VR isn't for everyone. Financially, the entry point is relatively high; then there's the potential nausea that comes with it. Plus, all that space required should you have one of those fancier rigs.

The worst part is that if you stop playing for a while, you'll have to re-discover your "VR legs," which means another round of nausea, a problem I complained about with Resident Evil 4 VR mode. For some, the nausea never goes away, keeping them from an otherwise innovative platform.

This is a problem NeuroSync is attempting to overcome with the C-Infinity, which advertises itself as a no-nausea device for VR games. According to NeuroSync co-founder Dr. Slobodan Paessler, "playing action games in VR does not have to cause nausea and that true feeling of locomotion in VR is possible in a safe and practical way."

The project managed to reach its Kickstarter goals in three hours, and while it's not commercially available yet, the site does have a form to let you know when it's ready for pre-order. Skeptical? Well, there's good reason to be. The device has a tall mountain of problems to climb in front of it, and it might need to be a pioneer if it wishes to justify its enormous price tag.

Why the green face?

The problem of VR nausea isn't a simple one, nor does it stem from a single source. One of the biggest issues is motion sickness. VR has your brain telling you that your body is moving, yet your physical body is still. That causes a mismatch of information and the consequence is that queasiness we call motion sickness. You can experience it in a car sometimes.

Naturally, games with a lot of movement will trigger this a lot more. Some titles have tried to minimize how hard the motion sickness hits by "snap rotation," which ensures you aren't moving too fast in the virtual world, or by reducing depth of field.

You should be aware that this is far from an open-and-shut case, with one research paper pointing out that "forty factors shown or believed to influence the occurrence or simulator sickness were identified." This leaves the C-Infinity with a tall task ahead of it that should keep you on your toes as you delve into its marketing.

On a side note, if you're feeling nausea during gameplay, stop immediately. The debilitating after-effects are not worth it. You will feel incredibly sick for hours. There are unproven solutions shared among VR players like eating ginger, but nothing beats rest. Your game will still be there, waiting for you, after you take a break.

C-Infinity and Compatibility

Dr. Paessler explains that "years of research and testing led us to this point, and we are beyond excited to share this VR breakthrough with the current community of gamers and future VR gamers and participants."

Commenting to Destructoid, Scott Robertson explains that the C-Infinity has "been successfully tested with  PC/Android/Standalone/PS4 & PS5.  Plus ALL top PCVR headsets from leading brands like HTC, Meta (including Quest 1, 2, Pro, and 3), PlayStation VR, Pinax, Valve Index, Pimax Crystal, HTC Vive Pro 2, HP Reverb G2, Varjo XR-3, and more!"

It won't work with all devices that have been unofficially modded from flatscreen to VR, as they can be unpredictable. However, Robertson lists several that do work, including "Cyberpunk 2077, FarCry 6, Horizon Zero Dawn, Skyrim VR, Doom VFR, Hogwarts Legacy, Elden Ring, Resident Evil Village, Resident Evil 7, VR Chat, and 11,000+ more."

An experience that costs a pretty penny

Despite the confidence, it is evident that NeuroSync has several hurdles to overcome before it can be trusted to do what it advertises. Hypothetically, if it does, the only question left is whether there are any downsides besides the size.

It's the price tag. At $799, in addition to the price of your headset, it's a device best left for enthusiasts. I've explained the shortcomings of PlayStation's headset and while the Quest 3 leaves me far more satisfied, $799 is still $799.

Will the C-Infinity ever become mainstream? No, not even VR is managing to do that. But it does claim to provide a solution to the puking problem that plagues the platform.

The post C-Infinity wants to help anyone with VR nausea & $799 burning a hole in their pocket appeared first on Destructoid.

Originally released in 2022, Stray's tale of friendship and a search for home captivated the collective attention of the gaming world and the internet at large. Initially, that was all thanks to its biggest hook — playing as a cat. A nameless, adorable stray that had many charmed before it'd even launched.

Stray's just saw macOS port in December 2023, and has a movie on the way, bringing the tale to the big screen. Though it's still early days, Annapurna Animation's lead, Andrew Millstein, explains that the the game was chosen for adaptation because "it is just wildly popular." In an interview with Swann Martin-Raget from BlueTwelve Studio, Destructoid discussed the world of Stray and what's to come next.

Stray — On the big, the small, and the fuzzy

Destructoid: Stray mostly takes place in Walled City 99. Its cyberpunk aesthetic is beautiful but dystopian, with some inhabitants doubting whether it is even possible to leave the abyss they dwell in. By the end, the game offers a hopeful answer. Was the plan always to make a hope-inspiring game? 

Martin-Raget: What we really tried to do is to not add a moral point of view to the themes we're approaching in the game. We're only showing possibilities through the eyes of a very neutral character without taking sides between good or bad and we let the players decide what to make of it and if they think it's overall a sad or hopeful message.

Destructoid: The game relies a lot on environmental storytelling, and it is led by a protagonist who can't speak. Did you find this style of storytelling a challenge? 

Martin-Raget: It’s definitely a wide-reaching constraint that changes a lot of things in how you approach the storytelling and the world building. But we also found that it opens up a lot of very interesting possibilities and it’s super helpful to “show and not tell” when we want to leave some room for the player’s imagination to fill the gaps. Creatively it ended up being something really inspiring and motivating for us.

Destructoid: As an occasional Mac player, I'm quite pleased that Stray has made its way to the platform, as it is often neglected. What was the motivation for the port? 

Martin-Raget: As game creators, our goal is always to have as many players as possible being able to enjoy our game and visit this world we made with our hearts. So we were really happy to have this opportunity to allow Mac players that are as avid and passionate as the others to experience and enjoy Stray.

The post Catching up with BlueTwelve and the world of Stray, right meow appeared first on Destructoid.

Ultrawings 2 originally released in October 2022, receiving good reviews. You can grab it on Steam and the Meta Quest, and to the surprise of the developers, on the PS VR2 as well.

Bit Planet Games expressed as much shock as players when the game suddenly appeared on the PS Store. The studio has mostly taken it in stride, describing it as a "shadow drop" despite how the sudden release has robbed the team of prior marketing for the new version. According to the devs, a patch is on the way, though many players on the r/PSVR subreddit claim it runs well despite the lack of a day-one patch.

When asked, the team confirmed that the launch was entirely unforeseen. Fortunately, the team is not stuck with a broken game and those who have jumped in are experiencing minimal issues. Sony hasn't commented on the matter.

It goes without saying that fans on PS5 are delighted, though they do express sympathy for the developers. The team also confirms that a physical edition is probably never coming.

It's described as an island-themed aerial action-adventure game and while I have admittedly never played it, the praise and trailers have piqued my interest.

The post Sony accidentally releases Ultrawings 2 VR, to the surprise of even the devs appeared first on Destructoid.

For realsies this time, Skull & Bones launches on February 16. If the pirate game has managed to keep you curious all this time, look out for the open access running from February 8 until 11.

It is worth noting that Ubisoft+ games can grab the game earlier on February 13. You have several choices including PS5, Xbox Series X/S, Amazon Luna, and PC via Epic where you can enjoy crossplay and cross-progression throughout the platforms.

Skull & Bones in 2024

The game is an open-world tactical action world title with both single and multiplayer elements. For those looking to play the multiplayer aspects, there will be stronger items introduced to help you take on the increasingly difficult opponents, including warships.

You'll be able to grow your empire by taking control of trade routes. There are also hostile takeovers where the winners get to take control of manufacturing plants. At post-launch, new features will be introduced, including the ability to assign fleets of ships to your trade routes, to the ability to bribe officials.

Is this the pirate game we've been waiting ages for? February 8 we'll learn whether it has the chance to live up to the hype of years of waiting.

The post Skull & Bones open beta begins February 8 appeared first on Destructoid.

This year has already gotten off to a rocky start for developers who are still experiencing the wave of layoffs that plagued 2023.

This time around, it's the Polish team People Can Fly that has suffered layoffs. In an email provided to Kotaku, it was announced that over 30 people will be affected. This information was confirmed with the publication. As other companies have promised during their layoffs, PCF claims that it will aid its ex-employees during the transition.

The post Outriders developer People Can Fly confirms layoffs appeared first on Destructoid.

Every so often, a game comes along with an amazing elevator pitch but as soon as you jump into it, it becomes obvious why it's a bad idea.

We're all capable of well-meaning bad ideas, and Rotten Flesh is one of them. It features a concept that blends genuinely terrifying cosmic horror with a gimmick that should have never made it this far. You find yourself in a strange underground sewer (at least for as long as I played) and complete typical Resident Evil-style environmental puzzles (it's even got a typewriter to save!). Your objective? To find your dog, named Roy.

To locate the right direction to travel in (even with a lantern it's quite dark) you need to call out for Roy who'll bark back in response. As an experiment for how terrible of a gameplay mechanic this is, try yelling out Roy five times right now: I'll wait! I'd do it too but I live in an apartment, and as a society, we have rules.

Raising your voice like this to your dog is annoying in real life and it gets no better when you're dealing with a microphone on a controller or the Steam Deck or your laptop that's actually hooked up to a monitor and sits under your desk.

You can avoid some of these problems by pressing a button for your main character to do the yelling for you, but that takes away a key component of the game's identity. The aim was to make a sound-inspired game. On that front, we have an amazingly unpleasant title.

It's also worth mentioning how tiring it is to keep yelling for Roy when you're lost. I'd rather use any of my other main means of communication, even eye-tracking as the game Before Your Eyes does beautifully, than yell at my game.

There'll be some who enjoy this title and its uniqueness. I generally like idiosyncratic titles. Give me an FMV or unique indie any day. But not Rotten Flesh. He's not a good boy.

The post Rotten Flesh, a new unique horror game, is sadly too annoying to finish appeared first on Destructoid.

Pokemon has announced that a new set of accessories are now available at the Pokemon Center. The new drop features everything you need to prove you're a Pokemon professional.

The new accessories feature new designs for card sleeves and playmats, including some showing off the Paldean legendaries Koraidon and Miraidon. Fans who have been there since the beginning aren't forgotten, so you also get products with Porygon.

For something a little more varied, grab the products featuring Garchomp, who used to be a competitive titan. There's also a Kanto version featuring Fire, Water, and Grass throughout the generations.

These are far from all the new designs that have been added, and you'll have to check the rest out at the Pokemon Center. It appears Pokemon is setting the ground for new players to gain interest, as we also got the Pokemon TCG: My First Battle product to teach players the basics.

You can look forward to more Scarlet and Violet products, including Paldean Fates which hit stores this week (26 January) as we head into 2024.

The post Spruce up your Pokemon TCG sets with new accessories appeared first on Destructoid.

You may have noticed that at the bottom corner of your screen in Palworld, there is a string of numbers indicating what version you're playing. Steam and Xbox Game Pass have different versions, and here's why.

A report from Windows Central highlighted comments from Pocketpair reps in the Palworld Discord server. There, Pocketpair's community manager, Bucky, explained a bit about what's going on with the different versions. The problem is that every game's version has to go through Microsoft's certification queue. This is something Pocketpair has no control over, though the team is "desperately trying to speed up," it highlights on Discord.

It's argued that Xbox isn't necessarily "behind," but yet it is. Our list of differences demonstrates that this is the case. Nevertheless, you can enjoy the game on Xbox Game Pass without really noticing you're playing an earlier build.

Until features parity is reached, keep collecting Pals, building weapons, and having fun with this survival game that shocked the world by being one of 2024's first hits.

The post Palworld on Xbox and Steam have different versions – Here’s why appeared first on Destructoid.

Fate/Samurai Remnant has been out since September 2023, but it only recently received a demo to entice players who haven't touched the amazing game yet.

The demo gives you a small slice of what the whole game possesses. It's pretty long, so for some, it won't be enough to fully grasp it. Nevertheless, if you were on the fence about this title, the demo should convince you if it's worth your money.

I tried out the demo on the Steam Deck, and it's not different from what you're getting in the full game, which should be good news for completionists. It's also worth mentioning that your progress in your demo playthrough can be transferred to the full game.

The demo comes after it receives a teaser trailer letting players know DLC is on the way, and it'll feature characters, including Servants, servants from the main game.

In my review of the game, I praised it and highlighted how it's inviting to both longtime franchise fans and newcomers. With the free demo, Omega Force has given you yet another reason to try this title.

The post Fate/Samurai Remnant receives demo appeared first on Destructoid.

The multiplayer hit The Finals is still receiving new content, this time in the form of an update and a new gameplay mode.

You can expect plenty from the new update as well as, for the first time, a limited-time game mode. In this mode, called Solo Bank It, you compete in a 12-player PvP on a quest to obtain a total of 40,000 Cash wins. Sound like your kind of thing?

The game mode comes alongside update 1.5.0 which features several improvements to make life easier for players. Perhaps most importantly, you get a security update to improve "anti-cheat and fair play." While this is beneficial, it should be noted that Easy Anti-Cheat is the reason why the game can't be played on the Steam Deck.

Update 1.5.0 also brings a store update, balance changes, and bug fixes, which you see more of in the trailer below.

The Finals hit the world stage with a surprise drop at The Game Awards. SteamDB reveals that while the game has had its highs and lows, it maintains popularity with an all-time peak of 242,619 concurrent players in December 2023.

The post New game mode comes to The Finals along with latest update appeared first on Destructoid.

Naughty Dog's 2020 masterpiece has received a re-release in the form of The Last of Us Part 2 Remastered. It won't turn heads on a technical level, but it does pack some new content that makes it worth considering even if you've experienced the epic tale already.

Some of the features have been advertised by the studio, but there are a few minor additions that you may not be aware of. If you're still on the fence regarding whether you should try out the game, consider whether these features are enough to lure you back in.

All new The Last of Us Part 2 Remastered features

Let's start with the cosmetic changes in TLOU 2's remaster. The remaster introduces the chance to play with different character skins. Some are unlocked through playing the base game while others are obtained by playing the No Return mode. This is the full list of skins available for Ellie:

• Seattle
• Patrol
• B-Day
• Santa Barbara
• Aquarium
• Astronaut
• Astronaut No Helmet
• Pride Tank Top
• Arc the Lad
• Death Stranding
• Destiny
• Mortal Kombat
• Killzone
• Fantasvision
• Siren
• Hotline Miami
• Wipeout Fusion
• Savage Starlight
• Rain Jacket
• Plaid

You also get the following gun skins:

• Astronaut
• Giraffe
• Moth

When it comes to Abby, the following skins are available:

• Seattle
• Jackson
• Salt Lake City
• Santa Barbara
• Coast
• Aquarium
• Eighties
• Genji
• The Getaway
• Syphon Filter
• Jak and Daxter
• The Mask of Kri
• Twisted Metal
• War of the Monsters
• Hotline Miami
• Vintage Naughty Dog
• Bomber Abby
• Badlands

Abby also gets the following weapons skins:

• Zebra
• Eighties
• Wolf Weapon Skin

Technical improvements

The tech improvements in the remaster aren't significant. This includes 4K performance in Fidelity Mode, framerate improvements, and support for Variable Refresh Rate. Other minor additions include improved texture resolution, Level of Detail distances, sun shadow and texture resolution, improved animation sampling rate, and more.

There's also full DualSense support which adds adaptive triggers to weapons, making the overall action experience more immersive. If you're an experienced player, you can enable speedrun mode and track your records.

No Return in The Last of Us Part 2

Perhaps the biggest addition is the No Return mode. It's a roguelike mode that features randomized levels, enemies, and characters from the base game. Consequently, it's best to not touch it until you've completed the main game.

It's a survival mode that culminates in a boss fight if you can live through all the encounters. You're also presented with various challenges, some of which involve taking on certain bosses, and others that involve playing with specific characters.

As you progress and survive runs, you unlock weapon upgrades as well as skins that can be used for characters and weapons in the main game.

Guitar Free Play

In the base game, you'll have the opportunity to play the guitar as a minigame several times. In the re-release, you can now access this feature at any time with the guitar free play mode. You can play as Ellie, Joel, or Gustavo and switch between the following instruments:

• Guitar
• Banjo
• Nylon
• Jazz
• Rock
• Steel Resonator

You're not stuck in one location and can switch between the music store, the theatre, the farm, and Jackson.

Lost Levels

As Naughty Dog has previously discussed, you can explore three "lost levels" which are essentially game segments that never made the final cut. They begin with an introduction from Druckmann to give the levels a little context, and you can turn commentary on if you want. When it's on, there are points you can activate to hear developers discuss a bit about game design and how it fits in with the overall narrative.

The lost levels are rough but not unplayable. There's audio missing in some parts, and the visuals are unpolished, but it looks good enough for you to understand what the developers were aiming for. The three levels are:

1. Jackson Party - You play as Ellie during the Jackson dance. You get an exploration of Jackson and have a chance to spend peaceful time with the inhabitants.
2. Seattle Sewer - This is mostly an environmental puzzle section that has you battling against rushing water. Some parts of this section can be found in the final game.
3. The Hunt - The brief section has Ellie hunting for a boar which turns into a traumatic event when she is suddenly haunted by memories of Joel.

Behind the Scenes

The remaster also gives you some behind-the-scenes looks into TLOU 2's development. It features episodes from the official The Last of Us podcast. The following episodes are available:

• "Take on me" - Behind Part 2
• "They should be terrified of you" - Ellie
• "You're my people" - Abby
• "I would do it all over again" - Beyond Part 2

In addition to the original reveal trailer for the game, you also get a trailer for a documentary titled Grounded 2: Making of The Last of Us. According to the trailer, the documentary was originally abandoned, in part due to the COVID-19 pandemic, but has been revived. It also appears to touch on topics that surrounded the sequel, including the leaks and accusations of crunch.

Whether this will be enough to draw you back in is a matter of personal preference. If you've never touched the sequel before, this is the best way to experience it.

The post Here are all the new features in The Last of Us Part 2 Remastered appeared first on Destructoid.

Movie adaptations of video games have proven themselves to be lucrative when done correctly. Martha is Dead is one of the next titles to get the treatment, and it may be one of the best choices.

Martha is Death is developed by Italian studio LKA, and the live-action movie is being made in collaboration with Swedish film-production company Studios Extraordinaires. Much like the celebrated game, the film is set in World War 2, and it focuses on the sisters Martha and Giulia. What ensues next is a mystery that will leave your mind twisted and your hands trembling.

In the press release, the publisher, Wired Productions, speaks a bit about how fitting Martha is Dead is for a film adaptation, especially due to its "gripping narrative and unique setting" managing director Leo Zullo states. We can expect something a little more special than usual, as the project is being co-directed by André Hedetoft and Andreas Troedsson who specialize in" crafting high-end action, horror, and science-fiction films from original stories and extraordinary games."

Ambition is high for this project, and both Hedetoft and Troedsson wish to create something that offers both "fans and newcomers a cinematic tour-de-force, while staying true to the game’s soul-stirring essence."

Martha is Dead's film adaptation has yet to receive a release date.

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Sometimes, a game has a lot riding against it, and it has to go the extra mile to prove its excellence. The Last of Us Part 2 Remastered isn’t in the worst position pre-launch, although it has a steep hill ahead of it to prove why it should exist at all. Staying true to its history, Naughty Dog manages to not disappoint, and delivers a package filled with upgrades and a few surprises. 

The studio didn’t have to try too hard to sway me in its direction regarding the game. The Last of Us Part 2 sits up there as one of my favorite games of all time, and around the announcement of the remaster, I was already easing into another playthrough, which I excitedly put on pause to cleanse my palette for this new offering. 

Despite this, I could sense that my perception might not be the norm, and even its most ardent fans were asking worthwhile questions. Was this a sincere gaming product, or an advertisement for the upcoming HBO series? It’s hard to argue against the sentiment that this is far from a title that requires a remaster, for either technical or preservation reasons. Nevertheless, it manages to not only justify itself but also gives the most seasoned veterans something new to experience.

The Last of Us Part 2 Remastered (PS5 [reviewed])
Developer: Naughty Dog
Publisher: Sony Interactive Entertainment
Released: January 19, 2024
MSRP: $49.99 ($10 upgrade for owners of the PS4 title)

A tale of revenge and trauma

I’ve previously discussed the concept of trauma and its depiction in indie games, and how the personal element amplifies the impact of these experiences. The Last of Us Part 2 is a triple-A attempting to explore trauma, specifically that which is intertwined with love, hate, and regret. Despite the lack of the “reading a personal diary” effect of indies, the sequel manages to pack some weight behind its message.

Part of that punch comes from the coincidental state of world politics and, more specifically, the currently ongoing Israel-Hamas conflict. As game director Neil Druckmann has explained, growing up in Israel and witnessing the bloody relationship between Israel and Palestine. In his 20s, he saw footage of that violence, which triggered feelings of revenge followed by self-disgust. As the Washington Post explains, with TLOU P2, “he wanted to explore that emotional tumult on a didactic level.”

The conflict, along with its sociopolitical foundations, have been discussed and debated at length and continue to be. If you want to feel an artistic exploration of the underlying theory from a somewhat controversial but deeply human perspective I’d argue it’s hard to do better than The Last of Us Part 2.

We’ve already got a review of the base game, so I’ll keep the story synopsis brief. It’s the sequel to The Last of Us, which follows the tale of Joel, a hardened weapons smuggler who depends on brutality to survive in a collapsed society where a pandemic has turned the masses into the Infected (they’re zombies).

He finds himself smuggling a different kind of cargo - Ellie. This young girl and her immunity may be the answer to humanity’s problems if she can just make it to the rebel group known as the Fireflies. During the journey, the bond between Joel and Ellie strengthens so much that he is unable to accept it when he discovers that she will have to die for the cure to be made. Driven by love and trauma, he rescues Ellie from the operating table and kills the only surgeon capable of performing the procedure, damning humanity in the process.  

The sequel reveals that the pair have carved a relatively peaceful life for themselves in the Jackson community which stands together against the threat of the Infected. This peace is brought to a bloody end when a faction from faraway discovers Jackson and decides to enact their own idea of justice. The event leaves Ellie traumatized, and the pain drives her to go on a ruthless manhunt to ensure the crew faces retribution.

There’s nothing new about the motivations of the main characters - it is a behavior as old as human society. Wanting to “teach someone a lesson” being used as an explanation for malice is ubiquitous, even when dealing with daily grievances like road rage. Once you spot the pattern, it’s impossible not to immediately start questioning where righteous indignation ends and malevolence begins.

This isn’t a perfect story by any means. What annoys me most is how it feels like it’s constantly underestimating its audience, so it hammers you over the head with its themes just in case you didn’t get it the first time around. The “an eye for an eye” mentality gets quite literal at one point. There are always two sides to every story, so we’re shown a character named Abby, who appears villainous at first before we learn her origins. She also happens to collect coins. It all gets too much at times.

Speaking of Abby, the narrative makes a valiant attempt to have players sympathize with her in a relatively short space of time despite her introduction featuring an atrocity that likely infuriated anyone who had played the predecessor. It’s a tall task, and while I believe The Last of Us Part 2 manages it sufficiently, I wouldn’t shake my head at those who disagree.

A gorgeous dystopia

The Last of Us Part 2 already looked next-gen on PS4, and the remaster manages to polish things in a way that won’t knock your socks off but can definitely be appreciated. You’re given two modes - Fidelity and Performance. On Performance mode, you’ll be able to play at 60FPS, though you’ll be dealing with visuals rendered in 1440p, and then upscaled to 4K. Fidelity offers native 4K, but it has an expensive entry price — 30 FPS gameplay.

It cannot be overstated how magnificent Fidelity mode looks. When it comes to console games, I can’t think of much else that looks this beautifully detailed and borderline photorealistic at some moments. There is a noticeable visual difference between this mode and its Performance counterpart.

What suits you will depend on your playstyle. If you’re playing on the higher difficulties (which I recommend), gameplay becomes an important factor, which makes Performance mode the preferred choice. Though Fidelity looks amazing, Performance still offers pure visual splendor. On the lower difficulties, for players who are more focused on the story than the tense ambushes, 30 FPS may be worth it for that native 4K beauty.

Much like the first game, audio plays a significant role in the overall experience. Gustavo Santaolalla’s special touches always come at the right moments to accentuate the most emotional moments. Once again, by sound alone, you can map out where your enemies are and what direction their footsteps are traveling in. If there’s been any improvement on this front, it wasn’t enough for me to notice it.

Endure and survive

The gameplay in the remake is a replica of the original. Interspersing the cinematic drama are moments of intense combat that drop you straight into survivalist post-apocalyptic scenarios. You get great freedom when it comes to how you want to tweak your difficulty, and you’re able to independently adjust aspects like enemy combat, companion combat, and stealth difficulty, to name a few.

There is certainly value to playing the game on the easier levels. Get a sequence done correctly the first time around, and it feels like your gameplay is straight out of an action movie. Nevertheless, there’s something a bit more thematically consistent when you crank things up to Survivor or Grounded.

Ellie is outnumbered and outgunned, usually packing nothing more than her blade, a brick, and maybe a single bullet in her rifle. There’s a tower teeming with WLF soldiers seeking her. She’s surely not going to overpower her opponents, so she has to rely on her brains and agility instead to get the best of her foes.

Some solutions come in the form of expert stealth to pick off your rivals. Other times, it’s a matter of trial and error until you find the route that’ll get you through the danger zone undetected. There are also those special scenarios where you can implement some creativity and have Infected and enemy factions at each other’s necks while you sneak off. Additionally, environments are more than just a backdrop - you can implement them in your strategies whether you’re hiding traps behind doors or waiting with a loaded shotgun under a truck.

There’s something really satisfying about worming your way through an area and snuffing all your pursuers out before they even know they’re being stalked, or engaging in high-speed action encounters where you evade your foes only for you to snipe them in the grass when they least expect it.

It takes everything at your disposal, some smart strategizing, and a little luck to survive these encounters when a single gunshot is usually enough to end your run. The lack of random resources also makes the world a little more realistic when you’re not finding shotgun ammo inside office building file cabinets.

But it should be stressed that playing at this difficulty level is a matter of preference. To make things a little more bearable, fine-tune the settings by perhaps turning up the frequency of encountering resources and increasing Ellie’s durability. You’ll still get to enjoy enemies functioning at their smartest, but the dreaded one-shot kills won’t be a problem anymore.

There’s also been a roguelike mode titled No Return included, and it’s as feature-filled as it is exhilarating. You’re put through randomized levels where your objective is to remain alive regardless of what’s been thrown at you. 

You can play as different characters, including folks like Dina and Tommy, who have unique abilities. Your base game upgrades don’t transfer, and you’ll have to work from scratch to get your pistols and other weapons back to an optimal level. 

It doesn’t feel tacked on at all - it’s a fleshed-out experience worth investing your time in, and it’s also designed to give you a sense of progress as your hard work helps you unlock new characters and skins. In short, the game mode allows you to experience the best of what the sequel’s combat has to offer, and if gameplay is what draws you to this franchise, the roguelike mode is probably the best gift to receive in lieu of the canceled multiplayer mode.

For the fans

For players who fell in love with the PS4 game, a shot to replay it won’t be declined quickly. But the remaster comes packed with content to ensure the experience is worthwhile. One of my favorite features is the director’s commentary, which genuinely expanded my view of TLOU P2’s world and Naughty Dog’s artistic vision. I’d highly advise you to turn it on if you’ve watched all the cinematics a couple of times already.

It isn’t overused, so you won’t be dealing with chattering in your ear the whole time. But when it does kick in, you’re seldom left without learning something new, even if it’s something minor like discovering that freeing the zebra in one of Abby’s flashbacks was originally designed as a mini-game. It also directed my attention to characters like Jesse, who I'd originally overlooked but now have a greater appreciation for the crucial role he plays in the overall narrative.

As has been advertised, one of the bonus features allows you to play the guitar as Gustavo, Ellie, or Joel. You can switch between the regular instrument, or you can switch it out for something else, including a banjo. There’s no getting around the fact that it’s gimmicky, but it is nonetheless a calming addition that I can imagine a music lover enjoying when they need a break from the gritty action of the main game.

Perhaps the largest draw for some players will be the inclusion of three lost levels. These are encounters that were conceptualized and developed to some degree, but were still months away from completion before it was decided they would be cut. Each lost level is introduced by Druckmann, who gives some context regarding the scene and why it isn’t in the final game. 

The lost levels are one of the most interesting ways a studio has provided insight into a game’s development. As you play these clearly unfinished levels, you pass points where you can trigger developer commentary to discover more about what Naughty Dog was considering as the encounters were being developed, and some of the challenges faced. 

They also provide a peek into just how difficult to wrangle a game with a story of this magnitude. Ultimately, I’m glad these lost levels were axed, as they would have subtracted more than they added to TLOU P2. Nonetheless, discovering just how far developers were willing to go to achieve lofty goals like making Jackson feel immersive or highlighting Ellie’s trauma does trigger greater appreciation for the final product.

How polished can a diamond get?

The Last of Us Part 2 Remastered is a tricky one to assess. It should be obvious at this point that I consider it one of, if not the, best offering from a Sony first-party studio in gaming’s eighth generation. Despite this, it’s not lost on me that this is a remaster of a 2020 game that already has an impressive PS5 upgrade patch.

From a tech standpoint, you’re not getting anything considerably better than the PS4 version with an upgrade patch. For most, I’d wager the biggest easily discernible difference players will find when they play the base game is the use of the adaptive trigger for weapons. It’s not transformative, but it’s nice.

This alone wouldn’t justify a remaster, but that’s not all Naughty Dog is offering. You’re getting a new game mode, but it’s nevertheless capable of adding hours to your gameplay provided you’re into that kind of thing. 

Some additions will probably only appeal to the more hardcore fans, including the ability to play instruments as Gustavo Santaolalla and friends, as well as the chance to explore the lost levels. New skins make an appearance, and yes, this matters significantly to me. I like playing as Ellie in a spacesuit. 

This is the most polished version of Naughty Dog’s vision, and it’s chocked full of content illustrating passion for the craft and a deep appreciation for the fans. If you already own the game and had fun with it the first time around, $10 is a reasonable entry price for a package that expands the ways you can enjoy TLOU P2. 

Never played the game before? Well, I don’t think it’s worth piling on any more praise, except to say this is about as good as it gets when it comes to Sony’s cinematic over-the-shoulder third-person action-adventure experience.

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Foamstars isn't unique, but it does offer a colorful, exciting shooter experience. An announcement trailer has revealed that the game launches on Sony's console's on February 6.

We got a taste of the game last year thanks to the open beta which ran from September 29 until October 1, and it was generally well-receieved. You'd be forgiven for confusing the Square Enix-produced open world beta with Nintendo's Splatoon franchise, as both games feature players making a colorful mess.

However, Foamstars presents itself as a more action-packed party with options to fight solo or team up in 4x4 battles. The foam isn't there for aesthetic reasons alone. You can also use it to slide on, build with it, and much more.

Only time will tell whether this is the iconic shooter Sony has been searching for. As a bonus, PlayStation Plus subscribers will be able to download the game for free from launch until March 4.

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Announced on Ubisoft+'s news page, the company is renaming its subscription service. Now, when you're telling your friends about Ubisoft+ Multi-Access and PC Access, you should call it Ubisoft+ Premium instead.

There's another surprise - a new subscription service is on the way. Dubbed Ubisoft+ Classics on PC, it is meant to provide "a curated selection of popular back-catalog and live games." which includes games like Far Cry 6, Rainbow Six Seige, and Watch Dogs: Legions.

With Ubisoft+ Premium, you get day one and sometimes even early access to the company's latest games. Of course, you're also able to play Ubisoft's extensive library of titles. Ubisoft Premium+ has a subscription fee of $17.99 while you can grab the Classic+ subscription for $7.99 per month.

Philippe Tremblay discusses Ubisoft subscription services

Ubisoft's director of subscription Philippe Tremblay naturally praised the services in the announcement. He revealed that subscribers have enjoyed "600 million hours of play" and the company is "above projection in terms of subscribers joining the program."

As for what games are being played, Tremblay claims that Assassin's Creed and Rainbow Six take the lead. Things never remain static, however, and "Assassin's Creed Mirage and The Crew Motorfest quickly made their way into the top five in the past couple of months."

You probably won't be surprised to learn that subscriptions help introduce players to games they may have otherwise never touched. As Tremblay highlights, "one in 10 subscribers is someone who has never played a Ubisoft game before."

He also confirms that the name change will not change anything for current customers: "PC subscribers will keep their plan as is, with the same monthly price point that they are enjoying right now."

What's in a name? In this case, not too much.

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Though the DualSense packs a suite of impressive features, one of the biggest criticisms has been its battery life. This may be remedied by a new version of the controller that has appeared online, as Resetera user ezidro3 noticed.

The new controller, dubbed the "PlayStation 5 V2 DualSense Wireless Controller - White" was originally spotted on Best Buy Canada, along with an included charging station and $89.99CAD price tag, but the post has been taken down since. The new controller looks identical to its predecessor, except this one is supposed to feature 12 hours of gameplay on a full charge. The page has since been taken down, with no official word from Sony yet regarding this new device.

The DualSense is a phenomenal controller with features that make it a near-irresistable inclusion to any gaming arsenal. However, the low battery has always been a problem, providing 4-6 hours of wireless gameplay depending on which features are being used. Grab the Dualsense Edge, and you can expect even less time.

If there's one new piece of hardware Sony wanted to add to please fans, this is probably it. Only a white version has been seen, but if it's available in other colors, Sony may have found a way to slip its fingers into my wallet.

Now where is the DualSense Edge in different colors?

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In the upcoming D.I.C.E awards, Spider-Man 2 takes an early lead by scoring nine nominations. The awards ceremony is scheduled for February 15 this year.

Categories that Insomniac's superhero game is in include Game of the Year, Outstanding Achievement in Animation, and Outstanding Achievement in Sound Design, to name a few. Alan Wake 2 trails not too far behind with eight nominations.

Remedy's survival horror has managed to catch the eyes of critics thanks to its metastory, use of music, and phenomenal ensemble of characters. It has been nominated for Game of the Year as well, but it also picks up nominations in the Outstanding Achievement in Story category and Outstanding Achievement in Character category which gives Saga Anderson a nod.

The other games that got Game of the Year nominations are: Baldur's Gate 3, Cocoon, and The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom. The full list of nominations is as follows:

Game of the Year Awards

1. Game of the Year: Alan Wake 2, Baldur's Gate 3, Cocoon, The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom, Spider-Man 2.
2. Online Game of the Year: Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3, Diable 4, Omega Strikers, Street Fighter 6, The Finals.
3. Mobile Game of the Year: Gubbins, Hello Kitty Island Adventure, Honkai: Star Rail, Terra Nil, What The Car?
4. Outstanding Achievement for an Independent Game: Cocoon, Dredge, El Paso, Elsewhere, Thirsty Suitors, Venba
5. Immersive Reality Game of the Year: Asgard's Wrath 2, Assassin's Creed Nexus VR, Horizon: Call of the Mountain, Vampire: The Masquerade – Justice, Vertigo 2
6. Immersive Reality Technical Achievement Award: Asgard's Wrath 2, Assassin's Creed Nexus VR, Horizon: Call of the Mountain, Vertigo 2, We Are One

Craft Awards

1. Outstanding Achievement in Game Direction: Baldur's Gate 3, Cocoon, Spider-Man 2, Super Mario Bros. Wonder, The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom
2. Outstanding Achievement in Game Design: Baldur's Gate 3, Cocoon, Dave the Diver, Super Mario Bros. Wonder, The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom
3. Outstanding Achievement in Animation: Final Fantasy 16, Hi-Fi Rush, Spider-Man 2, Mortal Kombat 1,Super Mario Bros. Wonder
4. Outstanding Achievement in Art Direction: Alan Wake 2, Hogwarts Legacy, Spider-Man 2, Star Wars Jedi: Survivor, Starfield
5. Outstanding Achievement in Character: Saga Anderson (Alan Wake 2, Melanie Liburd), Astarion (Baldur's Gate 3, Neil Newbon), Karlach (Baldur's Gate 3, Samantha Béart), Miles Morales (Spider-Man 2, Nadji Jeter),Jala (Thirsty Suitors, Farah Merani)
6. Outstanding Achievement in Original Music Composition: Alan Wake 2, Diablo 4, Spider-Man 2, Planet of Luna, Star Wars Jedi: Survivor
7. Outstanding Achievement in Audio Design: Alan Wake 2, Cocoon, Hi-Fi Rush, Spider-Man 2, Star Wars Jedi: Survivor
8. Outstanding Achievement in Story: Alan Wake 2, Baldur's Gate 3, Dave the Diver, Thirsty Suitors, Venba
9. Outstanding Technical Achievement: Alan Wake 2, Spider-Man 2, Hogwarts Legacy, The Finals, The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom

Genre Awards

1. Action Game of the Year: Armored Core 6: Fires of Rubicon, Dead Space, Hi-Fi Rush, Spider-Man 2, Remnant 2
2. Adventure Game of the Year: Alan Wake 2, Cocoon, Dave the Diver, Star Wars Jedi: Survivor, The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom
3. Family Game of the Year: Disney Illusion Island, Fae Farm, Hello Kitty Island Adventure, Midnight Girl, Super Mario Bros. Wonder
4. Fighting Game of the Year: Granblue Fantasy Versus: Rising, Mortal Kombat 1, Nickelodeon All-Star Brawl 2, Pocket Bravery, Street Fighter 6
5. Racing Game of the Year: F-Zero 99, Forza Motorsport, Hot Wheels Unleashed 2 – Turbocharged, Lego 2K Drive
6. Role-Playing Game of the Year: Baldur's Gate 3, Cyberpunk 2077: Phantom Liberty, Diablo 4, Final Fantasy 16, Starfield
7. Sports Game of the Year: EA Sports FC 24, MLB The Show 23, WWE 2K23
8. Strategy/Simulation Game of the Year: Against the Storm, Cobalt Core, Dune: Spice Wars, The Last Spell, Wartales

There's not much that raises eyebrows when it comes to nominations. Tears of the Kingdom received 5 nominations while Cocoon has nabbed 6.

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Unity is starting the new year with a sizeable round of layoffs. According to Reuters, the company plans to ax 25% of its workforce, about 1,800 employees.

The layoffs are expected to be completed by March 2024 and it will affect all teams and areas of the business. The internal company memo states that this is being done as Unity "restructures and refocuses on its core business, and to position itself for long-term and profitable growth."

At present, the company cannot determine what the related costs and charges will be though "charges will primarily relate to employee transition, severance payments, and employee benefits." There has also been no word on what structural changes, though a company spokesperson confirmed that they are coming, Reuters reports.

These layoffs come after Unity faced great controversy in 2023 following the announcement of "runtime fees" for developers. Plans for these additional fees have continued, and CEO James Whitehurst states it is expected that the impact of this business model change will have "minimal benefit in 2024 and ramp from there as customers adopt our new releases."

Last year, the gaming industry witnessed waves of layoffs striking several companies. It appears the trend is far from over, with Unity's massive layoffs bringing a bad start to the year. VR studio Archiact has also already announced layoffs in 2024.

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Stephanie Tyler Jones, who provided the face likeness for Mary Jane Watson in Marvel's Spider-Man 2, is speaking out about fans who have "crossed boundaries" over the character.

As she explains in an Instagram message, she appreciates the positive responses she's received over the years. However, certain fans have crossed the line, with some going so far as to call her workplace and attempt to speak to her.

Upon hearing all the voicemails, she "immediately felt unsafe and uncomfortable." Though it should need no explaining, she highlights that while she may be the face behind a cultural icon, she is still "a human being trying to make a living just like you."

She also highlights that her skincare page isn't for Spider-Man or MJ fans. She asks fans to not cross boundaries, informs everyone that messages will not be answered, and you can expect to be blocked if she feels uncomfortable.

It's worth noting that she had no longer been an actively auditioning actor or model before the incident. The roles she accepts are only creative outlets for herself and with friends.

Jones joins an unfortunately long list of actors who have found themselves harassed following their gaming fame. This includes Laura Bailey who received threats towards her and her family after her performance as Abby in The Last of Us Part 2.

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Though much of PlayStation's success has come from its stable of first-party games, it has also benefitted from third-party titles that receive Sony's support. In an interview with Boardroom, Shawne Benson, who is the global head of third-party portfolio and acquisitions, shed some light on how some of these deals come about.

A typical workday will include meetings with prospective partners. During these meetings, it's not just the quality of the games that's considered. The team also has to ask whether the titles resonate with the PlayStation brand and appeal to its audience.

By the end of it, if a partnership is established, "it doesn’t always end with a traditional deal." Some partners are disappointed by this because they think it means that the game isn't good. However, that's not the case at all.

One of the notable success stories when it comes to PlayStation supporting third-party teams is Stray. Released in 2022, the cyberpunk game has you playing as a cat trying to find its way home. According to Benson, PlayStation's "team worked really closely with Annapurna Interactive and the development team behind it, BlueTwelve Studio" and guided them on how to make the most of the DualSense controller.

This guidance is important, as haptics give a layer of immersion when it comes to playing as a cat and feeling sensations such as a purr. Though PlayStation's team, which consists of 11 people, provides their input, they are sure to not tell partners how to make their games. They "just give them tips and tricks on how to be best on PlayStation."

While on the PS Plus catalog, Stray has "brought in the highest number of players that have accessed that title over the first 12 months" according to Nick Maguire, who is PlayStation's vice president and global head of subscriptions. Several other titles have received support from Sony with successful results, including games like Kena: Bridge of Spirits.

The post Sony explains how Stray and other third-party games found support appeared first on Destructoid.

VR isn’t in the best place at present, and studios like First Contact Entertainment have closed due to a lack of support in the industry. If you’re looking for something to pull you back into the VR world, Tiger Blade might be the most action-packed way to do it.

Released on December 20 last year, it was developed by Ikimasho Games. It has beautiful, colorful visuals and a hip soundtrack that'll have you bobbing your head. It's not the main draw, but its overall presentation is worth appreciating.

The main excitement comes from the gameplay which has you slicing foes, speeding on motorbikes, and deflecting bullets with your blade. This isn't the type of game that'll have you running and ducking for cover. Instead, it features an atypical approach to gameplay that raises excitement without feeling like just another combat-based VR game.

The way of the blade in VR

In Tiger Blade, you aren't sprinting to safety. Instead, with every foe you kill in your path, you shift forward to the next section of the map featuring enemies. Some are armed with blades and it's your job to parry their attacks and slice them to pieces. Other enemies have guns, and you can flick away bullets with your sword before pulling out your own gun and laying waste to your opponents.

These aren’t the only exciting parts. There are additional moments, such as motorcycle combat encounters, that ensure your heart stays racing throughout the game. Though I’ve yet to get to the end credits just yet, Tiger Blade is the only title that’s motivated me to throw on my headset this year thus far.

It presents an enticing gameplay premise that’s pulled off with a ninja meets cyberpunk aesthetic that’s hard to not fall in love with. It may not be the most graphically intense title, nor it is without flaws, but the experience is an adrenaline-raising one that seldom fails to make you feel like an awesome action-movie hero.

There aren’t many VR games that catch my attention these days. Most of it is quite gimmicky, and while many interesting ideas have been presented, few titles manage to deliver a product that doesn’t feel janky or a step down from its flatscreen counterparts. There are a few exceptions - like Not for Broadcast and the Resident Evil VR modes - that buck this trend, and Tiger Blade is a smaller title that manages to do the same.

Tiger Blade is available on PS VR2.

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The VR gaming realm appears to be struggling to gain its footing as yet another studio experiences problems. This time around it's Archiact which has announced it is going through layoffs.

Archiact describes itself as "one of the largest independent VR studios" and it is behind VR titles like Doom 3: VR Edition, Freedriver: Triton Down, and Marvel Dimension of Heroes. One of the latest titles it has released is Journey to Foundation which is inspired by Isaac Asimov's series.

A reason for the layoffs was not given in the announcement, though it's stated that it wasn't an easy process. Archiact also asks for any fellow studios to reach out if they are hiring in numerous fields, which offers a glimpse at how many departments the layoffs affected, from Art and Animation to Engineering.

Archiact doesn't struggle alone, as First Contact Entertainment has announced its closure. According to the developer, the closure was a product of a lack of "lack of support for VR within the industry." This is a notable event for VR players, as the studio was one of the leaders when it comes to AAA VR experiences, as seen in titles such as Firewall Ultra.

VR continues to be a tricky platform to master, even for companies as massive as Sony. Fortunately, those who enjoy the gaming experience aren't left without any new titles, as games like RE 4 Remake's VR mode and Tiger Blade continue to ensure VR libraries are never entirely empty.

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Originally launched in 2014, the mobile app Kim Kardashian: Hollywood is shutting down.

Players logging in will be met with a message informing them that the game no longer accepts in-app purchases and has been removed from mobile stores. In-game currency will be usable until April 2024, at which point the game will become inaccessible.

In a statement to TMZ, Kim stated that she realized that "it’s time to focus that energy into other passions" though she does give thanks to "the Glu team and the many people behind the scenes who have worked diligently on making it a success."

Glu has plenty to be grateful for too, as in Q3 2014, the game generated 54% of its revenue, according to Games Industry. As Forbes reports, by 2016, the mobile title had been downloaded 45 million times and generated $160 million in revenue.

Although highly successful, it doesn't leave the mobile gaming industry with a dearth of titles. Plenty of companies have recognized the profit potential and want a slice of it, including Xbox.

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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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The controversial The Coffin of Andy and Leyley has attracted a lot of attention thanks to its story which is both disturbing and steeped in dark humor. It is being released in chapters, with the first two out already. A recent progress report on Steam lets fans know what's happening with the game's development.

For the sake of communication, the plan is to have a progress report out on the first week of each month. Following the release of patch 2.0.9, work still needs to be done on the technical side, including a pending audio playback fix. It was postponed because it "needs more stress testing," so it may arrive in the next patch instead.

There is a pair of quality-of-life features being evaluated. The first concerns better saved game labels, and the other is a chapter select menu. No confirmation is given on when you can expect these improvements to be released because they need "to be very thoroughly tested to avoid breaking game data as much as possible.

The update also addresses questions some have had concerning the different possible episode 2 endings. Kit9 explains that neither are signs of a "good" or "bad" ending trajectory. Instead, "Decay and Burial will be two entirely unique story branches. Each will have a variety of outcomes of their own."

The Coffin of Andy and Leyley Patch 2.0.9

The 2.0.9 patch is a very minor one, and the notes only include the following:

• Fixed typos.
• Disabled file drag and drop to window.
• Made double tile doorways function better.
• Fixed a missing wall segment in demon puzzle area.

An official release date for episode 3 has yet to be announced, though it has been stated that it is coming in 2024.

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Dave the Diver was one of 2023's unexpected hits that accumulated plenty of awards in addition to a wave of fan support. On Twitter, Mintrocket announced that the game has sold 3 million copies globally.

This is certainly an achievement to be proud of, but it is far from the only thing the studio has to celebrate. Dave the Diver recently won the Sit Back and Relax award at The Steam Awards, and found itself nominated at both The Golden Joystick Awards and The Game Awards 2023. Our own Christine Choi gave the game a 9/10, praising its ability to "offer a lighthearted story and engaging gameplay."

Despite the accolades, the game has attracted some controversy due to frequently being labeled an indie title, including at The Game Awards. Although Mintrocket is a smaller studio, it falls under the billion-dollar corporation Nexon, which brings the game's indie status into question. This raises debates over what qualifies as indie, and whether the category has become more a matter of aesthetics.

There are further content updates in store for Dave the Diver, as developers believe the characters still have more stories to tell. Planned content includes further side missions added to the latter half of the story.

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The annual user-voted Steam Awards are over for this year, and the winners have been revealed. Voting ran from 21 December at 10 AM PT until 2 January at 10 AM PT.

If you've been paying attention to gaming last year, then many of the winners won't be a surprise, although there are a few unexpected titles that make the final list.

Baldur's Gate 3 snatches up Game of the Year. With a reputation that has placed it among one of the best CRPGs of all time, this isn't unexpected. It faced competition from titles like Resident Evil 4 Remake, Lethal Company, and Hogwarts Legacy. Larian's game also wins the Outstanding Story-Rich Game Award.

The Best Game on Steam Deck award goes to Hogwarts Legacy, which runs superbly on the handheld with the right settings. Its competitors were titles like Diablo 4, Dredge, and Brotato. Starfield also scores a win in the Most Innovative Gameplay Award category.

All The 2023 Steam Awards winners

These are the titles that came out on top in The 2023 Steam Awards:

• Game of the Year - Baldur's Gate 3
• VR Game of the Year - Labyrinthine
• Labor of Love - Red Dead Redemption 2
• Best Game on Steam Deck - Hogwarts Legacy
• Better with Friends - Lethal Company
• Outstanding Visual Style - Atomic Heart
• Most Innovative Gameplay - Starfield
• Best Game You Suck At - SIFU
• Best Soundtrack - The Last of Us Part 1
• Outstanding Story-Rich Game - Baldur's Gate 3
• Sit Back and Relax - Dave the Diver

Winners receive a Steam Awards trophy shipped to the developers' offices in addition to a virtual trophy on the store page.

The post Winners of The 2023 Steam Awards announced appeared first on Destructoid.

Though the studio remains forever secretive, Kojima Productions has been gracious enough to provide fans a sneak peek into two upcoming projects: the Death Stranding sequel and OD. On Twitter, Hideo Kojima recently gave an update on Death Stranding 2's development.

He explains that 2024 entails another year of development for the game which is being produced at the same time as OD. Death Stranding 2 still "has some ADR left" and after that, the studio will focus on doing Japanese voice-overs. There's still no official release date for Death Stranding 2, but with Kojima discussing "another year of development," a 2025 launch wouldn't be out of the question.

A busy year for Kojima Productions

During The Game Awards 2023, Kojima spoke a bit about OD which is described as a title that will defy expectations and expand the medium. He's enlisted the help of movie-maker Jordan Peele, and we've received a cryptic teaser trailer, though we're still stuck without a release date.

Although Kojima intends to limit his business trips this year, he's still busy turning Death Stranding into a movie, collaborating on the Avengers, and working on OD in addition to other video projects. He also mentions a writing project along with the possible revival of Hide Radio and "a special program on 'HideTube'."

It appears it's a busy year ahead for Kojima Productions, but we may see the fruits of the studio's labor soon. Plenty of the upcoming projects intrigue me, but I'm particularly interested to see how Death Stranding's movie adaptation will be handled. Although the game is teeming with lengthy cutscenes, it'll be a tall task to capture the unique atmosphere established by the gameplay.

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Fate/Samurai Remnant, the latest entry in the Fate franchise, will receive the first of three DLCs soon, and it will arrive in February 2024.

Titled Record’s Fragment: Keian Command Championship, details on what to expect are still sparse. The trailer depicts Gilgamesh the King of Heroes announcing that he has seized control of the fates of several characters from the base game. He then announces the start of the Keian Command Championship.

Two more DLCs are on the way, but they've yet to be named or receive a release date, although they are to launch in 2024. Each of the DLCs will bring additional scenarios, new Servants, stages, and more. If you want access to all the extra content, a Season Pass is available which also comes with the Hallowed Relic Sword Mountings bonus.

I enjoyed my time with Fate/Samurai Remnant, so the DLC piques my interest. Perhaps the only downside is that it comes during a time that already promises to be packed with enticing titles like Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth and Persona 3 Reload.

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Making money online should be a relatively simple process. You provide your goods and services, those interested purchase them, and there’s usually some division of the profits between you and the distributor.

What happens when you throw moral objections, political obstacles, and intentional obfuscation for the sake of exploitation into the mix? That’s what OnlyBans seeks to explore, and the results speak volumes regarding the conditions online sex workers face. Though the issues that it examines are real, it manages to tackle them with humor and sincerity.

The premise of the online game isn’t particularly complicated. You’re hoping to earn $200 to pay your gas and water bills in 6 weeks. With each fan on the online platform netting you $10, it shouldn’t take you long in theory. In reality, things are a little more complex than they initially appear.

A team effort

OnlyBans illustrates the ways online sex workers have had to band together to teach each other how to navigate the industry. Doing favors for each other such as “share4share” is illustrated, info on how to prevent your images from being stolen is shared, and it's shown how some workers are “avoiding shadowbanning by identifying as 'male' on their profile.”

Similarly, workers in the industry have had to rally together to fight against many of the issues brought up in the game. A few are listed on the About page, including Hacking//Hustling, which is a "collective of sex workers, survivors, and accomplices working at the intersection of tech and social justice to interrupt state surveillance and violence facilitated by technology."

No money, more problems

As I played, it became evident that there were multiple attempts to get me screwed out of my money, and they were coming from all angles. At first, it came in the form of an account lock that required my real-life details to unlock.

It’s frustrating, but still somewhat understandable if the “safety reasons” include age verification. From this point onwards, the reason for the account bans gets a little more ridiculous, including one for posting “dangerous content.”

Hidden deep in the user agreements is the stipulation that the platform doesn’t “allow users to buy or sell sexually oriented digital goods or content delivered through a digital medium.” To make matters worse, most choices are made by AI.

It doesn’t make much sense to me at all at first, but as an in-game friend in the industry explains, “after the US Congress passed a law called FOSTA-SESTA in 2018, platforms started making stricter moderation policies and banning sex worker accounts.”

I tried contesting the decision, but that only resulted in my account being frozen for 180 days. Not useful when there are bills to pay today.

Left voiceless

FOSTA-SESTA are federal bills passed in 2018 to curb online sex trafficking. As Stop SESTA/FOSTA argues, it doesn't punish traffickers, though it does impede on free speech, and "since Congress passed SESTA/FOSTA, owners of popular online platforms have responded by censoring completely lawful activity from their sites. Other sites hosting lawful activity have shut down entirely."

There’s also the issue of not having those most affected by these policies given a chance to have a meaningful influence on how they’re implemented. As an in-game buddy highlights, “it’s not like lawmakers or tech companies consult with sex workers on these policies.”

It’s a deep-rooted issue that would continue to exist even if FOSTA-SESTA was repealed, as a new law could always just replace it. Hence, one in-game friend suggests we “get sex workers better represented at tech companies so we can change things from the inside.”

There’s also the problem of shame and stigma which is highlighted. Depending on the choices you make, you could find yourself with the prospect of people in your personal life discovering your account, even the devoutly religious.

You can try to prevent this, but it potentially requires quitting the project altogether. On one playthrough, I was discovered by an old friend on a site reposting my content, which led me to the revelation that “45% of sex workers have had their images or content used for a fake account (e.g., catfishing).”

Tackling real-world problems

Released in 2021, OnlyBans was created by a team of sex workers and allies to illustrate the kinds of policing and discrimination faced by sex workers online. Taking inspiration from research by Hacking//Hustling, the experience is as educative as it is entertaining, with the cherry on top being its attempt to imagine ways to combat the issues presented.

In 2023, it still receives updates, and some of the problems presented have yet to be solved. Speaking to Destructoid, Software Engineer Maggie Oates delves into the continuing relevance of OnlyBans, stating the following:

“From my view, it seems like there's a broader normalization of online sex workers in everyday culture. Many people started or shifted to online work in 2020 during pandemic lockdowns. There's small indicators like the addition of "sex worker" to Dictionary.com. However, we've also seen a continued increase in censorship of sex and activism-related content. Anti-porn and anti-sex work advocates have found a powerful strategy by lobbying the financial industry; many platforms have been pressured to remove sexual content if they want to keep processing payments from major credit card processors. In 2021, OnlyFans announced they would no longer support sex work on the platform, a decision they later reversed after huge pushback from sex workers (and likely a hard look at possible lost profits). Banks continue to be hostile to sex workers, even small independent workers doing completely legal work. We've also seen multiple states propose or pass unwieldy legislation to increase age screening online, which often have the effect of either obliterating all content to an entire state or lead to increase censorship, as platforms 'clean up' their sites.”

Creator Lena Chen also comments, adding “I think the general public today are much more conscious and critical about social media censorship, especially in the aftermath of crackdowns on political content related to BLM and now Palestine. Whereas deplatforming of sex workers was considered a somewhat niche issue a few years ago, people now realize this has a much farther ranging impact (and sex workers weren’t being alarmist but rather predicted precisely how these technologies would evolve into tools of political suppression.)”

As for future updates, they’re not out of the question but hopefully, something that’s decreasingly necessary. As Oates explains: “while we don't have any immediate plans for updates the game is still a 'living document.' I'm sure we'll update it in response to current moment. I look forward to the time when the game's content is kind of irrelevant… when sex workers are able to coexist with other content creators in appropriate and accessible spaces.”

Both poignant and satirical, OnlyBans is a unique game that not only entertains but shines a spotlight on a multifaceted issue. As a bonus, you can aim for a surreal ending that provides perhaps the most humorous moments of all.

The post Years later, the relevance of OnlyBans endures appeared first on Destructoid.