Samba de Amigo: Party Central

Microsoft has announced new titles coming to Xbox Game Pass from late September to early October, which includes Party Animals, Gotham Knights, PAYDAY 3, and more.

Wizardry may not ring a bell instantly in younger gamers’ minds, but it’s one of the most iconic RPG games of all time. Way back in the 80s, this bad boy stood as the first party-based RPG ever, and as one of the first Dungeons & Dragons-inspired video games. Digital Eclipse set out to remake the masterpiece, recreating Wizardry over the original game’s code. As if the developer’s reveal of the remastered version isn’t enough to get us excited, the studio also just released the new game in its early access state.

With Party Animals, developer Recreate Games takes the goofy joy of floppy, physics-based multiplayer games like Fall Guys, Gang Beasts, and Human: Fall Flat and puts its own spin on them. Instead of falling in with the rank and file, Party Animals pushes the genre forward thanks to a thoughtful attention to detail, creative levels, and its engaging, comedic showdowns, though it does stumble over its inflexible rules and local multiplayer mishaps.

Square Enix will host a PlayStation 5 open beta test for FOAMSTARS from September 29 at 6:00 p.m. PT / 9:00 p.m. ET to October 1 at 11:59 p.m. PT / October 2 at 2:59 a.m. ET, the company announced.

During the Sony State of Play, Square Enix announced its Splatoon-like multiplayer shooter Foamstars will host an open beta test at the end of this month, starting September 29.

Welcome to Bath Vegas – a sprawling metropolis of neon lights and retro Americana. It’s a party city fizzing with bubbly personalities and home to the world’s most spectacular foam party!

And yes, that is the same day as the Nintendo Direct.

Well, it looks like we’ve got an E3 in September on our hands. Earlier today, it was announced a big Nintendo Direct was coming tomorrow (September 14) and now Sony has followed suit, saying they’ll also be bringing us a State of Play show on the same day. Thankfully, the State of Play will happen in the afternoon rather than the morning, so the showcases won’t literally overlap, but sheesh – don’t Sony and Nintendo have each other’s numbers? Couldn’t they have picked different days?

A that seems to take inspiration from the Mario Party series has been announced for the Nintendo Switch.

WhatsApp is reportedly getting a new feature, but it is not what it wanted to build. In fact, WhatsApp was quite against it. Interoperability, or cross-platform interaction has been one of the major talking points for the European Union's new Digital Markets Act (DMA) which is pushing to quash ecosystem lock-in and anti-competitive behavior. Earlier this month, the EU confirmed that Meta's instant messaging platform falls under the category of ‘gatekeeper' and must comply with the obligations of the new guidelines. Soon after, a new report highlighted that WhatsApp has begun working on a cross-platform messaging feature called ‘third-party chats'. This will enable users to text anyone on any other messaging app directly.

Mortal Kombat is entering a new era. Following the events of Mortal Kombat 11’s campaign, the timeline has reset, summoning unique interpretations of classic characters, altered power dynamics, and dangerous new threats. To complement this universal reboot, NetherRealm Studios has brought new modes and systems to Mortal Kombat 1, like Kameo fighters that can support you in combat and a brand-new single-player offering in the form of Invasions mode.

Samba de Amigo: Party Central is a strange experience. While you’re shaking the Joy-Con to the beat, you’re staring at a monkey’s creepy smile playing his maracas. It’s unsettling, but overall, this game provides a thrilling rhythm-based challenge with a selection of decent songs. It’s just a shame that the game’s Latin-inspired routes take a backseat to a poppier soundtrack.