NLG - Next Level Gaming

Splatoon 3 made a splat during last week’s Nintendo Direct , reaffirming its release next year while giving a peek at the campaign with the return of mammals to the world. Nintendo is keeping the information momentum flowing on Twitter with some new screenshots and details about two new special weapons to use in battle. First is the Crab Tank, an armored walking tank that allows for added mobility and defense while doling out ink sprays against the opposing team. Here’s Nintendo’s description of the new weapon: This is the Crab Tank! When piloting this multi-legged vehicle, you can attack with a powerful rapid-fire gun and a cannon with a wide blast area. You can also turn into a ball to move around faster than crab walking. This special weapon turns an Inkling into a shadowy warrior called a Zipcaster. With tentacles that stretch way out and stick to walls, you can zoom around and cause mad chaos! To conceal your identity, when the ink runs out, you'll be returned to where yo

Far from describing a game with adventure in it (that would include a lot of games!), the adventure genre is loosely defined as one that emphasizes narrative and exploration over action, which may also rely on light puzzle mechanics. In other words, a game that doesn’t have enough simulation to be a sim, action to be an action title, puzzle-solving to be a puzzle game, and… you get the idea. Despite the nebulous classification, games in this genre are unambiguously incredible experiences, often exploring refreshing and fascinating concepts. Shooting for games that are rolling around in the zeitgeist right now, some of the genres’ towering giants are not listed here. However, for anyone looking to check out today’s great experiences, feel free to peruse our alphabetical list of the best adventure games to play right now.

Click to watch embedded media Dying Light 2 Stay Human’s release early next year is creeping ever closer, and every month that passes, we get more details about the game through developer Techland’s Dying 2 Know video series. In today’s episode, we get a closer look at parts of The City players will traverse, and a peek at recording the score at Abby Road Studios. But Techland left one surprise at the end of the video, introducing an important new character in Dying Light 2. Lawan is that new character played by the one and only Rosario Dawson (The Mandalorian, Ahsoka, Daredevil, Sin City). Dawson describes Lawan as “a warrior of sorts. A very tough woman who is fighting her past and looking to seek revenge on the people who wronged her.” Piotr Mostowski, a writer on the game, goes into a little more detail on Lawan. He says she’s a character important to the plot, but the team wanted her to be more than that. Mostowski says Techland wants Lawan to be “a real person. With her ow

Sherlock Holmes doesn’t get by on his keen observation skill and his wits alone. As evidenced in the new trailer for Sherlock Holmes Chapter One , the world-famous detective has to take a more physical approach at times to escape a hairy situation with his life intact. Sherlock may not always resort to violence, but he’s a capable combatant at his formative age in Chapter One. Using his well-trained eyes and incredible perceptive skills, you can slow time in combat to pinpoint enemy weaknesses and environmental hazards that can be useful against enemies in a fight. Every hit hurts this young Sherlock a lot, so utilizing every dip, dodge, and dirty trick like his powder-spewing snuffbox is critical to surviving encounters. While you can put your dukes up against enemies, sometimes you need a little more firepower than some flashy fisticuffs. Using pistols in a fight, Sherlock can shoot off protective armor before dealing the finishing blow, whether to restrain and arrest a culprit or

The annual Game Awards hosted by Geoff Keighley returns as an in-person live event on Thursday, December 9. The event will be held at the Microsoft Theater in Los Angeles and will be live-streamed for free across over 40 streaming and social platforms. Last year's event was an online-only affair that, despite the limitations, managed to garner record-breaking viewership .  Details are still scarce about who or what will be at the show other than the return of The Game Awards Orchestra. Expect plenty of world premieres of new titles, musical performances, and as well as free playable demos for upcoming titles. For you streamers, The Game Awards fully supports co-streaming. Given that we’re still in a pandemic, additional health and safety protocols will be shared in the coming weeks for those planning to attend in person.  Last year’s show saw The Last of Us Part II clean up with numerous awards , including the coveted Game of the Year trophy. You can read the full list of award

After years of making critically acclaimed remakes of PlayStation exclusives, Sony has finally brought Bluepoint Games officially into the PlayStation family. Announcing the acquisition on the PlayStation Blog accompanied by an announcement video on Twitter, Head of PlayStation Studios Hermen Hulst welcomed the new studio.  “With each of its projects, Bluepoint has raised the bar on console-defining visuals and gameplay, and the studio’s vast expertise in world building and character creation will be a huge plus for future PlayStation Studios properties,” Hulst said in the blog post about what Bluepoint brings to Sony’s portfolio.  Introducing the next member of the PlayStation Studios family… pic.twitter.com/mRDLD5KwDM — PlayStation (@PlayStation) September 30, 2021 Bluepoint has made itself a top studio for developing game remakes by preserving the core spirit of the game while updating visuals and mechanics with modern sensibilities when it makes sense. The studio is known for

As Tokyo Game Show takes off today, publisher Prime Matter pulled the curtain back on the first gameplay footage for Gungrave G.O.R.E . The sequel to the dormant Gungrave franchise has been in the works for some time, and if today’s video is any indication, its bloody brand of over-the-top action seems to be coming along quite nicely. The trailer below provides an extended look at the previously shown cinematic trailer, revealing new scenes before transitioning into footage of anti-hero Grave doing what he does best. That is, mowing down undead targets using his twin pistols and weaponized transforming coffin. Gungrave G.O.R.E. looks absurdly frenetic, which likely couldn’t make fans happier.   Click here to watch embedded media Prime Matter also announced that former Platinum Games and Tango Gameworks designer Ikumi Nakamura is working on the game. You may remember the bubbly game developer from her endearing and viral presentation of Ghostwire: Tokyo during Bethesda's E3 2019

Capcom’s Tokyo Game Show presentation this morning was all about Monster Hunter, showcasing new additions coming to existing games like Monster Hunter Stories 2 and Monster Hunter Rise. However, all eyes were on the significant expansion for Rise next summer, Monster Hunter Rise: Sunbreak. The Sunbreak segment introduced us to Director Yoshitake Suzuki, who has been simultaneously leading the development of the upcoming expansion and the updates for Rise since release. He introduced the new mystery monster from the Sunbreak trailer as a new Elder Dragon called Malzeno, but that’s all the information the devs were willing to spill on the headlining wyvern. We were also treated with additional information on Sunbreak and what players can expect when venturing into its content. Suzuki confirmed Sunbreak will bring Master Rank hunts to the game, giving hunters their most daunting challenges yet. After completing the final Hunter Rank seven story mission, Players will leave the cozy vil

In August, we interviewed renowned electronic artist Joel “Deadmau5” Zimmerman about his upcoming project in Core, a creative space where designers can make their own video game experiences with an emphasis on multiplayer interactivity. Called Oberhalsi, the multiplayer world is slated to be a place where listeners can discover new music, interact with one another, and play games. To celebrate Oberhalso – and in collaboration with a number of game designers/fans – over 130 dystopic virtual worlds were created for the music video of the hit single “When The Summer Dies.” The top ten selections from around the globe were ultimately chosen to be showcased as backdrops for the song. You can watch the video below. Click here to watch embedded media “I’ve been experimenting with the confluence of music and tech for a long time, and now with games, I’m able to take it to a whole other level,” said Deadmau5. “Typically it takes months and hundreds of thousands, or even millions, of dollars

Monster Hunter Rise finally rides to PC via Steam on January 12. The port takes advantage of its powerful new home with a host of graphical and performance improvements to make it the best version of the best-selling Switch title. Rise on PC features 4K resolution graphics, an ultrawide display option, and an improved framerate. Gameplay has been optimized for mouse and keyboard and even includes voice chat, making multiplayer sessions a lot more sociable. The PC port also bundles every piece of DLC to have arrived on the Switch version up to the end of November, which would include collaboration goodies such as the upcoming  Ghost ‘N Goblins event . Don’t want to wait until January? Capcom announced a Steam demo for the game launches on October 13, giving PC-centric Monster Hunter fans a chance to test drive Rise on their powerful rigs.  Have you been holding out for Monster Hunter Rise on PC? Are you a Switch player planning to double-dip? Let us know in the comments! 

Monster Hunter Rise is about to get spookier before going supersonic. Capcom announced during its Tokyo Game Show Monster Hunter Spotlight that two new collaborations are in the works, first with Ghost ‘N Goblins: Resurrection and then Sonic the Hedgehog.  On October 29, hunters will soon have the materials to create layered armor based on Ghost ‘N Goblin’s hero, Arthur. Besides making your hunter resemble the chivalrous knight, the special event features music from the game, including the classic theme song. Sometime after that, Sonic the Hedgehog celebrates its 30th anniversary in style by crossing over into Monster Hunter. While it’s not the first time the two franchises have collided – a similar collaboration took place in Monster Hunter 4 Ultimate – Capcom promises this mash-up will be even grander. However, it didn’t have any details to share regarding what the collaboration entails.  These collaborations join previous crossovers such as Street Fighter and Mega Man  and w

God of War: Ragnarok  is one of Sony's most anticipated releases. The sequel to the  2018's megahit  was initially teased about a year ago, and we initially expected Ragnarok to release sometime this year. However, in June, Sony confirmed that the title was  getting pushed to 2022 . Several factors likely led to this delay, but Kratos' voice actor Christopher Judge recently took to Twitter claiming responsibility.  https://twitter.com/iamchrisjudge/status/1443434928385843209 https://twitter.com/iamchrisjudge/status/1443436861867708419 https://twitter.com/iamchrisjudge/status/1443438179193798659 In reality, it's hard to say that Judge was entirely responsible for Ragnarok's delay. Voice actors don't know every detail in a game's production pipeline, and factors such as the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic also likely played a part in Sony's rescheduling. Even so, it's interesting to hear Judge's perspective on the matter. We're glad to hear that he

Microsoft kicked off the first day of the Tokyo Game Show with a presentation that included the news of Scarlet Nexus hitting Xbox Game Pass today and the expansion of Xbox cloud gaming to other regions. While those are big announcements, the publisher also sprinkled looks at upcoming indie titles in the works. If you’re someone who is always on the hunt for games off the beaten path, here’s a look at some upcoming lesser-known games slated to hit the console in the coming year.  Lapin Lapin is an adorable platformer about five abandoned rabbits searching for a new home. You’ll explore a city park alongside your friends while preserving memories of your journey by filling a scrapbook. With a lovely 2D art direction and pleasant soundtrack, Lapin seems impossible not to gush over. The game comes courtesy of Seoul developer Studio Doodal and launches May 31 on Xbox and Steam. Unsouled If you love hardcore 2D action games, Unsouled looks to check the right boxes. As

The Good Life, the bizarre photography mystery game by Deadly Premonition mastermind Hidetaka “Swery” Suehiro and his team at White Owls, has a demo on Xbox Game Pass available now. The crowdfunded game recently got a release date  of October 15 after several years of development and multiple delays. The demo is good news for those wary about the title after its bumpy development cycle, and Xbox fans can rest even easier knowing it’s launching to Game Pass on day one. The Good Life stars Naomi, a New York photographer who visits the British town of Rainy Woods to investigate why it’s known as “the happiest place on Earth”. She needs a big scoop in order to repay a massive debt, and she gets more than she bargains for when she discovers Rainy Woods has an unusual secret: when the sun goes down, its residents transform into cats and dogs. Solving this mystery involves taking photos and collecting clues. You’ll also work to repay your debt by taking odd jobs and saving money, which you

Today, Mircosoft announced that Xbox Cloud Gaming is expanding to four new countries: Japan, Mexico, Brazil, and Australia, starting on October 1.  Microsoft's service allows users to play games remotely over the internet on their PC, tablet, or smartphone. The service  launched in the U.S.  around this time last year and has only continued to  expand since . Xcloud users stream over 100 games from the cloud, including  Yakuza: Like a Dragon ,  Minecraft Dungeons , and  Dragon Quest 11 S: Definitive Edition . The service is a great way to experiment with games quickly, allowing for great game discovery, as you can easily try out a game within seconds and see if you like it without waiting for a download.  But this isn't an ad for Xbox Cloud Streaming; I like the service, but you should check it out for yourself. Microsoft continues to push Xbox Cloud Gaming, which shows that the publisher is committed to putting its content wherever players can easily access it. This is espe

Xbox Game Pass gets a dose of anime action, supernatural murder mystery, and a tank driving goose. Bandai Namco’s stylish action RPG Scarlet Nexus headlines a batch of new titles hitting the service today, which Microsoft announced during its Tokyo Game Show presentation this morning. Game Pass subscribers now have a chance to check out one of the year’s best action games.  Scarlet Nexus comes from the makers behind the Tales series and is set in a dystopian “brainpunk” world. You control one of two protagonists, each with their own separate campaigns and both blessed with powerful supernatural abilities and part of a task force of similarly gifted individuals. Bizarre, extradimensional creatures known as the Others have invaded Earth, and it’s up to you to stop them in their tracks. In his 8.75 out of 10 review, Senior Editor Dan Tack described Scarlet Nexus as a “stylish and compelling fantasy that's all about the combat.” Bandai Namco also hinted that it has additional cosmet

Publisher: Humble Games Developer: Studio Pixel Release: September 30, 2021 Platform: PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Switch, PC Unsighted is a kickass top-down action game with Metroidvania and Souls trappings wrapped around a devilish premise. Set in the dystopian world of Arcadia, you control Alma, a powerful human-like robot known as an automaton who awakens with amnesia. Her primary goal is finding her romantic partner, Raquel, who has gone missing. On a less personal though still distressing note, the automaton-populated city is running out of Anima. This precious resource is the source of these machine’s humanity. It allows them to think and feel exactly as we do, and without it, they devolve into mindless monsters called Unsighted. That means you and everyone else is living on borrowed time in a world already infested with these unfortunate beasts.  You know how some video game stories are a race against the clock, but you really have all the time in the world? Unsighted

We are currently in the beginning stages of the holiday window, the time in which, traditionally, most of the year's biggest blockbuster releases hit store shelves and digital storefronts. This year's holiday window promises a ton of big releases that we're all eagerly anticipating  from franchises like Halo , Far Cry , and Metroid , but we can't ignore the looming leviathan that is 2022. Elden Ring The Stage is Set Next year looks to carry this holiday season's momentum and give players little time to recover from the relentless releases. Right out of the gates, we have two hotly anticipated games – From Software's collaboration with George R.R. Martin, Elden Ring , and Game Freak's most unique experiment with the mainline Pokémon franchise in decades, Pokémon Legends: Arceus – launching on the same day in January. But if you think that's a mere coincidence, look no further than February. In the shortest month of the year, we have Dying Light 2 St

Complications due to the COVID-19 pandemic and Delta variant of the virus have caused the cancellation of another gaming event. This time, it was the culmination of this year’s online Evolution Championship Series, commonly known as Evo, which was set for an in-person event this November. The cancellation announcement came in a statement on the Evo website and later on Twitter. You can read the complete statement below.   The goal of the Evo Showcase is to bring together the best players from around the world in a live, in-person format. Due to the continuing complications of COVID-19 and the spread of the Delta Variant we have made the tough decision to cancel the Evo 2021 Showcase. The players invited to participate in the Evo 2021 Showcase represent many of the best fighters in the world. We’re incredibly saddened to cancel the event. The Evo team will be contacting each player individually to recognize their efforts. We remain dedicated to Evo’s mission of celebrating the FGC,

Ikumi Nakamura’s mother didn’t want her to work for Capcom. As she tells it, early in life, Nakamura saw a feature on the making of Resident Evil. In it, the game’s creators gather at a bar to drink and talk about the development. Nakamura’s mind was made up. She wanted to be a game developer. She wanted to work with the people she saw on screen. Nakamura’s mom was less impressed. “I saw it, and I told my Mom, ‘Oh my God, I want to work with them,’” Nakamura tells Game Informer via translator. “And my Mom’s like, ‘No, don’t work with them. They’re just drunk, old men. Don’t do that!’” Nakamura didn’t take her mother’s warning to heart. Nakamura’s first job in the industry was at Capcom; she was an artist for its internal team, Clover Studios. That job meant a lot to her, personally. Aside from being a fan, Capcom’s games were something Nakamura bonded over with her father, which offered a personal connection to the work. During and since, Nakamura’s had a hand in developing sever