In a trailer published through IGN, Kaizen Game Works (developers of Paradise Killer) has revealed some of the voice cast for Promise Mascot Agency. I hope youâ€??™re ready for some recognizable tongue?s in your ears.

Most prominently, the leading dude, Michi, is getting vocalized by Takaya Kuroda, the voice of Kazama Kiryu in the Yakuza/Like a Dragon series. What better person to play a disgraced Yakuza? No one. There is? no one better, because he plays the best one. I don’t know how else to describe this, but he has a huggable voice. If you’re not a hugger; a high-five?able voice.

The other revealed cast members are no slouches, either. Pinky (that bizarre severed finger mascot that features so much in the marketing) is voiced by Ayano Shibuya, who was featured in The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild and Princess Peach: Showtime. If you don’t recognize her, it’s probably because you weren’t playing in Japanese. There’s also Eri Saito, who voiced so much in Japanese gaming, but you’d maybe recognize her from Way of the Samurai 3. No? Okay, Chainsaw Man, where she played Aki’s Mother.

On top of the famous vocalists, there are less conventional choices. This includes Swery65, who isn’t really known for voice acting, but did create Deadly Premonition. And then there’s. Wait. Shuhei Yoshida? Haha, really? The former president of Sony Interactive E??ntertainment.

If you’re not familiar, Promise Mascot Agency is a game about a former Yakuza running an, er, agency for mascots. The big foam costume kind. You have to send them out to various e?vents and help them succeed. You also get to drive around in a Kei truck, which is an impor??tant touch.

Promise Mascot Agency is set for release on PS5, Xbox Series X|S, Switch, and PC sometime ??this year (2025).

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I love stealth games. Everything from Hitman to Splinter Cell to the old Thief games is my bag. Even horror games that encourage hiding in the shadows do it for me. I just love being sneaky (read: cowardly). So I was pleased to see that the upcoming Thick as Thieves will almost certainl??y be ticking that box for me.

The trailer shows a new stealthy game that has you leaping about like the acrobatic burglar you are, stealing from the wealthy. What has me even more intrigued is the game is being brought to us by some of the developers behind the aforementioned Thief series, as well as Deus Ex; classics in the genre, I'm sure you'll agree.

Specifically, we've got Paul Neurath, executive producer of Thief: The Dark Project and Thief 2: The Metal Age, as well as director Warren Spector, who worked on the original Deus Ex. We've also got game designer Greg Lopiccolo, who, along with Spector, was involved with Thief: The Deadly Shadows.

Good stock, overall

As for what Thick as Thieves will be like, the teaser above suggests it's got lashings of some of the teams' past work, along with hints of Dishonored...and do I detect a hint of We Happy Few? Maybe only in the visuals, but I'm quite excited about it all ?the same.

It's also gunning for multiplayer, so you can "match your cunning against rival thieves." As for what the story will involve, well, here's what the Steam page has to say:

Chart your rise to master thief in a glittering, gloomy 1910s metropolis blending industry, magic and intrigue. Your choices unlock unique playstyles and strategies that shape your thief character. Tell your story through a fusion of emergent multiplayer gameplay and dynamic storytelling. Immerse yourself in a living world where no two nights are ever the same, ensuring endless challenges and discoveries.�/p>

The game promises plenty of replay value, a rich world set in an alternative timeline, and an "ever-shifting, treacherous city." So when is Thick as Thieves out? There's no release date available, but you can wishlist the game right no??w. ?It's also coming to PS5 and Xbox Series X|S, as well as PC. No idea if it'll be coming to Game Pass yet, though.

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Last night (or early this morning, depending on where in the world you are), The Game Awards kicked off. Along with honors aplenty, we also got announcements, including a premier of the new Witcher game. Among these was also the next iteration in the Killing Floor series.

Aptly named Killing Floor 3, the below trailer shows the high-octane violence that's afoot, along with the developer �Tripwire Interactive �saying the game is aiming for a March 2025 release. At this stage, there's no exact date for its launch, but you can wishlist it now on Steam.

Killing Floor 3 is also coming to PS5 and Xbox Series X|S, with full crossplay capabilities. You can also join the closed beta by going to the official website here. Tempted to join ??up myself. I'm a bit of a fan of the others in the series, you see.

Getting mad Doom vibes

Having played the first two Killing Floor titles, I'll be intrigued to know where Tripwire takes things from here. From the trailer above, it still maintains its chaotic, co-op FPS goodness �something we all know the franchise for �but is anyone else getting a hint of modern Doom in there, or is that just me?

But is Killing Floor 3 coming to Game Pass? I want to know! There doesn't appear to be anything saying so, and the official Xbox page doesn't mention it, either. As such, it might not?? be available on?? the service. It seems that it is not on day one.

Whatever the case, I'm looking forward to getting back into the thrill of taking on hordes of grotesque beings. The first game especially holds a place in my heart, despite me not having anywhere near the minimum hardware to run it when it was released in 2009 (I was using a netbook...not even a laptop!). Also, can you believe it's been nearly ten years since we had a Killing Floor game? Where does the time go?!

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Clear River Games has released a trailer giving us a first look at the gameplay of Gimmick 2. Brace yourself. It looks like about what you’d expect. Gimmick!-y, if you will.

The trailer opens with the 8-bit graphics of the NES version before Switchi??ng to the more bubbly graphics of the sequel. The gameplay looks very reminiscent of the original, which based itself around its impressive physics. It was maddening. It wasnâ€??™t easy to learn, hard to master. It was hard to learn and seemingly impossible to master.

Gimmick! 2 may ease that somewhat. There seems to be? more f?ocus on puzzles and combat than there was in the 1992 original. It obviously still prides itself on punishing platforming, as there is a sequence in the trailer that shows the main character �who I’m just now learning is named Yokai Yumetaro �dying repeatedly.

The trailer also comes with the announcement that David Wise is scoring the game. Wise is best known for his work with Rare where he crafted inappropriately good music for games like Battletoads and Donkey Kong Country.

The art style shown off is just okay. It works. It’s not awful. It isn’t stylish. It has personality in some places and lacks it in others. An a?lternative would have been to continue with the original’s 8-bit graphics, but I admit that might be trite and predictable. But between predictable and just okay, I would have leaned toward the former. But that’s me.

Gimmick! 2 is set to release this yea?r on PC, Switch, PS4, PS5, Xb??ox One, and Xbox Series X|S.

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If you've been following along with the development of Stalker 2, you'll be well aware of the turmoil the studio has had to endure. With GSC Game World having to flee to Prague to escape the Russian invasion of Ukraine, the future of the long-awaited horror FPS remained uncertain at on??e point.

We know it had to be delayed for fairly obvious reasons, pushing the release date back to September 5. Now, the latest trailer has been released, and it's really whetting my appetite for Heart of Chornobyl.

The gloomy backdrop of the Exclusion Zone has never looked prettier than in the "Time of Opportunities" teaser the developer put out yesterday. While many of us strongly suspect Stalker 2 is going to be quite something, I now cann??ot ??wait for it to finally arrive.

Heart and soul

That's not to say I was ignorant of the game until now. Though I admit, I haven't really played any of the other entries in the series, aside from a brief stint of the first game. But that doesn't mean it hasn't intrigued me, largely because it's been fifteen years since GSC released the last installment, Call of Pripyat.

At any rate, the new trailer really shows off what's almost certainly going to be a pretty solid horror FPS. I know I'm not alone in saying that it gives me mad Chernobylite vibes, which I have played and did enjoy.

It has, indeed, been a long and worrisome road for the development team, but whatever tribulations have come their way, they've remained steadfast in their completion of Stalker 2. I truly hope it pays off for them, because it looks fantastic. Look, just go wishlist the game on Steam already.

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Dejobaan Games and Petricore Inc. have announced that the remaster of their 2009 indie classic, AaaaaAAaaaAAAaaAAAAaAAAAA!!! Remastered, has launched today on PC.

For those keeping score, this is actually the second remake of AaaaaAAaaaAAAaaAAAAaAAAAA!!! �A Reckless Disregard for Gravity. The first time was back in 2011 with AaaaaAAaaaAAAaaAAAAaAAAAA!!! for the Awesome. AaaaaAAaaaAAAaaAAAAaAAAAA!!! Remastered is a heck of a lot shinier than the last time around, benefiting from?? over a decade of base-jumping advanceme?nts.

If you’re unfamiliar, the AaaaaAAaaaAAAaaAAAAaAAAAA!!! series is about base-jumping, but rather than just put you in some boring city, you’re dropped in abstract spaces populated by floating buildings ??and other pieces of debris. It plays a bit like a rail shooter, with gravity pulling you forward. You amass points by flying as close as possible to the structures. You need to flip some groups of fans off w??hile giving others the thumbs up. It’s neat.

I was actually there on day one for AaaaaAAaaaAAAaaAAAAaAAAAA!!! �A Reckless Disregard for Gravity, having pre-ordered it before launch. It may b??e hard to believe now, but back in those days, it was a lot more feasible to keep up with new releases?. Marketplaces had yet to be flooded with bad imitations and straight-up trash games. The indie market was a lot smaller, and it was easier to stand out.

I loved the game when I played it. What I found most interesting was the storyline that it built around its abstract premise. It had this weirdly cohesive absurdity that captivated me. I did, at one point long ago, try to draw inspiration from it in my writing, but it requires more of an organic a??pproach. If you try to replicate it with intention, it just won’t work. You’ll look like you’re trying too hard.

Anyh??ow, I’ll be checking out this remaster. I may have drifted away from Dejobaan’s orbit over the years, but I wouldn’t mind revisiting the simpler? times.

AaaaaAAaaaAAAaaAAAAaAAAAA!!! Remastered is available now for PC.

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As part of the ESO 2024 Global Reveal livestream, Zenimax Online gave us a look at the upcoming Elder Scrolls Online expansion, Gold Road.

The new expansion will take place just east of the Gold Coast in the Colovian Highland and West Weald regions of Cyrodiil, which was last depicted in The Elder Scrolls Oblivion. The region contains the city of Skingrad, a location that was teased in the Greymoor Expansion. The map shown off in the post-trailer discussion shows that it’s filling in a vast region? just West of the PVP region of Cyrodiil.

Forgotten Prince Ithelia, the Dae??dric Prince of Paths, is the central antagonist of Gold Road. The deity is said to have the ability to mess with fate and destiny, so Hermaeus Mora deleted the Prince from existence. They were only really mentioned in ESO, supposedly teasing their appearance here. Normally, Zenimax just worked with the schemes of existing Daedric Princes, but this is the first time they really invented a new one.

The Chapter is also going to add Scribing, which is a take on spell crafting from the core series. Spellcrafting was initially planned as a feature for ESO’s release, but it was shelved, assumedly because of how difficult it would be to balance. I know a lot of players who are going to be excited to see it arrive in some form. Though, really, it seems more like it's just skill customization. You will need to own the Gold Road chapter to be able to use this system.

Elder Scrolls Online: Gold Road will be released for PC on June 3, 2024, followed by a release f?or Xbox Series X|S and PS5 on June 18.

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I don't know what it is about the Final Fantasy 7 battle theme, but it always gets my blood pumping. Square Enix released a new trailer for the upcoming Final Fantasy VII Rebirth titled Destined for Rebirth. The trailer focuses on showcasing part 2 of the series which focu??ses on Cloud and his crew traveling across the planet in search of Sephiroth.

Rebirthed

Around the halfway mark of the one-minute trailer, the classic Final Fantasy 7 battle theme kicks in. Of course, it's the enhanced version from Final Fantasy 7 Remake, not the classic original FF7 version. But it still rocks, and even more so. I don't know if it's part nost?algia or what but I still thi??nk it's one of the best battle tracks in all of gaming.

The trailer showcases several fight scenes featuring Cloud, Barrett, Tifa, Aerith, and even Red XIII before culminating in a final showdown with Sephiroth in all his one-winged glory. Overall it's an extremely well-put-together trailer even though it's only a minute long. We see several classic locations including Junon and Costa del Sol, while also showing a glimpse of the new content coming in the sequel such as more Zack. Final Fantasy VII Rebirth was already my most anticipated game of 2024, but this trailer diale??d the hype meter up to an 11/10.

Also, all of the voice acting in Rebirth is already looking to be top-notch. But I'd like to throw a kudos to Cody Christian who voices Cloud. There's a scene in the trailer where Cloud yells out to Tifa and wow you can you really feel the emotion. Assuming that Rebirth follows most of the story from the original, it we're certainly in for a wild emotional ride. And, with the added element of voice acting that was missing when t?he original released back in 1997, I'm sure it's going to be even more intense.

Final Fantasy VII Rebirth launches on PlayStation 54 on February 29, 2024.

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Fans aren't happy with the Mortal Kombat 1 launch trailer for Nintendo Switch, and I don't blame them. At around the 1:53 mark in the video, a Steam achievement is clearly visible in the bottom right corner. It's not unusual for trailers to feature footage from the PC version of their game, however, it's a bit disingenuous in this case. There technically is a "Footage Not Final" message but I think there's a difference between not final, and simply footage from a d?ifferent version altogether.

It's no secret that the Switch version of Mortal Kombat 1 appears to have some issues. Players on Switch have voiced their disappointment with the version, citing performance issues and very dated visuals. This is a situation where the?? PC version and the Switch version are essentially lightyears apart. In that sense, it's a bit misleading to be showing off a version of the game that won't look anything like the version you would be purchasing. Which, while we're on the subject, I ??can't believe the Switch version is $70 as well.

Good game, bad Switch port

On PC, PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series X|S, Mortal Kombat 1 is reviewing very well so far, with between an 86-88 average. However, it appears the Switch version is just an absolute mess, and appears it simply shouldn't have even been attempted on the now-dated hardware. According to IGN, the Switch version has "numero??us bugs plaguing both graphics and gameplay" and is "all-around ?aggravating to play".

Creative Director at NetherRealm Studios Ed Boon recently told BBC that the Switch version will "absolutely be getting an update" that will "addres??s a nu??mber of the concerns" that players seem to be unhappy about with the port.

Look, I get it. There are some people out there who want to play Mortal Kombat on their Switch, so they should be given an option. But charging the same price as the far superior PS5 an??d Xbox Series X|S editions just feels wrong. And if it's a much different version in terms of performance and visuals, show tha??t version.

Mortal Kombat 1 is avai??lable now on PC, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, and Nintendo Switch.

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As part of the September 14, 2023 State of Play, Sony has revealed the release date for the anticipated Final Fantasy VII: Rebirth. It will be releasing on PS5 February 29, 2024. Just a little under four years since the release of Final Fantasy VII: Remake.

The announcement comes with a new trailer that shows a nice mix of old and new. Vincent shows up, but we ??only?? see the back of his really epic mullet. We get a peak at Junon, which is looking pretty fly. Tifa also mentions weapons, the optional bosses from the original version. The Golden Saucer makes an appearance alongside Chocobo Racing.

Cloud rides around on a Segway while wearing a pastel-colored polo s?hirt. I don't remember that happening in the PS1 title, but my memory is more perforated than a tea bag. There's a bunch of other stuff that happens, but I don't want to say anything confidently in case I just imagined it.

It's some good stuff, nonetheless. I always felt that Final Fantasy VII got a lot of mileage out of its style, even when the story was sometimes a bit l?acking. The remakes go a long way in preserving that while also making the world feel a bit more grounded.

Final Fantasy VII: Rebirth launches on PS5 on February 29, 2024.

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With the premiere of Castlevania: Nocturne quickly approaching, Netflix has released a new trailer for the animated series. In the trailer, we get a glimpse of the characters, setting, and a piece of the story coming in the new series. Following the success of the original Castelvania animated series that ended in 2021, Castlevania: Nocturne continues the gory franchise wi?th an all-new series that focuses on the origin story of Richter Belmont.

The trailer is a wild, bloody ride as you could imagine for Castlevania. It's also got a banger remix Nocturne Version of the??? song Divine Bloodlines.

//youtu.be/_afpwpbKPs0

Live Digital World Premiere a day early

Even though the official release date is September 28, you can check out Castlevania: Nocturne a little early. According to Netflix, fans can tune in to Netflix on Twitch on September 27 at 12 p.m. ET and watch a live stream of Castlevania: Nocturne a full day early.

I've yet to watch the final season of Castlevania but this reminds me I need to do so ASAP. Hopefully Castlevania: Nocturne is as good as the original series, which so??rt of led to a bunch of quality animated series on Netflix.

Although you should definitely check out the original Castlevania, it's not necessary to watch Castlevania: Nocturne. In fact, Netflix claims "If you’ve never seen a Castlevania show, gami??n??g adaptation, or anime before: start here."

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As of writing, Starfield is just two weeks away from release. Will the long wait finally pay off? We don't know, but until we get our collective hands on it, yo??u can scope out this new live action trailer for Bethesda's upcoming sci-fi RPG.

Accompanied by a more "floaty" and orchestral version of Elton John's "Rocket Man" (because of course), the footage shows a heroic-looking astronaut who gifts a young girl a badge bearing the Starfield logo.

//www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ek3I6_9c58E

He then jettisons off into space, flying among the cosmos, hope and awe in his eyes. Then some brief pew-pew-pew-ing before he finds himself touching grass (or...dus??t, in this case)? on a new planet.

I would have chosen Babylon Zoo's "Spaceman," personally

As if Starfield needed any more hype. This is Bethesda's newest IP in 25 years, and it's easily one of the most anticipated video games of this generation. While there's already been some criticism towards the game's main menu, many are excited about Starfield.

Still, this live action trailer does have a certain "epic" quality about it, if you'll pardon the cliché. If not?hing? else, it gives Microsoft a chance to flex its Big Budget muscles.

If, for some reason, you haven't committed the date to memory, Starfield will be launching on September 6?? for Xbox Series X|S exclusive and PC.

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GameMill Entertainment has lifted the lid off of Flu Games The Walking Dead: Destinies. And, uh, they probably should have waited until it cooked for a bit longer before showing it off.

Basing itself off the popular AMC adaptation of The Walking Dead comic book series, The Walking Dead: Destinies promises to be a narrative-focused game that lets you rewrite the events of seas?ons 1-4 with your actions. I guess a lot of stuff happened in those seasons. I don’t know, I didn’t watch the show. It sounds like if your favorite character died and you want t?hem to stay alive, you might have the option to do so here.

//youtu.be/ARpGTkOlufQ

I’m not saying the game? looks terrible, but ?this trailer is absolutely awful. One of the first scenes has a pair of gun-toting dudes approach some sort of compound. They look out over the field, and there’s a bunch of watch towers that don’t have any textures. What’s funny is that the same watch tower model is shown later on in the trailer, but on that occasion, it has textures. There’s also compression all over the video that is so heavy that I had to double-check to make sure I didn’t have it set to 480p.

The game itself looks pretty rough. ??The graphics seem a couple of generations behind, which I don’t usually mind, but it’s not like the art style was adapted to make up for it. It just looks kind of gross. It could be good, it’s just this trailer certainly doesn’t make it look ??that way. They probably should have, uh�framed it better.

The Walking Dead: Destinies is coming to PS4, PS5, Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, Switch, and PC. There’s no release date, but the?y’re alr??eady saying it will be $49.99.

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Published by TinyBuild and developed by Mandragora, the cozy post-apocalyptic survival game, I Am Future, is coming to Steam Early Access on August 8. With that date fast approaching, they’ve released a new trailer highlighting all the features of it.

//youtu.be/EHwI-4IxivY

I kept getting The Sims in the post-apocalypse vibes from the trailer, and then the hot tub showed up and cemented it. And then I kept watching and thinking, like, “Oh no, this is nothing like The Sims,�but then I just realized that it’s a lot like post-apocalypse The Sims if you took away all the other Sims and let them travel around sc??avenging.

So, in I Am Future, you play as Chris, potentially the only human left on Earth. And they seem kind of all right with that. I don’t b??lame them. Their goal is not only to survive but also to search for other survivors and try to unravel the mystery of why the world ended. You explore the sunken city, tear things apart for building materials, and build up your base of operations. You can even build robots to help you with all your chores.

I Am Future is launch?ing into Early Access wit??h “a part�of the main story. The goal for the team is to add new features, areas to explore, and story content over time. They state that they don’t want to keep it “in Early Access for too long,�but are unwilling to give a more detailed estimate on how long they expect it to last.

I Am Future launches into Steam ??Early Access on August 8. No other platforms have been ?announced.

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Horror game publisher Feardemic has revealed that the 2D psychological horror adventure game Afterdream will also be coming to consoles. Afterdream will ?be available on Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 5, an?d Xbox Series X|S sometime this year.

The spooky title is in development by sole developer Jesse Makkonen. Makkonen is well known for his other 2D scary titles Heal, Distraint, and Distraint 2. Afterdream is also coming to PC via Steam, through publisher Gamera Games.

To celebrate the news, Feardemic also released a creepy console reveal trailer.

//www.youtube.com/watch?v=opqd5ri1_cM

Explore lucid dreams with a spooky camera

Visually, Afterdream looks grea??t, with eerily creepy 2D stylized pixel art. Players use a special camera to navigate a ghastly mansion that blurs the line b?etween reality and lucid dreaming. The camera will allow you to interact with hidden objects only visible through the lens of the camera.

I love the atmosphere of Afterdream.  It's hard to pull off a scary game using pixel art, but Makkonen definitely knows what he's doing. Also, with it being somewhat of a side-scroller, Afterdream seems honestly perfect for consoles. I'm curious to see where the story can go with this one, beca??use I know his former games left quite an impact.

Afterdream will release so?metime in 2023 on PC, Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series X|??S.

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There are even breakable body parts

Developers DECK13 have released a new trailer for their upcoming fantasy action RPG Atlas Fallen that primarily highlights its combat. And, I have to admit, it looks very impressive! The battles looks fast-paced and reminds me a lot of the combat in Monster Hunter. I'd say maybe even with a mix of God of War thrown in.

You can target specific body parts on larger enemies like their legs and feet in an effort to incapacitate them and cause them to fall to the ground. Also similar to Monster Hunter, breaking certain body parts can result in unique resources unlocking special crafting options. Here's the combat trailer for Atlas Fallen.

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

In Atlas Fallen, you can have two main weapons equipped at ?the same time and switch between them to unleash a variety of combos. Throughout the video, we see several weapons with varying styles including a cleaver, whip, and even fist weapons. You evade attacks by ?rolling and dashing and can even jump high into the air to keep the pressure on bigger enemies.

You also build momentum with each successful attack. Momentum grants you the ability to use special attacks and also empowers your weapon. However, the more momentum you h?ave, the more damage you will take the next time you are hit. I'm excited to see how this risk vs. reward system actually fee??ls in combat.

The trailer also confirmed that Atlas Fallen will be fully playable via online two-player co-op. The entire campaign can be completed with a friend, which will definitely be fun with this style of combat. I always enjoyed teaming up with friends to take down a particularly pesky beast in Monster Hunter.

Atlas Fallen releases on August 10 on PC, PS5, and Xbox Seri?es X|S.

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Getting ready to embrace my inner Alexis Carrington Colby

Yesterday's stream from Limited Run Games certainly had its share of curious announcements for anyone still holding onto their GBA or who actually liked Gex. I told myself I wouldn't give it any thought this year as my backlog is already stuffed with old games LRG has resurrected over the years. But then they had to go and show off a Rose & Camellia collection. Now, they had my attention.

For anyone who forgot or is simply too young to even know about it, Rose & Camellia is a ridiculous flash game where you try to worm your way to the top of the pecking order by smacking the shit out of your competition. I remember playing this game one lonely night at work, completely enthralled by its ludicrous nature. Unbeknownst to me, it got an official sequel, and later a crossover with La-Mulana. All three of those games, as well as two new sequels, are being brought together by LRG, Nigoro, and WayForward for the Rose & Camellia Collection.

//www.youtube.com/watch?v=cA6U2v-X9PI

With five games and more than 30 characters, your hands are going to be sore after slapping your way to the top of the household. What I'm most excited about are the motion controls. It just wouldn't feel right if you were pressing a button or flicking a control stick to Zsa-Zsa a woman. This is honestly the first time I've been excited about motion controls in a Switch game since...well, I guess the reveal of WarioWare Move It! from a couple of weeks ago.

Either way, this whole thing looks like a hoot and it's nice that a piece of my past, even if it was just for one night, is managing to make its way back into my life with this port. Rose & Camellia Collection will launch in late 2023/early 2024 for the ?Nintendo Switch.

Oh, I should mention it has two-player local versus. So you and your friends can stop settling it in Smash and settle it in slaps.

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Finally, metal being twisted

Sony has dropped a new trailer for their upcoming Twisted Metal show coming to Peacock on July 27th. It’s, uh, certainly a direction they’ve decided to go with it, but at the very least, it’s an improvement on their last trailer, if only in the fact that it includes cars.

The trailer establishes that the world has been apocalypse’d somehow, and the major cities have erected w??alls to protect themselves from everything else. Jo?hn Doe is a courier who braves the outlaw-infested wasteland between cities to deliver things. He’s hired by a lady, who I’m guessing is Calypso, to deliver a package with the promise of his biggest wish coming true.

//youtu.be/5QNZ44zKzjo

So, that’s, like, in the same neighborhood as a typical Twisted Metal plot. I’m pretty well-versed in the series, having played it since it was taking the PlayStation by storm and kicking the vehicular combat sub-genre into its short-lived high gear. However, this trailer doesn’t look much like Twisted Metal at all.

I'm not seeing Axel anywhere

Oh, sure, I can identify some elements. Thomas Haden Church is obviously playing Outlaw, and you can see Shadow’s purple hearse getting blown up. There’s Sweet Tooth looking like his Twisted Metal Black iteration. And�that’s about it. Someone flip??s down the visor on a racing helmet, so that’s probably Twister. I mean, at least there are cars shooting guns a?t each other in various places. That’s pretty key to the games.

However, the Twisted Metal games (at least the ones that count) have always been so grimdark that it’s goofy, whereas this show just looks goofy. Look, it could be good. It’s just not looking that way to me. On the other hand, I’d love for it to succeed so we could maybe get a new Twisted Metal game. On the ?other other hand, if this is the ?tone that a new game would aim for, then maybe not.

If this looks like your bag, Twisted Metal is coming to Peacock on July 27th.

The post We actually get???? to see vehicles in the new Twisted Metal trailer appeared first on Destructoid.

Where there's Smoke...

A fan-favorite is confirmed to be returning to the Mortal Kombat grinder. Today's new trailer for Mortal Kombat 1 reveals both Rain and Smoke will appear in the ne?w entry.

Smo?ke is a well-liked member of the Lin Kuei, who finally gets a human re-debut in Liu Kang's new era. Here, Smoke is a fellow member of the Lin Kuei who joins with Scorpion and Sub-Zero to defend Earthrealm.

Also arriving is Rain, a High Mage of Outworld who wield??s water magic. He's looking a bit more robed and wizard-like, c??ompared to his original palette-swapped appearance.

//www.youtube.com/watch?v=66opZ1Go_ZA

Some Kameo fighters also make an appearance here, too. Scorpi??on pops up, of course. But the cyborg side of the Lin Kuei appears, too; Sektor and Cyrax are in? as Kameos, as well as a human version of Frost.

For our two main roster fighters, both look pretty excellent. Smoke is obviously a highlight. His teleportation and quick jabs look fantastic, and that knife looks devastating in the X-ray attacks. Rain, meanwhile, is like a Waterbender that gets to actually do some damage with? their aquatic magic. I really dig the big lightning ball attack that he can call down from a raincloud.

Kombat history

The Kameo fighters bring their own ??flavor too, and it's nice to see the cyborgs appear. I was curious about whether they would. With a new era and re-envisioned versions of characters, having the robo-fighters reappear or not felt up in the air.

After playing it at SGF 2023, though, it definitely seemed like Kameos are NetherRealm's way of including more fan-favorites from its ever-expanding universe without having to make them fully fledged fighters right away. If it keeps up the nostalgia and klassic references, I could see this being a really enjoyable experience for long-time MK fans.

Mortal Kombat 1 arrives on September 19, 2023.

The post Mortal?? Kombat 1 tra??iler unleashes Smoke, Rain, and more Kameos appeared first on Destructoid.

As I hung up the phone, it occurred to me, he'd grown up just like me

Story of Seasons: A Wonderful Life offers a slightly different take on the well-worn farming sim genre. As a new resident of the Forgotten ??Valley, you’re still here to revitalize an old farm and socialize with the townsfolk, but it’s that second aspect that takes a central role here. The point of your new life in this hamlet isn’t to save a farm or to stop the development of a theme park...

You’re here to make a life for yourself, one that is filled with love,? family, and friends.

[caption id="attachment_387436" align="alignnone" width="640"] Screenshot by Destructoid[/caption]

Story of Seasons: A Wonderful Life (PC, PS5, Switch [reviewed], Xbox Series X|S)
Developer: Marvelous
Publisher: Xseed Games
Released: June 27, 2023
MSRP: $49.99

A Wonderful Life is one Story of Seasons title that genuinely lives up to its name. Prior games in the series �and when I say prior, I mean those before the release of the original version of this game back on the GameCube in 2003 �put the focus squarely on farming, with making friends and courtship positioned as side activities to keep players busy between harvests. In A Wonderful Life, those elements are the core of the experience. Yes, you'll still spend roughly half your time tending to crops and livestock as you would in any other Story of Seasons game, (and the farming system can get somewhat deep with hybrid crops and animal husbandry to consider), but nothing you do on this farm matters if you go home to an empty house and an empty bed at ??the end of the day.

It's your activities outside your farm that make the difference in Story of Seasons: A Wonderful Life. Meeting people, making friends, falling in love; these have (mostly) always been elements of t??he franchise, but here, whether or not you've had a life well-lived will be determined by your success in these areas.

The story of A Wonderful Life is divided into several periods of your farmer's life. You'll start the first year single and hopefully ready to mingle as you'll need to be married to one of the eight eligible townsfolk—same-sex relationships are an option here as is the option to make your farmer non-binary—by the end of winter or it's on to the end credits roll. From there, you and your companion will have a child, and the next several chapters will focus on how well you do as a parent, as a partner, and as a member of the community. As your child grows into an adult, you and your spouse will grow old. People in the town will age as well. Some will die. People will move, and others will make a new start in the F??orgotten Valley.

I've played plenty of games in the Story of Seasons franchise over the past decade, but not one of them handles all of the stuff outside your farm as well as A Wonderful Life does.

//www.youtube.com/watch?v=4Q2qKTRydI0

Life on the farm is pretty par for the course. To accommodate the structure of the game's story, each season in A Wonderful Life lasts just 10 days. For some crops, that might mean you get one shot at growing it a season. For players who like to maximize their farm's potential, there are hybrid fruits and vegetables to discover, several different breeds of cows, each with their own milk, and machines that can help guara??ntee high-quality crops. With the available arable land being as small as it is, tending to your farm will likely only take up a few hours each day. That leaves plenty of time to go fishing, help out at the archaeology site, complete various requests, participate in some mini-games, or try to strengthen your relationships with the people around town.

Or you can spend that t??ime shaping your child into the adult they will become. In your role as a parent, you can help dictate your child's future, directing them toward one of several interests that may ultimately become their vocation. I'm not entirely sure how much of a difference it makes between which path your kid takes, but the destination didn't matter that much to me. It was the journey that won me over, all those nights spent playing with my daughter, buying her toys, and watching her grow from a toddler to a tween to an adult.

I don't have kids in real life. And, I'm not entirely sure if I want them. But seeing my virtual daughter grow into a young woman was something special to experience. In those moments, when time would jump ahead and I'd see how my rearing impacted her growth, I felt this sense of accomplishment no other Story of Seasons game has given me.

[caption id="attachment_387435" align="alignnone" width="640"] Screenshot by Destructoid[/caption]

If you're already sold on Story of Seasons: A Wonderful Life as a fan of the original and are just wondering how this remaster holds up, know that this is an exceptional version of the game. The Forgotten Valley looks wonderful in HD, it runs pretty much flawlessly on Switch, I appreciate most of the new character designs, and Marvelous has added enough new elements, including new hybrid crops, new recipes, and a new bachelor in Gordy, to make this a return visit w??ell worth making if you've played it before.

Just don't expect certain elements, like animal husbandry, to have the depth they once did as a lot of the processes have been streamlined. For those who didn't give it a try on the GameCube or PlayStation 2, the easiest way to decide if this is right for you is to ask yourself how important you consider farming in your farming sims. If ther??e is one complaint I have that isn't just nitpicking, it's that the audio isn't up to par with the rest of the presentation.

Story of Seasons: A Wonderful Life is a remarkable experience. It takes the classic farming formula and gives it a purpose beyond just seeing how many S-ranked tomatoes you can grow. With its focus on family, legacy, and living a good life, this is a farming sim where what you do away from ?the fields is as important as what you do when you're tilling that land. It's a game that encourages a?? healthy work-life balance, and there is no better lesson we need in our modern era than that.

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

The post Review: Story of Seasons: A Wonderful Life appeared first on Destructoid.

It Has (Pre)Begun

[Update: While invites to the lucky parties invited to this week's "Stress Test" should have been received yesterday, NetherRealm Studios has konfirmed? that the invites are del??ayed, and are to arrive later than expected.]

Life in the world of Mortal Kombat 1 sure moves fast �It was only a few weeks back that NetherRealm Studios revealed the latest release in the gory fighting franchise, and already we're entering the playable beta stages, with the game launching on PC and conso??le platforms just three months from now.

And if the recent gameplay footage from Summer Game Fest whet your bloodthirsty appetite, you monster, then you could get the opportunity to play Mortal Kombat 1 for yourself next week, with the koming of a new "Online Stress Test", designed to put pressure on the new sequel-prequel's servers ahead of the launch period. The testing period will run from June 23-26 and will offer up one-on-o?ne online action and limited Klassic Tower battles, obviously with something o??f an abridged roster.

//www.youtube.com/watch?v=mV175rgyH0k

If you want to throw your name in Kung Lao's razor hat, then head on over to the official website and register today. Interested parties will need a Warner Bros. gaming account, (you can register at the time if necessary), and the Mortal Kombat 1 Stress Test is only open to PS5 and Xbox Series X users in North America, Latin America, Europe, and Brazil. Lucky Kombatants will then receive access kodes to download the beta client at some po??int next week, ahead o?f the head-ripping khaos.

Mortal Kombat 1 launches September 14 on PlayStation, PC, Xbox, and Nintendo Switch platforms. Our own Eric van Allen has already played a build of the exciting-looking scrapper, and you can read his thoughts right here.

The post (Update) Mortal Kombat 1 ‘stress test’ to take place this weekend appeared first on Destructoid.

Coming October 20

To cap off its Nintendo Direct presentation, the legendary publisher lifted the lid on Super Mario Bros. Wonder, a brand new 2D platform adventure starring the iconic plumber and his friends. The new title will launch on Nint??endo Sw??itch on October 20, 2023.

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

The trailer featured what, at first, appeared to be some classic 2D Super Mario action, but soon gave way to an elastic ??and playable world, featuring growing pipes, talking flowers, lanky Goombas, a night-time mode, and variou??s other strange phenomena. The trailer also showcased the "Wonder Flowers" �powerups that can change our hero in all manner of ways, from making him taller, to increasing his jump height, and even turning him into an elephant!

Other characters are playable, including Luigi, Princess Peach, Princess Daisy, and Toad, and while the gameplay seems authentic to the 2D Super Mario style, Super Mario Bros. Wonder looks to play with the world and its characters in ways nev?er before experienced, all daubed in a vibrant, "ca?rtoon" visual style. More information will be revealed by Nintendo in the lead-up to the game's launch on October 20.

The post Super Mario Bros. Wonder is a new 2D adventure for Nint??endo Switch appeared first on Destructoid.

PlayStation owners will also get it early

While hype has definitely died down for Striking Distance Studio's The Callisto Protocol, fans will be pleased to hear that some content is coming very soon. As of next week, you'll be a?ble to download "Final Transmission," which is said, as the title denotes, to be the final chapter of the game.

A post on the official Twitter account describes the closing content as "heart-pounding," and adds that PlayS?tation owners can exclusively get hold of the DLC 48 hours early. This means they can receive access to the title's climactic chapter on June 27, while other systems will see it release on June 29.

When it launched in December 2022, The Callisto Protocol was met with a string of negative reviews. While touted as a spiritual successor to Dead Space, Glen Schofield's latest horror outing was plagued with technical issues. The studio did roll out updates to try and patch some of the major ones out, but it was clear that fans were not? impressed with the finished product on day one.

//twitter.co??m/CallistoTheGame/status/166??9804170734362625

At the start of 2023, the release received a New Game+ update, but outside that, not much has happened with The Callisto Protocol for some time now. For those that were after something that could plug a Dead Space-sized hole, Striking Distance's survival horror title left some feeling rather unfulfilled. Kind of like how Back 4 Blood was supposed to be a spiritual successor to Left 4 Dead, but was, ultimately somewhat lacking.

In any case, for anyone who did enjoy The Callisto Protocol, The Final Transmission DLC is definitely something to look forward to. Perhaps Schofield and his team will move? onto a new project after this.

The post The Callisto Protocol will get its ‘heart-pounding final chapter’ next week appeared first on Destructoid.

Mars Needs Cheerleaders

Following a fortnight of run 'n' gun action and top-tier puzzling, we're going back to the stars with Hamster's favorite genre, the shmup �Available on PS4 and Nintendo Switch, it's the Arcade Archives' newest entry, Taito's Megablast!

Released to the coin-op market in 1989, Megablast is one of a tidal wave of (admittedly forgotten) shmups that filled out smoky arcade centers up and down the count?ry. While the action is fairly typical of the era, the storyline is one for the ages. Essentially, World Peace has been achieved on Earth, but the planet has been ravaged by an en masse disappearance of women. As it turns out, a dying intergalactic populace known as the Zancs cannot interbreed, and is instead abducting Earth's women in order to help i??t repopulate its own race. Big ol' yikes on that one, Taito.

And there's no sign of Roddy Piper anywhere.

Check out the action in the video below, courtesy of YouTuber World of Longplays.

//www.youtube.com/watch?v=j?laXGd-?SUbY&ab_channel=WorldofLongplays

And thus, fighter pilots Dawnson and Bogey are dispatched to confront the Zancs, speed up the extinction process, and bring back the planet's ladies, one ?of whom is Dawnson's own gal pal. What follows is standard horizontally-scrolling shmup action, depicted in Taito's typically oversized and kinda vulgar fashion. Power-ups can be gathered in order to boost the players' weaponry. Not explained is how our heroes plan to bring all of the women back to Earth in their two tiny, one-man vessels??. But if ask too many questions, then the minute of this carefully crafted narrative begins to come undone. So don't.

Megablast is available to download now on?? PS4 and Ninte??ndo Switch, priced at $8.

The post Rescue Earth’s women in Arcade Archives’ oddly-plotted Megablast appeared first on Destructoid.

Pivot!

Get packed, Team17, SMG Studio, and Devm Games have announced that Moving Out 2, the sequel to thei??r backbreaking furniture moving simulator, is coming out on August 15.

Picking up after the end of the volcanic climax of Moving Out, Moving Out 2 sends the Furniture Arrangement Relocation Technicians ??(FARTs) to cosmic new places. While this does ??still mean you’ll be lugging couches around, there also appears to be more abstract stages where you’re loading up delicious confections.

//youtu.be/BfaDFovJ_2M

Moving Out 2 looks to be more of the same, honestly. There are new levels and more movers to jump into the pants of. However, it’s not like Moving Out was nothing more than moving refrigerators and color TVs. There were more challenging condi??tions in between, and that seems to be the case again in the? sequel.

That’s fine with me. Moving Out is one of my favorite couch co-op games to play with my parents and husband. It’s slightly less stressful than Overcooked, which means there’s less chance that my mother will stab my father. I’m looking forward to another chance to push them ?closer to the edge.

Moving Out 2 will be dropping on PS4, PS5, Xbox On??e, Xbox Series X|S, Switch, and PC on August 15, 2023.

The post Team17 is dropping Moving Out 2 on August 15 appeared first on Destructoid.

So quit the nail-bitin'

Following on from yesterday's confirmation that Persona 3 Reload is also headed to PlayStation and Steam platforms alongside its Xbox and Windows brethren, publisher Atlus has now let fans know that the intriguing �and pretty rad looking �Metaphor: ReFantazio is coming to the same platforms.

The port announcement was spotted by the eagle eyes of Gematsu over on the Korean Twitter of publis?her Sega, though it seems both the tweet and? the accompanying trailer including the port reveal have seemingly vanished.

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

Announced during the weekend's Xbox Games Showcase and developed by Studio Zero, Metaphor: ReFantazio is a brand-new fantasy franchise based around the concept of mirroring realities. While not all that much is known regarding the narrative and gameplay mechanics, the title coming from the producers of Persona 3, Persona 4, and Persona 5 suggests that we'll get a wild, highly stylized adventure starring a cast of easily shippable and cosplay friend characters, and mucho dungeon crawl?ing.

It's definitely one of the most surprising and exciting reveals of Summer Game Fest, and while its development probably means Persona 6 is on the back burner for the time being, Metaphor: ReFantazio is already turning h?eads with its dynamic, action-packed, and legitimately b?reathless trailer. I'm looking forward to Atlus lifting the curtain on this cool-looking universe.

Metaphor: ReFantazio is scheduled to launch in 2024 on PlayStation, PC, and ??Xbox Series X.

Metaphor: ReFantazio also coming to PS5, PS4, and? Steam [Gematsu]

The post Metaphor: ReF????????????????????????????antazio confirmed for PlayStation and Steam appeared first on Destructoid.

Knight after Knight after Knight...

Cellar Door Games has finally announced a release date for the PlayStation port of epic medieval roguelike Rogue Legacy 2 �O?ur brave army of knigh??ts will attempt to surmount an ever-changing kingdom of monsters on June 20, just under a week from today.

Originally released on PC and Nintendo Switch in the spring of 2022, Rogue Legacy 2 once again sees players guide a plucky knight through dungeon after dungeon, battling ghosts, ghouls, and monsters, and picking their way toward an array of dangerous boss characters. As with its predecessor, death?? is only beginning, and each fallen knight? will be replaced by the next in their bloodline, many of whom carry their own unique quirks and abilities, known in-game as "Traits".

//www.youtube.com/watch?v=kiHeilA8k4U&ab_channel=Cel?larDoo??rGames

Added to the sequel are several new features, including the Metroidvania-type "Heirlooms", allowing access to certain out-of-reach areas, and an expanded narrative that runs beyond the original run and into several New Game+ efforts. While the sequel is obviously over a year old, it's a truly golden title, and well worth checking out by all adventure fans, regardless of your experience with the roguelike genre or the Rogue Legacy franchise. Lead on, adventurer!

Rogue Legacy 2 launches on PlayStation June 20. It is available now on PC, Xbox, and Nintendo ?Switch.

The post Rogue Legacy 2 will?? venture forth on PlayStation next week appeared first on Destructoid.

Rev up your BPM July 5

One of the surprise success stories of 2022, Tango Gameworks' Hi-Fi Rush, is getting to set to unleash a fresh wave of day-glo color and block-rockin' beats, with the arrival of the Arcade Challenge update �Available to download next month, free of charge, on PC? and Xbox platforms.

As revealed during yesterday's Xbox Games Showcase extension, the new update will bring two exciting new modes to the highly dynamic hack 'n' slasher. BPM Rush wil?l task players with battling wave after wave of increasingly tough opponents, with bonus points awards for synching the battle to the beat. Stay on your toes, however, as the BPM will increase with each? and every wave, and only the most rhythmic melee warriors will be able to keep the pace in this unique-looking endurance test.

//www.youtube.com/watch?v=W1dU394xpvU

The second mode Power Up! Tower Up! is a variant of Hi-Fi Rush's Rhythm Tower mode, and adds a slew of power-ups and bugs ?to the battle. Chai will be able to select from a variety of buffs and nerfs between rounds at the cost (or increase of) their score multipliers and other bonuses. Essentially, it is up to the player to increase their powers in exc?hange for a higher score, or to conversely reduce their own abilities for the big, big numbers.

In addition to the two modes, new challenges arrive that will reward players with clothing for Chai and Korsica, new poses and filters for Photo Mode, and all-new special attacks that see an assist from robo-friendos CNMN and Smidge. Get by with a little help from you friends indeed. You can check out all of this cool content for free when the Hi-Fi Rush Arcade Challenge update drops on July 5.

Hi-Fi Rush is av?ailable now on PC, Xbox, and Xbox Game Pass.

The post New?? modes coming to Hi-Fi Rush in Arcade Challenge update appeared first on Destructoid.

Scaling Up

Capcom rounded out its showcase with a new look at its highly anticipated sequel Dragon's Dogma 2.

Following a new story trailer, the game's director took to the stage to regale his excitement about the new title. We were introduced to some of the new characters that will populate this bold fantasy universe, and got a look at the new classes, or "vocations" that will be avail?able to the title's brave heroes.

We can also expect to see some familiar villains, as well as some new iconic monsters, such as the fearsome Medusa. The trailer itself is not yet live, b?ut you can catch all the new details i??n the stream below at the 1:04:00 mark.

Dragon's Dogma 2 is in development for PS5, PC, and Xbox Series X

/??/www.youtube.com/watch?v=FRiEUtXKozU&ab_channel=CapcomUSA

The post Dragon’s Dogma 2 looks suitably grand and suitably exciting appeared first on Destructoid.

Who Goes There?

During yesterday's Xbox Games Showcase, publisher Secret Mode released a creepy teaser trailer for a new horror title, Still Wakes the Deep, which is?? currentl??y in development for PC and Gen9 consoles.

Developed by The Chinese Room in Unreal 5, Still Wakes the Deep sees an offshore oil rig in the North Sea under siege by a mysterious and terrifying entity. It's 1975, a storm is raging, and something has come aboard the Beira D rig. Wi?th lines of communication severed and escape seemingly impossible, there may be no other option than to face terror itself if you are to survive this horrific incident.

//www.youtube.com/watch?v=UI74BV20B7g

The teaser trailer offers little in the way of gameplay and concept, but we do get to see some very impressive visuals, as well as catch a glimpse of the foreboding, isolating atmosphere of the title. It all feels very The Thing, which is obviously a more than suitable comparison for '70s isolation horror. The Chinese Room is no stranger to horror, having developed titles such as Amnesia: A Machine for Pigs, Everybody’s Gone to the Rapture, and Dear Esther, and with the power of Unreal 5 in its hands, Still Wakes the De??ep could eventually pro?ve to be the studio's magnum opus.

Still Wakes the Deep is currently in development for P?S5, PC, and? Xbox Series X.

The post Still Wakes the Deep brings ’70s horror to an offshore oil rig appeared first on Destructoid.