SWOSH-X

Kingdoms of Amalur: Re-Reckoning gave a beloved RPG experience a second lease on life, much to the delight of many story-loving gamers. With a new expansion on the way with Fatesworn, the team behind this particular epic tale has one more pleasant surprise for fans: it's also coming to Nintendo Switch. 

In a new trailer, THQ Nordic confirmed that "Amalur is expanding its borders and heading into the unknown territory of...Nintendo" with a Switch release date set for March 16: 

Click here to watch embedded media

The dive into a new platform comes just at the right time because the Fatesworn expansion is also on the way soon. Fatesworn features entirely new content, giving returning players from the original title something new to look forward to when diving back into the Faelands. 

For those that may not have enjoyed what Amalur has to offer quite yet, we can't recommend it enough! This particular RPG came from the mind of bestselling author R.A. Salvatore alongside Spawn creator Todd McFarlane. The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion's lead designer Ken Rolston also joined the team for this remaster, bringing with him even more RPG expertise to an unforgettable tale. 

To learn more about the original game that inspired this incredible remaster, you can check out our full review here

Thoughts on the announcement that Kingdoms of Amalur: Re-Reckoning coming to Switch ahead of the newest expansion? Sound off with those magical thoughts in the comment section below! 

A new Dungeons & Dragons movie was confirmed back in May of last year but there is also a new live-action television series also in the works thanks to Hasbro and eOne. While the movie is still trying to decide if actor Chris Pine will take a leading role, the TV series just secured itself a phenomenal grab with John Wick creator Derek Kolstad joining the team as the lead writer. 

Kolstad's addition to the growing team was confirmed by The Hollywood Reporterthough the idea behind the upcoming show remains a mystery. Reflecting back on Kolstad's impressive work history, including the epic John Wick franchise, the potential is there to see a unique spin on a beloved universe. Pair that with his previous contributions to Hulu's Hitman: Agent 47 and as well as his work on Marvel's The Falcon and the Winter Soldier TV series, there is no telling what sort of flavor he'll bring to the world of orcs, elves, and mystery. 

Unfortunately, there isn't any information about the movie or the TV series, but we do know that Kolstad was brought on to write the show as well as to develop a pitch to ensure it has as much support as possible before going into production. 

It will be interesting to see what both experiences have to offer, especially as Dungeons & Dragons continues to grow its community with the help of the mainstream spotlight on the fantasy adventure thanks to properties like Critical Role and Geek & Sundry

With both the film and TV series on the way, what would you like to see come from the upcoming Dungeons & Dragons adaptations? Any particular period in the tabletop's history that you'd be the most interested in seeing, any particular settings capture your eye? Sound off with all of those D&D thoughts in the comment section below and give us your best pitch for what the future should hold. 

[Source: THR]

The launch of Cyberpunk 2077 has become one of the messiest to-date, going far beyond simple glitches and game fixes. From hostile work conditions to a lack of any clear planning, the road to launch has been paved with negativity and it looks like the hits will continue as a second class-action lawsuit against CD Projekt Red has been filed. 

In a new report from GamesIndustry.biz, the lawsuit has been filed via the US District Court for the Central District of California. The lawsuit was confirmed via the Regulatory Announcements portion of the CD Projket Red's website, citing that the second lawsuit has the same intent as the first one filed earlier this year. The latest announcement reports the filing claims that the game's launch was misleading to both investors and consumers alike. 

The official notice of the lawuit's reception is as follows: 

The Management Board of CD PROJEKT S.A. with a registered office in Warsaw (hereinafter referred to as “the Company”) hereby announces that it received confirmation from a law firm cooperating with the Company that a second civil class action lawsuit had been filed in the United States District Court for the Central District of California by a law firm acting on behalf of a group of holders of securities traded in the USA under the ticker symbols “OTGLY” and “OTGLF” and based on Company shares. The content of the claim, including its subject and scope, is the same as the one disclosed by the Company in Current Report 68/2020 of 25 December 2020.

Just like the first lawsuit filed, the second one doesn't mention what the reparations being asked for are, though it does indicate that CD Projekt Red will "undertake vigorous action to defend itself against any such claims." 

In addition to the second class-action lawsuit filed by investors, the Poland's Office of Competition and Consumer Protection is also contemplating adding its own lawsuit to the table

With the recent apology video from the co-founder of CD Projekt Red detailing what led to such a disastrous launch and the recent report from Bloomberg outlining a hellish few years since the game began active development in 2016, the Polish studio has a long road ahead to repairing its reputation both industry-side and with consumers. 

[Source: CDPR via GameIndustry.biz]

The more I see of Balan Wonderworld, the more intrigued and excited I get. Yuji Naka’s next big follow-up to the Sonic and Nights franchises looks to be a wacky and delightful platforming romp, especially if you’re a fan of the increasingly rare 3D platformer. Thankfully, we'll have chance to see what the game is everything we dream of thanks to a free demo arriving January 28. 

Balan Wonderworld tells the story of two kids, Emma and Cole, who are transported to the dreamlike Wonderworld by a mysterious maestro. The usually positive realm has been infected by the Negati, a foul entity born of negative emotions, and its up to the young heroes to rid Wonderworld of its bad influence. Doing so involves donning over 80 costumes, each of which bestows a unique ability. The lengthy demo gives players a sample of three of the game's 12 worlds and can be played alone or in local co-op. Rather than send players through the first three worlds in order, the demo takes a more scattershot approach by offering a broader taste of Balan Wonderworld's offerings. 

World 1 takes place on a scenic farmstead born from the memories of a farmer’s despair. Players have access to Act 1 and 2 as well as a boss battle. Players can also don the Jumping Jack and Dainty Dragon costumes. 

World 4 represents a boy's love for the open sky, so the realm consists of floating islands and, for whatever reason, bicycle parts. Act 1 is available to play and features the Soaring Sheep and Aero Acrobat costumes. 

Lastly, World 6 follows a young girl’s memories of meeting a kitten, with giant candy pieces and gear-driven buildings. Players have access to Act 1 as well as the Gear Prince and Pumpkin Puncher costumes. 

Additionally, the demo features the Isle of Tims. This hub area is where players encounter Tims, cute critters with helpful abilities that can evolve by feeding them droplets harvested on the island. 

Balan Wonderworld launches March 26 and the full game, along with the demo, will be available on PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Switch, and PC. For more on the game, check out its opening cinematic and gameplay trailer

Team Ninja is working on a ton of new games for the future, but before the speculation gets too high, the studio did confirmed that a new Ninja Gaiden and Nioh 3 aren't among them. The bright side? The former title's continuation wasn't technically a hard "no." 

The folks over at The Gamer recently sat down to speak with Nioh producer Fumihiko Yasuda to talk about what the future of Team Ninja looks like and what it won't include. 

When talking about any new games in the works at Team Ninja, the topic of Ninja Gaidan and Nioh 3 will always come up. When asked about a possible new Nioh title, Yasuda said that it's just not a goal right now. "In terms of a sequel right now, Team Ninja would like to focus on working on new titles, so there really isn't a plan for Nioh 3 at this point," he says. "But after creating some new projects and gaining some new experience and skills from those new potential projects, I would like to go back to the series at some point, utilize all the experience and new skills that we gain from some new projects, and then potentially, go back into the series at that point, and create an even greater game to surpass Nioh and Nioh 2 and to create something even better."

For Ninja Gaidan hopefuls, Yasuda confirmed that there is nothing to announce "at this time." The good news? This wasn't as clear-cut as the Nioh 3 statement. While the producer did say that the team doesn't have anything to announce at this moment, he added that the Nioh franchise wouldn't exist without Ninja Gaiden, and the series is "really important" to the studio. He fanned the hope a little more by adding, "While we don't have anything specific to announce at this time, I would like to say just look forward to some potential news for some kind of announcement in the near future." 

That "some kind of announcement" will be among several on the way, as the Team Ninja dev confirms that the team is working on several big games currently. We don't know when the reveals will begin rolling out, but Yasuda did make it sound like the first announcement could be arriving soon. 

From talking about the long road to Nioh 2's release to talking about the historical influences that inspired the games this studio has created, the latest sitdown with the company is a wonderful read that you can check out for yourself right here

Reddit drama and courtroom drama can now collide thanks to a clever bot that takes Reddit exchanges and stages them as scenes from the Ace Attorney series.  

As reported by Mashable, the bot comes from the mind of software engineer Micah Price, who is a fan of Capcom's lawyer-themed games. The bot takes comments in Reddit threads and transmutes them into hilarious back-and-forth dialogue, with lines being delivered by iconic characters like Phoenix Wright and Miles Edgeworth. You can watch one example below:

Click here to watch embedded media

You can use the bot on certain supported subreddits. All you need to do is add "!objectionbot" (or "!objection-bot") to a thread, and the bot automatically generates and links the video for your enjoyment. You can enjoy several examples collected under Objection-Bot's user profile. They aren't all pure gold, but you're bound to find some gems that capture the straight-faced absurdity of the series.

Ace Attorney may have dubious quality as a legal reference, but the games (especially the original trilogy) are full of clever characters, sharp writing, and intriguing mysteries. The internet isn’t necessarily as well-crafted or satisfying as Capcom’s narrative-heavy adventures, but we’ve all stumbled across ridiculous arguments in comment threads that seem to defy all logic and sense. Those are the threads especially well-suited to the Objection-Bot’s capabilities; dismantling questionable assertions is the core of Ace Attorney, and watching it happen in a fake courtroom setting is both entertaining and delightful.

One important and amusing detail about how this all works is that it isn't just about transferring comments from a thread into text boxes; the bot also captures the sense of changing fortunes with musical variations and other flourishes. For example, if a comment has a negative score, it could trigger the series' signature "Objection!" graphic, along with a soundtrack shift to heighten the excitement.  

Did you find a particularly wonderful example of Objection-Bot's power? Share it in the comments below!

[Via Mashable]

Some of you may recognize Cris Tales as one of the more eye-catching indie titles of 2021. For those unfamiliar, the game blends a striking, hand-drawn art direction with time-bending JRPG gameplay. It looks extremely promising, and those planning to pick it up should perhaps consider upping the ante with the game’s newly announced collector’s edition.

This physical bundle comes courtesy of Maximum Games Store and comes chock full of goodies. It runs for $99.99, and you’ll have to pre-order it fast as only “very limited” quantities are available. Cris Tales doesn’t have a firm release date yet, but the bundle is scheduled to release sometime this spring. Per the product page, the package includes the following: 

  • Collector’s box
  • An adorable Matias plush
  • Lithographic art prints
  • 3 character stickers
  • Set of 4 enamel character pins
  • A 60-page artbook
  • 4 desktop wallpaper downloads
  • 8 phone wallpaper downloads
  • 10 character avatars

Cris Tales tells the story of Crisbell, who has the unique ability to peer into the past and future and manipulate events to her liking. The game is an unabashed love letter to classic JRPGs such as Chrono Trigger, Secret of Mana, and Super Mario RPG. The classic turn-based gameplay is freshened up, though, thanks to the ability to battle across multiple time periods simultaneously and how players must strategically use different eras to their advantage. For example, Crisbell can send enemies into the past, which makes them younger and physically weaker, but also faster. This can also backfire, such as transporting a baby dragon into the future where it turns into an older, more powerful adult. Cris Tales looks great, which is why we consider it one of the year’s hidden gems worth watching

Look out for Cris Tales when it comes to PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Switch, and PC sometime this year. Watch us take the game for a spin in this episode of New Gameplay Today.

Click here to watch embedded media

Bloober Team’s The Medium straddles the thin veil between reality and the spirit world. A new gameplay trailer focuses on how players, through protagonist Marianne, can interact with the game world around them by using her supernatural powers. You can watch the video above. 

First and foremost, Bloober Team sets out to answer an often-posited question: What does a medium do? Marianne can notice and feel things that other people will never be able to pick up on. These moments of sensory overload drive her intuition and choices. Players can highlight important objects or passageways in their surroundings in order to gain deeper insight into the context of any specific situation. Additionally, Marianne can tune into key items so that she can relive the past (or “echoes”) - you can see examples of this above with the dress shoe. 

More importantly, Marianne can cross over to the spirit world - a waiting room of sorts where spirits dwell before moving on to the afterlife. Players are tasked with revealing fragments of these lost souls in order to bring them peace. I’m definitely not looking forward to conversing with that creepy little girl in the mask. 

In addition to the gameplay footage, Bloober Team released an updated PC System Requirements chart for those who’d prefer to enter the spirit world on mouse and keyboard. You can see the image on those specs below: 

The Medium debuts on January 28 on Xbox Series X/S and PC, with a day one release on Xbox Game Pass alongside a bevy of remastered Yakuza titles

Hearthstone is getting a significant update in just a few days with the Darkmoon Races Mini-Set on January 21. Over the past few years, Hearthstone has become not just the core game, but many different experiences under one roof.

Click here to watch embedded media

Don't like Standard and dealing with the metadecks? Hearthstone's take on auto chess, Battlegrounds, might be a nice escape. Still want the familiarity of cards but with an "every run is different" feel to it? Duels lets you play a roguelike run against other players, a natural progression from the dungeon delves that they were experimenting with a while ago. Arena lets players engage in a small scale format where single-card analysis and synergies can come to life outside of a constructed deck zone. And of course, there are still cozy Tavern Brawls that present strange game modes each week. 

The Darkmoon Races Mini-Set lets players pick up all the cards in the set at one price for $14.99 or 2000 gold. Alternatively, they can also be found in Darkmoon Faire packs once it launches. There are 35 cards in the new infusion, including cool characters that can really tie together strategies. Tapping into the powers of corruption? Dark Inquisitor Xanesh has a plan for you!

Battlegrounds is getting a few new heroes in this update as well. Tickatus is a premium source of Darkmoon prizes, gaining one for free every four turns. That sounds like it could get out of control! If you've been tinkering around with a taunt build trying to utilize many of the newer Battlegrounds cards that have "whenever your minion with taunt [does things]," Greybough looks like he's the perfect treant hero to take some chances on there. Some new Demon cards are also getting stuffed into the mix, so maybe Demons will be a viable faction (yeah right).

Duels is getting a bunch of new options with this patch. 10 new hero powers(!), 25 new treasures, and a ratings reset (both heroic and casual) are on deck. Duels is a fantastic way to inject a little variance and a lot of fun into classic archetypes, if you haven't had a chance to try it yet. It takes the dungeon run theme that began with Kobolds and Catacombs and ramps it up into a competitive PVP experience!

Are you playing Hearthstone? And if you are, what mode is your jam? Let us know in the comments below!

Many Sony fans have been anxiously awaiting a chance to nab an elusive PlayStation 5 but low stock and scalpers have made that task exceedingly difficult. Instead of lying low and quietly having no scruples, one scalping group is publicly boasting about securing another 2,000 PS5 units during a recent GAME restock to flip for $1,000+. 

The UK scalping group goes by the name Carnage, and they took to Twitter to brag about securing stock getting "easier every time" as they boast a recent 2,000 system haul. The "easier" comment is uniquely gouache considering many are scrambling to get just one system as groups like these continue making these highly desired consoles incredibly inaccessible on a financial level. Still, it's not unexpected given the very nature of scalping, to begin with, and it's not illegal and many retailers aren't doing enough to prevent it. Unfortunately, this practice will continue to be a reality until the retail process changes on a fundamental level. 

The Twitter not-so-humble brag predictably was met with backlash, causing the account to go private. But, the internet is forever and the below screenshot was provided via TheGamer

Groups like these aren't just one person, and that's what makes it easier to secure stock like this on a mass level. Many members contribute to hauls such as this, often using bots and similar programs to make it through checkout processes easier, more time effective, and easy to do on a multiple transaction scale. 

Getting a new console at the start of a fresh generation is always difficult, but adding in the layer of quarantines and the ongoing pandemic makes it even trickier. With more people at home and manufacturing progress becoming intricately more complicated, the low-stock-high-demand cycle for both the PS5 and Xbox Series X/S isn't likely to end in the immediate future. 

For those that may not know what scalping is, it's the process of buying highly coveted items in order to resell at a much higher price point. With the PlayStation 5 specifically, scalpers have raised the price by double in many instances and people are still buying them even with that $1,000 price tag. Until the demand ceases to give scalpers profit for this avenue of 'business' and retailers/companies band together to better control the checkout process and more effective stock alerts, this will continue to be a profitable endeavor for many. 

In our previous coverage, we noted another major scalping group that goes by CrepChiefNotify. This group runs their network in a similar way to Carnage and they openly boasted taking advantage of COVID-19 lockdowns to turn a profit. 

"During the first COVID-19 lockdown, we noticed a huge shift in products that people were buying," said the Crep manager. "The focus shifted towards the most ridiculous things, like outdoor hot tubs. We noticed that these began selling out in stores and reselling on eBay for a profit. So our developer wrote some site monitor software, and we tracked the stock of the sites selling hot tubs! Every time they pinged into stock, we would notify our members to buy it all."

What do you think about the process of scalping? Leave them alone and let them make that bread, or would you like to see corrective action take place? Sound off with your thoughts in the comment section below.