Various Video Game Stories and More from the Week of October 4, 2021

Category: Gaming
Posted: October 8, 2021 08:28AM
Author: Guest_Jim_*

Once again, the week is coming to its conclusion and so it is time to collect together some of the video game news from recent days. Actually it has been somewhat light for specific game news, at least for what has arrived in my inbox, but then this week also has seen what could prove to be one of the largest leaks in video game community.

On Wednesday some 125 GB was leaked with the anonymous hacker source claiming it contains the entirety of Twitch, from source code to user payout information. According to Twitch though, there is "no indication login credentials have been exposed," though the company is continuing to investigate. If you have a Twitch account, it might not be a bad idea to enable two-factor authentication and possibly change your password, if only out of an abundance of caution. The streaming site has reset all stream keys, so if you stream to the platform and rely on that method as opposed to logging in to your account, you will need to update the key in your software. For those concerned about credit card information, Twitch has stated that is not stored by the site, so they were not exposed.

According to Twitch, an error in a server configuration left it exposed to the Internet, and this is what allowed the data to be downloaded. According to the Video Games Chronicle reporting, the leaker is claiming this is in an effort to disrupt Twitch's dominance and support competition in video streaming, because of the "disgusting toxic cesspool" its community has become. The leaker also claims to have more data to share, with this leak just being the first part but there is no indication of what more there is to come.

It is important to note that with the source code for Twitch now exposed, as well as information on its clients, IGDB, CurseForge, and some unreleased software including a potential Steam competitor called Vapor, there could be more risks to come. Such information may enable new vulnerabilities to be found by malicious actors, and the situation itself may prompt phishing attempts as well, so, as always, practice caution with your online activities.

Source: Video Games Chronicle and Twitch

Coming to some more positive news, Devolver Digital and developer Daniel Mullins have shared a developer walkthrough for upcoming title Inscryption. The game is a card-based combination of roguelike gameplay with escape-roomy style puzzles and psychological horror, and if that sounds weird, be sure to watch the walkthrough. It may prompt more questions than answers, but at least you get a look at how the gameplay goes.

Inscryption is to release on October 19 and is 10% off on Steam until then.

Source: Press Release (Devolver Digital – Inscryption)

Prime Matter has shared a video and voice actor information for the upcoming Gungrave G.O.R.E.. This resurrection of the Gungrave franchise will still feature Tomokazu Seki as Grave's voice, and he is not the only returning actor from prior games in the series. Fumihiko Tachiki will be voicing Bunji and Kumi Sakuma as Mika once again. Joining the cast are Masami Iwasaki and Akio Otsuka with the former voicing Ganpo, the boss of the Raven Clan, and the latter Zell Condorbrave, an immortal mercenary captain.

The new video is behind an age-gate on YouTube but features Tetsuya Shibata and Yoshino Aoki, the composers for this game's soundtrack. Both of these composers previously worked on Final Fantasy XV with Shibata also composing for Devil May Cry and Aoki worked on Breath of Fire. You can find the trailer here: Gungrave G.O.R.E - Behind the music of G.O.R.E.

Source: Prime Matter (Gungrave G.O.R.E.)

Square Enix has shared a few trailers this week for the upcoming Marvel's Guardians of the Galaxy with one featuring Cosmo, the space dog. He has appeared in other trailers, but this latest one features him and his puppies communicating with the Guardians. As the Chief of Security for Knowhere, he too has an interesting in the events the team has found themselves in and thus helps them on their mission, at least if Rocket is not too annoying, it seems.

Also released this week is information on the game's soundtrack, including "Zero to Hero," a new song performed by the Star-Lord Band for an unapologetically 80s music video. (Zero to Hero Animated Music Video) The company has also shared the 30 licensed tracks the game will include, with songs from Motley Crue, Pay Benetar, BLONDIE, and plenty more. Reading through the list, Rick Astley's "Never Gonna Give You Up" appears, which I guess is not too surprising, but it will be interesting to see how it is used.

Marvel's Guardians of the Galaxy is scheduled to release on October 26 for PC, Xbox One, PlayStation 4, Xbox Series X/S, PlayStation 5, NVIDIA GeForce Now, and the Nintendo Switch with the game's Cloud Version.

Source: Press Releases (Square Enix – Marvel's Guardians of the Galaxy) and Square Enix (Licensed Tracklist)

Also announced this week by Square Enix is the released date for Stranger of Paradise Final Fantasy Origin, with this action RPG releasing on March 18 for PC, Xbox One, PlayStation 4, Xbox Series X/S, and PlayStation 5. Coming from Team NINJA, KOEI TECMO GAMES, and Tetsuya Nomura this title is to bring a new version to the Final Fantasy series to appeal to existing fans and new players. As Jack and his allies enter the Chaos Shrine, they will have to prove they are truly the Warriors of Light to survive the challenging and strategic action gameplay the game will offer.

Along with the release date announcement is a trailer, but it is age-gated: Stranger of Paradise Final Fantasy Origin | Release Date Announcement Trailer. For those interested in the game, a new version of its trial has been released, though only for the Xbox Series X/S and PlayStation 5. The changes were made in response to the feedback from the first version, with visual improvements, rebalanced actions, tweaks to the companion AI, and the ability to customize companions as well.

Source: Square Enix (Stranger of Paradise Final Fantasy Origin)

Techland has shared another episode of Dying 2 Know More, giving more information and insight into Dying Light 2's soundtrack by an interview with composer Olivier Derivière. In the video we get to see a custom instrument built specifically to provide in-game sounds, as well as some of the inspiration behind the game's main theme of "Run, Jump, Fight."

The custom instrument designed by Nicolas Bras is called the Electric Psaltery and is meant to look like an instrument that could have been built in the game, having been constructed from an old bicycle wheel, steel rod, metal wires, and more you could find in the City. It can be played by plucking or bowing its strings with the different sounds corresponding to specific characters. The "wheel of fate" at the top can also be heard in game whenever you make a major decision.

Dying Light 2 is scheduled to release on February 4, 2022 for PC, Xbox One, PlayStation 4, Xbox Series X/S, PlayStation 5, and Nintendo Switch with a Cloud Version.

Source: Press Release (Techland – Dying Light 2)

Closing things out is some news from Acer as it has announced three new laptops, and their availability. Among these three is the Aspire Vero as it is now available for purchase. For those unfamiliar with it, this laptop has been designed to be eco-friendly by using post-consumer recycled (PCR) plastic in its case and keyboard and completely recyclable packaging. It is EPEAT Silver certified as Acer kept to certain environmental criteria including substance management, materials selection, energy consumption, and product longevity. The case is made from 30% PCR plastic and the keyboard's caps are 50% PCR plastic. Also to reduce the environmental impact, no paint is used on the surface of the laptop's case, and the VeroSense software has modes optimized for energy efficiency. The Vero offers up to an 11^th Gen Intel Core i7 CPU that can be paired with up to a 512 GB m.2 SSD. The display is a 15.6 in FHD IPS that is powered by the Iris Xe graphics of the CPU and it sports Intel Wi-Fi 6, one USB Type-C port, two USB 3.2 ports, and an HDMI 2.0 port.

The Aspire Vero is available now, though only in a higher-end configuration that starts at $899.99. For a less expensive model using a Core i5, 8 GB of DDR4 memory and a 256 GB SSD priced at $699.99, you will have to wait until a little later this month.

Another laptop announced was the Swift 5, an ultrathin and light device that can still come with a Core i7 CPU and meets the requirements of the Intel Evo platform. It is able to offer 17 hours of battery life, which was tested with video playback and additional configuration details can be found in the footnotes of the source link below. The Swift 5 weighs in at 2.29 pounds thanks to its magnesium lithium and magnesium aluminum chassis, enabling strength without adding much to the mass. Its touchscreen display has a layer of Antimicrobial Corning Gorilla Glass, while the case, touchpad, keyboard, and other covers on the device have had an aBRP and EPA-compliant silver-ion treatment applied to be antimicrobial. The display is a 14 in FHD panel with a 340 nit brightness rating and 100% sRGB coverage.

The Swift 5 is available now with a starting price of $1099.99.

Lastly we have the Nitro 5 that features a 144 Hz display for an improved gaming experience. There is both a 15.6 in and 17.3 in model to choose from that can be paired with a Core i5 or Core i7 CPU and NVIDIA GTX 1650 or RTX 3050 Ti GPU.

Available in the middle of this month, the Nitro 5 will be priced at $769.99 for the 15.6 in model with Core i5, 8 GB of DDR4, and 256 GB SSD while the 17.3 in model with Core i7, 16 GB of DDR4, and 1 TB SSD will be $1199.99.

All three of these laptops will support Windows 11, and later this month both the Swift 5 and Nitro 5 will be available with it pre-installed.

Source: Acer