Home Blog Page 652

Overwatch Shares Original Concept Art of Sombra, Soldier: 76, and Mercy

By
Aletheia
-
0
screenshot-www-youtube-com-2021-02-09-08_11_37

The month of February marks Blizzard Entertainment’s 30th anniversary, and the long-running company has a bunch of surprises and activities planned to celebrate the occasion, including the highly anticipated BlizzCon Online event this February 19 and 20. The event won’t start until next week though, but Blizzard has other means to entertain the fans while they wait.

For one thing, the developer and publisher recently released several concept art for the different video games in its repertoire. Included in this is its highly popular first-person shooter game, Overwatch.

Over on the official Overwatch Twitter account, the company has shared original concept art for different playable heroes, namely Sombra, Soldier: 76, and Mercy. For the Sombra concept art, it reveals what the character would have looked like if she remained as Omniblade. Instead of being Mexican, this initial version of Sombra was a Japanese woman, and mainly utilized throwing daggers. On the other hand, the Sombra that made it to the final version of Overwatch uses a submachine gun.

Now, the original concept art for Mercy is interesting because her initial design used to be that of a male character. This male version of Mercy had a white and red color scheme, while the Mercy we know and love today has a color scheme of white and yellow.

That being said, the Overwatch community has been aware of Mercy’s original concept for quite some time now, so this isn’t that surprising. As a matter of fact, there have been several fans who cosplayed the original male Mercy in the past.

Lastly, the original concept art for Soldier: 76 is probably the most intriguing out of this group. The photos of the designs were shared on Overwatch’s official Latin America Twitter account, showcasing character designs by Chris Metzen from way back in 1998. Albeit a bit different, the original design for Solder: 76 isn’t that far off from the current look we know and are familiar with today. Although, the older design has the character covering his face with a blue mask.

Another concept art for Soldier: 76 was made by Arnold Tsang in 2013, and this time around, the concept looks much closer to the character’s current design—with a few differences here and there, of course.

https://twitter.com/OverwatchLatAm/status/1358877811897958403?s=20

In this early version of the character, the listed name is simply “Seventy Six,” while the art itself has him wielding an SMG. The most notable detail about this 2013 version, however, is that Soldier: 76 doesn’t have his signature mask and visor. As such, fans have a clear view of his face and what he supposedly looks like.

Asides from these minute details, though, Arnold Tsang’s concept art looks pretty close to the final version of the character, including the hair color, color scheme, outfit, and scar, among other details.

Given the fact that Blizzard is constantly adding new skins to Overwatch, it’s actually quite surprising why cosmetics based on these original versions haven’t been made or released yet. It would be great to see these well-loved characters donning the outfits from their past. If Blizzard sees that there’s enough demand from fans, then perhaps they’d make a move to release skins out of these designs.

Resident Evil 8 A Lot Bigger Than RE7, More Details Unveiled

By
Christian Allen Tandoc
-
0
maxresdefault-73

For the most part, Resident Evil 8 looks like a natural expansion of Resident Evil 7, keeping the game’s first-person point of view and general gameplay style. However, there will be some critical differences between Resident Evil 7 and Resident Evil 8. This includes the size of the games, as Capcom producer Peter Fabiano has revealed that Resident Evil 8 will be “much larger” than Resident Evil 7.

Fabiano said that much in a recent interview with the Official PlayStation Magazine UK. However, the game producer didn’t give specific details aside from this. It’s uncertain if this means that the world of Resident Evil 8 will be bigger, or if its means that the game itself will be longer. Resident Evil 7 had a relatively short playtime, which is typical for most titles in the Resident Evil franchise, so it will surely be exciting to witness how long Resident Evil 8 lasts.

gm-e44ab6c8-c1dd-4877-9ecf-ba268335deb1-resident-evil-gameplay-1989246

In the interview, Fabiano also mentioned some other features fans can expect arriving in Resident Evil 8, specifically as it refers to the PlayStation 5. Resident Evil 8 will use the PlayStation 5’s 3D Audio capabilities to make fans feel like the audio is coming from all around them. Fabiano also confirmed previous claims that the PlayStation 5 SSD means Resident Evil 8 has virtually no loading times, something that will possibly true to the Xbox Series X edition of the game.

Sadly, the last-gen editions of Resident Evil 8 are unlikely to have these advantages, so those playing on Xbox One and PlayStation 4 can anticipate longer loading times, as well as less remarkable visual and audio performance.

On the bright side, those playing Resident Evil 8 on Xbox One and PlayStation 4 should still get the same general gameplay experience as those on the Xbox Series X and the PlayStation 5, which means they can enjoy the bigger game when compared to Resident Evil 7.

resident-evil-village-news-8327879

While it’s uncertain how long it will take players to finish a single playthrough of Resident Evil 8, the game already appears to have a bit more replayability compared to Resident Evil 7. For example, Resident Evil 8 has a Resident Evil 4-inspired merchant, who players can interact with to buy weapon upgrades and other helpful items.

In most Resident Evil titles with upgradable weapons, it’s virtually impossible to entirely upgrade everything in one playthrough, so the merchant might be one good reason why players go back and play it all over again.

It is also worth mentioning that Resident Evil 8 comes with a multiplayer mode called Resident Evil Re:Verse, which should guarantee that the game gives players even more bang for their buck when compared to Resident Evil 7.

Open Beta for Guilty Gear Strive Has Been Announced

By
Aletheia
-
0
screenshot-www-youtube-com-2021-02-09-07_58_02

Guilty Gear fans have been looking forward to the sequel Guilty Gear Strive for quite some time now, but fortunately, it appears that patient fans don’t have to wait too long now. The first Guilty Gear game was released back in 1998, which laid out the foundation for the sequels that came after it, such as Guilty Gear X, XX, and many others.

The franchise’s sequels were praised and recognized for their fast-paced action and extensive roster of playable characters. In fact, the game still received incredible support even after a couple years since its release. Guilty Gear and all the titles that come after prepared the way for the development of future titles and successors, such as the fighting video game series, Blazblue.

As for Guilty Gear Strive, this seventh mainline installment in the long-running franchise was first announced during Evo 2019. A closed beta of the game was released after that, but only a few lucky players were able to test it out.

screenshot-www-guiltygear-com-2021-02-09-12_05_12

A year after that, Arc System Works has announced an open beta for Guilty Gear Strive, which will finally allow the rest of the interested players to experience what the game has to offer so far. However, there’s a small catch to this.

The open beta for Guilty Gear Strive will run from February 18th at 7 PM PST through February 21st at 7 AM PST, however, fans must first pre-order either the PlayStation 4 or PlayStation 5 version if they want to be able to access the open beta.

The good thing about this though is that it ensures priority will be given to dedicated players who are sure about purchasing the game over those who are just mildly curious and won’t get the game in the end. To celebrate the upcoming launch of the open beta, new gameplay footage showcasing what different characters are capable of has been released.

That being said, there are a couple of things worth noting about Guilty Gear Strive’s upcoming open beta. For one thing, interested players won’t need a PS+ subscription in order for them to access and try out the open beta.

This is definitely great news for those fans who aren’t members of the subscription service yet would like to experience the game first-hand and compete in online matches. Players will also have the option to choose what or who they want to play against, whether it be local multiplayer or a CPU.

Not only that, but the open beta will also offer a tutorial mode for those who simply want to test out the game’s offline experience, as well as access to training mode. Another detail worth mentioning is that players will be able to access all the characters who have already been revealed so far, except for Anji Mito and a mysterious “15th character.”

The unannounced playable character is definitely intriguing, especially since they will be the last character who will be a part of the game’s base roster. Seeing as the open beta will be released soon, fans may expect Arc System Works to announce this 15th character soon as well.

VR MMORPG Ilysia Released for Alpha Testing

By
Aletheia
-
1
screenshot-www-youtube-com-2021-02-09-07_50_59

Back in 2016, a trio of brothers who run the indie studio known as Team 21 Studio began working on a game that is now known as Ilysia. Ilysia was launched on Kickstarter and was touted to be a VR MMORPG. Now, the upcoming title has over 1,500 backers at the moment of writing, and nearly $160,000 have been pledged for the game’s development.

Last month, after how many years of being in the pipeline, Team 21 Studio released Ilysia for alpha testing. Seeing as it’s created to be a Virtual Reality game, Ilysia is capable of supporting real-life movements such as sitting and standing. Not only that, it offers play options and combat such as spellcasting, which can be achieved through button pressing or hand gestures.

Of course, one of the things that gamers love the most when it comes to MMORPGs is the ability to customize their characters however they want. This beloved feature will also be present in Ilysia, which is arguably one of its most anticipated gameplay mechanics.

Players will be able to embark on their VR journey not only as an adventurer; they also have the option to play as a tailor, innkeeper, or even a merchant. Not only that, there will be different races available too—some of the starting races available are humans, elves and dwarves.

Even though the three brothers running Team 21 Studio are fairly new to the world of video game development, a couple members of the team working on Ilysia are pretty much veterans at this point. For starters, there are two artists on the team who worked on the popular Ratchet & Clank series, as well as Joe Strout, who is a well-known senior software engineer.

Ilysia is certainly a massive project for a trio of development novices, but so far, the game’s alpha testers have been incredibly positive and optimistic. According to several alpha and pre-alpha testers, the state Ilysia is currently in is great—the game is running smoothly and its visuals look gorgeous too, even when being played on the Oculus Quest.

One tester even went so far as to say that the upcoming VR MMORPG has “a classic fantasy-era feel, with a dose of WoW nostalgia.” For a new game to be described that way is definitely no small feat.

ss_71dc276a5e5b3f76c4300f937cf2d7ec0ae120b7-1920x1080-9122340

That being said, many interested gamers are still holding off from expecting too much. Kickstarter games have had a lengthy history of disappointing fans, so this wariness and skepticism are quite understandable.

After all, genuine immersion in a VR MMORPG—one that can be likened to, say, Sword Art Online—doesn’t seem possible just yet in this point in time. Still, we can’t completely discredit Team 21 Studio and its efforts just yet.

The developer has a strong support system backing it up, and given the positive reviews so far, it’s highly possible that Ilysia will become an incredible one-of-a-kind VR experience that will bring back the “glory days of MMORPGs.”

Slated to release on PCVR and Oculus Quest, Ilysia is expected to launch some time during Q4 of 2021.

Physical Version of To The Moon Has Been Revealed By Limited Run Games

By
Aletheia
-
0
screenshot-www-youtube-com-2021-02-09-07_32_35

In a recent announcement, Limited Run Games has revealed that the indie title To The Moon will have physical copies and a deluxe edition. What’s more, pre-orders for these will begin later within the week.

For the unfamiliar, To The Moon is an emotional adventure game that was launched on PC back in 2011. The indie title was able to retain its popularity though, so much so that the game got ported to other platforms—including mobile devices and the Nintendo Switch. Developed and published by Freebird Games, To The Moon is a simple game with easy mechanics, but it has an incredible emotional impact.

Players take on the role of two doctors who go through and reconstruct the memories of a dying old man in order to carry out his final wish. To The Moon may heavily rely on its narrative more than anything, but it was able to get nominated for a variety of awards, including Best Ending, Best/Writing Dialogue, and Best Music.

Not only that, following its success, Freebird Games created other spin-off titles that are set in the same universe, namely A Bird Story and its sequel Finding Paradise.

ss_244339bfc260fdc2d2f4cdbe3fc3c6df0cb700ed-1920x1080-8722282

Without a doubt, To The Moon has been touching the hearts of gamers for a long time now, and it appears that Limited Run Games wants to rekindle that experience for the fans by releasing Nintendo Switch exclusive physical versions of the game.

For interested gamers, physical copies of this heartwarming indie title will be available for pre-order beginning this Friday, February 12. The standard edition will be priced at $29.99, and the opportunity to purchase a copy of the different physical editions will no longer be available as soon as the pre-order window closes.

In other words, fans need to be as quick as possible if they want to grab a physical copy of the highly acclaimed To The Moon. The pre-order period will run for four weeks, where a deluxe edition will also be made available if fans want a more premium copy.

To The Moon’s deluxe edition, which will be priced at $64.99, will include a Platty plush, an origami keychain of a bunny, a CD containing the game’s original soundtrack, lapel pins with both River and Johnny, as well as a reversible poster.

https://twitter.com/LimitedRunGames/status/1358840518571143170?s=20

Limited Run Games is popularly known for releasing physical merchandise of popular video games. For instance, the publisher announced the physical editions of Scott Pilgrim Vs. The World The Game last month, which is perfect for dedicated fans who don’t want to risk losing the game in case it suddenly gets delisted again.

As for Freebird Games, it has a few other titles in its repertoire asides from To The Moon. The developer has a couple of free games that interested players can check out. One such example is The Mirror Lied, which is yet another well-received title by the developer. It’s an “experimental adventure game” that only takes around 30 minutes to finish, and has the same low resolution graphics as To The Moon.

Paper Mario Commemorates Its 20th Anniversary In North America

By
Christian Allen Tandoc
-
0
ddphjyf-fdf38843-4948-4a79-888f-597814b4e0bf

Back on February 5, 2001, Nintendo launched the first Mario-focused RPG on the Nintendo 64 in North America, Paper Mario. It still followed the typical formula for Mario games, as in saving Princess Peach from King Bowser, but this series took the blueprint and ran in a one of a kind direction. What Intelligent Games was able to create turned into five more titles following in its predecessor’s footsteps up until 2020.

Paper Mario: Thousand Year Door was released in 2004 on the GameCube. Super Paper Mario launched three years after on the Wii. Paper Mario: Sticker Star was the first handheld Paper Mario title on the Nintendo 3DS.

Color Splash and The Origami King followed suit in 2016 and 2020 respectively. Every title didn’t stray too far from the formula of the original game, but Nintendo’s direction for The Origami King proved why changing systems, such as its battle mechanic, is necessary for every title.

After two decades and six games, Nintendo has a successful franchise involving Mario and company. It doesn’t seem to be slowing down any time soon. Back in August 2020, Paper Mario: The Origami King producer and game director revealed that Intelligent Games has total creative control over the franchise, following the launch of Sticker Star. This should calm the minds of the gaming community in terms of where the franchise takes off from this point in time.

A new game in the Paper Mario series is not anticipated for quite some time unless Nintendo has something up its sleeve. The Origami King did quite well, scoring an 80 on Metacritic. As the franchise evolved over the previous two decades, one constant remained in the equation. Paper Mario sealed its place in Nintendo lore and gave way for Mario RPGs to thrive.

Forza Horizon 4 Will Launch On Steam In March 2021

By
PVP Team
-
0
ss_f79c110d699dadfdb6945984a65a2aa825787075-1920x1080

It appears that 2021 is full of surprises! For the first time ever, a Forza game is set to release on Valve’s digital storefront. More specifically, Forza Horizon 4 will be released on Steam this March 9, 2021.

The popular racing game developed by Playground Games will be joining a handful of other Xbox games that have arrived in Valve’s storefront in the past years, such as Halo: The Master Chief Collection, Sea of Thieves, and Gears 5.

The version of Forza Horizon 4 that will be released on Steam will be joined by two of its currently available DLCs, namely the Fortune Island and LEGO Speed Champions add-ons. A new DLC has also been announced alongside the Steam launch, with Playground Games revealing that Forza Horizon 4 will be getting a Hot Wheels Legends car pack sometime soon.

What’s exciting about this upcoming add-on is that it will be introducing a bunch of popular Hot Wheels vehicles to the game. Basing on the teaser image, we assume that this new pack will be similar to the LEGO Speed Champions one in that it included various LEGO cars and tracks to the racing title. It definitely seems like a great addition to the game, and will add a whole new level of fun to Forza Horizon 4, especially for those first-time players coming from Steam.

That being said, this wouldn’t be Forza Horizon 4’s first time to be released on PC. The game was first released on the Microsoft Store back in 2018, but it would be the first Forza game in the franchise to be launched on Steam.

Forza Horizon 4 would definitely fit right in with the digital storefront, though, with its vibrant visuals and well-received open world. For those looking to test out the power of their gaming rigs, downloading and playing Forza Horizon 4 would be the perfect test. As such, we can already imagine that the title will be incredibly popular on Valve’s platform.

For interested players who have never experienced Forza Horizon 4 before, the gist of the game is simple. The racing title is set in England, where players take on the role of a racing professional who decides to participate in the Horizon festival.

ss_66354376f93c5581628e8564e663104cbb201665-1920x1080-3782286

Participants of the race have to compete on a variety of tracks at different times of the year to see how well the player navigates diverse terrain. As a matter of fact, Forza Horizon 4 will also feature changing seasons to see how that will affect the drivers too.

Asides from these, the game also has familiar mechanics that have made the Horizon series so well-loved by fans, including an arcade-like open-world experience as well as realistic driving gameplay. Forza Horizon 4 garnered positive reviews from both critics and players alike.

The VR players can also give a go to their Forza Horizon VR, not perfect but it is a fun racing game to play in VR. It can definitely make your head spin.

The next game that’s set to release in this popular series is Forza Motorsport, and its initial release is slated for the Xbox Series X.

More Details Revealed About Upcoming Demon Slayer Video Game

By
Aletheia
-
0
etqrmh4uuaaquvf

Developer CyberConnect2 may be a familiar studio to many gamers, especially those who enjoy video games that have been adapted from popular anime. CyberConnect2 has a wide roster of such games, including Dragon Ball Z: Kakarot and several games based on the ever popular Naruto.

One of the most popular anime series right now is Demon Slayer (or Kimetsu no Yaiba), so unsurprisingly, CyberConnect2 grabbed its chance to develop a new video game based on it. Ever since it was first announced, however, fans weren’t offered that much information about the upcoming title—until now, that is. Fortunately, CyberConnect2 has finally offered a few more details about the game.

The game, which has been entitled Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba – Hinokami Keppuutan, has been confirmed to release on PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X in Japan later within the year. It will launch alongside the other platforms that were already confirmed in the past.

CyberConnect2 still hasn’t revealed if the Demon Slayer game will be getting an English release. But if it does, though, Western fans will now have a good idea as to what they can expect to find in the upcoming title.

According to the new information, Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba – Hinokami Keppuutan will feature a single-player mode wherein players will be given the chance to “relive the story” of the Demon Slayer anime and play as the protagonist Tanjiro Kamado himself.

Not only that, the game will also have Versus Mode, which is where players can choose two characters from its available roster and then fight one another for some 1v1 matches. The game’s Twitter account also included a couple of screenshots showcasing this mode, giving fans a first glimpse at what this kind of combat would look like.

As mentioned, Demon Slayer is currently one of the hottest anime series, but this fact isn’t exclusive to Japan only—it’s a popular anime across the globe. As such, fans assume that the video game will also be released outside of Japan as well. It may not be released at the same time as other countries, but we hope it will arrive to the West at some point.

Besides, many of CyberConnect2’s games get released outside of the country, and there’s no possible reason why there would be an exception for Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba – Hinokami Keppuutan. 

An English dub version of the Demon Slayer movie is also set to release—there’s even a trailer for it already—so it’s clear to see that this franchise has a far-reaching audience. For now, though, we simply hope that developer CyberConnect2 will unveil even more details about the new video game.

After all, we’re still unsure as to what the single-player mode entails. Will this mode be more like an adventure roleplaying game where we traverse Taishō-era Japan, or will it be more like a traditional fighting game where enemies come one after the other?

There are still a bunch of questions left unanswered about Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba – Hinokami Keppuutan, so we’ll just have to wait and hope we get more information soon.

Pokemon Sword and Shield Giving Away Free Shiny Toxtricity Next Week

By
Christian Allen Tandoc
-
0
maxresdefault-71

Players of the famous RPG Pokemon Sword and Shield Canada and North America will be able to get their hands on a free Shiny Toxtricity for their game this month. Toxtricity is one of the new Pokemon that was added in Pokemon Sword and Shield as part of the eighth-gen of the franchise. The dual-type poison and electric Pokemon evolves from a Toxel into two unique forms of Toxtricity – Low Key and Amped – depending on their nature.

“Shinies”, as they are called in the gaming community, are rarer kinds of existing Pokemon that feature a unique color palette compared to their original forms and are some of the most difficult to find and capture, particularly when hunting down a Shiny Legendary Pokemon.

The term originated from the animation and sound effect payers would see and hear when meeting one in the games and the origins of Shiny Pokemon can be tracked all the way to Gen 2 of the franchise including Pokemon Crystal, Gold, and Silver.

shiny-toxtricity-1255828-1280x0-7176745

In these games, players encounter a Red Gyarados inside Lake of Rage, which is considered one of the franchise’s first Shiny Pokemon. Ever since Shiny Pokemon have become more famous and common in the games, but the odds are still extremely low.

Serebii.net reports that signage has been seen in both Canada and the United States revealing the events that will allow Pokemon Sword and Shield players to obtain a free Shiny Toxtricity beginning February 19.

The event is a tie-in with the new Shining Fates set for the Pokemon Trading Card Game that launches the same day the Shiny Toxtricity event begins. The event and the Shiny Toxtricity will be delivered through the Pokemon Pass app at GameStop in the United States or a serial code at EB Games in Canada.

The Shining Fates DLC for the Pokemon Trading Card Game introduces more than 100 Shiny Pokemon to the game, with Shiny Toxtricity being one of them. Shiny Pokemon emerging in the Pokemon Trading Card Game has been nearly sparse over the years so seeing more than a hundred of them being added in one expansion is a pretty huge event, which may have provoked this latest promo for a free Shiny Toxtricity.

Getting the chance to claim a Shiny Pokemon for free is surely a good thing considering how hard it is to locate and capture them. It’s uncertain whether the event will be made available in other regions but these kinds of retailer-exclusive promos aren’t really unheard of.

Hopefully, the same or an identical promo will be made available in other regions as well to provide other players the opportunity to get a free Shiny Pokemon for Pokemon Sword and Shield.

COD Black Ops Cold War Zombies New Firebase Z Contains New Secret Reward Crate

By
Christian Allen Tandoc
-
0
maxresdefault-70

A new reward crate easter egg has been found in Call of Duty Black Ops Cold War. The new zombies map Firebase Z is now officially live along with new content and an original zombies game mode – Dead Ops Arcade Solo Advanced Start.

The update continues the storyline focused around the Dark Aether portal, following a set of events that happened in “Die Maschine.” Players will be eager to learn more about the fortunes of Samantha Maxi. The new zombies map provides players the opportunity to fight their way through new kinds of zombies as well.

Since releasing back in November 2020, Call of Duty Black Ops Cold War has enjoyed remarkable success. This has certainly been influenced by the new features that have been introduced to the zombies mode.

firebase-z-black-ops-cold-war-8803029

The Season One patch has surely helped generate hype by adding new content to both Black Ops Cold War and Warzone. The patch was the biggest in Black Ops history which included new modes, weapons, and maps.

According to reports, Call of Duty Black Ops Cold War players can obtain the easter egg by activating Firebase Z’s power. It is a pretty straightforward challenge that only involves following a small set of instructions.

Afterward, players need to return to the village and go upstairs next to Captain Ravenov. To the right of the staircase, players will find a big, blue bunny. Start by shooting it, letting it come forward. This will instantly trigger a teleportation sequence that takes the player to a random Vietnamese jungle that is covered in total darkness.

firebasez-black-ops-cold-war-zombies-map-1024x576-2515069

Once in the area, the challenge involved locating three purple rabbits. These rabbits can be located by looking for the closest rays of light; the glowing bunnies provide the only light sources in the whole area. All this must be done while countless zombies chase the player.

This specific reward crate looks like it is a task worth doing. In exchange for successfully finishing the challenge, players will get a free Juggernog perk in addition to an Epic or Legendary weapon. These are considerable advantages for any player brave enough to take on the challenge.

All of this new content is certain to keep players engaged for the time being. The new patch brings a plethora of fresh content to revitalize up the experience. The Call of Duty franchise has a long history with easter eggs and this most recent one is another example of how critical these secrets have become to fans and gamers alike.

1...651652653...863Page 652 of 863

Recent Posts