Long-time UK games retailer GAME won't be accepting trade-ins when February 16 rolls around, according to Eurogamer. GAME's parent company Frasers Group has officially confirmed its plans to remove the trade-in program to BBC News on Tuesday.

"As part of the integration of GAME, we will be phasing out the trade-in, pre-owned and Game Elite offerings in the UK over the coming months," said a spokesperson of Frasers Group to BBC News. This effectively hands off mainstream game trading to CEX, a popular used media retailer in the British Isles.

The remaining pre-owned stock that GAME has acquired will be available on store shelves while they last. It will be curious to see how long copies of disappointing titles like Anthem and old sports games will remain in GAME before it throws them out. Frasers Group hasn't given an official reason for this decision, but it's likely due to lacking sales in the used game market.

"PlayStation and Xbox were not as big a part of the sales as they were [due to supply constraints]," said GAME CEO Nick Arran to GamesIndustry.biz in 2023. "But our toy business really came into its own, with staggering numbers at Christmas."

GAME could be switching gears to toys and other similar goods like Pokemon cards instead of its video game titles as gamers look towards an all-digital future. Ars Technica reported in 2022 a 30% drop in available physical games from 321 in 2018 to 226 in 2021. It was also leaked that the next Xbox Series X refresh called Brooklin might be digital only.

Perhaps GAME sees the writing on the wall as the gaming industry slowly moves past a used game model, which used to have 100 million titles traded in every year in the US alone.

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The holidays are a wonderful time to spend with family, but when I'm not sipping on that sweet hot cocoa or playing charades like a bumbling buffoon, I'm catching up on my excessive backlog of video games. This year, I decided to finish my trip to Hogwarts.

Note: There are spoilers ahead for Sebastian Sallow's storyline in Hogwarts Legacy.

Going back to Hogwarts

Hogwarts Legacy has been a touchy subject for many, and honestly, it's put me off playing the game throughout 2023. The criticisms of the universe's creator, J.K. Rowling, are well-founded. I'm bisexual and part of the LGBTQ+ community, but to me, the Harry Potter series is more important than her; it was a huge part of my childhood. The holidays are also a time when my parents watch the movies, so it's always something in the back of my mind during that time of year.

After a year of heavy guide writing, I decided to return to the Scottish highlands and finish my fifth year at Hogwarts. The game's visuals and storytelling entranced my family. However, it wasn't what they expected as they witnessed the end of Sebastian's dark storyline. Oh, and it was also fun to flip over a cow.

Did you finish a backlog game during the holidays?

With so many 2023 releases like Starfield or Baldur's Gate 3, games will fall by the wayside, especially if you have Xbox Game Pass. We all have busy schedules, so getting one or two weeks off is a blessing. That's why it's so fascinating there are trophy and achievement hunters out there who finish a game to completion.

The patience and the reluctance to buy new games are something to be admired. However, as a guide writer who has to stay current, I move on from games I love, which can be heartbreaking. It's part of the job, especially as a freelancer.

Have you conquered a backlog game over the holidays? Were you able to defeat the Mongols in Ghost of Tsushima or finally finish every world in Super Mario Odyssey to completion? Let us know in the comments below.

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Microsoft hasn't been afraid to have fun with its consoles and feature them as various appliances, including a fridge. One of the latest Xbox redesigns comes in the form of a Series S toaster that you can pick up at Walmart.

We got our first glimpses last year when a French Twitter account posted images of the toaster along with its specs. It's now finally available for purchase, and it does everything you would want from a two-slice toaster, including a six-setting shade selector dial to get your toast just right.

With a wide slot, it can sort out your artisan loaf bread slices, "bagels, frozen waffles, Texas toast, or English muffins." It also has an anti-jam function and as an attractive bonus, it also can imprint the Xbox sphere logo on your bread. To keep things from getting messy, you'll also get a removable crumb tray and non-stick-coated plates.

Some high-tech features include a digital LED countdown timer as well as the ability to keep a list of the different preferred settings of household members. At $39.99, it's not out of reach for the sufficiently motivated Xbox fan.

To complete the Xboxification of your life, throw in the Xbox Mastercard as well as the Wonka-inspired console and controller.

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With The Game Awards just around the corner, Sega has teased a new game announcement at the event. Sending teaser letters to fighting game content creators, it points towards a Virtua Fighter 6 reveal at Geoff Keighley's show.

On social media, content creators like Curiousjoi and Maximillian Dood have been posting images of said a press mailer they've received, a postcard that reads "New Era New Energy. Make sure to tune in to The Game Awards December 7th."

Maximillian Dood says on his Twitter post, "Curious, have these gone out to others that are NOT huge fighting game creators?"

One of the replies from Brodoof shows a screenshot from one of the Virtua Fighter 5: Ultimate Showdown trailers. It has the same exact font, but the color is red instead of blue. This has led many to speculate the press mailing is setting the stage for something new in the Virtua Fighter franchise.

Sega could be planning a new Virtua Fighter with rollback netcode

One of the most important aspects of a modern fighting game is having a great rollback netcode. It lets players around the world battle it out and participate in tournaments online.

"I believe that implementing rollback will be absolutely necessary when developing future titles," said Virtua Fighter 5: Ultimate Showdown producer Seiji Aoki when interviewed by Gamer Braves.

"While it’s important to create content for fighting game fans, I think it’s important to also create content that viewers or newcomers to the fighting genre can enjoy," Aoki said in the same interview when asked about how to keep the game interesting for both new and returning fans and how they're approaching the eSports aspect of the industry. "For example, I can’t play soccer, but I love watching soccer."

It's just a waiting game now for eager fans to learn if Sega will revive the beloved Virtua Fighter franchise at The Game Awards.

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The December 2023 games lineup involves us turning into blue aliens and harnessing the powers of a flour golem. We'll also be helping our favorite Disney characters with farming and other tasks.

Avatar: Frontiers of Pandora - PS5, Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S, PC, Amazon Luna

Publisher: Ubisoft
Developer: Massive Entertainment
Price: $69.99
Release Date: December 7
Trailer

The Division developer Massive Entertainment is behind the open world of Avatar: Frontiers of Pandora. You'll be exploring the beautiful Western Frontier, a new area inspired by James Cameron's box office breaking movie series. Available on December 7, this FPS has us playing as a Na'vi raised to be a warrior for the RDA but freed after 15 years. We'll be fighting back as we "reconnect with [our] lost heritage," according to the game's official website.

"It’s clear this is an open-world Ubisoft game, but there’s enough different there to make it feel like a fresh experience as well," writes our own Steven Mills in a preview of the new Ubisoft title.

This game seems similar to the Far Cry series as you craft your own gear, gain access to a variety of weapons like shotguns and assault rifles, and take over outposts. Hopefully the game will be more interesting than the first movie's Unobtanium storyline.

Born of Bread - PS5, Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S, Switch, PC

Publisher: Dear Villagers
Developer: WildArts Studio Inc.
Price: $24.99
Release Date: December 5
Trailer

Getting anxious for the Paper Mario: The Thousand Door remake? You'll want to check out Born of Bread while you wait. It has a vibrant art style, a similar turn-based combat system, and a story that seems just as silly. "Born of Bread puts a twist on turn-based combat tropes with a fun interaction system that will test your reflexes," says the game's Steam page. "This interactive system also features a weaknesss and resistance system that makes battles more strategic."

The RPG seems memorable, as evidenced by our preview from PAX East earlier this year.

The combat system reacts to the timing of your button presses like the Paper Mario games that many enjoy. You'll also be solving puzzles with each character's abilities as you explore this world. It releases on December 5.

Disney Dreamlight Valley (1.0 release) - PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S, Switch, PC

Publisher: Gameloft
Developer: Gameloft
Price: $39.99 and higher
Release Date: December 5
Trailer

The 1.0 release of Disney Dreamlight Valley and the expansion A Rift In Time is finally arriving on December 5. This game is similar to Animal Crossing, in which you're befriending Disney characters, harvesting crops, and finishing side quests along the way like making dishes for Ratatouille's Remy. You're also upgrading shops and other resources available to you. Somehow, there's an intriguing storyline that meshes all of these Disney icons together and have it make sense.

It's a relaxing adventure, especially for those who love almost every Disney movie like me. You may want to get the Gold Edition, which comes with the DLC A Rift In Time and 5,000 Moonstones, one of the game's currencies. And yes, it won't be free-to-play, unfortunately. I guess it's something else Eeyore can complain about.

Dragon Quest Monsters: The Dark Prince - Switch

Publisher: Square Enix
Developer: Square Enix
Price: $59.99
Release Date: December 1
Trailer

Heading to the Switch exclusively is Dragon Quest Monsters: The Dark Prince, the next entry in the long-running JRPG series. Similar to the Pokemon series, you'll be collecting monsters and training them. As the story proceeds, the game's environments will change from Spring to Summer and so on.

Synthesizing two monsters to make more powerful allies returns, too. "Players can experiment and eventually unlock over 500 monsters, including franchise favourites, dark lords, and completely new creatures," says Square Enix in a press release. The game's also online, so you can compete against your friends and foes throughout the world. I'm excited, but man, I'll skip over the Overture theme if it plays after it playing in so many trailers. Nevertheless Dragon Quest Monsters: The Dark Prince releases on December 1.

Sonic Dream Team - iOS, Mac, Apple Arcade

Publisher: Sega
Developer: Sega Hardlight
Price: Free with Apple Arcade subscription
Release Date: December 5
Trailer

Last up is the Blue Blur himself, Sonic the Hedgehog in Sonic Dream Team. This time, you can play as six different characters, including Sonic, Amy, Tails, Cheese, Knuckles, and Rouge. In this 3D platformer, you're trying to jump and spindash your way through Eggman's nightmare dreamscapes.

From the trailers and screenshots, it looks like a solid 3D entry, despite being exclusive to Apple Arcade. It's far more interesting than Sonic Superstars, that's for sure. It will be available on the subscription service on December 5. Hopefully this game heads to consoles soon after.

Honorable mentions

This month isn't just some RPG goodness and the lightning quick speed of Sonic and his friends. There's far more than that. Who knows? There might be some shadowdrop surprises at The Game Awards. The honorable mentions include:

• Batman: Arkham Trilogy (Switch) - December 1
• SteamWorld Build (PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S, PC, Switch)- December 1
• A Highland Song (Switch, PC) - December 5
• Enclave HD (PS5) - December 5
• Arizona Sunshine II (PC, PSVR2) - December 7
• House Flipper 2 (PC) - December 13
• Bulletstorm VR (PC, PSVR2) - December 14
• Granblue Fantasy Versus: Rising (PS4, PS5, PC) - December 14
• Pokemon Scarlet & Violet: The Hidden Treasure of Area Zero (Switch) - December 14
• Raccoo Venture (PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S, Switch, PC) - December 14
• Paranoid (PC) - December 14
• Trinity Fusion (PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S, PC) - December 15
• Resident Evil 4 (iOS) - December 20

The post Most anticipated games – December 2023 appeared first on Destructoid.

Tekken 8 is just around the corner, and Bandai Namco released a glimpse of Leo's glorious combos and eccentric personality in a trailer Wednesday. Their stylish red and white jacket shines as they show off their impressive new counter.

The German fighter Leo Kliesen is back in Tekken 8 with their Baji Quan fighting style. With their hatred of the main antagonist Kazuya Michima, it makes sense if they make an appearance in the story mode. With the codename "Seeker of Truth," they'd likely join the battle to find out more about their murdered mother and missing father.

We didn't get many details in Tekken 7 as they were sidetracked by a love-stricken Yoshimitsu, but in Tekken 6, we learned that their mother worked for the Mishima Zaibatsu and G Corporation.

Leo is looking sharp

Not much seems to have changed with Leo's moveset, except for the previously mentioned counter. They'll still stomp their foes' toes and have an elaborate combo set up with their punches and kicks. It's been a few years since I've stepped into the shoes of Leo but one new move seems to be an impactful swirling kick in the air, which is shown in the trailer.

They also has a new grappling hook that's used for Leo's Rage Art. Perhaps this will be used in combos too, but we haven't seen it implemented yet.

The trailer also shows their adorable carefree personality as they're surprised by the Coffee Queen's name. They stagger back like an anime character as shown in the screenshot above.

We'll be able to play as the German blonde Leo when Tekken 8 releases on January 26, just a few months away. They'll be fighting against many combatants, like the first French fighter in Tekken Victor Chevalier and a mysterious Heihachi-like character named Reina, and the rest of the healthy launch roster for the new Tekken.

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The Xbox console versions of Baldur's Gate 3 are on their way. And it looks like the optimizations made for the Xbox Series S version of BG3 may have some benefits for other platforms, too.

Larian Studios head Swen Vincke shared a look at some graphs for the upcoming port of Baldur's Gate 3. Notably, the graphs highlight how the optimizations being made are addressing an overall Baldur's Gate 3 speedbump: memory.

"Ensuring memory is well under control and having buffer for peaks was the main thing holding us back I think this will benefit all platforms too," Vincke writes. "Still some work left but very close now."

A new horizon for Baldur's Gate 3

The Xbox Series versions of Baldur's Gate 3 are still coming along but planned for this year. While the massive RPG hit PC and PS5 earlier this year, the Xbox version was held off for some time, citing concerns about the Series S, a compromise was finally reached: allowing the Series S version to launch without split-screen co-op.

While the issues initially surrounded parity, seeing as the Series S is a step behind both the Series X and PlayStation 5, it looks like optimizing that port might be beneficial for all. The improvements in VRAM and RAM shown above definitely seem enticing, and if this makes my PC run BG3 better, then I'm all for it.

Plus, it means many more people will be able to play Baldur's Gate 3. Despite a frankly crowded year for big releases, Larian's RPG has been a huge hit for players, including myself. Getting Baldur's Gate 3 on Xbox Series S consoles, and optimizing it more in the process, seems like a real win-win.

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I'm just as surprised as you, but DreamWorks All-Star Kart Racing is actually quite entertaining. It even brings its own unique mechanics to the overpopulated scene, iterating on a genre with loaded expectations.

It's no Mario Kart or Crash Team Racing, sure, but that's not what I'm asking for. The Dreamworks racer manages to capture plenty of lovely little details I love about its worlds, and they're worth a highlight.

It's the little things

More often than not, these tie-in games read like a cheap cash grab, leading to a disappointing result: Garfield Kart, anyone?

However, DreamWorks All-Star Kart Racing really plays like it has some love behind it. Each kart is decorated with references to the movies these characters come from. Race tracks are quite charming and take place in locations you remember from the flicks, like Far Far Away from Shrek 2 or Berk from How To Train Your Dragon.

Funnily enough, the DreamWorks mascot even rescues drivers with his fishing rod when falling off the stage. Developer Bamtang Games clearly took cues from beloved implementations of other kart racers, but less so in the typical ways that feel like cheapened crossover soup.

However, what's most important is how the driving feels, and I'm happy to report it's mostly smooth. Drifting around a corner at the end of the race gave me the boost I needed to win. It's also thrilling to pull off while you're in narrower sections of a track.

Admittedly, it does feel a bit slower than other kart racers in the market, but it still manages to deliver a rush of speed as you zip through a piano-like boost pad and edge out the win.

DreamWorks Kart Racing travels down a magic pathway

DreamWorks All-Star Kart Racing surprised me. It could have just been a run-in-the-mill kart racer, but it folds in a few interesting quirks to the gameplay. Among my favorites were the magic pathways.

Similar to mechanics in F-Zero 99, you can form a rainbow path above the typical track. Navigating the path perfectly makes it an effective shortcut. However, others can jump on the magic pathway, too, and it comes with hazards as paths fade over time. There's a risk/reward system that's captivating on the track.

The track design is inventive, too. In one track, you're trying to avoid perilous dragon flames while twisting and turning through a castle, and another has you bouncing up and down in a trampoline room. There's good variety in the mix, shaking things up between the typical stretches of road.

You'll see all manner of sights and sounds, shaping up to something surprisingly spectacular as you see familiar dragons from the franchise flying in the sky. There's also a starry Rainbow Road-like track inspired by the intro that plays before every DreamWorks film. It's complete with a glowing moon and bouncy purple clouds, making it my go-to pick.

While the items are a little lackluster, there are references to Dreamworks movies, like Shrek's onions. That was one of my bigger qualms with Disney Speedstorm, as it lacks those touches and uses generic items instead.

All-Stars get a little chatty, too

Prior GameMill Entertainment tie-ins like Nickelodeon All-Star Brawl and Nickelodeon Kart Racers 2 lacked voice acting at launch. However, DreamWorks All-Star Kart Racing takes advantage of this feature. You'll hear Shrek calling out Tigress on the track. Some even have some witty banter between them, and there are even references to famous lines in the movies. While Shrek's voice actor sounds like he's never visited Scotland in his life, most of the performances are decent.

Overall, I've enjoyed my time with DreamWorks All-Star Kart Racing. While it's certainly not as polished or fun as Mario Kart 8 Deluxe or Crash Team Racing: Nitro-Fueled, I'd still recommend this to any kid or DreamWorks Animation fan. Now, where's the Rise of the Guardians DLC?

[A review code was provided by the publisher to the writer]

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There's no Batman, Luke Skywalker, or Jack Skellington in Fortnite's new OG Season. However, Fortnite has received its busiest day ever, receiving over 44.7 million players on Saturday, November 4, blowing the development team away.

Players spent a lot of time in Fortnite last weekend

"We're blown away by the response to #FortniteOG," said the game's official Twitter page. "Yesterday was the biggest day in Fortnite’s history with over 44.7 MILLION players jumping in and 102 MILLION hours of play."

The new OG season takes players back to the beginning of the battle royale mode. It brings back beloved locations like Tilted Towers, Greasy Grove, and Snobby Shores into the experience. This has obviously attracted fans to return to the game.

The classic Assault Rifle, Pump Shotgun, and Hunting Rifle are back. In addition, you can use the Damage Trap, Grappler, and Boogie Bomb. The latter is my personal favorite, as it forces your opponents to dance if they get hit by the grenade. You can also ride around in a Shopping Kart or an All Terrain Kart.'

If you're a regular Fortnite player, you can utilize the Reboot Rally. This is an incentive to get returning friends into the action. If you finish certain goals with them, you can get the Skerran Glider and more rewards.

Fans have reacted strongly

Fortnite news social media account HYPEX reposted a funny video with the returning shopping kart that has received 17.4 million views. It says, "NAH FORTNITE IS SO BACK." It has a hilarious laugh that doesn't fail to make you smile as the shopping kart single-handedly takes out two party members. Popular streamer Ninja has retweeted the post as well, likely bringing in more players to the battle royale.

Meanwhile, streamer Nick Eh 30 shared an impressive feat in-game. The clip has received over one million views. "I have missed the OG season, let me tell you," Nick said with a laugh, decimating two enemies simultaneously. "I love it."

On social media and around the world, there is a buzz around Epic Games' battle royale now more than ever.

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The Tekken series is getting its first French fighter, as Victor Chevalier is joining the Tekken 8 roster alongside a new Paris-themed stage.

Announced on Thursday, game director and chief producer Katsuhiro Harada added context for the character on social media.

"Victor is actually the first French fighter for the TEKKEN franchise," said Harada. "I have had the idea of a French character in my mind for a long time and it finally came to fruition. Thanks to Vincent Cassel for inspiring me and for voicing him. And the stage is Paris itself, where I took my first Seine River cruise over 20 years ago."

Oui, oui, oui!

As Harada noted, Chevalier is voiced by French actor Vincent Cassel (Black Swan, La Haine). Victor Chevalier uses a blade, knife, and pistol as his weaponry. He also teleports across the screen as he slashes his opponents. Bandai Namco knows how to make older men look badass (remember Leroy Smith?).

The trailer also points out that Victor has a history with Raven, saying to him, "You've gotten pretty good, Raven."

A new stage set in Paris for the Tekken 8 Victor character

In this new Tekken 8 trailer, we see the action taking place on a boat moving across the river Seine. Harada said he took his first Seine River cruise over 20 years ago, inspiring this stage to come to life in game.

As you fight with Victor and other Tekken 8 fighters on the Paris stage, you'll see the sights like the Eifel Tower in the background. Hopefully, there's a nighttime section for the final round, in which it sparkles in gold lights—though there wasn't a hint towards that in the trailer.

It's interesting that Tekken 8 has a Paris-themed level because Street Fighter 6 has one too, set closer to the Eiffel Tower during a festival. It must be a good time for virtual brawling in France. Nevertheless, Tekken 8 releases on January 26 for the PS5, Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S, and PC.

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While PC and PlayStation 5 owners are off adventuring, there's a large faction of players still awaiting the Baldur's Gate 3 Xbox Series X|S release. Larian Studios previously stated that it should be rolling out this year, but we've yet to hear anything definitive.

Today, Larian's CEO Swen Vincke emerged to squelch any fears that may be growing from the Xbox fanbase. Via Twitter/X, he confirmed that the title is being "actively playtested" and remains on schedule for 2023.

It was back in August that Vincke confirmed the game was still slated to make a 2023 release. However, the game would not make the same release window as the PlayStation 5 version as compromises (the cutting of split-screen coop) had to be made on the Xbox Series S version of the hit RPG.

To that point, it appeared as though keeping parity across Xbox Series S and X was creating issues, as some have reported in the past. But when Baldur's Gate 3 became a smashing success on PC, Gaming CEO Phil Spencer decided that perhaps complete similarities across the Series X and Series S versions of titles weren't entirely necessary.

With that, the Baldur's Gate 3 Xbox release is slated for late 2023. And since Larian's CEO confirming things are going well, Xbox players should be able to get their hands on the highly reviewed RPG at some point in the next couple of months.

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As food prices rise around the world, it's more important than ever to save money on games. There are a few things you may not consider, which we'll dive into right now.

Check your local library

This might be a shock to you, but there are libraries that let you rent out video games for free. While I was living in Edmonton, I used the library so much because of this. While it took a long time to get new releases (around a month typically), I was able to catch up on franchises like Resident Evil and Fire Emblem because of the library near me.

Look at the deal-searching websites and Reddit groups

If you want to find the best video game deals, you should check out the information available on websites like Cheap Ass Gamer and Game Deals Canada. They can compile great gaming deals for you, especially during Black Friday. There are some Reddit groups, including r/Game Deals and r/NintendoSwitchDeals that provide up-to-date sales info as well.

Facebook Marketplace is fantastic for saving money

You can find some awesome deals on Facebook Marketplace if you're fast enough. New releases can be cheaper used from regular people rather than GameStop. For example, I found Final Fantasy XVI and Armored Core VI Fires of Rubicon for $60 Canadian ($45 US) each from one seller a few months after release.

Game bundles can be fantastic

PC gamers might be familiar with Humble Bundle, a retailer that packs a bunch of games together and allows you to save money on awesome games, often while supporting a good cause. During October 2023, there was the Laugh Till You Die: Multiplayer Mayhem charity bundle, including popular games like PlateUp! and Ultimate Chicken Horse in a pack of seven. It also costs around $10; PlateUp! alone costs $19.99 USD usually.

Fanatical is another great option. It offers cheap bundles, and for some, you can actually select what you want. For example, the Build Your Own Play As You Go bundle in October had Wolfenstein 2: The New Colossus, Doom, The Walking Dead: The TellTale Series The Final Season, and The Ascent, among other high quality games. If you bought three, it would be around $10, but if you get 7, it would total about $20, saving you cash.

Ask a friend to lend you a game

The best way to save money on games is to ask a friend to lend their titles. If you want to check out Call of Duty Modern Warfare 3 and see a friend who has it playing Diablo 4 instead, perhaps ask if you could borrow their copy of the latest COD. They might say yes. Just make sure you schedule a time to return the game with your pal.

Check out the thrift stores and pawn shops

Pawn shops are a fantastic way to get modern titles. For example, I saw the often expensive Mario Tennis Aces for $35 CAD ($25 USD) at a pawn shop the other week. If you're lucky, you can also find some retro gems in thrift stores. I found a few rare PS2 games available, including the valuable PS2 port of Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone.

Read the flyers and check the deals pages

Try to read the weekly flyers when you can. They offer some surprising deals at times. In Canada, they're still around often, but I found them difficult to find with some American brands, at least online.

Thankfully, you can check the deals sections of these retailers. For example, on Walmart, I found that Yoshi's Crafted World was $10 off, and The Legend of Zelda: Link's Awakening was $20 off on a random October night.

Xbox Game Pass and PlayStation Plus Extra are the best ways to save money on games

Both subscription services Xbox Game Pass and PlayStation Plus Extra offer a wealth of titles to check out for less than $20 a month. Xbox Game Pass is arguably the better of the two with new games like Starfield and Lies of P launching on the platform day one. You can also play the entirety of the Halo and Gears of War series on the service. There are some other standouts like Disney Dreamlight Valley and indies such as Celeste and Inside on Xbox Game Pass.

However, PlayStation Plus Extra has an impressive suite of titles too, such as Ratchet & Clank Rift Apart, Demon's Souls (PS5), and Marvel's Spider-Man: Miles Morales. You can catch up on the games you've missed as well. For example, I never caught up with NieR Replicant, and now it's available on PlayStation Plus Extra.

Use Bing to get gift cards on Xbox

This might sound like a joke to you, but I use Bing for the majority of my searches rather than Google. Why? Because I can get points towards gift cards on Xbox and other rewards. After a month of searches, this number can increase dramatically, letting you redeem them for a $5 gift card code. You can also answer fun quizzes to get some points. If you're an Overwatch or League of Legends fan, you can get in-game currency with your points too. It's been very helpful for me, and I've probably saved $50 or more with this method.

PlayStation Stars offers up money too

PlayStation Stars can also get you some cash on the PlayStation Store. You'll get points back from your purchases and finishing tasks on the PlayStation App. You can then redeem them for digital gift cards or actual games like Cuphead. Some of these tasks include playing games from the PlayStation Plus lineup that month or checking out new titles in the Store.

The Nintendo eShop also gives you back some cash on your purchases too in the form of gold coins. You'll typically get $4 back on every $80 game you buy, according to My Nintendo. However, there are no additional tasks you complete for more currency.

The post 10 ways to save money on games appeared first on Destructoid.

The best Disney games honor the source material and are exciting to play for all ages. From kart racing, to farming, to platforming, there's a surprising amount of variety. Here are the best Disney games you can play in 2023.

[Note: I'm including games you can easily access on modern platforms. Unfortunately, it's quite difficult to get a copy of Disney's Extreme Skate Adventure in 2023. Otherwise, I'd put it on the list!]

Cars 3: Driven to Win

Cars 3: Driven to Win takes the Mario Kart approach and makes for a surprisingly good Disney racing game. You're driving through locations from the film, and trying to triumph in the race, items included. There's a wide variety of characters to drive as, including Lightning, Cruz Ramirez, and even the unconventional Mater.

There's also a decent drifting and boosting system in place in the game, making it feel high-speed.

Disney’s Aladdin

Disney's Aladdin took "one jump ahead" to the platforming genre with fun platforming levels, groundbreaking 2D roto-scoping animation, and a great recreation of the desert city Agrabah in game form. This game's tough, however, so I'd recommend getting the Disney Classic Games Collection.

It has the function to rewind and even does a perfect playthrough for you. For the latter feature, you can also jump into the game whenever you'd like. The collection can switch between the Genesis and Super Nintendo versions of the game too.

Disney Dreamlight Valley

Disney Dreamlight Valley is an absolute joy for any fan of the House of Mouse. In this relaxing Animal Crossing-like experience, you're rebuilding a town, as well as bringing back old and new Disney characters to the settlement. It's quite satisfying when the town gets busier and busier.

You'll also be cooking a bunch of recipes from the ingredients you grow and collect from around the world. You'll need to have some patience too in this game with the farming elements!

Disney Infinity on Steam

What once was a toys-to-life game (remember those?), Disney Infinity has become a comprehensive package on Steam. You can get all the characters and campaigns through the Gold Collection on Valve's client. You won't need a figure. Within the game are some charming levels, simple Lego-like beat-em-up sections you can play with your family, and great production values all around. For example, in Disney Infinity 1.0, you can explore the Caribbean on a pirate ship.

You can't share your creations online, but there's a pretty awesome toolset for making your own levels as well.

Disney Speedstorm

Disney Princesses don't have to wait for their "prince to come." Instead, they can race around all manner of landmarks throughout the animation studio's history. From Mulan's Great Walls of China to Aladdin's Agrabah, there are exciting places to explore on your kart.

The action's intense, the driving's surprisingly smooth for a tie-in game like this, and the graphics are top-notch. I personally love that each item you use has a second ability from holding down the corresponding button.

The problem is that it's free-to-play and has a lot of barriers in place to unlock your favorite characters. Still, the game itself is thrilling to play; it's worth the headaches. Read my review for more information.

DuckTales

Available through The Disney Afternoon Collection, you can play this platforming classic in 2023. You're using Scrooge's cane as a pogo stick, bumping enemies. The level design is immaculate.

The music is also phenomenal, especially the Moon level's theme, which cover artists still love to highlight to this day. Like Aladdin's port to modern systems, you can rewind the game as well, making this game more accessible to modern players. It might be an NES game, but you might go quackers over it.

"Borrowing a page from Mega Man with its freeing world selection system, the maps themselves are full of twists, turns, alternate paths, and secret areas," Chris Carter says in his Destructoid review for The Disney Afternoon Collection. "Like most of the Afternoon Collection, it stands on its own two feet, free of the shackles of nostalgia."

Kingdom Hearts HD 1.5 + 2.5 ReMIX

If you know me, this selection isn't a surprise at all. Kingdom Hearts is near and dear to my heart. The characters are relatable, the storyline is surprisingly deep, and the action RPG combat system keeps me coming back over and over. I've always found it wonderful how the magical worlds of Disney blend with the Final Fantasy-esque storyline and combat.

Mickey flips around like Star Wars' Yoda and uses a golden keyblade, while Final Fantasy X's tough Auron takes on Hercules' Cerberus in the Underworld alongside our heroes Sora, Donald, and Goofy. Kingdom Hearts is bonkers, and I'm here for it. The combat's also top of the line with some stunning abilities at Sora's disposal like Sonic Blade and Ragnarok. The bosses, for the most part, are also well-designed and will challenge you.

It's been said many times, but the fusion of Disney and Square Enix properties shouldn't work. And yet, it's a perfect match. Please get on the gummi ship and take a journey into the wacky chaos, which is the Kingdom Hearts series.

The post 7 best Disney games you can easily play in 2023 appeared first on Destructoid.

On paper, The Thaumaturge sounds like a delight. The unique setting of 20th Century Warsaw? Check. A turn-based RPG combat system that changes based on the spirit you use? Check. In practice, everything comes together in a confusing fashion. Let's dig into it.

A slow start to The Thaumaturge's story

The beginning of the demo for The Thaumaturge is as flat as it gets. You're not given an aspiring introduction, telling you why you should care. The background of the world just flies past your ears into a solace wall behind you. You're left with a protagonist that isn't relatable, and voice acting that's uninteresting across the board. The game's dialogue isn't particularly personality-filled and the performances come off as wooden more often than not. To add insult to injury, the story didn't click with me until perhaps near the end of the demo. While I wasn't interested in the protagonist's narrative, it may be fascinating to find out the backstory of these spirits called Saluters and how you acquire their powers. It's kinda similar to Persona as you can gain their powers in combat after defeating them.

The Thaumaturge combat system is surprisingly cinematic

Speaking of the combat system in The Thaumaturge, I was surprised by how cinematic the game is. You get unique angles on some attacks that look deadly. The main character only punches his way so far in this early point of the game. Eventually, we'll be able to "use the unique set of their skills to gain an advantage while exploring the world and when bringing your adversaries to their knees," said publisher 11 bit studios on the game's Steam page. I'm anxious to see it play out.

The boss was tough but...

When I faced the boss in the demo, I started to turn against the combat system. I thought the only way to heal normally was through the ability Eerie Intoxication, which restores half of what you've lost in a round during the attack. Through multiple attempts, the amount of damage incurred on your character makes his healing ineffective at a certain point of the battle. I fell to it three times.

However, I discovered a big mechanic that the developer Fool's Theory needs to make way more obvious. You can upgrade your attacks with added quirks if you drag and drop certain arrows into place, but the UI is so odd it's hard to spot. For example, you can get a 60% chance of doubling the strength of one of your attacks. This is massive and changes the complexity of the battle. These essential upgrades are hidden within menus, and the UI should show how important they are.

Additionally, the protagonist has an additional ability called Not of this World, which causes a chunk of damage AND heals your character by half of their health. It unlocks later down the line of battle after you've staggered a foe into its breakdown state. You'll need to eliminate all of their focus to do this. It's interesting, but poorly setup.

Investigating the area

You won't just be battling foes in The Thaumaturge. You'll be exploring locations, picking up items, and trying to figure out what exactly happened before you arrived. There's a Perception mechanic, that lets you scan the area around you. It's not as intuitive as I'd like, and at one point in the game, I was running around not knowing where to go next. Sometimes, you may need to head to the other sub-quest to actually complete the one you're on; keep that in mind.

An aspect of the game that seems to have promise is the dialogue choices. It seems like what you decide will actually make an impact on the narrative. For example, the game teases whether or not you should trust Rasputin on this adventure. The Steam page says the game "allows you to alternate your choices and make you deal with the aftermath." Hopefully, the developer will pull off that promise.

An early showing of Unreal Engine 5

The Thaumaturge, like Immortals of Aveum, runs on Unreal Engine 5. The environments look pretty with some great Lumen and Volumetric lighting all around. The quality of the monsters' renders is super detailed as well. Unfortunately, I'm taking an all-expenses paid trip to the Uncanny Valley with the characters. The expressions of the likes of Rasputin and other personalities in the game creeped me out a little. The eyes kinda look dead inside as well. Something just rubbed me the wrong way.

Despite the character models, however, The Thamaturge looks fantastic on my monitor on Epic settings. I can't wait to see the game's interpretation of Warsaw in the full title. It will be released on December 5 for PC systems. A PS5 and Xbox Series X/S release is also scheduled sometime in early 2024.

The post Preview: The Thaumaturge leaves a mixed first impression appeared first on Destructoid.

The kart racing genre is known for many mediocre franchise tie-in titles. NASCAR, DreamWorks, and even Garfield have entered the party with varying results. Sonic and Crash are arguably the only two that can somewhat rival Mario and his friends. Disney Speedstorm is on the cusp of that.

Disney Speedstorm hits and adds some new mechanics and twists to the genre. While the overall game is impressive, it will be hard for many to ignore the microtransactions that poison the sweet apple that's this game (expect many Disney references, you have been warned).

Disney Speedstorm (PC, PS5 [Reviewed], PS4, Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, Switch [Reviewed], iOS, Android)
Developer: Gameloft
Publisher: Gameloft
Released: September 28, 2023
MSRP: Free to play

"One Jump Ahead" of Mario Kart, in some ways

Disney Speedstorm is a refreshing addition to the kart racing genre. It brings all of these beloved Disney characters together, like Aladdin and Jack Sparrow, but also adds some awesome gameplay mechanics to the format. The Disney characters aren't the only attraction, unlike other tie-in games that live off the property's name and do the bare minimum.

One of the thrilling mechanics is the charged skill system. When you pick up an item, there are two variations of moves you can pull off. For example, with a mine, you can throw it in front of you or hold the item button to create an explosion in your near vicinity. This adds more of an element of strategy to the game. I hope Nintendo takes notes as I find the items in the Mario Kart series, like the banana and bombs, a bit repetitive and old.

There's also a slight tang of the Burnout series in Disney Speedstorm, as you can ram other players into the walls. I'm surprised such a violent move can be found in a game inspired by the House of Mouse. Additionally, you can use a nitro boost to speed yourself up, like in Team Sonic Racing and Crash Team Racing: Nitro-Fueled.

These mechanics truly add to the kart racing experience. "For the First Time in Forever," we're actually seeing some innovation within a tired genre.

A great start to the action but...

With Gameloft's experience with the Asphalt series, it's no surprise that Disney Speedstorm feels great to control. While the kart does move a little slower than I'd like, drifting around is a dream. Boosting also feels powerful as you work your way through the hills of the Steamboat Willie-inspired The Silver Screen track and around the halls of Monster's Inc.'s Factory.

I personally love that each character has their own unique item as well. Donald lays out fists around him as he gets angry, while Aladdin rides his magic carpet across the stage. Jafar also bursts fire from his scepter. It makes each character unique and makes me want to try out everyone on the roster.

I'm happy to report that the game runs smoothly on both the PS5 and Nintendo Switch. The tracks look gorgeous on Sony's latest system, and while the Nintendo Switch does have a few rare hiccups here and there, Disney Speedstorm does run well on the hybrid system. It's also cross-play and cross-save compatible, so you can take the game anywhere you'd like to go and play it with anyone you'd like.

Leveling up your character...

My main issue is that your characters need to be leveled up for better stats. For offline play, thankfully, this isn't a big issue. However, your success in the single-player Season Tour mode depends on your character's top speed, acceleration, handling, boost, and combat. You won't be on an equal playing field at points. Mulan might be too slow to finish a race in the first place.

You'll need to get upgrade parts to level up your characters. Most of the time, I've been able to get them easily through unlocking them in the Season Tour mode and Starter Circuit. However, there have been points where I've had to grind for upgrade parts to proceed. It can be frustrating, and this is where the microtransactions rear their ugly head.

The good thing is that everyone is on a level playing field when you play the multiplayer mode. Your characters are automatically at Level 30, which is the regulated level of Regulated Multiplayer. The Ranked mode, however, does depend on your character's stats, so keep that in mind. It does feel pay-to-win in this instance.

There are so many microtransactions!

Like The Goofy Movie with Goofy and Max, you'll need to be "I2I" with the micro-transactions in this game. There are so many to keep count of that it can be overwhelming. Here's an explanation of each of them:

• Tokens - This is the main currency used towards character tokens, vehicle parts, crew members, etc.
• Multiplayer Coins - These are gained through finishing leaderboard events and doing well in ranked multiplayer. This is used for costumes and multiplayer boxes (loot boxes that give you random rewards).
• Season Coins - This is the most common currency you'll earn through finishing races in the Season Tour and Starter Circuit modes.
• Box Credits - These are credits that can be used for opening specifically marked boxes in the Shop.

Gameloft should have streamlined the microtransaction process to make the process clearer. There's also the Golden Pass and Collections level system to keep track of, which gives you character tokens, crew shards, and even mottos. It's a lot to take in and initially turned me off the game at first. With a family title like this, I bet kids are even more confused. Families would wish they'd have a "Friend Like Me" explaining this while playing Disney Speedstorm, I'm certain.

It can be irritating to miss out on your favorite characters like Stitch and Woody as well due to missing each season. You can get them from the Universal Box, but it's ridiculously difficult to get them. For example, to get Angel from Lilo & Stitch at the time of writing, there's a 0.98% chance of getting 1-3 racer shards from the Universal Box. You'll need ten racer shards to get her.

Disney Speedstorm has so much potential though

It's so irritating that there's a bad micro-transaction system in Disney Speedstorm because I genuinely love this game. If it was released at $39.99 and had all of the characters, tracks, and content, it would be marked as one of the best kart racing games out there.

There's a deep love of Disney behind each track design. You're maneuvering around plumes of fire in the Cave of Wonders before the lion opens its mouth, letting you out. Disney Speedstorm has a track based on Mulan that has you racing on the Great Walls of China Wipeout style, with the rockets from the avalanche scene becoming an obstacle later on.

In the Hercules stage, you're drifting around a gorgeous depiction of Mount Olympus as you're listening to a banging electronic remix of the film's opening song, "The Gospel Truth."

The tracks are also laid with fun obstacles and beautiful scenery inspired by the films we know and love. I especially like seeing the colorful and summer vibes of the Hawaii stage from Lilo & Stitch. It's just a shame that the game gets a little repetitive with a small selection of tracks currently.

If you're a Disney fan, you're going to see a lot of references. The music is a bit of a mixed bag with some fantastic remixes of tracks we've grown up with and then others that go overboard with the dubstep and techno beats.

Disney Speedstorm "Goes the Distance" and makes a rough landing

Disney Speedstorm is certainly "on a roll" with its electrifying stages and game design, but it's certainly not "undefeated." The confusing microtransactions pull it down and become an annoying distraction to what's great in this kart racer. While a love for the Disney product is certainly present in Disney Speedstorm, there are a few annoying aspects of the game to be mindful of.

Thankfully, you can play the game offline with all the characters unlocked. You can participate in the multiplayer modes, too, with a rotating selection of guest racers. As the game proceeds, we'll be getting new tracks and characters every two months, so there will be a regular stream of content incoming for Disney Speedstorm.

[This review is based on the Ultimate Founder’s Pack of the game provided by the publisher.]

The post Review: Disney Speedstorm appeared first on Destructoid.

Gameloft has teased that Frozen and The Little Mermaid are a part of the Disney Speedstorm roadmap over the next four months. Frozen's Arendelle and five new characters from the popular animated franchise will appear this November.

Later on, four racers from The Little Mermaid will emerge to the surface in January. Additionally, four mystery bonus characters will join mid-season.

Disney Speedstorm just boosted out of the Early Access period and released its 1.0 version. This means that anyone can play the game under its free-to-play model. It's available on PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S, Nintendo Switch, and PC. There's also crossplay and cross-play functionality.

To help celebrate the launch, Gameloft announced its upcoming roadmap. We know that the environments from the undersea Atlantica and frozen tundra around Arendelle will emerge as two locations players will race around in.

The Disney Speedstorm roadmap also teases that new content will be released every two months.

As part of Season 4 of the game, Disney fans can now race as Aladdin, Genie, Jasmine, and even Jafar. Four bonus characters, including Hades and Gaston, will be joining the game mid-season as well. The other two are a mystery right now.

So far, these are the Disney properties included in the game so far:

• Mickey and friends
• Pirates of the Caribbean
• Hercules
• Beauty and the Beast
• Mulan
• Lilo & Stitch
• The Jungle Book
• Monster's Inc
• Toy Story
• Aladdin

Perhaps one day, Gameloft will include Cars' Radiator Springs and 101 Dalmatians' London as race tracks in the future.

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Nickelodeon All-Star Brawl 2's official release date is November 3, as announced by the game's Twitter page on Tuesday. You can now wishlist the platform fighter on Steam, and digital pre-orders will go live in October.

This out-of-the-blue announcement for the Nickelodeon All-Star Brawl 2 release date does not mention any special editions. However, we know the game's content-packed already. The sequel adds a new roguelike single-player campaign: you'll be fighting Danny Phantom villain Vlad Plasmius as you explore the Nickelodeon universe. Furthermore, the Steam page shows bosses like SpongeBob Squarepants' King Jellyfish, and the presentation overall looks inspired by the World of Light mode from Super Smash Bros. Ultimate.

On the same Steam page, publisher GameMill Entertainment claims "Nickelodeon All-Star Brawl 2’s roster is better than ever, with even more variety in how each unique character plays," Some characters like Helga seem to be cut while newer entrants like Squidward and Jimmy Neutron take center stage. Fo those that made it, every character is getting a revamped moveset in Nickelodeon All-Star Brawl 2. The visuals and audio have also been improved with "new animations, modes, stages, mechanics, [and] taunts." Similar to Super Smash Bros. Brawl, this follow-up introduces new supers for each character as well.

These new features may improve the review score for the game. The original currently has a middling 63-71 Metacritic rating, based on the platform.

Nickelodeon All-Star Brawl 2 heads for the PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S, Nintendo Switch, and PC on November 3.

The post Nickelodeon All-Star Brawl 2 is out in November appeared first on Destructoid.

The free-to-play My Hero Academia Ultra Rumble is launching on September 28, as announced by publisher Bandai Namco on Thursday. The anime-based battle royale will be available on all major platforms, including the Nintendo Switch.

18 characters, both heroes and villains, will be available at launch. This includes the recent additions of Eijiro Kirishima, Momo Yaoyorozu, and Ibara Shiozaki. You'll unlock these through in-game currency and pulls. Todoroki, fresh from his appearance in Fortnite, is also in this battle royale.

A Twitter (X) follower campaign for My Hero Ultra Rumble

Bandai Namco has also announced a Twitter (X, ugh) follower campaign. If the account gets 10,000 new followers from now until September 27, everyone will get the following as in-game rewards:

• +1,000 followers = 1,000 Agency Points
• +3,000 followers = Three Roll Tickets pulls
• +5,000 followers = 2,500 Hero Crystals
• +7,000 followers = Five Roll Tickets pulls
• +10,000 followers = One character ticket (which is an instant unlock)

My Hero Academia: Ultra Rumble is a 24-player battle royale that has you compete in teams of three. Each character has their own unique moves to bring to the table. For example, Bakugo has his explosive fists, while Yaoyorozu can summon ranged cannon fire.

You can mix and match heroes and villains to create the best team. Like many other battle royale games, there are costumes to unlock too.

For example, the first Mission Event will give Uraraka a red and orange look while Tsuyu has a stealthy black and purple design. There will be three events per season that have you "[completing] objectives to earn limited-time rewards," according to the game's official Twitter account.

Additional outfits can also be retrieved by using Roll Tickets and Hero Crystals. My Hero Academia Ultra Rumble hopes to leave a mark during this busy gaming season.

Animes and RPGs are such a great power couple, however, so hopefully one day My Hero Academia will receive a roleplaying game inspired by the Persona series in the future. That's simply a wish though.

The post F2P My Hero Academia battle royale Ultra Rumble arrives next week appeared first on Destructoid.

The Jackbox Party Pack 10 will be released on October 19, as announced by Jackbox Games on Thursday. It will feature five new games, including a sequel to the beloved Tee K.O. There's also a music-making game called Dodo Re Mi. You can now wishlist the game on Steam.

The selection of games available within the 10th Party Pack include:

• Tee K.O. 2
• FixyText
• Hynotorious
• Timejinx
• Dodo Re Mi

We only know vague details about each game, however. FixyText is based on text editing. In a frantic group, you're "typing all at once to make the most memorable statement," according to the Steam page. Something that will likely make the game entertaining is that you can't delete anything you write.

Hypnotorious is a hidden identity game. It's apparently a "game with secret roles, tentative alliances, and of course silly answers to ridiculous questions." It may be similar to Monster Seeking Monster and Push the Button.

Meanwhile, Timejinx is a trivia title that revolves around a time traveller from the future. You'll be trying to "save your current timeline by answering questions about the past." It doesn't sound as deadly as Trivia Murder Party but seems like fun, for sure.

Lastly, Dodo Re Mi has your phone as an instrument. You'll be working together to "escape the hungry jungle plant."

Thankfully, The Jackbox Party Pack 10 will be coming to all major gaming platforms, including PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S, PC, and Nintendo Switch. We also know you can play the game with English, French, Italian, German, and Spanish language options from day one.

The post The Jackbox Party Pack 10 releases on October 19 appeared first on Destructoid.

The success of Baldur's Gate 3 came as a surprise to many people. This includes developer Larian Studios, with concurrent player counts surpassing 800,000 players on Steam. It also seemed to surprise another big name in the industry, Microsoft.

Despite Baldur's Gate 3 generating hype from its early access period, Microsoft may not have thought much of it, according to Polygon. In one part of the Xbox leak emerging from the FTC case, expectations for Baldur's Gate 3 seemed lower than they would turn out.

Xbox chief Phil Spencer started an email chain in May 2022 to discuss the ramifications of delaying Starfield before publicly announcing it. Spencer acknowledged this was a disaster situation as this left a gap for Xbox's 2022 releases. He instructed executives like Matt Booty and Sarah Bond to fill in the gap left by the empty release schedule.

Among these emails are lists of 3rd party games to potentially add to Game Pass along with the projected cost. These titles ranged from Dying Light 2, evaluated at around $50 million, and Suicide Squad at around $250 million. Baldur's Gate 3 comparatively was called a "second-run Stadia PC RPG" and evaluated at $5 million.

What's in a run?

Some have pointed out that the term "second-run" may refer to is Baldur's Gate 3 initially launching on Google's Stadia platform, even if some think it sounds like an insult. Yet Baldur's Gate 3 was a big deal for the now-dead platform. Its announcement even occurred at the 2019 Google Stadia conference event.

Microsoft's low-ball evaluation came before Larian Studios announced any console plans for Baldur's Gate 3 and during Stadia's final months. Hindsight states Microsoft's amount estimate for Baldur's Gate 3 was laughable, but what the company had to go off last year was a sequel to a dormant franchise whose launch was on PC outside Microsoft's store and a dying streaming platform. Even Larian seems to take the evaluation at the time in stride.

I adore Baldur's Gate 3 quite a lot, but its success was shocking to me. Even if $5 million is still low for the kind of game it is, it's still within a niche genre. A CRPG of its popularity is practically unheard of, and this leaked report only further highlights how big of a surprise Baldur's Gate 3 really was.

The post Microsoft saw Baldur’s Gate 3 as a ‘second-run’ RPG per Xbox leak appeared first on Destructoid.

Xbox has announced that Gotham Knights' Game Pass debut will occur on October 3, and those of you who don't want to pay for it can check out the game after its mediocre critical response. Party Animals, Cocoon, and PayDay 3 also join the Xbox Game Pass lineup over the next few weeks.

Xbox Game Pass will be adding five new games to its service, which include:

• Party Animals (September 20)
• PayDay 3 (September 21)
• Cocoon (September 29)
• Gotham Knights (October 3)
• The Lamplighters League (October 3)

Gotham Knights will be available to all Xbox Game Pass subscribers as it launches for the service on Xbox Series X|S, PC, and cloud. Each of these games will be available on the Cloud, except Cocoon.

Perhaps Gotham Knights will find an audience within the Xbox Game Pass community. The current Steam player base at the time of writing is at 199, according to SteamCharts, so this news could give a good boost to WB Games' multiplayer title.

Destructoid gave Gotham Knights a mediocre 5/10 review score. "After playing Gotham Knights, I couldn’t shake the feeling that a lot of it had the air of an Arkham-verse fan game," says our review. "While there is something there, you can almost reach out and touch the design-by-committee elements and witness the souls of some of the developers leaving their bodies."

Despite a slew of awesome games coming to Xbox Game Pass, there are plenty that are leaving the service on September 30, says Xbox Wire. They include:

• Beacon Pines
• Despot’s Game
• Last Call BBS 
• Moonscars
• Outriders
• Prodeus 
• Weird West 

If you dig any of these games, you can get a 20% discount to keep them.

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Aladdin, Jasmine, Genie, and the villain Jafar are joining Disney Speedstorm Season 4 as announced by the official Twitter page over the past week. They'll be available through the Golden Pass, which is the game's version of a "battle pass." This news comes just before the game's official 1.0 launch on September 28. The kart racer's free-to-play for the first time on that date.

So yes, the 1992 film Aladdin is finally represented in Disney Speedstorm. Similar to other seasons of the game, we'll likely get decals, mottos, and other rewards based on the film. The DisInsider also expects a track based on the IP for Disney Speedstorm Season 4. Cave of Wonders or Agrabah, anyone?

No gameplay has been shown for these characters. However, as the publisher Gameloft approaches the new season, it will likely give us a tease of what's to come in future tweets and announcements. We have no official release date for Season 4 as of the time of writing. It may fall on September 28 to coincide with the game's launch.

Disney Speedstorm Season 3 focused on another classic animated film Lilo & Stitch. Players can race around Hawaii as Stitch, Lilo, Angel, Gantu, and Jumba.

The Disney Speedstorm Founder's Packs are going away soon

You can purchase early access to Disney Speedstorm by grabbing one of the Founder's Packs for the game. However, it might be worth just waiting for the official release just under two weeks away.

The standard version of the Disney Speedstorm Founder's Pack ($29.99) comes with the following:

• Early Access to Disney Speedstorm
• Racers unlocked: Mickey Mouse, Donald Duck
• Additional Racer unlock of your choice (Baloo, Belle, Beast, Elizabeth Swann, Shang, or Mowgli)
• 4,000 Tokens
• 2 Golden Pass Credits
• A Founding Member Racing Suit (exclusive) for Mickey Mouse, Donald Duck, and the chosen Racer
• Exclusive Founding Member Kart livery for Mickey Mouse, Donald Duck, and the chosen Racer
• Exclusive Founder’s Motto and Avatar

There's also the Deluxe and Ultimate editions of the Founder's Pack, which comes with more characters and extra in-game currency. The Standard and Ultimate Editions of Disney Speedstorm are currently on sale if you buy the game on the PlayStation Store at the time of writing. All three options will not be available after the game's launch.

The post Aladdin, Jasmine, and Genie join Disney Speedstorm Season 4 appeared first on Destructoid.

The year is moving so quickly, and somehow the October 2023 games are drawing near. We'll finally be able to continue Spidey's story in the Insomniac Marvel universe and play a traditional-style Assassin's Creed game. Both Sonic and Mario return to the 2D platforming genre as well. Here's what to expect from the October 2023 games lineup.

Alan Wake 2

Publisher: Epic Games
Developer: Remedy Entertainment
Price: $49.99 (PC) $59.99 (PS5/Xbox Series X|S)
Release Date: October 27
Trailer

The Alan Wake series is going survival horror in the sequel more than a decade in the making. The titular writer has been imprisoned in the Dark Place after saving his wife, and he's been stuck there for 13 years. Enter an FBI agent named Saga Anderson investigating the murders of the Bright Falls townsfolk: You'll be playing both characters as you try to solve the mystery of these missing people. Check out these games if you can't wait to play Alan Wake 2.

Assassin's Creed Mirage

Publisher: Ubisoft
Developer: Ubisoft Bordeaux
Price: $49.99
Release Date: October 5
Trailer

At a cheaper price point, Assassin's Creed Mirage is going back to its series origins. There isn't a huge open world to explore, and there's more of a focus on the core components of the franchise. It's also a shorter game at approximately 20 hours rather than the hundreds you've arduously spent in Assassin's Creed Valhalla. It could be a refreshing change as we explore 9th-century Baghdad.

Marvel’s Spider-Man 2

Publisher: PlayStation
Developer: Insomniac Games
Price: $69.99
Release Date: October 20
Trailer

PlayStation's biggest release of the year Marvel's Spider-Man 2 is swinging on by your PS5 this month. You'll be playing both Peter Parker and Miles Morales as the former struggles to deal with his demons. You can instantly switch between the two heroes as you swing around the open world. Two new boroughs (Brooklyn and Queens) have been added to the game. Some major villains from the comics like Kraven The Hunter and Venom will also test your abilities.

Sonic Superstars

Publisher: Sega
Developer: Sega
Price: $59.99
Release Date: October 16
Trailer

Sure, it's a disappointment that Sonic Superstars isn't pixel-based. However, there's still so much potential within this 2D platformer. Three of your friends can join your adventure, and the visuals look vibrant on-screen. There are new powers you can utilize in the game, and you can swim up waterfalls using the power of the chaos emeralds.

Additionally, there's a competitive local and online mode that has you racing against up to seven players. Sonic Superstars seems to be the next big step for the 2D sub-series.

Super Mario Bros. Wonder

Publisher: Nintendo
Developer: Nintendo
Price: $69.99
Release Date: October 20
Trailer

Just four days after Sonic's latest 2D adventure, Super Mario Bros. Wonder jumps out of the warp pipe and into your Nintendo Switch. Also featuring four-player co-op, this game includes a new generation of gorgeous visuals and imaginative level design. You'll also be able to play as Daisy for the first time in a platformer like this.

As someone who disliked the dull New Super Mario Bros. series, I'm looking forward to getting excited about a 2D Mario again.

Honorable Mentions

• Cassette Beasts: Pier of the Unknown (Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, Switch, PC) - October 4
• Front Mission 2 Remake (Switch) – October 5
• Detective Pikachu Returns (Switch) - October 6
• Sword Art Online Last Recollection (PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S, PC) - October 6
• Forza Motorsport (Xbox Series X|S, PC) - October 10
• Batman: Arkham Trilogy (Switch) - October 13
• Lords of the Fallen (PS5, Xbox Series X|S, PC) - October 13
• The Caligula Effect 2 (PS5) - October 17
• Wizard with a Gun (PS5, Xbox Series X|S, PC) - October 17
• Endless Dunegon (PS4, PS5, Xbox Series X|S, Switch, PC) - October 19
• Hot Wheels Unleashed 2 - Turbocharged (PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S, Switch, PC)
• Gargoyles Remastered (PS4, Xbox One, Switch, PC) - October 19
• Cities Skylines 2 (PS5, Xbox Series X|S, PC) - October 24
• Metal Gear Solid: Master Collection Vol. 1 (PS4, PS5, Xbox Series X|S, Switch, PC) - October 24
• Ghostrunner 2 (PS5, Xbox Series X|S, PC) - October 26
• UFC 5 (PS5, Xbox Series X|S) - October 27

The post Most anticipated games – October 2023 appeared first on Destructoid.

The First Descendant feels like a callback to the Xbox 360 and PS3 era. There are hordes of enemies to defeat with your friends as you level up your character and guns. You're eliminating many surrounding enemies and protecting points of interest. For some folks, that might sound great! As for me, I went back to my bed and fell asleep (literally) after playing an hour or two of The First Descendant. I'm over it. But...there's an intriguing [good] Genshin-like aspect that might draw me in.

[caption id="attachment_403320" align="alignnone" width="1200"] Screenshot by Destructoid[/caption]

The First Descendant is derivative of past games and lacks personality

Shooting foes in the face and getting loot from them is nothing new, and unfortunately, The First Descendant doesn't do a great job of bringing something new to the table. There are some cool abilities like casting ice spells and being able to whip yourself up to a higher platform, but other than that, I truly felt bored with the concept of this game. You're defeating waves of hordes that act as bullet sponges and require little strategy to remove. There's one enemy that has a shield, and you need ice to freeze them in place so they're open. Other than that, there's nothing exceptional in terms of its game design from the two or three hours I've played of The First Descendant. 

The guns you collect also don't feel unique. In the modern shooter landscape (take Borderlands for example), guns often feel different from one another. The First Descendant lacks any personality when it comes to its weapons at this early point in the game. I've felt like I've played this game 10 times already in titles like Destiny, Outriders, and other shooters of this type. However, if you're missing a game like this, I could see you dropping in with your friends over crossplay for something nostalgic.

The weapons are lacking

Later on in The First Descendant, you can build special weapons like the Thunder Cage and The Last Dagger, but with so many materials needed for both of them, it may take you a while to acquire these in your arsenal. I was able to check them out in this preview build as a level 40 character and to be honest, they are a little underwhelming. I'd be annoyed if I spent so much time trying to get these weapons and then getting disappointed.

Something that adds something new to the formula, however, is the module system. You can add upgrades to your guns and your character like increased defense or better weakpoint damage against foes. Hopefully, Nexon gets creative with these modules as the game progresses like Nier Automata's Plug-In Chip system.

[caption id="attachment_403323" align="alignnone" width="1200"] Screenshot by Destructoid[/caption]

A third-person shooter that's like Genshin?

As you play through the game, you can unlock new characters to play as. Each descendant has their own abilities to offer to the table. Valby, for example, can hover around the battlefield with her water skills and can entrap enemies into bubbles. Meanwhile, Bunny zips around at lightning speed and can fire a streaming laser of electric chaos. The first few descendants available to players seem to be fairly dull to play as, unfortunately. The unlockable descendants you play as seem to make up for the lack of creativity within the weapons.

I liked the personalities of Valby and Bunny, similar to Genshin Impact's Venti and Kazuha. This whole aspect of the game has potential.

Even though the guns aren't that impressive, the actual feel of the gameplay is stellar, and it runs smooth like butter in Unreal Engine 5. The environments and characters look clean, and shooting down waves of enemies does look fantastic on screen. Aiming down sights is agile, and I felt like I was in control at all times. The art design is a bit too basic for my liking and perhaps should have gone in a more daring direction like another Unreal Engine 5-powered game Immortals of Aveum, which had levels at a grander scale. Fighting on a moving mech was so awesome, and you don't get that thrill in this shooter The First Descendant, at least in this preview build so far.

I wanted to skip the cutscenes

While I dug a lot of the character work, the lore is so dreadfully dull. The explanation of what's happening in this world in the first 20 minutes of this game is excruciating, and there are a lot of wooden performances that should have been re-recorded. I truly just didn't care about the story in any inkling and wanted to skip the cutscenes so badly.

In addition, the audio was hard to listen to. The gunfire is extremely loud and off-balanced, causing me to miss some of the dialogue. I've set the audio effects to 3 while every other audio setting is at 5 or 6, and it's still too abrasive for my ears.  I'll need to lower it even further.

[caption id="attachment_403332" align="alignnone" width="1200"] Screenshot by Destructoid[/caption]

The First Descendant needs work

As The First Descendant hasn't been fully released yet, I hope there's still time to tweak the game. More intriguing loot would be a stellar addition, and the performances during cutscenes can be vastly improved. Most importantly, the gunplay could certainly be more creative as well if Nexon wants players to be invested in getting the best loot in the game.

On the other hand, there's a solid foundation. The visuals look tremendous with a smooth frame rate, and shooting at enemies, however basic they are, feels satisfying. Each of the unlockable characters also provides new abilities to tinker with. I'll check this game's official release to see if it lives up to its potential. The First Descendant will be released as a free-to-play game on PS5, Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S, and PC with cross-play functionality.

[This writer was provided with a PC preview code by the publisher]

The post Hands-on: The First Descendant feels like a flashback, and not in a good way appeared first on Destructoid.

Mortal Kombat 1 crossplay will not be coming to the game during its launch. WB Games has confirmed Wednesday over Twitter that it will arrive later via a patch.

"Launch is just around the corner and we can’t wait for everyone to sink their teeth into Mortal Kombat 1," says the official Mortal Kombat Twitter account. "Regarding Kross-Play, it will not be available at launch, but know we are hard at work at implementing the feature into the game and it will be koming post launch."

So, to put it all in one sentence: you won't be able to play Mortal Kombat 1 with fighters on platforms other than your own on day one.

Neither WB Games nor the developer NetherRealm has provided a release date or window for Mortal Kombat 1 crossplay.

Other replies ask if the game will support cross-save between PC and consoles. There has been no response from WB Games or the developer.

WB Games has confirmed that rollback netcode is used in Mortal Kombat 1. It's a popular connection tool that lets players have more stable matches.

Mortal Kombat 1 is releasing on September 19 for PS5, Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S, PC, and Nintendo Switch. You'll be able to preload the game a few days early. You can also get Shang Tsung as a playable preorder character bonus.

The post Mortal Kombat 1 won’t have crossplay at launch appeared first on Destructoid.

The console wars continue, and it looks like Xbox is enjoying a boost in the UK. It turns out sales of the Series S and Series X have increased by 76%, based on week-on-week figures up to September 2.

That's according to a report from Gamesindustry.biz. The data itself comes from GfK – a German market research company – which says that the Series X in particular enjoyed a 46% jump in sales across the United Kingdom.

One of the reasons for this has been attested to the recent 1TB model of the Xbox console. The Series S 1TB edition released at the start of September and, according to GfK spokesperson Dorian Bloch, accounted for 24% of all the Xbox systems sold at the start of the month.

There's another factor as well...

Of course, it isn't just a new model that's responsible for this increase in sales. It's been suggested that Starfield – which launched fully on September 6 – is partially responsible for this boost.

Given that the game was available to people who pre-ordered the Premium Edition from September 1, it's entirely plausible that many people in the UK went out and bought an Xbox in preparation.

As we all know, Starfield is an Xbox exclusive and was made available through Game Pass from day one. It's easily one of the most anticipated releases of this gaming generation, much to the chagrin of PlayStation and Nintendo owners.

Reviews for Starfield have been largely positive, though many have noticed the usual assortment of bugs. It's a Bethesda game, after all. But a 76% jump in sales across the UK suggests that Microsoft making it an Xbox exclusive was worth it financially.

The post Sales of Xbox Series X|S jump 76% in the UK appeared first on Destructoid.

There are a bunch of new Fortnite My Hero Academia characters in the game, as announced Tuesday by Epic Games. You can now play as Shoto Todoroki, Eijiro Kirishima, and Mina Ashido from the anime's Class 1-A. Todoroki is available by himself, while the other two are included in a bundle. Additionally, characters can now create an Ice Wall, in addition to using the Deku Smash.

Todoroki, Kirishima, and Ashido are available on Fortnite's Item Shop. Todoroki himself comes with two costumes and is 1,500 VBucks. There's a bundle with him and three other items, such as the Cold-Hot Hitters and U.A. Uniform weapon skin, for 2,400 VBucks.

Ashido and Kirishima are 1,500 VBucks separately or 2,800 VBucks together. That 2,800 VBucks bundle also comes with the Cultural Festival Dance, Red Riot Thrashers, Red Riot Shield, and Acid Axe.

Fortnite players can also find the Ice Wall ability, in addition to the Deku Smash as an item pick-up. You can score them easily from the All Might supply drop, which has the former hero's face on the balloon. The Ice Wall can protect your friends or slip up players as an offensive attack.

Additionally, there are quests focused on My Hero Academia. These include finding All Might supply drops, damaging foes with the Deku Smash, and causing fire damage to structures around the world. If you finish enough of these quests, you'll gain an instant level-up.

Deku, Bakugo, and Uraraka are currently not on the Fortnite Item Shop at the time of writing, but they'll may join the lineup soon if you missed them the first time. Epic Games likely wants to go all-in with this Fortnite My Hero Academia collab.

The post Fortnite adds new My Hero Academia characters, including Todoroki appeared first on Destructoid.

Let's Sing 2024 is continuing the karaoke party with an all-new story mode and avatar customization, as announced on Thursday. Your avatar will show up on the screen singing alongside you. Publisher Plaion is packaging pop hits like Lizzo's "About Damn Time" and BTS' "Dynamite" into this year's editions. The game will feature "all-time" classics in the songlist, too.

Plaion and developer Voxler plan a "full-fledged" story (career) mode for this year's iteration that will "keep [us] rocking for hours and hours" that will take us from "amateur singing lessons to absolute stardom." The publisher says you'll "master songs and specific challenges while you meet unforgettable characters on your way to fame."

[caption id="attachment_403228" align="alignnone" width="1200"] Image via Plaion[/caption]

You'll be customizing a head that's depicted as your avatar. There's also different hats, hairstyles, gloves, glasses, and other aspects of your character to change. Hopefully, the uncanny valley element of it all won't affect players' enjoyment with Let's Sing 2024.

Additionally, there's a new multiplayer mode called Let's Sing Fest that sounds similar to Just Dance's World Dance Floor. We'll be able to "join a lobby with an endless loop of songs and try to get to the top of the leaderboard." Another music-rhythm game, Samba de Amigo: Party Central, has a battle royale-like twist to this format, too.

Let's Sing 2024 song list so far

Plaion has also confirmed a few other popular songs in the game, including:

• Lady Gaga – "Hold My Hand"
• Billie Eilish – "Your Power"
• Ed Sheeran – "Eyes Closed"
• BTS - "Dynamite"
• Shawn Mendes – "When You‘re Gone"
• Lizzo – "About Damn Time"
• Miley Cyrus – "Wrecking Ball"

There will be 35 tracks overall. A song or two for the holiday season may join the songlist, too, like Wham's "Last Christmas" in Let's Sing 2022. 

Karaoke fans can play Let's Sing 2024 on the Nintendo Switch, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X, and Xbox Series S later this year. No exact release date is given by Plaion as of the time of writing.

The post Let’s Sing 2024 includes “full-fledged” story mode and avatar customization appeared first on Destructoid.

Bethesda's sci-fi epic Starfield has managed to cross over six million players in less than a week. Xbox confirmed the news on X (Twitter) Thursday morning. The company said that it's the "biggest Bethesda game launch of all time."

Xbox has struggled to get a massive hit for the Xbox Series X and S platforms. Halo Infinite ran into issues as players found the progression system lacking. Meanwhile, titles like Redfall failed to hit fan and critic expectations. Starfield garnering over six million players is likely some much-needed positive news for the Xbox team.

[caption id="attachment_400651" align="alignnone" width="1200"] Image via Bethesda[/caption]

Starfield was originally going to be released on November 11, 2022, but was pushed back to September 5. While there are still bugs to find in the sci-fi game, it performs arguably better than past Bethesda titles. It seems like the delay helped, at least. We here at Destructoid gave a 10/10 review for the game.

Starfield players are enjoying the game

So far, Starfield players have found all manner of easter eggs and splendid quests throughout the universe. You can find a baseball from Fallout 4's Diamond City. The Rank 4 Crippling Skill has a subtle reference to Skyrim with an arrow to the knee.

One of our writers Andrea Gonzales also found the relationship between your protagonist and their parents incredibly charming. "Starfield portrays the protagonist’s parents as a straight married couple, but they are probably more supportive than many who share that background," said Gonzales. "It also potentially gives a clearer idea of who the protagonist is when considering other choices made for their backstory." Despite how big the game is, there are a few important human elements that transcend this intergalactic experience.

Other Starfield players enjoy the creativity of the ship creation system. One person made the Planet Express ship from Futurama, for example. With six million other players in Starfield, there will likely be many, many more wild creations to be made.

The post Starfield has surpassed six million players, marking Bethesda’s biggest launch yet appeared first on Destructoid.

Video games and parents often do not go hand in hand. They are often put on the back burner, if their existence is acknowledged at all. Sure, sad-dad games like The Last of Us or God of War (2018) received acclaim, but they're the exception.

Parents who aren't the protagonists of a contemplative journey with a younger person get an even more raw deal. Protagonists often have seemingly absent parents who are likely to leave them orphaned. This applies even to the recent Final Fantasy 16, where protagonist Clive's parents are quickly taken out of the picture.

This is where Starfield breaks some ground because Bethesda's latest popular RPG lets your parents be around. They can be out there somewhere, in a space as expansive as Starfield's, and they deserve a visit.

[caption id="attachment_402768" align="alignnone" width="640"] Image via Destructoid[/caption]

Coming home from the stars

Not every player can visit the ones who raised them in Starfield. The Kid Stuff trait is required to have a healthy visit home. It outlines that your parents are in good health, but you send 2% of your credits to them every week. Picking this trait is more or less the equivalent of paying your loving parents back for raising you well.

The best part is that they always have their door open for you! The protagonist's parents reside in New Atlantis, a city that is also the first hub players visit. Finding them is easy, as players will get an objective to check on them after joining Constellation.

Adding to the cozy feeling having a healthy family visit brings, they live comfortably in a nice apartment. Both parents are successful in their respective fields and happen to be incredibly supportive of the player. While the initial meeting begins rather awkwardly, as they had no idea the protagonist left the gig at Argos, they are still happy to see them. Surprise even turns into excitement when the player announces they joined Constellation.

A sweet moment in this first meeting is that they immediately believe, and are excited for, their child. The surprise is still there, but they did not doubt that their child would be something special in life.

[caption id="attachment_402770" align="alignnone" width="640"] Image via Destructoid[/caption]

Starfield's character creator does invite role-playing life history

While your parents go unacknowledged in most games, some series go out of their way to exclude them. The later Persona games are an example of this, as they come up with excuses to exclude the protagonist's parents. What we can glean from these games is that they seemingly want their child out of their lives. In the fourth game, this was by not letting the protagonist travel abroad, and in the fifth, they never interacted with the lead after sending him off.

Starfield portrays the protagonist's parents as a straight married couple, but they are probably more supportive than many who share that background. It also potentially gives a clearer idea of who the protagonist is when considering other choices made for their backstory.

Alongside the Kid Stuff trait, my character in Starfield is also a Neon City Street Rat and Empath with a background as a Cyber Runner. This means that despite having a healthy background regarding their parents, getting to that point likely required work.

My take on this character is that she's a teenage runaway with a talent for sneaking about. Since her parents mentioned moving around a lot, this runaway probably happened while they lived in Neon City. After some time passed and she gained a reputation in the city, she wanted to reconnect with her parents. Another thing mentioned is that the protagonist didn't live in New Atlantis with her parents long, so she found them as a young adult. The bond became stronger, and she began sending them some money weekly to show gratitude to her parents for reconnecting.

I'm unsure that Bethesda intended this amount of thought in the protagonist's story, but it's neat that it's there. It also helps there are tangible benefits to being close to family.

[caption id="attachment_402772" align="alignnone" width="640"] Image via Destructoid[/caption]

Plus, you get a gun

The protagonist's parents might reside comfortably in New Atlantis, but keeping in contact leads to a nifty reward. After telling them the good employment news and visiting the Constellation's headquarters, both parents will be inside having a light-hearted conversation with Nova. Talking to them leads to a back-and-forth where the mother reveals that the protagonist is living the dream she had as a girl. The conversation gets exciting when the father states he has a gift.

I didn't think much when he mentioned having a gift for my character. I figured it would be something small like a book or an outfit at best. I was wrong.

Dad gave me a modified gun called Sir Livingstone's Pistol. A solid one at that, with greater power than many of my other guns. The cherry on top of this is that my character specializes in stealth and sneaking around, with pistols as her preferred firearm. This awesome weapon was perfect for her build, and I only have my protagonist's parents to thank for that.

There's a lesson here about keeping a healthy relationship with your parents in Starfield. We all come from varying backgrounds, and many people might not have parents as nice as the ones in Starfield. For those who have a healthy relationship with good parents, keep at it and they might give you a sick gun.

The post Keeping in touch with your parents in Starfield is really wholesome appeared first on Destructoid.