NLG - Next Level Gaming

In the shadow of its big Oblivion expansion, The Elder Scrolls Online makes the jump to PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X/S this summer with the Console Enhanced edition. As the name implies, this updated port takes advantage of the current console’s power by allowing ESO to run natively on those systems, giving the game’s performance and graphical fidelity a big shot in the arm. The update arrives on June 8 and comes free of charge to those who own the PlayStation 4 and Xbox One versions of ESO. Console Enhanced bumps the game’s framerate from 30 frames per second to 60 while playing in Performance Mode. Fidelity Mode nets you native 4K visuals and 30 fps. According to the official press release, load times have also been cut in half.  ESO’s draw distance has also been nearly doubled across the board, so you can gaze even further out into Tamriel’s horizon. Other graphical perks include improved reflections and shadows, circular depth of field for more realistic background views, as

Cyberpunk 2077's launch was woefully negative. From falsifying demos to game-breaking glitches, all of it came to a climax after reports of crunch and lack of direction followed the game into launch day . CD Projekt Red has implemented several major patches to fix the game, fixes that were required due to ongoing investigations and the game itself being pulled from the PlayStation Store , but it looks like some restructuring is also being considered. According to a recent investors call, CDPR is considering pulling Cyberpunk 2077 multiplayer from its game goals.  In a recent investors call, seen in the video below, CDPR president Adam Kicinski made a passing comment regarding the multiplayer component that was expected to arrive in 2022. According to Kicinski, the team is currently reconsidering whether or not multiplayer should be a focus or even a thing at all. Tha being said, he did add that online features for Cyberpunk are still important, saying, "We are focusing on br

The free-to-play PUBG Lite is being shut down, according to its developer, Krafton. The game, meant to be a less technically demanding version of Playerunknown’s Battlegrounds, launched in 2019 in Thailand in beta form before arriving in Europe in that October.  Kraton states that the game will wrap up for good on April 29. The developer has already axed the game’s webpage, player support and has disabled any new downloads. You can still play the game and spend the remaining in-game credits as normal until the shutdown.  Kraton doesn’t cite a specific reason for the shutdown, but left this message on its blog :  “We are deeply grateful for the passion and support from the astounding number of PUBG Lite fans that have been with us. During the strenuous times of the COVID-19 pandemic, we hope that PUBG Lite was able to provide our fans a fun way to stay safe. Unfortunately, we have made the difficult decision to close service after much deliberation, and the time has come for our

Amnesia: Rebirth , like previous entries in the series, can be a tense, anxiety-inducing experience. At the same time, it’s also an adventure game filled with puzzles to solve. If you’re a newcomer more interested in the story and puzzles (or just a returning player that wants to replay the game without dealing with the stressful insanity mechanic), Frictional Games has added an Adventure Mode designed to cut down the horror elements to create a more liberating, exploratory experience. Adventure Mode is available now on PC, and will come to the PS4 version of the game in the coming weeks. The optional mode doesn’t change anything about Rebirth’s story, but environments feature increased lighting so that you won’t have to wander around in darkness nearly as much. When you do enter a dark area, the game’s insanity mechanic is disabled, so you’re free to run around in pitch black rooms all you want. The creepy audio/visual effects that affected the player’s sanity are absent as well. Be

Click to watch embedded media People Can Fly's Outriders RPG-shooter-hybrid is out tomorrow and we thought we'd celebrate by causing a little chaos of our own. We've had a lot of fun with the game's demo that's out now, and it's definitely a looter shooter that harkens back to fond memories of games like Borderlands, Destiny, Fallout, and People Can Fly's own Bulletstorm. So strap in tight, because we're going live!  You can take to the world of Outriders solo or with friends to build up skills, explore untold dangers, make a new future for humanity, and figure out just what the heck that mystery signal really means. We loved our time with the shooter, which you can learn more about  right here with our hands-on impressions , and we can't wait to see what this game has to offer beyond what the demo has to share.  Click here to watch embedded media Join Alex Stadnik, Dan Tack, and Liana Ruppert as they become the badasses they were truly meant to

March is almost over, which means a new month is on the horizon for gamers to dive right into new adventures. Just like every month, Sony is offering a few free games for PlayStation Plus members. While March's free games are still available for a little longer, here is what the free PS Plus April 2021 lineup looks like.  Free PS Plus April 2021 Games Revealed The latest free games lineup includes Oddworld Soulstorm, Days Gone, and Zombie Army 4: Dead War. Personally, I can't recommend Dead War enough, Zombie Army is a hilariously campy zombie co-op adventure that feels satisfying and is super fun to play with friends. If you like games like Left 4 Dead, that is definitely a title worth picking up.  Days Gone was a PlayStation exclusive that also centered around zombies. While the reception was mixed, the journey was stunning and it was fun riding around on a motorcycle taking out zombies left and right.  It's not too late to also scoop up  March's games  w ith Fi

No Man’s Sky pushes out a big content patch today with the expeditions update, which essentially adds seasonal experiences to the game. In expeditions, everyone starts fresh with a number of milestones to seek. Some are very simple and get you involved in the phase structure, while others are far more advanced. Completed milestones offer rewards to let you speed along your journey, and each completed phase (set of milestones) offers a unique, special reward. Basically, if you’re looking to capture the experience and the essence of playing No Man’s Sky anew, expeditions are exactly the kind of system that you’re looking for. Will you capture that “first time playing” feel over and over again? Click here to watch embedded media The expedition update contains numerous other additions and enhancements, further adding to the story of No Man’s Sky’s redemption arc. The frequency and relevance of the numerous updates since launch is a thing to behold.  Space station missions have been re

The launch of Cyberpunk 2077 was chaotic, messy, and for so many more reasons than simply bugs. The road leading up to launch was filled with talk centering around "crunch," meaning a work-culture fostered by toxicity and a complete disregard for the developers themselves, and mixed messaging regarding what Cyberpunk 2077 wanted to be. Then it launched, and it was revealed that the demos given to press prior to launch weren't actual representations of the game and that the PC-only review model hid a very broken experience when on consoles. This resulted in Cyberpunk 2077's removal from the PlayStation Store, but as CDPR continues to work hard to make improvements, the team thinks the game is ready to make a comeback.  Sony removed the game from its store when the number of reports came pouring in about how badly Cyberpunk 2077 played on PS4 systems. Game-breaking bugs around every corner, streets conspicuously devoid of NPCs, and a plethora of other problems that m

Sony and the development team over at miHoYo have announced that the PS5 version of Genshin Impact is almost ready to enjoy with a brand new trailer. The latest video for the game shows off the improved features with the next-gen update , including faster loading times, better resolution, and more.  "The PlayStation 5 is an ideal platform to enhance the vast open-world featuring in Genshin Impact, allowing the team to incorporate more thoughts and ideas into the game, both now and in the future," said Forrest Liu, President of miHoYo, in a recent press statement. "That's why we've been working to bring the native PlayStation 5 version of the game to our players as soon as we could." Click here to watch embedded media With 4K visuals and fine-tuned performance, this open-world action RPG will create an even better experience for players ready to take on the world of Teyvat. The next-gen update will not change the fact that the game is free-to-play. While

Sam & Max have conquered comics, TV, games, and have returned for the first time in over a decade with Sam & Max: This Time It’s Virtual!. As the name suggests, the Freelance Police are making the jump to VR for an all-new adventure. The game comes to Oculus Quest this summer (and other headsets in the following months) is being developed by HappyGiant with help from Sam & Max creator, Steve Purcell, renown artist Peter Chan, and other LucasArts veterans.   Two questions you’re probably asking yourself are “what are Sam and Max up to this time?” and “why VR?”. We sat down with Mike Levine, CEO of HappyGiant, and lead designer Mike Stemmle, formerly of LucasArts and Telltale Games, to get the skinny on Sam & Max’s next adventure, the new character that players control, and how the team hopes to reinvent the adventure game formula using VR’s more immersive perspective. Click here to watch embedded media Sam & Max have always been known as adventure games, whether

The bad news? The Mortal Kombat movie release date has been delayed. The good news? Not by long. The Mortal Kombat movie release date has been pushed back by a week, as confirmed by Warner Bros.  Originally slated for April 16, the new Mortal Kombat movie reboot is now set to arrive with a new April 23 release. This news was confirmed by  Variety ,  though no reason for the pushback has been revealed at this time.  The upcoming film reboot has a lot of longtime fans excited. While some character creative takes veer away from what we're used to, overall, the feeling captures what we love about Mortal Kombat perfectly. From the fantastically-executed combat (or kombat) to the engaging way these fighters engage with each other, the upcoming Mortal Kombat movie reboot seems to be a faithful continuation of the franchise we all know and love.  Our own Brian Shea recently got a sneak peek at the upcoming film, saying, "The opening scene did way more than establish a ton of lor

Hades is the roguelike for even those that don't necessarily like roguelikes . The art style, the characters, the satisfying weapons upgrade system? It all comes together to offer a stellar gaming experience. What's also stellar? This Hades cosplayer bringing his A-game when it comes to bringing this impressive Zagreus cosplay to life.  Zagreus is the protagonist of Hades and is the Prince of the Underworld. As Hades' son, his relationship to the underworld is anything but easy. The game itself sees players take on the role of Zagreus as he makes numerous attempts to escape the underworld. While that's not the easiest of tasks, he engages with many exciting characters along the way. He can even romance a few of them . The main character is brought to life with this incredible Hades cosplay from Taryn_Cosplay. You may know of him; he's been a major presence in the cosplay community at large. His attention to detail and expert craftmanship over effects makeup and s

When Marvel's Avengers was first unveiled, many were quick to point out that the characters and skins looked like knock-offs of the heroes' counterparts in the wildly popular Marvel Cinematic Universe movies. Not only that, but the storyline's setup followed similar beats to that of  Avengers: Endgame , with the Avengers failing in a mission, followed by a jump ahead in time. When Crystal Dynamics announced that it was finally embracing the film side of the world of Marvel , fans were excited to equip the MCU looks of their favorite heroes. However, a tweet from the Marvel's Avengers account resulted in some confusion among the fan base regarding how these skins can be obtained. We'll be introducing the Red Room Takeover event this spring! Features rewards like animated nameplates, outfits inspired by the Marvel Cinematic Universe, a deadly HARM Room hacked by Yelena Belova, and more secrets to decrypt. pic.twitter.com/WsuYxSaOAa — Marvel's Avengers (@Play

If you've been itching to replay The Witcher 3, hold off! Next-gen updates are on the way . The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt PS5 and Xbox Series X next-gen updates will arrive sometime later this year.  The reminder broke from Radek Grabowski, the lead PR manager for Cyberpunk 2077 and The Witcher 3. He took to Twitter with a quick "in case you missed it" update, saying that the next-generation update for The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt will be dropping during the second half of 2021.  ICYMI, the next-generation update for The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt is coming in the second half of 2021. pic.twitter.com/h2ISyEllQq — Radek (@gamebowski) March 30, 2021 CD Projekt Red previously announced that next-gen updates were on the way earlier this month, stating that the studio is looking to take full advantage of this gen's powerful hardware . Visual and technical improvements will be included in the update whenever it does arrive, including utilizing ray tracing and the impressively fast l

Raptors have invaded Fortnite! As a part of Fortnite Chapter 2, Season 6 raptors, alongside other deadly critters, are prowling the island looking to devour any hapless players unlucky enough to cross their paths. The news comes alongside a big performance boost to the Switch version of the game and definitely lives up to the seaon's "Primal" moniker.  The extinct predators were previously teased when players began discovering egg nests scattered across the map. Those eggs have attached into full-grown, door-opening (not really...but who knows?) reptiles, and these equal opportunity killers will pounce on anyone unfortunate enough to enter their crosshairs. If that’s not scary enough, raptors always travel in pairs. Any Jurassic Park fan will tell you that it's never the raptor you see in front of you that does you in; it’s the one you didn’t even know was there. Click here to watch embedded media Raptors aren’t the only beasts to worry about. Wolves and boars

When Nintendo announced Super Mario 3D All-Stars , a compilation for Nintendo Switch that contains HD versions of Super Mario 64, Super Mario Sunshine, and Super Mario Galaxy, the developer stated that the collection would only be available until March 31, 2021. While just last year, Nintendo reconsidered the limited-time nature of Jump Rope Challenge, the gaming giant appears to be sticking to its guns with the Super Mario 3D All-Stars compilation, as well as the battle royale Super Mario Bros. 35 ., which has been free to Nintendo Switch Online subscribers since its launch in October.  We reached out to Nintendo to see if the company had reconsidered the delisting of these titles. In a statement provided to  Game Informer  by Nintendo today, the company confirmed that plans have not changed since the initial announcement. "The physical version of Super Mario 3D All-Stars (released Sep. 18) will continue to be shipped to retailers and available for purchase through March 31, 2

Last year, Fortnite received a performance and resolution boost for PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X when those systems launched. While that makes sense with the added capabilities those systems bring to the table, despite the swirling rumors about a potential "Switch Pro," Nintendo is still operating with the same horsepower it has been since 2017. However, Epic Games has announced that the Nintendo Switch version of Fortnite is also receiving a boost. The new update aims to make better use of the Switch's GPU. As a result, those who play on Switch will notice multiple improvements during gameplay. With the update, images will be sharper without any loss of performance. In fact, the framerate will be more consistent, delivering a smoother experience for Switch players. On top of that, the resolution will improve in both handheld and docked modes; handheld resolution will jump from 1000x560 to 1170x660, while docked resolution will go from 1390x780 to 1560x880. Epic Ga

A new PS5 and PS4 update arrives for Marvel's Spider-Man: Miles Morales today and brings with it not only some new gameplay tweaks but a new Spidey suit as well. Insomniac Games revealed our first look at the Advanced Tech Suit that is swinging into Marvel's Spider-Man: Miles Morales, adding one more addition to a long list of suits to choose from.  Insomniac Games took to Twitter to share our first look at the Advanced Tech Suit in addition to a confirmation that a PS5-only update targets realistic muscle deformation for specific Spidey looks.  Rolling out today, our new #MilesMoralesPS4 #MilesMoralesPS5 update adds the Advanced Tech Suit and includes various fixes. Additionally on PS5 only, the update adds realistic muscle deformation on select suits. pic.twitter.com/1nnSvgJB2P — Insomniac Games (@insomniacgames) March 30, 2021 While this is the first look we've had of the new suit in-game, it's actually not the first look at the suit itself outside of the co

Click to watch embedded media Following the successful return of Star Wars: The Clone Wars , Disney is continuing its hot hand in animation with Star Wars: The Bad Batch . This new ongoing series is created by Dave Filoni, who pretty much has a hand in all of the great Star Wars shows, including The Mandalorian and Clone Wars . The first episode of the season kicks off on Disney+ on May 4 (Star Wars day) with a lengthy 70-minute premiere. The Bad Batch is another name for Clone Force 99, a team that fans have wanted to see more since their debut in a Clone Wars episode. In a new trailer, we see Tech, Crosshair, Wrecker, and Echo in action, and they are joined by two surprising cameos that bridge the gap between various Star Wars properties. All of these clones are voiced by the phenomenal Dee Bradley Baker, who gives each one a distinct personality. Their differences are what makes this group so much fun to follow. Following the premiere, new episodes will air every Friday, an

This summer, a curated take on the Shadowverse card game  and anime comes to Nintendo Switch. While Shadowverse is already fairly widely known in digital card game circles on mobile and Steam, this upcoming experience is more of an RPG where you take the role of the hero and battle against a bunch of opponents. If this sounds kind of like Pokemon or Yu-Gi-Oh! meets the Shadowverse universe, you're in the right ballpark! Check out the trailer below for a glimpse of what's on deck here... Click here to watch embedded media You can play as seven different classes, and looking at the trailer they're modeled after deck archetypes that you can play in the Shadowverse card game right now. The single-player campaign looks quite traditional as you battle your way to the top and save the day, and there are also multiplayer components to battle other players online. Unlock cards, deck options, and take on a variety of foes as you climb your way up the ranks of Tensei Academy. You

There is still time to grab the Xbox Game With Gold March 2021 lineup, so if you haven't done that yet, you can learn more about what's available here . For those already looking ahead, Microsoft has revealed the Xbox Games With Gold April 2021 lineup. Just like with every month prior, Team Green offers a select few titles to give away for free, both for Xbox Live Gold and Xbox Game Pass Ultimate members. Whether you want to live out that truck driver fantasy or become the Viking you've always wanted to be, here's what you have to look forward to on Xbox next month.  Xbox Games With Gold April 2021 Free Games  The latest lineup isn't going to be everyone's cup of tea, but the good news is that all of the below games are free. Try it, like it, keep it. Try it, don't like it, move on. It's the best of both worlds! Here's what is on the way:  Click here to watch embedded media Vikings: Wolves of Midgard ($39.99 ERP): Available April 1 to 30 Truck

Doing even the smallest of actions can have a big impact on our environment . While we aren't here for a long time, the time we are here can be shared with ensuring a brighter future for tomorrow. Many gaming companies are taking steps to "go green," and among them is Razer.  Razer is known for its gaming peripherals and laptops but what they also want to be known for is contributing to a greener future. The gaming brand has outlined a 10-year environmental roadmap under the #GoGreenWithRazer banner to realize these conscientious goals.  “Through our #GoGreenWithRazer campaign led by our Sneki Snek mascot, the Razer community has been insanely supportive and passionate,” said Min-Liang Tan, Razer co-founder and CEO. “Awareness of how we impact the environment is incredibly important. Hence, Razer has planned out a sustainability roadmap to continue fighting environmental and climate changes. We’re determined to make the world a better place for all of its citizens to g

Lil Nas X has been in headlines this week once more after the release of his music video for Montero on Friday night. Following the "outrage" centering on the video's satanic imagery, the singer raised the stakes with a new "Satan Shoes" collaboration. Through all of that, one person decided to elevate Lil Nas X's godlike clap back by making him an actual god with Hades fanart. Even if you aren't a fan of his music, the art is undeniably incredible.  The art was shared by Antonio Demico, a concept artist that works in video games and the creator behind Dragon Stew. When revealing the fanart, he said, "What if Lil Nas X in Montero, but he's a god in Hades?" Don't let your dreams be dreams, because this artist did exactly that, which you can seen below:  What if Lil Nas X in Montero but he's a god in Hades pic.twitter.com/d7bqDJqsWE — Antonio Demico ⚜ making Hexbound! (@antodemico) March 28, 2021 This Hades take is an incredibl

Last week, the latest video game adaptation was announced with a Ghost of Tsushima movie from the director of  John Wick.  While the executive roles were revealed, nothing has been shared yet about potential casting choices. That being said, Jin Sakai's voice actor said he's down to play his character in the Ghost of Tsushima movie, which is perfect. Who better to play Jin than Jin himself?  The actor, Daisuke Tsuji, took to Twitter after fellow voice actor Bryan Dechart (Detroit: Become Human, Cyberpunk 2077) tweeted at him and PlayStation about reprising his role as Jin Sakai. The actor's response? "If I get to play Jin in the live-action Ghost, let it be known that I fully agree to doing butt nudity."  Welp. There you go.  If I get to play Jin in the live action Ghost, let it be known that I fully agree to doing butt nudity. https://t.co/WJBPP9gkgb — Daisuke Tsuji (@dicek2g) March 26, 2021 For those that may not have played the game and maybe thrown for