Among the onslaught of game trailers at the terribly named Triple-I Initiative was a release date for Gestalt: Steam & Cinder. It’s a 2D platformer with a heavy dose of combat and a big upgrade tree, and there’s a demo available now.
Issue #11 – April 2024.
Welcome back to the Nintendo Life Mailbox, our monthly feature where we read and respond to a collection of correspondences from your lovely selves.
Before we dive in, a quick request. 17th April is International Haiku Day and we’d like to run a Back Page article highlighting the best Nintendo-related haiku’s from the NL community. Reader Ebisumaru sent one in on the subject of Goemon back in February, and we’re suckers for some inventive wordplay. We won’t go over haiku structure/conventions here — you all know how to use Google — but feel free to send your submissions via the Letters form at the bottom of this page and we’ll see what occurs!
Read the full article on nintendolife.com
The Crew, Ubisoft’s 2014 racing game, closed its doors on March 31st. After that date, launching the game took you to a splash screen and then presented an error message when trying to advance, because the servers are no longer offline.
Ubisoft have now taken the extra step of revoking The Crew licenses from purchasers and removing it from their library.
Deep breath.
Welcome back to this week’s edition of Box Art Brawl!
Before we check out the latest clash of the covers, let’s remind ourselves what happened last time when three Super Bomberman box art variants went up against each other. It was Europe’s bright design that walked away with a commanding lead in this one, taking 58% of the vote. Japan followed with 32%, while North America was left with the remaining 10%.
Read the full article on nintendolife.com
Hololive VTuber Korone takes over Tsugunohi as an “Evil God”.
Japanese Hololive VTuber ‘Korone‘ has done all sorts of collabs and crossovers, and with this in mind, the Tsugunohi horror game ‘Evil God Korone’ has now got a surprise release on the Switch eShop.
This title originally launched on Steam back in 2021 and is priced at $4.49 (or the regional equivalent) on the Switch eShop. Below is a bit about it and you can check out the trailer in the video above.
Read the full article on nintendolife.com
Get ready for a workout with the virtual idol.
Last September, Imagineer announced superstar virtual idol Hatsune Miku would be getting her own Fitness Boxing game.
It seems the same title has now been rated ‘E’ for everyone by the ESRB in North America – seemingly confirming a local release is on the way. Here’s the official description:
Read the full article on nintendolife.com
Possibility Space has become the second studio owned by Prytania Media to close in recent weeks following Crop Circle Games’ closure in March. Both studios were founded by Jeff Strain, the co-founder of Guild Wars creators ArenaNet and the founder of State Of Decay developers Undead Labs.
In a message to staff about the studio’s immediate closure, Strain implies the outcome was prompted by employees who leaked information about the company to a journalist.
Coming to Switch this summer.
The construction RPG and life sim My Time At Sandrock will be getting a cross-platform multiplayer update this summer.
It will allow users on Switch, Xbox, PlayStation, and PC to team up and experience “combat, construction, social activities and more”.
Read the full article on nintendolife.com
The weekend is officially here, and we’ve got loads of new deals you do not want to miss! Some of the hottest 2024 releases are already discounted, with savings of up to $30 in some instances. The best deals for Saturday, April 13, include Unicorn Overlord, Persona 3 Reload, Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth, Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown, God of War Ragnarok, and more.
God of War Ragnarok is still one of the best PS5 games you can pick up. This action game acts as the sequel to 2018’s God of War, following Kratos and Atreus as Fimbulwinter looms. This price matches the previous low we’ve seen Ragnarok at, so you know you’re getting a great deal. If you’ve yet to play this game, this is a great time to pick up Ragnarok at a discount and see why so many players love this series.
This NieR Replicant box set includes 4 LPs with music from the game. Included are the Nier, Kainé, Emil, and Devola & Popola LPs, which were all released separately. The cover of the box set was illustrated by Shirow Miwa, who has contributed designs to titles like Fate/Grand Order. Additionally, an original paper stand is included in the box set.
Amazon currently has the Sony WF-1000XM5 Earbuds on sale for $229.95. These earbuds are equipped with the same technology utilized in Sony’s premium line of overhead headphones, which are known for their best-in-class noise cancellation. Utilizing the new Integrated Processor V2, these earbuds provide crystal clear audio using the latest Bluetooth technology.
Unicorn Overlord just released last month and is already available at Amazon for $39.99. This title was developed by Vanillaware, most recently known for 13 Sentinels: Aegis Rim. Over 60 unique characters are available to choose from within Unicorn Overlord, where you command armies in tactical battle. We gave the gave a 9/10 in our review, stating “Unicorn Overlord is a visual delight that’s brimming with creativity, and an absolute must-play for any fan of strategy RPGs.”
Persona 3 Reload is already one of the biggest 2024 releases so far. The remake brings in new gameplay features, new voice actors, and an impressive slew of technology, including ray tracing. It’s on sale right now at Amazon for $39.99, which marks a new all time low for the title. If you’ve never experienced the story of Persona 3, this is the definitive way to do so.
Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth is the latest title in the long-running RPG series. Kiryu Kazama returns following the events of Yakuza: Like a Dragon, uniting with Ichiban Kasuga in a wild adventure you won’t forget anytime soon. This $30 discount just a few months after launch is a great deal you shouldn’t pass up on, though newcomers should aim to play the previous titles in the series before jumping in.
This special edition Xbox controller is sure to make a nice addition to any collection. The Dream Vapor edition features a swirly pink and purple pattern, which is a unique offering compared to other official Xbox controllers. At 24% off, this is the lowest we’ve seen this controller yet. Additionally, you can always use an extra controller. Whether you’re playing a multiplayer title or your controller wears down after years of use, having an extra on hand is better for everyone.
Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown is a release that went under many people’s radars earlier this year. At $29.99, this 2D platformer is absolutely worth your time and money. We gave the game an 8/10 in our review, stating, “Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown captures not only what made games such as The Sands of Time so good, but it irons out a lot of the little issues that plagued the 3D games.”
By now, you’ve probably heard the buzz surrounding Amazon’s live-action Fallout show. And as it turns out, it is a faithful and fun adaptation of the hilariously grotesque post-apocalyptic role-playing game series. The live-action show offers a glimpse of the wild world of Fallout and all the bizarre hijinks just waiting to be uncovered, and it’s likely got you wanting for some games to try out that have a similar conceit.
But if you’ve already taken the plunge into the Fallout series or already have them on your list of games to check out, we’ve got some other games to recommend that scratch the same itch as the games from Bethesda Game Studios. Along with similar games centering around choice and agency, our list also includes some games that tackle the post-apocalypse a bit differently. So, with that, here are our recommended games to play if you can’t get enough of Fallout.
Before developer Interplay found runaway success with the original Fallout, the foundations of the post-apocalyptic RPG were first set with 1988’s Wasteland. As the first PC RPG set in the American post-apocalypse, Wasteland featured a really weird plot and tons of raiders to battle in tactical engagements. While the original Wasteland and its 2014 sequel are still excellent tactical RPGs, the recent Wasteland 3 is the series’ pinnacle and a great place for newcomers to start.
Wasteland 3 is all about strategic decision-making with your squad of Desert Rangers, offering a complex and emergent-level approach to exploring and surviving the many sticky encounters in the ruins of the American Rocky Mountains. As you build up a reliable crew of rangers, Wasteland 3 throws a whole host of odd encounters with marauders and other weird factions that play up the absurdity of the post-apocalypse. One particular quest that stands out centers around a cult that worships a Ronald Reagan AI housed inside a mechanical statue that fires death lasers. Wasteland 3 offers a solid tactical RPG experience that shows an absurdist side to a dark post-apocalypse.
The Metro series from developer 4A Games shines a light on what the post-nuclear apocalypse looks like outside of America and in more unforgiving scenarios. Based on the sci-fi novels by Dmitry Glukhovsky, the Metro video game series focuses on surviving one harrowing encounter after the other in what remains of Russia following nuclear war and how warring factions continue to fight for control. Metro Exodus is the culmination of a trilogy of solid narrative-driven shooters, bringing the series into a more open-world-inspired setting to explore and survive in.
Playing as a young survivor named Artyom, the Metro trilogy shows his growth from a scavenger to a leader of a faction of rangers looking to find safety in the ruins of the old world. While exploring and fighting through the different regions across Russia, the protagonist has to rely heavily on crafting and carefully managing resources to survive encounters with bandits and mutants in the wilds. While the original two entries are solid shooters, Metro Exodus is an excellent jumping-on point for the series for newcomers as it focuses on survival in large-scale environments while giving its cast of characters a satisfying conclusion to their story of survival.
Obsidian Entertainment features a ton of talent that worked on the original Fallout series, and following their work on Fallout: New Vegas, the developers went on to build an entirely new game that keeps up with much of Fallout’s absurdist humor and gory action within a future gone awry. The Outer Worlds is a different type of RPG that brings its dystopian and deeply bizarre setting to a galactic scale. Set in an alternate timeline where American businesses were never regulated in the early 1900s, and space exploration led to a new age of capitalism, you lead a crew of misfits traveling the galaxy and landing headfirst into conflicts with megacorporations that run pretty much everything.
The Outer Worlds is essentially the sci-fi TV series Firefly mashed up with Fallout, leaning heavily into comedy and the absurdity of its hyper-capitalist universe. Much like Fallout, you can build up your protagonist to be a smooth-talking explorer who can talk their way out of trouble or a cunning rogue who solves their problems with a well-placed blaster shot. With a loveable set of companions, including the ever-reliable Parvati, The Outer Worlds really puts its characters and the wild setting at center stage, and it’s an excellent pick for those looking for a more sci-fi spin on an RPG.
What makes Guerrilla Games’ Horizon series such an intriguing take on the post-apocalypse is that it centers its story on the larger mystery of what came before the world’s end -– and it also adds roaming, towering machines into the mix. Horizon sees the remnants of humanity explore a ruined earth following the robot apocalypse, which has left communities scattered and without knowledge of what came before. Forbidden West follows up on the excellent Zero Dawn by showcasing a greater level of detail for its world while giving protagonist Aloy more ways to engage with its different quests and characters. And not to mention, there are way more machines to fight and subdue.
Forbidden West brings the story to the ruins of the American West Coast, showing how the remnants of San Francisco and Las Vegas have evolved in the post-robot apocalypse. What makes the Horizon games so fun to explore is learning how the world has changed following the end of the world, and engaging with some of the more daring battles against the advanced machines that take some careful planning and coordination of skills to take down. The Horizon series really leans into the wonder and weirdness of the post-apocalypse, and the latest mainline entry Forbidden West showcases the series at its best.
The STALKER series from GSC Game World makes you feel like an insignificant part of a large and incredibly hostile world – and that offers up some genuinely terrifying and equally thrilling moments. With the upcoming sequel releasing this year, the original STALKER: Shadow of Chernobyl is still a fantastic narrative survival experience about contending with the weird phenomena and hostile factions within the mythical Zone, the remnants of the irradiated Chornobyl that somehow become even more dangerous over time.
The throughline of the STALKER series and what makes it unique is that it presents a very unforgiving and atmospheric world that you have to contend with. In addition to managing your precious resources, you’ll also need to make sure the protagonist stays in top form and away from deadly radiation. This is all while you evade rival factions looking to take out anyone in the Zone, including the mutant monsters that lurk about. You’ll often face an unexpected death while in the Zone, but therein lies what makes STALKER: Shadow of Chernobyl such a classic game to come to terms with: Surviving the Zone and making do with what you have is simply a gripping experience. With the recent remasters for the game and its expansions, it’s now a great time to give this uncompromising action RPG a look.
Since the original 2020 release, CD Projekt Red has slowly rebuilt and expanded upon the foundations of Cyberpunk 2077, and it’s now one of the best modern action RPGs out there. Set within the sprawl of the practically lawless Night City, the sci-fi urban setting is a fantastic change of pace from other dystopian shooters and role-playing games, and it still scratches that post-apocalyptic itch for how bleak, weird, and unforgiving a future mega city turned out to be.
Along with an amazing cast of characters – played by A-list stars like Keanu Reeves and Idris Elba – Cyberpunk 2077 shines for its approach to role-playing and fast-paced combat, all leaning on how you want to build your futuristic mercenary. Where Cyberpunk 2077 truly hits is in how it puts you right in the middle of a hostile yet still enthralling city filled with different encounters and quests to take on, all showing a level of agency that hits at RPG classics like Fallout and Deus Ex. The vibes of Night City are electric, and getting immersed within the sprawl and its outer wastelands is a thrill. If you haven’t tried Cyberpunk 2077 yet and want something that offers a satisfying and rich role-playing experience, then you can’t go wrong with CD Projekt RED’s modern classic.
Alessandro Fillari is a freelance writer for IGN.
