NLG - Next Level Gaming

When Electronic Arts' Motive Studios announced its Iron Man game  in September, we learned it would be the first of a multi-game deal between the publisher and Marvel. That was a vaguely defined arrangement at the time, but we now know the partnership will produce a minimum of three titles. EA announced the news in a press release , with the publisher describing it as a “long-term” deal that could extend beyond three games based on the wording. The release also specifies these titles will be action-adventure games for consoles and PC, each featuring original stories in the Marvel universe.  It's worth clarifying that EA is not getting exclusive rights to Marvel like it once did with Star Wars. There are multiple Marvel games in the works at various studios, including the recently announced Captain America/Black Panther game from Amy Hennig’s Skydance New Media.  “We have been long-time fans of Marvel and their impressive leadership, so this is a remarkable moment for our d

Xbox head and Microsoft Gaming CEO Phil Spencer has revealed that assuming the company's in-progress acquisition of Activision Blizzard goes through, the Call of Duty franchise will remain on PlayStation as long as there is a PlayStation platform for the series to release to.  This news comes by way of a new interview between Spencer and the Same Brain YouTube channel , where Spencer said Activision Blizzard would keep releasing Call of Duty games on Sony consoles "as long as there's a PlayStation out there to ship to," as reported by Eurogamer.   "We're not taking Call of Duty from PlayStation," Spencer said. "That's not our intent. Our intent is not to do that. As long as there's a PlayStation out there to ship to, our intent is that we continue to ship Call of Duty on PlayStation, similar to what we've done on Minecraft since we've owned that. We've expanded the places people can play Minecraft, we haven't reduced the p

Netflix has announced that Henry Cavill's final season as Geralt of Rivia in The Witcher will be Season 3, with Liam Hemsworth picking the mantle for Season 4.  This news comes as a surprise considering how devoted Cavill has seemed to the role over the years, quickly becoming a fan-favorite after the release of Season 1. He released a statement explaining that it was time for him to put down the swords and expressing his enthusiasm for Hemsworth's casting in the role.  "My journey as Geralt of Rivia has been filled with both monsters and adventures and alas, I will be laying down my medallion and my swords for Season 4," Cavill's statement reads. "In my stead, the fantastic Mr. Liam Hemsworth will be taking up the mantle of the White Wolf. As with the greatest of literary characters, I pass the torch with reverence for the time spent embodying Geralt and enthusiasm to see Liam's take on this most fascinating and nuanced of men. Liam, good sir, this

Your host Wesley LeBlanc chats with Game Informer 's new magazine director (and returning face) Kyle Hilliard about the new Shadows of Rose DLC for Resident Evil Village. It's out today on all platforms where you can play Resident Evil Village alongside a new third-person mode for the base game and additional Mercenaries missions.  In today's installment of New Gameplay Today, your hosts discuss how Shadows of Rose plays, how it ties into the story of Ethan Winters and Resident Evil Village, and whether or not it's worth a return to Village. Enjoy more than 15 minutes of Shadows of Rose gameplay in today's NGT! For more previews of some of the biggest games of 2022 and beyond, be sure to head over to our  YouTube page  for NGTs about Persona 5 Royal on Switch ,  Scorn ,  LEGO Bricktales ,  God of War Ragnarok ,  Mario + Rabbids Sparks of Hope ,  Saturnalia ,  Betrayal at Club Low , and more.

Remember Mewgenics? The wacky cat-breeding roguelike is the brainchild of Super Meat Boy co-creator and The Binding of Isaac mastermind Edmund McMillen and has been in and out of the works for a decade. After being announced, put on hold, and restarted, it appears to have a new release window.  McMillen tweeted a gif of two of the game’s adorable cats engaging in what we'll call an intimate cat exercise. The tweet links to the game’s Steam page , which lists a 2024 release window. Hold on to your Butts! https://t.co/wDBOizNXGl pic.twitter.com/MESXJFFXsh — 🜏 Edmund McMillen 🜏 (@edmundmcmillen) October 28, 2022 What the heck is Mewgenics? The game tasks players with collecting and breeding hundreds of cats to train and send into battle. Or, as the Steam description puts it, Mewgenics is a “turn-based legacy roguelike draft sim about cats!” The game apparently boasts “100s of hours” of gameplay, multiple classes with over 50 unique abilities, over 200 enemies, and other feat

With Pokémon Scarlet and Violet right around the corner, The Pokémon Company is releasing a new expansion in its Sword and Shield series. Silver Tempest stars Alolan Vulpix on the key art, but monsters like Lugia, Serperior, Ho-Oh, and Mawile share the spotlight. Meanwhile, players can expect cards starring Regieleki and Regidrago. The Pokémon Company sent us several booster packs so we could open them and see what we pull. While it may just be dumb luck, I feel like this expansion gave me better pulls than any others in recent memory. As I cracked these open, I was met with several attractive full-art cards, as well as some gorgeous Trainer Gallery cards. I even managed to pull two of the three new Radiant Pokémon cards.  This expansion adds over 190 cards to the ever-growing library of Pokémon cards. That number includes 6 Pokémon VSTAR cards, 15 Pokémon V cards, 1 Pokémon VMAX card, 30 special art Trainer Gallery cards, and more than 15 Trainer cards. You can see my favorite pull

Call of Duty: Modern Warfare II is finally out and Infinity Ward has updated the game's website to include a page all about playing the game on PlayStation 5. It includes a look at all the exclusive bonuses PlayStation players get for playing the game on that platform, too, as reported by Video Games Chronicle .  If you're familiar with PlayStation's usual bonuses for Call of Duty players, you likely won't be surprised by this year's exclusives, but new players will find that it's actually quite a lot. Here's what PlayStation players are getting: Battle Pass Bundle Bonus : Unlock new gear and goodies even faster, PlayStation players that purchase a Battle Pass Bundle will get an additional 5 tier skips. That's a total of 25 tier skips.  Double XP Points : PlayStation players can look forward to exclusive Monthly Double XP events (24 hour duration), so prepare to boost your rank.  Combat Packs : Get a free in-game bundle each Call of Duty: Modern W

Paranormal Tales is an upcoming indie horror game with a unique perspective twist. Players experience the first-person adventure through the lens of a body camera to provide a more realistic, claustrophobic trek into its terrifying world.  The game, created by two designers, draws inspiration from found footage films. The name shares the same initials as P.T., which I can’t imagine is coincidental. Players explore a series of video files acting as self-contained stories revealing what happened to the missing people behind the cameras. Expect to encounter some very creepy phenomena, and the realistic graphics (rendered in Unreal Engine 5) aim to sell the bodycam perspective effectively. Check out the trailer below if you're looking to raise a few hairs. Paranormal Tales has no release window and has only been confirmed for PC so far. What do you think of the bodycam style in video games? Let us know in the comments!

The Callisto Protocol's Japanese version has been canceled due to the game's violent content and the rating it received in Japan, or lack thereof, as a result.  This news comes from The Callisto Protocol's Japanese Twitter account , which reveals that the game could not achieve an age rating with CERO (which is Japan's equivalent to the United States' ESRB rating). As a result, it cannot be allowed to release as is in the country. Here's what the studio had to say, as translated by Eurogamer .  "The Callisto Protocol has decided to stop the release of the Japanese version. As of now, the CERO rating cannot be passed. We have decided that we would no longer be able to provide you with the experience you need. We hope everyone in Japan will understand. If you have already preordered, we will refund you."  pic.twitter.com/fXtsIY4Fz3 — The Callisto Protocol (@CallistoGameJP) October 26, 2022 As you can see, The Callisto Protocol will not be releasi

PlayStation's London Studio, the team behind the PlayStation VR title Blood & Truth, has shared a new teaser image and details for its upcoming "modern fantasy" co-op game.  This news comes from a Studio Spotlight blog post by Sony Interactive Entertainment in which the company interviews two London Studio heads: co-studio leaders Stuart Whyte and Tara Saunders. The pair discuss their careers and jobs at London Studio, as well as what the team is working on. When asked about the studio's next game, Saunders shares some new details about what to expect and the teaser image that you can see below.  "Our next project is an online co-op combat game, which as you can see here, is set in a modern fantasy London," Saunders says. "The key thing about this is that it's a PlayStation 5 title – it's not a VR game like our last title was. And it's our most ambitious project to date. There are some important aspects communicated in this image. I

Marvel's Midnight Suns will get four more characters as post-launch DLC: Deadpool, Morbius, Venom, and Storm.  This news comes from the reveal of Midnight Suns' season pass, which will also include the following premium skins at launch:  Captain America (Future Soldier) Captain America (Captain of the Guard) Captain Marvel (Mar-Vell) Captain Marvel (Medieval Marvel) Magik (Phoenix Five) Magik (New Mutants) Nico Minoru (Sister Grimm) Nico Minoru (Shadow Witch) Wolverine (X-Force) Wolverine (Logan) Blade (Demon Hunter) Blade (Blade 1602) Iron Man (Iron Knight) Iron Man (Bleeding Edge) Ghost Rider (Spirit of Vengeance) Ghost Rider (Death Knight) Doctor Strange (Future Supreme) Scarlet Witch (Boss Witch) Scarlet Witch (Fallen Scarlet Witch) Spider-Man (Symbiote Suit) Spider-Man (Demon Spider) Additional Skin for Unannounced Hero Additional Skin for Unannounced Hero As you can see, it seems there's another hero yet to be revealed for the Midnight Sun

Somerville , the mysterious sci-fi adventure game, finally has a release date and it’s only a few weeks away. The game arrives on November 15.  The experience comes from Jumpship, a studio founded by Dino Patti, former CEO of Limbo and Inside developer Playdead. That shared DNA is evident in Somerville’s somber, surreal atmosphere. The game centers on a rural family – a father, mother, and child – whose lives get turned upside down by a cataclysmic event involving extraterrestrial visitors. The journey unfolds as a side-scrolling adventure game where the family must survive this apocalypse as it rips through small towns and beyond. You can watch the most recent trailer below. Somerville was first unveiled during E3 2021 and most recently popped up during last December's Game Awards. The game will be available on Xbox consoles (including Game Pass) and PC.

Rieko Kodama, the pioneering Sega developer behind titles like Phantasy Star and Skies of Arcadia, has died at 58.  Nick Thorpe , features editor for Retro Gaming Magazine , noticed that in the credits for Sega's Mega Drive Mini II, there's a message that reads, "In memory of Rieko Kodama." Twitter user Ares Arcadia quote-tweeted Thorpe's tweet to ask Sega producer Yosuke Okunari if this message means that Kodama had died to which Okunari replied and said , "As you understand it. We respected her," confirming her death.  Sega has since confirmed Kodama's death, citing that she had passed in May, according to IGN . Further details around her death will not be shared out of respect for her family's privacy, Sega says.  "We pray that the deceased will rest in peace, and we offer our gratitude for her enormous contributions to Sega," Sega of Japan says, as translated by IGN Japan .  Kodama's journey through game development began

Rocksteady Studios co-founders Sefton Hill and Jamie Walker have announced that they are departing from the studio.  This news comes as a bit of a surprise, both because Hill was the director of the studio's upcoming game, Suicide Squad: Kill The Justice League, and because both were original founders of the studio and masterminds behind its popular Batman Arkham series. Nonetheless, it seems the two are leaving Rocksteady amicably at the end of the year with confidence in the team they're leaving behind to carry Suicide Squad across the finish line.  Here is the statement in full:  I have some important news to share with you about Rocksteady Studios. Co-founders and studio heads Sefton Hill and Jamie Walker have made the decision to leave the studio. We are very proud to have worked alongside Jamie and Sefton, who have led their talented teams to create some of the best games in the world. From the critically acclaimed hit Batman Arkham franchise to their evolutionary th

<p><img src="https://ift.tt/MCD5vAh" width="800" height="450" alt="The Witcher 1 remake codename Canis Majoris " typeof="foaf:Image" class="image-style-body-default" /></p> <p>Earlier this month, CD Projekt Red announced that <a href="https://ift.tt/LzMBYig" target="_blank">it was developing a new Cyberpunk game, multiple Witcher games, and a new IP</a>. One of those Witcher games was given the codename "Canis Majoris" and CDPR called it a "full-fledged" Witcher title. Now, the company has revealed that "Canis Majoris" is actually a remake of the very first Witcher game.&nbsp;</p> <p>The official Witcher Twitter account posted the news this morning, revealing that CDPR&nbsp;is working with developer <a href="https://ift.tt/9BafTJY" target="_blank">Fool's Theory</a> to make The Witcher us

Team Ninja has revealed the release date for its upcoming action game set during the Three Kingdoms era of China, Wo Long: Fallen Dynasty, and it's less than half a year away.  More specifically, the studio has revealed that Wo Long will hit PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and PC on March 3, 2023. That's less than six months away. Alongside this news, Team Ninja has detailed the editions of Wo Long you can preorder as well as some of the DLC coming to the game. Let's break those editions down:  Standard Edition The physical version of the game will include the Baihu armor as an early purchase bonus. The digital version of the game will include the Zhuque armor as a digital pre-order bonus and the Baihu armor as an early purchase bonus.  Steelbook Launch Edition The steelbook launch edition of the game will include Wo Long: Fallen Dynasty, a collector's steelbook (yet to be revealed), and the Crown of Zhurong and Crown of Gonggong bon

A trailer from the Pokémon Company International has revealed the Greavard, the Ghost Dog Pokémon, just in time for Halloween. You can watch the official reveal below. On Twitter , the official Pokémon account describes this haunted hound with the following Pokédex-like entry: Greavard is so affectionate that paying it any attention will make it so happy that it'll follow you wherever you go. However, Greavard will slowly and inadvertently absorb the life-force of those around it. That second sentence ties into the first part of this reveal – an animated video posted on the Pokémon YouTube Channel about a trainer searching the Paldea region for ghost-type Pokémon. They eventually stumble upon a Greavard, but mysteriously collapse after playing fetch. Greavard’s reveal continues a trend in Pokémon Scarlet and Violet’s marketing campaign where they post animated teasers and reveals of each new monster coming to the games. It started with Grafaiai and has continued all the way

Bethesda revealed Arkane Studios' open-world, co-op FPS Redfall back in 2021 , and since then, the companies have been slowly pulling back the curtain on what to expect in this vampire-infested experience. We've received  new trailers , details about how  campaign progress is tied to the host in co-op , and we've even previewed the game ( read here ).  Now, Bethesda and Arkane have released a new "Into The Night" Redfall trailer inviting players to experience a night out on the town to discover all the (bloody) fun that awaits. Spoilers: there's a lot of blood, a lot of vampires, and at least one giant heart that we probably need to destroy. Check out the new Redfall trailer for yourself below :  As you can see, Redfall continues to look like good fun. Today's trailer makes me wish this game was coming out this month – it'd be such a great Halloween game – but it's not due out until sometime during the first half of 2023. It will hit Xbox Serie

Cult of the Lamb was released back in August and while the main story will run you a dozen or so hours, developer Massive Monsters are inviting you back to your base of operations with a new Blood Moon Festival update that's now live.  This limited-time event began yesterday (October 24) and will run until November 10. It brings plenty of new with it, too, so you'll want to jump in to check out all of the Blood Moon's offerings before it's too late. Here's what to expect: New Blood Moon Ritual 3 New Follower Forms to unlock 4 Base Decorations to unlock New music track To accompany the news, Massive Monsters have also released a new trailer for Cult of the Lamb's Blood Moon Festival update that you can watch below:  "Under the light of the Blood Moon, devotees can harvest pumpkins to unlock a brand new ritual that will raise former members of their cult, casting them back to the land of the living as wandering spirits," a press release reads