Category: Video Games

Soapbox: Switch Is Great, But The GBA SP Was The Pinnacle Of Public Transport Gaming

SP-icy takes.

Soapbox features enable our individual writers and contributors to voice their opinions on hot topics and random stuff they’ve been chewing over. Today, nearly 20 years to the day since the GBA SP launched in Japan, Jim argues the case for why it still has a very important role to play in his day-to-day…

Ok, let’s get this out of the way first of all. The year is 2023 and I own a Switch OLED packed full of great games, and even some great Game Boy Advance games, too. So why — with one of Nintendo’s most successful consoles ever sitting right there — am I still playing my Game Boy Advance SP? The answer (in case you had somehow stumbled this far without seeing the title): public transport.

Read the full article on nintendolife.com

C-Smash VRS reimagines Sega’s iconic futuristic sports puzzler for PS VR2, demo out next month

At the turn of the new millennium, Sega made a game called Cosmic Smash. It came to select arcades in Japan and Europe before a Japan-only release on console. 

Set in refreshingly minimalist spaces brought to life by music and graphic design, the game was a unique blend of sports and puzzle action. Think low-gravity squash meets block breaker. A real trip to the edge of space and time.

Versus. Concept by art director Rob Davis. (Copyright, RapidEyeMovers 2023)

The game seemingly came out of nowhere but quickly distinguished itself as a design and style icon for the ages, one of those rare games that look, sound and feel unlike anything you’ve ever played before.

While the game felt like it came from an alternate universe, it wholly embraced the most fundamental part of what makes games great: it was a blast. If ever I wanted to travel to a virtual world, it would be this one: a place where I can relax while moving, in inviting spaces that are uncluttered and effortlessly stylish, devoid of the stresses, the noises and the garishness of our daily grind.

Cosmonauts. Concept by art director Rob Davis. (Copyright, RapidEyeMovers 2023)

This world just had to come to VR, but building beautiful worlds takes great people. 

While our planet was locking down, I teamed up with a dream team of people whose work I admire. From VR pioneers Wolf & Wood, who I’ve been building the PS5 and PSVR2 game The Last Worker with, top designers Cory Schmitz (Rez Infinite, Sound Shapes) and Arkotype (Polytron), musicians Ken Ishii (Rez Infinite) and Danalogue (The Comet is Coming, Soccer 96), art director Rob Davis (The Motherless Oven) and sound designer Dan Pugsley (Alba: A Wildlife Adventure).

Together, we set out to reimagine the beloved classic for VR and online gameplay. Amazingly, Sega trusted us. 

Here is the first look at our game, C-Smash VRS. 


C-Smash VRS reimagines Sega’s iconic futuristic sports puzzler for PS VR2, demo out next month

VRS stands for VR and Versus. On March 23, you can sample both when we release a C-Smash VRS demo for PS VR2 on PlayStation Store, which you can enjoy with another player online or in a solo training mode. I cannot wait to show you a virtual reality we could have only dreamed of until now.

C-Smash VRS (Copyright, RapidEyeMovers 2023)

We’ll be sharing our release date soon, at which point you’ll be able to pre-order the game at PlayStation Store, so make sure to wishlist it today to be notified when that and the demo are live!

Dead Island 2 Release Date Moved Forward by One Week

Developer Dambuster Studios and publisher Deep Silver have announced that Dead Island 2’s release date has been moved up by one week, from April 28 to April 21.

“You asked for it, you got it. Dead Island 2 went gold and it’s coming out a week early. See you in HELL-A on April 21, 2023,” revealed the Dead Island official Twitter account.

Dead Island 2 was originally scheduled to be released on February 3, but was later delayed to April 28. Now, players will get their hands on the game a little earlier than expected.

Star Wars Jedi: Survivor was also recently announced to be delayed to April 28 from its original March 17 release date. With Dead Island 2 moving up a week, the two games won’t launch on the same day anymore.

Dead Island 2’s development cycle has been turbulent. The game was originally revealed all the way back at E3 2014, with previous developer Yager at the helm. The game’s development later shifted to Sumo Digital, before shifting again to Dambuster in 2019. Its current form was finally shown after years of waiting at Gamescom 2022, where it was re-revealed along with its original February 2023 release date.

In IGN’s Dead Island 2 hands-on preview, we said “Dead Island 2 appears to share a huge amount of common ground with not just the original Dead Island, but also its step-sibling, Dying Light.”

George Yang is a freelance writer for IGN. He’s been writing about the industry since 2019 and has worked with other publications such as Insider, Kotaku, NPR, and Variety.

When not writing about video games, George is playing video games. What a surprise! You can follow him on Twitter @Yinyangfooey

Dead Space Was the Best-Selling New Game in the U.S. in January 2023

The latest figures from The NPD Group reveal that Dead Space is the best-selling new video game in the U.S. in January. The well-received remake of the 2008 survival horror was kept away from the top spot by Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2, which enjoys its fourth consecutive month as the best-selling game in the U.S.

Dead Space was joined in the top 20 best-sellers by three other new games: Fire Emblem Engage (No.5), Forspoken (No.7), and One Piece Odyssey (No.9).

While there were four new releases among the top 10, U.S. consumer spending on video game software, hardware, and accessories dropped year-on-year by 5%, according to NPD’s Mat Piscatella. “Video game hardware spending was flat, while content (-5%) and accessories (-14%) spending fell,” he revealed on Twitter. This means sales are down year-on-year for the first time since last September.

Not everything was down, however. The Last of Us: Part 1, the PS5 remake of Naughty Dog’s celebrated survival horror, saw a leap in chart position. Fuelled in part by the popularity of the new HBO show, it rose from No.36 to No.11 in the sales chart.

As for Dead Space, a debut at No.2 means that it has had a much better start in life than last year’s The Callisto Protocol. Widely considered a spiritual successor to Dead Space thanks to being helmed by the original game’s co-creator Glenn Schofield, some may have expected The Callisto Protocol to have made something of a splash. But despite that pedigree, it debuted at an underwhelming No.17 in the NPD sales charts for December 2022.

Just one month on, The Callisto Protocol has completely disappeared from the top 20 sales chart. Time will tell if Dead Space has the sticking power to hang on into next month’s charts, but with a significantly better critical response and little AAA competition in February, it has more favorable odds.

The full rankings for January 2023’s top 20 best-selling premium games in the U.S. are:

  1. Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2
  2. Dead Space (2023)
  3. Madden NFL 23
  4. FIFA 23
  5. Fire Emblem Engage
  6. Elden Ring
  7. Forspoken
  8. God of War: Ragnarok
  9. One Piece Odyssey
  10. Pokemon: Scarlet/Violet
  11. The Last of Us: Part 1
  12. Sonic Frontiers
  13. Monster Hunter: Rise
  14. Mario Kart 8
  15. Minecraft
  16. Need for Speed: Unbound
  17. Just Dance 2023 Edition
  18. NBA 2K23
  19. Marvel’s Spider-Man: Miles Morales
  20. NHL 23

Matt Purslow is IGN’s UK News and Features Editor.

The Trans Witches Are Witches bundle raises over $90,000 for LGBTQ teams

RPS’ Magic Week – our two-week endeavour to spotlight magical indies – you might enjoy the Trans Witches Are Witches bundle, which is unrelated to Magic Week, but has the same spirit. The bundle is a collection of 69 games, music, zines, and other creative oddities of the magical variety. Everything has been made by LGBTQ+ creators and all the proceeds will be split between the featured teams. So far, the bundle has passed a whopping $90,000 (or £74,000) in sales, with over a week left to go.

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Poll: What Review Score Would You Give Metroid Prime Remastered?

Scanning for scores.

We are sure that many of you lovely lot have spent the weekend Morph Ballin’ and we can’t say that we blame you! After last week’s Nintendo Direct finally brought us news of Metroid Prime Remastered we couldn’t believe our luck; but when it dropped on the very same day we had to check if we were dreaming!

Even more so was this the case when we instantly started playing it only to discover that it was good — really good. You might have caught our review of the game by now for which we awarded it a perfect 10/10 rating and stated that “a masterpiece has been made even better“. You can catch up on our thoughts in full below.

Read the full article on nintendolife.com

Wild Hearts: Explaining Karakuri, the Unique Monster-Slaying Crafting System

While new monster-slaying RPG adventure Wild Hearts gives you an extensive arsenal of weaponry to play with, its most unique system is based around Karakuri, a collectable resource that allows you to craft tools and structures to deploy both in battle and around the world. Here, we’ll dive into how to get started with Karakuri, what it can do, and how you can use the skills to take down monsters in creative ways.

Karakuri is an ancient technology coursing through the land of Azuma, and you have the power to harness it. Karakuri can be used to build structures, coordinate attacks on vicious prey, and unlock more skills and tools that will help you take down the mightiest beasts. It will appear frequently along your journey as a glowing green substance detected with your Hunter’s Vision. You’ll need to stop and collect the resources in order to keep crafting objects that will help you take down the Kemono, the monsters overrunning the land. That ancient power also runs through your AI companion, which can aid you in battle and collect threads of Karakuri from your surroundings.

You’ll not be able to take on the treacherous battles ahead without grasping the fundamentals, so we’ve compiled a guide that will help you get started on the hunt.

Traversing The Wilds with Karakuri

Azuma is a vast, intimidating landscape, and the Kemono lurking within it move great distances. To make your hunts easier, Basic Karakuri can be used to craft items to get around, such as crates that can be used to climb to higher points, and springs that allow you to leap across broken bridges and cavernous chasms.

As you progress, Karakuri will unlock different ways to navigate and explore the world. Karakuri abilities give you the ability to craft Hunting Towers, which reveal Kemono hiding in the immediate area. The Flying Vine is a contraption that creates a zipline, allowing you to soar across great distances on a zipwire, perfect for scaling a cliffside or crossing a river.

Later on, use the Karakuri skill tree to harness even more useful upgrades, like the Wind Vortex to glide high into the sky, the Glider which can be used to gain vantage over an area, or the Launcher, which can fire smaller Karakuri objects (our yourself) into the distance.

Powering Up Your Camp

Karakuri can be used out in the wildness of Azuma to craft camps. When you discover a Dragon Pit, you can awaken it and turn the surrounding area into a camp. These spots serve as permanent resting points in the open world to gear up for a nearby battle, and a handy quick travel point in case you need to return some other time.

Here, Karakuri can used to whip up a few useful resources. A Hunter’s Tent lets you get some much needed rest before or after a figh while a Campfire helps you to plan your next hunt, and wait for fellow adventurers to join you if needed.

If you’re in need of a brand-new weapon or an armor upgrade, you can build the Field Forge, and immediately craft whatever you need for the fight ahead if you have the right materials, whether it’s poison-resistant gauntlets or a giant hammer. The Drying Rack can be used for food, and the Ingredients Chest will allow you to store resources gathered along the way.

Taking Karakuri into Battle

Your Karakuri powers can also be wielded to gain advantage over Azuma’s colossal Kemono. Swiftly place six crates together to form a Bulwark, which can serve as a wall between you and your foe or stun a charging Kemono out of their attack, leaving them open to be damaged.

Use Fusion Karakuri to awaken the Pounder, a powerful hammerhead that can unleash a punishing blow on any Kemono, and destroy any offensive objects it may spawn during an attack. Fusion Karakuri can also unlock the Elemental Lantern, a device that can protect you from the effects of any deadly elemental hits that your foe may strike with.

Your Flying Vine can also be used offensively with the Impaler upgrade; instead of zipping to solid ground, fire the contraption straight into a Kemono to injure them as you move in. All of your basic Karakuri can be crafted in battle too, so be sure to make the most of the mysterious technology in every scenario. Over time, all of your Karakuri resources can be powered up in order to take on bigger, stronger and more rewarding Kemono located all over Azuma.

With that, you should be prepared to embark on your own epic hunts and get to know your prey when Wild Hearts is released for Xbox Series X|S on February 17.


WILD HEARTS™
Xbox Live

WILD HEARTS™

Electronic Arts

☆☆☆☆☆
★★★★★

Get it now

WILD HEARTS™ is a unique twist on the hunting genre where technology gives you a fighting chance against fearsome beasts infused with the ferocious power of nature itself. Take on these creatures alone or hunt with friends in seamless co-op.
No one remembers why the Kemono began their rampage through a once prosperous Azuma. Fueled by desperation, they wield the power of primal nature at its most destructive. For a while, it seemed that none could stand against their overwhelming might. But hope arrives in the form of a formidable hunter, armed with deadly weapons and ancient technology called Karakuri that could turn the tide of battle.

HUNT GIANT NATURE-INFUSED BEASTS
Survive their attacks, learn from their behaviors, and use your Karakuri and your weapons in combination to cut these creatures down to size.

CRAFT YOUR HUNTING GROUNDS
You are the only one in Azuma able to wield the Karakuri technology. This ancient tech enables you to adapt your environment into creative hunting grounds ideal for taking down the giant Kemono.

HUNT IN A PACK, OR BE A LONE WOLF
In WILD HEARTS™ you can face the Kemono alone or unite with up to two friends (or fellow players) to stalk and hunt your prey.

GEAR UP TO HUNT, HUNT TO GEAR UP
The more you hunt, the more you progress. Create your character, then gather materials from each hunt and build an array of armor and weapons to bring down even bigger beasts.

EXPLORE A FANTASY FEUDAL JAPAN
Experience four season-based hunting grounds – each region with its own beautiful landscapes and dangers.

Developed by Omega Force, the Japanese studio behind the DYNASTY WARRIORS franchise, WILD HEARTS™ takes you on an epic adventure set in a fantasy world inspired by feudal Japan.

Conditions & restrictions apply. See ea.com/wild-hearts/wild-hearts/disclaimers for details.
©KOEI TECMO GAMES CO., LTD. All rights reserved.

Related:
The Wizarding World Awaits: Hogwarts Legacy is Available Now
How Elder Scrolls Online Is Adding a New Class, 8 Years After Launch
Next Week on Xbox: New Games for February 13 to 17

Blood Bowl 3 may be the most faithful Warhammer video game ever made

Blood Bowl used to be a dead game, Cyanide’s Gautier Brésard is quick to correct me: “I would say that it was a community-managed game.” In fact, for the two decades that the tabletop Warhammer bloodsport was out of print, fans worked diligently to ensure it wasn’t out of mind – creating a ‘living rulebook’ that ran to six iterations.

“Here is what may be the final edition of Blood Bowl,” read the opening page of that community manual. “This is the rulebook designed to send Blood Bowl into a perpetual format. The Games Workshop is no longer interested in providing true support for this game.”

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