Month: March 2021

An old, blurry, short, shaky-cam trailer for the From Software game Elden Ring has been posted on social media. Despite its poor quality and the fact that it’s old, the trailer is generating a lot of buzz because From Software has stayed so quiet on the project since it was announced.

“I can only imagine what drives you to seek the Elden Ring,” says the narrating voice in the trailer. “I suppose you can’t be talked into turning back. Very well then!”

Reporter Jeff Grubb said on Twitter that the video dates back to 2020. Separately, VGC reported that development on Elden Ring has been “significantly hampered” by COVID-19. One source told VGC that Elden Ring is unlikely to release in 2021.

Reporter Jason Schreier said Elden Ring has already been delayed multiple times and that the game will be shown off “relatively soon.” Recently, Xbox marketing boss Aaron Greenberg confirmed that Elden Ring will not be shown during an upcoming Xbox event.

Elden Ring was officially announced in June 2019. Director Hidetaka Miyazaki said at the time that Elden Ring began its life as a “more classic fantasy title.” However, as development progressed, the title became a “dark fantasy action-RPG” featuring various elements that From Software was not able to achieve with the Dark Souls franchise–and you can clearly see the influence of Dark Souls.

Unlike From Software’s Sekiro, which was developed at the same time as Elden Ring, the new game is focused more on its RPG elements than action. That being said, Elden Ring will still have “responsive melee-based combat,” Miyazaki said.

The game director added that he expects Elden Ring to be a challenging title like From Software’s previous games. “The importance we place on the joy the player experiences through overcoming challenges will be the same as it is in our other titles. I believe it will prove to be a very satisfying experience,” Miyazaki said.

One of the biggest differences between Elden Ring and From Software’s previous games is its open-world nature, according to Miyazaki. “I would have to say the biggest difference is it being open world,” he said. “Due to this, the scale of the world and its narrative, as well as the depth and freedom of exploration have increased dramatically. It is without a doubt our biggest title yet in terms of sheer volume.”

Acclaimed fantasy author George R.R. Martin consulted on Elden Ring’s lore. Recently, Xbox boss Phil Spencer spoke about how he played “quite a bit” of the game, and remarked that he’s excited about what Miyazaki is trying to achieve with it.

“I can’t tell you much other than, as somebody who’s played all of Miyazaki’s games over at least the last decade, this is clearly the most ambitious game that he’s done,” Spencer told GameSpot. “I mean, I love his games, but seeing some of the gameplay mechanics stuff that he and the team are tackling this time, of the setting, working with another creator in terms of story. I love it. I love seeing him challenging himself, he’s a good friend of mine, expanding his horizons. I think it’s a good thing.”

Check out GameSpot’s roundup of everything you need to know about Elden Ring to learn more.

Halo 3 is getting its first wave of new DLC maps in more than a decade through The Master Chief Collection, and now we’ve seen them in action for the first time.

The new maps are coming to MCC in the Season 6 update, which recently entered public testing for players who have signed up to the free Halo Insider program. Now that the beta has gone public, people are sharing videos to give everyone a first look at the new content.

The maps–Waterfall and Edge–come from Halo Online, the canceled free-to-play game for Russia. Waterfall takes place in the frosty Zezar system on a UNSC facility. The Edge map, meanwhile, takes place on a Forerunner data archival site on Partition. You can see both of the maps in action in the video above from Uber Nick. You can search for “new Halo 3 maps” on YouTube, Twitter, Twitch, and other places to see even more coverage.

Also included in Season 6 is a variety of new weapon skins, armor, and more items to collect. These include animated visors–a first for the game–along with what looks like Halo’s take on Fortnite’s back bling. You can adorn your soldier with a variety of cosmetics for their back to give them special flair.

There is no word yet on when MCC Season 6 will begin, but considering the content is now available for public testing, it might not be long until it’s available for everyone.

There has been a lot of Halo news lately; check out the stories linked below to catch up with the latest developments across the franchise.

Alongside the new character Astra and battle pass, Valorant is also adding one more thing on March 2. The game is getting Prime//2.0, a Prime skin set designed as an evolution of the original, complete with new skins and features for several weapons.

Available in a bundle for 7,100 VP (the separate components are 11,825 on their own), the new Prime set includes the Phantom, Frenzy, Bucky, and Odin weapons, along with a karambit-style melee weapon. If you’ve played Splinter Cell Blacklist or have seen The Raid 2, it’s the famous Indonesian Asian knife with a deadly curved blade. The version included with this set isn’t quite as drastic a curve as some we’ve seen, but its golden blade should strike fear into your enemies.

You’ll also get a gun buddy, card, and spray as part of the bundle, and there are seven levels that add things like gold, green, and red variants.

Riot Games’ goal with designing the new Prime set was to evoke the look and clean, futuristic design of a hypercar. These include the exhaust ports on the weapons themselves, which are based on car exhaust in very expensive vehicles, according to senior weapons artist Chris Stone.

The color scheme in Prime//2.0 is different than the first set, as well, with a focus on black, gold, and white. It’s designed to feel distinct enough from the original to feel like an evolution while still looking like it belongs under the Prime banner. This and the Glitchpop sets are the last ones Riot has planned for now, according to Stone, as the team wants to gather more feedback from players before it commits to anything else.

For more on Valorant, check out Astra and see what’s included in the new battle pass.

Souls-like action RPG Mortal Shell is being remastered for PS5 and Xbox Series X/S, and when it arrives on March 4 you can expect a significant graphical upgrade.

On PS5 and Xbox Series X, Mortal Shell: Enhanced Edition will be rendered in 4K resolution and 60fps gameplay, and will also feature upgraded textures. Whispering sounds and heartbeat vibrations will be transmitted through the PS5’s DualSense controller for added immersion.

The Xbox Series S version will render the game at 4K, although you’ll have to settle for a 30fps experience on the more moderately-specced console. Anyone who bought Mortal Shell on PS4 and Xbox One will receive the upgrade for free, and for new players the price will be $30.

If you’’re keen to pay a little bit extra, a special physical edition will be out at participating retailers and includes the game, a reversible cover, art postcards, and a 140-page artbook for $40.

Mortal Shell launched last year on the Epic Games Store, Xbox One, and PS4, and offers a great take on the Souls formula. In our Mortal Shell review, critic Phil Hornshaw wrote, “Mortal Shell makes for a strong introduction to Souls-likes, a demonstration for new players of what so many have found so interesting about From Software’s games and those like them.”

Monster Hunter Rise, which until now had only been announced for the Nintendo Switch, was said to be coming to other platforms in documents that were part of a massive Capcom data leak late last year. Now, thanks to reporting by Fanbyte, Rise is confirmed to be coming to the PC in 2022.

The new information was revealed in an interview with Monster Hunter producer Ryozo Tsujimoto and director Yasunori Ichinose. The developers said that Monster Hunter Rise was very much made for the Switch, saying that the team “were aware of [the console’s] shortcomings and abilities” while developing the game.

This may explain the long wait for the PC version of the game, due out next year, which the developers cautioned was “still very much in development.” It’ll be interesting to see how the PC port stacks up against the version made for Nintendo’s less powerful hybrid console, though it’s unlikely we’ll see footage of the port until the Switch version has released.

Monster Hunter Rise will release for the Switch on March 26, 2021, with a custom Monster Hunter-themed Switch releasing on the same day. Before then, we’ll get to see even more of the game with a series of livestream events scheduled through early March.

Despite Bugsnax‘s adorable art style, cute characters, and catchy theme song, the whole game has a mild undercurrent of body horror, as you transform characters’ body parts by feeding them Bugsnax. An early concept posted by developer Young Horses shows the studio almost leaned right into that horror element, requiring players to peel and prepare the adorable Bugsnax before feeding them to characters.

The video is more than a little alarming, showing the player pulling the wings off a pair of flying olives and yanking out the creature’s long tongue in order to plate it up. The video also shows the capture of a Pinkle, with preparation requiring the player to pluck off its pickle legs one by one.

It’s not surprising that the developers decided to can this mechanic, as reviewers would have been far less likely to recommend the game for kids with dismemberment as a core part of the gameplay.

The finished game struck the right balance between cuteness and wackiness, with GameSpot’s review of Bugsnax scoring the game 8/10. “Bugsnax’ best qualities are its cleverness and charm,” reviewer Mike Epstein explains. “The surprise and delight you feel when you see a Bugsnak wiggling around or watch someone eat one and change their arm into food never goes away. That alone would make Bugsnax worth your time, but creative puzzles and thoughtful story give it the body and depth to make a Snak feel more like a meal.”

To celebrate 21 years of The Sims, players are getting gifts of 21 new items for The Sims 4, including delicious new dishes, chic new furniture items, and a whole lot of new clothing and makeup styles. All the new items were created by members of the Sims community, who submitted creations that were meaningful to them, and useful to the wider community.

The new furniture items include a dining table and kitchen set designed to fit in with any décor style, as well as a Mid-Century inspired trio including a console with drawers, bright red wardrobe, and a funky wall mirror. New makeup has been added including a new set of natural brows, a highlighter designed to complement all skin tones, a new style of dark, matte lipstick, and even a cosmetic item that will add crow’s feet for ageing Sims.

New outfits include a cute, knitted fox beanie, a simple pairing of jeans with a cheery yellow crop top, and even a new outfit for toddlers. Last but not least, a handful of delicious new dishes have been added including butter chicken, palak paneer with naan, and a delicious chocolate mousse because, according to creator icemunmun, “what can be a more appropriate creation than good food for something as monumental as a 21st birthday?”

The full blog post about the new items features interviews with their creators digging into their history with The Sims, the items they made, and why they chose to submit them. The anniversary pack includes items from creators HeyHarrie, storylegacysims, peachyfaerie, peacemaker_ic, Luumia, icemunmun, grimcookies, FeralPoodles, and AHarris00Britney.

Despite being over 6 years old, The Sims 4 is still going strong with regular updates and new content packs, including a recent update that crossed over with Star Wars.

Mihoyo has confirmed that the final character banner for Genshin Impact‘s update 1.3 will feature 5-star Hu Tao, a pyro polearm user who is the director of the Wangsheng Funeral Parlor. While Hu Tao was expected to arrive during update 1.3 after being revealed by dataminers, her character banner wasn’t announced with the others when the update was released.

Update 1.3, Mihoyo’s latest big content drop for Genshin Impact, hasn’t followed the formula players have come to expect from the game. Instead of two character banners it featured three, shorter ones, and the last one has been kept a mystery until now, only a few days before it’s due to launch.

Hu Tao has mostly been mentioned as part of other characters’ voice lines until now, though her artwork, character model, and idle animation had already been unearthed by dataminers. Hu Tao’s abilities include a HP-consuming stance that converts all her damage to pyro damage and marks enemies to deal extra damage, while her Elemental Burst restores HP based on the number of enemies hit by its AOE attack.

While it’s unusual that Hu Tao’s banner wasn’t announced with the other two banners at the start of Update 1.3, players have theorized that Chinese developer Mihoyo didn’t want to announce a character who is associated with death during Lunar New Year celebrations. The first Hu Tao teaser was posted right when Genshin Impact’s in-game Lunar New Year event ended.

The banner also features 4-star characters Xinqiu, Xiangling, and Chongyun, giving players a higher chance to obtain these characters from wishes. The new banner will also come with a new “Trial Run” event, giving players a chance to try out the featured characters.

The banner, which is due to arrive on March 2, will also come with a new story quest for Hu Tao, Papilio Charontis Chapter. A new mini event named “Vishaps and Where to Find Them” will also start on March 5, featuring daily expeditions assigned by Katheryne of the Adventurer’s Guild.

It’s Golden Globes time!

There were a lot of surprises this year at the Golden Globes as Nomadland took home Best Motion Picture (Drama) and Best Director, Andra Day won Best Actress (Drama) for The United States vs Billie Holiday, and Rosamund Pike captured Best Actress (Musical or Comedy) for I Care a Lot.

David Fincher’s Mank, which led in movie nominations, was shut out, along with The Father, Promising Young woman, and One Night In Miami.

Borat Subsequent Moviefilm took home two Golden Globes, for Best Motion Picture (Comedy or Musical) and Best Actor (Comedy or Musical) for star Sacha Baron Cohen. Cohen’s co-star Maria Bakalova did not win in her category however. Pixar’s Soul also won two Globes, for Best Animated Feature and Best Score.

Chadwick Boseman won a posthumous Best Actor Golden Globe for his performance in Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom while Mark Ruffalo won Best Actor for a Limited Series, for I Know This Much Is True.

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In TV, Netflix’s The Crown cleaned up in most of the acting categories, including a Supporting Actress award for Gillian Anderson. Schitt’s Creek continued its win streak, picking up Best TV Comedy and a Best TV Actress (Comedy or Musical) trophy for Catherine O’Hara. Jason Sudeikis won Best Actor for the titular role in Ted Lasso.

Netflix’s The Queen’s Gambit did well for itself too, winning Best Limited Series and a Best Actress in a Limited Series award for Anya Taylor Joy.

Winners:

Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role in a Motion Picture

• Sacha Baron Cohen, The Trial of the Chicago 7
• Daniel Kaluuya, Judas and the Black Messiah – WINNER
• Jared Leto, The Little Things
• Bill Murray, On the Rocks
• Leslie Odom, Jr., One Night in Miami

Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role in a Series, Limited Series or Motion Picture Made for Television

• John Boyega, Small Axe – WINNER
• Brendan Gleeson, The Comey Rule
• Dan Levy, Schitt’s Creek
• Jim Parsons, Hollywood
• Donald Sutherland, The Undoing

Best Performance by an Actress in a Television Series – Musical or Comedy

• Lily Collins, Emily in Paris
• Kaley Cuoco, The Flight Attendant
• Elle Fanning, The Great
• Catherine O’Hara, Schitt’s Creek – WINNER
• Jane Levy, Zoey’s Extraordinary Playlist

Best Motion Picture – Animated

• Soul – WINNER
• Onward
• Wolfwalkers
• Over the Moon
• The Croods: A New Age

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Best Performance by an Actor in a Limited Series or a Motion Picture Made for Television

• Bryan Cranston, Your Honor
• Jeff Daniels, The Comey Rule
• Ethan Hawke, The Good Lord Bird
• Hugh Grant, The Undoing
• Mark Ruffalo, I Know This Much Is True – WINNER

Best Screenplay – Motion Picture

• Chloé Zhao, Nomadland
• Aaron Sorkin, The Trial of the Chicago 7 – WINNER
• Jack Fincher, Mank
• Florian Zeller and Christopher Hampton, The Father
• Emerald Fennell, Promising Young Woman

Best Performance by an Actress in a Television Series – Drama

• Olivia Colman, The Crown
• Jodie Comer, Killing Eve
• Emma Corrin, The Crown – WINNER
• Laura Linney, Ozark
• Sarah Paulson, Ratched

Best Original Song – Motion Picture

• Fight for You from Judas and the Black Messiah – H.E.R., Dernst Emile II, Tiara Thomas
• Hear My Voice from The Trial of the Chicago 7 – Daniel Pemberton, Celeste
• Io Si (Seen) from The Life Ahead – Diane Warren, Laura Pausini, Niccolò Agliardi – WINNER
• Speak Now from One Night in Miami – Leslie Odom Jr., Sam Ashworth
• Tigress & Tweed from The United States vs. Billie Holliday – Andra Day, Raphael Saadiq

Best Original Score – Motion Picture

• Alexandre Desplat, The Midnight Sky
• Ludwig Göransson, Tenet
• James Newton Howard, News of the World
• Trent Reznor & Atticus Ross and Jon Batiste, Soul – WINNER
• Trent Reznor & Atticus Ross, Mank

Best Performance by an Actor in a Television Series – Musical or Comedy

• Jason Sudeikis, Ted Lasso – WINNER
• Eugene Levy, Schitt’s Creek
• Nicholas Hoult, The Great
• Ramy Youssef, Ramy
• Don Cheadle, Black Monday

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Best Television Series – Musical or Comedy

• Emily in Paris
• The Flight Attendant
• The Great
• Ted Lasso
• Schitt’s Creek – WINNER

Best Performance by an Actress in a Motion Picture – Musical or Comedy

• Maria Bakalova, Borat Subsequent Moviefilm
• Kate Hudson, Music
• Michelle Pfeiffer, French Exit
• Rosamund Pike, I Care A Lot – WINNER
• Anya Taylor-Joy, Emma

Best Performance by an Actor in a Television Series — Drama

• Jason Bateman, Ozark
• Josh O’Connor, The Crown – WINNER
• Bob Odenkirk, Better Call Saul
• Matthew Rhys, Perry Mason
• Al Pacino, Hunters

Best Motion Picture – Foreign Language

• Another Round
• Minari – WINNER
• Two of Us
• The Life Ahead
• La Llorona

Best Television Series – Drama

• The Mandalorian
• The Crown – WINNER
• Lovecraft Country
• Ozark
• Ratched

Best Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role in a Motion Picture

• Glenn Close, Hillbilly Elegy
• Jodie Foster, The Mauritanian – WINNER
• Amanda Seyfried, Mank
• Helena Zengel, News of the World
• Olivia Colman, The Father

Best Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role in a Series, Limited Series or Motion Picture Made for Television

• Gillian Anderson, The Crown – WINNER
• Helena Bonham Carter, The Crown
• Julia Garner, Ozark
• Annie Murphy, Schitt’s Creek
• Cynthia Nixon, Ratched

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Best Performance by an Actress in a Limited Series or a Motion Picture Made for Television

• Anya Taylor-Joy, The Queen’s Gambit – WINNER
• Shira Haas, Unorthodox
• Nicole Kidman, The Undoing
• Cate Blanchett, Mrs. America
• Daisy Edgar-Jones, Normal People

Best Television Limited Series or Motion Picture Made for Television

• Normal People
• The Queen’s Gambit – WINNER
• The Undoing
• Small Axe
• Unorthodox

Best Performance by an Actor in a Motion Picture – Drama

• Riz Ahmed, Sound of Metal
• Chadwick Boseman, Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom – WINNER
• Anthony Hopkins, The Father
• Gary Oldman, Mank
• Tahar Ramin, The Mauritanian

Best Director – Motion Picture

• Emerald Fennell, Promising Young Woman
• David Fincher, Mank
• Regina King, One Night in Miami
• Chloé Zhao, Nomadland – WINNER
• Aaron Sorkin, The Trial of the Chicago 7

Best Motion Picture – Musical or Comedy

• Borat Subsequent Moviefilm – WINNER
• Hamilton
• Music
• Palm Springs
• The Prom

Best Performance by an Actor in a Motion Picture – Musical or Comedy

• Sacha Baron Cohen, Borat Subsequent Moviefilm – WINNER
• James Corden, The Prom
• Lin-Manuel Miranda, Hamilton
• Andy Samberg, Palm Springs
• Dev Patel, Personal History of David Copperfield

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Best Performance by an Actress in a Motion Picture – Drama

• Viola Davis, Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom
• Andra Day, The United States vs Billie Holiday – WINNER
• Frances McDormand, Nomadland
• Carey Mulligan, Promising Young Woman
• Vanessa Kirby, Pieces of a Woman

Best Motion Picture – Drama

• Nomadland – WINNER
• Mank
• The Father
• Promising Young Woman
• The Trial of the Chicago 7

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