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Directive 8020 revealed as the next chapter of The Dark Pictures Anthology

Od: Tuffcub

Supermassive Games have revealed the next game in The Dark Pictures Anthology and, as we found out quite a while ago, it’s called Directive 8020. This time we are off into space for some body horror, checkout the trailer.

I don’t think Supermassive would mind us saying that The Dark Pictures Anthology format had got a little stale after four games so it’s nice to see they are switching things up for this new release. “In a dramatic step forward for the series, the game features persistent real-time threats, all-new stealth gameplay mechanics, and enhanced interactive cinematics powered by Unreal Engine 5,” they say.

The game will feature Hollywood actor Lashana Lynch who you may have caught in Bob Marley: One Love or the superb The Woman King. Here’s more from Supermassive:

“Earth is dying and humanity is running out of time. 12 light years from home, Tau Ceti f offers a small sliver of hope. When the colony ship Cassiopeia crash lands on the planet, its crew soon realize they are far from being alone.”

“Hunted by an alien organism capable of mimicking its prey, the crew of the Cassiopeia must outwit their pursuers to make it home alive. As they battle to survive, they are confronted with the hardest choice of all: to save themselves, they must risk the lives of everyone on Earth. In space, death takes many forms.

  • Next-Gen Cinematic Survival Horror – Experience immersive cinematic storytelling and edge-of-your-seat horror on a deep space mission to save humanity.
  • Real-Time Alien Threats – Evade a deadly alien threat that roams the dark corridors of the ship, intent on eradicating human life. Overcome your enemies using improvised weapons, lightning reflexes, and stealth.
  • Trust No One – Encounter an alien lifeform that perfectly imitates its prey. Years of training and trust are lost among the crew when their enemy hides in plain sight. Who is human and who is not? Your choices are now more important than ever!”

Directive 8020

Source: YouTube / Press release

Dying Light: The Beast brings back a fan favourite character

Od: Tuffcub

Dying Light: The Beast is a new stand alone game that brings back Kyle Crane from the first Dying Light game and it’s DLC. Kyle was absent from Dying Light 2, probably because at the end of The Following players could experience two different endings and neither of them were particularly… healthy.

The game is set thirteen years since Kyle was last seen and finds him exploring the post-apocalyptic Castor Woods, a once-popular tourist destination. The area is populated with human factions as well as monsters including “the mysterious creature that’s turned the woods into its personal hunting grounds.”

As you might have gathered Kylie is no longer fully human. “Years of brutal experimentation took its toll, but the zombie DNA and yours are now intertwined so that you are able to unleash a beast-like power,” say Techland. “It flows through your veins. No one can take it from you. Use it. And you’ll discover it’s not just a curse.”

Voice actor Roger Craig Smith will be returning to the role of Kyle Crane. “Stepping back into Kyle Crane’s shoes feels like a reunion with an old friend,” Smith said. “And even though he’s gone through a terrible time, there’s still plenty of legendary hero left in him.”

The extra nice news is that if you own  Dying Light 2: Stay Human Ultimate Edition you will get The Beast for free!

“Development of Dying Light: The Beast originally started as a story DLC for Dying Light 2 Stay Human. But after two years of work, its size and scope has changed so much that it evolved into a standalone, self-contained experience,” say Techland. “To show appreciation for the community who patiently waited for the DLC, Techland will be offering Dying Light: The Beast at no extra cost to all owners of the Dying Light 2 Stay Human Ultimate Edition, delivering a full standalone adventure instead of just a DLC.”

Dying Light: The Beas coming to to PC via Steam and the Epic Games Store, Xbox and PlayStation – and that includes last gen  – but no release date has been given.

The Beast The Beast The Beast

Source: YouTube / Press Release

Mafia: The Old Country announced at the end of Opening Night Live

Od: Tuffcub

Rumours of a new Mafia game have been floating around for a while and they have now been confirmed with the reveal of Mafia: The Old Country. This time you will be heading to the 1900s Sicily underworld and the game will be out on PS5, Xbox Series X|S and PC via Steam.

“Uncover the origins of organized crime with a gritty mob story set in the brutal underworld of 1900s Sicily. Fight to survive in this dangerous and unforgiving era, with action brought to life by the authentic realism and rich storytelling that the critically acclaimed Mafia series is known for.”

“Across the first three entries in the Mafia franchise, we introduced players to the world of the Mafia through brutal stories set in different eras,” said Nick Baynes, President of Hangar 13. “In Mafia: The Old Country, we’re going back to the roots of what fans love about the franchise, crafting a deep, linear narrative with that classic mob movie feeling, visiting a stunning new setting, and delivering it all in a tight, focused package perfect for fans of immersive experiences.”

A full reveal of the game will occur in December, so I would guess that would be at The Game Awards 2024.

Mafia The Old Country

Source: YouTube / 2K

Indiana Jones is coming to PS5, but only after Xbox and PC December release

Od: Stefan L

Well, there we go. Indiana Jones and the Great Circle is coming to PlayStation 5.

After months and months of only talking about the game in terms of Xbox Series X|S and PC, MachineGames had Geoff Keighley do the dirty work and confirm that the Indy adventure will also come to PlayStation 5, as part of Microsoft’s broadening push for cross-platform gaming.

However, there will still be a period of exclusivity. Indiana Jones and the Great Circle comes to Xbox Series X|S and PC on 9th  December 2025 – and on Xbox Game Pass Utlimate of course, while you can play three days early by pre-ordering the Premium Edition, Premium Edition Upgrade, or Collector’s Edition. The PlayStation 5 port will traipse along a few months later in Spring 2025.

Here’s a new trailer with Troy Baker exploring the world in which he will take on the role of Indiana Jones:

This will only further the rumours that Microsoft will bring practically everything to PlayStation 5 in the fullness of time – rumours earlier this year already suggested that Indiana Jones was on the way over, alongside Starfield, and potentially even Halo.

Indiana Jones and the Great Circle is a mixed first and third person action adventure set between Raiders of the Lost Arc and The Last Crusade in 1937, and includes characters from the original film returning including Doctor Marcus Brody, originally played by Denholm Elliott. Doctor Jones is working late at Marshall College but is woken up late to find a rather imposing thief stealing a sacred relic. He then heads to Vatican to figure out why that one particular relic was stolen. From there the story will take players to Sukhothai, the Pyramids, the Himalayas and beyond.

The iconic whip naturally makes an appearance and can be used for attacking enemies to stun them, pull their legs and more, as a distraction in stealth, or for swinging around the environments, and there will be plenty of puzzles for Indy to solve. While it’s mainly a first person game, it will swap to third person when certain actions are performed, such as climbing, and for cutscenes.

Delta Force: Hawk Ops looks like a Battlefield & Ghost Recon fan’s dream game

Od: Stefan L

TiMi Studios’s Team Jade has shared a fresh look at Delta Force: Hawk Ops, announcing that the game will be playable during the next Steam Next Fest in October, before kicking off PC Early Access in Q4 of this year. The game is coming to PS5, PS4, PC and mobile.

Delta Force: Hawk Ops is set to be a free-to-play online FPS, reviving the classic game franchise for a modern audience. The Delta Force will return with a lot of high tech and upgraded weapons within a dynamic world. Large scale multiplayer battles look like they will have the kind of vehicular combat and building destruction that will appeal to Battlefield fans, while there’s also the kinds of high tech gadgetry that has come to define Ghost Recon games of late.

There will be multiple game modes, including Havoc Warfare, which will include battles across land, sea and air, while Hazard Operations shifts gears for an extraction shooter form. There’s also a Black Hawk Down campaign that is inspired by the Ridley Scott film.

The game has been in development for a while, first at NovaLogic, before the rights were acquired by Tencent and development duties handed over to TiMi Studios, who are best known for having developed Call of Duty: Mobile.

Monster Hunter Wilds gets an electric new gameplay trailer

Od: Stefan L

Capcom has shared a good long look at Monster Hunter Wilds for Gamescom Opening Night Live, featuring plenty of big beastie battling. Monster Hunter Wilds is in development for PS5, Xbox Series X|S and PC, and it’s coming out in 2025.

The third trailer for the game revealed the new Scarlet Forest locale, introduced us to battles with the Lala Barina, as well as the apex predator, the Rey Dau. Oh, and of course there was some new ways to cook and camp on show. Everybody loves cooking in games.

Capcom recently ran through the gamut of weapons and abilities that you’ll have available to you with a series of short and pithy individual video trailers – see the first of those here.

Players will have access to new gadgets and companions like the Seikret, a new creature that you can mount and ride across the open world. The Seikret can also automatically follow the trail to get you to the target monster, and give you time to heal, sharpen your weapons and grab useful items and materials that you meander past. It also has a holster to let you swap between primary and secondary weapons.

Then there’s the Slinger, which is standard gear for hunters in Monster Hunter Wilds and will replace the Wirebug from Monster Hunter Rise. It can shoot out ammo gathered in the environment, and can grapple to draw in distant items (even while riding the Seikret), or interact with certain parts of the environment.

And you have Focus Mode, a new mechanic and combat technique, letting you aim your attacks and guards more precisely. They will now go in the direction the camera is facing, giving you more manual control. Focus Mode will highlight wounds on monsters, which you’ll then want to directly target to deal extra damage. It also enables Focus Strikes, which are particular special attacks.

REANIMAL revealed by the creators of Little Nightmares

Od: Stefan L

Tarsier Studios, the original developers behind the hit horror puzzler Little Nightmares, have announced their next horror game, REANIMAL. The game is in development for PS5, Xbox Series X|S and PC.

Reanimal looks to keep a lot of the same kind of terror and tone as Little Nightmares, but will feature a new world, setting and menace, while putting co-op play front and centre. The story follows a brother & sister as they go through this hellish world to try and find their missing friends and then escape a place that they used to call home.

You’ll always play as a duo, whether that’s playing solo with an AI buddy, or in co-op, with support for both local and online play – you can pick which of the two you want to play as. There’s a shared, directed camera to try and keep you together, sharing the scares along the way, and there will naturally be plenty of gameplay elements that rely on the two of you to work together to progress and escape.

Reanimal siblings screenshot

This fantastical new horror setting is a fragmented island that you’ll explore by boat and on land, with the game keeping the “small people being hunted by bigger creatures” vibe of Little Nightmares. The horror that is now haunting them, and which tore apart their world stems from a shared past that they have with their friends, and has unleashed monsters with more of an animalistic feel. Tarsier is trying to imbue this world with a sense of violence, so that even an otherwise pleasant pine forest is twisted with nastiness, an industrial region is fogged up and threatening, and there’s literal violence in how the kids’ home was destroyed.

We’re big fans of the Little Nightmares games, and while Bandai Namco is taking that series forward with Supermassive Games taking over the reigns for Little Nightmares III, it’s great to see Tarsier continuing to explore this genre and style of horror game with Reanimal.

Arc Raiders re-emerges with a 2025 release target

Od: Stefan L

One of the most compelling game announcements from a few years ago, Arc Raiders has re-emerged with developer AEmbark Studios confirming a 2025 release date for the PvPvE shooter.

The trailer was very spartan, to be honest, showing next to nothing compared even to the original announcement, but we do have some trailer blurb:

ARC Raiders is third-person PvPvE action survival shooter coming in 2025. Take on the role of a Raider, fighting for your own survival and that of your underground colony of Speranza — scavenging and hunting for resources that must be extracted home safely from the surface.

Arc Raiders was announced back in 2021 at The Game Awards, initially with a 2022 release target, which it then slipped from. A message from the team – helmed by ex-Battlefield lead Patrick Söderlund – explained that they need more time to expand their upcoming co-op shooter.

Geoff Keighley say sthat the game has undergone a lot of changes, but we’ll just have to take his word for it until there’s a big gameplay re-reveal. One of the key differences seems to be the shift to PvPvE, and not just PvE gameplay.

Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 campaign revealed in a new trailer

Od: Tuffcub

Gamescom Opening Live has kicked off with a new look at Call of Duty: Black Ops 6. The video shows part of the Most Wanted level from the Campaign, Epic would be one word to describe the footage, check it out.

“While the Gulf War commands the global spotlight, a shadowy clandestine force has infiltrated the highest levels of the CIA, branding anyone who resists as traitors. Exiled from their agency and country that once hailed them as heroes, Black Ops veteran Frank Woods and his team find themselves hunted by the military machine that created them.”

The video also shows off a new feature which they have called Omnimovement. “Across the entire game, players will push beyond their limits with several new global innovations, including omnimovement, the most fluid boots-on-the-ground Call of Duty movement to date, that utilizes the ability to seamlessly chain combat maneuvers in any direction.”

As usual the game will include multiplayer with 16 new maps at launch, including 12 core 6v6 maps and 4 Strike maps that can be played 2v2 or 6v6. There will also be the “return of a more traditional Prestige system, bigger and more rewarding than ever.”

Of course there is also a zombies mode, “Black Ops 6 also marks the return of Round-Based Zombies, the fan-favorite mode where players will take down hordes of the undead in two brand-new maps at launch. Post-launch, players can look forward to even more exciting maps and groundbreaking experiences dropping into both Multiplayer and Zombies.”

There are two versions available to pre-order. The “Cross Gen Standard Edition” includes:

  • Call of Duty: Black Ops 6
  • Early Access to the Open Beta
  • Woods Operator Pack
  • Reflect 115 Camo Pack

There is also the “Vault Edition” that includes

  • Call of Duty: Black Ops 6
  • Early Access to the Open Beta
  • Woods Operator Pack
  • Reflect 115 Camo Pack
  • Hunters vs. Hunted Operator Pack
  • Mastercraft Weapon Collection
  • BlackCell (1 Season)
  • GobbleGum Pack for Zombies

Source: YouTube / Activision

Borderlands 4 is coming in 2025

Od: Stefan L

Hot on the heels of the Borderlands film release, Gearbox has announced that Borderlands 4 is coming… and it’s coming next year in 2025!

All that we have is this teaser trailer at this time, depicting a vast crystalline attack on a moon and planet, before the now iconic Psycho bandit mask is revealed to confim that yes, this is Borderlands 4. “The next Borderlands” was confirmed to be in development earlier this year, but this states clearly that it’s the next numbered entry in the series.

This announcement is sure to go down well amongst series fans. While the film did… not meet expectations, there’s still a huge amount of love for the Borderlands series and its spin-offs – Tiny Tina’s Wonderlands. We defniitely preferred Wonderlands to Borderlands 3, in large part for the tone and style of humour, and hope Gearbox strikes a fresh balance between the two.

We said of Borderlands 3, “I’ve got very mixed feelings about Borderlands 3. Overall I like it and it’s fun to play, but it could have been so much more and the writing feels like time traveling back to your high school days and being surprised and a little disappointed at how immature everyone is. Few things in life are as embarrassing as the person you were five years ago. If you’re not embarrassed, then I’m sorry to say that you may well be the Borderlands 3 of your friend group; stuck in the past unable to grow or change in any meaningful way, relying on fart jokes as a stand-in for your personality.”

Earlier this year, Take-Two acquired Gearbox from Embracer for $460 million – paid for in newly created stocks that Embracer is expected to cash out as soon as possible to help ease their cashflow problems. Borderlands 4 would have been deep into development at the time, pushing Take-Two to make the acquisition of one of their key money-makers. They also acquired the Homeworld, Risk of Rain, Brothers in Arms and Duke Nukem IP at the same time.

Jackbox Naughty Pack’s adult-only party drops on 12th September

Od: Stefan L

Jackbox Games has announced that Jackbox Naughty Pack, their first adults-only collection of minigames, will launch across all major platforms on 12th September 2024.

Depending on your friends group, you might be confused that this is the first naughty pack, when you can pretty much make all of the games in the series a bit filthy, just from your own answers and creative endeavours, but Jackbox Games is leaning into that aspect with a trio of games.

They are:

  • Fakin’ It All Night Long (Social Deduction): A returning sequel to Fakin’ It, this game will assign one Faker per round and it is up to the group to determine which player is lying when asked questions such as “Put a finger up for every public restroom you’ve used today”. This game introduces a brand-new “remote play” mode so that everyone can join even if they’re not in the same room. 3 – 8 players.
  • Dirty Drawful (Drawing, Guessing): Another returning sequel, this game challenges players to draw a picture based off of the dirty prompt they receive on their phones. Their mission is to convince everyone else that their prompt best fits the drawing, or if they’re the artist, to best match the correct prompt. 3 – 8 players.
  • Let Me Finish (Debate): This new presentation game examines life’s serious questions like, “Where is this mailbox’s butt?” or “How does this avocado get aroused?” Everyone gets a chance to speak their mind, but will others pick up what you’re putting down? 3 – 8 players.

Jackbox Naughty Pack will be priced at $21.69 / €21.69, which isn’t that far off from a regular pack, which typically includes five games. That could be a disappointment for people, though as long as these are three absolute bangers, that wouldn’t be too bad.

The tenth entry in the long-running party game series arrived last year with Jason saying, “Jackbox Party Pack 10 is one of the stronger entries in the Jackbox pantheon, and I’m a big fan of it as a whole. Each game has its own pacing, and while I do think everyone will find their favourites as always, the mix feels very good this time around, and even the trivia game is fun. This is a great party pack that’ll be a good addition to any game night. Apart from Dodo Re Mi – I hope those digital birds stay eaten.”

Kong: Survivor Instinct announced for PC and Consoles

Od: Tuffcub

If you took a guess at the many. many games that could have influenced a King Kong game I doubt you would have guessed “Flashback” even if you did have one hundred guesses, but that appears to be the case with Kong: Survivor Instinct.

Set in the official Monsterverse the game is set shortly after the events of 2021’s Godzilla vs. Kong and finds you playing a father searching for his lost daughter in the wreckage of a city.  It will also include the first ever appearance of Abaddon, a giant spider Titan who is briefly referenced but never seen in the film. Hopefully it will be better than the last Kong game!

“7Levels has brilliantly captured a unique corner of the Monsterverse through a gripping 2.5D action-adventure experience, weaving in a very human storyline,” said Legendary Entertainment’s VP of Interactive Media Sam Rappaport. “Experiencing the narrative through the eyes of a civilian, unaffiliated with any agencies, adds a layer of realism and emotional depth that we hope will resonate with our fans.”

Here are the key features;

Key Features

  • True Monsterverse Adventure – Influence the Titans with Monarch tech and use their enormous strength to your advantage as you navigate a treacherous maze of collapsing buildings, toxic leaks, and raging fires. Scavenge for resources, weapons, and tools to solve environmental puzzles and defend yourself against both human and monster enemies.
  • Face the Legendary Kong – Explore and survive as you encounter Kong in all his majestic glory, face the formidable Abaddon, and confront other new and returning superspecies and Titans! Whether you scavenge through half-destroyed buildings or fight off mercenaries, these enormous monsters are nearby, directly or indirectly impacting your gameplay. Though the Titans pose a lethal threat, you can—and must—influence their behavior with the ORCA Σ, a new prototype inspired by Monarch’s technology.
  • Alan Jonah Returns – Discover an official Monsterverse story set shortly after the events of Godzilla vs. Kong. Stand your ground against the Hyenas, a mercenary group led by Alan Jonah. Reemerging after the events of Godzilla: King of the Monsters, the former eco-terrorist leader returns in Kong: Kong: Survivor Instinct with a new villainous scheme.
  • A Father’s Mission to Rescue His Daughter – Take on the role of David, an oil rig worker braving a crumbling city to find your only child, Stacy. Make your way through the districts while encountering fellow survivors taking shelter among the rubble, mourning their loved ones or on the verge of giving up hope. Feel the awe-inspiring terror Titans bring upon a city through the eyes of a father desperate to find his daughter!

Kong: Survivor Instinct will be launching later this year on PC, PS5, and Xbox Series X|S. Yep, no last gen or Switch versions which seems slightly odd, it doesn’t look like it be too much of a push to get it running on a Switch.

Source: Press release/YouTube

Sky Oceans: Wings for Hire will set sail in October

Od: Stefan L

PQube and developer Octeto Studios have revealed the release date for Sky Oceans: Wings for Hire, their homage to classic skyfaring JRPG adventures. The game will launch for PS5, Xbox Series X|S, Nintendo Switch and PC on 10th october.

Sky Oceans: Wings for Hire follows Glenn Windwalker as he sails through the skies and takes a rag-tag bunch of pirates into battle. There will be a lot of action taking place in the skies, with a turn-based battle system for the aerial combat, but you’ll also set foot on solid ground to explore locations around the world and converse with other characters.

It’s pretty clear that Sky Oceans is a tribute to the classic Skies of Arcadia series, both in terms of the setting and the visual style, but we’d expect that this game can also carve out its own niche and gameplay direction. This feels like it will be right at home on handhelds like Switch and Steam Deck.

A demo for the game is available right now on Steam, if you want to check it out now.

Check out two new trailers for Silent Hill 2

Od: Tuffcub

We have two new videos for the remake of Silent Hill 2 from Konami which will be landing on 8th October. The first is almost all cut scenes and gives you an idea of the story of the game.

This second video is from footage from a preview event earlier this month in Japan. This is a preview build so may not be exactly the same as the final game, and the video focuses on the new features that are found in the game, as well as a decent look at combat which has also been enhanced. Just a quick note, the English captions are auto generated from the Japanese so they’re not perfect.

In development by Bloober Team, Silent Hill 2 is a big step up for the studio, but one that absolutely makes sense. They’re best known for their work on psychological horror games like Layers of Fear, Observer and The Medium. That experience will be vital when updating a game made and designed for the limitations of the PlayStation 2 hardware in 2001.

In terms of the core gameplay, Silent Hill 2 will most noticeably be transformed by a shift away from fixed cameras and tank controls to over-the-shoulder and a more modern control scheme, similar to the treatment that Capcom gave to their Resident Evil remakes.

Of course, there’s also a massive leap forward graphically, with Bloober Team tapping into Unreal Engine 5 and all the cutting edge technology that this features like Lumen for realistic lighting effects and Nanite for exceptionally detailed 3D modelling and texturing.

It had been a while since Silent Hill 2 was first announced back in 2022 – of course, it had been heavily rumoured for a good long time before then – but true to their word, it seems that development had been progressing smoothly in the time since then.

Silent Hill 2 will be released on 8th October 2024 for PC and PlayStation 5.

Monster Hunter Wilds videos explain Focus Mode, Seikret riding & the Slinger

Od: Stefan L

Capcom has released a trio of short explainer videos for Monster Hunter Wilds, the next game in the hit monster hunting series, showcasing both core gameplay fundamentals for the Seikret and Slinger, as well as the new Focus Mode.

Let’s start with the basic mechanics:

This video digs into the absolute basics, such as how hunter have both sheathed and drawn weapon states, with the former allowing faster movement and the use of items. It also shows off the Seikret, a new creature that you can mount and ride across the open world. The Seikret can also automatically follow the trail to get you to the target monster, and give you time to heal, sharpen your weapons and grab useful items and materials that you meander past. It also has a holster to let you swap between primary and secondary weapons.

Then there’s the Slinger, which is standard gear for hunters in Monster Hunter Wilds and will replace the Wirebug from Monster Hunter Rise. It can shoot out ammo gathered in the environment, and can grapple to draw in distant items (even while riding the Seikret), or interact with certain parts of the environment. Pretty handy!

Focus Mode is a new mechanic and combat technique, letting you aim your attacks and guards more precisely. They will now go in the direction the camera is facing, giving you more manual control. Focus Mode will highlight wounds on monsters, which you’ll then want to directly target to deal extra damage. It also enables Focus Strikes, which are particular special attacks.

And finally, there’s a look at the Great Sword, one of the many weapons that will feature in Monster Hunter Wilds. A series staple, this is at the slower, heavier end of the scale, but the weapon overview video shows how it can be used with hit-and-run tactics, can guard, and then how Focus Mode can deal massive damage.

Monster Hunter Wilds is coming to PS5, Xbox Series X|S and PC in 2025. With two big trailers for the game shown so far – see them here and here – the next is expected to be released during Opening Night Live for Gamescom 2024 later this month.

Yakuza Wars could be the title of Sega’s next Yakuza game

A recent Sega trademark filing could point towards the title of the next game in the Yakuza franchise. According to Trademark Watch (spotted by our friends at Gematsu) the Sonic the Hedgehog publisher trademarked the name “Yakuza Wars” late last month.

Details on the next Yakuza game are pretty sparse for now, but with TGS 2024 fast approaching (taking place between the 26th and 29th of September) Sega is expected to make a new Yakuza reveal. What we do know is that the team at Ryu Ga Gotoku Studio are teasing another surprise twist for the popular series, potentially introducing a new setting or protagonist, or maybe even shifting genre. The name “Yakuza Wars” suggests more of a strategic focus, perhaps allowing players to manage their own Yakuza clans, recruit famed gangsters, and war for territory.

When did Yakuza become so popular?

After years spent shrouded in obscurity, the Yakuza series witnessed a sudden burst of popularity among western gamers around a decade ago with the launch of Yakuza 0 and a much-requested English port of Yakuza 5. Sega was quick to harness this momentum, releasing “Kiwami” remasters of the first 2 games, which originally launched exclusively on PlayStation 2.

For the seventh mainline instalment, the developers decided on a drastic change of direction. Yakuza was known for its frenetic action-fuelled combat, immersive open world, and bizarre humour, but the team at RGG Studio wanted to change that formula. Not only did Yakuza 7 (titled “Yakuza: Like a Dragon” in western markets) introduce a new player character – Ichiban Kasuga – it featured traditional turn-based JRPG gameplay. This year’s sequel, Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth would refine this new template but whether Sega will triple dip for the upcoming Yakuza Wars (or whatever the next Yakuza game will be called) is a mystery for now.

Looking to get into the series? There are a few good entry points with Yakuza 0 being a solid prequel for those wanting to kickstart the full Yakuza timeline. You can also skip ahead to Yakuza Kimawi which is a remaster of the first game or, if JRPGs are your thing, then Like a Dragon may be geared more towards your tastes.

The upcoming Amazon Prime series should also serve as a handy primer, though we’re not quite sure just how much it will deviate from the video games. That will be launching on October 24th.

Shooter-MOBA hybrid Predecessor launches August 20th

The shooter-MOBA hybrid that is Predecessor is moving from open beta to a full release on August 20th, Omeda Studios has confirmed. The idea for Predecessor game from the fall of Epic Games’ own MOBA, Paragon, building upon the ideas that were present in that game. Predecessor moved into open beta in March this year, with over a million people playing it.

During the open beta phase, Omeda Studios added Ranked mode, Brawl mode, and the two new heroes Terra and Aurora. There have also been balance fixes along with new skins added too. Predecessor has 35 playable characters each with their own abilities and skills. The game has also been developed in Unreal Engine 5, and supports cross-platform play. Skins can be purchased in the game using in game currency too. The key details are below.

  • Truly Unique Gameplay – With the core of a MOBA but the mechanics of a third-person shooter/brawler, Predecessor offers a visceral experience that other MOBAs lack, while rewarding teamwork and strategy in a way many shooters overlook.
  • Over 35 playable characters – Predecessor’s deep character roster contains over 30 unique Heroes with distinct play styles and abilities. 
  • The Only Unreal Engine 5 MOBA – Created in Unreal Engine 5, Predecessor is the only MOBA to be developed in Unreal’s latest engine. This new state-of-the-art game engine produces high-resolution and high-fidelity graphics for current and previous gen consoles. 
  • Play with Friends, No Matter Where They Are – Predecessor was developed with both console and PC gamers in mind with cross-play functionality so friends can play together regardless of their platform.
  • Earnable In-Game Content – Predecessor features a ton of rewards, including custom skins, for players to earn or purchase with in-game currency. 

Source: Press Release

Darksiders is back: watch the teaser now

It seems out of nowhere THQ Nordic and Gunfire Games have confirmed that a Darksiders game is in development, but outside of a teaser we do not know whether this is Darksiders 4, another spin off, a prequel, or a remake. You can see the teaser below, which gives very little away but it is sure to excite Darksiders fans.

The only clue given is the tagline, which is “Be Prepared to Ride Again.” That could point to either a sequel to the original Darksiders, carrying on from the final scene which saw the other Horsemen coming to join War. It also could allude to a remake of the first game, which did already get a remastered version when it was re-released as Darksiders Warmastered Edition back in 2016. It could be another game entirely, starring one of the other Horsemen. Darksiders II had Death as the main character, Darksiders III had Fury, and Darksiders Genesis saw War and Strife as the playable characters. Ideally, this will be Darksiders 4 which will see the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse working together.

UPDATE: At the very end of the trailer you can see the words “Originally developed by Vigil Games” which does suggest this is yet another remake or remaster of Darksiders 1 or 2, or both.

Darksiders Genesis Review 

Darksiders Genesis was the last Darksiders game to release, launching in 2019. In our review, Dom said, “Despite the fundamental changes to the series’ viewpoint, Darksiders Genesis feels like a true Darksiders game, and banishes any memory of the lacklustre third entry.”

That third lacklustre entry, Darksiders III, got a 7/10 in our review. Thomas said, “Darksiders III, while more limited in scope than its predecessor, provides a tighter, more deliberate experience that elaborates on the lore we’ve seen so far. The smaller world of Darksiders 3 may disappoint some fans of the previous game, but this feels like a reboot of the series. Poor PC performance, a lack of side-objectives and some unimaginative world-design point to a game with ambitions bigger than its budget, but Darksiders III is a fun and challenging experience that kept me engaged across the length of its story.”

Source: YouTube

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