multiplayer and cooperative modes -- including the ever-popular Zombies. It's said that cooperative is somehow the main attraction, as if it's a replacement of sorts for a traditional campaign. It's unclear if this substitution means any kind of story will be told.

However, there's another rumor running adjacent to Polygon's piece. Call of Duty enthusiast site CharlieIntel says its sources have revealed that Activision has tasked subsidiary Raven Software with developing a battle royale mode. The idea is that an emphasis on additional multiplayer modes will placate consumers who feel that a campaign-less Call of Duty is a lesser product.

Activision hasn't weighed in on these developing stories. It has simply said "We don't comment on rumor and speculation. We look forward to revealing Black Ops 4 on May 17."

If this entirely-plausible-sounding report is true, it strikes as an unfortunate year for it to happen. Black Ops has a sizable following who are interested in the themes of the sub-franchise. Without a story, what exactly makes it Black Ops? Something that's less established, like Advanced Warfare, seems like a better place to experiment with new release models. But, delaying Call of Duty outside of the holiday season isn't really an option. So here we are.

Call of Duty: Black Ops 4 won’t have traditional single-player campaign [Polygon]
Rumor: Raven Software possibly working on Battle Royale mode for Black Ops 4 [CharlieIntel]

via destructoid https://www.destructoid.com/activision-has-reportedly-dropped-the-single-player-campaign-from-call-of-duty-black-ops-4-499088.phtml

News:: Retro-styled mobile game Venture Kid headed to Nintendo Switch

Publishers FDG Entertainment have announced that they're bringing their NES-style platformer Venture Kid to the Nintendo Switch as a console exclusive. The game launched on mobile devices back in 2016, when it was also scheduled for a Steam release.

In the game, players guide Andy (just "Andy"? Really?) through nine hazard-filled levels, dodging deathtraps and taking down bosses, in a quest to foil the dastardly schemes of Dr. Teklov, who is constructing a super-weapon within his interstellar fortress.

The game also features power-ups for our boy Andy to collect, as well as an array of secrets waiting to be discovered. Its delightful chiptune soundtrack is scored by Matt Creamer of Retro City Rampage fame. Venture Kid is currently in development for PC and Switch.

Venture Kid coming to Nintendo Switch [Twitter]

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via destructoid https://www.destructoid.com/retro-styled-mobile-game-venture-kid-headed-to-nintendo-switch-499042.phtml

News:: This oil painting of Zelda's Master Sword is hauntingly beautiful

Zelda is one of the most conducive series for amazing fan art. It's not just that most of the games in the series, 2D or 3D, are gorgeous, but the fact that there's so many different art styles to choose from.

Artist Raerega opted for a classic -- the Master Sword -- by way of an oil painting, and it came out wonderfully. According to Raerega their father-in-law is a professional artist, and they decided to work together to create pop culture art like the above. This is their online gallery if you're interested, which includes works as recent as the new God of War.

Raerega explains that the inspiration was simple -- Zelda is one of their favorite series outside of Warcraft, a franchise that's heavily represented on the above gallery. If I had more room on my walls I'd be tempted to order a print!

Pop Culture Oil Paintings [Lou Ironet Art via Reddit]

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via destructoid https://www.destructoid.com/this-oil-painting-of-zelda-s-master-sword-is-hauntingly-beautiful-499019.phtml

News:: Hellblade deserves all those BAFTA awards

I finished Hellblade: Senua's Sacrifice and felt like something of a failure. This is an incredibly well put together experience, and I -- a guy whose job it is to have interesting thoughts about games -- have no real interesting thoughts about Hellblade. I just know that I enjoyed what I played even if I'm not necessarily sure why I enjoyed it.

I'd be going through something of a crisis if I were tasked with reviewing Hellblade. I wouldn't know the right combination of words to describe the use of psychosis that permeates every breathing second of the game. It feels sincere and legitimate. Protagonist Senua is mentally ill and finding a way to cope with that is a major part of her arc. Video games always cater to a traditional power fantasy of becoming physically stronger; not many games bother to show the struggle of becoming mentally stronger.

But, because of the psychosis, I'm not sure how much of Hellblade I could trust. There's not a single quiet or dull moment. There's this never-ceasing push and pull of voices in Senua's head. If one is ecstatic that she's doing something right, there's always a counterbalance of another telling her she's set herself up to fail. It's exhausting. 

So much of Hellblade relies on perspective, and perspective seems like it's always malleable. Whereas you can't trust the voices in Senua's head, you also can't trust what she sees. Large swaths of the game are rooted in manipulating the environment through illusion and alternate viewpoints. Senua kind of just has to press forward, regardless of whether her surroundings make any logical sense.

Toward the end, Senua is stalked by a particularly fearsome beast -- all culminating in a really great boss battle (don't click that link if you don't want to know who/what you fight and how it plays out). It's probably the most dangerous situation she has encountered in all of Hellblade, but it doesn't necessarily feel like she's especially vulnerable. Virtually all of Senua's entire life has been spent in vulnerability. Now that she's figuring out how to deal with it, she's better-equipped than ever to fight the uniquely terrifying things she stumbles across.

Last week, Hellblade cleaned up at BAFTA's British Academy Game Awards. It won 5 of the 16 categories -- Artistic Achievement, Audio Achievement, British Game, Game Beyond Entertainment, and Performer (for Melina Juergens' performance in the lead role). They're deserved victories, especially considering the spirit of each category. Hellblade is a visual and aural assault that's as discombobulating as it is impressive. 

Hellblade is worthy of all the praise it got. I just don't know that I'll ever fully process how I feel about it.

via destructoid https://www.destructoid.com/hellblade-deserves-all-those-bafta-awards-499069.phtml

News:: MegaHouse open pre-orders on exquisite Persona 5 Arsene figurine

Toy-makers MegaHouse has revealed pics of an upcoming figurine designed after Arsène, the initial persona of Joker, the protagonist of last year's smash hit RPG, Persona 5.

Arsène is the first Persona that the protagonist unleashes, upon learning of his powerful abilites not long after his transference to Shujin Academy in Tokyo. Adorned with powerful wings and a sweet top hat, Arsène is named after famous literary thief Arsène Lupin, who wowed readers with his tales of derring-do in the early 1900's (Anime legend Lupin III also references said character).

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via destructoid https://www.destructoid.com/megahouse-open-pre-orders-on-exquisite-persona-5-arsene-figurine-499012.phtml

News:: Originally Zelda: Breath of the Wild had a much darker look

Zelda: Breath of the Wild had a glorious aesthetic to it: bright and vibrant, to the point where even the mechanical aspects of the game felt like they had life. But this concept art from the Master Works 30th Anniversary book are something else entirely, to the point of pure nightmare fuel of Lovecraftian proportions.

Obtained by Gaming Reinvented, the most stunning piece of art showcases the hellish look of the Guardians, but there's also a ton of other interesting tidbits in there like the interior of Hyrule Castle before the fall, as well as other various facets of the universe and NPCs.

I'm sure a lot of people who are down on Breath of the Wild would have preferred this look, but after really thinking about it -- I'm absolutely happy with both. It would be nice to see Nintendo move to a darker tone one day, but they nailed the destruction of Hyrule regardless.

Zelda Breath of the Wild Masterworks Book Reveals Interesting Development Details [Gaming Reinvented]

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via destructoid https://www.destructoid.com/originally-zelda-breath-of-the-wild-had-a-much-darker-look-499010.phtml

News:: What if Ace Attorney was a true story about a doctor who was a stalker?

It's easy to be pessimistic for an interesting video game. Too often, the games that sell are the ones that take few risks and don't attempt to provide the player with anything emotionally or intellectually complicated. Chances are, the games that sell well are about simple cause and effect scenarios. Punch a thing. Build a thing. Shoot a thing. These are mechanics that anyone, including myself, can easily take to and grow to love. 

That said, the success of the Ace Attorney series and games like Ladykiller in a Bind give me hope that games about more complicated human interactions can also find their audience. Case in point, I have the feeling that with a little more exposure, Astrologaster might end up doing just fine. I spoke with Katherine Neil and Jennifer Schneidereit, two of the game's creators, about their passion for the project, and their ideas spilled out in a volume beyond anything that our five-minute video could convey.

Based on the real-life journals of 16th century medical astrologist Simon Forman, Astrologaster allows players to give life-changing advice to a bevy of desperate NPCs, all based on the messages sent by the stars. What may seem like a simple fortune telling game quickly unravels into a tale of polygamy, sexual fantasies of the queen, cultural classism, and a brand of medical malpractice that goes beyond anything I've ever seen.

I'm sure that the people who are destined to like this game will love it to bits, but it may take some doing for them to discover the game exists. Chances are they're more likely to read Psychology Today or The Medical Journal of Medicine than Kotaku or Destructoid, though I'd love to be proven wrong on that assumption.  

via destructoid https://www.destructoid.com/what-if-ace-attorney-was-a-true-story-about-a-doctor-who-was-a-stalker--498819.phtml

News:: Monster Hunter World gets a golden Eldar Dragon and some great new changes this week

It's a heck of a week for Monster Hunter World. Capcom is prepping a free update for April 18 at 5:00pm Pacific that adds the shiny Eldar Dragon Kulve Taroth. The beast will only be around for a limited time as part of a new Siege quest type, and it's going to require a team effort to take it down.

Players will need to group up in the Gathering Hub for the Siege on Kulve Taroth. "Up to four parties of four hunters each can team up and contribute progress, work together to collectively break more parts, and reap greater benefits of hunting the same Kulve Taroth," according to Capcom. The game mode balance is the same "regardless of the hunting party size," and SOS Flares can't be used.

Along with golden armor, there's also new layered armor sets up for grabs.

Capcom has a number of enhancements and tweaks, too. Highlights include sorting options for investigations, the ability to cultivate ivy at Botanical Research, and a less jarring camera that won't force you to look at your Scoutfly trail when you're fast traveling or returning to camp after fainting.

Oh, and Flash Pods will have diminishing returns when used against Tempered Monsters. Good luck!

2nd Free Update [Monster Hunter World]
Monster Hunter: World Debuts New Elder Dragon Tomorrow [PlayStation Blog]

via destructoid https://www.destructoid.com/monster-hunter-world-gets-a-golden-eldar-dragon-and-some-great-new-changes-this-week-499067.phtml

News:: Dragon Quest XI won't be open world because of development costs, story focus

Not every game needs to be open world. Although open world projects have been around for a long while, in recent years we've seen publishers take things to the extreme (Ubisoft, most notably) -- to the point where nearly every one of their games [as a service] needs to be open to some capacity. But Dragon Quest XI isn't going that route; according to creator Yuji Horii in an interview with EDGE, it's for a few separate reasons.

Speaking to EDGE, Horii explains that a lot of work goes into developing all of the facets of an open world, using fishing as an example. Instead, Horii explains, "I felt that rather than spread our effort across a breadth of things, we’d rather concentrate everything on the story. I felt that was a much better use of our time." He also notes that there's an obvious practical cost to making something so open -- "If you’re going for a completely open world, there’s obviously a development cost attached to that, affecting where you spend your time and effort."

As a reminder, Dragon Quest XI is the first non-MMO mainline Dragon Quest since 2009, and the first console mainline Dragon Quest since 2004. It's absolutely in the team's interest to craft the best JRPG they can within their means.

May issue [Edge via Video Games For Life]

via destructoid https://www.destructoid.com/dragon-quest-xi-won-t-be-open-world-because-of-development-costs-story-focus-499011.phtml

News:: New behind-the-scenes video looks at Kratos' dramatic journey to God of War

We are just a few days away from the launch of the critically-lauded God of War, a video game that is being called a new benchmark for this generation of the medium. Sony have released a video looking at the series violent, troubled protagonist, Kratos.

In the video, God of War's Creative Director Cory Balrog talks about Kratos' state of mind leading into this, the fourth mainline game in the series. Balrog speaks of Kratos' horrific journey to this point, and how shutting himself away from the world and its demons do no good when equally destructive forces reside within your own head. Into this mournful life comes Atreus, Kratos' son, and a ray of redemption in the warrior's otherwise scarred, miserable world.

The two-minute video features clips from the game's cut-scenes, and as such anyone who wishes to go into God of War completely dark may want to give it a pass. Regardless, the video provides a little interesting insight into Kratos' current psychological state, from the viewpoint of one of the title's foremost creators.

God of War launches on PS4 this Friday, April 20.

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via destructoid https://www.destructoid.com/new-behind-the-scenes-video-looks-at-kratos-dramatic-journey-to-god-of-war-498999.phtml

News:: 'Mass Effect' failings forced BioWare to reevaluate how it makes games

Developer BioWare is in a much different place today compared to where it was when producer Casey Hudson left. Sure, the studio cancelled its multiplayer game Shadow Realms, but no one knew much about it so it wasn't a huge blow in terms of public perception. As far as we knew, Mass Effect: Andromeda was still on track to be the awesome space-opera RPG fans had been waiting for since 2012 and everything was on the up and up. Now, of course, we know that wasn't the case. In a post on the BioWare blog, Hudson apologized for how that game turned out. Specifically, the scuttling of DLC that'd wrap up Andromeda's Quarian ark storyline.

Source: BioWare

via Engadget RSS Feedhttps://www.engadget.com/2018/04/17/mass-effect-anthem-casey-hudson/

News:: BioWare boss talks how Anthem will address the failures of Mass Effect: Andromeda

Anthem is due out in early 2019 and we still don't know a whole lot about it. Initially slated for 2018 on PC, PS4, and Xbox One it's seen at least one delay, and may very easily see another. A recent update from BioWare General Manager Casey Hudson on how they don't want to let their fanbase down this time could be indicative of that.

Although most of the blog sounds like a PR piece, there is a glimmer of hope in a direct reference to the shortcomings of Mass Effect: Andromeda: "When I returned to BioWare last summer, Mass Effect: Andromeda had just been released and there was a significant movement among players asking for a story DLC that would answer questions surrounding the fate of the quarians. As you know, we were not able to deliver story DLC for Andromeda—this was as frustrating for us as it was for players, and it was something we knew we had to solve in future games."

He goes on to clarify that the failures of Andromeda led to refocusing within the company, stating: "That experience ultimately became a defining moment in refocusing BioWare’s mission. We need to delight players with new experiences and innovation, but we must stay focused on the importance of the world, character, and storytelling elements that players expect from our games. And our games must be designed to continue delivering new stories and experiences, in an ongoing relationship with players in the worlds we’re evolving together."

The real news here is that BioWare is keen on leaving an iconic franchise in shreds. It's a damn shame that they weren't able to provide an emergency DLC alongside of constant updates to bring Andromeda up to snuff. If EA is to blame, they killed off a lot of goodwill for both BioWare and the Mass Effect series as a whole.

Studio Update from Casey Hudson [BioWare]

via destructoid https://www.destructoid.com/bioware-boss-talks-how-anthem-will-address-the-failures-of-mass-effect-andromeda-499009.phtml

News:: NBA Playgrounds 2 set to tip off this summer

NBA Playgrounds didn't have the greatest launch. As the spiritual successor to NBA Jam, it featured an amusing art style that turned NBA greats into carcitures, beautiful courts, and the same arcade style of basketball I grew up with. It also had shooting, rebounding, and blocking mechanics that could be a chore, and not everyone was down with unlocking players at random.

But like many titles in this current era of gaming, the game we have right now isn't the same one that launched a year ago. My nephew bought it a few weeks ago and we stayed up until 2am each night during his spring break unlocking players and taking down opponents. Playing Playgrounds now, it's hard for me to believe it has a sub-70 Metacritic rating across the board. I hope that won't be the case when NBA Playgrounds 2 launches this summer.

Coming to PS4, Xbox One, PC, and Switch, NBA Playgrounds 2 is adding a score of new features that probably should have been in the first game. There will be new courts, a season mode, ranked championship leagues, four-person online multiplayer, three-point contests, custom matches, new moves and power-ups, improved AI (hopefully no more pass-happy opponents), and more than 200 current and former NBA players at launch. 

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via destructoid https://www.destructoid.com/nba-playgrounds-2-set-to-tip-off-this-summer-499038.phtml

News:: Check out Street Fighter V's Falke in Capcom's live stream today

Capcom will be showing off the next addition to the Street Fighter V roster today. Falke, who finally received her debut trailer yesterday, will be in action on the Winner Stays On Sessions' live stream.

The Guardian Hawk - as Falke is known - attacks her opponents with her Psycho Power-infused staff, Harmony. Falke can poke away at a distance and even fire projectiles, before getting up close and personal to cave skulls. Although the response to her appearance and fighting style has been generally positive, some of the community have complained that they find her animation is stilted.

If you wish to check out Falke's gameplay breakdown, then the WSOS stream can be watched live on the official Capcom Fighters channel. The stream is expected to broadcast today at 12:00 PT / 15:00 ET / 20:00 BST. Falke herself will be available to download on April 24.

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via destructoid https://www.destructoid.com/check-out-street-fighter-v-s-falke-in-capcom-s-live-stream-today-498998.phtml

News:: Cosmic Star Heroine is finally coming to Vita soon, and if you own a PS4 copy you get it for free

Cosmic Star Heroine was a definite example of a Kickstarter success story, raising a modest $132,000 back in late 2013, and delivering the project on PC and PS4 in April of 2017.

There's still more work to be done though, including the upcoming Vita port and a potential Switch version, and the former finally has a release date on the horizon. As announced by developer Zeboyd Games, the Vita edition of Cosmic Star Heroine will be out on April 24 in North America, and imminently in Europe.

Note that if you have the PS4 edition you'll get the Vita version for free via cross-buy. That works both ways too if you don't own it yet.

Cosmic Star Heroine [Kickstarter]

via destructoid https://www.destructoid.com/cosmic-star-heroine-is-finally-coming-to-vita-soon-and-if-you-own-a-ps4-copy-you-get-it-for-free-499003.phtml

News:: Castlevania: Grimoire of Souls announced for iOS devices

Konami have announced a new Castlevania title coming to the iOS platform in Japan. Castlevania: Grimoire of Souls will see players co-operate to explore Dracula's castle in an all-new adventure.

The game will feature the heroic duo of shady government agent Genya Arikado and occult researcher Lucy. However other characters from Castlevanias past will also be available. These include legends such as Alucard, Shanoa, Maria Renard, Charlotte Aulin and, of course, Simon Belmont.

Up to four players will be able to take on the quest together, or face off against each other in VS battle, the action backed by popular music tracks from Castlevania's storied history. Although there is no official release date for the title, you can opt-in for the Japanese closed beta right here. Check out the gallery below for a selection of screenshots from the intriguing new game.

Castlevania: Grimoire of Souls is currently in development for iOS devices.

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via destructoid https://www.destructoid.com/castlevania-grimoire-of-souls-announced-for-ios-devices-498995.phtml

News:: 'Yakuza 6' makes its belated appearance on PS4 today

After a few bumps in the road, Yakuza 6, the latest entry in Sega's long-running gangster series is finally available for purchase in the US. That means you can finally take a stroll down the game's fictional recreation of Tokyo's Kabukicho for yourself. The game was released in Japan last December, but given how story-heavy it is, it took awhile to localize all the voice and text for Western audiences. That's fine though -- early word is that the narrative is one of, if not, the best, in the franchise and a fitting send-off to protagonist Kazuma Kiryu.

via Engadget RSS Feedhttps://www.engadget.com/2018/04/17/yakuza-6-launch-trailer/

News:: Get a good updated look at Octopath Traveler, Square's retro RPG for Switch

It feels like progress on Octopath Traveler has been moving quickly, as Square Enix and Acquire didn't announce it until 2017 -- now it's almost out. We've gotten a decent look at the art, soundtrack, and general idea of the game (you can control one of eight travelers each of which who have different skills), but this new April update video runs us through all of those concepts.

You'll get a quick look at Therion the thief and H'aanit the hunter, the former of which will be able to employ the steal command just like a classic Final Fantasy. The clip also shows off the rather impressive environments and the battle system a bit.

Octopath is out worldwide on July 13.

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via destructoid https://www.destructoid.com/get-a-good-updated-look-at-octopath-traveler-square-s-retro-rpg-for-switch-499002.phtml

News:: Dark Souls Remastered and the Solaire amiibo have been delayed on Switch

Bad news, everyone -- Bandai Namco has just announced that Dark Souls Remastered on Switch has been pushed back from May 25 until summer.

Everything else (PC, PS4, Xbox One) is still on target for May 25, it's just Switch that's been moved back. That delay also applies to the Solaire amiibo, Bandai Namco explains. No reason was given for the delay but we've reached out for specifics.

Well...Nintendo-only owners who aren't interested in picking up other versions have waited nearly seven years at this point -- what's another few months? If the delay was for quality assurance rather than marketing reasons the move is appreciated.

via destructoid https://www.destructoid.com/dark-souls-remastered-and-the-solaire-amiibo-have-been-delayed-on-switch-499027.phtml

News:: Overwatch launches Competitive 6v6 Elimination mode

Blizzard have added a new element to one of Overwatch's best side-modes, as 6v6 Elimination Lockout has begun a temporary competitive season.

For those unaware, 6v6 Elimination Lockout is a great mode found in Overwatch's Arcade menu. Teams of six compete in a first-to-three-wins deathmatch, but the winning characters from each round are then locked out of selection for all team members in proceeding rounds.

This effectively requires each team to utilise a huge chunk of the entire roster, which requires careful balancing of classes, lest you, for example, use up all your tanks, or healers, for the first round, leaving you with fewer choices from those classes for the latter dust-ups. Aside from the main game, it's definitely one of my favourite modes in Blizzard's team-based shooter.

The Competitive 6v6 Elimination season runs from now until May 7. All Elimination maps are included in the rotation, but Ayutthaya has now been added to the mix. As per the main competitive mode, players will play ten placement games to ascertain future matchmaking.

Overwatch Competitive 6v6 Elimination season underway [Blizzard]

via destructoid https://www.destructoid.com/overwatch-launches-competitive-6v6-elimination-mode-498994.phtml