Destructoid News, Tips, Tricks, Ideas

Look, my chums, it’s Raya Systems! They’re the ones who brought us Packy & Marlon and Rex Ronan: Experimental Surgeon; everyone’s favorite health-related edutainment games.

Denis Villeneuve’s Dune: Part Two film wormed its way through theaters over the weekend, and if you’ve still got sand in the brain, there’s plenty more where that came from. Namely, Funcom shared a closer look at the upcoming Dune: Awakening survival game, which is in the works for PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, and PC.

Though Nvidia has had the upper hand in the AI resolution upscaling technologies for years now, AMD may be looking to upgrade its own AI roster in the coming year. According to one of the company’s executives, AMD is now ready to lean more heavily towards AI-based technologies.

Since making its PTB debut, The Unknown has delighted Dead by Daylight players with its grotesque appearance, horrific voice lines, and interesting mechanics. However, the Killer’s regular ole axe seemed weirdly ordinary for such a monster, and now some players believe that the axe is just the tip of the murderous iceberg.

There are so many different resources to farm in Warframe that it becomes a bit hard to remember where everything is. Once you get to a point in the game where you find a weapon or frame you want, you’ll also have to know where to get the components. One of the more elusive resources in the game is Tellurium, so we’ll help you find the best place to farm this rare crafting material in Warframe.

Denis Villeneuve’smovie adaptations of Frank Herbert’s seminal sci-fi novel, Dune, has become a cultural and commercial hit. That’s big for Team Hollywood, but I still have a hard time believing that Dune has done more for movies than it has for video games — so long as you ignore the kerfuffle over whether it influenced Star Wars.

When it launched last October, Alan Wake 2 was noted as a superb follow-up to its cult Xbox 360 predecessor. Visually, it was something to behold. However, being quite a graphically demanding game meant people with older hardware were left out—until now.

Steam Deck may have its work cut out for it soon, as pre-orders for the upcoming Claw device from MSI are being taken. We also have a release date, with one of the models launching on March 8 in the US, followed by the other two variants a week later.

Indie developer Big Blue Sky Games has announced its debut title, Merchants of Rosewall, a shopkeeper simulator that takes place in an immersive high-fantasy world. In MoR, players are tasked with managing their own customizable shop while uncovering the secrets of a majestic city in which the game takes place.

El Paso, Elsewhere developer Strange Scaffold has announced a five-game deal with publisher Frosty Pop. As part of the announcement, they’ve revealed a trailer for their next game, Life Eater, which is out on April 16, 2024.

In a surprising turn of events, it would seem the sequel to Spiders’ widely acclaimed ARPG, Greedfall, will release as a Steam Early Access title. As per the recent livestream from Spiders, Greedfall 2 will pivot into relying more heavily on community feedback for future updates.

Modern Warfare 3 and Warzone’s initial Season 2 set-up strayed away from Zombies, leaving everything to Reloaded. Finally, the time has finally come for a MWZ update, as this week’s drop includes additional Schematics and the latest Aether Rift.

Following the finale of the Teamfight Tactics Remix Rumble Championship yesterday, Riot Games unveiled the next set for the popular autobattler. Inkborn Chronicles introduces a fun new RNG-based gameplay mechanic called Encounters. At random points throughout a TFT match, players will encounter legendary mythological figures from Runeterra. These figures add some sort of spin to the match, providing bonuses or altering gameplay completely.

Xbox has announced its next Partner Preview stream showcasing games from third-party publishers. The broadcast begins on March 6 at 10 AM PT/ 1 PM EST/ 7 PM GMT.

With Season 2 Reloaded just around the corner for Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3, new cosmetics and other content are on the horizon. One significant collaboration coming to MW3 and Warzone is Warhammer 40K. You’re probably familiar with the ultra-popular franchise; it’s made its way from books and tabletop games to video games and more. Soon, WH40K will be appearing in Call of Duty.

It’s not unheard of for games to feature nods to other games and eagle eyed players of The Sims 4 have noticed a less-than-subtle reference to Final Fantasy XIV’s Shadowbringers expansion in the latest Sims 4 Stuff Pack, Crystal Creations. 

It’s clear by now that Helldivers 2 is way more than just a simple bug hunt co-op shooter. On top of its surprisingly deep gameplay mechanics and an ever-evolving campaign narrative, though, there’s a whole extra layer of community-based meta-progression, with Supply Lines being a particularly notable highlight.

Just a week after news broke that Nintendo was suing Tropic Haze, the developer of Switch emulator Yuzu, it appears the two have settled. As part of the settlement, Tropic Haze will pay Nintendo $2.4 million in damages and immediately cease operations of both Yuzu, the Switch emulator, and Citra, the 3DS emulator.

Benjamin Franklin once said that “nothing is certain except death and taxes.” Had he been alive today, he almost certainly would have said, “oh, and the other certainty is people will keep modding Doom until the end of time.” Quite the forward thinker. Anyway, here’s id Software’s iconic FPS running on a toothbrush.

Things are starting to slow down for the plucky out-of-nowhere sensation that is Palworld. But it’s still doing pretty well for itself, and if you are carrying on with it, you may be interested in this pretty nifty mod for the PC version.

Having turned 20 last year and being a dominant force in digital PC gaming, it’s hard to imagine Steam got off to a rocky start when it launched in 2003. However, here we are, and the Valve service continues to reign supreme, as it reaches another concurrent player milestone.

David Walters has announced on Twitter that his “new helicopter game from 1992,” Thunder Helix, is launching on Steam Early Access on March 21.

Following its promises of substantial updates and improvements coming to Starfield in 2024, Bethesda has overall been suspiciously quiet on this front. The promised updates are, indeed, dropping in, but there’s been absolutely no news about the announced Shattered Space DLC. Until now, that is.

Fans of the Halo universe can rejoice. While certain TV shows have been letting the side down a bit, it looks like the upcoming miniatures game is on the right path already.

Mounts are always a popular item in Final Fantasy XIV, whether they are rewarded for in-game content or purchased for real money in the Online Store. The latest addition to the store, the Crescent Moon Mount, is a particularly awaited one. 

Earlier this week in Scotland, dozens of families were disappointed by the Willy Wonka Experience Glasgow. While the bare-bones event left a lot to be desired, the actors put on the best show possible to try to show attendees a good time, and one has become a video game star.

Aloy is one of my favorite characters in all media. She’s a certified badass in the Horizon series, with crossover appearances in various other games. One of these crossovers is Genshin Impact, where Aloy is considered one of the worst playable characters in the roster. 

Since the game was released, the Helldivers 2 community has been flooding social media and the community Discord servers or Subreddit with dozens of memes. Now, one of the most iconic has finally been rendered using in-game assets. A Naked Gun clip that pokes fun at Sample hoarders.

Hideo Kojima is well known for making games with grand political statement hidden not so subtely within their dialogue and cinematics. As of today, players can also enjoy one of these long, drawn-out narrative stealth games within the comfortable confines of Minecraft textures and flavor text.

If you ask people, “What’s your go-to nuclear post-apocalyptic story?” Most will probably say Fallout; the action role-playing franchise that has been around for more than two decades and is now considered one of the most influential game series of all time.

Moon Studios, creators of the impeccable Ori and the Blind Forest, has finally held a showcase for its next game, No Rest for the Wicked. It details the world, combat, and what already feels like a gripping story drenched in darkness and brimming with depth.

The jury is still out on whether Dying Light 2 has successfully outpaced its humongous predecessor, the original Dying Light. The really curious bit is that Dying Light 2 has slowly been inching closer to the sort of experience the original game delivered back in 2015.

The March 2024 games list has engrossing RPGs, an intriguing take on a beloved gaming princess, and impressive suplexes. Variety is the spice of life, and there’s plenty to be had during this month.

It was recently revealed that Return to Silent Hill – a new movie based on Silent Hill 2 – has finished filming. Yeah, even though it has flown a bit under the radar, a new Silent Hill movie based on the events of Silent Hill 2 has been in the works for a while, and I’m cautiously optimistic about it.

The remaster of the original three Tomb Raider games was released not that long ago. For PC users, there was a choice between purchasing it on Steam or Epic Games Store. However, there seemed to be some notable differences between the two versions, which the developer has now acknowledged.

Do you remember Avatar: Frontiers of Pandora? The open-world ARPG by Ubisoft saw its last update in early December. Now, after more than two months of radio silence, Avatar’s got a new update that includes some surprising improvements. Some aren’t anything to write home about, but other bits from the latest patch notes are worth your attention.

Playstack, the publisher of popular roguelike deckbuilder Balatro confirmed on Twitter that the game has been temporarily removed from some digital storefronts due to a sudden rating change. Apparently, the UK rating board PEGI changed the rating from 3+ to 18+ overnight due to “prominent gambling imagery” which prompted the sudden delistings. The problem here is that there is literally no gambling in Balatro.

One of the Switch’s most notable early RPGs is temporarily unavailable on its storefront. Today, users noticed that the first Octopath Traveler is unavailable to buy on the Nintendo eShop.

CD Projekt Red just dropped the latest update for Cyberpunk 2077, and it makes a handful of visual updates to the game while also addressing some glitches that range from harmless to game-breaking. 

It’s that time of the patch cycle again, where HoYoverse announces all of the new content coming to Genshin Impact. In case you missed the livestream, here’s everything that was announced for Genshin Impact Version 4.5: Blades Weaving Betwixt Brocade!

Destiny 2‘s Guardian Games All-Stars is almost here, with the event returning alongside some changes and additions. The February 29 This Week in Destiny communication discussed what players could expect from this year’s event, with a few surprises for good measure. In addition to a stylish new hoverboard to get around, Guardian Games participants can try their luck at new challenges and rake in some unique rewards.

A new Terminator game has been in development for some time, and you’ll be able to play it later this year. Well, in Early Access at least, as Terminator: Survivor will be hitting Steam on October 24. Check out the “Aftermath” trailer below.

Every so often, a bug or glitch is accidentally included within a game that players use to their advantage. Palworld had one such exploit from day one, which allowed players to capture Tower Boss Duos and add them to their typically Pal-filled party.

Exactly nine months after the release of Diablo 4, the action RPG will be receiving its new Gaunlet and Leaderboards features. Both features were supposed to come out earlier in Season 3 but were delayed four times before receiving the new release date of March 5.

In a post on the official PlayStation Blog, the monthly PlayStation Plus games for March have been revealed. Headlining the additions is developer Slowcap’s stylish and gritty beat-em-up Sifu. For racing fans, EA Sports F1 23 is one of the other games being added in March. Hello Neighbor 2 and Destiny 2: Witch Queen are the other two titles joining the lineup. All four games are are being added for both PlayStation 4 and PlayStation 5.

Google has a long history of easter eggs, from HTML trickery to paying homage to Bletchley Park with a very apt decoding animation. I can say with certainty that I wasn’t expecting to see a stampede of Chocobos on my screen today, though.

Gearbox Entertainment was one of the companies Embracer purchased during its massive buying spree that was followed by widespread layoffs and studio closures. As reported by Kotaku, the Borderlands maker is poised to be sold out, and more information will be shared next month.

Despite mostly going under the radar before it came out, Helldivers 2 proved that it’s got what it takes to reach the top charts. With a concurrent player cap of 700,000 players, Helldivers 2 has now revealed that it’s got a veritable “Game Master” coordinating its war efforts.

February 29 is a rare day, a perfect date to celebrate with a session of the Final Fantasy-themed musical game Theatrhythm Final Bar Line. However, I’ve got sad news for anyone attempting to celebrate today with a little Theathrythm as the rhythm game just won’t load on this day, specifically.

Developer Sand Sailor Studio and publisher Thunderful Games revealed today that the upcoming Viking sandbox survival builder ASKA will be getting a Closed Beta test in April. The Closed Beta will run from April 15 through April 21, with sign-ups open now through April 5.

Naughty Dog is one of the big players when it comes to gaming studios. It has given us timeless titles from Jak and Daxter to The Last of Us. The President of Naughty Dog, Neil Druckmann, recently sat down for an interview with the rapper Logic to discuss their career trajectories and their plans for the future.

News Tower, from four-person developer Sparrow Night, tasks you with saving a sinking 1930s newspaper. The game’s early access release feels more like an extended demo, but it’s one that definitely has me intrigued about the future. 

Nintendo has filed a lawsuit against the creators of Yuzu, an open-source Switch emulator. As first reported by Game File’s Stephen Totilo, the full legal document is available online, and it features a plethora of accusations against Yuzu and its creators.

Hot skippidy Nimbus, it’s actually happening. Destiny 2 is getting hoverboards. Announced in one of Bungie’s This Week in Destiny communications, and alongside a snazzy-looking trailer, the new vehicle type will be a part of 2024’s Guardian Games event.

At the time of writing, the GTA 6 trailer is sitting pretty at 178 million views on YouTube. But that’s not what most people are interested in. What we want to know is exactly when it’s coming out. Well, the end may be in sight for the long-awaited Grand Theft Auto game.

On the company’s website, Toys for Bob, the developer behind Skylanders and Crash Bandicoot 4, has announced that it’s diverging from Activision Blizzard to become independent.

Bloomberg is reporting that Saber Interactive, the developers reportedly working on a remake of Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic, is being sold by Embracer Group to a private investment group.

Helldivers 2‘s ongoing galactic war campaign could be positively filled with unexpected twists and turns, from the looks of it. After the unexpected Automaton onslaught immediately after the Terminid clash, the community is theorizing that the omnicidal bots might not be going after Super Earth, but Cyberstan instead.

When will it end? According to GamesIndustry.biz, Electronic Arts announced today that it will be laying off approximately 5% of its workforce which equates to around 670 people. In a note sent out to EA staff, CEO Andrew Wilson indicated the move is part of the company “moving away from development of future licensed IP that we do not believe will be successful in our changing industry.”

Very, very few games have managed to nail the gist and feel of Half-Life so compellingly as ADACA has. The really interesting bit, though, is that this little-known low-poly first-person shooter – arguably Half-Life’s best copycat – has just received its Episode Three, believe it or not.

Though Helldivers 2 has been a hit, its launch has been anything but smooth. Various bugs, glitches, and server issues forced Arrowhead Games to temporarily cap the possible number of concurrent players.

Though rumors circulated prior, it has now been confirmed that F1 24 will launch on May 31, leaving you ample time to get ready for a high-octane experience.

Not sold on Final Fantasy VII Rebirth and/or on the dark magics that make instant noodles work yet? Then good luck with that going forward, as Nissin just released an ad where a Catboy Sephiroth uses his ever-sexy voice to bully Cloud into slurping down on some Donbei Udon noodles — and he complies.

NetEase has announced its latest AAA studio, BulletFarm, with Call of Duty veteran David Vonderhaar at the helm. BulletFarm is a brand new game development company working on “building a world-class team.” Though the studio is based in Los Angeles, California, it is remote-first.

3DRealms is known for its many, many retro first-person shooters, and though Wrath: Aeon of Ruin doesn’t necessarily stand out in this respect, it’s a marquee example of the niche regardless. It’s pretty exciting, then, that its 1.0 version has now launched from Early Access.

Today, nearly five years after Control first launched, Remedy has announced it’s fully acquired the rights to the franchise. The studio has acquired full rights from publisher 505 Games, for roughly €17M.

After some time in development and testing, the Dragon Ball FighterZ rollback netcode update is here to Spirit Bomb the lag away. Those hoping to play some online matches without the delay-based netcode can start doing so, for certain platforms.

In the early hours of this morning, a ransomware group claimed to have hacked into Epic Games, taking personal data, such as names, payment details, and passwords. However, the Fortnite and Unreal studio has since responded to concerns that anyone has gained access to files, saying it’s investigating but hasn’t found any evidence so far.

I wasn’t wrong when I said that the release of Nvidia’s RTX Remix toolkit would see retro games be given a bit of a spin shine. In this latest example, a modder has taken the original Unreal and injected it with some path tracing and other visual tweaks.

Last May, Red Barrels unleashed the nightmare that was The Outlast Trials to Early Access. The third installment (or fourth if you count Whistleblower as a separate entry) in the terrifyingly disturbing horror series leans more towards multiplayer, and version 1.0 is about to drop on y’all.

With the long awaited 1.6 update to Stardew Valley finally coming on March 19, fans have taken the opportunity to speculate about what’s to come, including what a little raccoon on the official image could mean. 

Developers Cradle Games and Raw Thrills as well as publisher GameMill Entertainment revealed today that the classic arcade game Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Arcade: Wrath of the Mutants is coming to PC and consoles on April 23, 2024. This expanded version of the arcade beat-em-up marks the first time Wrath of the Mutants is available outside of arcade format.

With Sunsoft working on their rather strange revival, it seemed like a foregone conclusion that they’d eventually get around to Hebereke. It was probably the company’s most prolific game series, after all, stretching across several games throughout the ‘90s.

Star Wars has always been big news, but now it’s just one of the many blobs that are trying to slather themselves over every inch of the media landscape and suck the time right out of us. A long time ago, it used to feel like it belonged to the fans.

As if the gaming industry wasn’t going through enough already, one of the studios behind the beloved Life Is Strange series, Deck Nine Games, issued today’s latest round of layoffs. The studio’s announcement was issued on the heels of others today, like PlayStation, and yesterday with developer Supermassive.

The Sims 4’s classic HUD layout has been updated with a new feature in the form of a cart icon. Rather than going through the hassle of closing your game to browse the shop, this mechanic allows you to get exclusive packs in-game during your usual Sims binge season.

Fans of found-footage frights will soon be able to dig into a new video game take on the Paranormal Activity film series. By “soon” we mean 2026, which is when the “all-new interactive game experience” from the devs behind The Mortuary Assistant is set to launch.

After 13 long years, Remedy’s Alan Wake finally received a sequel, and it has been a success, managing to sell a million units by December 2023.

Skilled-based matchmaking has been an ongoing topic of conversation in the Call of Duty community for a while.

The Pokémon Company aired its official 2024 Pokémon Presents presentation today, and it closed it out with some good news. Another Pokémon Legends is on the way, dubbed Pokémon Legends Z-A, and it’s currently scheduled for 2025.