There’s also a ‘Studio Spotlight’ on deals if you want a more specific breakdown of where each comes from. The full list of Games From Ontario offers can be found here. The sale runs from September 7th to September 14th at 1pm ET.
Both the legendaries Koraidon and Miraidon are featured on the glossy front side of the white system’s dock, with a design inspired by the series’ iconic Poké Ball on the back. The system itself has illustrations of the three starter Pokémon, Spirgatito, Fuecoco, and Quaxly and the Joy-Con controllers have the Switch’s emblems.
The OLED Model features an adjustable stand, a dock with a wired LAN, 64GB of internal storage, enhanced audio and more.
The system will cost $469.99 CAD and launches alongside the Pokémon Scarlet and Violet games on November 18th. Recently, Nintendo released a new trailer showing off some new game mechanics, new Pokémon and more about the game’s story mode.
In a previous trailer, we learned that trainers will embark on three ‘Grand Stories’ throughout the game, and in this trailer, we’re finally learning what they are.
The first story is about facing off against rebellious students on ‘Starfall Street.’ These are the school’s troublemakers and part of Team Star. Team Star will have a fire crew (and probably another crew), and this crew’s leader goes by Mela.
The second Grand Story will seek out the legendary ‘Hera Mystica,’ which will be guarded by Titan Pokémon that the trainer will have to beat.
The last Grand Story will be the very familiar gym challenges. It’s interesting as we see what we expect is the first gym leader who specializes in Grass-type Pokémon using a Sudwoodo, a Rock-type Pokémon. However, the leader ‘Terrestalizes’ the Sudwoodo, making it a Grass-type.
Brassius, also known as the Verdant Virtuoso, is the Gym Leader of Artazon, a town alive with flowers and art.
He is always in search of artistic quality and uses his Gym Test to help judge a Trainer’s aesthetic sensibilities.
All three stories are part of the larger ‘Treasure Hunt’ assignment the student is tasked with.
We also learned about three new Pokémon in this trailer: Armarouge (a Fire, Psychic-type) Ceruledge (a Fire, Ghost-type) and Klawf (who will be the ‘Stony Cliff Titan).
Lastly, there’s a feature that wasn’t discussed in the trailer but was quickly shown off, ‘Auto Battles,’ which tells your Pokémon to go on an adventure. In Scarlet and Violet, you can use the ‘Let’s Go!’ feature to send Pokémon off in a direction you want it to, and it will pick up items and bring them back and might even get into an Auto Battle.
Three stories will be woven into your adventure while traversing the sprawling Paldea region:
An Auto Battle is activated by the aforementioned Let’s Go feature, allowing your Pokémon to battle against wild monsters without needing orders from the trainer. You can stay with your Pokémon while they battle or go off and leave them to it. Your Pokémon will earn experience and sometimes find new items.
Pokémon Violet and Scarlet will launch on November 18th on the Nintendo Switch.
Xbox has announced two updates to its high-end Xbox Elite Series 2 controller.
The first is a new variant for the gamepad, ‘Core in white,’ which gives it a milky finish with black grips. Like the standard Series 2, this controller boasts adjustable-tension thumbsticks, a wrap-around rubberized grip and shorter hair trigger locks.
However, it doesn’t include some of the additional accoutrements found in the standard gamepad, such as paddles, extra thumbsticks or a carrying case. Therefore, the Core in white gamepad is priced at $159.99 CAD instead of $230 like the standard controller. A $74.99 ‘Complete Component Pack‘ that includes everything else that the Core in white controller is missing will also be available. Both will release on September 21st.
The second update, though, is likely more exciting for many: the Xbox Elite Series 2 is coming to Xbox Design Lab. This means that gamers will be able to customize their own Series 2 controller using a wide variety of colours, button styles, finishes, grips and engravings. The Elite Series 2 will be added to Design Lab this holiday.
In related news, PlayStation recently unveiled its first-ever official Elite-esque controller, the DualSense Edge.
Why change a formula that wasn’t broken to begin with?
This is the crucial fact to note about Splatoon 3, Nintendo’s very familiar sequel to Splatoon 2. While the inventive third-person shooter is a clear step above 2017’s entry in the series and 2015’s Splatoon on the Wii U, it’s also not that different. You’re still a squid kid, and your ultimate goal remains splatting brightly coloured ink across the map.
First, let’s take a look at Splatoon 3‘s single-player mode, a feature I was equally impressed and disappointed with. My dream of an open-world Splatoon based on early teasers was quickly dashed as I realized the title’s campaign is very similar to Splatoon’s and Splatoon 2’s. There’s a gated overworld where you progressively unlock new areas by removing the ooze covering the map, alongside the familiar, traditional level structure and upgrade system I’ve come to expect from the series.
Without giving anything away, there’s a substantial story focused on the world Alterna, but if the series’ narrative hasn’t clicked with you in the past, don’t expect Splatoon 3 to change that. Still, it’s compellingly weird, and its new characters are memorable. This time around, boss battles feel more inventive (and difficult) than the big baddie foes in Splatoon and Splatoon 2. You also get access to a new “Smallfry” fish-like companion that helps you ink hard-to-reach areas on the map and take out certain enemies. While a welcome twist on Splatoon 3‘s core gameplay, the new Smallfry doesn’t do much to shake up the series’ formula.
For better or worse, there are also several features borrowed from Splatoon 2‘s substantial Octo Expansion, like taking levels on with less powerful weapons for higher rewards. Speaking of level goals, I found Splatoon 3‘s tasks to be more varied and challenging than what I’ve encountered in past Splatoon titles. There’s genuinely genius-level design in Splatoon 3, and I even managed to find myself stuck on several stages, only to encounter the coveted “ah ha!” moment after a dozen or so minutes of experimentation (usually, this involved falling through a grate I didn’t initially notice).
It’s worth noting single-player mode still works as a great intro to Splatoon 3‘s core mechanics, including getting the hang of new weapons like the extremely fun ‘Splatana,’ an ink-covered katana that flails paint around and the ‘Tri-Stringer,’ a timed weapon that shoots out three projectiles (echoing what Brad Shankar said in his hands-on, the Tri-Stringer will likely become my favourite multiplayer weapon). Overall, Splatoon 3‘s single-player is lengthier and more substantial than what’s been offered in past entries in the series, but it still feels like an elaborate training exercise designed to prepare you for the game’s main multiplayer attraction.
I need to spend far more time with Splatoon 3‘s multiplayer mode. While I have logged a few hours in ‘Turf War,’ the game type that tasks you with painting the map in your team’s colour, and played around with ‘Salmon Run,’ the title’s horde mode that returns from Splatoon 2, Nintendo’s press multiplayer play sessions were limited. What I can say is that I’m fond of the ability to select where you want to spawn in your starting area since it helps prevent base camping, a frequent issue in the first two Splatoon titles.
I’ll add more to this story when Splatoon 3 is publically available and I can get into more multiplayer matches. That said, the groundwork for an excellent multiplayer title seems to be present, although you’ll still be forced to deal with Nintendo’s archaic online service to get in on the splatting action. It’s also unclear if Splatoon 3 builds meaningfully on Splatoon 2‘s multiplayer.
On the same note, I also haven’t spent time with Splatoon 3‘s ‘Table Turb Battle,’ a Tetris-inspired card game, but I will add my thoughts on the feature alongside my multiplayer impressions in the coming days.
There are a few notable missteps in Splatoon 3, unfortunately. The game doesn’t feature local co-op or multiplayer, though you can play locally across two different Switch consoles if you both own a copy of the game. This, once again, has killed my dream of playing the game with my partner. I understand not adding local co-op/multiplayer is likely tied to the Switch’s hardware limitations, but it still doesn’t make the feature not making it into Splatoon 3 any easier to swallow. More so than ever before, Splatoon 3 feels like a game designed to be played locally with friends.
On the plus side, the third entry in the Splatoon series is one of the best-looking titles on the Switch. Everything from its bright-coloured ink to its inventive maps looks incredible, and at times, it’s difficult to believe Splatoon 3 is running on the rapidly aging Switch.
Splatoon 3 often feels like elaborate Splatoon 2 DLC, but is that such a bad thing? The series’ core swimming, inking and splatting mechanics work so well for a reason, and in an industry full of very similar shooters, its simple yet deceptively deep and competitive gameplay manages to stand out.
Despite Splatoon 3‘s shortcomings, the third entry in the series cements the franchise as one of Nintendo’s best recent original franchises.
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CD Projekt Red released a teaser for the upcoming DLC. Additionally, the expansion will feature the return of Johnny Silverhand, played by Canada’s Keanu Reeves. In the trailer, V swears allegiance to the New United States of America, but Silverhand warns V about that oath.
Additionally, it was revealed that the Edgerunners update will be the final update for the PS4 and Xbox One versions of Cyberpunk 2077.
The update, based on Netflix’s Edgerunners animated series, comes with a new wardrobe feature that lets you change your appearance without changing your armour stats. There are also three new gigs, new weapons, gameplay features and more.
Every month, Xbox brings new titles to its Xbox Game Pass subscription service.
Normally, these come in two waves and now, the company has revealed what’s hitting Game Pass in the first half of September.
The highlight of this batch is Disney Dreamlight Valley, a mix between a life sim and adventure game that was developed by Canada’s Gameloft Montreal.
See below for the full list of new titles coming to Xbox Game Pass in early September:
Disney Dreamlight Valley: Founder’s Edition (Cloud, Console and PC) — September 6th
Opus Magnum (PC) — September 6th
Train Sim World 3 (Console and PC) — September 6th
Ashes of the Singularity: Escalation (PC) — September 13th
DC League of Super-Pets: The Adventures of Krypto and Ace (Cloud, Console and PC) — September 13th
You Suck at Parking (Cloud, Console and PC) — September 14th
Despot’s Game (Console and PC) — September 15th
Metal: Hellsinger (PC and Xbox Series X/S) — September 15th
Additionally, here’s what’s leaving Game Pass on September 15th:
I Am Fish (Cloud, Console and PC)
Aragami 2 (Cloud, Console and PC)
Bug Fables: The Everlasting Sapling (Cloud, Console and PC)
Craftopia (Cloud, Console, and PC)
Final Fantasy XIII (Console and PC)
Flynn: Son of Crimson (Cloud, Console and PC)
Lost Words: Beyond the Page (Cloud, Console and PC)
Mighty Goose (Cloud, Console and PC)
A Plague Tale: Innocence (Cloud, Console and PC)
SkateBird (Cloud, Console and PC)
The Artful Escape (Cloud, Console and PC)
As always, Game Pass subscribers can take advantage of an exclusive 20 percent discount to purchase any game in the catalogue and keep playing even after it leaves Game Pass.
Halo Infinite developer 343 Industries recently announced that the game’s planned splitscreen co-op would not ship. However, a fan has discovered a workaround that’s quite easy to navigate.
A Halo fan on Twitter released a video demonstrating how any player can enable splitscreen co-op in Halo Infinite. Using a relatively straightforward menu glitch, players are able to jump into a local coop session with a friend.
Most surprising is how effective the glitch is. The creator claims that they have not experienced crashes during cutscenes nor any issues with AI. Other players on Reddit were able to confirm its effectiveness. Additionally, players have been able to manipulate the glitch to get a full party of four into a single campaign coop session.
As of right now, the menu glitch appears to only work on Xbox Series X/S consoles. Unfortunately, PC players aren’t able to take advantage of this as of now.
If you’ve been eager for 343 Industries to release splitscreen co-op and were let down by the studio’s news, there’s some good news. Halo fan account Halo Creation has posted an online tutorial.
Follow-up on this, here's a quick tutorial on how to play #HaloInfinite Splitscreen Coop using a menu glitch found by @Zeny_IC!
In order to jump in, you must select and load a campaign save file. As it loads, you must take the controller’s View Button to bring up the ‘Social’ menu and navigate to the ‘Friends’ tab. From here, you must have an online friend idling in the game’s menu. You must select to join their Fireteam and once you have, you must select to leave. From there, you are required to select the ‘Server’ setting and set the server to ‘Local Offline’. Finally, all you need to do is connect additional controllers and assign profiles to them prior to selecting ‘Play.’
Unfortunately, seeing as though this is an unofficial workaround, we don’t expect the glitch to last forever. It’s likely that a future patch will iron this glitch out. So, take advantage of it while it lasts.
While Halo Infinite’s splitscreen co-op has been scrapped by 343 Industries, the studio is still determined to launch an online campaign co-op in the near future. As part of its Winer Update, marked between November 8th and March 7th, 2023, online co-op will roll out. Currently, the feature is being tested in beta form.
As first reported by VGC, Weekly Famitsu magazine has published an interview with Valve where the publication asked about support for the console’s future.
“Unless something major changes, there will be a next generation of Steam Deck products in the future,” said designer Greg Coomer. “The theme, size and shape will change, and it might even become a streaming machine. Development of the Steam Deck will continue.”
Coomer goes on to elaborate on this statement.
“One reason is that it is an extension of our core Steam platform. The Steam Deck is another PC in another form, but Steam has many other uses besides this handheld device […] and we will continue to work to satisfy our customers as much as possible.”
Future Steam Deck improvements will include battery life and optimization, according to developer Pierre-Loup Griffais. “We have already made improvements [to battery life] between the time of launch and now,” Griffais said. “We’re also constantly optimizing the operating system to reduce battery consumption when playing games that are not too demanding. This will improve the battery life. In any case, battery issues are at the top of our list of future improvements.”
Additionally, Valve told Polygon that there will “definitely” be new generations of the Steam Deck. Further, the company might make streaming possible via the Steam Deck in the future. However, the company has no announcements currently.
Per The Verge, Game Pass Friends & Family costs €21.99 per month in Ireland and 49,000 COP in Colombia. Microsoft hasn’t detailed plans to expand the service beyond those countries yet, saying only that “future countries/regions might be added in the next months” on a FAQ page. The Verge says the price will likely be around $25/mo in the U.S. (about $32.82/mo CAD, although direct conversions usually aren’t accurate reflections of subscription costs).
The subscription includes support for up to five accounts, with the only restriction being that all the people added to the plan need to be in the same country. The Verge says it works out to less than €5/mo per person to gain all the benefits of Xbox Game Pass Ultimate, which costs €12.99/mo. In Canada, Game Pass Ultimate costs $16.99/mo.
Moreover, Microsoft notes that switching from an existing Game Pass plan to Friends & Family isn’t a one-to-one conversion and laid out the following details for how upgrades work:
30 days Xbox Game Pass Ultimate = 18 days Xbox Game Pass Friends & Family
30 days Xbox Game Pass (Console) = 12 days Xbox Game Pass Friends & Family
30 days PC Game Pass = 12 days Xbox Game Pass Friends & Family
30 days Xbox Live Gold = 12 days Xbox Game Pass Friends & Family
30 days EA Play = 6 days Xbox Game Pass Friends & Family
Overall, the Game Pass Friends & Family subscription looks like it’ll be a win. It remains to be seen how much it will cost in Canada, but if it has a similar value to the Irish pricing, I’ll likely make the switch.
