Bloodstained: Ritual of the Night backers will get access to the E3 demo… and everybody else gets a new trailer

Bloodstained: Ritual of the Night is still almost a year away, but Koji “IGA” Igarashi is ready to give fans and friends a look at the game’s first level in a new trailer. Here’s what he had to say about the video in Bloodstained’s latest Kickstarter update (which also includes some new screenshots):

For this month’s update, the team has put together a video and some screenshots of an actual stage in Bloodstained. This is the game’s first stage, where we find Miriam on a ship, the Galleon Minerva, headed toward the castle. It’s a setting filled with anticipation.

Igarashi, and his team at Inti Creates, are planning to debut the first demo for Bloodstained at next week’s E3 Expo. But you won’t need to sneak into Los Angeles Convention Center to get your hands on it… everyone who pledged at least $60 during the game’s Kickstarter campaign will receive access to the demo through Steam.

If all continues to go well for Bloodstained: Ritual of the Night, the side-scrolling MetroidVania should be released for the PC, PS4, Vita, Wii U, and Xbox One sometime next Spring.

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PS Store Today: Mirror’s Edge Catalyst, Odin Sphere HD, Minecraft Story Mode Ep6, more

Prepare to return to long-forgotten worlds in today’s PlayStation Store update.

Electronic Arts and DICE have resurrected the city of Glass for Faith to freerun once more. In Mirror’s Edge: Catalyst (PS4), players will learn about the origin behind Faith’s rebellious nature while leaping between skyscrapers to stop an oppressive government.

It hasn’t been gone quite as long, but Telltale Games is already set to return to Minecraft: Story Mode with the unexpected sixth episode, A Portal to Mystery, which is now available to download on the PS4 and PS3.

Speaking of games that’ll be available on both of Sony’s home consoles, we have Odin Sphere: Leifthrasir from Atlus and Vanillaware. Also available to download for the Vita, Odin Sphere: Leifthrasir is the remake of a side-scrolling RPG originally released for the PS2 in 2007.

Image & Form is a big fan of the side-scrolling aesthetic, and the developer will release its side-scrolling strategy game, SteamWorld Heist, for the PS4 and Vita this week. The space saga, which is Cross-Buy on the PS4 and Vita, originally made its debut on the 3DS last year.

Finally this week, Double Fine will add the original Psychonauts to the PS2-On-PS4 program. While progress on the crowdfunded sequel continues, players will get a chance to re-experience all the zaniness of Whispering Rock Psychic Summer Camp in Raz’s original adventure.

More information on all of these games (and a few other new releases) can be found after the break. And, as always, a complete rundown of this week’s new add-ons and discounts is available at the PlayStation Blog.

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Kickstart This! Death Story

I’m going to begin by offering an apology. A few weeks ago, I highlighted a game on Kickstart This! called Lynn and the Spirits of Inao by Bloomylight Studios. The project was cancelled after it was revealed that Bloomylight founder David Tollari had been using unpaid interns to complete the game, which is a violation of French employment laws. Like many of the games journalists who covered the project, I was unaware of these infractions, and while it may not have been something we could have foreseen, I still feel sorry for those who wasted their time on the recommendation.

So let’s move on to another project… though Kickstarter seems to have gone all dark and gloomy this week, and there’s nothing but death, death, and more death! First, I found Death of Humanity, an online multiplayer survival game from Dingo’s Nest. There is also the visual novel Undead Darlings, where you explore the funpocalypse with a group of half-dead girls?

But my choice for today’s Kickstart This! is the rather cute Death Story from Team Neko. So let’s swing our scythe and find out why it rose above the other undead offerings.

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Posted in Features, PC, Top Story |

Daily Scoop: June 7, 2016 – Hamble Bundle includes a plush pig

Odin Sphere Leifthrasir released today for PlayStation 3, PS4, and Vita. I finally got a chance to play the demo last night, mostly because I wanted to see if I should order it or not. It’s so much fun! I think I might end up picking it up after all. But I still have Valkyria Chronicles Remastered unopened, so I should probably wait before I buy any other games!

Speaking of buying more games, a new bundle launched at Humble today – the Hamble Staff Picks Bundle! Pay what you want for 1001 Spikes, Absolute Drift, and Snakebird. Beat the average to unlock Hand of Fate and Deathtrap. Pay $10 or more to unlock Viscera Clean-up Detail and the DLC, House of Horror, as well as Craft the World. Finally, pay $40 or more to unlock an adorable Hamble Plush!

The Midweek Madness at Steam is Hacknet, which is on sale for $4.99. You can also get the Deluxe Edition, which includes the soundtrack, for $7.49. The Daily Deal is Beyond Eyes, which is on sale for $5.09.

Hit the jump to see today’s t-shirts!

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Posted in Daily Scoop |

XCOM 2 will be released for the PS4 and Xbox One on September 6

Prepare for invasion! After making a successful debut on the PC earlier this year, 2K Games and Firaxis have announced they’ll release XCOM 2 for the PS4 and Xbox One on September 6. The console port will be handled by The Workshop, a development house that has previously assisted Tango Gameworks on The Evil Within and Gearbox on Borderlands 2.

“Firaxis has successfully enhanced the XCOM franchise, as XCOM 2 has earned both massive critical and fan acclaim,” said Matt Gorman, the Vice President of Marketing for 2K. “Many console gamers have been vocal about bringing XCOM 2 to their platforms, and now they can look forward to joining the resistance this September.”

“The incredible reception of XCOM 2 has been rewarding and humbling for the team, and we’ve known console fans have been clamoring to play the game too,” said Jake Solomon, XCOM 2’s Creative Director. “As avid console players ourselves, we’re excited to work with The Workshop to bring XCOM 2 to all of our fans.”

Players who pre-order XCOM 2 on the PS4 or Xbox One will receive the Resistance Warrior Pack, which includes additional soldier customization options such as additional outfits and headgear, as well as custom facial war paint. The Resistance Warrior Pack also features the “Survivor of the Old War,” a special XCOM recruit who will appear in the barracks. Players who opt for the XCOM 2 Digital Deluxe Edition will also receive the Resistance Warrior Pack, along with the Reinforcement Pack, which includes all previously-released downloadable content for the strategy game.

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FIFA 17 will use the Frostbite Engine for the first time when it launches this September

Soccer fans will have an all-new FIFA experience to try out this Fall, as EA Sports has announced that FIFA 17 will be developed using the publisher’s Frostbite Engine for the first time. In development at EA Vancouver, the publisher believes their Frostbite technology will add “depth and emotion” to the pitch when FIFA 17 is released for the PC, PS4, and Xbox One this September.

“Frostbite unlocks a whole new world of possibilities for the FIFA franchise and its fans,” said David Rutter, the Executive Producer on the FIFA franchise. “We have never been as excited as we are today about the future of football and the experiences we are going to deliver in FIFA 17.”

To create the most authentic game possible, EA Sports also recruited four world-class players to lend their expertise to the EA Vancouver team: James Rodriguez of Real Madrid, Anthony Martial of Manchester United, Eden Hazard of Chelsea FC, and Marco Reus of Borussia Dortmund. We’ll get our first look at FIFA 17’s evolution during the EA’s EA Play E3 Presentation on Sunday, June 12, at 4:00 PM.

The Frostbite-powered FIFA 17 will be released for the PC, PS4, and Xbox One on September 27. The game will also be available for the PS3 and Xbox 360, though without any of the improvements found in the new-generation version.

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Hoth is hopping in this Empire Strikes Back Character Pack trailer for Lego Star Wars: The Force Awakens

Get out your parkas and your mittens, WB Games is heading back to Hoth for the latest Lego Star Wars: The Force Awakens Character Trailer.

This time around, the action focuses on the Empire Strikes Back Character Pack, which will be included in the Deluxe Edition as a pre-order bonus. The pack will include eight characters, each decked out in their finest Winter wear: “Luke Skywalker, Han Solo, and Princess Leia in cold weather gear; the cybernetic Lobot and the Ugnaughts of Cloud City; and deadly bounty hunters Bossk, Dengar, and Boba Fett (in his original white armor).”

Lego Star Wars: The Force Awakens, and the Empire Strikes Back Character Pack, will launch on June 28, though the Deluxe Edition is only in the works for the PS4, Xbox One, PS3, and Xbox 360. However, Lego Star Wars: The Force Awakens will also be available for the 3DS, PC, Vita, and Wii U on June 28.

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Persona 5 will be released on February 14, 2017 in special Take Your Heart Edition

persona5-takeyourheartAtlus wants to spread the love in 2017, and the publisher has announced that Persona 5 will make its North American debut on the PS4 and PS3 on February 14.

The publisher is also planning to release a special “Take Your Heart” Premium Edition (Retail Price: $89.99) of Persona 5 exclusively for the PS4. The special edition is packed with Persona perks, including a Hardcover Art Book showcasing Shigenori Soejima’s character work:

“Take Your Heart” Premium Edition

  • Collectible Outer Box: Easily the largest Premium Edition in Atlus’ history, the entirety of the “Take Your Heart” Premium Edition comes in a colossal collectible box.
  • SteelBook: As strong as a vault, the game disc for the PS4 will come specially packaged in a SteelBook collectible case, emblazoned with Persona 5 designs.
  • School Bag: Designed after the traditional school bags in Japan, the exclusive replica bag comes complete with the Shujin Academy crest.
  • 4″ Morgana Plush: Morgana the cat is not just the mascot of the Phantom Thieves, but is also a member– and also not just a cat! The Premium Edition includes an exclusive 4″ plush of Morgana.
  • 64-page Hardcover Art Book: This art book is full of concept sketches, character art, and more by character designer Shigenori Soejima.
  • Soundtrack CD: A selection of music from Persona 5 by legendary series composer Shoji Meguro in a CD wallet featuring P5 artwork.

Atlus will have Persona 5 on display during next week’s E3 Expo, so hopefully we’ll soon learn a little bit more about the highly-anticipated RPG.

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