Author: Trafficblast

Image Comics Responds to Controversy Over Writer Warren Ellis

For years, fans of Warren Ellis and Ben Templesmith’s comic Fell have waited for the creators to resume work on the acclaimed, unfinished crime series. But with Ellis now facing numerous allegations of sexual misconduct, news of Fell’s return has met with considerable backlash online. Now publisher Image Comics has confirmed it won’t be publishing new issues of Fell.

Image issued the following statement to IGN:

“This week’s FELL announcement was neither planned, nor vetted, and was in fact, premature. While finishing Warren Ellis and Ben Templesmith’s FELL is something we’ve been looking forward to for years, Image Comics will not be working with Warren on anything further until he has made amends to the satisfaction of all involved. It is our sincere hope that the conversations that are beginning now will result in positive changes for everyone. Please visit SoManyOfUs.com.”

Ellis, the creator/writer of Netflix’s Castlevania series and comics like Planetary, Transmetropolitan, and Red, was accused by multiple women of predatory behavior and sexual misconduct in June 2020. The website SoManyOfUs.com contains several dozen testimonials, with many detailing incidents of Ellis sending sexually explicit messages or using his position to pressure them into sexual relationships.

Ellis has largely disappeared from the public eye since these allegations surfaced, deleting his Twitter account and ending his long-running email newsletter Orbital Operations.

In a now-deleted statement, Ellis wrote, “I have never considered myself famous or powerful, to the point where I’ve made a lot of bad jokes about it for twenty-odd years. It had never really occurred to me that other people didn’t see it the same way — that I was not engaging as an equal when gifted with attention, but acting from a position of power and privilege. I did not take that into account in a number of my personal interactions and this was a mistake and I own it.”

While Netflix recently released the fourth and final season of Castlevania and DC completed publication of Ellis and Bryan Hitch’s The Batman’s Grave, Fell would have been the first new work from the writer since these allegations came to light. However, Templesmith’s announcement of Fell’s return was met with a great deal of criticism online, including from fellow comic book creators like Nocterra writer Scott Snyder.

In a statement released on June 23, So Many of Us wrote,

“When we published SoManyOfUs.com on July 13, 2020, we expressly did not want to ‘cancel’ author Warren Ellis. Rather, we shared constructive ways to address the all-too-common issue of powerful men’s abusive behavior. We challenged people to rethink past actions and to consider how—and why—they may have facilitated harmful behaviors and environments. We called for openness, accountability, and growth, extending an offer of working with Ellis on some form of transformative justice. Since his public statement a year ago, to the knowledge of these authors, Ellis has still not taken direct responsibility for his destructive behavior nor attempted to tackle the circumstances that allow such behavior to go on unchecked both on and offline.”

The website updated its statement on June 24, revealing that Ellis has now reached out to the group in the hope of creating “a mediated dialogue.” Ellis has also published his first new newsletter in nearly a year, writing, “I have, of course, been silent and isolated for too long, and should have addressed things sooner and proceeded with more speed. I apologize.”

Ellis’ latest statement seems to preclude the possibility of any new published work for the foreseeable future. Fell may one day return to the stands, but both its publisher and creators have acknowledged now is not the time.

[poilib element=”accentDivider”]

Jesse is a mild-mannered staff writer for IGN. Allow him to lend a machete to your intellectual thicket by following @jschedeen on Twitter.

Patty Jenkins’ Star Wars: Rogue Squadron Finds a Writer

Lucasfilm is beginning to pull together its team for Star Wars: Rogue Squadron. Matthew Robinson has been tapped to write the screenplay for director Patty Jenkins’ upcoming Star Wars film, per The Hollywood Reporter.

Robinson is perhaps most well-known for co-writing and co-directing the 2009 comedy The Invention of Lying with Ricky Gervais. Robinson’s more recent screenwriting credits include last year’s post-apocalyptic comedy Love and Monsters and 2019’s Dora and the Lost City of Gold. Robinson is also attached to pen the upcoming remake of Little Shop of Horrors.

[ignvideo url=”https://www.ign.com/videos/2020/12/10/star-wars-rogue-squadron-patty-jenkins-announcement-video”]

While the title of Rogue Squadron has been used for both Star Wars video games and tie-in novels, the upcoming movie will not adapt any of these previous stories and will instead feature an original narrative. The film is currently slated to release during the holiday season in 2023. After helming Wonder Woman and Wonder Woman 1984, Patty Jenkins will become the first woman to direct a Star Wars film.

Star Wars: Rogue Squadron was originally announced during Disney Investor Day 2020. Disney is also developing an Ashoka Tano spin-off starring Rosario Dawson, a series focusing on Rogue One’s Cassian Andor, a Lando Calrissian series, and many more Star Wars projects.

[widget path=”global/article/imagegallery” parameters=”slug=star-wars-day-2021-disney-plus-art&captions=true”]

After the release of The Rise of Skywalker, Star Wars has migrated to streaming, becoming one of the main draws for Disney Plus with programs like The Mandalorian and the upcoming Obi-Wan Kenobi miniseries. Star Wars: Rogue Squadron will be the first theatrically released Star Wars feature since the Skywalker saga’s conclusion.

[poilib element=”accentDivider”]

J. Kim Murphy is a freelance entertainment writer.

Scarlet Nexus Review — The Ties That Bind

Scarlet Nexus takes us to a world where humans have developed psionic powers and the ability to connect their minds to each other. This has dramatically transformed life as we know it, allowing for a new era of connected consciousness and advanced technology. However, things aren’t all sunshine and roses for humanity–the populace lives in fear of the Others, grotesque brain-consuming monsters that randomly emerge from a mysterious belt that surrounds the planet. Their destructive impulses have rendered many areas uninhabitable, forcing humans to congregate in cities under the protection of the Other Suppression Force–an army of elite psionics trained to handle Other attacks. Yuito and Kasane are two fresh-faced recruits to the OSF, and they find their skills quickly put to the test during attacks. When a mission goes awry, they will be forced to take sides and fight to expose disturbing truths lying under the surface.

The setting of Scarlet Nexus is an intriguing mix of cyberpunk imagery, dystopian society, and pure sci-fi that captures your attention immediately. You get the feeling from the get-go that something is off about everything that’s going on, which only increases when you first lay eyes on the Others–horrendous aberrations that mix familiar organic and inorganic objects into monsters that move like living creatures, but feel disconcertingly unnatural. Additionally, the cutscenes are primarily presented in the form of comic-style still panels, giving the game the distinct feel of a high-stakes, episodic manga. It’s slick and distinct, which gives Scarlet Nexus a lot of personality.

Now Playing: Scarlet Nexus Video Review

You begin the game by choosing either Yuito or Kasane as your primary playable character. Yuito is a fairly standard action-game swordsman, while Kasane is more of a technical fighter with her ranged daggers. Both characters have combo attacks, jumping strikes, dodges–the usual array of 3D combat maneuvers. However, they also have the ability to use psychokinetic powers, introducing an additional unique element to combat. By holding R2, they can grab a background object and slam it directly into a foe, potentially catching the enemy off-guard and opening them up for further combo attacks.

Combat doesn’t feel exceptionally good initially–it’s a little floaty and disjointed, especially when playing as Kasane. Chaining attacks together, in particular, can be hard on more resilient foes in the early stages. But it quickly improves with the addition of the SAS: a system where your playable character can connect their brain to other squad members and temporarily make use of their powers. Hook up with Hanabi, and she’ll give you pyrokinetic fire slashes that can set enemies ablaze. Borrow Kagero’s invisibility to hide from aggressive foes and you can perform sneak attacks. Utilize Tsugumi’s clairvoyance and you’ll be able to spot hidden enemies and weak points, and tap into Gemma’s sclerokinesis to quickly mitigate enemy attacks. Using these skills transforms combat from a fairly standard affair to something much more interesting, as certain abilities will be particularly advantageous in given situations–but you also have to learn to manage these skills, as they are all on cooldown timers.

Even more combat augmentations open up the further you go into the game. As you level up, you can fill out nodes in your Brain Map, which unlock special skills that grant new offensive and defensive capabilities to utilize in battle. You’ll also learn the Brain Drive, a super-powered mode that activates after filling a gauge that increases your damage output and combo ability. Finally, there’s the Brain Field: an absurdly powerful but extremely risky state that puts your psychokinesis into overdrive and lets you deal massive damage, but can kill you if you stay in it for too long.

No Caption Provided

Gallery

More mechanics get added into the mix, as well. Guard meters are introduced. Using the right skills and attacks you can break them down to render enemies helpless and perform a devastating Brain Crush attack for bonus loot. Unique objects also appear in environments that allow you to perform elaborate and immensely satisfying QTE-powered psychokinesis attacks, like pounding an Other into the ground with a marble statue or running over a line of enemies with a runaway train. And by establishing a good rapport with your teammates, you unlock the full potential of their abilities as well as new options like follow-up attacks on downed foes.

Outside of the story missions needed to progress, you can revisit already-explored areas for experience and sidequests. These sidequests are the standard-issue “kill enemy X” or “collect item Z” missions, sometimes with additional requirements like defeating foes with a certain SAS power. They don’t add much to the game in terms of story or worldbuilding, making their role that of an excuse to revisit areas to farm experience and items. Collecting enemy drops and environmental data is important, however, as you can trade those items at the store for exclusive weapons, upgrade plug-ins, and most importantly, items to give to your teammates during story breaks.

Giving your crew things they like raises their affection for you, unlocking “Bond Episodes” where you can hang out and learn more about their individual quirks and backstories. As their bond levels raise, you’ll have access to improved SAS functionality and additional attack and defensive options. They’ll also use their presents to decorate your team base, which is a nice visual touch. Bond Episodes range in tone from the completely ridiculous to dead serious character drama, but no matter what you wind up seeing, you’ll come out of it appreciating your in-game teammates even more.

It’s a good thing that the combat and character interactions of Scarlet Nexus are fun, because its story is a trainwreck. What starts as an intriguing sci-fi tale of superpowered youths being used to fight hideous creatures by a shadowy government gets completely derailed after a few chapters, becoming a hodgepodge of increasingly bizarre plot twists and inexplicable character actions. While you get different perspectives (and different progression) depending on your choice of Yuito or Kasane as your lead, you’ll still experience the same major “WTF was that nonsense?” events.

No Caption Provided

Gallery

While I won’t get into spoiler territory, a good example of how frustrating the plot can get is realizing that most of the mid-game conflict could be easily resolved if everyone would just sit down and talk about what’s going on (which Yuito repeatedly asks to do) instead of trying to kill each other. What’s even more befuddling is that some of the enemy characters still ask to hang out with your lead while this stuff is going on, making for a bizarre disconnect between narrative and characterization. Even once all that is resolved, there are numerous plot threads that become incredibly flimsy when you give them deeper thought. But as ridiculous as the story wound up being, I was interested in seeing how much more utterly bonkers it could get throughout, so I guess that’s something in its favor

Even though the plot devolves into a trope-filled sludge pool by the end, I don’t feel like Scarlet Nexus was a waste of time. Yes, the excitement of combat begins to taper off towards the end of Scarlet Nexus’s twenty-odd-hour runtime–and the areas in the final stretch of the game feel overly long–but I had a good deal of fun mixing up my SAS abilities, crushing enemies in my Brain Field, and watching my team have a video game tournament at our base to settle an argument over living space boundaries. It might not be a new pinnacle of action-game storytelling, but Scarlet Nexus is still plenty of fun in the right places.

Fast 9: Ending Explained and Mid-Credits Scene Breakdown

Full spoilers ahead for Fast 9.

While there are two more sequels planned, Fast 9 almost works as a finale to the two-decade-old Fast & Furious saga, ending on a sweet note about family (because it’s all about family) that also keeps the spirit of the late Paul Walker and his character Brian O’Conner alive. There’s also a mid-credits scene that nods to the “Justice for Han” fan campaign.

[ignvideo url=”https://www.ign.com/videos/2021/05/26/f9-fast-furious-9-review”]

Is Brian O’Conner in Fast 9?

Fast 9 director Justin Lin has confirmed that Brian O’Conner is still alive in the Fast universe. When Paul Walker died in 2013, Furious 7 had not yet completed filming so the movie was overhauled to essentially write his character out of the series going forward. At the end of Furious 7, Brian and his girlfriend Mia Toretto (Jordana Brewster) flee the outlaw life in order to raise their children in safety. And while the specter of Walker looms over the subsequent Fast & Furious films, and Brian and Mia have been mentioned, the series avoided directly bringing Brian back … until the very last scene of Fast 9.

In Fast 9, Mia rejoins Dom and the crew to track down and stop their renegade agent brother, Jakob Toretto (John Cena). Mia tells Dom that Brian is looking after his namesake, Dom’s toddler son Brian, and their own kids while she’s on this mission. The crew eventually succeeds in thwarting the latest deadly machinations of Charlize Theron’s Cipher, who survives to hack another day, with help from a betrayed Jakob, whose heel-face turn to the good side is a staple of the franchise’s antagonists (see Deckard Shaw, but more on him in a bit).

With their mission complete and Roman and Tej now back from outer space (!!), the crew convenes for a family dinner at Dom’s home in L.A. There’s an empty chair with Mia telling Dom that its occupant is on their way but running late. That’s when the scene cuts to a familiar blue car, a Nissan Skyline driven by Brian in past movies, pulling into the driveway before cutting to black. While we never see the driver, the implication is clear: Brian O‘Conner is back with his family.

It’s a bittersweet moment that allows fans of the franchise to imagine seeing Brian reunite with his loved ones without using any stand-ins or digital effects to actually show Paul Walker.

[ignvideo url=”https://www.ign.com/videos/2021/06/24/the-article-that-inspired-the-fast-and-the-furious-whats-the-difference”]

Fast 9 Mid-Credits Scene: Justice for Han (Sorta)

Following the aforementioned Brian O’Conner nod, there is a mid-credits scene that delivers on the fan campaign #JusticeForHan … but maybe not to the extent that some fans would like.

Fast 9 reveals how and why Han Lue survived being “killed” by Deckard Shaw (Jason Statham) in the mid-credits scene of Fast & Furious 6 (well, technically in Tokyo Drift but retconned to have been at the hands of Shaw). While Shaw was certainly out to kill Han, it turns out Han’s actual fiery demise was all staged using technical wizardry by Mr. Nobody (Kurt Russell), who had recruited Han to work for his covert ops agency. Faking his death allowed Han to stay in Tokyo and protect Elle (Anna Sawai) from those who want her DNA to unlock Project Ares.

[ignvideo url=”https://www.ign.com/videos/2021/06/09/f9-the-fast-saga-han-exclusive-official-clip”]

In the years since Han’s “death,” the Fast franchise redeemed Deckard Shaw, even turning him into a quippy antihero who partnered with Dwayne Johnson’s Luke Hobbs in their own 2019 spin-off movie. Needless to say, Fast & Furious not only redeeming but elevating the man who ruthlessly murdered Han, one of the series’ good guys, never quite sat right with many fans, and the “Justice for Han” social media campaign was born. Even Jason Statham said Han deserves justice.

Once it was revealed that Han would indeed return from “the dead” in Fast 9, the speculation has been not only on how the movie would explain that but also whether Han would get his revenge on Shaw. The mid-credits scene of Fast 9 teases the latter … but nothing more.

[ignvideo url=”https://www.ign.com/videos/2021/06/23/f9-cast-tries-to-recap-the-fast-and-furious-saga-in-5-minutes”]

In the mid-credits scene, a hooded kickboxer is seen pummeling a punching bag. It’s Deckard Shaw, who then zips open the bag to reveal a prisoner inside. (The man is part of a criminal operation involving tech.) Shaw zips the bag back up to answer the door. And when he opens it, a very alive and well Han is standing there. The mid-credits scene ends on Shaw’s shocked face.

We don’t know whether Han and Shaw then fought each other or if Han simply explained everything to him. Presumably, the Fast crew or perhaps Mr. Nobody explained to Han how Shaw had proven himself an ally in the ensuing years so no harm, no foul. But still … Shaw left him to die in a fiery wreck! Whether fans will truly see Han bring justice to Shaw in a future film or even in a Hobbs & Shaw sequel remains to be seen.

[ignvideo url=”https://www.ign.com/videos/the-fast-and-the-furious-timeline-in-chronological-order-2021-edition”]

What did you think of the nod to Brian O’Conner at the end of Fast 9 and the Han-Shaw end credits scene? Let us know in the comments.

And also be sure to read our Fast 9 review, see Ludacris rate the most ludicrous moments in the Fast & Furious franchise, and watch the cast recap the story of the Fast & Furious series so far.

JRPG Translation Group Celebrates As NIS America Partnership Goes From ‘Fantasy to Reality’

Earlier today, NIS American several entries from its cult favorite Trails RPG series would be making their way west. This was cause for celebration for fan group Geofront, which helped to translate two of the games — The Legend of Heroes: Trails from Zero and Trails to Azure, also known as the “Crossbell duology” among fans.

Geofront announced the partnership on its official website, confirming that the group’s patches would serve as the basis for the official localization. As part of the agreement, Geofront has pulled the patches from its website, urging fans to celebrate the official releases instead.

In a lengthy article on the group’s website, team members also posted personal statements about what the partnership meant to them.

[ignvideo url=”https://www.ign.com/videos/2020/10/27/trails-of-cold-steel-iv-ps4-launch-trailer”]

“Somehow—for some reason—everything has worked out. Not just worked out, but worked out in the best possible way,” wrote Zerker, the Trails From Zero project lead.

Group co-founder OMGFloofy said the group was happy that NIS America was keeping the localized titles along with the logos. “[T]he team working with the games has been amazingly receptive to everything we’ve done and what we want to discuss with them regarding the games.”

Geofront isn’t the first fan group to have its work officially adapted by a publisher. Back in 2010, XSEED licensed the fan translation for Ys: The Oath in Felghana and released it on PSP and Steam. Nevertheless, it’s relatively rare, with publishers generally preferring to use the work created by their own in-house localization team.

Geofront’s work arose from the lack of any kind of official release for the Crossbell duology for more than a decade. Originally released on PlayStation Portable in 2010 and 2011 respectively, Trails from Zero and Trails to Azure remained tantalizingly out of reach of fans despite the rising popularity of Trails in the Sky and Trails of Cold Steel — both of which eventually made it to North America. A separate fan translation of Trails to Azure was released in 2018, with Geofront completing its own translation in May 2021.

They are part of the larger Trails franchise, which now comprises several games set across multiple sub-series. Referred to as the Kiseki series in Japan, they are part of the even larger Legend of Heroes RPG series, which has roots extending all the way back to Japanese PCs from the 1980s. Of the many games released under the Legend of Heroes banner, the most famous in North America is likely the Trails of Cold Steel tetralogy, which recently wrapped its run on Nintendo Switch and PS4.

[widget path=”global/article/imagegallery” parameters=”slug=best-rpgs-of-2020&captions=true”]

In addition to Trails from Zero and Trails to Azure, NIS America also announced English releases of Trails into Reverie and Boundless Trails. All four were leaked on the Epic Games Store ahead of a Nihon Falcom 40th anniversary event.

Trails from Zero will be the first of the games to be released in Fall 2022, with the rest following in 2023 on PS4, Switch, and PC. It’ll be a long wait, but that isn’t diminishing Geofront’s excitement, even as it prepares to hand the reins over to NIS America.

“While our time with Crossbell may have come to an end, we know everyone on NIS America’s localization team working on these two games will preserve the love and care we put into them. They have welcomed us with open arms, because, at the end of the day, we aren’t as different as we seem,” wrote Trails from Azure’s project lead, referring to simply as Scott. “We all have so much passion for what we do — and it shows. Now, more people around the world will finally get to experience these two masterpieces in English and see the passion that both teams have put into getting Crossbell over the language barrier.”

Rainbow Six Extraction Makes Your Operator Go MIA If You Leave A Match

Rainbow Six Extraction has you pay a hefty toll if you decide to abandon your teammates in the middle of a match. Leaving your squad will make your operator literally go missing in action (MIA).

“In terms of players who choose to abandon a mission/match, you’ll be looking at a match forfeit and automatically have that operator be MIA,” Rainbow Six Extraction creative director Patrik Méthé told GameSpot. “All match progression will be lost as well. Players can also get temporary matchmaking bans if they frequently abandon matches.”

Now Playing: How Rainbow Six Extraction Builds Off Siege’s DNA | Play For All 2021

In Extraction, any of your operators that go MIA become unplayable. Usually that happens if your operator goes down during a mission, but apparently that also occurs if you willingly leave a match. Regardless of how your operator goes MIA, to get them back, you and your squad need to go and extract them, literally pulling them out of the alien force’s clutches.

Thankfully, this punishment will only be handed out to folks who willingly abandon their squad. If you accidentally leave–like your internet cuts out–Extraction will allow you to get back into the action without fuss.

“If a player disconnects from their match, they will be able to easily rejoin the mission in progress with their friends, without penalty,” Méthé said.

I also asked Méthé about how Ubisoft Montreal plans to ensure Rainbow Six Extraction and Rainbow Six Siege don’t steal each other’s audiences. Méthé replied that he isn’t worried about Extraction and Siege cannibalizing each other, saying that they’re both “very different games.”

Rainbow Six Extraction is scheduled to launch for Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, PS5, PS4, PC, Stadia, and Luna on September 16.

Watch live streams, videos, and more from GameSpot’s summer event. Check it out

GoldenEye 007 Recreation In Far Cry 5 Removed Following Copyright Takedown

The lovingly crafted recreation of the Nintendo 64’s GoldenEye 007 in Far Cry 5 has been removed by Ubisoft, reportedly at the behest of James Bond rights-holder MGM. The news was confirmed by its creator, a YouTuber by the name of Krollywood, as well as Ubisoft itself, although there might still be a way that it eventually finds its way back online for download.

Krollywood spent over three years recreating the popular shooter using the level-building tools provided within Far Cry 5. The entire game is playable, with accurate level layouts and even a few familiar easter eggs thrown in for fans to enjoy again. Krollywood says he was contacted by Ubisoft to inform him that all the levels were being taken down following a copyright infringement claim by MGM (which was recently purchased by Amazon.)

Ubisoft released its own statement (courtesy of Kotaku) regarding the removal of the levels but didn’t specifically name MGM as the reason.

“In following the guidelines within the ‘Terms of Use’, there were maps created within Far Cry 5 arcade that have been removed due to copyright infringement claims from a right [sic] holder received by Ubisoft and are currently unavailable,” the statement reads. “We respect the intellectual property rights of others and expect our users to do the same. This matter is currently with the map’s creator and the rights holder and we have nothing further to share at this time.”

What’s most confusing about the situation is that it was created entirely within Far Cry 5, which doesn’t allow external assets to be used. It’s unlike the situation last year where an Unreal Engine 4 remake project was shut down by MGM too. Krollywood is already working on bringing it back, hoping to have the project restored with a few name changes that should circumvent MGM’s ire.

“Wait for it……I just got an e-mail yesterday, Ubisoft had to remove all levels because of a mail from MGM (Bond-licence),” Kollywood wrote on Reddit. “But I will re-release all levels as soon as possible, just with little changes in the names.”

There are official James Bond games in development too, with Hitman developer IO Interactive having announced a brand-new game with an original story within the IP. A release date has not yet been announced.

Watch live streams, videos, and more from GameSpot’s summer event. Check it out

The Halo TV Series is Losing Both Of Its Showrunners

The Halo TV series will be losing both of its showrunners, Variety reports, with Kyle Killen having already departed the project and Steven Kane planning to depart one the series is finished.

Killen departed the project last year ahead of production, reportedly because he felt he was unable to work on the series fulltime. Kane, who joined the production in 2019, plans to stick around the production of Season 1. However, if the show is pick up for a second season — which seems likely — he will leave. Variety reports that Kane wishes to return to the U.S. after spending two years in Budapest to help film the series.

[ignvideo url=”https://www.ign.com/videos/2020/01/13/halo-tv-series-gives-reporters-first-look-at-pablo-schreiber-in-master-chief-armor”]

The Halo TV series has been in development what seems like forever at this point, at various points being associated with Xbox Entertainment Studios, Showtime, and Steven Spielberg. Scroll through the IGN news archive, and you will see quite a few “Halo TV Show is Still in Development” headlines.

The Halo TV series is currently set to debut on Paramount+, and we finally got our first look at star Pablo Schreiber wearing the Master Chief armor last year, so it is indeed very much on track. Nevertheless, the show has lost directors, showrunners, and even the original voice actress for Cortana, making development about as bumpy as the average ride on a Warthog.

The Halo TV series is currently slated for a 2022 release date.

NEO: The World Ends With You Free Demo Available Now On PS4 And Nintendo Switch

The free demo for NEO: The World Ends With You is available now for Nintendo Switch and PlayStation 4. Save data from the demo carries over to the main game when it releases on July 27, and the demo can be played on PS5 via backward compatibility.

Square Enix shared the info on Twitter, encouraging people to play the demo, which was released after the final episode of The World Ends With You animation premiered. NEO: The World Ends With You is a sequel to the 2008 Nintendo DS game, The World Ends With You, which was later ported to the Nintendo Switch in 2018.

Now Playing: NEO The World Ends With You Gameplay

The action JRPG follows Rino as he and his friend must compete in the Reaper’s Game in a twisted version of Shibuya. NEO: The World Ends With You will have players control their entire party at once during real-time action and will take the elements fans loved from the first game and update them for a more modern JRPG.

NEO: The World Ends With You launches on July 27 for Nintendo Switch, PS4, and PC. In GameSpot’s preview of the game, Michael Higham wrote, “It’s carefree and often cheesy, but the experience is better for it. For a game that uses quirky fashion, a mix of nu-metal and J-pop for its soundtrack, and silly characters alongside somber ones, you wouldn’t want it to take itself too seriously anyway.”

Watch live streams, videos, and more from GameSpot’s summer event. Check it out

Super Smash Bros. Ultimate Kazuya DLC Showcase: Start Time And How To Watch

Super Smash Bros. Ultimate‘s next DLC character is Kazuya Mishima from Tekken, and Nintendo is giving fans an in-depth look at the new fighter in a special video presentation next week. The presentation airs on June 28 and is hosted by game director Masahiro Sakurai, who will reveal more details about Kazuya, the next wave of Mii Fighter costumes, and other updates coming to Smash Bros. Ultimate.

Super Smash Bros. Ultimate Kazuya Stream Start Time

The Kazuya showcase takes place on Monday, June 28, at 7 AM PT / 10 AM ET. Nintendo says the presentation will run for roughy 40 minutes and will offer a deep dive on the new DLC character, including a closer look at his moveset. Nintendo will also reveal Kazuya’s release date, as well as the next batch of Mii Fighter DLC costumes coming to the game.

  • 7 AM PT
  • 10 AM ET
  • 3 PM BST

How To Watch

You can watch the Smash Bros. presentation right here on GameSpot via the YouTube embed above. You can also tune in to Nintendo’s Twitch channel to watch the presentation.

What To Expect

Nintendo noted that Monday’s stream “will not include any reveals for Challenger Pack 11,” so the presentation will be devoted exclusively to Kazuya and any other content arriving as part of Super Smash Bros. Ultimate’s 12.0 update. We got a brief look at Kazuya during Nintendo’s E3 2021 Direct presentation, but Monday’s showcase will offer a much more in-depth overview of the new fighter.

Kazuya marks the fifth DLC character to arrive as part of the Fighters Pass Vol. 2, following Pyra/Mythra from Xenoblade Chronicles 2, Sephiroth from Final Fantasy 7, Steve from Minecraft, and Min Min from Arms. One more DLC fighter is still on the way to the game, although Nintendo hasn’t revealed that character’s identity yet.

The Fighter Pass Vol. 2 costs $30 USD and includes all six of the aforementioned DLC characters. Each character pack can also be purchased separately for $6 USD apiece. Besides the fighter themselves, the character packs also include a brand-new stage, several music tracks taken from their respective series, and a handful of new Spirits.

Watch live streams, videos, and more from GameSpot’s summer event. Check it out