The only way forward is down, way down

If you're anything like me, the first thing that g??rabs you about Signalis is its ??look. Gorgeous pixel art portraits of its main character segue into a pseudo-isometric camera angle, and almost angular shapes form shadows in the eerily quiet vessel you've woken up in.

Peering into a room, it might transition to a first-person view, and now you're point-and-clicking through interfaces and around environments. It's eerie, made all the more unsettling by the hor?rors happening around you. I got a chance to demo Signalis as part of Tribeca's Game Festival, and for the duration of my playti?me, I was kept on my toes by every camera change, right up ?until the dread-filled end.

//www.youtube.com/watch?v=hz1FA6J3tMg

The setup of Signalis is fairly sparse to start. Your playable character wakes up on a ship, and clearly something has ??gone wrong. It's dead quiet. And as you walk through the halls, trying to figure out just what's gone down or even who you are, you notice some monst??ers lurking in the shadows.

I don't think it's too much of a stretch to say Signalis wears some of its inspiration on its sleeve. Its isometric exploration, along with the way your character aims their weapon—once you find one—and even the menu inte??rface all feel very Resident Evil. But rather than the undead, these horrors are twisted silhouettes that scream and shamble at you once you've been spotted. An early tip from a user instruction manual advises you to preserve ammunit??ion by physically stomping on an enemy you've knocked down with bullets; and yes, this aggressive strategy works.

Every new room offers opportunities to figure out what's going on, and how to proceed forward. It became clear the ship wasn't going to fly again, so I set off in search of a suit that would protect me against whatever environmental hazards were present on the planet we had landed on. I say planet, and we, but all of these are left very ambiguous�/span>Signalis' demo is more about atmosphere ?and dread than giving any direct answers. 

Logs and notes are the only scraps you have, as you start to piece together? ideas about "Replika," or some sort of synthetic human. Are you one? And were those aggressive, screaming creatures ones too?

Though it feels very Resident Evil, there's also point-and-click ins?pi??ration in some of Signalis' interactive areas, where you?? need to fiddle with dials and controls, or look around the contents of a room to find the bit of info you need. You can further examine items in your very retro menu interface, the kind you might expect to f??ind in an Alien movie. Rotating objects can be fun, but also provide certain clues that the game doesn't always signpost. It's up to you to do what you can wit??h what you have, combining and inspecting items to move forward.

After about 20 or so minutes I reached the demo's end, in a finale that I won't discuss too much. Suffice to say, it was absolutely terrifying and immediately had me wanting more. It leav?es a lot open for where this could go mov??ing forward, and also introduces some really neat visuals and ideas. And of course, as shown in trailers prior to now, it references The King in Yellow, paying some homage to another s?upernatural work.

Of the many demos ??I've played over the last couple of weeks, Signalis is easily the most enigmatic, showing me just enough of the game to feel like I've? grasped its core concepts, while also wondering abo?ut all the places it can go. One thing's for sure: Signalis has ?rocketed up my list of ind??ies to keep an eye on.

The post Signalis pre?vi??ew: Sci-fi pixel horror goes supernatural appeared first on Destructoid.

OlliOlli World is a new approach, but the skateboarding still owns

There was a moment while I was playing OlliOlli World's demo where I stopped thinking about how to ollie. That didn't mean I fo?rgot; it was just that I was so locked into everything else, the ollie was becoming reflexive and mechanical, simple as tu?rning left or right. And then the game asked me to beat the level without using it once.

It's an optional challenge, but one that made me shift a little bit more and get out of my comfort zone. As I progressed forward I was using the ollie less, even if I wasn't challenged to avoid it. A little gentle encouragement from my skate crew to try something new was all I needed, and that's why I'm really digging the new look for the OlliOlli series in OlliOlli World.

//www.youtube.com/watch?v=TXvpGrp21jg

The first two OlliOlli games were solid skateboarding games, but pretty straightforward. Your character would go on a journey across various areas, completing challenges and skating around a fictionalized world that mostly resembled modern day. Not to say it didn't have character, but it definitely didn't have it in the way OlliOlli World does.

OlliOlli World is set in a fantasy land of Radlandia, where talking amphibians and giant bees holding up billboards are business-as-usual. It's a place that would fit right in on the Carto?on Network, but that distinct lo?ok helps everything feel a bit warmer—which is really nice when you start bailing on repeat attempts at certain gaps or challenges.

Accompanying your protagonist is a skate crew, made up of several very different skaters. Chiffon, a skate wizard, acts as the in-game reason for respawning and restarting, and a big friendly guy named Gnarly Mike is the one who issues you challenges. Suze tapes it all on her video camera, and "Dad" is the dad of the group, leading all of you on your skate-tastic adventure. It's a charming, fun group of skaters that represents the heart of what OlliOlli World and the dev team at Roll7 seems to want yo??u to do: skate.

In an interview with Roll7 Co-CEO Simon Bennett and OlliOlli World creative director John Ribbins, they tell me they want OlliOlli World to be a more welcoming game. They looked at old reviews of the previous OlliOlli games to see what could or should change; as Ribbins puts it, the OlliOlli games are great, but "a bit cold."

Step one is putting faces behind the high scores. Now you're not just beating an arbitrary, developer-set high score, but Dad's high score. You're completing challenges for Gnarly Mike, and he congratulates you when you over?come them. Challenges are often times optional too, with an emphasis on experiencing the world and playing through it to discover things, even if you're not nailing massive combos on your first run.

And dang, there is a lot to explore. OlliOlli World adds a lot of depth to its levels thanks to a few different changes, the largest of which is switching? lanes. Your skater can cross-over lanes when they line up, and those paths will diverge, creating snaking, branching paths within different areas. Some might lead to certain sidequests, while others might offer interesting combo setups. It's all about how you want to navigate, and on multiple playthroughs of the same early levels, I was still finding plenty of new and int?eresting ways to traverse Radlandia.

Combine that with techniques like wallriding and a host of new skateboard abilities, and OlliOlli World feels much, much larger than the original straightforward OlliOlli games. It's still a ride from A to B, but the journey in between is so much more interesting to?? toy around with, finding new ways of chaining together different ??segments.

The "flow state" ideal is still at the core, but OlliOlli World presents a new, different kind of challenge. It wants you to explore the world, to learn at your own pace, and to have a cast ??of characters that nudge and encourage you along, as if it's your very own real-life skate crew.

At the end of our interview, I asked the developers about what hobbies the team had picked up during the pandemic, and it shouldn't surprise you at all that skatebo??arding was the answer. But I asked Ribbins to elaborate a bit more, and he described how some of them had been playing a game of "skate golf;" if you're unfamiliar, the idea is that someone does a trick, and then you set a personal par for how many tries it might take you to replicate it.

For some new skateboarders, their kickflip might be a par 20, or a par 40. If you've been skating for a long time, it might be a par 2 trick. The focus on par meant everyone could participate, though. It wasn't just about playing "HORSE" or being ?the best at nailing a trick, but ge?tting your own par down over the course of time.

It's a small thing, but it felt right in line with what OlliOlli World is trying to accomplish. Through charming visuals, challenges, and lots to explore and discover, this doesn't just feel like a fresh take on OlliOlli, but a smart way to get a lot of newcomers into a traditionally challenge-based kind of game. It feels really good to finally hit the end of the level, after nailing a big combo chain or finally nabbing all the collectibles, and having your skate crew ready and waiting to congratulate you. Those are the vibes of OlliOlli World, and I can't wait to hit the ?ramp?s and rails for more.

OlliOlli World arrives this winter for the Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, ???Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S, and PC.

The post OlliOlli World preview: A side-??scrolling ska??teboard fantasy appeared first on Destructoid.

We had to wait until the end of E3 to get more No More Heroes 3

Compared to years past, the Nintendo Treehouse Live stream following its highly celebrated Direct was a lowkey event this year. No surprise announcements, just some in-depth looks at a few of the games we'll be playing over the next couple of weeks and months. We found out more about Metroid Dread, got a great look at the Advance Wars remakes, and saw some of the Monster Hunter Stories 2 demo that'll be available for download later this month. If you watched the stream li?ve, there's actually a game that didn't air with the rest of the titles. If I? had to guess why it's probably because the game is rated M for Mature. And dammit, it earns that rating.

Of course, I'm talking about No More Heroes 3. Following its E3 Treehouse stream, Nintendo dropped the below video onto its YouTube channel. Unfortunately, you have to actually go to YouTube to watch it thanks to the website's dumb age-restriction rules. During the 20-minute hands-?on, you'll get a look at Travis's ex??panded apartment, customization and upgrade options, DonMai Sushi, and a fight against Gold Joe, one of the new villains of the game. Be sure to watch through to the end for a special message from Suda51.

//www.youtube.com/watch?v=F-iLPK5vl4M

No More Heroes 3 launch??es exclusively for Nintendo Switch on August 27.

The post Take a bloody new look at No More Heroes 3 appeared first on Destructoid.

The smaller games with the biggest impacts

The summer of gaming news may still be going on for a while, but E3 2021 comes to a close today, with the last few showcases airing t?oday. From Xbox and Nintendo to the showcases and panels, it's been four days of non-stop games.

And while there are always the big blockbusters and one-more-thing ann?ouncements that seize our attention, I alway??s walk away from these showcases with a shortlist of indie and smaller studio gems to keep track of through to next summer. They're the surprises; the games you don't expect, but you can't stop thinking about.

Throughout the last week, we've all seen some ourselves,? and so we wanted to take some page space to share some of our hidden gems that we think are worth keeping an eye o??n through this year, into next, and maybe even beyond. Here are our hidden gems of E3 2021.

//www.youtube.com/watch?v=dMtpCfLyKeE

Citizen Sleeper (Jump Over The Age, Fellow Traveller)

In the futuristic, mega-capitalist interstellar space station of Erlin's Eye, your actions every cycle are metered by a roll of the dice. Citizen Sleeper gives you a roll and asks what you'll do with the results, constructing the narrative around you as each die is assigned to various tasks and endeavors. It looks like a really fascinating mix of tabletop pillars and narrative, with some incredible character art for good measure. Citizen Sleeper is currently aiming for a 2022 launch. —�em>Eric Van Allen

//youtu.be/MPMZ66tihnI

Firegirl (Dejima Games, Thunderful Publishing)

I'll mostly remember E3 2021 as a blur of indie games, and I mean that as a compliment to solo and small-team creators everywhere. I feel like I have hundreds of games floating around my head; I can't think straight! Even though Firegirl was one of many glossed-up pixel-art-in-a-3D-world games at E3, it stands out with a cool, rarely seen firefighting premise. I would very much like to fight evil fires, use my hose as a jetpack, rescue stranded folks, and spend cash on upgrades back home at a cozy base. It seems to have an urgent action-platforming pace, and I really dig the style. Firegirl is out Fall 2021 across PC, Xbox, PlayStation, and Nintendo Switch. In Thunderful I trust. �Jordan Devore

//www.youtube.com/watch?v=B1aISY6oPyA

Arcade Paradise (Nosebleed Interactive, Wired Productions)

I prioritized my E3 streams incorrectly. For some reason, I was sure the Future Games Show would be the o??ne to watch. An hour after the show ended, I had trouble remembering any games that appeared in it.

Turns out, I should have tuned in for the Guerrilla Collective E3 showcase. That’s where all the hidden gems of E3 were hiding. A lot of great games debuted during the stream, including Arcade Paradise. Fro?m developer Nosebleed Interactive, the game puts you in control of Ashley as she turns the family laundry mat into one hell of a �0s arcade. Not only will you be able to run your o??wn arcade, but you’ll actually be able to play each of the 35 retro-inspired games you can install.

Arcade Paradise is currently planned for a 2021 release on PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S, and Nintendo Switch. �CJ Andriessen

Lakeburg Legacies (Ishtar Games)

Look, I love a bombastic blockbuster as much as the next guy, but sometimes I just want to relax �which is why games like Stardew Valley and Animal Crossing are at the top of my list. After watching the PC Gamer showcase, I thought Ishtar Games' upcoming Lakeburg Legacy might scratch that same itch.

On top of the more chill pace of the game, I was really drawn in by its visual style �I've always been partial to hyper stylized games, and the menu UI reminds me of some really cute, custom Dungeons & Dragons character sheets I've used. The Jane Austen fan in me was also so pu??mped when I saw the matchmaking mechanic. Overall, this game seems like it was tailor-m?ade to fit my interests, and I haven't been able to stop thinking about it since I saw the trailer.

Lakeburg Legacies will be out on Steam, and is shooting for a 2022 release date. —�em>Noelle Warner

//www.youtube.com/watch?v=mwcsoR4rjwY

Trek to Yomi (Flying Wild Hog, Devolver Digital)

Quite honestly, you could throw a dart into Devolver Digital's E3 stream and you'd hit a game I want to play. But perhaps the bullseye would be the dramatic and intense-looking samurai adventure, Trek to Yomi.

Quite the opposite of the studio's bombastic and rambunctious Shadow Warrior 3, Flying Wild Hog's Trek to Yomi is the stoic tale of a young swordsman undertaking a do-or-die quest laced with honor, treachery, and sacrifice. What draws me into this title is its haunting feudal Japan setting and simplistic but detailed visual style, sporting more than a touch of Akira Kurosawa and classic Toei cinema. With gorgeous use of light, shadow, and silhouette �even at this early development stage �Trek to Yomi appears as achingly beautiful as it is brutally violent, an aesthetic that ticks my boxes. Just add Meiko Kaji as Lady Snowblood and you've got my GOTY sticker.

Trek to Yomi is headed to PS5, Xbox Series X/S, and PC in 2022 �Chris Moyse

//www.youtube.com/watch?v=8TPJc1LrR5I

Mother: Beyond Bounds (Team Cosmic Coffee)

This year, indies won E3. Limited Run Games came packing River City Girls 2 and a bunch of other shocking announcements, New Blood stole the PC Gaming Show, and The Wholesome Direct was overflowing with more origina?lity and positivity than any other presentation at the event.

Except maybe one.

For two years running, the staff at MotherForever.net have put on their own E3 video presentations, showing off all the best and brightest projects from the EarthBound/Mother community. This year, they kicked things off with a big bang, literally. Starting off from space before moving down to some familiar faces (is that a grown-up Lucas wearing his Dad's hat?!), Mother: Beyond Bounds looks to pick up right where Mother 3 left off, with the recreation of life, the universe, and everything. I don't want to spoil too much for people who haven't played Mother 3, but I think it's fair to say that it ends with a firm seal on the fate of the people in the game world, and the future of the franchise in real life to boot. The good thing about seals though is they keep things fresh, and despite the clear references to prior games in the series, Mother: Beyond Bounds is simpl??y bursting with the uni??que freshness that defines the franchise.

While Nintendo may not know what to do with the Mother/EarthBound series, it's clear that their lack of involvement with the series is only working to drive fans to do more with it themselves. To create for the sake of creating, making work that's infused with love and honesty, avoiding the pull of profit motives or other factors that might confound your intentions; that's the best of what indie games can do, and it looks like Mother Beyond Bounds intends to do just that. —�em>Jonathan Holmes

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Long-hair Link is causing some speculation

We are now several hours removed from the E3 2021 Nintendo Direct, where we got some new gameplay and a new release window for the sequel to The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild??. Suffice it to say, th??e fan theories are already crackling away.

The cryptic nature of Breath of the Wild 2's reve??als thus far, combined with the massive thirst for anything related to this new game, are coalescing in a lot of watching, analyzing, and theorizing over the new trailer. By the Nintendo YouTube's own count, it sits at 1 minute, 38 seconds long, and yet it has a lot of fodder for? speculation over what Link and Zelda's new journey in a post-post-Calamity Hyrule might entail.

//www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pi-MRZBP91I

Of particular note is the appearance of Link, as he plummets down through the clouds a la Skyward Sword. He's got a new look: a new tunic, long and luscious locks, and a seemingly cursed arm that gives me serious Prince Ashitaka from Princess Mononoke vibes. As pointed out on Twitter too, it's also reminiscent of some concept art for the first Breath of the Wild.

It's a really good look! The long hair makes a lot of sense for a more airborne Link, as it's really fun to see it flutter in the wind as he plummets towards the ground, or the little hair flip he does when doing that weird portal-through-the-rock thing. And—hey wait, is that different hair in another scene?

That looks much more like Breath of the Wild's Link. And what's odd too is, I can't see any floating islands or anything??. And Link's garb is the old look too??, not the off-the-shoulder look we see in the skies.

This is the crux of why some are theorizing that there may be some timeline or player-character shenanigans afoot. One suggestion is the use of a time portal, perhaps bringing the pair back to the time when people lived in the sky, the setting of The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword.

A favorite of mine is that the flash at the beginning might be Link, or an ancestor somehow. It could reinforce the two-timeline theory. Keep in mind, Eiji Aonuma and Ninte?ndo have been cagey in the past about where Breath of the Wild takes place in the Zelda timeline.

But nothing beats the return of playable Zelda speculation. Between the flowing hair and Link appearing fine in other shots, it's reignited hopes that despite Zelda plunging into an abyss at the start of the trailer, she might still be playable after all. Games like Metal Gear Solid 2 and The Last of Us Part II have managed to pull this kind of switch off in the past. This is some wild speculation though, because it would involve a pretty cohesive effort to conceal the face of the character—though we don't really seem to get a good look? a??t long-hair Link's face, do we?

Most importantly, keep in mind this is all some idle fun. 2022 is a ways off still, and fans are predictably hungry for whatever might be in store as a follow-up to such an impactful and memorable Zelda experience. Honestly, I just hope Link and Zelda can get some rest and relaxation after this one. Rebuilding Hyrule doesn't seem like it woul?d be easy!

Catch up on all the reveals from today's Nintendo Direct in our official recap here.

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To bullet hell and back

There were a lot of surprise announcements during today's E3 2021 Nintendo Direct, and there was one more waiting in the wings. Mushihimesama, Cave's classic bullet??-hell shooter, is out today on the Nintendo Switch.

The Switch port will have numerous difficulty modes to mess around with, ranging from a Novice mode tuned for newcomers to the ultra-punishing Ultra Mode. Publisher Live Wire also confirmed that players will be able to play Mushihimesama verti?cally, on either their TV or on the Switch system, to emulate the arcade experience.

//www.youtube.com/watch?v=sKpZD9BKpNM

It's a small surprise, but for fans of the 'shmup genre, probably a welcome one. It's nice that the Switch version will have a vertical option as well, so those who picked up that vertical Flip Grip for their Switch will have another game to add to their shooter collection. Mushihimesama is available now on the Nintendo eShop for $19.99.

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A whole lot of indies to try

Xbox has unveiled the lineup for its ID@Xbox Summer Game Demo Fest event this year, and it's a doozy. Alongside already announced games like Tunic, Lake, and Sable, there is a total of 40 demos to check out.

The demos are available on Xbox One and Xbox Series X|S, starting today (June 15) and running through June 21. They're early looks at games, so they may not represent the final build, and keep in mind it's ID@Xbox; don't expect a Halo or Redfall in here.

Here's the full lineup:

• A Juggler's Tale (kaleidoscube)
• Antipole DX (Saturnine Games)
• Arietta of Spirits (Third Spirit Games)
• BattleCakes (Volcano Bean)
• Black Book (Morteshka)
• Button City (Subliminal)
• Cardaclysm: Shards of the Four (Elder Games)
• Catlateral Damage: Remeowstered (Manekoware)
• Clone Drone in the Danger Zone (Doborog)
• Clouzy! (Tinymoon)
• ConnecTank (YummyYummyTummy)
• Death Trash (Crafting Legends)

//www.youtube.com/watch?v=a-B4kxNQ4DE

• Deathtrap Dungeon: The Golden Room (Good Gate Media)
• Dreamers (PlaySys)
• Echo Generation (Cococucumber)
• Faraday Protocol (Red Koi Box)
• Fractal Space (Haze Games)
• Get Packed: Fully Loaded (Coatsink)
• Godstrike (Overpowered)
• Justice Sucks: Recharged (Samurai Punk)

//www.youtube.com/watch?v=IfmACVTGFv0

• Lake (Gamious)
• Lawn Mowing Simulator (Skyhook Games)
• Mad Streets (Craftshop)
• Mayhem Brawler (Hero Concept)
• Paint the Town Red (South East Games)
• Princess Farmer (Samobee Games)
• Sable (Shedworks)
• Sail Forth (David Evans Games)
• Strings Theory (BeatifulBee)
• Tanknarok (Polyblock Studio)

//www.youtube.com/watch?v=-kL1_YnKbOI

• Teacup (Smarto Club)
• The Eternal Cylinder (ACE Team)
• The Riftbreaker (EXOR Studios)
• The Strange Story Of Brian Fisher: Chapter 2 (Intetic)
• The Tale of Bistun (Black Cube Games)
• Trigger Witch (Rainbite)
• Tunic (Isometricorp)
• Wreck Out (Four5Six)

The post Xbox reveals full lineup of ID@Xbox demos for?? the summer appeared first on Destructoid.

God bless the lack of region lock

Whenever there is a Nintendo Direct, be it at E3 or any other time of the year, it's always wise to check out the trailers from the Japanese version of the stream. Chances are, Nintendo Japan will have one or two games that didn't show up in the other versions. For E3 2021, there are a couple of titles we missed in the Nintendo of America stream, including something called Worth Life and another one of those Power Pro Kun baseball games. Both of those are well and good, but the announcement I think our audience will appreciate most is the one regarding the Super Robot Wars franchise. A new one is on the way, and judging by the looks of this Super Robot Wars 30 trailer, it looks fantastic.

//www.youtube.com/watch?v=jtFF2YTaix8

No word on an official western release yet, but past entries in the franchise have been localized to Engli??sh when releas?ing to other Asian countries outside of Japa?n.

The post Super Robot? Wars 30 revealed during Japa??nese Nintendo Direct appeared first on Destructoid.

Link goes skyward again?

Announced during today's Nintendo Direct, the sequel to The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild is now aiming for a 2022 release window. In the meantime, there was some gameplay shown today to tide the eager Zelda fans over.

In the last segment of today's E3 2021 Nintendo Direct, we got our first gameplay glimpses of Breath of the Wild 2. It starts with an ominous scene of darkness and Zelda falling, before it shows Link plummeting through the skies, which feels very Skyward Sword.

//www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pi-MRZBP91I

It seems we are indeed back in the ruined Hyrule of Breath of the Wild, only the skies will be a little more important. We see the castle take off into the air, surrounded by more evil and nastiness. Maybe the C?alamity isn't quite finished with us yet?

Breath of the Wild 2 will be targeting a?? 2022 launch, as Ninte??ndo keeps working away at the sequel.

The post Breath of ??the Wild 2 gets some gameplay and a 2022 release window appeared first on Destructoid.

A Switch port has been discovered!

The mysteries and trials of Hope's Peak Academy are finally coming to Nintendo Switch. Danganronpa, Danganronpa 2: Goodbye Despair, and Danganronpa V3: Killing Harmony, as well as the side board game, are all coming to Nintendo's handheld later this year under the title Danganronpa Decadence.

//www.youtube.com/watch?v=bC5uzokrnxc

Revealed during today's E3 Nintendo Direct, these three Danganronpa games make up the three murder-mystery entries in the series. The Anniversary Editions of the first two will be coming over, and Danganronpa V3: Killing Harmony's tabletop-style side game is being spun out into its own entry, Danganronpa S: Ultimate Summer Camp. It will also include all-new scenes and interactions between characters in the Danganronpa series.

All of it will be available later this year, either under the Decadence title or as separate entries. While it's only been set for sometime this year, it's about time ??that this series came over to the Nintendo Switch, so my PlayStation Vita can finally get some rest. See y'all at the Class Trial!

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It's also coming to all the other consoles

There are only a few first-party games on the Wii U that haven't made the jump to Switch, and this is the one I've been most hoping would make the move. As confirmed during today's Nintendo Direct, Fatal Frame: Maiden of Black Water is coming to Nintendo Switch. The horror adventure title originated on the Wii U as a digital download only that never saw a pr?ice drop.

I always wanted to pick it up, but never pushed myself to do it. Now, I'm going to have some options on where I buy it. While it was a part of the Nintendo Direct, as you can see in the E3 trailer below, Fatal Frame: Maiden of Black Water is confirm??ed for PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S, and PC, in addition to Switch, when it launches later this yea?r.

//www.youtube.com/watch?v=xDEbwq4uzCY

The post Fatal Frame: Maiden of Black Wate?r is fi?nally jumping from Wii U to Switch appeared first on Destructoid.

A blast from Mario Parties past

A new Mario Party experience is coming to Nintendo Switch, as a recollection of the series' past. Mario Party Superstars is an all-star collection of games and boards, with some really nice quality-of-life features for Mario Party fans, arriving on Oct. 29, 2021.

Five boards from the Nintendo 64 games will be in the game, including Peach's Birthday Cake and Space Land. The collection will also have 100 classic minigames from the serie??s' cat?alog as well, all playable with button controls.

//www.youtube.com/watch?v=lTiFERyYlPY

Most importantly, you can play online with others, use stickers to communicate, and save prog?ress midway through a board. You know, in case ?you get locked into a 50-turn board or something.

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I think I know who won E3

Holy crap! After being teased for so damn long, we're finally getting our chance to play Metroid Dread.

//www.youtube.com/watch?v=8NjCICl7dDo

I honestly don't know what else to say. This is a game people have been talking about for ages and, for most of us, we thought it would never happen. But it is h?appening, and we'll be?? able to play it on Switch starting October 8, 2021. On that same day, Nintendo will release a duo of amiibo for the title as well.

According to the product page, Metroid Dread will put Samus on the run from E.M.M.I. robots that were once designed to extract DNA. As revealed during the Treehouse Live stream that followed the Direct, MercurySteam is back on board for development following their excellent remake of Metroid: Samus Returns on the 3DS. That means all of Samus's new moves from the game return here as we follow the bounty hunter's journey following Metroid Fusion, in addition to new tools, such as the Spider Magnet, which lets Samus crawl up walls. According to the Treehouse stream, Dread will mar?k the final chapter in the Samus and Metroid storyline.

//www.youtube.com/watch?v=afUI8nIrGgI

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No hit, Herlock

Today's Capcom showcase for E3 2021 was mostly what it laid out ahead of time: a few spotlights on its upcoming slate of games, and some announcements of forthcoming plans for Resident Evil Village and Monster Hunter Rise. There was also a big breakdown of what's to come with the western launch of The Great Ace Attorney Chronicles, and folks, I'm very ready for more attorne?y action.

A new features trailer shown today highlighted the aspects of legal battles new to The Great Ace Attorney, specifically the Dance of Deduction and Summation Examination. Both the collaboration with ace investigator Herlock Sholmes (yes, Herlock Sholmes) and persuading the jury in court proceedings add some interesting layers to The Great Ace Attorney Chronicles.

//www.youtube.com/watch?v=lSfal7fi5gw

The Summation Examination seems like a neat test of logic and reasoning, but I absolutely loved the segment with Herlock and protagonist Ryunosuke deducing that this bearded man was, in fact, someone in a disguise. After highlighting the golden locks flowing out from behind t??heir hat, the pair strike poses in a fun bit of?? theatricality.

I've tried before to convince friends that they should give this series a shot, and honestly, this trailer might be the video I turn to from now on. It's a great slice of both the mystery and court aspects of the Ace Attorney series at-large, and also highlights what makes The Great Ace Attorney Chronicles in particular stand out.

Safe to say I'm looking forward to solving many more head-scratchers when The Great Ace Attorney Chronicles hits Nintendo Switch, PS4, and PC on July 27.

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Know when to hold 'em, know when to roll 'em

Dice are fairly commonplace in tabletop roleplaying, but Citizen Sleeper is finding some virtual applications for them??. The futuristic narrative RPG sees you trying to survive in an interstellar capitalist society, and dice are how you do it.

Revealed during yesterday's PC Gaming Show for E3 2021, Citizen Sleeper is the latest game from In Other Waters developer Jump Over ?The Age. It also features character art from Guillaume Singelin, and wow, does the art pop in this trailer.

//www.youtube.com/watch?v=dMtpCfLyKeE

As a sleeper—a digitized human in an artificial body, owned by a corporation that wants it (you) back—you have to manage life aboard Erlin's Eye, a ruine??d space station with people just trying to get by in interstellar life. It's chaotic and restless, but there are many ways to spend your time; hit the bar, work the yards, or just get to know people, making it by one cycle at a time.

Ev??ery cycle you roll dice, and then get to ass?ign their value to various actions on the station. Each decision determines your way forward, and affects those around you as well. Clocks track your progress and influence, while "drives" let you pick and choose the stories that matter most to you, shaping your skills in the process.

It sounds really rad, like a mix of Dicey Dungeons and tabletop concepts with the social management of games like The Yawhg. Citizen Sleeper is currently slotted for a 2022 launch, and its Steam page is open for wishlisting here.

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The bots are back

Following yesterday's appearance in the Xbox & Bethesda E3 showcase, 343 Industries showcased a little more of Halo Infinite's multiplayer today in a new overview. And we actually got a fair bit of info, not just in gameplay, but in what's coming for the new look of Halo multiplayer.

Halo Infinite multiplayer will be a free-to-play experience (as has been previously announced) for PC and Xbox. Alongside what you might expect from a usual Halo experience, like power weapons and vehicles, there are s?ome new tools for destruction too; the grappling hook obviously changes up mom??entum, and you can also see points where the player grapples a hammer or power-up to themselves to pick up.

//www.youtube.com/watch?v=n-O7OuliQRY

Equipment is also back, as is the Razorback, the Warthog's st??urdier cousin. The back of the Razorback has a compartment where you can stash power weapons, detached turrets, or even fusion coils or objectives.

What appealed the most to me was the Academy, a new location within multiplayer that acts as both a tutorial area and a warm-up range for playing. These features have become gradually more and more commonplace in games, and seeing Halo implement onboarding tools, built-in warm-up areas, and bots for Infinite is a good sign to me.

343 Industries also confirms there are no loot boxes, and there will be a Battle Pass, though it will never be taken away. As de??scribed in the video, it sounds like there will be Battle Passes with seasonal updates, but Passes won't be "taken away." As new ones come ou??t, you'll be able to purchase old ones and elect which Passes to put progression towards, which is a nice way of ensuring a good skin or cosmetic doesn't pass players by.

Overall, today's showcase seemed like a solid overview of what's coming in the new Halo multiplayer suite. Halo Infinite is still aiming for a holiday launch later ?this year on Xbox and PC.

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Three films and a missing star

Sam Barlow's next project has been unveiled as Immortality, a new game centering on the lost work ??and mysterious disappearance of film star Marissa Marcel.

Revealed as the closer to today's Future Games Show, Immortality is the new game from Her Story and Telling Lies creator Sa?m Barlow, and the development team at Half Mermaid. Focusing in on Marcel, a character who made three movies that never released and then mysteriously disappeared, the trailer shows posters for each of her films going up in flames.

//www.youtube.com/watch?v=BfHomM4bzpg

According to the game's Steam page, Marcel's three films�em>Ambrosio, Minsky, and Two of Everything—were thought to be lost or destroyed. In Immortality, we'll be discovering the lost movies of Marissa Marcel, and I have to imagine there's an interesting story behind their mysterious circ??umst??ances.

Alongside Barlow and Half Mermaid, Immortality will feature writing from Allan Scott (Don't Look Now, Queen's Gambit), Amelia Gray (Mr. Robot, Manic), and Barry Gifford (Wild at Heart, Lost Highway). It's currently set for 2022.

After enjoying both Her Story and Telling Lies, I'm definitely down to see what B??arlow and crew have in store for this game. Delving deep into the mystery of what happened and why, as well as the whole world of stardom, fame, and fortune sounds like it could be fascinating.

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Or don't. I'm not your father.

The busiest day of E3 2021 so far concludes with a massive stream that's promising up to 40 games, including titles?? from Sega, Team17, and Private Division. That's right, it's time for the Future Games Show. How much of it will be new? The only ??way to find out is to sit back, relax, and watch more trailers and interviews for upcoming games.

//www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zr3gzqJHeNI

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And there are some great accents, too

Today, we were re-introduced to the world of Babylon's Fall and the work PlatinumGames has been doing on the action game. Alongside some gameplay of its co-op combat, Square Enix also confirmed Babylon's Fall will be coming to PS5.

Players can run solo or in a team of up to four fighters, venturing through the fantasy world together to take down the evil creatures ??withi??n.

//www.youtube.com/watch?v=tRX3EqCyB1c

PlatinumGames confirmed that there will be a range of post-launch game modes, with no additional cost ti??ed in. It's also been confirmed to be a live-service title.

No date has been set yet, but Square Enix is opening up registrations for a closed beta over on the Babylon's Fall site—there will be three phrases, with different testing goals and additional platforms added in each phase. If you're eager to see what Platinum's crack at this dark-fantasy combat is like, you can find the sign-ups here.

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Sure to please the stake-holders

Today,?????????????????????????? Xbox and Bethesda hosted their first ??joint showcase since the two joined together. And the "one more thing" of the event was a new game from Arkane, with blood, magic, and vampires.

Redfall is a new game coming from the team at Arkane Austin, where the town of Redfall, Massachusetts seems to have a nasty vampire problem. In the announce??ment we got a cinematic setting the stage, with a team of four characters blasting ghoulies with stakes, while also employing some magic of their own.

//www.youtube.com/watch?v=lxX-4U5uJqk

Much like Bethesda's Starfield, Redfall will be an Xbox console exclusive, coming to PC and Xbox Series X|S in summer 2022. It'll be an op??en-world co-op FPS, where players will get to choose their hero from a roster of diverse characters to take on the vampire infestation.

While w??e don't know much more for now, this was certainly a way to end the showcase: something new, unique, and certainly eye-catching. I'm pretty dang eager to see more of this in the year to come.

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Plus, here are some of the companions

The much-awaited spiritual successor to the Suikoden series Eiyuden Chronicle: Hundred Heroes, was recently confirmed to be getting a delay in a recent backer update. But while it will take a bit longer to deliver, there's more Eiyuden on the way to help tide you over.

Announced during today's Xbox & Bethesda E3 media showcase, Eiyuden Chronicle: Hundred Heroes is coming in 2023. Developer Rabbit & Bear Studios showcased some of? the new characte??rs coming to the game, and also confirmed the RPG will launch in 2023.

//www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dgrue9p6Y1Q

While that's a ways off, Rabbit & Bear Studios also announced an action-RPG prequel of sorts�em>Eiyuden Chronicle: Rising. We get a glimpse of gameplay in the above trailer, and according to the Steam page, it will have some town-building elements in addition to its action-RPG gameplay. Rising will tell the pre-war stories of various characters who will eventually become the player's companions in Eiyuden Chronicle, and its launching in 2022. Both Rising and Hundred Heroes will be coming to Xbox Game Pass as well.

So while the Kickstarter hopefuls will be waiting a little longer, it looks like the Eiyuden Chronicle is expanding to even grander ??ambitions. We'll see how the legend starts to shape up sometime next year.

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Slow the announcements down!

//www.youtube.com/watch?v=lljMQevCWOQ

After the leisurely pace of Ubisoft's E3 stream, Xbox and Bethesda are returning to what game's journalists know and dread: extremely fast-paced announcements. But there's a reason for that: so much good stuff is coming to Xbox. Case in point, The Ascent. Thi??s ??top-down shooter will arrive on July 29 and will hit Xbox Game Pass on day one.

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Those slimes ain't gonna herd themselves

You might be used to fighting slimes, but what about ranching them? You'll get another chance to tend to those unruly slimes with Slime Rancher 2.

During today's Xbox & Bethesda E3 showcase, Monomi Park announced that Slime Rancher 2 is coming in 20?22. You can check o?ut some gameplay in the trailer below:

//www.youtube.com/watch?v=qPfm3IClc0s&a?mp;list=PL0il2l-B_Wwaj87aLVYWvmJhL-8uftHNX&index=2

No firm date has been set yet, but it will be coming to Xbox?? Game Pass on launch, so add another? rad-looking indie to the Game Pass pile. I missed the boat on this slime-caretaking sim the first time around, but I think some next-gen goo-ball herding might be my jam next year.

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A helluva good time comes to new consoles

The stellar roguelike Hades is coming to new platforms, and to the Game Pass platform at that. Supergiant Games announced today that Hades will launch on Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S, PlayStation 4, and PlayStation 5 on Aug. 13,? 2021.

Also revealed during today's E3 Xbox & Bethesda showcase, Hades will also be coming to Game Pass for both Xbox and Windows 10?? on Aug. 13.

//www.youtube.com/watch?v=tlvEVPSFuYk

In a blog post, Supergi??ant Games details the differences in?? each version. Xbox One and PS4 will run at 1080p and target 60 FPS, while Xbox Series X|S and PS5 will run at 4K with a 60 FPS target.

Also of note, these new versions of Hades do not support PC cross-saves like the Nintendo Switch version does. That's a shame, but despite that, Hades is honestly a phenomenal roguelike that you should absolutely give a shot if you've somehow missed it up to this point. It's time to break out of your dad's house and escape Hades all over again.

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Darude's "Sandstorm" intensifies

After revealing the next entry in the Battlefield series last week, Electronic Arts and DICE showcased some gameplay from its 128-player battles. It looks like there's more to watch out for t??han just some enemy sights.

During today's E3 Xbox & Bethesda showcase, DICE showed pre-alpha gameplay of Battlefield 2042's massive multiplayer combat. Alongside some neat touches like tinkering with gun attachments on the fly and wings??uits, there's also some giant freakin' weather tornadoes to really spice thin??gs up.

//www.youtube.com/watch?v=WomAGoEh-Ss

Yeah, getting sucked up into one of those seems not gr?eat. I'll stay inside.

If you're eager for more, it's probably worth keeping an eye out for EA's upcoming event in July. Battlefield 2042 is scheduled for launch o??n Oct. 22, 2021 for PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S, and PC.

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That's as long as one episode of Steven Universe

Twelve Minutes has been one of the mo??st intriguing-looking games of the past year and today, we finally found out when we'll be able to get our hands on it. As announced during?? the Xbox & Bethesda Games Showcase, the Annapurna-published adventure game will launch on August 19, 2021, as a console launch exclusive for the Xbox family of consoles.

//www.y?outube.com/watch?v=G6I2rP3-B9k&list=PL0il2l-B_Wwaj87aLVYWvmJhL-8uftHNX&index=1

Twelve Minutes? features the voice talents of Daisey Ridley, James McAvoy, and Willem Dafoe tells the story of "the man," played by McAvoy, who relives the same 12 minutes of a night with his wife tha??t is interrupted by Dafoe's intruder. It's one of those time-loop situations, you know?

This game has been on the radar for a lot of people, so it's nice to know we wo??n't have to wait much longer for it.

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More Godfall to go around?

Gearbox's looter-slasher Godfall got off to a rocky start, but w??ith some new updates on the way, it looks like Counterplay Games is trying to turn things around.

The previously PS5 and PC-exclusive Godfall will be coming to PlayStation 4, with cross-gen co-op and a free PS5 upgrade path. Gearbox also confirmed today that two new updates are on the way: the Fire & Darkness expansion and the free Lightbringer upate.

//www.youtube.com/watch?v=25dVoh-5Zqk

These updates will introduce the Fire Realm, the largest realm in Godfall to date, as well as new missions, cutscenes, a beta for an endgame matchmaking system and new endgame activities, and a bunch? of new loot and cosmetics.

It all arrives on Aug. 10 for PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, and PC via the Epic Games Store. While it's not expanding out to any other console families, maybe the odd last-gen port will bolster numbers and bring some attention back to Godfall.

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Viking Age Discovery Tour arrives this fall

//www.youtube.com/watch?v=BvpiRKasDKY

Assassin's Creed: Valhalla has been a giant hit for Ubisoft, so much so that it's pre?paring more content for the game for 2022. During today's Ubisoft Forward presentation, the developer teased a confrontation with Odin is yet to come.

Before that hits, however, the next two pieces of DLC for the game will arrive in the coming weeks and months. First up is Siege of Paris, the second paid-DLC episode after Wrath of the Druids. For history buffs, the Viking Age Discovery Tour will hit this fall and it will be a free add-on for anybody who owns AC: Valhalla. In this mode, you'll be able to play as people during the time of the Vikings, taking up small job??s and whatnot.

Finally, Blackbox missions are returning. As I don't play Assassin's Creed I have no idea what those are, but apparent??ly, they're a big deal.

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Do the D-A-N-C-E

It is another year, and that means another Just Dance game. Just Dance 2022 will launch on November 4, and it's got some new jams to move your feet an?d hands to.

Today's E3 Ubisoft Forward focused on one song in particular, "Nails, Hair, Hips, Heels" by Todrick Hall. Hall and the Just Dance team will be collaborating to provide an exclusive version of th??e song for this year's game.

//youtu.be/z1pd-Tc2-wA

Buying this year's game will also net you a month of Just Dance Unlimited, the continuously updated music service with seasonal c?ontent?.

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Play the ol' six string

Ubisoft is bringing back its guitar-learning game Rocksmith as a subscription service, called Rocksmith+.

Revealed during today's E3 Ubisoft Forward, Rocksmith+ leaked a little ahead of the show thanks to an email blast caught by The Riff Repeater. The new service will give y??ou real-time feedback and control of song speeds, so you can work on learning songs at your own pace.

//www.youtube.com/watch?v=z4GYGwWMUd4

You can connect your guitar either through a USB cable, like the one the original Rocksmith came with, or through your phone's mic. There are virtual video lessons and personalized recommendations, and for the guitar players out there, it looks like Rocksmith+ will have a tab view as well as its old Guitar Hero-alike scrolling timeline.

The Rocksmith Workshop will also let users?? create their own arrangements, albeit for songs that Ubisoft has licensed. And yes, Ubisoft will be licensing its own song library for learning as well.

The service is going into closed beta on PC today, running from July 12 to 22, with signups live on the Rocksmith site.

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