One refrain has echoed through the internet and inside the minds of BioWare fans for some time. At the preview event I attended for Dragon Age: The Veilguard, it was frequently said: “It’s been almost 10 years since the last Dragon Age.”

It’s what I was thinking as I sat down at the PC to play, too. How could I not? 2014’s Dragon Age: Inquisition and its 2015 DLC Trespasser was the last we’ve seen of the continent of Thedas in video game form. Truly, after nearly a decade of waiting, I was just eager to know if there was an executable that would launch Dragon Age: The Veilguard.

Well, the good news is there’s an executable and much more beyond. Dragon Age: The Veilguard is real, and plays like a BioWare back in form, in a way we haven’t seen in quite some time.

The makings of a hero

My preview session kicked off with the introduction, playing a short talk-over from Varric that sets the stage for the action to follow. Solas, our lovable/loathable elf god pal from Inquisition, has been up to some hijinks since credits rolled on Trespasser. He’s set to conduct a ritual of some kind, altering the Veil, the magical barrier between the real world and the Fade. There are demons and other bad things in the Fade, so obviously, Varric and co. want to put a stop to it.

Rather than taking the mantle of the Inquisitor back up, the player’s put in the shoes of Rook, an up-and-coming talent Varric has scouted for his private group of Solas-stoppers. I’ll say first off that, while I like the tavern scene as an intro to your character’s look and an establishing moment for their approach to problem-solving, Rook does feel like they just sprung from the earth a hero. There’s a little choice-making in the character creator to help set up their backstory, but it felt a little thin to me, compared to other BioWare leads.

Thankfully, the character creator shines. It’s an extremely impressive engine, that I’m sure will keep fans of sliders and value shifting tinkering for hours upon hours. I saw a few other press folks get completely lost in the creation tool, and those who finished the preview content early—myself included—went right back in for more.

One of the coolest tools BioWare crafted for the character creator is the triangle slider for faces. Basically, take three preset head shapes and faces, and the creator lets you slide around a triangle, opting for more or less of each one’s individual qualities mixed with the group. It’s hard to describe in text, but seeing it in action is both incredibly intuitive and surprisingly effective.

Qunari characters have been a point of contention leading into Dragon Age: The Veilguard, as the Qunari seen so far have been a bit smoothed-out and human compared to the unique looks of past characters like the Arishok and the Iron Bull. While I did make one I was ultimately happy with, it did take some tinkering, and still had a bit of that smooth look. I think letting the horns extend a bit further down the forehead and temples would help, but otherwise, I mostly liked the Qunari Rook I arrived at, after about 10 to 15 minutes of playing with sliders.

The introduction plays out as we’ve seen it before: Rook and Varric meet up with scout Lace Harding and Neve Gallus, an investigator and mage of Minrathous, and rush to stop Solas from tearing open the Veil with his ritual. Things go wrong, Solas winds up trapped in the Veil, and two ancient elven gods he had imprisoned are let loose on Thedas.

Shifting the title from Dreadwolf to The Veilguard makes a bit more sense now, seeing it all play out. Solas certainly isn’t out of the picture; both his history and present predicament play into the action at hand. But dealing with Ghilan’nain and Elgar’nan, the elven gods that got let out, is a more pressing and immediate issue. The former in particular is visually striking, adding some unsettling body horror to this world. In fact, just be ready for a lot of creepy blight-related horror in The Veilguard, especially whenever Ghilan’nain is around.

There are plenty of minor antagonist factions too, from the Venatori to the ever-present Darkspawn, to fill the combat arena. The latter, Thedas’ long-time scourge, looks a bit different this time around, thanks to some Plot Reasons I won’t get too deep into. Suffice to say, I wondered why they looked different, and received an answer.

Rallying the guard

To fight the gods, you’ll need a good squad. And quickly, Dragon Age: The Veilguard gets you into the rhythm of building your party. We played two different missions, one recruiting the Veil Jumper Bellara Lutare, and another rescuing assassin and soon-to-be fan-favorite Lucanis Dellamorte from a magical underwater prison.

Immediately, this felt so familiar. That steady cadence of venturing out on missions to get new companions, talking to them back at base, and eventually unlocking new bits of their story or character-specific quests to encounter is one of the main appeals of BioWare for me. Thankfully, Veilguard has it locked down.

Like I said, Lucanis is charismatic from the jump. A suave assassin with a hint of magic and a darkness stirring within him? Sign me up. Harding’s own entanglements with magic seems to be leading her into investigations of dwarven culture, so that’s a huge bonus for anyone who loved the Orzammar sections of Dragon Age: Origins. Neve, Davrin, and Taash are all standouts I’d love to spend more time with, too. It’s a nice feeling, to have a group of likable, interesting companions that you just want to spend more time around. Chatting, laughing, maybe even smooching? Yes, there is romance.

Romance is obvious, because Dragon Age: The Veilguard adopts a similar chat wheel to its predecessors. Options will appear on the wheel, and they’ll usually have their tone communicated with a little art in the center; a stalwart knight might indicate a stoic response, for example, while the heart is an obvious green-light for flirting.

Everyone gathers and hangs out at the Lighthouse, a former base of operations for Solas inside the Fade, now home to the Veilguard. It has plenty of its own secrets to uncover, including some neat lore about Solas’ rebellion and the lore at large. There’s a workshop for upgrading equipment too, and this place also links into the Crossroads, an evolving zone with combat challenges and links to new areas that open up over the course of the game.

The world outside

With Dragon Age: The Veilguard taking place in the northern portion of the map, it seems like the focus is very much on new sights and sounds rather than old ones. While Orlais and Ferelden were mentioned, the adventures we saw focused on new regions we’ve really only heard about, like Minrathous and Treviso.

These areas are gorgeously realized and brought to life. I legitimately found myself stopping to take in the sights, whether it was the imposing panopticon-esque Templar watchtower in Minrathous or the alleyways of Treviso. It’s not all city streets, though; the Arlathan forest was filled with nature, contrasted with ancient ruins and technology.

It’s a bit hard to peg down a single “look” for Dragon Age: The Veilguard. It can be extremely colorful and bright in battle, or shift to staunch black-and-white for important moments. Magic ripples and crackles in the air, the blight oozes, and the grim fantasy of all it can feel foreboding in the right moments. More than a few moments were taken to show off just what BioWare can do with some modern technology, and they really worked.

All of this operates around a hub-and-spoke world design that truly works. Rather than another open-world entry, BioWare is opting for several zones that can link up to each other, while also spinning off into their own mission areas. Mass Effect 2’s Omega is an easy and familiar comparison point. These are worlds that can be explored, with stories and quests to find, but also then lead you off to special areas for the big quests.

These regions change, too, sometimes due to your own actions. I can’t really dive into details, but there are decisions you make that won’t just change whether someone likes you or not, but can leave permanent marks on the world. What I will say is that these changes are tangible ones you’ll contend with, rather than just a background alteration, and I loved how these changes were shown in-game.

Draw swords

Of course, aside from adventuring and chatting up companions, there’s also the combat. Many pillars of Dragon Age are still alive in The Veilguard: the Warrior/Rogue/Mage class split, using abilities to set up combos and detonation effects, and there are many returning spells and magical abilities.

Everyone gets a little extra oomph of power in Dragon Age: The Veilguard, though. Warriors can throw their shield like Captain America in their sword-and-shield stance, or hit a button to swap to their two-hander and start swinging. Rogues still feel combo-heavy, able to output huge amounts of damage and lock down single targets, though using gadgets and a bow felt fairly viable too. I didn’t spend too much time with Mage; it felt a bit slower to me, and besides, I’m pretty certain a lot of writers were spending their time flinging spells.

I personally loved playing the Rogue. Leaping into combat, dodging around giant axe swings and spells, and then throwing down a Lightning Flask to stagger my enemies into a brutal finisher felt great. The Ultimate skills take things a step further; mine threw out a bevy of explosives in an area in front of me, which was incredibly useful in boss’ add phases.

Combat in The Veilguard did have some noticeable shifts, though. I didn’t see health bars on my companions, which felt like it indicated they may not have them. Also, control was strictly limited to my character, with the occasional tactical menu pulled up to order an ally to fire off a spell at a certain target.

In practice, this felt a little less like Origins’ planning and tactics, and more like Mass Effect 2, a game I found mirrored quite often in The Veilguard. It means the action moves fast, battles are exciting, and everything narrows in on finding opportunities to do damage and stay alive. But I did feel some of that tactical layer peeled away in the process, at least for what I played.

I’m also curious to see how upgrades pan out, as the ones we picked up seemed to run the gamut from interesting additions (chance to proc Bleed on the final hit of a combo) to fairly mundane ones (a straightforward numbers boost). It can be hard to get a gauge on the power scale of an RPG in just one slice, but given the lengthy amount of time we had—over six hours, by my estimate—it did make me wonder.

A world in need of saving

Dragon Age: The Veilguard arrives at a juncture for BioWare. It’s not just the first Dragon Age game in almost a decade, but it’s also the newest RPG from a studio that’s been on rough waters. Mass Effect: Andromeda was, to use a tired phrase, a bit of a mixed bag, and Anthem was a noteworthy stumble.

The Veilguard itself went through its own iterations, and now has studio hopes hanging on it. Sure, there’s a new Mass Effect in the oven too, but eyes are on BioWare now to see if it can still do what BioWare has been notoriously known for: beefy RPGs with compelling characters and enthralling worlds.

After hours spent with Dragon Age: The Veilguard, I’m feeling much more positive than I was going in. Many of my concerns about what a BioWare game looks like, in 2024, were quickly washed away. The Veilguard is BioWare as hell: it’s got compelling characters, enthralling worlds, and plenty of beef.

Yet this crew, formed of some familiar faces and some new ones, seems to be making their own mark on it too. I can sift out the pieces that feel like older BioWare, sure; the ones that spark familiar tones of past games. But there’s some new ideas too. I love the world state changes, the quest-specific zones and areas, and the recontextualization of so many Dragon Age norms thanks to our new, northern locales.

Dragon Age: The Veilguard seems like it could see BioWare reclaiming its spot as a maker of big, exciting RPGs, and that’s encouraging. Walking in, I was just looking to see if the game was real. Now, I really can’t wait to get back to it.

_{[Travel and lodging for this preview was provided by the publisher.]}

The post Hands-on: Dragon Age: The Veilguard has action, companions, and world-building in full BioWare form appeared first on Destructoid.

Capcom is digging back into its vault and finally unearthing one of its most asked-after classics, packaging its pixel-era Marvel crossovers into a single game with the Marvel Vs. Capcom Fighting Collection. It's a compilation that would, indeed, like to take you for a ride.

While this collection is probably most notable for making Marvel Vs. Capcom 2 conveniently playable, it's also a tour through a fascinating, arguably foundational, era of Capcom's brawler development. So, to tackle its disparate parts, we've put two reviewers on the case. First off, I—Eric—will dig into the multiplayer fighting game aspect, from X-Men: Children of the Atom up through Marvel Vs. Capcom 2. Then Zoey will weigh in with expert knowledge on The Punisher, the side-scrolling beat 'em up packaged in with the bunch.

Marvel Vs. Capcom Fighting Collection: Arcade Classics (PC, Switch, PS4, PS5)
Developer: Capcom
Publisher: Capcom
Released: September 11, 2024
MSRP: $49.99

Wanna learn how to do an infinite?

It’s still a little surreal to see Capcom’s Marvel crossovers playable on a modern platform. Once Arcade1Up put out its Marvel cab, it felt inevitable that some kind of port would follow. But even for preservation’s sake alone, this collection is a big deal.

When the collection bears the name “Marvel Vs. Capcom” on the title, you know what the focus is. Everything here centers on Capcom’s legendary series of crossovers, starting with a few core Marvel games and building into Marvel Vs. Capcom 2.

Seeing these games in sequence like this really helps illustrate how Capcom built these characters and concepts up over time. You can see the first iterations of Cyclops and Wolverine duking it out and how those fighters shifted over the years from X-Men: Children of the Atom all the way through to MvC2.

Laying out the lineage like this is a nice touch, and thankfully, it’s pretty easy to play through a few rounds on every game. Though the lobby system is a little finicky for my taste, it certainly functions just fine, and the netcode felt solid in the matches I ran with someone across the States from me. Playing a first-to-three in Marvel Super Heroes and then swapping over to an X-Men or MvC is pretty smooth, making it easy to jump around through Capcom’s development timeline.

While the history is nice to see, there are obvious standouts. X-Men Vs. Street Fighter is a personal favorite of mine, and it’s been done well here. The original Marvel Vs. Capcom holds up well, too, and it’s neat to see how the tag and assist systems evolved in these crossover fighters over time.

Marvel Vs. Capcom 2 is the star of the show, though. It’s been years since I spent hours trying to climb in the Xbox 360 port, and many more since I first put a quarter in an MvC cab, so I do think it’s important to stress: Marvel Vs. Capcom 2 is one hell of a game.

I mean this in a few ways, too, because as fun as it is to play so many characters that feel so powerful, the line can quickly veer into something busted. It’s a rite of passage to go online in MvC2 and get bowled over by an Iron Man infinite or someone running a classic composition of god-tier fighters.

All the nastiness is here in spades, and for the sickos who want that, I think they’ll find it. Even as a critic, I’d still recommend the absolute MvC diehards check out in-depth reports from the likes of Justin Wong to see whether the granular details have translated well. But for someone like me, a casual MvC fan who just wants to play my favorite version of Jill Valentine and fight my friends, it’s a solid offering.

A few modernizations could help onboard newcomers, like the increasingly popular one-button specials option. It’s nice to see a good training mode in here, too. All of this points to a collection that could revitalize competitive interest in MvC; while the diehards have been using alternative methods for some time, this is another point where putting these games on a modern platform helps out.

Sadly, even modernization doesn't help all of these games shine as brightly as others. The aforementioned standouts are there, and I'm pretty sure if you're buying this collection, you're buying it for Marvel Vs. Capcom 2. Everything else is gravy on top. But after a handful of rounds in some of the other games, I felt fine not running more, especially when they had fewer character options compared to the massive MvC2 lineup.

Ultimately, this collection feels like a time capsule of Capcom history. Putting all these games together clearly illustrates the through-lines, showing how Capcom and Marvel built a working relationship over years of fighting game crossovers. In that respect, it might feel a little lacking in variety. Rather than a smorgasbord of differing styles, it’s focused on a lineage, the way previous collections like the Street Fighter 30th laid out decades of iteration on a core concept.

But it’s this focused encapsulation that makes this collection so endearing for me. So much artwork and music has been packed in, alongside options that make it easy to tinker, train, or just experience the explosive wonders of MvC2 for the first time. I think if you’re a fan of fighting game history, this collection is a no-brainer. I wouldn’t recommend it to someone looking to “get into” fighting games, but I would absolutely recommend it to anyone who gets rosily nostalgic every time they hear “I wanna take you for a ride” ring out through their speakers. - Eric Van Allen

It's punishin' time

It’s always a cause for celebration when a licensed game somehow gets rereleased in modern times. While the Marvel Vs. Capcom Fighting Collection centers around the mashup titles, The Punisher sits at the beat-’em-up lunchroom table alone. A surprising addition, but one that deserves attention.

Without thinking too hard about it, Capcom was the best when it came to belt-scrolling brawlers. 1994 was a good year to be a fan, as that was when Alien vs. Predator and The Punisher were released. While AvP is probably the better game overall, The Punisher is no slouch.

You can play as either The Punisher or Nick Fury. I have no idea why Nick Fury is here, aside from the fact that he’s one of the few Marvel characters who will use a gun. I thought it would be explained in the opening demo, but it isn’t. I’m not sure why a government agent would join a vigilante in a full assault against an organized crime family. If that sort of thing was allowed, they probably could have just killed the Kingpin a long time ago.

Anyway, that’s all The Punisher is. It starts off by having you beat up thugs in a casino. Then you just follow the trail of thugs until you get to The Kingpin. You go through various crime-y locations, such as a bus, a mansion, a waterfront warehouse, and an underground grow-op. There are bosses at the end of each. You know the drill.

Perhaps the biggest twist to the beat-’em-up brawler that The Punisher brings is that if a thug pulls a gun on Mr. Punisher or Mr. Fury, they’ll pull out their pistols and respond in kind. That sounds like they were trying to say that they only shoot thugs in self-defense, but you can later pick up Uzis and assault rifles and kill indiscriminately. I guess it doesn’t count when you’re using guns you pick up off the ground: It’s the five-second rule for murder.

Overall, The Punisher is a solid brawler. The art style is one of the best parts, especially for the perpetually seething Punisher. You can practically see the veins popping out of his head. The levels feel kind of short, but the entire game clocks in at just over 40 minutes. When you get tired of the smorgasbord of fighting games that make up the rest of the collection, it makes a pretty great palette cleanser. 

Or maybe you’re just tired of kicking the crap out of your friend and want to team up for a change. You can briefly immerse yourself in the camaraderie between Mr. Punisher and Mr. Fury a few years before Mr. Punisher shoots Mr. Fury in the back. - Zoey Handley

Gather ye stones

On the whole, the Marvel Vs. Capcom Fighting Collection does exactly what it sets out to do: take these classic crossovers, apply some modernizations, gather up some historical assets, and package them all neatly together.

It's not the most wide-ranging appeal, but for those within that niche, it's hard to find too many complaints. There's rollback netcode, some fantastic games, and a Punisher beat 'em up for when you'd rather co-op than fight. If you're a nostalgic fan of the originals or someone curious about one of the most storied games in fighting history, this collection makes it easy to take a ride back in time.

_{[This review is based on a retail build of the game provided by the publisher.]}

The post Review: Marvel Vs. Capcom Fighting Collection: Arcade Classics appeared first on Destructoid.

Deadlock is, essentially, a fusion of shooter and MOBA concepts. And if you're looking for a character who can really shoot, Haze is a top contender.

This operative from the Sandman Division puts foes to sleep with daggers and bullets alike. Her core kit revolves around positioning, movement, finding the right moment, and unloading a hailstorm of rounds. Here's our best build for Haze in Deadlock.

(Before we get started, a quick shoutout to Chrome, whose Haze build isn't just a fantastic primer on this hero, but one of the best early examples of quality in-game Deadlock guides. Their work was foundational for putting our own guide together, and they're worth following if you're looking for in-game options.)

Best Haze ability point order

First, let's take a brief look at Haze's abilities. They're fairly straightforward and give us a good outline of what Haze's main goal in the game should be: doing bullet damage.

1. Sleep Dagger: Throw a dagger that damages and sleeps the target. Sleeping targets wake up shortly after being damaged. Throwing a Dagger does not break your invisibility. Sleep Dagger does not interrupt channeling abilities. (25 sec. cooldown, 0.2 sec. minimum sleep time, 3 second sleep duration)
2. Smoke Bomb: Fade out of sight, becoming invisible and gaining sprint speed. Attacking removes invisibility. Close enemies can see through your invisibility. (35 sec. cooldown, 1.5 sec. fade time, 18m spot radius, +2m/s invis sprint speed)
3. Fixation: Shooting a target increases your bullet damage on that target. Gain one stack per bullet hit, two if the hit is a headshot. (+0.2 per stack Weapon Damage, 30 max stacks, 6 sec. duration)
4. Bullet Dance: Enter a flurry, firing your weapon at nearby enemies with perfect accuracy. During the flurry, Haze gains a fire rate bonus and will evade some of the bullets shot at her. (130 sec. cooldown, 3 sec. duration, 15m radius, +25% fire rate, 1 targets hit per shot, +2 weapon damage, 50% evasion chance)

Some of these do scale with certain factors, like Spirit Power; for example, the duration of Bullet Dance and the invisibility duration of Smoke Bomb both scale up with Spirit Power. We'll get into our items in a moment, but if you're following this build, you'll want to max Fixation first, with one point each in Dagger and Smoke Bomb early and one point in Bullet Dance when you first can.

After that, priority depends on what you need: I prefer maximizing Dagger next, followed by Bullet Dance and Smoke Bomb. Other guides may prioritize your utility, like Smoke Bomb, faster. Experiment with what works best for you and what you feel you need in a given match.

Best Haze build order

Here's a fairly standard build order for Haze in Deadlock, and as you'll notice, we're focusing on bullet damage and fire rate. Haze can fire a lot of bullets in a short amount of time, so mixing on-hit procs, fire rate upgrades, and enhancements that amplify her burst window will be a recipe for success.

First buys: Headshot Booster, Ammo Scavenger, Rapid Rounds, Extra Stamina

These are core building blocks for making your life in lane easier. Headshot Booster helps with last-hitting, Ammo Scav cuts down on time spent reloading, and Rapid Rounds is an obvious early pick-up for any early scraps.

Extra Stamina is a general quality-of-life purchase and honestly worth considering on just about any hero. Healing Rite is an optional choice if your lane phase is going poorly and you need some regen.

Second buys: Active Reload, Quicksilver Reload, Bullet Resist Shredder, Bullet Lifesteal

Credit to Chrome for the incredible synergy of Active Reload and Haze. The additional fire rate and bullet lifesteal are lifesavers as fights start to pick up. We also have consistent Bullet Lifesteal on the table here, as well as a Bullet Resist Shredder to whittle enemies down fast. Put your Quicksilver Reload on your Sleeping Dagger so you can get the instant reload and launch right into a burst of damage.

If you're roaming a lot at this point, it's also a good time to look at investing in some Sprint Boots or even upgrading further to Enduring Speed. Haze can make for an effective Urn courier in a pinch.

Third buys: Tesla Bullets, Swift Striker, Burst Fire, Withering Whip

Tesla Bullets are an essential piece of the puzzle for any Haze build in Deadlock. It gives her additional damage and fire rate, makes it easy for her to handle lane control, and also procs during Bullet Dance. Swift Striker and Burst Fire amplify those strengths even further.

Withering Whip is another interesting one, and if you're not comfortable with Active items yet, it can feel odd. It's a great option for increasing Haze's burst potential though, and keep in mind: Whip doesn't do damage, so it won't wake up someone who's been Sleep Daggered.

Fourth buys: Lucky Shot, Ricochet, Ethereal Shift

At this point, you want all three items, but you should prioritize based on what you need. Is a Bullet Dance in the middle of the enemy team your primary contribution? Consider Ricochet. If you've been mostly solo-targeting enemies, go for Lucky Shot first. And if you're getting hard-targeted, Ethereal Shift can be a good answer.

Finishing out your build

Now you have your core items, and it's all about what you need from here on out. Options like Siphon Bullets or Silencer can further improve your damage, while Unstoppable and Vampiric Burst help you live longer in fights. Some additional Vitality items, like Bullet and Spirit Armor, can help here, too. Or get experimental, like a Refresher / Diviner's Kevlar build for maximum Bullet Dancing. The world's your oyster.

How to play Haze in Deadlock

With this build, you'll be focused mainly on positioning and shooting. Early on, your lane phase won't be as harass-heavy as others, but items can quickly ramp Haze into a fighter. Cloak yourself, then look for openings to Dagger and burst fire someone down. In big fights, Bullet Dance can make a huge swing, so don't get choice paralysis and hold it; better to drop it for one kill than hold it for none.

Later in the game, you'll be one of the highest-damage characters around, but selecting targets will be key. Look for core characters who are typically low health and don't have solid escape plans: Vindicta, Grey Talon, Shiv, and so on. Others, like Dynamo or Pocket, will have options for running after the sleep wears off. Time your Bullet Dances in fights to maximize output and when the enemy is near each other, so that your Tesla and Ricochet procs do the most they can.

It can be tricky to learn at first, but Haze will probably become a fast favorite if you can learn her playstyle and kit.

The post Deadlock: Best Haze build appeared first on Destructoid.

Fans of tactical RPGs, lo-fi horror aesthetics, or even just neat-looking indies have likely been following Necrosoft's Demonschool with some interest. Though it was due out next month, the studio announced today that it's pushing the launch of Demonschool all the way into 2025.

Necrosoft Games and publisher Ysbryd Games have officially delayed Demonschool into Q1 2025, and it's not the first time the team's pushed the game back. When it comes to the "why" of the matter, the studio says as it got closer to deadline, a September 13 launch would have meant less content than originally envisioned.

"After discussing with Ysbryd, we realized we have a couple of paths forward. We could:

1. Ship the game in the state it’ll be in on Sept. 13. We’re proud of the game as it stands, but we want to make this world feel even livelier.
2. Ship the game in early 2025, which would allow us to manifest our bigger dreams into reality."

- Necrosoft Games

With the second option as the route taken, Necrosoft hopes to make sure Demonschool is "chock full of Things To Do" as it had hoped. "Realistically, the player would never have known. It still would've been a finished product. But we would have known that the game could have been more, and that's the game we want to share."

In the mean time, the studio is publishing a series of dev diaries detailing Demonschool's development, as a bit of behind-the-scenes look at how the game is coming together and what the extra time is allowing for. The first, covering the topic of the "Burn" status, is already live. It's neat, if you like reading through the thought processes of someone developing a game like Demonschool.

For myself, as someone eagerly anticipating Necrosoft's tactical RPG after a few hands-on sessions with it, a wait is totally valid. This fall is already stacking up fast, and I'd love to see Necrosoft put the game out that they believe in, rather than one that feels compromised.

Expect Demonschool to get in session sometime in Q1 2025.

The post Demonschool gets delayed to Q1 2025 to add some extra content appeared first on Destructoid.

Metaphor: ReFantazio has a lot of legacy behind it. It’s a new franchise, sure, but it has Persona’s Katsura Hoshino in the director’s chair, with longtime collaborators Shigenori Soejima and Shoji Meguro on-board too.

It feels inevitable for Metaphor: ReFantazio to draw comparisons to Persona, and by extent, Shin Megami Tensei. In some ways, it feels familiar, like a new branch sprouting from the trunk of Atlus RPGs, but in others, it adds a distinct twist. For as often as Metaphor: Re:Fantazio felt like Persona's distant cousin, it spent just as much time delivering a fresh re-imagining of what this style of role-playing game could be.

We got an offer to fly out and check out a new demo of Metaphor: ReFantazio, as well as ask its creative leads some questions, ahead of its October 11 release date. My takeaway is that, even with trepidation in places, Metaphor looks like it could be a fascinating new branch of Atlus’ RPG tree.

For the king

The first slice of my demo was pretty similar to the opening slice of Metaphor I’d already seen earlier this year at Summer Game Fest, albeit with some extra content on either end. The game opens by questioning what “fantasy” means, and whether fantasy can affect—maybe even become—reality. Then, it asks for your name. Not the protagonist’s, mind, but your name. Put a pin in that, I guess?

From there, it’s a bit of a drip-feed of info and details. You start in the middle of a journey, with a fairy companion named Gallica accompanying your hero. The hero has a voice in this game, which is a pleasant change of pace; hearing them talk to characters in dialogue adds a bit of life to the in-game avatar, and creates some textual distance between player and character in a way I dig.

Your convoy to the city of Grand Trad is soon brought to a halt, though, as bandits demanding “tribute” strike. After killing one passenger, Hulkenberg—the tall and stoic elven warrior who later joins the party—draws her weapon and coldly delivers the line: “You drew steel. I take it you are prepared to die by it?” Excellent.

I’m going beat-by-beat because, early on, Metaphor has some strange pacing. Its framing shifts pretty rapidly from the jump, between the meta-narrative introduction, the present time with the story’s hero, and flashbacks that inform the hero’s past and current quest. You are trying to make contact with someone who can help you take down a foe in the shadows, and so you infiltrate the ranks of the guard to find your man.

Over the course of the opening hours, the plot stirs up slowly, maybe a little shakily, then comes into focus. It’s a compelling setup, though jumping around between flashbacks and the present can make it feel a little erratic.

What carries Metaphor early on is this brilliant fantasy world. In the year 785, the United Kingdom of Euchronia is sitting on the precipice of chaos; the king is dead, and tensions between different classes and races are boiling over. Anxiety, as director Hoshino told previewers in a pre-recorded video, is a core theme of Metaphor: ReFantazio. Where is it born from, how does it ferment, and what kind of cruel monsters does it bring to life? Embroiled in this is your hero, a candidate for the throne among many, as different leaders vie for public attention and causes in a competition for the kingdom’s future.

It’s a magical, high fantasy world that feels so easy to get lost in. The first demo introduced me to the setup, but the second half opened up and put me in the midst of what feels like the bulk of Metaphor’s classic Atlus loop: deal with time constraints, navigate travel restrictions, and use the calendar to chart a course. Days and nights allow the same distractions as a Persona game might, and different NPCs populate the world during different hours. In the day, I pick up a new side quest from a character that’s likely to become a social link; at night, I spend time speaking with a devout member of a persecuted religion, gaining greater understanding of what matters to them.

Shades of Persona and Shin Megami Tensei are obvious to see here. The “royal virtues” are like personality traits: Courage, Wisdom, Tolerance, Eloquence, and Imagination open up conversation checks. In one case, I deduced the best course of action with a character thanks to my Wisdom. It was nice to see the check openly acknowledged by the game, rather than hidden until I’d picked my conversation choice.

Time after time

There are also ticking clocks. 11 days until an important story event, eight to a deadline, one month to complete a quest. Not everything is time-gated, but the tension of its constant advance as you do things, and erase time off the clock, is ever-present. It takes time to talk to people, to explore dungeons, even to travel from city to city on your quest to become the next king.

I could see it easily leading to choice-paralysis, or a worry that you’re misspending your time. During a translated Q+A session with the leads behind Metaphor: ReFantazio, another press attendee asked about that stress, and the answer from lead daily system planner Azusa Kido was interesting:

“So as you play through the game, I do understand that some people might be overwhelmed by the volume,” said Kido. “But I also think that is the fun and entertainment element as well, where we’re traveling to unknown cites and unknown territories, and we are on this journey with limited time, where we do have this mission in mind.”

Deciding on what to do each day, and the next day, and the day after, is a style of decision making that can be fun. Each experience with the game can be different. Even at the preview event, I would walk away from the set-up and start talking with other press members, leading to conversations about everything they saw that I didn’t see, even within our allocated slice.

Personally, I think it works. It’s an interesting twist on Persona’s calendar system, with the added wrinkle of travel and physical distance. Planning and routing became really important; spending a day going to a small town for a rare ingredient wasn’t worth it, but if that town sat on the path to a dungeon I wanted to clear, now I’m hitting two birds with one stone.

Travel feels like a major part of Metaphor, another fresh layer to the formula. As a candidate for the throne, you have a gauntlet runner, a giant ship that literally uses mechanical limbs to “run” across the ground. Despite looking a bit strange, it’s quite a bit faster than walking, and it allows candidates to move freely and (mostly) safely between locales. Even while you’re traveling, you can still spend time with comrades, gaining extra points in your Royal Virtues. You can even cook for some bonuses, which leads to some really fun dialogues with characters like Hulkenberg and Strohl.

Take heart

When it comes to combat, a lot of what I said in my previous preview stands here. The nuts and bolts of it feel very Shin Megami Tensei, with characters identifying weaknesses and striking for a Press Turn-style system. Though some of the elements might be here or missing, the basics will feel immediately familiar.

What really surprised me were the ways Atlus found new room to expand this combat set-up, especially in coordination with the Archetypes, which function as “jobs” for each character. In one fight, I was taking on a giant treasure-hoarding fiend, and I had learned through an informant back in town that it’s distracted by gold. If I went in with the Merchant class, I could use one of its abilities to scatter cash and make the beast lose actions.

There’s a lot happening in concert there that’s interesting: an informant that provides hints about upcoming boss fights, for a price; jobs and abilities that don’t rely on just elemental advantages; and encounter-specific mechanics that, again, don’t rely on basic weaknesses and resistances. A front and back row system reminded me of Final Fantasy VI, and one bout even had me dancing my party members between rows to dodge certain attacks.

Metaphor showed some decent variety in the slice I saw. In one fight, I had to take out two boss enemies at the same time, or one could revive the other, forcing me to vary up my usual single-target tactics. In another, I noticed one of my characters had an ability specifically meant for dealing with type resistances, opening up new avenues of attack. In all these ways, it feels like Metaphor: ReFantazio is going to feel very familiar, but not like a full-on repeat.

Real-life anxieties

Of course, the climate that Metaphor is launching in is hard to ignore. It’s a game about a heated election contest between candidates, amid a pretty eventful election year in the United States. This isn’t even me making a fresh observation; it’s something that the development team actively called attention to. In a pre-recorded video shown to previewers, Metaphor director Katsura Hashino said that when the team started, they didn’t realize it would overlap with real-life events like it has. “We continue to be surprised by the strange similarities between our real world and the world of Metaphor.”

Still, Metaphor: ReFantazio does deal with issues of race, class, and more. It might be pure coincidence that the timing lined up as it did, but Metaphor’s story is certainly grappling with recognizable areas of historical conflict and friction between people. Anxieties, you might call them.

“One of the themes of this title is anxiety,” said Hashino. “As we considered ideas and themes, we realized we wanted to explore the idea of people realizing their inner strength, as well as finding their anxieties and fears by finding common ground with others.”

Of course, Atlus grappling with these topics will surely draw real-world comparisons, same as any conflict where one could draw parallels to real-life. Producer Junichi Yoshizawa stressed that there “aren’t any specific real-life events” that impacted or inspired this game. But when looking at the anxieties of this world, lead scenario planner Yuichiro Tanaka said the team tried to dig into what brings about clashes in the world, and put the focus on people’s minds, hearts, and the anxiety surrounding it.

When addressing the themes of Metaphor, Hashino says you might call the game a “culmination” of the development team’s experience. It does certainly have a heart-changing vibe to it. You campaign for your cause, and help those in need. When you transform into your Archetype, the unlocking cutscene shows a character tearing their heart out of their chest and screaming into it like a microphone, amplifying their beliefs and principles. It owns.

To a new world

With this round of previews, it feels like I’ve gained a solid grasp on what Metaphor: ReFantazio will play like in the moment-to-moment gameplay. There are certainly obvious shades of its Atlus predecessors, and even hints of other franchises and broader high fantasy tropes. It all melts together in the big pot labeled Metaphor.

It would feel silly to start out saying this isn’t just a high fantasy Persona, only to end this piece still drawing comparisons. Hell, at one point I compared Metaphor's relationship to SMT with the Ivalice spin-offs of Final Fantasy. But what I’ve found is Metaphor: ReFantazio both draws on a lot of legacy, and forges its own design path forward. Time constraints are here, but with a fresh twist. Battles are still familiar but have their own flavor, with a set of mechanics that feels old and new, but all its own. Even having the main character form bonds, but not lock into any dating or romance, is a novel twist.

In a year where the high fantasy genre is well-served, Metaphor: ReFantazio could end up being a standard-bearer. Everything feels like it’s in place, and I left my preview feeling like Metaphor was now easily my most anticipated game of the fall season.

There’s still a lot of this world left to see, but I’m certainly eager to hop in a Gauntlet Runner and go find it. Metaphor: ReFantazio will be out for Xbox, PlayStation, and PC on October 11, 2024.

_{[Travel and lodging for this preview were provided by the publisher.]}

The post Hands-on: Metaphor: ReFantazio is a grand culmination of the RPGs that came before it appeared first on Destructoid.

It's time for another Nintendo Direct, though not a fully Nintendo-focused one. Today, the Switch manufacturer presented two back-to-back showcases, spotlighting indies and third-party partners bringing games to the Nintendo console through this year and into the next.

Though it didn't have any Nintendo or Switch 2 news, that's not to say we didn't get a few stunners. Fans of old classics should especially enjoy this one; remasters, remakes, and classic collections were all over the place in today's dual showcase broadcast. Let's look at everything announced.

Everything shown during the Indie World Showcase - August 2024

• Balatro is getting so, so many crossovers. The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt, Dave the Diver, Vampire Survivors and more. Those crossover "Friends" arrive as cosmetic skins in a free update later today.
• Gris dev Nomada Studio will deliver Neva on October 15, 2024. It looks gorgeous and emotional, so it should definitely be of interest to Gris fans.
• Moth Kubit looks like a quirky adventure through corporate hell. Look forward to a creepy, relatable journey in spring 2025.
• The Coffee Talk franchise is carrying on with many folks who worked on it, with Coffee Talk Tokyo now "brewing" for a 2025 pour.
• Sabotage's hit RPG Sea of Stars is getting some DLC in spring 2025. Throes of the Watchmaker looks pretty rad, and I love all the clockwork imagery here.
• Some-BODY Shrek Powerwash Sim
• CRT scanlines and a pretty... distinct art style certainly ensured that Morsels left an impression on me. Furcula's indie project is set to make an impact in February 2025.
• Date Everything is what it says. Date everything. Every. Thing. The lamp. Doug. Even the game itself. Date it all on October 24, 2024.
• Peglin is a pachinko-style RPG that, somehow, was not made by Konami. It arrives on Switch later today!
• Live a Wobbly Life in December 2024 with this co-op physics-based simulator.
• Pico Park 2 is a co-op game bound to break some friendships, even if the rope doesn't go. It's out later today.
• Sizzle reel time! Some dates for upcoming Switch games:

  • Shovel Knight: Shovel of Hope DX - 2025
  • Europa - October 11, 2024 with a demo today
  • Cuisineer - January 28, 2024
  • On Your Tail - November 21, 2024
  • Metal Slug Tactics - Fall 2024
  • The Plucky Squire - September 17, 2024

• One last thing for the indies: smash indie hit Pizza Tower is heading to the Switch, and it's arriving later today! Now, onto the Partner Showcase.

Everything shown in the Nintendo Direct Partner Showcase - August 2024

• Digital Eclipse is giving Tetris the retro collection treatment. Tetris Forever looks like a bundle made for block-dropping enthusiasts, with tons of classic games and some documentary footage to boot, set for 2024.
• Star Overdrive asks, "do you love hoverboards?" Because this sure does have hoverboards. It arrives sometime in 2025.
• The remaster might have just been announced, but Goat Simulator 3 is still causing chaos. It's out on digital for Switch later today, with a physical version lined up for November 2024.
• A The Legend of Heroes: Trails in the Sky the 1st remake just got casually announced in a sizzle reel for 2025?!?!?!
• Other reel entries include:

  • Star Wars: Hunters Season 3 - September 24, 2024
  • S.T.A.L.K.E.R.: Legends of the Zone Trilogy - November 2024
  • Worms Armageddon: Anniversary Edition - September 26, 2024
  • Disney Dreamlight Valley new in-game event - September 4, 2024

• This is Patrick? SpongeBob SquarePants: The Patrick Star Game is all about the sponge's starfish pal, but will still feature plenty of cameos from the cast on October 4, 2024.
• Fitness Boxing 3 will try to help you punch your way to fitness on December 5, 2024.
• We've been taken for a ride, now it's time for true love. Capcom Fighting Collection 2 has officially been announced, with a stellar lineup of Capcom classics including two Capcom Vs. SNK games, two Power Stone titles, Street Fighter Alpha 3 Upper, and Project Justice. That's set for 2025.
• Also, the first Capcom Fighting Collection arrives on September 12 for digital, with a physical version arriving on November 22, 2024.
• A new alchemist is mixing things up. Atelier Yumia: The Alchemist of Memories & the Envisioned Land adds a new series protagonist in early 2025.
• Remember the Suikoden remasters? Suikoden I&II HD Remaster Gate Rune and Dunan Unification Wars is a mouthful that's arriving on March 6, 2025.
• The HD-2D remake of Dragon Quest III still looks fantastic, and is still set for November 14, 2024.
• More vampire-slaying goodness is on the way. Portrait of Ruin, Order of Ecclesia, and Dawn of Sorrow arrive on the Switch via the Castlevania Dominus Collection later today.
• Civilization 7 will be coming to the Nintendo Switch on February 11, 2025, so you can play for just one more turn on-the-go.
• An interesting page of Tales past is getting a visual upgrade. Tales of Graces f Remastered is set for January 17, 2025.
• The MySims Cozy Bundle gathers up both MySims and MySims Kingdom into one package on November 19, 2024.
• Looking for animatronic horror? FNAF Help Wanted 2 and some DLC for Security Breach both arrive this holiday.
• Sizzle reel time again! Here are some more dates:

  • Disney Epic Mickey Rebrushed - September 24, 2024
  • Tales of the Shire: A LOTR Game - Holiday 2024
  • Just Dance 2025 Edition - October 15, 2024
  • Funko Fusion - Holiday 2024
  • EA Sports FC 25 - September 27, 2024
  • Lego Horizon Adventures - Holiday 2024

• Rune Factory: Guardians of Azuma could be a welcome up-turn for the Rune Factory series. It's got a great look, some neat-looking combat, and of course, some locals to romance. It's set for Spring 2025.
• One last thing: Yakuza Kiwami is coming to Nintendo Switch! If you haven't started this series yet, you'll get your chance on October 24, 2024.

That's all for today's double-header Nintendo Direct. It was an interesting, maybe even a bit strange showcase, but there are definitely a few reveals that took me by surprise. Got a favorite? Let us know down below.

The post Everything shown at the August 2024 Nintendo Indie World and Partner Direct appeared first on Destructoid.

It's hard not to feel Visions of Mana is a bit of a surprise. The Mana series has quietly stirring for some time at Square Enix's studios; the Collection of Mana, and 2020's 3D remake of Trials of Mana, all seem like trial balloons in hindsight.

Now, Visions of Mana is the first fully-fledged new entry since 2006's Dawn. The good news? It's practically overflowing with Mana charm, even when its showing some rough edges.

Visions of Mana is an action RPG that keeps to its roots in many ways. The protagonist, Val, is a bright-eyed warrior who's more than happy to play Soul Guard to his entrusted Alm and childhood pal Hinna. They're tasked with taking Hinna to the Mana Tree, so she and the other Alms of various elements can give their lives to keep the Mana of the land flowing.

We're off to see the Tree

Rest assured that this pilgrimage, presented straight-faced early on, begets a dark turn or two. Visions of Mana can pivot fast between tones. At one point in my journey, while I was roaming the open world, the party was reflecting on a tragic event that had just transpired. Two party members discussed amongst themselves how to help someone clearly in mourning. Then, as I ran over a collectible drop of syrup that I could trade to the fantastical bears in hub towns, Val suddenly and cheerfully exclaimed, "Grrrizzleeeee!"

The tonal whiplash was so drastic, I had to pause and laugh a bit, but I don't count that as a negative. There's something inherently charming about how Visions of Mana can pivot on a dime. In one segment, I'm watching one of my party members cope with the crushing memories of a fatal mistake they can never take back; in another, I'm fighting little ducks with fake army helmets on called Mad Mallards. They swing giant wrecking balls around their head. They're adorable.

While the setting and dressings of the Mana series are obviously here, they feel warmly nostalgic. It's here I have to admit, this is easily the most time I've spent with a Mana game; aside from a couple hours put into the original Trials, I'm not exactly an expert on the subject. Yet even coming to it from that perspective, Visions of Mana feels comfy and nostalgic. It's funny and light-hearted, dark and serious, juggling all these tones to create a fantasy world that grows and deepens the further you peel back that first naïve outer layer.

Bread and butter

Adding to this notion of simple, satisfying, and surprising depth in spots is the combat. For the first few hours of Visions of Mana, fighting is going to feel fairly straightforward. Every action game loves its light-light-heavy combo, and though you have a few spells, they really only serve as combo-enders or casted enhancements, like lighting your weapons on fire for some elemental help.

Quickly, though, the companions start to shake things up. Careena can team up with her animal pal for some neat combos; Morley has some big Vergil energy, slicing and dicing foes with speed; and Palamena brings some magical prowess, alongside a flail or whatever weapon her current Vessel enables.

Vessels form the class system of Visions of Mana, letting characters aspect into certain elements. This changes their basic attacks and combos, sometimes adding new mechanics in the process, and also lets them tap into the latent powers of that element. The Moon relates to time, and so characters using the Moon Vessel can create time bubbles, slowing enemies and speeding up allies.

While its barebones elements are simple and easy to understand, there's a really satisfying rhythm to fighting once you're far enough along in Visions of Mana. The first few hours can feel repetitive, but as the game trickles out more options for build-crafting, combo-enhancing, and interesting moves to toy with, Visions can feel rewarding to master. You're not quite stance-switching for ultra-stylish combos, but you're developing a playstyle that feels fulfilling as you roll over adorable monsters.

That's not to say there aren't still times where fights feel a bit drawn out, as you mash into an enemy's face and occasionally dodge. I wish some of the combo routing felt just a bit tighter. Using items mid-fight feels finnicky, as sometimes I'll have to re-input the command because it didn't register the first time. And grinding can feel tedious; even when I was fighting groups a few levels above me, an average overworld bout didn't feel like it gave me a ton of experience.

Boss fights are where Visions of Mana can really let loose, though, and there are some great ones. A giant kraken attempting to crack your ship in half and a menacing crab named the Fullmetal Hugger are just a few highlights. Though it's still often as straightforward as targeting body parts to put the boss on their back foot, these fights can be fast, furious, and even a bit tough. I've yet to wipe on a fight, but I've had some close encounters.

Party time

The stars of the show so far, in my eyes, have been the cast. While I don't quite have the full party yet, the Alms I've recruited thus far to fight alongside Val are all immediately charming and memorable. Careena's stand-offish attitude reflects how her upbringing raised her, a source of friction she struggles with as she seeks to leave its borders and see the world. Palamena is concerned about her own responsibilities, but more importantly, who they fall to in her absence.

Morley is easily my favorite party member. You can usually expect a katana-wielding catboy to be a bit moody, but rather than simply being stoic or sorrowful, Morley gets to display a wide variety of emotions. I think most other stories might have just let him be the resident saddie of the group, but in Visions of Mana sees him experience and exhibit a huge range of emotions throughout my travels with him. Honestly, Val ends up being the most cookie-cutter of the bunch, and even he gets some real moments to shine as the gleeful cheer of the world gives way to harsh truths.

Accompanying all of this is a very bright and colorful art style and some stellar music. On the audio front, I really have no notes. I really enjoy the musical hits, as they convey a sense of wonder and adventure.

Graphically, Visions of Mana can both stun and stumble. Some locales, characters, and bosses look absolutely gorgeous in the PC build I've been playing. Other times, side characters don't get a flattering close-up, strange pop-ins can occur, or other visual oddities can throw you off. I've also had more than a few problems with the camera, in and out of battle.

Looking at the spectrum of Square Enix releases over time, it's hard to find an exact spot where Visions of Mana falls. It doesn't quite feel like an ultra-high budget blockbuster, the likes of Final Fantasy XVI or Forspoken; it also doesn't feel like a smaller effort, either. It carries great legacy, but could easily be seen as a middle tier game compared to what's gone into other titles.

Yet, it's that middle-tier vibe that makes it all the more notable to me. Visions of Mana isn't trying to force the latest PlayStation to push more pixels than it ever has. It's rekindling an old flame, resurfacing a piece of Square history that has laid quiet far longer than it should have.

Though it has a few imperfections, Visions of Mana is the exact kind of comfy, breezy, substantial RPG that wouldn't feel out of place in another era. It's a pilgrimage that moves along at a decent pace, strings together some fun fights, keeps you switching up gear and skill sets, and layers on the charming sights and sounds. It hasn't set my world on fire, but it doesn't need to. Visions of Mana already won a spot in my heart by just being itself.

The post Visions of Mana is a comfy new entry for a classic Square franchise appeared first on Destructoid.

A new Nintendo stream is upon us, and it's airing on pretty short notice. Tomorrow, August 27, Nintendo will host a two-part stream featuring an Indie World Showcase followed by a Nintendo Direct Partner Showcase.

The stream goes live at 7 a.m. PT / 10 a.m. ET on Nintendo's YouTube and other channels. The Indie World Showcase will air first, followed by the Partner Showcase, for a total of roughly 40 minutes, after all is said and done.

In case the names didn't tip you off, don't expect any news about the successor to the Nintendo Switch here. Not only do these streams normally not focus on Nintendo news (Partners and Indies are both third-party showcases), but Nintendo is outright saying that there will be no mention of the Switch successor.

What can we expect then? Well, the Silksong faithful are already donning their clown masks. And I mean, we have to hear something about that game again at some point, right? Oh no. It's happening to me too.

I expect the Indie World side of things to be full of surprises and, fingers crossed, a "later today" drop or two. Those are always exciting to see, and my Switch could use a new indie game or two to pick away at.

As for the Partner Showcase, that will be all third-party offerings. My best speculation is to expect some frequent collaborators; Square Enix, for example, or Marvelous. I'd love to get some more details on whatever Level-5 has been up to as well. After the delay of Fantasy Life i into 2025, I'm curious about where that's left their other games, like Decapolice.

We'll find out what's in store for the Switch as we head into the Nintendo Direct double-header tomorrow at 7 a.m. PT.

The post Nintendo is hosting a Direct double-header tomorrow, with indies and partners alike appeared first on Destructoid.

The summer of gaming news is fading into the fall of new releases, and Gamescom Opening Night Live has aired to herald the end. Today, we got a whole lot of news, trailers, reveals, and more to set the stage ahead for 2024, 2025, and beyond.

The Game Awards showrunner Geoff Keighley took the stage again, accompanied by long-time esports host Eefje "sjokz" Depoortere, to run the festivities as dozens of news and announcements aired. Some were essentially just trailers for games that are already out, or coming out soon, so we won't cover those here.

But even the Kyle Bosman-led pre-show had some fun tidbits, from Dave the Diver getting crossovers with Balatro, Potion Craft, and mxmtoon to some more Terry footage from Street Fighter 6 and a look at the next Dark Pictures horror adventure Directive 8020.

Here's all the big news and announcements from the main show at Gamescom Opening Night Live 2024.

Everything shown at Gamescom Opening Night Live 2024

• We open with a bang. Borderlands 4 is very real, and arriving sometime in 2025. There's not too much we can scrounge from this trailer, except for some SHIFT codes probably, but that's something for fans of the series to look forward to after a rough showing on the silver screen.
• Activision showed off some Call of Duty Black Ops 6 campaign footage, which starts out a bit surprisingly, with alternative routes and not a lot of shooting. Don't worry; once the big plan goes bad, the bullets start flying, and it starts looking familiar. Early access kicks off on August 30 for that, with an open beta due soon after.
• In one of the stranger trailers of the show, a bunch of game parodies lead into the reveal of Goat Simulator Remastered, arriving sometime in 2024. Looks like a good time to be a baaaaa-d goat? (Don't boo me, I'm trying.)

• Persona 3's Episode Aigis DLC is arriving soon, bringing The Answer to Atlus' remake. And now it looks like some challenge battles are in tow too, alongside an appearance from Persona 5's Joker. That's out on September 10.
• Dying Light: The Beast was going to be Dying Light 2 DLC, until Techland apparently spun it out into its own standalone game, starring DL1's Kyle Crane. It's neat to see the series still chugging along. No date for this, but owners of the big content pass for Dying Light 2 won't have to shell out for it.
• Lynked: Banner of the Spark is a mixture of town-building and roguelite elements, and it sure is colorful too. You can read more in our writeup here, and keep an eye out for the Early Access launch on October 22, 2024.
• Love creepy mysteries, teen angst, and a little bit of '90s nostalgia? Lost Records: Bloom & Rage, the latest from Don't Nod, looks to have it all. Read more in our hands-on preview here, as it's quickly becoming one of my more anticipated games going into 2025.

• The zombie-slaying No More Room in Hell 2 is certainly on its way, with some co-op permadeath action in store. But frankly, I just can't get over how the guy in this trailer sounds like Plankton from SpongeBob. Once you hear it, you won't be able to un-hear it.
• Arc Raiders is a game that surprised me a while ago, mostly because it seemed to involve giant, bouncing, destructive orbs. There may be more happening, but today's trailer mostly teased that sign-ups are live now.
• Around the Destructoid water cooler, Infinity Nikki has come up more than a few times. If you're not familiar with the Nikki series, you might not know how popular this series can be, but today's trailer certainly makes a case for its adorable open-world adventures. Closed beta sign-ups are also going live for Infinity Nikki.
• Paragon successor Predecessor (say that five times fast) is officially launching, and it celebrated as much during today's Opening Night Live stream. Hopefully the path ahead goes better for them than it did for Paragon.

• Dungeon-crawling action-RPG Path of Exile 2 hits Early Access on November 15, so get those loot bags ready and build-crafting spreadsheets open. At least, that's what I imagine ARPG sickos go in for, anyways.
• We got a look at some Dune Awakening gameplay, which lets you live out your dream of being a random wanderer on the planet of Arrakis. Worms, sun stroke, and enemies are all there to kill you, but maybe you can learn to survive and even thrive? Or get griefed by a dude named "Chimothée Talamet." That's set for PC in early 2025.
• Tarsier Studios, creators of Little Nightmares 1 and 2, unveiled their new project today: the very Little Nightmares-esque Reanimal, which is all about being little fellas running from giant creepy animals. It looks hauntingly gorgeous, and will head to PS5, Xbox Series consoles, and PC.

• Have you been wanting to play Genshin Impact, but only own an Xbox? Well, today, that specific crowd gets their prayers answered. Hoyoverse's massive action-RPG is coming to Microsoft's box on November 20. Also, there's a new region on the way!
• Monster Hunter Wilds showed off some monster hunting today, focusing on an especially creepy fight with a giant spider boss. I cannot wait to see what kind of armor and equipment we'll craft from this thing. Wilds is looking fantastic, and like an easy contender for one of 2025's biggest early hits.

• Lara Croft is coming to Naraka Bladepoint. That's all I really have to say on the matter. Congratulations to Naraka Bladepoint.
• In a great throwback trailer, SNK confirms one of its most recognizable fighters Mai Shiranui will appear in Fatal Fury: City of the Wolves, due out on April 24 ,2025.
• Monument Valley 3 looks absolutely pleasant to puzzle through, and it's coming to Netflix very soon - on December 10, 2024. Sadly, it's a Netflix exclusive. But if you check out the app, the other two Monument Valley games are also making their way there, too.
• Civilization 7 seems poised to take one more turn from you, over and over again. Firaxis has locked in a release date of February 11, 2025, and it's hard to imagine any PC owner not excited for this one.
• Holy crap, Starfield is finally getting a freaking car. The REV-8 is your very own Mass Effect Mako, carting you and your companion around the vast, open terrains of planets, and it's out today. Plus, the Shattered Space DLC is set to arrive on September 30, 2024.

• Marvel Rivals seems well-poised to make a dent in the packed hero shooter genre, and its latest trailer reaffirms it. Captain America and the Winter Soldier are both due up for the Rivals roster, with Bucky looking like a fast, mobile assassin and Cap bringing some potent shielding power to teams. NetEase's answer to Overwatch arrives on December 6, and promises to have all heroes unlocked and free-to-play, at launch and beyond.
• A sizzle reel for Amazon's anthology adaptation series Secret Level plans to bring many different franchises to the streaming side, and- wait, is that Mega Man?! You know what, I'd get a little emotional too if I was bringing the Blue Bomber back. The show premieres on December 10.
• Stoic's Towerborne, a side-scrolling action game that gives me faint Castle Crashers vibes, is set to hit Steam Early Access on September 10. Looks neat!
• Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2 seems sharp, surprising, and definitely taking its period piece framing seriously. I love all the roaming around the countryside, though I'm maybe a little less keen on first-person swordplay. We'll have to see how it pans out when the sequel arrives on February 11, 2025. A gameplay premiere is set for August 21, 2024.

• Zenless Zone Zero and Honkai Star Rail both have new characters and content on the way. I'm not caught up enough on either to know the specifics, but the final teaser for Star Rail says a Fate/Stay Night crossover is due for Q3 2025, and that I cannot wait for. I hope it somehow leads to Geoff Keighley talking about Saber and Shirou Emiya on the Game Awards stage.
• "Da bat" is here, with the Meta Quest-exclusive Batman: Arkham Shadow, arriving in October. I wish it looked a bit weightier, but some of the character models and story scenes look pretty cool.
• Oh hey, it's Little Nightmares 3. It 's got that two-player horror adventure set-up that will look familiar to fans of the first two. Supermassive is heading this one up, as Tarsier works on Reanimal, so I'm curious to see how both turn out and where this burgeoning genre of "Nightmare-alikes" goes from here.
• Herdlings looks like a pleasant game from the makers of FAR: Lone Sails, tasking you with herding mystical animals. Seems neat!
• Good lord, that's Peter Molyneux. He's on the stage, talking about Masters of Albion, a new game that he frames as a homecoming to PC and console development. I'm assuming there won't be any cubes in this one. In fact, it seems like a god game in a style we haven't seen in a while. We'll see how it turns out?
• Meanwhile, the latest Squid Game spin-off to completely miss the point has arrived. Squid Game: Unleashed looks like a comical, Fall Guys-esque interpretation of the death-game bloodsport shown in Netflix's series. I'm normally down for a little bit of dark comedy in adaptations, but when you start doing the Terminator thumbs-up from a lava pit, you've entered brand-trying-to-meme territory. If none of that backs you away, it's out soon on the Netflix app.
• Blizzard's Johanna Faries takes the stage to show off a Sylvanas skin for Widowmaker and promote the upcoming launch of World of Warcraft: The War Within, as well as the upcoming Diablo IV: Vessel of Hatred. The latter showed off some mercenary companions, which seems neat. WoW's next expansion hits on August 22 in early access, and Vessel of Hatred is due out on October 8.

• You know, The First Berserker: Khazan is looking kinda sick? It's set for an early 2025 debut, and I dig the action and raw fury we're seeing here. It's very, well, Berserk, even though it's drawing from the Dungeon & Fighter universe. It's on my radar now, though.
• Floatopia is a new chill life sim from NetEase, and looks like an Animal Crossing competitor. Not much in the way of news, but keep an eye out for that one.
• We get a confirmed date for Indiana Jones and the Great Circle, hitting Xbox Series consoles and PC on December 9, 2024. Plus, we got immediate confirmation that Indy will head to PlayStation 5 in Spring 2025. Interesting to see, considering Xbox's move to put more games on other consoles.

• One last thing: It's Mafia. Yes, a new Mafia is on the way, in the form of Mafia: The Old Country. Hangar 13 is taking it all back to the roots, in a very Godfather Part 2 trailer. Not much more in the way of news here, but you know what? I'm very, very intrigued.

The post Every trailer, release date, and more from Gamescom Opening Night Live 2024 appeared first on Destructoid.

The long and fraught journey of Vampire: The Masquerade - Bloodlines' sequel is adding another entry today. Developer The Chinese Room and Paradox Interactive have confirmed Bloodlines 2 is pushed to the first half of 2025, out of this year.

The news arrives via a development update from the developer and publisher, showing some more in-development and behind-the-scenes footage of the game. Alex Skidmore, creative director at The Chinese Room, says the team is in the late production phase, "iterating and polishing" what's there.

But as Paradox's Deputy CEO Mattias Lilja states, the publisher has "reaffirmed" its commitments to delivering quality games, and that does apply to Bloodlines 2.

"We have learned a lot through the past year, and that is why we are putting our words into action," said Lilja. "Jointly with Chinese Room, we have decided to extend development. This decision gives Chinese Room extra time to spend on the game, to deliver the best Bloodlines 2 they can."

As Lilja states, The Chinese Room is "prioritizing polish over release date," and it sounds like the delay could result in more than just fine-tuning. While the team is incorporating feedback from playtests and dev diaries, Skidmore says The Chinese Room is working on adding more endings to the game as well.

A long, cold night

Vampire: The Masquerade - Bloodlines 2 has been on a long, long trek to this point. Originally announced at GDC in 2019, under the direction of Hardsuit Labs, the long-awaited sequel to Troika's classic RPG seemed set for success.

Yet delays soon set in, and the departures of high-profile developers—including Bloodlines veteran Brian Mitsoda—foreshadowed harsher developments. Paradox pulled the project from Hardsuit, with layoffs at the studio following soon after, and the project languished without a confirmed developer for a spell until The Chinese Room inherited it in 2023.

Known for games like Dear Esther, Amnesia: A Machine for Pigs, and Everybody's Gone to the Rapture, it's a curious choice. Even some elements of the original Bloodlines 2 pitch shifted in the transfer, like changing the player character's role from a thinblood to an awakened elder.

If time really can heal all wounds, then maybe a little more development time can help The Chinese Room deliver on a Bloodlines sequel. After years of fraught development, I'm just curious to see what comes out the other side. Bloodlines 2 is now slated for the first half of 2025.

The post Vampire: The Masquerade – Bloodlines 2 has been delayed out to 2025 appeared first on Destructoid.

It is a Thursday morning, and I'm prepping myself for the TV production equivalent of a triathlon. I will be running, leaping, squatting, and all other manner of athletically maneuvering around the small reality TV set of The Crush House, following four would-be stars as they fight and fall in love. Maybe a bit of both.

My goal, as intrepid producer Jae, is to film it all. But really, I'm not looking for the specific moments you might normally seek out; I'm looking for the right framing, the proper angles, and the perfect shots to appease my audience. It's this aspect that makes The Crush House fascinating, and also a bit frustrating.

The latest project from the Reigns and Card Shark team Nerial and published by Devolver Digital, The Crush House aims to put you in the camera op's shoes during the most ripped-from-the-TV-set '90s reality show ever: the titular Crush House. Each week, you pick four cast members to populate the set and, across four days, get into all kinds of drama.

You hold the camera, and can choose to film or not film. The only benefit to not filming is advertising dollars—we'll get back to that later. Each day, you need to appease a certain number of audiences watching the show, or the powers-that-be will cancel your production, with some implied consequences beyond losing your job.

The audience is king

The loop is fairly easy to understand, and the controls are simple enough to put the focus (ha) on the camerawork. I'm not crazy about holding space-bar to "charge" up a jump, but that's really just personal preference. But to understand The Crush House, in both its appeals and its setbacks, we need to look at the audience.

Let's say you start a day with four audiences: Plumbers (a regular favorite of mine), Wine-Loving Moms, Girls For Girls, and Voyeurs. Each one of those audiences wants something different, and while sometimes it can come from cast interactions, more often than not, some of your audiences will want to see certain things in the frame. Plumbers want to see how the pipes of The Crush House snake through the set, while those with a green thumb might want to view the garden, or lighthouse fans... really just want to see that lighthouse off in the distance. They're like, really into lighthouses.

At first, I enjoyed this as a challenge to try and think about the way I framed each "scene." I quickly recognized the routine that cast members go through, how they pair up and split back off for predetermined moments of interaction. Rather than just go for a straight-on shot, whether they were kissing or swinging fists, I could try to get some flora in the shot for those flower fanatics, or get a high angle for the movie geeks.

There's a limited amount of time in the day though, and it takes a while to fully appease an audience. Some of them felt nigh-impossible to coordinate with others, because of how specific their wants were. Or if you could get three or more in a single frame, creating a bit of a "heat time" action effect, I'd still walk away with quite a bit of appeasing to do.

And that's where some of the issues with the camera come into play. Frequently I'd be squirming around and wiggling the lens, trying to "latch" onto the different icons on the screen indicating I was filming something the audience wanted. Wiggling back and forth, zooming in and out to try and get the right focus to get two interests in the same shot, was a frequent occurrence. It's hard to describe it as anything else but fidgety. It doesn't help that the auto-focus doesn't always grab a face.

Not getting enough audience appraisal isn't just a demerit, but an instant-fail state, requiring the player to start the whole day over. And while days can be a bit lengthy, it feels like sprinting a 200m race and being told to do it over again. I was playing on the middle difficulty level, and there is an option for those who want to not fret about audience desires, but I felt like swapping to this would be losing the aspect of The Crush House I find interesting, as much as it frustrates me.

Spilling tea

Because of this dead-sprint I was constantly in, it was hard to ever really zero-in on the actual stories unfolding in front of me. When I did get the chance, I found them to be fine. Cast members will like and dislike each other, usually based off their personality traits, so picking some favorable (or unfavorable) vibes made it easy to set up some romance and some drama in equal measure.

As the cast members bounce off each other in dramatic fashion for a week, some of the turning cogs in the machine became apparent. Their interpersonal beefs and crushes were okay, but lacked any deep development or recurring stories; it's natural because of the length of the run and how, I imagine, they run through their possible love-or-hate dialogues. In a few cases, I had bizarre moments of cast members interrupting conversations from across the set and other weird glitches, and also, they all have a tendency of turning their heads all the way around like owls. It's a bit unsettling.

The intended disturbances are also there, in the form of The Crush House's meta-narrative plot. Obviously, something's up with this whole set-up. Even just the weird looping week should probably tip you, Jae, off. As you get further into the game, you'll start to uncover more about what The Crush House really is. I haven't seen it all the way through yet, so I can't really tell you, but I can say that I found this plot to be interesting.

The best part of it is how it starts to issue you quests, with different cast members asking for favors. One might want you to buy some props to set up the perfect scene, while another just wants two solid minutes of continuous footage around one specific object. Satisfying them starts to drip in some extra story and world-building, and I really enjoyed those little moments.

Building a Crush House

Speaking of props, you can buy them and place them at night using cash earned from ads. When you're not filming during the day, a loop of ads will run on your camcorder. Each one has a base amount of money it will award, plus bonuses if the ad is particularly interesting to your current audience roster. It's a little mini-game to play as you're running around, looking for those dramatic moments.

I would like the balancing act, except like I said before, I was usually panicking to ensure I could satisfy all the audiences I had before day's end. (God, I've spent so long just filming pipes and toilets for plumbers.) The rush meant I was spending most of the early day into the evening filming whatever I could to pop icons up, and then using any remaining time to stand there and loop ads to build revenue. A replica lighthouse, made in the image of the real lighthouse, is not going to buy itself, and it ain't cheap either.

So, I spent a lot of time in The Crush House running around, panicked about whether I could appease my audiences in time. Frequently, I'd linger on an objectively abysmal shot of the actual action just to keep the meters I had ticking up. I do really like the challenges that the audience system puts on the player, but it feels like they mandate filming specific objects and popping up the most icons possible, rather than actually following the reality drama. At some point, the plot feels lost.

I could easily see how gradually building up a collection of props and interactable items could make it easier to sate the audiences. And I could see the meta-narrative of this game slowly pushing me through to see its end. But in its first four hours or so, The Crush House feels like an interesting project, and a fascinating concept, that gets bogged down by its stringent requirements. It might play into its creepy meta-story, that trying to follow a specific plot or line can be detrimental to getting the best ratings and staying on the air, but in practice, it just shifts the focus away from what brought me to The Crush House in the first place.

The Crush House is out now on PC via Steam.

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A new farming life game, Fields of Mistria, has been making a bit of a splash with its Early Access launch. It's currently sitting in the top sellers side of Steam, and early adopters seem to be vibing with its rural-life activities and '80s anime aesthetic. One note, though: it seems like at least a few would really, really like to date Olric.

Some context: I've yet to actually play Fields of Mistria myself. As one of the editors here, I was doing some digging through Google Trends, looking at what the several thousands of people playing the game were looking for online. Lo and behold, in the "breakout" category, Olric. Now, I'm certainly no stranger to Story of Seasons, Rune Factory, or Stardew Valley; I know if people are searching for a character name, there's a high probability they're looking for info on an eligible romance.

Yet a little more looking around revealed the truth: people want to date Olric, but can't. The hunky older brother of March (an eligible romance candidate) just hangs out around the forge, being sweet, doing hunky things. But no amount of gifts, presumably protein powder and high-fives, will forge a love connection with this beefcake.

This pixelated assemblage of good, vacuous intentions will not be receptive to your pursuits. That hasn't stopped Fields of Mistria players from pining after him, though.

A brief jaunt through the Steam forums for Fields of Mistria reveals several threads, all calling for Olric's hand in marriage. It's a rare instance of the Steam forums united on something other than toxicity, a beautiful sight to behold. A chorus of "+1s" fill this thread, petitioning for developer NPC Studio to let them marry Olric.

Responses to a tweet from NPC Studio, highlighting Olric's proclivity for rocks, can be summed up as a unanimous "please let me date him." Head to Reddit, and you'll see much of the same. Two of my favorite responses: this artist, who painted a little smooch onto a locket holding Olric's portrait in a collection of romance candidates, and this player, who is essentially cozying up to Olric in his pixelated bed.

The thirst level is off the charts for this rock-loving, forge-tending, sweet himbo of a lad, and outside-looking-in, I'm also pretty curious why Olric isn't receptive to our love. It's possible that there's a character beat or trait, a reason why Olric might abstain from dating. There's certainly the March factor to consider, though a Vampire Diaries-esque triangle doesn't seem infeasible. There are two marriage candidates yet to be unveiled, though neither of the silhouettes on the store page resemble Olric, in my opinion.

But amid this investigation, the sleuths here at Destructoid uncovered a new aspect, a potential Olric deal-breaker. According to his brother, this hunk likes butter in his coffee.

This revelation quickly divided the Destructoid Slack; some found it an egregious infraction, and others thought it was perfectly fine. In the name of editorial transparency, I will say, I've definitely heard of butter coffee before, but I also take my morning java as dark as the void, so I can't really see a benefit to dumping a stick of Land O'Lakes in your pot. A speedy track to heartburn, I guess?

Butter coffee or no, it does seem like the thirst for Olric is strong. There is some precedent for farming games adding love interests later on, in response to audience demand. Maybe a day comes where players can share a.... buttery cup of joe with this lovable lug.

Until then, Fields of Mistria has a bunch of other romanceable characters, and seems to have a pretty positive reception so far. For Stardew fans looking to try something fresh-yet-familiar, it might tide you over. Or inflict you with unrequited adoration for a pixel NPC. Either way, it seems like a good time.

The post Fields of Mistria players desperately want to romance its ineligible hunk Olric appeared first on Destructoid.

One of the longest-running institutions in games media is shutting its doors today. News broke this morning that parent company GameStop is closing Game Informer, after over three decades of magazines and online content.

This morning, GI staff were informed of the decision by GameStop corporate. The entire editorial effort has been folded, as both the magazine is shutting down and all staff have been laid off. Per former magazine content director Kyle Hilliard, the next issue was "about 70% done" and was going to have a "GREAT [sic] cover."

In a broad statement posted to the Game Informer social channels, the company confirms the closure. "While our presses may stop, the passion for gaming that we've cultivated together will continue to live on." Writers from the site have been sharing the news on their social channels as well.

Game Informer debuted in 1991 as a short magazine from now-shuttered video game retailer FuncoLand, as an in-house newsletter. In 2000, GameStop bought FuncoLand and thus took over the publication of Game Informer, which quickly became a major facet of its loyalty program.

Three decades of games coverage

At this point, I editorially need to disclose that I have appeared on several Game Informer streams and podcasts, and am also friends with several writers now laid off by GameStop. Aside from good practice, it's important to highlight because for many, many people, Game Informer was an institution of games media.

In 2010, Game Informer ranked as the 5th largest magazine in the United States, beating out the likes of Time and Sports Illustrated. Over the years, the outlet would continue to weather storm after storm; the general down-turn in print journalism, the shift to online, and numerous cuts from its parent company. Those cuts were made amid a push for NFTs and blockchain, as GameStop itself seemed to try and ride out its meme-stock status through the waves of retail store chaos.

All the while, legendary names and incredible covers still rolled out. Just recently, the GI staff attempted to resuscitate its print magazine efforts, re-launching a subscription service.

To describe Game Informer as an institution could feel hyperbolic, but honestly, that's what it always was. For some, myself included, it was the first glimpse of writing about games; an entire cover-to-cover magazine filled with previews, reviews, features, and writing about the current landscape. At its best, Game Informer revealed stunning covers, adorned with incredible and memorable artwork, filled with new details about the biggest releases.

Yet just as often, an issue of Game Informer was filled with the thoughts and people that make up the industry. Short opinion pieces, intriguing interviews, sprawling features, and a personal favorite, letters from readers. I pulled out a bunch of my old issues of GI for the top photo you see here, and was reminded of just how much influence these early magazines had on me.

So now, the Game Informer staff are looking for work, as a long-held bastion of games coverage disappears in a blip. As layoffs persist in this industry and more institutions are discarded or shorn to the bone, it's hard to even know what the future looks like.

The post Game Informer shut down by GameStop, and all staff laid off appeared first on Destructoid.

It's not uncommon, in the world of video games, to see one game jump-start a genre gold rush. Vampire Survivors led to the bullet-hell bonanza, Dota Auto Chess spawned its fair share of imitators, and there was certainly no shortage of hero-shooters in the wake of Overwatch.

In that respect, Marvel Rivals almost feels a bit late to the party. Overwatch lit the world on fire back in 2016, eight years that feels like an eternity today. We've seen games like Paladins, Gigantic, and Lawbreakers all put spins on it already, followed by discourses about whether similar shooters like Apex Legends or Valorant were going to cut into Overwatch's base. Hell, we got Overwatch 2.

Yet Marvel Rivals, and a few other games like Concord, seem confident that the bell hasn't rung yet. They might even be right. Despite Overwatch weathering so many storms and still coming out on top, Marvel Rivals might be enough to make Blizzard's titanic hero-shooter sweat a bit.

Heroes never die

Marvel Rivals is, in its base essence, quite similar to Overwatch; specifically, the original Overwatch. Teams of six, made up of heroes and villains from the pages of Marvel comics, fight through hallways and corridors over objectives. Some maps might see an attack team pushing a payload, with a defense team trying to stop them. Others just pit two teams more directly against each other, vying for control of points across a series of maps.

Heroes themselves have several basic abilities and an ultimate they charge up over time, forming kits that can feel cohesive, though sometimes idiosyncratic (more on that in a moment). All of the heroes can be classified as Vanguard, Duelist, or Strategist, though Tank, Damage, and Support would have sufficed.

If all of this looks and sounds familiar, that's because it is. When Marvel Rivals lifts from the Overwatch blueprint, it's not exactly subtle. Scarlet Witch's siphon skill that fuels her chaos projectiles has a similar set-up to Overwatch's Moira, albeit more DPS-focused and less about healing. Magneto and Dr. Strange both bring Sigma to mind, and Venom's toolkit is quite reminiscent of Wrecking Ball.

That's not to say it's without its own ideas, though. Some of them are just interesting mixes of ideas. Luna Snow has become a fast-favorite for me in the healer department; she's got some ideas that feel familiar to Zenyatta and Lucio, alongside a potent skill that can freeze an opponent. It's really fun to snowball an enemy and freeze them mid-ultimate. Supports, in general, feel really engaging to use, and don't feel relegated to topping off health bars the entire match.

Some tech feels refreshingly new, like Dr. Strange's portal. Where using a teleporter sometimes felt funky, opening a portal and jumping through, or shooting through, feels natural. On one control point, the other team opened a portal from their spawn to the point and poured in, catching us completely unaware. It was surprising, in a way I haven't felt in a hero shooter for a while.

Marvel Rivals' best contribution to the genre, for my money, is the Synergies concept. Characters, linked by their in-universe connections or just a novel pairing of talents, can get bonuses when they're on the same team. Guardians of the Galaxy can synergize with Adam Warlock's "cocoon" respawning talent. Venom can lend Symbiote powers to Spider-Man and Penni Parker. These aren't necessarily game-breaking, but they do feel like an interesting wrinkle that makes the cast feel a bit more connected in gameplay; you don't just see these heroes fighting alongside each other, but teaming up and assisting each other in tangible ways.

The maps have their own identity too, though they still have some fairly visible similarities to classic Overwatch locales. The destructible environment gimmick is neat, though it does result in really strange moments where pieces of the level slowly spawn back in as you're fighting over them.

Straight from the pages

Ultimately, Marvel Rivals' biggest advantage may just be in its name. Marvel has reached peak cultural saturation; it is everywhere, for better or worse, thanks to the never-ending rollout of MCU and the renewed flood of Marvel games. Sure, some have been hits and some haven't, but there's an advantage to be had in Iron Man, Spidey, and Black Panther being essentially household names. Even relatively lesser-known characters get renewed spotlights here; I was personally thrilled to see Magick, a highlight of Marvel's Midnight Suns for me, on the Rivals launch roster.

So yes, the Marvel name could take Marvel Rivals pretty far. I've been less sold on the cosmetic variety; there is a Battle Pass with a premium track, of course, and there are some solid alternate looks in there, like a steampunk Iron Man. Others are simple color variations, like "what if this character had more green."

The cast is also wide-open, and NetEase Games has been making some interesting decisions in that department. Already, since the start of the beta, we've seen the addition of Thor (expected) and Jeff the Land Shark (unexpected). The latter's not just surprising, but really fun to play from the few matches I've had playing as him. There's really no shortage of Marvel faces and names to draw on, and if the team keeps making deep cuts, it could be a killer angle for Rivals.

The state of the hero shooter

But as much as Marvel Rivals has its own advantages, the hubbub also seems driven by Overwatch's relative precarity. As I wrote up above, the similarities between Marvel Rivals and Overwatch, especially the original Overwatch, aren't hard to notice. Everyone playing Rivals, from critics to people on the Blizzard forums, have noticed the similarities and drawn comparisons.

Overwatch 2 isn't exactly on steady ground these days, either. Blizzard's already scrapped its original plans for PvE, one of the biggest reasons behind adding a number to the name. Initial response to Overwatch 2 was lukewarm, its stadium-sized esports ambitions crumbled under the weight of the Overwatch League, and its cosmetics and currencies have curried controversy. While the studio seems optimistic about its player count, it's hard to feel like Overwatch 2, as it is right now, panned out like Blizzard would have hoped.

While Marvel Rivals doesn't currently seem to have cinematic or story ambitions, it does have some style, substance, and novelty. It's new, it's got a surge of staggered launch hype pushing it, and it's got Iron Man in it. Rivals doesn't have to fulfill the promises Overwatch 2 didn't, just provide a compelling alternative.

It's hard to not feel like Blizzard is already reacting to this renewed competition. The studio is apparently already considering the return of 6v6, after it cut a tank slot from teams going into Overwatch 2. In the blog, game director Aaron Keller is fairly transparent about taking a broad look at a consistent feeling of familiarity in matches:

"When you look at the changes to Overwatch since its inception, it’s clear that many of those have reduced some of the variety within an Overwatch match. We get feedback from some players that Overwatch can feel 'the same' from game to game. While much of this gets attributed to 5v5, we feel that there is more at play here. Besides running experiments with 6v6, we’d like to run some that re-examine the ways we tried solving previous problems, specifically with the goal of bringing some of the freedom back to an Overwatch match without the severity of issues that accompanied it."

Aaron Keller, Overwatch 2 Game Director

Who will survive?

Does Marvel Rivals have what it takes to be an Overwatch killer? The strewn corpses of MMOs past, all dubbed WoW killers, may be enough to prove it's not easy to usurp Blizzard. But even those dynamics have shifted. The enemy, in my opinion, isn't really other games. It's time.

There are so many games coming out every single day, all vying for your time and attention. Dozens of titles, every year, don't just want you to dip in when possible. They have systems meant to drive engagement over time. Both Overwatch 2 and Marvel Rivals have battle passes. So does Helldivers 2, MultiVersus, Apex Legends, Fortnite, Diablo IV, Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League, Call of Duty, Genshin Impact, Destiny 2, even Foamstars. While Palworld and the upcoming Concord don't have passes, they are still games with persistent updates. There are always new characters, skins, and more. Everything to keep you coming back, grinding objectives, and competing to fill your finite hours.

Yes, Overwatch 2 and Marvel Rivals will offer each other a bit of direct competition. But the live service arena at large is as competitive as it's ever been. Rivals' similarity to Overwatch just makes the fight for your Friday night gaming time more palpable. Many end-of-services past make it clear that it's a tough arena, and even the Marvel moniker doesn't always guarantee a long lifespan.

Opinions on Marvel Rivals even now are positive, but it's certainly not universally praised, and will continue to evolve over time. But if anything, it's clear that eight years after Overwatch took the world by storm, there is still room for a new hero shooter on the block. Why not the one with Iron Man in it?

The post Marvel Rivals isn’t revolutionary, but it could make Overwatch sweat appeared first on Destructoid.

After over a year and a half of negotiations, SAG-AFTRA has officially called a strike on video game work. Going into effect on July 26 at 12:01 a.m., SAG-AFTRA members will be striking against companies like Activision Blizzard, Electronic Arts, and more.

The main "sticking point," as the Guild notes in its statement, are A.I. protections. Negotiations for a new contract with a bargaining group that includes the aforementioned publishers, as well as other major ones like Take-Two, Insomniac, and WB Games, have had A.I. as a focal point. Video game voice actors and motion capture actors are seeking protections against the creeping influence of A.I. in games. As SAG-AFTRA president Fran Drescher puts it:

“We’re not going to consent to a contract that allows companies to abuse A.I. to the detriment of our members. Enough is enough. When these companies get serious about offering an agreement our members can live — and work — with, we will be here, ready to negotiate."

Fran Drescher, SAG-AFTRA President

These negotiations began in October 2022 and have been ongoing, with the Guild approving a strike authorization vote in September 2023 with a 98.32% yes vote. The Guild says that some agreements have been reached on other issues, but it does seem like A.I. is the main cause for concern.

It may be warranted, too, as a recent Wired report explored how publishers like Activision Blizzard are already reportedly incorporating generative A.I. into development.

Meanwhile, a spokesperson for the companies said in a statement (via Kotaku) that they are "disappointed" the union has walked away, and they remain "prepared" to resume negotiations.

"We have already found common ground on 24 out of 25 proposals, including historic wage increases and additional safety provisions," said spokesperson Audrey Cooling. "Our offer is directly responsive to SAG-AFTRA’s concerns and extends meaningful AI protections that include requiring consent and fair compensation to all performers working under the IMA. These terms are among the strongest in the entertainment industry."

Voice actors previously went on strike in 2016, over concerns about pay and royalties, among other issues. Where compensation was the concern then, it seems like the spread of tech that could have long-lasting implications on actors' livelihoods is now front and center.

"Eighteen months of negotiations have shown us that our employers are not interested in fair, reasonable A.I. protections, but rather flagrant exploitation," said Sarah Elmaleh, Interactive Media Agreement Negotiating Committee Chair for the Guild. "We refuse this paradigm – we will not leave any of our members behind, nor will we wait for sufficient protection any longer. We look forward to collaborating with teams on our Interim and Independent contracts, which provide A.I. transparency, consent and compensation to all performers, and to continuing to negotiate in good faith with this bargaining group when they are ready to join us in the world we all deserve."

As for the effect this will have on development, that will likely be seen in the coming years rather than the here-and-now. The strike is likely to affect in-development games the most, though even games coming out soon may lose out on the chance for recording anything like re-writes.

Meanwhile, a panel is planned for San Diego Comic-Con this weekend, featuring several SAG-AFTRA game actors discussing their craft. It's certainly going to be an even-higher interest panel now.

The post Video game performers are going on strike appeared first on Destructoid.

Evo 2024 has come and gone, with another year of spectacular fighting game competition in the books. Across its eight main games and many, many side tournaments and exhibitions, there was really no shortage of high-level fightin' and scrappin' to watch.

With all the streams and excitement, though, it might be easy to overlook some of the news announced over the course of the event. Who wasn't distracted by Hayao's 3rd Strike run, after all? So we've gathered all the fighting game news from the weekend in one convenient post, to peruse in the wake of another excellent Evo. Here's every piece of fighting game news announced at Evo 2024.

Hunter x Hunter: Nen Impact adds Meruem, shows opening movie

The upcoming Hunter x Hunter fighting game Nen Impact didn't just get one new character, but what looks like its entire base roster is confirmed. The Chimera Ant leader Meruem got the most spotlight, but there are a few more familiar faces sprinkled throughout the opening movie. Though a few notable HxH characters are missing, it looks like a solid roster to start.

Rivals 2 adds Orcane, and is making the post-launch roster free

While platform-fighters walk a thin line between fighting games and being their own thing, Rivals of Aether has been an excellent Smash alternative to follow. Alongside confirming Orcane is making the jump to Rivals 2 when it launches in 2024, Aether Studios also confirmed all future Rivals 2 characters will head to the game free-of-charge. Pretty rad! Speaking of platform-fighters...

Samurai Jack is coming to MultiVersus

Season 2 is on the way for MultiVersus, with Samurai Jack in the lead and Beetlejuice due later on. Warner Bros.' multiversal multiplayer game has certainly had a rough go of things, but maybe a guaranteed crowd-pleaser like Jack can help tilt the narrative back in its favor. Samurai Jack arrives with Season 2 on July 23.

Here's what skins will look like in 2XKO

Riot's League of Legends fighting game 2XKO didn't share too much major news, as the team just recently revealed Braum and has its alpha coming up soon. For Evo 2024, though, the developers did show a brief look at the possibilities for skins in 2XKO using Ahri's Dynasty fit. If LoL is any indication, I definitely expect this game to have some cosmetic options when it fully launches next year.

The King of Fighters XV adds Vice and Mature

SNK had quite a bit of news to announce this weekend, starting with Vice and Mature joining the KOF XV roster in December 2024. It's the addition of two known characters, but it's nice to know Team Yagami fans can get the team back together.

Fatal Fury: COTW adds Kevin Rian to the line-up

The upcoming City of the Wolves also announced Kevin Rian for the lineup. Still not too much to talk about here, but the next Fatal Fury is looking quite solid. I got to play some of it back at Summer Game Fest this year, and dug how it's been coming along. Alongside the new trailer, we also got a quiet confirmation that SNK is working on a new Art of Fighting and a Samurai Shodown action RPG.

SNK vs. Capcom: SVC Chaos gets a re-release

Here's the big surprise of the weekend from SNK: SVC Chaos is re-released for PlayStation 4, Switch, and PC via Steam and GOG. It's a bit more niche and not quite as beloved as Capcom vs. SNK, but it certainly throws some fuel on the fire for those wanting a re-release of CvS, or even a new title.

Under Night In-Birth 2 Sys:Celes adds Uzuki this month

Back on the anime fighter side, Under Night In-Birth 2 is continuing its character rollout with Uzuki, who's going to be widely available not long after the conclusion of Evo 2024.

Granblue Fantasy Versus: Rising confirms a second year of content

For Granblue players, Cygames confirmed an entire second year of content is coming to Rising, with Versusia already locked in and more characters on the way. Plus, there are a host of feature updates and even story content planned. It was really rad to see the Granblue scene thriving in the early Sunday morning finals slot.

Guilty Gear Strive reveals four more fighters, including Lucy from Cyberpunk Edgerunners

While the surprise was dampened a bit by an early leak, it's still crazy that Guilty Gear is adding a guest character, and from Cyberpunk Edgerunners. That said, Lucy feels like a perfect pick, and I cannot wait to see what she plays like sometime next year. Meanwhile, a new character is also planned for Strive, alongside series favorites Dizzy and Venom.

Somehow, Heihachi returns to Tekken

Remember how Heihachi got thrown into a volcano? Well, it's the year of the dead fighting game villains returning; first Bison came back to Street Fighter, and now Heihachi is returning as the third character in Tekken 8's DLC roll-out. Expect him sometime after Lidia, who goes live this coming week. Some story DLC is also on the way too, which is a pretty notable addition for Tekken lore fans.

Evo is adding a few new events

Since its acquisition by Sony and RTS, Evo has been steadily expanding. It looks like that isn't stopping, as Evo is planning four events next year: the Evo Awards in February, Evo Japan in May, the main Evo show next August, and Evo France in October. Organizer Rick "The Hadou" Thiher also teased a Singapore event for 2026. I love seeing the European scene, and France in particular, get the Evo spotlight like this.

Here's a new look at Terry Bogard in Street Fighter 6

After the confirmation at SGF 2024, we knew SNK's Terry was joining the Street Fighter 6 lineup this autumn. While Terry's trailer at Evo 2024 didn't necessarily contain any new information, we did get to see him in motion, and I think he looks pretty solid. No doubt he'll be popular when he joins the roster this fall.

That's everything for Evo 2024. A slightly more subdued year, without any major game reveals and a few known quantities, but certainly no shortage of new fighters entering their respective arenas. Plus, a surprise retro re-release that might put some hope in older fighting game fans' hearts for more.

News or not, there were some fantastic finals, from an energetic 3rd Strike bracket to incredible matches across Granblue, Tekken, and more. Here's to one good year in the books, and another year of fighting games ahead.

The post Everything announced at Evo 2024 appeared first on Destructoid.

This weekend is gonna be full of fighting game action. Evo, or the Evolution Championship Series, is one of the biggest fighting game events of the year, and Evo 2024 is running all weekend to determine who's top of their field across many major brawlers.

Held in Las Vegas, Nevada, Evo's open-bracket structure means anyone can fly in and sign up to compete. This, combined with its prestige, has led to Evo becoming one of—if not frankly the—trophy to win for modern fighting game competitors. And it's also been home to some historic moments for the fighting game community (FGC), from the Daigo parry to premature celebrations alike.

So what's happening at Evo 2024 this year? Well, alongside plenty of panels and side games, there will be three days of competition across the eight main stage games. Here's everything you need to know about the event.

What are the main stage games at Evo 2024?

Evo 2024 will play home to many, many fighting games. Competitors flying in are just as likely to compete in a few side tournaments and community events as they are the main event. But as for the main stage, Evo is featuring eight games in its lineup:

• Street Fighter 6
• Tekken 8
• Guilty Gear Strive
• Granblue Fantasy Versus: Rising
• Street Fighter III: 3rd Strike
• Under Night In-Birth 2 Sys:Celes
• Mortal Kombat 1
• The King of Fighters XV

These games will host tournaments that whittle their player pools down to increasingly smaller sizes in a double-elimination bracket, culminating in a Top 6 showdown. The above list is also sorted by entrant numbers; The King of Fighters XV brought in 375 entrants, while Street Fighter 6 hosts its sophomore Evo tournament with 5,265 entrants. That's quite a lot of fireballs.

Entrant numbers are important, because they ultimately determine who takes the main stage and when.

What's the schedule for Evo 2024?

Evo 2024 runs from Friday, July 19 through Sunday, July 21. Tournaments will run throughout all three days, slowly working through every game's bracket on various streams. Saturday will feature the bottom four games' finals, alongside continued bracket play. Sunday is always reserved for the Top 6 matches for the top games; colloquially, Grand Finals Sunday.

Seven Twitch channels, ranging from the main channel to 2 through 7, will air the various games and their brackets. If you're a sports fan, it's a bit like March Madness or the World Cup. Viewers can opt to tune into streams specific for their favorite games, with commentators and everything.

If you want to keep up with the Top 6 match-ups and ultimate winners of every bracket, then I recommend sticking to the main Evo channel. However, if you want to always be watching some games, Friday would be a good day to hop around the other Evo channels. That's because the Evo 2024 Showcase will dominate the main channel on Day 1, and it looks like a pretty packed schedule.

What's in the Evo 2024 Showcase?

Every year, Evo has added more developer news and panels to its production schedule, and this year looks to really maximize the stage time. From 10 a.m. through the end of the day, the Evo Showcase will be putting on decidedly different programming from the bracket play on the other channels.

Here's a rundown of the Evo 2024 Showcase schedule, via the Evo site (times in US PT):

• 10 a.m. – HUNTERxHUNTER NENxIMPACT Panel
• 11 a.m. – HUNTERxHUNTER NENxIMPACT Exhibition Tournament
• 1 p.m. – Live Rivals React with Justin Wong and Yipes
• 1:30 p.m. – Capcom Panel
• 2:30 p.m. – GBVSR Panel from Cygames
• 3 p.m. – Sajam Slam: Beat a Pro
• 4 p.m. – TEKKEN 8 X Chipotle – SPECIAL EVO PANEL
• 4:30 p.m. – Cannon Awards
• 4:45 p.m. – FGC Feud with JMCrofts
• 5:30 p.m. – The Art of Guilty Gear -Strive- Panel
• 6:15 p.m. – Rivals 2 Panel
• 6:30 p.m. – Seth Killian Interview with SonicFox
• 7 p.m. – FATAL FURY: CotW & KOF XV - SNK Developer Panel
• 8 p.m. – FATAL FURY: CotW Exhibition Tournament

As you can see, it's a mixture of developer panels, content creator segments, interviews, and even an awards show. Upcoming games like Fatal Fury: City of the Wolves and Hunter x Hunter Nen x Impact will get some stage time, and there will also be some neat conversations, like Seth Kilian interviewing legendary competitor SonicFox.

While you might miss the fighting game action on Friday for this, it's a good way to catch some news. I would expect the major reveals—namely, any new games or fighters—to be saved for Grand Finals Sunday, between the Top 6 events. If you want the granular details though, the Showcase will probably have you covered.

What other streams are airing during Evo 2024?

As always, the action isn't limited to just the main stage at Evo 2024, or even just the main Evo channels. Several community-driven organizations and broadcasters will be airing their own streams throughout the weekend, whether that's a community tournament on-site or a rowdy suite set-up.

A major facet of this will be the Community Showcase, which spotlights various fighting games that didn't make the cut for the main stage 8, but still often feature stellar competition between devoted players. Here's the Community Showcase schedule, alongside the Twitch channels they'll be airing on (all times in US PT):

Friday, July 19

Airing on ten/O:

• 10 a.m. - Guilty Gear +R Pools
• 2 p.m. - Guilty Gear +R Top 6
• 4 p.m. - Capcom vs. SNK 2 Top 4
• 6 p.m. - Marvel vs. Capcom 2 Top 8

Airing on FunkyP:

• 10 a.m. - Melty Blood: Type Lumina Pools
• 2 p.m. - Melty Blood: Type Lumina Top 16
• 4 p.m. - Ultra Street Fighter IV Pools
• 6 p.m. - Ultra Street Fighter IV Top 6

Saturday, July 20

Airing on teamsp00ky:

• 10 a.m. - Melty Blood: Type Lumina Top 6
• 12 p.m. - BlazBlue Cross Tag Battle Top 6
• 2 p.m. - Killer Instinct Top 16
• 4 p.m. - Killer Instinct Top 6

Airing on ten/O:

• 10 a.m. - Guilty Gear Xrd Pools
• 2 p.m. - Guilty Gear Xrd Top 24
• 4 p.m. - Ultimate Marvel vs. Capcom 3 Pools
• 6 p.m. - Ultimate Marvel vs. Capcom 3 Top 24
• 8 p.m. - Samurai Shodown Top 24

Airing on FunkyP:

• 10 a.m. - Soulcalibur VI Pools
• 2 p.m. - Soulcalibur VI Top 24
• 4 p.m. - Dragon Ball FighterZ Pools
• 6 p.m. - Blazblue Central Fiction Top 24
• 8 p.m. - Vampire Savior Top 6

Airing on Reversal:

• 6 p.m. - Dragon Ball FighterZ Top 24
• 8 p.m. - Dragon Ball FighterZ Top 6

Sunday, July 21

Airing on teamsp00ky:

• 10 a.m. - Guilty Gear Xrd Top 6
• 12 p.m. - Blazblue Central Fiction Top 6
• 2 p.m. - Ultimate Marvel vs. Capcom 3 Top 6

Airing on ten/O:

• 10 a.m. - Street Fighter V Pools
• 2 p.m. - Street Fighter V Top 6

Airing on FunkyP:

• 10 a.m. - Street Fighter 2 Super Turbo Pools
• 2 p.m. - Street Fighter 2 Super Turbo Top 6

Airing on MajinObama:

• 10 a.m. - Soulcalibur VI Top 6
• 12 p.m. - Samurai Shodown Top 6
• 2 p.m. - DNF Duel Top 6

Airing on bgcallisto:

• 10 a.m. - Skullgirls Pools
• 2 p.m. - Skullgirls Top 6

These are typically smaller tournaments than the main stage games, but the FGC has plenty of people who show up and play the games they enjoy, regardless of mainstream popularity. I highly recommend checking these out - if you recommendations, you really can't go wrong with some Melty Blood, Soulcalibur, or Skullgirls.

What are the storylines going into Evo 2024?

As for what to watch for, each game in the main stage lineup has its own legacy going into this weekend. Some are the new kids on the block, or maybe even the latest entry in a long-running series, while others feature scenes that have developed and changed over time, even playing host to their own rivalries and drama. The people make the competition interesting, and there's no shortage of interesting competitors.

For The King of Fighters XV, many eyes will be on Xiao Hai, a dominant competitor who took Evo Japan 2023 without dropping a set. Look for the Latin American scene to show up in force here to try and block a Xiao Hai run.

Mortal Kombat 1 has been, to use a tired euphemism, a mixed bag. There are plenty of strong competitors, with SonicFox as the presumptive favorite, but the game itself hasn't seen the kind of enthusiastic reception you'd expect for Mortal Kombat or NetherRealm. This entry's Evo debut will definitely set the tone for MK1 moving forward.

Tekken 8 will also be setting a tone with its Evo 2024 debut, though it's entering the weekend in a more favorable position; Tekken 7 has, in my opinion, been one of the better fighting games to watch over the last few years. The competition has been fierce, the vibrant international scene has only raised the bar, and the players put their all into taking home the trophy.

Both Tekken 8 and Street Fighter 6 look strong going into their respective tournaments, which feels reflected by their position at the top of the entrant numbers. Guilty Gear Strive is also still going strong at third, though the real pleasant surprise has been Granblue Fantasy Versus: Rising, setting a franchise record for entrants at this year's tournaments. I'd love to see the Granblue fans really win some more folks over with a stellar Top 6 to open Sunday, and Under Night In-Birth II Sys:Celes should also be a fun time the night before.

Saturday night is going to end strong with the Street Fighter III: 3rd Strike Top 6, though. As this year's throwback game, garnering 1,101 entrants alone is already a testament to the long-lasting legacy of 3rd Strike. Older players will likely clash against new talent, and we could easily see a bracket full of titans.

All in all, it should be a packed weekend if you enjoy watching two players beat the health bar out of each other. Expect reveals, stunning matches, and more than a few pop-offs. Evo 2024 gets underway on July 19, at 10 a.m. PT.

The post Your complete guide to Evo 2024 – Schedule, games, and what to watch appeared first on Destructoid.

Shonen heroes are often blessed with special powers. From overwhelming strength or speed to extreme stretchiness, their ace-in-the-hole lets them emerge victorious in all the battles they must fight. But what if a hero's power was their ability to run away?

The Elusive Samurai is what it says on the cover: a period piece set in 14th century Japan following Tokiyuki Hojo, the nimble heir to the regent of the Kamakura shogunate. He shirks his training, preferring instead to dash around the town, dodging his weary teachers and performing acrobatics across the rooftops.

When his family is betrayed and slaughtered, however, things change. He's now suddenly torn from his carefree life. Staring down a bleak end amid fire and blades, however, a not-so-subtle priest gives Tokiyuki a not-so-subtle shove, kick-starting a campaign for revenge and the eventual reclamation of his homeland, with Tokiyuki's knack for running away as his trump card.

Based on the manga by Yusei Matsui, which has been running in weekly Shonen Jump since 2021, The Elusive Samurai is in the midst of its first season (airing in the U.S. on Crunchyroll). It's a series I've wanted to check out for a while, on my ever-growing backlog of manga. With CloverWorks (The Promised Neverland, Bocchi the Rock!) tackling production, though, I figured the first episode would be worth a shot.

Instantly, it's made clear that The Elusive Samurai is going to be a visually stunning series. Not counting an extremely catchy and fun OP, the story starts with a full-motion video preamble about Takauji Ashikaga and the history of Japan, before literally closing the book and cutting to Tokiyuki running around.

The ensuing animation is simply gorgeous, as the young lord leaps and bounds around town amid Takauji's send-off ceremony. In a matter of minutes, the viewer sees every aspect of Tokiyuki's idyllic palace life: his father's puppet regency, the stoicism of Takauji, and how Tokiyuki finds joy in shirking responsibility, choosing to simply take in the simple pleasures of this life.

A seemingly chance encounter with a priest reinforces The Elusive Samurai's comedic chops, too. The series plays up both wordplay and physical comedy to great effect, with Yorishige Suwa and his assistant as perfect comedic complements to disrupt Tokiyuki's life.

It would all be calm before the storm, though, as The Elusive Samurai is very much a samurai story, and that does entail its fair share of blood and carnage. It's enough to push Tokiyuki to the edge, literally; but when he goes tumbling over, he finds his agile nature belies a remarkable ability to avoid death and danger. In a fluid, beautifully animated montage, Tokiyuki goes flying through a mass of samurai, dodging blades and arrows alike, emerging like a phoenix.

This becomes the heart of The Elusive Samurai, a show that can pivot on a moment's notice from light-hearted comedy to gruesome violence. It might feel dissonant at times, but it works incredibly well, mirroring Tokiyuki's own shock and emotions in the moment. It's remarkable how CloverWorks manages to navigate what might have been a difficult adaptation, otherwise.

Intersperse some incredible landscape work, more clever animation and transitions, and even the way CloverWorks frames it all, and The Elusive Samurai is easily one of the summer's best visual treats when it comes to anime. It's so dedicated to the bit that, in Episode 2, an early joke about a dice game becomes a full-blown visual gag that evolves over the course of the entire episode.

I'm keen to see how the emotional and comedic layers intertwine in the coming episodes, but suffice to say, The Elusive Samurai is easily one to keep tabs on this summer. We've had no shortage of stellar manga adaptations over the last year or so, including Delicious in Dungeon and Frieren. And right now, The Elusive Samurai seems poised to be just as beloved.

The post The Elusive Samurai is one of this summer’s most gorgeous must-watch anime appeared first on Destructoid.

EA Sports College Football 25 is out now, and with so much anticipation for a new college football game, there's been quite a lot of players hopping online to play. If you've been eager to play Dynasty Mode in particular, you might have run into a peculiar error that puts some Latin filler text on your screen.

The Lorem ipsum error, as it's been colloquially referred to, looks to be caused by online issues. Electronic Arts says it's working on a fix, but for now, there are some ways you can try to work around it and get your Dynasty started. Here's how to deal with the Lorem ipsum error in College Football 25.

EA Sports CFB 25 Lorem ipsum error in Dynasty Mode

As EA has noted, alongside several different threads and social media posts, those trying to get into the Dynasty Mode of EA Sports College Football 25 may be greeted with an error where they see "lorem ipsum" on the screen. EA's Help account confirms it's working on a fix, but for now, here's what you should do if you encounter this issue:

1. Disconnect Wi-Fi from your PlayStation 5 or Xbox Series X|S
2. Restart EA Sports College Football 25 while still disconnected from the Internet
3. Enter Dynasty Mode offline from the main menu

This will allow you to play offline and set up your Dynasty. If you were hoping to go online, there's not an official path forward, but some users have reported success in doing those same steps and then going online. Your mileage may vary on that front.

You'll also want to make sure you're logged into your EA Account to access Dynasty save files. Though, if servers are getting hammered, it could be messy trying to establish the connection. The best bet for all of this working smoothly is a full fix from EA.

Hopefully Electronic Arts solves the server issues now, before EA Sports College Football 25 goes live for all non-special edition buyers later this week. Meanwhile, enjoy this fun fact: Lorem ipsum is a popular filler text for copywriting and graphic design, used to put words on the page to see exactly how, say, a fully written newspaper column may lay out on the page. It's also apparently a truncated version of dolorem ipsum, or "pain itself," which is probably what EA's servers are feeling under the strain of all these college football players.

The post EA Sports College Football 25 Lorem ipsum error, explained appeared first on Destructoid.

Like other main story quests in Final Fantasy XIV, Dawntrail offers a branching path choice, and fairly early on. You'll barely be settled into Tuliyollal before you'll have to choose between two different routes for the contest of succession.

The nice part is, like other times you've had to pick one, you won't have to worry too much about the choice affecting your future options. Here's how to choose between the Pelu and Hanu quests in Final Fantasy XIV Dawntrail.

Which option should you choose between the Hanu and Pelu?

Once you've finished the Main Story Quest "The Rite of Succession", you'll be presented with two options to advance forward in the narrative. The Approachable Pelu and Helpful Hanu each offer a quest, To Urqopacha and To Kozama'uka respectively, to move the story ahead.

Both offer 994,560 EXP and 1001 Gil as rewards, and as the game helpfully reminds you, taking either option will temporarily lock you out of the other route until you finish the one you pick.

That being said, no story elements or quest rewards will be affected by your choice. Basically, pick one to clear first, then the other; it does not matter where you start.

If you're still here and worrying about the options, I recommend you choose the option that interests you the most. I went with Pelu, for example, because they're relatively new to Final Fantasy XIV and I wanted to see what they were up to. Also, there were alpacas in the quest thumbnail. Easy choice.

Either way, you won't need to fret about making some kind of grand decision here. You'll be able to clear both out in due time, and continue on your way through the MSQ of Dawntrail.

The post Should you choose the Pelu or Hanu quest in FFXIV Dawntrail? appeared first on Destructoid.

With the launch of Final Fantasy XIV Dawntrail, Warriors of Light are setting sail for new lands in Tural. And while you're in new places, acquiring new armor and cosmetics, you might want to know when you can head to an inn.

Luckily, you won't have to wait long to get to the Tuliyollal inn in Final Fantasy XIV Dawntrail. Here's when you get access to this ever-so-vital part of the XIV ecosystem.

When do you unlock the Tuliyollal inn in Dawntrail?

After progressing through the Main Story Quest "The Rite of Succession", you'll be prompted to head to the inn with your ragtag band of adventurers. You'll get a quick introduction to the local Innkeep, and quickly get whisked away to the next quest step.

Once you've seen this scene, though, you'll have access to the Inn in Tuliyollal. This will let you attend to all your inn-related needs, which I imagine will mostly be arranging your glamour plates with all the new armor pieces you're getting.

Where is the inn located in Tuliyollal?

You can find the Inn over to the southwest, near the long docks. Thankfully, The For'ard Cabins Aethernet Shard is just next to it, so you can quickly travel around and get back to the Inn. And if you haven't attuned to all the Aethernet Shards yet, what are you doing? It's a new city and you'll probably be spending some time here, go attune!

After a while, you'll get your path options to head out, towards either the Pelu or Hanu options for the MSQ. Whichever you choose, be sure to have your Aether Compass hotbarred and at the ready, so you can pick up Currents on the way to your next location.

The post How to unlock the inn in Tuliyollal in FFXIV Dawntrail appeared first on Destructoid.

There comes a point where, after so many hours invested into something, it becomes a facet of your life. It could be a hobby or past-time, a skill or a tradition. Little habits that define slices of your life like eras. The anime you grew up watching on Toonami. The sourdough starter you tried during the pandemic. The podcasts you listen to on the drive to work.

Games can do the same, and it's that feeling that's washing over me on the eve of Final Fantasy XIV's latest expansion. Dawntrail arrives soon, less than 12 hours from me typing this. I've been spending all day trying to encapsulate what that means for me, and for players eager to set off for new adventures.

To those out of the loop, it might sound a bit strange. I'll admit, I was a late arrival to the XIV party. I picked it up during Endwalker, arguably the worst possible time to start playing the MMORPG. Servers were buckling under the weight of so many Warriors of Light, trying to log on and see their adventure through to the end. Surely that popularity alone gives people some idea of the devotion this game inspires, even if they've never set a foot in Eorzea.

Yet it still captured me. Not immediately; part of me just enjoyed the novelty of running through entry-level dungeons as others were hastily chewing through current content. I did love the feeling of starting a new dungeon and seeing messages remark on how they hadn't seen this duty in ages. Players trying to remember old mechanics is a feeling I'm all too acquainted with, now.

I posted a screenshot of the first time the Warrior of Light, the player's avatar, meets the Scions of the Seventh Dawn, a group that quickly becomes the most familiar faces and staunchest allies in Final Fantasy XIV. Long-time players replied, saying how nostalgic it felt to see them there, like that again. It was like slowly immersing myself in years of history I'd never been privy to, until now.

Weeks and months went on, and I saw it all. Dungeons, raids, highs and lows. Several cutscenes played in sequence. First, A Realm Reborn, then Heavensward, on to Stormblood and Shadowbringers, and finally, Endwalker. In the course of a year, I caught all the way up to more seasoned Final Fantasy XIV players, and finally saw the "To be continued..." on my main story quest marker.

And at this point, you'd think, that would be that. I'd dip back in for story when I wanted to, maybe stay current enough to see the next expansion, but ultimately slow down. I'd caught up. I should've known that was only the start.

Final Fantasy XIV is not the first game to hold me firm in its clutches. While I'd say RPGs are my primary realm of coverage, part of me always loved online games. From Quake to StarCraft, to Unreal Tournament and Call of Duty, to League of Legends and Dota 2, I could while away hours upon hours locked in online co-operation and competition.

Maybe the latter part is why World of Warcraft never grabbed me, though I also maintain I was just a little peeved we'd never see a new Warcraft RTS. But I put hundreds, maybe even thousands of hours into those. So how did Final Fantasy XIV do the same to me?

Well, it happened slowly. Some events pop up, and I want another new mount or glamour. A friend wants to hang out and go check out what a Final Fantasy XIV night club looks like, and I oblige. Colleagues, including Destructoid's resident XIV scholar Andrea Shearon, demand I play the Eden raids. (Still working on those, sorry Andrea.)

And at one point, I get obsessed with Triple Triad. That silly, superfluous mini-game from Final Fantasy VIII. Good lord, the hours I have lost to Triple Triad.

For those unaccustomed, Triple Triad is a fairly simple game where you play cards on a 3x3 grid, one at a time. Each card has a numerical value in its cardinal directions, and if you play a higher number than another card it touches, you flip it to your side. The player with the most cards in their corner wins. There are a few extra rules like Same, Reverse, and Plus that get tossed in for good measure, but that's the short version of it.

There is a mount you can get, an exceptionally rare mount; sites that track mounts estimate roughly 3% of the player base has it. It is a flying Triple Triad mount. To do it, you have to basically engage with every inch of Final Fantasy XIV. Raids, dungeons, and trials. Tribal quests. Crafting and gathering. Tiny side quests, sprinkled throughout Eorzea, and massive areas full of optional content like Eureka and Bozja. If you see someone flying around on a Triple Triad card, they have not just played the story beats of Final Fantasy XIV. They have seen every piece of it.

I know, because I've been chasing that mount for ages now. Not a week goes by without logging in and grinding a new dungeon, doing some tribal turn-ins, and chipping away at some duties I still need cards from. It has, at this point, become routine. Even as my playtime waxes and wanes, I can't help but want to chip away at it. It's a giant flying card, not the most glamorous mount in the game, but still a bit of a status symbol.

It's also forced me to see Final Fantasy XIV beyond that top layer. Like peeling back the onion and removing that first bit, only to find more and more underneath. What I found wasn't just enough content to probably last me a lifetime, but all the people and the different ways they engage with Final Fantasy XIV.

Some of my friends only play XIV for the story. They hop on when there's a new piece of main narrative, blast through it in a few hours, and come back for the next patch a few months later. Heck, I was that way for a while too.

Others are more involved. They prog high-level content. They're omnicrafters. They digitally bartend. When I picked up the Blue Mage vocation, it wasn't alone; I joined a group of players, all trying to grind out the same wacky, somewhat-esoteric content together. Running map nights, raid nights, any kind of night makes some of the distance feel smaller.

That's the incredible thing, in Final Fantasy XIV. So many people I know in real life, spend time with, and talk to even in the industry, play XIV. Like other online games, it can absolutely serve as a game to play while we're on a call in Discord on a Wednesday night. But it's also a shared world. Seeing an orange name pass by me in Limsa is always a nice surprise, and it's so warming to throw out a /wave and get one in return.

Final Fantasy XIV has, in its own way, wormed itself into the fabric of my life. Not just my game playing, which comes and goes as upcoming releases become new releases, and fresh games become old game and backlog entries. It's woven into social structures. In some ways, it's a primary forum for some of my relationships.

How do you quantify what a game means to you when it's the catalyst for so much? When something transcends the "game of the week" you joke around in for a while and drop, to something that becomes a part of your routine? And what does it mean to take a new step in that together? Honestly, all the "Horde" and "Alliance" shouting at old BlizzCons is starting to make sense to me. XIV isn't really just an RPG I play anymore. It's a digital space I visit. It's where I've met new people and kept old friendships strong. It's a different kind of attachment than I feel towards something like Mass Effect or The World Ends With You; games that were pivotal in my life but ultimately finite, and not quite as defined by my social interactions so much as my internal, emotional reactions. I love the Normandy, but BioWare has yet to let me hang out on the ship with my friends and run Frontline while second-screening a soccer match.

So, on the eve of Dawntrail, I've been looking back through my giant album of screenshots and sure, I've got the big moments. Gorgeous cutscenes, emotional character lines, and incredible vistas. I've got more Gpose shots than any person needs. But I've got tons of images of raid clears and dungeon endings, or just hanging out in player housing.

Part of me hopes that Dawntrail continues to elicit those same emotions, that what's coming down the pipe will only be additive to what Final Fantasy XIV is. The weird part is, even if it's not, there's still so much Final Fantasy XIV here. Maybe this game will, too, fade in time and become another "era" of my life. I'll look back on this the way I look back on older recollections of games I thought I'd play forever.

But with new horizons comes new chances for making new memories. The nice part about getting older is you learn to cherish the good moments while they're here, because you know how quickly they can go away. So on the eve of Dawntrail, I'm cherishing a lot of golden memories on the path here. And hopefully, many more ahead. See you all in Tural.

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After two notable companies cut ties with him, video game streamer Guy "Dr. Disrespect" Beahm has issued an official statement concerning his ban from Twitch and the nature of it. In a lengthy statement today, the streamer confirms he was messaging a minor in 2017, but goes on to claim that "nothing illegal happened."

Beahm's ban from Twitch in 2020 was surrounded with an air of mystery, as very little public reasoning was given for the streamer getting booted from the platform. Recently, though, an allegation from a former Twitch employee seems to have broken the dam. The Midnight Society—a game development studio Beahm co-founded—cut ties with him yesterday following an investigation, and earlier today, headset maker Turtle Beach confirmed it was ending its partnership with Dr. Disrespect, who had moved to YouTube from Twitch. During this time, reports emerged reinforcing the reasoning behind the Twitch ban.

All the while yesterday, Beahm hosted a stream of Elden Ring: Shadow of the Erdtree, before ending on a somber note that indicated he was, at the very least, taking a break from streaming. Today, he issued a formal statement on his Twitter, announcing his stance and confirming some details around the nature of the Twitch ban.

It's important to note that Beahm has been editing the statement since its publication, and you can view those revisions on X/Twitter. One consistent portion, though, is that Beahm is publicly confirming that he was messaging with "an individual minor" in 2017. Here's his full statement on the matter:

"Were there twitch whisper messages with an individual minor back in 2017? The answer is yes. Were there real intentions behind these messages, the answer is absolutely not. These were casual, mutual conversations that sometimes leaned too much in the direction of being inappropriate, but nothing more. Nothing illegal happened, no pictures were shared, no crimes were committed, I never even met the individual. I went through a lengthy arbitration regarding a civil dispute with twitch and that case was resolved by a settlement. Let me be clear, it was not a criminal case against me and no criminal charges have ever been brought against me."

Guy "Dr. Disrespect" Beahm, via Twitter

He goes on to say that, from a moral standpoint, he takes responsibility and says he should have "never entertained" the conversations; "that's on me. That's on me as an adult, a husband and a father. It should have never happened. I get it. I’m not perfect and I’ll fucking own my shit. This was stupid," said Beahm.

The statement goes on to lambast "remarks and labels" thrown around on social media. "I'm no fucking predator or pedophile," Beahm writes. He then apologizes to his community, expresses apathy towards his haters, and then ends with this:

"Finally, if you're uncomfortable with this entire statement and think I'm a piece of shit, that's fine. But I'm not fucking going anywhere. I’m not the same guy that made this mistake all those years ago. I'm taking an extended vacation with my family as mentioned on stream and I'm coming back with a heavy weight off my shoulders.

"They want me to disappear… yeah fucking right."

Guy "Dr. Disrespect" Beahm, via Twitter

Midnight Society studio head Robert Bowling took to Twitter not long after Beahm published his statement with the following:

"This is a statement from me personally. It does not reflect any of my companies and has not gone through any legal or PR approvals.

"If you inappropriately message a minor. I can not work with you.

"Period.

"I promised to only act on facts, and I did."

Robert Bowling, The Midnight Society

Twitch has not made any official statement on the matter, as of the time of this writing.

The post Dr. Disrespect releases lengthy statement on why he was banned from Twitch appeared first on Destructoid.

Streamer Guy "Dr. Disrespect" Beahm has been officially dropped from The Midnight Society, a game studio he helped co-found. The departure follows an investigation conducted by the studio into new allegations surrounding Beahm's ban from Twitch in 2020.

On June 21, a former Twitch employee took to Twitter to allege an unnamed person was banned over use of Twitch Whispers, a now-defunct messaging system on the live-streaming platform, to "meet up" with a minor at TwitchCon. No name was given, but many content creators and reporters took it as a tweet about Beahm.

Beahm was banned in 2020, in a move that was understood at the time to be permanent, though the reasons around it were never given in overtly explicit terms. After the post emerged and started to get shared around, Beahm posted a statement on his own page:

"Listen, I’m obviously tied to legal obligations from the settlement with Twitch but I just need to say what I can say since this is the fucking internet.

I didn’t do anything wrong, all this has been probed and settled, nothing illegal, no wrongdoing was found, and I was paid.

Elden Ring Monday."

Guy "Dr. Disrespect" Beahm, Twitter

The Midnight Society drops Dr. Disrespect

This brings us to today, when Beahm's studio, The Midnight Society, announced it would be parting ways with its co-founder. In a statement, the studio says it was made aware of "an allegation" against Beahm. It "assumed his innocence and began speaking with parties involved," and then announced that in order to maintain its principles and standards as a studio and individuals, it needed to act.

"For this reason, we are terminating our relationship with Guy Beahm immediately," wrote the Midnight Society.

Beahm has yet to make a follow-up statement. During a live stream today, Beahm said he felt "burnt out" and expressed a desire to "start something new, something different." The streamer implies he'll be taking a step back from broadcasting, and doesn't give an indication on when he might return.

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The League of Legends universe has grown well beyond the bounds of its MOBA origins. Its characters have shifted over to other genres and game types, ranging from auto-chess and fighting games to turn-based RPGs and Netflix shows. So in that respect, Riot putting its champions into the bullet heaven genre with League's Swarm mode shouldn't be a surprise.

Officially announced today, Swarm is the new PvE game mode arriving as part of this summer's event. The full name is Swarm | Operation: Anima Squad, and as the name implies, it's not just themed around League of Legends, but specifically the Anima Squad line of skins. For those who don't play League of Legends, that might be confusing, so I'll simplify it a bit: these are multiversal versions of characters, like the different Spiders of the Spider-Verse.

In this alt-universe, the Anima Squad is a cybernetic and animal-themed team fighting against the Primordians to save humanity. You'll still see names you recognize, between old standards like Yasuo and Jinx, and newer faces like Aurora. The entire event takes place inside the League client, much like Teamfight Tactics. But while the format looks familiar, Swarm will feel quite different, whether you've been a long-time League player or just starting out.

We got the chance to go hands-on with the new game mode at a preview event amid Summer Game Fest. I've spent quite a bit of time with Vampire Survivors and the many, many games inspired by it, so I was curious to see what Riot was doing in the space. My first surprise was that Riot was building this inside the League client, rather than making it standalone.

In a Q+A with the developers of the mode, it was made there because the original prototype was built there. But also, building within the League environment offered some speed. Champions, animations, and other assets are already in the client. Teamfight Tactics was, according to them, easier to make faster within the client than without. And since this is a League event, Riot likes keeping it within that ecosystem.

Legendary survivors

In Swarm, you pick from the roster of League of Legends champions and enter the arena, where you then start walking around and fending off encroaching hordes of foes. You don't fire (most) of those skills yourself, though. They auto-fire, as you simply steer your champion around the map. And, for a League first, you utilize WASD for movement, while opting to either control the direction of your fire with your cursor or default to auto-aim.

Over time, the enemies get more durable and dangerous, eventually spawning special varieties of dangerous foes and even bosses. To combat this, you can pick up experience orbs that drop upon an enemy's death, choosing new abilities or boosting existing ones with a pick-three system every time you level up. If you've played Vampire Survivors, you know exactly how this plays.

Honestly, this familiarity isn't inherently bad. There's a reason many other games, not just Swarm, utilize concepts from Vampire Survivors for their own bullet heavens; the ideas are just that synergistic with the mode. Core concepts like picking up orbital projectiles to push back enemies, increasing your movement speed or fire rate, and "evolving" abilities into stronger versions based on attack-attribute synergies all work as well here as they've worked elsewhere. If it ain't broke, don't fix it.

One neat idea are "events" that can happen in the arena, where characters like Yuumi can pop up and kick off mini-games for rewards. They can be pretty difficult, at times, and sometimes involve complicated mechanics to complete while avoiding waves of enemies, like kicking soccer balls into goals. They're worth it, though, for the upgrades if you can manage them.

Where Swarm feels notably different is how its individual champions move, attack, and operate. More than most other games I've played in this genre, champions have core mechanics that define the way they survive in-game. Jinx is your prototypical bullet heaven character, whose machine-gun attacks and hype-up passive mean she gets the zoomies the more she kills, and shoots faster the more zoomy she is. Shoot fast, kill faster, rinse and repeat.

Swap over to Riven, though, and you're playing something completely different. The broken sword-wielder does a hop-slam attack, metered off how much she has moved. So above all, keep moving. Her abilities encourage this further, giving you shields and scaling well with Armor, so you can get into the thick of the horde and still emerge alive.

Yasuo became a fast-favorite for several people at the preview event, I think. He loves increased odds to critically strike, and can start to really output damage the higher his crit chance gets. Add in his Wind Wall, which can create a barrier and hold the waves of foes at bay for ranged attackers, and he's a surprisingly effective mix of utility and damage.

Champion identity might be the silver bullet for League of Legends' Swarm mode, as each character can function in different ways. The mode is also co-op, allowing up to four players to team up and fight back against the Primordians, and there's plenty of meta-progression to unlock too, between permanent upgrades to stats, new maps, and more characters.

Getting animated

Riot's vision for the game mode is also noticeably more colorful and cheerful than the more grim iterations of this genre. Rather than bats and zombies, you're fending off aliens in bright locales. During our preview period, dangerous projectiles manifested as beach balls that would menacingly roll towards us. I'm not sure if that's staying in, but I hope it does. There was nothing quite like hearing someone yell out "not another damn beach ball" amidst the rows of PCs.

There were times where the screen got a little hard to read, thanks to how many enemies and colors were on the screen. Contrast could be a little higher, in my opinion. But for the most part, I knew where my character was, and where the enemies were. Following some of the shots and projectiles were a little harder, but it worked out okay.

The character and color extends to the bosses of Swarm, too. Boss fights aren't necessarily new for the genre either, but Riot makes use of its recognizable roster once again to construct massive, active boss battles. We got to challenge the Primordian version of Rek'sai, which meant taking out tunnels and dodging underground strikes. By the time we got there, our squad was fairly overpowered, but it felt good to fell such a massive titan and do some light raid mechanics, dodging AoEs and focusing targets.

Swarm will no doubt benefit from the built-in audience of League of Legends, and probably appeal to anyone that loves those characters and their Anima Squad skins. As for bullet heaven genre fans, I do think there's enough here to merit downloading the client and trying it for the low, low price of free. While some core concepts will feel familiar, the way that champion toolkits have been integrated into the characters' actions works really well.

If anything, I'm curious to see whether it sticks around the way TFT has. The Anima Squad event kicks off on July 17 and runs through August 19, which leaves a short window for Swarm players to dig into all that's here. Riot made it sound like they'd watch the numbers, when it comes to whether this mode could ever come back. But I wouldn't mind seeing Riot continue to tinker with this idea. It's a good one so far, and could get even better given time.

League of Legends' Swarm mode goes live on July 17.

_{Travel accommodations for this preview were provided by Riot Games.}

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Riot is unveiling its latest champion to hit Summoner's Rift today, and it's one they've apparently been trying to make for quite a while. Aurora is a new mage add to the League of Legends roster, utilizing mobility and even some trickery to own the lane.

We got to go hands-on with a preview version of Aurora recently, as part of a look at what's next for League of Legends. While you could probably take Aurora into the top lane or even the jungle, she seems best-suited to the middle lane, where her spirit powers and skillshots can do some damage.

Aurora is a vastaya able to see into, and move through, the spirit realm. Her whole vibe is about helping troubled spirits, and she's also unique in representing an autistic character within League of Legends.

Here's a rundown of what Aurora can do in combat:

• Passive: Spirit Abjuration

  • If Aurora damages an enemy three times with her spells and attacks, she will deal magic damage and exorcise a spirit to her, entering Spirit Mode and gaining movement speed and empowering her healing for three seconds. (For every additional spirit following Aurora, the bonuses from Spirit Mode are increased by 5%.)

• Q: Twofold Hex

  • Fire a blast of cursed energy in a direction, dealing magic damage to enemies hit and marking them with spirit energy. Recast: End the curse, drawing back the spirit energy to herself, dealing magic dealing to enemies passed through.

• W: Across the Veil

  • Hop in a direction. Upon landing, enter the spirit realm, becoming Invisible and entering Spirit Mode for several seconds. Takedowns on enemy champions reset the cooldown of this ability.

• E: The Weirding

  • Send out a blast of spirit magic dealing magic damage in an area and slowing them. Aurora will hop backwards slightly on cast.

• R: Between Worlds

  • Send out a pulse of spirit energy that deals magic damage and slows enemies. The area merges with the spirit realm, granting Aurora an empowered spirit mode, and allowing her to travel from one end of the area to the other. Enemies who try to cross the threshold will take magic damage, be slowed, and be pushed back toward the center of the area.

In my time playing as Aurora, I found her to be interesting, though not exactly my type of mage. She's able to pull off some tricky moves, mainly around her two mobility options—the hops on her W and E—and also "detonate" for extra damage on her Q's recast. A good damage combo would see her throwing out a Q, hitting the opponent with E and proccing her passive, then recasting Q for maximum damage.

Aurora's ultimate has interesting teamfight implications, controlling a lot of space and possibly letting her dive into a backline. I'm not much of a mage player, admittedly. But I could see someone who enjoys tricky, mobile fighters with a surprising amount of lane power digging Aurora.

Even if she's not my new main, though, I really do enjoy Aurora's style and design. Her designers told us during the preview event that the bunny design has been in the works for some time at Riot, through several different iterations. And now, this version of Aurora is what's ultimately seen it through.

Aurora joins the League of Legends roster in patch 14.14.

_{Travel accommodations for this preview event were provided by Riot Games.}

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As live service games grow, some publishers have been expanding even wider into realms like user-generated content. Roblox has built itself up on the efforts of developers, and Epic has been pushing Fortnite Creative with its own internal studios. But for League of Legends maker Riot Games, it seems like the company isn't interested in its MOBA doing the same.

We attended a recent press event held by Riot Games, and got the opportunity to ask League leadership a few questions about the future of the game. Riot Games has already seen one big success in creating a game-within-a-game in Teamfight Tactics, so we asked if Riot would ever be interested in exploring UGC, outside the realm of its MOBA. Head of League studio Andrei van Roon says he's less interested in UGC for League of Legends, at least.

"You know, it's something we might pursue elsewhere in Riot at some point," said van Roon. "But we feel a lot of what we've built on League, where we have strengths, what players are looking for, for us, are less about sort of building UGC platform and more about delivering particular types of experience, using these characters in a competitive or semi-competitive setting, playing to the strengths of MOBA, that action-strategy mix, etcetera."

"I think UGC is primarily a platform and technology play," said game director Pu Liu. "And I think it's a fairly winner take all market. I think if I look at what Riot's strengths are and our competitive advantages, I'm not going to go pick that fight with Epic. Maybe Andrei, my boss, would tell me we should. But yeah, I think it's a technology platform play and not one that we're likely to win."

In the same Q+A session, Riot's League leads note what game modes like Teamfight Tactics have done for League of Legends. The auto-chess variant was built inside of League's design space and lives, at least on PC, in the same client.

While it seems like Riot is interested in developing internally, it's not opening its doors to broader creation. And maybe that's a good thing; where Epic and Roblox could see lots of interest garnered through user creations, they could also tumble into new issues.

Still, Riot does seem keen to speak to new audiences. In the aforementioned Q+A, Liu notes that the League audience is aging up, and that League is not in the same situation it was 10 years ago. Projects like the card game Legends of Runeterra, fighting game 2XKO, and Netflix's Arcane series all feel like ways of reaching out to new groups of fans.

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The Summer Game Fest may be over, but Nintendo is hosting its big summer showcase today. The publisher is broadcasting a new Nintendo Direct, airing roughly 40 minutes of news about upcoming Switch games, though there won't be any mention of the console's successor here.

Instead, what we're likely to see is the twilight roll-out of the Switch's library. A few new games, a few old ones, and maybe the return of a long-lost giant, hiding away for years in Nintendo R&D. Here's everything we saw today.

Everything shown in the June 2024 Nintendo Direct

• A surprise reveal of Mario & Luigi: Brothership opens the show. It's the first Mario & Luigi game in years, and though former series studio Alphadream rode off into the sunset, it looks like the series is returning under Nintendo. The look is certainly there, and this might be a fun Nintendo revival on November 7, 2024.
• Nintendo World Championships: NES Edition is still slated for July 18, and looks like a bundle of classic retro fun. I really dig the physical deluxe version, too.
• Love anime? Well, Fairy Tail 2 arrives this winter to recount portions of its story in an action-RPG style. I really don't know much about Fairy Tail, other than how my college roommate kept trying to get our friend group to watch it. It did not work.
• Yes, Fantasian is escaping the clutches of Apple Arcade with Fantasian: Neo Dimension this holiday season. The Hironobu Sakaguchi and Nobuo Uematsu team-up will be playable on Switch consoles, so you can finally experience what your friend with Apple Arcade has been yelling about for ages.
• A new sport for Nintendo Switch Sports is on the way, in basketball. This free update coming summer 2024 will add hoops to the mix, and include the motion controls you'd hope for in a new Switch Sports title. Don't shatter your TV by dunking.
• Mio: Memories in Orbit is a curious new title with a gorgeous art style. It seems like you'll progress through a space station of some kind, exploring how the technical space has fallen to ruin and doing some light combat and platforming. Look for more of this as we approach a launch year of 2025.
• Disney Illusion Island gets a free update today, adding the Mystery in Monoth. Help Dash Dolphin solve some mysteries in the same ol' couch co-op platformer realm. Seems like a good addition for families who want a detective mystery to solve together.
• Need to get away? Hello Kitty Island Adventure is lined up as a timed console exclusive for next year, adding to the roster of Apple Arcade escapees. You can explore, chat with pals, and build an island paradise. Expect this one to be surprisingly big when it hits Switch consoles.
• For some more sports action, we head to Looney Tunes: Wacky World of Sports, a new competitive sports game starring your cartoon favorites arriving this fall. It's no Mario vs. Sonic at the Olympics, but it does have Bugs Bunny.
• New roles are coming to Among Us in a free update later today. The Noisemaker can alert players when they're eliminated, the Tracker can plant tracking devices, and the Phantom adds an Impostor that turns invisible. Creepy!
• Marvelous heard that farming games are all the rage, and they're not missing out. Farmagia looks like one part Harvest Moon or Rune Factory, and another part Monster Rancher, with maybe a touch of Pikmin? Whatever it is, it's certainly got a look and style, and we'll learn more as we approach a release date of November 1, 2024.

• It's time to return, once again, to Donkey Kong's country. Donkey Kong Country Returns HD is a remastered version of the older Nintendo title arriving on January 16, 2025. With 80 levels and local two-player co-op, it seems like a good way to lose a weekend or two.
• The Dragon Quest fanfare is playing, which can only mean one thing. Dragon Quest 3 HD-2D is showing off gameplay, and it has a release date too: November 14, 2024. But for those who love the classics, it doesn't end there. Square Enix confirms that Dragon Quest 1 and 2 are also getting the HD treatment, sometime in 2025.

• If you're a Funko collector and wish you could see them come to life, first seek consultation, and then seek out Funko Fusion. This game arrives on September 13, 2024 to make Funko figures come to life and do various action-adventure, third-person shooter things.
• Here's a short reminder that Luigi's Mansion 2 HD is set for June 27, and it's looking like a good time for fans of the green plumber getting the life scared out of him. Poor guy.
• I'm still not sure what The New Denpa Men is, other than a surreal free-to-play RPG arriving on July 22. If you find out, please let me know.
• For something new today, Metal Slug Attack Reloaded is an auto-battling tower defense take on Metal Slug. Opinions in the internal Destructoid chat were divided, but maybe you'll find something to love in this approach to Metal Slug. If not, there are always some tactics to be had, too.
• Grab the reins of your nearest carriage, as Darkest Dungeon 2 roars onto the Switch on July 15. Feels like a perfect fit for the handheld console.
• The Nintendo Switch Online + Expansion Pack lineup gets four new titles today. Game Boy Advance sees The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past / Four Swords Adventure and Metroid Zero Mission join its repertoire, while Nintendo 64 gets an M-rated update with Turok: Dinosaur Hunter and Perfect Dark. All four arrive today.
• Phantom Brave: The Lost Hero revives the NIS series for a 2025 entry, letting you take over environmental objects to cause mass havoc.

• Marvel fans, our time has finally come. The Marvel vs. Capcom Fighting Collection: Arcade Classics brings several classics to the Switch, as well as PS4 and PC via Steam, in 2024. Yes, this includes Marvel vs. Capcom 2, a few other fighting titles, and even some beat 'em ups, complete with online and everything.
• Keep the party going with Super Mario Party Jamboree on October 17. The latest entry in the Mario Party series adds new boards, a few old locales, and a 20-player online battle mode to boot. Are you ready to ruin friendships? Because I sure am.
• Link has disappeared, and so Zelda is taking up the lead in The Legend of Zelda: Echoes of Wisdom. This new take on the top-down Zelda style lets the princess wield magic, creating copies of various objects found in the world to fight enemies and solve puzzles. It looks fantastic, and is arriving fairly soon: September 26, 2024. A special Nintendo Switch Lite, adorned in gold and Zelda theming, is also on the way.

• It's a new year, and a new Just Dance is on its way. Just Dance 2025 Edition arrives in October 2024.
• Here's a reminder that Lego Horizon Adventures, the brick-based adaptation of Aloy's adventures, is also coming to Switch. It's set for holiday 2024.
• Queue up two more for the holidays: the cat adventure game Stray and hobbit life sim Tales of the Shire are both heading for Switch to ring in the festive season.
• HOLD IT! We've seen most of the Ace Attorney games make their way to Nintendo Switch, so it's only fitting that we get some Miles in there too. The Ace Attorney Investigations Collection brings both of Miles Edgeworth's games to the Nintendo Switch on September 6, 2024. No objections here.
• Craving some more Danganronpa? Well, The Hundred Line -Last Defense Academy- is a new game from the series' creators, and it certainly has the same style. Defend a school against invaders for 100 days, while also diving into the truth of this building, the 15 companions living inside it, and what is up with this post-apocalyptic nightmare they're all in. Hundred Line is aiming for 2025.
• The RPG remastering will continue with Romancing SaGa 2: Revenge of the Seven. This revival is a full-on remake with English voiceover, rearranged compositions, and of course, new graphics. SaGa fans are eating well this year, and they won't have to wait long for this meal either. Romancing SaGa 2 arrives on October 24 2024.

• For our one last thing, we close on one of Nintendo's lingering Switch games that's been around for years. Metroid Prime 4, now subtitled Beyond, shows off some new gameplay and general vibes ahead of a 2025 window.

That's all for the June 2024 Nintendo Direct. An all-together solid showing, considering we're in the final hours of the Nintendo console's life-cycle. With some inventive new surprises and revivals of classics, it's hard to really find fault in this showcase.

The post Everything shown in the Nintendo Direct for June 2024 appeared first on Destructoid.

Battle Chef Brigade remains one of my highlights of 2017, an absolutely stacked year for games. Developer Trinket Studios has been quiet in the years since, putting out a Deluxe edition but otherwise keeping cards close to the chest until this last weekend, when it revealed the team's next project: Battle Suit Aces.

Shown off during a few of the weekend's summer showcases, Battle Suit Aces is a card-battling RPG where you recruit Battle Suit pilots and square off in mecha combat. Along the way, you develop relationships and build up your team, flying your way through space adventures along the way.

Out of the frying pan, into the stars

In a press statement, Trinket elaborated on what the studio has been up to in the years since Battle Chef Brigade. A card battler was the original idea, and the game went through several iterations, but then the pandemic hit.

"We spent the stay-at-home years embedded remotely in a larger indie team and left in 2022 itching to get back to what would become Battle Suit Aces," said Trinket. "This time, however, we knew we had to build on the recipe that led us to create BCB. We lead with vibrant and charming characters and pair with a mélange of approachable gameplay systems from multiple genres."

From what we've seen so far, the art and style from Battle Chef Brigade certainly carried over well, and I'm really into mecha card battling. Trinket is also working with Outersloth, Among Us studio Innersloth's publishing fund, to let the project see the light of day.

No date's been set yet, though you can find the Steam page for Battle Suit Aces here. But suffice to say, I'm interested in anything Trinket does next. Hopefully we'll see some more of Battle Suit Aces soon.

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Though the name may not be as immediately recognizable as its lineage, Metaphor: ReFantazio has quite the lineup of Persona talent working on it. That alone, plus a hefty helping of art and style, may have been reason enough to pay attention. But after going hands-on, I walked away impressed with another aspect: Metaphor is blending action and turn-based combat, and it works.

I got to play roughly an hour of Metaphor at Summer Game Fest in Los Angeles, running through three cordoned-off sections of the role-playing game. The first was fairly straightforward, introducing me to the main character and their fairy helper Gallica, as well as an early party member, Strohl. Then, I got to jump ahead to a dungeon and another party member, and one more jump-forward showed me what one of Metaphor's massive boss fights looks like.

To get it out of the way early, Metaphor: ReFantazio might be one of the most stylish games I've seen in some time. Having previous Persona leads like director Katsura Hashino and character designer Shigenori Soejima on board, it shouldn't have surprised me to see Metaphor look so distinct from every other big game at the show. But it does genuinely feel like the art team just got to run wild with the game. Even the menus are gorgeous. And thankfully, the style doesn't get in the way of the usability, either.

A lot of this is also something I could've told you from just the trailers. It's nice to know that they look great, and still function well, when you're actually holding a controller. And when you're holding that controller, there are definitely moments where Metaphor feels like Persona: the way your party runs around dungeons, the dramatic camera angles, even the dialogue cut-ins and pacing feels warmly familiar.

It's all good news, for people who already love Persona and are into the idea of a fantasy adventure, Record of Lodoss War-esque take on it. What really surprised me while I was playing, though, was how well its blend of action and turn-based combat actually works.

Squad strike

When you're running around the world of Metaphor, controlling the player character—Travelling Boy, in my case—you can scan the environment with your fairy vision to spot enemies. These foes will glow red, yellow, or blue. And then you can hit them.

Yes, in the running-around bits, Metaphor lets you attack and dodge-roll like an actual action game. Don't expect lengthy combos or in-depth strings, but you can indeed slice enemies with your sword. This is where the color-coding comes into play: if an enemy is red, you can "defeat" them without ever entering full-on combat. Just slash 'em a few times and collect your rewards. No post-battle results screen, no turn-based fighting.

If an enemy is yellow or blue, however, striking them will build up a bar. You can initiate a Squad assault at any time, which will launch you into the turn-based combat that, again, is fairly Persona in practice. Fill the bar with attacks before you launch the Squad strike, and you'll get a free opening hit and turn.

Atlus has been slowly experimenting with ideas like this, including a Confidant skill in Persona 5 Royal that let you auto-wipe an enemy if it was weak enough. And of course, role-playing games have classically pit action and turn-based against each other, as opposing contrasts. The question of whether a game will be turn-based or not comes up pretty often, and can be a hot-button topic around certain series.

Metaphor: ReFantazio feels like the best of both worlds. Hack-and-slash through the small mobs like it's a musou, and then initiate a full-on team attack for the big guys. What's fun, too, is that enemies can also catch you off-guard. These moments make for surprising little instances of action and surprise in the middle of dungeons, where you might otherwise just auto-pilot through the corridors.

Synch up

As for other battle mechanics, the short three sections I played didn't give me a great sense for the breadth of what's available. Each character can take on an archetype, embodying a fighting style similar to a typical Job system. In one slice, I acquired a new archetype by completing a quest, earning my protagonist the ability to become a Brawler and fight with their fists.

These archetypes complement each team member's move set, adding some additional elemental attacks and physical attack types to your repertoire. Though you won't see a "Maragi" or "Zionga" here, it's still what you'd expect to see: different types of attacks can target weaknesses, and gain you additional moves before you have to cede your turn to the enemy.

A really nice touch, though, is that swapping these roles also changed my on-the-field attack. So rather than slashing my sword to hit enemies in the field, I was swinging my fists. Sabin would be proud. It's a nice bit of attention to detail, amid all the beauty and splendor of the World's Sickest Menus.

I'm definitely still curious to see what the broad strokes of Metaphor look like, because the framing is one of the most important ingredients in the Persona-inspired pie. Sure, style gets you pretty far, but the calendar system and social links bring it home, and I only saw hints and glimpses of here in this demo.

That said, if the combat is intriguing me this much, that's a promising start. Persona combat has always been solid, but Metaphor could've easily felt like a retread. By building up new ideas around it, Metaphor's action already feels like a new step forward. Hopefully the rest of it shakes out that way, too.

Metaphor: ReFantazio is set to arrive on PlayStation 4, PS5, Xbox Series X|S, and PC on October 11, 2024.

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