September 2017

Cuphead, developed by Studio MDHR for Xbox One and PC, has officially launched today! Cuphead is a run-and-gun game like Metal Slug or Contra but with a super slick and unique art style. Just take a gander at the trailer below and you’ll see what we mean!

Cuphead, along with his brother Mugman, are two simple fellow cup… persons? They live in the magical Inkwell Isles, but one day they come across a strange casino and somehow end up in a gamble with the Devil himself. Cuphead gets a shot of courage and bets his and Mugman’s souls for all of the Devil’s treasure but unfortunately, as one would expect when it comes to going against the Devil, Cuphead loses the bet. The Devil forces them to seek out the Soul Contracts, contracts of other characters who have also lost to the Devil, in order for them to keep their souls.

While the plot is strangely dark and twisted, the game itself is anything but! Cuphead sports a hand-drawn old cartoon art style heavily influenced by the works of Max and Dave Fleischer, of Betty Boop and Popeye fame, among others. The game was originally announced way back in 2014, but a lot of love went into the game with careful consideration, and now it’s finally here to play!

Be careful though! Don’t let the chipper art fool you – Cuphead is one serious game. Earlier this month it caused quite the stir-up in the gaming journalism community when one such game journalist had a very difficult time with the demo of the game. The game is pretty challenging though, and its design calls back to old classics like the aforementioned Metal Slug. Be prepared for a challenge!

You can buy Cuphead on Steam or the Windows Store.

Back in October last year, the world got the first look at the next Red Dead Redemption game. The first trailer wasn’t much, but it did show off the new engine’s graphic capabilities and needless to say, the wild west hasn’t looked any better than it does now. The game is currently scheduled for a Spring 2018 release which is slowly but surely approaching, and we’ve finally got some more teasers.

Rockstar Games has officially revealed the second trailer which shows off the basic plot of the game. Red Dead Redemption 2 tells the story of outlaw Arthur Morgan and the Van der Linde gang as they rob their way through America.

If you’ve played through the first Red Dead Redemption, you’ll instantly recognize that gang name. Dutch Van Der Linde’s gang was the group that John Marston – protagonist of the first game – initially ran with until an incident where he was left for dead. This means that Red Dead Redemption 2 is probably going to be a prequel of sorts, and maybe we’ll even see a younger John Marston!

The narrative is going to take an interesting turn as well. John Marston was an anti-hero in the sense that he wasn’t particularly good, but he did make a conscious effort to move away from his bandit lifestyle into regular family life. Now that we’re playing as a straight up criminal in the sequel, especially as a part of the ruthless Van der Linde gang, we’ll see things a lot differently. Perhaps we’ll get to see with our own eyes the pivotal moment that turns Marston away from the gang, which should be really interesting.

The new trailer shows some interesting gameplay mechanics as well. Expect to wrangle horses, explore swamps ridden with crocodiles, and even hunt for game to keep yourself full. Unfortunately that’s about it, and we didn’t see any actual in-game gameplay. We’ll probably see another trailer as we get closer to the new year, so hang tight! Red Dead Redemption 2 is still on track for a Spring 2018 release.

Assassin’s Creed Origins is the upcoming latest entry in Ubisoft’s flagship series. This time around we’re dropped into Ancient Egypt during the Ptolemaic period where players will step into the shoes of Bayek, a desert scout belonging to the Medjay, the Anicent Egyptian military.

Much like the previous games in the series, Origins is based off of real-world events. True to the name, Origins will have players discover how the order of assassins came to be and their relationship with a group who were the precursors to the Templars.

If you’ve played any of the games in the series and are a fan of period-accurate art and architecture, you’d recognize how much love and work goes into recreating the environments for the game. Assassin’s Creed Unity nailed the experience of the Paris during the French Revolution, and it’s a joy to play through if you’re a history buff.

Ubisoft seems to have recognized this, because now they’re adding a new mode to Origins according to a Product Marketing Manager tweet. Coming early 2018, Assassin’s Creed Origins will receive a free DLC pack called “Discovery Tour”. The DLC is a dedicated educational mode in which you can enjoy and learn about Ancient Egypt without having to worry about story missions, combat, or time constraints. You know – all that pesky assassin stuff.

Details are minimal at the moment, but we got a sample screenshot that shows what you can expect from the DLC. The screenshot shows a description of how mummies were made using specialized evisceration tools. Apparently brains were extracted by spoons inserted into the nostril… ouch! Sounds painful, but it’s very interesting nonetheless.

We’re excited to walk through Ancient Egypt and learn about all the neat stuff when the DLC drops early 2018!

In the sequel to 2014’s Middle-Earth: Shadow of Mordor, Middle-Earth: Shadow of War, there’s going to be a very important piece of DLC for the game. Michael Forgey of Monolith Productions, the developers behind the series, was the Executive Producer on the game. During the game’s early development cycle in 2015, Forgey was unfortunately diagnosed with a rare form of brain cancer that was inoperable. A YouCaring fundraiser was set up to help provide for his family and deal with medical bills.

Though he fought valiantly, sadly Forgey passed away March 2016. Monolith Productions and WB Games were deeply sadden by the loss of a beloved colleague and friend, so they decided to immortalize him in a legendary way: create an in-game character that looked like him in Shadow of War. Enter the Forthog Orc-Slayer, a mysterious orc who will show up to save you should you ever be caught in a sticky situation – a touching nod to Forgey encouraging the team to keep pushing on even during the hardest times.

Everything started to sound even sweeter when WB Games announced that it was paid DLC. The Forthog Orc-Slayer DLC would cost $4.99, and each purchase would go towards Forgey’s family. Sounds good, right? Well things got mucked up a bit when WB announced that while the DLC could be purchased worldwide, only purchases inside the U.S. and specific states would count towards the donations, leading people to become suspicious of where the other funds were going. The problem was compounded by a miscommunication from the official Shadow of War twitter account stating that international purchases would NOT go towards the donations.

Today, WB Games has published an official statement on the matter. To settle things once and for all, they’ve made the final decision to make the DLC completely free to all players. WB Games instead will make a direct donation to the Forgey family, and any players who have pre-purchased the DLC will be given a full refund. We’re pleased that things have cleared up, and if you’re interested in helping the Forgey family out as well we’ve included a link at the top of the article.

Runic Games, creators of the critically-acclaimed Torchlight series, has finally released their latest game after a couple years of silence. Hob was originally announced in August 2015, three years after Torchlight II’s release in 2012.

Hob is, at a glance, a very peculiar game. Sporting a whimsical yet grounded art style, the game revels in a hands-off narrative approach. Hob takes place on an unknown planet full of volatile lifeforms. Others have tried to claim the planet for themselves, but they’ve all ended up dead. It’s now your turn. Is this your chance to make it home, or will you suffer the same fate?

The game’s story is told through the world and environment rather through traditional text and dialogue. The planet may be dangerous at times, but it’s equally beautiful in both the chilling and soothing sense. Hob can be broken down as a third-person platforming puzzle adventure game. The protagonist is equipped with a synthetic arm that allows them to climb unstable terrain, grapple to powered points, solve puzzles, and more.

You will eventually befriend a robot companion that can help you through your adventure. The robot is also key to solving some puzzles, so there’s some interesting team play going on here. From the trailer there are parts where the robot can open heavy doors and push large objects around for you.

As you conquer the wildlife and descend into the core of the planet, you will discover the true nature of both yourself and the world itself. Hob offers a intriguing mystery to solve, and we’re already getting sucked in by the atmosphere presented by the trailer. It really helps that the soundtrack is being done by Matt Uelmen, one of the composers who did music for the Diablo series.

Hob launches September 26 for PC and PlayStation 4.

Guild Wars 2 breaks back into the MMO scene with its latest expansion Path of Fire, which is now live and playable! Taking place after the events of Heart of Thorns, Path of Fire sees the return of one of Tyria’s old gods Balthazar.

The people of Tyria worshipped the gods for centuries, but prayers always went unanswered… until now. Unfortunately for humanity, Balthazar, the god of fire and war, cares little for mortal life. Instead, he seeks to take over all of Tyria with a destructive force, leaving nothing but a path of fire in his wake.

Balthazar’s march starts in the southern regions of Tyria, where the Crystal Desert lies. The southern region opens up with this expansion letting players to explore new mythical lands, including desert plains, ancient temples, and more. Players will also discover the mysterious kingdom of Elona, where the fate of the Elonian people will finally be discovered.

Path of Fire also introduces a fun new way to explore the brand new zones – the long awaited mounts. After you’ve progress through the mastery system, you’ll be able to unlock the four mounts, each with the own special abilities. Raptors can leap long distances, Skimmers can float across treacherous terrain, Springers can leap high into the sky to allow for massive vertical leaps, and the Jackals can utilize magical sand portals.

Level 80 characters are granted access to brand new Elite Specializations which lets your profession focus on an individual set of skills. Guardians can become Firebrands, lorekeeprers that specialize in using magical fire with axes and mantras. Engineers can become Holosmiths, tinkerers who have harnessed the power of the sun.

And of course, there’s tons of new weapon and armor skins and sets for you to collect. If you love customizing the looks of your hero, there’s a lot to discover in Path of Fire with the Elonian-themed sets. Guild members can also claim a new guild hall in the Crystal Desert to live like Elonian nobility. Fancy!

Guild Wars 2: Path of Fire launches today for $29.99 USD for the standard edition. You’ll receive a free max-level boost for any of your character upon purchasing the expansion, so you can jump right into the new content!