Tove Lo, a singer known for her songs “Habit” and “Talking Body”, is hosting a DJ set inside Animal Crossing: New Horizons this weekend. Six lucky players who show the artist their best in-game outfits will get to visit the island while the show is happening.
“Any of you babes Animal Crossing it?” the singer wrote on her Instagram. Tove Lo, like the rest of us, got hooked an Animal Crossing’s addictive and relaxing day-to-day gameplay.
Animal Crossing has been the replacement for all sorts of events while countries around the world are on lockdown due to the pandemic. Weddings, birthdays, family reunions and more have been hosted within the game despite its poor online multiplayer infrastructure. The life simulation game came out at the perfect time.
“New Horizons has a slower pace even than other Animal Crossing games, and at times, that can feel unnecessarily restrictive,” said GameSpot’s Kallie Plagge in her Animal Crossing: New Horizons review. “But there’s still plenty to do, and each of those activities feeds into the next brilliantly for a rewarding and relentlessly cheerful experience. New Horizons certainly came at the right time, and its strengths are particularly comforting right now. I’m as excited to see what random events await me each morning as I am glad to have it during hard times, and that’s sure to keep me coming back for the foreseeable future.”
Netflix has launched a Cursed Virtual Experience that invites users to discover more about the Arthurian legend series, created by comic book icon Frank Miller and writer Thomas Wheeler, which is available to stream as of today.
The online hub at DiscoverCursed.com offers an interactive and immersive experience for fans to virtually enter the rich world of Cursed from the comfort of their own homes, without having to download any apps to devices.
Image credit: Netflix
Augmented Reality Challenge
An augmented reality challenge can be accessed when visiting the website on a mobile device or by scanning the QR code on the homepage. From there, fans are presented with a quest of three challenges to follow the path of magic and discover their power. Users have the ability to channel their inner Nimue and conjure up roots or step into Merlin’s shoes and strike lightning from their fingertips to ultimately receive the sword of power. At the end, participants can share their challenge experience by taking photos and downloading videos of themselves trying the effects and filters.
Virtual Panel With the Cast
The website menu invites visitors to join “a conversation with the cast” hosted by co-creator and showrunner Thomas Wheeler, who is joined on the virtual panel by Katherine Langford, who plays the magical Nimue in the fantasy series, as well as Gustaf Skarsgård, who portrays the ageless and enigmatic Merlin the magician, Devon Terrell, who stars as the young mercenary Arthur, and Daniel Sharman, who plays the mysterious Weeping Monk. Over the course of the discussion, the cast reveals behind-the-scenes secrets, mysteries and fun facts about the making of the show.
Exclusive Content
From the menu, users can also discover more about the story and how it links to the classic Arthurian legend by clicking to learn more about the series, as well as its characters, who are showcased in a carousel of profiles on the site. There is also a library of videos featuring exclusive content from the cast and crew, including a tutorial from Frank Miller on sketching Nimue, a featurette about the process of adapting and crafting the series, and a Q&A with Miller who answers fans’ burning questions and offers fans a peek into the world fo the Netflix original series.
Netflix describes its newly-launched fantasy series as a coming-of-age story whose “themes are familiar to our own time: the obliteration of the natural world, religious terror, senseless war, and finding the courage to lead in the face of the impossible.”
The developers behind Ghost of Tsushima had to lengthen some of the game’s loading screens as Sucker Punch found that they were so fast, players couldn’t read the tips.
In an interview with Kotaku, Sucker Punch lead engine programmer Adrian Bentley noted that the team had to “artificially extend downtime” when the player died so that the loading screen tips could appear for “more than a fraction of a second.”
According to Bentley, this is down to Sucker Punch’s engine loading strategy, which requires “as few disk reads as possible.” “When you die, we only need [to] re-run this quick ‘spawn’ process with most of the data already loaded. In contrast, many other engines use serialization-based approaches, which require reloading a substantial amount of data to run again,” Bentley told Kotaku.
Having played the game myself, the window between even longer loading screens felt ridiculously small, even when jumping from one end of the map to the other. Kudos to Sucker Punch for the coding tech, but it’s still quite funny that the studio has had to make loading screens take longer so that players can actually read the flavour and tip text in the interim. It begs the question as to what loading screens will look like in the next-generation, as the PS5 and Xbox One adopt high-speed solid-state drive technology.
Twitch has blocked the U.S. Army from running controller giveaways after they were allegedly found to redirect viewers to a military recruitment page.
A report from The Nation dug into how the US Military is using online gaming to recruit teens. The Nation found that viewers watching the Army’s channel were being presented with chat prompts to “win an Xbox Elite Series 2 controller.” But when clicking the link to enter the giveaway, users were supposedly met with “a recruiting form with no additional mention of a contest, odds, total number of winners, or when a drawing will occur.” When reached for comment by The Nation, the US Army declined to answer.
A Twitch spokesperson issued a statement to Kotaku, announcing that the promotion had been removed. “Per our Terms of Service, promotions on Twitch must comply with all applicable laws. This promotion did not comply with our Terms, and we have required them to remove it,” the statement reads.
Last week, the same account came under fire after it was found to be banning users who asked about war crimes in the stream chat. The US Army issued a statement in response justifying its approach, noting that “the user’s question was an attempt to shift the conversation to imply that Soldiers commit war crimes based on an optional weapon in a game, and we felt that violated Twitch’s harassment policy.”
The developers of Paper Mario have revealed that they are no longer allowed to make characters “that touch on the Mario universe,” or modify existing Mario characters.
In an interview with VGC, Nintendo veteran Kensuke Tanabe was asked about the process behind designing new villains for a franchise full of iconic antagonists like Bowser and Kamek. In response, Tanabe noted that “since Paper Mario: Sticker Star, it’s no longer possible to modify Mario characters or to create original characters that touch on the Mario Universe.”
This means that the team behind Paper Mario: Origami King had to come up with new characters from outside of the existing Mario Universe for the game, as they couldn’t riff off of established Mushroom Kingdom villains. New characters seemingly can’t even resemble Mario characters: “We need to create original characters with designs that don’t involve the Mario universe at all, like we’ve done with Olly and the stationery bosses.”
This resulted in the game’s main villain King Olly and his younger sister Olivia, who serves as a helpful sidekick during Mario’s journey. It seems like other developers dealing with the Mario property will have had to follow similar rules, as Nintendo wants to retain the current cast of Mario characters as-is for the foreseeable future.
“Whether a character becomes an all-time hit or not isn’t up to us on the development side; I think it’s more the case that characters that fans truly accept naturally end up that way,” Tanabe added, suggesting that fan demand will decide whether we see Origami King’s new characters in another game. “I hope that the origami siblings in Paper Mario: The Origami King will stay in players’ memories, even if they do only end up appearing in this title.”
A new Max Raid event has begun in Pokemon Sword and Shield. This one only runs for this weekend, until Sunday, July 19, and it features a variety of different Water-type Pokemon, including Shiny Wailord.
Throughout the event, Kingler, Sharpedo, Pyukumuku, Jellicent, and Mantine will appear in Max Raids much more frequently than normal. Wailord will also be a common sight, and you’ll have a chance to encounter a Shiny variant of it in five-star Raids. You’ll need to be pretty persistent to find one, however, as it has lower odds of spawning than the other featured Pokemon.
The Sea Pokemon Max Raid event ends at 4:59 PM PT / 7:59 PM ET / 11:59 PM UTC on July 19. Before the Pokemon can start appearing in your game, you’ll need to refresh your Raid dens. You can do so either by connecting the Y-Comm online or going into Mystery Gift from the menu screen and selecting Get the Wild Area News.
That’s not the only Max Raid event underway in Pokemon Sword and Shield right now; the ongoing Rock and Steel Pokemon invasion is also still underway. Until July 31, Steelix, Perrserker, Rhyperior, and other Rock- and Steel-type monsters will appear more commonly in Raids, and you’ll have a chance to encounter Gigantamax versions of Coalossal and Copperajah.
Pokemon Sword and Shield’s first expansion, The Isle of Armor, launched last month, and it introduced a new Wild Area to explore, along with a variety of returning Pokemon to catch and a storyline centered on the new Legendary Pokemon Kubfu. The games’ second expansion, The Crown Tundra, will follow sometime this fall. You can learn more about the expansions in our roundup of everything we know about the Pokemon Sword and Shield DLC.
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The Last of Us Part 2 was June 2020’s best selling game and has now become the 3rd best-selling game of the year, the 8th best-selling game of the twelve month period ending in June, and has the highest launch month dollar sales of any 2020 release to date.
As revealed by The NPD Group’s Mat Piscatella, The Last of Us Part 2’s first month sales have surpassed other games as Final Fantasy VII Remake, Animal Crossing: New Horizons, and Doom Eternal to claim the top spot.
Rounding out the top five for June 2020 are Call of Duty: Modern Wafare, Animal Crossing: New Horizons, Grand Theft Auto V, and Mortal Kombat 11. Perhaps the most impressive jump, however, was Ring Fit Adventure, which made it to #7 after ranking #835 last month due to stock shortages. The full list of June 2020’s Top 20 Best-Selling Games is as follows;
June 2020’s Best-Selling Games
The Last of Us Part 2
Call of Duty: Modern Warfare
Animal Crossing: New Horizons
Grand Theft Auto V
Mortal Kombat 11
Red Dead Redemption 2
Ring Fit Adventure
NBA 2K20
Mario Kart 8 Deluxe
Minecraft Dungeons
Super Smash Bros. Ultimate
Tom Clancy’s Rainbow Six Siege
Minecraft: PlayStation 4 Edition
The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild
Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order
Borderlands 3
Need for Speed: Heat
Persona 4 Golden
Spongebob SquarePants: Battle for Bikini Bottom – Rehydrated
June 2020’s tracked spending across video game hardware, software, accessories, and game cards totaled $1.2 billion, which is a 26% increase from June 2019.
Exploring Tsushima Island in Ghost of Tsushima turns up a lot of rewards. Some locations grant you special missions that earn you some of the best abilities and armor in the game; others, like hot springs, boost your health, while Bamboo Strikes increase your resolve. The 16 Shinto Shrines scattered across the island give you some key crafting materials for improving your bows, while providing Major Charms, which you can equip to earn special perks.
Each of the Shinto Shrines is an environmental puzzle you’ll need to solve. You can locate each shrine by finding Torii gates that will lead you toward the shrines–but all of the paths have been destroyed or damaged, requiring you to find a way to circumvent them by climbing. Here’s where to find each of the Shinto Shrines in Tsushima and which rewards they’ll give you, so you can prioritize your hunt.
Among the first shrines you’re likely to find is Golden Summit, which is very close to Golden Temple. Head almost straight south from the town and a little east to find it. Completing it nets you the Charm of Amaterasu, which gives you a moderate amount of health back whenever you kill enemies.
Spring Falls Shrine
North of Kukai Falls. Entrance is at the Northwest end of the lake. (Charm Reward: Charm of Mizu-No-Kami) IMPORTANT. Entrance to the shrine isn’t actually up the stairs up the cliff, but across the way at the northern end of the lake. You’ll see a torii gate with a sign and two mossy frog statues.
Mending Rock Shrine
Mending Rock is located near Isomase Coast, north of Hiyoshi Springs. The pathway to reach it runs down the cliffside, requiring you to climb way down toward the beach. You’ll get the Charm of Okunninushi for completing it, which slowly recovers your health while you’re out of combat.
Arrow Peak Shrine
As the name suggests, Arrow Peak Shrine is on top of a mountain in southern Izuhara. You’ll find it north of Azamo Foothills and Sakimori Overlook. You’ll get the Charm of Inari when you complete it, which increases the amount of supplies, predator hides, bamboo, and yew wood you receive when collecting.
Plum Blossom Shrine
Head north from Komatsu Forge to locate Plum Blossom Shrine; you’ll find the Torii gates on the slopes of Shigenori Peak. The Charm of Kagu-Tsuchi is your reward, which lets you deal bonus damage when you’re at half health or less.
Winding Mountain Shrine
Head south from Komatsu Forge to locate Winding Mountain Shrine, which is also south of Cloud Pass. You’ll need the iron hook to complete this shrine, so make sure you’ve completed the main quest tale by the same name before attempting it. Winding Mountain gives you the Charm of Izanagi, which gives arrows a 40% chance of returning to you automatically after you land a headshot.
Stone Dragon Shrine
Check the western coast of Kashine to find Stone Dragon Shrine. Head north of the Shipyard Outpost to find the entrance to the shrine, which is actually off the coast of the island. Make sure you complete the Iron Hook tale in Act 1, as you’ll need the grappling hook to complete the shrine. You’ll get the Charm of Susanoo, which adds a 30% chance for enemies you stagger to be knocked down, which makes them easy to kill.
Toyotama
Marsh Rock Shrine
You’ll find Marsh Rock Shrine south of Firefly Marsh as you head north into Toyotama. The entrance can be a big confusing–from the main gate with the sign identifying the shrine, take a right and keep moving until you find handholds you can climb. The Charm of Izanami is your reward, which amplifies the Iron Will ability you can unlock in the skill tree, rewarding you 50% of your maximum health when you spend two Resolve tokens to revive yourself when downed.
Cloud Ridge Shrine
Head north of Urashima’s Village to find Cloud Ridge Shrine, which is near the Duel of Crashing Waves, part of The Six Blades of Kojiro Mythic Tale. Though the shrine is on the peak, the beginning of the path is near the coast. is near the coast but climbs up the mountain. You’ll get the Charm of Azumi-No-Isora for completing it, which makes your arrows silent on impact.
Turtle Rock Shrine
Head up the mountain north of north of Old Toyotama Hills in Kushi to find Turtle Rock Shrine. The reward for completing it is the Charm of Hoori-No-Mikoto, which will allow you to remain hidden while assassinating enemies from tall grass.
Scarlet Rock Shrine
In Umugi, look for Scarlet Rock Shrine south of the Field of Equinox Flowers. Like the surrounding field, the shrine is covered in red flowers. The entrance isn’t at the wooden pathway; instead, climb up on a nearby rock and use the iron hook on a tree branch to swing across to a climbing path that will allow you to navigate your way to the shrine. The Charm of Tsukuyomi unlocks when you complete the shrine, causing assassinated enemies to drop more ammo or supplies.
Lusk Peak Shrine
Lush Peak Shrine is on the eastern coast of Yarikawa. You’ll find it east and a little south of Yarikawa Stronghold, which you’ll unlock as you work through the story of Act 2. You’ll get the Charm of Shinatsuhiko as a reward, which makes you immune to having your melee attacks interrupted for six seconds after you Stagger an enemy.
Hazy Cliff Shrine
This shrine is off the point furthest to the west in Otsuna, straight west of the Forest Edge Camp outpost. You’ll get the Charm of Ryuujin when you finish it, which gives you one Kunai every time you perform a Perfect Dodge.
Kamiagata
Forest Cliff Shrine
Look for a small peninsula on the eastern coast of Kin, east of Kin Village. Your reward is the Charm of Nigihayahi-No-Mikoto, which gives you a moderate boost in combat damage to enemies while you’re at full health.
Crane Mountain Shrine
In the Sago region, the shrine is on the mountain east of Fort Kikuchi. You’ll get the Charm of Ikazuchi-No-Kami when you finish it, which makes your perks and abilities 25% more likely to Terrify enemies.
Snowlit Peak Shrine
The final shrine is in northern Jogaku, north of Mount Jogaku. Its reward is the Charm of Takemikazuchi, which gives you a minor boost in melee damage for a few seconds after killing an enemy.
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Indivisible is getting a television adaptation. A report on Deadline states that the game, an action-RPG available on Switch, PS4, PC, and Xbox One, is in the works, and is likely to land on NBC’s new streaming service Peacock.
The series is being adapted by Meg LeFauve and Jonathan Fernandez. LeFauve has been Oscar-nominated for her work on the screenplay for Pixar’s Inside Out, and is also a credited writer on the Captain Marvel movie. The series will be produced by DJ2 Entertainment, which also worked on the Sonic the Hedgehog movie. Fernandez, meanwhile, worked on Star Trek Enterprise.
Few other details about the show have been revealed–although the report does not mention it, considering the game’s cartoon aesthetic, it’s hard to imagine the show not being an animated production.
Work is just beginning on this project, so we would not expect to see it for some time.
Indivisible received a 7/10 in GameSpot’s review. Critic Michael Higham wrote that the game “stands out as an RPG that’s doing something genuinely different, and it brings joy to its clever platforming with the tune of an infectious soundtrack.”
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Among other things, World of Warcraft‘s upcoming Shadowlands expansion introduces a new feature called Covenants. Players can choose to align themselves with one of four Covenants, which are “mysterious sects” that are each after their own path inside the Shadowlands.
In a new interview with GameSpot, WoW game director Ion Hazzikostas shared more insight on the Covenant system and how he believes it provides players with the biggest choice they’ve had to make since creating their character at the start of the game. Hazzikostas mentioned that the Covenant system borrows elements from WoW’s previous expansions to create something new and special.
“The Covenant system draws upon lessons learned and features from a number of different expansions. There’s an element of the Garrisons from Warlords of Draenor expansion, these bases you can build up and customize; there are elements of artifact weapons from Legion and the customziation and the talent trees that each of the weapons had as you could power them up and wield,” Hazzikostas said. “There are elements of Battle for Azeroth war campaign that was Alliance or Horde each having a separate max-level story.”
In Shadowlands, players will learn about the four superpowers of the Shadowlands–Night Fae, Necrolord, Kyrian, and Venthyr. With all the knowledge you’ve assembled on your way to the new level cap of 60, you’ll then make a big choice of aligning with one of them.
“I think [this is] is probably the single biggest choice, and the most exciting choice, that any player has ever had in World of Warcraft, going all the way back to the choice you had when you made your first character and picked which class you wanted to be and what faction you wanted to join,” Hazzikostas said.
“When you hit max level, you’ll have learned about the four superpowers of the Shadowlands. What their ethos is, the aesthetic that motivates them, and what powers they have to offer you,” Hazzikostas said. “And you’ll pick what excites you most. And that will create and shape a lens through which you will see the rest of your journey through the shadowlands. And that means everything that WoW entails–everything from power progression to unlocking cosmetics to a hopefully compelling story.”
Once you choose a Covenant, you’re granted access to their sanctum, a place where you can take on new quests as part of a new campaign that introduces another narrative to the MMO. Each Covenant class also has unique abilities, an exclusive mount, and specific appearance items.
