Mario vs. Donkey Kong has made its debut over in Japan to great success, shooting to the top of the charts with a total of 61,930 copies sold. This puts the plumber’s flagship platformer, Super Mario Bros. Wonder, at number 2 with a total of 13,036 copies sold, cumulating in 1,745,124 since its release last October.
Bringing the Unique Style of DC’s Peacemaker to Mortal Kombat 1
Nick Nicastro, Design Manager, NetherRealm Studios
After working at NetherRealm Studios for more than 10 years, I have experienced my fair share of memorable days as part of the design department, but the day we all learned we would be designing Peacemaker for Mortal Kombat 1 was certainly one of the best. The only concern I had was the possibility of designers fighting each other on who would take the coveted role of point person. In all seriousness though, when we heard this news, we immediately started sharing clips from the show and brainstorming ideas.
The reason for all the excitement speaks to how much we love the character and series. The humor resonates with our own, and I think if we were to design our own superhero, it would be heavily inspired by elements of Peacemaker.
From day one, it was clear to us that translating Peacemaker into Mortal Kombat 1 was going to be exciting. The first part was to craft a gameplay design around a core set of attacks and special moves while then layering in reference after reference and adding very specific details to the way the attacks look and feel. This meant watching and re-watching scenes of show while meticulously noting details that stuck out to us.
One of our favorite scenes from the show was the first time we get to see Peacemaker use the Sonic Boom helmet. The butterfly girl he had been fighting leapt into the air to attack, but Peacemaker was able to activate Sonic Boom in time to vaporize her. It was a shocking moment as we are left with a shot of Peacemaker sitting on the ground completely stunned at what just transpired.
When we went to create Peacemaker’s Brutality with the Sonic Boom, we wanted to mimic very specific details that stood out to us like capturing that last shot of Peacemaker sitting on ground in total shock. Additionally, we created a Brutality from the scene in the show where he made a homemade grenade using a tank shell. We even created new blood splats with bigger spreads and longer meteors of meat bits to better mimic those on the show. In all, this is the part of the design process that we have a lot of fun with.
As we were developing Peacemaker in Mortal Kombat 1, we believed it was critical to showcase his over-the-top personality everywhere possible. This becomes a summation of nuances, voiceover, dialog, motions, and mannerisms that are keys to how we wanted to convey Peacemaker’s unique personality to the audience. This is always important but especially in this case because of how familiar players are with this character, and anything slightly off will be noticed right away.
Fortunately, we had the pleasure of working directly with John Cena who delivered an impeccable performance (no surprise) as Peacemaker in the game, adding the ultimate level of credibility to the voice capture and dialog. In the mocap studio, we closely studied Peacemaker’s mannerisms, oftentimes bringing up clips from the show on the big screen and comparing them with the actor’s performance as we captured the motions to ensure they were reading like Peacemaker. As you might expect, there were a lot of laughs in between takes as some of the more the comedic moments were shining through.
Gameplay-wise, Peacemaker was designed to have a straight-forward and accessible playstyle. We wanted to prominently feature both his helmet attacks and coordination with Eagley, the character’s loyal bald eagle sidekick. For the helmet attacks, we needed to design special moves that supported both his gameplay design and references we felt were important from the show. For his helmet-centric moves, he will employ his torpedo attack and anti-gravity abilities that allows him to float up and slam down over opponents, with the enhanced version of this move acting as an evade with additional options to cancel out.
For Eagley’s attacks, we were looking to design meaningful special moves that would be helpful in certain situations. For instance, Eagley can attack an opponent’s Kameo Fighter, mauling them and shutting down their use. For a few of us, the funniest move Peacemaker has is his blow dart special move, which fans should recognize from The Suicide Squad(2021)movie. In-game, he is in the same sneaking stance and can move forward and back while holding the blow dart, which can be released at any time and is designed to hit opponents out of the air.
It would be an understatement to say it was a privilege for us to design and develop Peacemaker in Mortal Kombat 1. This was one of the most collaborative and fun experiences we’ve had as a design group so far. We feel that Peacemaker is a great fit for the Mortal Kombat Universe, and we can’t wait for players to get their hands on him. Peacemaker will be available on Feb. 28 as part of the early access period for Mortal Kombat 1 Kombat Pack owners, followed by wide availability on March 6. A trial version of Mortal Kombat 1 will be available to play for all Game Pass Core and Game Pass Ultimate subscribers as part of Xbox Free Play Days from March 7-10, with access to all multiplayer game modes, the first two chapters of the cinematic Story mode, the base roster of iconic characters, and more.
Discover a reborn Mortal Kombat Universe created by the Fire God Liu Kang. Mortal Kombat 1 ushers in a new era of the iconic franchise with a new fighting system, game modes, and fatalities!
The Kombat Pack includes the Johnny Cage character skin featuring voice and likeness of actor and martial artist Jean-Claude Van Damme (available now), along with 6 new post-launch DLC playable characters and 5 new post-launch Kameo Fighters. Kombat Pack also includes 1-week early access to all DLC playable characters.
DLC Playable Characters (All Coming Post-Launch)
Omni-Man (Invincible)
Quan Chi
Peacemaker (DC’s Peacemaker)
Ermac
Homelander (The Boys)
Takahashi Takeda
PlayStation VR2 launched one year ago, backed by a 40+ game launch window lineup which included all-new experiences like Horizon Call of the Mountain and Pavlov, as well as PS VR2-compatible titles such as Gran Turismo 7 and Resident Evil Village. Over the next 12 months, our experiences were expanded further: intense first-person adventures such as Synapse, Red Matter and Resident Evil 4 VR Mode; puzzlers like Humanity and 7th Guest VR; action rhythm add-ons for the likes of Beat Saber, Synth Riders and Drums Rock; multiplayer fun in the form of Among Us VR, Ghostbusters: Rise of the Ghost Lord, C-Smash VRS and more.
Now, following on from recent reveals of Metro Awakening and Legendary Tales by way of last month’s State of Play, we’re highlighting a number of games in today’s PS Blog post. New announcements, release date reveals, DLC debuts and a game launch: find them below, all introduced by the creators behind the games. There’s so much to look forward to.
Also, we’re pleased to share that we are currently testing the ability for PS VR2 players to access additional games on PC to offer even more game variety in addition to the PS VR2 titles available through PS5. We hope to make this support available in 2024, so stay tuned for more updates.
Without further ado….
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The Wizards – Dark Times: Brotherhood | Out today
“The Wizards – Dark Times: Brotherhood is an action-adventure spellcasting game where you become a powerful Wizard, and thanks to the power of Playstation VR2, you can cast a variety of spells with your very own hands. As developers, we’ve meticulously crafted an immersive world where players wield the power of magic through intuitive gesture-based spellcasting, a staple mechanic of The Wizards franchise. With the full might of PS5’s hardware at our disposal, players can expect breathtaking visuals and seamless gameplay while traveling through the realm of Meliora in single-player and 3-player co-op experience. And we’re happy to announce you won’t have long to wait to play: the game launches on PlayStation Store today!”
– Pawel Nitta, Head of Marketing, Carbon Studio VR
Wanderer: The Fragments of Fate | Out June 27
“Calling all time travelers! Mighty Eyes is excited to unveil exclusive gameplay content (and confirm the release date) in this latest reveal of Wanderer: The Fragments of Fate, which you can watch in the trailer above. Under fire in World War 2 we see the player harness their trusty watch companion’s time-traveling abilities to gather an eclectic arsenal of weapons, only to return moments later to gain the upper hand! Playing as Asher Neumann, players can seamlessly time travel at will, exploring immersive worlds and experiencing exhilarating action while solving mind bending puzzles and wielding their time-traveling powers to reshape the course of history. We’re also thrilled to share other, exciting news, so make sure to stay to the end of the video. Did someone say sea shanty?!”
– Sam Ramlu (she/her), Executive Producer at Mighty Eyes
Little Cities: Bigger! | Out March 12
“We’re delighted to bring endless cozy creativity to PlayStation VR2! Little Cities: Bigger! unites our signature diorama city building with over 18 months of dreamy update content – our most substantial slice of relaxing island crafting ever. It’s been a blast playing with the power of PlayStation VR2 to get the game in tip-top condition. You’ll feel everything from the satisfying ‘whomp’ of a well-placed mountain to the brush-stroke sensation of island sculpting with Sense controller haptics. And thanks to headset feedback, experience world-rumbling volcanic eruptions while tiny helicopters rush to the rescue! We cannot wait to see what you create…”
– Kelly Howard, Co-Founder, Purple Yonder
Zombie Army VR | Out 2024
“Bringing the much-loved Zombie Army franchise to VR for the first time, Zombie Army VR lets you experience the fear, thrill and spine-chilling tension of the zombie apocalypse through the immersion of your PS VR2 headset.
Complete with online 2 player co-op, the thrilling campaign sees you reprise the role of a Deadhunter as they fight their way across war torn Europe doing battle with the zombie hordes. Choose your weapon from an authentic World War 2 arsenal including sniper rifles, submachine guns, pistols, and explosives as you lay waste to the undead and free Europe.”
– Steven Archer – Executive Producer, Rebellion
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Arizona Sunshine 2 free update | Out today
“The goodest boy ever just got a free, furry upgrade: Meet Corgi, your new fearless companion Buddy, who’s available in-game later today! Dive back into Arizona Sunshine 2 and face off the toughest Freddies by choosing the Corgi as your preferred four-legged sidekick through the newly added Cosmetics Screen. And that’s not all – get ready for more multiplayer mayhem with three new Horde mode maps, dropping one each month from March to May, allowing up to four players to battle waves of zombies together. It’s gritty, it’s intense, and it’s also free of charge.”
– Giulia Covre – Global PR Manager, Vertigo Games
By switching from a one-handed sword to a two-handed sickle, the reach extends, giving an advantage against airborne enemies and large foes.
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Weapons have two different forms, enabling versatile combat styles, reach, and power.
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There are also several types of weapons such as axes, dual swords, chainsaws, and others.
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Powerful finishing move, “Demonic Burst.” Decide whether to land a single blow on a formidable enemy or to sweep through a wide range of enemies, considering the battle situation.
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The death database “Cyberbrain Limbo.” By connecting to this cyberbrain limbo near death, it is possible to “relive death”.
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The cultivation pod where the protagonist was born. The story begins here.
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Soul Covenant | Out 2024
“Today we’re happy to reveal new details and screenshots for our upcoming narrative action JRPG Soul Covenant that showcase one of its core mechanics: turning fallen comrades into weapons! In a near-future Japan that sees humanity fight for survival against a mech regime, you’re tasked to take on hordes of encroaching enemies and colossal, powerful foes in tense, melee-based combat. You’re not alone though. You’re but one of a four-strong troop, joined by three other avatars (in the form of NPCs or controlled by other players). If a comrade falls, they can still contribute to the battle, as their remains transform into a weapon that can be equipped, giving you access to axes, dual swords, chainsaws and more. Acquired weapons can be strengthened further through items dropped by downed enemies. With each one offering two different forms, you have a growing number of versatile combat styles with different reaches and power sets to try out. It’s why in the world of Soul Covenant, troops share the very specific phrase before heading into the battlefield: ‘I’ll make sure to pick up your bones’.”
– Koh Okamura, Producer, Thirdverse
More on PlayStation VR2
Discover more about PS VR2 and its range of experiences here.
New to PS VR2 and want to sample some of its games? There’s a selection of demos available now on PlayStation Store.
While we have to wait until May for a full reveal of College Football 25, EA Sports shared some new details, including how much players will get compensated, what will and won’t be included in the game, and more.
In an article by ESPN, EA Sports revealed how much it will pay players opting to use their name, image, and likeness (NIL) in College Football 25. The article notes that over 11,000 college football players can opt-in to be featured in College Football 25.
Players who opt into College Football 25 will receive $600 and a copy of the game. The game itself is valued at $70, according to ESPN. ESPN further notes that student-athletes will remain in the game for all their collegiate football careers but can opt out of future installments.
Yet, the $600 and a copy of the game is not the only form of compensation players will receive; should a player remain in the game for multiple years, they will be compensated annually, even if they transfer with the only requirement for transfer students be that they remain on a roster for that school’s football program.
EA Sports VP of business development Sean O’Brien told ESPN that the studio looked at deals they completed for other sports video games, such as the Madden NFL series, and that the deal made for the college football series “comes with no expected services by the athlete and will be guaranteed no matter the game’s success.”
In a separate article, EA Sports confirmed to ESPN several things that will and will not be included in College Football 25. Reiterating once again, Dynasty Mode and Road to Glory will return in the next college football game. In addition to returning game modes, College Football 25 will run on the same engine as Madden (currently, the Madden series runs on the Frostbite engine), include every bowl game, and incorporate a 12-team College Football playoff system. NIL, the transfer portal, and some of the newer inclusions in collegiate sports will also be featured, though EA Sports did not go into detail as to how both will be implemented.
Although all 134 FBS schools have agreed to participate in College Football 25, with up to 85 players on each team, EA Sports revealed that real-life coaches, such as University of Georgia head coach Kirby Smart, won’t be featured. However, O’Brien did not rule out the inclusion of coaches in the future and said that EA Sports is exploring ways to “offer coaches the opportunity to opt in beyond Year 1.”
Yesterday’s Nintendo Direct got rather overshadowed by a certaintrailer for Elden Ring: Shadow Of The Erdtree, but there were still plenty of good news nuggets to be had in there for us PC folks – which I’ve summarised for you below. The long and short of it is: more release dates! Loads of ’em! And they’re all coming in the first half of 2024 as well. I love it when a schedule comes together.
Helldivers 2’s latest patch has caused a “nasty” PlayStation 5 login bug that’s currently preventing people from playing the game.
Helldivers 2 patch 1.000.11 launched across PS5 and Steam today, February 22, and promised to kick AFK players and fix the defrosting bug.
But it appears to have caused a PS5 specific issue that is now making Helldivers 2 unplayable on Sony’s console. IGN has received multiple reports from players unable to login, and have verified the dreaded “servers at capacity” message is present on PS5.
Addressing the issue in a post on the Helldivers Discord, developer Arrowhead said it was aware and on the case.
“We´re currently experiencing a nasty PS5 login bug,” Arrowhead said. “We´ve sent our most trustworthy team The Bug Crushers (TM) to investigate a relay station in the outer rim that went silent earlier today. As soon as they report back, we´ll update you here. Pray for them.”
Helldivers 2 is Sony’s biggest PC game launch of all time, with a peak concurrent player figure of 457,649 on Steam. Helldivers 2’s success has even sparked renewed interest in Starship Troopers, the film from which it draws quite a bit of inspiration.
IGN’s Helldivers 2 review returned a 9/10. “Helldivers 2’s combat feels fantastic, its missions stay fresh and interesting, and its smart progression system doesn’t nickel and dime you,” we said.
Wesley is the UK News Editor for IGN. Find him on Twitter at @wyp100. You can reach Wesley at wesley_yinpoole@ign.com or confidentially at wyp100@proton.me.
As expected, Microsoft yesterday confirmed that four of their games are headed to rival consoles: Pentiment to PlayStations 4 & 5 and Nintendo Switch; Hi-Fi Rush to PS5; Grounded to PS4, PS5, and Switch; and Sea Of Thieves to PS5. It’s nice to see barriers between systems coming down and all, and it’ll likely have consequences of note to serious businessheads, but what relevance does this have for us as a PC gaming website? Well! Grounded and Sea Of Thieves will support cross-platform multiplayer, so we’ll be able to play them with our consolatory chums. That’s nice.
Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze is all about snow; that much should be obvious from the game’s title, even for those who have yet to play Retro Studios’ excellent platformer.
According to a recent interview from KiwiTalkz in which he chats with former Retro artists Eric Kozlowsky and Ted Anderson, however, early development included a potential martian theme for the game. This was only briefly considered, as the studio was pretty set on the Snowmad enemies at the time, but the gist would be that aliens living on the moon would invade Donkey Kong Island after DK punched it at the end of Returns.
This new 23 million sold figure is made up of shipped copies of the physical version as well as download sales, including those on Steam. So it provides a solid picture of Elden Ring’s breakout success. To put that into context, Hogwarts Legacy, 2023’s best-selling video game, has sold 24 million copies, generating well over $1 billion in sales.
Elden Ring is easily FromSoftware’s most successful game, with critical acclaim to go alongside its enormous sales success. It outsold each of the Dark Souls games, Demon’s Souls, Sekiro, as well as Bloodborne (don’t mention a remake!).
Will FromSoftware release Elden Ring 2 or more DLC for Elden Ring following the release of the Shadow of the Erdtree? In an exclusive interview with IGN, chief developer Hidetaka Miyazaki said both are possible, although he stopped short of making an announcement.
The base version of Elden Ring returned a 10/10 in IGN’s review. “Elden Ring is a massive iteration on what FromSoftware began with the Souls series, bringing its relentlessly challenging combat to an incredible open world that gives us the freedom to choose our own path,” we said.
Wesley is the UK News Editor for IGN. Find him on Twitter at @wyp100. You can reach Wesley at wesley_yinpoole@ign.com or confidentially at wyp100@proton.me.
Shin Megami Tensei 5 is getting the Persona 5 Royal treatment, with an all-new Shin Megami Tensei 5: Vengeance edition that’s out in June. It features a new story path, an improved battle system, new areas, and more, as you’d expect from Atlus’ history of definitive editions. What’s more, while SMT 5 was a Switch exclusive when it came out in 2021, the new Vengeance edition will be heading to PC and other consoles, too. Do I have time for another enormous JRPG? Probably not, but I’ll admit that it’s got me very interested indeed.
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