NLG - Next Level Gaming

While Halo Infinite is delayed to 2021 , a partnership between Monster Energy and Halo Infinite begins now. You can pick up Monster Energy Halo Infinite drinks to earn XP bonuses, bank them, stack them, and get ready to put in those long energy drink fueled shooty hours. Okay, so XP bonuses are nice but what else? Snapcodes. Yeah that's right. Halo Infinite Snapchat filters. I don't know what the hell people do on Snapchat to be honest, but I had fun with the filters on Instagram once, so it's probably pretty cool. Finally, the partnership has a veritable arsenal of weapon skins, weapon emblems, and player emblems to unlock. These are probably the most enticing reason to get players to pound some cans of caffeinated candy. They actually look pretty slick.  You can read more about the promotion and partnership over on the official Xbox site.

Ninja , MrBeast , Aim Lab , and  G2 Esports  have teamed up for a massive one million dollar donation to SpecialEffect , a UK-based charity that helps gamers with disabilities. Unbelievable! THANK YOU to the winners @aimlab , @G2esports , @MrBeastYT , @Ninja & everyone who bid, and to @FallGuysGame for making it all possible. Your generosity will enable us to continue making gaming dreams come true for people with physical disabilities around the world!💙 https://t.co/cBKDIBwN4p pic.twitter.com/HD16H07BML — SpecialEffect (@SpecialEffect) August 31, 2020 That's a noble cause and a huge donation for sure. How did it all start? Well, Fall Guys. 🔥 BATTLE OF THE BRANDS 🔥 The thirst from brands has been unreal... so we're turning it into something positive! Prize: Your brand inside Fall Guys as a costume! 👉 To enter: Reply to this tweet with the highest amount of money you would be willing to donate to @SpecialEffect — Fall Guys 👑 (@FallGuysGame) August 17,

Riot Games has all kinds of projects going on right now. You know, they just launched an expansion for Legends of Runeterra that's pretty awesome , I've been summoning Celestials left and right and man it's a pip. But anyway, this is about a new board game. That's right, those things we play in physical reality. Honestly, outside of this teaser trailer and what amounts to a skeleton website , we don't know much about Tellstones: King's Gambit. We do know it's based inside the world of League of Legends. Shocker there, hunh? But hey, whenever Riot is making a new game or something it's probably a good idea to check it out. You can watch the cool trailer below! Click here to watch embedded media  

According to a post by Gematsu , the Taiwan Digital Game Rating Committee has rated a game called Immortals: Fenyx Rising by Ubisoft. Of course, Ubisoft has not announced any title by that name, leading many to believe this is a name change from the already announced adventure title Gods & Monsters. The storybook steeped in mythology game hasn't shown us much since it was originally teased, so we're all waiting to see what magic it conjures up when it starts throwing big gameplay chunks at us. So, if this is in fact a name change... why? To avoid confusion with that old movie? To sow confusion in the ranks? To bring about the rise of Cthulhu from ancient Grecian waters? What do you think? [Source: Gematsu]

Are your ready to catch them all? Wait, that's another game. In this one, you fight monsters on your mobile device, in the scariest environment of them all - the real world! Ready to take on giant ogres, scorpion things, and griffins at your local park or take on a dragon on a water slide or something? Nothing, not even training from Geralt himself, could prepare you for this! Take a look at some gameplay from the upcoming augmented reality experience where you can pop a poison lizard in the mouth while Grandma rants at Thanksgiving dinner (All socially distanced and safe of course!). Check out the trailer to see what all the monster mashing fuss is about! Click here to watch embedded media  

According to an Ubisoft support page, the PlayStation 5 will not feature backwards compatibility for PS1, PS2, or PS3 games. While not exactly a shocker, any scrap of information regarding the upcoming console release is a tall drink of water in a knowledge desert, as we wait patiently for pricing and release date information. PS5 is not backwards compatible with PS3/PS2/PS1 games, according to a Ubisoft supprot page https://t.co/j1wTcAApZ3 pic.twitter.com/hnbpndATPi — Wario64 (@Wario64) August 31, 2020 While Microsoft provided a release window for Xbox Series X, Sony has yet to unveil any details of this nature. With console launches expected to hit the holiday window this year, both video game industry titans are holding critical information until what appears to be the last possible moment.  [Source: Ubisoft via Wario64 on Twitter ]

Ready to solve some weird crimes and wild puzzles? Of course you are. Dude, they're going to hang an elephant or something, what the hell? Frogwares has pulled back the curtain on some of the details on Sherlock Holmes: Chapter One. The game is expected to launch in 2021, coming to Xbox One, Xbox Series X, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, and PC. Frogwares is expecting to show off a gameplay deep dive in December of this year or January 2021 to whet the appetite for mystery. A new trailer showcases many of the details, but there are a few tidbits of other relevant info as well. The game is looking like a 15 hour or so completion for critical path/main story, with a "complete" run hitting the 30-40 hour mark. You can also unlock cosmetics to change the look of Sherlock as well as alter the look of your mansion as you progress through the game. Check out the trailer below! Click here to watch embedded media  

Things are getting hot outside - and in game! Call of Duty: Modern Warfare and Warzone are heating up with a block of content offerings. Season 5's Games of Summer chapter runs from August 28 to September 7, and features rewards to unlock, trials, competition, and trouble to get into. Stickers, calling cards, weapons, and more are available for those looking to get in the mix. It might not be the Olympics or anything but hey, it's a good reason to log in and pop off a few rounds. Oh, there's a rocking new Gunfight map you can take those intimate skirmishes into too. Check out more in the trailer below! Click here to watch embedded media  

Yesterday we got an extended look at  Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart , but news about Insomniac's exciting action/platformer continues to trickle out.  In an interview with  Famitsu , Insomniac revealed that its upcoming PS5 game features a performance mode that boosts the framerate from 30fps to 60fps. Naturally this performance mode comes with a hit to visual quality, which haven't been detailed yet. We're used to seeing this kind of performance choice on the half step consoles like the Xbox One X and PS4 Pro, but we expected that the next generation machines would do away with this kind of option – providing high performance alongside the best visuals. If Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart is any indication, perhaps this kind of framerate/visual quality split is an ongoing feature that is here to stay.  In an interview with @WeeklyFamitsu today we confirmed #RatchetPS5 will offer an option to play at 60fps! https://t.co/HRFKHgDE3c pic.twitter.com/7TdyaTdtAv — Insom

I’m about halfway through my flight from Minneapolis to San Francisco, a trip I’ve taken countless times over the years. Below me, a vast expanse of green and brown extends as far as I can see. I’ve always been curious about what, exactly, I’ve been flying over all these years. I move the drone camera around and dive closer to the ground. Yep. It’s a bunch of nothing. I snap back to the plane and continue the ride. Flight Simulator 2020 offers an impressive recreation of air travel, with faithfully recreated weather, air traffic, and intricate flight models. Aviation fanatics are gushing over its realism, and review scores are high. But do I want to go anywhere near the cockpit of the Boeing 747 I’m tracking? Hell no. I will have to take your word on it. I’m not a pilot. I’ve played flight sims periodically over the years, but it’s a genre that I’ve never fully latched onto. I loved flying under the Golden Gate Bridge in F/A-18 Interceptor back in my Amiga days, but my interest pro

Click to watch embedded media When you ask Ubisoft fans what games they'd love to see return one day, chances are that more UbiArt the Prince of Persia series falls somewhere on their list. While 2008's rendition wasn't everyone's cup of tea, the reboot is remembered for its gorgeous stylized graphics and satisfying traversal that the series is known for. Join Andrew Reiner, new hire Jason Guisao , and me as we return to the stylish sands of 2008's Prince of Persia. We'll be going live at 2:00 p.m. CT so be sure to join us for the fun! If you can't get enough of our live shows, remember to subscribe on  YouTube ,  Twitch ,  Twitter , and  Facebook  to get notified when we go live each week!

Click here to watch embedded media Publisher: THQ Nordic Developer: Kaiko Release: September 8, 2020 Rating: Mature Platform: PlayStation 4, Xbox One, PC Kingdoms of Amalur: Reckoning was a solid RPG that was surrounded by a cloud of controversy . Even though it wasn't the financial home run that EA may have been betting on, THQ Nordic saw its potential and eventually purchased the rights to the IP. And here we are. In a few weeks, players will be able to pick up Kingdoms of Amalur: Re-Reckoning, an updated version of the 2012 original, which will eventually have some all-new DLC. The new trailer shows off gameplay for the updated game for the first time, focusing on one of the three main paths that players can take as the Fateless One. If you're into backstabbing, poisoning, and sticking to the shadows, perhaps the finesse path might be worth pursuing. In addition, THQ Nordic released a new story trailer, which sets things up quite nicely. Click here to watch

Publisher: 2K Games Developer: Visual Concepts Release: September 4, 2020 ( Xbox One , PlayStation 4 , Switch , PC ), TBA ( PlayStation 5 , Xbox Series X ) Rating: Everyone Platform: PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Switch, PC Ahead of its September 4 release for current- gen, Visual Concepts is finally pulling back the curtain on details of its MyCareer story mode and showing off a sandy new beach neighborhood.   This year, Visual Concepts is bringing us a brand-new neighborhood called 2K Beach for the current-gen edition of NBA 2K21. It was inspired by Southern California’s local beach community, and Visual Concepts said the team worked hard to capture the look, feel, and vibe to match it. You can play 3v3 streetball, 5v5 ProAm Games, and it comes packed with minigames, easter eggs, and other new content. The locale is surrounded by hot shops like SWAG’s, The REC, and NBA Store, and will be used to host events throughout the year.    The popula

Publisher: Bandai Namco Developer: Bandai Namco Release: Platform: PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, PC Scarlet Nexus made a memorable impression when it was introduced earlier this year. With impressive visuals and stylish combat, this action/RPG seems both familiar and strange; Scarlet Nexus comes from many of the same minds behind Tales of Vesperia , but the unique enemies and sci-fi premise make it feel different from Bandai Namco’s traditional fantasy series. Click here to watch embedded media In this futuristic world, terrifying creatures called Others occasionally rain down from the sky, threatening the citizens of New Himuka. Others are haunting crosses of living creatures and inanimate objects, like horses and elephants integrated with trees and metal cages. They are ferocious and beast-like, but the danger is kept in check by the Other Suppression Force (OSF), which is able to predict these incursions and deploy elite soldiers to keep people

Publisher: EA Sports Developer: EA Tiburon Rating: Everyone Reviewed on: Xbox One Also on: PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X, PlayStation 4, Stadia, PC Each year, every team must take a look at what it currently has and compare that with what it needs in order to achieve its goals. This year, EA Tiburon used its offseason to fine-tune gameplay, add a new arcade-style experience, and upgrade its career mode. But much like a middling football team, Madden NFL 21 isn’t quite ready to make a run at postseason glory. Stepping onto the field with your teammates, calling plays, and working together to come out on top remain exciting. The on-field action, which was largely solid last year, has only been improved upon. I love the new Skill Stick for pass rushing, allowing you to be more fluid with your attempts to blow past the offensive linemen. While it’s not as revolutionary for ball carriers, the Skill Stick gives you more control over the moves you pull off when you’re evading wou

Are you looking for a turn-based, time-warping first-person shooter? Get ready to do some loops. Time loops, that is. Ratloop Games and Frontier Foundry showed the game off at Gamescom Opening Night Live today. The game is slated to hit sometime in early 2021. Lemnis Gate features four-dimensional combat where you must master past, present, and future in 25-second rounds in order to come out ahead. Strategy is critical to set up for victory.  Want to see more? Check out the trailer below. It's pretty loopy! HA! Click here to watch embedded media  

Click here to watch embedded media 12 Minutes is an interactive narrative game about a man stuck in a time loop, gradually gathering information to unravel a mystery. During Gamescom's Opening Night Live stream, publisher Annapurna Interactive revealed some surprising star power for the upcoming title.  James McAvoy, Daisy Ridley, and Willem Dafoe all play characters in the game – all names that should need no introduction. Watch the trailer above to get a teaser for the vaguely menacing dialogue. 12 Minutes is releases on Xbox Series X, Xbox One, and PC. According to the video, the game is "coming soon." For more on 12 Minutes and how its intriguing time loop works, read our impressions from E3 2019.

Click to watch embedded media It's been a while since we've had a new Lego adventure from TT Games, but that's going to be changing this spring with the release of Lego Star Wars: The Skywalker Saga. A new trailer shows off the game in action, which features new gameplay and action based on all the mainline entries in the Star Wars franchise. The trailer is packed with moments from the original trilogy, new prequels, and the most recent adventures with Rey and company. It's a fresh take on many of those older stories, since it includes voice acting from the films – something that wasn't incorporated in a lot of the older pantomime-based games. Lego Star Wars: The Skywalker Saga is coming to PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and Switch in spring 2021.

In a presentation during Gamescom Opening Night, we got a new look at the storytelling coming to Star Wars: Squadrons. As has been previously discussed, players will alternate between playing two distinct pilots, each on opposing sides of the galactic war. We saw snippets of several missions, from an extraction of a high-value target above Hosnian Prime, to bombing runs at the Nadiri Dockyards. In one brief moment, the trailer also shows a glimpse of fan-favorite character, Hera Syndulla, from Star Wars: Rebels . It appears she’ll play a part in the game’s unfolding narrative. Check out the trailer below. Star Wars Squadrons is headed for a launch on October 2 for PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and PC. Click here to watch embedded media

Click to watch embedded media The Sims 4 will soon be traveling to a galaxy far, far away in the story-driven expansion Star Wars: Journey to Batuu. Set to release on September 8 for Xbox One, PlayStation 4, and PC for $19.99, this licensed content draws heavily from Disney's new Galaxy's Edge theme park. You'll see many of faces from the theme park in the game, and can even build your own lightsaber with its own blade color. Your Sims characters can dress up in costumes, interact with droids (you'll get your own), and enjoy all things Star Wars in this unexpected new addition to the long running game. As your Sims get to know the Star Wars locals, they can complete missions and challenges for the Resistance, First Order, and Scoundrels. The influence gained in each of these groups changes the world and rewards. Depending on who you side with will determine which starfighter access you get and what costumes you unlock. You'll eventually gain enough influence in a

Click here to watch embedded media Teardown does a great job catching your attention in a few seconds. The game was announced last year and has been quietly building an online fanbase ever since. It's not hard to see why since you can freely explore a visually interesting world and the gameplay is driven by emergent player actions.  In this Gamescom trailer, you can see how you might smash through walls and blow things up in order to plan the perfect route through the world. Once you pick up your first target an alarm goes off and you must race to collect the rest before security arrives. Good thing you're not worried about property damage. 

Click here to watch embedded media Publisher: Annapurna Interactive Developer: Luis Antonio Release: 2020 Platform: Xbox One, PC 12 Minutes is an interactive narrative game about a man stuck in a time loop, gradually gathering information to unravel a mystery. During Gamescom's Opening Night Live stream, publisher Annapurna Interactive revealed some surprising star power for the upcoming title.  James McAvoy, Daisy Ridley, and Willem Dafoe all play characters in the game – all names that should need no introduction. Watch the trailer above to get a teaser for the vaguely menacing dialogue. 12 Minutes is releases on Xbox Series X, Xbox One, and PC. According to the video, the game is "coming soon." For more on 12 Minutes and how its intriguing time loop works, read our impressions from E3 2019.

Ahri, Kai'Sa, Akali, and Evelynn are back! The League of Legends virtual pop group, K/DA, made waves with their 2018 debut single "POP/STARS,” which reached the top of iTunes K-Pop chart and Billboard World Digital chart. The music video that followed garnered over 340M+ views, earning K/DA the most successful debut for a K-Pop group in YouTube history, but can they strike gold twice? Today, the group made its comeback official, unveiling a new track called “The Baddest.”  “The Baddest” is now available for your ears, complete with a lyric video. The talent line-up for the song includes SOYEON and MIYEON of K-pop girl group (G)I-DLE, who performed on POP/STARS, alongside new collaborators, BeaMiller and Wolftyla. The single is a part of a brand new EP slated to hit later this year. And yes, K/DA are getting new outfits for the occasion. Click here to watch embedded media “Ever since K/DA premiered their explosive track POP/STARS at the 2018 League of Legends World Champion

Remember when we did that massive cover story on World of Warcraft: Shadowlands? It was pretty cool. Anyway, today at Gamescom Opening Night Live, Blizzard has revealed the long-awaited release date for the upcoming World of Warcraft expansion - October 27, 2020. That's not too far away, for those that have waited eons for the next big chapter in Azeroth. In Shadowlands, players travel to various forms of the afterlife, pledge their allegiance to a covenant, and travel to Hell itself in a zone called the Maw. A new roguelike dungeon experience, Torghast, will keep players challenged with ever-shifting content as they reach the endgame. I can't wait to dive in and explore bold new frontiers in the great beyond on October 27! 10.27.20. The #Shadowlands await. pic.twitter.com/GDPi66uDv2 — World of Warcraft (@Warcraft) August 27, 2020  

Click to watch embedded media On Gamescom's opening night, Dragon Age fans were treated to a big surprise. BioWAre VP and GM Casey Hudson introduced a new behind-the-scenes trailer by saying the team has been imagining new ways to use next-gen technology to bring the world and characters of Dragon Age to life. Hudson notes they're still in pre-production but wanted to give everyone some insight into how the developers are crafting this game.  BioWare is creating an original world, complete with original wildlife and architecture, for the next game in the series. Expect new places and people, and to interact with people who grew up in these different locales. Also, this is a story about what happens when you don't have power and when people aren't willing to address issues. As always, a big focus will be on the companions you have around and their learning  their stories. You're building friendships and making your own family, after all. The trailer showed us div

Doom Eternal is one of the most frantic games of 2020, and if you've blasted, slashed, and ripped your way through Hell in the base game, developer id Software is ready to deliver more. We've known that the first expansion is called The Ancient Gods, Part One, but now we have an official trailer as well as a release date. Doom Eternal: The Ancient Gods, Part One is set to launch on October 20. You can get a look at the official trailer below. Click here to watch embedded media  

After a live-action opener that featured a man struggling to find power for his laptop in a post-apocalyptic future, we got a look at a strange new project from ClockStone and Headup. Bridge Constructor: The Walking Dead appears to combine the bridge-building and engineering challenges of the original Bridge Constructor with the characters (and Walkers) of The Walking Dead universe. The game is coming before the end of 2020, and is slated for release on PS5, Xbox Series X, PS4, Xbox One, Switch, and PC.

Unknown9 is a world that spans multiple forms of media, including novels, comics, and podcasts. During today's Gamescom stream, developer Reflector revealed an upcoming game also set in the universe, Unknown9: Awakening. See the trailer for yourself below. Click here to watch embedded media The game is coming to next-gen consoles and PC, though no specific release window was revealed.

Click to watch embedded media Bandai Namco and Tarsier Studios showed off a new trailer for Little Nightmares II, showing how returning character Six can team up with the new playable hero Mono as they try to escape a waking nightmare. Mono, the child wearing a paper sack over his head, has to sneak through a variety of horrible scenes alongside Six. In the trailer, we see how they can work together, jumping on a suspended piano together to bring it crashing down, or helping to catch the other after a perilous jump. It also shows off several creepy environments, such as classrooms and hospitals, as well as the gigantic creeps they'll have to sneak past. Look for it on PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Switch, and PC this year.

Today during Gamescom's Opening Night Live, players got their first taste of some of the behind-the-scenes intrigue that's going to set up some of the big missions in Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War. Meet the next new big mystery agent, Russell Adler, and some of the rest of the team as they have a big sit down with President Ronald Reagan. You think we'll see a Reagan skin in Warzone? Read more about the campaign and everything coming to Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War here. Check out the clip below to learn more about the campaign cast! Click here to watch embedded media  

Click to watch embedded media What could go wrong with a zoo filled with dinosaurs? Frontier Developments gives you a good look at the fascination and terror of a park filled with prehistoric titans. If you know what you are doing, you can keep your guests safe and make enough money to fund research into creating more dinosaur breeds. If you don't know what you are doing, and the fences aren't strong enough or the habitats aren't big enough, the dinosaurs will break out and run amok in your park. A good number of them will feed on your guests. I adored Jurassic World Evolution on Xbox One, and now Switch players will get the chance to play through this nicely made simulator. Jurassic World Evolution: Complete Edition comes with all of the DLC, including the standalone adventures Return to Jurassic Park and Claire's Sanctuary. The Secrets of Dr. Wu DLC adds dinosaur hybrids and a new quest line to the core game. Players will also get all of the add-on dinosaur packs.

Publisher: Microsoft Game Studios Developer: Dontnod Entertainment Rating: Mature Reviewed on: Xbox One Also on: PC Developer Dontnod doesn’t shy away from difficult topics, even if it means some missteps along the way. On one hand, this is admirable; the studio has helped push the medium forward in the stories it can tell, exploring challenging subjects like mental health and racism. On the other hand, this is new territory, and there’s still plenty to learn. Tell Me Why showcases this quandary; Tyler breaks new ground as a transgender protagonist, but Dontnod also delves into topics such as grief, panic disorder, and the importance of therapy. For all these steps forward, this game still stumbles with some portrayals and plot holes. Tell Me Why centers on twins Tyler and Alyson, who are brought back together after being separated for a decade. While happy to be reunited, the occasion hits a somber note since they must prepare to sell their deceased mother’s house – whic