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This week on All Things Nintendo, we have a panel of four  Game Informer  editors to discuss The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom. All four members – Brian Shea, Matt Miller, Kyle Hilliard, and Charles Harte – have beaten the game and are ready to break down all the biggest gameplay elements and story beats without fear of spoiling the experience. With that in mind, if you haven't finished The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom, proceed with caution, as there are plentiful spoilers within this episode. If you'd like to follow Brian on social media, you can do so on his Instagram  @BrianPShea . You can follow Matt on Twitter:  @MatthewRMiller . You can follow Kyle on Twitter:  @KyleMHilliard . You can follow Charles on Twitter:  @chuckduck365 .  The All Things Nintendo podcast is a weekly show where we can celebrate, discuss, and break down all the latest games, news, and announcements from the industry's most recognizable name. Each we...

Super Replay returns, and we're checking out Banjo-Kazooie: Nuts & Bolts! Join us today  on Twitch at 2:00 p.m. Central as we kick of the adventure, which will continue each week until we roll credits. We'll also have every episode available the next day on our Game Informer Shows YouTube Channel  (or you can watch the videos in the above playlist).  Banjo-Kazooie: Nuts & Bolts was released for the Xbox 360 on November 11, 2008. The third (and, so far, final) entry in Rare's beloved platforming series centers on vehicle creation, where players collect and slap together hundreds of parts to assemble their own wacky contraptions to explore. The bevy of possible combinations and emphasis on player choice and creativity was largely unprecedented at the time, paving the way for future games such as the upcoming The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom. However, this direction would divide fans due to how much it strays from the traditi...

Scorn was one of the most enigmatic and polarizing games when it crept to Xbox and PC last fall. Some love it, some despise it, and PlayStation fans will get to see which side of the fence they fall on when it hits PlayStation 5 this fall. Despite appearing like a shooter on its surface, Scorn is an atmospheric puzzle-focused experience. As a strange humanoid creature, you’ll explore a labyrinthian H.R. Giger-inspired alien world to unravel its mysteries. While combat is present, it’s very much secondary to deciphering the abstract story and riddles, and even those revelations will primarily be up to your interpretation .  The PlayStation 5 version features DualSense haptic feedback support and 4K/60 fps gameplay. Check out the game’s new trailer below.   Source: Game Informer

In this week's episode of  The Game Informer Show,  special guest Eric Van Allen ( Destructoid, Axe of the Blood God)  joins us to discuss: Pikmin 4 with Kyle Hilliard, who finally admits he's a fan of the series; Marcus' AEW Fight Forever review; role-playing in the 258-player BattleBit Remastered, an impressive throwback to the glory days of Battlefield; Final Fantasy XVI; and finally, a deck-building first-person shooter called Friends vs Friends. Follow us on social media:  Alex Van Aken ( @itsVanAken ), Marcus Stewart ( @MarcusStewart7 ), Kyle Hilliard ( @KyleMHilliard ), Eric Van Allen ( @Seamoosi ) The Game Informer Show  is a weekly gaming podcast covering the latest video game news, industry topics, exclusive reveals, and reviews. Join host  Alex Van Aken  every Thursday for a chat about your favorite games – past and present – with  Game Informer  staff, developers, and special guests from around the industry....

In each issue, Game Informer prints questions that are submitted by readers via email and standard mail. We'd like to give our website readers the chance to make the magazine as well. You'll need to log in to your GI account and click "okay to print" for your letter or question to go through. We'd also love it if you included your location (city, state, or country will do). We'll look through the questions and pick a few to include in our next issue, which releases on July 25. For each issue, we ask our community a question for our SoundOff section. This time around, we want to know... "Which game in the second half of 2023 are you most excited for and why?" You can answer this question and/or include any other feedback/questions you want. Thank you again for your support throughout the years, and we hope many of you get the chance to have your letter printed in an upcoming issue! Submit Your Question or Letter You must be logged in to use th...

Stray was first revealed by publisher Annapurna Interactive and developer Blue Twelve years ago, at the same event where the PlayStation 5 was revealed. It finally hit PlayStation 5 and PlayStation 4 last year alongside a PC release, and in two months, it's finally coming to Xbox.  Stray will launch on Xbox Series X/S and Xbox One on August 10. This was revealed with a very cute new trailer starring the stray cat that gives the game its namesake, and you can check it out for yourself below:  We enjoyed Stray last year, giving it an 8 out of 10 in our review, which you can read here .  Are you going to play Stray on Xbox this August? Let us know in the comments below! Source: Game Informer

Cocoon will be released this September.  More specifically, the upcoming sci-fi adventure game from Jeppe Carlsen , the lead gameplay designer of Playdead's Limbo and Inside, hits PlayStation, Xbox, Switch, and PC on September 29. I recently played Cocoon during Summer Game Fest 2023 and came away extremely impressed ( read about why here ). In the game, you control a small beetle-like creature as you traverse through a mysterious alien world using strange orbs that they themselves are worlds you can dive into.  Check out Cocoon in action in the trailer below:  As you can see, Cocoon continues to look great and now we know we don't have to wait too much longer to play it.  Cocoon hits PlayStation, Xbox (including a day one launch on Xbox Game Pass), Switch, and PC via Steam on September 29.  Are you diving into Cocoon this September? Let us know in the comments below! Source: Game Informer

BlizzCon is returning to Anaheim, California, this November and Blizzard has released new details about the event, including what to expect, pricing, and when tickets go on sale.  BlizzCon 2023 will take place on November 3 and 4 in the Anaheim Convention Center and tickets go on sale at 10 a.m. PST/1 p.m. ET on July 8. A second wave of tickets will go live at 10 a.m. PST/ 1 p.m. ET on July 22. General admission tickets cost $299, and that price includes a live event ticket, in-game goodies, the official BlizzCon backpack, and early access to the BlizzCon store. There will also be a $799 Portal Pass ticket available as well. It includes all general admission perks, a separate registration and security line, exclusive Portal Pass lounge access (private concessions and viewing lounges, gameplay experiences, and more), and early entrance to the convention center.  “We are so excited to be welcoming everyone back to Anaheim for BlizzCon 2023,” BlizzCon executive producer Apri...

In the 21st century, fans of the NFL have had minimal choices when it comes to their officially licensed football games. Ever since 2004, EA Sports' annualized Madden NFL series has been the exclusive franchise for the NFL, its teams, stadiums, and players. The result was the closure of other franchises, such as the competitive NFL 2K series, as well as the arcade-focused NFL Blitz franchise (which was later acquired by EA in 2011). The recently announced Wild Card Football from Saber Interactive, part of the Playgrounds franchise, hopes to smash through the established line to give players a fresh 7-on-7 arcade-facing take on the sport starring their favorite players. Wild Card Football doesn't possess the NFL license, but rather the NFLPA license. This means the teams and stadiums of the National Football League aren't present, but many of its biggest stars are. I witness this firsthand as I scroll through the teams available. The in-game teams are centered around the q...

While game delays have become commonplace, the opposite is extremely rare. Today, we learned Baldur's Gate 3 is somehow doing both at the same time. Initially planned for August 31, developer Larian Studios is advancing the PC release date to August 3 while delaying the PS5 version to September 6. According to the most recent community update , the change was done to prioritize release in order of platform readiness. More specifically, the team needed a little more time to get the PS5 version up to 60 frames per second. "The PlayStation 5 version will be released roughly a week later than its originally scheduled date of August 31st," the community update reads. "Baldur’s Gate 3 is targeting 60 frames-per-second and we’re close to achieving that on the platform but need a bit more extra time. We don’t want to compromise on quality, and feel it would be a shame to downscale to 30fps or make other compromises to hit an arbitrary date." Meanwhile, the PC v...

Disney Illusion Island is an upcoming “Mickeyvania” exclusive to Switch and after being revealed over a year ago, it’s finally out next month. Dlala Studios and Disney have released a new story trailer to prepare potential players for what’s in store on the island.  Mickey Mouse, Minnie Mouse, Donald Duck, and Goofy mysteriously arrive on the island of Monoth and soon after find that its people need their help. This kickstarts their journey as players must platform through the various obstacles, challenges, and biomes of Monoth. Each character has the same abilities (although animated quite differently), so players can select whichever hero they want to save the day.  Check out the latest Disney Illusion Island story trailer for yourself below :  For more about Disney Illusion Island, watch the reveal trailer from last summer and then check out this gameplay trailer from February. After that, read about the game’s lack of combat and a Metroid-style map . Disney Ill...

Final Fantasy XVI hit PlayStation 5 exclusively last week on June 23 , and less than a week later, Square Enix has announced it has shipped and digitally sold 3 million copies.  It’s a somewhat odd metric to parse out because copies shipped and sold aren’t the same. For example, a shipped copy might still be sitting on a game store shelf, while a digital copy sold is money made. Nonetheless, between physical shipped copies of FFXVI and digital versions purchased by players, Square Enix says it has reached 3 million copies sold.  We’re delighted to announce we’ve shipped and digitally sold 3 million copies of Final Fantasy XVI on PlayStation 5. Thank you for your support! #FF16 pic.twitter.com/8YGfo1RXyV — FINAL FANTASY XVI (@finalfantasyxvi) June 28, 2023 That’s a great launch for any game, especially one exclusive to PlayStation 5. However, its predecessor, Final Fantasy XV , which it Xbox One and PlayStation 4 in 2016, remains the series’ best-selling game at launch. ...

Theorycraft Games has revealed the first look at its debut unannounced title, Project Loki, and it’s a competitive, team-based PvP game that appears to blend the MOBA genre with hero-based combat action and more.  Theorycraft is a relatively new studio made up of developers who, collectively, have worked on franchises like League of Legends, Valorant, Apex Legends, Overwatch, Destiny, and Halo. While the team has publicly talked about Project Loki (not the official title), today’s new trailer marks the first time the studio has shown it in action.  Check out roughly 3 minutes of Project Loki gameplay below :  “As players and developers, we feel like it’s been a minute since there’s been something truly new and fun to play with your friends,” Theorycraft CEO Joe Tung writes in a press release. “To make Project Loki, we took our collective experiences working on some of the biggest team-based PvP games like League, Valorant, Apex, and Overwatch, and have been build...

Reviewed on: PlayStation 5 Platform: PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, Switch, PC Publisher: Xseed, Marvelous Games Developer: Marvelous Inc. Release: June 27, 2023 Rating: Everyone Remakes and remasters are more common than ever in 2023. What's most interesting is seeing how these new versions handle the issue of completely rebuilding versus simply making modern visual improvements. Story of Seasons: A Wonderful Life is a remake of Harvest Moon: A Wonderful Life that straddles the line between these two philosophies fairly evenly but still delivers an outdated experience in various aspects. Releasing on modern consoles, Story of Seasons: A Wonderful Life initially looks like nothing more than an updated re-skin on the surface. However, some significant changes have made it more inclusive for players. A Wonderful Life establishes each player as a young person who has inherited a farm from their father in a small town called Forgotten Valley. Before claiming your inherit...

I've been excited to play Final Fantasy XVI for ages, but after hearing about Game of Thrones ' influence on the game, I was afraid I'd be overwhelmed by dense fantasy lore. While worldbuilding can be as simple as creating fictional characters and cities, some creators dive in deeply, crafting pantheons of gods, hundreds of years of wars and conflict, and even entire languages. While it makes the world more believable, it can be incredibly disorienting for an audience to be thrust headfirst into a sea of unfamiliar proper nouns, especially before they have a chance to get to know the world's characters. Lucky for me, the developers behind Final Fantasy XVI completely anticipated this and introduced a solution: the Active Time Lore mechanic. During any cutscene in FFXVI, you can hold the touchpad on the DualSense controller to conjure up a glossary of definitions and character bios relevant to that moment in the story. It's perfect for when you forget a character...

The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom, the ambitious follow-up to 2017’s Breath of the Wild , finally hit Switch last month. We’ve now learned, thanks to video game analyst group Circana , that it was, unsurprisingly, the best selling game of the month. However, it’s also already the second best selling game of 2023, behind Hogwarts Legacy .  What’s even more impressive is that Circana’s Tears of the Kingdom numbers do not include digital sales for the game – only physical, according to Circana executive director Mat Piscatella . That it’s the second best selling game of 2023 on just its physical numbers alone means this game sold exceptionally well. And there’s a good chance it might be the year’s best selling game if digital numbers are one day added.  Here’s a look at the top 10 best selling games of May 2023 :  The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom Hogwarts Legacy Star Wars Jedi: Survivor Dead Island 2 Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 (2022) MLB: ...

At one point, Microsoft considered acquiring Sonic the Hedgehog developer Sega, Destiny 2 developer Bungie, and Hitman studio IO Interactive to expand and support its audience and Xbox Game Pass.  That’s according to new internal emails revealed as part of Microsoft’s ongoing court trial against the Federal Trade Commission to acquire Activision Blizzard , as reported by The Verge . In a 2020 email, Xbox head Phil Spencer writes to Microsoft chief financial officer Amy Hood and CEO Satya Nadella to request a “Strategy Approval to approach Sega Sammy regarding a potential acquisition of their Sega gaming studios.” Elsewhere in court documents, an internal 2021 Microsoft merger review document features a “watchlist” for studios Microsoft was considering acquiring and it includes both Bungie and IO Interactive for the purposes of “engagement and social interaction” and “audience expansion.” Other studios on the watchlist include Thunderful ( Planet of Lana , Steamworld Build ),...

Publisher Dear Villagers and developer Fallen Leaf Studios have released a new trailer on IGN for Fort Solis, the upcoming sci-fi horror game starring Roger Clark and Troy Baker.  This trailer starts with Baker discussing how he came to be involved with Fort Solis and why he’s excited about the game before he reveals it hits PlayStation 5 and PC on August 22. The trailer then cuts to new footage of the game, which you can check out for yourself below:  As you can see, Baker says he joined Fort Solis because it allowed him to work alongside Clark (whom you might recognize as Arthur Morgan from Red Dead Redemption 2 ) and because he liked the story as well. As for the new Fort Solis footage, it shows more of the spooky Martian horror featured in the game. In it, Clark’s character, Jack Leary, tries to survive “through one long and terrifying night on Mars.” Leary appears to be guided, in some way, by Baker’s Wyatt Taylor and Julia Brown’s character, Jessica Appleton.  ...

Mortal Kombat 1 represents a bloody new era for the long-running franchise, and editors Marcus Stewart and Brian Shea have gone hands-on with it, most recently in this past weekend's online stress test. In this video, we take a look at the gameplay captured from this period that provides good looks at the movements and fatalities of the test's four available fighters, Liu Kang, Sub-Zero, Kitana, and Kenshi. You'll also get to watch those kombatants team up with three Kameo fighters: Kano, Sonya, and Jax.  For more previews and discussions of some of the biggest games of 2023 and beyond, be sure to head over to our  YouTube page  for NGTs about new and upcoming games such as  Eternights , Crash Team Rumble , XDefiant , and Sea of Stars .  Source: Game Informer