Game Infliction, Author at Game Infliction

Talking Point: So, When Will Nintendo Announce Its Next Console?

Grab your dartboard.

Another year, another round of ‘New Nintendo Switch Pro/2/+/On/Up/Over’ rumours. Whispers of new or updated Switch hardware have been doing the rounds since practically the launch of the console back in 2017, and the start of 2023 has brought with it a fresh round of speculation as to when exactly Nintendo will debut its next video game console.

Announcing and launching new hardware are two very different things, of course, but Switch will soon be entering its seventh year on store shelves and it’s getting to the point where, based on the evidence of past console cycles, official news of a true successor can’t be too far off — even given Nintendo’s willingness to subvert expectations, to leave Sony and Microsoft to fight over hardware specs since the Wii era, and to lean into its catalogue of evergreen games which keep its hardware selling well into its twilight years.

Read the full article on nintendolife.com

Start Your One Piece Odyssey Adventure with the Free Demo Available Today

One Piece Odyssey’s release is just around the corner and to give everyone a head start, a demo of this new turn-based RPG is available now on Xbox Series X|S.

When you begin, you’ll see our main cast, known as the Straw Hat Pirates, get sucked into a storm, thrown onto a mysterious island, and separated. They must find each other, meet the locals, and fight off the new enemies they meet along the way. That means we get to see our heroes in action and get hands-on experience with the turn-based combat.

Your favorite pirate crew is all here

Luffy – The captain who ate a Devil Fruit, which made him able to bend and stretch his body as if he was made of rubber.
Zoro – The master swordsman who uses a three-sword fighting style.
Nami – The ship’s navigator and skilled con artist who uses her “Clima-Tact” to fight by controlling the weather.
Usopp – A sharp shooting slingshot user, afraid of most conflict.
Sanji – A skilled cook who reserves his hands just for cooking and fights only with his feet.
Chopper – Part reindeer, part human, full-time doctor on the ship.
Robin – The ship’s archaeologist who ate a Devil Fruit which gave her the ability to create duplicate limbs from any surface.
Franky – The shipwright and cyborg with super-human strength and weapons built into his body.
Brook – Musician and skeleton whose soul can separate from his body… or what’s left of it.

Each Straw Hat has their own combat specialty, which are often their iconic moves from the One Piece series. You’ll get to utilize everyone’s unique abilities not only to fight, but to get around the map. During dungeon exploration, use Luffy and his stretchable limbs to pull yourself across the map with Gum Gum Slingshot, or take advantage of Chopper’s small size to crawl through tight spaces.

In each fight, your party members and enemies occupy different positions on the battlefield. This allows you to land close-range, long-range, and group attacks depending on your location, so you’ll have to make sure each Straw Hat is in the right spot to take advantage of their abilities. Thankfully, the game lets you swap party members positions throughout the fight. You can even pull party members into the fight who weren’t on the field. Usopp too close to a group of enemies? Switch him out with Sanji. No healing items available? Have Chopper tap in to take care of damaged friends. Later in the game, you can even harness the power of friendship with “Bond Arts,” a powerful ability that Straw Hats execute together, which you can unlock through side quests.

During battle there’s a chance you’ll trigger a “Dramatic Scene,” which is an extra task to complete in exchange for bonus experience and loot. In a “Dramatic Scene,” you might be tasked with defeating an enemy with a particular member or in a certain number of turns. Completing these gives you a huge boost in leveling and helps you quickly progress through the game. Another way to get ahead in big fights is to eat food items that give you a buff. While you can’t get Sanji’s ability-buffing food in the demo, you can still pick up ingredients that can help you during smaller fights and can be used for cooking better recipes once you transfer your demo save into the main game.

Fans of the series get the chance to jump into an adventure with their favorite crew and and fight iconic enemies from some of the team’s biggest battles. You also get to experience a new world with new characters, some designed by One Piece creator Eiichiro Oda himself! Even if you’ve never seen the One Piece anime or manga, the game will be a great first introduction as you get to discover what it means to be a Straw Hat Pirate and get a taste of life on the Grand Line.

If you’re curious to try out the first One Piece turn-based RPG, you can download the One Piece Odyssey demo today! Your progress in the demo transfers to the full game, but make sure to pre-order to secure even more bonuses for when it’s released on January 13.

ONE PIECE ODYSSEY

Bandai Namco Entertainment America Inc.

☆☆☆☆☆

★★★★★

$59.99

Pre-order

This set features useful items and the additional costume Traveling Outfit Set, all of which can be used in-game.

Includes:
• Energy Apple x 10
• Excite Apple x 10
• Golden Jelly x 3
• 100,000 Berries
• Traveling Outfit Set (Luffy, Zoro, Sanji, Usopp, Nami, Chopper, Robin)

*Full game is is required. Please update to the latest version before use.
*Please note that bonuses may be distributed at a later date.
*Contents and specifications are subject to change without notice.
*Some scenes and performances in the game may not reflect the costume changes.
*Bonuses can be obtained from the start of the game.

A new RPG from the hugely popular manga and anime series ONE PIECE, commemorating the 25th anniversary of the series!

The famed pirate, Monkey.D.Luffy, better known as Straw Hat Luffy, and his Straw Hat Crew, are sailing across the New World in search of the next island and the next adventure that awaits them.
But during their voyage they are caught in a storm and shipwrecked. They find themselves washed up on a lush tropical island surrounded by constantly raging storms…

Separated from his crew, Luffy sets off on a grand, new adventure to find his friends and escape the island!
Dangerous new enemies, terrifying forces of nature, and more await them!

Play as various members of the Straw Hat Crew in a classic RPG set in the world of the popular ONE PIECE anime!

*In addition to this product, ONE PIECE ODYSSEY Deluxe Edition and other digital content is also available. Take care to not make duplicate purchases.

The Callisto Protocol: Striking Distance Reportedly Left Several Developers Off Credits

An estimated 20 developers who worked on The Callisto Protocol were reportedly left out of the game’s credits by Striking Distance Studios.

According to GI.biz article, the individuals omitted from the end game credits included senior developers, directors, team leads, and a number of employees who worked on the project for over a year and contributed heavily to the game.

“I understand if a contractor does a small amount of work for a few months and is left off, but we’re talking full-time employees with over a year invested in the title, and had a hand in significant parts of the product,” said one unnamed developer. “That’s where the surprise has come from for a lot of us.”

Sources also aired grievances related to the general level of inconsistency present in the crediting of The Callisto Protocol. A number of developers were labelled as having provided “additional” help, while others were clumped together into a “miscellaneous” category that came at the very end of the credits.

“There was definitely some amount of playing favourites with the people who got credited,” said another source. “My impression is that they pretty much picked people they liked or had some sort of relationship with, and those would get credit and the others wouldn’t.”

Furthermore, according to the sources, Striking Distance Studios had not communicated any policy explaining that developers would be omitted from The Callisto Protocol’s credits if they left before the project was complete.

In a Tweet prior to The Callisto Protocol’s December 2022 release, Glen Schofield revealed that the team had been crunching to get the game ready for launch by working long hours for “six to seven days a week”.

In a subsequent interview with Inverse, Schofield took responsibility for the intense development cycle. “We’re a small-ish team and we were so good about it through the entire development, but at the end I messed up and we worked more than we should have,” he said. “That one got away from us”.

The intense working conditions leading up to the release of the game made being left out of the credits particularly difficult for one of the unnamed sources.

“Game [development] can be intense, especially delivering a product of this magnitude, you don’t always strike the best work-life balance,” said the unnamed developer. “My issue is those of us who took part in that culture, who put in that time, and worked intensely to help craft this product, were punished with a credit omission for not going the extra mile… to stay until it shipped.”

The sources also commented that the studio’s approach to the crunch conditions were contradictory, with representatives stating in meetings that steps would be taken to address the workload, and then later praising those who worked long hours.

Despite the crunch conditions, a number of the sources reported enjoying their time working at the studio while giving their own view as to why developers were left out of the near 20-minute credit roll.

“I actually had a great time working there, and I felt I had a great relationship with everyone on the team, up to the C-staff and Glen,” another source is quoted as saying. “I don’t have anything bad to say about Glen… The only time there was some friction was on exit, and I think devs who left were punished with credit omissions.”

Another disgruntled source echoed this sentiment. “I think the Sledgehammer guys like loyalty, and they can be punitive if they detect a lack of it… [The credits omission] felt like an obvious F-U to those who were left out. Somebody wanted to send a message, and the message was, ‘Next time have a bit more loyalty to us.'”

In our review, IGN awarded The Callisto Protocol a 7/10, stating that it was “a satisfyingly gory spiritual successor to the Dead Space series, but it’s ultimately more of a striking modern mimic than a scary new mutation.

Anthony is a freelance contributor covering science and video gaming news for IGN. He has over eight years experience of covering breaking developments in multiple scientific fields and absolutely no time for your shenanigans. Follow him on Twitter @BeardConGamer

Have You Played… Subnautica?

Subnautica sees you play as the lone survivor of a space crew whose ship has crash-landed in the middle of a vast alien ocean. To survive, you’ll need to dip into the sea and use your trusty knife to carve kelp and mine rocks to slowly kit yourself out in gear that’ll help you survive betterer. But most importantly, dip furtherer.

The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim can let rip with a big old Fus Ro Dah and fire you straight into the sky, thanks to the Everyone Is The Dragonborn mod. Truly, egalitarianism in action.

Forza Horizon developer Playground Games have broken away to develop new open-worlds at their own studio. Maverick Games is based in Leamington Spa, UK, and headed up by Forza Horizon 5’s creative director Mike Brown. Brown also fills the role of creative director at Maverick. Harinder Sangha, formerly of Sega Hardlight and Sumo Leamington, will run the studio as chief operations officer.

Fortnite Patch Aims To Hammer Out New Weapon Glitches

Can we fix it? Yes we can.

Epic Games took to the @FortniteStatus Twitter account yesterday to announce that a period of game downtime was scheduled for this morning (10th January) to fix several mechanical issues. The maintenance was performed as planned and the Fortnite serves are now back online.

Of the many issues that the patch set out to tackle, the most prominent was with the recently-added Shockwave Hammer – a new weapon which had an easily exploited glitch to remove its cooldown period (thanks, Eurogamer). Ever since the weapon’s addition in last month’s Chapter 4 update, the hammer became a fan-favourite, but it was quickly removed from the game (‘vaulted’, as the kids say) for its glitches.

Read the full article on nintendolife.com

Coming to Xbox Game Pass: Monster Hunter Rise, Persona 3 Portable, and Persona 4 Golden

Welcome to 2023, Game Pass friends! We’re starting off the year with some iconic franchises from beloved Japanese developers whose games will soon be landing with Xbox Game Pass and PC Game Pass. For now, let’s start juicing up our controllers and get our pre-install on; it’s time to get to the games!

Coming Soon

Persona 3 Portable (Cloud, Console, and PC) – January 19
If I say there’s an hour “hidden” between one day and the next… would you believe me? Master the power of the heart, Persona, and uncover the tragic truth of the Dark Hour. Experience the iconic, critically acclaimed RPG that reinvented the Persona series!

Persona 4 Golden (Cloud, Console, and PC) – January 19
Experience a coming-of-age story that sets the protagonist and his friends on a journey kickstarted by a chain of serial murders. The world-renowned Persona 4 Golden promises unforgettable adventures, meaningful bonds, and heartwarming experiences shared together with friends.

Monster Hunter Rise (Cloud, Console, and PC) – January 20
The critically acclaimed action-RPG series returns! Set in the Japanese folklore inspired land of Kamura, players will team up to battle fearsome monsters, craft a wide variety of gear, and prevent the world from falling into calamity. Rise to the challenge and join the hunt!

In Case You Missed It

Mortal Shell: Enhanced Edition (Cloud, Console, and PC) – Available now
Making a return to the Game Pass library, Mortal Shell is a deep action RPG that tests your sanity and resilience in a shattered world. Your adversaries spare no mercy, with survival demanding superior awareness, precision, and instincts. Possess lost warriors, track down hidden sanctums of the devout, and face formidable foes.

Stranded Deep (Cloud, Console, and PC) – Available now
Take the role of a plane crash survivor stranded somewhere in the Pacific. Experience terrifying encounters both above and below an endless environment. Come face to face with some of the most life-threatening scenarios that will result in a unique experience each time you play.

Valheim: Mistlands Biome Update (PC) – Available now
It’s time to pick up your Viking shield once more and set sail for the Mistlands! Valheim’s latest biome update promises new ways of both building and fighting, but you’d better make sure to stay on your guard as there are many new dangers as well…

Leaving January 15

The following games are leaving the Game Pass library soon, so be sure to use your membership discount to save up to 20% on any games you want to keep in your library!

Danganronpa: Trigger Happy Havoc (Cloud, Console, and PC)
Nobody Saves The World (Cloud, Console, and PC)
Pupperazzi (Cloud, Console, and PC)
The Anacrusis (Game Preview) (Cloud, Console, and PC)
We Happy Few (Cloud, Console, and PC)
Windjammers 2 (Cloud, Console, and PC)

We’re just getting warmed up and we’ll be back soon with more games, more Perks, and more news. If your new year’s resolution was to play more games, I highly recommend grabbing the Xbox Game Pass mobile app so you can download your games remotely and pick out what you plan to play next. Keep tuned here and at @XboxGamePass or @XboxGamePassPC on Twitter for more!

The final part of Telltale’s Sam & Max trilogy is getting a remaster

Sam & Max: The Devil’s Playhouse Remastered hails from Skunkape Games, who describe themselves as “owners and caretakers” of the Sam & Max games that Telltale developed. Skunkape are made up of some former Telltale devs, so there’s a nice bit of continuity there. You can watch a teaser for the remaster below.

CES 2023 came and went while I was burning through a statutory holiday entitlement in the Welsh countryside, so these highlights of the Vegas tech show’s PC gaming gear reveals may be as much news to me as they are to you. Unless you caught Katharine’s writeup on the Nvidia GeForce RTX 4070 Ti, which I did once I found a smidge of 4G signal. Cheers, chief.

Author: Game Infliction