Rumor: Zelda: Twilight Princess & Wind Waker ports set to be announced in September
It has been some time now since we have gotten a regular Nintendo Direct that gave news on existing and upcoming first party titles. A new report has come out that Zelda: Twilight Princess and Wind Waker will getting ported to the Nintendo Switch through a Nintendo Direct announcement in September. This is coming out of a podcast episode that features Jeff Grubb who has history of leaking out successful information. Grubb claims that this specific direct is going to be a “Zelda blowout” meaning there is going to be a lot of Zelda stuff at this event. It is believed that this event will take place during the week of September 12th, but according to a source of Jeff Grubb it was originally believed to be during Labor Day week. The upcoming Nintendo Direct is expected to be big that would include third party games along with the rumored Zelda ports that are being talked about. Jeff Grubb and Mike Minotti also said it’s a distinct possibility that we could learn the name of the next Zelda game therefore this direct would be considered to be big. It is also worth to note that there are HD versions of The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess and Wind Waker that launched for the Wii U. You can listen to the entire podcast below:
Dead By Daylight: Resident Evil: Project W Adds Albert Wesker As The Latest Killer
Enter Behaviour Interactive’s Dead by Daylight, the game has proven to be the pinnacle of a live-service title years after its initial release. While set at a premium price, the firm has established trust within its community with a constant flow of content periodically. The team does this with unique experienced or licensed properties – such as Hellraiser’s Pinhead which was added in the past. More interesting is its arrangement with Capcom. Celebrating the franchise anniversary of Resident Evil for more than two decades since its inception, Behaviour Interactive partook in the event with Nemesis becoming a new Killer in Dead by Daylight. However, it does not simply end there. Recently, the game studio has teased Project W which reveals that Albert Wesker is the newest Killer for the game. On Thursday, Dead by Daylight: Resident Evil: Project W officially launches on all platforms. You can watch the trailer in the video below: “Only those deemed worthy of Uroboros can achieve true potential. Dead by Daylight: Resident Evil: PROJECT W features a new Killer – Albert Wesker, The Mastermind – and new Survivors Ada Wong and Rebecca Chambers. The Raccoon City Police Station map has also been reworked, undergoing a complete quality of life update. Purchasing this add-on unlocks an exclusive Charm: Green Vial,” the overview for the latest chapter reads. Not only that, but there is also a Collection Pack which includes more in-game additions such as: Albert Wesker (The Mastermind) – Albert Wesker (S.T.A.R.S.), Ada Wong – Undercover Espionage, Rebecca Chambers – Cowgirl Outfit, Leon Kennedy – Detective Noir, Jill Valentine – S.T.A.R.S. Uniform, The Legion – Hunk, Feng Min – Jill Cosplay, and Felix Richter – BSAA Uniform. What are you most excited for with the new addition for Dead by Daylight? Dead by Daylight is out now for PC, Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, and Nintendo Switch. Source: Behaviour Interactive
Toem, Granblue Fantasy: Versus, Need for Speed Heat Headlined For PlayStation Plus’ September 2022 Free Games, Monthly Tier Additions Revealed
In the past week, the most attention pointed at Sony is its abrupt decision to price the PlayStation 5 higher than its original $500. In regions like the U.K. and Japan, the latest console is to cost more than ever. But, the firm has evolved itself on other fronts. For its PlayStation Plus service, the subscription has paired together with PlayStation Now to deliver a similar Xbox Game Pass experience for users on the platform. With the Essential, Extra, and Premium tiers, users are now given options to pay more per month for more benefits. The latter Extra & Premium payment choices are where the sum of titles are located for users looking for an extensive library. Over the past month, Sony shared two major lineups: Yakuza Like a Dragon and Tony Hawk Pro Skater 1 + 2 which was later followed by Dead by Daylight, Ghost Recon Wildlands, and Bugsnax later on. This week, Sony resurfaces sharing its new plans for the service’s free titles alongside the new lineup for Extra & Premium subscribers. On September 6th, Toem, Granblue Fantasy: Versus, Need for Speed Heat are coming to all PlayStation Plus subscribers for no charge. As for the full list coming September 20, you can read the new September 2022 additions below: PlayStation Syphon Filter 2 PlayStation 3 Bentley’s Hackpack The Sly Collection Sly Cooper: Thieves in Time PlayStation Portable Kingdom of Paradise Toy Story 3 PlayStation 4 Alex Kidd in Miracle World DX Assassin’s Creed Origins Chicory: A Colorful Tale Dragon Ball Xenoverse 2 Monster Energy Supercross – The Official Videogame 5 Rabbids Invasion: The Interactive TV Show Rayman Legends Scott Pilgrim vs. The World: The Game – Complete Edition Spiritfarer: Farewell Edition Watch Dogs 2 PlayStation 5 Alex Kidd in Miracle World DX Deathloop Monster Energy Supercross – The Official Videogame 5 As for other Sony Interactive Entertainment ventures in recent weeks, the firm has established its PC portal on the official PlayStation website. In that, users can visit to see what games are crafted for the platform including Horizon Zero Dawn, Days Gone, and God of War. There is no word if the subscription will branch to PC as more titles roll out, but it wouldn’t be surprising if that becomes a reality. So far, there is the off chance this could be established – through Microsoft’s Xbox Game Pass, if its tied to a service that is. In that, the game recently was welcomed to PC Game Pass which many could not predict to ever take place. The game on PC was published by 505 Games which could explain for the game coming to the service. You can read the full report by heading here. Are you interested in any of the new games coming to PlayStation Plus in September 2022? Toem, Granblue Fantasy: Versus, Need for Speed Heat comes to PlayStation Plus from September 6, 2022 to October 3, 2022. Source: PlayStation Blog
Bomb Rush Cyberfunk Gets Delayed to 2023
Today, Team Reptile announced the delay of Bomb Rush Cyberfunk from a release in 2022 to Summer 2023. While it might seem a bit disappointing right now, but this will only be better for the game since the Holiday season of 2022 is going to be jam packed full of games. Here is what Team Reptile had to say via Twitter: “We are convinced that releasing the game this year will not take it to a level where we would be personally satisfied with. To create a fulfilling and unique game we are extending the development time of Bomb Rush Cyberfunk to summer 2023.” The team is not just going to stay quiet after this news as they’ve also confirmed that they will show off more visuals this week of the game. Bomb Rush Cyberfunk is confirmed to release for the Nintendo Switch and PC. Source
Review: The Last of Us Part I
Developer – Naughty Dog Studios Publisher – Playstation Game Studios Platforms – PS5 Accessibility content curated and edited by Rebecca Ellis Hi. I’m deaf. This article will review one of my favorite games and a look at the expanded and first-class accessibility options Naughty Dog, and Sony have promised with this iteration of the Last of Us Part 1. My experience with series is different than most due to my disability. During the pandemic, I lost myself in gaming and exploring accessibility options as they matured in the last couple of years. Leading the charge has been PlayStation. Ghost of Tsushima and the Last of Us Part II have led the charge with groundbreaking features for players like me. For people who haven’t played the original title, you play as a character named Joel. You must lead a young girl named Ellie through a world ravaged by a deadly outbreak and survive in a bleak post-apocalyptic civilization. For everybody else, you know this story. This remake isn’t like the Resident Evil series of remakes, this is an update with new graphics, AI improvements, and immersion, but the show’s real star is accessibility. Before we get into these options, let’s talk about some of the core gameplay features and additions this remake offers. Every combat encounter is designed and balanced to perfection. Last of Us follows a linear path with solid pacing rather than open-world bloat. Exploration is still fun, but no matter what you do, it always seems you have the right amount of ammo and health kits for the next battle. The stripped-down, sometimes simplistic gameplay systems help keep the focus on the action at hand. The Last of Us Part I provides an intense, white-knuckle combat experience. Open world bloat is traded in for refined combat depth and pure intensity. Obtuse skill trees are gone in favor of player creativity. Every combat encounter can feel like a puzzle, primarily if you use stealth. Between enemy types, your weapon set, and the lack of resources on hand, survival is challenging and matches the plot’s tone. To execute a plan of attack and have the skill to manage the crowd and single out threats, you should make it out of a battle with good health but scarce resources. Outside of the sublime combat, the visuals astound. Every location is so vast and detailed that it was hard not to think about how much was rebuilt to bring new life to each rendered frame. I enjoyed playing through Last of Us Part 1 and playing it for the third time felt tremendous due to the various improvements to the core of what makes The Last of Us a classic. ACCESSIBILITY IS KEY Outside of enhanced AI, immersive combat improvements such as enemy dialogue, and tons of crimson, the accessibility options are the star of the show. The following subset of accessibility options is available to all players. Accessibility Presets Vision Preset configures the game for players who are blind or have low vision. Hearing Preset configures the game for deaf or hard-of-hearing players. Motor Preset configures the game for players with a physical or mobility disability. Alternate Controls Magnification and Visual Aids Motion Sickness Navigation and Traversal Text to Speech and Audio Cues Combat Accessibility HUD Subtitles Game Difficulty A complete comprehensive list of changes is located on the PlayStation Blog here. The vast display options are not just essential for somebody such as me. These features can help players tailor the experience to their needs. As a deaf player, many options have been tried and true for years, but one option, dialogue through vibration, is a game changer. I often have to read faces and character body language to show a pivotal scene’s impact. The pulse for dialogue feature on the Dualsense haptics is a game changer. It’s the single best feature I have experienced as a deaf player in my lifetime of gaming. I can finally feel the impact of each yell, conversation, or silent moment in a way I could only imagine before. Kudos to Naughty Dog for innovating and leading the charge for players such as myself, and I hope other studios and developers look at this game and build off of its example moving forward. The Last of Us Part I is a sublime experience that uses modern technology to tell one complete story. Players can now leap at Last of Us sagas without the whiplash from moving between games and console generations.
Microsoft Confirms Xbox Stream For Tokyo Game Show 2022
When looking at the calendar, September is just on the horizon. And that also means something else for the video game industry: Tokyo Game Show is imminent. During the annual event, developers native to the eastern nation congregate for a few days to showcase some of the new title and projects underway from its internal teams. In the past, we saw firms like Konami, Capcom, and Square Enix make an entrance at this show. Additionally, Microsoft’s Xbox Japan division also stops by with its own Xbox livestream. Last year, the firm during said show established its relationship with Bethesda subsidiary Tango Gameworks confirmed new work is on the way from studio head Shinji Mikami. This week, Microsoft reveals the annual Xbox livestream will be returning on September 15th and will include updates on pre-established announcements and Xbox Game Pass additions from teams in the region. We invite fans to tune in to the Tokyo Game Show 2022 Xbox Stream where you can expect to see updates on existing titles from Xbox Game Studios and titles launching from developer partners that we hope will delight players here in Japan, across Asia and around the world. While Tokyo Game Show 2022 will open its gates to the public for the first time in three years this September, the hybrid nature will allow players from around the world to also enjoy the latest in video games, technology, and games culture in Japan. With the theme of “Nothing Stops Gaming,” Tokyo Game Show 2022 will embody the solidarity of gamers and the promising future that lies ahead for our industry. “Gaming has always provided an important way to connect, but especially over the past few years. It has a transformative power to bring joy and foster community, and it’s at TGS where we can all enjoy the spirit of games together,” the blog post elaborates further adding. Noted, there is room for speculation on one anticipated project for the show. According to the firm back in June, there is one Japanese team Xbox Game Studios is working in hand with: Kojima Productions. Then, it was revealed the two parties are collaborating on a new Xbox Cloud Gaming experience solely for the cloud platform. You can read the full report by heading here. How excited are you for the Xbox livestream at Tokyo Game Show? Tokyo Game Show takes place from September 15, 2022 to September 18, 2022. Source: Xbox Wire
NetEase Acquires Quantic Dream
For the past two console cycles, developer Quantic Dream has remained a dedicated studio solely for releasing new projects for PlayStation. This strands from releases Heavy Rain to Detroit: Become Human, however, that appeared to change later on in 2019. Chinese firm NetEase acquired a stake in the Canadian game studio which enabled the team to work on releasing PC ports of the games. At the time, it was even perceived potentially shipping said titles for Xbox later down the road. As of reporting, that has yet to manifest now years later. But, that does not mean other alternatives could take place. Look at Death Stranding: the game recently came to PC Game Pass which also included respected achievements on the Windows Store. So what is to say it cannot come to the service if its behind separate publisher than Sony Interactive Entertainment? Well, this week NetEase announced its full acquisition of Quantic Dream. Previously, the stake led on to the team’s full-on independence to becoming a “boutique publisher”. This was even verified in a following statement with new ventures on the way. Now, the developer is a subsidiary of the Chinese firm. To continue to evolve and dream big, as we embark on “our next 25 years”, we are delighted to announce that we will be joining NeEase Games, which is becoming a 100% shareholder of Quantic Dream. We will retain our independence in terms of our editorial line, the artistic direction of our projects and the management of the studio. Our teams, who are fully involved in this operation and who benefit directly financially, are of course fully preserved and will continue to grow and strengthen. NetEase Games is committed to supporting the innovation and development of video games worldwide, and it is within this framework that Quantic Dream will continue to grow. We will still operate independently, maintain the ability to create and self-publish our video games on all platforms, and continue to support and publish titles developed by third parties. “In order to continue our development and presence in the world, but also to fund other studios and become an international publisher, larger investments are needed for us to keep building our technology and infrastructure, to deliver ever more impressive next-generation games, to expand our team and to develop several projects simultaneously,” the blog post elaborates further. “Quantic Dream has always been particularly attached to its creative freedom and independence. This freedom has allowed us to create different games, to develop our proprietary technology, to equip ourselves with an infrastructure dedicated to our needs, and above all to create the games we dreamed of for millions of players.” Are you surprised with the new announcement from NetEase & Quantic Dream? Source: Quantic Dream
