Game Informer Previews

Dread Delusion | New Gameplay Today

Wesley LeBlanc — Tue, 14 May 2024 10:00:00 CDT

<img loading="lazy" src="https://www.gameinformer.com/sites/default/files/styles/body_default/public/2024/05/13/3adf63aa/dread-delusion-is-a-morrowind-like-rpg-out-now-new-gameplay-today.jpg" width="800" height="450" alt="Dread Delusion Lovely Hellplace Dread XP New Gameplay Today Morrowind Elder Scrolls" typeof="foaf:Image" class="image-style-body-default" /> After a few years in Early Access, Dread Delusion, an Elder Scrolls III: Morrowind-like RPG, is finally out in 1.0 on PC! And to celebrate the game's launch, Game Informer editors Wesley LeBlanc, Kyle Hilliard, and Marcus Stewart are showcasing what to expect in today's New Gameplay Today.  The gameplay you can watch below takes place about five hours into the game, with Wesley exploring an Eldritch castle of sorts. If you like what you see, you can up the game on Steam for $15.99 until May 16, which is when the price jumps up to $19.99.  Check out Game Informer's Dread Delusion New Gameplay Today below:  <iframe width="560" height="315" frameBorder="0" allow="autoplay" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="360" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/tmeliUCQI3A" width="640"></iframe> Head to Game Informer's <a href="https://www.youtube.com/gameinformer" target="_blank">YouTube channel</a> for more previews, reviews, and discussions of new and upcoming games. Watch other episodes of New Gameplay Today <a href="https://www.gameinformer.com/ngt" target="_blank">right here.</a>

Funko Fusion Preview - Get Your Head In The Game

Charles Harte — Tue, 30 Apr 2024 12:30:00 CDT

Platform: PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, PC
Release: <time datetime="2024-09-13T12:00:00Z" class="datetime">September 13, 2024</time>

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. <iframe width="560" height="315" frameBorder="0" allow="autoplay" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="360" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/UsgMx0J3QxQ" width="640"></iframe> 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. <section class='type:slideshow'><figure><img src='https://www.gameinformer.com/sites/default/files/styles/body_default/public/2024/04/30/8df80e64/funko_fusion_-_screenshot_1.jpg'></figure><figure><img src='https://www.gameinformer.com/sites/default/files/styles/body_default/public/2024/04/30/e151508b/funko_fusion_-_screenshot_2.jpg'></figure><figure><img src='https://www.gameinformer.com/sites/default/files/styles/body_default/public/2024/04/30/ced4986e/funko_fusion_-_screenshot_3.jpg'></figure><figure><img src='https://www.gameinformer.com/sites/default/files/styles/body_default/public/2024/04/30/e5e18f7f/funko_fusion_-_screenshot_4.jpg'></figure><figure><img src='https://www.gameinformer.com/sites/default/files/styles/body_default/public/2024/04/30/d09010cc/funko_fusion_-_screenshot_5.jpg'></figure><figure><img src='https://www.gameinformer.com/sites/default/files/styles/body_default/public/2024/04/30/65763db3/funko_fusion_-_screenshot_6.jpg'></figure></section> 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: <ul><li>Back to the Future</li> <li>Battlestar Galactica</li> <li>Child's Play</li> <li>Five Nights at Freddy's</li> <li>Hot Fuzz</li> <li>Invincible</li> <li>Jaws</li> <li>Jurassic World</li> <li>Knight Rider</li> <li>Masters of the Universe</li> <li>Megan</li> <li>The Mummy</li> <li>Nope</li> <li>Scott Pilgrim vs. The World</li> <li>Shaun of the Dead</li> <li>The Thing</li> <li>The Umbrella Academy</li> <li>Voltron</li> <li>The Walking Dead</li> <li>Xena: Warrior Princess</li> </ul>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. <img loading="lazy" src="https://www.gameinformer.com/sites/default/files/styles/body_default/public/2024/04/30/47afe9f8/funko_fusion_-_the_walking_dead_pack_1920x1080.png" typeof="foaf:Image" alt="" class="image-style-body-default" /> 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

Shin Megami Tensei V: Vengeance Preview - Back With A Vengeance

Brian Shea — Tue, 30 Apr 2024 11:30:00 CDT

Platform: PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Switch, PC
Publisher: Sega
Developer: Atlus
Release: <time datetime="2024-06-14T12:00:00Z" class="datetime">June 14, 2024</time>
Rating: Mature

The 2021 release of Shin Megami Tensei V received a solid response from fans and critics. The Switch-exclusive title <a href="https://www.gameinformer.com/review/shin-megami-tensei-v/shin-megami-tensei-v-review-beauty-in-an-unforgiving-world">garnered an 8.25 out of 10 from Game Informer</a> 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. <img loading="lazy" src="https://www.gameinformer.com/sites/default/files/styles/body_default/public/2024/04/29/4e47fbe8/005_abdiel.jpg" alt="Shin Megami Tensei V: Vengeance" title="Shin Megami Tensei V: Vengeance" typeof="foaf:Image" class="image-style-body-default" /> 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. <img loading="lazy" src="https://www.gameinformer.com/sites/default/files/styles/body_default/public/2024/04/29/c945a8fb/020_naamah_2.jpg" alt="Shin Megami Tensei V: Vengeance" title="Shin Megami Tensei V: Vengeance" typeof="foaf:Image" class="image-style-body-default" /> 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. <img loading="lazy" src="https://www.gameinformer.com/sites/default/files/styles/body_default/public/2024/04/29/223c4954/033_yoko_nahobino_and_tao.jpg" alt="Shin Megami Tensei V: Vengeance" title="Shin Megami Tensei V: Vengeance" typeof="foaf:Image" class="image-style-body-default" /> 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. <img loading="lazy" src="https://www.gameinformer.com/sites/default/files/styles/body_default/public/2024/04/29/50c8942e/039_tao_mahamaon.jpg" alt="Shin Megami Tensei V: Vengeance" title="Shin Megami Tensei V: Vengeance" typeof="foaf:Image" class="image-style-body-default" /> 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 <a href="https://www.gameinformer.com/review/shin-megami-tensei-v/shin-megami-tensei-v-review-beauty-in-an-unforgiving-world">here</a>. Purchase

Exclusive Details About Star Wars Outlaws' Fourth Crime Syndicate, The Ashiga Clan

Brian Shea — Thu, 25 Apr 2024 14:00:00 CDT

Platform: PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, PC
Publisher: Ubisoft
Developer: Massive Entertainment
Release: <time datetime="2024-08-30T12:00:00Z" class="datetime">August 30, 2024</time>

In Star Wars Outlaws, protagonists <a data-entity-substitution="canonical" data-entity-type="node" data-entity-uuid="3c5ccbc1-8bbb-4097-86f7-9738dad6e891" href="https://www.gameinformer.com/preview/2024/04/15/meet-kay-and-nix">Kay Vess and Nix</a> must navigate the criminal underworld by interacting with the various crime syndicates thriving in this period between the events of The Empire Strikes Back and Return of the Jedi. Kay's standing with these syndicates is primarily represented by <a data-entity-substitution="canonical" data-entity-type="node" data-entity-uuid="f15b61ba-8bf0-4d08-8ff7-c4e9d9308575" href="https://www.gameinformer.com/preview/2024/04/17/how-the-reputation-and-wanted-systems-work">the Reputation System</a>, an ambitious mechanic that tracks her relationship with these criminal organizations. In the <a href="https://www.gameinformer.com/2024/04/09/star-wars-outlaws-release-date-set-for-august-new-story-trailer-shown">recently released story trailer</a>, we hear the names of three of the syndicates present in Star Wars Outlaws: the Hutt Cartel, the Pyke Syndicate, and Crimson Dawn. During our trip to Massive Entertainment, I was able to learn more about the fourth syndicate with which Kay will have to balance her reputation: the Ashiga Clan. Massive created the Ashiga Clan in collaboration with Lucasfilm Games, just like other original elements like Kay, Nix, their ship, the Trailblazer, and the new moon, <a href="https://www.gameinformer.com/preview/2024/04/10/exclusive-hands-on-impressions">Toshara</a>. "Every week, we have several calls with them where we share what we'd like to do, the intentions, and they challenge us; we do a back and forth like that over several weeks to be able to get the shape language right, to get the lore right, to make sure it becomes part of Star Wars canon," creative director Julian Gerighty says. "The Ashiga Clan is part of Star Wars canon now. Toshara is part of Star Wars canon now. And that's super gratifying when you help design a creature that's as lovable and fierce as Nix and it becomes part of one of the most storied IPs in the world." <img loading="lazy" src="https://www.gameinformer.com/sites/default/files/styles/body_default/public/2024/04/03/50d84e11/gi_ashiga_hive.jpg" alt="Star Wars Outlaws" title="Star Wars Outlaws" typeof="foaf:Image" class="image-style-body-default" /> An Ashiga hive The Ashiga Clan, which has a large presence on Kijimi (a planet most famous for its role in The Rise of Skywalker), finds itself at a crossroads as it pushes to expand beyond Kijimi. "They have a long tradition and certain events in the recent history put them at a fork in the road where there are different ways they could go forward, and they're not necessarily in agreement with what the best path forward is," associate narrative director John Björling says. It operates as a hive of the Melitto species (first introduced in The Force Awakens with Sarco Plank) with an emphasis on function and survival. "You have these insectoid, humanoid, kind of very ant-like species and it's taking that principle of, 'What would a crime syndicate that is essentially operating like an anthill – what is that like?' Björling says. "It's a syndicate with a long tradition, they have a strong hierarchy, and there's a lot about putting the hive before yourself. I think those aspects make it stand out as a unique kind of crime syndicate." <img loading="lazy" src="https://www.gameinformer.com/sites/default/files/styles/body_default/public/2024/04/03/49b3e754/gi_ashiga.jpg" alt="Star Wars Outlaws" title="Star Wars Outlaws" typeof="foaf:Image" class="image-style-body-default" /> To learn more about how you'll be interacting with the Ashiga Clan and its leader, Ashiga, head to our feature about <a data-entity-substitution="canonical" data-entity-type="node" data-entity-uuid="f15b61ba-8bf0-4d08-8ff7-c4e9d9308575" href="https://www.gameinformer.com/preview/2024/04/17/how-the-reputation-and-wanted-systems-work">how the Reputation System within the game works</a>. Star Wars Outlaws comes to PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, and PC on August 30. Be sure to visit our exclusive coverage hub through the banner below. Purchase

Super Monkey Ball Banana Rumble Preview - Getting Things Rolling Again

Brian Shea — Wed, 24 Apr 2024 09:00:00 CDT

Platform: Switch
Publisher: Sega
Developer: Ryu Ga Gotoku Studios
Release: <time datetime="2024-06-25T12:00:00Z" class="datetime">June 25, 2024</time>
Rating: Everyone

After a long absence, the Super Monkey Ball series returned in 2019 and 2021 with <a data-entity-substitution="canonical" data-entity-type="node" data-entity-uuid="1f63411a-5f67-4548-b0b8-3a6453dffdcd" href="https://www.gameinformer.com/preview/2021/09/15/super-monkey-ball-banana-mania-new-gameplay-today">remasters and remakes of previous games</a>, but it's been over a decade since fans received an all-new Super Monkey Ball title. That changes in June, as Super Monkey Ball Banana Rumble is poised to deliver the continuation longtime players pine for. But with some recent mixed results, massive changes in game design best practices in the time since the series' heyday, and likely a whole lot of cobwebs to shake off for developer Ryu Ga Gotoku Studio, I was skeptical about the viability of a new Super Monkey Ball in 2024. Thankfully, after spending an hour playing Super Monkey Ball Banana Rumble, those fears have subsided almost entirely. Super Monkey Ball Banana Rumble brings a ton of content and changes to the series while still remaining definitively Monkey Ball. Banana Rumble apes its freshest new move from Sega's flagship franchise, Sonic the Hedgehog. In previous Super Monkey Ball games, you could jump, but that ability is replaced by a Spin Dash, a technique in Sonic's moveset since Sonic the Hedgehog 2 in 1992. At first, I was unsure of this change, but as soon as I got my hands on it through the tutorial, all my concerns were dashed away. <img loading="lazy" src="https://www.gameinformer.com/sites/default/files/styles/body_default/public/2024/04/22/95745fb4/smb2.jpg" alt="Super Monkey Ball Banana Rumble" title="Super Monkey Ball Banana Rumble" typeof="foaf:Image" class="image-style-body-default" /> The Spin Dash fits incredibly well into the Super Monkey Ball formula, giving you a better flow through the levels but also letting you peel out and blast off ramps and lips to find shortcuts. During my hands-on session, my most thrilling moments came when I lined up and blasted through a level using the Spin Dash. It's useful for cutting corners in the stages, but it's essential for hitting the missions each level gives you, particularly when combined with the refreshed physics that make the series feel better than ever. As you play through the 200 all-new levels in Super Monkey Ball Banana Rumble's Adventure mode, you can simply make it your goal to reach the end of the stage. However, if you want to be a completionist, each level has three side missions: One for collecting a set number of bananas, one for grabbing the Golden Banana, and one for completing the stage in a set amount of time. You don't have to get all of them in one go, but I still strived to do so during my demo. It quickly became apparent that I could complete the banana-centric missions during a normal playthrough of the level, I'd have to get crafty to finish some of the levels under the time target. That's where the Spin Dash and creative thinking come into play. <img loading="lazy" src="https://www.gameinformer.com/sites/default/files/styles/body_default/public/2024/04/23/d2269473/super_monkey_ball_banana_rumble_race.jpg" alt="Super Monkey Ball Banana Rumble" title="Super Monkey Ball Banana Rumble" typeof="foaf:Image" class="image-style-body-default" /> On one level, I waited for a moving platform to lift up, giving me enough airtime if I Spin Dashed into it at the right time to send me flying over the other platforms and into the goal. On another, I had to drop down at just the right point in the stage to skip huge swaths of the level and reach the goal faster, harkening back to games like Super Mario 64 in the best possible way. I loved tackling these head-scratching stages, and having only played through the first two worlds, I can't wait to see how the challenges escalate in the levels still to come. If you end up stuck on any level, you can turn on various assist options, including ghosts that show you optimal routes and checkpoints that let you continue the level if you fall off the platforms. As you complete these worlds, you earn trophies to display on your island, as well as in-game currency to purchase cosmetics in the shop. Outside of Adventure mode, I had a chance to participate in the Battle modes, which allow for up to 16 players online or 2 players locally. Since the game isn't out yet, I play against 15 bots, which will be an option in the final game if you want to fill out with up to 16 total competitors mixed in with your actual players. <img loading="lazy" src="https://www.gameinformer.com/sites/default/files/styles/body_default/public/2024/04/23/208080ef/super_monkey_ball_banana_rumble_ba-boom.jpg" alt="Super Monkey Ball Banana Rumble" title="Super Monkey Ball Banana Rumble" typeof="foaf:Image" class="image-style-body-default" /> The Battle modes give me a lot of hope for the multiplayer aspect of Banana Rumble. Whether it's the Mario Kart-style Race game, the collectathon Banana Hunt, or the fun risk/reward game of Goal Rush, where you players roll down a hill at high speeds to try and go through the highest scoring goals to contribute to your team's total, Banana Rumble delivers a diverse array of experiences within this suite. However, my two favorites are Ba-Boom, which is basically a game of tag where you need to pass off a bomb before the timer reaches zero and eliminates those with bombs, and Robot Smash, where you use momentum and the Spin Dash to blast into robots in the arena and rack up points for your team. I can't wait to actually get into these modes with real-world players, as they feel like they hold a surprising amount of depth for side modes. And that was my main takeaway from my time with Banana Rumble in general: I came away impressed by how the game feels like far more than surface delights and lighthearted fun. The puzzle-solving fan inside of me can't wait to figure out the best paths through the various Adventure mode levels, while the party-game lover is itching to play more rounds of the Battle mode titles. <img loading="lazy" src="https://www.gameinformer.com/sites/default/files/styles/body_default/public/2024/04/23/ef6641ed/super_monkey_ball_banana_rumble_robot_smash.jpg" alt="Super Monkey Ball Banana Rumble" title="Super Monkey Ball Banana Rumble" typeof="foaf:Image" class="image-style-body-default" /> I had an absolute blast during my time with Super Monkey Ball Banana Rumble, and what I played was just a sampling of the content that awaits players. Super Monkey Ball Banana Rumble arrives exclusively on Switch on June 25. Purchase

Everything We Know About ND-5, Kay's Droid Companion In Star Wars Outlaws

Brian Shea — Tue, 23 Apr 2024 14:00:00 CDT

Platform: PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, PC
Publisher: Ubisoft
Developer: Massive Entertainment
Release: <time datetime="2024-08-30T12:00:00Z" class="datetime">August 30, 2024</time>

The June 2023 reveal of Star Wars Outlaws gave us our first glimpse of <a data-entity-substitution="canonical" data-entity-type="node" data-entity-uuid="3c5ccbc1-8bbb-4097-86f7-9738dad6e891" href="https://www.gameinformer.com/preview/2024/04/15/meet-kay-and-nix">Kay Vess and Nix</a>, the two protagonists of the game. From talking with Massive Entertainment during our recent trip out to Sweden to get our hands on Star Wars Outlaws, it sounds as though their bond will be special. However, they aren't on this journey alone, as they are joined by a trenchcoat-wearing BX-commando droid named ND-5. Though Kay and Nix were greater points of emphasis during our studio visit, we had to ask the developers about the internet-popular droid that joins the Star Wars Outlaws adventure. ND-5 joins Kay Vess in her trip around the Outer Rim and beyond, but he has a long history in the Star Wars galaxy prior to meeting up with Kay. "He is a BX-commando droid – a veteran of the Clone Wars – and he works as an enforcer droid for a character named Jaylen," associate narrative director John Björling says. "ND-5 is there to make sure that Kay follows through with the heist job, but together, they're going to face some big challenges and really get to know one another." The job that Björling refers to is referenced in the latest story trailer (see below). At the start of her adventure, Kay crosses Sliro, the leader of the Zerek Besh criminal syndicate, resulting in him putting a bounty on her head. Jaylen Vrax and ND-5 drop in on Kay to offer her a path forward. The only way she sees out of it is to pull off the ultimate heist to earn her freedom. <iframe width="560" height="315" frameBorder="0" allow="autoplay" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="360" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/tcdKEy-aJ6o" width="640"></iframe> Since Kay meets ND-5 early on, he plays a crucial role in the story, as well as Kay's mission to pull off this heist. Because he has experience in the Clone Wars and the criminal underworld, he's a valuable asset to her. "He comes from the Clone Wars and he is wearing a lot of emotional kind of baggage from that," Björling says. "He's an enforcer droid and he's seen a lot and he has a lot of experience in the underworld. Matching him up with Kay, it feels like the perfect kind of combination because she's new to that world; she doesn't know the key syndicates and the major players, but ND-5 is there to guide her and support her as they are moving towards the mark." The reveal of ND-5 <a href="https://kotaku.com/star-wars-outlaws-release-date-commando-droid-nd5-1850534004">inspired a lot of excitement</a>, with much social media attention put on his design. "First of all, I was very excited to see the fans' reactions to ND-5's design; it was really great to have all these reactions, and I think it really added to his character," associate art director Marthe Jonkers says with a smile. "For his design, we really had a similar approach as we did to all the other characters in really trying to show his background story in his look. So, of course, he's a BX-commando droid. He was made by separatists during the Clone Wars. He's been through a lot; you see that – he has a scar on his chest, but he tries to hide that with his jacket. You will find out more about him in the game, so I'm not going to spoil too much, but you know, he's walking a bit [lumbering]. He's usually sitting hunched over. And, you know, we tried to put a lot of personality into this droid by using these kinds of elements. I'm really happy that people really picked up on them and he became very popular. I think he's a super interesting character and I'm looking forward to people playing the game and finding out more about him." <img loading="lazy" src="https://www.gameinformer.com/sites/default/files/styles/body_default/public/2024/04/22/250f4fff/swokey.jpg" typeof="foaf:Image" alt="" class="image-style-body-default" /> ND-5 graces the box and key art of Star Wars Outlaws, all but guaranteeing he's a major player in the game Star Wars Outlaws arrives on PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, and PC on August 30. For more exclusive information about Star Wars Outlaws, be sure to visit our exclusive coverage hub at the banner below. Purchase

Star Wars Outlaws Preview – Venturing Into Space

Brian Shea — Fri, 19 Apr 2024 14:00:00 CDT

Platform: PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, PC
Publisher: Ubisoft
Developer: Massive Entertainment
Release: <time datetime="2024-08-30T12:00:00Z" class="datetime">August 30, 2024</time>

While visiting Massive Entertainment to <a href="https://www.gameinformer.com/preview/2024/04/10/exclusive-hands-on-impressions">be among the first to get my hands on Star Wars Outlaws</a>, I enjoyed playing through stealth sequences, shootouts, conversations, and open-world speeder gameplay. However, one piece of the Star Wars Outlaws puzzle I did not get a chance to experience firsthand is the space gameplay. Thankfully, in addition to playing a chunk of Star Wars Outlaws during my time in Malmö, Sweden, I also had a chance to ask the developers how the game works once you jump into your ship and leave the planet or moon. In Star Wars Outlaws, you play Kay Vess and her companion Nix as they travel around the galaxy to locales both familiar and new. Players can land on and explore planets and moons like Tatooine, Kijimi, Akiva, and Toshara, but when Kay enters her ship, the Trailblazer, she can enter orbit and explore. The Trailblazer was created in close collaboration with Lucasfilm Games to ensure it feels like it fits into the Star Wars galaxy. Elements like silhouettes, realism, and personality were all considered to make something believable within the galaxy. For the Star Wars Outlaws team, having the basis of the game be about crafting a scoundrel adventure meant that space gameplay was a must to complement the on-world element. "What we were trying to work out is, 'How do we create a gameplay experience with a multitude of different possibilities?' because we always knew we wanted to do a huge open-world game and have space travel, hyperdriving, several planets, several locations to explore," creative director Julian Gerighty says. "I think that's the play of fancy for the outlaw. It really is when you think of, 'What would I like to do as an outlaw in Star Wars?' It is stealth. It is combat. It is fisticuffs. It is hanging out at the cantina and having choices – meaningful choices – as a scoundrel, as an outlaw. It is flying. It is jumping on your speeder and going from one settlement to another. It's all of those things. So, it was important for us to have that ambition and push not just the technology but also the design team to have all of those things at the highest possible quality level." <img loading="lazy" src="https://www.gameinformer.com/sites/default/files/styles/body_default/public/2024/04/03/c0ef99c2/swo_screenshots_jumpintothepilotseat_wide_120623_815pmcest.jpg" alt="Star Wars Outlaws" title="Star Wars Outlaws" typeof="foaf:Image" class="image-style-body-default" /> Much of my gameplay session was spent exploring the underworld of Toshara within the city walls of Mirogana in particular. However, near the end, I had the opportunity to venture outside the walls on Kay's speeder. "There is a huge element of exploration – the openness, the vibrancy, the boldness of landscapes, visuals, and all these elements that you get from it just going with your speeder outside to find locations and exploring bits of the world," art and world director Benedikt Podlesnigg says. "And from this, you also have among the stars. We take our ship flying to space, which is vast but also very risky. It's wondrous, it's lucrative, but also there's a lot of unknown about it." Though I don't get to see it, Podlesnigg describes how one of his recent gameplay sessions went. After exploring Toshara, he jumps into the Trailblazer and takes it out into orbit because he heard some intel that somebody in a space station was looking for an item he had in his possession. As Gerighty explains to me, planets and moons have an orbit around them that serves as an explorable area for Kay while aboard the Trailblazer. Once you reach the edge of the explorable area surrounding the planet or moon, you hyperdrive into the orbit of your destination. "This is problem-solving for video games, basically," Gerighty says. "We wanted to have an orbit around it with lots of different points of interest, things to do, battles to get in, places to explore. So, the orbits for each one of the moons or planets that we created had to be populated with lots of different things, and we didn't want to create endless space, so you hyperdrive from the orbit of a planet to the orbit of a planet. So, all of the space areas that we have are full of things to do." <iframe width="560" height="315" frameBorder="0" allow="autoplay" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="360" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/tcdKEy-aJ6o" width="640"></iframe> As Podlesnigg arrived in space during his playthrough, he received an emergency signal that a freighter was being attacked, so he hurried to their location to help them fight off the attackers. Finally, he landed on a space station. While he can't go too deep into how big these space stations are, there are things to do, including vendors for trades and potentially some side-quests. I don't get to touch a controller while Kay is piloting the Trailblazer, but the team hopes to appeal to a wide range of players by creating approachable gameplay for spaceflight. "We wanted to make spaceflight as accessible, fun, and action-packed as possible," Gerighty says. "The controls are extremely easy to get into. There's always something to do. It's fast to travel; you can hyperdrive at any moment, and there's combat, of course, both on an intimate dogfight scale but also on an epic scale too. And there's exploration. There's a lot of things to do in space." I assume we'll eventually get our hands on the space gameplay before the release of Star Wars Outlaws, and outside of <a data-entity-substitution="canonical" data-entity-type="node" data-entity-uuid="f15b61ba-8bf0-4d08-8ff7-c4e9d9308575" href="https://www.gameinformer.com/preview/2024/04/17/how-the-reputation-and-wanted-systems-work">the intricate Reputation System</a>, this element is one of my most intriguing parts of the game right now. Star Wars Outlaws arrives on August 30 for PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, and PC. For more exclusive information on Massive Entertainment's upcoming scoundrel adventure, visit our coverage hub at the banner below! Purchase

Kingdom Come: Deliverance II Preview - Here Comes The Kingdom

Charles Harte — Thu, 18 Apr 2024 13:15:00 CDT

Platform: PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, PC
Publisher: Deep Silver
Developer: Warhorse Studios
Release: 2024
Rating: Mature

Kingdom Come: Deliverance faced a rocky launch in 2018, with outlets (<a href="https://www.gameinformer.com/games/kingdom_come_deliverance/b/xboxone/archive/2018/02/28/kingdom-come-deliverance-review-game-informer.aspx">including Game Informer</a>) criticizing its widespread bugs and general lack of polish, but it found success regardless, going on to sell two million copies and release a slate of DLC and updates. Six years later, Warhorse Studios is getting ready to launch a sequel and invited Game Informer to take a look at some early footage and trailers. While it's too early to speak to any performance issues, it's clear Warhorse has greatly expanded its work on the first game, and fans of the medieval ages may be in for a treat. <iframe width="560" height="315" frameBorder="0" allow="autoplay" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="360" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/R48DEEjyS5k" width="640"></iframe> The Kingdom Come series is an action RPG set in the early thirteenth century, and while its plot is fictional, the games strive for historical accuracy wherever possible. The sequel follows the continued journey of Henry of Skalitz, a man who set out on a quest for revenge after his village was raided and destroyed. Squire to the carefree Sir Hans, he aims to take down Sigismund the Red Fox, the king of Hungary. With five hours of cutscenes (compared to the prior title's three), this story is a big focus for the game. While the narrative is a direct continuation of the events of the first entry, Warhorse Studios says newcomers should feel free to hop in at the newest entry. The series plans to expand on more than just its story. For one, the world map is double the size of its predecessor. This includes the massive medieval city of Kuttenberg ("Too big," says creative director Daniel Vávra), which Warhorse claims to be its greatest challenge during the game's development. The urban area is contrasted by the natural wilderness of an area called Bohemian Paradise, a lush green space full of unique rock formations. This diversity of environment and color was particularly important for the game's visuals, according to art director Viktor Höschl, who wants to express that the era wasn't all mud and famine. Lead character artist Anna Pačesová adds to this sentiment, saying, "It was really colorful. It wasn't dark at all." <img loading="lazy" src="https://www.gameinformer.com/sites/default/files/styles/body_default/public/2024/04/18/a61a6f51/kcd2_announce_vista.jpg" typeof="foaf:Image" alt="" class="image-style-body-default" /> In addition to the world, gameplay has been expanded in several ways. The series offers first-person swordplay, but the sequel adds new ranged options as well. In addition to the inclusion of crossbows, Kingdom Come: Deliverance II features early firearms, which look like short-range handheld fireworks. The developers also emphasize the series' focus on player freedom and choice, adding new ways for the player to interact with the world’s many characters and new ways for those NPCs to respond. If the player wanders around drunk and naked, for example, townsfolk will verbalize their discomfort, and the player is free to apologize or taunt right back at them. Our preview ends with a performance of a song from the game's soundtrack. Composer Jan Valta returns with a period-appropriate score, conducting an ensemble of instruments and a choir performing a piece that harkens back to the religious compositions of the 1400s. Kingdom Come: Deliverance II will be released sometime later this year, and it simply looks better than its predecessor in every significant way. When Warhorse was founded 10 years ago, it was only 11 members strong; now, it's up to 250. It's no surprise, then, when creative director Daniel Vávra, seated in a dramatically lit Kuttenberg cathedral for the video presentation, says, "What we are making now is what it was supposed to be in the beginning, but we were not able to do it because we didn't have enough resources and experience and all that stuff. We've proven that the concept works, and now we can take it to another level." Purchase

How Star Wars Outlaws' Reputation And Wanted Systems Work

Brian Shea — Wed, 17 Apr 2024 14:00:00 CDT

Platform: PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, PC
Publisher: Ubisoft
Developer: Massive Entertainment
Release: <time datetime="2024-08-30T12:00:00Z" class="datetime">August 30, 2024</time>

As Kay Vess, the main protagonist in Star Wars Outlaws, you must work within the thriving underworld to accomplish your goals. Because Kay's adventure takes place between The Empire Strikes Back and Return of the Jedi, the underworld is thriving. The Empire is focusing its efforts on finishing off the retreating Rebel Alliance. While many of the moons and planets are under Imperial occupation, its primary focus is finding Rebels. Kay must take advantage of the criminal underworld, which led developer Massive Entertainment to create the Reputation System, a reflection of her standing with the criminal organizations she interacts with. After Sliro of Zerek Besh puts a bounty on her, Kay must work towards the goal of pulling off the ultimate heist to attain freedom for her and her companion Nix. Navigating the Star Wars underworld, Kay interacts with four syndicates, each with its own leader. Jabba the Hutt is the most iconic as the leader of the Hutt Cartel, but Kay also crosses paths with Lady Qi'ra (who many know from Emilia Clarke's portrayal in Solo: A Star Wars Story) of Crimson Dawn, Queen Ashiga of the Ashiga Clan (a new syndicate created in collaboration with Lucasfilm Games), and Gorak of the Pyke Syndicate. <img loading="lazy" src="https://www.gameinformer.com/sites/default/files/styles/body_default/public/2024/04/03/ba582eb5/gi_qira.jpg" alt="Star Wars Outlaws" title="Star Wars Outlaws" typeof="foaf:Image" class="image-style-body-default" /> Massive Entertainment wanted to create a game in which you must navigate an underworld where, as a scoundrel, you live and die by your reputation. You can improve your standing with the syndicates by taking on jobs, performing tasks, and making choices in favor of the various criminal organizations. If you have a good relationship with one syndicate, your life will be easier when interacting with them or when you're in their territory. "Very early on, we knew that we wanted to do a scoundrel story and we knew we wanted the game to be about choice and consequences," lead systems designer Matthieu Delisle says. "So pretty naturally, reputation came as the medium for the player to interact with the game. That's the foundation for the game and then we built the game around that. So, all the features in the game are, one way or another, connected to reputation." Through having a good relationship with a syndicate, you get access to more jobs to take on, better deals and special stock at shops, high-stakes Sabacc tables, intel, rumors, and more access to that syndicate's territory. Not only that but if you get into trouble with another syndicate and find yourself in a chase, a syndicate with whom you have a good relationship might jump in and help you get away. But it's never so simple; Massive assures me that as a scoundrel, you will get into trouble. <img loading="lazy" src="https://www.gameinformer.com/sites/default/files/styles/body_default/public/2024/04/03/5f715efb/gi_action_pyke.jpg" alt="Star Wars Outlaws" title="Star Wars Outlaws" typeof="foaf:Image" class="image-style-body-default" /> While I don't get a sense of just how challenging the balancing act is, an example that emerged <a data-entity-substitution="canonical" data-entity-type="node" data-entity-uuid="161722c3-6680-4362-a65f-0201a7937262" href="https://www.gameinformer.com/preview/2024/04/10/exclusive-hands-on-impressions">during my hands-on demo</a> demonstrated that sometimes your choices will force you to take sides. During my demo, I found a sensitive video file that showed a member of the Pyke Syndicate looking to overthrow Gorak. Kay's original plan was to take it to the Pyke Syndicate leader to fetch a pretty penny and improve her standing, but when she turns in the job she was doing when she uncovered the evidence, the client is revealed as a member of Crimson Dawn. Kay thinks that they might have a keen interest in that sensitive data, so the player is given a choice of who they want to hand the video file over to, with Kay's reputation with that syndicate getting a bump with Crimson Dawn. Because of this newfound standing with Crimson Dawn, my next mission is a bit easier as the Crimson Dawn guards let me walk right into their territory. "It's really about choosing whichever syndicate benefits her in the moment," senior systems designer Alice Rendell says. "It's really up to the player to decide how they want to balance their reputations throughout the game. You can go all in with one syndicate, but obviously at the risk of displeasing others, or you can try and play the underworld a bit more and try to find something a bit more balanced." But reputations are designed to ebb and flow. Your reputation with a syndicate can take a hit from making a decision against the syndicate or through your actions. For example, if I go into a part of a syndicate's territory where I'm not supposed to be and get spotted, Kay's reputation will take a hit. Similarly, if you're spotted on a security camera or you raise an alarm, your reputation takes a hit. In one sequence, I alerted the Pyke Syndicate to my presence and began piling up bodies; I didn't get to experiment too much more with my reputation with the Pyke Syndicate, but I imagine I'd have some work to do to repair that relationship. <img loading="lazy" src="https://www.gameinformer.com/sites/default/files/styles/body_default/public/2024/04/03/50d84e11/gi_ashiga_hive.jpg" alt="Star Wars Outlaws" title="Star Wars Outlaws" typeof="foaf:Image" class="image-style-body-default" /> Still, even with that transgression against the Pyke Syndicate in their own territory, you're never entirely cut off from any of the factions. After all, you're dealing with criminal organizations who are primarily concerned with how you can benefit them. If they think you're the right person for the job, they'll still let you do work for them. "The way that people in the world react to Kay will vary depending on the reputation, but it is very transactional," Rendell says. "These aren't friendships, so it's still very, 'Okay, can Kay help you out in this moment?'" But Kay doesn't just have to manage her reputation with the Hutt Cartel, the Pyke Syndicate, Crimson Dawn, and the Ashiga Clan. While they're all key players in the criminal underworld, in this period between The Empire Strikes Back and Return of the Jedi, the Galactic Empire is arguably at the peak of its power. While they are largely distracted in their relentless hunt for members of the Rebel Alliance, if you get in the way or break their rules, they won't ignore you for long. <img loading="lazy" src="https://www.gameinformer.com/sites/default/files/styles/body_default/public/2024/04/03/19400806/gi_imperial_station.jpg" alt="Star Wars Outlaws" title="Star Wars Outlaws" typeof="foaf:Image" class="image-style-body-default" /> Because the Empire holds such power, you don't have a reputation meter with them. Instead, the Empire reacts to you based on your wanted level. If you break enough rules, your wanted level rises. The more wanted you are, the worse the Empire makes your life. More imperial troops join the hunt for you as your wanted level goes up, with the maximum level summoning elite enemies to hunt you down. You can try to hide to decrease your wanted level, but the higher your wanted level, the longer it takes the Empire to call off the search. You can also meet with corrupt Imperial officers who might take a bribe or, in the worst-case scenario, participate in a challenging in-world event at the maximum wanted level to get the Empire off your back. I didn't get a chance to experiment with the Wanted System at all, nor did I get a chance to truly push the Reputation System beyond the standard interactions and botched stealth sequences of my demo, but I did get a feel for it in action. I'm excited to see how the system reacts to player choices, particularly since when I ask creative director Julian Gerighty if there's a way to max out all syndicates' reputation meters, he says, "Not that I've been able to find." <img loading="lazy" src="https://www.gameinformer.com/sites/default/files/styles/body_default/public/2024/04/03/9938e250/swo_screenshots_buildyourreputation_wide_120623_815pmcest.jpg" alt="Star Wars Outlaws" title="Star Wars Outlaws" typeof="foaf:Image" class="image-style-body-default" /> The Reputation System feels like an essential piece of the scoundrel video game puzzle, and if it can deliver in all the ways Massive touts it to, it's the element of Star Wars Outlaws I'm most excited to play around with. If it can, indeed, provide the level of player agency and systems flexibility an adventure like this all but necessitates, we should be in for an incredible adventure when Star Wars Outlaws arrives on PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, and PC on August 30. Purchase

Meet Kay And Nix, The Protagonists Of Star Wars Outlaws

Brian Shea — Mon, 15 Apr 2024 14:00:00 CDT

Platform: PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, PC
Publisher: Ubisoft
Developer: Massive Entertainment
Release: <time datetime="2024-08-30T12:00:00Z" class="datetime">August 30, 2024</time>

As you navigate the galaxy in Star Wars Outlaws, you do so as Kay Vess, a pickpocket-turned-thief who gets in over her head and winds up with a bounty on her head. Early in conversations, Lucasfilm Games and developer Massive Entertainment agreed that telling a scoundrel story was the way to go. Through these discussions, Massive decided it wanted to portray a "resourceful underdog" for its main character rather than the trained soldiers that star in The Division. In the various meetings with Lucasfilm Games, Massive Entertainment looked at the various archetypes available to players in the Star Wars tabletop RPGs, including Jedi, spies, operatives, and more. Massive wanted to create a game with a unique perspective within that universe. Several games put you in the shoes of lightsaber-wielding Jedi or the Empire-fighting Rebel, but fewer let you play as the archetype that stuck out to Massive: the scoundrel. In the Star Wars galaxy, the scoundrel is personified by Han Solo, but even though this story takes place during the Original Trilogy, Massive didn't want to retread that ground by making a Han Solo game. "Not once did that come up," creative director Julian Gerighty says. "We wanted to tell different stories with different main actors, as well." <img loading="lazy" src="https://www.gameinformer.com/sites/default/files/styles/body_default/public/2024/04/03/5f715efb/gi_action_pyke.jpg" alt="Star Wars Outlaws" title="Star Wars Outlaws" typeof="foaf:Image" class="image-style-body-default" /> "We felt that one of the venues in Star Wars that, especially recently, hasn't been explored as much is that of the scoundrel character," associate narrative director John Björling says. "A relatable character, a rookie kind of taking their first steps into the galaxy, exploring the world, and really getting involved with the people and factions that make up the fabric of the galaxy. That was something that we knew very early on we wanted to pursue: to have that personal story and really make the galaxy come to life." Once Massive set its sights on a scoundrel experience set during the beloved Original Trilogy between the events of The Empire Strikes Back and Return of the Jedi, it needed to create the right character for the adventure. "A scrappy underdog is going to use every trick in the book to get out of a tricky situation," Gerighty says. "Sometimes, a scoundrel should avoid getting into combat, so stealth became incredibly important for us as well." <img loading="lazy" src="https://www.gameinformer.com/sites/default/files/styles/body_default/public/2024/04/03/ef13495c/gi_action.jpg" alt="Star Wars Outlaws" title="Star Wars Outlaws" typeof="foaf:Image" class="image-style-body-default" /> To that end, Kay Vess started out as a mere pickpocket growing up in the worker's district of Canto Bight, the planet most known for the casino scene in The Last Jedi, but after graduating to full-on thief and getting in with the wrong crowd and having a bounty placed on her head, she has to pull off the ultimate heist to attain freedom. Because of her resourcefulness, cunning, and scrappiness, she can approach situations through both stealth and gunslinging; the choice is often up to the player. Her rough and tumble upbringing equips her well for her adventures, and the team reflects that background in her visual design. "We put a lot of care into her design and what she's wearing and how she looks to tell her story," associate art director Marthe Jonkers says. "She has a lot of elements in her design that tell a bit of her story. For example, she has a broken nose. She's been through a lot; you can see that she has scars and stuff. She also has a hairpin; I love that element because she uses that to lockpick doors, and you can use that from the beginning to do some thieving." The team clicked particularly well with Kay because she's neither a Jedi with superhuman reflexes nor one of the greatest fighters or pilots in the galaxy. "I think it's very relatable as a human being on planet Earth that this character doesn't have any magical powers or properties beyond her daring, her skills, her tools, and her buddy Nix," game director Mathias Karlson says. "The personality type is also perfectly suited for going on a swashbuckling adventure. I think that's something I really resonated with thinking about this character in terms of building a game and gameplay around it." "I think she's a much more modern protagonist than we usually see in games," Gerighty says. "She's somebody who is very much a street thief who gets thrown into things that are beyond her control, and that she kind of has to think her way out of, and that makes it a little bit more relatable than somebody who has all the confidence and sarcasm and just comes off as somebody who is not believable. So having her be relatable in that way was something extremely important for us." <img loading="lazy" src="https://www.gameinformer.com/sites/default/files/styles/body_default/public/2024/04/03/7d54d0c1/swo_screenshots_becomeagalacticscoundrel_wide_120623_815pmcest.jpg" alt="Star Wars Outlaws" title="Star Wars Outlaws" typeof="foaf:Image" class="image-style-body-default" /> But Kay is not the only protagonist in Star Wars Outlaws. Massive looks at Kay and Nix as dual protagonists. As such, players are always in control of Nix as well, since Kay has the ability to send him off to perform tasks like pressing buttons, retrieving items, and distracting enemies. "Nix comes from a real gameplay need, which is to give the scoundrel character a little bit more reach, a little bit more possibilities while going through the environments while sneaking and while fighting," Gerighty says. "We really considered them as a scoundrel/thief duo. And Nix is absolutely adorable towards Kay, but very fierce and protective as well, so he has two sides to his personality, and we're very proud of what we created." Nix is a merqaal, a new species created by Massive in collaboration with Lucasfilm Games. Nix comes from an unknown rainforest planet, but at a certain point, Kay and Nix meet and become partners. When creating Nix's design, Massive looked toward the various pets that members of the team have in their households. "Basically, he has something of all our pets in there," Jonkers says. "Everybody had a bit of an influence on that, I would say. But also real-world animals, for example. We really wanted him to be very helpful to Kay, so he could pick up things so we looked at lemurs or monkeys. But the other side we wanted him to also have a bit of a tough side, so he has some skills, and is more reptile-inspired." <img loading="lazy" src="https://www.gameinformer.com/sites/default/files/styles/body_default/public/2024/04/03/8f3ef4f0/gi_toshara.jpg" alt="Star Wars Outlaws" title="Star Wars Outlaws" typeof="foaf:Image" class="image-style-body-default" /> Another crucial part of Nix's design is his ears, which help him express his emotions and mood. "When Kay's sneaking around, you will see that he'll put them onto his body and make a smaller silhouette," Jonkers says. "When he's alert, he will put them up, and I think that's also a unique element to Nix that really gives him a lot of personality." When I ask if the relationship between Kay and Nix is similar to that of Han Solo and Chewbacca, Jonkers quips, "I always say, 'Kay's not a Solo, Kay's a duo.'" "We have Kay as the main character, but it's actually Kay and Nix," Jonkers continues. "They are the main character. We really wanted to bring this unique duo as the main character to the Star Wars galaxy. They work together a lot, and Nix helps you, but he's really her buddy. [...] That relationship and having this duo is what makes Kay a very unique character, like a unique scoundrel. She's not on her own. She's not doing this all by herself. She actually has her partner in crime. That brings a unique take on the scoundrel archetype." For more on how the gameplay between Kay and Nix works, be sure to check out our hands-on preview <a href="https://www.gameinformer.com/preview/2024/04/10/exclusive-hands-on-impressions">here</a>. Star Wars Outlaws arrives on PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, and PC on August 30. For more, be sure to visit our exclusive coverage hub through the banner below! Purchase

Exclusive Star Wars Outlaws Preview – Gaming The System

Brian Shea — Wed, 10 Apr 2024 14:00:00 CDT

Platform: PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, PC
Publisher: Ubisoft
Developer: Massive Entertainment
Release: <time datetime="2024-08-30T12:00:00Z" class="datetime">August 30, 2024</time>

As one of the main components of our trip out to Malmö, Sweden, for <a href="https://www.gameinformer.com/cover-reveal/2024/04/09/cover-reveal-star-wars-outlaws">this issue's cover story</a>, we were the first to get our hands on Star Wars Outlaws, the highly anticipated open-world action game from Massive Entertainment, the studio behind <a href="https://www.gameinformer.com/games/the_division/b/playstation4/archive/2016/03/15/tom-clancy-the-division-review-.aspx">The Division</a> and last year's <a href="https://www.gameinformer.com/review/avatar-frontiers-of-pandora/tripping-through-jungles">Avatar: Frontiers of Pandora</a>. Taking place between Star Wars Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back and Star Wars Episode VI: Return of the Jedi, Outlaws puts you in the shoes of Kay Vess, a common pickpocket-turned-thief who gets in over her head and becomes a player in the thriving underworld during this dark period in the Star Wars timeline. Star Wars Outlaws features several planets and moons for players to explore, including iconic and well-known locales like Tatooine, Kijimi, and Akiva, but my hands-on demo takes place entirely on Toshara, a new moon created by Massive Entertainment in collaboration with Lucasfilm Games. Given the timeline placement of Star Wars Outlaws, the Empire's presence is immediately felt and consistently present. After landing on Toshara following an unfortunate turn of events, Kay heads to the moon's capital city, Mirogana. Mirogana is dense and multi-leveled, but it was intentionally designed to not be a sprawling city like in other open-world games. "If you open up the map, the location that we've built for Mirogana is quite compact," creative director Julian Gerighty says. "What we wanted to do is to have something that is very dense in activities rather than super expansive where you get lost, and there's not much to do. It's very, very focused on providing a dense, busy city experience." <img loading="lazy" src="https://www.gameinformer.com/sites/default/files/styles/body_default/public/2024/04/03/7d54d0c1/swo_screenshots_becomeagalacticscoundrel_wide_120623_815pmcest.jpg" alt="Star Wars Outlaws" title="Star Wars Outlaws" typeof="foaf:Image" class="image-style-body-default" /> Following an encounter with a Stormtrooper at the entrance to the city, Kay flashes a fake identification and is allowed through. This exchange is a reminder of the state of the galaxy in this space between the two classic films. Making her way through Mirogana, Kay ignores the beckoning shopkeeps, arcade games, betting areas, and a table hosting the in-universe card game Sabacc to find her way to the cantina. In each city you visit, the cantina is always a central location for getting the lay of the land, gathering intel, and finding work. Toshara – and Mirogana in particular – is primarily a Pyke enclave despite being home to other syndicates as well. To gain some ground with the Pyke Syndicate, Kay wants to speak with their leader, Gorak. Sadly, he's in a private VIP section of the cantina, so Kay needs to find a backdoor. Luckily, Kay's hairpin is a dataspike, so I can lockpick a side door using a rhythm-based minigame. After entering the backroom of the cantina, I see a blue icon in the distance. These icons demonstrate that Kay can send her companion, Nix, to interact with it. In this case, he fetches the item and brings it back. Nix is a merqaal, a new species created in collaboration with Lucasfilm Games. Gerighty describes him as having two sides: Nix is very cute and friendly but also extremely protective of Kay, even to the point of aggression. Kay reaches Gorak's suite and is immediately picked out by the Pyke Syndicate leader as an intruder. Kay gets a chance at face time, but after making a joke that lands with a thud and name-dropping the wrong person, Gorak has his guards toss her out. So much for making headway with the Pyke Syndicate. As Kay dusts herself off, Nix reveals he stole Gorak's ring during the scuffle. A voice tells her that might be an unwise move given the Pyke's power. <img loading="lazy" src="https://www.gameinformer.com/sites/default/files/styles/body_default/public/2024/04/03/bb782347/gi_gorak.jpg" alt="Star Wars Outlaws" title="Star Wars Outlaws" typeof="foaf:Image" class="image-style-body-default" /> The voice comes from Danka, a Mirogana broker. She gives Kay a rundown of the syndicates operating on Toshara, then offers her a job from an unknown client. The job? Steal a file from a heavily guarded Pyke stronghold. This mission surfaces one of the defining elements of Star Wars Outlaws: the Reputation System. Kay must navigate the criminal underworld through four syndicates, each with its own leader. Jabba the Hutt, leader of the Hutt Cartel, stands out as the most recognizable underworld boss Kay crosses paths with, but she'll also deal with Lady Qi'ra (who many know from Emilia Clarke's portrayal in Solo: A Star Wars Story) of Crimson Dawn, Queen Ashiga of the Ashiga Clan (a new syndicate created for Outlaws), and Gorak of the Pyke Syndicate. The Reputation System represents your standing with these four syndicates, ranging from Terrible to Excellent for each individual group. Your reputation with each syndicate determines how that criminal organization treats you. Having a good reputation may mean they let you walk freely in their hideouts, offer you special stock or discounts at shops in their territories, and even help you out if you get into a hairy situation with another syndicate or even the Empire. In my case, my introduction to the system starts with the mission of stealing from the Pyke Syndicate. I take Kay to the front entrance of Pyke territory, but the organization isn't exactly eager to roll out the red carpet, even though I just met with their boss. Since my standing with them is firmly in the "Poor" section of the meter, I'll need to sneak in. I loop down a back alley, climb a ledge, and emerge in a restricted Pyke area. Star Wars Outlaws strives to provide player agency, but in early portions of a hideout infiltration, you need to be stealthy. As such, Kay's blaster is off-limits until she can get deeper into the territory. However, you can perform stealthy takedowns to clear the path to her destination. This is where Nix really comes in handy, as you can guide him from the shadows to either distract or attack guards. In this instance, I go the slightly louder route of having Nix run up the guard's leg and latch onto his head. This way may be a bit louder, but it also means I can have Kay sprint up and take the guard out without being detected. After taking out and sneaking past a few guards, I find a door that Kay can lockpick. After completing the rhythm minigame, Kay finds herself in what appears to be a maintenance room. Using Nix's senses, Kay can spot the electrical circuits in the walls, which tell you which buttons to press to call the elevator needed to reach the next area. Sadly, the first elevator doesn't raise high enough, and the second elevator's button is out of reach for Kay – but not for Nix. By directing Nix to press the button, Kay lowers the second elevator, creating a makeshift staircase to climb onto a grated wall to reach a ledge. Continuing into the ventilation shafts, a whirling fan impedes Kay's path, but by telling Nix to pull down the shutter, Kay can blast the power supply and get past the fan. <img loading="lazy" src="https://www.gameinformer.com/sites/default/files/styles/body_default/public/2024/04/03/5f715efb/gi_action_pyke.jpg" alt="Star Wars Outlaws" title="Star Wars Outlaws" typeof="foaf:Image" class="image-style-body-default" /> I use Kay's grapple hook to swing across a gap, and she reaches the area with the file. Unfortunately, it's protected by an energy shield with two generators. Even worse, the area is heavily guarded. Since I've entered fully hostile territory, I'm able to choose my approach to the generators: Do I continue my stealthy approach, or do I pull Kay's blaster out of her holster and go in guns blazing? I decide to try the path of least resistance and continue operating in the shadows. Using Kay's binoculars, I mark enemies to keep track of them once I descend to ground level. I take out a few enemies using a combination of Nix's distractions and the "stun" setting on Kay's blaster, but it doesn't take long for a guard to spot me, and a shootout begins. Unfortunately, I did not think to disable the alarm system, so it's triggered. Even if I had taken down the alarm system, it wouldn't have made a difference, as I accidentally walk past the sightline of a security camera. I dig in and try my best to keep the Pykes at bay. As I take out more and more Pykes, stronger enemy types emerge with shields and more advanced weaponry. Thankfully, I have healing items, and the fallen enemies drop better weapons than Kay's blaster that she can use until they run out of ammo. Since I triggered an alarm, my reputation with the Pykes drops; had I made it through without being spotted, my reputation with them would not have taken a hit. Sadly, that's not how this played out, as the bodies are piling up, and the enemies are closing in on my location with an increased intensity. At the risk of exposing myself and doing something rash, I make a break for it. In breaking the line of sight with the guards, a blue silhouette shows my last-known location; that's the first place they'll look before fanning out to try and find me. I use this temporary de-escalation to make a break for the generators. After quietly taking down the guards stationed by them, I deactivate both generators and go to retrieve what I came for. <img loading="lazy" src="https://www.gameinformer.com/sites/default/files/styles/body_default/public/2024/04/03/747ab468/swo_screenshots_embarkonhigh-stakesmissions_wide_120623_815pmcest.jpg" alt="Star Wars Outlaws" title="Star Wars Outlaws" typeof="foaf:Image" class="image-style-body-default" /> Kay accesses the terminal and easily finds the file the mysterious client wanted, but she finds something even juicier: video footage of one of Gorak's underlings plotting against him. Ever the opportunist, Kay knows that someone would pay a pretty penny for this information – maybe even Gorak. That's right; even after the violence I just took part in with the Pykes – my face on camera and everything – Kay still considered going to their leader. That's because there's somewhat of an understanding in the criminal underworld that these relationships aren't about making friends. They're about mutual benefit. It seems like Kay is set on giving it to Gorak to curry favor, but after returning to the Mirogana cantina with the file for the client, she spots another opportunity. It turns out the anonymous client was a member of Crimson Dawn, and this file retrieval was a test to see if the syndicate could rely on Kay for more important jobs. With a foot now in the door, Kay thinks fast, wondering if she should give the extra file regarding the Pyke Syndicate coup to Crimson Dawn instead. At this moment, the player has a choice: Do you provide it to the Pyke Syndicate as initially planned or your new associates in Crimson Dawn? I opt to give it to Crimson Dawn, causing my reputation with them to increase. After taking an optional job with another quest giver in the cantina, I return to Danka for more work. She tells me to go to a particular merchant to retrieve a part for Kay's blaster. Sadly, when I arrive, I learn he doesn't have it, but I can probably steal the part from a nearby syndicate. Player agency and the Reputation System again pop up in my playthrough, as I can choose if I want to steal it from the Pyke Syndicate or Crimson Dawn. Both of them have a presence in Mirogana, but since I have a better reputation with Crimson Dawn, they let me walk right in without resistance. However, even with my decent reputation with them, they'll only let me get so close. My reputation isn't good enough to get into the guarded heart of Crimson Dawn territory, so it's back to the stealth mechanics. Like the earlier Pyke encounter, if I can get in and get out without raising the alarm, Kay's reputation with Crimson Dawn won't take a hit, so I make that my goal. After some close calls and last-second takedowns, I reach the part without making Crimson Dawn skittish about trusting me. <img loading="lazy" src="https://www.gameinformer.com/sites/default/files/styles/body_default/public/2024/04/03/80307917/swo_screenshots_discoveragalaxyofopportunity_wide_120623_815pmcest.jpg" alt="Star Wars Outlaws" title="Star Wars Outlaws" typeof="foaf:Image" class="image-style-body-default" /> Before wrapping up my demo, I get a brief chance to explore the open world of Toshara outside of Mirogana. With a press of a button, I summon a speeder, which Massive designed with inspiration from a Swedish motorbike manufacturer. The vehicle feels excellent in action – smooth, quick, and agile like a speeder should. After some brief navigation that includes hearing radio chatter for some activities I could pursue, I arrive at a small town called Jaunta's Hope, which is the current location of Kay's ship, the Trailblazer. I need to go to a nearby building and grab an item from it, but the door is locked. After a quick modification to Kay's blaster, her weapon gains the Ion Blast ability, which gives her an advantage over droid enemies and allows her to solve environmental puzzles like this one. Kay can access the building and loot all the goodies by shooting the two transformers for the lock with the Ion Blast. Unfortunately, just as I was starting to get a true feel for the gameplay loop of Star Wars Outlaws, my session ended. I didn't have an opportunity to explore the Reputation System truly, but I love the notion of keeping up appearances with the various syndicates, not to mention making sure not to annoy the Empire too much. After spending my afternoon taking in the sights and sounds of Toshara, I came away excited about how far you can manipulate the various systems at play in Star Wars Outlaws. Massive Entertainment came into the project wanting to create the ultimate scoundrel experience set in the Star Wars galaxy, and from what I've seen and played, it has a lot of important elements in place to accomplish that goal. I'm more excited than ever to get my hands on the final product when it arrives on PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, and PC on August 30. Purchase

The Rogue Prince of Persia Preview - We Played The Rogue-lite Prince Of Persia From The Co-Developer Of Dead Cells

Kyle Hilliard — Wed, 10 Apr 2024 12:45:01 CDT

Platform: PC
Publisher: Ubisoft
Developer: Evil Empire

When I had the chance to go hands-on with The Rogue: Prince of Persia, I had only watched the credits roll on <a href="https://www.gameinformer.com/review/prince-of-persia-the-lost-crown/a-royal-resurgence">Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown</a> a few nights ago. Before that, the last time I watched credits roll on a new Prince of Persia game was in 2010 with The Forgotten Sands. I was surprised and happy to play a new excellent Prince of Persia game this year, but considering how long I had to wait for that one, I was not holding my breath for another – not even the <a href="https://www.gameinformer.com/2022/05/03/prince-of-persia-the-sands-of-time-remake-development-shifts-to-original-developer">Sands of Time remake</a> I have been patiently waiting for. Which is to say it was incredibly surprising when Ubisoft reached out about its new Prince of Persia rogue-lite. It’s not a mode in Lost Crown or a spinoff, as I initially assumed, but rather a whole new game from Evil Empire, the co-developer of <a href="https://www.gameinformer.com/impressions/2023/03/06/dead-cells-return-to-castlevania-impressions-a-reinvigorating-crossover#:~:text=Dead%20Cells%20is%20one%20of,giants%20that%20trailblazed%20the%20genre.">Dead Cells</a>. “It's actually a totally new story and new universe, so it's not connected to the previous games,” Evil Empire art director Dylan Eurlings tells me when I ask about the game’s canon and relationship to the Princes that came before it. <iframe width="560" height="315" frameBorder="0" allow="autoplay" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="360" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/wJhZAvXILI4" width="640"></iframe> But that isn’t to say The Rogue does not have at least some kind of relationship with Lost Crown. “We sold [The Rogue] during [Lost Crown’s] alpha stage,” Evil Empire game director Lucie Dewagnier says. “Since the beginning, we were in communication. They played our game, we played theirs.” Dewagnier follows up with compliments about Lost Crown. “Since we were working on the same franchise, we sometimes had the same ideas, and the same solutions to issues,” Dewagnier says. “We needed to communicate to avoid making the same decision and making the same game.” When asked if we are getting too much Prince of Persia, Dewagnier laughs and says, “No, I think there is no such thing as too much Prince of Persia.” While it may not be canonically connected to past Prince of Persias, I asked if we can expect unlockable costumes and comparable items referencing previous games. “It’s not in the game right now. I cannot say we won’t do it, but I cannot say we will,” Dewagnier says with a chuckle. At this point, the team seems focused on just getting the early access version into the hands of players on May 14. <img loading="lazy" src="https://www.gameinformer.com/sites/default/files/styles/body_default/public/2024/04/10/f9d6b5bb/rpop_screenshot_untitled_25_announcement_041024_745pm_cest.jpeg" typeof="foaf:Image" alt="" class="image-style-body-default" /> <h2>Playing The Rogue</h2> The Rogue: Prince of Persia follows a Prince who has had time travel powers his whole life. He has always had a special item that returns him to the last place he was truly safe before he died, and it has filled him with hubris and a complete disregard for personal safety. Turns out when you can leap from any height and fight anyone without worrying about your mortality, it makes you a pretty formidable acrobat and combatant. Unfortunately, his rash personality with little skill for strategic foresight has attracted an invading Hun army and its magic-wielding king Nogai, which is where this Prince (simply called The Prince once again) begins the game. I grasped The Rogue’s basic controls quickly, thanks to my history with Dead Cells. In a complementary way, the games feel similar. Pouncing on enemies from above and swinging swords all feel familiar, but The Prince is more acrobatic than The Prisoner (a similarly unnamed protagonist that shares the first three letters of their name). Swinging on bars and clambering up platforms feels like Dead Cells, but it’s running along the walls that feel new for the genre. <img loading="lazy" src="https://www.gameinformer.com/sites/default/files/styles/body_default/public/2024/04/10/ce33993d/rpop_screenshot_untitled_42_announcement_041024_745pm_cest.jpeg" typeof="foaf:Image" alt="" class="image-style-body-default" /> The Prince has been running along walls since 2003, but it feels different here. If there is a wall in the background, you can run up and across it to avoid obstacles and get to out-of-reach platforms. Functionally, it feels like a stand-in for a double jump, but it gives the Prince’s movement an individual identity. It’s the kind of mechanic I fear I will miss when playing follow-up 2D platformers in the future. Evil Empire did experiment with another mechanical staple of Sands of Time – rewinding time to undo short-term mistakes – but made the difficult choice to cut it. “It broke everything – the rhythm, the combat – so we decided to get rid of it,” Dewagnier says. “And I was very sad because it was, for me, the most complex thing I did technically, as a programmer.” It didn’t serve the game, so it had to go. “Sometimes something works. Sometimes something doesn't work. And you don't want to land in the sunk cost fallacy and keep something just because.” Combat overall is manageable. On an Xbox controller, I used the B button to dodge enemies, the Y button to kick them away, and the X button for a familiar standard attack. The Prince also has a ranged weapon with limited use. I didn’t lean on that mechanic too much, but I did find a boomerang-like item that was more satisfying to use than the starter bow and arrow. <img loading="lazy" src="https://www.gameinformer.com/sites/default/files/styles/body_default/public/2024/04/10/de8b750a/rpop_screenshot_untitled_14_announcement_041024_745pm_cest.jpeg" typeof="foaf:Image" alt="" class="image-style-body-default" /> Alongside enemy combat, I also found a few rooms that were purely platforming challenges, and those are highlights. Narrowly dodging spinning blades and spiked pits using the Prince’s wall-running ability felt great, and I am certain I will eagerly pursue these challenge rooms whenever they appear. Perhaps expectedly, the final boss destroyed me. I only got a few hits in before it killed me and sent me back to what appeared to be the night before, where I was hanging out near a campfire with one of the villagers. I had been having a smooth time up until that point, but the boss was a stark reminder of the challenge I was familiar with from Dead Cells. Prince of Persia may be known and potentially appeal to a larger audience than Dead Cells, but Evil Empire is not pulling back on difficulty. “We don’t try to make the game easier. We try to make it accessible,” Dewagnier says. Challenge is necessary to encourage that feeling of consistent growth. When asked if permanent upgrades will be available, Dewagnier says, “It's something we are still working on. Something we want to work on with the community.” <img loading="lazy" src="https://www.gameinformer.com/sites/default/files/styles/body_default/public/2024/04/10/a90a6b4a/rpop_screenshot_untitled_29_announcement_041024_745pm_cest.jpeg" typeof="foaf:Image" alt="" class="image-style-body-default" /> On a subsequent run, I ran into another friendly townsperson who shared information with the Prince about a new location where the Huns were gathering. I was not able to dive too deeply into it, but finding people out in the world like this rewards new path options to attempt on follow-up runs. I was eager to attempt another run at the end of my demo session before my online access to the build was callously revoked by the people in charge. I agreed to the timing of my access, but I was still sad to see it go, which bodes well for its upcoming initial release. I want to play more, which I was a little surprised by considering how recently I finished Lost Crown. I wasn’t sure I would be ready to jump into another 2D Prince of Persia game, but The Rogue has its own identity, genre, and style. We can all start attempting our own runs when the game enters Steam Early Access on May 14, which understandably (but somewhat disappointingly) will not represent the game’s full narrative. “You will see the first act of the story. We have planned for three acts,” Dewagnier says. Purchase

Why Moon Studios Made No Rest For The Wicked Instead Of A Third Ori Game

Wesley LeBlanc — Tue, 09 Apr 2024 06:41:13 CDT

<img loading="lazy" src="https://www.gameinformer.com/sites/default/files/styles/body_default/public/2024/03/04/f023cb4c/marinwoods-exploration-4.jpg" width="800" height="450" alt="No Rest for the Wicked Moon Studios Ori and the Blind Forest Will of Wisps action RPG" typeof="foaf:Image" class="image-style-body-default" /> <a href="https://www.gameinformer.com/product/no-rest-for-the-wicked">No Rest for the Wicked</a>, the upcoming action RPG from Ori team Moon Studios <a href="https://www.gameinformer.com/the-game-awards-2023/2023/12/07/ori-team-moon-studios-reveals-action-rpg-no-rest-for-the-wicked">revealed at The Game Awards 2023</a>, is gracing the <a href="https://www.gameinformer.com/cover-reveal/2024/03/01/cover-reveal-no-rest-for-the-wicked">cover of the latest issue of Game Informer</a>. After checking the game out for a few hours and speaking to some of the lead developers at Moon Studios in Vienna, Austria, both myself and cover story writer Marcus Stewart are excited about No Rest for the Wicked – you can read more of our preview thoughts <a href="https://www.gameinformer.com/preview/2024/03/01/fantastically-familiar-in-a-faraway-land">here</a>, and you can read the cover story <a href="https://www.gameinformer.com/digital-issue/2024/03/05/the-no-rest-for-the-wicked-digital-issue-is-now-live">here</a>.  But, excitement for No Rest for the Wicked aside, both Marcus and I are big fans of the team's Ori series, which began with <a href="https://www.gameinformer.com/games/ori_and_the_blind_forest/b/xboxone/archive/2015/03/09/beauty-in-death.aspx">Ori and the Blind Forest</a> in 2015 and continued in the 2020 sequel, <a href="https://www.gameinformer.com/review/ori-and-the-will-of-the-wisps/ori-and-the-will-of-the-wisps-review-even-better-than-the#:~:text=This%20is%20not%20a%20game,which%20are%20often%20ridiculously%20hard.">Ori and the Will of the Wisps</a>. That's why we couldn't talk to Moon Studios about No Rest for the Wicked without asking how the team decided to make it instead of a theoretical third Ori game.  <iframe width="560" height="315" frameBorder="0" allow="autoplay" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="360" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/oJAjFPjXoGU" width="640"></iframe> It turns out, the answer is simple: the team feels like the the story of Ori is complete. "I think were were pretty happy with where it left off," tech and production director and Moon Studios co-founder Gennadiy Korol says. "I think we were able to complete the story of Ori. It's a complete arc now; if you play both games, it's a complete story. So it felt like the only way we would come back to Ori 3 is if we have more to say, more story to tell."  However, while No Rest for the Wicked is Moon Studios' main focus for the time being – and considering it's a game being developed alongside the community in <a href="https://www.gameinformer.com/2024/03/01/moon-studios-no-rest-for-the-wicked-hits-early-access-in-april">Early Access</a>, it could be the studio's focus for years to come – studio CEO and creative director Thomas Mahler says he has some ideas for a third Ori game.  "I have a title for it already," he says. At this point, Korol jumps in to explain he didn't know about this, stating, "I didn't know that it was on the table."  Mahler continues, "I have some ideas, but so far, right now, we are completely focused on No Rest for the Wicked for the time being."  <iframe width="560" height="315" frameBorder="0" allow="autoplay" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="360" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/_6cRdhg9ILk" width="640"></iframe> So there's a little hope, Ori fans – it just might be a while. At any rate, if you're a fan of the Ori games, you should check out No Rest for the Wicked because while the two series are extremely different in many ways, <a href="https://www.gameinformer.com/preview/2024/03/01/fantastically-familiar-in-a-faraway-land">the Ori DNA lives on in No Rest for the Wicked</a>.  No Rest for the Wicked hits Early Access on PC next month on <a href="https://www.gameinformer.com/2024/03/01/moon-studios-no-rest-for-the-wicked-hits-early-access-in-april">April 18</a>.  While waiting for its launch, check out this feature breaking down the <a href="https://www.gameinformer.com/preview/2024/03/05/early-access-roadmap-and-cerims-crucible-endgame-content">Early Access roadmap and endgame content of No Rest for the Wicked</a>, and then check out more than 25 minutes of the game in our <a href="https://www.gameinformer.com/ngt/2024/03/01/no-rest-for-the-wicked-new-gameplay-today">No Rest for the Wicked New Gameplay Today</a>.  You can learn even more about No Rest for the Wicked by checking out our features and videos rolling out over the coming weeks in our exclusive coverage hub below.

Windblown Preview - A Twister On A Classic Formula

Charles Harte — Wed, 03 Apr 2024 08:00:00 CDT

Platform: PC
Publisher: Motion Twin
Developer: Motion Twin

Any conversation about great roguelites is incomplete without mentioning Dead Cells, the <a href="https://www.gameinformer.com/impressions/2023/03/06/dead-cells-return-to-castlevania-impressions-a-reinvigorating-crossover">Castlevania-inspired game</a> from developer Motion Twin. With its variety of biomes, massive armory of unlockable weapons, and breakneck combat, it's cemented itself as one of the best roguelites of all time. But after seven years of support, its development team is moving onto a new project that has the potential to be just as exciting: Windblown, an isometric roguelite with bright graphics and three-player co-op. <iframe width="560" height="315" frameBorder="0" allow="autoplay" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="360" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/i7-XkJcL9s4" width="640"></iframe> The game was revealed with <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=shPyfu6aP58">a beautifully animated announcement trailer</a> at last year's Game Awards ceremony, and while it showed brief snippets of gameplay, it left a lot to be desired. Today, Motion Twin unveiled some new footage that gives fans a clearer look at what gameplay will actually be like. In addition to that, Game Informer had the chance to view about eight minutes of alpha footage behind closed doors to learn some more specific details about the game. Windblown has at least three playable characters – known in this world as Leapers – but the trailer (and the alpha footage) both center mostly on the axolotl player. The most noticeable thing about the game, even in the very first combat encounter, is its speed. Our axolotl adventurer is constantly on the move, slashing at enemies, dashing away from their attacks, and speeding behind them for a backstab attack. The developers put a lot of emphasis on the players' ability to dash, and the gameplay shown reflects how crucial it is. Even between fights, when navigating the floating islands of the Vortex, players can dash at will, rapidly zipping across gaps. <img loading="lazy" src="https://www.gameinformer.com/sites/default/files/styles/body_default/public/2024/04/02/e72c08ac/windblown_screenshot_8.png" typeof="foaf:Image" alt="" class="image-style-body-default" /> The Leaper in our demo footage is wielding the fish knife, a cleaver-like blade, but eventually picks up some kunai as well. Much like Dead Cells, Windblown will feature an array of unique weapons, which can be switched between in the heat of battle, but it takes this dual-wielding feature even further than its predecessor. By performing certain actions with one weapon, you can perform an Alterattack, scoring big damage with your other weapon. In our axolotl's case, using up all the kunai enables them to trigger the Alterattack on the fish knife. If that doesn't finish your foe off, there are also powerful finishers called Crystallize attacks that do even more damage when synchronized with other players. It's cool to see the combat system encourage both weapon variety and player cooperation. A variety of perks can also be found in your journey through the Vortex. Gifts offer passive benefits, like bonus backstab damage, boosted damage after dashing, or a homing arrow that triggers when you hit a foe. Trinkets are special bonus attacks, like bombs, slow-moving death orbs, or poison clouds. Meanwhile, collectible Fish have powerful abilities, like one that swallows and restrains foes, but you'll need to wait for their lengthy cooldowns to wear off before using them again. <img loading="lazy" src="https://www.gameinformer.com/sites/default/files/styles/body_default/public/2024/04/02/5389288b/windblown_screenshot_9.png" typeof="foaf:Image" alt="" class="image-style-body-default" /> You'll need all of these abilities, too, because the magical robot/constructs in Windblown look tough. Eventually, the demo player dies and is forced to return to the hub world, a grassy collection of islands called the Ark. It's home to some pleasant-looking NPCs, including an anthropromorphic Wolf who grants permanent upgrades. Many of these will look extremely familiar to fans of Dead Cells: there's a healing flask, the ability to choose an additional starting weapon, the ability to start with a trinket, and a skill called Recycling, which is likely similar to the Dead Cells ability of the same name that allows you to transform unwanted items into currency. And this is just what's visible in the current demo – many other options on the menu are locked for later. During the run, the Leaper also collected a souvenir for the heavy blade, so they can spend some money to unlock it for future runs. While we haven't had a chance to go hands-on yet, Windblown looks great so far, like a vibrant mix between the design of Dead Cells and the combat of games like Hades. For those hoping to check it out soon, Motion Twin plans to put the game into early access on Steam to use player feedback to shape the game. You'll be able to get your hands on it some time later this year. Purchase

Harold Halibut | New Gameplay Today

Kyle Hilliard — Mon, 01 Apr 2024 16:30:00 CDT

<img loading="lazy" src="https://www.gameinformer.com/sites/default/files/styles/body_default/public/2024/04/01/113d2b9c/ss_9460183dafa62fb460e8ff61405e0464c4fcb11b.jpg" width="800" height="450" alt="" typeof="foaf:Image" class="image-style-body-default" /> Harold Halibut has been in development for more than a decade. It has a fascinating and unique style set in a well-realized future where a portion of humanity has relocated to an underwater planet. It's a bit like Interstellar, but if things had gone how they were supposed to. Ahead of the game's release on April 16 (on Game Pass as well as other platforms), Charles Harte and I decided to take a look at an early portion of the game, discuss the developers' intentions for the narrative and gameplay, and detail how the game was made. For a whole lot more on Harold Halibut, you can <a href="https://www.gameinformer.com/preview/2024/02/07/the-stop-motion-adventure-11-years-in-the-making">read this feature where I interviewed game director Ole Tillmann and art director Onat Hekimoglu</a>. <iframe width="560" height="315" frameBorder="0" allow="autoplay" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="360" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/07kBMqa37mU" width="640"></iframe> Head over to Game Informer's <a href="https://www.youtube.com/gameinformer" target="_blank">YouTube channel</a> for more previews, reviews, and discussions of new and upcoming games. Watch other episodes of New Gameplay Today <a href="https://www.gameinformer.com/ngt" target="_blank">right here.</a>

Open Roads | New Gameplay Today

Marcus Stewart — Thu, 28 Mar 2024 13:54:00 CDT

<img loading="lazy" src="https://www.gameinformer.com/sites/default/files/styles/body_default/public/2024/03/28/7dc1d04d/ngt_openroads_yt.jpg" width="800" height="450" alt="Open Roads New Gameplay Today" typeof="foaf:Image" class="image-style-body-default" /> We're taking a road trip! Open Roads comes from an internal team, dubbed <a href="https://www.gameinformer.com/feature/2022/07/21/a-new-destination-how-open-roads-changed-direction-and-saved-its-turbulent-road">The Open Roads Team</a>, within Fullbright (Gone Home, Tacoma) and tells a tale of a teenage girl and her mother embarking on a road trip to solve a tantalizing family mystery. The narrative adventure sports a unique mixed media art direction and the studio's trademark narrative-focused design. Join Marcus Stewart and Kyle Hilliard as they show off a slice of this long-awaited journey. <iframe width="560" height="315" frameBorder="0" allow="autoplay" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="360" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/BdKSaEFAE0Y" width="640"></iframe> Head over to Game Informer's <a href="https://www.youtube.com/gameinformer" target="_blank">YouTube channel</a> for more previews, reviews, and discussions of new and upcoming games. Watch other episodes of New Gameplay Today <a href="https://www.gameinformer.com/ngt" target="_blank">right here.</a>

No Rest For The Wicked Developer Moon Studios On Why Remote Development Is Key To Its Success

Wesley LeBlanc — Thu, 28 Mar 2024 11:42:17 CDT

<img loading="lazy" src="https://www.gameinformer.com/sites/default/files/styles/body_default/public/2024/03/04/eae28f24/nrftw_screenshot_lodgings.jpg" width="800" height="450" alt="No Rest For The Wicked Moon Studios Lead Executives Remote Development" typeof="foaf:Image" class="image-style-body-default" /> <a href="https://www.gameinformer.com/product/no-rest-for-the-wicked">No Rest for the Wicked</a> is the upcoming action RPG from Moon Studios, the developer behind <a href="https://www.gameinformer.com/games/ori_and_the_blind_forest/b/xboxone/archive/2015/03/09/beauty-in-death.aspx">Ori and the Blind Forest</a>/<a href="https://www.gameinformer.com/review/ori-and-the-will-of-the-wisps/ori-and-the-will-of-the-wisps-review-even-better-than-the#:~:text=This%20is%20not%20a%20game,which%20are%20often%20ridiculously%20hard.">Will of the Wisps</a>. It's also the game gracing <a href="https://www.gameinformer.com/cover-reveal/2024/03/01/cover-reveal-no-rest-for-the-wicked">the latest cover of Game Informer</a>. Cover story writer and editor Marcus Stewart and I traveled to Vienna, Austria, to play the game and speak with two of its leads, tech and production director and studio co-founder Gennadiy Korol and studio CEO and creative director Thomas Mahler. However, while the frosted glass of the front door of the two-story apartment we entered was engraved with the words "Moon Studios", this studio is actually just Mahler's workplace. Korol met us in Vienna for the cover story, but he actually lives in Israel. The rest of Moon Studios lives around the world, because Moon Studios is completely remote – there is no headquarters to report to or central location to work. <img loading="lazy" src="https://www.gameinformer.com/sites/default/files/styles/body_default/public/2024/03/14/03b1e9ed/img_0900_vsco.jpg" typeof="foaf:Image" alt="" class="image-style-body-default" /> Mahler (left) and Korol (right) explain why Moon Studios is a remote studio While remote development has become more popular as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, Moon Studios has been remote since its founding in 2009. When I asked Korol and Mahler about remote development, it's clear it's a big part of the team's winning game development formula, responsible for the aforementioned Ori games and the upcoming No Rest for the Wicked, <a href="https://www.gameinformer.com/2024/03/01/moon-studios-no-rest-for-the-wicked-hits-early-access-in-april">which launches into Early Access on PC next month</a>. "We absolutely 100 percent believe it allows us to hire the best talent," Mahler tells me. "I think for us, it was a little bit easier because we never knew anything else. We started as a remote studio. I do think it's much harder if you're at an established studio and you have established, proven processes that are all based on being in the office, and then now, suddenly, the world stops and you have to work remote but these processes [...] you're reliant on [...] you have to be in the office for. "I think that's a really difficult change to make. That's like changing the DNA of a studio, but we never had to do that." <iframe width="560" height="315" frameBorder="0" allow="autoplay" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="360" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/_6cRdhg9ILk" width="640"></iframe> Mahler says he wouldn't be in game development if not for the internet and, subsequently, remote work. He lives in Austria, and "there's almost no [games industry] here." But because of remote work, he was able to work at studios around the world. "I think that's just amazing, right? That you can find all these people who are just amazingly talented, no matter where they live in the world, and if they're super hungry, if they're really passionate, if they're willing to throw themselves in, then they can get a job in the games industry." He says studios that believe you have to work in the office for good work simply haven't adapted yet. He hopes Moon Studios' resume of games speaks to the idea that great products can come from remote studios. "I get this question a lot: 'How did you make it look so coherent?'," he says. "The workflow is exactly the same: people play the project, they play the build, they're in touch with one another all the time. I don't necessarily know why we need to sit in an open office space to achieve that." <img loading="lazy" src="https://www.gameinformer.com/sites/default/files/styles/body_default/public/2024/03/04/6305d905/sewer_painting_channel_pavel.jpg" typeof="foaf:Image" alt="" class="image-style-body-default" /> Korol, who attributes their belief in remote work to meeting Mahler on an online forum in 2004 before creating Moon Studios together in 2009, agrees. "Some people blame certain things that don't go right when people are working remotely on the fact that it's remote work," he says. "But I think it has to be a bit more nuanced. If you're just trying to force a remote culture on top of the office approach, which is how a lot of these companies are structured, it's not going to work. You have to kind of re-envision how the communication works, how the documentation works, how the work flow works, and what the big focus point is. I personally believe that remote work actually puts the emphasis on the product and the work even more than office work." Korol admits the team does miss out on the opportunity for water cooler moments, which he says can be fantastic moments, but Moon Studios does try to replicate them with streams, meet-ups, and more. Korol points to a lack of commute, giving employees back more of their time, and the ability to be with family more easily as key factors for Moon Studios' remote success. <img loading="lazy" src="https://www.gameinformer.com/sites/default/files/styles/body_default/public/2024/03/04/677fc1ea/nrftw_screenshot_forest.jpg" typeof="foaf:Image" alt="" class="image-style-body-default" /> "There's no commute, so you don't have to worry about wasting time," he tells me. "Especially with people with families. We find it works really well for them because they can be with their kids. We've heard all these stories of people that say, 'Oh, I had to ship this game, and I didn't see my kid growing up, and I missed that precious period where I will never have that again, and my kid will never be that age again and it's gone, and I was just so busy with work.' But if you work remotely from home, you can still be there for your family and do great work. "You can pace yourself much better, and you can take care of your mental health much better, so I'm a huge believer in [remote work.]" <iframe width="560" height="315" frameBorder="0" allow="autoplay" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="360" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/7FnTubWXxyM" width="640"></iframe> Ultimately, Korol and Mahler, Moon Studios' two leads, believe remote work is the most efficient process. Studios that aren't remote are missing out on great talent for their games, they say. "We believe it's really ultimately the most efficient process if you do it right, if you hire for that, if you optimize all communication for that," Korol adds. "And like with everything else, you also have to iterate. So if things go wrong, your first reaction shouldn't be, 'Oh, let's bring everybody back to the office.' The reaction should be, 'Well, why isn't it working? Can we fine-tune it? Can we tinker with it a little bit more?' And I feel like maybe some people are jumping the gun a little bit too fast and are missing out on some opportunities with great talent." No Rest for the Wicked hits Early Access on PC next month on <a href="https://www.gameinformer.com/2024/03/01/moon-studios-no-rest-for-the-wicked-hits-early-access-in-april">April 18</a>. While waiting for its launch, check out this feature breaking down the <a href="https://www.gameinformer.com/preview/2024/03/05/early-access-roadmap-and-cerims-crucible-endgame-content">Early Access roadmap and endgame content of No Rest for the Wicked</a>, and then check out more than 25 minutes of the game in our <a href="https://www.gameinformer.com/ngt/2024/03/01/no-rest-for-the-wicked-new-gameplay-today">No Rest for the Wicked New Gameplay Today</a>. You can learn even more about No Rest for the Wicked by checking out our features and videos rolling out over the coming weeks in our exclusive coverage hub below.

Marvel Rivals Is A Team-Based Hero Shooter From NetEase Games

Brian Shea — Wed, 27 Mar 2024 10:00:00 CDT

<img loading="lazy" src="https://www.gameinformer.com/sites/default/files/styles/body_default/public/2024/03/26/4fe20a3d/key_art_without_date.jpg" width="800" height="450" alt="Marvel Rivals" typeof="foaf:Image" class="image-style-body-default" /> The Marvel Universe is expansive and chockful of some of pop culture's greatest heroes. NetEase Games is taking the word "hero" literally and placing the characters from Marvel in a free-to-play 6v6 hero shooter. Marvel Rivals promises to bring the most popular and iconic superheroes and supervillains to the arena with destructible environments, unique Team-Up skills, and more. Marvel Rivals offers 6v6 PVP action featuring arenas from across the Marvel Multiverse, including Asgard and Tokyo 2099. The title touts a deep roster of heroes and villains to choose from, including members of the Avengers, Guardians of the Galaxy, X-Men, and more, all with unique Team-Up skills that play off various synergies between heroes. The closed alpha in May will feature more than a dozen characters, while the announce trailer (below) features 18 characters that represent the current roster. <iframe width="560" height="315" frameBorder="0" allow="autoplay" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="360" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/RTnsfVGxdjM" width="640"></iframe> <h2 class="subhead-aside">The Roster So Far</h2> In case you found yourself scrubbing through the footage in the reveal trailer to see how many characters you could spot, we've listed all 18 of the characters that appear in the initial Marvel Rivals footage right here. <ul> <li>Black Panther</li> <li>Doctor Strange</li> <li>Groot</li> <li>Hulk</li> <li>Iron Man</li> <li>Loki</li> <li>Luna Snow</li> <li>Magik</li> <li>Magneto</li> <li>Mantis</li> <li>Namor</li> <li>Peni Parker</li> <li>The Punisher</li> <li>Rocket Raccoon</li> <li>Scarlet Witch</li> <li>Spider-Man</li> <li>Storm</li> <li>Star-Lord</li> </ul> If your favorite Marvel hero or villain isn't on that initial roster, NetEase promises a "robust" post-launch roadmap. According to the company, each seasonal drop will introduce new playable characters and maps. "Marvel Rivals is one of our most ambitious development projects," Jay Ong, head of Marvel Games, said in a press release. "Since the conceptualization of the game and throughout our collaboration, our Marvel team has poured our hearts and souls into this project, and we are thrilled to work with the incredible team at NetEase Games to help deliver the ultimate Super Hero team-based PVP shooter." <section class='type:slideshow'><figure><img src='https://www.gameinformer.com/sites/default/files/styles/body_default/public/2024/03/26/e9a6965c/01-team_fight_12024marvel.jpg'></figure><figure><img src='https://www.gameinformer.com/sites/default/files/styles/body_default/public/2024/03/26/06487371/02-hero_highlight_12024marvel.jpg'></figure><figure><img src='https://www.gameinformer.com/sites/default/files/styles/body_default/public/2024/03/26/640ef374/03-scenery_shot_22024marvel.jpg'></figure><figure><img src='https://www.gameinformer.com/sites/default/files/styles/body_default/public/2024/03/26/a5061a16/04-scenery_shot_32024marvel.jpg'></figure><figure><img src='https://www.gameinformer.com/sites/default/files/styles/body_default/public/2024/03/26/c106adaa/05_hero_highlight_22024marvel.jpg'></figure></section>   The story of Marvel Rivals features Doctor Doom and his 2099 counterpart forcing universes to collide in the Timestream Entanglement, creating new worlds. Superheroes and supervillains from the multiverse must band together and fight other groups of multiversal characters to defeat the two Dooms and save the multiverse. NetEase Games touts its team members who worked on franchises like Battlefield and Call of Duty as being instrumental in the development of Marvel Rivals, but the studio operates with a global team of developers. Marvel Rivals is currently in development for PC, with a closed alpha kicking off in May. To sign up for the upcoming tests, you can <a href="https://www.marvelrivals.com/">visit MarvelRivals.com</a>. How does Marvel Rivals look and sound to you? Are you excited about a Marvel hero shooter? Could this fill a potential Overwatch-shaped hole in your gaming life? Does the free-to-play format affect your impression? Sound off in the comments section below!

Sand Land Preview – A Hands-On Tour And Exclusive Town-building Details

Marcus Stewart — Wed, 27 Mar 2024 10:00:00 CDT

Platform: PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, PlayStation 4, PC
Publisher: Bandai Namco
Developer: Ilca
Release: <time datetime="2024-04-26T12:00:00Z" class="datetime">April 26, 2024</time>
Rating: Teen

Introduction For most manga fans, the name Akira Toriyama likely conjures one image: Goku. The legendary manga artist, who unexpectedly passed away this year, has become immortalized thanks to his greatest creation, Dragon Ball. But while the adventures of Goku and his friends will chiefly define Toriyama’s legacy, the artist is responsible for other works, such as Dr. Slump, Pink, and his 2000 manga (and accompanying film) Sand Land. <img loading="lazy" src="https://www.gameinformer.com/sites/default/files/styles/body_default/public/2024/03/27/5fefbfe0/sl_beelzebub.png" typeof="foaf:Image" alt="" class="image-style-body-default" /> If you’ve never heard of Sand Land, imagine combining Mad Max with Dragon Ball, and you have a rough approximation of its vibe. Sand Land’s world sees humans and demons share a tense coexistence in a vast desert marred by years of war. The land’s greedy king has monopolized the water supply, making it a valuable commodity that has turned ordinary citizens into bandits and outlaws vying for every drop. An ex-soldier named Sheriff Rao becomes fed up with the king’s greed, so he turns to the demons for help. But he doesn’t manage to recruit just any old fiend; he gets Beelzebub, the young and attitudinal demon prince. Imagine Bart Simpson as a purple demon, and you've got a good idea of Beelzebub's vibe. Joining the young monarch is his wizened friend Thief, who is, you guessed it, very good at stealing. The three hop into a tank and embark on a grand quest that…well, you’ll have to read the manga to learn how it plays out. If you decide to forgo reading the manga, watching the 2023 animated film, or checking out its 2024 animated series, Sand Land’s eponymous video game debut offers another good entry point. Developed by ILCA, makers of One Piece Odyssey and Pokémon Brilliant Diamond/Shining Pearl, Toriyama’s sandy universe has been transformed into an open-world action RPG with an original narrative set after the events of the manga (although Bandai assures that newcomers can hop right into this without prior familiarity). I traveled to Bandai Namco’s office in Irvine, California, to play a few hours of the game across multiple areas to see how Beezlebub fares in an interactive playground. <img loading="lazy" src="https://www.gameinformer.com/sites/default/files/styles/body_default/public/2024/03/27/d24f1511/sl_beelzebub_and_modified_battle_armor.jpg" typeof="foaf:Image" alt="" class="image-style-body-default" /> <h2>Fire Your Engines </h2> Fans recently got to explore a slice of Sand Land’s open world thanks to a demo, but I got to experience meatier chunks of the adventure, set roughly 30 hours into its evidently lengthy runtime. Sand Land’s big hook is a focus on vehicle combat, as Beelzebub, the game’s protagonist, can pilot a slew of different machines. In my demo, I had access to a motorbike, a tank, a hovercraft, and two types of mech suits. One suit can execute powerful vertical leaps that are good for reaching high places. Another is more combat-focused, sporting a machine gun, and you can pummel foes with its metallic fists. A d-pad selection wheel makes it easy to pick the desired vehicle on the fly, with Beelzebub tossing a small device that causes chosen vehicles to appear in a sparkly puff of smoke a la capsules in Dragon Ball. The motorbike works best for general exploration thanks to its speed, and mounted machine guns let players mow down threats on the go. Sand Land’s focus on vehicle combat is appealing to me as a long-time fan of the dormant car combat genre. The desert teems with roaming creatures such as various dinosaurs and giant lion-like beasts, plus plenty of armed bandits piloting death machines of their own. While the motorbike has enough firepower to deal with the average opposition, I switch to the more combat-focused tank to handle sturdier foes. Its powerful machine gun (with a sniper scope for precision targeting) and explosive shells can quickly reduce opposition to heaps of twisted metal. In a great touch, you can seamlessly switch from driving one vehicle to another without first going back to playing as Beelzebub on foot. This means you can drive the motorbike and instantly transform into the tank without hitting the brakes. I wish vehicles would stick around longer once you get off them. They often disappear as soon as they’re out of frame, and I grew tired of repeatedly re-summoning the motorbike whenever I stepped off to briefly inspect something. <iframe width="560" height="315" frameBorder="0" allow="autoplay" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="360" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/kC_RuPZQh2A" width="640"></iframe> Beelzebub is no slouch on his own. He can execute basic melee combos and hold his own against most threats I encountered. Strength/defense-raising serums, purchased from wandering vendors, can temporarily boost the young ruler’s capabilities. The main party members each sport standard skill trees that widen their offensive capabilities, too. Even still, Sand Land clearly wants players to utilize vehicles as often as possible, as enemy machines and more powerful wildlife can wear down the demon prince quickly. Although Sheriff Rao and Thief offer constant companionship (not to mention a barrage of way-too-repetitious ambient dialogue), their contributions to combat don’t feel immediately apparent or impactful. Defeating enemies and scouring the world uncovers resources used to upgrade or purchase vehicle enhancements. Vehicles can sport two weapons, and visiting workshops offer more powerful variants of each one with different stat properties and effects. The same applies to new engines, armor, and mobility parts. There’s enough number crunching involved that serious players can do a fair amount of min-maxing if they want, or you can just do what I did: choose the weapon sporting the highest number of green arrows pointing upwards. Regardless of what shape your vehicles take, driving around is fun if for no other reason than to immerse oneself in Toriyama’s art. Sand Land looks great. In addition to traditional sidequests, I stumbled upon radio towers that, once repaired using the necessary materials, reveal more landmarks. Distinctive tall rock columns require the jumping mech to ascend, which usually has goodies such as a treasure chest. I don’t spend too much time with these diversions; instead, I choose to book it for the main attraction: a dungeon. <img loading="lazy" src="https://www.gameinformer.com/sites/default/files/styles/body_default/public/2024/03/27/8bfb1424/sl_dungeon_diving.jpg" typeof="foaf:Image" alt="" class="image-style-body-default" /> I make for Cardamo ruins, a subterranean complex located behind a waterfall. The hovercraft becomes my best friend during this section as it’s suited for navigating the water – and Beelzebub can’t swim. Getting through this massive complex of a dilapidated temple requires raising/lowering the water level in flood areas to reach the next exit. Wide staircases and corridors allow me to pilot the hovercraft into zones meant for on-foot traversal. This process isn’t always the most straightforward form of navigation for such interiors, but I appreciate that Sand Land allows players to stay in their vehicles more often than not, especially since you can still open chests and collect loot while piloting machinery. This dungeon takes a while to get through, partly due to my thorough exploration of alternative hallways leading to extra treasures. Enemies such as giant alligators hide beneath the waves of several flooded rooms, waiting to strike hapless foes. Though they catch me a few times, doing so gives me the satisfying pleasure of blasting them with the hovercraft’s missile launcher. After a lengthy trek of flipping switches to raise water levels, hopping across spinning waterwheels, and dodging rocks on fast-moving waterways, I encounter my first boss battle: a Kraken. Taking down this massive squid requires unleashing hell on its ample-sized head while dodging streams of water balls spat from its beak. I also use the hovercraft's limited extended hover boost to hop over its swinging tentacles. At specific points, I land on scattered patches of earth. With solid ground beneath me, I switch to the tank to unleash a more powerful (though mobility-limited) offense. It’s an enjoyable battle, and I like the flexibility of either relying solely on my hovercraft to take it down or utilizing the small islands to attack using my land-based vehicles. After the Kraken absorbs its final bullet, its defeat signals a transition into a big and surprising element of Sand Land: Forest Land. <img loading="lazy" src="https://www.gameinformer.com/sites/default/files/styles/body_default/public/2024/03/27/4e2ad3b1/sl_waterfall.jpg" typeof="foaf:Image" alt="" class="image-style-body-default" /> <h2>Welcome To Forest Land</h2> I eventually move on to another section of the game set in a brand-new biome for the franchise called Forest Land. This lush green environment is a stark contrast to the dunes players will spend dozens of hours exploring beforehand, so you’ll have played a big chunk of the game before even seeing this zone. Dragon Ball fans will feel right at home in Forest Land thanks to similar topographic features such as massive, grass-topped cliffs and sweeping fields. I noticed some of the same environmental challenges found in Sand Land, such as the tall jumping pillars, but I don’t know how different Forest Land’s offerings are as I focus on the main objective. <img loading="lazy" src="https://www.gameinformer.com/sites/default/files/styles/body_default/public/2024/03/27/560d88fa/sl_beelzebub_sneaking_around.jpg" typeof="foaf:Image" alt="" class="image-style-body-default" /> The story takes me to a resistance camp, and after a sequence I won’t spoil, I’m tasked with infiltrating an enemy base to rescue a captive ally. Since the facility is heavily populated with goons, stealth becomes the name of the game. Infiltration involves sneaking up on patrolling targets by crouching and quietly dispatching them. Beelzebub won’t be snapping necks or choking folks out; instead, they will opt to perform a jump scare that frightens foes so badly that they stiffen like a board and fall unconscious. It’s cute and fits the character’s mischievous nature, but stealth is also very basic and, at least in this section, and not particularly challenging. It can become tedious since getting caught means re-doing the current room from the beginning. This lack of flexibility feels dated and will likely be especially frustrating for those who struggle with stealth segments in general <img loading="lazy" src="https://www.gameinformer.com/sites/default/files/styles/body_default/public/2024/03/27/5724c41e/sl_base8.jpg" typeof="foaf:Image" alt="" class="image-style-body-default" /> <h2 style="margin-top: 16px;">To Build A Village </h2> Once my demo concludes, Bandai Namco treats me to an exclusive breakdown of Sand Land’s town-building element. At a certain point in the story, players encounter a small, ruined settlement out in the desert that they are tasked with restoring. One important NPC players can recruit is Lassi, a cat-like traveler who deals in rare goods such as treasure maps and more exotic vehicle weaponry like lasers, grenade launchers, and particle cannons. As you progress the adventure, you meet other faces you can collect, so to speak, for your home base. Residents bring wants and desires in the form of sidequests, so the more populous your city becomes, the wider your quest log balloons. Your city can be upgraded up to five times, and each improvement unlocks new buildings and stores, invites new citizens, and the overall aesthetic gets a facelift. When I see it at Tier 1, the city is little more than a rocky pit of sand, weeds, and bombed-out buildings. Each improvement tier brings resources such as water into the city (including a gigantic water wheel), and you even unlock traversal mechanics such as a zipline network to help explore the city more easily. By Tier 5, the city is a bustling metropolis with buildings stacked on buildings, multiple elevation levels, more greenery, waterfalls, a marketplace, and more. Unlockable businesses include a vehicle customization shop, which allows you to cosmetically change your vehicles with different paint schemes, patterns, and finishes, such as gloss. You’ll also unlock an item shop, a garage for swapping out vehicle parts, and inns to rest at, among other establishments. A bounty board will also appear that tasks players with locating and defeating notorious targets, providing mini-boss fights for sharpening your skills while obtaining rare weapons and other rewards. Shops evolve alongside the city, as they’ll offer more extensive, more valuable inventories with each upgrade tier. <section class='type:slideshow'><figure><img src='https://www.gameinformer.com/sites/default/files/styles/body_default/public/2024/03/27/9d6286c0/sl_base1.jpg'></figure><figure><img src='https://www.gameinformer.com/sites/default/files/styles/body_default/public/2024/03/27/47947436/sl_base2.jpg'></figure><figure><img src='https://www.gameinformer.com/sites/default/files/styles/body_default/public/2024/03/27/75ad282e/sl_base5.jpg'></figure><figure><img src='https://www.gameinformer.com/sites/default/files/styles/body_default/public/2024/03/27/f78248eb/sl_base6.jpg'></figure><figure><img src='https://www.gameinformer.com/sites/default/files/styles/body_default/public/2024/03/27/290d2bf8/sl_base7.jpg'></figure><figure><img src='https://www.gameinformer.com/sites/default/files/styles/body_default/public/2024/03/27/5724c41e/sl_base8.jpg'></figure><figure><img src='https://www.gameinformer.com/sites/default/files/styles/body_default/public/2024/03/27/fae35616/sl_base9.jpg'></figure><figure><img src='https://www.gameinformer.com/sites/default/files/styles/body_default/public/2024/03/27/8afaeddd/sl_base10.jpg'></figure></section> Beezlebub needs his own space, too, and behind the garage sits his personal home that players can customize from scratch. What begins as a series of empty, plain rooms can be livened up on a broad level by applying cosmetic themes such as forest or sci-fi. You can also place individual decor items such as furniture and trophies, and you display your vehicles, too. New cosmetic items for your home can be found by completing missions; Bandai mentions defeating a sub-boss to unlock a rare chair as an example. Despite this feature's many perks, Bandai also tells me players can invest as much or as little time into improving their city as they choose. Maxxing out the city isn’t required to complete the story. Those who plan to partake can expect to spend dozens of hours shining up the town, depending on how much you focus on it. <h2>Putting The Pieces Together</h2> What I saw of Sand Land didn’t veer far from expectations or offer a lot of novelty, but I enjoyed my time playing. Outside of the vehicle combat, it feels like a totally competent action RPG carried by Toriyama’s signature charm and personality. Piloting bikes, tanks, and other bots is where the game stands out, and the arcade-like thrill of blowing up enemy tanks or simply ramming into hapless goons is good fun. The vehicle customization and town-building features also show signs of an unexpected depth. As someone who’s growing increasingly weary of open-world fluff, I’m mildly worried about the scope of Sand Land’s side activities, so here’s hoping it has plenty of real meat to chew on. As a decades-long fan of Toriyama, I was already curious to experience Sand Land’s world for the first time through this game. I wasn’t familiar with the manga prior to the game’s reveal, and admittedly, Toriyama’s passing has skyrocketed the game closer to “must-play” status. But after spending some quality time with Beelzebub and his gang of benevolent rogues, I’m more confident I’ll have solid fun with it beyond treating it as an interactive eulogy to one of my favorite artists. Sand Land launches on April 26 for PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, PlayStation 4, and PC Purchase

Ender Magnolia: Bloom In The Mist | New Gameplay Today

Marcus Stewart — Tue, 26 Mar 2024 12:03:00 CDT

<img loading="lazy" src="https://www.gameinformer.com/sites/default/files/styles/body_default/public/2024/03/26/89e3ed7f/ngt_embloom_yt.jpg" width="800" height="450" alt="Ender Magnolia: Bloom in the Mist" typeof="foaf:Image" class="image-style-body-default" /> Ender Magnolia: Bloom in the Mist is the sequel to the 2021 dark fantasy Metroidvania <a href="https://www.gameinformer.com/review/ender-lilies-quietus-of-the-knights/ender-lilies-quietus-of-the-knights-review-slaying-in">Ender Lilies: Quietus of the Knight</a>. Now playable in Steam Early Access, the game stars a young girl with the power to cleanse corrupted homunculi, who grants them the power to save the world. Join editors Marcus Stewart and Kyle Hilliard as they see how this promising work-in-progress is shaping up thus far.  <iframe width="560" height="315" frameBorder="0" allow="autoplay" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="360" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/Bj1lWv-9Tv0" width="640"></iframe> Head over to Game Informer's <a href="https://www.youtube.com/gameinformer" target="_blank">YouTube channel</a> for more previews, reviews, and discussions of new and upcoming games. Watch other episodes of New Gameplay Today <a href="https://www.gameinformer.com/ngt" target="_blank">right here.</a>

Final Fantasy XVI – The Rising Tide DLC Trailer Promises A Reason To Return

Matt Miller — Fri, 22 Mar 2024 12:04:16 CDT

<img loading="lazy" src="https://www.gameinformer.com/sites/default/files/styles/body_default/public/2024/03/22/5657ce90/ffxvi_mediakit_10_png_jpgcopy.jpg" width="800" height="450" alt="" typeof="foaf:Image" class="image-style-body-default" /> Square Enix today revealed a new look at Final XVI: The Rising Tide, the upcoming piece of DLC scheduled to launch as part of the game's expansion pass. The new story content opens the door to an entirely new area to explore in Valisthea, but the big draw is the appearance of the Eikon Leviathan.  Back in December, Final Fantasy XVI players were treated to the Echoes of the Fallen expansion, which took Clive and his companions to a long-abandoned tower created by the Fallen precursor civilization. The Rising Tide will further expand on the game's story, but in a new direction, focusing on Leviathan. In the new story sequence, a letter arrives to the hideaway with a request for help from the Dominant of that long-lost Eikon of Water, and the party must set out to face a new threat. We detailed some of what we learned in a <a href="https://www.gameinformer.com/preview/2024/03/08/dlc-dose-of-leviathan">preview earlier this month</a>.  The new trailer puts a big focus on combat sequences, giving us a good look at several fights, including Clive acting as Ifrit to battle against Leviathan as they each coast over a massive body of water. The new sights and characters offer a convincing reason to redownload that massive RPG and take Clive for one more big adventure.  <iframe width="560" height="315" frameBorder="0" allow="autoplay" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="360" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/jfl3KgFrAQc" width="640"></iframe> Are you planning to jump back into Final Fantasy XVI for this Leviathan-themed DLC? Let us know in the comments below.

Hyper Light Breaker Preview – Hands-On With The Not Quite-A-Sequel To Hyper Light Drifter

Kyle Hilliard — Wed, 20 Mar 2024 16:00:00 CDT

Platform: PC
Publisher: Gearbox Publishing
Developer: Heart Machine

<a href="https://www.gameinformer.com/games/hyper_light_drifter/b/pc/archive/2016/04/06/game-informer-hyper-light-drifter-review.aspx">In my review for 2016’s Hyper Light Drifter</a> I wrote about how it was a game I created excuses for myself to keep playing after seeing credits writing, “I didn’t do it out of necessity; I did it because I wanted to stay in Hyper Light Drifter’s world for as long as possible.” I love the color, style, music, and overall vibe of that game, which is why I was so excited to finally go hands-on with its not-quite-a-sequel, Breaker, and finally have an excuse to exist in that world again. <iframe width="560" height="315" frameBorder="0" allow="autoplay" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="360" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/ZzAy9k9fvCk" width="640"></iframe> “It’s not a sequel – it is just in the world of Hyper Light. It will have common threads, themes, and shared components,” director Alx Preston says. “If you played Drifter you will see reappearing species and enemies and other stuff like that, but generally, you don’t have to play Drifter to enjoy this. The story is encapsulated in its own way. But there are connections to it for sure.” Preston is even more ambiguous about its Drifter relationship when asked specific questions about the timeline saying, “It takes place not too far away from [Dirfter] on either end. It’s not like it’s taking place 1000 years later. It’s within a range of the events of Drifter." Breaker retains the mood of Drifter, and its sound, though Preston says returning composer Disasterpiece was mainly only involved in the beginning, but it does overall look and feel different. Breaker is a 3D action game, and I made my way through a few short runs while Preston watched and politely congratulates me on lasting longer than most. There is a quick dash for general movement and a separate combat dash for closing the gap between enemies. I found little use for it in my short time, but you can also pull out a hoverboard to move quickly over longer stretches and use a glider to prevent fall damage when jumping from high heights. Expectedly, considering developer Heart Machine’s action history, it feels good, and though I died quickly, I can already see the opportunities for skill improvement. In my first run, I used a personal favorite, dual swords and a pistol, and for my second run, I used a single sword and something close to a machine gun. You can mix and match weapons as you progress, which I am thankful for as I would love to take the machine gun with the dual swords. <section class='type:slideshow'><figure><img src='https://www.gameinformer.com/sites/default/files/styles/body_default/public/2024/03/20/c76f4a8d/hlb_screenshot_07.jpg'></figure><figure><img src='https://www.gameinformer.com/sites/default/files/styles/body_default/public/2024/03/20/1e636521/hlb_screenshot_08.jpeg'></figure><figure><img src='https://www.gameinformer.com/sites/default/files/styles/body_default/public/2024/03/20/6dc77534/hlb_screenshot_10.jpeg'></figure><figure><img src='https://www.gameinformer.com/sites/default/files/styles/body_default/public/2024/03/20/83b144e9/hlb_screenshot_01.jpg'></figure><figure><img src='https://www.gameinformer.com/sites/default/files/styles/body_default/public/2024/03/20/268ed1f4/hlb_screenshot_02.jpg'></figure><figure><img src='https://www.gameinformer.com/sites/default/files/styles/body_default/public/2024/03/20/55763358/hlb_screenshot_03.jpeg'></figure><figure><img src='https://www.gameinformer.com/sites/default/files/styles/body_default/public/2024/03/20/c7f2e266/hlb_screenshot_05.jpg'></figure><figure><img src='https://www.gameinformer.com/sites/default/files/styles/body_default/public/2024/03/20/02bf4b46/hlb_screenshot_06.jpg'></figure><figure><img src='https://www.gameinformer.com/sites/default/files/styles/body_default/public/2024/03/20/b84eb289/hlb_screenshotfrombroll_10.jpeg'></figure><figure><img src='https://www.gameinformer.com/sites/default/files/styles/body_default/public/2024/03/20/77614bbc/hlb_screenshotfrombroll_11.jpeg'></figure><figure><img src='https://www.gameinformer.com/sites/default/files/styles/body_default/public/2024/03/20/a45fd4aa/hlb_screenshotfrombroll_01.jpeg'></figure><figure><img src='https://www.gameinformer.com/sites/default/files/styles/body_default/public/2024/03/20/c64fbe88/hlb_screenshotfrombroll_12.jpeg'></figure><figure><img src='https://www.gameinformer.com/sites/default/files/styles/body_default/public/2024/03/20/56e0229c/hlb_screenshotfrombroll_02.jpeg'></figure><figure><img src='https://www.gameinformer.com/sites/default/files/styles/body_default/public/2024/03/20/32f2f63d/hlb_screenshotfrombroll_13.jpeg'></figure><figure><img src='https://www.gameinformer.com/sites/default/files/styles/body_default/public/2024/03/20/6b12fdef/hlb_screenshotfrombroll_03.jpeg'></figure><figure><img src='https://www.gameinformer.com/sites/default/files/styles/body_default/public/2024/03/20/8882f81d/hlb_screenshotfrombroll_14.jpeg'></figure><figure><img src='https://www.gameinformer.com/sites/default/files/styles/body_default/public/2024/03/20/f2c7ccb1/hlb_screenshotfrombroll_04.jpeg'></figure><figure><img src='https://www.gameinformer.com/sites/default/files/styles/body_default/public/2024/03/20/9121400b/hlb_screenshotfrombroll_15.jpeg'></figure><figure><img src='https://www.gameinformer.com/sites/default/files/styles/body_default/public/2024/03/20/7326f65c/hlb_screenshotfrombroll_05.jpeg'></figure><figure><img src='https://www.gameinformer.com/sites/default/files/styles/body_default/public/2024/03/20/7ade9232/hlb_screenshotfrombroll_06.jpeg'></figure><figure><img src='https://www.gameinformer.com/sites/default/files/styles/body_default/public/2024/03/20/c9ecd3cc/hlb_screenshotfrombroll_07.jpeg'></figure><figure><img src='https://www.gameinformer.com/sites/default/files/styles/body_default/public/2024/03/20/4079d80f/hlb_screenshotfrombroll_08.jpeg'></figure><figure><img src='https://www.gameinformer.com/sites/default/files/styles/body_default/public/2024/03/20/981039f4/hlb_screenshotfrombroll_09.jpeg'></figure></section> At the end of my playtime, I took on a boss named Dro. The gigantic wolflike creature with a big glowing yellow sword introduced himself by jumping into the arena with strange, staccato animation. It was as if he was intentionally leaving out frames, and it looked awesome. I didn’t get to see much else of him, though, because he killed me almost immediately. After leaping over a few expanding yellow attack circles on the ground, I got in about two hits before losing all my health. Preston was still polite about my run but did not offer the same compliment about how long I lasted compared to when I was out in the world. “It’s going to be a thing where I have to figure out what to call it,” Preston says with a chuckle when I ask about if the game should be considered a proper roguelike. “It has roguelike elements for sure, but it’s also an open world with extraction elements. You can go on runs and death matters, but it’s on a different scale than a normal roguelike.” <img loading="lazy" src="https://www.gameinformer.com/sites/default/files/styles/body_default/public/2024/03/20/b84eb289/hlb_screenshotfrombroll_10.jpeg" typeof="foaf:Image" alt="" class="image-style-body-default" /> You attempt runs in Breaker, and there are randomized open worlds, but you set your schedule for how you want to approach them. You have a limited time and attempts to go through a world and defeat its three bosses. If you fail you get a new world, but success also leads to a new world. There is also some agency in when you leave a given world with your earned assets, which Preston says almost makes it feel more like an extraction game. It’s a mechanic that will undoubtedly make more sense in practice but is difficult to perceive with just a few runs, not to mention developer tools to automatically transport you to Dro so he can immediately murder you. Hyper Light Breaker is planned for Early Access this summer with the 1.0 release marking its console release. Preston, a Steam Deck fan, considers that platform a priority if for no one else but himself and offers a “never say never” response when asked about Switch. Purchase

Dragon Ball Sparking Zero Gameplay Video Reveals New Mechanics And More Characters

Marcus Stewart — Wed, 20 Mar 2024 09:44:00 CDT

<img loading="lazy" src="https://www.gameinformer.com/sites/default/files/styles/body_default/public/2024/03/20/932ea7ed/dbsparkingzerohit.jpg" width="800" height="450" alt="Dragon Ball Sparking Zero gameplay presentation" typeof="foaf:Image" class="image-style-body-default" /> <a href="https://www.gameinformer.com/the-game-awards-2023/2023/12/07/dragon-ball-sparking-zero-is-the-next-budokai-tenkaichi-game">Dragon Ball Sparking Zero</a> had a big coming out party in the form of a 13-minute gameplay presentation that gave fans a nice look at its moment-to-moment combat. Bandai Namco showed off what's new, what's staying the same, and even revealed more characters joining the roster.  Naturally, Goku and Vegeta square off to show off Sparking Zero’s combat. The 3D fighter retains the familiar behind-the-back style of its predecessors, but graphically speaking, the flashy ki blasts and transformations look better than ever.  <iframe width="560" height="315" frameBorder="0" allow="autoplay" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="360" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/vPpKUl9BvE8" width="640"></iframe> The presentation introduces four new mechanics. First up is Skill Count, a number that rises as you execute moves during the battle and is then spent to trigger special abilities. Revenge Counter lets players retaliate with a big attack in the midst of absorbing damage. Super Perception is a parry-type move that lets players deflect an attack at the last moment (such as Goku smacking away Vegeta’s Galick Gun), but doing this spends Skill Count points. Lastly, Vanishing Assaults are teleport-based attacks designed to close the gap at mid-range to keep the pressure on your opponent. Dragon Ball Sparking Zero looks to have a massive roster of fighters (<a href="https://www.gameinformer.com/news/2024/01/29/new-dragon-ball-sparking-zero-trailer-reveals-24-new-fighters-and-theyre-all-goku">many of them variations of Goku and Vegeta</a>), and the following characters are joining the line-up: <ul> <li>Broly (Super Saiyan Full Power)</li> <li>Burter</li> <li>Dyspo</li> <li>Hit</li> <li>Jeice</li> <li>Kakunsa</li> <li>Kale (Super Saiyan Berserk)</li> <li>Master Roshi (Max Power)</li> <li>Nappa</li> <li>Super Trunks</li> <li>Toppo</li> </ul> <section class='type:slideshow'><figure><img src='https://www.gameinformer.com/sites/default/files/styles/body_default/public/2024/03/20/e0c881bb/dbszdysbo.jpg'></figure><figure><img src='https://www.gameinformer.com/sites/default/files/styles/body_default/public/2024/03/20/96bd4a29/dbszkakunsa.jpg'></figure><figure><img src='https://www.gameinformer.com/sites/default/files/styles/body_default/public/2024/03/20/33edb386/dbsztoppo.jpg'></figure><figure><img src='https://www.gameinformer.com/sites/default/files/styles/body_default/public/2024/03/20/1f06df01/dbszroshi.jpg'></figure><figure><img src='https://www.gameinformer.com/sites/default/files/styles/body_default/public/2024/03/20/11db24d5/dbszhit.jpg'></figure><figure><img src='https://www.gameinformer.com/sites/default/files/styles/body_default/public/2024/03/20/a5ad2ef0/dbsz_ginyu_force.jpg'></figure><figure><img src='https://www.gameinformer.com/sites/default/files/styles/body_default/public/2024/03/20/aad410ae/dbsz_kale.jpg'></figure><figure><img src='https://www.gameinformer.com/sites/default/files/styles/body_default/public/2024/03/20/b0aa5928/dbsz_nappa.jpg'></figure><figure><img src='https://www.gameinformer.com/sites/default/files/styles/body_default/public/2024/03/20/452b872e/dbsz_broly.jpg'></figure></section>   Dragon Ball Sparking Zero still doesn’t have a release window, but it’s coming to PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, and PC.

Fatal Fury: City of the Wolves Hands-On Preview – Revving Up An Old Engine

Marcus Stewart — Mon, 18 Mar 2024 14:00:00 CDT

Publisher: SNK
Developer: SNK

An entire generation of fighting game fans have been born, hit puberty, graduated college, found a career, and possibly started a family in the time between the last Fatal Fury game and the upcoming City of the Wolves. The most recent entry, Garou: Mark of the Wolves, was released in 1999 for arcades (and 2001 for Dreamcast in the West), meaning the series has been dormant for over 25 years. Fatal Fury: City of the Wolves sees the series make its long-awaited return, and it already feels ready to stand alongside the big boys of the genre. I had a chance to play over an hour of City of the Wolves at the SNK World Championship Finals last weekend, where I also spoke with director Hayato Konya . Fatal Fury has been an arcade mainstay since 1991 but hasn’t quite created the mainstream footprint of Street Fighter and Mortal Kombat. With this new entry, Konya says he believes the series’ penchant for more technical fighting, along with modern revisions to fan-favorite systems, will help it stand out in the now crowded space. Additionally, he also hopes these tenants help the game appeal to unfamiliar younger fighting game enthusiasts who may only know Fatal Fury by name. <iframe width="560" height="315" frameBorder="0" allow="autoplay" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="360" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/JJg7MhV2znQ" width="640"></iframe> You eat with your eyes first, and City of the Wolves looks sharp thanks to a stylized art direction, with bold, heavy shadows that give the game a vibrant comic-book-like look reminiscent of Marvel vs Capcom 3. The returning fighters available in my demo were Rock Howard, Terry Bogard, Hotaru Futaba, and Tizoc. I also got to try a new character named Preecha. This bespectacled, bubble-gum-haired young woman is a quirky but brilliant scientist. Interestingly, she’s less interested in proving her fighting superiority and more interested in finding scientific explanations for how her rivals can perform seemingly impossible feats like shooting fire or energy out of their fists. “She's coming at it at a little bit of a strange point,” says Konya. “It's almost like [how] a scientist would try to bring a little bit of reality into this world of special moves and telekinesis and all that stuff. So she wants to know exactly why is this possible, how is it possible, and how I can use this.” Preecha is also a Muay Thai master and star pupil of series comic relief Joe Higashi. She devastates foes with furious, wind-powered kicks, including lobbing small cyclones as projectiles. I enjoyed using her the most out of the available roster, but each character offered a good time, whether I was German suplexing foes as the masked wrestler Tizoc or firing uppercut blasts as Rock. In addition to looking cool, the roster speaks to a broader audience, quite literally, thanks to a new English localization. <img loading="lazy" src="https://www.gameinformer.com/sites/default/files/styles/body_default/public/2024/03/18/8942f56b/fatalfurycotw_preecha1.jpg" typeof="foaf:Image" alt="" class="image-style-body-default" /> The REV system serves as City of the Wolves' big new addition, giving players enhanced attacks to bolster their offense. REV Blows are powerful, near-unblockable supercharged attacks; REV Guard serves as an enhanced block; REV Arts are flashy cinematic combo attacks; and REV Accel is a speedy assault of sorts. Using these moves gradually fills the constantly draining REV meter, which replenishes when you land attacks. However, filling the meter sends the fighter into an overheated state, rendering REV moves unavailable until they “cool off” and the meter empties. Managing this meter creates an interesting pendulum swing that kept me from relying on REV moves too often, lest I lose them entirely and give my opponent a window to unleash their own REV-based assaults. Thankfully, the REV meter also doesn't feel restrictive or like it discourages REV use overall due to how rapidly the meter drains. The T.O.P system from Mark of the Wolves returns in expanded form as the S.P.G. (Selective Potential Gear) bar. At the start of each fight, players choose to place this bar at the front, middle, or end of the health meter. When your HP falls within the S.P.G. section, you gain benefits such as increased attack power, the ability to unleash Rev Blows, and health regen. Thus, the placement of the S.G.P. matters. Are you an aggressive player from the jump? Place the S.G.B bar at the front so you begin the match at your strongest. You could place it at the end to act as a powerful last stand. I enjoy the strategy the S.G.B. bar brings, both for myself and for knowing when to turn up the heat when my opponent’s vitality approaches theirs. These systems complement a fighting system that already feels very fine-tuned. Playing matches against A.I. and other journalists was a challenging blast. I loved unleashing combination attacks while leveraging my REV meter. You can also execute Feints, special fake-out moves to trick your opponent into rushing in or backing off. Braking allows you to cancel out of combos in progress. Using returning mechanics, like Just Defend, in which you block at the last second for a quicker recovery, adds to the game’s enjoyable technical-based combat. <section class='type:slideshow'><figure><img src='https://www.gameinformer.com/sites/default/files/styles/body_default/public/2024/03/18/139e2701/fatalfurycotwhotoru.jpg'></figure><figure><img src='https://www.gameinformer.com/sites/default/files/styles/body_default/public/2024/03/18/dc5904a0/fatalfurycotwterry2.jpg'></figure><figure><img src='https://www.gameinformer.com/sites/default/files/styles/body_default/public/2024/03/18/2d2105dd/fatalfurycotwpreecha2.jpg'></figure><figure><img src='https://www.gameinformer.com/sites/default/files/styles/body_default/public/2024/03/18/f2bfbc47/just_defense.jpg'></figure><figure><img src='https://www.gameinformer.com/sites/default/files/styles/body_default/public/2024/03/18/4ab2736d/combination_attacks.jpg'></figure><figure><img src='https://www.gameinformer.com/sites/default/files/styles/body_default/public/2024/03/18/f3464f84/fatalfurycotwhotoru2.jpg'></figure><figure><img src='https://www.gameinformer.com/sites/default/files/styles/body_default/public/2024/03/18/85f51f21/feints.jpg'></figure><figure><img src='https://www.gameinformer.com/sites/default/files/styles/body_default/public/2024/03/18/29746730/s.p.g.jpg'></figure><figure><img src='https://www.gameinformer.com/sites/default/files/styles/body_default/public/2024/03/18/5181af8c/braking.jpg'></figure></section> In a nod to recent fighting game trends, City of the Wolves features an optional, streamlined control scheme called Smart Style. This option simplifies the execution of dazzling special attacks by mapping them to a single button plus a directional input. For veterans, Arcade Style offers the default, more technical control setup, and it’s nice to see Fatal Fury continue the positive trend of inviting players of all skill levels to its world. I’ve never been the most enthusiastic Fatal Fury fan in the world, but I’m very impressed with how thrilling City of the Wolves is, especially this far from release. SNK has a promising start, and while Konya wasn’t ready to divulge details on other modes and features, the core one-on-one fighting is in a strong place. Fighting game fans have feasted well the last few years, and Fatal Fury: City of the Wolves looks to offer another delicious serving in early 2025. Purchase

No Rest For The Wicked: Moon Studios On Killing Its Ori Perfectionism And Being Okay With Early Access Issues

Wesley LeBlanc — Wed, 13 Mar 2024 13:45:00 CDT

<img loading="lazy" src="https://www.gameinformer.com/sites/default/files/styles/body_default/public/2024/03/04/df735496/cliff-faces.jpg" width="800" height="398" alt="No Rest for the Wicked Ori Perfectionism Game Informer Exclusive Coverage Hub Moon Studios" typeof="foaf:Image" class="image-style-body-default" /> No Rest for the Wicked <a href="https://www.gameinformer.com/2024/03/01/moon-studios-no-rest-for-the-wicked-hits-early-access-in-april">hits Early Access on PC on April 18</a>, but ahead of that release, the upcoming action RPG from <a href="https://www.gameinformer.com/games/ori_and_the_blind_forest/b/xboxone/archive/2015/03/09/beauty-in-death.aspx">Ori and the Blind Forest</a>/<a href="https://www.gameinformer.com/review/ori-and-the-will-of-the-wisps/ori-and-the-will-of-the-wisps-review-even-better-than-the#:~:text=This%20is%20not%20a%20game,which%20are%20often%20ridiculously%20hard.">Will of the Wisps</a> developer Moon Studios is gracing <a href="https://www.gameinformer.com/cover-reveal/2024/03/01/cover-reveal-no-rest-for-the-wicked">the latest cover of Game Informer</a>. After checking the game out for a few hours alongside some of the leads at Moon Studios in Vienna, Austria, last month, cover story writer and Game Informer editor Marcus Stewart and I have a pretty good idea about what to expect from No Rest for the Wicked's early access release – you can read my preview thoughts <a href="https://www.gameinformer.com/preview/2024/03/01/fantastically-familiar-in-a-faraway-land">here</a> and his cover story <a href="https://www.gameinformer.com/digital-issue/2024/03/05/the-no-rest-for-the-wicked-digital-issue-is-now-live">here</a>. We're both excited for the release, too. It's a fun game so far, and it's a unique approach for Moon Studios. No Rest for the Wicked tech and production director and Moon Studios co-founder Gennadiy Korol and studio CEO and creative director Thomas Mahler are self-admitted perfectionists when it comes to game development, and I was curious how that works with an Early Access release where bugs, issues, and more are typically present. <iframe width="560" height="315" frameBorder="0" allow="autoplay" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="360" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/_6cRdhg9ILk" width="640"></iframe> It turns out, it required a shift in the entire team's mindset. "It's really strange, right?" Mahler tells me. "It's almost like being naked in the buff. As artists, you're always kind of like scared to death, seeing shots and seeing stuff on screen, it's like, 'Oh my god, I see all these issues.' But I think with games of this complexity, there's just no other way [than an Early Access release]. Either you make smaller things and you don't dare to take those risks, and then you can perfect it, or you can make a game of this scale and you're okay with, 'Okay, not everything is going to be immediately perfect.' But I think that's okay because, over time, it will be." Mahler says as long as the game is fun, people will be more willing to forgive potential issues. No Rest for the Wicked launching into Early Access first helps, too, where players (ideally) understand the game is a work-in-progress. He also believes a shift is happening in games where people do still want beautiful games with "crazy graphics and so on," but more than that, they just want something that, first and foremost, is fun. "I think we can do both," he adds. "I think it's interesting, though, that the biggest games out there are often not the ones that are technically the most crazy ones. You see Fortnite and Minecraft and so on, which aren't pushing crazy boundaries in terms of tech necessarily – they're just really fun to play." <img loading="lazy" src="https://www.gameinformer.com/sites/default/files/styles/body_default/public/2024/03/04/677fc1ea/nrftw_screenshot_forest.jpg" typeof="foaf:Image" alt="" class="image-style-body-default" /> Korol tells me it's still a struggle at Moon Studios today to lay aside the perfectionist mindset applied to the Ori games to prepare for the work-in-progress release of No Rest for the Wicked. "I think we're still such perfectionists and we want everything to be super dialed in, and it's super fun for us to do," he says. "But we also just have to accept that, yeah, you know what, it's going to be on the market [as a work-in-progress], and we will learn a lot from it. On one hand, it's terrifying; on the other hand, it's really a relief because, as [Mahler] was saying, if something [...] isn't perfect, you can react quickly and adjust it. "So I think we're both excited and kind of terrified because we're very much being vulnerable as artists, and we have to show basically almost unfinished art. That being said, I think there's still a lot of polish that you cannot take out of us – we're always going to be polishing and perfecting things." <img loading="lazy" src="https://www.gameinformer.com/sites/default/files/styles/body_default/public/2024/03/04/b2ea8d79/boss_painting_executioner_mikhail.jpg" typeof="foaf:Image" alt="" class="image-style-body-default" /> Korol notes the team feels No Rest for the Wicked will still be a polished title when it launches into Early Access next month, and after playing it for a few hours, I agree – it feels less like an active work-in-progress game and more like a mostly finished game the team wants feedback on before releasing more content. Of course, that's not the case as there's still plenty the team plans to add. Check out <a href="https://www.gameinformer.com/preview/2024/03/05/early-access-roadmap-and-cerims-crucible-endgame-content">the Early Access roadmap for No Rest for the Wicked here</a>. "It might have a few things that are just not quite there yet, as the game development process would have you, but I think every day we're still in this tension of, 'Ahhh, just ship it and we'll see what happens,' and, 'Let's perfect it,' and [...] that needle is going from side to side and we're trying to stay in the middle and find a good balance." No Rest for the Wicked hits Early Access on PC next month on <a href="https://www.gameinformer.com/2024/03/01/moon-studios-no-rest-for-the-wicked-hits-early-access-in-april">April 18</a>. While waiting for its launch, check out this feature breaking down the <a href="https://www.gameinformer.com/preview/2024/03/05/early-access-roadmap-and-cerims-crucible-endgame-content">Early Access roadmap and endgame content of No Rest for the Wicked</a>, and then check out more than 25 minutes of the game in our <a href="https://www.gameinformer.com/ngt/2024/03/01/no-rest-for-the-wicked-new-gameplay-today">No Rest for the Wicked New Gameplay Today</a>. You can learn even more about No Rest for the Wicked by checking out our features and videos rolling out over the coming weeks in our exclusive coverage hub below.

TopSpin 2K25 Preview - Stepping Back Onto The Court

Brian Shea — Tue, 12 Mar 2024 07:00:00 CDT

Platform: PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, PC
Publisher: 2K Games
Developer: Hangar 13
Release: <time datetime="2024-04-26T12:00:00Z" class="datetime">April 26, 2024</time>
Rating: Everyone

In the early 2000s, tennis video games were everywhere. Whether you were talking mass-appeal titles like Virtua Tennis and Mario Tennis or more niche, lower-budget games like Smash Court Tennis Pro Tournament and Hard Hitter Tennis, the market was absolutely flooded with choices. One of the most beloved of this era was 2003's Top Spin, which started as an Xbox exclusive before making the leap to PS2 and PC in subsequent years. Since that inaugural game, Top Spin has seen three more numbered entries, all receiving high review scores. Unfortunately, like each of the aforementioned tennis series from the early 2000s – save for Mario Tennis – the Top Spin franchise has been dormant for over a decade. Thankfully, the series is finally poised to step up to the baseline once again with TopSpin 2K25. During a recent trip to Indian Wells, California, I had the chance to learn more about this first title in the franchise in more than 13 years. <img loading="lazy" src="https://www.gameinformer.com/sites/default/files/styles/body_default/public/2024/03/11/74983299/topspin_2k25_carlos_alcaraz.jpg" alt="TopSpin 2K25" title="TopSpin 2K25" typeof="foaf:Image" class="image-style-body-default" /> As with all sports, tennis has evolved since the last Top Spin game, and developer Hangar 13 is focusing on the idea of "bridging the gap" between the legends of yesteryear and the young guns of tomorrow. As such, the standard edition box art features two of the greatest ever to do it, Serena Williams and Roger Federer, while the deluxe edition includes some of the younger stars like Frances Tiafoe, Iga Świątek, and Carlos Alcaraz. But that philosophy also carries forward into the development team's approach to the gameplay. "Mostly, it's become more physical," game director Remi Ercolani says. "Rallies are really intense and longer. Players hit really, really hard. So that's something we tried to transcribe with the updates we did to the gameplay. We started with the same core gameplay and core animations as Top Spin 4, then we added new animations, and we rebalanced a little bit, like the flow of the rallies; hitting hard shots can be more powerful than they were in Top Spin 4. But there's also a chance of errors if you mistime it." To help balance the newly tuned shot types, this fifth entry introduces a timing meter on every shot. To this point, the series has provided feedback on whether you timed it too early or late, but now, you know exactly what happened. In my hands-on session, it took me a few matches to get the hang of the timing meter – I was incredibly distracted by it at first – but once I got used to it, it felt like second nature and went a long way to making sure I was fully informed on when I should make contact with an incoming ball. TopSpin 2K25 also adjusts to have fewer unforced errors occur and makes it easier to hit winners during rallies. <img loading="lazy" src="https://www.gameinformer.com/sites/default/files/styles/body_default/public/2024/03/11/96c9f9f1/topspin_2k25_roger_federer.jpg" alt="TopSpin 2K25" title="TopSpin 2K25" typeof="foaf:Image" class="image-style-body-default" /> For those unfamiliar with the game of tennis or just want to familiarize themselves with the series following a 13-year break, TopSpin 2K25 includes TopSpin Academy, which features voiceover by the legendary player John McEnroe. Here, you learn the basics of tennis, can take more advanced lessons, and even learn how to play in different play styles, meaning you can develop your skills as a baseline offense player or a serve-and-volley savant. Perhaps most impressive is how McEnroe's instruction reacts to your play in real time; on one occasion, I was taking too many shots from "no man's land" (the space between the baseline and the service box). Even though that's not what the lesson I was playing was focused on, he still corrected me. TopSpin 2K25 features more than 24 tennis players to choose from, each with their own signature animations and play styles. Across several matches during my hands-on session, I could truly feel the difference between the various players. "For the look of the players, a lot of them, we scanned them, so we have the 3D data for their face, and we model them based on that data," Ercolani says. "For the attributes, we watch a lot of tennis, so we try to understand, based on how the game works, the impact of each attribute. We know how Federer plays that his forehand is better than his backhand, so we tried to get the values where we think it makes sense and best represents their real playing styles." Baseline players like Andre Agassi and Serena Williams kept me running back and forth during long rallies, while the serve-and-volley play style of John McEnroe gave me fits until I solved the puzzle of how to counter him. This is particularly true when I played as Frances Tiafoe against John McEnroe in a tense three-set match on hard difficulty, though that ultimately ended up being the most fun I had in my hours playing, especially since I was able to take home the win. In this early stage, I can't even imagine how tricky the newly added Legend difficulty will be, but I plan on making that setting my home once I have more time with the game. I also loved playing in a mixed doubles match, which reactivated the positioning part of my brain that has remained dormant since my days playing tennis in high school and college. <img loading="lazy" src="https://www.gameinformer.com/sites/default/files/styles/body_default/public/2024/03/11/94517850/topspin_2k25_frances_tiafoe.jpg" alt="TopSpin 2K25" title="TopSpin 2K25" typeof="foaf:Image" class="image-style-body-default" /> Outside of TopSpin Academy and Exhibition, players can build a player from the ground up in MyPlayer. While this mode was not available in the demo build, the developers gave me an idea of what to expect from the create-a-player. Players can experiment with in-depth customization options, including hair, individual facial features, body type, accessories, animations, and even grunt types. The developers also shared that Season Passes will play a part in this, but I'm hopeful that if those Season Passes do, in fact, involve microtransactions, the monetization in career mode will stop there. However, with 2K's aggressive use of them in the NBA 2K series' MyPlayer, as well as the mention of VC, the primary driver of NBA 2K's microtransactions, as a "MyPlayer Boost" bonus for the deluxe edition of TopSpin 2K25, I worry that this hope is misplaced. Regardless of those monetization anxieties, I had a blast with my time playing TopSpin 2K25. The game looks good in motion and feels even better during those long rallies. Those eager to play a new tennis game don't have long to wait. TopSpin 2K25 arrives on PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and PC on April 26. <iframe width="560" height="315" frameBorder="0" allow="autoplay" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="360" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/qyYeJEv-uog" width="640"></iframe> Purchase

MultiVersus Is Back In Action This May

Marcus Stewart — Mon, 11 Mar 2024 10:01:00 CDT

<img loading="lazy" src="https://www.gameinformer.com/sites/default/files/styles/body_default/public/2024/03/11/8d9fffd2/multiversus_key_art_2024_1.jpg" width="800" height="450" alt="MultiVersus 2024 release date" typeof="foaf:Image" class="image-style-body-default" /> MultiVersus, the Warner Bros. free-to-play crossover platform fighter, makes its big comeback on May 28. The game has been rebuilt and returns almost a year after its <a href="https://www.gameinformer.com/2023/03/27/multiversus-is-being-taken-offline-to-relaunch-in-2024">open beta was taken offline</a>. Player First Games game director Tony Huynh explains in a developer diary that MultiVersus has been remade from the ground up in Unreal Engine 5, meaning it sports improved visuals and lighting. It also has a totally revamped netcode to provide what Huynh promises will be consistent online performance regardless of platform. Every existing fighter sports new attacks and combat mechanics, and Huynh promises that new fighters are on the way. Additionally, new stages were teased with concept art depicting arenas based on The Powerpuff Girls’ Townsville and Dexter’s Laboratory. Lastly, Huynh reveals a brand-new PvE mode is coming to the game. He doesn’t go into detail, only teasing it will offer “additional ways of playing with unique rewards.”  <iframe width="560" height="315" frameBorder="0" allow="autoplay" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="360" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/W1Yx-Cz0l9U" width="640"></iframe> MultiVersus was first launched in open beta last May and pits characters across Warner Bros. stable of IPs, such as DC, Looney Tunes, and even Game of Thrones, in a tag-team-focused twist of Super Smash Bros. inspired combat. The game was initially quite popular and generally well-liked. Writer Bryan Vore gave the game’s beta incarnation an <a href="https://www.gameinformer.com/2023/03/27/multiversus-is-being-taken-offline-to-relaunch-in-2024">8 out of 10 in our review</a>, writing that “Living games have the potential to go in frustrating directions, but MultiVersus has a strong foundation. If it can meaningfully roll out content and smooth out its rough edges, this could become a new crossover obsession for years to come.”  Unfortunately, months of infrequent updates and lack of communication following the game’s second season saw engagement decline. Player First Games pulled MultiVersus from stores to address these criticisms. When the game returns, it will be available on PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and PC. Are you looking forward to jumping back into the new and improved MultiVersus? Let us know in the comments!

Final Fantasy XVI PC Version In 'Final Stages Of Optimization,' Expect A Demo Before Release

Wesley LeBlanc — Mon, 11 Mar 2024 09:00:00 CDT

<img loading="lazy" src="https://www.gameinformer.com/sites/default/files/styles/body_default/public/2022/06/06/d716aa30/ff16.jpg" width="800" height="450" alt="Final Fantasy XVI PC Release Date Demo Specs Requirements" typeof="foaf:Image" class="image-style-body-default" /> Final Fantasy XVI exclusively hit PlayStation 5 last June. However, Square Enix had already revealed a PC version of the action game was in development. When I spoke to producer Naoki Yoshida about it in Square Enix's Tokyo, Japan, offices for <a href="https://www.gameinformer.com/FFXVI">Game Informer's FFXVI cover story</a> last year, he said <a href="https://www.gameinformer.com/exclusive-feature/2023/05/23/dont-expect-the-pc-version-of-final-fantasy-16-anytime-soon">players shouldn't expect the PC version anytime soon</a>.  With FFXVI's first DLC, Echoes of the Fallen, <a href="https://www.gameinformer.com/the-game-awards-2023/2023/12/07/final-fantasy-xvi-is-getting-two-dlcs-and-one-of-them-is-available">already out, and its second DLC, The Rising Tide, due out this spring</a>, I spoke to Yoshida once more about the PC version. I also talked to him and DLC director Takeo Kujiraoka about The Rising Tide and what players can expect, and you can read <a href="https://www.gameinformer.com/preview/2024/03/06/dlc-dose-of-leviathan">Game Informer's exclusive preview here</a>.  <iframe width="560" height="315" frameBorder="0" allow="autoplay" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="360" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/-qk4TDTo0-E" width="640"></iframe> While Yoshida is unable to share when the PC version of FFXVI will be released, he says the team is in the last stages of optimization.  "In terms of where we are in development currently, we're trying to figure out the final stages of optimization right now," Yoshida tells me through a translator. "When we can release the PC version might be dependent on that – the system requirements and specifications for PC that players will need, so we're trying to figure that out. Naturally, [the PC specifications] are looking to be somewhat high." He says players can rest assured, though, that development on the PC version of FFXVI is going smoothly, but, "In terms of when it's going to come out or when we can announce it, I'd like to ask for more time on that."  <iframe width="560" height="315" frameBorder="0" allow="autoplay" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="360" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/_zUKx44AQXA" width="640"></iframe> Yoshida tells me before FFXVI releases on PC, the team will do its best to announce the best specifications and requirements ahead of time so players can determine if the game will run on their PCs.  "And to do that, we're looking to release a demo for the PC version as well," he adds. "Again, we can't really talk about too much in terms of details of when it's going to come out – I think in a little bit more time we'll be in a better place to announce things. But one thing's for sure: It won't be too distant in the future; it won't be a year, it won't be two years, it will probably be shorter than that, so stay tuned."  For plenty more about the game, head to <a href="https://www.gameinformer.com/FFXVI">Game Informer's Final Fantasy XVI coverage hub</a> for exclusive behind-the-scenes features, video interviews, and more. Read <a href="https://www.gameinformer.com/review/final-fantasy-xvi/victory-in-the-land-of-gods-and-monsters">Game Informer's Final Fantasy XVI review</a> after that.   Are you going to play Final Fantasy XVI on PC? Let us know in the comments below!

Final Fantasy XVI: The Possibility Of More DLC 'Is Not Zero,' But You Really Shouldn't Expect More

Wesley LeBlanc — Fri, 08 Mar 2024 12:29:00 CST

<img loading="lazy" src="https://www.gameinformer.com/sites/default/files/styles/body_default/public/2024/03/06/7f2bd575/final_fantasy_xvi_rising_tide_dlc_2.jpg" width="800" height="438" alt="Final Fantasy XVI The Rising Tide DLC Sequel Content" typeof="foaf:Image" class="image-style-body-default" /> While speaking to Final Fantasy XVI producer Naoki Yoshida in Square Enix's Tokyo, Japan, offices last year for <a href="https://www.gameinformer.com/FFXVI">Game Informer's cover story</a> on the game, he told me <a href="05/23/final-fantasy-16-there-are-currently-no-plans-for-dlc">there was currently no plans for DLC</a>. However, a few months after the game's June release during The Game Awards 2023, <a href="https://www.gameinformer.com/the-game-awards-2023/2023/12/07/final-fantasy-xvi-is-getting-two-dlcs-and-one-of-them-is-available">Square Enix revealed FFXVI would be getting two DLCs</a>. The first – Echoes of the Fallen – was a combat-centric DLC released that same night. The second – The Rising Tide – is a more expansive, story-focused DLC about the Leviathan Eikon curiously missing from the main game. While we still don't know when to expect The Rising Tide other than this spring, I spoke to Yoshida and DLC director Takeo Kujiraoka about what players can expect and more, and you can read about that in my preview <a href="https://www.gameinformer.com/preview/2024/03/06/dlc-dose-of-leviathan">here</a>. <iframe width="560" height="315" frameBorder="0" allow="autoplay" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="360" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/ZGhlKV9aB0E" width="640"></iframe> I also asked the duo if the team, known as Creative Business Unit III within Square Enix, is interested in more DLC for FFXVI. After all, the reason Echoes of the Fallen and The Rising Tide exist is because "[after] seeing that positive reception, the positive comments from fans, towards the world of Final Fantasy XVI, towards Valisthea, we felt that this may be a good opportunity" to revisit the game, Yoshida tells me. While Yoshida won't say never, leaving the door just ever-so-slightly open, players probably shouldn't expect more DLC for FFXVI. <img loading="lazy" src="https://www.gameinformer.com/sites/default/files/styles/body_default/public/2024/03/06/885e58cf/final_fantasy_xvi_rising_ride_dlc_3.jpg" alt="Final Fantasy XVI The Rising Tide DLC Sequel Content" typeof="foaf:Image" class="image-style-body-default" /> Ifrit versus Leviathan "That's a difficult question," Yoshida tells me through a translator when I ask about more DLC. "My honest answer is, 'I don't know at the moment,' but at the same time, the possibility isn't entirely zero. I don't want to bar out any real possibilities at this time. The reason being is that we did spend a lot of effort [...] and time creating this game [...] and we put a lot of cutting edge technology into this game. "And because of that, we were able to gain a lot of experience, a lot of learnings, that we can possibly apply to our next project or title. So my honest feeling is that the team does want to take on a new challenge and move on to a different project – maybe it's a completely new game, perhaps in a completely new form of entertainment. I feel like ultimately, that might be the best route for not just the players, but for us as well, too. But again, to reiterate, the possibility of more DLC content for Final Fantasy XVI is not zero." <iframe width="560" height="315" frameBorder="0" allow="autoplay" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="360" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/-qk4TDTo0-E" width="640"></iframe> And there you have it. As a big fan of Final Fantasy XVI – <a href="https://www.gameinformer.com/review/final-fantasy-xvi/victory-in-the-land-of-gods-and-monsters">you can read my Game Informer review of it here</a> – I'd love another reason to revisit this world. I'd take more DLC, a sequel, or even a movie tie-in a la <a href="https://www.gameinformer.com/2024/01/23/final-fantasy-7-advent-children-complete-comes-to-us-theaters-for-two-days-next-month">Final Fantasy VII: Advent Children</a>, to be honest. But my takeaway from this interview is the team is ready to move on, and I can also respect that. For plenty more about the game, head to <a href="https://www.gameinformer.com/FFXVI">Game Informer's Final Fantasy XVI coverage hub</a> for exclusive behind-the-scenes features, video interviews, and more. Do you want more Final Fantasy XVI DLC? Let us know in the comments below!

Final Fantasy XVI: The Rising Tide Preview – A DLC Dose Of Leviathan

Wesley LeBlanc — Fri, 08 Mar 2024 09:34:00 CST

Platform: PlayStation 5
Publisher: Square Enix
Developer: Square Enix
Release: <time datetime="2024-04-18T12:00:00Z" class="datetime">April 18, 2024</time>

Final Fantasy XVI, the latest wholly new single-player installment in one of gaming’s most storied franchises, is nearing its first anniversary this June. After the surprise release of its Echoes of the Fallen DLC, which focused Clive and Co.’s efforts on combat in a single dungeon, Square Enix is readying its final announced batch of FFXVI content with The Rising Tide DLC. Announced at The Game Awards back in December alongside the reveal and shadow drop of Echoes of the Fallen, The Rising Tide features Leviathan, the water Eikon mysteriously absent from the main game’s events. While that reveal trailer promises some watery Eikonic action in the DLC, which takes place before the finale of FFXVI, little else is known about it. But Game Informer spoke to FFXVI producer Naoki Yoshida and DLC director Takeo Kujiraoka to learn more. The first thing I asked the duo about the DLC is why Leviathan was left out of the game. It turns out Square Enix was playing smart and leaving something on the table for the team to examine with potential DLC. “In terms of making the decision of creating and selling a DLC, we had to wait until the game was actually released,” Yoshida tells me through a translator, explaining Square Enix wanted to see if demand for more FFXVI was there. “That being said, we actually did think of a possible route, a possible story, that we could do if we were to do one.” <img loading="lazy" src="https://www.gameinformer.com/sites/default/files/styles/body_default/public/2024/03/06/20feaccc/ffxvitherisingtide03.jpg" typeof="foaf:Image" alt="" class="image-style-body-default" /> That’s why, in the base game, the route to the tower where Echoes of the Fallen takes place was present from the jump. Fans have speculated that a mysterious head-shaped crystal stuck into the side of a continent in FFXVI might be Leviathan or at least related to the god – that remains unclear, but if so, it shows another example of Square Enix creating doors for it to open with DLC such as The Rising Tide. With it taking place before the game’s finale, I was curious if Clive obtaining Leviathan powers would affect the ending. Yoshida says it won’t and that the ending will remain as is. However, “You will get a deeper understanding of how the world of Valisthea is and how the characters are in Final Fantasy XVI,” he adds, stopping short to prevent himself from spoiling too much. Anyone who’s played FFXVI knows the Eikon fights are the highlight of the experience, which means Clive’s forthcoming bout with Leviathan carries some lofty expectations. Kujiraoka, who led design on the Eikon battles in the base game, says he understands that but approached Leviathan like any other: “[ensuring] that we were moving these Eikons in the way that players envision and imagine.” <img loading="lazy" src="https://www.gameinformer.com/sites/default/files/styles/body_default/public/2024/03/06/773ee3c7/ffxvitherisingtide02.jpg" typeof="foaf:Image" alt="" class="image-style-body-default" /> “In terms of what players can expect for this battle, when you look back at past Final Fantasy titles, there actually aren’t many cases where you see Leviathan moving around crazy and in a real-time action battle system,” Kujiraoka says. With the Phoenix Eikon fight reminiscent of third-person on-rail shooters and the Ifrit fight inspired by professional wrestling, I wondered how Kujiraoka would describe Leviathan’s inspiration. He plays coy, explaining there isn’t one word or genre to describe it. “One thing I can say is that there’s going to be a lot of water involved – visually, graphically, there’s going to be a lot of attacks made from Levithan and that comes with a lot of water. It’s going to look really different from past Eikon battles, and that’s one thing that players can look forward to.” Unlike Echoes of the Fallen, which runs about three hours, this Leviathan DLC features around 10 hours of content, and I can’t wait. The Rising Tide DLC for FFXVI has no release date but is due out this spring. This article originally appeared in <a href="https://www.gameinformer.com/magazine">Issue 364</a> of Game Informer. Purchase

Son And Bone Preview – Dinosaur, Meet Shotgun

Wesley LeBlanc — Fri, 08 Mar 2024 08:00:00 CST

Platform: PlayStation 5
Publisher: TeamKill Media
Developer: TeamKill Media
Rating: Mature

Sometimes, a great idea can come from a simple premise. That’s how Son and Bone, the next game from TeamKill Media, the studio behind last year’s Quantum Error, came to be: a first-person shooter where you kill dinosaurs. Inspired by the dormant Turok series, TeamKill’s lead developer Micah Jones remarks about a joke the studio’s fans have made since the reveal of its dinosaur shooter at the top of the year. “They say, ‘If other game companies won’t do it, these developers will,’” Jones says, explaining that everyone on the team is a big fan of the Turok series. After watching roughly 10 minutes of new Son and Bone gameplay, the Turok inspiration is clear, but so are its fast-paced arcade roots. “We like tactical, realistic stuff, but in this scenario, we were definitely seeking to be what you’d call a boomer shooter today, something more arcade-y and focused on chaotic gameplay.” That’s why I saw the kind of stuff the Doom series popularized: floating neon ammo and weapon pickups, gory execution kills activated by clicking R3 when an enemy flashes orange, the kind of movement that feels as if your field-of-view is cranked high, and plenty of blood. In a game where the premise is about killing dinosaurs, the boomer shooter gameplay feels like a perfect fit. <img loading="lazy" src="https://www.gameinformer.com/sites/default/files/styles/body_default/public/2024/03/06/073f4c7c/sonandbone2.jpg" typeof="foaf:Image" alt="" class="image-style-body-default" /> At the start of the game, Sheriff Samson is protecting a small town, but some bad things happen: bandits kill some people and take others hostage, and he goes after them. What transpires afterward involves aliens, their survival gauntlet featuring dinosaurs, other humans, and more created to see which DNA to use to create the perfect life form, and different worlds and timelines. Samson is modified with dinosaur DNA, which is why he has super strength and other inhuman abilities, and cares less about surviving this alien gauntlet and more about returning to Earth safely with the kidnapped people. Jones says players can expect to fight mostly dinosaurs, but there are also human enemies, human-hybrid-dinosaur foes, and more. In my preview, I saw hostile alligators, snakes, raptors, and a passive brachiosaurus (that will turn hostile if you attack it). Players can expect t-rex enemies and other dinosaur classics like the spitting dilophosaurus that paints the screen with black effects and the spiky ankylosaurus. Players will have to handle Turok-style platforming over wooden docks, rocks jutting out of the ground, traps, and more. A laser lasso that acts as a grappling hook aims to make movement even more dynamic in combat and when platforming. <img loading="lazy" src="https://www.gameinformer.com/sites/default/files/styles/body_default/public/2024/03/06/9f0f8247/sonandbone3.jpg" typeof="foaf:Image" alt="" class="image-style-body-default" /> Son and Bone, like TeamKill’s other games, is visually impressive, and Jones says the team aims to look triple-A in that regard. But he also notes that as a team of four based in Montana – TeamKill was started in 2016 by four Jones brothers and remains that today – sometimes that can backfire. At an indie scale, mechanically, it’s hard to compete with multimillion-dollar first-person shooters like Call of Duty and Doom. “We like the challenge, but it is hard, and we can’t do everything a big company can do,” Jones says, explaining how TeamKill’s visual style also ends up getting its games lumped into comparisons with triple-A releases. “We’re definitely going to try to meet that level every time, even if we’re small. Since [Son and Bone] is a smaller, more focused game, it should be easier to deliver a very polished triple-A quality of feel and gameplay since it won’t have all these massively complicated mechanics. “It’s all a learning experience, and I like to look towards triple-A as a goal. If we fall short, we’re small and we learn from that.” The dinosaur shooting will hopefully continue sooner rather than later as TeamKill is targeting a summer or fall release window for Son and Bone. This article originally appeared in <a href="https://www.gameinformer.com/magazine">Issue 364</a> of Game Informer. Purchase

Unknown 9: Awakening Preview - Unknown No Longer

Brian Shea — Thu, 07 Mar 2024 08:00:00 CST

Platform: PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, PC
Publisher: Bandai Namco
Developer: Reflector
Release: 2024

<a data-entity-substitution="canonical" data-entity-type="node" data-entity-uuid="5db9a8c3-dba4-40cf-9f9d-733cce8c365d" href="https://www.gameinformer.com/gamescom-2020/2020/08/27/unknown-9-awakening-revealed">Announced at Gamescom 2020</a>, Unknown 9: Awakening hasn't had much in the way of news since its reveal. That promising trailer gave us a basic idea of what the game, which is a small part of a multimedia franchise, is going for, but beyond the basic premise laid out by the series, we haven't learned anything new about the game in quite some time. However, I recently had the chance to meet with publisher Bandai Namco and developer Reflector Entertainment to learn more about the game and see the first gameplay footage. As a multimedia franchise, the story of Unknown 9 follows the story of the Quaestors – powerful people who are keyed into the way the universe works – which folds out across various platforms. This preview specifically talks about the game, but the story unfolds across media like comics, a novel trilogy, a podcast, a web series, blog posts, and the game. However, Reflector designed the story of Unknown 9: Awakening to be a self-contained story that anyone can enjoy. Still, if they feel compelled to dig deeper, they can do so through other media. <img loading="lazy" src="https://www.gameinformer.com/sites/default/files/styles/body_default/public/2024/03/01/241b0d43/unknown9_awakening_screenshot_8.jpg" alt="Unknown 9: Awakening" title="Unknown 9: Awakening" typeof="foaf:Image" class="image-style-body-default" /> The Unknown 9 universe centers around empires' cyclical rise and fall across human history. As the next empire's end approached, nine individuals with a strong connection to a mysterious hidden dimension known as The Fold were shielded from death. Those joined the quest of trying to break the cycle of destruction. Out of this premise, two separate groups formed with a shared goal: trying to learn the power of the 9. However, they want different things with the knowledge and power they seek. The Leap Year Society hopes to gain the knowledge of the 9 to tell it to humanity for their betterment. On the other side, the Ascendants want the knowledge and power of the 9 to break the cycle, then use the power for selfish means. As you might imagine, in Unknown 9: Awakening, the Leap Year Society is often painted as the good guys, while the Ascendants are the more antagonistic group. Unknown 9: Awakening follows Haroona, a woman raised in the streets of Calcutta, India. Played by Anya Chalotra (Yennefer in Netflix's The Witcher), Haroona's powers awakened during her childhood. Now, as an adult, she's learning how to train her powers while on a mission for revenge against Vincent, a member of the Ascendants who killed her father. <img loading="lazy" src="https://www.gameinformer.com/sites/default/files/styles/body_default/public/2024/03/01/2124917d/unknown9_awakening_screenshot_2.jpg" alt="Unknown 9: Awakening" title="Unknown 9: Awakening" typeof="foaf:Image" class="image-style-body-default" /> The gameplay of Unknown 9 operates on three main pillars: Stepping, Combat, and Active Stealth. Stepping uses Haroona's unique powers, allowing her to jump into the body of an NPC and control them. You start with one Step Token but can upgrade to four by the end of the game. When you take control, time pauses, and you map out their moves. For example, you can Step into one enemy and force them to drive their melee weapon into an explosive object in the environment to take out the three guards, then Step into another enemy and have them open fire on a couple of other nearby guards. Moves like these level the playing field for Haroona as she faces insurmountable odds on her quest. Outside of Stepping, Haroona also has various other powers, including the ability to pull, push, and crush objects in the world. Using this, she can detonate objects or alarms to distract guards. She can also heal, an Umbric Rock to distract enemies, don a cloak to turn invisible, and use her senses to see the locations of enemies and objectives. All of those allow Haroona to take out enemies craftily, but when things hit the fan, more straightforward methods come in handy; Haroona can also perform light and heavy melee attacks and use an Umbric Attack to stun enemies, and can block and dodge on the defensive side. <img loading="lazy" src="https://www.gameinformer.com/sites/default/files/styles/body_default/public/2024/03/01/5fb8de0c/unknown9_awakening_screenshot_4.jpg" alt="Unknown 9: Awakening" title="Unknown 9: Awakening" typeof="foaf:Image" class="image-style-body-default" /> My demo takes place in Suknasari Forest, a location players will encounter in the first three hours of Unknown 9: Awakening. The minimal U.I. elements assist with immersion, showing just one single element in the lower left corner to tell you your health, Tokens, and powers. As you explore the environments, you find skill points within anomalies. Unknown 9: Awakening doesn't use a traditional XP system, instead relying on these anomalies – some of which are on the main path, some of which require some exploration – to allow Haroona to unlock upgrades. Across several sequences, I watch the developer giving the demo Step into the bodies of guards between Haroona and her objective. In some instances, Haroona forces the guard to kill other guards. Other times, the guard is compelled to run head-first into an explosive. Stepping definitely feels like a fun additional fold into traditional stealth gameplay. <img loading="lazy" src="https://www.gameinformer.com/sites/default/files/styles/body_default/public/2024/03/01/52684c7c/unknown9_awakening_jungle_5.jpg" alt="Unknown 9: Awakening" title="Unknown 9: Awakening" typeof="foaf:Image" class="image-style-body-default" /> Playing through the sequences stealthily, Haroona sneaks through the tall grass in typical stealth-game fashion, but her stealth takedowns are devastating in a way Assassin's Creed could never pull off; Haroona looks to be removing their souls from their bodies. Or maybe she's simply removing their consciousness and then putting it back using her added senses. Either way, it doesn't look like something I want done to me. After a couple of sequences of smaller minion-type enemies, I watch the demoer take on a tougher enemy. This brute blocks a lot, so standard melee attacks won't work as well. Instead, you must use Haroona's powers to Step into other enemies to attack environmental objects like incendiary lamps and explosive barrels. After dealing a good deal of damage to the heavy, Haroona finishes him off by pushing him into an explosive barrel, putting him down for good. <img loading="lazy" src="https://www.gameinformer.com/sites/default/files/styles/body_default/public/2024/03/01/cb2c3ef7/unknown9_awakening_jungle_2.jpg" alt="Unknown 9: Awakening" title="Unknown 9: Awakening" typeof="foaf:Image" class="image-style-body-default" /> The demo ends with a segment where Haroona must steal an airship from Vincent. However, before infiltrating the hangar, she must remove the anchors that are keeping it grounded. After watching the demoer battle through the first wave of enemies, he loosens the first anchor, which unleashes another wave of baddies. Some of these guards are the standard melee guards, while others have high-powered rifles, and others still are the heavy-style enemies from the previous encounter. Each loosened anchor unleashes a new wave of enemies, and I delight in watching the developer playing the game show off how creative you can get with these encounters. After dropping a lamp on the last enemy's head and setting him ablaze, Haroona removes the final anchor. With that, the path to the airship is opened up, and my hands-off demo comes to a close. <img loading="lazy" src="https://www.gameinformer.com/sites/default/files/styles/body_default/public/2024/03/01/5a58dd5d/unknown9_awakening_jungle_4.jpg" alt="Unknown 9: Awakening" title="Unknown 9: Awakening" typeof="foaf:Image" class="image-style-body-default" /> While there's still so much we don't know about Unknown 9: Awakening, I liked a lot of what I saw. The universe is ripe for exciting storytelling, and the gameplay reminds me of a strong mix of Control, Uncharted, and Assassin's Creed. I'm sure we'll learn more in the lead-up to the launch, but for now, my interest is piqued. Unknown 9: Awakening arrives this summer on PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and PC. Purchase

Dragon's Dogma 2 Has An Uncapped Framerate, But No Visual Presets Or Modes On Consoles

Wesley LeBlanc — Tue, 05 Mar 2024 16:00:00 CST

<img loading="lazy" src="https://www.gameinformer.com/sites/default/files/styles/body_default/public/2024/03/05/45efbfb4/dd2_mystic_spearhand.jpg" width="800" height="450" alt="Dragon's Dogma 2 Capcom Gameplay Screenshots March 22 Release Date" typeof="foaf:Image" class="image-style-body-default" /> Dragon's Dogma 2, <a href="https://www.gameinformer.com/product/dragons-dogma-2">the long-awaited sequel in Capcom's fantasy RPG series</a>, is right around the corner, hitting PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, and PC on <a href="https://www.gameinformer.com/2023/11/28/dragons-dogma-2-gets-march-release-date-and-new-trailer">March 22</a>. I visited Capcom last month to play the game for about three hours, and <a href="https://www.gameinformer.com/preview/2024/03/05/keeping-the-faith">you can read Game Informer's Dragon's Dogma 2 preview impressions here</a>, but I also spoke to director Hideaki Itsuno about how the game will run on consoles.  Sitting in Capcom's San Francisco, California, office, just 30 minutes to go until my interview with Itsuno, I saw that he tweeted about Dragon's Dogma 2's framerate. Specifically, he revealed on X (formerly Twitter) that Dragon's Dogma 2 will release with an uncapped framerate. It was an interesting announcement, considering "uncapped framerate" is typically something I associate with PCs – not the PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X/S.  <blockquote class="tw-align-center twitter-tweet"> ドラゴンズドグマ 2 は可変フレームレートに対応していますよ！ Dragon's Dogma 2 will release with an uncapped framerate!<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/DD2?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#DD2</a>、<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/%E3%83%89%E3%83%A9%E3%82%B4%E3%83%B3%E3%82%BA%E3%83%89%E3%82%B0%E3%83%9E2?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#ドラゴンズドグマ2</a>、<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/dragonsdogma2?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#dragonsdogma2</a> <a href="https://t.co/NXID8FZWCL">pic.twitter.com/NXID8FZWCL</a> — Hideaki Itsuno (@tomqe) <a href="https://twitter.com/tomqe/status/1757518030102561231?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 13, 2024</a></blockquote> But, with that tweet out, I took my interview as an opportunity to learn more about what this means for console players. It turns out, Dragon's Dogma 2 will not feature multiple visual modes – there won't be a Graphics mode and a Performance mode, like what you might see in games like the recently released <a href="https://www.gameinformer.com/review/final-fantasy-vii-rebirth/cracking-the-planet-wide-open">Final Fantasy VII Rebirth</a>, for example. Instead, Capcom's latest will feature one singular mode that's on by default, and that mode also features uncapped framerate.  "The game has an uncapped framerate," Itsuno tells me through a translator. "We're aiming to go at around or higher than 30 FPS. That is for consoles as well. There are some functions that you can turn on and off, but there aren't multiple sets of options that you can change at once [likely alluding to visual presets seen in the options of other games on consoles today]. But yeah, the frame rate will come uncapped for all consoles." <section class='type:slideshow'><figure><img src='https://www.gameinformer.com/sites/default/files/styles/body_default/public/2024/03/05/e2a707dc/dd2_dragon_01.jpg'></figure><figure><img src='https://www.gameinformer.com/sites/default/files/styles/body_default/public/2024/03/05/4c53197b/dd2_vermund.jpg'></figure><figure><img src='https://www.gameinformer.com/sites/default/files/styles/body_default/public/2024/03/05/6d3298f2/dd2_warfarer_greatsword.jpg'></figure><figure><img src='https://www.gameinformer.com/sites/default/files/styles/body_default/public/2024/03/05/45efbfb4/dd2_mystic_spearhand.jpg'></figure><figure><img src='https://www.gameinformer.com/sites/default/files/styles/body_default/public/2024/03/05/a02dfd0d/dd2_talos.jpg'></figure><figure><img src='https://www.gameinformer.com/sites/default/files/styles/body_default/public/2024/03/05/5adbf66e/dd2_glyndwr.jpg'></figure><figure><img src='https://www.gameinformer.com/sites/default/files/styles/body_default/public/2024/03/05/1a0f9f9d/dd2_magick_archer.jpg'></figure><figure><img src='https://www.gameinformer.com/sites/default/files/styles/body_default/public/2024/03/05/0710c7d6/dd2_mystic_spearhand_01.jpg'></figure><figure><img src='https://www.gameinformer.com/sites/default/files/styles/body_default/public/2024/03/05/d01a75f7/dd2_combat_01.jpg'></figure><figure><img src='https://www.gameinformer.com/sites/default/files/styles/body_default/public/2024/03/05/1f806f70/dd2_mage_02.jpg'></figure></section>   Just to be sure, I asked for clarification around the potential for multiple modes and was told Dragon's Dogma 2 has just one visual mode, so don't expect a preset that prioritizes performance over visual fidelity or vice versa.  Dragon's Dogma 2 hits PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, and PC on March 22.  For more, <a href="https://www.gameinformer.com/state-of-play/2024/01/31/dragons-dogma-2-still-looks-wild-in-new-gameplay-trailer">check out the latest Dragon's Dogma 2 gameplay trailer</a>, and then find out <a href="https://www.gameinformer.com/video-podcast/2024/01/04/our-most-anticipated-games-of-2024-feat-matt-storm-gi-show">why it's one of our most anticipated games of the year</a>. After that, read about how <a href="https://www.gameinformer.com/news/2024/03/05/dragons-dogma-2-main-story-campaign-is-about-the-same-length-as-the-first-game">Dragon's Dogma 2's main story campaign is about as long as the first game's</a>, and then read about Capcom's decision to have <a href="https://www.gameinformer.com/news/2024/03/05/dragons-dogma-2-has-just-one-save-file-to-encourage-exploration">just one save file in the game</a>.  How do you feel about Capcom's approach to visual settings with Dragon's Dogma 2? Let us know in the comments below!

Dragon's Dogma 2 Main Story Campaign Is About The Same Length As The First Game

Wesley LeBlanc — Tue, 05 Mar 2024 16:00:00 CST

<img loading="lazy" src="https://www.gameinformer.com/sites/default/files/styles/body_default/public/2024/03/05/e2b20fe1/dd2_warfarer_archistaff.jpg" width="800" height="450" alt="Dragon's Dogma 2 Capcom Gameplay Screenshots March 22 Release Date" typeof="foaf:Image" class="image-style-body-default" /> With Dragon's Dogma 2 hitting PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, and PC later this month on March 22, I visited Capcom's San Francisco, California, office to play the game for several hours. You can <a href="https://www.gameinformer.com/preview/2024/03/05/keeping-the-faith">read my preview impressions of Dragon's Dogma 2 here</a>, but I also had the chance to speak with director Hideaki Itsuno, too.  With more than a decade between the first <a href="https://www.gameinformer.com/games/dragons_dogma_dark_arisen/b/ps3/archive/2013/04/22/dragons-dogma-dark-arisen-review-gransys-gains-a-deadly-new-playground.aspx">Dragon's Dogma</a> and its sequel, I was curious if he and his Capcom team approached the size of player offerings differently. If you stick to mostly the golden path – the main story campaign – of Dragon's Dogma, you're looking at around 37 hours, according to <a href="https://howlongtobeat.com/game/2845">HowLongToBeat</a>, which aggregates players' playtime for an average. Itsuno says to expect a similar length in the main narrative of Dragon's Dogma 2.  <section class='type:slideshow'><figure><img src='https://www.gameinformer.com/sites/default/files/styles/body_default/public/2024/03/05/ade60fb7/dd2_sacred_arbor.jpg'></figure><figure><img src='https://www.gameinformer.com/sites/default/files/styles/body_default/public/2024/03/05/036445ed/dd2_spearhand_maister_sigurd.jpg'></figure><figure><img src='https://www.gameinformer.com/sites/default/files/styles/body_default/public/2024/03/05/a02dfd0d/dd2_talos.jpg'></figure><figure><img src='https://www.gameinformer.com/sites/default/files/styles/body_default/public/2024/03/05/38b81fa8/dd2_trickster_01.jpg'></figure><figure><img src='https://www.gameinformer.com/sites/default/files/styles/body_default/public/2024/03/05/9317b37c/dd2_trickster_02.jpg'></figure><figure><img src='https://www.gameinformer.com/sites/default/files/styles/body_default/public/2024/03/05/a6a3eb39/dd2_trickster_maister_luz.jpg'></figure><figure><img src='https://www.gameinformer.com/sites/default/files/styles/body_default/public/2024/03/05/4c53197b/dd2_vermund.jpg'></figure><figure><img src='https://www.gameinformer.com/sites/default/files/styles/body_default/public/2024/03/05/45efbfb4/dd2_mystic_spearhand.jpg'></figure><figure><img src='https://www.gameinformer.com/sites/default/files/styles/body_default/public/2024/03/05/04acd80b/dd2_nadinia.jpg'></figure><figure><img src='https://www.gameinformer.com/sites/default/files/styles/body_default/public/2024/03/05/e2b20fe1/dd2_warfarer_archistaff.jpg'></figure><figure><img src='https://www.gameinformer.com/sites/default/files/styles/body_default/public/2024/03/05/6d3298f2/dd2_warfarer_greatsword.jpg'></figure><figure><img src='https://www.gameinformer.com/sites/default/files/styles/body_default/public/2024/03/05/0710c7d6/dd2_mystic_spearhand_01.jpg'></figure><figure><img src='https://www.gameinformer.com/sites/default/files/styles/body_default/public/2024/03/05/586ec8cc/dd2_mystic_spearhand_02.jpg'></figure><figure><img src='https://www.gameinformer.com/sites/default/files/styles/body_default/public/2024/03/05/c8ce5b51/dd2_night_01.jpg'></figure><figure><img src='https://www.gameinformer.com/sites/default/files/styles/body_default/public/2024/03/05/5892834f/dd2_disa.jpg'></figure><figure><img src='https://www.gameinformer.com/sites/default/files/styles/body_default/public/2024/03/05/cca28b7d/dd2_thief_01.jpg'></figure></section>   "For players that only focus on the things [to] go through the [game's campaign], the playtime itself shouldn't change that dramatically from the first game," Itsuno tells me through a translator. "For the people that want to do everything, that see many things and are like, 'Oh, I want to do this thing, oh that looks interesting,' well, we put a lot of effort into adding as many elements as possible for this. There's many things that could catch players' attention and for those people, they will probably find their playtime significantly longer."  For reference, a completionist run of Dragon's Dogma runs, on average, about 102 hours, according to HowLongToBeat, meaning Dragon's Dogma 2 likely offers more than a hundred hours of content to discover and play through if you seek it out.  Dragon's Dogma 2 hits PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, and PC on March 22.  For more, <a href="https://www.gameinformer.com/state-of-play/2024/01/31/dragons-dogma-2-still-looks-wild-in-new-gameplay-trailer">check out the latest Dragon's Dogma 2 gameplay trailer</a>, and then find out <a href="https://www.gameinformer.com/video-podcast/2024/01/04/our-most-anticipated-games-of-2024-feat-matt-storm-gi-show">why it's one of our most anticipated games of the year</a>. After that, read about how <a href="https://www.gameinformer.com/news/2024/03/05/dragons-dogma-2-has-an-uncapped-framerate-but-no-visual-presets-or-modes-on">Dragon's Dogma 2 will feature an uncapped framerate but no visual preset modes</a> on consoles, and then read about <a href="https://www.gameinformer.com/news/2024/03/05/dragons-dogma-2-has-just-one-save-file-to-encourage-exploration">why Dragon's Dogma 2 only has one save file</a>.  Are you going to sink 100 hours into Dragon's Dogma 2 this month? Let us know in the comments below!

Dragon's Dogma 2 Preview – Keeping The Faith

Wesley LeBlanc — Tue, 05 Mar 2024 16:00:00 CST

Platform: PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, PC
Publisher: Capcom
Developer: Capcom
Release: <time datetime="2024-03-22T12:00:00Z" class="datetime">March 22, 2024</time>
Rating: Mature

I played Dragon’s Dogma on my PlayStation 3 when it launched in 2012 because I thought the cover looked interesting. I had a newfound appreciation for the fantasy RPG genre thanks to the prior year’s release of The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim and the title was cool; it was that simple. Playing the game, however, was not. Dragon’s Dogma is still probably the most challenging modern fantasy RPG this side of From Software. Perhaps unsurprisingly, after three hours of hands-on time, Dragon’s Dogma 2 feels just like the first game. And that’s great, even if it means players new to the series will likely go through the struggles I did in Dragon’s Dogma more than a decade ago. That is one of the first things I ask director Hideaki Itsuno about in Capcom’s San Francisco office. <img loading="lazy" src="https://www.gameinformer.com/sites/default/files/styles/body_default/public/2024/03/05/7552a71d/dd2_warfarer_archistaff.jpg" typeof="foaf:Image" alt="" class="image-style-body-default" /> “We definitely think that people who enjoyed the first Dragon’s Dogma will enjoy this game,” Itsuno says. “We definitely had to aim for that, but also, it’s made in a way for people that really want to get immersed in this world, that want to roleplay in this world – it has been designed and balanced so that these kinds of people can gain satisfaction from it.” However, Itsuno says there are elements in the game to bridge the gap between newcomers and fans of the series, like NPCs that provide directions and hints to objectives, the unique Pawn system that lets you hire specific types of help, and more he wanted to save for the final release. While those systems are present, I’m happy to report Dragon’s Dogma 2 kicked my butt more than once during my three hours with it. The first preview section places my Mystic Spearhand, which uses a magic-imbued spear to take down enemies, in a checkpoint town en route to my destination. My objective is to reach Battahl, but I never do. Instead, Dragon’s Dogma 2 quickly inundates me with side quest after side quest. Every few steps I take in town are met with an NPC telling me about a missing kid, a unique stone they want, or something else. I attempt to complete as many as possible before enough in-game time passed that doing so isn’t possible. For example, the missing kid presumably died by the wolves I was supposed to reach and defeat but didn’t. And if I had to guess, the stone I needed was probably found by someone else, which is why I failed the quest. <img loading="lazy" src="https://www.gameinformer.com/sites/default/files/styles/body_default/public/2024/03/05/068a6b8a/dd2_vermund.jpg" typeof="foaf:Image" alt="" class="image-style-body-default" /> The passage of time in Dragon’s Dogma 2 is important, and it adds a level of immersion not often seen in the genre – wait too long to help someone in need and they might perish because of your negligence. Mind you, I tried to complete these quests, but the tough-as-nails combat presented a surprising level of difficulty on the way to objectives. Like the original Dragon’s Dogma, combat is hard, with enemies sparing no expense to take advantage of openings with wallop after wallop. A griffin with four health bars looking to eat some of the wolves attacking me doesn’t help the situation either, and I soon realize I have no shot of taking it down in my current state. My escape attempt is how I learn you shouldn’t jump off high cliffs. The second section of this preview places my Magick Archer in Battahl, the town I could not reach in the first half of my play session. In this small village built into a red canyon, I attempt to help someone restore a special regalia sword, but a side quest that piques my interest stops me again. Instead, I spend my time attempting to find an assailant in a crowd of people by identifying them with clues I receive, like that their hair is tied back and their right arm injured. I fail to do so in time, though, and the royal figure of the town is assassinated – whoops! <img loading="lazy" src="https://www.gameinformer.com/sites/default/files/styles/body_default/public/2024/03/05/fd573f1b/dd2_warfarer_greatsword.jpg" typeof="foaf:Image" alt="" class="image-style-body-default" /> There is no going back from this; I failed the mission and the world permanently changed. I’m glad I spent time picking through the half-dozen side quests I received during this preview because this is where Dragon’s Dogma 2 shines. It highlights the game’s brutal sense of adventure, reminds me my every action matters, and lets me take part in 20-minute encounters against towering ogres seemingly impervious to my magical arrows (it turns out shooting off their spiky armor and scaling their backs to stab their eyes is the way to go, by the way). I ask Itsuno if the decade of space between the first game and this sequel allowed the team to observe what others, like CD Projekt Red with The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt, were doing in the genre. After playing Dragon’s Dogma 2 for three hours, I should have known the answer after feeling the familiar difficulty of that first 2012 game: Nope. This article originally appeared in <a href="https://www.gameinformer.com/magazine">Issue 364</a> of Game Informer. Purchase

Dragon's Dogma 2 Has Just One Save File To Encourage Exploration

Wesley LeBlanc — Tue, 05 Mar 2024 16:00:00 CST

<img loading="lazy" src="https://www.gameinformer.com/sites/default/files/styles/body_default/public/2024/03/05/1f806f70/dd2_mage_02.jpg" width="800" height="450" alt="Dragon's Dogma 2 Capcom Gameplay Screenshots March 22 Release Date" typeof="foaf:Image" class="image-style-body-default" /> Dragon's Dogma 2 hits PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, and PC on March 22, and when you boot it up for the first time, you might learn it only has one save file. <a href="https://www.thegamer.com/dragons-dogma-2-single-save-file-no-multiple-playthoughs/#:~:text=Dragon's%20Dogma%202%20only%20has,time%2C%20just%20like%20the%20original.">TheGamer</a> reported on that news after an <a href="https://jp.ign.com/dragons-dogma-ii/73116/preview/2">IGN Japan</a> preview from earlier this year revealed console players will be stuck with just one single save file, making things like reverting to old saves all but impossible. After playing the game myself for about three hours – <a href="https://www.gameinformer.com/preview/2024/03/05/keeping-the-faith">read Game Informer's Dragon's Dogma 2 preview impressions here</a> – I could definitely feel a friction with just one save file, but it's one I came to appreciate. Yes, Dragon's Dogma 2 is hard, extremely so in some ways. Dying can set you back some, and I'd be lying if I said I didn't want for the ability to revert saves (after saving right in front of a tough monster, for example). But it's clear Capcom has a vision with its difficulty and single save file; it makes your every action that much more impactful. <img loading="lazy" src="https://www.gameinformer.com/sites/default/files/styles/body_default/public/2024/03/05/04acd80b/dd2_nadinia.jpg" alt="Dragon's Dogma 2 Capcom Gameplay Screenshots March 22 Release Date" typeof="foaf:Image" class="image-style-body-default" /> However, when IGN Japan's preview revealed Dragon's Dogma 2 would have just one save file, some players began to worry how that might affect their playthrough. After playing the game myself, I was able to talk to director Hideaki Itsuno about this, and I learned it was intentional to encourage exploration. "It is indeed one save file," Itsuno tells me through a translator. "However, the game gives you more options. [It] gives you the option to load from the last inn you rested at, so in that regard, it's not a game where you won't have any possible way to go back. "Regarding what the thinking was behind that, it's really simple: we want to encourage exploration, and this is quite the opposite of what you get when you allow too much freedom in this regard." <section class='type:slideshow'><figure><img src='https://www.gameinformer.com/sites/default/files/styles/body_default/public/2024/03/05/8b6f058e/dd2_grappling_01.jpg'></figure><figure><img src='https://www.gameinformer.com/sites/default/files/styles/body_default/public/2024/03/05/6d3298f2/dd2_warfarer_greatsword.jpg'></figure><figure><img src='https://www.gameinformer.com/sites/default/files/styles/body_default/public/2024/03/05/a6a3eb39/dd2_trickster_maister_luz.jpg'></figure><figure><img src='https://www.gameinformer.com/sites/default/files/styles/body_default/public/2024/03/05/9f9f8f1f/dd2_vermund_01.jpg'></figure><figure><img src='https://www.gameinformer.com/sites/default/files/styles/body_default/public/2024/03/05/5adbf66e/dd2_glyndwr.jpg'></figure><figure><img src='https://www.gameinformer.com/sites/default/files/styles/body_default/public/2024/03/05/dfd36fca/dd2_vermund_02.jpg'></figure><figure><img src='https://www.gameinformer.com/sites/default/files/styles/body_default/public/2024/03/05/1a0f9f9d/dd2_magick_archer.jpg'></figure><figure><img src='https://www.gameinformer.com/sites/default/files/styles/body_default/public/2024/03/05/be8b47d4/dd2_battahl.jpg'></figure><figure><img src='https://www.gameinformer.com/sites/default/files/styles/body_default/public/2024/03/05/88b15dcb/dd2_beastren_warrior.jpg'></figure><figure><img src='https://www.gameinformer.com/sites/default/files/styles/body_default/public/2024/03/05/103dd570/dd2_magick_archer_02.jpg'></figure><figure><img src='https://www.gameinformer.com/sites/default/files/styles/body_default/public/2024/03/05/586ec8cc/dd2_mystic_spearhand_02.jpg'></figure><figure><img src='https://www.gameinformer.com/sites/default/files/styles/body_default/public/2024/03/05/061cbd04/dd2_thief_02.jpg'></figure><figure><img src='https://www.gameinformer.com/sites/default/files/styles/body_default/public/2024/03/05/95e2812a/dd2_environmental_combat_01.jpg'></figure><figure><img src='https://www.gameinformer.com/sites/default/files/styles/body_default/public/2024/03/05/655acb9e/dd2_environmental_combat_04.jpg'></figure><figure><img src='https://www.gameinformer.com/sites/default/files/styles/body_default/public/2024/03/05/d3d7fc3f/dd2_archer_02.jpg'></figure><figure><img src='https://www.gameinformer.com/sites/default/files/styles/body_default/public/2024/03/05/5bfcf6a7/dd2_battahl_02.jpg'></figure></section> Itsuno gave me an example involving a cliff. If you are at a cliff of a discernible height, with multiple save options (like the ability to save right there and quickly revert back to it), you might just jump to see if you can make it. "That has quite the opposite effect of encouraging that exploration feel," Itsuno says. However, with just one save file, your thinking should shift. Jumping might result in death or unwanted damage, and that could be a setback. Of course, you can reload at the last inn you saved at but given how big Dragon's Dogma 2's world is (and how hard it can be to fast travel at times), you might not want to retrace your steps. So, instead of jumping without thought, you might analyze the cliff's height more closely or even decide to find a safer way down. "So that is the main reason: I really wanted to encourage the thrill of exploration, and that was the thinking behind the limit," he says. <img loading="lazy" src="https://www.gameinformer.com/sites/default/files/styles/body_default/public/2024/03/05/63798ba9/dd2_mage_01.jpg" alt="Dragon's Dogma 2 Capcom Gameplay Screenshots March 22 Release Date" typeof="foaf:Image" class="image-style-body-default" /> Dragon's Dogma 2 hits PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, and PC on March 22. For more, <a href="https://www.gameinformer.com/state-of-play/2024/01/31/dragons-dogma-2-still-looks-wild-in-new-gameplay-trailer">check out the latest Dragon's Dogma 2 gameplay trailer</a>, and then find out <a href="https://www.gameinformer.com/video-podcast/2024/01/04/our-most-anticipated-games-of-2024-feat-matt-storm-gi-show">why it's one of our most anticipated games of the year</a>. After that, read about how <a href="https://www.gameinformer.com/news/2024/03/05/dragons-dogma-2-main-story-campaign-is-about-the-same-length-as-the-first-game">Dragon's Dogma 2's main story campaign is about as long as the first game's</a> and then read about how <a href="https://www.gameinformer.com/news/2024/03/05/dragons-dogma-2-has-an-uncapped-framerate-but-no-visual-presets-or-modes-on">Dragon's Dogma 2 has an uncapped framerate on consoles</a>. How do you feel about Dragon's Dogma 2 having just one save file? Let us know in the comments below!

No Rest For The Wicked's Early Access Roadmap And Cerim's Crucible Endgame Content

Marcus Stewart — Tue, 05 Mar 2024 13:37:00 CST

Platform: PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, PC
Publisher: Private Division
Developer: Moon Studios
Release: April 18, 2024 (PC), TBA (PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S)

No Rest for the Wicked (NRftW) graces Game Informer's cover this month, and it marks a dramatic shift for Moon Studios for several reasons. For one, it's an action RPG from the team that gave us two of the best platformers/Metroidvanias ever in <a href="https://www.gameinformer.com/games/ori_and_the_blind_forest/b/xboxone/archive/2015/03/09/beauty-in-death.aspx">Ori and the Blind Forest</a> and <a href="https://www.gameinformer.com/review/ori-and-the-will-of-the-wisps/ori-and-the-will-of-the-wisps-review-even-better-than-the">Ori and the Will of the Wisps</a>. You can read all about what the game entails in our <a href="https://www.gameinformer.com/digital-issue/2024/03/05/the-no-rest-for-the-wicked-digital-issue-is-now-live">digital issue</a>, which is available now. But another huge shift is that NRftW will first launch into Steam Early Access on April 18. That means everything revealed about the game so far is subject to change depending on player feedback. Moon says it's not married to any system and is willing to rework something if the community doesn’t enjoy it. <a class="linkoriginal" data-featherlight="image" href=""> <img loading="lazy" src="https://www.gameinformer.com/sites/default/files/styles/body_default/public/2024/03/04/3714d905/mage-1-3-6s.jpg" typeof="foaf:Image" alt="" class="image-style-body-default" /> </a> Torn Mage concept art This is Moon's first stab at the early access approach, and for a studio that strives for perfection, releasing an intentionally imperfect product for the world to pick apart is a drastic shift. But it also allows Moon to practice what it preaches regarding transparency. In February 2021, Mahler famously criticized the game industry on <a href="https://www.resetera.com/threads/why-are-gamers-so-eager-to-trust-and-even-forgive-the-snake-oil-salesmen.372420/">ResetEra</a> for how certain studios misrepresent their titles by making them appear bigger or grander pre-release than how they eventually turn out. He called out titles such as <a href="https://www.gameinformer.com/review/cyberpunk-2077/cyberpunk-2077-last-gen-review-a-tale-of-two-night-cities">Cyberpunk 2077</a>. When I ask if his sentiments inspired the choice for early access, Korol says no and that Moon originally envisioned releasing NRftW as a traditional finished product. But midway through development, the project's ambition, the changing attitudes towards early access, as well as growing success stories, made the release model more attractive and sensible for ensuring a quality final product. And for something as idea-laden as NRftW is for Moon, having players help guide and refine its development is invaluable. "Making a game, it's almost a little bit like cooking, right?" says Mahler. "Like, you don't know what is the exact right recipe. You have to make it, let people try it, adjust it.”" Last week's Wicked Inside presentation saw the team reveal NRftW’s early access roadmap (posted below). Multiplayer will arrive in the game's first update. As the game evolves, new story chapters will be added alongside more areas of the world. The early access launch includes a substantial section of Isola Sacra, with players able to visit the following zones: <ul><li>The Shallows</li> <li>Orban Glades</li> <li>Sacrament</li> <li>Nameless Pass</li> <li>The Black Trench</li> </ul>The game's first story update will unlock three more areas: <ul><li>Marin Woods</li> <li>Lowland Meadows</li> <li>Hunter’s Vale</li> </ul>Expect to learn more about those zones in the future. Having seen the full map of Isola Sacra myself, the island looks huge and dense, and that's without including unseen elements like interiors, caves, and secrets. <a class="linkoriginal" data-featherlight="image" href=""> <img loading="lazy" src="https://www.gameinformer.com/sites/default/files/styles/body_default/public/2024/03/04/0696d73c/nrftw_earoadmap_3840x2160-v4.jpg" typeof="foaf:Image" alt="" class="image-style-body-default" /> </a> Click to enlarge <h2>ENDGAME CONTENT</h2> As for how Moon plans to keep players coming back to NRftW on the road to its 1.0 launch, it divulged that its endgame content will consist of multiple things to do instead of just a single activity loop. Speaking with Mahler on the subject, the one piece of content he shared is special roguelike dungeons called Cerim's Crucible (formerly known by their working name "Crypts"). Accessible only after players have wrapped up the available campaign content in the early access build, entering Cerim's Crucible involves visiting a special zone surrounded by several statues. Approaching one of them and offering your blood activates that particular statue, which warps players into a randomized dungeon crawl and tasks you to get through 10 randomized rooms to reach the end. Mahler says this structure is inspired by Diablo 1's Dungeon, in which players fought through 16 increasingly difficult levels to face Diablo at the end. Only one statue is available for the early access launch, but more will be added over time. Each statue will take players into different sets of rooms. In addition to Diablo, Mahler compares the Crucible's structure to that of Hades in that each room offers a specific, randomized challenge, which could focus on platforming, combat, or puzzle-solving. You never know what enemies will spawn each run, either. As for what awaits players at the end of the Crucible, Moon is keeping that surprise close to the vest. Completing Cerim's Crucible rewards special, exclusive loot and materials required to craft more advanced upgrades, creating incentives to tackle them repeatedly if you want to build the most powerful version of your character. Like everything else, the loot is randomized, so different runs result in different rewards. Eventually, Moon intends to implement stipulations (such as, perhaps, exploring naked) and multipliers to Crucible statues in exchange for greater loot. You can learn more about No Rest for the Wicked by checking out our features and videos rolling out over the coming weeks in our exclusive coverage hub below. Purchase

Exclusive First Details And Screenshots Of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutants Unleashed

Brian Shea — Tue, 05 Mar 2024 13:00:00 CST

<img loading="lazy" src="https://www.gameinformer.com/sites/default/files/styles/body_default/public/2024/02/21/b9c86482/tmnt_3.jpg" width="800" height="450" alt="" typeof="foaf:Image" class="image-style-body-default" /> In August 2023, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem arrived in theaters, and, much to the delight of both longtime and newer fans, it was a terrific and fun watch. Just over a month after its theatrical debut, <a data-entity-substitution="canonical" data-entity-type="node" data-entity-uuid="333add9c-b47d-43df-b2f2-1403b480b950" href="https://www.gameinformer.com/2023/09/06/teenage-mutant-ninja-turtles-mutant-mayhem-game-coming-next-year">Paramount and Nickelodeon announced</a> that publisher Outright Games and developer A Heartful of Games would be releasing a follow-up video game set in the Mutant Mayhem universe. While it hasn't had a name to this point, Game Informer can now exclusively confirm that the title is Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutants Unleashed. Warning: This article contains spoilers for the 2023 film Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem. <section class='type:slideshow'><figure><img src='https://www.gameinformer.com/sites/default/files/styles/body_default/public/2024/02/21/225d11b8/tmnt_mu-title-rgb.jpg'></figure><figure><img src='https://www.gameinformer.com/sites/default/files/styles/body_default/public/2024/02/21/66b2e67c/tmnt_screenshot_1.jpg'></figure><figure><img src='https://www.gameinformer.com/sites/default/files/styles/body_default/public/2024/02/21/7dde20f6/tmnt_screenshot_2.jpg'></figure></section> The 3D brawler/platformer picks up after the events of Mutant Mayhem; the Turtles have been accepted by society following their heroics against Superfly and his band of mutants. Unfortunately, their dream of attending high school as average, everyday students is suddenly interrupted by a new wave of mutants invading New York City. Featuring an all-original storyline, Mutants Unleashed aims to have the same brand of humor as the 2023 film. Players take control of the four hero turtles, each with a unique playstyle, as they fight their way through the sewers and streets of New York. Outright Games touts how immersive both the world above and below ground is, as well as the cast of familiar faces for the brothers to meet and fight. As co-op is a massive piece of the history of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles video games, players can enjoy two-player local co-op in Mutants Unleashed. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutants Unleashed is set to arrive near the end of this year for PS5, Xbox Series X/S, PS4, Xbox One, Switch, and PC. For more info on the other big TMNT video game in development, The Last Ronin, head <a href="https://www.gameinformer.com/exclusive-interview/2024/03/05/tmnt-co-creator-kevin-eastman-on-why-the-last-ronin-is-being-made">here</a> for our exclusive interview with Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles co-creator Kevin Eastman.

Mira And The Legend Of The Djinns Is An Upcoming Metroidvania Inspired By Moroccan Mythology

Wesley LeBlanc — Tue, 05 Mar 2024 08:00:00 CST

<img loading="lazy" src="https://www.gameinformer.com/sites/default/files/styles/body_default/public/2024/03/05/1f8d16b6/mira_and_the_legend_of_the_djinns.jpg" width="800" height="450" alt="Mira and the Legend of the Djinns PC Metroidvania Morocco 2D Side Scrolling" typeof="foaf:Image" class="image-style-body-default" /> Developer Little Knight Games has revealed Mira and the Legend of the Djinns, an upcoming 2D side-scrolling Metroidvania inspired by Moroccan mythology. Set to be published by Assemble Entertainment, <a href="https://www.gameinformer.com/gamescom-2023/2023/08/22/post-apocalyptic-survival-strategy-game-endzone-2-announced">which is publishing Endzone 2 this spring</a>, Mira and the Legend of the Djinns is due out on PC via Steam this year. <img loading="lazy" src="https://www.gameinformer.com/sites/default/files/styles/body_default/public/2024/03/05/6493267c/keyart_mira_with_logo.jpg" typeof="foaf:Image" alt="" class="image-style-body-default" /> In classic Metroidvania fashion, you can expect plenty of enemies and secrets to discover with a variety of tools, items, and abilities as you progress through the game. Plus, unlockable moves add flair to your exploration and combat encounters as you attempt to uncover the secret of the last Djinn. Check out Mira and the Legend of the Djinns for yourself below: <iframe width="560" height="315" frameBorder="0" allow="autoplay" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="360" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/6pv2cmgCv-A" width="640"></iframe> "Not every ancient treasure belongs in a museum, as treasure hunter Yuba discovers within the debris of the kingdom of Fallen Amazgesh," a press release reads. "There, Yuba meets a Djinn named Mira, a race long lost to the world of man, and the pair team up together to escape the ruins and discover Mira's lost memories." Little Knight Games says the game's combat "emphasizes fluidity and experimentation, and allows you to switch between weapons and elemental modes on the fly." The Germany-based studio says it's a team of seven people from different countries around the world and that Mira and the Legend of the Djinns is a love letter to Metroidvanias, "featuring a world based on the Moroccan and Amazigh mythology." <section class='type:slideshow'><figure><img src='https://www.gameinformer.com/sites/default/files/styles/body_default/public/2024/03/05/29bd9a46/mira_andthelegendofthedjinns_screenshot_0.jpg'></figure><figure><img src='https://www.gameinformer.com/sites/default/files/styles/body_default/public/2024/03/05/6fe69863/mira_andthelegendofthedjinns_screenshotsteam_1.jpg'></figure><figure><img src='https://www.gameinformer.com/sites/default/files/styles/body_default/public/2024/03/05/09ce60ac/mira_andthelegendofthedjinns_screenshot_1.jpg'></figure><figure><img src='https://www.gameinformer.com/sites/default/files/styles/body_default/public/2024/03/05/05e3a0cc/mira_andthelegendofthedjinns_screenshotsteam_2.jpg'></figure><figure><img src='https://www.gameinformer.com/sites/default/files/styles/body_default/public/2024/03/05/80845864/mira_andthelegendofthedjinns_screenshot_2.jpg'></figure><figure><img src='https://www.gameinformer.com/sites/default/files/styles/body_default/public/2024/03/05/229aea02/mira_andthelegendofthedjinns_screenshotsteam_3.jpg'></figure><figure><img src='https://www.gameinformer.com/sites/default/files/styles/body_default/public/2024/03/05/4bd2acc3/mira_andthelegendofthedjinns_screenshot_3.jpg'></figure><figure><img src='https://www.gameinformer.com/sites/default/files/styles/body_default/public/2024/03/05/43dc232a/mira_andthelegendofthedjinns_screenshotsteam_4.jpg'></figure><figure><img src='https://www.gameinformer.com/sites/default/files/styles/body_default/public/2024/03/05/ca0ef006/mira_andthelegendofthedjinns_screenshotsteam_5.jpg'></figure><figure><img src='https://www.gameinformer.com/sites/default/files/styles/body_default/public/2024/03/05/84cade2c/mira_andthelegendofthedjinns_screenshot_4.jpg'></figure><figure><img src='https://www.gameinformer.com/sites/default/files/styles/body_default/public/2024/03/05/1d2b8d70/mira_andthelegendofthedjinns_screenshot_5.jpg'></figure><figure><img src='https://www.gameinformer.com/sites/default/files/styles/body_default/public/2024/03/05/ddd11625/mira_andthelegendofthedjinns_screenshot_6.jpg'></figure><figure><img src='https://www.gameinformer.com/sites/default/files/styles/body_default/public/2024/03/05/0d05a62c/mira_andthelegendofthedjinns_screenshot_7.jpg'></figure><figure><img src='https://www.gameinformer.com/sites/default/files/styles/body_default/public/2024/03/05/02425aa1/mira_andthelegendofthedjinns_screenshot_8.jpg'></figure></section> "Morocco has a rich culture filled with fantasy stories about Djinns and mysterious creatures," the press release reads. "With the team's diverse background, they wanted to show this in their very first game." Other Mira and the Legend of the Djinns features include a sprawling map full of secrets, fast action combat, and a mystery to keep you pushing forward. <img loading="lazy" src="https://www.gameinformer.com/sites/default/files/styles/body_default/public/2024/03/05/ffcd1a10/mira_gameworld.jpg" typeof="foaf:Image" alt="" class="image-style-body-default" /> Mira and the Legend of the Djinns is due out on PC this year. While waiting for its release, <a href="https://www.gameinformer.com/2024/01/18/top-10-metroidvanias-to-play-right-now">read Game Informer's top 10 Metroidvanias to play right now</a>. Are you interested in checking out Mira and the Legend of the Djinns? Let us know in the comments below!

Funcom Details Its Dune: Awakening MMO In Dune Direct Livestream

Brian Shea — Mon, 04 Mar 2024 11:30:00 CST

Platform: PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, PC
Publisher: Funcom
Developer: Funcom
Release: TBA

With some unbelievable heat surrounding the Dune franchise following last weekend's release of the critically acclaimed Dune: Part Two, Conan Exiles developer Funcom provided a huge update for its anticipated MMO, Dune: Awakening, during a livestreamed Dune Direct today. Last week, Funcom and Warner Bros. invited me to the Warner Bros. studio lot in Burbank, California for an advance Dune Direct and Dune: Part Two screening. While I entered this event lukewarm on the Dune franchise, I emerged enamored with the film and excited about the promises being made by the game. Dune: Awakening is an MMO that uses the survival genre as its starting point. Players set out in Arrakis's harsh, unwelcoming environment in an alternate timeline separate from the films. While finding refuge, crafting resources, and, perhaps most importantly, water are your top priorities initially, as you progress to the experience's later stages, the Dune series' political aspects step into the forefront. <img loading="lazy" src="https://www.gameinformer.com/sites/default/files/styles/body_default/public/2024/03/01/c574b03e/da_screenshot_4.jpg" alt="Dune: Awakening" title="Dune: Awakening" typeof="foaf:Image" class="image-style-body-default" /> Amassing political power is one possible endgame, but not the only one. Funcom hopes to create a sandbox experience where players can choose their own path, even if the title was designed with the series' political intrigue as a main underpinning of the late-game portions. For example, one player may want to become a scouter who maps out the world and then sells those maps to other players, while another might want to become an in-game architect who uses the in-game marketplace to sell blueprints of buildings to other players. "We took what we started with in Conan Exiles – our other survival game – we brought that over, then we started to add to it," creative director Joel Bylos said in the Dune Direct. "We've now created a system for co-op building, where you can place out holograms, and other players can fill them in, so you work with your friends to build bases. You can also save your bases, like an architectural blueprint, that you can then sell to other players on the Exchange, or you can give to your friends if you make something cool." <img loading="lazy" src="https://www.gameinformer.com/sites/default/files/styles/body_default/public/2024/03/01/530038f9/da_screenshot_6.jpg" alt="Dune: Awakening" title="Dune: Awakening" typeof="foaf:Image" class="image-style-body-default" /> Dune: Awakening features what they call "Combined Arms," giving players the option of using melee, ranged, and abilities. While conventional means like sniper rifles and swords may feel in line with what a lot of MMOs and action titles offer, you can also attend the Great Schools and learn special abilities like Voice from the Bene Gesserit Sisterhood, allowing you to compel your enemies to obey your commands. And, of course, it wouldn't be Dune without the iconic sandworms. These mammoth beasts serve as a tension mechanic in Dune: Awakening. You cannot hurt or defeat them, but what you can do is expect them. "We wanted you to be really worried every time you walk on the sand, so you really need to think about what you're doing," Bylos said in the video. "The only thing you can do is avoid the sandworms. So, you craft yourself a Thumper and place it out to distract a sandworm, maybe use it to lure a sandworm onto some friends of yours." <img loading="lazy" src="https://www.gameinformer.com/sites/default/files/styles/body_default/public/2024/03/01/af201809/da_screenshot_2.jpg" alt="Dune: Awakening" title="Dune: Awakening" typeof="foaf:Image" class="image-style-body-default" /> Perhaps one of the most innovative ways Dune: Awakening leverages the desert setting of Arrakis is through its Shifting Sands mechanic. Within the massive PvP area, each week, the Coriolis Storm sweeps through and changes the entire landscape. This also means players will need to be strategic about where they build their bases, but they can also use bases that aren't long for this world to their advantage. "There are good place to build and bad places to build," Bylos said during a group Q&A session. "They have this thing called the Shield Wall, and outside the Shield Wall is the deep desert. The deep desert is where the Coriolis Storms hit their strongest effect and will just destroy everything – and I mean everything. Inside the Shield Wall is a safe place where you can build; it diminishes the force of the storms. What I expect to happen is – we put very valuable things in the deep desert – and [...] what I'm expecting is that players use the blueprint system to take a copy of their buildings, they take them out with them, the set up logistics bases in the deep desert with the knowledge that those things are gonna get wiped every week. And then they have their home, they keep that decorated and nice, but they're continually going out to compete with other people over the big spice blows in the deep desert and compete for harvesting operations." <img loading="lazy" src="https://www.gameinformer.com/sites/default/files/styles/body_default/public/2024/03/01/f60a5290/da_screenshot_9.jpg" alt="Dune: Awakening" title="Dune: Awakening" typeof="foaf:Image" class="image-style-body-default" /> All of the footage shown during the Dune Direct looks promising, consisting of high-fidelity graphics and compelling gameplay set within the Dune universe. However, though the game has been running closed betas for a while now, the team does not currently have a window for when the game will be released. If you'd like to take part in the upcoming Closed Betas, you can <a href="https://duneawakening.com/">head to the official Dune: Awakening website</a>. Purchase

No Rest For The Wicked | New Gameplay Today

Wesley LeBlanc — Fri, 01 Mar 2024 11:25:02 CST

<img loading="lazy" src="https://www.gameinformer.com/sites/default/files/styles/body_default/public/2024/02/29/809bcb0d/ngt_nrftw_yt.jpg" width="800" height="450" alt="No Rest For The Wicked New Gameplay Today Game Informer Moon Studios action RPG Early Access" typeof="foaf:Image" class="image-style-body-default" /> While the easy layup might have been a third game in the amazing Ori series, developer Moon Studios' next game after 2020's <a href="https://www.gameinformer.com/review/ori-and-the-will-of-the-wisps/ori-and-the-will-of-the-wisps-review-even-better-than-the">Ori and the Will of the Wisps</a> is an isometric action-RPG called <a href="https://www.gameinformer.com/the-game-awards-2023/2023/12/07/ori-team-moon-studios-reveals-action-rpg-no-rest-for-the-wicked">No Rest For The Wicked</a>. It's the game adorning our upcoming issue of Game Informer, but before our exclusive details for that drop, hosts Wesley LeBlanc and Marcus Stewart previewed a pre-Early Access build of the game's opening hour or so.  In it, Wesley explores a medieval coast, gets slaughtered a few times by some tough opponents, saves a blacksmith in trouble, and takes on the game's first boss, all while the two discuss their overall thoughts on Moon's pivot to this new genre.  Check it out in the No Rest For The Wicked New Gameplay Today below:  <iframe width="560" height="315" frameBorder="0" allow="autoplay" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="360" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/_6cRdhg9ILk" width="640"></iframe> Head over to Game Informer's <a href="https://www.youtube.com/gameinformer" target="_blank">YouTube channel</a> for more previews, reviews, and discussions of new and upcoming games. Watch other episodes of New Gameplay Today <a href="https://www.gameinformer.com/ngt" target="_blank">right here.</a>

No Rest For The Wicked Preview – Fantastically Familiar In A Faraway Land

Wesley LeBlanc — Fri, 01 Mar 2024 11:24:00 CST

Platform: PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, PC
Publisher: Private Division
Developer: Moon Studios
Release: April 18, 2024 (PC), TBA (PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S)

Last month, I traveled to Vienna, Austria, with Game Informer editor Marcus Stewart to visit Ori series developer Moon Studios. It was here that Marcus spoke to Mahler and his fellow Moon co-founder and technical director Gennadiy Korol about No Rest For The Wicked, the action RPG adorning Issue 365 of Game Informer magazine, as you might have just learned if you watched Wicked Inside today. I watched Marcus play the game for a couple of hours, and while I was there to film for cover story purposes, I'd be lying if I said I didn’t watch with some jealousy. <a href="https://www.gameinformer.com/the-game-awards-2023/2023/12/07/ori-team-moon-studios-reveals-action-rpg-no-rest-for-the-wicked">No Rest For The Wicked caught my attention during its debut at The Game Awards 2023</a> in December, and seeing actual gameplay up close was exciting. It looked great, and judging by Marcus's smile, it felt great, too. Though I had to wait a few weeks, I'm happy to say I have finally played No Rest For The Wicked, and as I expected, I love it. And I'm saying that after just a roughly 80-minute preview build that's apparently just a taste of what's to come in the full Early Access launch next month. <iframe width="560" height="315" frameBorder="0" allow="autoplay" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="360" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/_6cRdhg9ILk" width="640"></iframe> After creating my character, I'm introduced to this medieval world with a cutscene that feels ripped out of a great Game of Thrones episode. The king has died, and his close confidant is clearly worried about the future of the kingdom now that the dead king's son has taken his place; that worry seems justified given the son-now-king immediately calls for a churchly inquisition to a faraway land that's rumored sick with a plague. Hard cut to Wesley, my created character with his caricatured limbs that look like a gothic painting that's begun to melt, who has arrived in said faraway land after a shipwreck. With nothing to work with, I start smashing crates and crabs in search of gear, like a sharp weapon and some armor. <img loading="lazy" src="https://www.gameinformer.com/sites/default/files/styles/body_default/public/2024/02/29/90218726/nrftw_4.jpg" alt="no rest for the wicked gameplay images screenshots preview hands-on early access build" typeof="foaf:Image" class="image-style-body-default" /> Immediately, I'm struck by the painterly art style. It's clear the team behind Ori and the Blind Forest/Will of the Wisps is the developer, even if the visual technique is different. If the Ori series uses its visuals to paint a whimsical fantasy forest, No Rest For The Wicked uses its visuals to paint a miserable fantasy to exist in. Knowing this game is inspired by the isometric ARPG likes of Blizzard's Diablo series and From Software's Dark Souls games, I see the vision. That vision is even more apparent when I find a pair of daggers and some armor, giving me the confidence to move through this land like a fighter on the up. While the field of view might have you thinking it feels like Diablo, it's much more in line with the challenge and pace of Dark Souls (Editor's Note: look, I know it’s a tired comparison, but the game's leads literally told us From's games inspired this one). I time parries to open enemies up to big hits, slash until my stamina runs out, dodge-roll out of attacks I’m not prepared to parry, and spend upwards of 60 seconds on standard mob opponents. It feels fantastic, and that feeling holds up when I pick up a large sword and shield, taking my build from a "normal" one with standard speed to a "heavy" one with slower speed and, of course, the fat roll. I find parrying with the shield much easier. Plus, I can perform standard blocks, which drain stamina but prevent huge hits of damage, something using the dual daggers doesn't allow me to do – it's parry or nothing. <section class='type:slideshow'><figure><img src='https://www.gameinformer.com/sites/default/files/styles/body_default/public/2024/02/29/b63a7815/nrftw_6.jpg'></figure><figure><img src='https://www.gameinformer.com/sites/default/files/styles/body_default/public/2024/02/29/1ca950a2/nrftw_7.jpg'></figure><figure><img src='https://www.gameinformer.com/sites/default/files/styles/body_default/public/2024/02/29/d3a497e1/nrftw_8.jpg'></figure><figure><img src='https://www.gameinformer.com/sites/default/files/styles/body_default/public/2024/02/29/2710130a/nrftw_1.jpg'></figure><figure><img src='https://www.gameinformer.com/sites/default/files/styles/body_default/public/2024/02/29/87588a4b/nrftw_2.jpg'></figure><figure><img src='https://www.gameinformer.com/sites/default/files/styles/body_default/public/2024/02/29/08645fc6/nrftw_3.jpg'></figure></section> Switching between these two builds, each with its own unique attack style, is as simple as pressing left or right on the d-pad. Up allows me to eat something like mushroom soup to restore health, while pressing down consumes a potion to regain poise, stamina, or focus, used for special controller-bumper attacks that saved me more than once. Just as I get confident taking on single enemies without worry, No Rest For The Wicked hits me with a group of three bullying the person I later learn is a blacksmith. Defeating all three takes me a few minutes and a couple of mushroom soups, but the payoff is worth it: a blacksmith to sell items to, repair damaged equipment, and purchase new armor and weapons. I have plenty to sell because moving through No Rest For The Wicked's spherical world is a feast for exploration. There might be a chest atop that castle ridge, an item under that sewer tunnel, something atop that fort reachable by climbing vines strewn across its side – the game invites detours from the main path often, and the reward is often worth it. It's also where I learn Moon uses extra-difficult enemies to gate players off from its expansive world. An axe-wielding foe guards one chest I find after climbing multiple ladders up a fort. His health bar barely moves after a few hits, so I leave and decide that fight is for another day. My hour or so of exploration and combat practice culminates in the game's first boss fight: Warrick the Torn. It's clear Warrick was once a man, but as some locals nearby who let me cook some soup at their bonfire explain, he's more creature than anything else now. As I creep up toward his area, the ground shakes (and the screen, too) as a terrifying roar spreads through the trees, bristling in the wind. Moon is telling me a boss is coming. <img loading="lazy" src="https://www.gameinformer.com/sites/default/files/styles/body_default/public/2024/02/29/f4a2dcca/nrftw_5.jpg" alt="no rest for the wicked gameplay images screenshots preview hands-on early access build" typeof="foaf:Image" class="image-style-body-default" /> When I step into Warrick's arena, a quick cutscene reveals his monstrous size. Seconds later, a sword twice my length slashes through me, and my health bar is halved, just like that. Though I get in a few hits, I use this first bout to size Warrick up and determine his attack pattern. He slashes in wide, almost unavoidable swaths, lunges across the arena with his sword in front, and body slams the ground beneath him, but not before jumping up and doing that devilishly evil mid-air pause I know well from my hours with From's games. That delayed descent is my cause of death, as I don't take it into account when attempting to dodge-roll out of the way. Revived at a nearby Cerim Whisper, a blue spin on the Dark Souls bonfire, I return to Warrick once more. This time, I get his health down to a sliver, and he does the same to me – he wins. Third time's the charm, right? By my third attempt, I have his attacks memorized enough to safely dodge out of the way and counter with quick dual dagger attacks before switching to my sword/shield combo to parry his next wave of hits. A perfect parry leaves Warrick open for multiple hits, and after a few successful blocks, I take him down. My time ends with a cutscene revealing my journey in this foreign land has only just begun. I know what's next – I watched Marcus experience it in Mahler's makeshift Moon headquarters – but this preview build ends here. Fortunately for you, Game Informer has plenty of exclusive details about what's next in No Rest For The Wicked, and with our digital magazine launch on March 5 (with physical issues arriving in the coming weeks), you don't have to wait too long to find out. Purchase

Street Fighter 6 Ed Early Impressions

Brian Shea — Sun, 25 Feb 2024 18:55:14 CST

<img loading="lazy" src="https://www.gameinformer.com/sites/default/files/styles/body_default/public/2024/02/25/95de8fd0/img_4284.jpg" width="800" height="450" alt="" typeof="foaf:Image" class="image-style-body-default" /> When it launched last June, <a href="https://www.gameinformer.com/review/street-fighter-6/a-clean-reversal">Street Fighter 6  immediately earned critical acclaim</a>, differentiating itself from its predecessor. With 18 fighters and a wealth of single-player content on offer, Street Fighter 6 gave players plenty to enjoy in its earliest days, but that’s not stopping the team from pursuing a post-launch content plan similar to the one that eventually righted the ship with Street Fighter V. Last July, the SFV debutant Rashid joined the roster, followed by new challenger AKI in September. During Capcom Cup X, we went hands on with Ed, the latest Street Fighter 6 DLC character, before he joins the fight this week. Ed first appeared as a non-playable character in Street Fighter IV before joining the actual roster in the second wave of Street Fighter V’s DLC. Raised by Shadaloo as a potential replacement body for M. Bison, Ed can wield Psycho Power, which he uses to great effect in Street Fighter 6. <section class='type:slideshow'><figure><img src='https://www.gameinformer.com/sites/default/files/styles/body_default/public/2024/02/25/1fea5ffc/img_4280.jpg'></figure><figure><img src='https://www.gameinformer.com/sites/default/files/styles/body_default/public/2024/02/25/a5c9c2e9/img_4282.jpg'></figure><figure><img src='https://www.gameinformer.com/sites/default/files/styles/body_default/public/2024/02/25/264995d3/img_4283.jpg'></figure><figure><img src='https://www.gameinformer.com/sites/default/files/styles/body_default/public/2024/02/25/95de8fd0/img_4284.jpg'></figure><figure><img src='https://www.gameinformer.com/sites/default/files/styles/body_default/public/2024/02/25/b6f83dff/img_4281.jpg'></figure></section>   As a protege of Balrog, Ed uses a combination of boxing and Psycho Power. He can pull off a mix of close and far-range attacks, but his bread and butter feels like his mid-range offerings, including a medium kick that actually activates a low-to-high mid-range punch combo that opponents will need to react quickly in order to block both punches. His special moves include a charging uppercut and a Psycho Power projectile that feels similar to Luke’s fireball, but again, his mid-range attacks are most effective, including a charged attack that can grab his opponent into the air, opening them up for a combo. You can also charge his heavy punch to pull off a Superman Punch that passes through the opponent and opens them up to additional attacks. Meanwhile, his Super Arts are also powerful, including one that throws a bevy of fast punches, one that launches a slow-moving, multi-hit projectile, and a cinematic Critical Art that ties the opponent up with ropes made of Psycho Power as Ed unloads on their body. Ed is also fast, letting him get in and out. Cornering . He feels like he has a high skill ceiling, but even after playing him for just 45 minutes, I was learning devastating combos, particularly when I was able to corner my opponent. Ed arrives in Street Fighter 6 on February 27 as part of the Year 1 Character Pass. That pass also includes the aforementioned Rashid and AKI, as well as the upcoming Akuma. For more on Street Fighter 6, be sure to check out <a href="https://www.gameinformer.com/review/street-fighter-6/a-clean-reversal">our review</a> and <a href="https://www.gameinformer.com/streetfighter6">our exclusive coverage hub</a>.

Princess Peach: Showtime Preview - Landing The Part

Alex Van Aken — Tue, 20 Feb 2024 16:08:11 CST

Platform: Switch
Publisher: Nintendo
Developer: Nintendo
Release: <time datetime="2024-03-22T12:00:00Z" class="datetime">March 22, 2024</time>

What starts as a lovely evening visit to the Mushroom Kingdom’s Sparkle Theater turns into a hectic performance in <a href="https://www.gameinformer.com/nintendo-direct/2023/09/14/princess-peach-showtime-hits-switch-this-march">Princess Peach: Showtime,</a> in which Nintendo’s leading lady must help reclaim the playhouse from Grape and The Sour Bunch, a group of villains hellbent on stealing the spotlight. Peach must visit the theater’s many stages to assist the resident actors in getting the show back on track by transforming into special outfits to complete fun activities like cake decorating, ice skating, and sword fighting. My hands-on demo begins on the Sparkle Theater’s first floor, where I can enter four doorways in any order, each leading to a uniquely themed stage. Along the first path, I find a group of Theets, the bashful stewards of the playhouse, lamenting the theft of their baked sweets. With the help of a guardian named Stella, who gifts Peach a magic ribbon, I use my new ability to transform the Theets into sous-chefs who then draft a plan to prepare fresh pastries. <img loading="lazy" src="https://www.gameinformer.com/sites/default/files/styles/body_default/public/2024/02/20/d6c4263b/switch_pps_media_previews_broll_patissiere_t04.png" alt="Princess Peach Showtime" typeof="foaf:Image" class="image-style-body-default" /> I run an errand to a nearby farming set to collect necessary confection-making ingredients, however, I discover the head baker has disappeared when I return to the kitchen, and Peach must take their place. Using Stella’s ribbon, Peach transforms into a patisserie outfit and begins a series of enjoyable Mario Party-like mini-games. In one, you must repeatedly tap the action button to leaven dough to make the fluffiest bread possible, but you can ruin the dish if you overmix it. The next mini-game is my favorite: Peach must decorate a batch of cakes according to increasingly complex designs before time runs out. The delicacy transforms into a beautiful display if you follow the instructions correctly, making for a satisfying conclusion. After getting the play back on track, Peach visits other theaters that offer a familiar loop: rescue Theets from The Sour Bunch, help rebuild stage decorations, and unlock new transformations before confronting boss fights and other third-act encounters. Princess Peach: Showtime particularly excels in the variety it offers through these aforementioned transformations. Cowboy Peach is a blast to control, lassoing and throwing barrels at bosses while dodging incoming projectiles. Swordfighter Peach feels less inventive compared to off-the-wall variations like Figure Skater Peach, who competes in an ice skating competition against mind-controlled athletes. Lastly, Ninja Peach must evade watchtowers and patrolling guards with camouflage and wall-running abilities, which is novel when set against the backdrop of the Mushroom Kingdom. <img loading="lazy" src="https://www.gameinformer.com/sites/default/files/styles/body_default/public/2024/02/20/94bb9d3f/switch_pps_media_previews_broll_cowgirl_t03.png" alt="Princess Peach Showtime" typeof="foaf:Image" class="image-style-body-default" /> As aesthetically appealing as they are, the Sparkle Theater’s sets are sometimes a pain to navigate – mostly during small platforming segments wherein the 2D camera is at odds with the player’s ability to move Peach in a 3D space. While it’s frustrating to miss the occasional jump, it’s even more frustrating when the fixed camera perspective causes you to miss out on a collectible, some of which require you to replay the level if you miss them. I’m eager to try out more transformations like Dashing Thief Peach or Mighty Peach, the latter resembling Proto Man from the Mega Man series, but I’m still curious how much time we’ll get with each. Overall, Princess Peach: Showtime seems to fit well within Nintendo’s catalog of mascot action games, seemingly blending gameplay from <a href="https://www.gameinformer.com/review/kirby-and-the-forgotten-land/stretching-into-a-new-dimension">Kirby and The Forgotten Land</a> and Mario Party’s mini-games to make for a rousing return to the spotlight for Princess Peach. Purchase

Harold Halibut Is A Stop-Motion Adventure 11 Years In The Making

Kyle Hilliard — Wed, 07 Feb 2024 13:30:00 CST

Platform: PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, PC
Publisher: Slow Bros.
Developer: Slow Bros.
Release: <time datetime="2024-04-16T12:00:00Z" class="datetime">April 16, 2024</time>
Rating: Everyone 10+

The first teaser trailer for Harold Halibut was released seven years ago and was only a minute and a half long, but it immediately grabbed my attention. The footage showed a stop-animated Harold (or what looked stop-animated) cleaning up graffiti in an underwater facility. The striking visuals inspired a thought I don’t often have – how did they do that? It was my first question for game director Ole Tillmann and art director Onat Hekimoglu when I recently spoke with them. <iframe width="560" height="315" frameBorder="0" allow="autoplay" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="360" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/Ua_qqaAQsBk" width="640"></iframe> “We actually started with the idea of wanting to make a stop motion game,” Tillmann says while citing that the first steps he and his team took toward making the game were in 2011. Harold Halibut is not truly stop-motion animated, but everything you see in the game is something the team has made in the real world. “We build sets and the puppets, and then we 3D-scan everything to make 3D models out of them,” Tillmann says. “Of course, they need some manual tweaking. But ultimately, we basically have the same kind of 3D models you would use in any other 3D game, which means we also have all the possibilities.” The result is a beautiful visual style that genuinely looks hand-crafted. Much of the team’s background is focused more on the art of making models and film as opposed to video games. “The whole team has very diverse backgrounds, from all kinds of different things that are not necessarily game-related,” Hekimoglu says. “We have lots of people in our team who hate games. But it’s actually a nice and interesting check to see if … if they like this game, then it will also work for people who are non-gamers,” Hekimoglu says. <img loading="lazy" src="https://www.gameinformer.com/sites/default/files/styles/body_default/public/2024/02/07/a3e4ba39/harold.jpg" typeof="foaf:Image" alt="" class="image-style-body-default" /> Game director Ole Tillmann and art director Onat Hekimoglu show off the model created for Harold The premise of the game is as compelling as the visuals. During the Cold War, a community of explorers and scientists left Earth, fearing its destruction. The mission was somewhat successful. The ship exited Earth searching for a new habitable planet, but it crash-landed on one covered in water, where external atmospheric issues prevented it from escaping. The ship and the folks living on it decided to make do with what they had. Now, generations of humans have survived for hundreds of years on this underwater planet. <img loading="lazy" src="https://www.gameinformer.com/sites/default/files/styles/body_default/public/2024/02/07/51b296ae/03_0.jpg" typeof="foaf:Image" alt="" class="image-style-body-default" /> Harold, alongside everyone he knows and meets throughout the game, has been on the ship his whole life. A short window of opportunity has appeared, however, granting them a brief chance to potentially leave and finally return to Earth. Tillmann and Hekimoglu showed me some gameplay that involved exploring the ship, meeting its residents, and helping them wherever possible. Harold moved between ship sections by climbing into a pipe that would fill with water and essentially flush him to a different area. <img loading="lazy" src="https://www.gameinformer.com/sites/default/files/styles/body_default/public/2024/02/07/f9e79388/04_0.jpg" typeof="foaf:Image" alt="" class="image-style-body-default" /> Harold Halibut is an adventure game, but potentially complicated puzzles shouldn’t scare you off. “We were thinking about a point-and-click adventure, and we thought no, it would slow the story down. So why don’t we drop like all the puzzles?” Tillman says, citing the success of games like Night in the Woods and Firewatch giving them confidence that players would embrace an adventure game focused entirely on narrative. Still, the team was not interested in making a film. “At one point, we really thought about a case that while this is a very cinematic and narrative-focused game, there is still something that the interactivity adds to it,” Hekimoglu says. “Even if it’s just walking around and talking with people, because it enables a more empathic connection to the medium.” Harold Halibut has been in the works for a long time, but it will finally be released this year on Xbox Game Pass alongside other platforms. <a href="https://store.steampowered.com/app/924750/Harold_Halibut/">You can check out a demo for the game right now on Steam of part of Next Fest</a>. This article originally appeared in <a href="https://www.gameinformer.com/magazine">Issue 361</a> of Game Informer. Purchase

Final Fantasy VII Rebirth State Of Play Dives Deep Into World Exploration, Side Content, And Character Relationships

Brian Shea — Tue, 06 Feb 2024 18:39:42 CST

<img loading="lazy" src="https://www.gameinformer.com/sites/default/files/styles/body_default/public/2024/02/01/a1992a1e/en_05_ff7rebirth_ss_1208_world_png_jpgcopy.jpg" width="800" height="450" alt="Final Fantasy VII Rebirth" typeof="foaf:Image" class="image-style-body-default" /> During today's PlayStation State of Play, Square Enix gave us new details for what to expect when Final Fantasy VII Rebirth arrives later this month. The game continues to impress with each passing look, earning its spot as the <a data-entity-substitution="canonical" data-entity-type="node" data-entity-uuid="c48e08e7-97c5-461f-a105-3d959db52ea3" href="https://www.gameinformer.com/the-game-awards-2023/2023/12/07/every-winner-at-the-game-awards-2023">"Most Anticipated Game" at The Game Awards 2023</a>. The world of Final Fantasy VII Rebirth is broken into various regions, which seamlessly blend into one another. After the intro sequence, players enter into the Grasslands, a grassy area south of Midgar. From there, you travel to Junon, a vast open area in the shadow of Shinra's military; this area also features chocobos that can climb up cliffsides. The game also includes Corel, which features the touristy beach town of Costa del Sol, the massive playground known as Gold Saucer, and the dusty portion of the region to the south. The Gongaga region allows you to explore Zack's hometown and explore the Mako Reactor. The Cosmo Canyon region lets you learn more about Red XIII's roots and glide around on special chocobos. The Nibel region lets you relive Cloud and Tifa's younger days and visit Shinra Manner. Finally, Meridian Ocean allows you to explore the waters. <img loading="lazy" src="https://www.gameinformer.com/sites/default/files/styles/body_default/public/2024/02/06/aa866b0c/ff71.jpg" typeof="foaf:Image" alt="" class="image-style-body-default" /> As you explore, you can assist Chadley with side quests to let him develop new Materia. These World Intel quests sometimes require you to wrangle chocobos or play with mooglets. They also include exploration tasks like unlocking the secrets of divine entities in their sanctuaries or fighting powerful monsters in optional lairs. There's even a protorelic investigation sequence that transports the cast to look closer to their appearances in the original game, though it's uncertain if each protorelic investigation will include this gimmick, as the stream said each will include different characters and objectives. What we do know is that once you recover all the protorelics, something big will happen. Odd jobs are also scattered worldwide, allowing you to learn more about the world and its inhabitants. These odd jobs will also strengthen Cloud's bond with his party members. These sometimes pay homage to classic storylines in the original game, or expand beyond the scope in exciting ways. If you're concerned about moving on from a region before finishing all the side content, don't fret: Square Enix assures players story progression won't affect your ability to complete side content. As director Naoki Hamaguchi stated in the presentation, "This freedom to experience the story how you want, is one of Rebirth's greatest strengths." <img loading="lazy" src="https://www.gameinformer.com/sites/default/files/styles/body_default/public/2024/02/06/0f47365e/space.jpg" typeof="foaf:Image" alt="" class="image-style-body-default" /> Completing side quests, fighting alongside your party, and choosing different dialogue options will improve your relationship with your party members, which can influence who you take on a date in Gold Saucer. On top of that, characters can also develop deeper relationships with one another, raising your Party Level. As your Party Level rises, you can unlock more skills in the characters' folios, Rebirth's version of the skill tree. You can reset the characters' folios at any time. Speaking of Gold Saucer, that fan-favorite location has plenty of minigames on offer, including chocobo racing, G-Bike, and 3D Brawler. Each has been remade from the ground up. Fans can even take part in Star Fox-esque space battles, gallery shooting, and what looks like soccer against chocobos. Others, like riding dolphins and performing in the military parade, have been fleshed out substantially in Rebirth. And of course, the card battler Queen's Blood is one that director Naoki Hamaguchi recommends players check out. <img loading="lazy" src="https://www.gameinformer.com/sites/default/files/styles/body_default/public/2024/02/01/db265e6f/ffvii_rebirth_december_keyart_16x9_png_jpgcopy.jpg" alt="Final Fantasy VII Rebirth" title="Final Fantasy VII Rebirth" typeof="foaf:Image" class="image-style-body-default" /> From the graphical perspective, Final Fantasy VII Rebirth continues to impress. This second entry in the Remake trilogy delivers more and higher quality cinematic storytelling content than its 2020 predecessor. Rebirth takes full advantage of the PS5's SSD to deliver higher resolution textures faster than ever before. This entry includes a graphics mode, which delivers 4K resolution, and a performance mode, which offers constant 60 frames-per-second performance. The music aims to pay respect to the original tracks while also expanding to include new tracks that accentuate the feeling of the new scenes. Square Enix recorded well over 400 new tracks for Final Fantasy VII Rebirth, so if you're a fan of Final Fantasy music, you're in luck with Rebirth. As you move through the world and progress through the story, you utilize the various abilities of the party members as you control different characters. Barret can shoot objects other characters can't reach, Yuffie can swing across gaps, Tifa can grapple up ledges, Red XIII can climb up walls, Cait Sith can pick up and throw items, and Aerith can manipulate the lifestream. All of these abilities will allow players to solve various environmental puzzles and further explore the world. And of course, each character has special Synergy Abilities with one another, further showcasing not only the characters' unique abilities, but their bonds with one another. <img loading="lazy" src="https://www.gameinformer.com/sites/default/files/styles/body_default/public/2024/02/01/0cba48b3/en_01_ff7rebirth_ss_1208_battle_png_jpgcopy.jpg" alt="Final Fantasy VII Rebirth" title="Final Fantasy VII Rebirth" typeof="foaf:Image" class="image-style-body-default" /> The State of Play ended with news that <a data-entity-substitution="canonical" data-entity-type="node" data-entity-uuid="589c3537-d2d8-4117-a85e-3db09dd6d796" href="https://www.gameinformer.com/state-of-play/2024/02/06/final-fantasy-vii-rebirth-demo-available-now">a demo for Final Fantasy VII Rebirth is available now</a>. Final Fantasy VII Rebirth arrives on February 29 on PlayStation 5. For more, check out our latest hands-on preview and interview <a data-entity-substitution="canonical" data-entity-type="node" data-entity-uuid="89409877-2d8d-4313-97ce-bd17cf6913f4" href="https://www.gameinformer.com/preview/2024/02/06/an-extended-demo-only-made-me-even-more-excited">here</a>. How are you feeling about Final Fantasy VII Rebirth? Do you think this will soar higher than Final Fantasy VII Remake? Sound off in the comments below!

The Beginning Of Final Fantasy VII Rebirth Only Made Me More Excited

Brian Shea — Tue, 06 Feb 2024 18:01:00 CST

Platform: PlayStation 5
Publisher: Square Enix
Developer: Square Enix
Release: <time datetime="2024-02-29T12:00:00Z" class="datetime">February 29, 2024</time>
Rating: Teen

It's no secret that I've spent a lot of time playing, seeing, talking about, and writing about Final Fantasy VII Rebirth. Having traveled to Japan to spend two days in Square Enix's Tokyo headquarters with demos and interviews, then reporting on it through <a href="https://www.gameinformer.com/cover-reveal/2023/12/19/cover-reveal-final-fantasy-vii-rebirth">our previous issue's cover story</a> and subsequent <a data-entity-substitution="canonical" data-entity-type="node" data-entity-uuid="e00c33ec-b0ed-43cc-a0d1-e6f78b1fe434" href="https://www.gameinformer.com/FF7Rebirth">exclusive coverage hub</a>, I already had an idea that I would be a fan of what Final Fantasy VII Rebirth, the second entry in the Final Fantasy VII Remake trilogy, brings to the table. However, after coming out of the hours-long gameplay session and another conversation with director Naoki Hamaguchi and producer Yoshinori Kitase, I'm somehow even more excited for the game I picked as my most anticipated release of 2024. <h2>Entering Final Fantasy VII Rebirth</h2> My hands-on demo kicks off from the first chapter, which briefly recaps the events of Final Fantasy VII Remake before transporting us to a flashback sequence with Cloud serving as the narrator. The sequence is the famous Nibelheim flashback featuring Cloud and Sephiroth. This portion of the demo is much longer than the portion <a data-entity-substitution="canonical" data-entity-type="node" data-entity-uuid="7b71ce66-5ff7-4b70-b752-c7cde4ccde4f" href="https://www.gameinformer.com/preview/2023/12/19/exclusive-impressions-from-exploring-junon">I previously played</a> and much more cinematic. During this sequence, I refamiliarized myself with the controls and even had the chance to finally get my hands on the piano minigame, which definitely feels extremely flexible in allowing people to create their own music once they get the hang of hitting different notes with the controller. <img loading="lazy" src="https://www.gameinformer.com/sites/default/files/styles/body_default/public/2023/12/12/037c7185/ffviirebirth_game_informer_image_3.jpg" alt="Final Fantasy VII Rebirth" title="Final Fantasy VII Rebirth" typeof="foaf:Image" class="image-style-body-default" /> During the Mt. Nibel expedition, I loved watching younger versions of Cloud, Sephiroth, and Tifa interact as they make their way through this section of the game. And, of course, if you played the original, you know what happens next, which hits with extra weight thanks to the modernizations made by the team at Square Enix. "I am particularly really excited about the Chapter 1 Nibelheim area in which we're now able to depict Sephiroth more in-depth and really dive into his character in ways which were not done in the original that we can now do," Hamaguchi says. "I believe that this area is almost like the origin of the entire storyline of Final Fantasy VII. So, I believe that by experiencing the scene and playing this part, players will be able to have a much deeper understanding of the game and of the Final Fantasy VII story." <h2 class="subhead-aside">Stepping on Stage</h2> While Final Fantasy VII Rebirth's director Naoki Hamaguchi is looking forward to players' reactions to scenes like the Gold Saucer date, the <a data-entity-substitution="canonical" data-entity-type="node" data-entity-uuid="27f64979-786f-4e05-9a35-22c124b15bff" href="https://www.gameinformer.com/preview/2024/01/01/the-expanded-scene-the-developers-cant-wait-for-players-to-see">scene featuring Dyne in Corel Prison</a>, the Nibelheim sequence, and, of course, <a data-entity-substitution="canonical" data-entity-type="node" data-entity-uuid="b87c78db-3f9f-48e6-96c3-ec2a94bbda8d" href="https://www.gameinformer.com/preview/2023/12/29/square-enix-talks-aeriths-big-scene">the events at the Forgotten City</a>, producer Yoshinori Kitase is excited for players to experience the in-game performance of the game's theme song. <img loading="lazy" src="https://www.gameinformer.com/sites/default/files/styles/body_default/public/2024/02/01/1ceaa5df/en_25_ff7rebirth_ss_1208_trailer_png_jpgcopy.jpg" alt="Final Fantasy VII Rebirth" title="Final Fantasy VII Rebirth" typeof="foaf:Image" class="image-style-body-default" /> "There are a ton of parts, especially in the latter half of Rebirth, that are really impressionable," Kitase says. "One for me is the Loveless musical production, which plays out on stage. There, the theme song for Final Fantasy VII Rebirth, <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5J1XteOLA0g">which was presented at The Game Awards</a>, will be performed beautifully by Aerith. It's this extremely cinematic, dramatic scene that is really wonderful." Standing in contrast to "Hollow," the vocal theme song from Final Fantasy VII Remake, "No Promises to Keep" puts players in a different perspective. "With the lyrics in 'Hollow,' it's actually meant to depict Cloud's feelings and emotions," Kitase says. "Conversely, with 'No Promises to Keep,' it's more about Aerith's feelings within the lyrics; it's written that way. That's something I'd like for players to notice as well." <img loading="lazy" src="https://www.gameinformer.com/sites/default/files/styles/body_default/public/2024/02/01/426b5601/01_ff7rebirth_ss_1117_world_png_jpgcopy.jpg" alt="Final Fantasy VII Rebirth" title="Final Fantasy VII Rebirth" typeof="foaf:Image" class="image-style-body-default" /> <h2>Opening Up</h2> After a surprisingly long Nibelheim introductory section, I'm transported back to the present day. One of the first things I did was learn how to play Queen's Blood, probably the <a data-entity-substitution="canonical" data-entity-type="node" data-entity-uuid="b0275495-07fc-46f1-a537-6bd376539151" href="https://www.gameinformer.com/preview/2023/12/20/how-square-enix-is-filling-rebirths-world-with-sidequests">most prominent minigame in Final Fantasy VII Rebirth</a>. "For Chapter 2, we immediately start it off with a tutorial for Queen's Blood, in which the player will jump into playing this game," Hamaguchi says. "In that way, we wanted to express that you are now entering this part of the game with a ton of side content. It's sort of this message to say there's going to be a variety of content available now and in this world to explore." This lane-based competitive card game sees you competing against NPCs within the world. I don't get the best feel for the game in this demo since I want to check out how the rest of the game is shaping up, but I definitely feel like it's going to be a minigame I can sink my teeth into. But beyond the gameplay mechanics, you'll unravel a story surrounding the lore of Queen's Blood. "As Cloud keeps playing the card game, there's this past tragedy surrounding Queen's Blood that starts unfolding," Hamaguchi says. "There's this storyline that's particular to Queen's Blood that we'll be able to see taking place, and in there, we'll see not only characters from the main storyline but also very popular characters that we all love that are also engaged in the story." I won't spoil the beat-by-beat story moments, but suffice it to say that Cloud and his team's safe harbor in Kalm is disrupted, and they must flee the haven they once had. From there, the world opens up dramatically as I enter the vast grasslands. I'm told to run away from the area I'm in, so I do just that. From there, I learn of a marsh that I need to cross, but when I get there, warning signs tell the team that they'll be taken by the Midgardsormr, so I head to a chocobo ranch to rent a bird. <img loading="lazy" src="https://www.gameinformer.com/sites/default/files/styles/body_default/public/2024/02/01/162a7fcc/04_ff7rebirth_ss_1117_character_png_jpgcopy.jpg" alt="Final Fantasy VII Rebirth" title="Final Fantasy VII Rebirth" typeof="foaf:Image" class="image-style-body-default" /> As I bounce between points of interest, I get another chance to enjoy Rebirth's excellent combat system. Taking out smaller grassland creatures, I build up my ATB gauge to unleash special abilities and spells, eventually unleashing Limit attacks and Synergy Abilities. Everything just flows so nicely from one action to the next, and it never feels jarring when going between the real-time action and turn-based-inspired menu combat. After a few of these fights, I find my way to the chocobo ranch. Once there, I'm told the chocobos have all been rented out, but I can try to catch one that recently escaped the farm myself. Immediately upon hearing those words, I get awful flashbacks to the tedium often accompanying these early chocobo encounters in the original Final Fantasy VII. Thankfully, it's much more palatable in Rebirth. Once in the area of the chocobo, and enter a sequence when I need to stealthily sneak past some nearby chocobo friends in order to reach the one I'm trying to catch. After waiting for a couple of chocobos to look the other way, I get near the objective. I toss a rock to get it to look the other way and hop on its back to successfully catch the chocobo. From then on, I only need to push a button to summon them. Exploring Final Fantasy VII Rebirth's much more open world is much faster on chocobos than on foot. If you so choose, you can also run from would-be foes in a much easier fashion. After that, my time is running short, so I make a beeline for the marshes. This time, when I arrive, I can ride the chocobo as it swims through the shallow water. <img loading="lazy" src="https://www.gameinformer.com/sites/default/files/styles/body_default/public/2024/02/01/44c0560d/en_04_ff7rebirth_ss_1117_battle_png_jpgcopy.jpg" alt="Final Fantasy VII Rebirth" title="Final Fantasy VII Rebirth" typeof="foaf:Image" class="image-style-body-default" /> After only a little exploration, Chadley chimes in to ask if I see any sparkling minerals nearby; sure enough, I do. He informs me that if I follow the light from the mineral, it will lead me to a sanctuary that honors the tutelary deity of that region. I follow it up a cliffside to find a sanctuary devoted to Titan. Chadley asks me to help him synchronize with the crystal so he can extract data on the entity. The minigame asks me to memorize when beeps occur in a brief period and then press them in time during a second rotation, but without the visual guide. I'm able to complete this synchronization, but I worry about more difficult iterations of this particular puzzle type. I return to the marsh, but unfortunately my time is short and I'm unable to make it to the boss battle that awaited me at the end of the demo, but when you combine my hands-on time from when I was at Square Enix's headquarters with this session, I'm at the point where I'm just ready to play the final version of the game. I relinquished my controller, and now I'm filled with nothing but anticipation. <h2 class="subhead-aside">The Enduring Zack Mystery</h2> <img loading="lazy" src="https://www.gameinformer.com/sites/default/files/styles/body_default/public/2023/12/12/306b5302/ffviirebirth_game_informer_image_1.jpg" alt="Final Fantasy VII Rebirth" title="Final Fantasy VII Rebirth" typeof="foaf:Image" class="image-style-body-default" /> One of the biggest questions coming into Final Fantasy VII Rebirth is regarding Zack's role. While the team has <a data-entity-substitution="canonical" data-entity-type="node" data-entity-uuid="1ebe6b8f-5e20-497c-9a61-73cbd50546c9" href="https://www.gameinformer.com/preview/2024/01/03/square-enix-hints-at-zacks-expanded-role">told me some high-level details</a>, Square Enix is exercising extreme caution regarding the character's role in this second entry to the Remake trilogy. "What I'd like for players to do is play for themselves," director Naoki Hamaguchi says. "I really just want them to be shocked playing the game and really just see for themselves. For any details around Zack's role, I don't intent to share much information before launch. One thing I can mention is that once players begin playing Rebirth, in not so much time, there will be a surprise waiting for them." <img loading="lazy" src="https://www.gameinformer.com/sites/default/files/styles/body_default/public/2024/02/01/a1992a1e/en_05_ff7rebirth_ss_1208_world_png_jpgcopy.jpg" alt="Final Fantasy VII Rebirth" title="Final Fantasy VII Rebirth" typeof="foaf:Image" class="image-style-body-default" /> <h2>The Road Ahead</h2> In December, Final Fantasy VII Rebirth <a data-entity-substitution="canonical" data-entity-type="node" data-entity-uuid="c48e08e7-97c5-461f-a105-3d959db52ea3" href="https://www.gameinformer.com/the-game-awards-2023/2023/12/07/every-winner-at-the-game-awards-2023">won "Most Anticipated Game" at The Game Awards 2023</a>, and the team has noticed consistently positive reception from fans and media prior to launch. "Seeing that Rebirth is a title within the mainline Final Fantasy series and the remake of the seventh title, and Rebirth being the second title within a trilogy, this may make it seem complicated for some players, but seeing this extremely positive reception and the fact that we were awarded 'Most Anticipated Game' shows that this game is really reaching out towards both existing fans and new players of the series," Kitase says. "It's a very wonderful feeling to be able to gain this really positive surge of interest from players all around just prior to launch. It's a really positive flow of energy that we've got going over here." In talking with Hamaguchi and Kitase, they seem extremely confident in the experience players will play when Final Fantasy VII Rebirth arrives later this month. "I've been working at Square Enix for over 20 years, working on the Final Fantasy series throughout my time here," Hamaguchi says. "I would say that out of these years, Rebirth is easily the title in which I have the most confidence and I'm most proud of bringing into the world. It's very exciting and wonderful hearing all this positive reception prior to launch, of course, and I'm equally very excited to see the players' feedback and perceptions post-launch as well. As much as the players are anticipating the release of the game, I myself feel the same way!" Obviously, nothing is a sure thing, but there certainly are games that look great ahead of launch and games that have a massive collection of red flags. Final Fantasy VII Rebirth exists firmly on the "games that look great" side of that spectrum. While only time will tell if Final Fantasy VII Rebirth exceeds the bar set by the first entry in its trilogy, all signs seem to indicate that February 29 should stick out on your calendar for more reasons than the fact that it only comes around every four years. For more on Final Fantasy VII Rebirth, <a data-entity-substitution="canonical" data-entity-type="node" data-entity-uuid="e00c33ec-b0ed-43cc-a0d1-e6f78b1fe434" href="https://www.gameinformer.com/FF7Rebirth">head here for our in-depth coverage hub</a>, where you'll learn about the various characters in Final Fantasy VII Rebirth, how the developers handle pivotal scenes, and plenty more! Purchase

Catching Chocobos And Exploring The Grasslands In Final Fantasy VII Rebirth | New Gameplay Today

Wesley LeBlanc — Tue, 06 Feb 2024 18:01:00 CST

<img loading="lazy" src="https://www.gameinformer.com/sites/default/files/styles/body_default/public/2024/02/05/aad5f06d/ngt_catchingchocobos_yt_1.jpg" width="800" height="450" alt="final fantasy vii 7 rebirth final preview game informer new gameplay today video cloud tifa aerith chocobos" typeof="foaf:Image" class="image-style-body-default" /> Final Fantasy VII Rebirth is almost here – it hits PlayStation 5 exclusively on February 29. Game Informer has plenty of coverage about the game, whether it's our <a href="https://www.gameinformer.com/product/final-fantasy-vii-rebirth">traditional coverage</a> or our <a href="https://www.gameinformer.com/FF7Rebirth">exclusive Final Fantasy VII Rebirth cover story and content hub</a>, but editor Brian Shea recently previewed the game one last time in Los Angeles before its launch.  Brian and editor Wesley LeBlanc teamed up for one more New Gameplay Today about the game, this time exploring Final Fantasy VII Rebirth's grasslands open area to catch a chocobo, find a summon sanctuary, take part in a race, and more.  Check it out below:  <iframe width="560" height="315" frameBorder="0" allow="autoplay" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="360" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/IyygRpLA4PM" width="640"></iframe> Final Fantasy VII Rebirth hits PS5 later this month on February 29.  Head over to Game Informer's <a href="https://www.youtube.com/gameinformer" target="_blank">YouTube channel</a> for more previews, reviews, and discussions of new and upcoming games. Watch other episodes of New Gameplay Today <a href="https://www.gameinformer.com/ngt" target="_blank">right here.</a>

Steam Next Fest Demos You Should Check Out | New Gameplay Today

Wesley LeBlanc — Fri, 02 Feb 2024 12:30:00 CST

<img loading="lazy" src="https://www.gameinformer.com/sites/default/files/styles/body_default/public/2024/02/02/8286a4e4/ngt_steamnextfestdemos_yt.jpg" width="800" height="450" alt="steam next fest demos previews pepper grinder kamaeru a frog refuge dystopika" typeof="foaf:Image" class="image-style-body-default" /> It's February, which means Steam Next Fest is upon us! If you're unfamiliar with what this festive celebration of games is, every year, Steam holds its Next Fest to highlight (mostly) indie games coming out this year and beyond with fun, often bite-sized demos. And the best part is the demos are completely free!  Game Informer got access to some of these demos before their launch when Steam Next Fest begins on Monday, February 5, and enjoyed quite a few. That's why in today's installment of New Gameplay Today, hosts Wesely LeBlanc and Kyle Hilliard want to showcase three games: Pepper Grinder, a fun momentum-based platformer, Kamaeru: A Frog Refuge, a cozy frog farming sim, and Dystopika, a chill cyberpunk city builder.  Check out gameplay of all three of these demos in the NGT below:  <iframe width="560" height="315" frameBorder="0" allow="autoplay" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="360" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/-usqpG0mehs" width="640"></iframe> All three of these games are set to launch sometime later this year, but if you're interested, you can try each out (and dozens more) as part of Steam Next Fest, which begins Monday, February 5, and ends Monday, February 12.  Head over to Game Informer's <a href="https://www.youtube.com/gameinformer" target="_blank">YouTube channel</a> for more previews, reviews, and discussions of new and upcoming games. Watch other episodes of New Gameplay Today <a href="https://www.gameinformer.com/ngt" target="_blank">right here.</a>

How Penny’s Big Breakaway Is Breaking Away From The Rules Of Platforming Tradition

Wesley LeBlanc — Thu, 01 Feb 2024 15:50:00 CST

Platform: PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, Switch, PC
Publisher: Private Division
Developer: Evening Star
Release: <time datetime="2024-02-21T12:00:00Z" class="datetime">February 21, 2024</time>
Rating: Everyone

Sonic Mania is widely regarded as one of the blue blur’s best games. More than six years after its 2017 release, that sentiment remains as strong as ever, even after recent outings like 2022’s Sonic Frontiers and this year’s Sonic Superstars. While published by Sega, longtime Sonic fans who grew up playing the series, like Christian Whitehead, Hunter Bridges, Dave Padilla, Brad Flick, Tom Fry, and others, led the game’s development. And without speculating too much, the degree of separation afforded to these fans-turned-developers allowed Sonic Mania to feel like both a fresh breath of air and a return to form. Not wanting to wade too deep into the world of independent contracts and wishing to maintain the friendship between each other strengthened in Sonic Mania’s development, the five of them formed Evening Star months after the game’s release. Studio CEO and executive producer Padilla, CTO and game director Bridges, creative director and lead engine architect Whitehead, design director Flick, and art director Fry all admit the easy follow-up was right there: A Sonic Mania-type 2D platformer. It’s what fans of Sonic Mania wanted, and to their credit, they worked with Sega on potential sequel ideas before amicably parting ways. But, unsatisfied with the easy answer, Evening Star got to work on a 3D momentum-based platformer inspired by Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater, an early 20th Century ballet, and 1995’s Jumping Flash on PlayStation. <img loading="lazy" src="https://www.gameinformer.com/sites/default/files/styles/body_default/public/2024/02/01/6a044abc/01_0.jpg" typeof="foaf:Image" alt="" class="image-style-body-default" /> Evening Star “We always had this idea of, ‘Wouldn’t it be great if we had a character that could use a yo-yo to do different moves?’” Whitehead says. “Initially, we jotted them down on a 2D playfield, but there were several concurrent themes swirling in the background. At least for me, my perspective as a developer is I’ve spent the last decade working exclusively on 2D pixel art, so I really wanted to expand and prove that I could do something more than just one particular genre.” Whitehead says he’s aware Penny’s Big Breakaway is another platformer but says it’s a different flavor in a different dimension. After playing more than two hours of the game myself, experiencing the first three of 11 regions in the world of Macaroon, including three different boss stages and special Star Globe bonus levels, that much is clear. Knowing the development leads of Sonic Mania are responsible for what I play, it’s impossible to deny the momentum-based inspiration that lives in both titles. But Whitehead’s right – even beyond the obvious shift from 2D to 3D, Penny’s Big Breakaway features a different flavor. It is not just a new flavor for these developers but something unique in the long-standing platforming genre. <img loading="lazy" src="https://www.gameinformer.com/sites/default/files/2024/02/01/539247eb/02_0.jpg" typeof="foaf:Image" alt="" /> <h2>Breaking The Standards</h2> I’m terrible at the game, at least for the first handful of stages. It doesn’t help that I just watched Bridges speed through them like someone with intimate knowledge of every stage’s challenges, but I’m slow and struggle to combo yo-tagonist Penny’s yo-yo-based moves across ramps, flag poles, gaps, and more. Penny can toss her yo-yo forward to attack enemies and break barrels with a button on a controller or, more curiously, by flicking the right stick in a direction. And that directional input is independent of Penny, meaning you can flick the yo-yo to her right while she walks left. It’s admittedly bizarre at first – not because it doesn’t feel good, but because it’s so different from how I typically interact with the combat and moveset of a 3D platformer mascot. In the same vein, Penny can double jump, but instead of gaining a good amount of height with a second jump, she gains a barely noticeable amount; the purpose of her double jump isn’t height but a stop in momentum, Bridges tells me. She can dash by tossing her yo-yo forward, performed by flicking the right stick in the same direction twice, and she can swing left and right, forward and backward, on her yo-yo anywhere in the air as well. <img loading="lazy" src="https://www.gameinformer.com/sites/default/files/2024/02/01/1c2e1380/03_0.jpg" typeof="foaf:Image" alt="" /> Although it takes me some time – something I welcome because it’s rare to experience a new moveset that challenges my preconceptions of a genre – I finish my Penny’s Big Breakaway play time with the realization that it’s not a 3D platformer in the vein of something Nintendo might create, another challenged preconception. On the one hand, it’s a Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater-inspired platformer with an emphasis on momentum that will appeal heavily to speedrunners and time trial fans, with a constant score and Devil May Cry-style combo tracker on the right side of the screen, too. On the other, it’s a team’s love letter to the weird and sometimes broken platformers of the 3D genre’s early days. Together as a complete package, it rules. “The rules [of 3D platformers] at that stage weren’t really established that well,” Whitehead says. “I remember growing up playing a lot of PlayStation games where they were maybe a bit rough around the edges but trying to grapple platforming mechanics in 3D, and I felt really inspired by that era. I experienced that as a kid, but I wanted to experience that as a developer.” <img loading="lazy" src="https://www.gameinformer.com/sites/default/files/2024/02/01/141e62cd/04_0.jpg" typeof="foaf:Image" alt="" /> <h2>A Roundtable Philosophy</h2> Whitehead, admitting creative selfishness, says he wanted to try and make a PlayStation-style 3D platformer that fixes the problems he experienced growing up with the genre. The small slice I’ve played proves Evening Star is on the right path. But in speaking to others within Evening Star, like Bridges, Fry, Flick, and Padilla, it’s clear everyone is all-in on that idea. Even Fry, the art director on paper, says he was involved in all kinds of decisions outside of his development realm, a philosophy everyone else expresses too. “The collaborative effort is an intrinsic part of the team,” Fry says. “Not one person has an idea and everyone follows them like the Pied Piper with it. It’s something where we believe everyone has something of value to throw into the pot, and with the art, that’s certainly no different. I refer to it as a roundtable philosophy.” That collaborative energy even made its way into the so-far-amazing score of Penny’s Big Breakaway, which utilizes a wide range of weird synthesizer instruments, instrumentation from genres like Latin and Calypso, and more to create a jazz-like symphony of music. Bridges, Whitehead, and others in the team contributed to the score in various ways, even after Evening Star hired Streets of Rage 4 and TMNT: Shredder’s Revenge composer Tee Lopes, who the team also worked with on Sonic Mania, and Sean Bialo to create the score. <img loading="lazy" src="https://www.gameinformer.com/sites/default/files/2024/02/01/cf9bed61/05_1.jpg" typeof="foaf:Image" alt="" /> <h2>Performance Art</h2> If one aspect of Penny’s Big Breakaway speaks most to its early PlayStation inspiration, it’s the art direction. Inspired by the early 20th Century Triadisches Ballett and the Germanic Bauhaus art movement from the same period, combining colorful abstract ideas with primitive geometry, the world of Macaroon feels like one big performance. Your social status is defined by the performance you can give to denizens of the world. Every stage ends with a “Busker” bonus that requires quick and accurate QTE sequence completion to add additional points to your total score. Within each stage are three denizen challenges, like collecting four missing tax forms for an electric company while riding Penny’s yo-yo like a unicycle, and during the Busker bonus, the denizens you help watch you perform. Even the conceit of the narrative speaks to the idea of performance art being everything – Penny attends a talent show after finding a special yo-yo with an insatiable hunger and, instead of wowing the emperor with a showstopping performance, the yo-yo eats the emperor’s clothes. She spends the rest of the game running further and further away from the emperor and Macaroon’s capital, chased to the world’s edges by the emperor’s ever-present penguins, only temporarily slowed by your efforts and never outright defeated. <img loading="lazy" src="https://www.gameinformer.com/sites/default/files/2024/02/01/f85b4bbc/06.jpg" typeof="foaf:Image" alt="" /> “We want the game to keep the flow and dribble going,” Bridges tells me. “We really wanted to have that rhythm [...] and never interrupt that. It’s a game where the most skilled players can theoretically make it through a level in an unbroken string of moves. That’s Penny’s masterful performance.” That’s why Evening Star controls the camera at all times, which requires a flip in my brain. With three denizen challenges to complete and three Show Pieces to find in each level, I want to explore every nook and cranny. But without camera control, I can’t, and I hate this at first. It’s only after realizing that if Evening Star isn’t allowing the camera to take me here or there, then there isn’t anything to miss that I begin to play on the team’s terms. This switch is freeing, realizing Penny’s platforming playground is predicated on my ability to keep moving forward to where Evening Star was taking me in its design. With thoughtful movement and a keen eye, completing every challenge and finding every Show Piece feels intrinsic to Penny’s “performance” in each stage. <img loading="lazy" src="https://www.gameinformer.com/sites/default/files/2024/02/01/093e37f0/07_0.jpg" typeof="foaf:Image" alt="" /> The game clashed with every notion I had of 3D platforming. I wanted to take things slow; I wanted to search every corner for something; I wanted to take my time. But Penny’s Big Breakaway is a welcome antithesis to everything (mostly) Nintendo had taught me about this genre. It’s a bold design choice and one I would have called risky on paper. In talking with Evening Star, it’s clear it understood that risk going into its first original game and IP. However, each member I spoke to expressed humble confidence in their respective facets of the game’s development. “There are a lot of skills we really excel at when making games, and a lot of specific nuances we bring to the table because of our team dynamic and our tools, and I don’t think it’s going to be a complete surprise,” Padilla says. “I think a lot of folks are going to see this as something completely new and something completely original, but in terms of what we’ve done before and what we’re doing now, and hopefully what we’re doing in the future, folks are going to be able to connect the dots.” <section class='type:slideshow'><figure><img src='https://www.gameinformer.com/sites/default/files/styles/body_default/public/2024/02/01/e6bfea03/penny01.jpg'></figure><figure><img src='https://www.gameinformer.com/sites/default/files/styles/body_default/public/2024/02/01/a4e6aa0c/penny02.jpg'></figure><figure><img src='https://www.gameinformer.com/sites/default/files/styles/body_default/public/2024/02/01/bc0e8966/penny03.jpg'></figure><figure><img src='https://www.gameinformer.com/sites/default/files/styles/body_default/public/2024/02/01/ff5c7d78/penny04.jpg'></figure><figure><img src='https://www.gameinformer.com/sites/default/files/styles/body_default/public/2024/02/01/97ac222d/penny05.jpg'></figure><figure><img src='https://www.gameinformer.com/sites/default/files/styles/body_default/public/2024/02/01/b37a18ff/penny06.jpg'></figure><figure><img src='https://www.gameinformer.com/sites/default/files/styles/body_default/public/2024/02/01/a1f69f91/penny07.jpg'></figure><figure><img src='https://www.gameinformer.com/sites/default/files/styles/body_default/public/2024/02/01/eab6b124/penny08.jpg'></figure><figure><img src='https://www.gameinformer.com/sites/default/files/styles/body_default/public/2024/02/01/e419f4b5/penny09.jpg'></figure><figure><img src='https://www.gameinformer.com/sites/default/files/styles/body_default/public/2024/02/01/cd7b77ae/penny10.jpg'></figure><figure><img src='https://www.gameinformer.com/sites/default/files/styles/body_default/public/2024/02/01/5119d92c/penny11.jpg'></figure><figure><img src='https://www.gameinformer.com/sites/default/files/styles/body_default/public/2024/02/01/6ed59dc5/penny12.jpg'></figure><figure><img src='https://www.gameinformer.com/sites/default/files/styles/body_default/public/2024/02/01/bbc228a9/penny13.jpg'></figure><figure><img src='https://www.gameinformer.com/sites/default/files/styles/body_default/public/2024/02/01/56ac6a1b/penny14.jpg'></figure><figure><img src='https://www.gameinformer.com/sites/default/files/styles/body_default/public/2024/02/01/e7a3414a/penny15.jpg'></figure><figure><img src='https://www.gameinformer.com/sites/default/files/styles/body_default/public/2024/02/01/e75cec08/penny16.jpg'></figure></section> This article originally appeared in <a href="https://www.gameinformer.com/magazine">Issue 362</a> of Game Informer. 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