You'll have a hard time finding a movie sequel that doesn't pale in comparison to the original. Sometimes, it's just hard to come up with a story that beats the one we all already love. Games don't have that problem as making a better game usually requires the developers to just read player feedback and improve upon the original's gameplay shortcomings. That's, however, not the case in every single video game sequel. There's a surprisingly high number of once-promising sequels that fumble hilariously in places where the original triumphed.

[caption id="attachment_218357" align="alignnone" width="1200"] Image by BioWare[/caption]

Mass Effect Andromeda

The Hype: Though Mass Effect 3 rocks on a technical level, it proved a step down from Mass Effect 2 in terms of writing and overall story. Yes, the awful ending was but a culmination of many other problems sowed by the third game. But that was a trilogy closer. No way that a fresh new start would bring back some of the old problems and even add more problems, right?

The Trainwreck: How bad is Mass Effect Andromeda? Well, you could easily come up with a credible fan theory explaining that it takes place entirely in Shepard's final panic-induced nightmare as he slowly passes away from lack of oxygen while adrift in space at the beginning of Mass Effect 2.

I think Andromeda deserves our collective admiration because it doesn't feel like a failed product. It feels like a product whose goal was to fail and succeed on all fronts. Everybody hated it upon release as glitches made it go from very weird to look at to straight-up unplayable. Ironically, I believe it got even worse when BioWare finally patched it into a playable state. Why? Because it turns out that hiding underneath all of the unforgettable animation glitches was a formulaic and unmemorable game that's way below BioWare's standards. Bring Andromeda Classic back!

[caption id="attachment_393255" align="alignnone" width="1200"] Image by Capcom[/caption]

Devil May Cry 2

The Hype: The first trailer for DMC2 looked dope. Everything that made the first one great was seemingly there and on a much grander scope. Also, you got to run on walls. No way this one could fail.

The Trainwreck: Devil May Cry 2 feels like a sequel made by people who'd only heard vague details about the original. The varied enemy types, exquisite levels, and even the ever-quipping Dante were gone. Instead, we got seemingly endless hallways, a mostly mute protagonist, and enemies that don't even seem to know if they want to kill you.

DMC2 is the result of a massively rushed production hellbent on trying to make bank on the success of its predecessor, and nothing could make that more evident than the game's hilarious Diesel tie-in costumes.

[caption id="attachment_393277" align="alignnone" width="1200"] Image by Square Enix[/caption]

Tomb Raider: The Angel Of Darkness

The Hype: I know that saying Tomb Raider on the PS2 probably won't do much for most readers nowadays, but that was all you needed to hear back in the day. The original Tomb Raider changed the world of gaming overnight when it came out for the original PlayStation back in '96. Its sequels, though great, never succeeded in bringing matching innovation to the table. A Tomb Raider sequel coming to a console of unprecedented power could likely provide the developers at Core Design with all the leeway they needed to revolutionize gaming all over again. We thought.

The Trainwreck: Shigeru Miyamoto famously said that a delayed game is eventually good, and a rushed one is forever bad. Well, I'd love to hear his thoughts on The Angel Of Darkness, a game that was both delayed and rushed. Despite featuring the longest development period in the history of the series, bad decisions such as a new — and broken — control system and dumb RPG-like elements combined with the hardships of adapting to the PS2 hardware resulted in a nigh-unplayable game. That's a shame, as many fans actually liked the new plot.

Luckily, there are fanmade patches that make this one way easier to play. Also, this blunder caused publisher Eidos to rethink it all, hand the franchise over to Crystal Dynamics, and come back with Tomb Raider: Legend, one of the best entries in the series.

[caption id="attachment_196454" align="alignnone" width="1200"] Image by EA[/caption]

Dead Space 3

The Hype: The original Dead Space is one of the best horror games of all time. Dead Space 2 is even better. People were naturally very excited about the release of Dead Space 3.

The Trainwreck: What made the two prior games in the series great, gameplay-wise, was the fine balance between action and horror they managed to achieve. Dead Space 3 steered too hard into action territory, and no one was happy about it. What was once essentially a game about surviving monsters was now a game about poor zombies trying to survive an overpowered monster — us. Dead Space 3 also suffered from the presence of some hilarious glitches. It's not a terrible game — it's just not the game that anybody wanted.

Interestingly, John Carpenter, the legendary film director, gamer, and likely influencer of the series, states that while he doesn't like this one as much as the other two, he still likes Dead Space 3, so there's that.

[caption id="attachment_172692" align="alignnone" width="1200"] Image by Capcom[/caption]

Resident Evil 6

The Hype: Resident Evil 5 didn't reach the same heights as 4, but it provided a very solid RE experience — especially for people playing it in co-op mode. Resident Evil 6 seemed to want to go all out by featuring not just pretty much every character in the history of the franchise, but even various different campaigns. This was going to be the biggest Resident Evil of all time.

The Trainwreck: It ended up becoming just the most Evil blunder of all time. The lack of a focused campaign resulted in a game that wasn't especially good at anything, and terrible at most things. It also featured a bunch of inexplicable bugs upon release and is likely the main reason fans began referring to Capcom as "Crapcom" for the better part of a decade. This is the only mainline Resident Evil game that you should straight-up pass. Maybe watch one of the animated Resident Evil movies instead. They're also bad, but at least they're fun.

[caption id="attachment_265118" align="alignnone" width="1200"] Image by Team Ninja[/caption]

Ninja Gaiden 3

The Hype: Before Dark Souls came out, Ninja Gaiden was the go-to series for players looking for a challenging campaign. Ninja Gaiden Black for the original Xbox is a nigh-perfect game, and Ninja Gaiden 2 for the Xbox 360 was still great. Though Tomonobu Itagaki, the rockstar responsible for creating the series, had left Team Ninja before they began working on NG3, the company still had the people who'd made the awesome Ninja Gaiden Sigma games. There was no reason to believe Ninja Gaiden 3 would fail to at least provide a fun challenge.

The Trainwreck: Can you believe that the developers of this game picked 2012, just a year after Dark Souls sold most of the gaming community on the idea of hard games, to release a Ninja Gaiden game that was easy? Yeah, Instead of having to focus on coming up with the best combos and strategies to get rid of your tough and smart opponents, Gaiden 3 automatically chained combos for players.

It also did away with the series's expansive levels, replacing them with the same kind of bland and empty areas that also plagued the aforementioned DMC2. What a great way to come up with a game that appeals to absolutely nobody.

[caption id="attachment_329217" align="alignnone" width="1200"] Image by 2K[/caption]

Duke Nukem Forever

The Hype: Duke Nukem Forever once held the dubious honor of having the longest development period in the history of gaming. Development began in '97, and it was only in 2011 that Duke himself appeared in a trailer saying that the game was good, yeah, "but after 12 f*cking years it should be." What kind of person wouldn't immediately trust a man who doesn't even know that the game was actually in development for 14 goddamn years?

The Trainwreck: It wasn't good, it turns out. That's because the Duke Nukem Forever we ended up playing wasn't being fine-tuned into perfection for 14 years. It was actually a rushed product they came up with as quickly as they could.

There was never just one Duke Nukem Forever, but rather, various iterations of the game that ended up canceled and giving way to yet another botched project. The result was one of the most chaotic and still somehow unfun shooters of all time. This is a masterclass on how not to make a game.

[caption id="attachment_190664" align="alignnone" width="1200"] Image by Capcom[/caption]

Street Fighter V

The Hype: Street Fighter IV is the highest point in the series for many fans. Nobody had any reason to believe Street Fighter V wouldn't continue to wear the fighter crown with grace.

The Trainwreck: Turns out that keeping that crown all shiny costs a lot, and that's probably why Capcom filled every inch of the game with the most ghoulish microtransactions imaginable. That's awful, yeah, but we get it that some companies will, at some point, drop the mask and reveal that they're all about just making money.

What we still have no explanation for, though, is why they made the game slower and completely butchered the superior net code they had going with SFIV. This is probably the only fighting game in history that got mocked by pros during tournaments meant to promote it.

[caption id="attachment_393622" align="alignnone" width="1200"] Image by EA[/caption]

SimCity

The Hype: SimCity (2013) came out a decade after the release of the successful SimCity 4. What marvelous gameplay design advances had the wizards of Maxis made in such a long period of time?

The Trainwreck: SimCity suffered from a myriad of issues, such as a much smaller city area and worse AI than what we got in the previous games in the series. Still, that wasn't the most egregious problem. The game's greatest sin was the unholy marriage between the always online requirement and servers that just didn't work well. On paper, SimCity wasn't even better than its 10-year-old predecessor, let alone in practice.

In all fairness, we kind of have to give it to SimCity. Not because it is good, no, but because it's funny to see a game that's supposedly about building absolutely bulldozing its own series.

[caption id="attachment_393628" align="alignnone" width="1200"] Image by Rare[/caption]

Perfect Dark Zero

The Hype: Many claim Perfect Dark for the N64 is even better than Goldeneye 007. It was so good, in fact, that Microsoft bought Rare and tasked them with making the Xbox 360's flagship first-person shooter. No way this could've — ok, you know damn well where this one is going.

The Trainwreck: There's one thing we gotta give to Perfect Dark Zero, and that is that it looked good. That's one thing nobody could complain about it when it came out. Sadly, it featured those early 7th console gen graphics. Ya'know, those really rubbery and shiny ones that we all got tired of very quickly. The original game basically has nothing going for it anymore.

As for the bad parts, the developers put too much emphasis on the online multiplayer, which left the story, campaign, and characters feeling very lackluster. Also, the multiplayer itself wasn't that great because the game suffered from both a myriad of server issues and also from its own glitches. Why bother dealing with all that when Call of Duty 2, which also launched with the 360, was right there? Zero paled in comparison to the original Perfect Dark, a game that was five years old, so try to picture just how bad it looked when compared to Halo 2.

The post Let’s talk about some of gaming’s most disappointing sequels appeared first on Destructoid.

Yes, Final Fantasy XIV will have a two-way crossover with Fall Guys. Legendary director Yoshi-P of FFXIV and XVI fame recently took center stage at Final Fantasy Fest to announce the collaboration least likely to appear on anyone's bingo card.

https://youtu.be/--_vb2j_qDo?t=7987

At first, it looks like the only thing these two games have in common is their status as multiplayer juggernauts, but the concept looks like great fun. While we still don't know the exact nature of the upcoming minigames, we know that we'll get to play as characters from Final Fantasy XIV as they try to make it through Fall Guys-like obstacle courses.

[caption id="attachment_394317" align="alignnone" width="1200"] Image by Square Enix[/caption]

I've previously talked about the most fun minigames in the history of the Final Fantasy series. Seeing a bunch of superhuman Final Fantasy heroes getting absolutely obliterated in a gauntlet of slapstick contraptions might have me rethinking that list.

Final Fall Guys

The coolest part is that it won't be just a Final Fantasy XIV thing. Fall Guys will also have a lot of Final Fantasy stuff making its way into its world.

https://twitter.com/FallGuysGame/status/1684995594304008192?s=20

Eight Final Fantasy-inspired costumes are making their way into Fall Guys, as well as emotes, celebrations, and more. Ever wanted to look like a Fall Guys-ified Alisaie, Alphinaud, Goobue, Namazu, or just a simple Chocobo? You can get them all and more by acquiring the Warriors of Light Fame Pass on August 22.

We still don't have the release date for the Final Fantasy XIV Fall Guys-themed minigames. We just know some of them will be waiting for players in the Gold Saucer once the 6.5x patch series begins to roll out.

You can currently play FFXIV on the PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, and PC. It'll release for the Xbox Series X|S featuring crossplay in Spring 2024.

Fall Guys is free-to-play on Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, and PC.

The post Fall Guys and Final Fantasy XIV are setting up a crossover collaboration appeared first on Destructoid.

With about a month and a half to launch, NetherRealm is keeping its foot on the gas pedal when it comes to revealing characters for Mortal Kombat 1. Less than 10 days after announcing the return of Tanya, Li Mei, and Baraka, the developer is back with a new trailer. But this one is focused on just one fighter: Geras. This time manipulator is the first character from Mortal Kombat 11 to be confirmed for MK1, bringing along some new moves that look slow but are sure to be powerful.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=72okJYRJWDI

I'm still not totally on board with the Kameo system, but watching him swing Darrius around sure looks fun.

I didn't expect any of the three new fighters from MK11 to show up in Mortal Kombat 1, but it's nice to see the team isn't limiting itself to picking from the old games only. There are still a few weeks between now and launch, which means there is still plenty of time for Meat and Mokap to get redemption. Three of my favorites are already confirmed (Smoke, Rain, Kenshi), but there are a few fighters who made their debut in Mortal Kombat X that I'd love to see make the cut too. Surely I'm not the only one who wants Erron Black back.

Mortal Kombat 1 is set to release on September 19 for PS5, Xbox Series X|S, Switch, and PC. As a reminder, the first Kombat Pack for the game has been revealed and will include returning Kombatants, as well as Peacemaker, Homelander, and Omni-Man.

The post Geras gears up for Mortal Kombat 1 appeared first on Destructoid.

More options are always a good thing, especially in the world of gaming, and particularly in regions that don't have many choices of where to buy the latest games and hardware. Thankfully, Nintendo just opened up their services in Australia.

As pointed out by Vooks.net, My Nintendo Australia storefront is now selling physical games (as well as hardware). Previously the system would just provide rewards and exclusives, but now you can shop with them directly. There's 46 games for sale at the time of publication, as well as multiple variations of the Switch (including the OLED and Tears of the Kingdom OLED), on top of Pro Controllers and Switch Lite models.

Vooks notes that this is also a big deal because Nintendo hasn't sold Australian customers games directly before. The only catch is that the minimum free shipping order has been bumped up from $80 to $100.

My Nintendo stores are actually pretty robust, so this is good news for Australia

I don't know if you've ever looked at your respective My Nintendo storefront, but in some regions, it has a massive/surprising amount of inventory and SKUs. The US version has games, hardware, merch, and exclusives: they even sell accessories like the Pokemon Go Plus+ (ha, I still can't get used to this name).

Some lines (like Pikmin) even have a full section, with multiple games and pieces of merch. It's not always the best option, but it's an option nonetheless that I use a few times a year.

The post My Nintendo Australia is selling physical games now appeared first on Destructoid.

Larian Studios, developers of the long-awaited and just-long Baldur's Gate 3, have unveiled the trailer for the villainous Orin the Red. She's a master shapeshifter and one-third of a triumvirate of main villains that players will have to deal with in the game.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1_nOikdM7oo

Orin will create many challenges for players as she has the ability to shapeshift into any person in the world. This means we probably won't get the chance to trust any NPC we come across in the game, or perhaps even worse. It's likely that she will, at some point, replace one of our companions without us noticing, so keep an ever-watchful eye. Also, many call her a "great master" of murder, so she's perhaps also good at doing other even viler stuff.

The voice and motion behind Orin are those of Maggie Robertson. Most players will recognize her as Lady Dimitrescu from Resident Evil Village. She describes Orin as a "very disturbing figure". Joining Maggie to form the villainous trio will be J.K Simmons of Whiplash and Invincible fame, as well as Jason Isaacs from that thing with the kid wizard.

[caption id="attachment_394178" align="alignnone" width="1200"] Screenshot by Destructoid[/caption]

Simmons will portray General Ketheric Thorm, a military leader who's seemingly unkillable.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qOqD3uATwSc

Isaacs will portray Lord Enver Gortash, a sleazy politician hellbent on conquering Baldur's Gate. He'll seemingly try to convince the main character to join forces with him on his quest. That's cool, but I'm guessing he doesn't have the best of intentions.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qUcZYW43_pQ

We can barely wait to kill the three of them.

Baldur's Gate 3 will come out on August 3 on Steam and GOG. PlayStation 5 owners will have to wait until it releases on September 6. There's still no word on the Xbox Series X|S release.

The post Latest Baldur’s Gate 3 trailer shows Maggie Robertson’s villainous shapeshifter appeared first on Destructoid.

ExileCon isn't all about Path of Exile 2. In fact, the new league for the first game has been revealed as Path of Exile: Trial of the Ancestors, and it will launch on August 18. The current PoE league, Crucible, has gone a little longer than usual due to the timing of ExileCon.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LJNGeWTO5_s

Trial of the Ancestors will feature a new league mechanic where you create a team to enter gladiator-style battles in a tournament setting. Like most PoE leagues, a plethora of new content will also launch with the new league.

[caption id="attachment_394282" align="alignnone" width="640"] Image via Grinding Gear Games[/caption]

Enter the Trial of the Ancestors

Gameplay-wise, the new league mechanic certainly looks unique. It appears players will set up their own team with unique skills and items to do battle against AI-controlled enemies. As you progress through the tournament your rewards will increase, urging you to create the best team for each fight.

I'll be honest, the mechanic kind of reminds me of an auto-battler like Teamfight Tactics. Path of Exile is no stranger to releasing league mechanics that are heavily inspired by existing game genres. For example, the Blight league was essentially a tower-defense minigame and the recent Lake of Kalandra league introduced roguelike mechanics.

The trailer for Trial of the Ancestors also revealed the new content coming into the league:

• The Trial of the Ancestors League mechanic
• Passive skill tattoos
• New items
• 16 new Atlas Keystones
• Itemized Sanctums
• 14 new Support Gems
• Guardian ascendancy revamp
• All-new Chieftain ascendancy

The passive skill tattoo system looks like it enhances the existing passive tree. A revamp to the Guardian ascendancy and a complete rework to the Chieftain ascendancy are definitely a good move as the two are kind of in a rough spot. More concrete details pertaining to the league should release over the next few weeks as we get closer to the new league launch.

Path of Exile: Trial of the Ancestors will launch on August 18.

The post New Path of Exile league is Trial of the Ancestors appeared first on Destructoid.

During ExileCon, Grinding Gear Games revealed that as Path of Exile 2 grew since its announcement in 2019, they realized it was no longer just an expansion to Path of Exile as originally planned. With over 100 developers working on Path of Exile 2, it has become a much bigger project than originally anticipated. Moving forward, Path of Exile 2 will now be its own standalone title. Each game will still be supported and have its own unique mechanics, leagues, and features.

However, microtransactions and cosmetics will be cross-compatible across both games unless it's not possible. For example, Druid is an ascendancy in PoE2 but not in PoE. Therefore, a Druid-specific cosmetic for PoE2 will not be available in PoE where Druid does not exist.

[caption id="attachment_394274" align="alignnone" width="640"] Image via Grinding Gear Games[/caption]

Path of Exile 2 has evolved into its own standalone game

I was torn back in 2019 when Grinding Gear Games revealed Path of Exile 2 as more of an expansion that would integrate with and extend the base game. I love Path of Exile, but a big focus for PoE2 appeared to be accessibility. Therefore, it seemed counter-intuitive to me to combine the two when it seemed they would each be a unique experience.

It certainly makes sense to support the two as separate games moving forward. Here's the list of the current features for Path of Exile 2:

• 100 distinct environments
• 600 monsters
• 100 bosses
• 1,500 passive skills
• 36 ascendancy classes
• 240 active skills
• 700 equipment types
• 6 person co-op

For comparison, the base Path of Exile currently has 19 ascendancy classes, 1,325 passive skills, and 276 active skills. This is with nearly a decade of updates and expansions under its belt, as well.

Furthermore, balance would have surely become an issue when integrating the two games with each other. With each having its own separate ascendancy classes, splitting the two game should hopefully streamline any ongoing balancing.

Grinding Gear Games announced that a closed beta for Path of Exile 2 will launch on June 7, 2024. While a release date has yet to be announced, it looks like we might have to wait a while until this one's officially launched.

The post Path of Exile 2 and Path of Exile will now be separate standalone titles appeared first on Destructoid.

Square Enix hosted its Fan Fest for Final Fantasy XIV today, spotlighting all the updates coming to its massive MMORPG. Among the announcements of an expansion and new platform being in the mix, one of the biggest rounds of applause came for something that seems a little less grandiose, at least to less XIV-familiar folks: two dyes per gear piece.

It sounds plain, but it's a notable piece of what's looking like a big update for the fashion fans of Final Fantasy XIV. Which, really, is everyone. The big non-secret of Final Fantasy XIV is that the endgame is not Ultimate raids, or hardcore Crystalline Conflict, or even necessarily maxing out all the jobs. Those are all things you do in service of the true Final Fantasy XIV endgame: fashion. And boy howdy, did the feral fashion aficionados get some good content today.

For the unfamiliar, Final Fantasy XIV has a transmog system—a tool that lets you put the appearance of one cosmetic item on another—called Glamour, or glam for short. Think of it like putting a pullover on top of a shirt. While your actual stats are determined by the "shirt" below, your outward appearance is the "pullover." These glams can be used on armor pieces and set on specific presets, letting players have a closet full of fashion at their fingertips, and those glam pieces can also be dyed to change the color, and sometimes material look, of the cosmetic piece.

[caption id="attachment_358040" align="alignnone" width="640"] Screenshot by Destructoid[/caption]

Eyes go wide for two dyes

Two dyes per gear piece means that instead of having a single point of color customization, would-be look-book creators can have two channels of color to dye. If you've visited the Eorzean Collection, you already know what a talented designer can do with the tools available. Adding another? I cannot wait.

That wasn't the only update, though. Also included was the news that glasses are getting fully separated from headgear, so you can don a cap and glasses at the same time. All of this arrives through the graphics update that's due alongside Final Fantasy XIV: Dawntrail, the newly announced expansion.

But even the graphical update itself is a big win for fashion fans. Old clothes will get a natural spruce-up from the improved textures and graphics. Final Fantasy XIV director and producer Naoki Yoshida said today that the team is steadily going back through content for the update, stretching back to 2.0.

[caption id="attachment_337316" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Screenshot by Destructoid[/caption]

Come on, vogue

And for the GPose fans, who love to snap shots of their Warrior of Light using the in-game group pose (a.k.a. GPose) tool, get some great benefits from the graphics update too. More lush scenery and backgrounds for snapping pics is always a bonus.

It's charming to outsiders, it seems, seeing Final Fantasy XIV fans get so excited over simply being able to use more dyes. But it really is part of the appeal. It's that way for most RPGs, not just XIV; games like Elden Ring and Destiny 2 often see players pore over their fashion in the same way Final Fantasy XIV fans do.

Having more options, with so many different choices for color customization and glasses getting much more malleable? It's fantastic for the players that love to design their characters and put cool clothes on them. So yes, new jobs, dungeons, raids, and more are always exciting. But two dyes? That's a big win for the Final Fantasy XIV fashion fanatics.

The post Final Fantasy XIV fashion fanatics are winning in its next big update appeared first on Destructoid.

There haven’t been many fighting games that I’ve really connected with. I’m not a competitive person by nature, and it’s a genre that is built around competition. The two times I really got into fighting games were a rivalry with my brother-in-law around Street Fighter II and another with a college friend over Soul Calibur 3. I still play them with some regularity, but I just have a hard time falling into them and continuing after beating the arcade mode a couple of times.

1997’s Bloody Roar was recommended to me a few times, but I only now got around to playing it. This is despite owning a copy of it, given to me by a friend who was cleaning out their basement. If I had known how firmly I would click with it, I would have definitely gotten around to it sooner.

[caption id="attachment_394235" align="alignnone" width="640"] Screenshot by Destructoid[/caption]

A bloody good time

Bloody Roar was published by Hudson back in 1997 and developed by Raizing Co, a Japanese developer founded by former members of Toaplan. It was strangely released in North American arcades as Beastorizer, but on PS1 as its Japanese name of Bloody Roar.

It’s worth noting that in arcades, it was released using the hardware commonly (but not officially) known as the Sony ZN-1. Why is that important? Well, the Sony ZN-1 is essentially the arcade version of the PlayStation. I’m not quite familiar enough to be able to confirm that Hudson didn’t make any of their own custom tweaks to the arcade hardware, but the PS1 port is, under mild scrutiny, pretty much exactly the same as the arcade version. It just has some home console tweaks, like a new cinematic intro that looks dopey in that very specific early-3D way.

Speaking of early-3D, Bloody Roar landed during the 3D fighting craze that followed in the wake of 1993’s Virtua Fighter. It’s very similar to other games of its particular sub-genre. It uses three buttons (five if you have sidestepping turned on), and each level is a square stage. However, you can only ring out opponents if wall-breaking is turned on. The walls can either be broken by finishers only or just by bashing your opponent into them enough times. It’s your choice.

However, I think the official rules lean toward finisher breaks only. If your strategy in other games leaned toward ring-outs, then you’ll have to come up with a new technique.

[caption id="attachment_394237" align="alignnone" width="640"] Screenshot by Destructoid[/caption]

Select your fursona

Oh, I haven’t even gotten to Bloody Roar’s main hook. Everyone’s a furry! All the fighters can transform into anthropomorphic animals, and that’s where the main strategy comes from. You have a gauge that fills as you attack and get attacked, and you choose when to transform into beast mode. Once you’re in your fursuit, your character is more powerful, heals some of the damage caused to them, and gets a whole new set of moves. It gives you a major advantage.

The strategy comes from when to use this ability. Once you’re in beast mode, your gauge becomes a bit like a second health bar. It depletes as you take damage, and once it’s empty, you’re transformed back into a boring fleshy human. There’s a risk and reward to using it, and likewise, when your opponent unleashes their fur, then it’s time to get aggressive as you try to knock them out of it. There’s a cooldown period before they can transform again, so that might be a good chance to turn the tables.

It’s interesting because while the combat is simple and easy to learn, the strategy of transformation keeps things interesting. There are lots of combos to learn, and the fighting is very impactful and flows well. For a game that only uses two buttons, with another being unlocked via transformation, there’s a great deal of depth to be had.

[caption id="attachment_394241" align="alignnone" width="640"] Screenshot by Destructoid[/caption]

Go ask Alice

I wound up choosing Alice as my main. This is largely because she transforms into a bunny, an animal I have an affinity for. She clicked with me immediately, helped by the fact that she has a brutal spinning roundhouse kick and one of her grabs has her perform a Frankensteiner on her opponent.

Bloody Roar has a standard arcade mode, as well as versus and survival. It’s pretty standard for the time period. The story involves the Tyron Corporation, who created the “Zoanthropes” as weapons. They plan on brainwashing them, but a bunch of them break out, and that’s the cast of Bloody Roar. Like many fighting games of the era, the story doesn’t play into the game much. You get an end credit cutscene that you may or may not understand based on whether or not you read up on the background.

Strangely, at its default difficulty, I found Bloody Roar to be kind of easy. Most fighting games start you off against an opponent that barely competes before building you up to a big cheap boss that can read your mind. However, your first fight in Bloody Roar isn’t a complete pushover, and the last fights aren’t much harder. The boss isn’t entirely easy, but they aren’t cheap either.

[caption id="attachment_394242" align="alignnone" width="640"] Screenshot by Destructoid[/caption]

Follow the white rabbit

A lot of this kind of points to Bloody Roar being intended for competitive play. Unfortunately, it was before the time when online competition was really a thing, so I’d have to rope someone into a rivalry. Maybe someday.

It’s unfortunate because I clicked with Bloody Roar in a way that’s rare for me with fighting games. I want to build my skill with it and get better, but without direct competition, it’s hard to find the motivation. At the very least I have the rest of the series to play through. I’ve already managed to grab a copy of 1998’s Bloody Roar 2. There are five games in total for the series, with it ending completely in 2003.

The company that owns the license, Hudson, went bust in 2012, with all assets being bought up by Konami. They’re not the worst possible rights holders at the moment, but they certainly rank. I would be far beyond jazzed to see a compilation or new title in the series, especially one with online play. At the moment, you can at least grab the game using the PlayStation store on PS3 as part of the PSone classics lineup. That’s something.

For other retro titles you may have missed, click right here!

The post Bloody Roar is far overdue for a return appeared first on Destructoid.

Just one week has passed since we last sat around the campfire for a Diablo 4 Campfire Chat with the Diablo team. This Campfire Chat primarily focuses on the upcoming 1.1.1. patch as part of their promise to provide balance changes and discussion before a patch rather than afterward.

My initial response is mostly positive. The Sorcerer changes are pretty monumental, offering improved survivability and removing some of the unnecessary annoyances the class has. But, we have to keep in mind just how disappointing patch 1.1.0 was across the board. It's never a net positive if you're taking one step forward but just recently took three steps back. Join me as we dive into the July 28 patch 1.1.1 Diablo 4 Campfire Chat recap.

[caption id="attachment_394253" align="alignnone" width="640"] Image via Activision Blizzard[/caption]

General changes

The bulk of this patch looks like it will revolve around class balance, primarily for Sorcerer. But, there are some general changes and quality-of-life improvements that are worth mentioning.

• Another Stash Tab will be available to purchase with gold. Still not enough, but we'll take all we can get.
• The pointless increase to five seconds for dungeon teleport time in patch 1.1.0 will revert back to three seconds.
• Monster density will increase in Nightmare Dungeons and Helltides.
• Respec costs are being reduced by 40%. Once again, respecs shouldn't cost anything but hey, we'll take what we can get!
• A few of the more annoying Nightmare Dungeon Affixes are being taken out of the game. Examples provided included Resource Dragin, Cold Enchanted, and Backstabber.
• Legendary item drop rates will increase in many forms of content. Dungeons will have a higher chance to drop Legendaries. Legion Events and encounters with The Butcher will drop a guaranteed Legendary. Furthermore, Treasure Goblins will have a 50% increased chance to drop a Legendary item starting at Level 35.
• Uniques will become more viable. Hopefully, this includes The Oculus.
• The effectiveness of Ultimate abilities is increased in the late game.

The team also referenced some future changes that won't be in this patch. Most of their concerns seem to revolve around increasing build diversity in the game, which I agree should be a priority.

[caption id="attachment_394254" align="alignnone" width="640"] Image via Activision Blizzard[/caption]

Changes for all classes in patch 1.1.1.

All five Diablo 4 classes are getting some changes with patch 1.1.1. Sorcerer and Barbarian definitely are getting the majority of the changes, but it's nice to see all classes getting some love.

• Most Sorcerer skills, passives, paragons, and Legendaries will see buffs. Furthermore, Sorcerer-specific Aspects will provide only benefits, and no longer have downsides. In the example provided, Serpentine Aspect will still increase the number of Hydras you can have active, but will no longer reduce their duration. Also, Sorcerers will see bolstered survivability.
• At a quick glance, the Barbarian changes seem rather paltry. I'm not sure they will have much of an effect except maybe in the early game. In a nutshell, basic skill damage is being increased and some Barbarian-specific Legendary and Unique items are receiving increased benefits. Most skill changes seem to only be increasing their Fury generation. Which, while nice, won't fix some of their current mid to late game issues.
• There weren't many Rogue changes but it seems as though the team is trying to create more favorable build possibilities other than what's currently available. Rain of Arrows, Forceful Arrow, and Invigorating Strike are all getting buffs. I'm not sure if that's enough to inspire players to try those builds.
• Druids and Necromancers are both having their minion builds increased. Minions will deal more damage and take less damage across the board. The surprise nerfs to minions when Diablo 4 released made their builds pretty unplayable until now, so I'm glad to see this change. Furthermore, Druids will have increased Spirit generation and Necromancers are finally getting a fix to their Imperfectly Balanced passive.

That pretty much wraps up the bigger points for our Diablo 4 Campfire Chat recap. Patch 1.1.1 will launch on August 8. The full list of patch notes will be available almost a week earlier on August 2.

The post Diablo 4 Campfire Chat Recap – There’s hope for Sorcerer appeared first on Destructoid.

Arc System Works has announced that they are porting 1992’s Super Double Dragon and 2003’s Double Dragon Advance to modern platforms. In addition to that, there will also be a physical release of the two titles combined with the NES Double Dragon 1-3 as well as the modern Double Dragon IV. Unfortunately, the physical collection is Asia only.

Super Double Dragon is the fourth-ish title in the series. It was also the last one to be worked on by the series' original developer, Technos. Although, series director Yoshihisa Kishimoto did return for 2017’s Double Dragon IV. Which is funny to me because he is credited with working on Super Double Dragon. So Double Dragon IV isn’t really the fourth official title in the series? Agh, my head hurts.

[caption id="attachment_394138" align="alignnone" width="640"] Image via Arc System Works[/caption]

Anyway, it received a rather lukewarm reception in its initial 1992 release. This is reportedly due to a lot of the game being rushed. It’s not bad, but the belt-scrolling brawler genre was starting to get pretty glutted at the point following the success of 1989’s Final Fight.

Super Bimmy & Jimmy Advance

Meanwhile, Double Dragon Advance is something of a remake of the original game. It was tweaked in many ways to include elements that were added to the series over time. It was originally conceived to just be this one big Double Dragon blow-out, where characters and elements from all across the property were crushed in one game, but Atlus would only pony up for the smallest available Game Boy Advance ROM size, which was 32 MB. Director Muneki Ebinuma says that he cut out over half the planned game to fit it into this limited space.

The result was another title that received a lukewarm reception. Once again, it isn’t bad, it just isn’t great.

[caption id="attachment_394135" align="alignnone" width="640"] Image via Arc System Works[/caption]

However, I’m happy to see the titles get modern ports. It'd be awesome if Arc System Works brought back staff to finish the games, but that’s easier said than done. If you’re worried about not getting the physical version, you can import it from Asia, as all the titles will be available in English. Otherwise, you can complete the set with the Double Dragon & Kunio-kun: Retro Brawler Bundle as well as plain ‘ol Double Dragon IV.

Double Dragon Advance and Super Double Dragon will arrive on PS4, Xbox One, Switch, and PC on November 9. They will be sold separately.

The post Double Dragon Advance and Super Double Dragon are being re-released November 9 appeared first on Destructoid.

A new expansion, platform, collaboration and more were all announced for Final Fantasy XIV. This year's Final Fantasy XIV Fan Fest really seemed to roll a ton out.

The big news is, of course, the reveal of 7.0 and the new expansion, Dawntrail. It'll see the Warrior of Light (that's you, player) set off for the New World that's been mentioned in content like the Blue Mage quests, now officially named as Tural.

And the Scions will be getting deeply involved with the local politics again, it seems. A competition for the throne is heating up, which draws the WoL and friends in, and may even see the Scions face off on opposite sides. It's intriguing, for sure. Though it's some testy potential subject matter to handle, the tropical setting does make for a great showcase of all the graphical updates Square Enix is rolling out.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=onGE1-I2T6Y

Normally, the expansion would be the big headline. But today's Final Fantasy XIV Fan Fest keynote also had a surprise guest: Xbox head Phil Spencer. Taking the stage alongside XIV director and producer Naoki Yoshida, and later the new Square Enix CEO Takashi Kiryu, they officially announced that Final Fantasy XIV is coming to Xbox.

Xbox Series X|S consoles will be able to join in the MMO, starting with an open beta set for sometime next year. Spencer and Kiryu both intimated that this was the start of a greater collaboration between Xbox and the Final Fantasy team, which will surely set speculation ablaze for a little while.

All of that, plus some 6.5X news and teases, a Fall Guys collaboration in the works, and of course, Hildibrand. Final Fantasy XIV has a ton in store for 2024, it seems. Here's all that lies ahead.

All of the headlines from the Final Fantasy XIV Fan Fest keynote

• Final Fantasy XIV’s next expansion Dawntrail charts a course for summer 2024
• Final Fantasy XIV: Dawntrail will introduce two new DPS jobs
• Final Fantasy XIV: Dawntrail is getting a massive graphical update
• Final Fantasy XIV is coming to Xbox
• Final Fantasy XIV is expanding its free trial to include Stormblood

The post Everything shown at today’s Final Fantasy XIV Fan Fest keynote appeared first on Destructoid.

The long-awaited graphical update to Final Fantasy XIV is coming in version 7.0 with the Final Fantasy XIV: Dawntrail expansion. During the Final Fantasy XIV Fan Fest, Director and Producer Naoki Yoshida confirmed the new graphical update would include enhancements that push FF14's engine even further.

Square Enix has teased that some visual upgrades were coming as we reach a decade since the release of Final Fantasy XIV: A Realm Reborn. As part of the update, several graphical systems will be getting improvements that will be visible in the new expansion as well as throughout previous expansions.

[caption id="attachment_394213" align="alignnone" width="640"] Image via Square Enix[/caption]

Eorzea 2.0

Plenty of enhancements are coming as part of the update, including improvements to the screen-wide aesthetic appeal. Higher-resolution textures and shadows will be used for the new assets in the expansion, and over time the team plans to go back and update previous expansions starting with FF14:ARR.

Furthermore, various materials are getting a big quality improvement. Yoshida pointed out that metals will look more metallic and have an improved shiny luster to them.

Yoshida wanted to be clear that the goal is to preserve the overall look and feel of Eorzea while providing some enhancements when available. This isn't some sort of big overhaul, but rather subtle improvements across the board.

Finally, the enhancements have allowed Square Enix to ramp up the foliage in the game. Plants have more detail than ever before, which will be noticeable in the Dawntrail.

[caption id="attachment_394218" align="alignnone" width="640"] Image via Square Enix[/caption]

New textures & dye system

The new textures will help bring every race to life with more definition. Skin will look more realistic rather than overly smooth. Of course, the Viera looks the most improved. Roegadyn and Hrothgar both looked a lot more detailed as well, though.

Also, the dye system is getting a big upgrade as well. In the new system, gear can now have two separate dyes applied to them. However, this upgrade will take some time to roll out to existing equipment, once again focusing on new content and then working its way through previous expansions.

[caption id="attachment_394217" align="alignnone" width="640"] Image via Square Enix[/caption]

System requirements are changing with the upgrade

With the improved graphics, the system requirements for the game have increased slightly.

As you can see from the provided image, the minimum system requirements still aren't that hefty. That being said, if you've been able to scrape by on an older system you may have to make some upgrades for the Dawntrail expansion.

The post Final Fantasy XIV: Dawntrail is getting a massive graphical update appeared first on Destructoid.

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.

The post Final Fantasy XIV is coming to Xbox appeared first on Destructoid.

Final Fantasy XIV continues to deliver an info-packed Fanfest live from Las Vegas Nevada, and series producer Naoki "Yoshi P" Yoshida announced some really great news for prospective players: the free trial is getting an upgrade.

Yoshida mentioned that the trial will be coming with the release of patch 6.5, which is expected to go live sometime in September. As is the case with most patches (even smaller ones), Square Enix is very careful in terms of when it provides exact dates (or even windows) of when updates might drop. But even still, it's coming! And we won't have to wait until 2024's Dawntrail expansion to take advantage of it.

[caption id="attachment_394203" align="alignnone" width="640"] Image via Square Enix[/caption]

Square Enix has slowly made its Final Fantasy XIV free trial more generous over the years

Slowly but surely, Square Enix has been adding more expansions into the mix. Originally the free trial only included A Realm Reborn (back in 2014!), but it eventually expanded to Heavensward (in 2019), and now, Stormblood. It would stand to reason that Shadowbringers could arrive at some point. All you free players are in for a treat if that happens!

If you haven't dove into Final Fantasy XIV yet, we have a full guide on how to maximize your free trial here.

The Stormblood free trial is coming to Xbox, too

In case you missed it, Final Fantasy XIV is coming to Xbox Series X/S, and Xbox platforms will include the free trial:

"Additionally, you may have seen some copypasta lurking around the internet pertaining to a certain free trial… well, rest assured, the Final Fantasy XIV Online Expanded Free Trial will indeed be coming to Xbox Series X|S, meaning you too will be able to enjoy the entirety of A Realm Reborn as well as the award-winning Heavensward and Stormblood expansions up to level 70 with no restrictions on playtime!"

The post Final Fantasy XIV is expanding its free trial to include Stormblood appeared first on Destructoid.

The Final Fantasy XIV Fan Fest kicked off to an explosive start with the reveal of the Dawntrail expansion. While details about this new expansion remain relatively light, we did receive confirmation that two new jobs will come to the game with the launch of 7.0.

Director and Producer Naoki Yoshida announced on stage that both jobs will continue to fill out our DPS role options. Specifically, we'll see one melee DPS job as well as one magic ranged DPS join the game. These match the roles added when Stormblood came out in 2017, so we'll have to see if this marks a pattern for future expansions. Will new Tank and ranged DPS options come in 8.0?

While the job reveals may seem like business as usual, they do come in response to some community unrest. With 20 different jobs in the game, each receiving updates every expansion, some worried that Square Enix wouldn't keep up the pace of adding two jobs each expansion moving into the future. Additionally, with Endwalker concluding the game's story that began with A Realm Reborn, Dawntrail would mark a natural point to set new precedents. Fortunately, it seems like we will see a steady influx of new jobs to play for the time being.

As for what the jobs will specifically entail, we can only guess at this point. However, as has been tradition, Yoshida removed his sweater to reveal the shirt he was wearing underneath. For those not in the loop, Yoshida's shirts at Fan Fest have always acted as a vague hint for job reveals. In this case, we have the Ninja Turtles.

[caption id="attachment_394191" align="alignnone" width="640"] Screenshot via Square Enix Twitch[/caption]

Honestly, your guess is as good as mine as to what this might mean. Maybe we'll get a melee staff user? Perhaps a weapon master who switches equipment mid combat? Or we'll literally just play as an Adamantoise that can rapidly spin around as it flies in the air. I'll be excited to find out as we approach Dawntrail's release in Summer 2024.

The post Final Fantasy XIV: Dawntrail will introduce two new DPS jobs appeared first on Destructoid.

Square Enix is setting out for new horizons in its next expansion. Final Fantasy XIV will get its next expansion Dawntrail in summer 2024.

Revealed at today's Final Fantasy XIV Fan Fest, the trailer spotlights the new locales that the Warrior of Light and (former) Scions will be visiting in the next expansion. Dubbed Final Fantasy XIV Dawntrail, the journey takes the crew into the New World. If you've been keeping up with Blue Mage content, you might already know a bit about this landmass.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=onGE1-I2T6Y

Director and producer Naoki Yoshida describes this new expansion as the "very best summer vacation" a hero can have. The Warrior of Light heads to the New World, a.k.a. Tural, to aid someone in a rite of succession, which takes them out across the Indigo Deep. And this adventure will also apparently see the Scions "divided" into opposing groups.

On an exciting note, we do see Endwalker favorite Erenville playing a big role, it seems. We also caught glimpses of the rest of the Scions adventuring around, eating some incredible-looking food, and taking in the sights.

[caption id="attachment_394144" align="alignnone" width="640"] Image via Square Enix[/caption]

A new arc

Since Endwalker brought an end to the major arc starting with A Realm Reborn, Square Enix is framing the Dawntrail expansion of Final Fantasy XIV as the start of a new journey. The general theme is a "journey of discovery." Personally, I'm curious to see how this pans out.

What's also really neat is to see the world map expand with this expansion. The new hub city is in Tuliyollal, the seat of the federal nation-state governing Tural. It's ruled by a two-headed Mamool Ja named Gulool Ja Ja, who's hosting the competition to see who will succeed him.

[caption id="attachment_394158" align="alignnone" width="640"] Image via Square Enix[/caption]

We got a good look at the new areas players will be visiting. It's got a lush tropical vibe, which all looks very good with the graphics update. "We’ve never been able to create such dense foliage in a forest before," Yoshida mentioned as the XIV head took the audience through different snapshots of both the hub and outlying areas.

The Pelupelu are a new tribe, and familiar to those who have played some Final Fantasy X-2. They're a smaller race and dig coffee, which is relatable.

Upping the cap

Of course, the level cap will tick up, from Level 90 to Level 100. Final Fantasy XIV will finally hit triple-digits, and new skills will arrive for all Jobs. Crafter and Gatherer will go up in cap, too.

And with a new expansion comes new jobs, too. Two new DPS jobs will arrive, one melee and one ranged magical attacker. Yoshida gave a hint, in the form of a TMNT: Mutant Mayhem shirt. No clue.

New dungeons, threats, and content will arrive too, with Normal and Hard versions. We got some artwork of one of the bosses, the legendary Valigarmanda.

[caption id="attachment_394173" align="alignnone" width="640"] Image via Square Enix[/caption]

Duty Support will also get an update, as well as new Gear and Recipes for Crafters and Gatherers. There will also be new Variant Dungeons, and new Raid content for Alliance, 8-player, and the Ultimate players out there. PvPers will get an update too, including new maps for Frontline.

Somehow, impossibly, inconceivably, even further adventures

Even more ongoing content is on the way, including new updates for Blue Mage, new plans for Deep Dungeons, and Inconceivably Further Hildibrand Adventures. And a Gold Saucer update is on the way, too. (It's not Blitzball.)

We also got a big look at all the graphical updates coming as part of the 7.0 update, a.k.a. the Dawntrail expansion. They look pretty solid, and Yoshida says the team is working to go back and update content all the way back to 2.0, or A Realm Reborn. Auto-generated environments will also roll out, and it really looks like it's filling out some of the areas in earlier content.

Some big systemic updates are hitting too, including one very exciting one for glam fans: two dyes per gear piece! Eyeglasses are also being added as a separate piece, which can be equipped independently of headgear. The furnishing limit is getting increased at some point in the 7.X cycle, too. Raid players can also rejoice: a strategy board function is on the way, with editable strategy layouts.

Requirements shift

With all the new graphical updates, the system requirements are also going up for PC Final Fantasy XIV players.

[caption id="attachment_394193" align="alignnone" width="640"] Image via Square Enix[/caption]

The PlayStation 4 will still be supported for Final Fantasy XIV: Dawntrail, so no jump to PS5 just yet. Though, as Yoshida mentions, there is another Final Fantasy on PS5 that you could check out too.

That's all for 7.0 today at Final Fantasy XIV Fan Fest, but there's plenty of other news for crossovers and upcoming pre-7.0 patchs. Looks like there's quite a lot on the way for the critically acclaimed MMORPG.

The post Final Fantasy XIV’s next expansion Dawntrail charts a course for summer 2024 appeared first on Destructoid.

Savage Gauntlet, Exoprimal's new full-on co-op mode, is now live. Savage Gauntlet is a new game mode tailored specifically for PVE lovers. It features no direct PVP elements and tasks five exofighters with joining forces to overcome a weekly Dinogauntlet.

Capcom warns that Savage Gauntlet is a high-difficulty challenge for experienced players and that it will keep on rotating its rules and scenarios every week to keep it fresh and harsh.

It'll still feature some degree of player competition

On top of fighting against the game's AI, Savage Gauntlet also invites the community to compete for the fastest completion time on the global leaderboards for each platform. This challenge consists of time-attack missions that you can replay as many times as you want. This will allow players to develop the necessary strategies and skills required to achieve the best possible ranks.

Capcom teases that the most successful squads will earn awards for their service.

How to enter the Savage Gauntlet - requirements

All Exoprimal players can access Savage Gauntlet for free. You don't need the Survival Pass, but there's one catch. Accessing this expert gauntlet requires players to have beaten the game's main campaign, which may take up around 20 hours of playtime.

New missions begin each week on Thursdays at 8pm PDT. They'll end on Mondays at 7:59pm PDT, giving you a nice three days and one minute to rest.

[caption id="attachment_385216" align="alignnone" width="1200"] Image by Capcom[/caption]

What else is new

Exoprimal is getting seasonal updates rife with awesome new content. On top of the new gauntlet mode, Season 1 will release 10 new Alpha variant exosuits on August 16. Variant exosuits are classes that feature contrasting weapon loadouts and playstyles to the classic ones.

Season 2 will begin in mid-October. It will introduce a new map, mission type, rigs, Modules, and a Street Fighter 6 crossover. Season 3 will hit in January of the next year. It will introduce more variant exosuits, a Neo Triceratops boss, and a Monster Hunter crossover.

Exoprimal sure doesn't seem like it's going extinct anytime soon. You can play it on Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, Windows, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, and PC (Steam).

The post Exoprimal’s Savage Gauntlet co-op mode is out appeared first on Destructoid.

Today should be a fun one with three bigger streaming events scheduled in the gaming world. I'll be watching all three and want to invite you to join me in an exciting Friday triple-header stream session!

First, the Final Fantasy XIV Fan Fest kicks off at 1 p.m. ET with a 1.5 hour Keynote presented by FF14 Director and Producer Naoki Yoshida. You can watch along on their Twitch or YouTube once the Fan Fest starts.

Next up we have a Diablo 4 Campfire Chat at 2 p.m. ET. Don't worry, you're not crazy. We just had one of these Campfire Chats on July 21. The Campfire Chat will be streamed on the official Diablo Twitch and YouTube channels once live.

Finally, to round out the day, ExileCon begins at 6 p.m. ET with a Keynote presented by Grinding Gear Games Producer and Developer Chris Wilson. ExileCon will be available live on the Path of Exile Twitch and YouTube channels when they begin.

Now let's take a look at what's can expect from each of the three events, so you know if there's something you might want to watch! Also, as each event starts we will update this post to include an embed of the stream so you can watch along with us.

Final Fantasy XIV Fan Fest

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=--_vb2j_qDo

Fans are holding out hope we'll get at least some sort of information about update 7.0, the next expansion for Final Fantasy XIV. Square Enix has not confirmed or denied what we will see in the Keynote. This is the fifth annual fan festival for FF14, and is primarily a chance for fans of the MMORPG to meet up and share their passion for the game. While no date's been set, we probably won't get a new expansion until 2024. Therefore, time-wise it's possible we see some sort of reveal today, but also possible we don't until the winter months.

Surprise, expansion! Here's everything shown at today's Final Fantasy XIV Fan Fest keynote.

[caption id="attachment_394120" align="alignnone" width="640"] Image via Activision Blizzard[/caption]

Diablo 4 Campfire Chat

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c5N91g5uMxg

No, you're not crazy. We just had one of these Campfire Chats on July 21. But a week ago the Diablo team promised better communication moving forward, starting with a planned Campfire Chat for today to discuss the upcoming patch 1.1.1. The update will focus on Class balance changes primarily with the Sorcerer and Barbarian. Furthermore, a variety of quality-of-life updates were teased for the upcoming patch so chances are we will hear more details about them as well. Finally, last week the team confirmed the release of patch 1.1.1 would follow soon after this Campfire Chat so it's likely we will get a date for it as well.

Well, that's a wrap! Check out our Diablo 4 Campfire Chat recap here.

[caption id="attachment_394122" align="alignnone" width="640"] Image via Grinding Gear Games[/caption]

Path of Exile at ExileCon

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vvah-HfhkYc

Fans of Path of Exile are in for a treat. After four years the second ExileCon ever is finally here, and it's sure to be a big one. Grinding Gear Games has confirmed Path of Exile 2 will be a big component of this year's event. It's likely we'll see some more in-depth gameplay and feature reveals, as PoE2 has been teased quite a bit over the last few months at other events like Summer Game Fest. It's even possible we'll finally get a release date. Also, patch 3.22—the new Path of Exile season—will be revealed today. We can expect a video showing off the new league mechanic as well as any new features and items being added to PoE with the update. Grinding Gear Games has admitted that this will be a big event, so who knows what else we may see.

The post Let’s watch today’s Final Fantasy XIV/Diablo 4/Path of Exile triple-header appeared first on Destructoid.

The Suikoden successor Eiyuden Chronicle: Hundred Heroes is pushing back its launch date. Developer Rabbit & Bear Studios announced today that it won't be launching this year, as the studio aims for a Q2 2024 window instead.

Originally set to launch in 2023, Rabbit & Bear is opting for some more time to deliver the RPG they want. Here's an excerpt from the Kickstarter backer update:

"In order to deliver a game that so many fans have supported, we announce a revised release date of Eiyuden Chronicle: Hundred Heroes, with the game now due during Calendar Year Q2 of 2024. The decision was made in order to ensure the best possible story, and to reward the legion of backers with the best game experience possible."

On the upside, there's some new gameplay to view today. There's also a dev update from Yoshitaka Murayama, the director. Murayama says he has already completed the story, including the DLC, and is now working on setting material and supervising the "detailed text."

Character illustrator Junko Kawano also shared some art updates, including a look at the three protagonists of the prequel action-RPG Eiyuden Chronicle: Rising in their Hundred Heroes looks. And CJ, Isha, and Garoo all look great.

[caption id="attachment_394116" align="alignnone" width="640"] Edit by Destructoid via Rabbit & Bear Studios[/caption]

We also get a look at some other voice reveals, and a tease of more information to come. Kawano says the team hopes to have new information around the time of Tokyo Game Show (TGS) 2023.

Gathering the Hundred Heroes

While it's a bummer of a delay, 2023 is already pretty stacked with huge games. Two big RPGs are set to arrive in the next month or so, with both Baldur's Gate 3 and Starfield. So getting a little extra space for Eiyuden is probably a good thing, for both the dev team and eager RPG fans.

Given how surprisingly well Eiyuden Chronicle: Rising turned out, I'm hopeful for Hundred Heroes. Hopefully, we can see some more of it in action soon, and we'll get a clearer idea of what the whole game looks like as we approach that new window in 2024.

The post Eiyuden Chronicle: Hundred Heroes has been pushed back to Q2 2024 appeared first on Destructoid.

Super Smash Bros. has cemented itself not just in fighting game history, but the gaming pantheon as a whole. It's not just an all-star fighter; it also has a ton of heart to it, and redefined just how far crossovers could go in the industry. As a result, series boss Masahiro Sakurai feels a justifiable sense of ownership of it, as evidenced by his many talks in recent months via his semi-new YouTube series.

The almighty question is: what happens next? Not even Sakurai knows for sure if his new video is any indication.

Sakurai talks about the uncertain future of Smash Bros.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MammcQ3XkpY

In a new video posted to his official YouTube account titled "The Team Behind Super Smash Bros. Brawl [Grab Bag]," Sakurai talks at length about Brawl, and exactly how it came to be behind closed doors. He recalls how then-president Satoru Iwata mentioned that if Sakura was not involved, the scope would be significantly smaller; as there were "unique difficulties and challenges" behind developing the game. As a result, Sakurai joined up so it was done right.

At the five-minute mark, Sakurai perks up and gets serious, in an attempt to answer "What happens next time?" As in, how another Smash Bros. entry after Ultimate would pan out.

Here's what he had to say:

"One option would be to separate the series itself from the original creator. But for now, at least, I can't really imagine a Smash Bros. title without me. You might think that's a natural stance for someone in my role, but I say so speaking objectively. I feel the same way President Iwata did when we formed the team for Smash Bros. Brawl. At present, we don't have someone who can simply take the reins."

Well, that's a pretty comprehensive answer! Sakurai follows up by noting that it's a massively popular series, "so it's fair to assume there will be another one at some point." He would "like to keep working with Nintendo however [he is] able."

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The PS5 launched in 2020 with a slew of promises, including faster loading times and a slew of eye-catching games. The system delivers many of those features, though feats such as 8K gaming remain a dream. Nevertheless, the public has clearly warmed to the PS5, and it is already celebrating 40 million units sold globally.

[caption id="attachment_394087" align="alignnone" width="640"] Screenshot by Destructoid.[/caption]

A new milestone for the PS5

The PS5 initially launched at a bit of a tumultuous time. On one hand, the console may have benefited from COVID-19 quarantining which kept people at home. However, it also had to contend with the global microchip shortage which kept supply of the system well below demand.

Despite the obstacles, Sony has managed to sell over 40 million PS5s globally. To put things into perspective, the PS4 took 30 months to sell 40 million units after it launched in November 2013. The PS5 has achieved the feat in 32 months, which is about the same time.

The console sits ahead of classics such as the Xbox and GameCube, which both sold around 21 million units in their lifetimes. However, it still has a long way to go if it wants to surpass the PS4's 114 million units sold, the Switch with its incredible 125 million units, or the indomitable PS2 which has sold 159 million units worldwide.

This year, Sony has been keeping the console relevant with new peripheral hardware. The PS VR2 was released in February, and its library features titles like Horizon: Call of the Mountain and Pavlov VR. Sony also plans to release the handheld streaming device codenamed Q, though time will tell how the public receives the curious gadget.

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After a decade-long hiatus, we finally have a new mainline Pikmin mainline entry in our hands. The adorable plant creatures are back, and this time they are joined by Oatchi the lovable rescue pup. Though the series has struggled a bit in the past, Pikmin 4 has made quite a splash since its launch, managing to reach the top of the Japan sales charts.

[caption id="attachment_394079" align="alignnone" width="640"] Screenshot by Destructoid.[/caption]

Pikmin 4 has a successful launch

As revealed by Gemastu, Pikmin 4 has sold 401,853 physical copies in its first week. This strong opening surpasses the first-week sales of all three prior games combined. Nintendo has been doing a great job of keeping players Pikmin-crazy all year, as the Pikmin 1+2 bundle was made available on the Switch in June.

With Pikmin 4 at the number one spot, The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom slides to second place on the Japan sales charts after several weeks at the top. Despite this, Link’s latest adventure still manages to sell exceedingly well, with 15,616 physical copies sold in Japan between July 17 and 23. This brings up the lifetime physical sales in Japan to 1,775,035.

For context, you can find the complete list below. Lifetime sales in brackets if applicable:

1: Pikmin 4 (Switch) – 401,853
2: The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom (Switch) – 15,616 (1,775,035)
3. Mario Kart 8 Deluxe (Switch) - 10,749 (5,385,022)
4. Nobunaga’s Ambition: Awakening (Switch) - 10,633
5. Nobunaga’s Ambition: Awakening (PS4) - 10,434
6. Minecraft (Switch) - 7,512 (3,200,000)
7. Splatoon 3 (Switch) - 6,337 (4,066,350)
8. Nintendo Switch Sports (Switch) - 5,784 (1,131,645)
9. Final Fantasy 16 (PS5) - 4,904 (401,376)
10. Super Smash Bros. Ultimate (Switch) - 4,844 (5,239,500)

As usual, the Nintendo Switch dominates the sales charts. Though some are eager for a successor to the handheld, the charts illustrate that players are still getting plenty of life out of it.

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Ravenage Games has dropped their ‘80s throwback dual-stick shooter, Mega City Police, on PC today. You can nab it on Steam, GOG, and Epic Games Store.

Mega City Police is really nostalgic for the ‘80s. You play as legally distinct versions of various action heroes and dole out justice from the end of their guns. Every scene in the trailer is depicted under a CRT filter, and I wouldn’t have it any other way.

https://youtu.be/lsYhwmKWqXo

Mega City Police comes touting eight playable characters with 16 different abilities. More impressively, it has more than 100 weapons and upgrades! I’m not sure if that is “100 weapons including upgrades” or “100 weapons that you can upgrade.” This is played underneath the pulsing tones of a synth-wave soundtrack. It’s also a roguelite, which I know means that half of you stopped reading. For those of you that remain, the levels are procedurally assembled, and there’s “a robust progression system.”

I can dig its vibes. I like dual-stick shooters and synth-wave. However, what really stands out to me in the trailer is the character selection screen. I just want to hang around in that police station. Those donuts look great.

Mega City Police is available today on Steam, GOG, and Epic Games Store. Following release, Ravenage Games has announced that “the game will get 5 free expansions with new secret levels, agents, and couch coop.”

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We're edging ever closer to the release of Starfield. Bethesda's long-awaited sci-fi game has been a source of scrutiny and deep dives pretty much since day one. Using all the screenshots, teasers, and any other information that's out there, fans have managed to piece together a detailed map of this unreleased title, which includes a 1,000-page compendium.

Starfield fans are thorough, is the long and the short of it. But someone has recently discovered that the RPG may not be the perfect culmination of years of development after all, as it turns out there's a very small spelling error.

https://www.reddit.com/r/Starfield/comments/15aqomq/starfield_state_of_the_at/

In a post over on Reddit, user Ambitious_Back4748 has uploaded a screenshot from Starfield which shows a close-up of a pretty meaty gun. However, one particular aspect of this weapon has been circled. When the image is zoomed in, you can see the words "State of the at Weapon Frame." Presumably, this should read "State of the art."

Cancel your pre-orders, everyone!

It's a very tiny error, but it's just one more proof that dedicated gamers pay a lot of attention to marketing material. If you want to check out which bit this very specific screenshot is from, you can watch the Starfield Direct video, which went live a month ago.

You still need to be pretty quick on the pause button, though. The actual close-up of the gun happens for barely a second at around the 39:12 mark. Seriously, it's one that can be so easily missed, it's a wonder anyone spotted it at all.

Whether Bethesda will rectify this spelling mistake or not remains to be seen. Still, it's not as if it's going to tarnish the already immense hype surrounding one of the biggest releases of this generation. Gamers aren't that finicky, right?

Starfield will be launching on September 6 for PC and Xbox Series X|S.

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Season 5 of Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 and Warzone are almost upon us, and they'll be bringing plenty of new events, weapons, operators, and more. This season seeks to celebrate 50 years of hip-hop, and players can expect lots of free content related to the subculture, including cameos from icons such as Nicki Minaj.

[caption id="attachment_394038" align="alignnone" width="640"] Image via Infinity Ward.[/caption]

Call of Duty Season 5 gets hip

Season 5 of Modern Warfare 2 and Warzone begins on August 2 at 9 AM PT across all platforms. As part of the franchise's celebration of 50 years of hip-hop, everyone who logs in between August 7 and 16 on four separate days will receive free hip-hop War Tracks from the 80s, 90s, and 2000s.

Additionally, new operators will be added in Call of Duty Season 5, and some of them will please hip-hop fans. Snoop Dogg's operator will be available, and he is seen holding a custom blue rifle. This isn't the first time the rapper has teamed up with Call of Duty, as in 2014 he lent his voice talents to the franchise.

Nicki Minaj will also be available, making the pink-haired rapper the franchise's first-ever self-named female operator. An operator bundle featuring rapper 21 Savage is also planned.

With Season 5, the Prestige Rank cap will be raised from 17 to 21, and the new maximum level cap will be 1050. Reach Prestige Rank 21, and you'll receive an exclusive Kastov-74u Weapon Blueprint.

Modern Warfare 2 was a hit for the franchise, becoming the fastest title in the Call of Duty series to generate $1 billion in revenue. Continued updates with surprising twists will ensure the user base remains active.

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Developers Ludosity and Fair Play Labs have just revealed Nickelodeon All-Star Brawl 2, the follow-up to its 2021 Super Smash Bros.-inspired brawler All-Star Brawl.

On top of all the memes that you can spot right now in the trailer, publisher GameMill Entertainment announces it has improved upon the original game in every way. The original character roster and stages are returning, and they've all gone through a mega glow-up.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KDlOIc9HsyA

What's new in the All-Star Brawl?

There's also going to be a lot of new stuff. Expect new characters, mini-games, and even a whole new single-player campaign. Both Squidward and Jimmy Neutron are confirmed for the roster this time around, too.

In the campaign, players will be up against Vlad Plasmius of Danny Phantom fame as he tries to conquer the whole universe. The daunting task will hopefully turn easier with the addition of new "Supers", which similar to the "Final Smash" moves from Super Smash Bros., are ultimate moves meant to get rid of your foes in epic fashion.

The new minigames are Pinch the Blimps, Whack-a-Bot, and Irken Armada Bootcamp Survival. We still don't know what their gameplay will be like exactly. We do know, however, that you can play them either with friends or by yourself against the world as you strive to get to the top of the global leaderboard.

All characters in All-Star Brawl 2 will now have voices, which is nice, as the first game received criticism for its lack of voices. All-Star Brawl 2 will feature talent like Tom Kenny and Bill Fagerbakke from SpongeBob SquarePants.

All-Star Brawl 2 comes out later this year. It will also have full cross-platform play for Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, Playstation 5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S, and Steam.

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It’s been a year since Game of the Year winner Elden Ring first lit our tarnished souls on fire, and FromSoftware looks determined to keep kindling that flame. Players can download the game’s 1.10 patch today, which brings a few key balance changes to The Lands Between.

As far as overall balance goes, we have a few buffs to critical hits (i.e. what happens when you backstab). Not only are these moves wholesale stronger, but they now inflict greater poise damage as well. We also have “decreased recovery time after a missed critical hit” listed here. It's a merry crit-mas from FromSoftware.

That said, this patch also brings a few PvP adjustments. Three of the six changes focus on poise adjustments, and the skills “Quick Step” and “Hound’s Step” have decreased invulnerability windows. This section vaguely states that this patch “decreased the damage reduction granted by some skills, incantations and items” without specifying what this affects. Guess they expect players to figure it out on their own in classic Souls fashion.

Oh, also, critical hit angles have been extended in PvP too. This patch really is the gift that keeps on critting.

Rounding out the Elden Ring 1.10 patch are a few bug fixes. Again, these read a little vague, but players apparently won't have their attack direction unintentionally shifted around as much now. Other fixes include preventing the Sacred Order skill from persisting after you change weapons, as well as making it so certain spells and incantations won't cause damage while certain effects are active.

Check out the patch notes here if you want to see them for yourself.

[caption id="attachment_356578" align="alignnone" width="640"] Image via FromSoftware[/caption]

Just some balance adjustments

Overall, this patch mostly impacts players still invested in Elden Ring’s PvP scene. Nothing here will get a lapsed player to jump back in the game, unless they didn’t feel they met a critical hit quota, in which case go to town I suppose. That said, I’ll never object to seeing a game receive continued support. As long as that support addresses what the community wants, anyway.

The 1.10 patch of course comes ahead of the Shadow of the Erdtree DLC for Elden Ring, which still does not have a release window as of writing. While I wouldn’t recommend holding your breath waiting, I imagine any proper new content will release alongside that. If Shadow of the Erdtree is like previous Souls DLC, it should be a good time.

In the meantime, you can find Elden Ring on PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S, and PC.

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Sega has reminded us that Two Point Campus is a whole-year-old with a celebration. From now until July 31st, you can play the weird post-secondary institution simulator for free on Steam. There’s also a sale if you decide you want to be BFFs with it.

Two Point Campus is the follow-up to Two Point Studios’ 2018 Two Point Hospital. Rather than endanger lives by performing surgery with undertrained staff, Two Point Campus has you setting youthful education seekers up for life by saddling them with insurmountable debt. You do so by putting them through wacky courses to polish up their culinary and archeology skills.

The sale on Two Point Campus isn’t just for the PC version. The PlayStation (August 2-16) and Xbox (now until August 7) ports are also getting discounted 50%. No word on the Switch. The two DLC expansions are also on sale and can be bought in a bundle.

It’s well worth it. Not only did I give it high marks in my review of it last year, but I also selected it for a place on my prestigious Top 10 Picks of 2022 list. Every time a new DLC pack drops, I eagerly pick it up again. Something about the weird Two Point universe of daft, hapless puppet-people keeps me coming back. Speaking of which, I feel like we’re due for another expansion. I’m surprised one wasn’t announced alongside the celebration.

Two Point Campus is available on PC, Switch, Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S, PS4, and PS5.

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Devolver Digital has announced that The Cosmic Wheel Sisterhood will come out on August 16. This is the new game by Deconstructeam, the studio behind hits such as Gods Will Be Watching and The Red Strings Club, so expectations are set for another narrative hit.

https://twitter.com/devolverdigital/status/1684217007456280576?s=20

But what is The Cosmic Wheel Sisterhood?

The beginning of the trailer is reminiscientof a kind of magical realism we see in games such as Kentucky Route Zero. Still, The Cosmic Wheel Sisterhood doesn't waste time revealing that it'll be even more magical than expected.

It tells the story of Fortuna, a witch who lived in exile on an asteroid until she made a pact with some sort of space devil to gain back her freedom. She then reunites with her coven on Earth and goes on a mystical journey through space and time, where she'll come to terms with her abilities and responsibilities.

The Cosmic Wheel Sisterhood is a narrative adventure. It'll put a lot of emphasis on the journey and relationships with Fortuna's coven and with the friends she'll make along the way, but it will also feature more technical gameplay elements.

[caption id="attachment_393923" align="alignnone" width="1200"] Image by Devolver Digital[/caption]

Gods Will Be Witching

Fortuna is an arcane witch. She can craft special tarot-like cards that will grant her the ability to revisit the past and foresee various possible futures for the people she meets. This mechanic will invite us to have a positive impact on the lives of every character she comes in contact with. Will we make things better?

It seems like we might be looking at one of those games that you'll have to replay a few times to finally get that perfect ending, and that's great.

The Cosmic Wheel Sisterhood will release on Nintendo Switch and PC on August 16. Pre-ordering it on Steam will get you 10% off.

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