Grand Theft Auto 5 is the most successful video game of all time, easily eclipsing 100 million copies sold to date. This phenomenal success is even above and beyond what Rockstar usually sees, and it& [...]
The official Acronym jacket for Kojima Productions’ Death Stranding comes with an insane price tag after the two companies’ collaboration. The recent buzz regarding Hideo Kojima’s most recent released [...]
Last week’s highly enticing leak regarding the sequel to Marvel’s Spider-Man was a hoax which has since been refuted by its source. Ever since Insomniac Games’ hit open-world superhero title arrived on the PlayStation 4 in 2018, fans have been anxiously awaiting new information on the expected follow-up.
Just last week, a Reddit user by the handle of throwawayquarantine8 posted a long and very intriguing string of details pertaining to the upcoming sequel to Marvel’s Spider-Man while claiming to have connections to Insomniac, hinting at such features as new weather effects and “dynamic missions” as well as teasing that the game will be released on the PlayStation 5 during next year’s holiday season. In addition, the leak also supported previous rumors regarding the new game’s story, such as the appearance of the symbiotic Black Suit and Miles Morales’ emergence as a new, secondary Spider-Man, both of which were teased at the conclusion of the first game.
Unfortunately, it turns out that none of the above is necessarily true, as fellow Redditor sgt_peppermint11 posted a confession from throwawayquarantine8 earlier today, in which the latter admits that the entire leak from last week was little more than a fabrication brought on by “quarantine-induced boredom.” However, throwawayquarantine8 goes on to apologize for any misinformation caused by the fake post, stating that as a “Spidey-Fan and an aspiring writer” they were merely trying to “garner a reaction” from the bogus tidbits and have faith in Insomniac to deliver something “a hundred times better” than what they suggested.
The previous Spider-Man game earned rave reviews and chart-topping sales following its release two years ago, with many praising its updated take on the mythos of Peter Parker and his supporting cast, as well as its fast-paced, fun gameplay that captured the fluidity of Spidey web-swinging across an open-world New York City like no other title before it. It quickly became the highest-selling superhero video game in the US, taking the spot previously held by Rocksteady Games’ highly acclaimed Batman: Arkham City.
Fans have grown excited by the prospect of continuing the adventure started by Insomniac in Marvel’s Spider-Man with a brand-new title, which in turn makes it all the more disappointing when an exciting rumor like the one posted by throwawayquarantine8 turns out to be false. A lot of the elements presented in the fake leak are still quite plausible given how the first game ended, but only time will what the sequel to Marvel’s Spider-Man will bring in terms of story or gameplay.
Source: Reddit
A new gameplay trailer for NieR Re[in]carnation will have a haunting, massive world. The video comes less than a month after the game’s reveal by Square Enix when the company announced it would be a mobile title for iOS and Android users. Moreover, the Final Fantasy publisher also suggested in March 2020 that the game would be free-to-play.
NieR Re[in]carnation is one of several titles set in the NieR universe, with NieR: Automata being one of the franchise’s more popular entries, receiving near-universal acclaim on the Xbox One, PC, and PlayStation 4. Like many other PC games, players could choose to add mods to NieR: Automata to augment their gameplay experience with fan-made material.
Square Enix’s released a new gameplay trailer on YouTube for NieR Re[in]carnation, revealing a haunting, massive world in the franchise’s first mobile entry. The gameplay video was released in celebration of the NieR series’ 10th anniversary. The trailer was revealed at the Famitsu Dengeki Game Awards 2019 alongside a video message from Yoko Taro – NieR Re[in]carnation’s director as well as the director and a scenario writer for Final Fantasy XIV. Yoko Taro’s message confirmed the game would have a “gacha” system – loot boxes and incentives for players to spend real-world money for virtual items.
In addition, if the trackpad in the bottom left corner of the video is any indication, it appears the game may be playable with “touch controls through a virtual controller.” Neither Square Enix nor Applibot – the game developer – have announced a release date for NieR Re[in}carnation. Furthermore, NieR Re[in]carnation is not the only game in the franchise in development, as a remaster of NieR Replicant is also in the works, and will be coming to PC, PlayStation 4, and Xbox One.
While the NieR franchise doesn’t have as much of a following as Square Enix’s Final Fantasy experiences, it does possess a sizeable, niche portion of the market, as coinciding with the game series is a manga set in the same universe. Anytime a video game series branches into other art forms (novels, comic books, cinema, etc.), it’s an indication that the studio behind its creation is doing something right enough to expand into different mediums. Whether those different mediums are successful or well-crafted is a matter of opinion, as movies based on video games are often hit or miss, and novelizations are seldom different in that regard.
NieR Re[in]carnation will be available on iOS and Android; no release date is currently available.
Source: YouTube
Ontario-based studio Bloom Digital Media has released their first game Later Daters, a dating sim set in a retirement home, and the first season is out now for PC and the Nintendo Switch. The game puts you in the role of a senior citizen who can date a diverse cast of other energetic older folks.
The past few years have seen an explosion in popularity of dating simulation games onto mainstream gaming culture. Often these games will have some sort of hook, such as the ability to date sentient pigeons, dads, monsters, or even Colonel Sanders. Later Daters seems to be taking a step back by focusing on a more grounded, but perhaps still unexpected, setting.
As discovered by Twinfinite, the game released on Steam, itch.io, and the Nintendo eShop on April 16th. Later Daters takes place in the Oceanview Living Domicile for the Elderly (cutely nicknamed Ye OLDE), where the player character has recently moved. Players will be able to determine their character’s appearance, gender, and romantic history, and even even choose between a cat, dog, or robot for a companion. Take a look at the trailer below:
Later Daters features a handful of romanceable senior citizens of a variety of backgrounds, and promises LGBTQ+ inclusive stories and options for polyamorous romance, so it’s clear to see that Bloom Digital Media has taken steps to create as inclusive an experience for as many people as possible. And it seems the stories they’re telling in Later Daters are neither chaste nor explosively horny, trying to paint their characters as complex human beings with a variety of needs and desires, which is really refreshing.
While the first three episodes of Later Daters are out now, its second season with three more episodes won’t be available until Fall of this year. What’s out now is on sale through the 23rd, so now’s a great time to pick it up if interested. Now more than ever, it’s exciting to see new indie games that can stand on their own but have some sort of social impact. So maybe Later Daters, which professes to be equal parts sexy and wholesome, is the perfect game to curl up with right now.
Source: Steam (via Twinfinite)
The world of video games has turned to criminal activity plenty of times. Rockstar’s Grand Theft Auto series includes the most profitable entertainment product of all time, while the off-the-wall action of Saints Row is looking to get another entry. Drug Dealer Simulator is another game to try and give players a taste of the bad life.
Drug Dealer Simulator doesn’t have as broad a scope as those AAA games that focus on criminality. Instead, it sees the player trying to grow a drug empire from humble beginnings. A drug runner in a desolate urban area, the player travels the graffiti-covered streets selling their wares and avoiding the attention of the police.
Although such a game has plenty of potential for excitement, Drug Dealer Simulator is slow to get going. The player starts off as a low level pusher, selling off 2g bags of weed and giving out samples to grow their business, before rising to larger deals as the game goes on. Unfortunately, Drug Dealer Simulator never really reaches beyond this starting point in terms of challenging the player or expanding its gameplay.
At its core Drug Dealer Simulator will be familiar to anyone who has previously played a survival game like Rust or ARK: Survival Evolved, albeit in a rudimentary manner. The player will need to order new supplies, feed money back into the cartel, and cut their own drugs in order to maximize their profits. Getting more cash and rising through the levels gives access to new drugs and crafting elements to build a drug empire.
Gaining levels also gives access to Drug Dealer Simulator‘s light RPG mechanics. Prompt deliveries and growth through the game then allows the player to improve their skills, be it running speed, stamina, or the likelihood of the police not finding illegal goods when the player is searched.
In spite of this emphasis on improvement, Drug Dealer Simulator is never as stimulating as its own narcotics. Although occasional challenges come up, such as having to get supplies through police checkpoints or more complexity to drug creation, its gameplay never really changes enough to keep the player entertained as things go on. Instead, the player just gets expanded options of what to deliver, either through money or through growing their map and tagging areas with spray paint.
Drug Dealer Simulator‘s setting doesn’t help, either. The game’s cityscape is a dour place to be, covered in tags that read such fitting lines as “hope has overdosed,” but without much to really say and without characters that are truly interesting. Over time, the player gets access to environment customization options as they earn more cash, but nothing truly showcases a player’s newfound wealth in a meaningful way, which makes progression arduous.
Aside from the crafting elements and making sure to deliver goods in ample time, the core challenge of Drug Dealer Simulator comes from police interference. Going out at night in particular puts the player at risk of being chased down, while overplaying their hand and attracting unwanted attention could lead to a DEA raid of the player’s premises. Generally the threat remains the same, though, with the best course of action being to remain clever and move quickly where possible.
All of this leaves Drug Dealer Simulator with a relatively basic core gameplay loop from which it never truly manages to escape. The player’s time is spent buying supplies, cutting drugs, selling them, and repeating. Although the quantities may grow and the player’s empire may expand, it never manages to break free from its early stages; those after an experience akin to Breaking Bad will be left wanting.
As such, Drug Dealer Simulator sits in an awkward place where it neither reaches the bizarre levels of GTA or Saints Row, even when it gives players boosts when using their own supply, nor provides something interesting within its subject matter. Although it’s not a bad game, Drug Dealer Simulator doesn’t have enough variety in its current state to keep players engaged beyond its novelty factor. It’s thankfully not the worst simulator game ever, and avoids the gimmicky trappings of some of its peers, but it’s unlikely to get much love at the moment.
Drug Dealer Simulator is available for PC. Screen Rant was provided with a Steam download code for the purposes of this review.
An iconic scene from Tommy Wiseau’s The Room has been re-created in Media Molecule’s Dreams and has somehow become even stranger. The Room, released in 2003 and written, directed, and starring mysterious and eccentric filmmaker Tommy Wiseau, is widely considered one of the worst movies ever made. The Room follows Johnny, a banker whose future wife Lisa cheats on him with his best friend, Mark. The film’s countless unresolved subplots, bizarre recurring themes, and laughable performances have led to a massive cult following with countless midnight theatre screenings and even a James Franco movie about its creation, The Disaster Artist. It’s still as fun to watch today, and tribute and references to the epitome of so-bad-it’s-good film still make the rounds in pop culture after seventeen years.
One such place to create tributes and re-makes of classic games, movies, and other works of art is the PlayStation exclusive Dreams, which launched out of Early Access this February. From LittleBigPlanet developer Media Molecule, Dreams provides players with a wide variety of creation tools that let users sculpt, paint, compose, record, program, and playtest whatever they want, as well as collaborate and share their creations with other players. Some creations are incredibly realistic, walking simulators, while others are fan projects for beloved shows. Some of the most impressive players have been hired by the developers, who went on to specify that players could even profit off their work made in the game.
In a short video tweeted by Wiseau, some users use the infinite possibilities of Dreams to make their own spin on an iconic scene from The Room. Johnny, upon hearing that Lisa is lying about domestic abuse, storms onto the roof, exclaiming, “It’s not true, it’s bullsh-t! I did not hit her! I did not!” After angrily throwing a water bottle, he spots his best friend Mark off-camera and calmly says, “Oh hi, Mark.” The apparent green-screen background, strange delivery from Wiseau, particularly on “I did not!” and complete reversal of tone when greeting Mark, makes the scene a memorable standout in a movie packed with oddity. Johnny’s lines are perfectly synced and animated within Dreams, although the video ends slightly differently than its source material.
Many Dreams players have uploaded short videos or playable experiences base don existing IPs and franchises. However, not all are viewed innocently, after Nintendo shut down many games based on its mascot Mario. Wiseau himself tweeting out the video–with no caption, so its creator remains unknown–signifies that he’s not that bothered by re-creations of his infamous movie within Dreams. This is true to form for the quirky director, who once created a mash-up between his work and the Marvel cinematic universe. It’s possible that Wiseau even made this himself. For one, the creator of this clip certainly knew a lot about The Room, as the ending references other scenes in the movie where Johnny, Mark, and their friends inexplicably throw a football around.
Dreams is a remarkable and ambitious project by Media Molecule, which encourages creativity and collaboration and has led to some breathtaking visuals, clever games, and catchy music for players to enjoy. Still, it’s good to know there will never be a shortage of creations that don’t take themselves too seriously, like this weird, silly homage to one of the strangest films ever made. Maybe one day, Tommy Wiseau will re-create the entirety of The Room in Dreams, but until then, this 10-second clip should satiate fans of the disasterpiece.
Source: Twitter
Red Dead Redemption 2 is well-known and beloved for the unforgettable gameplay moments its players organically find themselves in, and one big game hunter’s recent run-in with a legendary animal [...]
Unlike some people in gaming’s high places, God of War director Cory Barlog is one of the few industry voices that players just can’t get enough, and now he’s informing them that he’s never gotten a platinum trophy in a PlayStation game. That’s a relatively bold admission for a man who makes somewhat punishing video games for a living, but fans continue to love him – for now, that is.
For most players, meta-milestones like Xbox achievements and PlayStation trophies are simply a nice little indicator of progress as they play through a single-player or multiplayer game. However, for others, achievement and trophy-hunting is a lifestyle, and earning one’s first platinum trophy or clearing out a game’s entire trophy list is a rite of passage for glory-seeking PlayStation gamers. Developers may be at the helm of not only achievement and trophy requirements, but also the actual gameplay systems that contextualize them, yet many players are often surprised to learn that developers are often too busy creating games to play them extensively enough to earn shiny milestones of their own.
Responding to an official PlayStation tweet asking players what their first-ever platinum trophies were, Cory Barlog weighed in with a response that caught many off-guard. Despite being the acclaimed Sony Santa Monica Studio’s creative director, his deep, dark “Quarantine Truth” is that he’s “never Platinumed a game.” That statement is mildly deceptive as he later revealed to a fan dismayed that he hadn’t at least beaten God of War to completion, clarifying “I mean, I did all the stuff in my game to get a platinum, only it was before it released, so I did not get the trophy.“
I mean, I did all the stuff in my game to get a platinum, only it was before it released, so I did not get the trophy.
— Cobra Glory 🖖 (@corybarlog) April 19, 2020
It’s neither hard to assume nor damning for Barlog that his excuse for not having earned launch-enabled trophies for other PlayStation titles plainly rests in the fact that the man is likely far too busy developing Sony first-party exclusives and engaging in his usual online shenanigans like this. Fans have enjoyed picking his creative brain about God of War and past titles, and anything he isn’t asked, he gladly offers up on his own volition, having previously shared interesting tidbits like the origins of Kratos’s nickname for Atreus and the eyebrow-raising fact that Christianity is canonically real in the game’s universe.
With the next console generation right around the corner, it’s not too late for Barlog to earn his first-ever platinum trophy or rare achievement on the upcoming PlayStation 5 or Xbox Series X. Moreover, the franchise over which he presides predates trophies by quite awhile – and Kratos has successfully made the jump between new PlayStation consoles twice over by now – so hopefully Barlog doesn’t forget to bring a next-gen God of War along on his quest for platinum.
Source: Cory Barlog
The Monday Inbox is bemused by people that have already chosen which next gen console to get, as a reader is glad Edge magazine is still going.
To join in with the discussions yourself email [email protected]
Ragnarok and roll
Given the crazy days we’re living in I know longer have any idea when to expect anything from games companies and I somehow doubt they have a much better idea of what’s going on either I imagine this is compounded by them having to wait for Sony and Microsoft to announce first, and they’re probably not sure what to do either. (This doesn’t explain Nintendo at the moment, but whatever does?)
But to focus down on one specific game I really looking forward to learning about the new Assassin’s Creed which was originally supposed to come out this year and is widely rumoured to have a Viking setting. If the Vikings are true then I assume that isn’t going to change but I imagine there’s probably a good chance of it being delayed until next year.
Apart form anything Ubisoft are famous for having some of the biggest teams in the business and someone I doubt huge developer farms of up to a thousand people are a thing right now.
But all this kind of deflects away from the big question: are Vikings a good idea? For me it seems a very surprising one, given how similar a lot of it is likely to be to God Of War and how Vikings and their mythology are quite common in games anyway. It might have worked better if the gods were mentioned less and it was more grounded, except Assassin’s Creed Odyssey put in more of that kind of stuff than ever before.
Personally I would have preferred ending the Ancient World trilogy with Rome, after Egypt and Greece, and I’m going to be at least a little disappointed if that’s what the new game is, even though there’s no rumours of it. Rome seems super obvious in general even without the last two games and, unlike Vikings, is actually fairly uncommon in games. But what does everyone else think?
Tolly
Be the customer
Following the Reader’s Feature I was struck not by the actual subject matter, but more the decision to decision pre-order a console right now.
We know next to nothing about either console yet. I would want to wait to see what each one offers, the relative merits against my needs, before deciding which console to pre-order.
I hope that people make these game companies earn their money, and they don’t sink a £400-500 investment on a console because it’s got Xbox on it instead of PlayStation, or you have a good gamescore or Trophies.
Buy the best console. Drive competition in the gaming industry by making choices based on how good their next console is, not because you liked the last one. Keep these companies vying for your attention and money every step of the way. THAT is how you drive innovation and development in games and game consoles. Vote with your wallets and purses everybody!
Dan (grimwar85 – gamertag/PSN ID)
Wait and see
I really don’t understand the thinking behind Saturday’s Reader Features. First there is someone stating that they believe the PlayStation 5 will definitely be worth the launch price, despite not knowing what the price is or the games the console will launch with. Second a reader saying they are definitely pre-ordering an Xbox Series X, again without knowing anything of the price, games, etc.
Why take this stance? Why not wait and see what features and games these consoles will offer and then make your decision. In fact, as a wider point, why pre-order anything gaming related at all? If none of us did, publishers and console manufacturers would work harder to ensure they had better products.
Barry
E-mail your comments to: [email protected]
Switch is broken
Hi GC, cheers for keeping us entertained daily during this hard time for everyone, much appreciated.
This week I’ve been playing a fair bit of Baba Is You on Switch. A very good puzzle game, really works your brain. I’m only on the third world but already some levels just seem impossible and after almost an hour on them, I have to admit defeat and leave the world without clearing them.
Anyway, over the past few days, the Switch kept losing connection to the Joy-Cons during the game, even though they were connected to it in portable mode, and I’d have to press x to reconnect. At first it was intermittent, but eventually started happening almost every minute, to the point the game became unplayable.
And now today I’ve tried to recharge my Switch and it isn’t taking a charge at all, no signs of power to the battery, neither using the dock or connected to the charge cable directly.
Has anyone else had this problem? It’s probably just under two years old, I wonder how long the warranty is? Guess I’ll have to contact Nintendo UK and see what support they can offer.
Stephen
GC: Is it a launch console? Because that sounds similar to the issues that were happening in the first few months, but which are now quite rare.
Next generation
RE: next big remake. I reckon it’s got to be something from the PlayStation 2 generation as the classics from PS1 have been done now, so I reckon it will be the GTA games. They would benefit from a graphical overall into the new engine and from better gameplay, specifically around the shooting mechanics.
It would be something I’d love to see myself, I’d definitely love to play them all again in the GTA 5 engine or even an improved next gen engine. The soundtrack of the games is always really important and I suspect the original soundtrack could still be maintained, seeing as the games are available on digital stores at the moment with no issues.
Angry_Kurt (Twitter)
Now playing: Forza Horizon 4 (Xbox One X) and Lara Croft And The Temple of Orisis (PC)
Parallel generation
It’s been said the next gen will see a long period of cross gen support. Microsoft confirmed this was their policy by not having any first party Xbox Series X exclusives for the first two years. Now a Bloomberg report suggests Sony will have a limited number of PlayStation 5s to sell in the first year, which suggests the 100+ million PlayStation 4 will remain salient for sometime after the PlayStation 5’s launch. I get the feeling that the majority of third party games will release across both gens for probably two years. Also, cash cow games for services like GTA Online will want to remain cross gen for as long as possible.
Financially, it’s probably a wise move for everyone concerned. I’m a little disappointed that we won’t see many games that really take advantage of the new hardware for a while but can see the merit of folks being under no real need to upgrade. There’s the advantage that the latest released console can be high end when it’s part of a range of devices, like phones and now the PS4 Pro and Xbox One X leading to the very powerful next gen consoles.
Those that don’t care about better graphics, ray-tracing, 60 frames per second and load times have no need to upgrade anytime soon. I don’t care about phones and have owned three in my life, could not give a monkey’s about having an up-to-date to phone. Gaming though, I want the best and happy to pay for it. Everyone, or most, it seems win with long cross gen support.
I’m still very drawn to an Xbox Series X at launch. It should give me the performance upgrades I find frustrating on current consoles, of load times and frame rates plus a ray-tracing boon while offering a huge catalogue of games with backwards compatibility and value and variety with Game Pass.
Simundo
GC: Two years is normal for cross-gen support under ordinary circumstances. This could mean it goes on for twice that, or maybe even the whole next generation.
Still publishing
I’ve had some good news, Edge magazine emailed me a few days ago and they still intend to publish a magazine each month, but they are also going to give me a digital copy as well as the physical copy at no extra cost, which is very good of them and understandable in current times.
I get the digital copy early in case the physical copy is late getting here, as there is obviously a lot of letters and parcels in the Royal Mail network currently. I am a long-time subscriber since 2002.
Andrew J.
Catch up on every previous Games Inbox here
Secret birthday
I don’t know if we’re going to get a surprise Nintendo Direct or something on Monday but one Nintendo anniversary that seems about to pass without mention is Fire Emblem. The first game came out on the NES on 20 April, 1990 and well… that maths isn’t hard on this one. Although the first time any of the games were released in the West was on the Game Boy Advanced in 2003 in America (2004 in Europe).
There are 16 mainline games in the series now, of which the most recent, Three Houses, is by far the most successful. Which is not bad going for a franchise that’s this old. As you might gather, I’m a big fan of the series and am over the moon to see it finally getting its due and being acknowledged as a major franchise by Nintendo. Although I admit that Super Smash Bros. had as much to do with that as anything else (although they maybe went a bit overboard on that in the end, turn some non-fans against the series, which I don’t like to see).
Not sure what is in the future for the series but obviously it’s going to get a sequel now that Three Houses did so well. Although I have to admit I hope that Intelligent Systems take over full development of the next game and not leave so much up to Kowi Tecmo, who I blame for the less than impressive graphics. Not that you felt you could really complain before but now I feel Fire Emblem only deserves the best!
Focus
Inbox also-rans
Battlefield: Bad Company 2 is 10 years old! Hooray! To this day, still the best of the Battlefields. And still with a full house of players. Still playing on my humble PlayStation 3, which I call ‘Uncle ‘. Have a nice day!
Henry
Maybe it’s me, but Hojo from the Final Fantasy 7 remake reminded me of Riddler from Batman: Arkham Knight, look-wise and insanity wise. If they’re brothers then that’s a dangerous family!
Liam
This week’s Hot Topic
The question for this weekend’s Inbox was suggested by reader Iceman, who asks what game have you played the most so far this year?
Regardless of when it was first released, what game have you racked up the most hours on so far and why? Is it something to do with the coronavirus lockdown or would you have played it that much anyway?
Is it just because it’s a long game or perhaps because it’s an online title that encourages you to play regularly? Or maybe you just haven’t played that many games this year and it wins by default? How does the game fit with your usual tastes and has it influenced you to play any other related titles?
E-mail your comments to: [email protected]
The small print
New Inbox updates appear every weekday morning, with special Hot Topic Inboxes at the weekend. Readers’ letters are used on merit and may be edited for length.
You can also submit your own 500 to 600-word Reader’s Feature at any time, which if used will be shown in the next available weekend slot.
You can also leave your comments below and don’t forget to follow us on Twitter.
MORE: Weekend Hot Topic, part 1: What should be the next big video game remake?
MORE: Weekend Hot Topic, part 2: What should be the next big video game remake?
MORE: Games Inbox: PS5 UK price, GTA 6 in instalments, and Nintendo’s dual screen Switch plans
Follow Metro Gaming on Twitter and email us at [email protected]
For more stories like this, check our Gaming page.
