AK-xolotl is a game with an elevator pitch built right into its name. The latest from publisher Playstack and developer 2Awesome Studio ranks high on the "we came up with the title first" list, but thankfully, it also looks like a good time. The top-down roguelite shooter now has a date and a trailer showing off its fast-paced fireworks.

This axolotl with an AK rolls into action on PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S, Nintendo Switch, and PC via Steam on September 14, 2023.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xteTxUFl2xs

The gunplay in AK-xolotl looks pretty hectic, with some downright bullet hell-style patterns on display. In roguelite fashion, death isn't the end; it's just an excuse to start over, get stronger, and unlock new weapons. It's all accentuated with the help of nice looking pixel art visuals and some impressive sprite work, so hopefully the final game matches that energy. 

Look who's talkin'

Beyond the frantic shooting, AK-xolotl introduces an ally-raising system with the Axolittles. These little baby axolotls can be nurtured and fed until they eventually grow into adorable killing machines of their own. It looks like nurturing may involve putting diapers on them? This is the most I've ever thought about axolotls, much less changing their diapers. 

Based in Barcelona, 2Awesome Studio previously developed cyberpunk action-platformer Aeon Drive and shoot 'em up Dimension Drive. They also handle publishing and porting for a few other titles. If you want to try out their latest and give AK-xolotl a spin, the extended demo is available to play right now on Steam.

The post AK-xolotl, a roguelite shooter about an axolotl with an AK, sets launch date appeared first on Destructoid.

There are dozens of bizarro beat 'em ups outside of the mainstays, from Ninja Baseball Bat Man to Night Slashers. And then there's Gourmet Warriors. Released on Super Famicom in 1995 as Gourmet Sentai Barayaro, the brawler finally arrived in English in 2018 thanks to Piko Interactive. Now it's sharing the love with more platforms as part of publisher QUByte Interactive's Classics lineup.

Following a release on Steam and a physical SNES cartridge, the next stop is PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and Nintendo Switch. Gourmet Warriors brings the beatdown to those platforms on August 31. 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SyVx-_ozhBE

Heat 'em up

What puts the Gourmet in Gourmet Warriors, anyway? The characters might not be bipedal Food Fighters, but there is a rudimentary "cooking system" in place. While there are no traditional healing items, enemies drop ingredients that can be used to whip up meals between levels. I never thought I'd compare it to Zelda, but here we go. Like Breath of the Wild and Tears of the Kingdom, the right concoction can replenish more health. The three playable characters — Bonjour, Mademoiselle, and Trés Bien — have their own favorites, so you'll want to keep that in mind when cooking. 

The story hits all the mid-90s notes. The year 20XX, World War III, a setting called Zeus Heaven Magic City? The overexcited Vince McMahon meme intensifies with each sprinkle of narrative spice. In an alternate timeline, we would absolutely be talking about "that awesome Gourmet Warriors anime that ran for 87 episodes and two films."

Gourmet Warriors comes to us from developer Winds and director Satoshi Fujishima, who worked on games like 1994's X-Kaliber 2097. It has its roots in the campy buff action of the side-scrolling shoot 'em up series Cho Aniki. Some of the character models here may have already tipped you off on that one. The forgettable soundtrack is your first reminder of where this one rests in the halls of beat 'em up history, but genre completionists and oddball aficionados need to experience it at least once. 

The post 1995 beat ’em up Gourmet Warriors brings its bizarre ingredients to consoles appeared first on Destructoid.

Officially revealed back in June, Persona 3 Reload now has a release date. Those looking to dive into the full remake of the PlayStation 2 RPG can mark their calendars for February 2, 2024. If this one has been living rent-free in your head since 2006, you can celebrate its return with the deluxe Aigis Edition.

While we spent some hands-on time with the remake, Atlus shared a new trailer to showcase more of the fresh updates. You can check it out below to see how the overhauled visuals give new life to a fan favorite.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ax-u7i2_6nQ

If you're curious about the updated music, there's also a trailer highlighting the new battle theme.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sTdrcvnqDjE

Persona 3 Reload goes beyond tweaks to the visuals and music. Changes have been made to mechanics like Shuffle Time, for instance. The voice cast is also new, including the likes of Zeno Robinson as Junpei Iori, Aleks Le as the protagonist, and more. It looks like a solid mix of modernization and the type of overall faithfulness hardcore Persona fans expect. 

[caption id="attachment_398444" align="alignnone" width="640"] Image via Atlus[/caption]

Aigis ain't nothin' but a number

In addition to the standard $69.99 digital and physical release and two extra tiers of digital editions — Standard, Digital Deluxe, and Digital Premium — Persona 3 Reload's centerpiece is the Aigis Edition. There's no price at the moment, but this one packs in a bunch of physical and digital bonuses. The game comes in a collector's box along with an art book, two-disc soundtrack CD, and an Aigis figure. All the DLC available at launch will also be included in a DLC pack voucher. You'll be able to grab this one on PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series X|S. 

Persona 3 Reload is coming to PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series, and PC (Steam and Microsoft Store). It also has its sights set on Game Pass, so get ready to evoke in February! 

The post Persona 3 Reload release date set, Aigis Edition revealed appeared first on Destructoid.

My history with Armored Core started with the very first game on PlayStation. I was enamored by the cover the enticing giant mech on it; and kept it close while I experienced a whole slate of robot-based oddities like G-Nome, and Heavy Gear. From then on, I sought out every subsequent entry, until I finally put it together that From Software – who had also provided me with hours of entertainment with the King's Field series – was responsible for it all. By the time Demon's Souls came out the studio was a worldwide household name, but they were killing it before Souls changed the industry.

With a pedigree like that, you can see why so many people hold Armored Core in such high regard; so I'm happy to report that Armored Core 6: Fires of Rubicon keeps that legacy going.

[caption id="attachment_398039" align="alignnone" width="640"] Screenshot by Destructoid[/caption]

Armored Core 6: Fires of Rubicon (PC, PS4, PS5 [reviewed], Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S)
Developer: From Software
Publisher: Bandai Namco
Released: August 25, 2023
MSRP: $59.99

Just so that you're current, let's take a deep dive into the Fires of Rubicon lore: Coral is a substance that leads to unprecedented technological advancements. Until it doesn't, and there's a massive fire that destroys everything. Following that, there's a recovery period populated with corps and mercs (that's you!), which is where you come in.

You're caught up! No literally, you're caught up.

That's pretty much all the background you need on Armored Core 6, as the crux of the experience lies with earning money, and buying/mixing/matching parts to form your custom-curated machine of destruction. The narrative goes in circles sometimes (especially with some of the listless pre-mission banter), but it's enough to propel you forward into more mech-based combat and keep you guessing. But really, the world of Rubicon 3 is a fascinating character in its own right. All of the biomes you'll adventure through (whether it's a product of artifice or natural beauty) are fascinating to witness, to the point where I'd definitely be interested in seeing more of this specific universe at some point.

Mission variety generally errs on the side of killing, but there are a few forked paths (in-mission) to follow on occasion, and the environments are varied enough to help funnel you into constant action. While some sandboxes are a little too corralled for my tastes, the illusion of freedom is enough, because of how dang good everything looks. On the flip side, the game's invisible barriers do help prevent mission locations from becoming pointlessly big and barren.

It really helps that Armored Core 6 is absolutely gorgeous. From Software's art department has been putting in work worthy of art books for decades, but they really outdid themselves here. One of the very first missions looked like something I haven't seen in any game this year, and helped cement the fact that this is an unforgiving universe that will crush you on a moment's notice, even if you are piloting a huge killing machine that looks like it came straight out of an anime.

[caption id="attachment_398049" align="alignnone" width="640"] Screenshot by Destructoid[/caption]

What I like most about Armored Core 6 is how everything feels like a puzzle: from mech construction in the hangar to moment-to-moment combat in the thick of it, when you're managing your boost meter every so slightly to ensure you have enough to dodge a massive blast coming your way. The quick aerial boost system ties everything together. By pressing a button (Square on PlayStation), you can sacrifice a quick bar of boost to instantly dodge. This can be chained in numerous ways (including weaving it together through a boost dash, even in the air), but all of this finesse is governed by a boost meter.

It really is like a ballet, and you're in control of both the precise movements and the overarching song. If you like tanky builds, you can craft a giant literal tank tread mech that sacrifices maneuverability for staying power. Glass cannon builds are a cinch to create, as are speedsters who zip around and manually dodge everything the game can throw at them. Once you're done tinkering, you need to actually put your creation to the test and figure out the ins and outs of that particular build.

Boss battles are where everything really shines. The variety on offer is frankly overwhelming, from tiny little Kitfox-like creations that zoom about, to foes who can employ active camo, to gigantic monstrosities that can deal a ton of damage in a single shot. I found myself constantly on my toes, having to learn and relearn how I thought my mech worked and push it to the limit. That's exactly the kind of feeling you want in a game like this, where you get to see the fruits of your labor up close and personal.

If you're worried that Armored Core 6 will be insurmountable because you've never played an AC game before (or any mech games, for that matter), don't be. There are a number of levels that From Software has pulled to ensure that you won't be completely locked out, including a full checkpoint system. While you can go for an S-Rank and finesse missions all you want, dying right before a boss, in nearly every instance, will allow you to restart from a closeby checkpoint.

[caption id="attachment_398050" align="alignnone" width="640"] Screenshot by Destructoid[/caption]

Going a step further, you can even reconfigure your build from the garage in this checkpoint menu, which feels like a pretty big lifeline for a From Software project. For folks who have limited time to play games, this will be a Godsend, but it's also nice that you're able to repeat missions for cash or have a go at the arena (quick CPU battles). There is a PVP system (co-op is not present at all in any form), but I wasn't able to test it.

From Software also accounted for this with the timed unlock of specific mechanics. You won't be able to fully customize your mech from the start. Rather, you'll need to finish a few basic missions before you can purchase parts, customize them, and spec into specific builds (like kinetic or energy-based damage). You'll also unlock fully-constructed blueprints of mechs that you can use for testing, without fear of "screwing up a build" or overspending.

I was a bit skeptical that From Software would find a way to make Armored Core relevant again after a lengthy hiatus, but they figured it out. The spark of the series is still very much alive without giving up its soul and making it something else entirely, and a new generation will be able to appreciate why these games were so venerated. Just be ready to tinker a bit, and take some Ls.

_{[This review is based on a retail build of the game provided by the publisher, and deals with the single player portion of the game.]}

The post Review: Armored Core 6: Fires of Rubicon appeared first on Destructoid.

Earlier this year we saw the first gameplay trailer for Flashback 2, and now our hero Conrad B. Hart is back for more. With Gamescom underway, a new trailer is here to show off more of the sequel's action and intrigue.

Flashback 2 has original creator Paul Cuisset teaming up with developer Microids Studio Lyon to put players back in the role of the young GBI agent, and this new trailer shows more of how the new release differs from the 1992 original. Previously confined to methodical side-scrolling movement and quick and deadly gunplay, Conrad's freedom has expanded. You can see the 2.5D potion in motion as Conrad rolls, jumps, and shoots below.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E7ei5RIgyzI

Hangin' tough

Flashback 2 has other original team members on board in addition to Cuisset. This includes Thierry Perreau on game design and Amiga composer Raphael Gesqua. 

While it looks like a faster-paced take on the classic, it's nice to see Flashback 2 clinging to cinematic adventure game animations. The way Conrad hangs from ledges and performs all-important combat rolls should look familiar enough to longtime fans. Sure, they may have misspelled "Washington" in one of the cinematics, but it looks like a lot of care was put into bringing the battle against the Morphs to 2023.

Flashback 2 spins its dystopian sci-fi yarn on PlayStation, Xbox, Nintendo Switch, and PC on November 16. It's going physical and digital on consoles, too, and the Collector's Edition packs in some extras for those who want to shout their Flashback love from the heart of their shelves.

The post Flashback 2 runs and guns in a fiery dystopian hell in Gamescom trailer appeared first on Destructoid.

Resident Evil 4 received a remake in March 2023 which brought Leon’s classic adventure to modern consoles. As was the case with Resident Evil 7 and Village, Capcom has promised a VR mode for the remake. We’ll get to see a little more of the VR mode at the upcoming Tokyo Game Show, which kicks off on September 21 and runs until September 24.

Resident Evil 4 isn’t the only Capcom game that’ll be making an appearance. The company also lists Street Fighter 6, Exoprimal, Monster Hunter Now, and the Ace Attorney trilogy on its official webpage outlining its Tokyo Game Show plans.

[caption id="attachment_397688" align="alignnone" width="640"] Screenshot by Destructoid.[/caption]

Capcom has big plans for the Tokyo Game Show 2023

Capcom will have its own booth at the Tokyo Game Show where attendees will have the chance to try out some of the company’s latest games. The event will also feature the return of the Resident Evil airsoft shooting range in collaboration with Tokyo Marui. For those who can’t make it, there’ll be a prerecorded stream which’ll share some of Capcom’s biggest news. It airs on September 21 at 07:00 AM PDT.

We received our first teaser for Resident Evil 4’s VR mode during the May PlayStation showcase, though not much was revealed. We'll hopefully see a few more details this time around, including whether game modes outside of the main campaign will also receive the VR treatment.

The company will have to put on a good show if it hopes to stand out, as several other gaming giants have confirmed that they’ll be showing up, including Bandai Namco and Square Enix. Sony will also be there, though they’ll only be exhibiting indie titles.

The post Resident Evil 4 VR mode scheduled to appear at Tokyo Game Show 2023 appeared first on Destructoid.

Sympathy for the Underdog

We're still a few months away from seeing the eighth mainline entry in the Like a Dragon series. Fortunately, it won't be long before players meet Kazuma Kiryu again in the spinoff, Like a Dragon Gaiden: The Man Who Erased His Name. That's right, Kiryu did such a thorough job erasing his name that he goes by the unsuspecting name of "Joryu". All the while, he'll find himself once again embroiled in threats, violence, and underworld intrigue. But those who manage to endure these trials will get treated to a Special Trial Version of Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth.

SEGA and Ryu Ga Gotoku Studio director Masayoshi Yokoyama revealed this and much more in an overview trailer and developer update video, which doled out a deeper look at the spinoff's story and gameplay before moving onto the bonus goods. Of note to hardcore fans, the unlockable Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth demo will include scenes that aren't present in the main game. This won't be a problem for Like a Dragon completionists, but it's an interesting approach to demo presentation. Of course, we don't know how much content we'll see in the sample. 

Like a Dragon Gaiden catches up with the former series star after he faked his death and made himself scarce. Yokoyama says this entry will offer "the best insight into the personality of Kazuma Kiryu". Even though, of course, we all know his personality really only comes out on the dance floor. The other side of his personality awaits at the end of his fists and feet. The trailer reinforces this by highlighting the gadget-focused Agent Style combat alongside some old fashioned Yakuza street fighting. 

[caption id="attachment_397465" align="alignnone" width="640"] Screenshot via Sega[/caption]

Tokyo Drifter

It wouldn't be a Like a Dragon game without minigames to distract you from those battles without honor and humanity. Gaiden looks to get carried away with everything from arcade games to arena brawls, cabaret clubs with somewhat creepy live-action footage and, of course, karaoke. What's that? You made a time-sensitive threat against the orphans I devoted my life to back in Okinawa? Sorry, the night is young and I just got to the chorus of "Today is a Diamond." 

Mainstays like Goro Majima, Daigo Dojima and Taiga Saejima are on tap for the Coliseum battle arena and can join your team if you pre-order to get the Legendary Fighter Pack. They'll join Kiryu (sorry, I mean Joryu!) when Like a Dragon Gaiden: The Man Who Erased His Name launches on PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S, and PC on November 9, 2023. Meanwhile Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth will launch sometime in early 2024. 

The post You’ll need to beat Like a Dragon Gaiden to play the next game’s demo appeared first on Destructoid.

With its full release on PC happening back in October 2022, Vampire Survivors has quickly become a runaway success. Already, there are imitators popping up trying to duplicate the game’s special sauce. As with many games that have spurred a sudden explosion of similar titles, it tantalizes developers with its simple but malleable gameplay.

I did play the PC version a few months back and was lucky enough to eventually claw my way from its grips. But with the Switch version dropping, I felt it was time to fall back into its embrace for the sake of the review. Hopefully, I can one day escape again.

[caption id="attachment_396801" align="alignnone" width="640"] Screenshot by Destructoid[/caption]

Vampire Survivors (PC, Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S, Switch [Reviewed])
Developer: Poncle
Publisher: Poncle
Released: October 20, 2022 (PC), August 17, 2023 (Switch)
MSRP: $4.99

Vampire Survivors looks like a bootleg. It has an appearance like someone took one game, then changed all the characters to look like another game to capitalize on people’s affection for the property. In this case, it looks like a bootleg with Castlevania sprites.

The character movements also feel like they’re unchanged from that game developer milestone of putting a sprite on the screen and having it react to input. They just glide across a sparse, repetitive background. It’s minimalistic. Extremely so. Your character attacks automatically based on a growing number of cooldown timers, and you’re just left in charge of navigating the enemy-infested environments.

You don’t even have to press a button unless you want to skip the chest-opening animation. You just slide your character around the background, having them pick up items and slipping through the cracks that open between groups of enemies. It’s dead simple, but weirdly, there’s a learning curve and strategizing to be done.

https://youtu.be/ZZZArNBLrsA

Holy water, Batman

For the main levels, you pick your hero and get dropped into a big open area. Enemies start streaming in from all sides. As you defeat them, they drop XP crystals that you pick up. Each time you gain a level, you get to choose an upgrade between a number of passive and offensive abilities.

As the level progresses, larger groups of more powerful enemies start piling in. The goal is to power yourself up faster than the enemies can grow in strength. Ultimately, you need to last 30 minutes before the Grim Reaper takes things into their own hands.

While this is an incredibly simple formula, a lot of strategy develops in a lot of areas. You need to experiment and discover what sets of weapons work best for you. Since the upgrades are somewhat randomized, you then need to figure out what to prioritize. Then there’s a bit of risk and reward. Do you take a new weapon now or spend the upgrade on boosting the level of an existing one? If you decide to skip on a specific upgrade now, is it going to reappear later on when you need it? Do you need more attack power now, or can you spend some points on boosting stats like luck or attack strength?

And that’s before you incorporate the rather clever combination mechanic, where if you’re carrying two particular items and improve them to their maximum level, you can evolve the weapon into something more powerful.

[caption id="attachment_396802" align="alignnone" width="640"] Screenshot by Destructoid[/caption]

Cerebral bore

Then, after each run, you can spend money that you collected on permanent upgrades and new characters. There are also achievements you can aim for that unlock additional weapons and characters for each run. Both during a run and in the gaps between, you’re always improving.

It’s quite a well-executed mess of progression that creates an addicting experience. I don’t use that word lightly, and I don’t necessarily mean it as a positive. Vampire Survivors employs some pretty devious tactics to dig into your brain matter and make it difficult to stop playing. You’re constantly making progress, and you’re perpetually on the cusp of bigger and better things. Every upgrade promises some advantage for your next run, and every run provides a learning experience to employ.

And then luck is a factor, which means that after a bad run, you’re not necessarily going to want to take a break. Sure, maybe things didn’t go your way last time, but this time is statistically more likely to go better. It comes as no surprise to me that developer Luca Gallante has a history of working in the gambling industry, as Vampire Survivors incorporates a lot of the same tactics to keep people glued in place.

That would be awful, but Vampire Survivors doesn’t seem to have that much interest in your money. The price for the base game is relatively low, and the only microtransactions are DLC expansions. Even then, the DLC is very cheap and not essential. If Vampire Survivors had the clear goal of getting you hooked and sucking you dry, I’d be disgusted, but that’s obviously not the intent here. Instead, it just cracks open a can of dopamine and pours it over your brain. The only thing you’ve got to lose here is your time.

[caption id="attachment_396803" align="alignnone" width="640"] Screenshot by Destructoid[/caption]

Lots of math

The Switch port is exactly as it says on the tin. I played the PC version previously, and this isn’t really an upgrade. It’s just the same game on a new platform, which is fine. There is some slowdown when the enemies envelop every pixel of screenspace, but I didn’t find it to interfere with the gameplay. Cut the Switch some slack. There’s a lot of math going on in any one moment.

There’s also the new co-op mode for up to four players. It works better than you may think, as XP is pooled between players, and upgrades cycle between them. It’s a surprisingly laid-back multiplayer experience, and I’m actually tempted to break it out next time I’m visiting my parents. Although, I’m afraid everyone would just delegate upgrade choices to me since I’m the experienced one.

As an added challenge, you could just play co-op by yourself. Since you only use the left stick, that’s one for each thumb. Quite a brain tickler.

[caption id="attachment_396804" align="alignnone" width="640"] Screenshot by Destructoid[/caption]

Brain tickler

Vampire Survivors is also not content to just accomplish the bare minimum either. A lot of love has gone into crafting it, even if it’s not immediately reflected through the bootleg aesthetics and simple presentation. There are lore entries for each character and enemy, and there are plenty of bonus levels and secrets to tackle. There’s some depth an meat here.

I think it would be very difficult to dislike Vampire Survivors. Typically, I hate when a game just drills into my brain and starts pressing all the feel-good buttons. I usually feel manipulated. However, the fact that it doesn’t ask for money beyond the admission fee, and the fact that there’s something of a clear endpoint to the entire game, makes it feel benign. It wants to entertain you for a while but will eventually let you get back to your life.

Vampire Survivors is well worth checking out, whether you’re playing it on Switch or any other platform. Its simple gameplay hides an irresistible depth. Just keep in mind that once you’re in its clutches, it can be a struggle to get free.

_{[This review is based on a retail build of the game provided by the publisher.]}

The post Review: Vampire Survivors appeared first on Destructoid.

The September 2023 games list is one of the hottest in recent memory. From the massive Starfield to the promising Soulslike Lies of P, there's something for everyone. Even motorheads will be happy this month. Here's what's coming out in September 2023, including some honorable mentions.

[caption id="attachment_396332" align="alignnone" width="1200"] Image via Ubisoft[/caption]

The Crew: Motorfest (PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, PC)

Publisher: Ubisoft
Developer: Ubisoft Ivory Tower
Price: $69.99
Release Date: September 14
Trailer

Just when you think the summer season is over, Ubisoft brings us back to the heat and smell of fuel in The Crew: Motorfest. This time we're traveling to the Hawaiian islands. In this open-world game, we'll be racing through the city of Honolulu. Additionally, we'll be able to "test [our] off-road skills on the ashy slopes of a volcano [and] master the perfect curve on the tracks," according to the game's official website. We'll also be able to drive on the beach and adventure through "hidden paths of the luxurious rainforest." With over 400 cars as well, Ubisoft's racing open-world title sounds like a nitro boost to the soul.

[caption id="attachment_396327" align="alignnone" width="1200"] Image via CD Projekt Red[/caption]

Cyberpunk 2077: Phantom Liberty (PS5, Xbox Series X/S, PC)

Publisher: CD Projekt Red
Developer: CD Projekt Red
Price: $29.99
Release Date: September 26
Trailer

The highly anticipated Cyberpunk 2077 DLC Phantom Liberty is releasing this month. Starring Idris Elba as Solomon Reed, V and Johnny Silverhand are taken into a new follow-up adventure. This time, you'll be trying to save the NUSA President in a new area called Dogtown. The game's Steam page teases that "your decisions impact not only the fate of the characters around you, but also yourself" when it comes to the ending. It's one of the most anticipated September 2023 games because we can't wait to see how it ends.

[caption id="attachment_396548" align="alignnone" width="1200"] Image via NEOWIZ[/caption]

Lies of P (PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, PC)

Publisher: NEOWIZ
Developer: NEOWIZ
Price: $59.99
Release Date: September 19
Trailer

After a lengthy and promising demo, Lies of P is finally releasing this month. This Soulslike is set in a beautiful European-inspired world full of creepy machines and gothic architecture. You play as Pinocchio, a puppet that's trapped in a horrific world. As he explores it, he'll "untangle the unfathomable secrets of the city's elites and choose whether to confront predicaments with the truth or weave lies to overcome them on the journey to find [himself,]" according to the Steam page. Hopefully, the game lives up its impactful demo from earlier this year.

[caption id="attachment_396553" align="alignnone" width="1200"] Image via WB Games[/caption]

Mortal Kombat 1 (PS5, Xbox Series X/S, PC)

Publisher: WB Games
Developer: NetherRealm Studios
Price: $69.99
Release Date: September 19
Trailer

Mortal Kombat 1 continues the fighting game hype this year. WB Games and NetherRealm Studios are bringing a new origin to the series with a fresh reset of the MK timeline. It will also introduce Kameo Fighters that can be summoned to help you pull off incredible combos or get you out of a bad situation. Hopefully, the game lives up to its high expectations. Homelander and Peacemaker will be a few of the DLC characters as well.

[caption id="attachment_396555" align="alignnone" width="1200"] Image via Bethesda[/caption]

Starfield (Xbox Series X/S, PC)

Publisher: Xbox Game Studios
Developer: Bethesda
Price: $69.99
Release Date: September 6
Trailer

Starfield is the kind of game you desperately want to be good before it releases. There's so much potential. You can travel to over 1,000 planets with all manner of cities and environments to explore. There are quests to complete, hopefully with many intriguing characters to meet. You can even customize your own spaceship to your liking. It's a sci-fi fan's dreams come to life. I really hope it lives up to everyone's expectations, just like The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim did in 2011. It would be a huge win for Xbox Game Studios if Starfield lands with players and critics.

[caption id="attachment_392728" align="alignnone" width="1200"] Image via EA[/caption]

Honorable Mentions

These five titles aren't the only highlights from the September 2023 games list. It's going to be a very busy month. You can also play the following:

• Rune Factory 3 Special (Switch, PC) - September 5
• Enchanted Portals (PS5, Xbox Series X/S, Switch, PC) - September 6
• Fae Farm (Switch) - September 8
• NBA 2K24 (PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, Switch, PC) – September 8
• MythForce (PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, Switch, PC) - September 12
• Super Bomberman R 2 (PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, Switch, PC) - September 12
• Eternights (PS4, PS5, PC) - September 12
• Baten Kaitos I & II HD Remaster (Switch) - September 14
• Monster Hunter Now (Android, iOS) - September 14
• Gloomhaven (PS5, Xbox Series X/S, Switch) - September 18
• Party Animals (Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, PC) - September 20
• Witchfire (PC) - September 20
• PayDay 3 (PS5, Xbox Series X/S, PC) - September 21
• EA Sports FC 24 (PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, Switch, PC) - September 22
• Harvest Moon: The Winds of Anthos (PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, Switch, PC) - September 26
• Mineko's Night Market (Switch) - September 26
• My Time at Sandrock (PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, Switch, PC) - September 26
• Paleo Pines (PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, Switch, PC)
• Disney Speedstorm (PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, Switch, PC) - September 28
• Gothic Classic (Switch) - September 28
• Infinity Strash: Dragon Quest: The Adventure of Dai (PS4, PS5, Switch, PC) - September 28

The post Most anticipated game releases – September 2023 appeared first on Destructoid.

Ubisoft has announced that the upcoming Assassin's Creed Mirage has gone gold. Even more surprisingly, the game's release date has shifted up a week, from October 12 to October 5. No explanation was given for the changed release date, though it's unlikely fans are complaining.

https://twitter.com/assassinscreed/status/1691117533846482944

Assassin's Creed Mirage is supposed to be a smaller, more streamlined Assassin's Creed. Promotional material for the upcoming game, which is centred on Valhalla's Basim, reveals that it returns to the franchise's roots by placing greater focus on parkour and stealth gameplay.

[caption id="attachment_396580" align="alignnone" width="640"] Image via Ubisoft.[/caption]

Assassin's Creed Mirage coming sooner than expected

The "gone gold" announcement simply means that a release version of the game is complete and ready for duplication and shipping. Rather than sit on the game, Ubisoft has decided to release the game earlier. While this does suggest some confidence in the game, it doesn't necessarily mean it won't be getting any post-launch patches.

One of the benefits of the new release date is that Mirage gets to launch relatively early in a month which is absolutely stacked with headlining releases. Ubisoft has avoided releasing Mirage on the same week as Forza Motorsport and Lords of the Fallen, though it now shares a release week with Detective Pikachu Returns. Marvel's Spider-Man 2 and Alan Wake 2 are both highly anticipated sequels also scheduled to release in October.

In many ways, it feels like Assassin's Creed Mirage is a response to some of the complaints lodged against Valhalla. If it can avoid the open-world bloat that plagued Valhalla while providing a compelling narrative for Basim, Mirage could be the breath of fresh air the franchise needs.

The post Assassin’s Creed Mirage is launching a week earlier appeared first on Destructoid.

Overwatch 2 has been available for a while on multiple platforms, though it was in Early Access. With the Invasion update, the game left early access and officially launched on August 10.

Reception hasn't been particularly good, and the game currently sits with "Overwhelmingly Negative" user reviews on Steam. The main reasons for the review bombing relate to how the free-to-play model was implemented, as well as the lack of previously promised content.

[caption id="attachment_373661" align="alignnone" width="640"] Image via Blizzard Entertainment[/caption]

Overwatch 2 has had a less-than-perfect launch

One of the main criticisms Overwatch 2 is facing is that it is far more money-oriented than its predecessor. For example, some Heroes and game modes are locked behind a Battle Pass system. They can be unlocked through normal gameplay, though paying players can simply bypass it all. Some content has also been cut from the game, including the planned PvE Hero Mode.

Explaining why this is the case, Blizzard's Aaron Keller wrote a blog post revealing how plans were made but developers struggled to find their "footing with the Hero Mission experience early on,"  leading to the decision to cut it. The Invasion update does come with PvE Hero missions, but they are locked behind the Battle Pass system, leading to further annoyance.

When scrolling through the user reviews, it is easy to see a trend among the complaints. They're succinctly summarized in Steam user BraySC's review: "They released Overwatch 2 as a free-to-play business model, which leans more heavily into microtransactions, overpriced skins and predatory behaviour. To make matters worse, they shut down the first game, making it unplayable for people who purchased it, meaning the player base has to move over to this free-to-play business model to keep playing the game." There are also plenty of mentions of Blizzard's history of workplace sexual harassment allegations in the reviews.

As of August 13, only 9% of the 92,028 reviews are positive, making Overwatch 2 one of the most negatively reviewed games on Steam. The negative reviews aren't limited to Valve's store, and players have also been voicing their dissatisfaction on Metacritic where the game sits a user score of 1.4 as of August 13, indicating "Overwhelming Dislike."

Things haven't been all bad for Overwatch 2, however. On Metacritic, the critic review score is a respectable 69 as of August 13. It also hit a commendable peak of 75,608 concurrent Steam players on August 11, indicating that there may still be hope for the colorful FPS.

The post Overwatch 2’s Steam launch met with “Overwhelmingly Negative” reviews appeared first on Destructoid.

Evo is a major event for fighting game tournaments and news. This year, we've seen updates announced for some of the biggest games in the genre, including Street Fighter 6, Tekken 8, and Mortal Kombat 1. There's even a brief teaser for SNK's next bout. Here's all the news at Evo 2023 you should know about.

[caption id="attachment_395265" align="alignnone" width="1200"] Image via Capcom[/caption]

Street Fighter 6 x Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles

After a musical performance of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles theme song, Capcom announced a new crossover for Street Fighter 6. Starting August 8, there will be four skins for your custom characters based on the radical reptiles, pizza-riffic emotes, new titles, stamps, mobile wallpaper, and camera frames. This bit of EVO 2023 news was one of the highlights of the show for me.

https://youtu.be/TY-k6jYzXtg

A.K.I. joins the battle in Street Fighter 6

Capcom also teased its next Street Fighter 6 character, A.K.I. She looks twisted, and poisons your custom character in the trailer. No gameplay was shown, but we do know she'll be available sometime this Fall.

[caption id="attachment_395269" align="alignnone" width="1200"] Screenshot via Mortal Kombat YouTube channel[/caption]

Ashrah, Havik, and Reptile are in Mortal Kombat 1

Three new characters were announced in a stellar Mortal Kombat 1 trailer. You'll be able to play as Ashrah, Havik, and Reptile when the game arrives on September 19, 2023. Ashrah is a surprising choice, as she hasn't been in the series since the PS2 game Mortal Kombat: Armageddon. Regardless, she looks like she fits in with her brutal Fatality. Sareena is also coming back, but as a Kameo fighter this time around.

[caption id="attachment_395273" align="alignnone" width="1200"] Screenshot via arcsystemworks YouTube channel[/caption]

Johnny returns in Guilty Gear Strive's Season Pass 3

Shirtless and ready to strike his foes, Johnny returns as the first character of Guilty Gear Strive's Season Pass 3. He swings his katana with a quickening pace, and also unleashes cards, even turning people into them and slashing them up when the opportunity arises. He'll be available to play on August 24.

Season Pass 3 will include one more character in 2023 and an additional two in 2024. It will also come with two more stages, more color variants for your characters, and two extra colors for the Season 3 characters.

Arc System Works also confirmed that the game's reached 2.5 million players, making Guilty Gear Strive a huge success for the studio.

https://youtu.be/cTyy0kgQ8Ug

Fatal Fury: City of the Wolves hypes up the crowd

After The King of Fighters and Samurai Shodown getting acclaim from fans and critics alike, the Fatal Fury series is returning with City of the Wolves. Not much was announced, but there was a little teaser by SNK, showcasing Terry and Rock Howard in the game. The graphics seem to be an upgrade too, with more visual details and improved lighting.

No release date has been given, but SNK fittingly said it is "furiously in development."

[caption id="attachment_395281" align="alignnone" width="1200"] Screenshot via SNK OFFICIAL YouTube channel[/caption]

The King of Fighters XV adds Najd and Duo Lon, and KOF XIII gets a re-release date

On August 8, Najd will be available as a DLC character in The King of Fighters XV. Duo Lon will then follow her sometime this Autumn, which starts on September 23 and ends on December 21.

Additionally, The King of Fighters XIII Global Match will hit PS4 and Switch on November 16 with rollback netcode.

https://youtu.be/30GpU_0A8Rg

Raven and Azucena join the Tekken 8 roster

Fan favorite character Raven and the coffee-obsessed newcomer Azucena are a part of the Tekken 8 roster. Raven is using his shadow skills that might remind you of Naruto's Shadow Clone Jutsu. Meanwhile, Azucena has an intriguing dodge feature with some tasty counters shown off in the trailer. Tekken 8 still has no release date attached.

[caption id="attachment_395287" align="alignnone" width="1200"] Screenshot via RIot Games' YouTube channel[/caption]

League of Legends fighting game Project L adds Yasuo

The in-development 2v2 fighter Project L is adding the champion Yasuo into the mix. His move set includes a far-reaching sword and quick attacks in the air. He can also release tornados and wind walls against his opponents.

"He can outplay with mix-ups, he can go to the air for really technical combos, play defense with his wind wall, or honestly just win neutral with his huge normals," said lead champion designer Alex Jaffe. Sadly, no release date for Project L was announced amid all the news at Evo 2023.

https://youtu.be/GYIOUxYBukw?t=354

Plankton is a new character in Nickelodeon All-Star Brawl 2

The tiny Plankton from Bikini Bottom is joining the bout in Nickelodeon All-Star Brawl 2 in a mech. He has all sorts of weaponry to fight off the likes of Aang, Reptar, and Spongebob SquarePants. He, alongside Squidward, will be a part of the main roster when the game launches later this year.

https://youtu.be/2Dc4F_fC0nc?t=42

Killer Instinct is getting a huge update

Cult-favorite Killer Instinct is getting a major update from Xbox Game Studios and Iron Galaxy for the first time in years. It will include better matchmaking, a balance update, and all-new 4K support on Xbox Series X|S. It will be coming this Fall. Now that Iron Galaxy and Xbox are working together on this, perhaps talk of a sequel could arise between the two companies after Rumbleverse's shutdown in February.

https://youtu.be/m55Ju_OmSvU

Under Night In-Birth 2 Sys:Celes is bringing "Dramatic Stylish 2D Fighting Action" in 2024

After more than ten years and many versions, Under Night In-Birth is getting a sequel. It will be launching early next year for the PS4, PS5, Nintendo Switch, and PC. Sorry, Xbox fans. Additionally, there will be rollback netcode.

Arc System Works says there will be "completely redesigned visuals" and "even more playable characters to be added" down the line. The trailer's description also touts that there will be "new moves and new battle systems" that further evolve the battle in Under Night In-Birth 2 Sys:Celes.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SbI26Ehde3g

GranBlue Fantasy Versus: Rising gets a release date

The release date for the sequel Granblue Fantasy Versus: Rising is November 30, as announced at Evo. As the festive season begins, we'll be battling it out as Gran and other characters in a three-part story and a new mode called Grand Bruise. Additionally, there is crossplay and rollback netcode available in this new version of the game. More characters are available too, including Anila, Grimnir, Nier, and Siegfried.

https://youtu.be/yKUH3zTNWMk

Maypul comes to Rivals 2

Finally, the fox-like combatant Maypul joins the Smash-like Rivals 2. She brings three different plants with her to the battle, including Lily, Terry, and Poppy. She'll also be the fastest character in the game. Maypul's combos look thrilling in the trailer itself. The game launches sometime next year.

That's it for Evo 2023 news cycle. Which fighting games are you most looking forward to next year, and will you be playing as Michelangelo in Street Fighter 6's avatar battles?

The post All the fighting game news from EVO 2023 appeared first on Destructoid.

Sonic Superstars is attempting to recapture that classic Sonic feeling, though it will be bringing a few new elements to the franchise. A villain named Trip is preparing to make her debut, and though she's decked out in spiky armor, she won't be your typical Sonic enemy. In an interview with Game Informer, Sonic Team creative officer Takashi Iizuka discussed a bit more about Trip’s origins and role in Sonic Superstars.

[caption id="attachment_394939" align="alignnone" width="640"] Image via Sega.[/caption]

Trip and her trouble

Not much is known about Trip yet, though the official site for Sonic Superstars reveals that she has been enlisted by Fang and Dr. Eggman to protect them as they venture through the Northstar Islands. She has a striped, furry tail, and she is completely covered in metal armor that has prevented us from seeing her face.

In the interview with GI, Iizuka revealed that Trip was created by him and Naoto Ohshima, the creator of Sonic the Hedgehog and Dr. Eggman. In order to have a truly new story, they felt that a new character would be necessary. When designing her, they bounced around a few ideas, including an armored lizard and the ouroboros. Some of the ideas made it into the final design, as the “base of her character is a sungazer lizard” - literally an “armored lizard” in Japanese.

Trip's personality and backstory will also be an important part of her character. Instead of a one-dimensional character, they were aiming to create something that would “stand out and be a character that people can kind of relate to and empathize with and enjoy as a character in the world.” Unlike your average Sonic villain that is presented as a formidable foe, Trip—at least initially—is quite clumsy and she even “falls on her face in the very first scene that you see her in."

Of course, Trip won’t be there alone. Dr. Eggman and Fang will also be present, presenting a nice blend of both old and new. Though he is also an iconic villain, Iizuka confirmed that Shadow won’t be making an appearance.

The platformer is expected to launch on PC, Switch, PlayStation, and Xbox in late 2023.

The post Sega reveals more about Trip, Sonic Superstars’ new villain appeared first on Destructoid.

Striking Distance Studios, the developer behind 2022's The Callisto Protocol, is laying off some developers. The company confirms it has left 32 employees go in a move to "realign" the studio, for current and future projects.

Twitter user @bogorad222 first spotted LinkedIn messages discussing the layoffs and, in a statement sent to IGN, Striking Distance confirmed the news. The studio, known for 2022's The Callisto Protocol, says 32 employees are affected by the layoffs which were implemented "to better position its current and future projects for success."

"Striking Distance Studios and KRAFTON have implemented strategic changes that realign the studio’s priorities to better position its current and future projects for success. Unfortunately, these changes have impacted 32 employees. Honoring the invaluable contributions of each departing team member with material support in the form of outplacement services and meaningful severance packages is our top priority during this difficult moment."

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IT7swHyN8FQ

Striking Distance suffers layoffs

The Callisto Protocol was released to lukewarm critical reception. Though it has garnered a dedicated following, it was previously confirmed that Callisto failed to meet Krafton's sales targets.

Striking Distance also mentioned that providing ex-employees with "outplacement services and meaningful severance packages" remains a top priority. However, this is not the first time the studio finds itself at odds with its employees. After the release of The Callisto Protocol, some employees complained that they had not been credited for their work. A post-launch update restored their omitted development credits.

The mention of "future projects" in the statement does suggest that Striking Distance is working on something new. Nevertheless, it appears the studio's debut title hasn't been the running start one would hope for.

The Callisto Protocol is available on PC, PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series X|S.

The post The Callisto Protocol studio Striking Distance confirms layoff of 32 employees appeared first on Destructoid.

Released on April 28, Star Wars Jedi: Survivor has been a success for Electronic Arts and Respawn Entertainment, earning both critical and commercial acclaim. Although it originally skipped the last-gen consoles, the EA first-quarter earnings call revealed that Respawn has PS4 and Xbox One ports on the way for Star Wars Jedi: Survivor. As the released EA report brief reveals, the company is looking to continue capitalizing on its financially well-performing franchises, including Star Wars Jedi.

[caption id="attachment_375326" align="alignnone" width="640"] Screenshot by Destructoid[/caption]

EA is not done with Star Wars Jedi: Survivor yet

As reported by The Verge, EA CEO Andrew Wilson announced during the earnings call that Star Wars Jedi: Survivor will come to PS4 and Xbox One, though a release date wasn't mentioned. This is an unexpected turn of events, as in an interview with PLAY Magazine (as reported by Game Rant) game director Stig Asmussen had previously stated that Jedi: Survivor was skipping last-gen consoles to ensure a "true new-gen experience in the Star Wars universe."

The financial report points to Star Wars Jedi and FIFA as the catalysts for its first-quarter performance. It highlights that in addition to attracting millions of players globally, Jedi: Survivor is also “seeing players spend more time in-game than its predecessor.” FIFA was noted for “delivering a record Q1 for the franchise,” and this comes as the series undergoes massive rebranding following the end of EA’s partnership with FIFA. The next entry in the series will be titled EA Sports FC 24.

Respawn has continually been working on the game since its launch, with patches being released to improve performance on all gaming platforms. Time will tell how developers will manage to ensure smooth performance on the dated last-gen consoles.

The post EA is working on PS4 and Xbox One version of Star Wars Jedi: Survivor appeared first on Destructoid.

Assassin's Creed Valhalla's Basim is the star of Assassin's Creed Mirage, the upcoming game that will serve as the latest entry in the franchise. In many ways, Mirage represents a return to an older for the series, as it will borrow many elements from older entries. It will also have a length and scope similar to the classic titles, which may be a relief for players who were overwhelmed by Valhalla's epic size.

[caption id="attachment_394615" align="alignnone" width="640"] Image via Ubisoft.[/caption]

Assassin’s Creed Mirage is much shorter than Valhalla

In 2022, there were rumors and reports that Ubisoft was planning a shorter Assassin’s Creed title centered on Basim. As the release date for the since-revealed game draws nearer, we are discovering just how short it will be. Ubisoft lead producer Fabian Salomon recently sat down for an interview with YouTuber Julien Chièze and discussed a bit about what players can expect from the upcoming game. The conversation is in French, though the important parts have been translated by PCGamesN.

According to Salomon, Assassin's Creed Mirage can be completed in around 20-23 hours, and completionists can expect to spend 25-30 hours. Basim’s adventure will be a lot closer to the classic Assassin’s Creed titles which also had much more manageable lengths. The first two entries and Brotherhood all have playtimes of under 20 hours according to HowLongToBeat. That's far shorter than 2020's Valhalla, which has a playtime of around 60 hours, or over 100 if you're trying to see everything.

This isn’t the only way the upcoming game will resemble classic titles. As vice president and executive producer of Assassin's Creed Marc-Alexis Côté explained to IGN, developers looked to the first game in the franchise for inspiration, and Mirage is very much a love letter to the game that started it all. Hence, like the first game, Mirage will have a greater focus on “stealth, on close-quarter combat, on parkour, and a denser city”. For players who really want to crank up the nostalgia, an optional visual filter featuring the desaturated blue-grey color palette that characterizes the first Assassin's Creed game will also be available.

It appears that you can expect a far more streamlined experience with Mirage. As developers have previously revealed, the upcoming game will have less of a focus on RPG elements, and it will have a story-focus linear structure. A short and sweet playtime may be welcomed by some, as a recurring criticism of Valhalla is that it is bloated with busywork to pad the playtime. Many wallets may also be grateful, as the standard edition will launch with a price tag of $50 to reflect the game's smaller scope.

Assassin’s Creed Mirage is scheduled to release on October 12 on PC, PlayStation, and Xbox. Players who pre-order will receive an exclusive mission titled "The Forty Thieves."

The post Assassin’s Creed Mirage’s play time will be shorter than Valhalla’s appeared first on Destructoid.

The best stages of fighting games transport us to an exciting arena. It could be a stunning wilderness, a ruckus crowd, or an ancient temple. What's most important is how they set the tone of the fight and if the intractable nature of the stage is well suited to a fighting game. Let's hear the roar of the crowd and get stuck in on what makes an exciting fighting game stage.

[caption id="attachment_394297" align="alignnone" width="1200"] Image via Capcom[/caption]

The stunning setting from stages of fighting games

Arguably, the most important element is the graphics of each stage. There's always a balance between being too simple and too distracting. For example, I hate it when pro fighting game players always pick the plain white training stages during EVO or local meetups that take me out of the experience. On the other side of the coin, Super Smash Bros. Ultimate's Final Destination has way too much going in the background that keeps me off focus.

The best fighting game stages have enough flair to be entertaining but not too still to the point of boredom. Duomo di Sirio is one of my favorites from Tekken 7, for example. There's not a lot going on in the background, but there's an elegance to the European-inspired setting. There are sculptures in the background and illustrative architectural touches that make it stand out. As the battle continues, you can punch your foe off the balcony, giving a more dynamic feel to the fight. The stage's music is also exhilarating.

Bustling or serene, fighting game stages can fit different qualities

Additionally, the best stages show the environment's culture perfectly. Street Fighter 2's Shopping District depicts a bustling Chinese market. There's a cyclist rolling down beside the fight as a chicken flaps its wings inside a cage, a woman is washing her hands in a bowl, and meat is hung up by hooks. To give a more recent example, Street Fighter 6's Fete Foraine presents a stunning Parisian night. The Eiffel Tower is glowing in the background of a market filled with a clown, food stalls, and a spinning ride. There are also people enjoying their food on red and white cloth tables. Capcom does a great job of detailing its stages with all sorts of references and cultural reflections of each environment.

If you want a stage that's more serene, take a look at Genbu Temple, also in Street Fighter 6. It's not populated with onlookers to the fight, but the slight monochromatic styling of the stage next to the pink blossom trees is so striking. Awesome stages can take different forms.

[caption id="attachment_394294" align="alignnone" width="1200"] Screenshot by Destructoid[/caption]

Cinematic stages

NetherRealm's recent fighting game output has provided interactive stages. They're cool because your environment presents a new layer of strategy to each bout. In Injustice: Gods Among Us, you're able to bounce off a car's hood to get out of the corner or ride a motorcycle into your opponent in Wayne Manor. There's even the option to smash The Joker's face into the car. You can also launch your opponent out of the arena with an impressively detailed cinematic cutscene.

Meanwhile, Dragon Ball FighterZ impresses anime and fighting game fans alike with its thrilling animations that seem ripped straight from the show. One critical element of the stages in this game is how they can crumble around you. If you use a powerful ability, the environment is wiped out, adding believability to the intense cutscenes that play beforehand.

https://open.spotify.com/track/6WdFcnGJNgLOeL4RBCU95l?si=5e500366ef3a46c8

The music

While some games focus more on the character themes nowadays, each stage's music is important in capturing excitement in a fanbase. While Jin and Heihachi are simply fighting on a shallow ocean floor and nothing else, the "Infinite Azure" track is spectacular. The beats are addicting and maintain an intense tempo, but there remains a calm tranquil tone that's refreshing to listen to. It features a few surprises in the composition, like a heavier emphasis on the percussion mid-song. Without this music, it would be a dull yet beautiful stage to fight in.

Going back to Dragon Ball FighterZ, "West City" retains the upbeat yet heavy stakes of battle. The deep bass, strings-focused melody, and then the horns all make for an epic theme while you're fighting against the likes of Tien, Cell, and Goku. While the environments show an accurate recreation of West City from the anime, the music truly makes it a fantastic stage I go back to over and over again.

You cannot talk about great fighting game stage music without mentioning "Jazzy NYC" from Street Fighter III: Third Strike. The deeper cymbal section at the beginning represents a hip-hop energy as you enter New York City. The theme is lively and has you bobbing your head up and down. The jazzy saxophone-like MIDI has an amazing solo in the middle of the song that just exudes energy. It's one of, if not the, most popular stage theme in Street Fighter history. If the music is right, it will emphasize the stage's vibe perfectly.

What are your favorite fighting games stages?

There are so many fantastic fighting game stages out there. I personally have a soft spot for PlayStation All-Stars Battle Royale's novelty approach to mixing two games into one area, like God of War and Ratchet & Clank in Metropolis. There's also the majesty of Tekken 5's Moonlit Wilderness with its gorgeous moonlit sky and flowers that glow from its light; it has an epic theme with it, making this stage the ultimate package. What are your favorite fighting game stages?

The post What makes an exciting fighting game stage? Let’s dive in appeared first on Destructoid.

Since Sega released the first Sonic the Hedgehog game in 1991, the lovable blue speedster remained a permanent fixture in pop culture. Though it has plenty of nostalgic value, Sonic Team will not be returning to 2017's Sonic Mania. In a recent interview with Game Informer, Sega explained why this is the case.

[caption id="attachment_394447" align="alignnone" width="640"] Screenshot by Destructoid[/caption]

What happened to Sonic Mania 2?

Sonic Mania was a success that sold over a million copies in its first year of release. This might have indicated a sequel could happen, but that hasn’t panned out. In the interview, Sonic Team’s Takashi Iizuka revealed that the plan was originally to make a new Sonic game in the classic style following Sonic Mania.

"There was a period after the development of Sonic Mania when we worked with them to consider concepts for the next generation of Classic Sonic," Iizuka told GI. "It's too bad that it didn't become a finished game. Still, I'm pleased that the next generation of Classic Sonic that we talked about with them has been achieved with Superstars."

The upcoming Sonic Superstars will be using 3D assets. The team felt that the 2D pixel art style attracts a certain "core" audience. While most of these players may be lifelong Sonic fans, developers also wanted the upcoming game to appeal to a wider audience of new players. Hence, as Iizuka explains, they “needed to use the 3D assets to really give it that current look”.

Sonic Team amiably cut ties with developer Christian Whitehead who worked on Sonic Mania. Whitehead went on to form Evening Star, a studio working on its debut Penny's Big Breakaway. But Superstars does look to be using some pieces of Sonic Mania's legacy for the upcoming side-scroller.

https://twitter.com/CFWhitehead/status/1668971982493470720?s=20

Speaking to Game Informer, Whitehead backs up the account. He says Evening Star's goal was to move "beyond" 2D pixel art

"Evening Star did work with Sega to explore possible directions Classic Sonic could go after the success of Sonic Mania," Whitehead told GI. "Sonic Mania 2 was never in development, though, because we actually agreed early on that we should try to make something fresh, like hand-drawn 2D or 2.5D."

Though the upcoming side-scroller Sonic Superstars won’t look like the classic Sonic games, developers are still dedicated to making it feel like them. As Iizuka explains, the “game was created from zero – from absolutely nothing – but we were still looking at all those four classic games and creating physics that are going to match and feel like what the classic series needs to be”.

Sonic Superstars is slated to release in late 2023 on PC, Switch, PlayStation, and Xbox.

The post Sega explains why a Sonic Mania sequel didn’t happen appeared first on Destructoid.

If you have an Xbox Series X|S or an Xbox One, you may have noticed a few changes to the Home screen recently. That's because Microsoft has been rolling out an update for the current and previous-gen consoles, which brings some alterations to the system UI.

A post over on Xbox Wire gives an overview of what you'll see the next time you turn on your console (if you haven't done so already). The post says this latest update is the result of feedback from users and is designed to make it easier to "discover new games, rediscover games you already love, connect with communities, and create a more personalized experience."

[caption id="attachment_393782" align="aligncenter" width="640"] Image via Xbox Wire.[/caption]

So what's new?

First and foremost, your Library, Xbox Game Pass, Search, and Settings options have been moved to the top of the UI. The layout has been simplified to create "more space for your personalized background," while recent games and apps you've opened have been moved down a tad.

What else? There's now a personalized list of recommended games that have been curated for you, and an option to change your Home background so it matches the game you're currently playing.

However, it appears as though not all Xbox users will have gotten the update yet. The post says that "some customers will need to wait a few weeks to get their hands on it," but it is coming to all Series X|S and One consoles soon.

The post Xbox rolls out a new Home UI for Series X|S and One appeared first on Destructoid.

Persona 4 has a treasured soundtrack with many great tunes that'll get you pumped for battle or grinning from ear to ear as you hear the Junes Theme playing. It also helps establish the season as the school year passes, like "Snowflakes," which plays during the final months of the game. While you're in battle, on the other hand, the rocking beat of "Reach Out To The Truth" keeps you focused on every attack. I am thou, thou art I, here are the best Persona 4 songs, ranked!

Note: This list includes Persona 4 and Persona 4 Golden tracks, no spin-off titles.

10. "Specialist"

https://open.spotify.com/track/0nAeo4gKT75vw5QmkZLdHB?si=da8e4145411d4e78

There are very few shopping video game themes that are cooler than this. This piece has a pleasant, chill melody highlighted by a jazzy piano and an awesome percussion beat that will put on a smile on your face. You can't help yourself while you bob your head up and down to the rhythm.

9. "Reverie"

https://open.spotify.com/track/28AYf50QPbB8AhC4OYU7uQ?si=2a4960c3020c43c7

Honestly, there's not much to say about this piece. "Reverie" plays when Yu and the gang reflect on what just happened. The piano plays a beautiful tune while whirring instrumentals that float above the piece give a melancholy vibe. It's a striking song that perfectly reflects the situation the team is in whenever it plays.

8. "Never More"

https://open.spotify.com/track/7wsNi1SE40YS9YYCj44EQ4?si=b3462e0c7a264256

This ending credits song is a wonderful track that establishes the strong bonds between Yu and the friends he's made along the way. The vocals are lovely as Shihoko Hirata sings about the memories the investigation team has made over the past year. The piano in the track also gives a neat reference to "A Corner of Memories" from the beginning of the game. As Persona 4 is such a long game, it actually feels nostalgic in a sense as you've known these characters for weeks, maybe months.

7. "Your Affection"

https://open.spotify.com/track/6idKSeBnFz49htgvyWoMro?si=44ac27cc45d54733

Rolling through Inaba, it was always a delight to listen to "Your Affection." It's a happy-go-lucky song as it encourages you to turn "your misery into meaningfulness" and take "pride from fear." This song is the levity we need after going through all the dungeons during the Midnight hour. During sunny days, it matches perfectly with the colorful visuals of this lovely small town.

6. "The Almighty"

https://open.spotify.com/track/2SzaLThldhzZgZBOLJoYuK?si=9ca468f6c8db4e3b

This song is steeped with so much drama. The strings and heavy bass at the beginning illustrate a great tension, and then the gripping main melody from the guitar seeps in. About a minute in, the percussion goes faster, adding stakes to the boss battle. You then get a soothing, echoed piano and guitar taking over the piece, likely showcasing who you're fighting for, like Nanako and all the residents of Inaba. Later on, the main guitar and the soothing section collide in an epic clash that somehow works together. It's a unique take on a boss battle theme as it switches between the two styles constantly; it's like a tug of war about who's winning the fight.

5. "Signs of Love"

https://open.spotify.com/track/32NyN0Tby1YpKObfd8nrzN?si=3554fce9e1514dfc

"Signs of Love" has everything I love about the Persona 4 soundtrack: a funky beat, charming lyrics, and some entertaining jazzy overtones that keep the track riveting. There are also strings in the background that reflect the slight tension that befalls the teenage protagonist. It's a great track that I'm happy to listen to over and over again as each in-game day passes.

4. "Reach Out To The Truth"

https://open.spotify.com/track/7JR73H8enwnGiYFS2I6eWW?si=183dea8a012f4691

"Reach Out To The Truth" is a fantastic battle theme. The rocking guitar gives tasty jams, while the jazzy keyboard provides more character to the piece. The drums also keep up the intensity while the Hirata nails her performance. It does get more repetitive than the other battle themes on the list, but it's still an exciting piece for many Persona 4 players.

3. "Snowflakes"

https://open.spotify.com/track/3Ybug08EbRV4RZfcw8WZMk?si=7f97b3f31c7e4ce9

Persona 4 Golden adds a beautiful track called "Snowflakes" that establishes the journey is almost over. It's a sad, yet calming track that fits into the winter season. It talks about the "friendship that is built to last" and the "laughter from this treasured place" that will stay in each character's memories. Similar to "Never More," it gives us a nostalgic feeling, reflecting on the past year, similar to thinking back on the past year during New Year's Eve. The tune from the piano, vocals, and beats are also stunning to listen to.

2. "Time to Make History"

https://open.spotify.com/track/3fHtkMIsiv9kC0Tv2iSS3h?si=f25f817629ac422b

Goodness, I love this song! The bass absolutely slaps as the delightful vocals get us hyped to "step on up to the plate" and "time to make history." It's an absolute jam.  It's fun how all of the instruments ramp up together during the chorus, and the drums once again make their presence known in the best way. When I played Persona 4 Golden, I was always more excited to hear this number over "Reach Out To The Truth."

1. "I’ll Face Myself (Reincarnation)"

https://open.spotify.com/track/1PraA0CrjHLo16lwUw6NSq?si=814328a804dd47bd

Drama. Intensity. High stakes. This is what "I'll Face Myself (Reincarnation)" brings to Persona 4. You have a slow unassuming beginning that ramps up quickly to an intense battle theme. The emotional strings play well with the intense drums. The flow also keeps changing, giving you unexpected twists and turns in this epic boss battle music. Composer Shoji Meguro wasn't afraid to include slower pieces to this boss battle theme, adding an emotional element to the track. He went all out with the ebb and flow of this piece. It's remarkable and is one of the best Persona 4 songs, absolutely.

The post Best Persona 4 songs, ranked appeared first on Destructoid.

A hot season starting to cool down

This year's summer has been chock-a-block with incredible games from Final Fantasy XVI to Street Fighter 6, but things are starting to cool down with the August 2023 games lineup. There are still some great games like Sea of Stars and Baldur's Gate 3 on the horizon. However, we can take a bit of a breather as most of these anticipated titles are fairly niche. Here's everything you can expect from the August 2023 games release schedule.

[caption id="attachment_392530" align="alignnone" width="1200"] Image via From Software and Bandai Namco[/caption]

Armored Core VI: Fires of Rubicon (PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, PC)

Publisher: From Software and Bandai Namco
Developer: From Software
Price: $59.99
Release Date: August 25
Trailer
Our Preview

The legendary studio behind Dark Souls and Elden Ring (From Software) is bringing back a mech favorite with Armored Core VI: Fires of Rubicon.  The Steam page claims it's bringing the developer's "signature action gameplay" into the mix with "fast-paced, omni-directional battles." Each fight will be set in "massive stages," and now with better graphical fidelity, the action will look even more intense and stunning. While there isn't any Souls-like combat from this sequel, you can deeply customize your mech just how you'd like it.

Your judgment will impact your mech's movement and even its battle style. The Steam page claims that "each mission can be approached with a unique mech strategy." Something you'd expect from From Software is boss battles; this game comes with them in spades. Hopefully, this game lives up to the extremely high expectations of the developer's huge fanbase after its 2022 magnum opus Elden Ring. From the pedigree alone, this is one of the most anticipated August 2023 games.

[caption id="attachment_392533" align="alignnone" width="1200"] Image via Larian Studios[/caption]

Baldur's Gate 3 (PC)

Publisher: Larian Studios
Developer: Larian Studios
Price: $59.99
Release Date: August 3 (PC) and September 6 (PS5)
Trailer

RPG fans, rejoice! Baldur's Gate 3 is finally leaving early access on August 3. There is deep customization in the game, allowing you to pick from 12 classes (with 46 subclasses) and 11 races (including 31 subraces) for your hero/heroine. Larian Studios also claims your decisions will leave an impact on the storyline. "Every choice you make drives your story forward, each decision leaving your mark on the world," says Larian on the game's Steam page. "Define your legacy, nurture relationships and create enemies, and solve problems your way."

We'll see how grandiose the story is when the game fully releases, but it certainly sounds promising. As the game is set in the Dungeons & Dragons universe, it will be based on the 5e ruleset. You'll be rolling the dice for your actions during combat and can interact with the environment in unique ways. Oh, and you can have romantic relations with a bear...if that's your thing.

[caption id="attachment_392534" align="alignnone" width="1200"] Image via EA[/caption]

Immortals of Aveum (PS5, Xbox Series X/S, PC)

Publisher: EA
Developer: Ascendent Studios
Price: $59.99
Release Date: August 21
Trailer

If you're tired of guns and want a bit of a change-up, there's Immortals of Aveum with magic instead of ammo. You'll be blasting away all sorts of foes with 25 different spells at your disposal. There are also 80 talents to learn in this FPS single player campaign. As one of the battle mages, you're tasked to save the world from villains who plan to send it to the abyss.

The game looks exciting with plenty of intriguing enemies to fight and a sense of verticality within its level design. The graphics look pristine as well with gorgeous visual effects and grand environments.  It's one of the more intriguing August 2023 games on this list.

[caption id="attachment_392536" align="alignnone" width="1200"] Image via EA[/caption]

Madden NFL 24 (PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, PC)

Publisher: EA
Developer: EA Sports
Price: $69.99
Release Date: August 17
Trailer

EA has a busy month in store because Madden NFL 24 is also dropping in August. Instead of slinging spells, you'll be throwing footballs and handling them better with an improved version of FieldSENSE. EA claims on the game's Steam page that it's "giving you greater control and delivering realism to all the ways you play." Additionally, there's a new feature called the SAPIEN technology. Apparently, it adds more realism to the body definition and variation of the athletes' physiques. EA claims this results in "realistic player movement."

EA also says that your teammates' ratings and situational awareness have improved since the last game with better AI. Thankfully, Madden NFL 24 will include crossplay, allowing you to play with your friends on PS5, Xbox Series X/S, and PC. While this is not my particular cup of tea (soccer should be called football, damn it), this year's Madden seems to be a big step up. It might be worth waiting for it to come to Xbox Game Pass, however, like Madden NFL 23.

[caption id="attachment_392538" align="alignnone" width="1200"] Image via Sabotage Studio[/caption]

Sea of Stars (PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, Nintendo Switch, PC)

Publisher: Sabotage Studio
Developer: Sabotage Studio
Price: $34.99
Release Date: August 29
Trailer

Sea of Stars is the standout indie out of the August 2023 games list. Sporting wonderful 16-bit inspired graphics, Sea of Stars will wrap you up in some good ol' JRPG goodness. It's seemingly inspired by classics like Chrono Trigger and Super Mario RPG. There's a turn-based combat system that relies on timed button presses. If you time them correctly, your damage will increase. As the game proceeds, each combo will progress in difficulty.

The animations are absolutely gorgeous within the art style, adding even more of a nostalgic rush to the game. The game does feel modernized, however, with no random encounters and no grinding to speak of. Go at your own pace and stop The Fleshmancer performing their evil doings. To keep you entertained, there are other activities in Sea of Stars, such as fishing, cooking, and a tabletop game called Wheels.

[caption id="attachment_392540" align="alignnone" width="1200"] Image via Fireplace Games[/caption]

Honorable Mentions

• Thronefall (PC) - August 2
• Flutter Away (PC, Switch) - August 3
• Atlas Fallen (PS5, Xbox Series X/S, PC) - August 10
• Moving Out 2 (PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, Switch, PC)  - August 15
• En Garde! (PC) - August 16
• Marble It Up! Ultra (PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, Switch, PC) - August 17
• Bomb Rush Cyberfunk (PC, Switch) - August 18
• The Texas Chainsaw Massacre (PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, PC)
• Ride 5 (PS5, Xbox Series X/S, PC) - August 24
• Goodbye Volcano High (PS4, PS5, PC) - August 29
• Samba de Amigo: Party Central (Switch) - August 29
• Under the Waves (PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, PC) - August 29
• The Shape of Things (Switch) - August 31

The post Most anticipated game releases – August 2023 appeared first on Destructoid.

Enough Retro games to play three or four every day for a year

Retro cloud streaming platform Antstream Arcade has announced their vast collection of officially licensed retro games is coming to Xbox One and Xbox Series X|S later this month. As part of this, Antstream says games that had previously only been playable on Sony or Nintendo platforms will also become playable on Xbox through its service.

The extensive collection includes retro titles all the way back to the Commodore era. Through the service, games will be playable without any sort of installation or download required. Each week more officially licensed Retro titles will be added to the service.

[caption id="attachment_391655" align="alignnone" width="640"] Image via Antstream Arcade[/caption]

Xbox can finally join in on the Retro fun

Antstream Arcade is already available on PC, Mac, Linux, Android, Android TV, Firestick, Samsung TV, and via a web browser. This will be the first time the Retro collection will be available on consoles natively. Antstream CEO Steve Cottam created the service as an easy way to access games he loved growing up.

"Despite living in an age of incredible technology, I found it wasn’t easy enough to access the games I loved growing up and I wanted to be able to easily share scores and compete against friends,” said Cottam in a press release. “We believe in the preservation and accessibility of all games, the great, the impossible and the forgotten or lesser known too, I’m very proud to bring the Antstream Arcade platform to the Xbox community”.

Alongside the Retro catalog, Antstream Arcade also allows players to enter tournaments and challenge others to duels and community battles. You'll be able to acquire achievements and connect with others and show off your accolades via your profile.

Antstream Arcade releases later this month for $29.99 per year or via lifetime access at $79.99. The price includes all future games and features added to the service. Furthermore, Anstream Arcade is hosting a live stream on July 14 to highlight new games coming to the service and show off what more is to come. The service will be available in Europe, the UK, the USA, Canada, and the Vatican City.

The post Antstream Arcade is coming to Xbox with over 1300 retro games appeared first on Destructoid.

Stampy feet

Chiropractic survival city builder The Wandering Village is coming to Xbox One and Series X|S on July 20, 2023. This comes at the same time as its Oceans update, which drops a new biome into the game.

The Wandering Village is a post-apocalyptic city builder where you construct your settlement on the back of a giant creature that carries your people above the toxic surface of the doomed world. It’s pretty neat! You have to appease both your villagers and the creature that they live on in a pretty inventive interpretation of symbiosis. It’s been in Early Access since September 2022, receiving steady updates since then.

The Ocean update adds a new saltwater biome and mechanics based around it. There are new resources and buildings to take advantage of the maritime industry. You can discover islands and shipwrecks, and the Onbu you live on paddles through the water. It’s good stuff.

[caption id="attachment_391248" align="alignnone" width="600"] Image via Stray Fawn Studio[/caption]

I’ve only dabbled with the Early Access at release enough to be able to confidently say that The Wandering Village is a quality game. I also was able to speak to Philomena Schwab not too long ago about the team’s influences.

You’ll be able to check out The Wandering Village on Xbox One and Xbox Series X|S on July 20, 2023. The Ocean Update hits PC Early Access on that same day.

The post The Wandering Village and its next update trundle to Xbox on July 20 appeared first on Destructoid.

A solid showing of indie games

Microsoft held their ID@Xbox Showcase today showing off the lineup of upcoming indie games heading to PC, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X|S. We got a good look at some promising-looking indie games that are coming out over the next year. Alongside world premieres we also got a few surprise today releases.

We've put together a recap of all the new game reveals and announcements from the showcase. There were twenty games showcased in this ID@Xbox event so there's lots to talk about. Let's dive in!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PhRr_5HhKxI

Monolith: Requiem of the Ancients

Monolith: Requiem of the Ancients is third person action adventure RPG about a mysterious powerful monolith threatened by dark forces. Embark on a dangerous adventure with the power of the Runic Swarm and crush minions of evil on your path to save the planet. Monolith is coming in 2024 on Xbox One and Xbox Series X|S.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nlwSl-jCNMM

Hellboy Web of Wyrd

Hellboy Web of Wyrd is an upcoming action-brawler-roguelite where you can punch, dodge, and blast your way through the mysterious Web of Wyrd as the comic-favorite Hellboy. While no exacty timeframe was given, Hellboy Web of Wyrd is coming soon to Xbox One and Xbox Series X|S.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jCMCZ3gALc4

Everspace 2

Space action RPG Everspace 2 will finally be leaving early access and receives a full launch on August 15, 2023 on Xbox Series X|S. It is also a Day 1 on Game Pass title. Though it wasn't mentioned, we also know it's releasing on PS5 the same day. The full release will feature a 30+ hour main campaign story that is fully voiced in English and German.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mioYYcmsog0

Sea of Stars

We got another look at the Sea of Stars announcement trailer that was released a few months ago. The turn-based RPG inspired by the classics still looks as beautiful as ever. Sea of Stars tells the story of two Children of the Solstice who combine powers of sun and moon to perform Eclipse Magic and fight back the evil Fleshmancer. Sea of Stars features special guest composer Yasunori Mitsuda who is well known for his music in Chrono Trigger, Chrono Cross, and Xenoblade Chronicles 3. The retro RPG will release on August 29 and will be day 1 on Game Pass. A demo is out now on Xbox.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ECbYebmtqvs

Solace State

Take on the role of a young hacker confronting political plots in Solace State. The visual novel-style game claims choices will be important as you build relationships and support communities attempting to revolutionize against a corporate biotech conspiracy. Solace State is coming this summer to Xbox One and Xbox Series X|S.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TCyWv7rexbo

Worldless

Worldless is a stylized 2D Adventure Platformer featuring turn-based combat. Explore a mysterious and abstract world as you attune to various polarities that change your style of combat. Worldless releases on Xbox One and Xbox Series X|S in Fall 2023.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5dXwcSoHWUU

MythForce

Jump into a Saturday Morning Cartoon with first-person melee roguelike MythForce. Adventure through crypts and castles with your friends as you hunt down the evil Hexstar. MythForce launches on September 12 on Xbox One and Xbox Series X|S.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pGtYNFtvGzc

Jackbox Party Pack 10

Timejinx and Hypnotorious were revealed as two of the five games coming in Jackbox Party Pack 10. We've already seen Tee K.O. 2 and FixyText revealed as two of the other games, meaning we're still waiting on one more. Jackbox Party Pack 10 releases this fall on all major platforms.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TMgy7vI6hn0

Roman Sands RE:Build

This is a very unique-looking title. Roman Sands RE:Build is a delirium-charged journey into an apocalypse. Play through a variety of genres including visual novel, adventure, puzzle, horror, and survival simulation games. Roman Sands RE:Build is coming to Xbox One and Xbox Series X|S in Winter 2023.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z4ziEhBytrM

Scarlet Deer Inn

Scarlet Deer Inn is a narrative platformer featuring an emotional story and an interesting cast of characters. Explore a dark dungeon full of monsters and branching dialogue options where all character's animation frames have actually been embroidered. Furthermore, all backgrounds have been hand-painted. The Studio Ghibli-inspired Scarlet Deer Inn is coming to Xbox Series X|S but no release timeframe just yet.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xnc7jSmcxB4

Rain World: Downpour

Rain World and the Rain World: Downpour DLC are out now on Xbox. Take control of five new characters as you explore the dark and mysterious world.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fvRLsQmQAc0

Second Wave

Wait, this isn't an Overwatch skin pack? Apparently not. Second Wave is a free-to-play online multiplayer hero-based shooter MOBA in the world of Armantia. Choose from Domination or 3-Way Battle as you fight other heroes and exiles in an endless war for the Arcane Stone. Second Wave is coming to Xbox Series X|S but no release timeframe was given.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Coku_dX7Tfk

Vampire Survivors

Even though it was revealed a couple of weeks ago, we got another look at the Vampire Survivors couch co-op mode. Dust off your couch and jump into the bullet hell Vampire Survivors with up to four total players. The new mode is coming to Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S and Game Pass on August 17.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DVju4TQoT1w

Axiom Verge 2

You can now explore the award-winning alien world of Axiom Verge 2 on Xbox. Our very own Eric Van Allen thought this was a beautiful Metroid-style game so it's definitely worth checking out. Axiom Verge 2 is out now on Xbox One and Xbox Series X|S either alone or in a bundle with the first one.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=avFlZxNjOtI

Stray Souls

Ok, this probably has to be the best reveal of the showcase in my opinion. Stray Souls is a creepy-looking indie game that looks like a mix between Silent Hill and Resident Evil. The spooky third-person shooter features new music by legendary Silent Hill composer Akira Yamaoka. Stray Souls hits Xbox One and Xbox Series X|S in Fall 2023.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_RxnHLsDGo8

Birth

I'll be honest, Birth definitely looked unique but I wasn't too sure exactly what I had just seen by the time the trailer was over. Apparently, it's an adventure puzzle game about constructing a creature from spare bones and organs you find around a city. The art is hand-drawn and the gameplay involves you solving physics-based puzzles as you discover secrets around town. Birth releases on Xbox One on July 28.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=50K1cw5_9vU

Texas Chain Saw Massacre

Like the film, Texas Chain Saw Massacre is a game based on true events. Try to survive in this insanely chaotic survival game when it releases on August 18 on Xbox One and Xbox Series X|S. It will also be a day 1 Game Pass release.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X_EseZ_Kalw

DREAMERS

It's time to go on an emotional journey with DREAMERS, a new colorful adventure game by PlaySys. Explore a world full of challenges and mysteries on September 1. DREAMERS is releasing on Xbox One and Xbox Series X|S.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=utb6ET0uhV0

Stumble Guys

The mobile game variant of Fall Guys is now officially coming to consoles. Stumble Guys is another multiplayer knockout royale game coming to Xbox Series S|X and Xbox One.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DyfNjdTaFLE

The Making of Karateka

Based on the 1984 martial arts action game by Jordan Mechner, The Making of Karateka is an interactive documentary that also includes four pixel-perfect versions of Karateka. It will also feature an all-new remastered version of the game with new features. The Making of Karateka releases later this year on Xbox Series X|S.

Whew, that's it! I'm personally really looking forward to Sea of Stars and Stray Souls. How do you guys feel overall about the ID@Xbox showcase?

The post Here’s a full July ID@Xbox Showcase Recap appeared first on Destructoid.

Trash Can Children

The Garbage Pail Kids are a bit out of my wheelhouse. I don’t particularly like gross-out humor. Even some of the stuff in Ren & Stimpy is too much for me. I respect gross-out humor. I think it’s probably healthy to find amusement in bodily functions that we all experience but, for some reason, choose to demonize. That doesn’t change things, though. It doesn’t tickle the atrophied humor muscle in my brain.

Except for butts. Butts are forever funny.

However, the NES is part of my domain. So when Garbage Pail Kids: Mad Mike and the Quest for Stale Gum arrived, I couldn’t turn down the opportunity to pick up a physical copy of it for NES. To be clear, I bought this myself. When I covered Blazing Rangers back in February, First Press Games had offered me a copy of it. I’m not sure Iam8bit even has my contact information, and I’m too polite and shy to actually ask for anyone for review copies.

[caption id="attachment_390217" align="alignnone" width="640"] Screenshot by Destructoid[/caption]

Garbage Pail Kids: Mad Mike and the Quest for Stale Gum (NES, Switch, PS4, Xbox One, PC)
Developer: Retrotainment Games, Digital Eclipse
Publisher: iam8bit
Released: October 25, 2022
MSRP: $9.99 (Digital), $79.99 (NES)

If you’re unfamiliar with the Garbage Pail Kids, it was an attempt to take the Cabbage Patch Kids and turn it into the most unwholesome, disgusting mutation possible. They were chiefly a series of trading cards, but they eventually spun off into a movie that has been described as “the worst ever” and a cartoon series that got canceled before it even hit the air. My husband says the cartoon is “interesting” but that I “definitely wouldn’t like it.”

Garbage Pail Kids went away for the ‘90s but came back in the ‘00s, as you can’t keep a good property down. They’re the perfect storm of parents hating them and kids loving them that made them memorable.

There was never a video game spin-off of the property, but there probably should have been, so Retrotainment Games got the license and went straight to correcting history. They created Garbage Pail Kids: Mad Mike and the Quest for Stale Gum for the NES hardware. Iam8bit picked it up as publisher, and last year it hit consoles and PC with the help of Digital Eclipse. Now, it’s been pressed to an NES cartridge, which feels absolutely poetic.

https://youtu.be/E4lcgpH6V88

Butts are forever funny

Garbage Pail Kids: Mad Mike and the Quest for Stale Gum is a platformer that feels like a mash-up of a lot of different games while also being its own thing. You can swap between four characters at any time, which feels sort of like Little Samson or Bucky O’Hare. However, the levels, while linear, have some exploration elements to them, which prevents the game from just feeling like a clone. It still feels like a license-focused platformer but in a more favorable sense. Like Duck Tales.

Also, like Duck Tales, you get to select the order of levels. There are six in total that cover a range of locations and time periods. Your team of grotesque children doesn’t earn any new skills as they progress, so the order you tackle them is completely up to you.

The children themselves are diverse. They provide the skills of melee, jumping, projectiles, and also projectiles, but these projectiles arc downward. They each have their own health bar, but the different characters are one of the low-points of Garbage Pail Kids’ design.

Leaky Lindsay is easily the most useful, having a direct projectile attack that keeps you out of the way of enemy attacks. Mike is okay for dealing damage to bosses. Patty Putty is exclusively used for jumping, as Garbage Pail Kids doesn’t make for a good hop-and-bop. However, as each kid has their own health bar, they can also die individually. This means you might have to use Leaky Lindsay sparingly, and being stuck with only Patty Putty left alive is just a drag. As you lose children, the experience just gets worse and worse.

[caption id="attachment_390218" align="alignnone" width="640"] Screenshot by Destructoid[/caption]

Top of the trash heap

Otherwise, Garbage Pail Kids: Mad Mike and the Quest for Stale Gum is a pretty solid NES title. Some of the levels drag a bit, but on the whole, they’re diverse and interesting. The sprite work is solid, the music pops, and there’s a well-stocked buffet of bosses to take on. It doesn’t really feel like a homebrew game. You could easily mistake it as a title that came out in maybe ‘91 or ‘92 during the twilight days of the NES.

They even managed to work in trading and collecting cards. You pick them up from knocked-over trash cans and can swap them with NPCs scattered throughout the levels. Some of them help you out by resurrecting kids or nuking the screen, but others are just to collect. If you have them all at the end, you get a little certificate telling you that you managed to get them all. It’s fun stuff.

Of course, it’s also really gross. You could probably guess that by the fact that one of the children is perpetually caked in slime and shoots boogers as a projectile. It didn’t disgust me beyond my tolerance, but the gross-out humor is definitely still here.

[caption id="attachment_390221" align="alignnone" width="640"] Image by Destructoid[/caption]

The grossest gang of goofs ever

The cartridges were done by NESInfiniteLives. Some early images showed the two colors of cartridge, blue and pink, as being opaque. It seems like the production cartridges are transparent, as that’s what I got, which I’m not as much of a fan of. It’s still a quality product, though. They’re just not going to fool anyone into believing these are authentic. The game also doesn’t come with a dust cover, but the boxes are sealed and have stickers on them that look like price tags but really just denote the size of the production run.

Most importantly, though, it works in my NES. The manual it comes with is also very informative and includes a foreword by one of the developers. Iam8bit doesn’t seem obsessive about nailing the authenticity of the product, but they definitely get the job done. Although, it might be a bit more expensive than it should be.

Buying the physical copy also nets you the Steam version of the game if you don’t have it already. The PC version comes with bonus videos and filters that obviously can’t fit on the NES hardware, so it’s nice that you don’t have to miss out on the special features just because you want it on a cartridge.

[caption id="attachment_390219" align="alignnone" width="640"] Screenshot by Destructoid[/caption]

Better than the movie (probably)

Really, though, Garbage Pail Kids: Mad Mike and the Quest for Stale Gum is just a decent game. It’s top shelf for the console, but maybe not tippy-top. Like, it’s not a top 10 game, or a top 20. Top 50 is a bit more believable, but at the very least, it’s a top 100. It’s comparable to, say, Vice: Project Doom’s level of quality. Like Shatterhand or S.C.A.T. Not quite great, but better than good, you know?

In a lot of ways, Garbage Pail Kids: Mad Mike and the Quest for Stale Gum demonstrates how far the homebrew market has come. Here we have a licensed game released nearly 30 years after the end of the NES lifespan. It contains all the graphical trickery and polished gameplay of a latter-day title, and you could almost believe that it really is a lost prototype brought back to life. It may be gross, but if you’re a fan of the console or the Garbage Pail Kids, you should definitely find some way to rub it all over yourself.

_{[This review is based on a retail build of the game purchased by the reviewer.]}

The post Review: Garbage Pail Kids: Mad Mike and the Quest for Stale Gum appeared first on Destructoid.

Humbug!

It certainly isn't a "Silent Night" while playing Ebenezer and the Invisible World. Instead of three French hens and four calling birds, your relatives will hear a ruckus as you scream at the game. There's a lot to like, but the combat needs to be refined before this Metroidvania's release. The visuals call back to those old Christmas specials you watch as a kid, but other than that, there's a lot to be fixed in this holiday-themed game. Here's a preview of the stunning, yet currently flawed Ebenezer and the Invisible World.

[caption id="attachment_389609" align="alignnone" width="1200"] Screenshot by Destructoid[/caption]

Ten lords a-leaping for a great art style

Set after the events of the Christmas Carol storyline, Ebenezer Scrooge is now fighting for the city's people with the help of the spirits he meets along the way. While the demo doesn't particularly show an intriguing storyline, the environments truly stand out with the premise. You see a prosperous holiday version of London with gorgeous architecture, lighting, and seemingly hand-drawn characters across the city. It really pops on the screen and the art style reminds you of straight-to-video/TV animated movies like Grandma Got Run Over By A Reindeer and The Snowman.

During the main boss battle of the demo, you can see the shimmer of the ice below while Big Ben is beaming in the distance. Buildings around the area are also adorned with greenery and garlands. The way the game uses the forefront is also striking; for example, the lantern on the bottom left of the picture above adds depth to the scene. It's almost like a painting.

While the visuals look fantastic, it does make me wonder if the London area may get dull after a while. The observatory at the end of the demo and the sewers show that there may be other major environments to find in the game.

[caption id="attachment_389615" align="alignnone" width="1200"] Screenshot by Destructoid[/caption]

The disappointing combat is certainly a Grinch

While the graphics are certainly promising, Ebenezer and the Invisible World's combat certainly isn't. The biggest issue is how your enemies aren't impacted by your strikes. Like Buddy the Elf jumping through crowds for Santa, your attacks do not stagger your foes during their animations. You can't stun them with your strikes, and that befuddled me so many times. As a larger enemy begins to swing its heavy sword, your strikes should interrupt or slow their movement; however, they still carry on with the heavy thud of their weapon. A dodge feature or a way to counter the incoming strike would be appreciated.

Additionally, there's a frustrating foe that throws grenades at Ebenezer. They're hard to avoid and tough to attack. However, there's one spirit that can provide a diagonal attack, which helps greatly. There is a magic meter, on the other hand, so they might not be able to perform the action. You'll have to conserve your magic, like Scott Calvin in The Santa Clause 2. Other foes have annoying patterns that should be addressed during development. For example, there's a flying lantern that sends fire towards Ebenezer. It's just outside of the old man's reach so you need to jump, and if you come into contact with it, you'll take unnecessary damage.

More checkpoints would be a "Joy to the World."

These issues are compounded by a checkpoint system that is too far apart, and the time it takes to run through empty spaces to get to where I was can be supremely irritating. The light platforming, with the help of a friendly spirit, can be entertaining enough to keep you going. With the new abilities you gain along the way, I expect it will be satisfying to revisit previously inaccessible areas.

Despite this demo featuring 30 minutes to an hour of gameplay, I already witnessed a copied battle stance from one enemy to the next. They slam the hammer toward you and have it stuck to the ground; this happens with two different foes so far. Hopefully, there's more variety in the full game like Bloodstained. 

Please change the music

Christmas movies often have catchy songs and imaginative music that captures your heart. Think of The Polar Express' "Spirit of the Season" and the North Pole theme from the Santa Clause movies. Unfortunately, Ebenezer and the Invisible World lacks that holiday spirit in its soundtrack. There are depressing 30-second loops that have some elements of jingle bells, but the overall composition is such a downer. During my playthrough of the demo, I had to turn off the game's music and put on some Castlevania tracks. It was a much better experience after that.

If it wanted to go for a dark take on the Christmas season, it would be intriguing to hear the composer's creepy takes on classic Christmas tunes like "Silent Night" or "Jingle Bells." Perhaps, it could also take inspiration from Danny Elfman's Scrooged movie score, which has a darker edge than most holiday flicks.

The elves have a lot of work to do

There is so much potential in Ebenezer and the Invisible World. It has a unique holiday-themed world to explore, and the spirits may provide fun Metroidvania elements to the game. The combat system needs to be refined heavily, though, for me to not regift this title.

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[Insert cat pun here]

Let your mind wander back to summer 2022. This period saw the release of a new Xenoblade Chronicles after five years of waiting. The anticipated reboot of Saints Row was a huge let-down for many. But among all these was BlueTwelve Studio's Stray, a dystopian-looking adventure game that lets you control a cat lost in the city.

It was very well-received (in fact, we nominated it for Best PlayStation Game of 2022, putting it up against such titans as Elden Ring and God of War: Ragnarok), so you Xbox owners might be interested to know that Stray is coming to Series X/S on August 10. This information was revealed at the recent showcase for Annapurna Interactive, the publisher behind the game.

https://twitter.com/Xbox/status/1674559605471412225

While we were pretty certain that Stray would be coming to Xbox, it's nice that it's finally been confirmed. What's interesting about this announcement is that it's also coming to Xbox One, so if you're still on previous-gen consoles, you're in luck.

Curiosity...did something to the cat

In an era of remasters, remakes, reboots, sequels, and prequels, the likes of Stray provide something a little different. I mean, who among us wouldn't want the chance to take control of a cat on an exciting (if somewhat gritty) adventure?

When it launched last year, it was available on PC and PlayStation, so a lot of you Xbox users out there were probably hoping you'd get to play it at some point. The fact that the game hasn't been in the public eye much this year (if at all) means that this Xbox announcement could renew interest across the board.

So, just to reiterate: Stray will be available on the Xbox Series X/S and Xbox One this August 10.

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Back to the Little Tail Bronx

It felt like we weren’t going to see a sequel to 2021’s Fuga: Melodies of Steel. For starters, it ended rather conclusively. It also only sold modestly, and it feels like Cyberconnect has been trying unsuccessfully to get the Little Tail Bronx series to take off since Tail Concerto in 1998. Yet, here we are, with Fuga: Melodies of Steel 2.

I couldn’t be happier. The original Fuga was a surprisingly well-executed design that got a lot of mileage from what could be considered very simple mechanics. So, how do you expand on that? What can you do to improve what has already been polished to such a gloss?

Not much, I guess.

[caption id="attachment_387012" align="alignnone" width="640"] Screenshot by Destructoid[/caption]

Fuga: Melodies of Steel (PC, PS4, PS5 [Reviewed], Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S, Switch)
Developer: CyberConnect2
Publisher: CyberConnect2
Released: May 11, 2023
MSRP: $39.99

Taking place one year after the events of the first game, Fuga: Melodies of Steel 2 sees the children reunite. However, before they even have time to catch up with one another, an ancient evil is re-awakened, a friend of theirs is killed, and they’re left chasing a new foe. Surprisingly, even though the kids still find themselves at the wheel of the giant Metal Slug-like Taranis, the plot manages to be mostly different.

In particular, I like the way Fuga: Melodies of Steel 2 improves on its cast. While the children are all still children, one year is an eternity when you’re pre-teen. They’ve all grown from their experiences during the war and now have new strengths and insecurities. Characters who I maybe didn’t love in the first game, like Jin and Wappa, are given the chance to shine anew. Likewise, two boss characters from the previous title make their way aboard the Taranis, and in the new light of their diminished status, they add a nice flavor to the happenings on the tank.

That said, the narrative still has some of the same problems as the first game. The overarching plot seems to be stretched out to accommodate character growth. This time, it has trouble focusing on any significant event. Something happens to shake things up, and then it’s quickly resolved, and we move on. It’s definitely not terrible, but it’s not as interesting as the previous story, and that one was already not spectacular, to begin with.

https://youtu.be/hydneoxIkJ0

That's a big metal slug

The gameplay is more-or-less remixed rather than changed. Each of the characters has been gutted of their old skills, and they get an entirely new set of them. Once again, they commandeer either a machine gun, grenade launch, or cannon on the Taranis, and they may have something different this time around.

There are more widespread changes. The grenade launcher, for example, is where you’d commonly find the attacks that hit multiple targets in the first game. In Fuga: Melodies of Steel 2, these are spread out across the machine guns and cannons. The changes don’t make the game dramatically different, but they do mean that you’ll need to adopt new strategies to succeed.

The enemies have also been tweaked. While the enemy was defeated in the previous title, you still largely fight their tanks. This (along with many other questions raised at the beginning of the game) isn’t initially addressed, but you eventually do find out why you’re fighting zombie tanks. But while they’re the same old machines of war, various mutations within them mean that they have a lot of new tricks up their sleeve. Overall, there’s more variety here, even if some of the units are quite familiar.

[caption id="attachment_387013" align="alignnone" width="640"] Screenshot by Destructoid[/caption]

Powered by a forsaken child

Perhaps the most harrowing difference is with the Soul Cannon. In Fuga: Melodies of Steel, you could chamber a child in this massive metal appendage and destroy anything in your path with a single blast of terminated innocence. However, doing so would net you one of the less satisfactory conclusions to the game. Less tragically, it would kill the child.

That wouldn’t cut it for Fuga: Melodies of Steel 2. You’ve already had one game to build up your skills, and it’s less likely you’ll need to lean on a “get out of failure-free” card. Now, if you find yourself on a losing trajectory – say, your health drops below 50% in a boss battle – the Taranis will select a child at random to load into the cannon. You then have 20 turns to finish the battle, or that child gets a one-way ticket to the other side of your opponent.

To offset this, the Taranis also has access to the Managarm, which uses children as ammunition. However, the Managarm only leaves the child injured and isn’t a guaranteed win like the Soul Cannon. It also means you don’t get experience points from the battle you used it in, but it might be better than having to scrap unrealized potential off the wall.

[caption id="attachment_387014" align="alignnone" width="640"] Screenshot by Destructoid[/caption]

Unconventional ammunition

You’ve probably figured this out already, but it’s best if you play Fuga: Melodies of Steel before moving on to the sequel. There’s a recap available if you want to know what happened in the first game, but Fuga: Melodies of Steel 2 works more as a continuation of the story rather than a completely new entry in the series.

To that extent, Fuga: Melodies of Steel 2 might be a bit too conservative when it comes to advancing forward. Many of the assets are completely recycled, which I don’t usually count as a bad thing, but they’re not repurposed, just reused. So, many of the stages take place in the same areas of the first game, and the backgrounds feel mostly unchanged. Aspects of the game have been touched up but otherwise left the same. I feel like the intermissions and the plumbing of ruins for loot could have been completely revamped just to give players something fresh to do, but they weren’t. They feel the same.

To be fair, I played the two games back to back and didn’t really feel bored or underwhelmed. There’s an extreme sense of deja vu in Fuga: Melodies of Steel 2, but the core gameplay still proves to have longevity beyond its simple mechanics.

I have mixed feelings about how similar it is to the previous game. For one thing, the $39.99 asking price – while reasonable when you consider the length and quality of the game – feels like a lot when held up to its contemporaries in the small-budget space. On the other hand, if cutting corners was needed just to allow the series to continue, then I’m all for it.

[caption id="attachment_387016" align="alignnone" width="640"] Screenshot by Destructoid[/caption]

Old friends

That’s the most important thing to keep in mind: Fuga: Melodies of Steel 2 is a continuation of the first game. While it remixes a lot of things to give you a fresh experience, nothing has been overhauled or upgraded to give you something new. If you wanted more Fuga – and who could blame you? – then that’s what you’re getting here. However, if you didn’t enjoy the first title, then there’s no hope for you here.

Yoann Gueritot, one of the directors who has now moved on to Platinum Games, has stated that Fuga is planned as a trilogy. I’m definitely on board with that, but I also kind of wish the series was doing more to earn that. A cohesive series of games is fine, but I prefer to see things evolve, expand, and reach for perfection as CyberConnect2 soldiers on. Fuga: Melodies of Steel 2 is complacent. It’s great, but we’ve already seen its greatness. Eventually, it’s going to need to load something new into its cannon if it wants to get its dazzle back.

_{[This review is based on a retail build of the game provided by the publisher.]}

The post Review: Fuga: Melodies of Steel 2 appeared first on Destructoid.

In my armor-plated womb

The Phantom Limb from Venture Bros. explained to someone that “The Mona Lisa isn’t a better painting, merely a more famous painting.” It’s a quote that is an effectively concise way of explaining that something being mainstream is not necessarily an indicator of its quality. In the realm of video games, it is particularly useful, as the hyper-commercialized nature of it ensures that the cream doesn’t always rise to the top. Year after year, my favorite games are rarely the ones that are considered the period’s “big releases,” and that isn’t because I’m a snob. Sorry, I mean, that isn’t solely because I’m a snob.

2021’s Fuga: Melodies of Steel is an example of that. I personally overlooked the game for a couple of reasons. The first is that it didn’t get a whole lot of press, and the second is that, at $39.99, it has a high price tag compared to the games it appears to be competing against. Largely, the latter reason is a combination of me not having any money and small-budget games having been undervalued by a race to the bottom in mobile, PC, and XBLIG markets.

If my meandering around the point hasn’t made it clear, I think that’s a shame. Fuga: Melodies of Steel is a wonderful RPG experiment that shouldn’t be missed.

[caption id="attachment_386955" align="alignnone" width="640"] Screenshot by Destructoid[/caption]

Fuga: Melodies of Steel (PC, PS4, PS5 [Reviewed], Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S, Switch)
Developer: CyberConnect2
Publisher: CyberConnect2
Released: July 28, 2021
MSRP: $39.99

Fuga: Melodies of Steel takes place in the Little Tail Bronx (Tail Concerto, Solatorobo: Red the Hunter) universe’s world of floating continents and furries. Unconnected to the previous games in the setting, Fuga: Melodies of Steel is a thinly veiled parallel to World War 2. The country of Gasco is suddenly invaded by the Berman Empire (I’m serious), who go to work rounding people up for unknown reasons. A group of children, narrowly escaping capture, find a massive abandoned tank – the Taranis – in a cave and set out with it to save their families.

Between this and Blaster Master on NES, video games really make it seem easy to just come across buried tanks. I feel like this is a widespread childhood experience that I’m angry I missed out on.

It may sound somewhat trite, but the mix of storybook whimsy and harsh reality is one of the things that makes Fuga: Melodies of Steel so interesting. Early on, you’re presented with a mechanic that allows you to load one of the children into a cannon that allows you to instantly kill any enemy at the expense of the child. Literally, and according to lore, someone developed a giant cannon that specifically uses children as ammunition. Finally, a way to make children useful.

I can make it sound as amusing as I want, but the soul cannon, as a concept, is dark as heck. Forget a good/bad morality system, Fuga: Melodies of Steel just allows you to sacrifice a character to prevent losing progress. It’s made somewhat obvious that by using the cannon, you’re setting yourself up for a less desirable ending, but there’s always new game plus.

https://youtu.be/CbjXMMH0JzI

Rhythms of Iron

Despite setting itself up as a narrative-focused game, Fuga: Melodies of Steel isn’t super heavy with exposition. There are plenty of cutscene interruptions, but most of them are quite brief. It makes the smart choice of spreading the tale out across the entire experience so it doesn’t get too bogged down.

The gameplay itself is quite unique. You build up a cast of 12 children, field 6 of them at a time, but only three are active in battle at a time. The other three you have in the immediate wings are there as emotional support, building up a gauge based on their relationship with the current gunner ahead of them, allowing you to unleash powerful attacks based on your combination once the gauge is full.

Each child commandeers one of three types of weapon: machine gun, grenade launcher, and cannon. While these are largely stacked in the order you’d expect – machine gun is light and accurate, cannon hits hard but is less reliable, and grenade launch is an all-arounder – that’s only part of the story. Enemies all have icons on them that denote a specific weakness, but they don’t take more damage from the indicated weapon. Instead, if they have three blue icons on them, for example, hitting them three times with a machine gun delays their next attack.

It’s a lot to get into, with the children’s skills, additional ammunition types, statuses, and good old-fashioned luck playing a role. The end result, however, is a deceptively engaging layer of strategy. In RPGs, I’m used to just leaning against a few moves and largely brute-forcing everything. In Fuga: Melodies of Steel, that isn’t really an option. I had to think ahead and consider my moves. Otherwise, I’d be firing children out of a cannon.

[caption id="attachment_386956" align="alignnone" width="640"] Screenshot by Destructoid[/caption]

Juvenile artillery

Each chapter has your tank lumbering along a set path, and you simply choose which direction you take whenever it branches. Again, this is deceptively simple. Tracks are clearly labeled as “Safe, Normal, and Dangerous.” Dangerous paths will put more enemies in your way, but you’ll also collect more loot for upgrading your tank. If your tank has gone through the wringer, it might be better to choose a safer path, but it’s always tempting to embrace the danger when it means it might make things easier later on.

Fuga: Melodies of Steel’s greatest strength is making the most out of very little. You alternate between upgrading your tank and keeping the children’s spirits up, making choices on the world map, plumbing ruins for loot, and being in combat, and that’s about it from start to finish. However, because it’s so highly polished, it feels like more than enough to carry it through its 20-or-so-hour length.

Its only real vulnerabilities are in a couple of areas. The first is that the narrative isn’t that great. It’s told with care for its characters and love of its settings, but the overarching plot isn’t anything special. It’s not bad, but it’s a lot of being led from location to location with nothing substantial happening.

It also has really specific criteria for reaching the best ending. It’s something that you’re given little heads up on, and unless you’re trying to achieve it, you’ll probably miss it. Originally, this almost necessitated going through again in new game plus, but a later update relaxed this a bit. Now, if you get the worst ending, you can start again from where you’re required to start working toward a better conclusion. It’s not exactly the most heinous sin committed by a game, and I’m not sure them blatantly telling you what the requirement is would be a better solution; but if you’re set on not getting a bad ending, you may want to look up the criteria beforehand.

[caption id="attachment_386957" align="alignnone" width="640"] Screenshot by Destructoid[/caption]

King Tiger

Fuga: Melodies of Steel is a masterclass of efficient design. A lot of breadth in gaming is achieved through padding, and a lot of depth is created through the layering of mechanics. It’s rare to see a game that achieves so much simply by polishing its core to an absolutely lustrous shine. It manages to earn its considerable longevity despite having a very tight loop. I can't help but find it admirable.

That’s not to say it’s going to appeal to everyone. Its deceptively simple gameplay won’t likely appeal to a more action-oriented and straightforward mindset. Likewise, the cute animal children might be a difficult taste to swallow for those who prefer their drama to be between hairless bags of flesh and chemicals. However, there’s a thoughtful earnestness to Fuga: Melodies of Steel that should really connect with anyone whose soul hasn’t been used as ammunition.

_{[This review is based on a retail build of the game purchased by the reviewer.]}

The post Review: Fuga: Melodies of Steel appeared first on Destructoid.

Wake the dog up

It's been quite a while since the last Armored Core. FromSoftware has been steadily working on successful Souls and Souls-like games, but the first Armored Core is one of its oldest titles. And now, years later, FromSoftware is returning to mech action with Armored Core VI: Fires of Rubicon. And the series is certainly back.

We were invited to view a hands-off demo of a stage in Armored Core VI, where the player's mercenary needs to infiltrate and take command of a catapult held by a hostile faction. This means flying in and doing a whole lot of blasting. The progression still looks to be very Armored Core: it opens with a briefing, with lots of intel and screens, and then you're into the thick of it.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SlSfr6Wa5sc

Bridging the gap

It's going to be very easy to draw comparisons between Armored Core and Souls. As I noted above, it's been a long time since the last Armored Core game—a decade, to be exact—and the Souls series has reached astronomical heights in its absence. While there are plenty of AC fanatics familiar with the form factor of this series, I imagine there will also be people coming into Armored Core VI with a different set of expectations.

The reassuring thing is, even with that split in mind, Armored Core VI looks like it could bridge the gap. Sure, you're piloting a mech rather than guiding a wandering swordsman or robed mage. But the weight and heft, the ballet of movement, is still here.

[caption id="attachment_386756" align="alignnone" width="640"] Image via Bandai Namco[/caption]

It was driven home when I saw just how Armored Core's mechs move. Boost options have been retained, including a blazing forward boost that feels like a charge maneuver. Small jets lining the mech can fire to create omnidirectional movement options, something the studio emphasized in our briefing. But when those rockets fire, there's a moment of thrust and take-off; when the mech lands, there's a thud and skid, especially if it came in at high speeds. There is a feeling that, even if your mech feels normally sized on-screen, it is hulking and heavy in the world.

Taking up arms

Weapons carry a similar tangibility. Missiles fire in big plumes of smoke and detonate with resonance. Guns spray empty shell casings out the side, and you can see your ammo count start to dwindle as the mission carries on.

Yet there's also a definite speed to the action. Our demo driver was boosting around, dodging to the side, and then blasting headfirst into the enemy with a sword attack. At one point, they slammed an enemy off an edge and let gravity do the work for them. There is a stagger meter that can build up over time, leading to big damage opportunities against enemies vulnerable to this style.

[caption id="attachment_386754" align="alignnone" width="640"] Image via Bandai Namco[/caption]

The mission layout will feel familiar to Armored Core fans, as the mech dives deeper and deeper into the complex. A voice over the radio taunts along the way, commenting that it seems like no ordinary merc has shown up today. This ends in a big boss battle with a cleaner unit, which I feel needs to be described as a Roomba-like tank with massive arms. It rules and is a kind of spectacle I can really get into. We didn't get to see much of it, but "armored Doom-Roomba with grinder arms" is intriguing enough as-is.

[caption id="attachment_386755" align="alignnone" width="640"] Image via Bandai Namco[/caption]

Building for war

Of course, the really good stuff was found in the menus. Part of Armored Core's appeal is its almost Gran Turismo-like approach to customization and design. As our demo player opened the menu, we could see tons of options, ranging from parts and weapons to aesthetics. The mech garage is accessible, too. In our demo, the player was able to head back to the assembly, reconfigure, and then start back from a checkpoint after death.

The draw for this, and what I think will rope many new players in, is all the options they can use here. Both the build-crafting of Souls and the recent inventiveness of Tears of the Kingdom players have me thinking that the general game-playing populace is ready for this level of customization.

And as someone who played a good deal of Armored Core in its PS2 era, I'm quite happy too. It's hard to get a definite gauge on just how it all feels from a hands-off demo, but seeing Armored Core VI in action, it felt like seeing a polished and modernized version of the mech battles I'd envisioned as a kid. The garage full of parts and customization options, for fine-tuning the perfect mech for every situation, feels like it will be a Lego bucket of possibilities.

Suffice it to say, I'm very into Armored Core VI, and think this is the perfect chance for FromSoftware to parlay all of its Souls success into a classic, dormant franchise. But even if this just ends up being a labor of love for the Armored Core faithful, I'm still very glad we're seeing it come together and come together well at that.

Armored Core VI: Fires of Rubicon arrives on August 25, 2023 for PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S, and PC.

The post Armored Core 6 looks ready to make mech sickos of us all appeared first on Destructoid.