Developer Seasun Games revealed their upcoming multiplayer mech game, Mecha BREAK. Players can customize their own diverse mechs and appearances before taking on colossal war machines across various treacherous terrain types. Mecha BREAK features a 3v3 Arena?? Mode, a 6v6 Battlefield Mode, and a 48-player Battle Royale Mode. There's also a co-op mode where players can form teams of three or six to take on specialized combat missions.

I'll eat up anything with mech action, and Mecha BREAK looks like high-quality mech action. An Open Beta opens? for pre-registration tomorrow on PC via Steam, GOG, and Epic Games Store.

Mecha BREAK will be released in?? 2024 on PC, PlayStation 5, ?and Xbox Series X|S.

The post Mecha BREAK is a multiplayer mech combat game with co-op and b?attle royale appeared first on Destructoid.

Go Nagai's legendary series hits the shmup scene

Something a bit special from the retro funsters of Hamster this week, as Banpresto's coin-op adaptation of the much-loved manga/anime series Mazinger Z has joined the Arcade Archives, and is now available to download on PS4 and Nintendo Switch.

Released to the Japanese arcade market in 1994, the vertically scrolling shmup is an adaptation of Go Nagai's iconic mecha franchise, which spawned numerous manga, anime, and theatrical films. Players choose from one of three vessels �M??azinger Z, Great Mazinger, or Grendizer �before embarking on a mission to defeat the endless forces of The Mechanical Beasts, Mycenae Forces, and The Vegan Em??pire, which have combined their powers in a joint plan to conquer the world. What follows is eight stages of frenetic arcade action, as the Mazinger forces battle the three factions and the mastermind, Dr. Hell.

//www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZQ1EgpzTEjU&?ab_channel=H?AMSTERCorporation

While the arrival of Mazinger Z is very much a welcome one, it comes at something of a price, quite literally. In order to secure the license to release Mazinger Z, Hamster was pressed to roll out extra Yen to the license holders. The publisher is looking to pass this cost on to the player, as Mazinger Z will retail for twice the price of all Arcade Archives entries. This is the first time that Hamster has had to pay the additional licensing fee, which suggests that any future re-releases based on popular and lucr?ative brands might also see a lift in their retail costs.

It's rough, especially given that many Arcade Archives releases are already a little princely for their longevity, but for Mazinger fans, the extra? ??buckeroos will probably be seen as a bill worth footing.

Mazinger Z is available to download now on PS4 and Nintendo Switch pri?ced at around $15.

The post ??Mazinger Z blasts off of the pag??e and into the Arcade Archives appeared first on Destructoid.

Game and anime receive a brand refresh

At this weekend's AnimeJapan 2023 expo, publisher Bandai Namco announced a slight rebranding of its upcoming mech adventure, Synduality, which will now be titled Synduality: Echo of Ada. The third-person action RPG is currently in devel??opment for PC and Gen 9 consoles??.

//www.yo??????????????????????????utube.com/watch?v=pMgOznJOzOo&ab_channel=BandaiNamcoEntertainment

Originally announced during the fall 2022 State of Play presentation, Synduality: Echo of Ada, sees a young woman, existing in a polluted and dystopian future, who makes a living by gathering resources from the inhospitable atmosphere of Amasia. Guiding an A.I. mech, (or "Cradle Coffin"), through the poisonous terrain, players must fight off not only predato????ry creatures, but also other human players, in a race to bring home the lion's share of precious "AO crystals".

//www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fzw??palvyRas&ab_c?hannel=EMOTIONLabelChannel

A Synduality anime, exploring the lore of the world and its characters, is also in the works. This project has been newly rechristened Synduality: Noir and is expected to premiere in July of this year. ?A new trailer, which you can check out above, features new footage from the animated series. The video is soundtracked?? by the anime's theme song "Raytracer", as performed by artist Stereo Dive Foundation.

Synduality will lau??nch on PS5, PC, and Xbox Series X later in 2023.

The post Mech adventu??re Syndua??lity is now Synduality: Echo of Ada appeared first on Destructoid.

Collect resources and avoid other mechs

Synduality is a new sci-??fi shooter from Bandai Namco Entertainment with crystals to collect and giant al??ien enemies to fight. But the most dangerous threat might not be them, but other players.

This new mech game debuted at yesterday's Sony State of Play, showing off its combat and style. The thrust of Synduality is that? you're in a dystopian future where poisonous rain and aggressive, mutated creatures have changed the world.

You and your AI partner need to build a home for humanity, and to do that, you need resources. As a Drifter, you make a living collecting AO crystals. (No, not that AO.) And so you set out in your mech, dubbed a Cradle C??offin, to find some and bring them back.

//www.youtube.com/watch?v=5Cd5PcLDh9I

Things are not so simple, though. The aggressive creatures, called Enders, will try to stop players from collecting AO crystals. You'll need different kinds of weapons to fend them off, all of which are customizable to your Cradle C??offin. But then there are the other players.

It's a dangerous world for a mech

Synduality is a PvPvE game. So yes, while playing online, you may run into other characters trying to complete their own missions. And they might even ??try to stop you from completing yours. While that's not really super-helpful for humanity, it does mean sick mech battles.

In a PlayStation blog about the game, producer Yosuke Futami says the team was interested in how humans and AI would interact in the future. To wit, alongside your mech, there's also the flying character you see z??ooming around, who is your AI companion Magus. Magus can give you directions, hints, and warnings. Bandai Namco says there will also be unique dialogue and interactions with Magus, depending on the situation.

Synduality seems like an interesting concept. I'd like to see more about what the customization and progression looks like. Right now, it reminds me of extraction-style shooters like Tarkov. That setup, with a heavy dash of mechs, could be neat. We'll hopefully see more, as Bandai Namco is targeting Synduality for sometime in 2023.

The post Synduality is a new sci-fi shooter with mech??s, AI, and dangerous foes appeared first on Destructoid.

The Morose Tale of Graveyard Clem looks like a rip-roarin' good time

The old west is about to get flooded with a whole bunch of scrap. Bounty Star is a new game from Dinogod, merging big mechs an??d the wi?ld, wild west next year.

Publisher Annapurna Interactive revealed the new game today, as part of its 2022 summer showcase. In the trailer, we see a look at the cliffs and deserts of Bounty Star, before diving right into the action.

//www.youtube.com/watch?v=kC-dNxex5Jc

Bounty Star is described as an over-the-shoulder mech ??action game. But it also has some farming and base-building elements as well.

?Taking on the role of war veteran Clem, you fight in the Red Expanse, a "post-post-apocalyptic version" of the American Southwest.

Clem's Desert Rapt?or MK?II is a customizable suit, so the player can swap around to equip a ton of neat pieces of gear. Siege weapons, firearms, or a big ol' sword. Or maybe some booster and thrusters, for zipping around the field.

No rest for the wicked

Clem is a bounty hunter, who pursues various targets and takes down marks for government cash. That means, of course, mech fights. The action looks like Armored Core by way of cow?boys and high-noon shootouts, which is already a plus.

Then, when you return home, there's more to be done. Clem's run-down garage serves as a base of operations, but also a homestead. Over time, you build up water and power supply, grow food and cook, raise animals, and produce the ammo and fuel you need for combat. It's like Stardew Valley, if?? ?you were also running a mech bounty-hunting business on the side.

It's a pretty great pitch, and looks great in motion too. Considering Annapurna's recent rep for picking up fantastic action games, I'm p?retty interested in seeing where Dinogod goes with the western mech concepts they have right now.

Bounty Star is aiming for a launch in 2023 on Xbox One,?? Xbox Series X|S, PS4, PS5, and PC via Steam. It will also be coming to Game Pass.

The post Bounty Star mixes the Wild West ?and mech?s next year appeared first on Destructoid.

Marvelous Mecha Mayhem

It's time for a fresh new game to be added to the queue of Epic Games Store's freebie page, and it seems that Marvelous' hyper-dramatic mech battler Daemon x Machina will be made available to download gratis for all EGS users from January 27. You can check out CJ Andriessen's review right here.

Originally released on Nintendo Switch in the fall of 2019, before being ported to PC in early 2020, Daemon x Machina sees players step into power Arsenal technology on a mission to battle back against all of planet Earth's A.I., rendered hostile following an unfriendly encounter with the moon. Banding with a team of mercenaries, the protagonist wages war on an arr??ay of mechanical enemies, led by an army of dangerous robotic overse?ers known as "The Immortals."

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

As the player progresses through a wealth of highly explosive missions, they can scavenge for weaponry and technology with which to upgrade their own Arsenal. Customization is a key feature of Daemon x Machina, with both the player character and ??the mecha itself open to all sorts of visua??l designs and violent capabilities. And, if it all gets a little tough to handle on your lonesome, then a four-player co-op mode will allow you to bring some buddies to battle with you.

Just make sure you coordinate your looks properly, or it could be a real mecha faux-pas.

Daemon x Machina will be available to download for free from Epic Games Store on January 28. The current free game is physics-based puzzler Relicta, which is available to download right now.

The post Daemon x Machina will be next week’s Epic Games Store freebie appeared first on Destructoid.

High-level details and images for a new Armored Core game have reportedly leaked from a survey

According to details obtained from a leaked consumer survey, From Software is reportedly looking to bring back its MIA mecha series Armored Core after a long drought.

For years, fans have wondered about the state of the Armored Core series, which has felt like it could re-materialize at any point and stand a good chance of reaching a wider, potentially newer, audience. 2013's Armored Core: Verdict Day was the last major release, and ever since, fans have kept themselves going with the occasional non-committal developer quote. It hasn't seemed like a new Armored Core was completely "off the table" �at least not in the way that some fandoms struggle to keep hope alive �but a grand mecha game comeback at From Software really hasn't looked like a prio??rity, either.

That said, there are finally signs of movement. As outlined in a ResetEra post, the Souls, Sekiro, and Elden Ring studio has reportedly shown footage of an upcoming Armored Core game as part of a consumer survey that also included plot details and screenshots, the latter of whi??ch recently leaked online, albeit with some? pretty gnarly watermarks.

//twit?ter.com/EldenRingUpdate/status/1480535699124273153

Beyond these images, which have since spread online, the ResetEra leaker also had a bit to say about the game's name. "The survey listed a choice of titles for the game, so I guess that hasn't been decided on yet," according to Red Liquorice. "Most of th?em were Armoured Core: [Something] including just 'Armoured Core' and both AC: 6, AC: VI, and other subtitles I can't remember, some of the choices didn't inclu??de AC in the name at all."

Reportedly set on the "devastated" planet Bashtar, this unannounced Armored Core game is described by the survey as having a "massive and three-dimension?al map," gear like guns and also a blade and shield for an added sense of "urgency," body-part customization to vibe with different playstyles, and a "sci-fi world created by Hidetaka Miyazaki."

Oh, and the battles are pitched as "tense and challen?ging." I'd expect nothing?? less.

Given the team's immensely popular action-RPGs, From Software commands more attention and respect these days from a worldwide audience, to the point where I feel like a significant number of folks who have never been attached to Armored Core would be willing to give a new game the time of day. I say that as someone who's very much in that camp. Similar to how Demon's Souls and Dark Souls gave new life to ideas previously seen in King's Field, I'd love to see what a more modern take on Armored Core might look like.

I hope this game strikes fans as a fresh new step for the series, rather than just another long-overdue continuation. There?'s arguably an opening in the market either way.

On the topic of mecha games, in a 2019 interview, From Software producer Masanori Takeuchi told Destructoid that "if we were to make something modern, something new, we'd need to consider how to appeal to Europeans or Americ??ans. Obviously, we'd put our own flavor in it as well, but we need to consider how it would appeal to a wide audience and people who didn't get brought up on robot anime." Food for thought.

The post Looks like Armored Core is back on the menu appeared first on Destructoid.

'New Age Space Opera' preparing to raise the curtain

Kadokawa Games has announced that its cool-looking strategy battler Relayer will be unle??ashing its brand of intergalactic mayhem sooner than one ??might have expected. The "New Age Space Opera" will receive a worldwide launch on PlayStation platforms March 24, 2022. The studio released a brand new trailer to celebrate the announcement.

//youtu.be/MkyXQcTgYBA

As previously reported, Relayer is a dramatic anime epic set against the backdrop of a world that has advanced in science, but not in morals. Taking place in Stardate 2049, mankind has come into contact with a strange alien presence known as "Relayer," brought about by the appearance of a mysterious and supernatural star child, "Terra." While all this would seem to be a fascinating progression of mankind as a species, humans have done fucked it all up again, with world governments?, military factions, and powerful global corporations violently vying for a piece o?f the evolutionary pie.

Honestly, this is exactly?? what would happen should such events ta??ke place in our own world.

//www.youtube.com/watch?v=r8ceronOi2k

And thus, what could be a brand new voyage into new frontiers of science, space, and life itself has instead become a capitalist war. As part of a team of superhuman star children, the player will step into mighty mecha machines known as "Stellar Gear," fighting the good fight for the very future of Earth. A turn-based strategy title, Relayer will utilize a wide variety of classes, attacks, and strategic maneuvers as players engage in bom?bastic warfare �peppered with dazzling effects and featuring over 100 in-action cutscenes �?while a cataclysmic tale of political and spiritual conflict unfolds.

Although a totally unproven entity, I think from these early impressions Relayer is looking pretty rad. The characters are cool, the mechs are slick, and the turn-based, strategic gameplay sounds very inviting. The gameplay video above doesn't set me alight, to be honest, but I'm pretty optimistic about Relayer for now, and mech-head??s should definitely keep one eye on this curious title ahead of its spring release.

Relayer launches on PlayStation platforms March 24. The PS4 edition can be upgraded to PS5 free-of-charge. A Digital Premium Edition includes ??a s?eason pass, a selection of bonus content, and unlocks Early Access to the title from March 21.

The post ?Epic mech battler Relayer launches March 24 worldwide appeared first on Destructoid.

Get in the giant robot

The giant mechs of MechWarrior are stepping back onto the PlayStation. Developer Piranha Games announced today that MechWarriors 5: Mercenaries is making its way to PlayStation 4? and PlayStation 5 on Sept. 23,? 2021.

This includes both MechWarrior 5: Mercenaries and its Heroes of the Inner Sphere expansion, and marks the return of the BattleTech franchise to PlayStation after more than 20 years apart. The PS4 and PS5 version will have cross-play ??support for all major systems, including?? PC, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X|S.

//www.youtube.com/watch?v=R3d_Ld53_DU

The cross-play works for the four-player PvE co-op, which will also let players who don't own the Heroes of the Inner Sphere expansi??on participate i?n a co-op playthrough, so long as the host owns the expansion.

And for PlayStation 5-specific options, MechWarrior 5 will support both advanced haptics and adaptive triggers on the DualSense, according to the PlayStation blog. So those using a DualSense will get to real??ly feel the thunderous roar of a giant mech in the middle of a heated battl?e, I guess.

Our impression of MechWarrior 5: Mercenaries' PC launch was fairly positive, so if you're looking for some giant robot acti?on to fill your PS5's hard drive space with, this might fit the bill. I do wonder if that haptic feedback will be to sc??ale with the size of the mechs, though. We'll find out when it hits PS4 and PS5 on Sept. 23.

The post MechWarrior 5: Merc??enaries comes to PlayStation later this month appeared first on Destructoid.

See your deliveries through and possibly destroy the moon, too

There are plenty of games about the mechs that do battle in war, but what about the ones moving supplies behind the lines? Can Androids Survive is a new short-form game about carrying out deliveries as a battlefield courier, and i??t's out right now on Itch.

As a walking supply truck of a mech, Can Androids Survive has the player navigate around various obstacles and hazards while dealing with their fuel gauge. While you undertake your mission to deliver supplies on the war-torn Moon, you might also l?earn a b??it about yourself, and what your existence really is. And, apparently, you blow up the Moon at some point.

//www.youtube.com/watch?v=vP8e70Tresg

Can Androids Survive is written by Can Androids Pray writer Xalavier Nelson Jr., who also wrote this year's An Airport For Aliens Currently Run by Dogs. It's developed by aPriori Digital, with music by Priscilla Snow and sound design from Audiac A??udio.

This mech-delivery sim is available now on the Itch.io storefront for $14.99, though plans are in place for a console release in? ??early 2022.

Now, I do love some good giant robot combat. But I'm pretty interest??ed in this take on mechanized warfare as well. Seeing a version of war that shows the logistics behind the frontlines, while letting you view the car?nage from a different point of view, sounds pretty intriguing.

If you're into the idea of Death Stranding with a ??lu?nar, mechanized twist, this might be up your alley.

The post Can Androids Survive lets you deliver supplies as a ??battlefield mech ??courier appeared first on Destructoid.

Need a hit of that good kaiju shit

It has been a minute since we last talked about GigaBash, but it looks like a long development cycle is leading to one smashing game. During the PC Gaming Show today, developer Passion Republic dropped a new trailer for GigaBash, and yeah, this looks like something I'm going to ha??ve to check out.

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

GigaBash is expected to launch later this ye??ar for P??C and PS4.

The post GigaBash looks like the King of the Monsters successor I’ve always wanted appeared first on Destructoid.

Launching worldwide on PS4 and PS5 in 2021

Last week, we reported on new title Relayer, a self-proclaimed "new age space opera" currently in development for PlayStation platforms. Developer Kadokawa Games has since released the first full Relayer trailer, giving us a teasing glimpse at the sci-fi title's uni??verse a??nd its cataclysmic mecha warfare.

Set in Stardate 2049, Relayer will tell an apocalyptic tale of a world plunged into conflict by the arrival of the titular alien being, an invading supernatural phenomenon, and the mysterious "star child", Terra. This collision of universe-changing events has been me?t with bru?tal mech-based conflict, as various governments and factions attempting to reconcile this strange new reality and its impact on not only Earth, but the entire galaxy.

//www.youtube.com/watch?v=UPeOO78S9gM

Relayer is a turn-based strategy title with heavy RPG/social elements. Players will take charge of a battalion of "Stella Gear" mech suits, and fight it out in planet-quaking battles. During the downtime, players will get to know the roster of pilots within their unit who are, unsurprisingly, a gang of hip 'n' sexy du??des and dudettes. Get to know your crew, manage the perfect platoon, use each Stella Gear's abilities in sweet synergy, and bring an end �or at least a compromise �to the global conflict before it destroys all.

Published by Clouded Leopard Entertainment, Relayer will receive a western localization within the sam??e release window as its Japanese counterpart. So, if the above description gets you in gear for some mighty mecha action, at least you won't have to wait too long before Kadokawa's new title wings its way over the seas and onto these shores.

Relayer is currently in development for PS4 and PS5 a????nd will launch sometime in 2021.

Relayer trailer "Starchild Version" [Gematsu]

The post Relayer trailer shows off first footage of Kadokawa’s mecha mayhem appeared first on Destructoid.

Welcome... to Robot Wars

_{[Header image via Famitsu]}

Japanese developer Kadokawa Games, (of Metal Max and God Wars fame), has announced a brand new strategy RPG. A self-proclaimed "New age space opera", Relayer is currently in development at the ?studio for release on PlayStation platforms at some point in the future.

A feature in the latest issue of Weekly Famitsu offered up the sci-fi title's preliminary deets. Set in Stardate 2049, humanity has come into contact with a new alien life-form known as "Relaye??r". At the same time, a supernatural phenomenon is reported across the planet, seemingly brought about by the arrival of a "Star Child" known as "Terra". Understandably perturbed by the increasingly unnerving events, world governments and military factions become entangled in the situation's escalating drama.

Rooting its characters, narrative, and arc within Greek mythology, Relayer will see players pilot platoons of mechs — known as "Stella Gear" — in a variety of small-and-large-scale battles. Relayer is a turn-based strategy title, and will feature numerous classes, maneuvers, weapons, and ally patterns, tasking the player with creating efficient att??ack patterns to win the day and become one step closer to God... quite literally. Oh, and of course, all of the Stell??a Gear pilots are sexy and stylish anime characters, each of which has their own sub-stories to be explored as the main campaign progresses.

It's very early days, with nary a screenshot or trailer in sight. We also don't know whether Relayer will do the numbers necessary to see a western localization. But for strategy/anime fans — perhaps those who dig the great gameplay and melodramatic nature of Valkyria Chronicles — Relayer might prove to be one title worth keeping an eye ??on?.

Relayer confirmed for PS5, PS4 [Gematsu / Ryokutya2089]

The post Relay??er is an epic mech battler coming to PlayStation from Kadokawa Games appeared first on Destructoid.

There's a demo on PC too

Exor Studios' The Riftbreaker is a mix of mech action, survival, and base-buildin??g. And if that combination sounds appealing, you'll be able to try it out if you have Xbox Game Pass.

Today, Exor Studios announced that The Riftbreaker will be available day-one on Game Pass, for both Xbox consoles and PC. No firm r??elease date has been set yet outside of this coming fall.

If waiting until the fall seems a bit too long, there's also a demo out for PC. Dubbed The Riftbreaker: Prologue, it takes place prior to the events of The Riftbreaker's campaign, le??tting you collect resources and fend off waves of angry alien hordes.

The Riftbreaker will be coming to Xbox consoles?? and PC, as well ?as PlayStation 4, later this fall.

The post Mech?-based base builder The Riftbreaker will launch on Game Pass appeared first on Destructoid.

Steam concurrent players record annihilated

Respawn Entertainment's Titanfall 2 is one of the finest first-person-shooters ever made, with an exciting, adrenaline-fueled, top-tier single-player campaign that only improves as it progresses. Five years on from the sequel's initial launch, new players are finally finding this out, thanks to Respawn's own battle royale release, Apex Legends.

On May 9, Apex Legends will launch its ninth season, "Legacy", which features multiple callbacks to Respawn's Titanfall days. Spearheaded by the arrival of new Legend Kairi "Valkyrie" Imahara, Legacy has already tipped its hat to Titanfall with its emotional, teasing cinematics. And, as spotted by VGC, it seems that the hype for the new season has encouraged players both old and new to jump back into the explosive world of Titanfall.

Following a hefty discount on April 15, Titanfall 2's concurrent player count skyrocketed by 650% in just 48 hours, before going on to shatter its previous best with a staggering 17,000 players — an amazing activity increase of 750%. It seems that the shrewdly timed store discount — coupled with the Apex Legends crossover — has shaken the rust off of Titanfall 2, giving th?e underrated sequel ??a brand new opportunity to shine.

If you're a fan of action games but never got around to checking out the Titanfall 2 campaign, be sure to jump on this bombastic bandwagon fast. As many new fans are finding out, you won'??t regret it.

Titanfall 2 sees Steam resurgence, activ??e players up 750% [VGC]

The post Titanfall 2 sees huge playe??r resurgence ahead of Apex Legends crossover appeared first on Destructoid.

Mech Marvels

Vanillaware has proudly announced that 13 Sentinels: Aegis Rim has hit ??400,000 sales. The story-driven action strategy title launch??ed on PS4 in Japan back in 2019, before heading west in the fall of 2020.

Written and directed by George Kamitani of Dragon's Crown fame, 13 Sentinels sees players take control of 13 individual characters, whose stories and fates intertwine against the backdrop of an alternate history 1985 - occasionally bouncing back to the past and forward to the future. The epic tale consists of dial??ogue-heavy story sequences, complex RTS battles, and side-scrolling action, all decorated in Vanillaware inimitable visual style.

In addition to the sales milestone, Vanillaware announced that 13 Sentinels had been officially nominated as a "Jury Selection" for the prestigious Japan Media Arts Festival. Hopefully, this new wave of publicity will pique the interest of new players, as while 13 Sentinels has its fair share of flaws, its fantast?ic storytelling, magnetic cast, and gorgeous art style deserve to be seen by more eyes.

[Via Gematsu]

The post 13 Se??ntinels: Aegis Rim celebrates 400,000 sales and media award selection appeared first on Destructoid.

It's a bug-shoving world of mechs from Flight School Studio, the developer of Creature in the Well

Do I embed the polished announcement trailer for Stonefly or go with th??e "gameplay first look" video featuring a pet reptile chilling on the technical game designer's shoulder? As if that's even a question.

Creature in the Well was an unusual pinball-with-swords romp from Flight School Studio, and the team's summer 2021 game, Stonefly, is even more conceptually out-there. ??In a good way, I mean!

It's an overhead action-adventure title about piloting an insectoid mech – with a painterly natural world you'd never normally associate with mech games. The young pilot has ??to "shoo" bugs off massive tree branches, collect resources fo??r ability and traversal upgrades, and reclaim her father's precious rig.

She'll also "forge relationships with a cast of memorable characters from the Acorn Corps, a band of castaway mech pilots," which is the icing o?n top to keep me motivated once the eye-catching art fades.

I have to appreciate the creative "we're really going for it" energy flowing through this project. ??It stands out in a sea of?? small- to medium-sized games that either look the same, play the same, or both.

Before watching the narrated walkthrough from designer Mel Ramsden, my gut reaction was that Stonefly looked novel, and beautiful, but I wasn't necessarily picturing myself having a t??on of fun playing it. After letting the pitch sink in, though, I think it's starting to click. I do love these little-big worlds.

Apart from PC, Stonefly is also coming to Nintendo S??witch, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S.

The post Stonefly doesn’t look like a typical mech game and I’m all for it appeared first on Destructoid.

So many woooooords

In today's contest, you can win a Switch, Steam, Xbox, or PlayStation copy of Override 2: Super Mech League and its Ultraman DLC!

Hey Torch, look! It's a game with big robots!

If you're anything like Torch, you're going to be interested in Override 2: Super Mech League. You're also really going to like the Ultraman DLC we're?? giving away along with it!

Ok big robots aren't ??my thing, so here's a description:

Seven years after the Xenotypes that invaded Earth have been eradicated, the giant mechs that were once the planet’s defenders are now their entertainers in global mech battle leagues. As a new pilot of these repurposed weapons of war, climb the ranks and represent your Club with a tuned-up roster of returning and new mechs, each with their own unique abilities, moves, and super-charged attacks. Override 2: Super Mech League is playable both in single player and multiplayer?? campaign??s for up to 4 players locally and online in stages set all over the world.

Start as a new pilot and propel yourself through the ranks in a deep and robust Career Mode. Join Mech Leagues and earn reputation by competing in Arenas located across the globe. Duke it out with a tuned-up roster of returning robots and new mechs across various versus and co-op game modes of up to 4 players online and locally. Defeat your opponen??ts using an arsenal of unique moves including super-charged ranged attacks, metal-busting combos, or an arena-shattering ultimate attack!

War of the Monsters, anyone?

To enter to win your ??copy, use the widget below to leave your name and email address. Enter daily to rack up entries, and be sure to do all?? the fun side stuff to pick up even more chances to win.

We have a bunch of keys to give away, so just trust me on this. You'll?? get the base game and the Ultraman DLC expansion,?? so wee! PS and Switch keys are for NA accounts; all others are region-free. We'll draw winners next Monday.

Override 2: Super Mech League is available now for consoles and PC.

Contest: Win Override 2: Super Mech League and its ?Ultraman DLC for Xbox, PlayStation, Switch,?? and Steam

The post Contest: Win Override 2: Super Mech League a??nd its Ultrama?n DLC for Xbox, PlayStation, Switch, or Steam appeared first on Destructoid.

Updated Mech-anics

XSEED Games' sci-fi mech battler Daemon x Machina? has just received a neat new update that allows for cross-saving between the PC and Nintendo Switc??h editions of the game.

Players can use Steam Cloud in order to seamlessly transfer save data back and forth, allowing fans to fire through machines in ??their custom Arsenal units on PC, before transferring to Nintendo Switch should they wish to continue their apocalyptic a?ctions whilst on the go. The smart feature ensures that there is truly no rest for the domineering Immortals.

Having celebrated its first anniversary back in September, Daemon x Machina continues to entertain players with its fast-paced action and future-fantasy universe, alongside a steady str?ing of dri??p-fed content and features. If you are yet to give the futuristic third-person shooter a spin, now might be just as good a time as any.

The post ??Daemon x Machina now supports cross-save between ?PC and Nintendo Switch appeared first on Destructoid.

Years in the making

Megaton Musashi was announced so long ago, it was originally only revealed to be coming to Nintendo 3?DS. For reasons only developer Level-5 knows, it kept getting pushed back and now is set to arrive on Switch and PlayStation 4. Since it was announced four years ago, we really haven't got a good look at what the game is, but that changed today when Level-5 dropped an extensive trailer for it at Tokyo Game Show 2020.

Well that certainly got my attention. The trailer showcases the story mode, which features high school students and if the reaction to my review of 13 Sentinels: Aegis Rim is?? any indication, that'll be a huge turnoff for much of our audience. We also got a look at the customization options in the game and its battle system.

Megaton Musashi is still without a release date, and if Level-5's road to release for Inazuma Eleven: Great Road of Heroes is any indication, it may be a while.

Megaton Musashi [Level-5]

The post Megaton Musashi’s Tokyo Game Show trailer gives us our best look at the game yet appeared first on Destructoid.

Dust off your Arsenal

It's been a whole year since the release of Marvelous' post-apocalyptic mech fighter, Daemon x Machina. To celebrate 12 months of robo-bashing action, Marvelous is getting set to release a new update for the game, adding several new goodies for ??your next jaunt into The Outer Rim.

The new update, which will go live on PC and Nintendo Switch in November, will include a "Grossfeiern" Arsenal skin, a "Grandemon" pilot suit, three new Arsenal decals and three new Preview backgrounds. A new order is also incoming, "Eclipse RT: Omega Destruction S?trategy," which will see hardened players do battle against a super-powered Immortal known as "Eclipse Q."

You can get a sneak peek at the new content in the gallery below. Daemon X Machina is available now on PC and Nintendo Switch.

Daemon x M??achina 1st anniversary update launches in November [Gematsu]

The post ??Daemon x Machina to receive a new update for its firs?t anniversary appeared first on Destructoid.

July 21 will be here before we know it

Fans of sword-wielding mechs have a lot to look forward to in Panzer Paladin, an upcoming Zelda II-inspired action-platformer from Tribute Games, the studio behind Mercenary Kings and Flinthook. Today, the retro-loving team locked?? in the game's launch da??y on Nintendo Switch and Steam: July 21, 2020.

The release date trailer isn't much to go on if you've never seen Panzer Paladin in action, but this gameplay trailer from May has the right stuff. It's a classic globetrotting adventure (I love the?? stage-select screen), and when you aren't slaying demons with "over a hundred melee weapons" and ?casting spells from the comfort of a mighty mech suit, you'll zip around as a little pilot with a grappling hook.

Like Tribute's prior work, Panzer Paladin speaks to me on a fundamental ??level. There's a certain magic to gam??es that can balance old-school roots with more modern touches, and I'm feeling it here.

I also feel like Zelda II is a flawed but fascinating game to draw from. It's such an untapped resourc?e.

The post Tribute Games’ demon-crushing platformer Panzer Paladin hits Switch and PC soon appeared first on Destructoid.

This day can really be annoying, y'all

We've got Steam copies of mech-based action game Metal Unit in today's contest!

I hate to be a party pooper, but April Fool's Day kinda sucks. At best you get some chuckle-worthy jo?kes; at worst you get ill-intended pranks or fake announcements that get people's hopes ?up only to have them come crashing down when they remember it's April 1st. No me gusta.

So, I'm going to alleviate some of the stress of the day by giving away some copies of this awesome-looking mech action game, Metal Unit. This is not a joke, folks -- this is real!

Things have kind of taken a turn for the worst on Earth. Monsters?? are emerging from the land and seas, terrorizing what's left of humanity, while aliens reign down from the heavens, hellbent on ruling the planet. It's a lot. As a result, monsters, machines, and aliens are everywhere pretty much doing what they want. Good thing you can control a mech suit to fight them all! This action-RPG gives pl??ayers guns, swords, dashes, and a whole slew of mech-related abilities to take out anything and everything in their path to become the ultimate badass. Check out some game features:

• Action-Packed Battle System -- You can dash to evade enemies or go on the offensive and chain multiple weapon attacks together to perform devastating combos. The wide of range of melee and ranged weapons at your disposal also give you the ultimate flexibility to take out enemies any way you see fit.
• Huge & Diverse Environments -- You can choose to explore the sprawling surface of the planet or delve deep inside mysterious dungeons. Traveling around the world will progress the story, while going underground offers bigger rewards that may come at a heavy price...
• Your Decisions Matter -- The characters in Metal Unit will suffer through corruption, betrayal and death. But your decisions carry significant weight in key dialogues and certain actions during the game.
• Roguelite Elements -- Upon death the game will convert all equipped items into permanent research points. The points can then be used to unlock new items and skills. You will constantly receive weapons of varying utility and will need to adapt your strategy to match your current equipment.

?You'll be happy to mech this game's acquaintance, teehee.

To enter to win, comment below tell??ing us the best part of having a mech suit. I think it's the fact that it co?nverts all bodily waste into fuel, making it a self-sustaining battery. At least I hope. I've been making in this suit for weeks, now.

We have ten Steam Early Access key to give away; winners will be drawn Tuesday, April 7. Make sure to comment using a Dtoid account with your current email address on file. New to these parts? Sign up here to tell me how to clean all this d??oo doo out of my suit.

Metal Unit is available now on Steam Early Access. Hit up PC Invasion for chances to snag a copy!

The post Cont?est: Only a fool would pas?s up a chance to win a Steam copy of Metal Unit appeared first on Destructoid.

Mechnology

Back when Marvelous' epic mech adventure Daemon X Machina was fi??rst ported to PC, players who picked up the game within the first month of release bagged themselves a free "Prototype Arsenal" DLC set, a bonus of sorts for early adopters.

Well, for those? who missed out, this rare set has now returned to the Steam platform as paid DLC, and can be purchased for around $7. This set gives your Arsenal and pilot a distinctly bas?ic look, with the impression that it is the first concept Arsenal ever designed, and a stripped-down pilot's uniform to match.

Marvelo??us has also noted that the previously released "Metallic Equipment" set - another free bonus offered for early purchases - will remain an exclusive item and will not be sold in the future.

Daemon X Machina is available now on PC and Nintendo Switch.

The post Daemon X Machina ‘Prototype Arsenal’ bonus returns to PC as paid DLC appeared first on Destructoid.

Where y'all at, at?

We've got Switch copies of brutal walking simulator BE-A Walker up for grabs in today's contest!

You know that one movie where the giant robots walk around and blast lasers and stuff at people trying to defend their planet? I don't remember the f??ilm right now, but that was a cool scene. So cool, it inspired it??s own video game where you can pretty much do the same thing!

BE-A Walker is a walking sim??ulator with a twist -- you control a giant mecha sent to either enslave or defend an alien planet. So load up your cannons and prime your lasers for a Switch copy of this out-there game!

It's easier to just let th??e devs tell you about this one.

Dying Earth is overpopulated and humanity searches for new planets to colonize and to extract much needed resources. Eldorado is an Earth-like planet covered with huge jungles and mountains full of rare minerals and it is an ideal option for colonization. But two things are making colonization quite complicated: the first one is the atmosphere which is poisonous to the human race, and the second one is the native race of warlike humanoid creatures that is not going to share its home with some sky people. Although the first problem can be?? solved by air filters, even the battle armor can't help against huge spears and other missiles of the hostile tribes.

You are the pilot of battle mech "BE-A Walker" (Biped Enhanced Assault Walker). Your mission is to defeat the hostile natives to protect the colony population. But annihilation of the native race is not the only way to stop the war. Choose your side and make the decision that suits you best: to be a human, a true son of Earth fighting for survival of your race and killing whoever stands in his way, or to be a humanist who's trying to protect the p??oor natives, victims of the greedy i??nvaders.

Key features:

• Seamlessly generated world.
• The weirdest and most cruel walking simulator out there.
• Upgrade your mech and weapons to become more dangerous.
• Defeat the natives or lead them in their effort to protect their homeworld.

No copyright infringement here, folks!

To enter to win your copy, leave your name and email address in the widget below. You know the drill. Click around for bonus entries, and be sur?e to actually listen to th?e music I make you listen to!

We? have three Switch NA an?d three EU keys to give away across our network; winners will be drawn Monday, March 9.

BE-A Walker is available now on the Switch eShop.

Contest: Control a giant bipedal death machine w??ith a Switch copy of BE-A Walker

The post Contest: Control a giant bipedal death machine with a Switch copy of?? BE-A Walker appeared first on Destructoid.

The more Switch games on Steam the merrier

Marvelous is bringing its Nintendo Switch mech game Daemon X Machina to Steam on February 13, 2020,?? and that's definitely not a s??entence I expected to write this morning. Get it, Marvelous!

It's cool to see another Nintendo-published game make its way to PC after Octopath Traveler.

The PC port of Daemon X Machina is skipping "some licensed DLC," but everything else – "including new Arsenal gear, cosmetic options, Colossal Immortal battles, and a co-op Exploration Mission mode" – ??made the cut for Steam. Best?? of all? The prospect of better stability and a higher frame rate.

Other new-for-PC features include "visual upgrades, customization options, and support for gamepads as w?ell as keyboard an?d mouse," according to publisher XSEED Games.

In his review of Daemon X Machina on Switch, CJ brought up? issues with the AI, filler missions, and the story, but he called the combat "amazing." Another bright spot: your sense of movement as a mech pilot. "Whether in the air or skating across the ground, there was never a moment I didn't feel I had total control of my mech and complete awareness of what?? was happening on the battlefield," he said.

The game costs $60 normally, but there's a 20 percent pre-purchase discount in effect right now, and during launch week, there will be a 10 percent discount. If you end up buying this bef??ore March 13, 2020, you'll get a pair of bonus digital items: the Prototype Arsenal Set and the Meta??llic Equipment Set.

I'm not sure how many of you will double dip (correct me if I'm wrong!), but for those of you who let Daemon X Machina slip through the cracks on Ninten??do Switch, how does the ??PC version sound?

Mods could be a mech lover's dream come true.

The post Daemon X Machina is getting a surprise PC release appeared first on Destructoid.

Mech, mech, goose

For some, MechWarrior is a religion.

I was first introduced to the series in the '90s from a fellow that had what I can only describe as a "battle station." His chair was rigged with joysticks on the arms. He had a force feedback vest for when his mech was hit. He was even working on? a? jury-rigged VR apparatus years before it was popular. You could say he was the perfect gateway into the series.

For me, the BattleTech universe really clicked when I formed my own MechAssault team and became the top-ranked player in the world (no one could beat my Catapult) on a rankings system that was pre-MLG, pre-esports. So when MechWarrior 5 was announced, I was ready for it.

MechWarrior 5: Mercenaries (PC - rig)
Developer: Piranha Games
Publisher: Piranha Games
Released: December 10, 2019
MSRP: $49.99

If you've never played MechWarrior before, it has a more simmy and tactical dance to it. Controlling your mech is half the battle, as you have the ability to individually maneuver bits and pieces of it, like the legs and the torso. It's a unique k??ind of thrill.

If you want a full-on no-thinking action game, look elsewhere. You need to manage your heat not just for practical purposes like cooldowns, but to prevent a critical shutdown that leaves your mech completely open to attack. Acceleration is handled independently, so you can move at the exact pace you want, then strafe and rotate your guns (which you need to keep track of) to hit your target on the move. While you can technically use a controller, I wouldn't recommend it (though specific HOTAS are supported).

You need nuances like the ability to shift your legs to align your body on a moment's notice, as well as the precision aiming required to hit moving targets with sometimes limited weaponry. Speaking of: you can take out a mech's legs, arms, or kill the pilot directly. This actually matters both short and long term, as tact??ical shots deal tons of surgical damage and allow you to safely harvest unharmed mech parts in the?? game's story mode. Because of that open-ended approach to limb damage, you can get into some pretty harrowing situations: arms blown off, legs barely working, half your weapons disabled while you violently run for the extraction ship. It's normal!

While that's all happening,?? the particle and environmental effects can sometimes look a little cheap, but get the job done as they don't interfere on a technical level. You can barrel through buildings with your mechs or jump-jet on top of destructible structures with no issues, which adds a ver??y active feel to combat despite the aforementioned simulation leanings. I also haven't encountered any major bugs outside of UI issues, compounded by the already rudimentary nature of the UI itself.

One of Mercenaries' biggest strengths is that it simultaneously focuses on campaign progression as well as procedurally generated? micro-missi?ons, all with co-op or AI support for three other pilots. This sort of ubiquitous free-flowing nature of modes is catching on elsewhere, and I'm fully on board with it. Now, the story tends to meander (especially at first) and the dialogue is often poor, but on a macro level, it's ambitious.

The campaign has a lot of depth to it, spanning multiple decades (it takes place in the early to mid 3000s in-universe). I like how events like repairing your mech take ac?tual in-game time, but zero player time (you can skip ahead days to get it over and done with). Pilot portions break things up and help dig deeper into the lore that makes the mechs tick. Light "negotiation" moments happen before each mission, allowing you to potentially salvage more items, garner high??er C-Bill (the main in-game currency) rewards, or opt for a high insurance payout for damages.

How much risk/reward is involved is almost entirely dependent on your skill level, which is an interesting way to incorporate more simulation elements. Missions mostly have the right amount of pacing: short and punchy. You might need to take down a structure, defend an objective, or duke it out with another mech, with optional parameters popping up every now and then. When a locale starts to get benign (the core ones are ice, forest, canyon, and volcanic) you j?et across to another planet.

You can also create and play custom scenarios or premade ones with MechWarrior 5's instant action mode. I'm happy to report that you can go HAM in free play, with most of the mechs or parameters you could want. I'm probably going to be dipping into this mode for a while, and while I definitely want it to be expanded over time, it's a MechWarrior All-Star championship event.

Even with an AI squad, instant action is fun as hell, and a veritable playground for trying out everything the game has to offer before you commit to the campaign. You can immediately se?e the potential here, like having a heavy Atlas mech running up the gut to distract an enemy force while a more fleet-of-foot mech pincers a group from above. Skirmishes can also get pretty hectic with tons of aerial and ground threats all in play at once.

It takes time to really get into MechWarrior 5, which is to be expected. At first, things go by at a plodding pace and your customization options are slim. But once you assemble your crew, jump into mechs you want to play as, and the story picks up, it starts to feel like old MechWarrior again. Mercenaries still might not satisfy everyone, but I enjoyed my reintroduction to the action-oriented BattleTech world.

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

The post Review: MechWarrior 5: Mercenaries appeared first on Destructoid.

Version 1.2.0

Daemon x Machina was deployed just a few months ago on Switch, and has been getting a decent amount of traction from mech fans. So much so, in fact, that the series is hosting multiple crossover events in Japan, including appearances from famed anime series Code Geass and Eureka Seven. The ??next collaboration may have been delayed to December 5, but it exists (again, in Japan).

As for the rest of the world, we're get?ting version 1.2.0. It's kind of a small update in terms of fundamentals, but big on content. We're getting a new boss (Zelcroa), as well as more Colossal Immortals (four in total, in Omega forms) and equipment. Note that the Omegas are ba?sically remixed editions of existing enemies.

In addition to that aforementioned anime content in Japan, we're also getting more missions as the team over at Marvelous First Studio continues to add free stuff. Given the flaws with pacing, Daemon X Machina is a perfect game to occasionally pick up and play, and this free DLC only augments that strategy. I'm usually gripped enough to keep playing nonstop, but Daemon ended up being a "once or t?wice a week" affair for me.

Daemon X Machina vers??ion 1.2.0 update?? now available [Gematsu]

The post Daemon x Machina is?? still being updated and it just added ??a new boss appeared first on Destructoid.

Richard has never looked this good until now

After a long period of silence, General Arcade has released a new patch for Metal Wolf Chaos XD. While the update focuses on clearing out the remaining bugs and audio issues, its primary goal is to make the lighting, shading and colors of the re-release more accurate to the original game. The patch is currently live for PlayStation 4 and PC pla??????????????????????????yers, with a date for Xbox One still being determined.

You can check out? the d??ifference this update makes below.

Metal Wolf Chaos XD 1.02 vs 1.03 pic.twitter.com/DLUwVcQMRf

— General Arcade (@generalarcade) November 21, 2019

I popped in my persona?l PlayStation 4 copy to check out the changes in action, and it's definitely an improvement. That being said, there appears to be an issue that has arisen as a result of the visual overhaul. The game is now experiencing frequent slowdowns on multiple maps, bringing the action to a crawl.

I'm on a base PlayStation 4, so I do not know if this issue is present for PlayStation 4 Pro or PC p?layers, or if it's in the upcoming patch for Xbox One players. Hopefully they fix this soon, since an action game with slowdown issues isn't exactly fun to play.

Metal Wolf Chaos XD is available now on PlayStat???ion 4, Xbox One and PC.

[Metal Wolf Chaos XD]

The post Met?al Wolf Chaos XD receives a v?isual update with the latest patch appeared first on Destructoid.

Not a Telenovela, sadly

Have you been following Mechwarrior 5: Mercenaries? Well, it's nearly out, and it's one of the last big releases of 2019 (it might be the last big release).

To celebrate Piranha Games' impending launch, they're doling out free novellas that deal with the narrative before the events of the game. Episodes 1 and 2, The Calm of the Void and Vision's Hunger, are available now, and you can check out future episodes here as they become available. Randall Bills, who is a huge deal in the BattleTech community g?oing back three decades, penned the stories him??self.

Shifting gears a bit if reading isn't your thing, there's also a new overview video that showcases both gameplay and between-mission-action that you can watch below. MechWarrior 5 is getting back to the mission-focus?ed gameplay loop, with the option to take riskier contracts (levels) with higher rewards.

MechWarrior 5: Mercenaries is due out on December 10 on PC. It'll? be an Epic Games Store exclusive, at least for now.

The post MechWarrior 5 i??s getting novellas leading up to its launch, as well as new footage appeared first on Destructoid.