A big MMORPG is making its way to Xbox consoles. Final Fantasy XIV is heading to Xbox Series X|S.

Xbox head Phil Spencer took the stage at Final Fantasy XIV Fan Fest today alongside XIV director and producer Naoki Yoshida to announce the news. It will have 4K support on Xbox Series X, and have "faster loading" too. An open beta is scheduled for 2024, during the 6.5X patch cycle. It will also be a digital-only release.

No mention was made of Xbox One, so it looks like that platform won't be getting access to Square Enix's MMORPG.

Spencer says he sees this as a "seminal moment" with the Final Fantasy team, and hopes to collaborate more with them in the future, which is sure to set speculation ablaze. Square Enix CEO Takashi Kiryu took the stage too, reaffirming a desire to collaborate more with Xbox. This could be interesting to see pan out, with the historically PlayStation-focused Final Fantasy series.

A new world

The Xbox news arrived during an information-filled Final Fantasy XIV Fan Fest presentation. Yoshida and the XIV team unveiled its plans for 7.0, the Dawntrail expansion, which heads to the New World of Tural. A bunch of new content is coming, including two new DPS jobs.

And for those incoming Xbox players, the amount of XIV content immediately available is expanding too. The famous free trial of Final Fantasy XIV is expanding to include its Stormblood expansion. That's a ton of extra content for incoming Xbox players to dig into, or any aspiring Warriors of Light to check out on PC or PlayStation.

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[Insert cat pun here]

Let your mind wander back to summer 2022. This period saw the release of a new Xenoblade Chronicles after five years of waiting. The anticipated reboot of Saints Row was a huge let-down for many. But among all these was BlueTwelve Studio's Stray, a dystopian-looking adventure game that lets you control a cat lost in the city.

It was very well-received (in fact, we nominated it for Best PlayStation Game of 2022, putting it up against such titans as Elden Ring and God of War: Ragnarok), so you Xbox owners might be interested to know that Stray is coming to Series X/S on August 10. This information was revealed at the recent showcase for Annapurna Interactive, the publisher behind the game.

https://twitter.com/Xbox/status/1674559605471412225

While we were pretty certain that Stray would be coming to Xbox, it's nice that it's finally been confirmed. What's interesting about this announcement is that it's also coming to Xbox One, so if you're still on previous-gen consoles, you're in luck.

Curiosity...did something to the cat

In an era of remasters, remakes, reboots, sequels, and prequels, the likes of Stray provide something a little different. I mean, who among us wouldn't want the chance to take control of a cat on an exciting (if somewhat gritty) adventure?

When it launched last year, it was available on PC and PlayStation, so a lot of you Xbox users out there were probably hoping you'd get to play it at some point. The fact that the game hasn't been in the public eye much this year (if at all) means that this Xbox announcement could renew interest across the board.

So, just to reiterate: Stray will be available on the Xbox Series X/S and Xbox One this August 10.

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No love for Nvidia, it seems

If you were hoping to get the most out of your Nvidia RTX 4000 graphics card when Starfield launches, you might be out of luck. It turns out developer Bethesda will optimize the anticipated sci-fi RPG for AMD's hardware instead.

This comes from a recent YouTube video from AMD itself, which says that the Starfield studio has partnered with the tech giant to make the game run better on systems that use its processors and graphics chips. This is great news for those of you who have a PC containing Team Red's products. Less so if you've been putting your stock into Nvidia's offerings.

https://youtu.be/9ABnU6Zo0uA

Todd Howard himself said that the team is excited to be partnering with AMD, getting the game to run as best as it can on that particular hardware. He adds that Starfield will use FSR 2.0 (AMD's upscaling technology that offers an alternative to Team Green's DLSS). Nvidia fans may feel they're being shafted a little on this front, especially for those who were hoping to get their money's worth from a 4000 series.

However, for console users, this may be beneficial. The Xbox Series X/S runs on AMD technology, both in terms of CPU and GPU. Given that Starfield is an Xbox exclusive, many of you will likely choose this system for the game anyway. For PC users with an Nvidia card, obviously you'll still be able to run the game (depending on your spec). But it does sound like Bethesda has already sided with Lisa Su and her team.

That said, FSR 2.0 is more open-source than DLSS. This means you can still make use of the image processing algorithm even if you have an Nvidia graphics card.

Starfield will launch on PC and Xbox Series X|S on September 6.

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Depends on your definition of "fishing"

If you were hoping to be able to whip out your rod and catch some alien fish in Starfield, there's bad news on that front. Todd Howard himself has confirmed that fishing won't be a feature in Bethesda's upcoming RPG.

In the latest episode of the Kinda Funny Xcast, Howard is asked a bunch of questions regarding the game. About 14 minutes in, he's asked whether there's going to be any "space fishing" in Starfield. Howard begins his answer by saying that it "depends on your definition of 'fishing'," curious as to whether it refers to the collecting or killing of fish.

https://youtu.be/AIbnDyv6g1c?t=880

Co-host Gary then gets more specific by asking whether he'll be able to have "some kind of rod" that can be put into a lake in order to retrieve a fish. Howard then crushes Gary's (and probably other people's) hopes by confirming that the game does not have that feature. However, this does open up the possibility of it being including in an update, expansion, or even something modders could implement.

As we know, Skyrim was given a fishing feature for the Anniversary Edition that dropped in November 2021. Given this, it's not too far-fetched to consider that Bethesda may add this peaceful hobby to Starfield at some point in the future. But that's just speculation on our part.

When it comes to open world games, players like to take a step back from the action for a bit. The chance to do a spot of fishing while exploring an alien world sounds appealing, so it's a bit of a shame that Starfield won't have it on release.

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Inflation strikes again

In a statement to The Verge, Microsoft confirmed a price increase on the Xbox Series X coming to most countries. Planned to roll out on August 1, the price increase will apply to most countries apart from the US, Japan, Chile, Brazil, and Colombia. This move practically mirrors Sony's PlayStation 5 price increase that occurred last year.

According to the statement, the Xbox Series X will move to £479.99 in the UK, €549.99 across most European Markets, CAD $649.99 in Canada, and AUD $799.99 in Australia. The Xbox Series S will remain at $299.99 and not see any sort of increase.

"We've held on our prices for consoles for many years and have adjusted the prices to reflect the competitive conditions in each market," said Kari Perez, head of communications for Xbox in their statement to The Verge.

Xbox Game Pass will see a price increase in most markets

Alongside the console price increase, the monthly cost of Xbox Game Pass for consoles will also be increasing. This price change will go into effect nearly a month earlier, on July 6. Under these changes, Xbox Game Pass Ultimate will increase $2 from $14.99 per month to $16.99. The cost for the base Xbox Game Pass will increase by $1 from $9.99 per month to $10.99. The price of the PC Game Pass will not increase.

Of course, those already subscribed won't see the price increase until their next subscription renewal on or after July 6.

Although a bummer, I'm not surprised by these increases. Sony increasing the cost of the PlayStation 5 in select markets made it a no-brainer that Microsoft would probably do the same. As for the Xbox Game Pass, I think we all saw this coming. Most entertainment subscriptions have seen an increase in the last year or so including Sony's own PlayStation Plus. Hopefully Nintendo Switch Online won't be following suit!

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Strange worlds still await

The first Remnant: From the Ashes felt like a surprise. Its strange mix of Souls-like framing, Eldritch horrors, and third-person action-shooter made for something a bit different that kept players going back for more. Gunfire Games is trying to do more of the same with Remnant 2, and from what I've played, it's working.

If you've played the first Remnant, then Remnant 2 will feel very familiar. It's still a third-person shooter set in strange worlds, inhabited by aggressive horrors. You can run it solo or with a friend, and randomization keeps things fresh. In my demo at Summer Game Fest 2023, I got a little cocky; some of the early areas felt easy, compared to what I'd played of the first Remnant. As a solo runner, I blasted through them. Boy, did I get treated to a hearty helping of hubris.

Remnant 2 maintains the gradual tick-up of difficulty, rewarding smart use of abilities and resources, and punishing over-confident players (I'm the problem, it's me). It's still the punishing survival-horror experience I remember. But there are some nice things built up and over that framework that will make Remnant 2 worth digging into.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b2_Ha4BHdJQ

Archetypal hero

Archetypes are here again in Remnant 2, and they felt a bit more emphasized than I remember from the first. In my demo, I had a few options to choose from, but obviously chose the pet class called the Handler. As a Handler, I got a little dog pal that follows me around, barking to warn when enemies are near and assisting me in fights. It can even pick downed people back up, if that player still has a healing item on them. A truly good pup.

[caption id="attachment_387141" align="alignnone" width="640"] Image via Gunfire Games[/caption]

Other fighters included the Hunter, Challenger, and Gunslinger, who bring some more standard gunplay to the mix. There are more archetypes planned, Gunfire tells me, that you'll be able to unlock in the story. All of them seem neat, but they did not have a puppy pal, so my choice was clear.

As for the actual archetypes themselves, builds can diversify as you acquire new abilities. According to others who got to check out the game, characters will also apparently be able to multi-class archetypes, which sounds rad.

Move and shoot

As I got into the actual areas I was set to fight through in the demo, I was really impressed by how Remnant 2 looks. It's a gorgeous game, and Gunfire sets the tone early. Gnarled branches and alien flora made me feel like I was in some surreal, dangerous world. Creatures of the void hounded me. It was clearly a place that did not want me there.

[caption id="attachment_387138" align="alignnone" width="640"] Image via Gunfire Games[/caption]

That's not to say there aren't fun things to find in the horrors of other worlds, though. A highlight was finding a tree where an ancient fae-like entity asked me a series of hypotheticals. After answering all of them, and there were quite a few, the entity determined I had answered correctly enough for a boon. The writing was clever, and it was a fun side diversion with a valuable reward.

Over time, I built up in power and loadout. I eventually went back to the ward, where I could chat with NPCs and shopkeepers to upgrade my equipment and prepare for the next leg of my journey. A Gunfire rep told me they tried to smooth out the process of returning to town and getting back to your run, and it was noticeable.

[caption id="attachment_387142" align="alignnone" width="640"] Image via Gunfire Games[/caption]

Falling, flailing

This is where I have to admit: I didn't get to the end of my demo. My headfirst brazen-ness meant I kept running into battles I shouldn't, and I ran out of time to keep beating my head against the proverbial wall. Even my very good pup couldn't keep me on my feet, as I constantly bit off more enemies in an encounter than I could chew. I like chaos, alright?

That said, what I saw was very impressive. I've got fond memories of playing the first Remnant in co-op with friends, exploring the horrors together. And while I only played solo for my demo, I can easily see this becoming another go-to co-op pick-up.

[caption id="attachment_387140" align="alignnone" width="640"] Image via Gunfire Games[/caption]

It's not just that there isn't much else like Remnant out there. It's that Remnant 2 feels like it's making very smart, calculated choices about what it fine-tunes and what it keeps familiar. Like the old saying, Remnant 2 doesn't fix what isn't broken about its original pitch, and instead just builds and refines. And that could make for quite a good experience, for fans of the randomized horror-action experience.

Remnant 2 arrives on July 25 for PC, PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series X|S.

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Wake the dog up

It's been quite a while since the last Armored Core. FromSoftware has been steadily working on successful Souls and Souls-like games, but the first Armored Core is one of its oldest titles. And now, years later, FromSoftware is returning to mech action with Armored Core VI: Fires of Rubicon. And the series is certainly back.

We were invited to view a hands-off demo of a stage in Armored Core VI, where the player's mercenary needs to infiltrate and take command of a catapult held by a hostile faction. This means flying in and doing a whole lot of blasting. The progression still looks to be very Armored Core: it opens with a briefing, with lots of intel and screens, and then you're into the thick of it.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SlSfr6Wa5sc

Bridging the gap

It's going to be very easy to draw comparisons between Armored Core and Souls. As I noted above, it's been a long time since the last Armored Core game—a decade, to be exact—and the Souls series has reached astronomical heights in its absence. While there are plenty of AC fanatics familiar with the form factor of this series, I imagine there will also be people coming into Armored Core VI with a different set of expectations.

The reassuring thing is, even with that split in mind, Armored Core VI looks like it could bridge the gap. Sure, you're piloting a mech rather than guiding a wandering swordsman or robed mage. But the weight and heft, the ballet of movement, is still here.

[caption id="attachment_386756" align="alignnone" width="640"] Image via Bandai Namco[/caption]

It was driven home when I saw just how Armored Core's mechs move. Boost options have been retained, including a blazing forward boost that feels like a charge maneuver. Small jets lining the mech can fire to create omnidirectional movement options, something the studio emphasized in our briefing. But when those rockets fire, there's a moment of thrust and take-off; when the mech lands, there's a thud and skid, especially if it came in at high speeds. There is a feeling that, even if your mech feels normally sized on-screen, it is hulking and heavy in the world.

Taking up arms

Weapons carry a similar tangibility. Missiles fire in big plumes of smoke and detonate with resonance. Guns spray empty shell casings out the side, and you can see your ammo count start to dwindle as the mission carries on.

Yet there's also a definite speed to the action. Our demo driver was boosting around, dodging to the side, and then blasting headfirst into the enemy with a sword attack. At one point, they slammed an enemy off an edge and let gravity do the work for them. There is a stagger meter that can build up over time, leading to big damage opportunities against enemies vulnerable to this style.

[caption id="attachment_386754" align="alignnone" width="640"] Image via Bandai Namco[/caption]

The mission layout will feel familiar to Armored Core fans, as the mech dives deeper and deeper into the complex. A voice over the radio taunts along the way, commenting that it seems like no ordinary merc has shown up today. This ends in a big boss battle with a cleaner unit, which I feel needs to be described as a Roomba-like tank with massive arms. It rules and is a kind of spectacle I can really get into. We didn't get to see much of it, but "armored Doom-Roomba with grinder arms" is intriguing enough as-is.

[caption id="attachment_386755" align="alignnone" width="640"] Image via Bandai Namco[/caption]

Building for war

Of course, the really good stuff was found in the menus. Part of Armored Core's appeal is its almost Gran Turismo-like approach to customization and design. As our demo player opened the menu, we could see tons of options, ranging from parts and weapons to aesthetics. The mech garage is accessible, too. In our demo, the player was able to head back to the assembly, reconfigure, and then start back from a checkpoint after death.

The draw for this, and what I think will rope many new players in, is all the options they can use here. Both the build-crafting of Souls and the recent inventiveness of Tears of the Kingdom players have me thinking that the general game-playing populace is ready for this level of customization.

And as someone who played a good deal of Armored Core in its PS2 era, I'm quite happy too. It's hard to get a definite gauge on just how it all feels from a hands-off demo, but seeing Armored Core VI in action, it felt like seeing a polished and modernized version of the mech battles I'd envisioned as a kid. The garage full of parts and customization options, for fine-tuning the perfect mech for every situation, feels like it will be a Lego bucket of possibilities.

Suffice it to say, I'm very into Armored Core VI, and think this is the perfect chance for FromSoftware to parlay all of its Souls success into a classic, dormant franchise. But even if this just ends up being a labor of love for the Armored Core faithful, I'm still very glad we're seeing it come together and come together well at that.

Armored Core VI: Fires of Rubicon arrives on August 25, 2023 for PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S, and PC.

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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 currently 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. With 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.

https://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 Deep could eventually prove to be the studio's magnum opus.

Still Wakes the Deep is currently in development for PS5, PC, and Xbox Series X.

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Beasts in the Bayou

Two trailers into the Xbox showcase and I'm already tired of reading the words "In-Engine Footage." We saw it in the Fable trailer and we saw it in South of Midnight, the upcoming title from Compulsion Games. The studio, best known for the highly questionable We Happy Few, put together a trailer that was 2:30 of pretty much nothing.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h2Z-8Y8r5ss

It looks great. I love the art direction here and there aren't nearly enough games with a southern gothic setting. Or at least not nearly enough that I've played. But beyond that, what can I say about it? That trailer may be in-engine, but it might as well be pre-rendered for all it did to show us how this game would actually play.

South of Midnight will launch someday in the future, hitting Xbox Game Pass on day one.

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I ain't fibbing

As part of this afternoon's Summer Game Fest event, publisher Neowiz Games launched a surprise demo for its upcoming Gothic fairy tale, Lies of P — The grim-looking soulslike — an adaptation of the Pinocchio fable — can be checked out right now on PC, PS5, and Xbox Series X.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hPOdeLE6d6I

Lies of P will put players in the mechanical mantle of android boy Pinocchio, who must battle his way through the Belle Epoque city of Krat in order to reach his creator Geppetto, who has gone missing amid the darkness that is enveloping the town. Equipped with all manner of weaponry and a penchant for bending the truth, Pinocchio will face an army of nightmarish contraptions on his odyssey to find his "father" and gain true humanity.

The new demo, which is available to download right now will give interested players a chance to check out the first two chapters of the game. This will include introductions to several main characters, a feel for the general gameplay and intense combat, and a face-to-face with a few challenging bosses.

Lies of P will launch September 19 on PS5, PC, and Xbox Series X.

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Cinematics, Schminamatics

This Sunday, June 11, will see Microsoft take to the airwaves for its Xbox Games Showcase presentation, essentially its big summer stream that one would expect as part of the E3 festivities. And the black-and-green brand is promising to show off a whole host of titles, most of which will be sporting "in-engine" footage.

"None of our first-party games in the show are full CG trailers," said Xbox VP of Gaming Aaron Greenberg on Twitter. "Everything is either in-game footage, in-engine footage, or in-game footage with some cinematics. Each of our trailers will be labeled so it is hopefully clear for our fans."

https://twitter.com/aarongreenberg/status/1665503326853648387?s=20

While Greenberg was simply replying to a fan's query, it should be noted that the comments are, ironically, a stark contrast to PlayStation's State of Play presentation from May, which featured over an hour of wall-to-wall trailers and reveals, but leaned heavily on cinematic sequences, showing little actual gameplay for a lot of its most-exciting titles.

More directly, however, Greenberg says that the Xbox Games Showcase will feature "no movie trailers", which is a clear tongue-in-cheek reference to Sony spotlighting the upcoming Gran Turismo film during its stream. A funny gag for sure, but to be fair if I was Sony putting together a summer showcase, why wouldnt't you promote the film based on one of your biggest and most lucrative brands?

Anywhoo, the Xbox Games Showcase takes place June 11 at 10:00 PT / 13:00 ET / 18:00 BST. We will, of course, be on hand to bring you all of the biggest and brightest news from the event. It's a Sunday evening for me, so you better show up and make the breaking of my weekend worth it, capiche?

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The Man who Laughs

Bandai Namco has revealed yet another veteran fighter headed to the roster of its upcoming sequel, Tekken 8 — And following on from the fun 'n' games of Lili Rochefort and Asuka Kazama, this newest trailer brings a whole lot more darkness, fear, and pain, with the return of psychopathic mercenary Bryan Fury!

Making his debut in 1997's Tekken 3, Bryan Fury is a former Hong Kong Interpol agent who was killed in a shootout, also involving celebrated detective Lei Wu-Long. Fury's corpse was rushed to the laboratory of the moral-free Dr. Abel, who wished to experiment on reanimated bodies for the purpose of future warfare. Now essentially a reanimated half-cyborg, Bryan's mind is all but completely lost, creating a sociopathic weapon capable of incredible destruction without as much as a raised eyebrow.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jA0cwK2V4og

Fury's new trailer reveals that our favourite zombie's hard-hunting punches and trademark backfists are in full effect, along with his capabilities for superhuman feats of strength, defying the power of his Actually Alive brethren. Of course, Fury's penchant for maniacal laughter rings through the entire trailer, because if you can't have a good ol' chuckle when you're dead, when can you?

Bryan Fury's trailer was, unfortunately, leaked a little ahead of schedule, upsetting Tekken producer Katsuhiro Harada. But the preview finally got its official debut at the climax of this weekend's Combo Breaker tournament in Illinois, where the madman's return was welcome by the Tekken faithful.

Tekken 8 is currently in development for PS5, PC, and Xbox Series X. It is tentatively expected to launch late in 2023 or early 2024. Be sure to check out the previous trailers for  Jin Kazama, Marshall Law, Nina Williams, King, Paul Phoenix, Jack-8, Lars Alexandersson, Kazuya Mishima, Jun Kazama, Ling Xiayou, Asuka Kazama, Leroy Smith, Lili Rochefort, and Hwoarang.

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Take a free tour before you commit

THQ Nordic and Pieces Interactive have locked in a date for their remake, or reimagining, of Alone in the Dark. The return to Derceto Manor will arrive on October 25, 2023 for PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, and PC.

Announced during a spotlight on the game, Alone in the Dark will go for $59.99. And if you want to check it out before you put that cash down, there's also a free playable prologue going live tonight. It's up on Steam, PlayStation, and Xbox.

THQ Nordic says that this prologue doesn't have spoilers for the main story, but will let you experience what this reimagining of an old classic has to offer.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RJekekI4Vkg

Star power

Additionally, THQ Nordic has announced that Alone in the Dark will feature two recognizable likenesses for its leads. Pieces Interactive is working with David Harbour (Stranger Things) and Jodie Comer (Killing Eve) for their portrayals of Edward Carnby and Emily Hartwood, respectively.

The actors are lending their voice, appearance, and acting to the protagonists. Each is a selectable character, and depending on who you play as, you'll get a different view of the Alone in the Dark story. And this marks another game crossover for Harbour, who's also set to star in the upcoming Gran Turismo movie. They aren't directly connected, but in my own head-canon, I like to think they are.

For those who like a little bit of scares around the Halloween season, October is starting to look stacked. Alongside Alone in the Dark, we also recently got an October release date for Alan Wake 2.

As for Alone in the Dark, this reboot of the Infogrames classic certainly has a long legacy to live up to. The team is calling it a love letter to the '90s classic, so we'll see if it captures the magic again in October.

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The writer encounters some new scares this year

Alan Wake's will arrive just in time for Halloween. Remedy Entertainment has announced that Alan Wake 2 will arrive on October 17, 2023.

The date arrived alongside a new trailer at today's PlayStation Showcase. Remedy showed off all the dark horrors that await Alan is this new adventure, include what looks like some creepy cultists and a new protagonist.

[caption id="attachment_381615" align="alignnone" width="640"] Image via Remedy/PlayStation[/caption]

Today's trailer features both Alan and Saga Anderson, a new character. Saga is an "FBI profiler with a reputation for solving unsolvable cases," who heads to Bright Falls to look into a string of ritual murders. Alan, meanwhile, is a writer trapped in a nightmare prison, trying to keep his sanity and escape horrors.

While Control did link the Alan Wake universe into its own with the AWE expansion, Remedy says they're not required playing to understand Alan Wake 2. For those who are into the universe, though, it is recommended.

Going digital

Interestingly, the Remedy FAQ also confirms a few other facts about the Alan Wake sequel. Notably, Alan Wake 2 will be a digital-only release. It's a notable point, as the original Alan Wake ran into delisting issues.

The studio says it's going digital because a "large number" of players have shifted to digital-only. They also cite the PS5's disc drive-less option and Microsoft's digital-only Series S. Also, Remedy says it doesn't want to ship a disc game with a required download.

Remedy also says not releasing a disc helps keep the price of the game down. Alan Wake 2 will retail for $59.9 on consoles, while the PC version will be $49.99. And currently, there are no plans to release an Alan Wake 2 disc. The FAQ also notes that an Expansion Pass with two planned expansions, Night Springs and Lake House, are in store for the sequel. The pass, plus other add-ons, will be part of the Deluxe Edition of the game.

Alan Wake 2 is currently set to launch on October 17 for PC, PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series X|S.

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It'll be part of Season 4

I remember the very first time I played Infection in Halo 3. Zombies were making a comeback in popular media, and we were just a few years away from The Walking Dead arriving on TV and changing the entire creature-feature landscape for the next decade or so. In case you haven't played it before the concept is simple, and you may have even enjoyed it on the schoolyard playground: there are two teams, one human and one zombie, and the zombies need to infect everyone they can. With a group of friends via local play, it's complete chaos; and leads to some really intense moments and satisfying wins.

But like several aspects of Halo Infinite, it was conspicuously absent both at its December 2021 launch and in the subsequent months since. Well, that changes this summer. Here's the full statement from the official Halo Twitter account, which was accompanied by concept art for the mode:

"Infection returns in Season 4 ☣️ The fight to survive starts on June 20."

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4SWLEPaTx4c

The latest episode of the "Spartan Chatter" podcast talks briefly about the mode 52:30 in, noting: "The fan-favorite absolutely sick and terrifying mode of Infection will be launching with Season 4. Yes, Infection is also going live, it's a signature mode for Season 4...we're super excited for that, expect a full deep dive on that later."

Vague to be sure, but that's really all you need. The mode's aim is really easy to convey, and fans know exactly what to expect.

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This town ain't crisp enough for the both of us

[Update: Devolver Digital has announced that a Nintendo Switch port fo Weird West: Definitive Edition is in the works. A release date was not announced.]

https://twitter.com/devolverdigital/status/1660658264311226368?s=20

Devolver Digital has announced that its fantasy gunslingin' adventure Weird West is to receive a "Definitive Edition" release on PC, PS5, and Xbox Series X platforms next week, bringing Wolfeye Studios' strange frontier of cowboys and monsters to the ninth generation of gaming.

Released in the spring of 2022, Weird West is an anthology title that tells the story of five distinct characters, each forced to face a bizarre and twisted version of America's formative period. Utilizing a top-down perspective and with a heavy emphasis on exploration, combat, and environmental interaction, Weird West was praised for its pulpy writing, creepy character design, and interesting world, though some of its action and technical elements gave critics pause.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0NS3lzv0Nw4&ab_channel=DevolverDigital

Weird West: Definitive Edition will see the game launch on modern platforms, boasting new 4K resolution options and running at 60 FPS. Hopefully, with these visual upgrades and the power of Gen 9, some of the game's stiffer creases will be ironed out. Here's hoping, as Weird West is certainly charming in its own peculiar way, and any fans of alternate realities, old-school horror comics, or twin-stick action would do well to test the murky waters of Wolfeye's adventure.

Weird West: Definitive Edition launches May 8 on PC, PS5, and Xbox Series X. It is already available on PC, PS4, and Xbox One in its standard form. Devolver has not yet confirmed a free upgrade option.

The post (Update) Weird West: Definitive Edition also headed to Switch appeared first on Destructoid.

Needs more Octan

I admire that so many developers and publishers out there are still chasing that kart racing checkered flag. Because there is one clear winner in this category, every other racer we get is just lucky to finish as a runner-up. Over the past few years, we’ve seen several new games in the genre come and go with little fanfare. I don’t know if the same fate will befall LEGO 2K Drive, but what I do know is the racing in this game is legitimately fun.

It’s just, well, a good chunk of everything around that racing is rather lackluster.

[caption id="attachment_380715" align="alignnone" width="640"] Screenshot by Destructoid[/caption]

LEGO 2K Drive (PC, PS4, PS5 [reviewed], Switch, Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S)
Developer: Visual Concepts
Publisher: 2K Games
Released: May 19, 2023
MSRP: $69.99

Welcome to Bricklandia, where racing is king, monsters are real, and you can’t get out of your car. As the newest driver on the block, you’re recruited by local legend Clutch Racington to prove your mettle on the track and defeat the vile racer Shadow Z to win the Sky Cup. It’s the exact type of simple story one should expect from a sandbox LEGO racing title, complete with child-friendly puns and jokes from the talkative supporting cast. While the story may live at the shallow end of the pool, the racing of LEGO 2K Drive has a surprising level of depth to it.

Don’t be mistaken. This is a kart racer through and through, with simple driving mechanics, weapons, boosts, and drifting that can take a bit of getting used to if you’re coming to it directly from the Mario Kart series. There’s also a handbrake that lets you do 90-degree turns on the fly, a mechanic the game makes full use of in its track design. All of LEGO 2k Drive's modes are available right from the start. There's the story mode, where you compete in a variety of races and challenges as you work toward winning the Sky Cup. There's the Cup Series, where you'll race through four of the game's 26 tracks trying the highest score to land atop (or above) the podium. There's a Race mode where you can test each LEGO 2k Drive track individually. Finally, there's a Minigame mode where you can play the minigames from the story mode. The Cup Series and Race modes can be played offline or online, though the latter option is only available if you sync up a 2K account to your game.

While the central appeal of LEGO 2K Drive lies in the sandbox areas of its story mode, its strength is in its track layouts. There are tricky tracks in Bricklandia, made trickier with the inclusion of small hazards like weeds that slow you down or spiders that block your view until you button mash enough to get them off of you. As you get into the meat of the campaign, you’ll unlock perks you can apply to your car that increase your boosting ability or give your vehicle extra health so it won't fall apart so quickly from damage. While your driver level determines your overall stats, perks can give you a slight advantage. The first perk I unlocked improved the handling of my cars, which was appreciated given the initial handling was looser than I like.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rNiiIxjRkUc

Choosing the right perks is crucial because, throughout LEGO 2K Drive, you’ll be driving one of three different types of vehicles at any given time. As you compete in a race or drive around the world, your vehicle will transform between a street racer, an off-road racer, and a boat, depending on the surface you’re on. Each time your vehicle changes forms, it does so in an explosion of brick building that still puts a smile on my face. It’s a seamless experience, and the fact that you can have that kind of variety in a single race is why I find the racing in this game to be as fantastic as it is.

Also fantastic are the designs of the vehicles. LEGO 2K Drive comes with a fully featured vehicle design workshop where you can make just about any car you want so long as you have the pieces available for it. Or you can make a piece of crap like I did. As long as it has wheels to race on or a base to float on, you drive it. But know that size and weight matter, so don't expect a ridiculously huge vehicle to handle like a nimble racer. There is an extensive tutorial that teaches you the most efficient ways to build your dream car. If you need inspiration, the developers did an outstanding job of putting together unique rides for nearly every racer you’ll face. My favorites were the hot chocolate mugs on wheels. For as much imagination as the developers put into the car designs, it doesn’t feel like that much thought was put into where you would be racing.

Bricklandia is split into four sandbox biomes. In the campaign, you’ll start in Turbo Acres for the tutorial before unlocking Big Butte County, Prospect Valley, and eventually Hauntsborough. Each area is pretty small in size. While the layout of each biome is unique and makes excellent use of the vehicle transformation gimmick, it was hard for me to shake the feeling of deja vu when driving through them. Part of the problem is Big Butte County and Prospect Valley feel interchangeable. That should have been something the developers tried to avoid when you only have four maps and one is for the tutorial.

The feeling of deja vu extends to the tracks. Because there are only three biomes beyond Turbo Acres, that means there are only three themes for all 26 tracks.

[caption id="attachment_380712" align="alignnone" width="640"] Screenshot by Destructoid[/caption]

As you drive around each biome, you’ll encounter big blue arches signifying the various challenges you can attempt. Challenge types can run the gamut, covering everything from retrieving out-of-control jetpacks to driving your boat on a track designed for your street racer. My favorite of the game asks you to Wile E. Coyote it straight into a wall. Less fun were the challenges that involved pushing oddly shape objects to a goal point within a time limit. While I was happy to go for the gold in several of these challenges, there were more than a few I was perfectly fine sticking with my bronze.

If challenges aren’t your thing, know that you don’t have a choice if you want to see the story through to the end. LEGO 2K Drive likes to put up as many roadblocks as reasonably possible to keep players from progressing too fast. Whether it's forcing you to reach a certain racer level or requiring you to beat a minigame before you can participate in a race, you're going to be spending time just driving around looking for challenges to complete. But even some of those are restricted until you hit a certain level, which goes against the spirit of a sandbox racer.

This style of gatekeeping is an outdated idea of extending gameplay, and it sort of backfires here because it shows LEGO 2K Drive is light on content. Twenty-six tracks isn't a lot, and while the number of challenges might look numerous while playing, I came to realize that's only because they're all crammed into these small sandbox maps. It might not be so bad if the reward for completing some challenges wasn’t so pitiful.

The big rewards are in the races where you’ll face off against an eclectic group of rivals. There are three race difficulties (C, B, A) that correspond to your driver level. When going through the campaign, you’ll start in C until you win enough checkered flags and raise your driver level high enough to jump to B, and then again to A. What’s strange is I had a more difficult time winning in the C-class races than I did with the B-class or A-class. Maybe it’s just because I got better at drifting and boosting, but I find it odd that all my wins in C-class were by tenths of a second, while in B and A, I was winning by two or more seconds each race.

[caption id="attachment_380717" align="alignnone" width="640"] Screenshot by Destructoid[/caption]

Part of the reason all of my wins were by a few seconds or less is LEGO 2K Drive has a nasty case of rubberbanding. Think of the worst AI-come-from-behind win you’ve experienced in Mario Kart and get ready to see it in every race you enter. Couple that with the AI utilizing shortcuts you may not have had a chance to discover yet, and I wouldn’t blame you for calling BS if you lose the checkered flag in a photo finish. Again, I still won all of my races, it’s just rubberbanding made my wins far narrower than they otherwise would have been.

One thing to know about the races of LEGO 2K Drive is they can get hectic. Between gigantic vehicles, LEGO pieces flying all over the place, weapons coming out of nowhere, and a terrible item that portals you from your current position to near the front of the pack—and often right into a wall or hazard—it can be tough to get a clear sense of what is actually going on around you. There were a few races where I completely missed a turn because I was racing against giant vehicles that blocked my view while I opted for a tiny car I built myself. I would have attempted to build larger vehicles if unlocking the pieces wasn’t such a chore.

There is a fair number of pieces available right from the start, but earning new pieces playing the story mode can come at a snail's pace. Sometimes you’ll unlock one new brick type, while other times, a single decal. More pieces are available in the in-game store, which might be a dealbreaker for most players.

[caption id="attachment_380713" align="alignnone" width="640"] Screenshot by Destructoid[/caption]

As you play through the campaign, you’ll collect Brickbux with each race and challenge you complete. Sometimes, it’s pocket change, other times, you’ll score a decent bit of cash. Brickbux can be spent at Unkie’s Emporium, where you’ll learn most everything in this game is way overpriced. Vehicles start at 10,000 Brickbux, while new minifigure avatars can run you 2,000 ‘bux and up. New pieces for the vehicle workshop are several thousand ‘bux as well. By the time I completed the campaign and won the Sky Trophy, I had about 33,000 Brickbux. Took me all of four purchases to wipe out my earnings. Considering how slowly ‘bux are earned from completing challenges and the fact you will hit a difficulty spike that may have you looking at the Emporium for answers, the publisher is clearly hoping people shell out real cash to supplement their in-game wallets. That probably explains why there’s no create-a-Minifigure feature here.

Can you just build whatever they sell in the Emporium? Maybe. I didn't take enough time to make my own version of the Hamburghini to see how it would match up to the store-bought version. But the cars up for purchase may come with stats and pieces you won't be able to recreate in the workshop. If you don’t want you or your kids dropping real money in this game, you can keep Unkie’s Emporium inaccessible as long as you don’t link up your game to a 2K account. But that comes at the cost of not getting access to multiplayer.

As I said at the top of this review, I think LEGO 2K Drive is a legitimately good racer. It handles well, it runs at an unshakable frame rate on PS5, the vehicle workshop is easy-to-use, and the track designs, while sorely limited in theme, complement the eccentricities of the gameplay. When I’m playing through the Cup Series either against the AI or online, I’m having a great time. It’s when I go back into the story mode that I’m reminded these worlds are rather basic, the monetization is questionable, and there just isn’t enough content in it right now.

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

The post Review: LEGO 2K Drive appeared first on Destructoid.

New episodes will arrive every other week

Telltale Games is premiering the first episode of The Expanse: A Telltale Series this summer. The first installment will go live on July 27, with more episodes to follow in the weeks after.

The Expanse series will be episodic, with five episodes in total. After the first drops on July 27, each episode will follow two weeks after each other, putting the targeted end date in September.

There's a standard edition for $39.99, or a Deluxe Edition for $44.99 that will give 24-hour early access on PlayStation or Epic, and also future DLC. Yes, Telltale confirms DLC is on the way, though it doesn't clarify what shape that will take.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XzG5WI5ak1g

All part of the churn

This new Expanse series arrives from the revived Telltale Games, under LCG Entertainment. While it's rolled out games like the Shadow Edition of the Batman Telltale series, The Expanse is one the studio has been building up to for a while, in collaboration with Life is Strange: True Colors developer Deck Nine.

Telltale also confirmed that The Wolf Among Us 2, its follow-up to the previous Fable adventure, is delayed into 2024. The shift is to avoid crunch, and move from Unreal 4 to 5, according to an IGN interview at the time.

This will be an interesting one to watch, to see what the new Telltale is putting out. Deck Nine's involvement certainly has me intrigued, as True Colors was a really solid entry in the Life is Strange series, and I'm a fan of The Expanse too. Opting for an episodic structure similar to what old Telltale popularized has me curious about its reception, though. At the very least, it will be weeks between episodes rather than months.

We'll see if the sci-fi drama's gradual rollout works. The Expanse: A Telltale Series premieres on July 27 for PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, and PC via Epic.

The post The Expanse: A Telltale Series kicks off its episodic run in July appeared first on Destructoid.

Target hit faster than Nintendo Switch in same territory

Xbox appears to be sitting pretty in the UK, at least according to new data released by the chart-building analyst Gfk, which notes that the Xbox Series X and Xbox Series S platforms have now surpassed two million sales within Blighty's borders.

As reported by GamesIndustry.biz, the two million milestone was achieved in 128 weeks from launch, which makes the Gen9 platform the eighth fastest-selling console in UK history. Surprisingly, (or perhaps not, depending on your perspective), Xbox hit this mark even faster than the Nintendo Switch, which took 140 weeks to shift two million units to British customers.

The cozy black box did not, however, beat the precedent set by Microsoft's own Xbox One, which sold the same amount of units in just 104 weeks. Of course, the Xbox One launch did not have to face the same obstacles presented to the Xbox Series X/S launch, including COVID-19 pandemic and component shortages. For the sake of interest, the console that reached two million UK sales in the quickest time is, of course, Nintendo Wii, which reached the target in a mere 57 weeks during 2006-2007.

The remainder of the Top Five is rounded out with PlayStation hardware.

Xbox Series S/X hit 2m sales in the UK, 12 weeks faster than Nintendo Switch [GamesIndustry.biz]

The post Xbox Series X/S hardware hits two million UK sales appeared first on Destructoid.

Did Redfall add any value for you?

On any given month when there's a massive first-party value offer for a service like Xbox Game Pass, you can bet on the rest of the month quaking in fear of the might of the publisher that holds all the power. But in the case of Redfall (particularly when it comes to public perception), this might have been a not-great month to flex.

The offerings for May 2023 (so far) are fairly slim, outside of the fantastic Chicory: A Colorful Tale, which won our overall Game of the Year award in 2021. Maybe Massive Chalice is worth a punt since you're not spending any extra money on it? Or maybe you're deathly curious about how FIFA is coming along this decade. There's a fair bit of hype regarding Cassette Beasts, which came out in April and has had a great reception so far.

Either way, this is what you're getting this month beyond Redfall. Peaks and valleys, folks!

Heading to Xbox Game Pass the week of May 15:

• FIFA 23, May 16 (Console and PC)
• Eastern Exorcist, May 18 (Console and PC)
• Ghostlore, May 18 (Console)

Heading to Xbox Game Pass the week of May 122:

• Planet of Lana, May 23 (Console and PC)
• Cassette Beasts, May 25 (Console)
• Massive Chalice, May 25 (Cloud and Console)
• Railway Empire 2, May 25 (Cloud, Console, and PC)

Heading to Xbox Game Pass the week of May 29:

• Chicory: A Colorful Tale, May 30 (Console and PC)

The post Xbox’s May Game Pass offerings are a bit dull outside of Chicory appeared first on Destructoid.

Just for kicks

Bandai Namco has unveiled the next veteran warrior returning for the studio's upcoming fighter Tekken 8 — And returning to The King of Iron Fist Tournament is the hard-kickin', hard-riding taekwondo expert Hwoarang!

Hailing from South Korea and making his debut in 1997's Tekken 3, Hwoarang was initially established as a major player, set to be the Ken to Jin Kazama's Ryu and the successor of the aging Baek Doo San. Hwoarang, though disciplined in his martial arts studies, is generally depicted as a smart-mouthed, bad-boy biker, though he has shown loyalty, courage, and dedication to both his craft and to his friends and peers.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WAvVdlrHAKA

The Tekken 8 iteration of Hwoarang, as showcased in the above trailer, sees the return of his trademark red hair, which was dyed black in Tekken 7, additionally, Hwoarang has lost his eye patch, suggesting that the sight has returned in his left eye following an incident in which he was caught up in a botched assassination attempt on his rival, Jin Kazama. While Unreal 5 allows for a more mature visual appearance, the fighter's arrogance remains firmly rooted in his past appearances.

He's pretty damn hot, is what I'm saying.

In the ring, we get to see Hwoarang show off his flashy and deceptive kicking combos, unevenly paced to cause confusion and anticipation in the opponent. Hwoarang battles Nina Williams in a military complex, before knocking seven shades of Shinola out of Jin Kazama in an underground cave, a new stage that features several scene transitions. Hwoarang's super sees him send his foe sky-high with a series of kicks, before bringing them crashing back down to earth with a devastation axe kick.

Tekken 8 is currently in development for PS5, PC, and Xbox Series X. It is tentatively expected to launch late in 2023 or early 2024. Be sure to check out the previous trailers for  Jin Kazama, Marshall Law, Nina Williams, King, Paul Phoenix, Jack-8, Lars Alexandersson, Kazuya Mishima, Jun Kazama, Ling Xiayou, Asuka Kazama, Leroy Smith, and Lili Rochefort.

The post Hwoarang is the next fighter returning for Tekken 8 appeared first on Destructoid.

Millions of needlepoint teeth now sharper than ever

Asobo Studio has released an update for the PC and console editions of its grim, but unnervingly attractive sequel A Plague Tale: Requiem — Now available on PS5 and Xbox Series X, the new update adds a Performance Mode to the options, which offers a new 60 FPS option to both platforms.

The Performance Mode will increase the adventure's frame rate at the cost of some visual clarity, bringing the console editions more in line with the technical performance of the PC edition. Speaking of which, the PC version also has some new graphic options, allowing for further fine-tuning of 16th-century France, and bringing all of those grisly rats and mounds of rotten meat to, erm, "life." In addition, the update features a fresh round of bug fixes, which will also be applied to the Switch cloud edition.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zoEwC2TxiMA&ab_channel=FocusEntertainment

Launching in the fall of 2022, A Plague Tale: Requiem follows the continuing odyssey of the de Rune siblings, Amicia and Hugo, as they search for a mysterious land that keeps appearing in the latter's dreams. While not quite for everybody, due to its stealth-heavy nature and oppressive and grim tone, A Plague Tale: Requiem is a fine follow-up to its 2019 predecessor, making up for its gameplay flaws with stunning visuals, interesting and engaging characters, and compelling performances.

A Plague Tale: Requiem is available now on PS5, PC, Xbox Series X, and Nintendo Switch via cloud.

The post A Plague Tale: Requiem adds Performance Mode for PS5 and Xbox Series X appeared first on Destructoid.

This is technically patch number four

Jedi Survivor is still trucking along, and now we're already on patch 4 in just a few scant weeks. Modern game development, ho! This latest patch is due out today on consoles (PS5, Xbox Series X), and "as soon as possible" on PC.

So what does it deal with? Bugs, mainly! This isn't a content patch, as it's meant to smooth over some of the rougher edges on all platforms. Several PC-centric issues are addressed, but it's a far cry from "the big one" that fixes hardware-specific issues. Other fixes are platform-agnostic, and include save state errors, streaming issues, and progression-halting bugs.

The Jedi Survivor team also provided "future fixes" that are on their radar, which you can read below. Most of them deal directly with the PC edition of the game, reminding folks that there is still work to do. Once (and if) it's done though, it'll be a relief for PC players. Jedi Survivor was a great experience for me on consoles, but I can't imagine how rough PC users must have it.

Jedi Survivor Patch 4 notes (full notes) - due on May 9 on consoles, "as soon as possible" on PC

• (PC only) Updated occlusion behavior for raytracing, reducing idle time stalls.

• (PC only) Updated streaming budgets that will help alleviate traversal hitching.

• (PC only) Performance improvements for some VFX.

  • Coming soon to console

• (PC only) Updated data handling when toggling raytracing, improving non-raytraced performance.

• (PS5 only) Fixed an HDR value mismatch that would cause HDR setups to display incorrectly for PS5 users.

• Fixed various save state errors.

• Fixed a streaming issue that causes some streaming scenarios to end on a black screen.

• Fixed an issue where one of the vents did not properly activate in Stone Spires.

• Audio fix for a narrative moment where music was behaving incorrectly.

• Fixed lightsaber marks not displaying correctly in some scenarios.

• Fixed a scenario where the player could enter a progression blocked state in the Lucrehulk.

• Fixed an elevator to prevent the player from falling through it and entering a progression blocked state.

• Fixed a bug where Rayvis would become unbeatable.

• Fixed a severe animation issue that would break a late game narrative sequence.

• Fixed a collision bug where players can get stuck inside a Meditation Chamber.

• Added a note explaining that some of BD-1’s abilities are not available while in combat.

• Improved text scrolling.

• Minor text translation fixes.

• Various crash fixes.

Additionally, here are a few known issues the team is currently investigating and working on for future patches.

• (PC only) Improving performance on newer i7 and i9 CPUs that have efficiency cores.

• (PC only) General performance improvements to improve both CPU and GPU utilization while reducing idle time, both with and without raytracing.

• (PC only) Improving some hitching which can be attributed to streaming raytracing data, assets, and a gap in our prebuilt shaders.

• Various bug fixes.

• And more!

The post New Jedi Survivor patch fixes a ton of bugs on all platforms appeared first on Destructoid.

The streets will get some fights soon

Capcom will be hosting an open beta for Street Fighter 6 ahead of its launch. The open beta will run from May 19 through May 21, on PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, and PC via Steam.

To register and take part in the open beta, you'll need to register a Capcom ID and link your platform. You'll want to register early, because chances are high that the initial rush may be a lot.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YMAao7ooWhY

The content in the open beta will be the same as the second closed beta test. That includes avatar creation and character creation (though you can only create once), ranked matches, casual matches, battle hub matches, training mode, the game center, and more.

Eight playable characters will be in the open beta: Luke, Jamie, Ryu, Chun-Li, Guile, Kimberly, Juri, and Ken.

Additionally, there will be cross-platform play, the special commentary features, and other features too. You can head over to link your ID and pre-register for the open beta here.

Taking it to the streets

It won't be long now until the new Street Fighter gets underway, and by all accounts so far, it's looking pretty strong. The matches I played locally at PAX East left a pretty strong impression on me already. And here's an excerpt of what our resident Street Fighter aficionado Chris Moyse had to say after his recent hands-on:

"With Street Fighter 6, Capcom is hoping to see its flagship fighting series, one that defined the genre itself, make a grand challenge for its (lost?) fighting game throne, offering fans old and new a fully-featured and engaging sequel that has learned from the mistakes of its past, while evolving its entire pedigree for a bold and electrifying future."

You'll be able to get a sense of Street Fighter 6 yourself later this month with the open beta, running May 19 through 21. Then, Street Fighter 6 will officially launch on June 2.

The post Street Fighter 6 is getting an open beta later this month appeared first on Destructoid.

It's in the blood

With Redfall, I keep going back to the beginning. In my review-in-progress from the start of this week, I opened with the game's introduction, because it paints quite the picture: a town overrun by vampires, some so powerful they can blot out the sun and freeze the oceans in place. It's a good horror set-up: you are the livestock, penned into the town of Redfall, and you will either fight or be food.

It's not too long after the introduction that I started to feel those drives fall by the wayside, though. There are pieces of Arkane Austin here, from immersive elements and storytelling to a generally interesting stylistic direction. But it all falters under the weight of bugs, repetition, locked-off doors, and a loop that didn't do much for me.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZwY9IncC6XI

Redfall (PC [Reviewed], Xbox Series X|S)
Developer: Arkane Austin
Publisher: Bethesda Softworks
Release: May 1, 2023
MSRP: $69.99 (also on Game Pass)

Arkane Austin's Redfall is set in the titular town, which has been overrun by a cabal of vampires. There are both normal, blood-sucking vampires who can fly, rip, tear, and do short little teleports around the area. But your focus, as either a solo player or a crew, is on the small group of vampire ringleaders. They, along with their cultist followers and a private military hired to roll in and destroy corporate evidence of wrongdoing, are the primary villains and objectives you'll be going after in each part of Redfall.

Vampire slayers for hire

To do this, you'll need to pick a character and assemble the team. Redfall has some good character design, but in play, each one felt a bit lacking. Part of this problem is you get a decent amount of exposition through co-op, so I didn't learn too much about my character playing solo; when the fog-spewing vampire Miss Whisper taunted my character Remi about never seeing her brothers again, that was the moment I learned she had brothers.

[caption id="attachment_377471" align="alignnone" width="640"] Screenshot by Destructoid[/caption]

It's possible I missed that story in the massive amount of text in Redfall, because there is a lot. Some of it is very good! A lot of it is also world-building, like a list of names for kitchen duty at the church or the same Aevum clinical trial pamphlet I'd seen a dozen times. Combine a bevy of text that could be important or mundane with a world that doesn't pause for you, and most times I was just shoving paper into my character's pocket and moving on. Which is a shame, because when the narrative clicks, I do think it has some interesting moments.

These are mostly in the main missions of Redfall, which will feel the closest to an immersive Arkane game. You'll have an objective (which I frustratingly had to keep setting as a personal waypoint so I could see it on my HUD compass), and several potential avenues of approach. There's a barn with intel on one of the vampire gods inside, defended by a sniper tower, turrets, and a ton of guards. Maybe you sneak in through an old bootlegger's tunnel, or you take out the UV lights keeping the vampires out and take advantage of the ensuing chaos.

Routes and openings

Immersive sims are one thing, but games with multiple paths or options are what I often relate to Arkane. And there are hints of that here in Redfall. The aforementioned mission is just one case; in a church in the game's second area, while knocking out a safehouse mission, I found a locked door that led to the attic, with environmental art making me wonder what could possibly be up there. But after turning the church over several times, I couldn't find the key. As it turns out, I needed to accept a main mission later on in the story's flowchart, which would then open the pathway to said key.

This felt indicative of a larger internal conflict of Redfall for me: while alternate pathways sometimes exist, other times and more often, you just need a key. A lot of Redfall, really, is going to a place, shooting vampires/cultists/PMC soldiers, picking up an objective, and returning to a safehouse for the next mission.

[caption id="attachment_376690" align="alignnone" width="640"] Image via Bethesda[/caption]

While the main missions provide some larger, more elaborate areas, the side and safehouse missions are where this repetition is really felt. Many of them involve going to a place and shooting something, whether it's a weak point on a giant wicker effigy or special-class vampire, or even multiple waves of enemies while defending a location. None of these stood out in particular, even the side missions linked to the characters found around the hub areas for each major zone of Redfall. Shoot a vampire, pick up a skull or item, and return.

Really, Redfall feels mostly like a shooter, both in co-op and solo play. You can feasibly sneak around, but there are barely any options for stealth takedowns (or for vampires, stakedowns). Aside from the few times the story asked me to keep it quiet, Redfall was mostly a firefight.

Lock and load

So how is Redfall as a shooter? It's got a decent number of guns, and many usual suspects. Some, like the shotgun and sniper rifle, feel good. Others, like handguns, felt a bit off. My favorite chunk of the arsenal was the vampire-specific weaponry. The flare gun is a neat addition, and the UV beam cannon adds an interesting weapon type. My absolute favorite, far and away, is the stake launcher. See, vampires can be put into a stunned state with normal bullets, but need to be fully done away with through petrification (through UV or sunlight), fire, or a stake to the heart.

The stake launcher says, "Why not launch the stakes into their heart?" And it really works. I love the power of it. The bulkiness of it. Racking stakes into the launcher port feels good, and even the little touches like the key on the body of the launcher add this DIY aspect that I love. Stakes offered an interesting dynamic; they're incredibly powerful, often able to one-shot normal vampires, and quickly deal with heftier varieties. But it's slow to reload, low in ammo capacity, and only really dispatches one enemy at a time.

[caption id="attachment_376681" align="alignnone" width="640"] Screenshot by Destructoid[/caption]

Though I love the stake launcher, other guns don't feel as compelling to me. An assault rifle is an assault rifle. Aside from its rate of fire or cosmetic upgrades, that gun type just goes up in damage over time. Most of the weapons, outside the gold tier, give you pretty numbers-based upgrades, like boosts to accuracy or reload speed. They don't feel very compelling, when other loot-driven shooters frequently offer more interesting upgrades that visibly and tangibly affect how you play. Often in Redfall, I was just looking to see if the number went up, and scrapping the lesser.

Built for blood

This carries over into skills and levelling up, too. Some upgrades for each character's abilities feel a bit meaningful, like adding an extra healing circle of Remi's ultimate, centered around the robot dog Bribón. But other options in the tree include upgrading ammo capacity, a very boring upgrade, or an upgrade for reviving teammates, which did nothing for me in solo play. It felt like there was a whole third of the ability tree I purposefully ignored.

Skills, themselves, can also feel lackluster in single player. I personally gelled a lot with my chosen vampire slayer, Remi, and her tool set. But it's a pretty straightforward set that, looping back to a previous section, doesn't open up a lot of interesting traversal options. I feel like these abilities probably all shine better together in co-op, which I played a few hours of for this review but ducked out of after, since co-op story progress only goes towards the host's file. There, skills could shine in concert with one another a bit more.

These tools also just feel unnecessary, as Redfall's shooter nature really just encourages taking out the enemy. Options for traversal, scouting, and other effects are nice, but I mostly just found myself in shootouts. And enemies died so fast (on the normal difficulty setting) that I rarely had time to set up some elaborate plan. Those plans often couldn't predict the wackiness of Redfall, either.

Hitch in the system

It's here I should probably talk a bit about the technical state of Redfall. It is, like many games released nowadays, in a state of flux. During the review process, I had a really tough time getting Redfall to run well on my PC. A day-one patch and driver update have since, at least somewhat, rectified that; I'm no longer on Low settings. I do still get very noticeable texture pop-ins and loading hitches.

[caption id="attachment_376685" align="alignnone" width="640"] Screenshot by Destructoid[/caption]

Enemies glide across the ground, characters T-pose, stealth detection doesn't always work leading to comical ring-around-the-rosie moments, and objects float in mid-air. At one point, my robot dog Bribón had completely disappeared from the game. As I was finishing Redfall for this review, objective markers for a completed mission were stuck on my screen. With live game development being the norm, I expect that months from now, many of these issues will be addressed. Some might be a bit more baked-in than others, but having already seen some technical tune-ups while reviewing, it feels like it's trending that way.

I'm curious to see if post-launch updates and additions can bring something to this game, as they have to so many before it. But even in those situations, that means waiting on updates and hoping. And I'm also not sure if technical fixes alone will solve all of my hold-ups with Redfall.

A world of darkness

Despite all this, there are parts of Redfall I do enjoy. The stake launcher, for one. The general look and feel of this world is incredible, and reflects a lot of what I like about Arkane's world-building in general. This coastal town has some great areas that look visually impressive, with psychic blasts tearing open the side of a house and twisting hallways bending through the creepy tunnels of a vampire nest. Little moments, like stepping through a movie theater screen into a new area, feel really great.

The classic vampire horror vibes are good. With long claws and menacing silhouettes, the undead ghouls are creepy, and small areas can still elicit tension as I round a corner or creep toward a cracked door. The story hits or misses for me, and I really wasn't wild about the still-scene story moments; while some work, they don't really match up to the feel of that original reveal trailer.

[caption id="attachment_377472" align="alignnone" width="640"] Screenshot by Destructoid[/caption]

By the story's end, I was left a bit ambivalent. I didn't feel like I knew a ton about my chosen character, and while some of the moments were cool, Redfall's story doesn't have many unforeseen twists or turns. Most of its interesting bits are in the lore, as you look around and find it during missions. Some of those can still impress, at the least.

Into the night

By the time the credits rolled, I felt myself weighing how out how I felt about Redfall. Bugs and qualms aside, it feels like a game that's trying to do several interesting things, but misses on a lot of them. It's a big bummer, as I really do like Arkane's work, and I can see where the team had some really compelling ideas for a more action-driven game set in a world full of vampires.

As an immersive game, it falls short. And as a shooter, it's too routine for me. There are better options out there, with more dynamic loot and discoverable environmental interactions. There are better boss fights than we see here. The open world doesn't give me enough options, and too frequently, I found myself falling into a routine of running from waypoint to waypoint. I think Redfall is fine as a co-op game, maybe as something to pick up on Game Pass for Saturday night with pals. As a solo player, the tedium is much more palpable, and there's not enough in the story to push me forward.

I really spent most of my time playing Redfall thinking about what else Redfall could have been. I like that Arkane tried something new, and I'm bummed it came out like this. It's a really unique premise and concept in its first bite, but its fangs don't leave a lasting mark.

The post Review: Redfall appeared first on Destructoid.

Anyone else getting Souls-like vibes?

In early April, South Korean developer Npixel started posting a piece of concept art each day on their Twitter showing off their upcoming open-world action MMO Chrono Odyssey. Now they have released their first-ever gameplay trailer for the new title, and wow, it's looking pretty epic so far.

Built from the ground up using Unreal Engine 5, Chrono Odyssey takes place in the vast open-world wilderness of Setera. According to producer Samuel Seo via a post on Playstation Blog, the world of Setera will feature a living and breathing environment that transforms with dynamic weather and seasons. Based on the video it looks like there will be plenty to explore within its massive world.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uSPUHJqNrqY&t=10s

The combat system looks pretty incredible, albeit ambitious for an MMO. Unlike most titles in the genre that utilize tab-targeting mechanics, the game utilizes a real-time action combat system. The game will have six distinct classes: Swordsman, Ranger, Sorcerer, Paladin, Berserker, and Assassin

Overall the action on display in this trailer gave me heavy Dark Souls vibes, which could be a lot of fun to experience in an MMO. If I had to compare what we're seeing here to an existing game in the genre, I'd say it looks most similar to Black Desert Online which also has similarly fast-paced action.

Manipulate time and space

Furthermore, a unique feature of the game will be the "Chronotector" system. A force called "Chrono" will be a big part of the storyline and also allow players to manipulate time and space in combat. Teamwork also seems to be a big part of the game. In the trailer several scenes depicted large-scale battles in which hundreds of players took on a single colossal enemy.

We still have a ton of questions about the game but this first gameplay trailer is certainly promising. Last year the game had a target release date of 2023, but we're not sure if that's still the case. The game looks quite polished at this point so hopefully we will now get more information over the coming months.

Npixel has confirmed Chrono Odyssey will launch on PS5, PC, and Xbox Series X|S.

The post Chrono Odyssey showcases combat in new gameplay trailer appeared first on Destructoid.

'I'm gonna take full responsibility'

Xbox Head of Gaming Phil Spencer has expressed his disappointment at the player reception to Arkane's much-maligned vampire hunter Redfall, which launched just two days ago to overwhelmingly negative reviews from critics and players.

"I'm disappointed, I'm upset with myself," said Spencer this morning, speaking on the kinda Funny Games show. "There's nothing more difficult for me than disappointing the Xbox community."

"The critical response was not what we wanted," Spencer continued, adding "We're gonna continue to work on the game. We've shown a commitment to games like Sea of Thieves, and Grounded, to continue to go and build games. But I also know these games are $70, and I'm gonna take full responsibility for launching a game that needs to be great."

"We do mock reviews for every game that we launch, and this is double digits lower than where we thought we would be with this game. That’s one of the disappointing things: We would never strive to launch a game that we thought was going to review in the low 60s – it’s not part of our goals."

https://twitter.com/KindaFunnyVids/status/1654108618990530561?s=20

Redfall, which is one of the few Xbox/PC exclusive titles launching this year, initially turned some heads with its interesting worldbuilding and vibrant, uniquely skilled heroes and villains, but many critics lambasted the title as feeling rushed and massively underwhelming, while some players have noted all manner of technical issues and bugs. While some reviewers have been disappointed with the release, others have been downright brutal of Redfall's overall release state.

The game was not only delayed from its initial release date for further polishing, but alarms were raised when Arkane announced that the co-op shooter would launch with "Quality Mode" only, locking the title to 30 FPS, which is an oddity in the ninth generation of video gaming, (A Performance Mode will arrive at a later date). Hopefully, future patches and updates can improve Redfall's standing with the community, but this is a very difficult age for video games — one where first impressions and the all-important launch month define a title's future, and Arkane's latest already has one foot in the grave.

Redfall is available now on Xbox, PC, and Xbox Game Pass.

The post Phil Spencer ‘disappointed’ in negative reaction to Redfall appeared first on Destructoid.

Looking ahead to the summer

Microsoft is locking in all the details for its summer showcase plans. The publisher now has both a date and time set for its Xbox Games Showcase and the Starfield Direct that will follow after.

The Xbox double feature will air on June 11 at 10 a.m. PT / 1 p.m. ET. It will stream out over Twitch, YouTube, and Facebook, and have an ASL stream option available as well.

https://twitter.com/Xbox/status/1653754086372818944

What's it showing? Well, for the Xbox Games Showcase, Microsoft is making it sound like there will be some announcements. There will be "new surprises and first-looks" from its internal studios, as well as partners from around the world. The showcase will also discuss games coming to Xbox, PC, and to Game Pass.

As for the Starfield Direct, well, it's going to be about Starfield. Bethesda's big RPG is still a ways off, but getting closer every day. Xbox says there will be tons of new gameplay and developer interviews.

Then, on June 13, Microsoft will air the Xbox Games Showcase Extended at 10 a.m. PT / 1 p.m. ET. This stream will host some interviews based around the news from the showcase,  as well as game updates.

The summer game showcases draw near

We're only a few days into May, but the time period for summer streams and news is now just a month away. The PC Gaming Show is set to follow right after the Xbox showcase, Ubisoft is airing its 2023 Forward the day after, and the Summer Game Fest kick-off stream will air on June 8.

Though Nintendo, Sony, and a few other companies still have yet to lock in any summer plans as of this writing, the summer's already starting to stack up. Even in a year without E3, it seems like June will have some news and announcements in store.

It will be interesting to see what Xbox brings to its summer games showcase event, especially as Redfall didn't land quite so well for some folks. We'll see what's in store on June 11.

The post Xbox confirms the details for its summer showcase and Starfield Direct appeared first on Destructoid.

If I could turn back time

Another Riot Forge production is on the way, this time exploring the world of League of Legends' Ekko. Converegence: A League of Legends Story is a 2D action platformer starring the time-and-space-travelling fighter, and it arrives on May 23, 2023.

Developed by Speed Brawl studio Double Stallion Games, Convergence follows Ekko as he deals with a threat to the city of Zaun. From today's trailer, it looks like Ekko will be interacting with his future self, as well as rewinding time in the short-term too, in order to foil some catastrophe.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_qqdGiHBStk

Convergence's platforming and action also makes use of Ekko's unique time abilities. From gaining an advantage over foes to rewinding a missed jump, it definitely feels like something Prince of Persia: Sands of Time should be keeping an eye on.

The story follows Ekko through the undercity of Zaun too, so Arcane fans should get a little bit more out of this than other locales. But of course, there are champions to fight too. Alongside Ekko, three other champions have been confirmed: Jinx, Camille, and Warwick.

Time after time

It feels like only yesterday that The Mageseeker, the latest Riot Forge production, came out. While that one followed the magical rebellion happening within Demacia, Ekko's exploits in Zaun will be a bit different, both in setting and gameplay.

All of these, as well as the upcoming Song of Nunu, are part of Riot Games' publishing arm Forge. The idea has been to expand the world of League of Legends through third-party projects, and so far, it seems like it's been doing alright. Games like The Mageseeker and Ruined King were solid, fresh approaches to Runeterra. Maybe the streak can keep up with Convergence.

Convergence: A League of Legends Story goes live for PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S, and Nintendo Switch on May 23.

The post Convergence: A League of Legends Story rewinds the clock on May 23 appeared first on Destructoid.

Biting back

Redfall starts off in a curious place. Within the first moments of the game, the player is shown a montage of the little town’s downfall. Creatures of the night begin to fester and swarm, soon locking the town in with bloodsucking beasts, the cult that worships them, and the security contractors hired to cover it all up. A towering vampiress with a haloed visage holds you by the throat, telling you of big plans currently brewing, as the sun emerges outside.

The latest game from Arkane starts off strong. But as the days and nights go on in Redfall, I’m finding myself running up against its layout over and over. Some aspects are inventive twists on the four-player co-op shooter. But in both gameplay and technical aspects, it’s falling short of what I had hoped for.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZwY9IncC6XI

Redfall (PC [Reviewed], Xbox Series X|S)
Developer: Arkane Austin
Publisher: Bethesda Softworks
Release: May 1, 2023
MSRP: $69.99 (also on Game Pass)

In about 12 hours of Redfall played over the weekend, I’ve managed to clear the first of its two distinct hub areas and get a decent way into the second. From the start, the player gets to pick their character to play as, which defines their skill set moving forward. 

If you like gadgets with cool effects, try out Davinder. If you prefer some mobility and like the idea of ringing up a vampire ex-boyfriend to help you out, Layla’s your pick. Because I like to help out a bit and wanted free healing, I went with Remi, whose robot helper Bribón can distract enemies and provide a second ring of her healing circle. Each character brings something a little different to Redfall, and the initial diversity is promising.

[caption id="attachment_376681" align="alignnone" width="640"] Screenshot by Destructoid[/caption]

In practice, however, it hits some snags. Redfall will feel familiar to other Arkane first-person games. It’s laid out in a similar way, too. Right away, from the starting segment on a beached boat attempting to flee Redfall, Arkane presents you with choices. You could have a little shootout with the cultists patrolling the area, or you could sneak around them. Go low, go high, or go straight through the middle.

Yet not long after that, you’re forced into combat anyways. If not with a cultist, then certainly with a vampire, in a fight that requires some bullets, fire, and a stake to settle. The straight-ahead path into the first hub then opens up into a large town, with different zones and points-of-interests, all open for exploring.

These zones aren’t so conducive to the kind of multifaceted approach Arkane offers up front. Some areas, especially those tied into main quests, might offer some alternative entrance options. And in some cases, it might be a good idea to sneak rather than shoot. But the second you’re spotted, the alarm’s on and all forces converge. And where Dishonored or Deathloop have tools for quick getaways, you—or members of your crew—may not.

It forms a strange dichotomy where my single-player time felt a little more slow and steady, encouraging some careful play and picking fights, sometimes breaking out into mad scrambles for survival; but in co-op, it often felt like running and gunning with my best weapons was the best option.

[caption id="attachment_376686" align="alignnone" width="640"] Image via Bethesda[/caption]

The loot doesn’t feel too rewarding, as guns tend to rotate out fast aside from golden drops, and I always found it more worthwhile to save my scrap than spend it on drops from the arsenal. In fact, I really only spent my salvaged barter cash on ammo refills and the occasional lockpick. Those were often not needed in co-op, but in single-player, some extra ammo and an easily opened door does make life a little easier.

Co-op, in general, comes with a few asterisks in Redfall. One big sticking point for some might be that story progress does not carry over for you, unless you’re the host; so if you join someone else’s game and beat a few story missions, you’ll need to replay them in your own file. That’s not a huge problem for those already planning to four-stack it through the whole campaign, but might put a sour note on more impromptu sessions.

Redfall’s co-op also just amplifies some of the storytelling shortcomings for me. A decent amount of Redfall’s ambient story is told through notes found in the open world, or dialogues between characters—either NPCs or those within your own party. Sometimes, dialogue will start just as you walk by. With all four players roaming a hub, conversations were constantly firing off, making it difficult to tell what story was happening where. And notes picked up by other players were inaccessible to me in co-op.

[caption id="attachment_376679" align="alignnone" width="640"] Screenshot by Destructoid[/caption]

There are quite a few mechanical hitches, too. In co-op, we had players flying through the sky or crouch-walking through the ground. After one cutscene, a player had a duplicate avatar frozen in the middle of the hub. Limbs wouldn’t move right. And in both single and multi-player, different bugs would cause problems. Enemies slide around or fail to detect players right next to them. In the worst case, Bribón disappeared for several missions, and didn’t reappear until I restarted the game.

On top of that, I ran into what seems like optimization issues on PC. I’ve got an AMD Ryzen 5 3600X, NVIDIA 2070 Super, 16 GB of RAM, and I’m running Redfall off a solid state drive—nothing top-of-the-line, but should clear the Recommended bar. But Redfall defaulted me to a choppy Medium that I eventually moved down to Low. Still, frame rates would drop low and world elements would pop in, issues that four-player co-op exacerbated. A friend I played with, who has a similar set-up to mine, experienced similar optimization issues.

All of the technical mess is something that might exist now, at launch, and then soon be tinkered with and fixed. That’s not necessarily new in the world of reviewing games. However, it did make some elements of Redfall that I enjoyed difficult to appreciate. I do like its horror and supernatural elements, and there are a few special areas that feel laid out well for a creepy experience. Though ambient dialogue can often spoil some surprises, there were still moments where I was afraid of what might lurk in some downstairs shadows.

And when the story gets going, especially in the second area, it gets pretty alright. I haven’t mentioned it much because the goal is straightforward: vampires are infesting the town, so go take them out. There are big bosses like The Hollow Man, and lesser evils you’ll have to uncover and hunt through side missions. Details on those vary, but a few were thematically interesting, especially when they involved the special versions of vampires like the Angler or Shroud. Where regular vampires start off intimidating but can be easily dispatched once you’ve got a few good weapons, special vampires remain a threat. They force you to change up tactics, introducing new rules that can make the otherwise cannon fodder-esque human enemies more dangerous, even just as distractions.

[caption id="attachment_376680" align="alignnone" width="640"] Screenshot by Destructoid[/caption]

And one or two missions so far have shown a little more of that multiple-approach design, encouraging me to find some fun alternate ways to tackle objectives. But for the most part, missions in Redfall have constituted navigating to an area, shooting vampires/cultists/security forces, and picking up or interacting with an objective. A few interesting diversions aside, Redfall seems laser-focused on killing vampires.

Which is why, so far, it’s fallen short for me. I enjoy blasting a vampire with a stake launcher. Every now and then, I’ve felt clever as I set a trap with my C4 and lure enemies towards it, or used Bribón’s distraction function to line up a perfect shot. But more often, I’m walking into an area, blasting whoever I see, and teleporting back to a safehouse to pick up a new mission.

Overall, Redfall so far feels like a co-op shooter with some neat ideas that aren’t fully realized. I can see some of the concepts, like managing a limited loadout of weapons and carrying powerful anti-vampire weapons alongside anti-personnel armaments, and how they create interesting moments. Sometimes, they really pull them off. 

[caption id="attachment_376690" align="alignnone" width="640"] Image via Bethesda[/caption]

I can think of a few occasions where I was running through a firefight, hurriedly reloading and making snap decisions. Sometimes I’d feel rewarded for taking an alternate route, cleverly avoiding some traps. Or, in one instance, ducking behind cover to hastily swap in a different weapon because a deadly Rook was on the way and I needed some vampire-slaying power, now.

More often, though, Redfall has been technical hitches, repetition, and scattershot story. I enjoy the kind of world, narrative, and experience it wants to be, but I just don’t think it gets there. We’ve only had a few days with it, but we’ll have more on Redfall once we’ve rolled credits later this week.

The post Review in Progress: Redfall appeared first on Destructoid.