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    Tokyo Mirage Sessions # FE Encore releases on January 17, 2020

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    Tokyo Mirage Sessions # FE is receiving an Encore on Nintendo Switch! Tokyo Mirage Sessions # FE Encore is a definitive edition of the 2015 title. This game will feature a new song, story elements and new characters are coming in this edition! It will release on January 17th, 2020.

     

     

     

    Stay tuned at Final Weapon for more news regarding Nintendo Switch and today’s Direct!

    Deadly Premonition 2 releases in 2020, Deadly Premonition 1 is available today in the Switch eShop!

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    The cult classic game from SWERY and White Owls Inc is coming to Nintendo Switch, today! Deadly Premonition releases today in the Nintendo Switch eShop. In addition, Deadly Premonition 2 is coming to Switch in 2020! Francis York Morgan will return as the protagonist as well.

     

    Stay tuned at Final Weapon for more news regarding Nintendo Switch titles.

    Terry Bogard coming to Smash Ultimate, more DLC fighters in development!

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    SNK and Nintendo have announced that KOF and Fatal Fury star Terry Bogard is heading to Smash Ultimate! The classic NEOGEO icon is now in development. Nintendo also dropped another bombshell. More DLC fighters for Smash Ultimate are currently in development!

     

    Stay tuned at Final Weapon for more news regarding Smash Ultimate and today’s Nintendo Direct!

    Trials of Mana releases on April 24, 2020

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    During today’s Nintendo Direct, Nintendo announced that Trials of Mana will release on April 24, 2020! This game is a remake of the original game, Seiken Densetsu 3. It was finally released via the Mana Collection on Nintendo Switch. Trials of Mana is a HD remake of that game.

    Stay tuned at Final Weapon for more news regarding game announcements from today’s Nintendo Direct!

    GungHo is discussing possible Grandia 3 and Xtreme remasters, a new Grandia game is being considered

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    NoisyPixel sat down for an interview with GungHo CEO Hiroki Morishita. In this interview, the CEO discussed the success and reception to the Grandia HD collection on Switch. He was really surprised to see Grandia trending in Japan. The success reached the west as well, giving GungHo lots of praise and feedback. Currently, GungHo is considering remastering Grandia III and Xtreme. Due to positive reactions to the Grandia HD Collection, its possible to see these Grandia remasters continue. Morishita states that GungHo is discussing internally about a brand new Grandia game. Here’s the excerpt from the interview:

     “There is a lot of discussions internally about this, based on the voices of users who want to see it happen. Grandia is not a title that I personally started, but I do have a lot of respect for it. If we were to put something new out, I would want it to fit in well with the original series and improve it where I feel I can, which does put a lot of pressure on me. Looking at the RPG aspects of the series, I have to work on finding a way to create something that will satisfy users.”

    Grandia HD Collection is currently available on Switch. Stay tuned at Final Weapon for more news regarding Grandia!

    Famitsu Ryu Ga Gotoku Studio interview reveals new Yakuza 7 details

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    Weekly Famitsu recently published part 1 of their Ryu Ga Gotoku studio interview! In the interview, the development team (Masayoshi Yokoyama, Hiroyuki Sakamoto, Ryosuke Horii) gave more details about Yakuza 7. Ryu Ga Gotoku studio wants to prove that they can develop more than just action games. A new direction in the Yakuza series will be their attempt to prove this along with developing a new game worthy of the franchise.

    Yakuza 7’s total playtime is longer than previous games. With in a city 3 times bigger than Kamurocho, its expected to have much more content. Party members in Yakuza 7 can be assigned jobs and level up too. Items can be equipped like in classic RPGs, but the studio stresses that Yakuza 7 is not a traditional JRPG. It still delivers an action packed experience. Among other features are fast travel and use of tactics.

    Yakuza 7 releases in the west in 2020. Stay tuned at Final Weapon for more news regarding SEGA titles and Yakuza 7!

    Steam Library Update launches in open beta on September 17

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    Valve has finally announced the new Steam Library Update which will go live on September 17 in open beta. Anyone can opt-in and give the new UI a try. Here’s a rundown of what this update will offer along with some new screenshots.

    • A brand new way to look at things: The first thing you’ll probably notice is that we’re launching a gorgeous new landing page for your library. The new library home gives you quick access to game updates, recently played games, friends activity and your collections.
    • Stay connected with your games and friends: We’re making it easier for you to stay on top of the changes happening to your games and who is playing what. One of things we know you love about Steam is being able to engage directly with your games as they evolve over time. The new library makes it simple to see not just if a game has been updated but, with the new events feature, what that update is and why you should boot it up and give it a shot.
    • Stay in-the-know about your games with Events: Odds are, you’ve got games in your library that had incredible updates or limited-time events and you never even knew. Well, those days are over. We wanted to strike a balance between an in-library event feature that let you know about all the great things happening with the games you already own without bombarding you with notifications.
    • New Developer Tools: We’re taking the first step today by giving developers access to new editor tools for events and announcements, as well as upgrading the events and announcements pages for players. While we’re putting the finishing touches on the new library you can follow the Steam blog for more updates and in-depth information about the new library before we open the public beta on September 17th.

     

     

    Blair Witch Review: I’m still so scared right now

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    Developer: Bloober Team
    Publisher: Lionsgate Games
    Platforms: Xbox One, PC (reviewed on Xbox One X)
    Code Provided: No

     

    About Blair Witch:

    Blair Witch is a psychological/survival horror game developed by Bloober Team and published by Lionsgate Games for Microsoft Windows and Xbox One. It is based on the Blair Witch franchise, and was released on August 30, 2019. Inspired by the cinematic lore of Blair Witch, experience a new story-driven psychological horror game that studies your reactions to fear and stress.

    Review:

    When the Blair Witch Project came out in theaters, it gave you the belief that three college students really did get lost in the woods and the only thing that was left behind and found was some footage on their video cameras.  From the beginning and ending of the movie, it left you questioning and speculating on what exactly happened to the students.  And to a lot of people, you thought it actually happened and that terrified the audience even more.  Blair Witch doesn’t really recapture the movie, but it keeps the story frightening and sometimes the player looking around the room for the light switch.

    Bloober Team does an amazing job from start to finish capitalizing on the horror franchise, minus a few bugs.  You arrive at the scene of a search party team in Black Hills Forest with your good boy dog Bullet to help aid you with the search of a missing boy.  As you make your way into the forest, things start getting more confusing and creepy as you walk along the linear paths.  As you walk from place to place, you get a unwelcoming sense that something might pop out of the trees at any second.

    When you are lost or stuck trying to find your way, you can have Bullet search the area and help you out finding clues and some collectible items you might have missed while on your journey, but I found him more useful when enemies were lurking nearby.  Yes, you can also pet Bullet, and you’ll get an achievement for doing so.

    Some of the enemies can be taken out easily just by flashing your flashlight at them until they disappear, while others that can not be seen, unless you are looking through your camcorder, will make you carefully tread and find a safer path away from them.  These enemies can see your every move so if you get close, they’ll get you.  With these encounters, it’s best to not make eye contact.

    While you’re making your way through the woods in search of the missing boy, you’ll also come across some lost videotapes that can be played however many times.  Some of these tapes offer clues and can help you manipulate reality by rewinding or fast-forwarding a tape to the point where a fallen tree is standing upright again or opening and shutting doors that may be blocking your path.  Some of the other tapes just go along with the plot of the story.

    While playing through Blair Witch, I encountered some annoying bugs and frame rate issues.  The biggest bug I encountered had me restarting my checkpoint three times where the footprints I needed to see in my camcorder that showed me the path I needed to take were nowhere to be found.  A few tries later, they appeared where they needed to be and I was finally on my way to further explore the game.  The frame rate issues I had were noticeable, but they were just more annoying than game breaking as they didn’t happen to me that often.

    One of my favorite sections of Blair Witch was the rail cart section where you would watch a tape that gives you a clue on how to put back together the machine that’s missing a valve gauge and a handle where you’ll have to travel to a couple more areas along the rail path to find these parts in order to open the way for you to further progress in the story.  All of the puzzles and manipulating videos aren’t tough.  No puzzle in the game had me thinking too hard on how to complete it.

    The more you walk in the woods, the more you are confronted with Ellis’ troubled past whether its with his love Jess or him on the battlefield with his fellow soldiers.  Later on in the last act, Ellis’ past comes into play more and this is where the game is most enjoyable.  You’ll end up inside an abandoned house.  The most jump scares that I experienced in Blair Witch were while I was exploring and getting around inside the house.  You’ll encounter enemies that can only be seen through your camcorder and it becomes even more terrifying when you’re trying to avoid them.  Sometimes when looking through the camcorder you’ll see shadow human like figures just walk or run past you that will give you a few scares and in my experience, setting down the controller and take a breath.  This last task of you navigating inside the abandoned house will make you feel like you’re walking in circles more than in the previous parts of the game which is pretty much how the movie was.

    Bloober Team did an excellent job with Blair Witch.  They managed to do a wonderful job recreating the haunting atmosphere and surroundings of Blair Witch Project with its own creative twist.  For a $30 price tag, this game is well worth it for all horror video game fans and fans of the movie.  I will probably find myself in the Black Hills Forest once again in the near future discovering alternate endings and picking up any collectibles I left behind in the woods.

    New titles coming soon to Xbox Game Pass

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    Announced today, titles like Dead Cells and Gears 5 are hitting Xbox Game Pass in the coming weeks.  Check out all the titles revealed below!

    September 5 

    Dead Cells

    Dead Cells puts you in control of a failed alchemic experiment trying to figure out what’s happening on a sprawling, ever-changing and seemingly cursed Island. Tough but fair combat, responsive controls, challenging foes, permadeath and of course, the emergency panic roll to get you out of trouble, make for a demanding, visceral and cathartic action game.

    Metal Gear Solid HD Edition: 2 and 3

    In Metal Gear Solid 2 HD Edition, play as new FoxFound recruit Raiden and infiltrate Big Shell to rescue the US President who’s held hostage. Next, in Metal Gear Solid 3 HD Edition, discover the origin of the series starting in 1964 at the height of the Cold War. The fate of the world hangs in the balance as Snake must question the true meaning of loyalty as he embarks on a lone mission to kill his former mentor.

    September 6

    Creature in the Well

    Creature in the Well is a top-down, pinball-inspired, hack-and-slash dungeon crawler. As the last remaining BOT-C unit, venture deep into a desert mountain to restore power to an ancient facility, haunted by a desperate creature. Uncover and upgrade powerful gear to free the city of Mirage from a deadly sandstorm.

    Gears 5 Ultimate Edition(September 6 for Xbox Game Pass Ultimate members; standard edition available September 10 for Xbox Game Pass members)

    From one of gaming’s most acclaimed sagas, Gears is back and bigger than ever, with five thrilling modes and the deepest campaign yet. With all-out war descending, Kait Diaz breaks away to uncover her connection to the enemy and discovers the true danger to Sera – herself. In addition to the epic campaign (with 3 player co-op), experience the all-new Escape multiplayer mode, compete online in Versus, team up with friends in Horde, and create custom maps with the new Map Builder. Xbox Game Pass Ultimate members get to play Gears 5 four days early, so if you haven’t already signed up, now’s the time! Sign up now and get your first 2 months for $2.

    September 12

    Enter the Gungeon

    Enter the Gungeon is a gunfight dungeon crawler following a band of misfits seeking to shoot, loot, dodge roll and table-flip their way to personal absolution by reaching the legendary Gungeon’s ultimate treasure: the gun that can kill the past.

    Gonner Blueberry Edition


    Gonner is a tough, procedurally generated 2D platformer with roguelike elements, hidden secrets, multiple endings, and challenging bosses. Play as the largely misunderstood and altruistic Ikk on a journey to cheer up his only friend in this world: a giant landbound whale named Sally. Search for just the right trinket in the deep and dark places nearby on a journey to make one person happy even if it kills him—which it certainly will.

     

    HAL is hiring more staff for upcoming Kirby project

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    HAL Laboratory is looking to hire staff for a new Kirby project! On September 3rd, the official HAL twitter account posted information about hiring staff. Various positions are open including Action Programmer, Graphics Programmer,  3D Artist, Motion Designer and much more. The official recruiting site has lots of information regarding criteria and positions available. Here’s the application overview:

    In the new title project of the “Star Kirby” series, we are recruiting new staff to strengthen development capabilities. We like to create an environment where you can immerse yourself in game development, and to create details. Staff who are active in sharing technology are looking forward to applications with abundant experience and willingness to develop.

    The deadline to apply is September 26th. Positions are based on trial periods with contract renewals. Work on this new Kirby project is based out of the Yamanashi Prefecture in Japan. Stay tuned at Final Weapon for more news regarding Nintendo titles like Kirby!