Various Video Game Stories and More from the Week of October 18, 2021

Category: Gaming
Posted: October 22, 2021 08:13AM
Author: Guest_Jim_*

Once again the week has reached its end, and so it is time to go through the different press releases that have collected. First up is from 2K as the publisher and Gearbox Entertainment have shared more details and a trailer for Tiny Tina's Wonderlands. Among the new information are two of the classes; the Stabbomancer and Brr-Zerker. While the former leverages stealth and blades to eliminate enemies, the latter smashes and then smashes again. Multiple environments have also been described, such as Brighthoof, the crown jewel of Queen Butt Stallion's realm, as well as her castle, Castle Sparklewithers that literally glows so bright, it bathes the world in eternal light. The Sunfang Oasis includes lush foliage, shimmering lagoons, and ancient ruins to explore, but you must be cautious of the Coiled as they try to slither closer to their prey. Lastly, of the freshly described environments, there is Tangledrift, a beanstalk that raised chunks of the world as it grew above the clouds, but just because a town is in the sky, does not mean it is safe from danger.

Tiny Tina's Wonderlands is launching of March 25, 2022 for PC, Xbox One, PlayStation 4, Xbox Series X/S, and PlayStation 5.

Source: 2K (Tiny Tina's Wonderlands)

It being October means there are going to be Halloween events in a number of games, and Splitgate is no exception with its Spookygate event. As part of this the main menu and stadium arena have been given a holiday makeover, and a special set of challenges have been added as well. By completely these challenges you can unlock three fan-created weapon skins, but these challenges are only available until November 1 and some are quicker than others to complete.

The Spookygate content was not the only thing contained in the update as there were also some handy gameplay tweaks and changes applied as well. For example, you can now re-position portals by firing the same portal at itself. This will shift the placement of the portal on the surface, so if it was just a little too high, preventing you from walking in, you can make the adjustment much more easily now.

Source: Press Release (1047 Games – Splitgate)

The Arcade Crew and Berzerk Studio have announced Infernax, an upcoming title inspired by 8-bit retro classics that will give you a demon-slaying mission for its action-adventure experience. You play as Alcedor, a great knight who returns home to find unholy magic has spread throughout and now he must wield his mace and shield to annihilate the roaming beasts. Along the way you will encounter morality decisions that will come to influence the game later, determining which of the endings you will receive. Though it is offering side-scrolling action, Infernax features an open world-style design, so there will be plenty of secrets to discover.

Along with this announcement is a trailer, but it has been age-gated as Alcedor demonstrates the skull-splitting capabilities of his mace: Infernax - Announcement Trailer. The release window is Q1 2022 and it will be arriving on PC, Xbox One, PlayStation 4, Xbox Series X/S, and Nintendo Switch.

Source: Press Release (The Arcade Crew – Infernax)

Another title announced this week that we can expect next year is Souldiers from Dear Villagers and Retro Forge Games. This title promises to combine Metroidvania exploration, crunchy Soulslike combat, and precision platforming into a single experience with a pixelated aesthetic. You can play as a scout, caster, or archer as you fight for Terragaya, a land on the edge between life and death. The classes, combat, and world are all shown in the announcement trailer below.

Souldiers is aiming for a Spring 2022 release for PC and Nintendo Switch.

Source: Press Release (Dear Villagers – Souldiers)

Boomerang X has received its first major update, dubbed the Endless Update as it adds an Endless Run Mode to challenge players, but also the new Red Garden map. The new game mode features a variety of options too, so you can make it something absurdly difficult or maybe just a different flavor of what the game offers. The update is already live for owners and there is an Endless Mode standalone demo available as well, for those interested in a taste.

Source: Press Release (Devolver Digital – Boomerang X)

Koch Media and Milestone revealed this week that Hot Wheels Unleashed will be starting its DC Super-Villains Racing Season on November 11, during which players will receive free content as well as premium content that can be unlocked via new challenges. This new content includes theme customization items for the Basement location and the Player Profile, but also six themed vehicles: Bane; The Cheetah; Poison Ivy; Black Manta; Deathstroke; and Harley Quinn. The season runs until January 18, so hopefully every player interested will have enough time to enjoy it.

Also revealed was the release date for the Batman Expansion DLC that will add a Gotham-inspired Career Map, the Batcave environment, and naturally themed vehicles. These vehicles cover the Penguin, Robin 2.0T, Armored Batman, Batman Rebirth, and the Joker GT. This expansion will be available December 2 and is part of the Hot Wheels Pass Vol. 1 but will also be available separately on that day.

If Batman and DC characters are not as interesting to you, it was also announced the Hot Wheels x Gucci Cadillac Seville will be coming to the game in the coming months. A real, limited-edition 1:64 scale replica of the "Seville by Gucci" was announced recently to celebrate Gucci's 100^th anniversary. Though we do not have a release date for this vehicle to arrive in the game yet, just that it will be in the coming months, if you are looking to race around the orange track in style, this might be the car you want.

Source: Press Releases (Koch Media – Hot Wheels Unleashed)

As I said earlier, with it being October, we can expect Halloween-themed events to arrive in various games, which for Super Animal Royale means the Bwoking Dead infection mode. Until November 9 you can try to survive the Cluckles as they try to turn players into zombie-like Joe Clucks at least until they can escape the island on a Giant Eagle. The mode supports 40 players, four of which will start the match infected. Like many other infection modes, the Zombie Joes will be faster than normal players and a kill guarantees the survivor will return as a another zombie, but there is also a 10% chance to infect with your attacks. When infected, you will have ten to 20 seconds until you turn, but the other survivors will not know this, giving you the opportunity to strategically place yourself.

You can learn more about the game mode by following the source link below, including the list of cosmetics you can purchase with candy corn you collect. There are eight new cosmetics, such as the Jack-O-Cap and Pumpkin Shotgun, as well as 19 legacy cosmetics available to purchase. Game balance and quality-of-life improvements have also been delivered as part of this update.

Source: Modus Games (Super Animal Royale)

Dice Legacy is an interesting game with its mix of roguelike survival design and the city-builder genre where every action is based on dice rolls that released recently, and this week received its first free content update; the Memories update. With this new content, features, and fixes have arrived, such as a full active pause, accessibility options, and the ability to rebind hotkeys, as well as the Memories system. It is a modifier system that unlocks after you first finish the game to add to its replayability. The update is out now on PC and will be arriving on Nintendo Switch soon.

Source: Press Release (Ravenscourt – Dice Legacy)

Since the announcement a couple weeks ago, probably a lot of people have been looking forward to learning when GTA The Trilogy: The Definitive Edition will be releasing, and today the date was shared. On November 11, PC, Xbox One, PlayStation 4, Xbox Series X/S, PlayStation 5, and Nintendo Switch gamers will be able to return to these classic titles, or enjoy them for the first time. That is just the digital release though, with the physical versions for the Xbox One, PlayStation 4, Xbox Series X/S, and Nintendo Switch will be available on December 7.

As part of The Definitive Edition, the trilogy will have GTAV-inspired modern controls with visual enhancements across the board, including resolution upgrades and improved visual fidelity. These improvements include a rebuilt light system with better shadows, weather, and reflections, upgraded models, higher resolution textures, new foliage, smoother surfaces, and increased draw distances. The PC version specifically will support NVIDIA DLSS as well. Though the games were originally developed by Rockstar Games, this adaption to modern platforms was done by Grove Street Games using Unreal Engine.

As November 11 approaches, we can expect more information to be shared by Rockstar Games, including at the newly created site dedicate to Grand Theft Auto: The Trilogy – The Definitive Edition: rockstargames.com/GTATrilogy.

Source: Rockstar Games (GTA The Trilogy: The Definitive Edition)

Closing out this week is a behind-the-scenes video from Slocap for the upcoming Kung Fu action game, Sifu. The video features the motion capture work done to ensure the game's combat will be realistic as you hunt down the assassins that murdered your family. The collaboration between the developer and combat choreograph Benjamin Colussi spanned months and included the early development phase of the game. The main character's movements are in fact inspired by Colussi and his approach to Pak Mei Kung Fu. He created over 200 moves for the main character, covering hand-to-hand combat as well as the use of various weapons, and they will have an authentic feel to them while also being visually impressive.

Sifu is set to launch February 22 on PC, PlayStation 4, and PlayStation 5.