NLG - Next Level Gaming

One of the best moments of Pokémon Red and Blue  is finally obtaining the bicycle. Quickly speeding across the world you spent hours trudging across on foot feels liberating and you appreciate it as much as any of your pocket monsters. Well, what if I told you that The Pokémon Company is giving away a real-life version of that bike? That's right it could be yours … as long as you live in Japan. As spotted by Kotaku , The Pokémon Company is celebrating reaching one million Twitter followers by creating a replica of Generation 1’s bicycle. While garnering a million fans is a big deal, that number has dual significance. It directly references the in-game price tag of the bike, which fans likely remember stood at 1,000,000 Poké-monies (or whatever Pokémon currency is called). Since players’ wallets were capped at 999,999, it was literally impossible to purchase and could only be obtained by trading a bike voucher earned earlier in the game. Click image thumbnails to view larger vers

It’s been a few days since the first three Final Fantasy Pixel Remasters hit Steam and mobile devices, and I’ve had a chance to play through the first title – and I’m absolutely going to be hitting the others. Yes, even 2. While they’re not perfect, they are vastly superior to most of the options that players had to go back and play these classics, and they may eventually be regarded as the definitive editions. Yes, the font is a little off-putting at first, but that can be swapped out in about three seconds, and I also found that I just got used to it after a few hours. Click here to watch embedded media In the case of Final Fantasy 1, it’s quite faithful to the original game with some alterations here and there. Sure, you can get ethers so if you want to play a magic-centric party you won’t find yourself out of spells when you hit a critical boss or you’re tackling an extended dungeon crawl. Yeah, the big bad at the end is definitely not the NES version. And there are various twea

It's Halo time, baby ! The first Halo Infinite Flight Test is now live, and we've got that Spartan spirit! We are ready to rock out with our new Pulse Carbines out. To kick off the testing period for Master Chief's latest adventure, we here at  Game Informer  are diving all in to make the Halo community proud. Join us, won't you, for a special two-hour stream while we dive right into some multiplayer action.  The Halo Infinite Flight Test is the first of several early access periods 343 is hosting before the game's launch later this year. This particular testing period offers a first look at multiplayer with just one map. Unfortunately, it's against bots, which would make us losing all the more embarrassing. Which, really, if you think about it, just gives you more reason to watch! Make fun of us, cheer us on, dealer's choice.  Join Alex Stadnik, John Carson, and Liana Ruppert as they check out Halo Infinite for the first time. You can find us on our YouT

War for Wakanda is easily the most exciting expansion to hit Marvel’s Avengers, and we finally know when it’s coming. On August 17, players will get to take control of Black Panther to explore a brand new story serving as the game’s largest content update yet.  In addition to adding a Christopher Judge-voiced T’Challa to the roster of heroes, the free expansion (yes expansion and not an Operation like with Kate Bishop and Hawkeye) introduces new enemy types and two supervillains, one of which is Klaw. Black Panther’s long-time nemesis has teamed up with AIM to invade Wakanda to steal its precious vibranium.  Wakanda, with its futuristic Royal Palace and surrounding jungles, offer a vibrant new biome to explore that contains the Birnin Zana Outpost, the laboratory of T’Challa’s brilliant sister, Shuri, and other locations. There's also a new drop zone for solo or team play. In addition to the story quests, players can engage in new threat sector missions and other superheroic a

Click to watch embedded media Publisher: Xbox Game Studios Developer: 343 Industries Release: 2021 Rating: Teen Platform: Xbox One, PC Halo Infinite has been in the crosshairs of the gaming community since it was announced at E3 2018. Originally set to release last November alongside the launch of the Xbox Series X and S, growing concerns about the game following an extended look at the campaign caused 343 Industries and Microsoft to reconsider when Infinite was ready for prime time. Now, almost exactly a year since gameplay was first shown, we’re finally getting hands-on time with Halo Infinite in a technical multiplayer beta . Join Alex Stadnik, Liana Ruppert, and John Carson as they share their first impressions of the game and give a look at Halo Infinite multiplayer in action. How does it look? What’s new and different compared to previous entries? Does it live up to the grandiose reputation of Microsoft’s first-person juggernaut? We cover those questions and more i

Earlier this summer, the Sonic the Hedgehog franchise turned 30 years old. Sega marked the occasion by holding a Sonic Central stream that teased three new projects ( Sonic Colors: Ultimate , Sonic Origins , and an untitled mainline Sonic game ) in May, followed by a special 30th-anniversary concert featuring an orchestra playing classic Sonic music. With the bulk of the celebrations in the rear-view mirror, we caught up with five longtime developers from Sonic Team. Ranging from directors and producers to composers and artists, we covered the spectrum to learn about each individual's unique experiences with the franchise, as well as what 30 years of Sonic means to them.  What is your first memory of working on the Sonic the Hedgehog franchise? Takashi Iizuka, creative officer, head of Sonic Team: Moving to America and living there for a year and a half to develop Sonic 3 is my first memory. For someone like me who had never experienced being in a foreign country before, it

Earlier this year, Sony shared an extensive look at Aloy's continued story with Horizon Forbidden West, but the lack of a release window had many wondering if we would see the sequel this year. Following the rumors that followed said speculation, Horizon Forbidden West has officially been delayed to 2022.  According to a new report from  Bloomberg ,  the open-world story of Aloy is set to continue some time in the first quarter of 2022, though an exact date has not been revealed at this time. The news broke via a "person familiar with the matter," according to the site following PlayStation's Hermen Hulst's previous statements that the game was still on track for a holiday release back in June. While Hulst sounded hopeful that the release progress would remain on course, he did mention that nothing was "quite certain" yet, leaving wiggle room in case a delay was inevitable.  Game Informer  has reached out to Sony, though no comment has been made at t

BlueBox Game Studios can't seem to escape the rumors that the PS5 game Abandoned is actually a Silent Hill adventure in disguise. There have been many theories about what Abandoned would be, but one of the most prevalent rumors links it back to being a Silent Hill project that Hideo Kojima is keeping hidden. Studio head Hasan Kahraman has plainly stated in the past that Abandoned is its own game, in no way related to Kojima, Konami, or Silent Hill. However, that wasn't enough to assuage fan theories because an additional Konami link has been discovered, kicking the proverbial hornet nest once more.  Kahraman recently appeared on a podcast to promote the mysterious PlayStation 5 game. As with anything Abandoned-related, the internet immediately assumed a sleuth position and found out that the podcast called Al Hub  is actually sponsored by Konami. When Al Hub  tweeted out its interview with Kahraman, intrigued mystery lovers got to work. In the original findings, the podcast

Earlier this week, over one thousand Ubisoft employees, both current and former, penned an open letter to executives , including CEO Yves Guillemot, demanding change in relation to workplace abuse allegations. The open letter was also drawn up in support of the Activision Blizzard walkout that occurred earlier this week in protest of a similar issue after details of an ongoing lawsuit against the company were made public. Now, the group behind the letter says that despite public statements being made by leadership, the reported behavior behind the scenes does not match what is being said on the surface.  Following the open letter to leadership, Guillemot responded with an internal email to all Ubisoft staff.  Game Informer  was able to confirm the contents of the letter, first shared by  Axios'  Stephen Totilo . The most recent email, much like previous statements against the allegations of sexual misconduct and workplace abuse, claims to be working towards making Ubisoft a bette

A month after the flurry of events surrounding E3 week back in June, indie publisher Annapurna Interactive put on a gaming showcase of its own. The company's debut presentation was filled with fun game announcements, release date reveals, and a few surprises . We were excited to see more of several Annapurna titles going into the show and we were not disappointed. Stray, Solar Ash, The Artful Escape, and Neon White, among others, all took the spotlight today with fresh trailers and exciting news to share.  The show even revealed a handful of new indie projects and we may have to update our list of indie games to watch . If you missed the Annapurna Interactive Showcase, don't worry. We have rounded up all the exciting games and announcements from the show for you.  The Artful Escape Kicking off Annapurna’s presentation with a bang was The Artful Escape. It’s been a long journey for Beethoven and Dinosaur’s rock adventure, but The Artful Escape finally has a release date an

Outer Wilds from Mobius Digital is a phenomenal space program adventure that was met with positive reviews and excitement for the future of indies. The universe is constantly evolving, changing, and every mystery reveals ten more just beyond it. Because of this freedom, this exploratory wonder, a new Outer Wilds experience is on the way. During the Annapurna Interactive showcase, a first for the publisher, new Outer Wilds DLC has been revealed called Echoes of the Eye.  The newest adventure begins with a strange satellite photo that can't be explained and a question emerges: is it better to uncover all of the mysteries that the universe holds, are is some knowledge better left alone? Secrets like who build the alien ruins on the moon and what secrets does the ominous Dark Bramble old. The Echoes of the Eye expansion takes that adventure one step further when the Hearthian space program finds an anomaly that has no tangible traces to the galaxy we know, something new entirely. 

BlueTwelve Studio walked us through its cat-centric game, Stray, during the Annapurna Interactive Showcase today. The new trailer focuses on the game’s protagonist and world, including a look at one friendly little drone, and breaks the news that Stray will now launch in early 2022 on PlayStation 5, Playstation 4, and PC. Though the game seems poised to become an indie darling, probably fueled by the internet’s well-documented love of cats, we didn’t know much about Stray before today. First shown at Sony’s PlayStation event last summer, Stray’s announcement trailer communicated two things very well. One, Stray has a cat in it – that sometimes wears a tiny backpack. Two, the game’s fearless feline inhabits a grim cityscape populated by mechanical beings. Humanity, it seems – if several graffiti messages in the trailer are any indication – has met with some unkind end. Between the game's intriguing, though foreboding, world and its adorable character, we were eager to see more.

What do you get when you have a team that just really wants to make a really weird shooter? A really weird shooter where cats are in charge. That's exactly what the team over at Blendo Games is doing, under the publishing umbrella of Annapurna Interactive , with its newest title called Skin Deep. There's sneezing, there is getting weird stuff stuck to the bottom of your feet, and there is the need to survive while trying to escape a group of pirates after being frozen on a cargo ship by an insurance firm run by ... cats. Yeah.  We sat down with Brendon Chung, the head of Blendo Games, to talk more about the studio's latest title. Coming off of creating some wild experiences like Atom Zombie Smasher, Thirty Flights of Loving, and more, Skin Deep fits right into the growing library of oddball experiences that are just about having fun. Not every game has to have a billion subplots, not everything needs to be super complicated to be enjoyed. With Skin Deep, it's about ha

It’s been a little over a year since Heart Machine’s second project, Solar Ash was unveiled during Sony’s PlayStation 5 reveal event, but the wait for this fast-paced, interstellar adventure is almost over. The game’s eagerly awaited release date was officially announced today during the Annapurna Interactive Showcase, and it’s only a few months away. Solar Ash’s trailer didn’t reveal many more details about the game’s world or its story but did include one piece of information we’ve been waiting for all year, the launch day. You’ll be able to grapple, weave, and fight your way through the cosmos when Solar Ash comes to PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, and PC on October 26. Click here to watch embedded media Heart Machine's anticipated title was only one highlight of the indie publisher’s show today, which overflowed with gorgeous games. Among the visually stunning participants were games like The Artful Escape, a soul-searching rock experience where you play as a musician hoping

Daniel Benmergui of Ludomancy is an Argentinian independent game designer that I've respected for a long time because his approach to creation is so unique and explosive in its intent. He has been behind some incredible thought-provoking games like Today I Die and I Wish I Were the Moon, and with today's Annapurna Showcase, he showed off Storyteller, a game that made its first debut back in 2008 but is now ready to be shared with the world.  Storyteller is a creative spin on the puzzle genre where players have the complete freedom to tell a story of their choosing. Whether it be a comedy or a heartbreaking tragedy, players are given a toolbox filled with characters, settings, and emotions to craft a narrative that can inspire love, revenge, and resonate with the deeper depths of our emotions. Twist a supernatural tale, if that's your fancy, or go the more Shakespearean route; the choice is yours.  Sitting down with Benmergui, he opens up to us about the more vulnerable s

Ben Esposito is not making Neon White for everyone – in fact, even though he admits it's probably not the best marketing move, he says he's trying to make a cult game. He wants Neon White to find players that love it the way he loves the cult games that influenced him, like God Hand, Danganronpa, and El Shaddai: Ascension of the Metatron . Put another way, as Esposito said in the game's most recent trailer, Neon White is a game made for "freaks." On Thursday, during the Annapurna Interactive Showcase, Neon White made its latest showing after being announced back in February . But this time we have a better idea of the game itself; how it's played and a bit of the story. You can see its latest trailer below: Click here to watch embedded media The game centers around the aptly named White, an assassin from Hell fighting demons in an attempt for a new life in Heaven. While on the surface the gameplay looks like an anime-inspired Quake or other similar fi

I write for Game Informer . It’s a simple sentence, but I’m still wrapping my brain around it. Go back a few years and I would have laughed in your face if you had told me, sitting in my cubicle plastered with video game posters, this is where I would be today. Fittingly, it’s a video game that is helping me get used to my new position, the same way it was a video game that helped me start the journey towards it. Death’s Door came out my first week as an associate editor. It had been on my radar, and everyone playing it in the office seemed so excited that I booted it up the night it came out. Late at night the day it came out. It was probably ill-advised for me, a new employee, to stay up playing video games, but I figured my bosses would understand. I was ready for a door, I was ready for death, but I wasn’t prepared to be confronted by an eerily accurate depiction of my first career. The protagonist of Death’s Door, a sword-wielding crow, heads into work. He steps off his bus

It's no secret that I have a special place in my heart for the Destiny franchise and that of cosplay, so when those two worlds collided with an impressive Titan cosplay, I didn't need much convincing to share this find with the world. One Destiny 2 cosplayer shared her epic Titan cosplay in a women's group I'm in dedicated to the Bungie game, and the moment I saw it I knew Shaxx would be proud.  The cosplayer in question is Lauren Moolman, but she goes by Loz_Coz. A self-proclaimed wine lover (my kind of girl!), she debuted her most recent cosplay take with one of my favorite weapons: Outbreak Perfected. From the iconic shield that Titans love to the heftiness of the armor itself, her Destiny cosplay is too incredible not to share:          View this post on Instagram                       A post shared by Lauren Moolman (@loz_cos) You can see the style options she chose with the various poses, but the lighting in the photos also helps to elevate her cosplay eve