Elden Ring rises. After a two-year-long vow of secrecy, Elden Ring premiered a new gameplay trailer as well as announced a January 21, 2022 release date for consoles and PC.
Bandai Namco, who is publishing Elden Ring for FromSoftware, has released a new fact sheet that dives deeper into the gameplay trailer we saw today as part of the big reveal. This includes several key points about the world FromSoft and George R.R. Martin have cooked up together.
According to the fact sheet, Elden Ring is set to be FromSoft’s “largest game to date.” While FromSoft’s Soulsborne games have always had a sense of scale to them, the trailer for Elden Ring looked to take things to a whole new level. The player character has to traverse this land by horseback to get around, which is a first for any Souls title.
A rewatch of the trailer, particularly a scene where the player is riding a horse across a stone bridge, appears to be the developer’s showcasing that yeah, Elden Ring just might be that big.
The World Is Also Seamless
One of the hallmarks of FromSoft’s world design is making it so that everything feels interconnected. Dungeons at the start of the game maze around and seamlessly connect with an end-level dungeon. Elden Ring will do this as well with “shadowy, complex dungeons that are connected seamlessly.”
That means keep an eye out for shortcuts as you might be able to traverse the world faster the deeper in you go.
Snuck into a press release, Elden Ring will also have a “natural weather and time-or-day progression.” While night and day (and various moon cycles) have featured in FromSoft games in the past, they have always been marked by specific encounters or instances. In Bloodborne, for example, a changing of the moon cycle was permanent, but in Elden Ring, it appears night and day, and even specific weather conditions can come and go dynamically.
The NPCs Can Help or Hurt you, and There’s Probably a Sad Reason For It
The NPC ins FromSoft games have rich, and deep backstories, and a world crafted by director Hidetaka Miyazaki and George R.R. Martin will continue this tradition. According to the fact sheet, Elden Ring will have “adversaries with profound backgrounds” and characters will have “unique motivations for helping or hindering your progress.”
As FromSoft YouTuber VaatiVidya says, “Prepare to Cry.”
The fact sheet has shared a couple of different locales and biomes players will encounter in Elden Ring. This includes” grassy plains, suffocating swamps, spiraling mountains, foreboding castles and other sites of grandeur on a scale never seen before in a FromSoftware title.”
I’m sure fans familiar with the swamp level in Dark Souls are absolutely pleased to hear this.
You Have to Become an Elden Lord
While plot details are under wraps still, a brief summary of Elden Ring shares some key details. According to FromSoft The Golden Order is broken, and it is through the Elden Ring that the player becomes an “Elden Lord in the Lands Between”
Who knows what any of this means just yet, but if past games have told me anything it’s that becoming an Elden Lord might not be all that is cracked up to be.
Yes, You Can Make Your Own Character
Despite the plot summary, you’ll still be able to create your own character as in past games. Characters can be tailored to suit your specific playstyles whether you prefer certain weapons or enjoy using magic. And of course, weapons, spells, and more are hidden throughout the world of Elden Ring.
Upgrade Your PS4/Xbox One Version to New-Gen
Elden Ring will include an upgrade path for players who purchase it on the previous-gen and then upgrade to a PS5 or Xbox Series X|S. For Xbox owners, this will be done through Smart Delivery, while PlayStation players will likely need to download an update for disc and digital copies.
Final Fantasy VII Remake PS5 upgrade and Intergrade DLC are now available, the latter of which is exclusively available on PS5. The free PS5 upgrade is only available for people who purchase the PS4 game: anyone who claimed Final Fantasy VII Remake as part of PS Plus will need to purchase the game to get the PS5 version.
For players looking to claim the PS5 upgrade, you will need to go to the PS4 version of Final Fantasy VII Remake on the PlayStation Store and look for the PS5 upgrade. Those who own the game digitally or physically can claim the free upgrade, but disc owners can only get the upgrade if they have the standard version of the PS5 and not the digital-only PS5.
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Now Playing: Final Fantasy 7 Remake Intergrade – Final Trailer
In order to transfer your save from the PS4 version to the PS5 version, you will need to have Final Fantasy VII Remake for the PS4 installed with the latest patch. In the menu of the PS4 version, select the option to transfer your save, pick which save to transfer, and upload it. After that, you can download the save in the PS5 version of Final Fantasy VII Remake, which will unlock any Trophies you earned in the PS4 version. This process is similar to other PS4 to PS5 upgrades we’ve seen before, like Marvel’s Avengers and Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 1 + 2.
Anyone getting the free upgrade for Final Fantasy VII Remake Intergrade will need to purchase the Yuffie DLC Intermission for $20 USD, although there have been reports of the DLC not appearing for some people or appearing as the Chinese/Korean version (although it is apparently in English), so be wary of what you are purchasing. Players who don’t already own Final Fantasy VII Remake for PS4 and want to get in on the PS5 version can purchase Final Fantasy VII Remake Intergrade for $70 which includes the Yuffie DLC.
The Intermission DLC takes place during the events of the main game, with Yuffie exploring different parts of Midgard. The DLC features newly remastered tracks and a reworked version of the tower defense mode Fort Condor from the original game.
The Final Fantasy VII Remake Item Pack is also now available for free to everyone on PS4 and PS5. The pack features some extra accessories plus the Carbuncle, Chocobo Chick, and Cactuar Materias. This pack was originally only obtained via Butterfinger candy bars, although some of it was already released to everyone.
Watch live streams, videos, and more from GameSpot’s summer event. Check it out
While E3 2021 is still a couple of days away, Geoff Keighley’s Summer Game Fest: Kickoff Live! will start an exciting weekend of video games with a show that features 30+ games, special guests, musical performances, Day of the Devs, and much more.
To help ensure you don’t miss a single announcement, trailer, gameplay video, or surprise, here is everything announced and revealed at Summer Game Fest: Kickoff Live!
Elden Ring Release Date Announced Alongside First Gameplay Trailer
Tiny Tina’s Wonderlands Arrives in Early 2022 From Borderlands Developer
Borderlands developer Gearbox has announced Tiny Tina’s Wonderlands – A high-fantasy take on a looter-shooter that features the voice talent of Andy Samberg, Wanda Sykes, Ashley Burch, Will Arnett, and more. This will be a standalone game and is not a Borderlands spinoff.
Call of Duty: Zombies Creator Announces Deviation Games Studio and Partnership with PlayStation
Jason Blundell, the creator of Call of Duty: Zombies, has teamed up with fellow Treyarch veteran Dave Anthony to start a new studio called Deviation Games. Furthermore, the studio will be partnering with PlayStation on their new IP.
Far Cry 6’s Giancarlo Esposito Discusses His Character Anton Castillo
The actor behind the antagonist Antón Castillo of Far Cry 6 reveals his character’s background and motivations as the despot ruler of the island Yara in the latest addition to the Far Cry series.
New details about Back 4 Blood were revealed during the Summer Game Fest kickoff stream, including when fans can try out the game for themselves. Back 4 Blood’s open beta will kick off on August 5 with early access for those who have preordered the game; it’ll be available on August 12 for everyone else.
It’s unclear if progress made in the Back 4 Blood open beta will carry over to the full game. Developer Turtle Rock Studios has not confirmed what platforms the open beta will be available on, though Back 4 Blood is slated to launch on PC, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X|S on October 12.
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Now Playing: Back 4 Blood Beta and Boss Reveal | Summer Game Fest 2021
Alongside announcing Back 4 Blood’s open beta start date, Turtle Rock Studios showcased a brief look at a brand-new boss with a shark’s head. Take a look.
That’s one big-looking boss in Back 4 Blood.
The Summer Game Fest livestream isn’t the only place where Back 4 Blood will make an appearance, as publisher Warner Bros. Interactive confirmed that the co-op shooter will also be shown during a June 13 livestream.
E3 2021 is officially underway and more announcements are bound to happen, so check back for all the latest news and previews.
The products discussed here were independently chosen by our editors. GameSpot may get a share of the revenue if you buy anything featured on our site.
Watch live streams, videos, and more from GameSpot’s summer event. Check it out
The CD Projekt hack that originally took place in February appears worse than originally thought, the studio announced today.
In an update posted to its official Twitter account, CD Projekt revealed fresh details about the hack that resulted in the theft of the source for Witcher 3 and Cyberpunk 2077. CD Projekt says that it believes the stolen data is currently circulating the internet, and that employee personal information may have been compromised as well.
“We are not able to confirm the exact contents of the data in question, though we believe it may include current/former employees and contractor details in addition to data relates to our games,” CD Projekt wrote in a statement. “Furthermore, we cannot confirm whether or not the data involved may have been manipulated or tampered with following the breach.”
CD Projekt says that it’s working with Polish law enforcement, Interpol, and Europol on the matter. It also reiterated its commitment to protecting the privacy of its employees.
“We are committed and prepared to take action against parties sharing the stolen data,” CD Projekt wrote.
The CD Projekt hack originally took place in February 2021, with the studio revealing that its internal systems had been compromised and that the hackers had left a random note. The hackers stated their intention to dump the full source code for Cyberpunk 2077, Witcher 3, Gwent, and “the unreleased version of Witcher 3.”
The Sims 4 continues to get new expansions, the latest of which is called Cottage Living. The new expansion launches for PC and consoles on July 22, taking players to the sleepy town of Henford-on-Bagley, which sounds like a very chill and cozy place.
In Henford-on-Bagley, players can plant their own garden, raise farm animals like chickens, and become one with nature. The town also has a pub called The Gnome’s Arm where players can enjoy a drink or two after putting in some work in their gardens.
“This pack enables Sims to live their garden-to-table lifestyle, and we look forward to players living out their fantasies of building a charming cottage in the new world, Henford-on-Bagley,” The Sims 4 producer Antonio Romeo said.
The cows you raise give you milk, while your chickens supply you with eggs, and llamas have wool that you can obtain. Players need to be on the lookout for foxes, however, who can get into your henhouse and steal eggs. Like any good farming experience, Cottage Living expansion lets you take your best cows, chickens, and crops to a fair for grading.
Cottage Living launches on July 22 for $40 USD across PC, Mac, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X|S.
Watch live streams, videos, and more from GameSpot’s summer event. Check it out
JRPG fans, take note: Tales of Arise is set to release on PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S, and PC on September 10, 2021. The latest in a long-running series of JRPGs, Tales of Arise keeps the classic real-time combat of its predecessors, but looks better than ever.
The game is now available to preorder at a variety of retailers. Below, we have full details about where you can get it and what preorder bonuses to expect.
Tunic, the Zelda-like adventure starring a fox, has resurfaced at the Summer Game Fest with a new gameplay trailer and announcement of an imminent demo. The game, first revealed at E3 2017, has been absent from the public eye for a long time, making its surprise inclusion in today’s event a welcome one.
The gameplay demo is brief but does show off some of the improvements the game has undergone since last it was shown off. Tunic is an isometric adventure game with elements familiar to classic Legend of Zelda titles, meaning you’ll come across an assortment of weapons all with unique abilities that help you overcome foes and solve dungeon-based puzzles. The game’s foxy protagonist is just incredibly cute, too.
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While many games generally have something at least somewhat meaningful to say about the world we live in (advertently or no), I often find myself a bit disconnected from the monumental settings so many protagonists are dropped into. Plenty of amazing games tell impactful stories about love, loss, hope, revenge, and so forth, but it’s rare for something to dig at me in the small, deeply personal way that Chicory: A Colorful Tale has. And it’s perhaps even rarer for that personal impact to be accompanied by the kind of fun, concise, self-aware, and encouraging little adventure that indie developer Greg Lobanov and his colleagues present.
Chicory is best-described as a top-down Zelda-like adventure sans combat where the entire game is a giant coloring book. It follows a protagonist that you name after your favorite food who is the janitor and number-one fan of Chicory, the sole “wielder” of a magical brush used to color in the otherwise black-and-white world. But Chicory vanishes, and all the world’s color goes with her. The protagonist, stumbling upon her brush, takes it up themself and begins filling the world’s color back in. It’s fun and games initially, but things quickly take a turn as you discover a growing darkness troubling your friends and neighbors which seemingly has ties to Chicory, and the brush itself.
Your adventure takes you across a world full of charming, food-named locales (towns of Luncheon and Brekkie, the Appie Foothills, Supper Woods, etc), progressing by solving puzzles connected to coloring in the black-and-white world. At the start, you’ll only have basic draw/erase functions and four different colors pre-selected by the area you’re in. But over time you’ll get access to more tools via collectible “brush styles,” most of which are stamps (like stars or hearts) or patterns (dots, stripes) that will enhance your otherwise straightforward line drawing. The most important of these, a fill tool, is mercifully available early on. The rest of the brush styles are scattered around the world, serving as one of a handful of optional collectible challenges alongside a robust closet of hidden clothing options to find, decorative items you can set up anywhere, and a sidequest involving lost cat children.
Pleasant as the world is to uncover, the paint tool of Chicory is more the core of its gameplay than its exploration is. The world reacts to your paint, with puzzles requiring you to color thoughtfully to overcome obstacles, complete sidequests, and access hidden areas. Plants might grow into crossable platforms with paint applied, or shrink when erased so as not to block your path. Geysers of paint will shoot you across the map, color-filled mushrooms can be used as springboards, and bubbles filled with paint will explode, breaking flimsy rocks standing in your way. As you progress, you’ll gain more powers, like the ability to paint flowing water and swim in it, climb paint-covered walls, or light up dark caves with glow-in-the-dark paint.
What this ultimately results in is a very clever new layer to what would otherwise be pleasant but familiar top-down adventure puzzle-solving. Your paint is persistent; you’ll always know where you’ve been and what you did there based on the splatters you left behind, making Chicory’s world stressless and inviting to explore and fill in. It’s worth revisiting areas, too, as in typical top-down adventure fashion you’ll have powers later on that will unlock more hidden areas you couldn’t access before, each containing treasures or little subplots that add further color and personality to Chicory’s cast. What’s more, characters will frequently ask you to paint or decorate things for them: houses, donuts, logos, furniture, and so forth. Some will have specific color requests, but for the most part they just want the thing done however you like it, and will react with delight to your work whether you’re an auteur or amateur.
This is emblematic of all of Chicory: it is not a stressful or fast-paced game (apart from a few brief boss encounters). It’s a thoughtful game that wants you to walk along with it at a pace that feels pleasant, with puzzles that require consideration but never strain, sidequests in measured but not overwhelming amounts, and plenty of fun things to discover or stumble upon that never feel mandatory or guilt-inducing if you miss them. It recognizes that its audience, me included, may think they are objectively god-awful at art. But then it offers the tools and encouragement to try anyway, and goes farther to challenge those self-effacing beliefs by rejoicing in thoughtful effort without judgment. Chicory does this in large ways through story scenes, but also in small ways, like having its funny and adorable NPCs pop up unexpectedly in areas you’ve been through before to admire the art you did there.
Furthermore, rarely do I encounter games that have so expertly grasped the precise amount of everything they need to have. All of Chicory, from its length (10 to 20 hours, depending on how much you paint and explore) to its quantity of sidequests and collectibles to the length and difficulty of its puzzles to the amount of dialogue and discovery is just right. Chicory never overstays its welcome, concludes all its moments in a satisfactory way, and offers more for those who wish it without guilting or pressuring you into pushing past natural stopping points. It is impressive in its exactness.
All this alone would make for a very good game. It’s difficult for me to explain why Chicory affected me so personally without getting into spoiler territory, but I think it’s critical to highlight the story and character-centered reasons why it is elevated beyond being just a well-made Zelda-like with a clever paint tool. Chicory tells an earnest story about people who create things, and the ways in which being a creator impacts them. Though it’s specifically about visual art, anyone who “makes” — whether that’s artists of any school, or those like myself who fall more into the territory of “craft” rather than art — could easily find that something personal resonates with them here.
Chicory is about characters who are intrinsically wedded to their work, and who also have their work constantly on public display, subject to the critique of absolutely everyone in the world at all times. Most of its citizens are kind and encouraging of your efforts, recognizing that you’re in a tricky and unexpected situation. But that doesn’t stop many of them from pointing out the flaws of past wielders, or even expressing nervous doubt in your own abilities as the implications of your job for everyone else get scarier. And as Chicory herself points out – and the story illustrates more pointedly later – while the pressure others put on you to do your job well is stressful on its own, it can be nothing compared to the pressure people put on themselves. Especially when they are following in the footsteps of someone they deeply admire.
There’s a lot of close-to-home reflection in Chicory on imposter syndrome, the relationship between mentors and mentees, how mental health struggles particularly impact creators, and how we are all so often our own worst critics. But there are also supporting characters with brief, sharp at times, but always kind commentary on topics like grief, workaholism, and the struggles of reckoning with sexuality and identity. It is at all times sensitive and empathetic, but doesn’t sugar-coat or present a cheesy solution that magically erases the problems of all its protagonists, even in its conclusion.
And critically, its story is beautifully suited to its gameplay, with its paint mechanics both subtly and overtly highlighting its themes at every moment. For instance, Chicory has “boss battles” of a sort, where the painted darkness the protagonist faces not only takes the explicit forms of those it represents, but also more subtly reflects their actual art styles. In another example, the world remembers not just the paint you throw on the environment, but your more deliberate creations as well, resulting in emotional callbacks to your past work when you visit characters you’ve seen before and are clued into what your art has meant to them. Chicory is at all times illustrating exactly what it is fundamentally about in a way that I feel few games manage to fully express without veering into the far excesses of either lengthy cutscenes or gameplay challenges that kill story momentum and feeling.
For all these reasons, on top of which I’ll add Lena Raine’s absolutely incredible soundtrack, I can enthusiastically recommend Chicory whether you consider yourself a “maker” or not. Chicory constantly asks its audience for understanding and empathy toward those whose work they consume. I’ve had a lot of complex feelings lately related to seeing those I admire most in my profession as human beings with flaws as well as virtues, and Chicory helped me process those while encouraging me to give them grace. But Chicory also wants me to give that same grace to myself. It was a reminder (without resorting to the overdone self-care language those with this flavor of anxiety have heard a hundred times before) that I am not defined by my work despite my constant insistence on treating myself as though I am. I can and should be kinder to myself. I needed to hear that.
We’re almost at the end of Netflix’s first ever Geeked Week. and today’s presentation was all about anime and animation.
I suspect that a few IGN readers will be interested in pretty much everything that follows.
Between show announcements, new trailers, and exclusive clips from highly anticipated installments in the Godzilla and Resident Evil franchises, day four proved to be one of the best so far. Remember: tomorrow is all gaming, and IGN will be covering everything from a first look at The Witcher’s second season (hopefully!) to updates on all the adaptations they have in the works.
Without further ado, here’s the biggest and best announcements from Netflix Geeked Week’s fourth day.
Resident Evil: Infinite Darkness — Capcom and Netflix’s animated series, which unites Leon S. Kennedy and Claire Redfield after the events of Resident Evil 4, is nearly here. To celebrate the quickly approaching premiere, Netflix has released the first few opening minutes. Check it out on Netflix’s YouTube page.
Godzilla: Singular Point: The animated series based in the Godzilla universe is almost here (June 24th globally!), and a new clip gives us a brand new look at a menacing Rodan.
Masters of the Universe: Revelation: Between Mark Hamill as Skeletor and Kevin Smith as, well, Kevin Smith, what more could people want from Masters of the Universe: Revelation? A trailer maybe? Netflix came through.
Bright: Samurai Sword: Remember Bright, the 2017 movie from Netflix? Well! There’s a new anime based on the movie, directed by Kyohei Ishiguro. “Izo, a Ronin, and Raiden, an orc, work to bring a young elf girl and the wand she carries to the land of the elves in the north,” according to Netflix.
Announcing Bright: Samurai Soul.
Izo, a Ronin, and Raiden, an orc, work to bring a young elf girl and the wand she carries to the land of the elves in the north.
Make My Day: A new anime film coming to Netflix this year. Here’s the official description from the company: “On a cold planet of ice and snow, mysterious creatures suddenly have appeared from the dark underground and have begun to attack the inhabitants. Can humanity survive the terror lurking beyond the horizon?”
Introducing Make My Day, a new anime film coming to Netflix.
On a cold planet of ice and snow, mysterious creatures suddenly have appeared from the dark underground and have begun to attack the inhabitants. Can humanity survive the terror lurking beyond the horizon? #GeekedWeekpic.twitter.com/lep9gLOexk
Exception: It’s described as a futuristic horror anime and the thumbnail alone is enough to make my cowardly self “nope!” right out of it, but horror fans should be pleased.
Here’s your first glimpse at Exception.
The new space horror anime series is based on a new story by Hirotaka Adachi (aka “Otsuichi”), with character designs by Final Fantasy’s Yoshitaka Amano. #GeekedWeekpic.twitter.com/7CWhmNu9O6
Mobile Suit Gundam Hathaway: Mobile Suit Gundam Hathaway has been in development for a minute, and I’m so excited we got this brand new look at it today.
Twilight of the Gods: Zack Snyder is making an anime based on the Greek mythological gods. What more is there to say? No look at it just yet, but the cast has been announced. The full lineup is below.
