Capcom has officially announced Monster Hunter Rise: Sunbreak, a brand-new expansion to last March's Switch exclusive, during the latest Nintendo Direct presentation.The "massive" expansion is due Summer 2022 on both Nintendo Switch and PC and will include new stories, locales, and monsters per the quick teaser trailer. Though not shown in the trailer, the expansion will also include hunting actions and quest ranks."As featured in the debut trailer, an eerie new setting serves as a backdrop to a menacing new monster," the official press release says. "More on this new monster and other exciting new gameplay details in Monster Hunter Rise: Sunbreak will be shared soon."Continue Reading at GameSpotInfo from Gamespot.com

Chocobo GP, a Final Fantasy kart racing game, is coming exclusively to Nintendo Switch in 2022. Announced during the September Nintendo Direct, Chocobo GP features characters from the Final Fantasy series, all competing in arcade-style kart racer. It also features magical spells from the series as usable items during races.Join Chocobo and friends as they set out on a new journey in #ChocoboGP! 🏁Enter the racing tournament and win to be granted anything their heart desires with a single wish. Coming to Nintendo Switch in 2022, kweh! pic.twitter.com/9ZK5LL85MA — FINAL FANTASY (@FinalFantasy) September 23, 2021Players can also upgrade their magic by collecting more of the same type, allowing for more powerful items. Chocobo GP features local and online play, with the ability to do 64-player tournaments in eight-by-eight player brackets. Plus, it has a roller-skating Chocobo, which is adorable. The courses are also themed after different Final Fantasy elements, like Cid's Test Track and the Gold Saucer.Chocobo GP releases exclusively on Nintendo Switch in 2022.Info from Gamespot.com

As part of today's Nintendo Direct presentation, Nintendo made a Super Smash Bros. Ultimate announcement, but it wasn't what we expected. The company did not announce the last DLC character, but it instead announced when it will announce the character: October 5.Series director Masahiro Sakurai will reveal the character that day at 7 AM PT / 10 AM ET. This will be the final video presentation for Super Smash Bros. Ultimate.It will be a beefy presentation, running for about 40 minutes, Nintendo of America announced. There is no word yet, however, on who the final DLC character will be. Continue Reading at GameSpotInfo from Gamespot.com

Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic is releasing on Nintendo Switch on November 11, Nintendo revealed during today's Nintendo Direct. The digital-only release will be available to preorder later today on the Switch eShop. KOTOR is one of the best Star Wars games of all time, and although its price wasn't announced during the stream, other classic Star Wars games on Switch have cost $10 to $15 on Switch.Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic is set thousands of years before the Skywalker Saga. The game uses the d20 gameplay system popularized by Dungeons & Dragons. KOTOR stood out when it originally released in 2003 because of both its combat and its excellent writing. It tells one of the more interesting stories in Star Wars media. Hopefully Aspyr Media will also bring Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic II - The Sith Lords to Switch at a later date.It's certainly never a bad time to dive into KOTOR, but it's especially timely right now. Just the other week during the latest PlayStation Showcase, Aspyr announced a full remake of KOTOR for PS5 and PC. It only received a brief teaser trailer and a release window wasn't revealed.Info from Gamespot.com

Nintendo has announced an Animal Crossing: New Horizons Nintendo Direct to air in October, highlighting new content coming to the game--and it's a notable addition for longtime Animal Crossing fans, as The Roost is making a comeback.Today's Nintendo Direct gave a small glimpse of the new content, showing a new wing of the museum leading to The Roost, Brewster's 24/7 coffee shop. The familiar Roost tune also played as the new content pack was confirmed for a November release.[Announcement]Tune in for a livestreamed #AnimalCrossing: New Horizons Direct in October to learn more about the new content coming to your island in November. Look out for more details to come in the near future. pic.twitter.com/IXuZtR1fkh — Isabelle (@animalcrossing) September 23, 2021No specific timing was given for the Animal Crossing Direct other than October, nor was any other additional content mentioned for the expansion. "A new free update is coming to Animal Crossing: New Horizons this November," the official Nintendo Direct press release wrote. "More details will be revealed in an Animal Crossing: New Horizons Direct airing in October."Continue Reading at GameSpotInfo from Gamespot.com

The Final Fantasy Tactics-style strategy game Triangle Strategy is coming to Nintendo Switch in March 2022, Nintendo announced during the September Nintendo Direct.The game was announced earlier this year as Project Triangle Strategy, which was assumed to be a working title, but now that name seems to be final, minus the Project.A free demo for Triangle Strategy was released earlier this year, and Nintendo said it has made a series of changes and improvements based on feedback. This includes new difficulty options, better camera angle controls, and the ability to review previous dialogue, among other things.Continue Reading at GameSpotInfo from Gamespot.com

Deltarune Chapter 2 is coming to Nintendo Switch today for free. The second chapter of Toby Fox's new game was released on PC on September 17 after getting a surprise announcement a few days prior. Deltarune Chapter 1 was already available on Nintendo Switch, so now both available chapters can be played on Switch. Deltarune Chapter 2 will be bundled together with Chapter 1 as a free update to the game today.Deltarune Chapter 1 came to Nintendo Switch back in 2019 and Fox has been working to complete the rest of the game since. With the announcement and release of Deltarune Chapter 2, Fox revealed that the rest of the adventure game would be released all at once and would not be free.Undertale, Fox's first game and the precursor to Deltarune, was incredibly well-received, with GameSpot giving it a 9/10. Critic Tyler Hicks wrote, "Without spoiling the many ways it will screw with your expectations, it isn't possible to truly capture how wonderful Undertale is. You wouldn't know it with a passing glance, but it's one of the most progressive and innovative RPGs to come in a long time, breaking down tradition for the sake of invention, with great success."Info from Gamespot.com

Nintendo revealed that Nintendo 64 and Sega Genesis (yes, Sega Genesis) games are coming to Nintendo Switch Online in late October. The new games won't be included with the current Switch Online membership; instead, there will be a new tier called Nintendo Switch Online + Expansion Pack. Current subscribers will be able to upgrade to the new plan, but Nintendo hasn't revealed how much the new tier will cost just yet.Nintendo will also release wireless N64 and Genesis controllers for $50 each. Just like the NES and SNES controllers, these will only be available to purchase if you're a Switch Online member. Select games in the new collections will be online enabled.Here's a full list of games that will be available at launch on Nintendo Switch Online + Expansion Pack:Continue Reading at GameSpotInfo from Gamespot.com

As part of the September Nintendo Direct, Nintendo announced the release date and main voice cast for the Super Mario animated movie in production at Minions studio Illumination Entertainment. Chris Pratt, Anya Taylor-Joy, Charlie Day, and Jack Black are among the number of actors starring in the film.The film--which was announced many years ago--will debut on December 21, 2022 in the US, with release dates for other parts of the world to be announced later. It will be some time before we actually see any footage from the film, but Nintendo also announced the voice cast for the main roles, led by Pratt as Mario.Mario will talk "a lot" in the movie, Mario creator Shigeru Miyamoto said during the briefing. Queen's Gambit star Anya Taylor-Joy plays Princess Peach, while It's Always Sunny's Charlie Day voices Luigi. Jack Black voices Bowser, while Keegan-Michael Key plays Toad. Seth Rogen portrays Donkey Kong, and Mario's video game voice actor, Charles Martinet, will perform "surprise cameos."Continue Reading at GameSpotInfo from Gamespot.com

As part of the September Nintendo Direct, Nintendo made an announcement basically no one was expecting. Square Enix's 1991 SNES game Actraiser--considered to be one of the console's best and most memorable games--is coming back for Nintendo Switch via a remaster. The game was announced during the Nintendo Direct, but it's also available on PlayStation, PC, and mobile.Actraiser Renaissance, as it's called, is the same 2D side-scrolling game you may remember from all those years ago, but with updated graphics and new features like more stages and boss battles. Nintendo also confirmed that the original music from Yuzo Koshiro is back, while there are also 15 new tracks to enjoy. Additionally, the new edition has new difficulty levels and an auto-save feature.What's more, Renaissance has "new magic" that wasn't feature in the original game, and a new gameplay ability in the form of dodging. Additionally, players can now use attacks in upward and downward motions, which should help out in the new boss battles.Continue Reading at GameSpotInfo from Gamespot.com

Toward the end of the September Nintendo Direct, Nintendo showed off a new Splatoon 3 trailer. In addition to the usual gameplay, we got a look at some of the new locations, enemies, and mechanics that will be featured in the upcoming sequel.The theme of the story mode was revealed to be the "return of the Mammalians," though few further details were offered. We got a look at a snow-capped area with a platform for launching a rocket, and we heard about how the game takes place in Splatsville, which is surrounded by the Splatlands. There was also a brief mention of new weapons that players will be able to use.Splatoon 3 is slated to arrive exclusively on Nintendo Switch in 2022; nothing more specific was shared during the event. Its original announcement was a somewhat unexpected surprise, given one Splatoon game has already been released for Switch and many Nintendo series (such as Super Smash Bros. and Mario Kart) tend to only see one new game per generation. But the franchise has been quite popular so far, with Splatoon 2 proving to be one of the most successful Switch games thus far with more than 12 million units sold.Info from Gamespot.com

The Initiative has announced that it is partnering up with Crystal Dynamics to work on the Perfect Dark reboot. Crystal Dynamics was the studio behind the Tomb Raider reboot back in 2013, as well as other titles like Legacy of Kain and last year's Marvel's Avengers.Coincidentally, Darrell Gallagher, the studio head over at The Initiative, previously was at Crystal Dynamics. He was the head of studio working on the Tomb Raider series. While at Square Enix, he also worked on games such as Rise of the Tomb Raider: 20 Year Celebration and Deus Ex: Mankind Divided.Perfect Dark update! We are partnering with Crystal Dynamics, the world class team behind character-driven games such as Tomb Raider, to bring this first-person spy thriller to a new generation. pic.twitter.com/EiqjU99wMa — TheInitiative (@TheInitiative) September 24, 2021Phil Spencer officially revealed The Initiative back in 2018, billed as a "AAAA" studio to make world class games. Members of the studio included God of War lead producer Brian Westergaard, Crystal Dynamics veteran Dan Neuburger, and Microsoft veteran Blake Fischer. Former Crystal Dynamics recruiter Lindsey McQueeney and Red Redemption 2 writer and designer Christian Cantamessa are part of the studio as well.Continue Reading at GameSpotInfo from Gamespot.com

The titular Sable is part of a nomadic tribe known as the Ibexii. Like every child who comes of age on the planet of Midden, Sable must leave her clan behind and embark on a rite of passage called The Gliding. This involves venturing out into the wider world on a pilgrimage to learn more about themselves, the land they inhabit, and the people that populate Midden's sun-scorched sand dunes. Like those before her, Sable is bestowed a hoverbike and a Gliding Stone before leaving, the latter of which allows her to float through the air using an energy bubble born from ancient technology. With this, the stage is set for an open-world adventure that's equal parts relaxing and engrossing.At its core, Sable is a game about exploration, with its mechanics and overall design all feeding into this central philosophy. Upon departing the Ibexii camp for the first time, you're free to straddle your hoverbike and venture off towards any of the four corners of Sable's vast but manageably-sized map. There are quests to complete along the way that maintain some semblance of order, but this is a freeform open-world game that disregards the genre's traditional objective structure. Generally, your compass will point you in the vague direction of your current quest, while at other times you'll be given directions that encourage you to discover locations for yourself. You can set your own waypoints by using the map or by finding a vantage point and using the Navigator to mark potential points of interest, and all of these are displayed on the compass that encircles your hoverbike. Crucially, you never have to stare at a mini-map or a big objective marker as you skim inches above the sand, and this keeps your eyes planted firmly on what's in front of you.If you're heading towards a particular location with your eyes on the horizon, you're likely to spot other distractions along the way, whether it's a plume of smoke billowing into the sky and hinting at signs of life or the battered husk of a crashed spaceship. This kind of organic discovery is often found lacking in open-world games that rely on pre-existing points of interest and maps scattered with markers, and it sets Sable apart as you chart the world yourself by venturing towards whatever catches your eye. Midden is a fascinating world to uncover, too, with small pockets of civilization nestled in between the serene desolation of its sprawling desert. There are dilapidated temples engulfed by sand, a graveyard full of gargantuan animal bones, and an eerie forest shrouded in perpetual darkness--to name just a few of the sights you'll come across throughout your travels.Continue Reading at GameSpotInfo from Gamespot.com

Just like learning how to bake bread or mastering a language, going back to Death Stranding was one of those things I had always intended to do during lockdown, but never did. Returning to a gray, hazy, hostile world of death and human misery just seemed like the worst possible choice for living through a real-world pandemic. I should never have hesitated. In the face of all of Death Stranding's violence, its dead things, its surreal horror, and the bleakest, salted-earth portrayal of the post-apocalypse, there has always been this strong mote of hope and love and bonding and connection that's never been more necessary. If nothing else, Death Stranding: Director's Cut is the best excuse to return to the valley of the shadow of death, and find the grim beauty waiting there. What the new features and content bring to the table is simply making that return easier and more welcoming than ever.Death Stranding was originally released for the PlayStation 4 in November 2019. In our original review, which you can read here in full, Kallie Plagge awarded it a 9/10, saying that "Death Stranding is a hard game to absorb. There are many intertwining threads to its plot, and silly names, corny moments, and heavy exposition belie an otherwise very simple message. That comes through much more clearly in the game's more mundane moments, when you find a desperately-needed ladder left behind by another player or receive a letter from an NPC thanking you for your efforts. It's positive without ignoring pain; in fact, it argues in both its story and its gameplay that adversity itself is what makes things worth doing and life worth living. It's a game that requires patience, compassion, and love, and it's also one we really need right now."More to the point, however, Director's Cut is a bit of a misnomer. Despite the appeal of an auteur like Kojima taking a more proactive approach, tweaking dialogue and text files or adding scenes, nothing terribly germane to the plot, story, character development, or the way the world is presented has been messed with here. This is still largely the same game it was in 2019: a post-apocalyptic odyssey to reconnect the disparate cities of America at all costs, with our taciturn, faithless hero, Sam Porter-Bridges, facing the literal and metaphorical ghosts of America along the way. That's just the very tip of an expansive iceberg of a plot that toys around with metaphysics, the role of politics in our lives, the inherent nihilism of fundamentalist thinking, the social contract deteriorating, and lots more. All this is held up by a primary gameplay loop that has you playing postman to the entire country--mostly on foot--and across varied, melancholy-inducing terrain. Still, all of that was in the game we got two years ago, and by and large, the Director's Cut is the same kind of enhanced experience Ghost of Tsushima's Director's Cut was.That's not a bad thing, it's just not a big thing. Newcomers and those starting from scratch will benefit the most. The Director's Cut features a much more elegant set of introductory challenges, clearer explanations of core mechanics, and some helpful bits of gear like the Support Skeleton and the new debilitating Maser Gun are available early on, taking a lot of the aggravation out of the game's first few episodes. There is an AR firing range allowing you to test out any new weaponry you get against static targets or on bots who function like the MULE enemies, which was especially helpful in letting me finally get the timing down for parrying using the Strand rope.Continue Reading at GameSpotInfo from Gamespot.com

Fortnite popularized the now-ubiquitous battle pass and has long been seen as one of the games that gets it right, but Season 8's new challenge and XP system seem to slow progress to a crawl, and Fortnite fans aren't thrilled so far. While the mysterious cubes' migration patterns keep players invested on a story level, players who want to quickly and consistently tier-up in the Season 8 battle pass are finding it harder than usual. Season 8 is a grind so far, and players are waiting for a fix.Check the Fortnite Twitter and Subreddit and you'll see dozens of comments under every post where players are begging for more XP. Some players are calling it the worst XP system Fortnite has ever implemented. I haven't been playing since the earliest days, so I can't speak to the entire timeline, but I agree it's the slowest, grindiest leveling system implemented in Fortnite Chapter 2.The problem with Fortnite's Season 8 XP system is that there aren't enough challenges to chase for the players who dedicate many hours a day to the game. Past seasons have included milestone challenges, which rewarded thousands of XP for players who crossed certain benchmarks throughout the season. These would often revolve around things you'd inevitably do anyway, like recording headshots and eliminations, but also simple things that you might miss if not for the XP on offer, such as lighting campfires or burning down structures.Continue Reading at GameSpotInfo from Gamespot.com