I've been grinding away at Yakuza: Like A Dragon. Spent the last few days running up against the brick wall of the Chapter Twelve Two-against-four boss fight that still manages to make you feel outnumbered. I was suspicious of just how the insistent the game was about checking out the battle arena, but it kind of feels mandatory if you want to get through that fight. Also managed to get spoiled for that Chapter 14 boss fight while looking up strategies, so I've got that to look forward to.
Good for them. Also glad they are going to continue developing the KOTOR remake, although with everything that's happened with that project it feels like it will be years before we see it again.
This is GREAT news. This means they can focus on making great original games and not be dragged into working on call of duty. Please just give me a new Spyro.
So, they're no longer part of Activision and presumably no longer part of Microsoft, but they want to keep working with Microsoft? So will they be completely independent or are they just no longer under Activision in the Microsoft hierarchy? Either way I hope a partnership with Microsoft means they might be able to make Spyro 4. Also, excited at the prospect of studios breaking away from Embracer. Obviously there is no guarantee that they'll be treated better, but at least they have a better chance of not being shut down by the end of the month.
I never played Galaxies, but I was always fascinated by the concept of it, especially before it was revamped. The idea of giving you the freedom to just exist in the world of Star Wars was always something I wished more games would do. I mean, I loved KOTOR for what it was, but you were still the main character of a story someone else had written. It's a shame nothing has really tried to emulate the style of Galaxies since then.
It's a shame for everyone involved, but at the same time it doesn't feel that surprising. It doesn't feel like their games after Until Dawn reached the same level of success. I remember the Dark Pictures Anthology getting mixed reviews as it went on and I don't really remember much about the Quarry's reception except the hype around it being the next Until Dawn.
It's a shame, but this is probably the best response any of the 2023 Hugo winners can give at this point. Still, I can only imagine the emotional roller coaster of winning a Hugo and then watching this entire train wreck unfold.
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Thirty hours into Yakuza: Like A Dragon. Main story has started to ramp up, but I keep getting distracted by the business management mini-game and the kart-racing minigame that I just discovered while wandering around the map. It never ceases to amaze me just how dense these games are and just how many side activities they managed to pack into one game.
This is what happens when you wish for the resurrection of a beloved IP. Another finger on the monkey's paw curls. The idea of a Crazy Taxi live service game is weird enough, but it's just bizarre that they are using Fortnight as a major inspiration for the Jet Set Radio reboot. I guess at the very least we are getting proper remakes of these games alongside the live service reboots. It will be interesting to see how the games do head to head, especially with the difficulties live service games have been having lately.
It's a shame that people are being laid off, especially when it seems like it's retaliation for complaining about working conditions. Still, I don't think I'd ever be able to buy anything from ZA/UM after they kicked most of the creators out of the company and took control of the IP.
You know if anyone needs to be let go maybe it's the management who were spending like there was no tomorrow and are now throwing everyone overboard to stop the ship from sinking. Or, you know, just keep cancelling games and shuttering studios. I'm sure that'll work out eventually.
It's crazy how far micro-transactions and monetizing games have come since Bethesda charged $2.50 for cosmetic armor to put on your horse. If you'd told someone back then that one day an in-game mount would cost more than the game itself they would have laughed you out of the room.
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Back to Yakuza: Like A Dragon after a week of playing steam demos from the Next Fest. I was surprised at just how many I ended up enjoying. Crypt Custodian is a neat little metroidvania about a cat sentenced to be the underworld's janitor. Nice art style, sense of humor, and good puzzles. Cryptmaster is a typing-based dungeon crawler where every enemy you defeat gives you letters that you use to spell out the names of the skills you use in combat. It's certainly an inventive take and I'm looking forward to the release. Surprisingly, my favorite demo ended up being for a platformer called Happy! the Hippo. It's based on janky PS2-era platformers like Spyro: Enter the Dragonfly. The game is purpose built for you to pull off those kind of tricks where you skip chunks of the level or even break outside the bounds of the game entirely. It's really fun to play, but what I'm really enjoying about the game is the weird, almost horror game stuff that shows up the longer you play. It feels like an ARG game in a way, like Crow 64 if anyone remembers that. Or something like Shipwreck 64, a game that is a platformer on the surface but is actually a horror game once you get in far enough. Except Happy! the Hippo never turns into a horror game. At least not in the demo. There's plenty of strange stuff the more you explore, but it never descends into an outright horror game. It feels like all the talk about how old 3D platformers could be unsettling and odd was a major inspiration for the game. Hoping the finished the game keeps that tone when it releases.
Seven years feels about right for a length between consoles. I am curious to see what they do with it. It's hard to see Nintendo not sticking with the handheld console approach with the Switch 2, but just building a more powerful Switch doesn't feel very Nintendo, if that makes sense. Like there has to be some feature or gimmick to set it apart from the Switch.
It's really been whiplash inducing to go from reading about how Microsoft was going to dominate gaming because of the Activision buyout to reading about how Microsoft is going to be the next Sega and are possibly exiting the console market. And it all happened in the span of a few months.
Well, that's certainly not going to reassure Xbox fans. Just seems like they're waiting for things to die down before confirming the rumors. It will be interesting to see how that goes. If they start treating PlayStation the way Sony treats PC in terms of releases then I could maybe see the Xbox consoles staying afloat as a Gamepass box. I've seen speculation that they'll pull out of the console market entirely, but I just can't see Gamepass coming to the PS5 or Switch especially since Sony has been trying to build up their own answer to Gamepass with their PS plus tiers. Then again stranger things have happened. If they do decide to become the next Sega it's going to be surreal watching Halo and Gears of War show up on PlayStation.
Basically. The main rumor is that Starfield, the new Indiana Jones game, and all of their other first-party exclusives are going to be coming to PS5 and Microsoft is giving up on the idea of console exclusivity. Not sure what that means for Xbox in the long-term, but it is going to be an interesting week.
Yes, because console wars. A lot of people that bought into the Xbox brand are angry Microsoft is "giving up" and "disgracing" developers by putting their games on PlayStation. It doesn't help that without a clear statement from Microsoft people are free to speculate that Microsoft is going to be the next Sega and Phil Spencer is going to personally come to their house and destroy their Xbox.
More seriously, there is some genuine concern about what will happen to the digital libraries of people who bought into the Xbox eco-system if Xbox stops being a thing. Or what will happen if the AAA game market comes down to Sony and Nintendo. But there are a lot of people angry their favorite mega-corporation "lost" even though we have no idea what Microsoft's actual plans are.
Honestly, I'm curious to see if this rumor turns out to be true. If it does then I'm not really sure what that means for Xbox in the long-term. Putting just Starfield out on PS5 is one thing, but it sounds like they are thinking of putting most if not all of their first-party games on other platforms. If you're releasing your first-party games on other consoles then what exactly is the point of the Xbox? Is it just going to become a Game Pass box or are they planning on pulling out of the hardware business entirely like Sega?
Finally got around to Yakuza: Like a Dragon, so I've been making my way through that. Enjoying the turn-based RPG game-play a lot more than I was expecting. Focused on the main story right now, but the side-content I've dabbled in has been pretty fun. Feels like one of those games I'm going to be chipping away at for a while.
I've also been playing Dread Delusion and absolutely loving it. I don't tend to pick up Early Access games, but hearing it described as a "Morrowind-like" RPG caught my interest and it is the perfect way to describe the game. It really captures that feeling of playing Morrowind for the first time, of being a nobody in a strange land. The game doesn't even give you a map when you start out. You have to get by on directions and landmarks until you complete the side quest that gives you a map. And even then you have to fill it out as you explore the world. More than that, it's that sense that you never really know what you're going to encounter around the next corner. You can wander into a town looking for your contact to continue the main quest only to end up accepting a quest from the atheistic Inquisition to help them hunt down a rogue god and their followers.
Like I said it's still Early Access so it is a little rough around the edges. There's more than a handful of bugs and the combat is...fine, but not much else. Then again there's such a focus on sneaking, talking, and magicing your way around problems that that might be intentional. Still, what I've played so far has got me excited for when the finished product releases.
An issue with the soundtrack is the only thing that makes sense, but unfortunately I don't know if 2K would be willing to spend the money to renew the license and keep the game on Steam. At least it's still for sale on GOG, like the article mentions, and it's eighty percent off.
No problem. Unfortunately, looks like GOG had to delist it as well. Seems the only way to play it now is through a physical copy and Xbox backwards compatibility.
Sony finally remembered that Bloodborne existed at the worst possible time. Still, at least the game isn't being outright canceled and judging from the Micolash redesign, it looks like the creator is making the best of it. I do wonder if there's a possibility the creator could sell the game now, since it's now a legally distinct gothic kart racing game and not a Bloodborne fan game.
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Yakuza: Like a Dragon. I've been meaning to get to it for a while. Still early on in the game when it's still introducing new mechanics, but I'm enjoying it so far. I was kind of skeptical if I'd enjoy a turn-based RPG Yakuza game as much as I'd enjoyed the previous ones, but the combat is winning me over. Being able to summon a flock of pigeons to peck enemies unconsciously certainly helped.
Painful for who? I highly doubt any of the CEOs and investors interviewed are going to suffer all that much compared to the artists, programmers, and other employees that are going to be laid off because their company wants to be leaner, more dynamic, or whatever the latest buzzword is.
Cautiously optimistic that this will be good. I appreciate they are at least trying to make combat seem more in-depth than just hacking away at enemy's with a sword. Hopefully the game lives up to that promise. It's a shame we're not getting a proper third Pillars game, but at least we're getting something else set in the that world.
Honestly, it's refreshing to see someone actually brainstorm solutions to these problems rather than just telling people to get mad. It's a long shot but a legal win in any major market could see business practices start to change. Like when the EU revamped its privacy laws and suddenly every website gives you the option to reject some of their tracking cookies. Or whatever the impact of China's new regulations on spending in games actually ends up being. It's worth the effort at the very least.
Saw the headline, wondered what had happened, and then saw that they were owned by Embracer. It's a shame to see them go. Gothic has been on my list of series to try for a while now and the Elex games looked interesting.
Not surprising given Take-Two's history when it comes to trademark disputes. I'm pretty sure they went after the developers of It Takes Two because of the name, plus any random business that has Rockstar in the name.
Billy Mitchell didn’t win his defamation lawsuit against Twin Galaxies. Not only was Billy not in a position to get a financial settlement, Billy’s cheated Donkey Kong scores were not reinstated(as he’s claiming), and his claimed Pac-Man score from 1999 is also not on the main scoreboards. What had happened is that the...
While it's better than nothing, and I understand why they made the choice, it's still disappointing it's a settlement and not going to trial. Oh well. Just have to wait and see what happens with the other lawsuits he's tangled up in.
Given how many companies have been embracing AI tools it was really only a matter of time until they were allowed on Steam. At least you'll know before hand if you're going into a game with AI-generated content.
Glad to see this project finally release. Played it on and off while it was in beta and it is definitely one of the best ways to experience Daggerfall, especially with the modding community that has sprung around the Unity version.
So recently I was thinking how games with pixel art graphics are popular nowadays, and I was wondering if there are new games being made with other kinds of “retro” graphics, for example, games that look like the PS1 or PS2 eras....
I've already seen them suggested, but I want to throw out another recommendation for Signalis and Lunacid . Signalis is a sci-fi horror game that takes heavy inspiration from the old Resident Evil and Silent Hill games. Like Resident Evil you have limited ammo, inventory, and points where you can save. Like Silent Hill you have a story that starts out fairly straightforward and then gets weirder as things start to unravel around you. I'm not really a survival horror fan and it still managed to keep me hooked to the end.
Lunacid is a first-first person dungeon crawler that is heavily inspired by pre-Dark Souls Fromsoft series like King's Field and Shadow Tower. That's really all the game sets out to be and it absolutely nails it. The combat can be a bit repetitive, unless you invest in magic which I found to be incredibly fun and versatile, but I feel like the atmosphere more than makes up for it. It also has a ton of secrets and plenty of those ah-ha moments where you open up a shortcut or figure out how one area connects to the others.
Shame. I remembered the name from Banner Saga, but I was surprised to find out that they also published Pillars of Eternity 2. They had an interesting catalog of games. Still, telling everyone they're being let go right before they leave for Christmas is just twisting the knife isn't it? Then again I guess there isn't really a good time to tell someone they're fired.
Honestly, I could see a new Soul Reaver game being a Souls-like if anyone was actually serious about resurrecting the franchise. I mean, between the ruined world and characters who can come back from death you could definitely market it as "Dark Souls, but vampires" towards newcomers. Shame the rights are with Embracer, meaning we aren't likely to ever get a new entry unless someone buys it off them.
Glad to see this get preserved somewhere. It's always a shame when someone pours a lot of time and passion into a project like this only for it to get wiped from the internet once they get the cease-and-desist.
I've been hoping people on the inside would start speaking out now that the studio has shut down, or rebranded, or whatever they've done. It definitely feels more like a scam if they knew from the start that it was never going to be an MMO. I do feel bad for the developers working on the game. It really sounds like they had no control over the project and were basically catering to the whims of the founders.
Game looks cool, but I always have mixed feelings about articles like this. On the one hand it helps raise awareness about the game to the people who want to play it, but it also helps raise awareness about the game to the people who are going to send the cease-and-desist letter.
All valid points and it is perhaps for the best that E3 just ended rather than continuing on as a shadow of its former self. Still, I hope something emerges that fills the void E3 left behind, even if I don't think that is likely. Summer Games Fest is fine, but it's still a far cry from what E3 used to be and all the scattered streams and announcements don't really capture that concentrated excitement you had back when E3 was at its peak.
Not surprised, it feels like E3 has been on life-support for a while now. Still disappointed to know that it's over. Back in the day E3 was a highlight of the summer. Maybe it's just nostalgia talking but classic E3 was just so exciting. All these major announcements dropping at once combined with all the booths showing off new games. It was just great. I guess we have the Game Awards and Summer Games Fest as the big gaming events, but none of them feel quite like E3 use to.
Weekly “What are you playing” Thread || Week of March 3rd
What have you all been playing! Still on my helldivers and binding of Isaac grinds. Spreading managed democracy through the galaxy 💪
Report: Saber Interactive buys itself back from Embracer in $500m deal (www.gamesindustry.biz) angielski
From Bloomberg (via archive.ph): archive.ph/63F4L
Crash Bandicoot 4, Spyro Reignited Trilogy Dev Toys For Bob Is Splitting From Activision (www.gameinformer.com) angielski
This is GREAT news. This means they can focus on making great original games and not be dragged into working on call of duty. Please just give me a new Spyro.
EA shuts down Ridgeline Games (www.gamesindustry.biz) angielski
The game magazine that spent two years taunting a Final Fantasy VIII hater (ff8isthe.best) angielski
I really like this new blog. Reminds me of ukresistance.
Two Roads to Jedi-hood. Great article about what a roleplaying game is from 2004. (media.kbin.social) angielski
Until Dawn devs Supermassive announce layoffs, with 150 jobs reportedly at risk (www.rockpapershotgun.com) angielski
Adrian Tchaikovsky posts on his blog: " I cannot consider myself a Hugo winner and will not be citing the 2023 award result in my biographical details, or on this site" (adriantchaikovsky.com) angielski
Books, novels, novellas by Adrian Tchaikovsky
The Weekly 'What are you playing?' Discussion (lemmy.world) angielski
Have you been spending hours trying to pass a level? Or maybe you are completely addicted to a newly bought game. Do you have a question about a game or would like to share something else? In the Weekly Discussion Thread, you can do it all!...
New Crazy Taxi Game Will Be Live Service with a '100-Person Survival Mode' (insider-gaming.com) angielski
To nobody’s surprise, Sega has enshittified its beloved Crazy Taxi IP.
Disco Elysium standalone expansion reportedly cancelled and quarter of staff facing redundancy at ZA/UM (www.eurogamer.net) angielski
Embracer CEO says layoffs are "something that everyone needs to get through" (www.gamesindustry.biz) angielski
lol....
Diablo 4's new mount costs more than the actual game (www.pcgamesn.com) angielski
And have we come full circle to god damn horse armor.
The Weekly 'What are you playing?' Discussion (lemmy.world) angielski
Have you been spending hours trying to pass a level? Or maybe you are completely addicted to a newly bought game. Do you have a question about a game or would like to share something else? In the Weekly Discussion Thread, you can do it all!...
Reuters claims Nintendo Switch 2 is expected later this year (www.eurogamer.net)
Phil Spencer has reportedly reassured employees Microsoft ‘won’t stop making Xbox consoles’ (www.videogameschronicle.com) angielski
Deus Ex Adam Jensen actor says goodbye to character, as he laments state of the industry (www.eurogamer.net) angielski
We're listening and we hear you. We've been planning a business update event for next week, where we look forward to sharing more details with you about our vision for the future of Xbox. Stay tuned. (twitter.com) angielski
EXCLUSIVE | Microsoft plans Starfield launch for PlayStation 5 - XboxEra (xboxera.com) angielski
It seems that Microsoft may be becoming more open to releasing their games on other platforms
Weekly “What are you playing” Thread || Week of February 4th
Hey y’all, what have you been playing!...
Spec Ops: The Line's sudden removal from Steam baffles its director: 'Why has this happened?' (www.pcgamer.com) angielski
Yager's controversial military shooter was pulled from Steam and other storefronts last night.
Bloodborne Kart isn't allowed to be called Bloodborne Kart anymore, but it is still coming (www.eurogamer.net) angielski
Unfortunate. The game will be removing anything bloodborne-licensed but will probably still look similar.
The Day Before developer resurfaces to blame failure on "hate campaign" (www.eurogamer.net) angielski
The Weekly 'What are you playing?' Discussion (lemmy.world) angielski
Have you been spending hours trying to pass a level? Or maybe you are completely addicted to a newly bought game. Do you have a question about a game or would like to share something else? In the Weekly Discussion Thread, you can do it all!...
Games industry leaders braced 'for up to two years of pain' (www.gamesindustry.biz) angielski
Obsidian's Avowed releases this autumn | Eurogamer (www.eurogamer.net) angielski
Obsidian Entertainment has revealed its first-person RPG Avowed is set to release this autumn....
Dead Game News: The Crew is being shut down permanently in April. (www.youtube.com) angielski
Elex 3 May Have Been Canceled, Developer Piranha Bytes Possibly Closed Down (twistedvoxel.com) angielski
cross-posted from: lemmy.world/post/10831301...
GTA 6 and Alan Wake parent companies are locked in a trademark dispute over the letter ‘R’ (www.gamesradar.com)
Billy Mitchell has surrendered (perfectpacman.com)
Billy Mitchell didn’t win his defamation lawsuit against Twin Galaxies. Not only was Billy not in a position to get a financial settlement, Billy’s cheated Donkey Kong scores were not reinstated(as he’s claiming), and his claimed Pac-Man score from 1999 is also not on the main scoreboards. What had happened is that the...
Nintendo Switch 2 Release Date May Have Just Accidentally Been Revealed by...Gameshark (www.ign.com) angielski
Valve: Most games made with AI tools are now welcome on Steam (arstechnica.com) angielski
Well shit…
The official Xbox Series S toaster is an actual thing and you can score one right now for $40 (9to5toys.com) angielski
It's taken nine years, but Daggerfall, the huge second Elder Scrolls game, now has fan-made remaster (www.vg247.com) angielski
Daggerfall Unity, a fan-made remaster of The Elder Scrolls 2, has released in 1.0 fashion.
Games with graphics resembling PS1 or PS2? angielski
So recently I was thinking how games with pixel art graphics are popular nowadays, and I was wondering if there are new games being made with other kinds of “retro” graphics, for example, games that look like the PS1 or PS2 eras....
CD Projekt Red Not Interested in Being Acquired; Believes They'll Be Bigger and Stronger in a Few Years (mp1st.com) angielski
Indie publisher Versus Evil closed and all staff laid off (www.rockpapershotgun.com) angielski
Quite sad, they published a few games I really enjoyed.
Activision Blizzard boss Bobby Kotick departs in just a few days (www.eurogamer.net) angielski
Heres an idea, Fromsoft should make the Soul Reaver sequel angielski
They had GRRM write Elden Ring. They can get Amy Henning to write SR before she retires...
deleted_by_author
The Day Before controversies continue as former employee says it was never an MMO (www.eurogamer.net) angielski
The strange situation that is The Day Before keeps getting stranger.
This fan-made HD PC port of Zelda: Link's Awakening is so cool I can't believe Nintendo hasn't taken it down yet (www.pcgamer.com) angielski
Valve asks Steam Deck owners to not smell vent fumes (www.eurogamer.net) angielski
Valve has asked Steam Deck owners to stop sniffing the fumes which come out of the handheld's vents.Smelling the fumes …
Why E3 Died: A Failure to Evolve, Huge Costs, and Too Much Competition (ign.com) angielski
E3 has officially ended. (twitter.com) angielski
After more than two decades of E3, each one bigger than the last, the time has come to say goodbye....