Innistrad: Midnight Hunt Brings Night And Day Changes To Magic: The Gathering

Wizards of the Coast has begun the grand unveiling of the first of two fall sets for Magic: the Gathering, ushering a return to the gothic horror-inspired Innistrad. With Innistrad: Midnight Hunt, the plane’s denizens are welcoming the Harvesttide Festival, a central event to the set with card art depicting rituals of the festival. Our prior visit to the plane left the day and night cycle in disarray. Now, as the days pass and the Harvest Festival approaches, the nights have been growing abnormally longer, perfect for the horrors that go bump in the night to stir again. 

Midnight Hunt is back to being full of werewolves, vampires, zombies, and other terrifying creatures, instead of the Eldrazi threats from the last visit. A few mechanics have been revived (some with a new spin!), and the graveyard is a focus again in this morbid setting. Here’s a look at what to expect in Innistrad: Midnight Hunt:

Flashback

Flashback is making a big return in Midnight Hunt. The mechanic remains the same – players can cast an instant or sorcery from their hand for its regular mana cost and cast it from the graveyard for its Flashback cost and exiling the card. However, this set introduces the first multicolored Flashback cards, greatly expanding the possible effects we can see. 

Transform

Transform made its debut in Innistrad and has become a mainstay for the plane. It’s no surprise that it returns for Midnight Hunt and features heavily in the werewolf tribe the set is based around. Transform cards use both sides of the cardboard, and meeting certain conditions allows the player to flip the card and unleash the horrors that await on the back. In the case of werewolves, they are human on one side, with their lycanthropic beast on the other. 

Along with the reintroduction of this take on double-sided cards are some new ways to transform them, whether it be due to the passage of time or facing the terrors of death.

Daybound and Nightbound

 

 

Easily the most complicated set mechanic, Magic now has a day/night cycle that will affect the battlefield. Actions (or inaction) during each turn, along with card effects, can determine whether the battlefield is experiencing day or night, and when the time shifts, cards bearing Daybound or Nightbound creatures are forced to transform. Some werewolves in the set will have both of these keywords on opposite sides of the card and will have their transformation bound to whether the sun is shining or the moon has risen. Arlinn Kord, the werewolf Planeswalker seen above, is subject to this very transformation condition.

The game rules will only start caring about the time of day if a Day/Nightbound card is played and only affects cards where the time of day is conditional. Here’s how the time shifts if a creature or spell isn’t specifically changing the time of day:

When it’s daytime: if a player plays no spells during their turn, it becomes night next turn
When it’s nighttime: if a player casts at least two spells during their turn, it becomes day next turn

It’s a cool way of realizing the werewolf fantasy but keeping track of this while playing in paper will be a challenge. I foresee myself missing many time of day triggers by forgetting how many spells someone did or didn’t play during their turn. It’s a lot to keep track of and might be the most digital-centric mechanic we’ve seen from a Standard-legal set.

Disturb

 

Death is far from the end on Innistrad, and certain creatures ending up in the graveyard can find new life on the battlefield, albeit changed. Like Flashback or Embalm from Amonkhet, Disturb creatures can be cast from the graveyard, though they hit the battlefield transformed into whatever monstrosity is on the reverse side of the card. Unlike those prior mechanics, Disturb doesn’t require the card to be exiled when cast but don’t expect them to stick around forever. In the case of Generous Soul, it’s exiled upon returning to the graveyard; a welcome safety valve for a mechanic that could otherwise get out of hand.

Decayed

Zombies are getting their own flavorful mechanic in Midnight Hunt with Decayed. The fragility of these corpses with Decayed won’t allow them to block, and if they attack, they’re immediately sacrificed at the end of combat. Expect to see this on swarms of zombie tokens that can be made for cheaper than the typical rate and in greater quantities. 

Coven

Humans will have to find strength in numbers to survive the Midnight Hunt, and alongside them for the fight is the angel Sigarrda, Champion of the Light and the Coven mechanic. This new Sigarda card shows that Coven is activated if you control three or more creatures with different powers. In this case, Sigarda searches the top five cards of your library for a human card to put in your hand whenever she attacks, and the Coven requirements are met. 

Those worried about the absence of Avecyn, the previous angelic protector of the humans, rest easy knowing Sigarda has now taken up that mantle. Or as easy as one can in a world full of monsters, the undead, and whatnot.

Investigate

A versatile mechanic from the previous trip to Innistrad returns with Investigate. When a card Investigates, an artifact “clue” token is created and placed on the battlefield. That player can spend two mana of any color, tap and sacrifice the clue to draw a card at any time. Nothing flashy, but it’s good to have Investigate back on the plane where it originated.

Innistrad: Midnight Hunt releases on Magic: The Gathering Arena and Magic: The Gathering Online September 16, instore prerelease events begin on September 17, and the set officially releases in paper on September 24.


Which mechanics are you excited about with Innistrad: Midnight Hunt? Are there any cards you’re looking to brew new decks around? How do you feel about Magic having two full fall sets this year? Let me know in the comments!

View the Full Dislyte Trailer Now

In the second half of the 21st century, unusual occurrences rattle planet Earth. Nexuses, casting off mystical energies and sonic waves, have bestowed new and exciting divine powers to certain special humans, now known as the Espers. At the same time, Miracles – strange floating objects in the sky – are summoning an influx of monsters, which are attacking the cities they hover above.

View the full Dislyte Trailer Below

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Get ready for the striking audio-visual experience and superheroic characters in the world of Dislyte. Pre-register now!

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Who Are Marvel’s Midnight Suns?

Publisher: 2K Games
Developer: Firaxis Games
Release:

2022

Platform: PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Switch, PC

Marvel has a stable of some of the most popular properties in the world. However, the publisher’s well is so deep that some of its beloved franchises haven’t achieved widespread fame. Developer Firaxis dug deep into its longboxes for inspiration on its upcoming strategy/RPG, Marvel’s Midnight Suns. Who is this enigmatic group, and what makes them the perfect centerpiece for a supernatural epic? We spoke with Marvel and Firaxis to get the answers. Here is everything you need to know about the team of Marvel’s Midnight Suns.

The Midnight Sons Comic History

Monsters and horror have a long history in the comic book world. In fact, horror comics are as old as superhero comics, but the genre’s popularity has waxed and waned over the years.

“In the ‘70s is when the Comics Code restrictions eased up a bit,” says Marvel Games’ VP and head of creative Bill Rosemann. “Before that, comic producers were very limited in showing vampires and werewolves and things like that. In the ’70s, things loosened up, and Marvel put their own stamp on the supernatural. They brought back classic monsters like Dracula and werewolves, but they made them distinctly Marvel … and of course it was a hit. Things ebb and flow, [monster comics] kind of went away in the ’80s, and they came roaring back in the ’90s with reworked versions of Blade and Ghost Rider. Then Marvel decided, ‘Hey, what if we made a team out of all these characters?’ And thus was born the Midnight Sons.”

In the late summer of 1992, Marvel debuted “Rise of the Midnight Sons,” an epic crossover event that brought together Blade, Ghost Rider, Doctor Strange, and several of Marvel’s other supernatural-themed heroes. In this story, the heroes worked to stop a sorceress named Lilith, the Mother of Demons, from opening a dimensional rift and conquering the world.

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Firaxis is taking that kernel of an idea and updating it for a modern audience. One of the ways the studio is modernizing the property is by renaming the group Midnight Suns to be more inclusive. In Firaxis’ fiction, the Midnight Suns are a group of supernatural-themed heroes named after a celestial event also called the Midnight Sun. Lilith hopes to take advantage of this rare astronomical phenomenon and resurrect an elder god named Chthon that could devour our planet.

“I suppose there’s no way to do it without making it more modern,” says creative director Jake Solomon. “But we’re still really inspired by that original cool look. When we first thought about our group of Midnight Suns – for us, the original Midnight Suns is Nico and Magik and Ghost Rider and Blade – we always thought about them as like a punk superhero team. They are a very outsider superhero team. We always talked about them as the people hanging outside of [famed punk rock club] CBGBs in New York, and they just look like punks, but they’re actually these amazing superheroes. They’d be the ones smoking the cigarettes in an alley, and they’d see a skeleton walk by, and they’re like, ‘That’s our job. We’re gonna go take that thing out.’ These are very cool, kind of under-the-radar heroes.”

Who is Ghost Rider?

  • Real Name: Roberto “Robbie” Reyes
  • Creators: Felipe Smith, Tradd Moore
  • First Appearance: All-New Ghost Rider 1 (March 2014)
  • Powers: Possessed by an immortal spirit of vengeance, Ghost Rider has superhuman speed and strength, can generate flames, manifest red-hot chains, and summon a superpowered car that augments his abilities. Ghost Rider also possesses a Penance Stare that inflicts a person with all the pain and suffering they have caused to innocent people

Firaxis’ Says: “Ghost Rider deals an enormous amount of damage, an enormous amount of damage,” says Solomon. “But everything he does inflicts a cost on himself or his allies. Once you get in tune with him, he’s great, but he’s always kind of riding the line. He’s great. He’s a huge weapon, but he’s always inflicting damage on himself or on his allies, so you have to be careful.”

Who is Blade?

  • Real Name: Eric Brooks
  • Creators: Marv Wolfman, Gene Colan
  • First Appearance: Tomb of Dracula 10 (July 1973)

Powers: Half-man/half-vampire, Blade has superhumanly acute senses, superhuman strength and speed, a regenerative healing factor, and an immunity to vampiric vulnerabilities

Firaxis’ Says: “This game is a lot about synergies,” says Solomon. “You’re always finding these new synergies because heroes have a lot of abilities. Every ability can be upgraded into a new version. On top of that, the abilities can then be modded by Blade at the Abbey. You can add random effects to every ability. All these attacks can then be upgraded, and if you take them to Blade, he can mod these abilities.”

Who is Nico Minoru?

  • Aliases: Sister Grimm, The Gloom
  • Creators: Brian K. Vaughan, Adrian Alphona
  • First Appearance: Runaways 1 (April 2003)

Powers: Nico has a natural magical aptitude but lacks formal training. She can fly and use magical telekinesis to levitate objects. However, most of Nico’s abilities stem from a rare magical artifact called the Staff of One. Powered by blood magic, the staff’s power grows as the user offers more of their blood

Firaxis’ Says: “She’s generally a support character, but her attacks are overly powerful,” says Solomon. “However, a lot of her attacks cannot be directly aimed. It’s more like it hits a random target, and then if it K.O.s that target, it just keeps going. She’s unpredictable in the sense that it could be the most amazing ability you’ve ever pulled off, or it could just be average. The cool thing about her is that you can set up situations where you’re like, ‘Okay, I’ve set up the board now, where she’s going nuke everybody with this one very simple attack.'”

Who is Magik?

  • Real Name: Illyana Nikolievna Rasputina
  • Creators: Len Wein, Dave Cockrum
  • First Appearance: Giant-Size X-Men 1 (May 1975)

Powers: It’s complicated … Illyana has the mutant ability to control “stepping discs” that can teleport people across interstellar distances. At the age of six, she was kidnapped and imprisoned in a magical dimension where she trained as a sorcerer warrior. Illyana can also manifest her lifeforce into a powerful Soulsword that disrupts magic

Firaxis’ Says: “In the late ’80s, early ’90s, there were a lot of awesome, dark, supernatural stories at Marvel,” says Solomon. “The first comic book event I ever read was called Inferno. I was a big X-Men guy growing up, so this was an X-Men event where demons from this hell dimension of Limbo broke out and attacked New York, and all these heroes had to go to the rescue. But it was a mutant, a young mutant, who was captured and sent to Limbo and grew so powerful that she could almost stop the invasion herself. That was Magik. That’s why Magik and Limbo actually play a big role in Midnight Suns.”

Who Else Is On The Team?

Blade, Ghost Rider, Magik, and Nico comprise the core Midnight Suns team, and they are a formidable bunch, but they’ll need all the help they can get to have any hope of taking down Lilith. As a result, Firaxis worked closely with Marvel to create a brand new hero called the Hunter, who can manipulate light and dark energies to devastating effect. (Stay tuned in the coming days for deeper dives on both Lilith and the Hunter.)

And, if those weren’t enough heroes to play with, several of Marvel’s more-renowned champions are joining the Midnight Suns in their fight against Lilith. We don’t know the complete character list for the game, but Firaxis confirmed that iconic heroes such as Wolverine, Iron Man, Captain America, Captain Marvel, and Doctor Strange are all playable.

For more on Marvel’s Midnight Suns, be sure to check out our content hub throughout the month for exclusive interviews with the team, hands-on impressions, and a Rapid-Fire interview with creative director Jake Solomon by clicking on the banner below.

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See What It’s Like To Control IG-88 In Star Wars: Tales From The Galaxy’s Edge

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On September 15, ILMxLAB is releasing the final episode of Star Wars: Tales from the Galaxy’s Edge for Oculus Quest. Titled Last Call, this episode explores a variety of stories, giving players a deeper look at the inner workings of Batuu, the chance to see Ady’Sun Zee grow into a Jedi Knight, and a bounty to settle through the mechanical eyes of IG-88.

This feared bounty hunter is voiced by Rhys Darby, known for his work on Yes Man, Flight of the Concords, and as the pilot in the Jumanji movies. He also brought Russell to life in Half-Life: Alyx. You can see IG-88 in action in the trailer above. As you can see, this droid can quickly lock onto targets and packs quite the arsenal. IG-88 is tasked to explore the moon of Nar Shaddaa and track down his target, Boggs Triff.

The trailer also shows off what you can expect from the other stories. If you are exploring Batuu, Dok-Ondar requests your help in tracking down a lost artifact from Sardeevem Chasm. This place is crawling with threats, and you’ll also be asked to complete environmental puzzles to reach the artifact. One of the threats Is a hidden First Order facility. You won’t be exploring it alone, however. R2-D2, C-3PO, and Hondo will lend their support when they can.

Ady-Sun Zee’s time in the VR spotlight focuses on the training of her padawan, Nooa. This High Republic story looks to focus heavily on this training that even includes the construction of a lightsaber.

Last Call is $9.99 on its own, or you can get the entire Star Wars: Tales from the Galaxy’s Edge bundle for $34.99.

Marvel’s Midnight Suns’ Gameplay Trailer Shows Flashy Deck-Building Combat

Marvel’s Midnight Suns was first announced during Gamescom 2021. Developer Firaxis Games is known for its tactical turn-based XCOM series, and Midnight Suns’ combat loop will follow suit, albeit with a few surprises. A new gameplay trailer delved into the loop that players can expect when the game launches. You’ll utilize decks of cards to defeat adversaries with flashy hero abilities.

Click here to watch embedded media

The Hunter, the first customizable original hero in the Marvel Universe, has awoken from a centuries-long slumber. Alongside a bevy of recognizable heroes from the X-Men, Avengers, and Runaways, the Hunter will lead the Midnight Suns against their own parent, Lilith, Mother of Demons. According to an emailed press release, you’ll begin each day in Midnight Suns in the Abbey, a haven of sorts beyond Lilith’s demonic reach. The Abbey is navigated in third-person perspective; greet your fellow companions and build relationships with them before you set out to complete missions. Increasing your friendship by conversing, gift-giving, or simply hanging out with your favorite heroes. Bond-based benefits are reflected on the battlefield; allies unlock new skills every time you increase your friendship tier. 

When you’re ready to challenge Lilith’s forces, create a three-person team to bring into combat. Hero abilities are represented through card decks. Each hero gets a unique set of cards that can be tailored at any time to fit whatever playstyle you’d prefer. Like in XCOM, you can also use your environment to take down foes. In one scenario, Wolverine flings an enemy at an explosive canister for extra damage. 

“In Marvel’s Midnight Suns, you aren’t learning how to fight or gradually grow stronger – you and your fellow heroes are already legends, and must combine everything in your arsenal to stop Lilith,” states creative director Jake Solomon. “Cards provide a new and refreshing way to approach tactics, allowing us to really go all-out in designing a combat system that makes every hero feel, look, and play differently.”

Marvel’s Midnight Suns launches in March 2022 for PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Switch, and PC.


What are your thoughts on the deck-building mechanics? Let us know down below.

How To Unlock Aloy In Genshin Impact

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Publisher: miHoYo
Developer: miHoYo
Release:


(PlayStation 4,
PC,
iOS,
Android),
(PlayStation 5)

Platform: PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, PC, iOS, Android

Horizon: Zero Dawn‘s Aloy is now a part of Genshin Impact. She was added to the game yesterday and is free to all players on PlayStation 4 and PlayStation 5.

To add her to your party, you first need to raise your Adventure rank to 20. Once you do this, open the email you have tethered to your Genshin Impact account, and you’ll be able to claim Aloy and her predator bow. After rebooting the game on PlayStation 4 or 5, she’ll be waiting for you on the character select screen. If you are NOT Adventure rank 20, Aloy will be added to the PlayStation 4 and 5 versions for lower rank players on October 12 as a part of Genshin Impact’s 2.2 update.

For those of you playing Genshin Impact on PC or mobile, Aloy will eventually make her way to these devices. That will happen on November 23 with the 2.3 update. Until that day she will remain a PlayStation exclusive. However, your PlayStation saves carry over to other devices, so if you unlock her on your PlayStation 5, you can continue your journey with her on mobile or PC.

When Aloy is in your party, animals that produce raw, fowl, or chilled meat will not be startled by your movements. Her bow is as lethal as you would hope, and can be fired quickly at any range. You can also hold a shot longer for precision, which is great for sniping opportunities. Bringing in an element of the Frozen Wilds she once roamed, her arrows can be equipped with frost damage, and she can throw freeze bombs that explode on impact. Both of these attacks deal cryo damage.


What do you think about Aloy joining Genshin Impact’s ranks? Are you still playing this game? Let us know in the comments below!

New PlayStation Showcase 2021 Broadcast Confirmed For Next Week

Sony has confirmed its new PlayStation Showcase 2021 broadcast, scheduled for next week while offering small insight into what fans should (and should not) expect to see. The latest PlayStation event will be going down on September 9, 2021, at 1 p.m. PDT. 

Teasing a new look “into the future of PS5,” the latest showcase promises to be around 40 minutes long and will provide players with updates on PlayStation Studios, a few updates from beloved developer teams, and what the holiday period is shaping up to look like. Then, post-show, Sony confirmed that there will be deeper dives into some of the things shown with the studios themselves. 

One aspect of the showcase that PlayStation fans should not count on seeing is anything to do with Virtual Reality. Sony promises that the future of PlayStation VR, PSVR 2, will not be featured in next week’s event, but that there are “plenty of great PS5 games” to talk about instead. 

It’s likely we’ll get a closer look at Horizon Forbidden West, now that we have a release date, and possibly the reveal of the next Call of Duty. It will also be interesting to see if any hardware makes a debut, especially with Xbox getting so controller-happy lately (which, we’re not complaining!). The showcase will boast bigger and smaller announcements, so it is looking like there may just be something for everyone next week. 


What are you hoping to see from the upcoming PlayStation Showcase 2021 event next week? Any gaming announcements that you’re hoping for? Sound off with your thoughts in the comment section below! 

Project Magnum Is Final Fantasy Meets Destiny

A new looter shooter has entered the stage. Korean developer Nat Games released some footage yesterday that showcases jaw-dropping visuals and explosive cooperative combat. There are even some obvious sci-fi and fantasy inspirations throughout. Project Magnum (working title) might not have a release date. Still, based on its first official trailer, the RPG/third-person shooter combines visual and mechanical aspects of prevalent titles like Final Fantasy and Destiny.

Click here to watch embedded media

Story details about Project Magnum are still scarce, but the trailer above chronicles human gunslingers warring with an extraterrestrial invader. A large sphere entity reminiscent of the traveler in the Destiny series floats down to the surface of an Earth-like planet. We cut to burning, ravaged cities and a lone hero standing amidst the fiery destruction. The odds appear to be against the humanoid race, and, of course, as the player, you’ll be expected to deal with the alien threat. You’ll take down hulking, four-legged tanks, armored grunts, squid-like machines that look like miniature versions of the machines in The Matrix franchise, and much more. Extra mechanics include a hook that can attach to enemies for aerial advantages. There will also probably be a good number of boss battles to partake in. 

The cooperative play revolves around squads of four fighters, and weapons range from your conventional rifles to augmented melee strikes and launchable grenades. Players will traverse lush forests, crumbling ruins, and underground facilities while slaying hordes of creatures armed with shields, homing rockets, elemental abilities, and laser beams. 

You’ll have your work cut out for you when Project Magnum finally drops on PlayStation 5 and PlayStation 4. A launch day hasn’t been decided, but once the official title for the shooter is announced, we’ll likely be given more details about the narrative, gameplay loop, and release date.


Has the trailer piqued your interest? What do you think the central plotline might be about? Throw your ideas down in the comments section!

Lost Ark Western Launch Delayed To Early 2022

Korean MMORPG Lost Ark won’t be launching stateside later this year, as announced during E3 2021. Smilegate and Amazon Games are pushing the release into early 2022 to allow ample time to address gameplay and performance feedback from the technical alpha held in June. Doing so gives the teams breathing room to get the game where it needs to be without overworking the designers. 

A lengthy statement posted on the game’s official Twitter account revealed that while the full launch is pushed back, a closed beta will take place November 4 through 9, giving players another chance to dive into the world of Arkesia. Those who purchased the game’s founder’s pack will have access to the beta. Everyone else will have to sign up on the game’s website. Check out the initial announcement trailer to see the game in action. Just ignore the parts that say it’s coming “this fall.” 

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In an effort to better keep players in the loop, Smilegate also promises monthly updates and will launch a discord channel and forums in October.  The idea is to have an active community of testers and influencers for the developers to interact with and absorb feedback once the closed beta rolls around. 

Lost Ark launched in Korea in 2018 and is coming to the west thanks to Amazon Games. The multiplayer RPG will be free-to-play and centers on players combating a demonic dragon named Kazeros who returns after being previously defeated by a relic known as the Ark. The game spans seven large continents and has both PvE and PvP elements. The five players classes, Warrior, Martial Artist, Gunner, Mage, and Assassin, sport four sub-classes each, and the action overall looks more action-packed than the average MMO. It’ll be interesting to see how it fares in the west, especially compared to popular competitors such as Final Fantasy XIV and World of Warcraft. 


What do you think of Lost Ark, and are you interested in giving it a shot? Let us know in the comments!

The Injustice Animated Film Launches On October 19

What would happen if Superman turned evil? This is the frightening scenario that Injustice explores. We first played through this dark story in NetherRealm’s fighting game series and then read an expanded version of it in DC’s limited comic book run. On October 19, you’ll be able to watch heroes try to stop the Kryptonian god through the release of the Injustice animated film on UHD, Blu-ray, and through various digital streaming portals.

A few days prior to release, DC is debuting footage at this year’s DC FanDome livestream event, which will also give us deeper looks at the forthcoming Gotham Knights and Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League games – both are just as dark in tone as Injustice.

This animated film is directed by Matt Peters (Justice League Dark: Apokolips War) with a screenplay by Ernie Altbacker (Batman: Hush). The story unfolds through a vast cast of characters, many of which may not see another day.

Here’s who is in the film:

  • Superman
  • Batman
  • Wonder Woman
  • Cyborg
  • Joker
  • Jonathan Kent
  • Catwoman
  • Green Arrow
  • Victor Zsasz
  • Mr. Terrific
  • Killer Croc
  • Harley Quinn
  • Plastic Man
  • Lois Lane
  • Rama Kushna
  • Ra’s al Ghul
  • Nightwing
  • Aquaman
  • Mirror Master
  • Flash
  • Shazam
  • Damian Wayne
  • Jimmy Olsen
  • Green Lantern
  • Captain Atom

Warner Bros. Animation has turned many of DC Comics’ beloved stories into movies, and it’s great to see Injustice getting the respect it deserves. This studio is also making new animated films based on Mortal Kombat. The latest MK film, Battle of the Realms, launched yesterday.

PS Plus Free Games For September 2021

Microsoft revealed its freebies for the month of September earlier this week, now it’s Sony’s turn to show off which games it is giving away for free. Every month, PlayStation Plus members get a small selection of free titles to download, and they’re yours to keep as long as the PS Plus membership remains active. Whether you’re looking for a run-and-gun-type adventure or something a little lighter, here is the free PS Plus September 2021 free games lineup. 

PS Plus Free Games For September 2021

  • Overcooked: All You Can Eat
  • Hitman 2
  • Predator Hunting Grounds

The new batch of freebies arrives on September 7, though I would be amiss if I didn’t suggest Overcooked. It may sound silly, but this game is ridiculously fun and surprisingly competitive. With its whimsical aesthetic and high-stakes gameplay, there is more to Overcooked than what meets the sunny-side up eye. 

For those that haven’t scooped up the current month’s lineup, it is not too late to grab August’s free games, which you can find here. Just remember that an active PS Plus membership is required for all of the aforementioned titles. Sony’s online services membership includes free games each month, exclusive sales on select titles, and more. The free games downloaded due to the PS Plus service remain yours to keep unless you cancel your membership. 


Thoughts on the free PS Plus September 2021 games lineup? What do you hope gets added into the freebie lineup next? Sound off with your thoughts in the comment section below! 

Tokyo Game Show 2021 Schedule And Line-Up

The 2021 Tokyo Game Show kicks off on Thursday, September 30. Like many in-person conventions have done over the last year and a half, the event will be an entirely digital affair and will feature 44 programs livestreamed over the course of four days. 

Presentations from Xbox, Square Enix, Ubisoft, Capcom, Konami, miHoYo, and more will livestreamed nearly every hour. You can visit the event’s website for full descriptions of each event, but here’s the rundown of what will be shown and when. Companies that haven’t yet revealed the nature of their presentation are labeled as “undecided”. Keep in mind that the times listed are Japan local, kicking off in the morning and running into the evening. 

September 30

  • 10:00: TGS Online Opening
  • 11:00: Keynote: We’ll always have games.
  • 12:00: GameraGame Now Tokyo Game Show 2021 Special
  • 1:00: SNK – King of Fighters XV Special Program (English)
  • 4:00: SK Telecom Game Show
  • 5:00: Team Madness Games – It’s Mealtime! Presentation
  • 6:00: Microsoft – Xbox Live Stream​
  • 7:00: Konami – New information to reveal for Yu-Gi-Oh! Master Duel along with updates across key titles
  • 8:00: Spike Chunsoft Special
  • 9:00: D3Publisher Live broadcast
  • 10:00: Capcom Online Presentation
  • 11:00: IzanagiGames – Yurukill Special!

October 1

  • 10:00 TGS Official Program – Undecided
  • 11:00 Sense of Wonder Night 2021
  • 4:00 NTTe-Sports – Undecided
  • 5:00 Happinet Game Showcase (1st stage)
  • 6:00 505 Games Upcoming Titles Showcase
  • 7:00 Square Enix Presents
  • 8:00 Bandai Namco – Undecided
  • 9:00 Level-5 – Undecided
  • 10:00 Sega/Atlus – Undecided

October 2

  • 9:00: TGS Official Program – Undecided
  • 10:00: Happinet Game Showcase (2nd stage)
  • 12:00: Tencent Games
  • 12:30: Japan Game Awards 2021
  • 2:00:  Lilith Games Warpath, New Game Release Conference
  • 4:00: GungHo Online Entertainment – Undecided
  • 6:00: Japan Game Awards: 2021 Games of the Year Division
  • 8:00: Koei Tecmo Special Program
  • 10:00: Konami – Tokimeki Memorial Girl’s Side 4th Heart Stage/First Gameplay Reveal
  • 11:00: DMM Games – Undecided

October 3

  • 10:00: TGS Official Program – Undecided
  • 11:00: S-Game – New ARPG arrives, new expedition starts
  • 12:00: Japan Electronics College
  • 1:00: Arc System Works
  • 1:00: Japan Game Awards 2021
  • 3:00: 110 Industries – Feature presentation of new AAA products currently in development
  • 4:00: NC Soft Special Program
  • 5:00: GungHo Online Entertainment – Undecided
  • 6:00: Ubisoft – UBIDAY2021 Online × TGS Special Program
  • 7:00: AKRacing Presents
  • 8:00: Wright Flyer Studios
  • 9:00: miHoYo – Genshin Impact TGS 2021 Program
  • 10:00: fingger
  • 11:00: Gran Saga – Undecided
  • 12:00: TGS2021 Online Ending

Additionally, the Tokyo Music Fes concert will take place October 2 and 3 and will feature orchestral performances of songs from games such as Sonic, Monster Hunter, Final Fantasy, Tales, and more. You can learn how to watch by visiting the official site


Which presentation are you looking forward to watching most? What announcements do you expect or hope will come out of the event? Let us know in the comments!

No Man’s Sky Adds NPC Settlements With Citizen Disputes And Much More

No Man’s Sky is a great example of a game not living up to the launch-day hype but with gradual content rollouts, finding notable success regardless. No Man’s Sky got a new lease on life with literally game-changing mechanics like base-building. In a similar vein, the sci-fi open-world(s) title is getting more features, like Star Wars-like settlements laden with NPC townsfolk. You’ll help settle citizen disputes, utilize hundreds of new base parts to build your own establishments, and explore a graphically updated universe. All of this launches today!

Sean Murray, the founder of Hello Games, took to the official PlayStation Blog to announce the aforementioned additions to No Man’s Sky’s loop. Procedurally generated communes give the lonely vastness of space a much-needed lived-in quality. These towns can be discovered on every inhabited planet. You can submit management credentials to become a settlement overseer, giving you access to town planning, treasury management, policy decisions, and conflict resolution. “Ungoverned settlements start small and modest, with a sparse population and only a few buildings scattered around their town center,” Sean writes. “Provide resources to construct new buildings and transform your ramshackle collection of dwellings into a flourishing town!”

Moreover, more base-building parts are incoming, including structural sets of timber, stone, and alloy. New decorative pieces let you personalize your abode even more! A new starship will be gifted to all explorers for the new expedition season, and visual enhancements like multi-colored nebulas, a minimal base-building HUD, explosion “punchiness,” and so much more that you can read about in Murray’s post with the link above. 


Will you be traversing the stars in the No Man’s Sky Frontiers update today? How will you handle your fighting townspeople? And are you planning on rebuilding your base with the new parts? Let us know below.

Life Is Strange TV Show Adds Shawn Mendes To Oversee The Adaptation’s Music

Announced back in 2016, the upcoming Life is Strange TV show from Legendary has been strangely quiet about any updates regarding the adaptation, leading many fans to wonder if the project was canceled and others to forget its existence entirely. While we don’t have a trailer or a first look to share today, there is a small update about the upcoming series, namely that Grammy Award nominee Shawn Mendes has signed on to oversee the adaptation’s music. 

Mendes’ music career entails hits like Treat You Better, and the songwriter definitely has a talent for creating from an emotional place, which is perfect given the nature of the Life is Strange series. Mendes will be joined by Andrew Gertler, his manager, in oversight for the adaptation’s music. 

We still don’t know anything about what the Life is Strange TV show will have in store, such as plotlines or casting decisions. However, The Hollywood Reporter mentioned that Legendary Television and dj2 Entertainment are still producing the series, with Anonymous Content as co-producer. 

“Life is Strange is one of those rare properties that combines incredibly developed characters and storylines with deeply engaging gameplay,” said Greg Siegel, the show’s senior VP of development. “It lends itself perfectly to live-action imaginings. We couldn’t be more excited to partner with Square Enix, Dontnod Entertainment and dj2 to bring the world of Arcadia Bay to life in an exciting new way.”

While we await more official news for the upcoming Life is Strange adaptation, we do at least have Life is Strange: True Colors to look forward to, which arrives on September 10.


What are your hopes for the upcoming Life is Strange TV show? A true adaptation or a creative spin? Shout out those opinions in the comment section below; we’d love to hear what you think! 

Brendan “Playerunknown” Greene Goes Independent

Brendan “Playerunknown” Greene, the creator behind the massively successful PUBG: Battlegrounds (formerly known as Playerunknown’s Battlegrounds) has announced his studio, Playerunknown Productions, is going independent. The team has separated itself from Krafton, which oversees publishing for PUBG related properties. While Krafton retains a minority stake in the studio, Greene and his team are, for all intents and purposes, free to pursue whatever projects they wish. 

Playerunknown Productions is based in Amsterdam, and the company’s website describes it as a place to “explore, experiment and create new technologies, pipelines, and gameplay.” The press release specifies the team is exploring systems to facilitate massive open worlds. In December 2019 the team released a brief teaser for a project called “Prologue” that featured a seemingly panicked protagonist in a stormy forest. Whether or not this is a slice of the team’s new project or more of a tech demo remains to be seen. 

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“I’m so very grateful to everyone at PUBG and Krafton for taking a chance on me and for the opportunities they afforded me over the past four years,” said Greene in a press release. “Today, I’m excited to take the next step on my journey to create the kind of experience I’ve envisaged for years. Again, I’m thankful for everyone at Krafton for supporting my plans, and I’ll have more to reveal more about our project at a later date.”

Greene spun PUBG out from a battle royale mod he created for Arma 2. After helping introduce the concept to H1Z1, he joined up with Bluehole and launched Playerunknown’s Battlegrounds on PC in 2017. The game became a massive success and introduced the battle royale template later adopted in titles such as Fortnite. Greene stepped down as lead designer of Battlegrounds in 2019 to lead the development of new projects within PUGB Corp. 

A few months ago, the game’s title was quietly changed to simply PUBG: Battlegrounds. Krafton also announced PUBG: New State, a new version of the game built specifically for mobile platforms. 

Resident Evil: Welcome To Raccoon City Movie Director On Casting Decisions

Earlier this week, we saw our first look at the cast of the upcoming Resident Evil movie reboot called Welcome To Raccoon City, and the casting choices seemed to leave some longtime fans confused. With many adaptations, there is the creative freedom to deviate from the source material. We’ve seen it a million times through the years, including storyline changes and casting choices. When characters like Leon, Jill, and Claire were revealed, immediately the internet was split into two groups: one that felt that the upcoming movie reboot looked promising. In contrast, the other group questioned the actors chosen for their iconic horror roles. The director, Johannes Roberts, gave a little insight into the reasons behind the casting decisions made for the upcoming Resident Evil: Welcome to Raccoon City movie. 

In the first images revealed, seen here, Avan Jogia, who is set to play Leon S. Kennedy, was revealed in full costume alongside Hannah John-Kamen, who is donning the role of Jill Valentine. Seeing them in full costume showed off Roberts’ take on the Capcom horror franchise, but some fans weren’t seeing it. For the director, however, it wasn’t about getting the looks just right; it was about capturing the essence of the characters, something he felt the actors chosen did perfectly: 

“It was hugely important with the whole casting process to find people who embodied the spirit and energy of the characters I wanted to portray,” the director told IGN. “I think often in-game adaptations one of the big flaws can be just casting someone to look visually like the characters  giving them the identical haircut and clothes but not really trying to give the audience the thing that a movie does better than a game  which is to create a three-dimensional character that you can really connect with and believe in. I think as I said before one of the traps of falling into game adaptations is to make it feel like a giant cosplay version of the game.”

He added, “Our cast is obviously much more diverse than the original games but I wanted to resist the trap of just casting because someone just happened to look like their character identically,” he continued. “We actually had a lot of actors who came in and recreated themselves perfectly visually as the character they were reading  it was uncanny at times ha!  but it was not what I felt this story needed. With Jill, I knew Hannah from Ready Player One and this show she was in at the time called The Stranger and I just knew she’d be perfect. Leon was much harder. We must have seen so many people  it was really quite a tricky role because of the balance of humor and weariness. Then Avan read and I was like he’s the one! He gets it.”

Many movies have had controversial casting choices pre-launch that have gone to make the character their own. Just look at Heath Ledger’s Joker in Batman. When his character was first revealed, many immediately hailed the film as a failure before seeing it. Now, many can’t unsee him in that role; rest his soul. Other movies have made similar casting moves without as much success, but we won’t know how any of the actors fare until we see the film for ourselves, which is set to arrive on November 24, 2021. 


What are your thoughts on our first look at Resident Evil: Welcome To Raccoon City? Do you have faith in the direction Roberts is going in, or is this another adaptation you’re hoping to skip out on? Sound off with your thoughts in the comment section below! 

Xbox Game Pass Adds 8 New Games, Here’s What’s Arriving And Leaving

Xbox Game Pass is adding even more titles to its evolving library, this time with another Final Fantasy adventure and some indie favorites. That, or you can get your crazed surgeon on with yet another simulator joining the fray. 

Before diving into the eight new games arriving on Xbox Game Pass this next month, let’s take a quick look to see what the membership itself even is. The Xbox Game Pass library continues to change with new titles being added. From day one launches of hit games to indie treasures that deserve their stage time just as any other game, the Game Pass membership allows Xbox fans a chance to have instant access to an eclectic library without having to shell out $60 for each experience. There are two options available for players to take part in, the standard membership and Ultimate. Xbox Game Pass is $9.99 per month, with Ultimate coming in at $14.99, including Xbox Live.

What’s Coming To Xbox Game Pass: 

  • Craftopia, Cloud, Console, and PC – September 2
  • Final Fantasy XIII, Console and PC – September 2
  • Signs of the Sojourner, Cloud, Console, and PC – September 2
  • Surgeon Simulator 2, Cloud, Console, and PC – September 2
  • Crown Trick, Console and PC – September 7
  • Breathedge, Cloud, Console, and PC – September 9
  • Nuclear Throne, Console and PC – September 9
  • The Artful Escape, Console and PC – September 9

What’s Leaving Xbox Game Pass: 

  • Red Dead Online, Cloud and Console – September 13
  • Company of Heroes, PC – September 15
  • Disgaea 4, PC – September 15
  • Forza Motorsport 7, Cloud, Console, and PC – September 15
  • Hotshot Racing, Cloud and Console – September 15
  • The Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance Tactics, Cloud, Console, and PC – September 15
  • Thronebreaker: The Witcher Tales, Cloud and Console – September 15

With Microsoft making some big moves in recent years – the recent Bethesda acquisition and more on the way – the internal ecosystem at Xbox continues to grow. This means more AAA wonders and indie darlings will be yours to play at no additional cost. With the price of games increasing to $70 in many cases, a discounted library access membership like this has its fair share of benefits. 


Thoughts on the latest additions to Xbox Game Pass? What would you like to see added next? Sound off with your thoughts in the comments below! 

This Microsoft Flight Simulator Mod Adds Mario Kart-Inspired Tracks

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There are quite a few Microsoft Flight Simulator mods out there, including the meme-worthy modification that added in the trapped ship that was stuck in the Suez Canal previously. Now, one Nintendo fan has added a little Mario Kart flair with their creative Microsoft Simulator mod, and while it doesn’t play like the racing experience we grew up with, it’s still pretty nifty. 

Every week, we feature a mod as part of my Mod Corner vertical and this week, I had far too many people email me this particular Flight Simulator experience to ignore. After checking it out, it looks pretty fun, just don’t expect and exact replica in terms of experience. 

Creator Illogicoma blended the two worlds together with their Microsoft Flight Simulator mod that adds seven tracks into the mix from Mario Kart 8.  Sounds cool, right? There’s one small caveat: it’s not actually available, at least not publicly. In the video at the top the article, you can see the mod in question, including the beloved Moo Moo Meadows. Come on, you know you loved it. 

While you can’t blue shell your way to a win with this mod, you can at least go through similar courses. Well, you can watch the creator go through certain courses. Hopefully, with enough interest, this might be made public? We can dream. In the meantime, check out some of this modder’s other great creations on their YouTube channel here


Thoughts on the world of Mario Kart crashing Microsoft Flight Simulator? What other crossovers would you like to see make it into the plane-driven game? Sound off with your thoughts in the comment section below! Feel free to also check out some of our other Mod Corner picks below: 

Sonic Colors: Ultimate Is A Great Way To Play The 2010 Gem

Sonic Colors: Ultimate

Sonic Colors arrived at a pivotal time in the history of the series. While several games during that era were of questionable quality, Sonic the Hedgehog (2006) served as a rock bottom for the franchise, and Sonic Team needed to right the ship. Thankfully, 2008’s Sonic Unleashed restored a lot of goodwill to the fan base. Its follow-up two years later, Sonic Colors, continued the trend and remains a beloved title to this day. Sonic Colors: Ultimate gives players a chance to experience the previous Wii-exclusive title again or for the first time. And regardless of which camp you fall in, Sonic Colors: Ultimate is worth playing.

As with every good remaster, Sonic Colors: Ultimate looks far better than the original version. The biggest leap forward comes in the form of the game finally being available with HD visuals after spending its entire existence to this point on the 480p Wii. Sonic Colors: Ultimate not only blows past that meager resolution but can reach 4K on compatible devices. Add to that 60 FPS performance (though some dips happen), better lighting, and graphical tweaks, and this new version of Sonic Colors often looks great in action. However, it can be hard to spot Sonic amidst the overly busy backgrounds in some side-scrolling sequences when the camera pulls way back. Also, in a few cutscenes, lighting on some characters (I’m looking at you, Tails) is inconsistent.

Sonic Colors: Ultimate

Other additions to this version include the Park Tokens and the Tails Save mechanic. Both come in the form of tokens found in stages and through the score screen after completing a level. Park Tokens allow you to purchase in-game cosmetics like shoes, gloves, boosts, auras, and player icons. I don’t really like most of the palette-swap customization options available, but it’s all optional, so I could ignore it for the most part. The Tails Save mechanic allows you to try a jump again if you fall into a pit, as long as you have a Tails token in your inventory. This is more intrusive than the Park Tokens mechanic, and while I wish it were togglable, I will admit it’s nice not to have to start back at a checkpoint because you fell into one of the game’s many instant-death pits.

Once you collect 15 red rings in an area, you gain access to Rival Rush mode, which pits Sonic against Metal Sonic in a race through one of that area’s levels. Sonic is a bit faster, but Metal Sonic is efficient; I needed to perform a rather fluid and mistake-free run through the stage to top Sonic’s metallic nemesis. You’re rewarded with a pile of Park Tokens to spend on customization items for beating Metal Sonic. Rival Rush mode is fun, and Metal Sonic is always a welcomed addition to a Sonic game, but I could speedrun levels in the base game without having to slap a title on it.

Sonic Colors: Ultimate

Sonic Colors: Ultimate adds to and tweaks the original game in several ways, but at the core, this is very much the same game players remember from 2010 – for better and worse. Sure, Sonic Colors delivers awesome high-speed sequences, exciting boss battles, and unique powers, but some of the stages weren’t the best in 2010, and they feel even worse in 2021. The 3D gameplay remains tight and adrenaline-fueled, but floaty 2D gameplay and convoluted 2D platforming sequences too often throw a halt into the fast-paced action; though, it’s better than it was in the original, I still hate the wall jumping in this game.

I understand that Sonic can’t just sprint through the entire game from start to finish, but patience shouldn’t have to be a virtue when you’re controlling the fastest character in gaming. I much more consistently enjoy the 3D gameplay of Colors, but that suffers from entering autopilot sequences where it feels like my inputs don’t mean anything. Still, Colors features some of the most exciting and memorable moments and levels of any 3D Sonic game, and it was just as much of a thrill to experience them today as it was at the original release.

Sonic Colors: Ultimate

Despite the issues from the original game and the largely inconsequential additions in this version, I’m happy Ultimate exists. Sure, the better visuals and remastered sounds are nice, but the biggest advantage of Sonic Color: Ultimate is that it finally frees one of the best early-2010s Sonic games from an obsolete piece of hardware. I’ve loved having games like Sonic Unleashed and Sonic Generations readily accessible through Xbox backward compatibility, but I knew that was never an option for the Wii-exclusive Colors. As a fan of Sega’s Blue Blur since the early ’90s, being able to play games from each era on a single system is amazing, and it always felt like a massive piece of the series’ history was missing before Sonic Colors: Ultimate’s arrival. It may not be the perfect Sonic game, but it’s certainly one of the better modern titles since the Adventure series.  

Sonic Colors: Ultimate launches on September 7 on PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Switch, and PC.

Far Cry 6 | New Gameplay Today

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Publisher: Ubisoft
Developer: Ubisoft Toronto
Release:

Rating: Mature
Platform: PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Stadia, PC, Mac

The Far Cry 6 release date is just around the corner, and we were lucky enough to go hands-on with the upcoming first-person shooter and saw many of the gameplay opportunities that the Island of Yara offers. With its antagonist being played by the famous Giancarlo Esposito, many fans are hopeful that this entry in the Far Cry series will return to form by featuring an unforgettable performance by the game’s villain. Join Alex Stadnik, Brian Shea, and our wonderful production director, Margaret Andrews, for another episode of New Gameplay Today, wherein the trio shows off brand new Far Cry 6 gameplay!

Senior editor Brian Shea summarizes his time spent playing Far Cry 6 in his recent preview, saying:

Far Cry 6 starts with a bang from both narrative and action standpoints. I’m curious if Ubisoft can carry forward with these emotional gut-punches without falling victim to the cognitive dissonance for which Far Cry is often known. Hopefully, the enjoyment we get from flying around in our wingsuits, firing over-the-top weapons, and fighting alongside a cute wiener dog named Chorizo doesn’t contrast too harshly with the story of an island in political peril. Only time will tell if Ubisoft can balance these disparate tones, but in my time playing, I had a blast and still felt the weight of the dark narrative beats.

Did you enjoy this early look at Far Cry 6? If so, subscribe to the Game Informer YouTube channel so that you don’t miss our full Far Cry 6 review when the game launches this October! If you’re interested in seeing the latest footage of upcoming games, be sure to check out other episodes of New Gameplay Today here. As always, leave a comment down below, letting us know if you’re excited to play the latest entry in the Far Cry series.

Deathloop Touches On Immersive Features In New Trailer

As we move into the current generation, new features have come into focus that help make games more immersive. Deathloop, slated to arrive on September 14, boasts a number of these aspects. To take advantage of these features requires new hardware, and sadly multiple factors have gone into making current-gen systems difficult to acquire, something that could hopefully be rectified as we head into the next year. That said, a new trailer for Deathloop shows off some of the perks of playing games in this era. Oh, you should also check out our guide to everything Deathloop right here. Why keep talking about it? You can check out the trailer below!

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Perhaps the most obvious upgrade that games can get from new tech is graphical. Still, we have a whole “generation” to see how developers can take advantage of that, despite having some great-looking titles already available. Adaptive triggers, different for each weapon, are becoming sort of a standard here on the PlayStation 5. This helps every weapon feel distinct from one another and gives them a bit of their own personality. Deathloop further utilizes the adaptive trigger to highlight scenarios like gun jamming, which the player feels on the controller as well. Again, these may be small things on a larger scale, but they lead to more immersive gameplay when taken in aggregate. Haptic feedback for running, sliding, and more helps further enhance that tactile essence.

Deathloop also takes advantage of the controller speaker to alert the player at various times. As you can see, many of these immersion aspects tie in directly to the DualSense controller and all it can do. While I doubt they will make or break the Deathloop experience, they certainly add a bit of depth and texture to the gameplay experience. Anyway, how are you feeling about Deathloop? Are you going to pick it up? Not your thing? Let us know in the comments!

It’s 2021 And VVVVVV Is Still Getting Updates

Yes. You read the headline right. Terry Cavanaugh’s 2010 game VVVVVV has received a new update in 2021. It’s been over seven years since the game saw a patch, so why now?

Early last year, Cavanaugh made the source code for VVVVVV public and let people mess around with the game. As a result of opening up the game, update 2.3 features many changes, all of which are linked in Cavanaugh’s blog about the release. While this is an official release for the game, its creator didn’t do most of the work on the newest version but was the gatekeeper for what made it in.

“I’ve personally added very, very little to this update – which is something that I feel maybe a little anxious about! But I’ve been very careful to make sure that every change is something I was happy with, and that none of the changes to the game were doing anything other than making this the best version of the 2010 game,” said Cavanaugh about the project.

While there are a bunch of changes to the game, here’s what stands out to Cavanaugh as key changes:

  • 60-plus FPS support
  • Improved graphical options (Including VSync and an option to give the text a black outline for better visibility)
  • New features in the level editor
  • Hundreds of bug fixes

VVVVVV is a puzzle platformer where cute little smiley guy Captain Veridian navigates a maze-like planet to find his missing crew. Veridian flips the pull of gravity to clear obstacles like pits or deadly spikes, the latter of which spells instant death with the slightest touch. The world is unforgiving, but it’s fun finding ideal paths through dangerous rooms. Cavanaugh may be more famous for his work on Super Hexagon or, most recently, Dicey Dungeons, but VVVVVV is one of my favorite indie platformers, and its soundtrack is one of my all-time favorites.

If you haven’t tried VVVVVV and enjoy a stiff challenge, check it out, especially with the “best version of the 2010 game” now available. Grab a copy on PlayStation 4, Switch, 3DS, iOS, Android, or PC, but keep in mind the new update is only available through Steam or itch.io. 

Exclusive Shin Megami Tensei V Screenshots Give Us More Glimpses Of The Demons And Characters

Publisher: Sega
Developer: Atlus
Release:

Platform: Switch

Since the game’s big release date announcement this past JuneGame Informer has been rolling out exclusive previews of Shin Megami Tensei V. The newest entry of the captivating role-playing series has lots to be excited about, so we’ve been working with the team at Atlus to show off different parts of the game as we get closer and closer to launch. From new looks at the main characters to a primer of the story of the game, we’ve had you covered in recent months.

Our most recent look at Shin Megami Tensei V focused on the demons and negotiations that take place between them and the main characters. Atlus has passed along even more localized screenshots for this prominent aspect of the game. You can check out the gallery below to see these new, exclusive screenshots.

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On top of that, Atlus sent over some new character art for some of these demons that you’ll be fighting, fusing, interacting with, and potentially recruiting to fight alongside you. The game features more than 200 demons across the adventure, featuring classics like Jack Frost, as well as several new creatures designed by Masayuki Doi, who has been with the series since Persona 2: Innocent Sin. You can see the new demon art below.

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Shin Megami Tensei V launches November 12 on Switch. For tons more on the upcoming Atlus RPG, check out our Shin Megami Tensei V hub here. As always, keep your eyes on our site for more info about Shin Megami Tensei V in the lead up to launch.


What is your hype level for Shin Megami Tensei V? Where are you hoping the story goes? What kinds of demons are you looking to recruit or fuse? Let us know your thoughts in the comments section below!

Story Of Seasons: Pioneers Of Olive Town Heads To PC

Have you ever wanted to play Story of Seasons: Pioneers of Olive Town but didn’t have a Switch? On September 15, you’re in luck, as the farming simulation game is headed to Steam on PC. If you can’t get enough of planting crops and taking care of adorable cow-looking things (that may or may not actually be cows), then Story of Seasons: Pioneers of Olive Town might satiate that farming desire.

“My journey through Pioneers of Olive Town was full of highs and lows. Things either came too easy, like wooing the townsperson of my choice, or required too much effort, like unlocking some farm facilities,” said Kimberly Wallace in the Game Informer review. “I was impressed with how much there is to do, but it all comes at a cost; I felt like I could never spend time exploring certain aspects, such as creating clothing or getting into cooking, because they require precious time and feel insignificant compared to your other tasks.” In our review, Pioneers of Olive town clocked in at a 7.5, with the analysis distilled down to – The core farming loop is still entertaining, but the rewards aren’t satisfying enough for the investment required to get them. Check out the entire review here.

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Of course, you’re not just making cheese and farming crops in Story of Seasons. No, today’s farm sims typically also include several neighboring villager interactions, and you can participate in festivals, build up a museum full of collectibles, and work on your relationships with the townsfolk. Hopefully, some of the identified issues on the Switch version, such as load times, stuttering, and framerate issues, are smoothed over in the PC release.

Are you into farming sims? What would you like to see in the next era of farm games? Does Story of Seasons: Pioneers of Olive Town heading to PC do anything for you? Let us know in the comments!

Everything We Know About Lost Judgment

Lost Judgment, the newest game from Yakuza developer Ryu Ga Gotoku Studio and the second in its Judgment spin-off franchise, is out next week, so read our review and watch our episode of New Gameplay Today. To keep the Judgment train rolling, ahead of the game’s release, we’re running down everything we know about the game, from its story, themes, gameplay, and setting. 

It’s A Direct Sequel to Judgment

Even though it isn’t RGG Studio’s first spin-off set in the Yakuza world, Judgment made a comparatively huge splash when it was released in 2018. Telling the story of Takayuki Yagami, a disgraced lawyer-turned private eye, the game is set in Kamurocho, the main open-world location from the Yakuza series, but tells its own story aside from that of protagonist Kazuma Kiryu. After the events of Judgment, which had Yagami facing an assortment of corruptions within Japan – including false convictions, pharmaceutical conspiracies, and murder – Yagami has returned to his life investigating petty cases around Tokyo’s redlight district. But of course, it’s not long before he’s pulled into a much larger case. 

It All Starts With A Dead Body

(Content warning for sexual assault)

We recently had a chance to play through numerous different levels of Lost Judgment – including its opening. If you want to read the full article, which includes an interview with producer Kazuki Hosokawa, you can find that in the most recent issue of Game InformerIn the meantime, here’s what we had to say about the game’s opening moments:

Lost Judgment opens in Ijincho, Yokohama, the location from Like a Dragon and the latest open world in the overall series. Firefighters are racing to a scene; smoke billows out of an abandoned building, but there are no visible signs of fire, as one firefighter points out. It strikes him as a false alarm or a prank. 

His assumption is not correct.

Once inside, they survey the floor with the smoke, discovering 14 flares arranged in the shape of an arrow pointing in the direction of a large mass covered by a tarp. Flies, hundreds of them, hover around. You can’t be sure until one of the firemen musters the courage to remove the tarp, but you have a pretty good idea what lies beneath. It’s bad. 

Removing the tarp confirms your worst assumptions – a dead body. But not a fresh corpse. The skin is black with decay. The hands restrained behind the back, mangled and broken. The body has been here a while, maggots and larva making themselves at home in the decomposing hole that was once a nose. The camera slowly pans towards the corpse, and right before you can’t take it any longer, the screen cuts to black, and in pipes a familiar voice. 

“In Japan, 99.9 percent of criminal trials end with a guilty verdict,” protagonist Takayuki Yagami says, a declaration of Lost Judgment’s themes. 

“The reality is, the law is neither as perfect or as fair as it’s supposed to be,” he says a few moments later. “So I’ve made it my job to give those without a voice a chance to be heard.”

Set in December 2021, Akihiro Ehara is accused of groping a woman on a train. A bystander captures Ehara’s attempt to flee on video. It’s broadcast by the news, leading to a public outcry for a maximum sentence. However, Ehara brings up the corpse in Yokohama on trial, asking if the court has identified the person. His defense lawyer, Saori Shirosaki, a main character from the first game and one of Yagami’s coworkers, asks Yagami to investigate, believing police overlooked important case details. Did Ehara commit two crimes at the same time? If so, how? Was his sexual battery case a cover-up? Or has he gamed Japan’s justice system entirely? These are the central questions in Lost Judgment.  

It’s Dealing With Heavy Themes Affecting Both Japan And The World

If it wasn’t clear in the previous section, Lost Judgment’s story centers on some weighty topics, including Japan’s actual 99-percent conviction rate, sexual assault, murder, and corruption within Japan’s judicial system. Whether or not the game pulls any of this off with grace, we’ll have to wait and see. But it is worth noting the game isn’t pulling punches when it comes to its sociopolitical themes. And that’s the point. 

RGG’s games, especially the most recent releases, have never shied from tackling political and social issues within Japan. And where many western studios tend to avoid these topics – or at least talking about them – Hosokawa is open about what RGG is trying to say in Lost Judgment and the purpose of video games as political platforms, telling us, “Whether or not video games are a good medium for dealing with political issues is not a function of the game itself, but rather a function of the relationship between creators and players.”

As he sees it, when video games became a dominating force in entertainment, or as they “became as important as novels and movies as a means for meaningful experiences,” it was only natural they would adopt narratives true to the real world. The implication seems that Hosokawa views his audience as a mature one who wants to play games that explore themes about society, not shirk away from the thought of video game creators being politically-minded people.

“It’s also probably true that the market has changed from one centered on children and enthusiasts to one that is open and diverse enough to include people with various preferences and ideas,” Hosokawa says. “For this reason, I feel that game creators should be strongly encouraged if not required to have a good understanding of and to be cautious about the way they depict certain themes and motifs when considering the diversity of their players.”

Yokohama Is Back

While the Yakuza series has featured numerous different open worlds throughout the years, by and large, it’s known for its central Kamurocho setting, which takes close inspiration from Japan’s real-world Kabukicho entertainment district. Until 2020, when Yakuza: Like a Dragon moved the series to Yokohama with its Ijincho setting. 

While the game also features Kamurocho, Ijincho is making a return for Lost Judgment, but not without some subtle and specific changes. Like a Dragon is a turn-based RPG, and so the large Ijincho map is built with this gameplay in mind. Lost Judgment, however, is a brawler, sticking with the Yakuza series’ historical gameplay. When RGG was developing Like a Dragon, Hosokawa says he was already thinking about how the developer would use the map in Lost Judgment. And in fact, numerous changes have been made to Ijincho to serve the game’s difference in gameplay that the player might never notice at all. 

Except for one significant change the player can’t miss. 

“Ijincho is also a vast city, created on the premise of being an RPG, so we also introduced the skateboard as a means of transportation to make navigating the city feel more comfortable,” Hosokawa says. 

While playing Lost Judgment, we took the game’s new skateboard for a few joyrides, and for what it is, it works well enough. Don’t expect Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater, but there is a fun novelty to skateboarding around the city, even if the controls are limited.

Run Back To School

As part of his investigation in Lost Judgment, Yagami has to infiltrate a Yokohama high school undercover. Which, of course, means you also are going back to school. 

Lost Judgment features a fully modeled Japanese high school for you to explore, with its own story beats, minigames, and characters. When we played Lost Judgment, we didn’t get too much time with the school, but one level did give us a glimpse at combat within the setting. 

Here’s what we had to say:

Our time exploring the school shows a beautifully realized level full of classrooms and courtyards. Our objective is to head to the third floor, though we’re stopped by a group of kids connected to the local Chinese gang, the Yokohama Liumang. A fight ensues. Which, Yagami beating the holy hell out of a group of children is a bit of a weird look, but here we are. Combat within the school, specifically in the classrooms, makes great use of the environment; grabbing a student’s desk to pummel an enemy is as funny as it is absurd. 

Combat Feels Fantastic

Historically, RGG’s games have been beat ’em ups, and it’s here that Lost Judgment shines. Combat is instantly fluid and chaining fast combos with heavy and light attacks combined with grapples and throws feels excellent. But with Like A Dragon, the core Yakuza series is now a turn-based RPG, meaning Judgment, the spin-off, is now carrying forward the main games’ legacy as a brawler. It’s an interesting position for a side series to be in, and Hosokawa says Lost Judgment’s combat is a legitimate evolution of RGG’s action systems. 

“I would also say the battle system is the most advanced form of RGG Studio’s action combat yet,” Hosokawa says. 

And There’s Also Stealth And Parkour

When we were playing Lost Judgment, we got to see the game’s new parkour and stealth systems. Both systems are relatively rudimentary in terms of gameplay. Still, they work well enough, and there’s something to be said about how they break up the tried-and-true RGG gameplay, which remained relatively the same for several years. We didn’t get a lot of time with either system but enjoyed what little we got to play. 

It’s RGG’s First Global Release

Historically, Ryu Ga Gotoku Studio’s games have come out in Japan upwards of a year before other territories – or in some cases haven’t come out at all outside of their home country. That all changes with Lost Judgment. For the first time in the company’s history, it will launch a game worldwide on the same day. Publisher Sega will release Lost Judgment on September 21. It will be available on PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, Xbox Series X/S, and Xbox One. 

What About PC?

Good question! RGG has been bringing its games over to PC in recent years – except for the Judgment series. According to a report from Japanese entertainment site Nikkan Taisu, Johnny & Associates, the talent agency representing Takuya Kimura, the actor lending his face and voice to Yagami in the Judgment series, does not want any of their talents on “a PC platform that is not a game console platform and connects directly to the internet” due to privacy concerns. Due to publisher Sega and Johnny & Associates not reaching an agreement, the entire series will reportedly end after Lost Judgment. However, Sega has yet to say anything official on the matter.

For more on Lost Judgment, make sure to check out the new”>https://www.gameinformer.com/cover-reveal/2021/08/26/cover-reveal-marve… issue of Game”>https://www.gameinformer.com/cover-reveal/2021/08/26/cover-reveal-marve… Informer, where we had the chance to play through multiple hours of the game and talk in-depth with Hosokawa about the game’s development, story, and themes. 

And if you caught the semi-obvious Deftones reference in this piece, sound off in the comments below.