Xbox may not have set the world on fire with its technological advances this generation compared to the PS5, but that doesn’t mean it’s down for the count. far from it. Microsoft is still one of the world’s biggest companies, so while they’re not investing as much in things like haptic feedback, they’re making up for it by purchasing some big IP’s or even entire companies, like Bethesda.

According to reports, their latest IP is the mysterious Project Dragon, being worked on by Hitman and Project 007 developers IO Interactive. What facts we know so far can be counted on one hand – or even one finger. The game is a fantasy-themed RPG. We have no other hard details, but IO Interactive’s careers website previously featured a job listing for a new AAA project worked on by a team called Dragon.

Of course, RPG’s are a common enough genre, and fantasy is a staple setting for it. Even one of the first Xbox Series X games announced, Fable, is a reboot of the beloved franchise, and Xbox’s purchase of Bethesda likely means that future Elder Scrolls games will be exclusives – time or otherwise.

What is worth noting is that rumours have been flying for months now that Sony is looking at purchasing Square Enix, developers of Final Fantasy. After all, both Final Fantasy VII Remake and the upcoming Final Fantasy XVI are exclusive to PlayStation consoles, Perhaps Microsoft want to do something big and bold to counter Sony? After all, apart from the aforementioned Fable, it looks like Sony are once again winning the war when it comes to upcoming exclusives. The right game is enough to drive players of another console mad with envy – could Project Dragon be one such game?

What do you think of the news? Let us know in the comments, on Twitter, or on Facebook.

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Konami has had a rough couple of years. Despite at one point being one of the largest video game developers on the planet, the company scaled back a couple of years ago to focus on where the money is – mobile gaming and, bizarrely, pachinko machines, which are only really a big thing in Japan. It looks like they’ve seen the error of their ways, though: they recently announced work on a reboot of GetsaFumaDen: Undying Moon, a 1987 Famicon exclusive. Was it the long-rumored Silent Hill reboot or the occasionally-rumored Metal Gear Solid remake? No, but it was something.

pic.twitter.com/luT4jU890q

— Konami (@Konami) April 30, 2021

Still, it’s worth not losing hope, as the company took to Twitter to confirm that they are working on a number of key projects. Unfortunately, there’s no word yet on what those key projects are. A Silent Hill reboot is far from out of the question, for just one example, and as for Metal Gear Solid? Well, Hideo Kojima may have left the company, and there might be some bad blood between them, but don’t count it out entirely. Perhaps they won’t capture his magic, but it’s worth noting that as much as the series is loved by fans, later games in the series did draw a certain amount of criticism for their unintelligible storylines. A reboot could give them the chance to go in a new direction, maintaining much (or as much as humanly possible) of the gameplay while also having a more newcomer-friendly storyline.

What we do know is that, sadly, we won’t get any news of the upcoming games at E3, which Konami is sitting out. Perhaps they’ll be holding their own conference in the coming months? If so, don’t count out the chance of some big-ticket items on the line-up.

Got any thoughts? Let us know in the comments, on Twitter, or on Facebook.

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Lost Soul Aside has flown under the radar since it was first announced in 2016, but we just got our first proper look at the game – and it looks like we’re getting something special.

The game, being developed by Chinese studio UltiZeroGames, puts players in the shoe of hero Kazer, who has a crystalline dragon companion that can transform into a variety of weapons – or even traversal tools like wings or a skateboard. The gameplay takes a lot of cues from later Final Fantasy titles or the Devil May Cry series, with a focus on fluid action and dodging.

The video shows Kazer and his dragon pal exploring some ancient ruins while being hunted by the military, and dealing with the monsters that live there even as the entire city crumbles around him. Despite coming from a small, independent studio, the game is making full use of the capabilities of the Unreal engine. The battles seem stylish and varied, whether you’re facing an opposing soldier, a crowd of enemies, or even a bipedal, sword-wielding dragon.

On a story level, there isn’t much that we know so far. It’s a safe bet that Kazer is being hunted because of his dragon friend, which seems to be consciousness in material form, which explains its shapeshifting powers. What isn’t explained is Kazer’s ability to dart around the map – an ability granted by the dragon, or some ingrained ability? Either way, it seems to be a force to be reckoned with, helping him destroy enemy after enemy.

There’s no word yet on a release date yet, but given how good the video looks, perhaps we’re looking at a sooner release than a later one. The game’s being shown off at this week’s PlayStation China showcase though, so hopefully we’ll get some more information there – including, perhaps, some information on the storyline.

What do you think of Lost Soul Aside? Let us know in the comments, on Twitter, or on Facebook.

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The Last of Us: Part II dropped last year, and it’s fair to say that reactions were mixed. While the game drew rave reviews from critics and swept just about every industry award show, fan reaction was more divided due to the focus on LGBT characters and the death of the first game’s hero, Joel, early in the game.

Still, the team wanted to tell a story, and they succeeded. Does that mean the story had a definitive ending? Hell no; Abby and Lev were last seen headed for a Firefly outpost in California whereas Ellie was last seen wandering into the woods, with fans debating whether she’d reunited with her girlfriend, Dana, to this day. (She totally did.)

Fans who loved the second game have been begging for a sequel to give some closure to these characters, however we feel about them, and it looks like we’re in luck as Neil Druckerman has announced that a story outline for the third game has already been written, but with a catch: the team aren’t planning on making it quite yet.

Druckerman also confirmed that there has been “quite a bit” of discussion about a third game in the series, but stresses that it isn’t in development at the moment.

“We’ve now had two games that I feel speak to something universal as well as telling a very personal story for these characters,” said Druckmann. “With one game, there’s no pattern of what a franchise is. With two games, now there’s starting to be a pattern – now I feel like there are some structural and thematic themes you would have to stick to if you were making a third game.”

“After we finish one of our big titles, we take a long time to explore different ideas, whether it’s going to be Last of Us 3, whether it’s something new, whether there’s some old franchise we want to go back to.”

“I like to fully explore all of those, and then look at, okay, we have all of these ideas in front of us. As a studio, what do we want to commit to? Because it’s a huge commitment – monetary, time, passion, talent, so you think about all the opportunity costs that come with that.”

Will you dive back into the world of The Last of Us? Let us know in the comments, on Twitter, or on Facebook.

The post The Last of Us: Part III Has a Story, But It’s Not Being Made (Yet) appeared first on COGconnected.

PlayStation Plus has started offering some big titles lately – and not just big as in “An AAA game from two years ago,” but big as in “A recent release”.

Those of you who reached out to me about Battlefield V and Stranded Deep seem spot on. My normal source just reached out. Those 2 are the PS4 games. Still no clarity on the PS5 games pic.twitter.com/lQifJydPsG

— Shpeshal Ed (@Shpeshal_Ed) April 27, 2021

Of course, this makes a lot of sense. Sony want to promote their slate of PS5 games, and what better way than to offer some of their launch titles for free? As such we’ve seen games like Manhunter, Bugsnax, and Oddworld: Soulstorm, all of which take advantage of PS5 features like haptic feedback and adaptive triggers, and it looks like they might be continuing the trend with another launch title, Godfall.

Godfall is an Action RPG set in a high fantasy world where you take role of one of the last members of an exalted knight’s order working to prevent the apocalypse. The game received mixed reviews, but hey – if you were curious about it, this could be the perfect opportunity to check it out.

Also rumored to be a part of next month’s line up is Disco Elysium, a detective RPG that eschews traditional combat in favour of dialogue and skill checks.

It’s worth noting that while the leaker, Shpeshal Ed, does have a track record for accuracy, he specifies that this information doesn’t come from his usual sources, and he does remind us to take a big pinch of salt with the news.

The rumored PS4 games this month are Battlefield V and Stranded Deep, a survival game that tasks players with making a life for themselves after a plane crash in the Pacific Islands.

Of course, nothing is confirmed, and it’s worth noting that while Godfall and Disco Elysium are both options, it’s unlikely that we’ll get both, so maybe try to tamper your expectations.

Do you think there’s any truth to the rumors? Let us know in the comments, on Twitter, or on Facebook.

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You might not have heard of Xuan Yuan Sword, but the franchise is a big deal in Taiwan and China, right down to getting a TV adaptation. The franchise loosely follows the titular sword, first used by the Yellow Emperor to defend China against the warlord Chi You, and then passed down through the generations, where it’s used to defend the world against evil – and sought for its power by those that would do the world harm.

The seventh entry in the series follows Taishi Zhao, at the beginning of a Xin Dynasty, as he’s thrust into an adventure surrounding the mysterious reappearance of a prophetic scroll.

The game has already been out on Steam for a while, where it’s received mixed reviews, largely due to the relatively short length – at around 20-25 hours, the game falls low by the standards of the genre. Some of the graphics also seem to be a little rough around the edges – at around the 45 second mark, pay attention to the mouth of the character speaking. However, the game does have some interesting gameplay and environments to display, as well as a peek at some puzzles. Sure, maybe the game is a little rough around the edges, but let’s face it – when you think JRPG your mind immediately leaps to Final Fantasy, which has routinely been at the forefront of graphics as far as RPG’s go. Developers SOFTSTAR and DOMO Studio don’t necessarily have the budget or name recognition to create something on the same scale as Square Enix, but hey – we all have to start somewhere, and a few graphical hiccups don’t mean that the rest of the trailer looks pretty damn impressive.

Have you played Yuan-Xuan Sword 7 yet? Let us know in the comments, on Twitter, or on Facebook.

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Ratchet and Clank: Rift Apart was always going to be huge. The franchise’s PS5 debut will have Insomniac wanting to push the console’s power to the limit, and what we’ve seen looks gorgeous. the Series’ trademark planet exploration has taken a major step up with the new ability to explore dimensions, and the console’s fast loading times mean that you get to see all the dimensional shifting in ultra fast, 4K Glory.

You asked for it: the new #RatchetPS5 Gameplay Trailer has arrived and some reveals are rather Riveting! Rift Apart launches June 11 only on PlayStation 5.https://t.co/EB4HWiOCo5 pic.twitter.com/VBY8yvsdko

— Insomniac Games (@insomniacgames) April 26, 2021

There’s a couple of mysteries about the game, but the new trailer serves to clear up at least some of them, as well as teasing the game’s basic plot. Recurring villain, Doctor Nefarious, transports our heroes to another dimension – one where he always wins. Separated (Or ripped apart, to use the punny title), the two heroes must work to reunite and take down Emperor Nefarious, as he’s known in this dimension, before he destroys all organic life across the multiverse.

Thankfully, they have a powerful new ally to help them in their quest – Rivet, a female lombax who appears to be this new dimension’s equivalent of Ratchet. We already knew from previous trailers that Rivet will team up with Clank but the new trailer showcases off her extensive gameplay sections, showing some of the most intricate platforming the series has seen so far.

We don’t know at this point how much of the game will have  Rivet as a controllable character, or how her levels will differ from Ratchet’s, but it does raise an interesting question – if Rivet is another dimension’s version of Ratchet, has she been separated from her dimension’s version of Clank? Could some (or even most of) the previously shown footage of Ratchet and Clank exploring the multiverse together be a The Last of Us: Part 2 style fake out? Let us know in the comments, on Twitter, or on Facebook.

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For a long time, you could be forgiven for thinking Biomutant would never come out. Now we’re just over a month away from the release date, and while the game has flown under the radar compared to some of next month’s sexier releases – like Resident Evil: Village or Mass Effect: Legendary Edition, there’s still a lot to be excited for from THQ Nordic’s game, not least the gorgeous world showcased in the new trailer.

The trailer is low on action, but heavy on exploration. We see the customizable protagonist exploring a variety of gorgeously rendered vistas, from ruined towns to lush green valleys to the snowy tundra. We also get to see some of the hero’s gadgets on display, from the helipack to the speedboat to the mechs, including one shaped like a hand.

Sadly, we don’t get too much of a look at the heroes biological (or biomechanical) upgrades, but we do get to see them using their wings, which are just one of the ways you can customize the character. We also don’t get much of a look at the story. What we do know, so far, is that the game is set in a world that’s struck by a natural disaster, with mysterious oil coming from beneath the ground to destroy the tree of life. Your goal is to either heal the tree or destroy it, allying (or eliminating) the tribes who themselves either want to save the world, or destroy it. The game features a branching narrative, and if the trailer is anything to go by, this is a world that I, personally, want to save.

Biomutant drops on May 25th. What would your dream mutations be? Let us know in the comments, on Twitter, or on Facebook.

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Here’s the thing about online gaming. As much as it’s great to be able to play alongside your friends, or even make new friends, you’re not going to be friends with everyone you meet. In fact, there’s a good chance you’re going to dislike a big chunk of people you pass by. Trust me, I’ve worked a lot of retail jobs.

Unlike a brief interaction with a woman insisting that she doesn’t need to wear a mask or screeching because you won’t give her a discount, playing a game forces you to communicate, and even cooperate, and that causes a big problem: there’s some people I don’t want to cooperate with, and I can tell almost immediately by what they say.

Let’s flash back to 2018, and the brief period where Friday the 13th was superior to Dead by Daylight. One of the “gimmicks” of Friday the 13th is the ability to find radios, letting you communicate with anyone on the map who’d also found a radio. While this is definitely great in its own way, I’d already built a team of people who I had a lot of fun playing with. What I didn’t want is to have to listen to a 13-year-old yelling homophobic and ethnic slurs because they’re just so edgy.

Did the guy know I was gay? Probably not. I don’t know if he knew he was offending me by calling me F****t, but the point of the matter is it’s the 21st century, how the hell does anyone think it’s acceptable to just yell out some of the most loaded, derogatory, and discriminatory language in a public forum?

And yet, whenever an online game opens up a chat filter, people lose their minds. It’s their right to assert themselves, their right to use whatever goddamned language they want, no matter who hears it.

It didn’t matter that at the time I was in my early late twenties. I used to think that the word F****t was just a word, until I heard it as an insult. While there’s definitely some people who I don’t care if they say it towards me, those are generally people who wouldn’t want to – not some snot-nosed punk who just thinks he’s edgy.

And what about people who aren’t as secure in their sexuality? What about a girl who just wants to unwind only to be told by some “hilarious” boy that she should make him a sandwich? What about a POC who just plain doesn’t want to have ethnic slurs hurled against them?

Of course, there are times when a chat filter gets a bit overzealous (The so-called “Scunthorpe Problem“, where a word is censored based on other words found within it) but you know what? I’d rather not be able to say “Lightwater” than have to hear people yelling ******, ******, or ****.

Here’s the thing; if you’re not part of a marginalized group, you won’t understand. To you, it’s just another insult, but to someone who faces persecution, it’s just a reminder that to a lot of people, you’re just worth less. It doesn’t matter if the person saying the word genuinely believes that or they just think it’s funny, because it’s a word that people like me have heard way too often.

That’s not to say there isn’t a place for speech like that. If I’m watching a movie where a villain is a homophobe, I’d be willing to forgive it if they drop the F-bomb. It’s just that if I’m just trying to relax, it’s the last thing I want.

The people arguing about chat censorship too often use the same defense: it’s just a word, why does it offend us so much? Why shouldn’t they get to say it? My response is this: why do you love saying it so much?

Let us know what you think in the comments, on Twitter, or on Facebook.

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All along, I’ve been team “Resident Evil Will Never Go Supernatural”. It wasn’t a move that I could see Capcom making, and even the early versions of Resident Evil 4 which got retooled into Devil May Cry or just plain turned down because of the quasi-supernatural elements, like the possessed dolls or fog monsters, seemed too far from the series roots for me.

My reasoning is this: Resident Evil has always thrived on sci-fi. It doesn’t matter that, say, The X-Files can shift from featuring ghosts to aliens within the space of a few episodes – after all, in real life, there are people who believe in both supernatural and extraterrestrial phenomena. It just didn’t feel right. Resident Evil has always focused on viruses, parasites, or fungi as opposed to ghosts, demons, and eldritch abominations.

Still, new footage from Resident Evil: Village has surfaced, and among the new enemies and characters featured is what appears to be a living doll, which terrifies me to my core.

And it got me thinking: why was I so scared? If I can accept it in The X-Files, why can’t I accept it in Resident Evil?

Here’s the thing: Resident Evil has gotten somewhat predictable, insofar as it’s always a disease. No matter the direction the game takes, you know it’s only a matter of time before they explain away the events of the entire game as the result of some disease that invariably involves zombifying or otherwise mutating their victims in some sense or another – whether that’s by infecting them with the so-called “Cannibal Disease” or by transforming them into hulking abominations.

So before the game has released, we already have good reason to believe that Lady Dimitrescu’s giant size and extendable fingers mean that she’s another Tyrant style BOW, or that the lycans are infected by some disease. Even Dimitrescu’s daughters’ ability to transform into swarms of insects is hardly new to the series, as Resident Evil 6 featured the Gnezbo – a sentient swarm of insects.

But what if the games took a different direction? After all, we’re getting arguably the most gothic environment seen in the series yet, with monsters derived from folklore like vampires, witches, and werewolves – unlike the relatively recent addition of zombies into the horror lexicon.

What if, this time around, it was supernatural?

It would definitely be the biggest twist in a series that has, arguably, gotten relatively stale, and it’s not like it wouldn’t be fitting. Resident Evil 7 introduced a first-person perspective and the most vulnerable protagonist the series has seen thus far, and the trailers involved Daughter – a character who was deleted from the final product but was referred to as Ghost Girl by fans – some of who thought that the game would be taking a supernatural turn with the franchise’s new direction, but what if they were just easing us in?

After all, Resident Evil Village seemingly revolves around a cult, and borrows a lot from Resident Evil 4, often considered the greatest in the series – so while they could just be trying to repeat past success, why not take the opportunity to do what nobody could have anticipated? After all, if the doll is anything to go by, they seem to be drawing at least some inspiration from earlier versions of Resident Evil 4, where more supernatural horrors were considered.

A turn towards the supernatural would give Capcom the chance to refocus the franchise and remind longtime fans and critics alike that they still have what it takes to surprise us, and open the franchise up to new possibilities. Future games wouldn’t be contained to the realms of sci-fi, and fans wouldn’t spend every game trying to figure out the inner workings of whatever BOW they have in store. The series would finally be unpredictable for the first time since we faced our first Ganado, so maybe I was wrong. Maybe a supernatural twist is exactly the right direction Resident Evil should take.

Let us know what you think in the comments, on Twitter, or on Facebook.

The post Why Resident Evil Going Supernatural Might Not Be A Bad Thing appeared first on COGconnected.

Resident Evil: Village drops in less than three weeks, and anticipation for the new game is sky high. Still, that doesn’t mean we don’t have more teases. Not only do we have the second half of the demo to come (or the whole thing, if you don’t use a PS5) but we just got fourteen minutes of new gameplay to mull over, and it looks like we could be in for the scariest ride yet.

First off, the video all but confirms reports that Alcina Dimitrescu will stalk you throughout Castle Dimitrescu, alongside her three daughters, but it looks like Capcom have saved some of their more terrifying creations for the end zone, particularly what I’m going to say with no hesitation is the scariest doll since Chucky. Seen at a gathering held by the big bad Mother Miranda, she appears to be owned by the unidentified head of another house. We also get a glimpse of a troll-like figure who could well lead or represent another. Given that the tall lady and hammer weilding telekinetic have already been named as Lady Dimitrescu and Heisenberg, it’s a good bet that these two characters represent House Beneviento and House Moreau.

We get an extended look at combat, including Ethan taking on lycans, gargoyles, and footage from a cut scene where he’s accosted by a giant lycan wielding a hammer. Also worth noting is that being faster and more agile than Ethan seemingly isn’t enough, as the Lycans can ride horses.

The loot system is returning, and Village is taking another cue from the 4-6 era as Ethan can barricade himself into buildings, at least until the door is broken down. This gives him ample time to set a trap, as seen in the video.

Finally, let’s talk about the graphics; the demo may show off a good deal of what the RE Engine is capable of but the video itself showcases just how beautiful a trip we’re in for, so even if this turns out to be the scariest game in the series yet, at least it’ll look good while it terrifies us.

Let us know what you think in the comments, on Twitter, or on Facebook.

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Song of Horror is a game that’s been around for a while, but has flown under the radar. First dropping on Steam all the way back in 2019, the game drew great reviews as a throwback to to classic survival horror, all the way down to the fixed camera angles.

The game revolves around a revolving series of characters who’re hunting down a missing author who may have come into contact with the eponymous song, which drives anyone who hears it into madness and fits of violence. Unfortunately, the horror quickly proves to be all to real, as the characters hear the song for themselves, and are hunted by a mysterious presence. To survive, they’ll need to unravel the mystery and uncover the origins of the song.

The game utilizes an advanced AI which adapts to your decisions and playstyle and features thirteen playable characters drawn into the mystery. Unfortunately, this is a horror game, and death is just around the corner; the game comes with a permadeath option where, if one character dies, the player can pick up from where they left off with another character. Each character has their own perspectives, skills, and stats, allowing them to approach each clue and puzzle differently. Sadly, there’s a chance that dying to the mysterious presence will result in a character coming back as a hostile ghost, adding another level of horror to proceedings.

The game was originally released episodically, but the console versions will be dropping all at once, with each chapter placing the characters into a different environment – and drawing inspiration from a different horror game.

The game drops on May 28th for PS4 and Xbox One. What’s the soundtrack to your horror movie? Let us know in the comments, on Twitter, or on Facebook.

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E3 2021 is going to be another virtual event, and while Sony are bowing out for the third year running that doesn’t mean that the same holds true for studios working on Sony games. Square Enix may have three highly anticipated PlayStation exclusives on the way – Forspoken, Final Fantasy XVI, and Final Fantasy VII Remake: Part 2 – but they just announced that they will be taking part in the event.

For those of you who don’t keep up with developers, Square Enix is perhaps the world’s most popular RPG designer, responsible for hit franchises like Final Fantasy and Kingdom Hearts, although they’ve begun to branch out more in recent years with series’ like Life is Strange and Tomb Raider. Their presence likely means good news for people waiting on Final Fantasy XVI news, in particular – Square Enix are going for a quality over quantity approach with its marketing, which is why news has been so relatively thin on the ground. Final Fantasy VII Remake: Part 2 is also going to be a big draw – it’s not a big stretch to say that the original game is among the most beloved in the series, and now that we know how much the story is being changed in the remake, fans will be chomping at the bit to see what comes next – and given that development is already well underway, we may be in line for a trailer.

If that wasn’t enough for you, Square Enix boss Yosuke Matsuda also stated: “We’ll be announcing the rest of the line-up [later], and we’re also planning to make an announcement at E3 in June, so please keep your eyes peeled.”

“Announcement” is pretty vague, and it’s worth tampering your expectations against a surprise reveal of Final Fantasy X-3 or another remake, but it is worth noting that rumors have been flying that Final Fantasy XVI could be seeing a release date later this year. Could we be getting a surprise date reveal? Let us know what you think in the comments, on Twitter, or on Facebook.

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Horizon Zero Dawn: Complete Edition is free from today as part of PlayStation’s Play at Home initiative, which aims to help encourage people to quarantine by offering a selection of free games to all players.

Horizon Zero Dawn puts players in the shoes of Aloy, a young woman from a future where machines have overtaken humanity as the dominant species. After being attacked by a cult for her resemblance to a mysterious scientist from before the apocalypse, Aloy seeks out to learn the truth behind the group, their plans, and her own identity.

Even better, the Complete Edition comes with the game’s DLC, The Frozen Wilds, which sees Aloy venturing north, where a tribe are battling some of the deadliest machines ever seen – and a mysterious mountain is spewing smoke.

The game drew rave reviews for its intricate story and gameplay, as well as the graphics, with the game often touted as among the most beautiful that the PS4 has to offer, so it shouldn’t come as a surprise that among the games offered as part of the Play at Home initiative, Horizon Zero Dawn was the most anticipated.

Given that the much-anticipated sequel – Horizon Forbidden West – is currently scheduled for an unspecified date later this year, this is the perfect opportunity to delve into the 20+ hour campaign and experience one of the greatest stories of the last gaming generation, whether you want to refresh your memory or just see what the fuss is about before diving into one of the most anticipated PS5 games of the year.

This is the only new game being added to the program today, but the good news is that the games added on March 25th – including Abzu, The Witness, and Subnautica – are still available to download on PlayStation consoles.

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Resident Evil: Village hasn’t even released yet, but one of the villains, Lady Alcina Dimitrescu, has already ascended to the iconic status only reached by a handful of the series’ villains so far, like Mr X, William Birkin, or Nemesis. As ferocious as she is beautiful, Lady Dimitrescu seemingly acts as the second in command to the game’s big bad, Mother Miranda, but it looks like she’ll be carrying on one of the series’ greatest traditions as a Stalker.

Dimitrescu stalks you dynamically ala Jack in RE7's Baker House, just in her Castle.

Some scripted moments, but she does wander dynamically as you go through. https://t.co/1tFjnq5Mja

— AestheticGamer aka Dusk Golem (@AestheticGamer1) April 19, 2021

In Resident Evil a stalker, as the name implies, is a villain that actively hunts the player, rather than appearing purely in scripted encounters or specific locations. Of course, some of the franchise’s greatest scares have come from scripted encounters – like the infamous first appearance of the cerberus in the original game – but there’s something uniquely disturbing about never knowing when an attack is coming.

Past stalkers in the franchise include Mr X, Nemesis, Jack Baker, each of which, like Lady Dimitrescu, combine scripted encounters with dynamic movement, so you can be sure that Dimitrescu will make a habit of turning up at the worst possible moments.

Unfortunately, it looks like she’ll be borrowing a page from several previous stalkers by only appearing in certain locations – in this case, the Castle. We don’t know at this point how big a part the castle will have to play in the game, but it’s worth noting that Dimitrescu has only been shown within its walls in the trailers, apart from a mysterious cavern which could easily be found within it. Are we going to see less of Dimitresci than we could have hoped for?

Temos um novo perseguidor na franquia #ResidentEvil, ou melhor, uma perseguidora! ? Pobre Ethan.. ?#REVillage #REBHFun pic.twitter.com/mol40ezbDJ

— EvilHazard (@EvilHazardBR) April 19, 2021

Still, we’ve had a glimpse of Dimitrescu as a stalker in the clip above, and it looks like her outer beauty won’t stop her from being an intimidating presence. Half the internet might want her to step on them, but being stabbed by her claws is a different matter entirely.

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Spider-man has had his fair share of storylines, whether it’s the infamous clone saga, the death of his first love, Gwen Stacy, or the time that Doc Ock tried to marry Aunt May to get the functioning nuclear reactor she inexplicably inherited, the web-slinger has faced more than his fair share of heartbreak and bizarre circumstances.

Marvel’s Spider-man succeeded in capturing the tone of the comic books, and it looks like the sequel will capitalize on the after-credits scene with its own take on perhaps the most infamous storyline of them all, the Symbiote arc.

If you’ve somehow never heard of this arc, here’s the gist; Spidey comes into contact with an alien symbiote which becomes what’s known as the black suit, enhancing his powers. Sadly, the suit wanted to permanently bond with Peter, eventually bonding with Eddie Brock to become Venom.

The symbiote was last seen in the game seemingly keeping Harry Osborne alive. Fans of the comics will know that Harry traditionally becomes the villainous Green Goblin, and if rumors are true then rather than becoming this universe’s take on Venom, his presence will help get the symbiote suit to Peter.

If rumors are true, suits in general will play a big part in the sequel, and the symbiote suit will come with its own skill tree.

We don’t know anything concrete about the storyline but Miles Morales will reportedly get a bigger part to play, with his iteration of Spidey being playable for portions of the game, and rumored villains include The Lizard and Wraith – although it’s likely that with the symbiote reportedly playing such a big part in the game, we’ll see Venom, at the very least, making an appearance.

What do you think of the rumors? Let us know in the comments, on Twitter, or on Facebook.

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The latest Resident Evil game drops next month, and it has all the potential to be among the greatest in the series. You like monsters? We got ’em. Deathtraps? We got ’em. Nine-foot tall quasi vampiric ladies? You better believe we got ’em.

We got a new trailer at yesterday’s showcase and it did what the best trailers do: ask questions. Here’s just five of the biggest ones.

1- Are those real werewolves?

Let’s face it – despite the fact that the wolf-like enemies are as close to werewolves as we’ve come in the series yet, nobody actually believed that Resident Evil would go the supernatural route. It’s more than likely that whatever quasi-supernatural goings-on are the result of a disease of some sort.

Still, to quote the hammer-wielding man: Lycans and Gentlemen, thank you for waiting. If you’ve boned up on your monster mythology you might be aware that werewolves go by another, more technical name: Lycanthrope. Is this a pun, is there a mystical explanation, are the creatures locked in this form or does the disease let its victims transform?

What’s going on with the Village?

We’ve already had a glimpse of at least one survivor of the events of the game, but the trailer shows that there are many more, holed up in the house of someone called Luiza. While the fact that the village is occupied shouldn’t come as a big surprise, what is notable is that, unlike Resident Evil 4, at least some, if not most of the inhabitants seem to be holed up – at least until, predictably, they bite the bullet. Has Mother Miranda been keeping the monsters in check? What about Lady Dimitrescu, who has been killing off people for a long time, and potentially converting at least some into vampires.

Basically, why would you want to live in the village? Are they being kept there against their will by the lycans? Are they being forced to sate Dimitrescu’s desires? Why do they worship Mother Miranda?

What’s up with Ethan?

Okay, this one is two questions, one of which can (probably) be explained pretty easily.

First off, why is Lady Dimitrescu tasting Ethan’s blood to see how special he is? Obvious answer – and probably the same reason that Chris shot Mia five times in the head – he was infected with a disease that lists “the ability to instantly reattach limbs” as a symptom. No matter what, it’s understandable for Dimitrescu to be curious.

The second question: why is he telling Chris to kill him and finish the job, even if his daughter, Rose, is in danger? It’s possible that this scene is early in the game, before he learns Rose is in danger.

What’s up with Chris?

This is a question we’ve been asking since the first trailer showed beloved hero Chris Redfield seemingly murdering returning antiheroine Mia: What exactly is going on? Capcom have already confirmed that it is, indeed, Chris, which means either two things: He’s gone evil, and the supposedly heroic Blue Umbrella, is anything but… or he has some motive for killing Mia.

Reports suggest that he brings Ethan to the village, but does this mean that he gives Ethan’s daughter to the villains?

My opinion? It’d be extremely out of character for Chris to work with Dimitrescu or a villainous Umbrella. He has to have an angle here – either that, or Lady Dimitrescu is a doubt agent, which is even more unlikely. Some theories suggest that Chris and Mia are working together and faked her death, so perhaps there’s more to the situation than meets the eye.

And speaking of Umbrella…

Are Umbrella involved?

Okay, so we know that Blue Umbrella are involved insofar as Chris has been working with them, but the start of the trailer shows a very familiar logo on a plinth at the village. Given that Umbrella did so much research on diseases, it’s likely that they had some interest in the village, but how far does that interest reach – and since Blue Umbrella are good guys with access to a highly trained militia, why are they seemingly relying on a relatively untrained civilian to solve whatever new crisis is cooking?

We have a lot of questions, and not many (definitive) answers – but the good news is that with the game dropping on May 7, we don’t need to wait long to find out what the hell is wrong with this place. Let us know your theories in the comments, on Twitter, or on Facebook.

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Horror is probably my favorite genre. The only book series I loved more than Harry Potter as a kid was Cirque du Freak. The first birthday cake I remember? Frankenstein. The first book I ever published? Horror.

Still, there’s something that no game – and very few movies – have gotten right: subtlety.

The thing that any first-year film student will be able to tell you is that any good horror movie loses a lot of its scare factor when you finally see the monster or the killer gets unveiled. The paranoia of not knowing exactly what you’re facing is infinitely worse than actually knowing it. The problem with games, in particular, is that they too often just jump straight to the blood and gore. At a certain point, even the scariest game loses its fear factor.

There are some games that do lean more towards the subtle side, and this will come as zero surprise but those games are often considered among the scariest games of all time.

Just look at Silent Hill 2: for a horror game, there are entire sections with remarkably few monsters, instead we’re subjected to the overwhelming dread of the characters as we slowly uncover the mystery that drew protagonist James Sunderland to Silent Hill. The game strays away from the overt industrialism from other games in the series in favor of water damage, and the horror is as much psychological as it is overt – whether it’s a mannequin dressed in your wife’s clothes or the constant appearances – and deaths – of her mysterious doppelganger.

And let’s not forget Alien: Isolation. Even when the Xenomorph isn’t around, you still feel its presence. You’re trained to listen out for every beep of the motion detector and keep an eye on your surroundings for every drop of drool. Even when the Xenomorph first starts hunting you it’s almost without ceremony; you’re going about your business when it casually drops from the ceiling. Even the Working Joes bring their own level of anxiety; true, not every one is going to kill you, but any one could.

There’s a fine line, and horror games have difficulty treading it, for obvious reasons; if you go too subtle, where’s the gameplay? What’s the point of playing a horror game if we never actually get a payoff? Imagine exploring the Sevastopol, seeing the destruction the xenomorph has caused, without ever seeing it? Imagine every group of humans being peaceful and sending you on your way? The tension may be unbearable, but at a certain point you leave dissatisfied.

The thing is, there’s no way to maintain that scare factor all along, without people feeling shafted. It might work in, say, a movie, or a book, but gaming is primarily an interactive art form, so while House of Leaves might be able to scare us with as little as a house just a fraction of an inch bigger on the inside long before a labyrinth appears beneath it, or The Shining can go for most of its runtime without actually putting the heroes in any quantifiable danger, a game needs to give us a reason to keep playing – and that means that the danger needs to present itself sooner, rather than later. Sure, you could go the What Remains of Edith Finch route and rely on past events, but there’s no reason to be scared if nothing can happen to us in the present – and unlike other media, you can’t save all the scares for the later stages of a game.

Survival horror is a genre that brings the scares, but will it ever meet its potential? Maybe. Has it yet? No.

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Today’s Resident Evil showcase may have been the biggest yet, and more proof that the series is set on making the 25th anniversary as massive as possible, and we’re not just talking about Lady Dimitrescu.

First of all, perhaps the most disappointing reveal. There is a Resident Evil 4 Remake on the way… for Oculus Quest 2. There’s no word yet on whether we’ll see the remake crossing over onto other platforms.

Speaking of crossovers, Capcom used the showcase to announce perhaps its biggest crossover yet, a crossover with the multiplayer horror game Dead by Daylight. Unfortunately, we don’t know whether this will come with a new map, but let’s face it – Resident Evil is the home of some of the most iconic locations in gaming history, from the Spencer Mansion to the Raccoon Police Department.

What else don’t we know about the crossover? Well, basically everything. There’s no killer or survivors announced in the short trailer, but if we assume that the hooked survivor is from the series, three obvious names stick out – Leon, Chris, and Ethan. We could also see – for only the second time – multiple survivors, with Jill or Claire coming along for the ride. As for the killer, don’t hold out hopes for a licker – an iconic, bipedal villain like Mr X, Nemesis, or even Lady Dimitrescu is more likely.

We finally got our first detailed look at Resident Evil: Infinite Darkness, and it looks like the government still haven’t learned their lesson about inviting Leon into the White House, as it’s the stage for yet another zombie outbreak – but let’s face it, Resident Evil 6 being retconned out of existence wouldn’t be the worst thing to happen to the franchise, especially since it’s been all but ignored in later games.

Mercenaries is making a welcome return to the franchise. The popular mode has players fighting waves of monsters to rack up high scores and unlock new characters, although it’s taken some new steps. For one thing it maintains the first-person perspective of Village proper, but also lets you shop and upgrade between areas, as well as gain new abilities as you traverse the village.

We got more news on the demo, but there’s a twist. The demo is coming to all platforms on May 1 – six days before the official release date, and get to explore the setting for an hour. PlayStation players are in luck, though, since they’ll get to experience the demo early, with one part being available from 5PM ET on April 17th until 4AM on April 18th, and the other being available from 5PM ET on April 25th until 4AM on April 26th. Time’s tight, but luckily you can preload the demo now to avoid missing the chance to play the game early.

Finally, we got a new trailer for Village, and it’s filled with enough content and tidbits for an article all of its own.

When exactly did your jaw hit the ground today? Let us know in the comments, on Twitter, or on Facebook.

SOURCE

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It’s been close to ten years since the release of Grand Theft Auto 5, and fans are eager for the next game in the series. True, we’re getting yet another rerelease of GTA 5 for the current console generation, but at a certain point we want more than just new visuals – we want more content.

I was checking Take twos domains and found https://t.co/skYjLUmLT1 it was updated today. This further proves gta 6 is in set in Miami thanks to PA leak.#GTA6 #GTAVI pic.twitter.com/bv60ZVFRah

— GTA 6 NEWS (@GTAVInewz) April 12, 2021

Rumors have been flying about Grand Theft Auto 6 for a while, but we still don’t have anything concrete – including an official announcement – but if the latest rumor is true we may be getting a return to Vice City.

The tweet refers to www.rockstarcatel.com (Although the link leads nowhere – www.rockstarcartel.com, however, does redirect to the Rockstar site), which was updated on April 12. Whatever updates made have sadly been removed, but Cartel does have evoke images of Miami – the inspiration for recurring location Vice City.

Unfortunately, nothing is set in stone. What we do know is that rockstarcartel.com does redirect to the developer’s site. Even if it doesn’t actually show anything yet, the redirect does imply that there will be some future content with the subtitle Cartel – whether that’s Grand Theft Auto 6 or not.

What else do we know? Sadly, not much. There’s plenty of rumors – this isn’t the first one pointing to Vice City as a location, or even one of several – but opinions are split everywhere. There are rumors that the new game will be set in the eighties, which have been recently been put into question by reports that it will be set in the modern day. There’s also rumors that the game will have two protagonists, including series’ first heroine.

For now, we can only wait for an official announcement and theorize wildly until we get one – but let’s face it, nothing short of a Cyberpunk 2077 style disaster could stop the game from building up – and capitalizing on – a truly insane amount of hype.

The post Grand Theft Auto 6’s Setting May Have Been Accidentally Revealed appeared first on COGconnected.

I don’t need to tell you that Mass Effect: Legendary Edition is set to make the original trilogy prettier than ever, but I don’t think any of us realized just how beautiful the upgrade would be. Sure, we hoped, but seeing it for ourselves is a whole different animal, as the new trailer showcases in all its HD glory.

Take an in-depth look at the visual upgrades you’ll experience when #MassEffect Legendary Edition launches May 14.

Read our community blog for more details: https://t.co/takjfNIhbu pic.twitter.com/Ik63iDcJNV

— Mass Effect (@masseffect) April 13, 2021

First off, the environments. Mass Effect takes place over multiple planets, ships, space stations, each with their unique cultures and ecosystems, and the beautification passes, improved materials and particle effects, and improved lighting will push that to the extreme, making your adventure aboard the Normandy more vibrant and immersive than ever before.

Add to that the improved, remade or improved models, textures and global post-effect improvements and it looks like fans of the series so far will have every reason to play the remaster – and first-time players will have plenty to keep them entertained, as well.

For those of you who haven’t played the originals, here’s the TL:DR; the series is set at the end of the 22nd century, some fifty years after humanity discover an alien outpost on Mars and discover that its moon, Charon, is actually an ancient artifact which holds the key to faster than light travel. Using this method humanity spreads its reach towards the stars, coming into contact with a variety of different species and cultures along the way. You play as Commander Shepard, a customizable human who comes into contact with a mysterious artifact and comes under attack by a mysterious assailant, joining forces with the crew of the Normandy to investigate.

The games have drawn rave reviews for the intricate setting, storyline and gameplay, although the games weren’t available on the latest console generation and, as such, for many players the Legendary Edition may well be their first chance to play the games in all their glory.

Are you pumped for Mass Effect: Legendary edition? Let us know in the comments, on Twitter, or on Facebook.

SOURCE

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Dead by Daylight, like any good online game, is frequently updated. Killer powers are reevaluated, perks are changed, and maps are redesigned. The latest PTB starts today, and here’s just some of what you can expect.

The Nightmare is getting the biggest rework, receiving a movement debuff when setting traps, getting a reduced number of snares and dream pallets, and the alarm clocks dotting a map when facing him are receiving a significant buff, with any survivor using them to wake up being immune to sleep for 30 seconds.

The Twins are getting some slight tweaks, with Victor getting an increased cooldown of five seconds after downing a survivor and the player immediately regaining camera control after switching back to her.

The Demogorgon is getting a buff to its portals, moving faster through them, getting an increased undetectable period after exiting them, and getting a reduced cooldown.

In addition, each of the above killers – plus The Huntress, are getting their add-on’s reworked.

It’s not just the killers getting changes. Some perks are also getting changes, including:

Object of Obsession no longer lets you see the killer’s aura when looking at each other, but now shows you the killer’s aura whenever they would see yours. In addition, your auras will be revealed to each other for three seconds every thirty, and you’ll receive a small buff to some actions.

Borrowed Time now activates regardless of the killer’s distance, but the unhooked survivor gets a shorter invincibility time as a compromise.

Lucky Break now hides your scratch marks, as well as your blood.

Other changes include a change to the hatch, which will now close ten seconds after being opened with a key and, perhaps biggest of all, the Coldwind Farms maps are getting a significant rework – including a switch from night to day. Coldwind Farms has long been seen as one of the most frustrating maps for killers due to the abundance of corn. Visibility is better, but the corn has been thickened to compensate.

No word yet on when these changes are due to go live, but expect them within the next few weeks.

Are you playing the PTB? Let us know what you think in the comments, on Twitter, or on Facebook.

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Resident Evil is seeing its eighth mainline entry in under a month, and fans couldn’t be more excited. While the series lost its way with Resident Evil 5 and 6, taking a more action-oriented approach which proved unpopular with the fandom, the return to a more claustrophobic atmosphere with Resident Evil 7 was seen as a return to form, despite the fact that the gameplay was different than anything we’d seen before – let’s face it, you could remove the easter eggs and references to the greater Resident Evil universe and it’d stand on its own as a great game, especially since there’s little to no reference of the constant BOW attacks throughout the world as seen in Resident Evil 6.

(2/2) RE7>RE8>RE9 have a connected, planned out story as all ended up in dev close together.

I also suspect this is why they want to move past numbered titles after RE9, to tell more self-contained stories rather than have to plan out stories ahead of time, but its cool here.

— AestheticGamer aka Dusk Golem (@AestheticGamer1) April 11, 2021

Still, it looks like Resident Evil: Village will in fact be the middle entry of a trilogy, meaning we might not have to wait too long until Resident Evil 9.

The reports come from AestheticGamer, AKA Dusk Golem – a well-known leaker who has a record of being accurate, to an extent. Although he originally claimed that Resident Evil 8 began development as a Resident Evil: Revelations sequel (and later claimed that the leaked Resident Evil Outrage was in fact Revelations 3) he was correct that Village would feature a female stalker who can dissipate into a swarm of insects – a power seen among Lady Dimitrescu’s daughters, although not yet displayed by the woman herself. The above tweets do clarify, however, that the decision to create a trilogy was decided early on in VIllage’s development, and Resident Evil does have a history of switching things around – one early version of Resident Evil 4 evolved into Devil May Cry, for example.

However, it does look like after 9 is out, Resident Evil will be switching back to more self-contained stories, reducing the need to plot everything out in advance.

The sad news, of course, is that this means there’s no guarantee that Ethan will have a happy ending in a game where the plot revolves around him trying to rescue his kidnapped daughter – and even if he does, well, there’s likely to be some new crisis he gets drawn into.

Some guys just can’t catch a break, it seems.

Do you think there’s any truth to the rumors? Let us know in the comments, on Twitter, or on Facebook.

SOURCE

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Reports that The Last of Us was getting a remake were accompanied by reports that several other projects were canceled or rejected – such as a potential reboot of Uncharted and a Days Gone sequel.

A remake of The Last of Us makes a certain amount of sense. Still, does it have to come at the expense of other projects? The Last of Us is widely regarded as one of the greatest games in history, but Days Gone was a dark horse of its own – and the secret ending promised a whole new adventure.

While a potential sequel is far from out of the question, the game’s director Jeff Ross has confirmed that the original pitch was indeed rejected.

Speaking to God of War creator David Jaffe, Ross confirmed several rumors – such as the fact that a Days Gone sequel was indeed rejected, and that several key staff at developer Bend Studios were indeed reassigned to Naughty Dog projects. However, Ross claimed that his own departure from Bend was due to personal reasons – he now works for Mortal Kombat developer NetherRealm – and refused to confirm the current status of Days Gone 2 – including whether it was rejected.

“I don’t think it’s publicly confirmed what the status of [Days Gone 2] is. I don’t want to be the guy who’s the official source for whatever that is.”

Ross did, however, seemingly hint that the game’s sales may have played a part in the sequel’s (potential) rejection.

“Sony with these big triple-A games… they’re not cheap games to make. The first Syphon Filter I think cost $1m or $2m. The second one was definitely $2m because we did it in a year. So the return of investment on those is great, [but] for games where you have to sell four of five million copies just to break even… there’s got to be a confidence in the return, because Sony doesn’t have the cash that Microsoft does and they’ve got to use it very intelligently and they’ve got to stay focused on a diverse portfolio.”

It’s worth noting that the first game has gained a lot of attention as part of the PlayStation Plus collection, so it’s possible that even if a pitch was previously rejected, Sony will want to capitalize on the newfound attention.

The post Days Gone Director Confirms Sequel Was Pitched appeared first on COGconnected.

I don’t need to rehash the trouble many people have had – and continue to have – getting their hands on a PS5 or Xbox Series X. Ever since pre-orders open we’ve been beset by stock shortages of both consoles, and scalpers using bots to get their hands on hundreds of the consoles – and acting bemused that people are upset with the “valuable service” they’re providing.

The Switch, meanwhile, has seen fewer issues. With so many people in lockdown, demand for the console has been high, with the lower price-point and large catalogue making it an attractive option, whether for families looking for a way to keep their children occupied or for people living alone and looking for a way to keep themselves entertained. Demand is still high, and there have been issues with scalpers and stock shortages, but the console has benefitted from the fact that it’s older, whereas the Xbox and PS5 were among last years most wanted items.

Unfortunately, it looks like 2021 could see the Switch face similar shortages, as Nintendo are having trouble sourcing the required materials to produce the console’s superconductors.

While they’ve managed to source enough for the current batch of Switches, Nintendo boss Shuntaro Furukawa is expecting possible delays in production later on if shortages continue.

“We have been able to secure the necessary materials for the immediate production of semiconductors for switches,” he stated. “However, in Japan and other countries, demand has been very strong since the beginning of the year, and there is a possibility of shortages at some retailers in the future.”

“It is difficult to say how we will deal with this, but in some cases we may not be able to prepare enough for orders.”

Supply issues may have plagued gamers in 2020, but the problem is far from over – so if you’re looking for a new console, be prepared to wait.

Let us know what you think in the comments, on Twitter, or on Facebook.

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