Friday, 30 June 2017

Weekend Warrior – Big 'Uns, Bandicoots, and... Birmingham?

It's a long holiday weekend, so we can finally kickback and relax after all of the E3 chaos. And of course, when we're not spending time celebrating with friends and family, you'll find us playing lots of video games. Most of us are still plugging away at some of the massive games that launched earlier this year, but others have finally broken free from the backlog and started to play the Crash Bandicoot remake and Breath of the Wild DLC. What are your plans for the holiday weekend? Share them with us in the comments below! 

 

Suriel Vasquez (@SurielVazquez) – I’m planning on spending more time with Yakuza 0, which I’m still enjoying a lot. If my some miracle I finish it over the long weekend, I may start Nier: Automata. Or maybe I’ll just waste the whole weekend playing Dota 2 instead, like I have been all week.

 

Javy Gwaltney (@HurdyIV) – I have a friend coming into town so when I’m not entertaining them I’m going retro this weekend, playing through the Crash Bandicoot remake and making my way (for the first time!) through A Link To The Past.

 

Ben Hanson (@yozetty) – Oh man, it’s the 4th of July already! This weekend I’ll be heading out to a lake place with a couple of old Game Informer dweebs to play a bunch of arcade games. I also hope we’ll get some more time for Tetris on the Switch, and I’ll even pack my 3DS. If all goes according to plan, I won’t even have to look at (or swim in) that stupid lake! Have a good weekend!

 

Kyle Hilliard (@KyleMHilliard) – I will be digging into the Zelda DLC this weekend as well as the Crash remake. I really like N. Sanity so far, even though it's a series I really don't have much nostalgia for. I'll also be attending a children's birthday party. It's going to be a good time.

 

Brian Shea (@BrianPShea) – I’m still pushing my way through Persona 5. That game is such a beast… I just crossed the 50-hour mark and I’m only lingering around the halfway point. When I’m not playing that, I’ll probably spend time in my weekend mainstays: Overwatch and Pokémon Go. 

 

Jared Koncsol (@jaredkoncsol) – I’ll be flying back to Birmingham to spend time with my family this weekend. And by spend time with my family, I mean guilt-tripping my dad into playing games with me even though he doesn’t like them.

 

Craig Taylor (@CraigTaylor0805) – My friends have been getting into the new GTA DLC so I'll probably end up playing that this weekend. I've also been playing Dead Rising 2: Off the Record and having a lot of fun in co-op, so hopefully I can finish my playthrough of that.

 

Doug DeLong (@DeLongDoug) – I'm still working on Breath of the Wild, but this week I got sidetracked by Crypt of the Necrodancer. I played for 20 minutes to make sure my PS4 controller worked with my laptop and got hooked in the process. I'll try to beat that and then start The Master Trials. I'll probably squeeze in time for Pokémon Go as well.



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Ranking The Legend Of Zelda: Breath Of The Wild's Best Amiibo-Exclusive Unlocks

As Brian Shea outlined in a recent opinion piece, The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild's Amiibo implementation serves as showcase for how to to do something both interesting and worthwhile with Nintendo's little figures. None of the unlocks break the game or feel like required loot, but they are very cool, especially the possible bonuses connected to the non-Breath of the Wild Amiibos.

While worth using to grab more arrows, strong weapons, cooking items,etc., the Breath of the Wild Amiibos (seen above) offer items that you can find in the game without their aid. The previously-released Legend of Zelda Amiibos, however, offer the best loot as it can't be found otherwise in Breath of the Wild, and it's full of callbacks to past Zelda games. We decided to rank those items in order to create a functional resource to learn what stuff you can get from Amiibos, and also create a platform for all of use to argue about which unlocks are the best.

Note that while the clothing items are each awarded separately (cap, tunic, or trousers) we decided to rank each one as a set.

17. Sea-breeze Boomerang

All the weapon unlocks appear low on this list because they will break over time. The Sea-Breeze Boomerang is a fun callback to The Wind Waker, but is unremarkable otherwise.

16. Hero’s Shield

Much like the Sea-Breeze Boomerang, the Hero's Shield is mostly unremarkable, but fun for The Wind Waker fans. It edges out the boomerang by completing the Wind Waker look when held while wearing the Cap, Tunic and Trousers of the Wind.

15. Goddess Sword

Its low ranking may be surprising, considering it is essentially the Master Sword, but that's part of the problem – the Master Sword is in the game, and it's much stronger. In Breath of the Wild it doesn't stand out visually in any dramatic way, which makes its unlock underwhelming.

14. Sword of the Six Sages

The Sword of the Six Sages is one you might not immediately recognize. Link never held it himself (before now), but it was prominent in one of Twilight Princess' most memorable cutscenes. The Six Sages used the sword to banish Ganondorf to the Twilight Realm by poking him in the gut with it.

13. Biggoron's Sword

Ocarina of Time is known for many things, but sidequests is not one of them. It's biggest sidequest, however, involved getting this sword. The fact that it looks slightly low-poly in Breath of the Wild's engine makes it even cooler.

12. Fierce Deity Sword

The Fierce Deity ensemble (which appears later in this list) isn't complete without this sword. It's also powerful, and has a very distinct look, which puts in higher than most of the other swords on this list.

11. Wolf Link


Wolf Link is cool, but he's not really an item. Also, once you started building out Breath of the Wild's fast-travel points, he gets left behind often.

10. Cap of the Wind, Tunic of the Wind, and the Trousers of the Wind

The clothes are among our favorite unlocks in the game, but the Wind Waker outfit is the least remarkable of the available ensembles.

9. Sword

It's not a great sword in terms of combat, but the idea that this has the potential to be the very weapon offered to Link so that it would be less dangerous to go alone in 1987 is very, very appealing.

For the rest of the best of The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild's Amiibo unlocks, head to page two.



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Top Of The Table – The Godfather: Corleone’s Empire

Dozens of tabletop games over the years have alluded to the mobster world of The Godfather, and a few have even offered an actual licensed take on the classic film of New York mafia, with its devastating betrayals and family intrigue. But until Corleone’s Empire, I’ve never played a game that so perfectly captures the mood and themes of that memorable movie. Designer Eric M. Lang has been behind some of the most thematically rich and rewarding tabletop games of recent years, and publisher CMON has an eye for stellar production values. Add in some truly evocative art from Karl Kopinski, and The Godfather: Corleone’s Empire nails the setting and tone of Francis Ford Coppola’s masterpiece, while simultaneously offering a rousing and fast-paced game of strategy and sudden, devastating treachery. 

Corleone’s Empire is a game of worker placement and area control. Two to five players each take on the role of a New York crime family, working to shake down businesses across the boroughs, complete jobs like extortions and backroom deals, and bribe allies into cooperation with your nefarious activities. Don Corleone looms over your criminal projects as the Godfather of organized crime in the city, and you must be careful to launder and hide away your money, as the excess will go in tribute to him at the end of each act. Along the way, it’s your acquisition of illegal goods like guns, booze, blood money, and eventually, narcotics, which fuel your illicit affairs. Turf changes hands all the time, new businesses open for exploitation, and minions are murdered in violent car bomb explosions and drive-by shootings; figures regularly move from the board spaces into the Hudson River after they meet an untimely end. The theming is richly imagined and appropriately tied up in crime and sudden dramatic turns of fate that reshape the contours of the session.

CMON has established a reputation for its great miniatures and top-notch art, and both are in full evidence throughout Corleone’s Empire. The rulebook and cards are filled with brooding character art of the city’s mid-20th century criminals and civic officials. Individual uncolored miniatures are detailed and varied, offering up different visuals for each family Don, Consigliere, and Heir. A horse-head token indicates first-turn status. Every player even has a literal metal suitcase that holds laundered money away from prying eyes. And the New York board map is thoughtfully designed and attractive, appropriately appointed without ever feeling crowded, even in the game’s later busy turns. Everything reinforces and recalls the film. I’m also a big fan of the board’s use of shapes tied to the bases of individual minis and components; even newcomers to the game can quickly grasp where each piece should be played, from hexagonal control markers to square spots that match your family’s thug minis.


Corleone's Empire supports two to five players, but plays best with four or five

The clever nods to the movie would be for naught without a solid game framework. Behind the mafioso concept, smartly structured and briskly paced gameplay unfolds. Split into four roughly similar acts, the game layers on complexity through the gradual introduction of new figures, businesses, allies, and resources. Reach Act II, and your Consigliere mini joins the team. Bid more than your opponents, and perhaps you can lure the Mayor to aid your family in Act III. Risk entry into the dangerous world of narcotics in the late game, and you’ve got a new flexible resource that can help fuel any job. 

In the most important phase of each act, players take turns deploying their miniatures onto designated spots across New York City, shaking down businesses like the Barbershop, Korean Laundry, and Gun Dealership, and acquiring the designated resource. Have the most figures in an area, and you gain control of that borough in the subsequent turn, meaning you get a piece of the action every time a player hits up that business in the future. Gathered resources let you complete jobs, which usually offer both concrete rewards and a way to screw over your opponents; you gain money (or launder it) while potentially killing off opponent pieces in key locations across the board. Your own carefully laid plans can be shattered by an opposing player’s machinations. If that sort of messing with each other angers you, Corleone’s Empire is likely to frustrate almost constantly. For me, the sudden changes in fortune communicated a delightful nod to the precipitous and dramatic turns of the movie.  In the end, it’s a combination of acquired money, control exerted around the city, and jobs completed that determine the crime family that will rule New York and win the game.

For a game with so many interlocking systems of resources, control points, and different paths to money and victory, I’m impressed by the ease of play. Down time between turns is very low, as each figure’s placement on the board has a clearly marked consequence and acquisition. In my experience, the game is at its best with four or five players, as interlocking webs of alliances accrue, and players in the lead are suddenly ganged up upon by other players who feel threatened. The abrupt and disastrous falls from a hard-won lead are painful, but bearable since the game completes in a moderate playtime; a two-hour session is enough to finish one game, and for most player groups, that might even be enough to try a second run on the same evening of play, allowing new alliances and grudges to form.  


Each player called a small tin "metal suitcase" to store their money and completed job cards

Strangers to The Godfather may be stymied by the constant references to the movie. But it’s clear that’s a sacrifice that the designer is willing to make, foregoing overt explanations about things like the taking or leaving of canolis, for instance, and instead letting players recognize narrative flavors and moments wherever they can find them. The Godfather: Corleone’s Empire does justice to its inspiration, and the dip into gangster fantasies is a welcome change of pace from more fantastical settings. 

If Corleone’s Empire sounds like a good fit for your friends, you won’t have long to wait to track down a copy; pre-orders are available now, and official launch is July 28th of this year. If you’re looking for something of a different flavor than tommy guns and restaurant assassinations, make sure and click on the Top of the Table banner below and check out some other recent recommendations. If you’d like some additional personal recommendations or advice on tabletop games, feel free to drop me a line via email or Twitter – I’m always happy to share some suggestions to find the perfect gaming fit for your group.  



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Marvel Heroes Omega Is Now Live On PlayStation 4 and Xbox One

Marvel Heroes Omega is a free-to-play MMORPG where you can take on the role of fan-favorite characters from the Marvel Universe, and it's available now on Playstation 4 and Xbox One.

Accompanying the announcement is a new action-packed launch trailer that introduces couch co-op and shows off dozens of heroes and some of the end-game content.

(Please visit the site to view this media)

To learn more about the game, you can check out our preview from earlier this year. Specific details about Founder's Pack offers and timed exclusives can be found here.



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Answering Assassin's Creed Origins' Lingering Questions

All month long we've been rolling out exclusive features covering Assassin's Creed Origins, and now we're ready to wrap things up with one final interview from game director Ashraf Ismail. He was kind enough to Skype in to The Game Informer Show podcast and answer dozens and dozens of burning questions from the community. So if you're looking for more info on the game's development, ambitious world, or even the details of the day/night cycle, then you're in luck. We hope you enjoy the conversation!

You can watch the video below, subscribe and listen to the audio on iTunes or Google Play, or listen on SoundCloud.

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The Golf Club 2 Review – Finding That Sweet Spot

The Golf Club 2 tutorial uses a popular golf saying: "Drive for show, putt for dough." This refers to the belief that monster tees shots look good, but it's your performance on the green that really matters. While I can attest to the fact that I would be a much better golfer if I had more control over my putts, this axiom can also be interpreted another way. The Golf Club 2 is remarkable for what it adds that was noticeably lacking in the first title – more structure. The new career mode and online societies motivate you to keep playing beyond just to see a new course. But the real factor that demonstrates the title's merit is gameplay, which delivers that satisfying feeling of a shot well taken and anchors the game in a more lasting way that the new structure can't.

The new tempo swing doesn't just add complexity for the sake of difficulty; it suffuses the analog swing gameplay with a nice rhythm and includes different ideal swing speeds for different clubs (there are also pro and tour club sets with their own perimeters to master). It's useful to step away before a shot – particularly when you're trying a new technique with a club like a wedge that has a particular swing animation – and take a few practice swings to get the feel down and see how fast your backswing and downswing actually are.

The mechanic plays on that sense you have when you hit a good shot and can feel it as soon as you make contact. The same applies to when it all feels wrong from the word "go." The backswing animation occasionally stutters, fouling up your swing, but you can always let go of the stick and start over.

The more I played, the more variables I naturally accounted for with every stroke, like anticipating danger spots on the green, knowing the downswing cadences of the various clubs and shot types, and factoring in ground slope. But instead of simply being a game of checking off boxes, The Golf Club 2's swing gameplay came more into its own, revealing how deftly something relatively intuitive like the analog swing could work hand-in-hand with seemingly rigid constructs like accounting for a 10mph wind.

It says a lot about the gameplay that it inhabits an ether between predictability and the unknown that satisfies but still leaves you hungrily searching to do better – much like your own real-life golf game. In perhaps the ultimate zen moment, there was a stretch where I stopped caring about my score from hole to hole, and was simply enjoying a game run to form while learning how to shave strokes off my previously abysmal short game. I also became more confident in hitting that gray area between clubs where you can't come up short, but you don't want to blow the ball out the backside of the green.

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When you're not trying to lower your handicap out on the course, you can relax in your career or online society clubhouse. You purchase bigger and more impressive clubhouses as you earn enough currency through meeting course challenges and raking in tour winnings. It's better than the non-existent career structure of the first game, but it doesn't have the long hooks to keep you up nights. Being able to change the color of the furniture is nice, but it's a far cry from NFL 2K's customizable Crib that's already over 10 years old. Apart from earning the right to host a major tournament, leveling up your society up to level 10 via the currency lets you play more events per season and go up against harder A.I., which are not big enough carrots. In general, the game does a good job giving you enough currency to buy new clubhouses, level up your societies and outfit your golfer even if you're not the star of the tour.

What the societies lack in depth, however, is partly made up by the fun amount of customization that gives your society and tour events some individuality. You can move the tees and pins per round, set entry fees and bigger purses, and change the color of your equipment. You can even set which clothes you want to wear for each round. The ultimate customization feature of the game is the course creator, which has a new interface. Whether you use a template or place every yacht, kangaroo, and sand trap rake yourself, there are plenty of tools to create a unique course quickly.

I expected The Golf Club 2 to be better than the first in every way given the new career setup and golf societies, but I was surprised the addition of the swing tempo gameplay is what gives this title a lasting structure. This, combined with the course creator, make the game indispensable for any golf fan. You'll be seeing those missed putts in your dreams and savoring every chip-in birdie.



from www.GameInformer.com - The Feed http://www.gameinformer.com/games/the_golf_club_2/b/playstation4/archive/2017/06/30/game-informer-review-the-golf-club-2.aspx

Report: Mass Effect Andromeda Not Receiving Single-Player DLC

It looks like Mass Effect Andromeda's single-player content won't be extended with DLC like previous titles, according to a report out of Kotaku.

There was some confusion yesterday after a widely circulated Facebook post surfaced from a company called Sinclair Networks, claiming the single-player DLC it was working on for the game had been canceled. While this post was confirmed to be a hoax, Kotaku is reporting that there was never any single-player DLC planned in the first place, as the majority of people who worked on Andromeda have been moved to other projects. After talking to three anonymous sources, Kotaku confirmed last month that plans for a sequel to Andromeda have been shelved. 

Mass Effect Andromeda had a troubled launch with technical foibles and was met with mediocre reviews. It currently holds scores in the low to mid 70s on Metacritic across all its platforms. Since launch, BioWare has released patches to improve the experience, but has not stated any plans for single-player DLC.

We've reached out to EA for comment on the matter and received the following response: "We have no DLC details regarding Mass Effect: Andromeda to announce at this time. "

[Source: Kotaku]

 


Our Take
Mass Effect Andromeda has had its share of struggles since its launch. Does it still have enough fanfare for single-player DLC, or has it been soured? That's a big question for BioWare, which I'm sure it's considering. BioWare does have a lot of other projects in the works, including the upcoming Anthem, so it might be better to spend resources elsewhere at this point. Time will tell what the future holds.



from www.GameInformer.com - The Feed http://www.gameinformer.com/b/news/archive/2017/06/30/report-mass-effect-andromeda-not-receiving-single-player-dlc.aspx

LawBreakers Physical Release and Collector's Edition Announced

Boss Key Productions and Limited Run Games have announced that they are working together to launch a physical version of LawBreakers.

The gravity-defying first-person shooter will be available at a price-point of $29.99, and is set to release on August 8 for PlayStation 4 and PC.

For more, check out our interview with LawBreaker's director here and our hands-on impressions of the PS4 version here.



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Independence Week Update For GTA Online Brings New Supercar, Adversary Mode, And More

Grand Theft Auto Online is getting even bigger today with the new Independence Week content drop. The headliners of the update are the Dewbauchee Vagner, a futuristic supercar built for speed, and a new adversary mode called Dawn Raid.

In Dawn Raid, two teams of up to six players parachute into a combat zone under the cover of night and are tasked with finding and extracting a transmitter that's hidden in a package. Both teams are well armed, equipped with thermal and night vision goggles, and have an app on their phones that they can use to identify the correct package. The catch is that using the app makes you visible to your enemies. From now through July 10, playing the new mode will reward you with double GTA$ and RP.

Also included in the update are Independence Day themed liveries for your MOCs and Mk II weapons and discounts on firework launchers, yachts and yacht modifications, the Liberator Monster Truck, classic outfits, and more. If you still need more GTA$ to make these purchases, you can take part in Premium races and time trials running throughout the week.

For more details, you can read the full post from Rockstar here.



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Blizzard Announces StarCraft: Remastered Release Date

Today, Blizzard finally unveiled a release date for StarCraft: Remastered, and it's soon. In it, the real-time strategy classic, including the Brood War expansion, is getting a deluxe overhaul, complete with 4K graphics, enhanced audio, updated matchmaking and leaderboard systems, and more. A full list of features from Blizzard can be found below.

  • Full graphical upgrade of the original StarCraft and the StarCraft: Brood War expansion
  • Widescreen UHD support for up to 4K resolution
  • New matchmaking and leaderboards
  • Player profiles that track individual statistics
  • Cloud saving for campaign progress, hotkeys, and replays
  • Higher fidelity music and sound
  • Switch between StarCraft: Remastered and the original StarCraft with the click of a button

The remastered version is fully compatible with the pre-existing version, so owners of either version will be able to play together as a singular community.

StarCraft: Remastered is available beginning August 14 on PC for $14.99. For more on the remastered version, click here.

 

Our Take
StarCraft has been around for about 20 years now and managed to maintain a solid community throughout that entire duration. It's good to see loyal fans get the luxury treatment with this remaster, and this is also a great time for new players to jump in.



from www.GameInformer.com - The Feed http://www.gameinformer.com/b/news/archive/2017/06/30/blizzard-announces-starcraft-remastered-release-date.aspx

Last Day Of June From Murasaki Baby Creator Gets Release Date

According to Last Day of June's lead designer Mattia Traverso, the title is about "a feeling anyone can relate to," regret. Given that the title deals with how protagonist Carl copes with the death of his wife June after a car crash, regret is certainly an apt feeling. All is not lost, however, as Carl has a chance to alter the day's tragic events by interacting with her paintings.

Gamers can play the lush, vibrant-looking title when it releases on August 31 (PS4 and PC) for $19.99.

I had the chance to play a little bit of the game at E3, and apart from Last Day of June's arresting visual style, the music of Porcupine Tree's Steven Wilson was integral to drawing me into the world.

Check out the title new trailer to also get a sense of some of the puzzle/interactive-based gameplay and some of the roads Carl travels down.

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[Source: 505 Games]

 

Our Take
Developer Ovosonico is teasing that Carl's journey isn't without its own price to pay, and I'm interested to see how the game explores this point.



from www.GameInformer.com - The Feed http://www.gameinformer.com/b/news/archive/2017/06/30/last-day-of-june-from-murasaki-baby-creator-gets-release-date.aspx

Show Your Love For Overwatch's D.Va With This New Statue

MEKA activated! If you're a fan of Overwatch's D.Va, Blizzard just put up a sweet statue for pre-order.

The figure, which measures 19"/48.26 cm (floor to head) and has a 13.5"/34.29 cm in diameter base, features D.Va, a.k.a. Hana Song, sitting upon her pink armored MEKA unit. The statue was hand-sculpted and designed by Blizzard. 

The collectible is set to launch in Q4, which means it should hit before the end of the year in either October, November, or December. It doesn't come cheap though, with a $450.00 price tag. 

There is a limit of two statues per customer. You can get more information and pre-order the statue here



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Thursday, 29 June 2017

Here Are The Locations And Clues That Will Lead You To Zelda: Breath Of The Wild's New DLC Content

We are quite literally just digging into Breath of the Wild's first DLC pack, but if you rushed into the game after updating, you may have missed the clues putting you on the trail of the new content. Here are the hints that point you in the right direction to track down all the Master Trials' new stuff.

Where to find some of the new additions are obvious. Master Mode is a new difficulty setting that can be selected from the title screen. Hero's Path Mode is a setting that can be accessed through the map. The other items and Trial of the Sword, however, require a little exploration.

If you head to the Great Deku Tree in Korok forest, a cutscene will play setting you up for the trial.

To find the Travel Medallion, you must find a book at South Akkala Stable.

A book at the Woodland Stable will get you started on your search for the Korok Mask.

And finally, to find Majora's Mask, Midna's Helment, Tingle's outfit, and the Phantom Armor, you should check out the journal at Outpost Ruins.



from www.GameInformer.com - The Feed http://www.gameinformer.com/b/features/archive/2017/06/29/here-are-the-locations-and-clues-that-will-lead-you-to-zelda-breath-of-the-wild-39-s-new-dlc-content.aspx

Zelda: Breath Of The Wild's Master Trials DLC Is Available Now

The first half of Nintendo’s planned DLC for The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild is available for download right now. If you already purchased the DLC, you should be able to update the game to add the new content.

The included Trial of the Sword challenge will have players face an onslaught of enemy waves across 45 rooms in order to activate the awaken the true power of the Master Sword. The catch is that Link will have to begin this challenge with out any of his equipment or weapons.

The expansion also includes eight new chests filled with new armor like Majora's mask and Tingle's Outfit, as well as a Hard Mode, and a Travel Medallion that lets you place a fast travel marker anywhere on the map.

The Legend of Zelda: Breath Of The Wild season pass is $19.99, and will allow you to download Trial of the Sword as well as a more story-focused DLC that will release later this year. To find out why The Legend of Zelda: Breath Of The Wild shouldn't be missed, read our original review.



from www.GameInformer.com - The Feed http://www.gameinformer.com/b/news/archive/2017/06/29/zelda-breath-of-the-wilds-trial-of-the-sword-dlc-is-available-now.aspx

Original Shadow Of The Colossus Director Would Like To Make Changes To Remake

Fumito Ueda, the director and lead designer for games like Ico, Shadow of the Colossus, and The Last Guardian, has officially submitted a proposal for changes to Sony upcoming PS4 remake of Shadow of the Colossus, but he doesn't know if these changes will be made. 

Sony announced at E3 that Bluepoint Games is working on the remake of Shadow of the Colossus. The publisher also said that it wasn't planning on making any big changes to the game and that Fumito Ueda wasn't involved in the project, but that hasn't stopped the creator from making some suggestions.

"Those things of the remake that I would like to change, I can't mention, because if I say one thing and in the final version that thing is not included, it's a problem," Ueda told Eurogamer.

The remake of Shadow of the Colossus is slated to release in 2018. In the meantime, Fumito Ueda is currently working on an unannounced project, which he hopes to finish "as quickly possible."

[Source: Eurogamer]

 

Our Take
Shadow of the Colossus is widely considered a masterpiece, but it does have a few flaws. This remake sounds like a good chance to make some updates to the game. We'd be curious to learn more about Ueda's list of suggested changes.



from www.GameInformer.com - The Feed http://www.gameinformer.com/b/news/archive/2017/06/29/original-shadow-of-the-colossus-director-would-like-to-make-changes-to-remake.aspx

Crash's Working Title And Other Fun Crash Bandicoot Facts

Crash Bandicoot N. Sane Trilogy comes out this week, so now is the perfect time to refresh yourself on Crash’s history.

Did you know that the original Crash Bandicoot game had the working title, "Sonic's Ass Game"? The fine folks at Lore have collected a series of fun facts like that one. Check them out in the video below.

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Also, be sure to read our review for Crash Bandicoot N. Sane Trilogy to see how the series holds up.



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Pac-Man Vs. Is Coming To The Nintendo Switch

Pac-Man Vs. is a fun asymmetric multiplayer experience where one player plays a normal game of Pac-Man and three others try to stop him as ghosts. It's a great party game. Unfortunately, it was a hassle to set up when it first came out on GameCube, requiring the Pac-Man player to system link with a Game Boy Advance.

Today, Bandai Namco announced that the classic game is coming to the Nintendo Switch as part of their Namco Museum collection. The game still requires multiple pieces of hardware for full four-player multiplayer experience (each team needs their own Switch), but you can play by yourself or up to three players on a single console. Check out the announcement trailer below.

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Joining Pac-Man Vs. in the collection are Pac-Man, Dig Dug, Galaga, Galaga '88, The Tower of Druaga, Sky Kid, Rolling Thunder, Rolling Thunder 2, Splatterhouse, and Tank Force. For more details, you can head to the game's official site. The collection releases on July 28.

 

Our Take:
Pac-Man Vs. is a great Pac-Man experience that many were not able to play because of the additional hardware requirements. It's annoying that you to need two Switches to make the four-player experience happen, but hopefully a larger audience will finally be able to get their hands on this fun game.



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GI Show – Crash Bandicoot, Valkyria Revolution, Eugene Jarvis Interview

Welcome back to The Game Informer Show podcast! We have a fun, strange episode for you this week. First up, Andrew Reiner talks about his 20-year history of reviewing Crash Bandicoot games and what he thinks about Vicarious Visions' new remastered take on Naughty Dog's trilogy. Sadly, we also have Joe Juba to explain why the new Valkyria Revolution is not exactly the Valkyria Chronicles sequel or spin-off he was hoping for. Then Javy Gwaltney gets freaky and talks about the bizarre new sci-fi thriller called Get Even. After some great community emails, we're joined by game industry legend Eugene Jarvis to talk about his work creating arcade classics like Defender and SmashTV and how they compare to his recent collaboration with Housemarque creating Nex Machina. Matt Miller recently wrote a glowing review of the game you should check out, by the way.

You can watch the video below, subscribe and listen to the audio on iTunes or Google Play, or listen to episode 353 on SoundCloud. Also, be sure to send your questions to podcast@gameinformer.com for a chance to have them answered on the show and win a prize by becoming Email of the Week!

Also, due to a technical error, our cameras were not recorded for this episode. We still include gameplay footage from the games we discuss and you can watch our interview with Eugene Jarvis. Sorry!

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Our thanks to the talented Super Marcato Bros. for The Game Informer Show's intro song. You can hear more of their original tunes and awesome video game music podcast at their website.

To jump to a particular point in the discussion, check out the time stamps below...

2:55 - Crash Bandicoot N. Sane Trilogy
16:30 - Valkyria Revolution
24:25 - Get Even
33:55 - Cars 3
38:52 - Community emails
1:14:10 - Eugene Jarvis' Nex Machina Interview



from www.GameInformer.com - The Feed http://www.gameinformer.com/b/podcasts/archive/2017/06/29/gi-show-crash-bandicoot-valkyria-revolution-eugene-jarvis-interview.aspx

Rocket League And Pokémon Toys Headline San Diego Comic Con Exclusives

San Diego Comic Con 2017 attendees can looks forward to scoring some sweet exclusive merchandise from UCC Distributing.

First up is the Rocket League 8 pc PullBack Racer Set ($49.99). Not only is this the first ever Rocket League product brought to market, it contains a DLC code that will unlock special in-game "features" as well.

UCC is also selling three exclusive Pokémon plushes: a 12" Tyranitar Jumbo Plushie ($39.99), a 12" Venusaur Jumbo Plushie ($39.99), and an 8" Jigglypuff Plushie ($19.99).

Outside the realm of video games, UCC has an exclusive portal toy from Rick & Morty with working lights and a projectable portal ($24.99). There's also several eight piece miniature figures sets from Dragon Ball Z ($29.99 and $39.99), Digimon ($29.99), and Kingdom Hearts ($29.99).

The full list of UCC's SDCC 2017 wares can be found here.

[Source: SDCC Unofficial Blog]




from www.GameInformer.com - The Feed http://www.gameinformer.com/b/news/archive/2017/06/29/rocket-league-toys-headline-san-diego-comic-con-exclusives.aspx