Hardcore Gamer News, Tips, Tricks, Ideas

Today, iRacing acquired the exclusive simulation-style console racing license for NASCAR, which was previously held by Motorsport Games Inc. The sale will see the license transfer officially from 704Games, a wholly owned subsidiary of Motorsport Games, to iRacing. Currently, iRacing offers the simulation racing experience on PC that exists based on a subscription plan where players also purchase cars with real money as they rank up. The console game, which is expected to launch in 2025, will most likely be a traditional release that is separate from how the program is run on PC. NASCAR Heat 5 and NASCAR Rivals will continue to be available and supported through 2024.

It isn’t discussed that often but one of the challenges Basim had to face during his adventures in Baghdad was the scorching desert sun. The white robes of the Hidden Ones reflected the damaging UV rays but his eyes remained unprotected as he crossed the hot desert and tried to shield his eyes during sandstorms. Staying inside all day safely planted into front of various screens, whether they are used for work or recreation, does help avoid the harmful effects of the sun introduces the new element of blue light emitted from screens. Gunnar has been a long time manufacturer of gaming glasses designed to filter out blue light and reduce eye fatigue from extended gaming sessions.

TAGLINE offers up something we haven’t really seen yet – a cel shaded first-person shooter that blends a few different genres together. It very much evokes Jet Set Radio visually with a cel shaded world and we’ve seen that recently with Bomb Rush Cyberfunk, but it isn’t an art style used much for shooters. XIII was about the only one 20 years ago and nothing has really followed that mold, and even then, it went for more of a comic book-style approach with its narration and used the cel shading as a way to make it look like an interactive cartoon/comic book.

IO Interactive may be hard at work on the newest James Bond game Project 007, but their upcoming 25th anniversary celebration will largely focus on the series that fans most associate the Danish developer with, Hitman.

Since it was first announced in the June Nintendo Direct, Silent Hope has stood out as a game concept. Featuring seven heroes going through underground dungeons in the with different fighting styles and skill sets. Victory enables everyone to back to the base camp and do things like alchemy, cooking, and use raw materials found in the abyss to upgrade equipment. The game also uses a job system for its cast that can be upgraded with proper skill improvements – a bit like Final Fantasy Tactics or other job-based FF games.

The world needs stuff but stuff is over there and civilization is over here, and that’s why we have logistics.  One of the most efficient bits of transportation infrastructure is the basic all-purpose train, which despite the business’ history both recent and since its inception is romanticized to no end.  There’s just something that feels right about these massive, powerful machines carting goods across the countryside, connecting suppliers of raw materials with hubs of industry and eventually the towns and cities that need the final product.  It takes actual effort not to love watching trains go about their routes and there have been uncountable dozens of games letting people get their hands on every aspect of the industry, from being a conductor, to running it as a business, and even playing with a wooden train set.  Station to Station is the latest train game and it’s a chilled take on the genre, letting you plop down stations and tracks to connect the buildings on an idyllic but washed-out landscape, bringing life and color to the world with every new connection.

The Shiren series has long been a niche one even among the Mystery Dungeon titles. It’s Spike Chunsoft’s own entirely original take on Mystery Dungeon that isn’t based on existing properties such as Dragon Quest or Pokemon and has long since been popular in Japan but not quite as sought after anywhere else. The last entry we saw localized was a remake in the form of Shiren the Wanderer: The Tower of Fortune and the Dice of Fates which was originally a DS title before it made its way to modern systems. The newest title, Shiren the Wanderer: The Mystery Dungeon of Serpentcoil Island was originally announced as coming to Japan with no word on a localization. Fortunately fans no longer need to worry as we’ve finally gotten our confirmed English release for the title to make a splash onto Nintendo Switch next year. The new art style is no longer sprite based and instead entirely 3D models rather akin to the recent Pokemon Mystery Dungeon remake we had a few years back. This charming new take on Shiren seems absolutely packed full of life and is promising to bring back the classic gameplay and challenge that so many knew and loved it for.

Back in the 90s tech was at a crossroads, best exemplified by the rivalry of Duke Nukem 3D and Quake.  On the one hand Quake was clearly technologically superior, with full 3D environments and polygonal monsters, but the problem with pushing tech as hard as it did was that the level of environmental interactivity ended up being almost nonexistent.  Duke Nukem 3D, on the other hand, used 3D sprites for its character models and a good amount of scenery but had a big fat bag of tricks to pull from, allowing buildings to collapse and billiard balls to ricochet on a pool table.  Both games had their fans and the bickering as to which was better was endless, but Duke’s intricate levels filled with environmental set-pieces left a lasting impression even if the main character’s charm rotted away over the intervening decades.  The Last Exterminator is a love-letter to Duke Nukem 3D’s style, and the first-level demo is a destructive sprint through a city block the blond buzzcut hero would have been happy to stomp through.

Counter-Strike: Global Offensive is one of the most popular games on Steam if not the most popular. If this game currently isn’t in your Steam library you should head over to the Steam store right now and download it. I’ll give you a few minutes to take care of that and you can resume reading this article after you’ve made your purchase. Welcome back. What’s this, you didn’t get Counter-Strike: Global Offensive? Oh, you say it’s because it’s not listed in the store anymore but there are a number of other Counter-Strike titles like Counter-Strike: Source and Counter-Strike: Condition Zero. My bad, I probably should mentioned that Counter-Strike: Global Offensive was taken out via tactical air strike a couple days ago and replaced with Counter-Strike 2. Apologies for the clickbait title and misleading opening paragraph.

Most mysteries are solved by deduction and investigation.  An inquisitive mind and an eye for detail combined with the ability to create ideas and throw them out when they don’t work generally lead to a correct solution, whether that be something as convoluted as a murder or mundane like finding a misplaced item.  Uncovering the mysteries of an unfamiliar land usually need the same skills, except in the case of Vexlands where what’s really going to work is cold hard cash.  The hexagonal tiles of the Vexlands are completely blank with the only information available being how much it costs to reveal what’s underneath, and whether that be a new dungeon, crafting recipe, or a plain old bush won’t be revealed until the money is spent.

The rise of Tetris over the past 35 years has left to many different interpretations of that formula over the decades. The ’90s saw a Game Boy Color remake of the Game Boy classic, while the PC market was flooded with a billion clones – but none really stood out. We’ve even seen some come out in more modern times, like Tetrominoes on the PS3 and Switch. We have seen a lot of homebrew GB and GBC games, but none that went for a Tetris vibe and with good reason – it’s a classic on both platforms and hard to find a way to improve upon, however, that’s been done here.

In the world of Diablo, it seems like the seasons never end. With three active titles in the franchise now receiving regular updates, it’s a paradise for fans of the series. Diablo 3 Season 29 recently kicked off on September 15, and the anticipation is building for Diablo 4 Season 2, scheduled for release on October 17. But that’s not all; the horizon also holds the promise of Diablo 2: Resurrected Season 5.

Today, EA Sports has revealed their top 50 player ratings for the upcoming NHL 24. The game will officially release on October 6 for PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X|S. While Cale Makar is not the highest rated player in the game, he does come in second with an overall rating of 95. He is tied with both Nathan MacKinnon and Daviss Pastrnak. The top player ratings also isn’t a 99, but rather a 97, with Connor McDavid of the Edmonton Oilers again taking the title for highest rated player in the game. The best players by position is also broken down on the official ratings website, which can be viewed here.

For those who haven’t started preparing for the spookiest time of the year already, October is quickly approaching to ensure that everyone can get their fair share of tricks and treats.

Today, EA Sports revealed its latest deep dive video for the upcoming EA SPORTS WRC. The game is slated as a current generation title with a release on PC that will launch on November 3. The official game of the FIA World Rally Championship will offer a way to create a modern rally racer while embracing the history of the sport. The Builder mode allows players to follow the same path as the legendary Colin McRae, who’s sponsored rally games are continued by the DiRT Rally series and into the new EA SPORTS WRC. Players can also expect a Rally School to begin their journey and learn the craft of the sport, and Regularity Rally, which is an alternate form of competition that will be present in several modes across the game.

Street Fighter 6 has officially received its next DLC fighter as A.K.I. is officially available today. This is for all platforms as the new character can also be located in World Tour by exploration and can equip the character’s moves in Battle Hub. The 20th Master is also available in the standard Fighting Ground mode, adding to Rashid to help create more versatility on the character roster. Players can unlock A.K.I. by owning or purchasing the Street Fighter 6 Deluxe Edition, Ultimate Edition, Year 1 Character/Ultimate Pass, or purchase individually for 350 Fighter Coins. This will include her Outfit 1 and Colors 1 & 2.

AEW: Fight Forever has had a few DLC packs already, including the legendary tag team of FTR and “Limitless” Keith Lee and it’s set to get a pair of very different wrestlers soon. Hook and Danhausen are set to make their video game debuts soon, with the Xbox, PlayStation, and PC incarnations of Fight Forever getting them on September 28 while Switch owners can download them on October 5. Each man has had their own unique journey to get to this point. With Hook as the son of AEW commentator, Team Taz leader, and ECW legend Taz and Danhausen as someone who gained a lot of traction through his indie work and then also appearing with Conan ‘O Brien – giving him a unique appeal with an audience that may not normally check out pro wrestling or a wrestling game otherwise.

Today, EA has officially announced Season 6 of EA SPORTS PGA TOUR with the Ryder Cup. Patch 7.0 is now available to all players in the game as upon launching it, players will choose between team USA or Europe. Players will witness the golfers representing either team Europe or USA and will also be greeted to the official Ryder Cup theme music. This also means the Marco Simone Golf & Country Club, host of the 2023 Ryder Cup, is now available. This adds two five total Ryder Cup locations in the game that includes Kiawah Island, Oak Hill, The Country Club and Whistling Straits.

Today, EA Sports and Codemasters have revealed the updated content for October coming to F1 23. This will also include the ability to race against EA SPORTS ambassadors Max Verstappen and Charles Leclerc across the upcoming Grand Prix’s in October. There is also a new Max Verstappen Pro Challenge video that can be watched below in celebration of his victory at the Japanese Grand Prix this past weekend. More chances to win exclusive in-game items is on the board, along with the long-waited addition of the F2 2023 season. Liveries will be updated to corresponding races, as well, to help coincide with the real world grand prix races. Max Verstappen currently holds first place in the championship by nearly double the points over second place, which is his teammate Sergio Perez. A list of the updates are below.

There’s a hoop on a pole at either end of the court and the one rule is to sink the sphere through yours better than the other crew can through theirs.  Technically there’s no limit on the number of ways you could do this, whether that be a bank-shot off the backboard or swishing it on through with an arcing shot, but robots care little for such imprecision.  The only sure method of getting a glowing energy orb through a hoop is by shoving it through with great force, preferably ending with hanging off the rim because a robot’s job isn’t just a utilitarian completion of function but also looking good while doing it.

There have been a lot of throwback RPGs on the market, but few really harken back to the GBA era where you would have hybrid genres with an RPG framework. Games like Sigma Star Saga featured a sci-fi RPG setting, but in that case, also gave you a side-scrolling shooter to enjoy alongside RPG-esque world exploration. LunarLux impressed with a Steam demo and shines even brighter with its full release. LunarLux is a beautiful pixel-art adventure that definitely evokes the GBA’s era of bright colors and pixel-based text – with large text making this a really easy game to play on the go with the Steam Deck or ROG Ally.

Warriors of Light should prepare themselves for new Final Fantasy XIV content arriving next week. In a live Letter from the Producer during the recent Tokyo Game Show, Director Naoki Yoshida has unveiled details for what to expect in Patch 6.5. A brand new trailer offers players a look at upcoming adventures that set the tone for the latest story content. Growing Light sets the stage for Dawntrail and will not only introduce new scenario quests, but also brings a plethora of new content to enjoy. Along with the new main scenario, a new dungeon awaits in the Lunar Subterrane.

The Legend of Legacy was a low-key fantastic turn-based RPG on the 3DS and one that came out in that sweet spot where the 3DS had a large install base – but before the Switch came out and kind of destroyed the market for 3DS games. With a slightly-deformed art style alongside a watercolor-esque, vibrant world, it would very much be a prototype of sorts for The Alliance Alive – which already got an HD remaster, and now feels like this pseudo-duology can be complete for modern hardware.

Next month sees the release of Sony’s next major first-party title and the highly anticipated sequel to Insomniac’s 2018 superhero game, Marvel’s Spider-Man 2.

Fans of the tough pink cream puff can rejoice as one of his games is coming to Nintendo Switch Online. Kirby & The Amazing Mirror is being added to the Game Boy Advance legacy collection on Nintendo Switch Online on September 29. Kirby & The Amazing Mirror will be joining four Japan only titles that made their US debut on Switch Online earlier this month which include Kirby’s Star Stacker, Quest For Camelot, Joy Mech Fight and Downtown Nekketsu March Super-Awesome Field Day! Because Kirby & The Amazing Mirror is a Game Boy Advance title accessing it requires both the Nintendo Switch Online and the Expansion Pack membership while the other titles only require Nintendo Switch Online membership. Below are descriptions of each of the five games provided by the press release.

Razer recently held its annual RazerCon which showcases new releases planned for the future. These releases generally range from the expected to the surprising, and this year was no different.

New information about Dragon Quest Monsters: The Dark Prince has just been revealed. Many of these details specifically deal with references to Dragon Quest IV: The Chapters of the Chosen in which protagonist Psaro made his debut. This upcoming adventure offers fans an alternate depiction of some of the events in Dragon Quest IV as Dragon Quest Monsters: The Dark Prince will explore some of the untold stories through the eyes of Psaro himself.

It’s been nearly three years since the PlayStation 5 hit the market and yet there hasn’t been any third-party controller offering that has had hall effect analog sticks.  We have seen them in a lot of Switch and PC-compatible controllers – most notably the KingKong 2 for PC, Swtich, and nearly any TV streaming device with gaming functionality, but not much on the PlayStation side of things. Razer has had its premium controller offering with the Wolverine V2 and Victrix has a modular controller with the BFG Pro. Now, Nacon is set to release the Revolution 5 Pro with Hall Effect thumbsticks, a more Xbox-style concave shape for them and an offset stick design.

Infinity Ward, Raven Software, and Activision today revealed what players can expect from Season 6 of Call of Duty: Modern Warfare II and Warzone, including the return of The Haunting event.

NISA announced today that a new adventure is starting next year in The Legend of Heroes: Trails Through Daybreak. Set in the aftermath of a brief war, Calvard is enjoying a prosperous time of economic growth. But game settings remain boring if the good times are uninterrupted, and this prosperous time feels threatened as the public grows wary over the large influx of immigrants as questionable political reform takes hold. Players will control  a spriggan by the name of Van Arkride. He is a professional that dwells underground, making ends meet by taking jobs legitimate sources can’t accept. Owing allegiance to no one, he will take on work from any client whether it be a in the role of detective, negotiator or bounty hunter.

Sim racing fans agree that the last DiRT Rally 2.0 really pushed the limit for simulation rally racing. EA SPORTS WRC had recently been announced and will be following in the lineage of that series. A focus on the official World Rally Championship experience with providing a co-driver and mechanics to work on the car. Rally racing generally releases one car at a time with timed stages and service breaks. The winner of the event, rather it be on gravel, tarmac, dirt or snow, is determined by the lowest time of the competitors at the event. EA SPORTS WRC will also be a current generation and PC release, only. It will also be only $49.99 at the time of release.

It’s been a few years since Funcom released Conan Exiles but that doesn’t mean Crom has forgotten about it. The Age of War – Chapter 2 update brings a bounty of changes and updates to the open world title. Many of these changes are centered around a player’s horde of loot and protecting said load from the invading Stygian Empire in a revamped purge system. We can’t expect Crom’s generosity to bestow improvements to the loot without introducing some new threats to maintaining one’s wealth now can we.

Xbox Game Pass generally excels when it comes to day one games from first-party studios, but third-party day one releases are much rarer. Today, it was announced that Like a Dragon Gaiden: The Man Who Erased His Name will be coming day one to Game Pass on Xbox and PC via the Microsoft Store. The Man Who Erased His Name features the Yakuza franchise’s stalwart Kazuma Kiryu returning under an assumed identity after faking his death at the end of Yakuza 6: The Song of Life.

Much like the video game adaptations of Friday the 13th and Predator: Hunting Grounds before it, Evil Dead: The Game attempted to latch onto the growing trend of asymmetrical multiplayer horror games, with one player controlling a powerful monster while the remaining players try to avoid it or take it down.

NVIDIA has announced that its latest DLSS version 3.5 will be launching on September 21. It had previously revealed that DLSS 3.5 will, in fact, be compatible with all RTX cards to help provide a boost to titles including the updated Cyberpunk 2077. This includes Ray Reconstruction to help provide an even more beautiful and realistic experience for titles that support it. New AI-powered techniques will make their way to tensor cores across the board for NVIDIA RTX cards with the highlight being Cyberpunk 2077 2.0 at release. Ray Reconstruction will replace hand-tuned denoisers, which resolve sampled rays with a NVIDIA supercomputer-trained artificial intelligence network that will generate higher-quality pixels between sampled rays.

NZXT is officially announcing their latest Kraken AIO coolers. The hardware options and cooling solutions with both the Kraken will remain the same. Both the Kraken and Kraken Elite AIO options are available in 240, 280 and 360mm radiator options. The changes are more in line with the displays on the pump of the devices. The cooling solutions and pricing will not go up (in fact, some are currently discounted), but users can expect some deeper customization options for the display on the devices as other manufacturers have jumped into the game of offering display options on their pumps.

The BIT.TRIP series was a WiiWare staple and one of the first franchises that went from the Wii to PC pretty seamlessly. In the case of Runner, it has been the most-enduring of the BIT.TRIP games – getting two follow-ups and now a remake. However, while the first game had an almost Atari 2600-esque art style alongside more color gradience than would be possible then for its backgrounds, it was a simple-looking game – but one that could run on pretty much anything. The sequels featured fully 3D character models and environments and that same art style is brought back now for the remake – offering a completely different visual experience.

The RIG line of headsets has been some of the best on the market and best I’ve used in many years. NACON acquired the company and has kept the quality high while offering up more value for the dollar overall. The brand-new 600 PRO headset is available with multi-platform compatibility The HS version works on the PS4, PS5, Nintendo Switch, PC, and mobile devices. The HX works on those same devices alongside the Xbox One and Xbox Series consoles. The HX headsets feature Dolby Atmos for Headphones and players can get more precise audio using the USB-C wireless adapter for an Xbox console or PC. A USB-A adapter is included for PS4 and Xbox One playback. These are a dual wireless connection headset – meaning you can use either Bluetooth or a 2.4 GHz wireless setup for them.

During Nintendo’s recent direct we got a brand new trailer for the upcoming remake of their classic SNES title Super Mario RPG. With that we learned that there would be one giant major inclusion in the way of boss refights- something that was not at all available in the original as the SNES classic had no postgame whatsoever. While any other details on post-game content remain unknown, Famitsu’s recent screenshot upload shared more details than fans could have ever expected. From this wide variety of screenshots we’ve actually learned of three brand new inclusions to the upcoming remake, all of which will be quite fantastic inclusions for new and returning fans alike! It’s already well documented that the title is getting a major face lift and that shows very clearly as well in these screenshots, but for the time being we’ll focus strictly on the new features available to players.

The official start of fall is just a few days away, and while many of the year’s biggest releases will launch during the upcoming season, last month had its fair share of big name titles that captivated audiences across a variety of genres.

Razer has brought out its third version of the Viper HyperSpeed Gaming Mouse as it continues to be trusted by eSports professionals across the board. With optimal support, grip and comfort, the Razer Viper V3 HyperSpeed Gaming Mouse offers the best technology in its class with an optimized claw. This lightweight wireless mouse is geared towards competition as it also maintains its grippy feel and low profile look. Some changes to the design have been implemented including a ring finger ledge to prevent pinching, flatter sidewalls for different grip styles and hand sizes, a pronounced finger groove for better grip, raised rear-shifted hump for comfort, and finally an updated side button design for improved accessibility.

For a good few decades the gold standard on how to tank a brand was New Coke.  In 1985 Coke decided to change its flavor, and that went over so well it became the textbook example of the a company being completely disconnected from what its userbase needed.  Then Elon Musk bought Twitter in 2022 and the fallout made the Coke decision seem like corporate management at its most thoughtful, but there’s still enough life left in the platform that this Tuesday’s Unity announcement practically caused it to explode.  When a company that’s as ubiquitous in gaming as Unity decides it wants to compete with 1985 Coke and 2022 Twitter in terms of spiking its brand, people are going to talk.

MAINGEAR, the custom PC building company, has introduced its MAINGEAR DROPS with specially designed custom builds that are available in limited qualities. The first two drops for “Series” and “Limited Edition” are based on the ultra-popular North tower case from Fractal Designs. With an emphasis on staying very cool (in more ways than one), the Noctua North Build offers the North case and the cooling solutions from Noctua. These builds are engineered by enthusiasts and will be individually numbered with curated designs that feature specialty components and the best performance. The MAINGEAR and Noctua crossover on this first build would certainly match some vintage furniture.

During today’s State of Play hosted by Sony to showcase upcoming titles for PlayStation, Capcom revealed two things. First off, a bit more was showcased for the upcoming Resident Evil 4 VR that will be slated to release this Winter. No official date was given to this, but the trailer showcased some key moments from the remake as it transitions over to virtual reality. This will be a free update on PlayStation 5 and supports the PlayStation VR2. After the trailer revealing the VR update for the game, Capcom officially announced an expansion for the remake that follows in the line of the original.

In an exciting development for gaming and automotive enthusiasts alike, PUBG MOBILE has just announced its second partnership with the legendary American muscle car brand, Dodge. This partnership promises to redefine the gaming experience by introducing three iconic Dodge models into the PUBG MOBILE universe, giving players worldwide the chance to get behind the wheel of some of the most powerful and exhilarating vehicles ever created. Read on to discover the thrilling details of this collaboration.

The legendary GBA Mario vs. Donkey Kong series was rooted in the puzzle-platforming of the original Donkey Kong games while adding a lot more puzzling to the mix. Logic puzzles were the name of the game there and the series began on the GBA and continued on to the DS and then 3DS as well. The original GBA classic hasn’t received a ton of love since tis original release, but used a simple idea of gathering a key alongside small Mario figurines as a way to bring more original Donkey Kong-style action to the world.

The original Contra on the NES is the stuff of legend – going far beyond what the arcade original did in terms of reaching a fanbase, it has become iconic. Anyone who grew up in that era at least played it or has heard of the Konami code that was just about the only way outside of a Game Genie to beat the game. After a successful re-release of the franchise’s greatest games in the form of the Contra Classic Collectiona cross PC and consoles, the original NES game will be getting its first-ever full-remake with a polygonal art style.

Sledgehammer Games and Activision today dropped the first looks at the returning fan-favorite maps launching with Call of Duty: Modern Warfare III.

Today, StatusPRO has officially announced the sequel to the virtual reality quarterback game NFL PRO ERA. Baltimore Ravens Quarterback Lamar Jackson will return as the cover athlete for NFL PRO ERA II. The game will release on September 21 officially on the Meta Quest Store, Official PlayStation Store and Steam platforms. The game allows players to compete as the quarterback of their favorite NFL team, as it is officially licensed by the NFL, so expect real teams and real players. StatusPRO was founded by Andrew “Hawk” Hawkins, who is a former NFL wide receiver, along with Troy Jones, a former athlete and finance executive.

Lost Ark has had a problem attracting new players for the last year or so. The problem has mainly been that the experience has been too vertical, meaning that it takes an incredible amount of effort to make it to the end game. Amazon Game Studios has been making a good effort in its catchup systems with pushing certain systems faster with more rewards and cheaper components, but this patch is without doubt the biggest attempt to attract new players.

NetherRealm Studios and Warner Bros. Games today dropped the launch trailer for Mortal Kombat 1, which included the reveal of the final base roster fighter alongside the first look at Shang Tsung.

It’s always kind of impressive how complexity can come from a handful of simple interactions.  A couple of sticks arranged just right can become a machine, or basic math plots intricate curves.  Throw in language to pack ideas down into a few letters and things can get out of hand pretty quickly, especially when programming takes effect across multiple robots performing their own routines in sync with each other.  No single piece of the operation is anything like complicated, breaking down to “go here” or “do this”, and when you build each part it doesn’t seem difficult until you step back for a moment to take stock and realize a small legion of bots is working autonomously to defrost an ice planet, all powered by the programming you dumped in their mechanical heads.

EA has officially announced its latest UFC game this week with UFC 5. The game will have three different cover athletes with Israel Adesanya, Alexander Volkanovski and Valentina Schevchenko will be on the various covers. UFC 5 will be available only on current generation consoles, PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X|S, on October 27. The latest release in the franchise will be the first to use the Frostbite Engine, so a slew of changes will be coming to the game. This includes the all-new Real Impact System and a high-speed 60 frames-per-second rendering and gameplay simulation. Legendary fighters including Fedor Emelianenko. Muhammad Ali, Mike Tyson, and more are available as a pre-order bonus for the Deluxe Edition.

While the upcoming Sonic Superstars is still a little over a month away, Sega has revealed new level music to give fans a taste of what’s to come. Sonic the Hedgehog has always been known to bring fresh sounds from a myriad of genres that give life to gameplay — funk, rock, dance, ambient and more have always found their way into Sonic titles. While long-time fans may not have always positively received every Sonic game that’s ever been released, it is generally agreed upon that the franchise’s music always delivers on sweet sounds.

2K has officially announced the soundtrack for the upcoming NBA 2K24, releasing on October 8 for PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S, Nintendo Switch and PC. This will be the the 25th anniversary of the series and 2K will also be celebrating the 50th anniversary of hip-hop, in general. Players can expect genre-defining songs from both the past and present along with what is coming in the future. 2K has partnered with several Grammy-award-winning artists that include the likes of Jay-Z, Travis Scott, J. Cole and more. A recording partnership with Def Jam will be featured for Season 1, as players can expect the playlist to be updated throughout the year.

September may have just started, but the holiday season is already fast approaching, with plenty of eager shoppers looking to find the next great gift for their game-adoring friends or family members.

The hit animated Paramount Pictures feature film, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem, has brought the beloved heroes-in-a-half-shell to a new generation. Considered one of the most popular kids’ franchise, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles is a monolith of pop culture and has spawned countless movies, shows, video games, comics and more across the last forty years. What started as a comic book series in 1984 has taken off to be a global name — with some of its media being the best in the business. To add to the mountain of TMNT goods, Outright Games has announced a brand new video game taking place in the Mutant Mayhem world.

NetherRealm Studios today revealed one of the final characters for Mortal Kombat 1, Nitara.

With the acquisition of Codemasters, there have been annual releases of the F1 series of games for three years. The last actual DiRT series game dated back at the launch of the current generation consoles, and nothing has been announced for this series until today. EA has officially announced EA SPORTS WRC, the official game of the FIA World Rally Championship. This will not be the arcade-like game that DiRT 5 was, but rather follow in the line of the DiRT Rally series, which was heavily simulation focused and one of the more rewarding sim-racing titles when used with a wheel setup.

Way down in the underground rests the small golem Otto, almost but not quite fully shut down with only the smallest hint of energy left in its core.  Whatever used to power it returns one day and with a shudder Otto comes back to life, albeit abandoned and alone in a deep, dark cavern.  It revived near giant old machinery that, like Otto, was cold and unused but still functional, if only someone was still around to use it.  With nothing better to do Otto sets out to discover what happened to its world, slowly transforming the empty caves into a bustling factory capable of supplying the crystal machine Apotheos with the needed components to expand the boundaries of its world towards some answers.

Thanks to 2022’s Steam Deck, the world of portable PC gaming has exploded. What was once a niche with a $1,200 barrier of entry became a mass market item thanks to a low price point and fairly high amount of power for the dollar. The Deck’s popularity was expected to be a hit when it had its early access launch and was, and that only grew with the full release that wasn’t time-limited and has grown even more with the release of refurbished units. Valve’s refurbished units enable you to get into PC gaming for under $350 and now even Gamestop’s getting into the hunt with their own refurbished units – although since they’re doing the refurbishment, it’s probably far safer to just get ones from Valve directly.

Mega Man fans have had a lot to enjoy over the past decade between official things like Mega Man 11 and various collections and Mega Man-likes with 30XX and Mighty Gunvolt Burst, but one game that got slept on was Mega Man X Dive. It was a free to play Mega Man X game with a lot of gacha mechanics, but also rock-solid core gameplay that allowed you to have a lot of “what if” scenarios due to its diverse roster of playable characters and many different stages from various Mega Man X games over the decades.

Devolver Digital just recently announced the release dates for two of their most anticipated games this year, Gunbrella and Wizard With a Gun, and considering the common link between the two games, the release window, and the release dates only being a month apart, it looks like the publisher is officially preparing to make this the Autumn of Ammunition. Or the Autumn of Unorthodox Guns, if you want to be a bit more accurate, but that doesn’t have the appeal of alliteration. But yes, Gunbrella is now primed for a September release, with Wizard With a Gun to follow in October.

A little under a month ago Larian Studios fully launched the highly anticipated Baldur’s Gate 3 that had been in Early Access since 2020. As with most modern titles, the game has seen its fair share of bugs and sub-optimal gameplay post-launch — with subsequent fixes to follow. The title is rich with content, indulgent in all the best ways and has received critical acclaim. Yet for a fair share of players, the game has also been incredibly unplayable in certain areas. From game breaking glitches to hardware issues, Baldur’s Gate 3 has unfortunately stumbled out of the gate.

Volition today revealed that their parent company, Embracer Group, is shutting down the Saints Row and Red Faction developer.

Today, 2K and Visual Concepts have announced the details of what to expect for MyCAREER and The City in NBA 2K24. These upgrades are designated for the PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X|S versions of the game. The City will offer new beachfront courts and a streetball side quest while MyCAREER continues to focus on your player becoming the G.O.A.T. Seasons will also make a return with new rewards that will be available every six weeks. The new story will make your player the most anticipated prospect in the last 20 years. Players will go after accomplishments including Rookie of the Year. A breakdown is listed below for the upcoming changes to the mode.

Capcom has officially announced the release date for its newest fighter for Street Fighter 6. A.K.I. was announced a while back as the 20th playable character in the game, and she will be available starting on September 27 across PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, Xbox Series X|S and PC. Much like Rashid, A.K.I. will be encountered across World Tour, Fighting Ground and Battle Hub. Capcom also announced the A.K.I. Arrives! Fighting Pass that will go live for a limited time at 12AM PST on September 1. This will include A.K.I.-themed items and cosmetics to deck the avatar out with.

Mario + Rabbids Sparks of Hope released last Fall to critical acclaim as our favorite Mushroom Kingdom heroes teamed up again with those rascally Rabbids on a journey to save the universe. Today, the Rayman in the Phantom Show releases as the last DLC for Sparks of Hope. This new addition introduces new mechanics, environments a new playable character: the beloved Rayman. Separate from the main game’s story line, this new story has players control Rayman, Rabbid Peach and Rabbid Mario as they discover the uncanny TV studio known as Space Opera Network. Fans may even be happy to see the Phantom again. Our old nemesis has given up his operatic ways and has now converted to studio directing — with a bit of a diva attitude too.

As part of a mostly standard blog post revealing the latest trio of free games that will be available for PlayStation Plus subscribers at any tier starting next week, Sony also shared some less exciting news in the form of a price increase for annual subscriptions to their online service.

Seeing as Gamescom is now over and fans still haven’t gotten any news about Hollow Knight: Silksong, it’s looking like metroidvania enthusiast still have a while to wait until they can get their hands on what many suspect will be the genre’s next top-tier release. That’s not necessarily the case though. Blasphemous 2 hit a few days ago to great effect, and now Fearie Afterlight is on its way to PC and Switch sometime next month.

After a two decade-long absence for an original adventure, Samba de Amigo is back and poised to have its greatest success ever as a franchise. The original Dreamcast game had a pack with maracas, while the Wii re-release feature Wii Remote playback. The Switch incarnation called Party Central features JoyCon controls coming as close as possible to the maraca controls of the DC game by allowing the player to move the JoyCon to match the screen command. However, one thing that really shocked me with this game was just how well everything works with a twin-stick control setup.

Sea of Stars has shined brightly in Steam Nextfest form thanks to a demo that showed off the core gameplay – and now the time has come for the full game’s release across every modern-day platform. It’s a JRPG-influenced game with action-centric turn-based combat and a lot of world exploration – something a bit unlike everything else on the market that goes for an homage to the past or evoking the 16-bit era without going much beyond that. Here, you get an art style that is basically a more evolved version of what would be featured in a PS1 RPG that used sprite art – or maybe more a Saturn game with the level of color and then a Dreamcast-level of detail in the pixel art.

NBA 2K24 is just around the corner as it launches on PlayStation 5, Xbox Series S|X, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch and PC on October 8. Today, 2K and Visual Concepts revealed the upgrades to this year’s officially licensed NBA game with a focus on foundational changes to the mode. This will include MTP earn rates, a new Player Market, Crossplay and more. Crossplay will be tied to the newer generation version, only, as the separation of the previous generation begins to grow larger. There have already been modes and aspects announced that will not be on the previous version of the game, and that includes both the Nintendo Switch and PC.

Infinity Strash: Dragon Quest The Adventure of Dai was announced last year and the launch date is growing ever closer. Dragon Quest: The Adventures of Dai debuted as a manga back in 1991 and has more recently been adapted into an anime. Players of the mobile game Dragon Quest Tact are likely familiar with Dai thanks to a couple crossover events that occurred over the last couple years. Infinity Strash: Dragon Quest The Adventures of Dai is an action RPG based on the manga and anime. In this upcoming game players will be able to reenact events from The Adventures of Dai. Those who have been curious about the different game modes and what this title will look like in action will have their curiosity at least partially satisfied by the action packed trailer before.

Ultra Pro Wrestling’s showcase has dropped and with it comes the first in-game footage and a metric-ton of roster announcements. We got to see intros that pay homage to Virtual Pro Wrestling 2’s full walkouts from the backstage area to the ring with “Blue Collar” Bill Dollar facing “Sir” Oliver Buckingham. The light and hard strikes and grapples were shown off and the strikes definitely have the same feel as No Mercy in terms of reactions and selling. The grapples seem a tad floaty, but this is pre-alpha footage and that can always be tightened up. The go-behind animation definitely needs some work and the snap German based on one of Dr. Death’s variants in the Aki engine looks pretty good overall.

With a game like Pokemon Sleep it’s hard to imagine how in the world an app would manage to do special events focused on, well, sleeping! Fortunately our very first event is here and the details on how it’ll all function seem as straight forward as ever. This was originally toted as a full moon event that would be available on this month’s full moon on August 31 and fortunately we know that this will be the case but will also run on both August 30 and September 1 as well. This event focuses on the full moon powering up our sleeping Snorlax companion even more than usual and will offer not only extra power for them but also additional sleep points and experience as well! There are some very important details to keep in mind as to how this event will be run, especially for those who have particular ways they play Pokemon Sleep.

Today, EA and Codemasters have announced a celebration to the restart of the Formula One season. After the summer break, the F1 calendar returns as F1 23 will offer new content for its F1 World. From August 29 to September 4, players can race against the lap time of back-to-back World Champion Max Verstappen at Circuit Zandvoort. Those who beat Verstappen’s lap time of 1:10:621 will earn his special Formula 1 Dutch Grand Prix 2023 helmet in-game that shows off the victory. After that time on September 5, players can then go head-to-head against Charles Leclerc to win a special Scuderia Ferrari item for the Formula One Pirelli Gran Premio D’Italia 2023.

During Gamescom, PDP unveiled some new products that are aimed for both Nintendo Switch and Xbox. These include designs from multiple IP partners including Sega of America, Hasbro and Nintendo. REALMz is a product line designed to support players’ favorite games. There are both controllers and a headset available for pre-order starting on Friday, August 25th. The crossover will blend the line between games and collection purpose. PDP backs this up with having previous partnerships to design and create Disney Infinity figures. REALMz Wired Controller for Nintendo Switch will retail for $39.99 and they launch this fall. There will also be a wireless version for Nintendo Switch to play with that will retail for $59.99. Finally, the wired headset for the Nintendo Switch will come in at $39.99. PDP is releasing one of the controllers for Xbox consoles. It will be wired and retail for $49.99.

Earlier this Summer, we all received a rather pleasant surprise at this year’s Xbox Games Showcase with the reveal of Jusant, a “meditative action-puzzle climbing game” looked like a rather unique game to highlight at the show. The demo available afterwards surprised us even further with how well the game was coming along so far, expertly marrying together exciting climbing action and effective visual storytelling, as our own Jordan Helm noted in their look at it. Now Gamescom attendees get to experience more hands-on time with Jusant at the event, and with the game’s showcase now comes news of an October release date, meaning we’ll get to see the entire tower climb in just a couple of months.

Just over two years since its original release back at the beginning of August 2021, developer Clover Bite have announced that their debut release GRIME is getting a sequel. The acclaimed Metroidvania returns in GRIME II which the studio boasts features both an enhanced visual style and improved mechanics in an entirely new world and setting separate to the original game.