XDefiant, the free-to-play first person shooter starring factions across Ubisoft's catalogue of franchises, finally has a release date and it's out very soon. Ubisoft announced today that XDefiant drops onto PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, and PC (via Ubisoft Connect) on May 21. 

This is the day the XDefiant preseason will take begin, giving players a chance to enjoy the shooter before its official first season begins. This release date reveal follows various betas and tests for the game, which at one point, resulted in the game getting indefinitely delayed last year. 

"Thank you to everyone who participated in the Server Test Session," an XDefiant blog post reads. "It was exciting to see all the love for the game and the great feedback that was shared. Coming out of the test, we are excited to say that we will launch our Preseason on May 21 on PC, PS5, and Xbox Series X/S. Preseason will last 6 weeks before going into our seasonal cadence." 

As for that seasonal cadence, Ubisoft has already outlined the first four season, which together will encompass the game's Year 1 roadmap. You can check it out below: 

As for what to expect in XDefiant's preseason, there's a lot of content on offer, and it's all free: 

Factions

• Echelon (Splinter Cell)
• Phantoms (Ghost Recon Phantoms)
• Cleaners (The Division)
• Libertad (Far Cry 6)
• Dedsec (Watch Dogs 2, after unlocking or purchasing)

Maps

• Arena
• Attica Heights
• Dumbo
• Echelon HQ
• Emporium
• Liberty
• Mayday
• Meltdown
• Midway
• Nudleplex
• Pueblito
• Showtime
• Times Square
• Zoo

Modes

• Domination
• Hot Shot
• Occupy
• Escort
• Zone Control

Ubisoft says a new Ranked Mode Practice Playlist will be live in the preseason, too, giving players a practice go at the game's upcoming ranked mode where players battle it out in 4v4 competitive matches. This playlist will include 4v4 versions of Domination, Occupy, Escort, and Zone Control. 

All rewards earned during the previously held Server Test Sessions and Insider Sessions will be available at launch in the preseason. 

Here's another look at what to expect in XDefiant's 6-week preseason:

For more about the game, read Game Informer's XDefiant impressions after going hands-on with the game, and then check out this XDefiant New Gameplay Today for a look at how it plays. 

Are you hopping into XDefiant later this month? Let us know in the comments below!

Indika is very strange. The third-person adventure stars the titular character, a nun who hears voices from the devil himself. His demonic influence manifests into world-distorting gameplay sequences as Indika explores the rural wilds of early 20th-century Russia. Tack on bizarre pixel art flourishes and other overt video game elements, and we can't tell if Indika is taking itself seriously or not. But we do know that we want to keep playing it.

Join editors Marcus Stewart and Kyle Hilliard as they explore an early section of this attention-grabbing adventure available now on PC (and PS5 and Xbox SeriesX/S later this month). 

Head over to Game Informer's YouTube channel for more previews, reviews, and discussions of new and upcoming games. Watch other episodes of New Gameplay Today right here.

Keoken Interactive, developer of Deliver Us The Moon and Deliver Us Mars, has laid off nearly its entire staff. The studio’s two founders are the only remaining employees.

Founders Keon Deetman (CEO) and Paul Deetman (managing director) announced on social media that after the studio failed to secure funding during the Game Developer’s Conference (GDC) in March, it had “exhausted all our possible options for publishing, work for hire, and co-development.” As a result, the remainder of its staff has been let go. GameIndustry.biz confirmed that 13 employees were affected, 11 of which were full-time and 2 freelance contractors. 

The Deetmans have made a call for any studios with open positions to hire its affected staff. The founders plan to stay in business and have vowed to rebuild, which includes launching a Kickstarter to crowdfund Deliver Us Home,  a sequel to Deliver Us Mars. 

It was clear Keoken was in trouble when the founders posted a video in March revealing it had been unable to land a publishing deal after spending two years pitching five games to over 40 publishers. Instead, the founders decided to publicly reveal these projects to help garner interest, one of which was Deliver Us Home and two were Deliver Us The Moon spin-offs, including a VR game. 

Keoken once employed 45 employees, but the headcount was reduced to 20 by March 2024 before four more employees were let go that month. In an interview with GameIndustry.biz, the Deetmans revealed they had gone months without collecting a salary to help stay afloat. 

Universal Orlando Resort has released a new video detailing what to expect at its Florida-based Super Nintendo World when it opens as a land in its Epic Universe theme park next year. In it, the company confirms the land will have three rides, including the Donkey Kong Mine Cart Madness coaster that's expected to open later this year in Osaka, Japan's Super Nintendo World. 

The video includes digital fly-overs of the park, showing viewers what it will look like when it opens next year. If you've seen Super Nintendo World in Japan, this park looks nearly identical, with both the Donkey Kong Country (and mine cart coaster) section and the Mushroom Kingdom with Peach's Castle, Mt. Beanpole, the Mario Kart: Bowser's Challenge augmented-reality ride and Yoshi's Adventure dark ride. 

Check it out for yourself in the new Super Nintendo World overview video below: 

As you can see, the Donkey Kong Mine Cart Madness coaster will feature state-of-the-art track technology that allows it to create the illusion that riders will actually jump off the tracks, just like in the Donkey Kong Country games. 

Like in Hollywood's Super Nintendo World, which does not have the Yoshi's Adventure ride or the Donkey Kong expansion as a result of space at the location, and Osaka's Super Nintendo World, guests can purchase Power-Up Bands to play in interactive Key Challenges to earn coins and more. Plus, returning locations like the Toadstool Cafe restaurant and more will be at Orlando's iteration of the park. 

Here's a look at some of the locations to expect when Universal Epic Universe opens next year: 

 

For more details about the park, read Game Informer's breakdown of everything coming to Epic Universe next year. After that, check out photos from our visit to Japan's Super Nintendo World, and then watch this vlog of our day at the theme park. 

Are you excited for Epic Universe and Orlando's Super Nintendo World? Let us know in the comments below!

Update, 2:47 p.m., May 2, 2024:

Earlier today, we learned that Take-Two Interactive, the company-publisher behind the Grand Theft Auto series, had closed Rollerdrome studio Roll7 and Kerbal Space Program 2 studio Intercept Games. Both of those games, and many others including the recently released No Rest for the Wicked, were published by Private Division, an indie-publishing arm under Take-Two.

Now, in a new update from GamesIndustry.biz, the publication reports that Take-Two has shuttered the "vast majority" of Private Division's teams in Seattle, New York, Las Vegas, and Munich, according to one of its sources. When GamesIndustry.biz reached out to Take-Two for confirmation, the company issued the same statement that can be read in Game Informer's original story below. 

The original story continues below...

Original story, 9:48 a.m., May 2, 2024:

Take-Two Interactive, the company behind games like Grand Theft Auto V that also acquired mobile giant Zynga in 2022 in the second-biggest deal in games history, has closed Roll7 and Intercept Games, the studios behind Rollerdrome and Kerbal Space Program 2, respectively. After a report from GameDeveloper.com indicated Take-Two was laying off 70 people at Intercept Games, Bloomberg released a report confirming that Take-Two was shuttering both Intercept Games and Roll7. 

The publication reports that Take-Two is closing the London-based Roll7 and offering severance to staff. A notice filed with the Washington State Employment Security Department indicates that Take-Two is planning to close a Seattle-based studio with 70 employees, which aligns with Intercept Games' employee count and location. 

While Take-Two hasn't yet addressed the closures, it gave the following statement to IGN regarding the layoffs and the status of Kerbal Space Program 2, which launched into Early Access last year. 

"On April 16, Take-Two announced a cost reduction program to identify efficiencies across its business and to enhance the Company's margin profile while still investing for growth. As part of these efforts, the Company is rationalizing its pipeline and eliminating several projects in development and streamlining its organization structure, which will eliminate headcount and reduce future hiring needs. The company is not providing additional details.  "On April 18, Private Division successfully launched Moon Studio's No Rest for the Wicked. The label continues to make updates to Kerbal Space Program 2 and plans to release Wētā Workshop Game Studio's Tales of the Shire: A Lord of the Rings game in the second half of 2024." 

These closures arrive roughly a month after Take-Two announced it was laying off 5% (579 employees) at its various companies while canceling projects in the works. The publisher also acquired Gearbox Entertainment in late March. Roll7 won a BAFTA award for Rollerdrome last year and also developed 2022's OlliOlli World.

The hearts of the Game Informer staff are with everyone who's been affected by layoffs or closures. 

[Source: Bloomberg, IGN]

This article originally published on June 7, 2018

With the announcement of Fallout 76, fans are scrambling for clues that will shed light on the new game. A few concrete details come from the pre-existing information on Vault 76. Most vaults in Fallout were built for a specific purpose, and according to references in Fallout 3, Vault 76 supposedly held 500 people for exactly 20 years before opening and repopulating the surface.

Repopulation is important and all, but is this the most interesting route for a new Fallout? Playing a wastelander on a noble quest is something we’ve already done several times, but a game built around the events of a specific vault is an intriguing proposition. We delve into canon Fallout lore to reveal a bounty of bizarre and disturbing scenarios, any of which could make for an excellent spinoff.

Vault 12

Vault-Tec, the company who built the shelters spread across America, is a notoriously unethical corporation in the Fallout universe. In collaboration with the U.S. Government, Vault-Tec built most of its vaults around “social experiments,” testing the effects of isolation and other variables in the tightly controlled underground communities. 

Vault 12 is one of the most twisted of these experiments. Foregoing the very purpose of a fallout shelter, Vault-Tec intentionally left the door unsealed. Awash in deadly radiation, the survivors of Vault 12 were permanently transformed by Vault-Tec’s negligence.

Ghouls are familiar to anyone who’s played a Fallout game. Zombie-like in appearance, their rotting flesh is a product of exposure to massive amounts of radiation. Despite this, they’re often surprisingly empathetic characters, with thoughtful dialogue and a depth of experience taken from their horrifying life experiences.

One of the biggest hubs of ghouls is Necropolis, a city players may run across in the original Fallout. The massive population stems from, you guessed it, the residents of Vault 12.

Here’s the pitch: Survival horror on a community scale. Players try to maintain life as a resident in the vault while people get sick and decay. You decide who gets Rad-X and who has to bear the brunt of the radiation then manage the dividing populations as people turn to ghouls and lose sympathy for their fellow residents. Imagine a combination of some of the haunted vaults in Fallout 3 and the oppressive wartime decisions of This War of Mine and you’ve got Fallout: Vault 12.  

This, for a whole game.

Vault 29

One criticism of Bethesda’s Fallout games was the removal of the ability to kill children. Although sadistic, the complaint had two main pillars. Firstly, Fallout 1 and 2 had the ability; it benefited the player in no way and made virtually every NPC in the game hostile, but it was technically possible. Secondly, kids in the Fallout games have been historically ... very annoying.

Enter Vault 29, population: children. Another perversion of an experiment by Vault-Tec, no one over the age of 15 was allowed into the shelter. The only confirmed survivor, a mutant named Harold, emerged from the vault in 2090 and would go on to become one of the wasteland’s most influential residents.

Here’s the pitch: A dark, violent version of Richard Linklater’s Boyhood. Harold entered the vault at age five and experiences his entire adolescence in the underground tunnels, so players would experience his life one year at a time. The early years would be chaos, both from the initial panic of being without adults, but also because we’d experience them as a kindergartner.

As time wears on, we’d mature and start to learn about the political structure of the vault. I’m picturing Battle School from Ender’s Game with multiple factions with different leaders and styles, all led by charismatic children. Like Ender’s Game, this game would still have truly bleak themes and conflict without resorting to kids toting firearms. As Harold, we’d come to understand the dynamic of the different factions, and fight to become a part of the most influential groups.

This, but ya know. Radioactive.

Vault 43

Twenty Men. Ten Women. One Panther. That’s the idea for Vault 43, a shelter that really calls into question Vault-Tec’s understanding of the word “experiment.” Nothing is known about the outcome of this vault, and that might be for the best.

Here’s the pitch: Asymmetrical multiplayer. The men and women work together to try and build a society that’s democratic, charitable, and most importantly, panther-proof. Meanwhile, the panther is slinking in and out of the shadows, testing the defenses and eating anyone who strays too far from the beaten path.

The game’s pace could play out similarly to Evolve. In the early rounds, the panther is weak but the residents don’t have access to many resources. As time goes on, the men and women can fortify doors and board up air vents, but they won’t be able to stop the panther from accessing more radioactivity than Dr. Manhattan. Sure, the humans have numbers on their side, but how many people is enough to stop a radioactive, mutant panther?

This, but it breaks. A lot.

Vault 53

Intended to test the inhabitants’ resilience to everyday inconveniences, appliances in Vault 53 were designed to break every few months. With 1000 residents, this meant a near-constant stream of necessary repairs to maintain basic living conditions. One can only imagine the psychological toll of living inside deliberately faulty infrastructure, especially when that infrastructure is absolutely necessary to keep out the devastation on the surface.

Here’s the pitch: A smaller and more intimate take on Fallout, styled after indie titles like Papers, Please. Each day would bring new items to repair and new pressures to consider. For instance, the vault’s quartermaster needs his air circulator fixed. You have the skills to do this, but your family also needs more nutrients than daily rations allow. Do you repair the unit and hope that your good faith sways him, or refuse to give his unit back until he delivers the needed food?

Repairs would gradually get more complex, and the needs in the vault would grow more dire. As more systems in the shelter failed, there’d be no way to satisfy everyone. Vault 53 demands you make sacrifices; where those sacrifices come from is up to you.

Vault 69

Vault 69 begs the question: was anyone at Vault-Tec ever a scientist?

The vault had the standard thousand residents, but only one of those residents was a man. Less the product of principled hypotheses and more that of a giggling middle schooler, Vault 69 has virtually no available information.

Here’s the pitch: Uhh, no comment on this one

This, but not a dog. A puppet.

Vault 77

Although we don’t have the name of the sole resident of Vault 77, we do have a significant amount of information on his circumstances. Locked into the shelter alone, it took more than a year for him to open the crate marked “Government Issue: Puppet Ration.” Once he did, he swiftly descended into a delusional and codependent relationship with the inanimate objects.

After developing an intimate bond with one in particular (a puppet sporting a Vault-Tec jumpsuit similar to his own), the man eventually left the vault. Accompanied by the puppet and a tamed giant ant named “Mr. Pinch,” his expedition into the wasteland was an unwilling miasma of violence and death, led by the whims of his puppet.

Here’s the pitch: Styled after A Way Out, this linear adventure would be a mandatory co-op experience. I’ll get this out of the way now; yes, the player assigned to the puppet would have to spend the first hour or so in a box. It’s important to the characters’ motivations. Once the two players are united however, it would largely be the puppet’s show.

The puppet could tell the human character where to walk, which quests to take, who to kill. Although the human may have locomotion, the puppet ironically holds all the power.

Fallout is a series that embraces both the devastation and the absurdity of post-apocalyptic life. It’d be great to see Bethesda to keep experimenting with the style of games in its unique universe. Just, for the love of god, stay away from Vault 69.

Head here to read our review of the first season of the Fallout TV show. And here are the lessons someone should (and shouldn't) take from Fallout. For a more serious take, check out our exhaustive history on the making of Fallout 4.

The late legend Kobe Bryant has served as the cover star for NBA 2K24 and, for many, a strong incentive to reach the top Collector Level in the game's MyTeam mode. As the NBA playoffs' first round wraps up, many fans are more disappointed than excited with the most recent NBA 2K title, as developer Visual Concepts has pulled back on a promise made prior to launch. 

In the lead-up to the game's release date, the NBA 2K24 developer Visual Concepts released a blog post running down the features of its card-collection mode, MyTeam. In that blog post, the developer laid out several features and rewards for the then-upcoming title. It took special care to devote a section to an upcoming Collector Level reward, Kobe Bryant. 

In that post, the developer highlights just how crucial Collector Level rewards are to the overall MyTeam experience. "Collector level rewards have always been important in MyTEAM, and last year the rewards came as surprises with a hidden end goal," the blog post from prior to launch stated. "So let's look forward a few months and reveal that Kobe Bryant will be the top reward in the Collector Level, and this reward will be available in April, during Season 6."

First reported by The Washington Post's Herb Scribner, with further reporting done by Forbes' Paul Tassi, NBA 2K24 has changed its top Collector Level reward to not include Kobe Bryant. Instead, players can now choose from two previously released 100-overall cards. However, according to multiple community members, the most recent 100-overall card, Yao Ming, is not an option for players to choose from.

Centering a Collector Level reward around such an iconic and beloved player likely encouraged many to grind (or spend) to achieve the top Collector Level and obtain the reward. Many players have taken to social media and the NBA 2K Community Discord server to voice their displeasure. As of this writing, neither the official NBA 2K nor NBA 2K MyTeam account has posted anything regarding the situation, and the "developer-supported and community-run" NBA 2K Subreddit contains zero posts about the missing reward. However, the MyTeam Subreddit has multiple player-posted threads regarding the problem.

The only community-facing comment from the NBA 2K team that I have found was posted on the official NBA 2K Community Discord. That comment matches the comment provided to me by a 2K spokesperson when I requested comment from the publisher. You can read the entire statement provided by a 2K spokesperson below.

2K strives to deliver the very best NBA 2K24 MyTEAM experience to the community. Please note that a change to a reward has occurred. Players who achieve a top Collector Level will now receive an Option Pack for two picks out of ten previously released 100 OVR Cards. We appreciate that players have dedicated time and effort throughout the year to achieve this reward and 2K is committed to ensuring players continue to earn valuable content as their reward.

I followed up requesting additional information on why the change was made, but the spokesperson declined to comment further. Some online speculation has posited that licensing issues are to blame, but there is no confirmation or evidence to support that theory outside of 2K's unwillingness to comment further at this time.

NBA 2K24 arrived on PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Switch, and PC on September 8, 2023. While the gameplay is one of the stronger elements of the title, among our reviewer's chief complaints involved the increasingly intrusive microtransactions that permeate multiple long-term modes within the game. This controversy surrounding one of the most monetized modes does little to refute that criticism. You can read our full review here.

The Batman: Arkham series redefined the superhero genre and changed the course of action games in the decade following Arkham Asylum's release. While four mainline entries – Asylum, City, Origins, and Knight – delivered similar gameplay, a smaller spin-off game, 2016's Batman: Arkham VR, let players step into the shoes of the Caped Crusader using their PlayStation VR, Oculus Rift, or HTC Vive headset. Batman: Arkham VR felt more like a tech demo than a fully fleshed-out game, but its relatively high sales showed that the appetite was there. Today, Oculus Studios announced another VR title set in the Batman: Arkham universe titled Batman: Arkham Shadow.

Though Rocksteady Studios, the developer of Asylum, City, and Knight, was behind Batman: Arkham VR, the developer that most recently released Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League does not appear to be involved with Batman: Arkham Shadow. Instead, Camouflaj, the studio behind République and Iron Man VR, is in charge of Batman: Arkham Shadow. 

Details are scarce, but Camouflaj founder and studio head Ryan Payton penned a letter on behalf of the team, which is posted on the studio's website. "From the start, Batman: Arkham Shadow is being crafted to be the ultimate VR game and take full advantage of the Meta Quest 3," the letter said. "Leaning into our eight years of dedicated VR game development history has enabled us to not only create a distinctly Arkham-feeling game but done in a way that leverages the immersive magic only VR can provide."

"Batman: Arkham Shadow is the largest Camouflaj development project to date and marks our second release as a first party member of Oculus Studios, following 2022's critically-acclaimed release of Marvel's Iron Man VR for Quest 2," the letter later said.

When combined with the key art, the teaser trailer seems to hint at The Ratcatcher being the main villain in this title. Check out the very brief teaser video below.

We can expect a full reveal at Summer Game Fest 2024's livestream, set for June 7 at 2 p.m. PT. Batman: Arkham Shadow is coming exclusively to Meta Quest 3 later this year.

Zynga has released a new trailer for its upcoming competitive multiplayer game, Star Wars: Hunters, revealing a June 4 release date alongside a new cinematic look at some of the characters. Star Wars: Hunters will hit Switch and iOS and Android devices on that day, giving players the chance to compete with others in iconic locations like the forest moon of Endor, the icy planet of Hoth, and elsewhere while controlling Hunters like J-3DI, a droid who thinks he's a Jedi, Utooni which is two Jawas stacked on top of each other in a trench coat, and more. 

Zynga says each Hunter boasts their own unique set of abilities to aid them in the Arena, which is the marquee attraction of the new planet of Vespaara. "Star Wars: Hunters features a number of game modes for players to test their mettle, such as Squad Brawl, in which opposing teams will battle to rack up the most eliminations, and Trophy Chase, where competing teams will vie for control of the elusive droid TR-F33," a press release reads. 

Check out the action in the new Star Wars: Hunters trailer below: 

"We are beyond excited to welcome fans across the globe to Vespaara," Zynga vice president Sam Cooper writes in a press release. "We can't wait for gamers to meet our Hunters and hop into the Arena. There are so many fun twists and winks to recognizable, beloved Star Wars settings, creatures, and themes within our game that we also are eager to see players worldwide get the chance to discover." 

Star Wars: Hunters will be available worldwide on Switch, iOS, and Android devices. It will be free, and on Switch, it does not require a Nintendo Switch Online membership to download and play.

For more, watch the Star Wars: Hunters reveal trailer, and then check out some gameplay from it here. 

Are you going to check out Star Wars: Hunters in June? Let us know in the comments below!

Platform: PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, PC
Release: September 13, 2024

If you're a fan of a popular movie or TV show from any time in the last several decades, chances are, they've made a Funko Pop figurine of the main characters. The brand is ubiquitous in pop culture, so it was only a matter of time before it got a big video game adaptation. This sort of game could easily be a cheap cash grab, but after watching a preview demo and listening to one of the head developers speak about it, I'm confident that Funko Fusion is much more than that.

You've never played a game by developer 10:10 Games, but you probably know the work of its staff – the founders of the studio are some of the former architects of the Lego games developed by Traveler's Tales, including CEO Jon Burton, COO Paul Flanagan, and design director Arthur Parsons, who leads the demo. He boots up a level based on John Carpenter's 1982 horror classic The Thing, which signifies one of the main elements that separates this title from the kid-friendly Lego titles; this game is rated T for Teen and references loads of media properties that are decidedly not for children. Still, the world is charming and lighthearted, so when a Funko Pop is impaled through the side of the head, it's more goofy than ghastly.

Parsons, playing as Kurt Russel's MacReady, fights off some Norwegians using the game's third-person shooting mechanics. According to Parsons, all characters have melee and ranged options, though they had to get creative for some characters. While He-Man uses his signature sword, OJ (the protagonist from Jordan Peele's Nope) swings around a miniature version of one of the inflatable tube men from his movie. Parsons dispatches enemies easily, which I imagine is due to the game's relatively low difficulty, his experience working on it as a developer, and the fact that every enemy has an outrageously large head, ideal for headshots.

 

Funko Fusion will ultimately feature over 20 IPs in the game, mostly from NBCUniversal properties, though they've also made licensing deals with other companies.

Here's a list of some that we know so far:

• Back to the Future
• Battlestar Galactica
• Child's Play
• Five Nights at Freddy's
• Hot Fuzz
• Invincible
• Jaws
• Jurassic World
• Knight Rider
• Masters of the Universe
• Megan
• The Mummy
• Nope
• Scott Pilgrim vs. The World
• Shaun of the Dead
• The Thing
• The Umbrella Academy
• Voltron
• The Walking Dead
• Xena: Warrior Princess

Each IP will include playable characters, and many will include levels, though the scope of each level will vary by the franchise. Some, like The Thing, will get a proper, full-sized level, while others exist as secret cameo levels players can unlock in other worlds. Poking around the frozen outpost in the demo, Parsons travels through a portal to reach a world based on Shaun of the Dead, where he has to escort a car of civilians to the safety of the Winchester. While there, he transforms into He-Man and shows off the zombie enemies, which turn the hero into a zombified version of himself. Even though it's just a cameo level, it's much larger than I initially expected, likely packing plenty of easter eggs in for fans of the movie.

Players can move through these levels in whatever order they want to progress through the game's main story. Parsons explains that this modular approach allows them to continue to support the game after launch by easily adding new characters and levels into the mix. The first instance of this is with the game's pre-order bonus, which includes Rick Grimes and Michonne from The Walking Dead, complete with alternate outfits.

It's been years since the last Lego game, and with this team of developers, I'm excited to watch them attempt to fill that gap. Luckily, I won't have to wait long. Funko Fusion is coming to PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, PlayStation 4, Switch, and PC on September 13. 

Purchase

Platform: PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Switch, PC
Publisher: Sega
Developer: Atlus
Release: June 14, 2024
Rating: Mature

The 2021 release of Shin Megami Tensei V received a solid response from fans and critics. The Switch-exclusive title garnered an 8.25 out of 10 from Game Informer and an 84 out of 100 score on reviews aggregate site Metacritic. With Shin Megami Tensei V: Vengeance, Atlus hopes to take the well-liked entry to even greater heights; not only is this new version of the well-liked RPG making the leap to additional platforms, but it's bringing with it new locations, new demons, various quality-of-life improvements, and an entirely brand new storyline. I recently had the chance to meet with Sega to spend two hours with SMT V: Vengeance to see how this definitive edition of the game is shaping up.

In Shin Megami Tensei V: Vengeance, you can take two completely separate paths, each lasting around 80 hours and containing different endings. The Canon of Creation is the storyline from the original game, while the Canon of Vengeance is a completely new path found exclusively in this new version of SMT V. In the Canon of Vengeance, you meet a new character named Yoko Hiromine, a mysterious girl with the power to fight demons. She can join your party, filling one of the slots typically reserved for demons.

My hands-on demo consists of two hours of gameplay. The first hour takes place in the school area and Bethel Japan. My first task is to search for Ichiro in the Diet Building. After finding him and meeting Yoko, the party touches the terminal to return to Tokyo. They're greeted by Archangel Abdiel, who is unhappy with Aogami and the protagonist's progress, but before Abdiel can exact his wrath, Tao, the Saint of Bethel's Japanese branch, steps in to save them. After talking to the party and Bethel Japan's director, Koshimizu, I lead the protagonist back to his dorm to prepare for the next day.

As the next day starts, I head to school, where Yoko Hiromine is introduced as a transfer student for the protagonist's class. She later reveals it's because she knows they'll be working together, so she figured it would make sense to become a student in his class. As I head outside of the classroom, I witness Sahori Itsukishima being bullied. During the confrontation, she hears a voice asking her if she wants power. Miyazu helps Sahori, but she worries about the nature of Sahori's injuries. Later on the rooftop of the dorm, Tao tells the protagonist that she wants to stop the bullying, but Yoko overhears the conversation and tells Tao that if she really wants to stop the bullies and help Sahori, she'll have to kill the bullies. It's a stark reminder that Shin Megami Tensei is not afraid to take dark turns in the story.

My first hour ends with Na'amah appearing in the train station and turning people to sand to collect Magatsuhi. This challenging battle requires you to overcome various status ailments, the least of which is not Charm, which debilitated my team on multiple occasions. It goes to show that despite being more playable by a larger number of players thanks to its increased number of platforms, Shin Megami Tensei V: Vengeance isn't pulling its punches when it comes to the difficulty the vanilla version delivered.

After that battle, I move to the final part of my demo. The protagonist meets up with Tao at a temple in Shinjuku, an entirely new location for SMT V: Vengeance. After being transported to Da'at Shinjuku, Tao and Yoko join the party. Tao is best used as a healer, but she also brings light damage to the table. Meanwhile, Yoko is multifaceted in her offense, delivering fire, electric, and dark abilities. Because of that, Yoko very much comes in handy, as so much of the strategy of SMT's combat is built around exploiting weaknesses. 

As I enter Da'at Shinjuku, an Angel greets the party, but rather than welcoming them with open arms, they're viewed as intruders. Much of the storyline of this area is figuring out why the party is being treated as a group of hostiles, but also working to figure out how to get past the alerted Cherubim and Angels so you can reach your goals. I won't spoil much here, but two characters from the vanilla version of SMT V appear with a plan, but it also seems extremely likely that the two have ulterior motives.

I spend the rest of my hour exploring the area, taking part in battles. On a couple of occasions, I am defeated in battle, requiring me to start at my last save. The fights are extremely engaging, requiring me to take into account status ailments, elemental weaknesses, and turn orders, but even with all the information handy (and a save file that seems loaded with recovery items), it's still a challenging experience.

After an hour of exploring this new area, I relinquish the controller. I started playing the original Shin Megami Tensei V when it arrived on Switch in 2021, but I didn't have a chance to push past the first several hours. With Shin Megami Tensei V: Vengeance promising new platforms, improved performance on all platforms (aside from Switch), and a ton of new content, it feels like the perfect time for me to jump back into the world of SMT V with this new version. 

Shin Megami Tensei V: Vengeance arrives on PS5, Xbox Series X/S, PS4, Xbox One, Switch, and PC on June 14. For our thoughts on the original Shin Megami Tensei V, head to our review here.

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Xbox will livestream an Xbox Games Showcase this summer. Similar to last year's Starfield Direct, the showcase will be followed by a special "Redacted" direct that will dive deep into a beloved franchise. As for when, the Xbox Games Showcase will begin at 10 a.m. PT/1 p.m. ET on June 9, with the Redacted showcase streaming immediately after. 

"Like our double feature last year with Starfield Direct, immediately following the Showcase we'll be airing a special deep-dive into the next installment of a beloved franchise," an Xbox Wire blog post reads. "We can't say much, so for now, we'll call it the Xbox Games Showcase followed by [REDACTED] direct. This will also be our first showcase featuring games from our portfolio of studios across Activision, Blizzard, Bethesda, and Xbox Game Studios, in addition to titles from our third-party partners." 

And speaking of Activision Blizzard, I'm guessing the redacted showcase is about the next Call of Duty, based on the associated image that you can see in the X (formerly Twitter) post below: 

We’re going to be talking about games of course

Tune in to the Xbox Games Showcase followed by [REDACTED] Direct on Sunday, June 9 @ 10am PT: https://t.co/z78G8h75r2 | #XboxShowcase pic.twitter.com/XgOGJy2gLv

— Xbox (@Xbox) April 30, 2024

We know another Call of Duty is coming this year, following up last year's Call of Duty: Modern Warfare III, and that logo looks very militaristic. The Capitol Building behind it adds to this guess, too, especially if the next Call of Duty is about the Gulf War, which is what the latest rumors are saying (with Black Ops series developer Treyarch up to bat). Regardless, we'll find out soon because that presentation follows the Xbox Games Showcase happening in less than two months on June 9. 

This Xbox Games Showcase will follow this year's Summer Game Fest livestream on June 7 (and takes place during SGF's media-only days, where press and influencers will play various games on-site in Los Angeles, California, from June 8 to June 10). Following the Xbox Games Showcase, Ubisoft will host another Ubisoft Forward event on June 10. 

What game do you think the redacted direct will be about? Let us know in the comments below!

Square Enix, the company behind last year's Final Fantasy XVI and this year's Final Fantasy VII Rebirth, has seemingly canceled some in-development games, taking on some big losses as a result. As for why, the company is aiming to be more selective about its projects moving forward. 

This news comes from a release related to Square Enix's holdings, which explains the company is incurring losses of 22.1 billion Yen, or roughly $140 million, on its financial books for the fiscal year that ended in March. 

"At the meeting convened on March 27, 2024, the Board of Directors of Square Enix Holdings voted, in light of the myriad changes underway in the environment surrounding its group, to revise the group's approach to the development of high-definition (HD) games with the intention of being more selective and focused in the allocation of development resources," the release reads. "As a result of a close examination, the company expects to recognize approximately 22.1 billion Yen in content abandonment losses on its books for the fiscal year ended March 2024." 

While potentially canceled games might sound doom and gloom, it sounds more like Square Enix is sharpening its developmental focus to ensure that the games it releases are hits or, at the very least, financially successful for the company. Nonetheless, it sounds like roughly $140 million of games in development have been canceled and it's unlikely we'll ever find out what they were. 

This release comes after a big splash from Final Fantasy VII Rebirth, which Square Enix released in February. Elsehwere in 2024, Square Enix is releasing Final Fantasy XIV: Dawntrail, the new expansion for the MMO that will kick off a new saga for the long-running game, in July. 

What's your take on this news? Let us know in the comments below!

Housemarque is celebrating the three-year anniversary of its hit shooter roguelike Returnal by teaming up with Dark Horse Comics for a graphic novel, artbook, and a new animated adaptation you can watch right now. This news follows yesterday's tease from both Housemarque and later Dark Horse Comics about Returnal, sending fans into an understandable frenzy about what the teams had in store for players. 

"Another year, another cycle," a post on X (formerly Twitter) from Housemarque reads. "The Third time around, extra loot is exposed with Dark Horse flair." 

Here's what that flair brings to the Returnal universe: 

• Returnal: Fallen Asteria Graphic Novel
• Returnal Artbook
• Fallen Asteria Animated Adaptation

Now, even with PlayStation dipping its toes into cross-media production with Amazon's God of War series and Netflix's Horizon adaptation, this Returnal adaptation isn't the same. Instead, it's an "animated version of the first issue of the upcoming graphic novel, Returnal: Fallen Asteria." Check it out for yourself below: 

Housemarque says the 88-page graphic novel will arrive in paperback on bookstore shelves starting October 22, 2024, and it will hit comic book shops the next day. 

It's unclear if the animated adaptation above is the animated adaptation today's announcement refers to or if it's just the first part of it since it only adapts the first issue of the graphic novel. 

Here's a look at the Returnal: Fallen Asteria issues coming this October: 

There's no word on when the Returnal artbook will arrive, but presumably it's this year. 

For more about the game, read Game Informer's Returnal review, and then check out this story about the PC specs required to play Returnal on a desktop or laptop. After that, read about Returnal's Ascension update, which added co-op gameplay and a new challenge tower to the game. 

Returnal hit PlayStation 5 on April 30, 2021. It launched on PC on February 15, 2023. 

Are you excited about today's Returnal news? Let us know in the comments below!

Starfield's first expansion, Shattered Space, is set to arrive this fall, according to director Todd Howard. Plus, a new update for Starfield is coming later this week that will make changes to ship-building mechanics and more. 

Howard revealed this and more about Starfield in a new interview with Kinda Funny, which is where the Bethesda executive producer also discussed Amazon's Fallout TV show and the Fallout series in general, as reported by XboxEra. As for what to expect of Shattered Space, Howard didn't say much. However, we already know it will bring new story content, locations, gear, and more to Starfield. 

As noted by XboxEra, Shattered Space will be free for all Starfield Deluxe Edition owners. 

As for the update coming to Starfield later this week, Howard says it will focus on the ship-building. This lines up with what the Starfield team shared last year in its 2024 plans for the game. Here's what it said at the time: "For those who love ship building, we'll also be expanding on ship customization with ship decorations, new ship building options, and more."

Other updates scheduled for 2024 include new ways to travel, city maps, mod support, accessibility and additional difficulty options, and more. 

For more about the game, read Game Informer's Starfield review, and then read about how Starfield is surprisingly great as a remote-play game. After that, check out this story about how Starfield is more like a sci-fi theme park than an open world adventure. 

[Source: Kinda Funny via XboxEra]

What do you hope to see in the Shattered Space expansion? Let us know in the comments below!

Reviewed on: PlayStation 5
Platform: PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Switch, PC
Publisher: GameMill Entertainment
Developer: Cradle Games, Raw Thrills
Release: April 23, 2024
Rating: Everyone 10+

The Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles were synonymous with gaming in the late ‘80s and early ‘90s, largely thanks to their influence over arcade brawlers. Games like 1989’s Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (also known as ’89 Arcade) and 1991’s Turtles in Time are time-honored classics that shaped the side-scrolling beat-‘em-up genre, and 2022’s Shredder’s Revenge demonstrated that the style is still viable in the modern landscape. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Arcade: Wrath of the Mutants clearly takes inspiration from those beloved games, but it falls spectacularly short of those acclaimed titles.

Originally released to arcades in 2017, Wrath of the Mutants takes a similar approach to gameplay as the original TMNT arcade games: You choose from Leonardo, Donatello, Michelangelo, and Raphael, each with distinct moves, as you slash and brawl through stages full of baddies. Based on the 2012 Nickelodeon cartoon, Wrath of the Mutants includes a ton of enemies for the Turtles to beat up in various locales; this home port adds three all-new stages and six new bosses. Unfortunately, no amount of Easter eggs and fanservice can compensate for its uninteresting gameplay.

Though the core concept is the same as the most beloved entries in the series, I never felt anything more than listlessness as I fought through the six extremely linear stages on offer. Each Turtle brandishes their signature weapon and a unique Turtle Power that clears the screen of enemies. These moves should feel empowering, but instead, they throw the action to a halt while a drawn-out animation plays; Leo spins to form a tornado that sucks up all the minions, while Raph drums on the ground, sending enemies flying.

 

But it all feels so routine as you fight through waves of the exact same enemies in tedious stages that require no strategy – you just go right and spam the attack button. You can also pick up power-ups that cause your character to spin on their shell or summon side characters to dispatch enemies, but with the base combat so uninteresting, I only enjoyed deploying these frequent special moves because they provided a quicker path through the long levels.

Brawling the seemingly endless screens of Foot and Krang minions found in each stage wouldn’t be so bad if the signature arcade unfairness wasn’t ever-present. TMNT Arcade: Wrath of the Mutants isn’t a tough game by any measure, but there are moments where you simply cannot avoid being hit. At nearly every phase, enemies attack you from off-screen, where you can’t see or reach them, and they frustratingly won’t stop attacking you nor come into view unless you go to the other side of the screen. Additionally, enemy projectiles are deadly accurate, and with the Turtles’ sluggish movement and no way to effectively dodge, you’re all but guaranteed to take hits.

These enemies don’t do a ton of damage, but it’s often death by a thousand papercuts, and since each hit briefly stuns you, your combos are constantly getting interrupted. The bosses, who often just repeat the same attacks over and over, are trials of patience rather than engaging challenges. These boss encounters typically bring slight variations on the same move sets, causing them to all play out similarly. Even the final fight against Shredder does little to differentiate itself; he just lumbers around the screen while you wail on him with little strategy required other than jumping when the game tells you to jump – another repeated convention in nearly every boss battle.

Stage elements meant to break up the monotony serve as more frustration than diversity of experience. Trains speed past, Krang’s Android body shoots electricity at you, and explosive barrels litter the levels, but they add so little. In one instance, where a giant eyeball continually blasts lasers at you while you fight waves of enemies, your character is too slow to avoid getting zapped unless you’re just standing around waiting for it to broadcast where it’s firing. I should be excited to see these new challenges and twists emerge, but I met most of them with a shrug and others with annoyance.

Though seeing the 2012 animated series get some attention in 2024 is fun, the presentation also disappoints. The visuals are nothing special, and I’m not a fan of some of the character designs of this era, but they fit the show's look well enough. It’s the audio that most irritates, as the Turtles obnoxiously scream the entire time and enemies repeatedly spout the same lines while generic action-oriented music loops in the background. After the first few levels, I was relieved to crank the volume down and listen to something else instead.

Beating the entire game takes less than two hours, but it still somehow manages to drag. You can return to the game’s six stages to try and get higher scores, but I had zero interest in doing so. The arcade games of yesteryear sometimes lacked depth, but they at least had a hook that stuck with you and kept you itching to return to pump more quarters into the cabinet. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Arcade: Wrath of the Mutants strives for the greatness of the influential arcade hits of the past but falls well short. Thanks to uninteresting and annoying gameplay, repetitive enemy and boss encounters, and grating audio design, Wrath of the Mutants is little more than a shell of the series’ glory years.

Score: 5.5

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The latest teaser for new Palworld content, shared during IGN's ID@Xbox presentation, shows four new Pals and a new location. There is a frog Pal, a mushroom Pal, a bipedal dog-like Pal, and a peacock Pal. The new location is also heavily inspired by Japan and is covered with cherry blossoms.

You can check out the footage below.

For more on Palworld, head here.

The Jackbox Party Packs have always allowed for adult-themed responses, but it was never solicited or directly encouraged by the games themselves. For those who have wanted a more mature experience, Jackbox Games is finally granting you your wish, as it has announced Jackbox Naughty Pack, a new release of three games that promises spicy prompts and dirty fun later this year.

We don't know what kinds of games will be included, but Jackbox Games teases "spicy surprises and maybe even some familiar faces." Does that tease a new, mature-themed You Don't Know Jack? Will we get dirtier iterations on some classic Jackbox titles? Or will these be all new games that just so happen to include some favorite characters from past games? Unfortunately, for now, Jackbox Games is being tight-lipped with the contents of Jackbox Naughty Pack.

However, the studio did release a teaser trailer, which you can view right here. Jackbox Naughty Pack will arrive sometime this year, and Jackbox Games promises more details this summer.

Are you excited for a spicier take on Jackbox Party Pack? Do you and the people you play Jackbox games with typically go mature-themed with your answers, or are you more of a family-friendly Jackbox gamer? Let us know what you hope from Jackbox Naughty Pack in the comments below!