Nintendo and Microsoft have confirmed Nintendo 64 classic GoldenEye 64 is coming to Nintendo Switch Online’s Expansion pack and Xbox Game Pass. Microsoft revealed that the classic first-person shooter is coming to Xbox consoles in recent tweet, and Nintendo confirmed the news during its September Direct.
During its Direct, Nintendo also confirmed that Mario Party, Mario Party 2, Mario Party 3, Pokémon Stadium, Pokémon Stadium 2, 1080 Snowboarding and Excitebike will be added to Nintendo Switch Online’s Expansion pack in 2022 and 2023.
On Xbox, GoldenEye 64 will be available through Xbox Game Pass and will feature a 4K resolution. Both versions of the game will offer smoother frame rates and local split-screen/online multiplayer. No release date for the game has been confirmed yet on Xbox consoles or the Switch.
Ready up for your objective, secret agents. Nintendo 64’s GoldenEye 007 is coming soon to Nintendo Switch for #NintendoSwitchOnline + Expansion Pack members, now with online play! pic.twitter.com/pXNzpDW7Ud
25 years after its original release, experience GoldenEye 007 faithfully recreated for Xbox consoles. Includes achievements, 4K resolution and a smoother framerate – even in split-screen local multiplayer! Coming soon to @XboxGamePass. pic.twitter.com/kpBlJKqFR9
An HD remaster of GoldenEye 64 was originally set to release back in 2008 for the Xbox 360 leaked last year. The remake reportedly never saw the light of day due to licensing and rights issues.
Nintendo’s ‘Expansion Pack’ online tier costs $63.99 for a 12-month individual membership (one account) or $99.99 for a 12-month Family Membership (up to eight accounts). Xbox Game Pass. Xbox Game Pass is available on Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, and PC and costs $11.99/month.
I spent a lot of time playing GoldenEye 64’s local multiplayer on the N64 as a child, so I’m really looking forward to delving back into the game. That said, I have a feeling the retro shooter’s gameplay likely hasn’t aged very well. I remember being excited about the Perfect Dark remake on the Xbox 360, only to be shocked at how poorly the game played when compared to modern shooters. The FPS genre has evolved a lot over the years, and beyond the obvious nostalgia factor, it’s unclear if GoldenEye 64 will actually still be fun to play.
In a brief trailer, Link can be seen traversing aerial environments, before an official title for the game is revealed: The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom. The game was previously colloquially referred to as “The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild 2.”
Elden Ring’s fantastic music soundtrack is now available to stream online.
FromSoftware’s title now has an album that includes the 67 tracks that were composed for the game. You can find them all on YouTube Music, Amazon Music, Apple Music, Spotify and more.
The news of the Elden Ring soundtrack was shared on a PlayStation Blog. The blog was written by Tsukasa Saito, the lead sound designer and composer from FromSoftware.
Saito explains that the track Song of Honor that plays at Redmane Castle sounds like a group of choir members; however, the team thought that they didn’t want a group of skillful singers, so they made the decision to ask the brass section of the orchestra to sing for them instead. This is pretty interesting.
The State of Play will hit Twitch and YouTube at 6pm ET/3pm PT.
PlayStation says it will show off updates from its Japanese partners as well as some other surprises from developers around the world.
Additionally, PlayStation says the event live stream will be about 20 minutes long with new updates and fresh gameplay for ten games coming to PS5, PS4 and PS VR2.
After weeks of rumours and speculation, Nintendo has confirmed a major Direct presentation will be held on Tuesday, September 13th at 7pm PT/10am ET.
In a tweet, the official Nintendo of America account noted that the Direct will be roughly 40 minutes long and “mostly focused” on Switch games launching this winter. As always, the company didn’t hint at anything that might be shown. The showcase will be streamed to Nintendo’s YouTube and Twitch channels.
Tune in at 7 a.m. PT tomorrow, 9/13, for a #NintendoDirect livestream featuring roughly 40 minutes of information mostly focused on #NintendoSwitch games launching this winter.
That said, we have a few ideas. Giant Bomb‘s Jeff Grubb, a credible industry insider who also correctly pegged the Direct for early this week, has previously indicated that we’ll see Switch ports of The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker HD and Twilight Princess HD at the event. Both remasters originally debuted on the Wii U, and Grubb says Nintendo aims to re-release them in the coming months to fill the gap between next year’s untitled Breath of the Wild sequel. Additionally, Grubb has said the long-rumoured remaster of the original Metroid Prime is also planned for a November launch, so that seems like a safe bet for the Direct.
Meanwhile, Nintendo games confirmed to be launching later this year include Bayonetta 3 and Pokémon Scarlet and Violet, some (or all) of which could feasibly make an appearance. Grubb also suggested that we’ll finally get an official title at the Direct for the Breath of the Wild sequel, which has otherwise been colloquially referred to as “Breath of the Wild 2” since it was first unveiled in 2019.
It should be noted, however, that Nintendo U.K. is dropping the Direct as a video-on-demand on its YouTube channel “as a mark of respect” for the mourning of Queen Elizabeth II. Therefore, the full contents of the Direct will hit the web within minutes as people scrub through the entire video, so keep that in mind if you want to watch the full show live without “spoilers.”
What are you hoping to see at the Direct? Let us know in the comments.
During its Ubisoft Forward event, the publisher celebrated the 15th anniversary of Assassin’s Creed. Marking this milestone for the franchise, Ubisoft revealed what comes next for the Brotherhood of Assassins.
Assassin’s Creed, of course, first began in 2007 and introduced us to beloved characters Ezio, the Frye siblings, Kassandra, and more. The stealth-oriented series has evolved over the years, escalating into wider, more open games such as the recent Assassin’s Creed Valhalla. The franchise has become one of Ubisoft’s flagship titles, many of which were developed in Canada. Now, in 2022, Ubisoft is unveiling Assassin’s Creed Mirage, the latest game, in full.
Developed by Ubisoft Bourdeaux, Mirage is based around a young Basim Ibn Ishaq. The character was first introduced in Valhalla as a veteran member of the Hidden Ones. Mirage takes place on the dense streets of Baghdad during the Golden Age (861 A.D.,) 20 years prior to Valhalla. The game shares a similar global location to the first Assassin’s Creed. Players will be able to explore four distinct districts across Baghdad. Additionally, players will have the chance to visit Alamut, a key fortress of the Hidden Ones, as it’s under construction.
Ubisoft Bourdeaux confirmed that Mirage acts as a “tribute to early Assassin’s Creed games” and is going “back to the roots” of the franchise. Players can expect to leverage stealth and fluid parkour to take down targets. Throughout the game, Basim will climb the ranks of the Hidden Ones, becoming the master assassin we see in Valhalla. Mirage introduces a new stealth-based mechanic where Basim can slow down time, mark multiple targets and launch a shift assassination. The game is also said to have improved level design, catered to providing assassination opportunities for faster, seamless parkour and modernized assassinations.
In Mirage, we see Basim train and take the first steps in the Brotherhood. He is mentored by a fellow assassin and former Persian slave, Roshan. The studio announced that Shohreh Aghdashloo, known for her work on The Expanse, provides the voice for Roshan.
Assassin’s Creed Mirage will be available in 2023. Players can now preorder the title on PC, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, Amazon Luna, and Google Stadia.
The future of the series
While there was a lot of focus on Assassin’s Creed Mirage, Ubisoft is developing additional titles within the franchise.
One of which is bound to pique the interest of a lot of fans. At long last, Ubisoft is moving forward on a mainline Assassin’s Creed title based in Feudal Japan, developed under the guise of Assassin’s Creed Project Red. Not much has been revealed as of yet, though early concept art shows a female protagonist. This character is shown to be donning era-specific Assassin attire and a katana-like sword. Assassin’s Creed Project Red is tentatively scheduled to launch after Mirage.
Additionally, Ubisoft Montreal is well on its way to developing Assassin’s Creed Codename Hexe. Ubisoft kept much of the game’s concepts under wraps. However, the publisher notes the game is set in 16th-century Europe. The brief conceptual trailer shows a much darker tone, alluding to witch hunts and the like.
Ubisoft also disclosed its work on the long-rumoured and tentatively titled “Assassin’s Creed Infinity.” Ubisoft says it “is not a game per se.” Instead, it sounds more like a social platform and a “hub” between Codename Red and Codename Hexe. Ubisoft states that it is “the single entry point for fans into the Assassin’s Creed franchise in the future.” Codename Infinity unites all games and players while integrating standalone multiplayer experiences, though the extent of all of this is incredibly vague.
The future of Assassin’s Creed isn’t only destined for console, PC, and the cloud. Ubisoft is developing Codename Jade, a new mobile game. Codename Jade is set in Ancient China and aims to offer a traditional Assassin’s Creed experience optimized for mobile devices.
Ubisoft is also releasing a documentary to highlight the impact Assassin’s Creed has had. Beyond the Creed features interviews from developers, community members, and fans. Additionally, the documentary offers a look at conceptual pieces of early games and in-development assets.
Even more content is launching for Assassin’s Creed Valhalla. Off the heels of the Dawn of Ragnarok DLC, the team is launching The Last Chapter, a new piece of content for the game. “It’s time to say goodbye,” Eivor says in the opening of a small cinematic, setting the tone. The Last Chapter is a free DLC launching later this year.
The future of Assassin’s Creed seems bright and Ubisoft does not appear to be slowing down. Projects both big and small are being developed by a number of core teams. These projects will likely fill out Ubisoft’s release calendar for the next couple of years.
Now, these sorts of developments aren’t exciting or, worse, are disappointing. After all, acquisitions first and foremost benefit companies, not consumers. But what’s noteworthy is that this could signal a fresh start for Eidos Montreal. That’s because the Canadian developer has been putting out great games for years now, but they’ve seemingly not garnered the attention they’ve deserved. It’s no secret that Square Enix mismanaged its Western studios, hence this recent sale to Embracer, but Eidos Montreal perhaps suffered the most. The team’s first Deus Ex title, 2011’s Deus Ex: HumanRevolution, performed well for Square Enix, but the sequel, 2016’s Deus Ex: Mankind Divided, did not. Plans for a third game ultimately fell through so Eidos Montreal could make Marvel’s Guardians of the Galaxy, another game that garnered acclaim but didn’t live up to sales expectations. In the case of both Mankind Divided and Guardians, it would seem that misplaced marketing played a major role in selling the otherwise quality experiences short.
While I’m certainly happy we got Guardians, it always felt like a missed opportunity to not continue Deus Ex. Mankind Divided laid a lot of solid groundwork that a threequel could have picked up from, but even if Eidos Montreal didn’t want to continue Adam Jensen’s story, there are so many other directions the series could go in. Warren Spector’s original Deus Ex was way ahead of its time, tackling gripping political intrigue and futuristic technology while delivering an innovative and defining “immersive sim” experience. But the industry has come a long way in the 25 years since. It would be fascinating to see what a group of creatives would do with the property now, especially as technology and the social climate have changed so much. And after CD Projekt Red’s Cyberpunk 2077missed the mark for many, a smaller, tighter cyberpunk game in the vein of a Deus Ex would have — and still could — feel like a breath of fresh air.
Deus Ex: Mankind Divided crafted a rich futuristic world to explore.
Of course, it’s unclear exactly how Eidos Montreal or the Deus Ex property at large will fare under Embracer, but the potential is certainly there. The fact that the Canadian developer was pretty much immediately given the reins to the series, coupled with Embracer’s comments about seeing “great potential” in properties like Deus Ex, certainly gives some hope. The team said earlier this year that it has multiple projects in development, so it’s possible one of them is Deus Ex. Please, Embracer — help Deus Ex bring the series back!
This year is the 15th anniversary of Assassin’s Creed. Ubisoft will have more information on Assassin’s Creed Mirage at its Ubisoft Forward presentation on September 10th. A live streamed event kicks off at 3pm ET/12pm PT.
Sony is finally bringing 1440p resolution to the PlayStation 5 console for all users. Previously, this feature was only available for PS5 beta testers.
The update comes with highly-requested features like 1440p HDMI video output and game lists as well as social features such as requesting a Share Screen from a party member, easily checking out a new friend’s profile and receiving a notification to help you join a friend’s game a lot quicker from party chat.
Unfortunately, the PS5’s 1440p mode won’t support Variable Refresh Rate (VRR) like it does at 1080p and 4K resolutions. VRR allows displays to match their refresh rate to the framerate of the output. For example, if your PS5 game runs at 60fps, your display — if it supports dynamic refresh rates — can use VRR to run at 60Hz.
New PS App features are also coming to iOS and Android later this month. You’ll be able to launch a PS Remote Play session through the PS App. Additionally, share screen requests can be sent through the app as well, so you can watch your friends play while you’re on your phone.
Another feature coming is the ability to search for YouYube content through Voice Command. You’ll be able to say, “Hey PlayStation, find [keyword] on YouTube.” However, this is currently only available in the U.S. and the U.K.
