The Pokémon Company is rolling out its major software update for its app on mobile and Nintendo Switch. Version 2.0 is the largest update the service has seen since its launch. It also adds some much-desired compatibility for newer Pokémon titles.
Starting today, Pokémon Home’s cloud service is available for Pokémon Legends: Arceus, Pokémon Brilliant Diamond, and Pokémon Shining Pearl. This means that Pokémon trainers can now transfer, manage, and store their collection of pocket monsters between these newer games.
In addition, Pokémon Home Version 2.0 introduces Strange Balls. The Pokémon Company states that Pokémon Legends: Arceus takes place “in the distant past of the world of Pokémon.” Due to this, any Pokémon caught in other tentpole titles will appear in Strange Balls. Though, Pokémon caught in Pokémon Legends: Arceus will appear in standard Poké Balls in other games.
Additionally, The Pokémon Company is celebrating the launch of Version 2.0 by offering special Pokémon when linking games.
When linking Pokémon Legends: Arceus with Pokémon Home, players will receive Rowlet, Cyndaquil and Oshawott with maximum effort levels as Mystery Gifts. These are accessible within the app on iOS and Android.
Likewise, players linking Pokémon Brilliant Diamond or Pokémon Shining Pearl into the Nintendo Switch version of Pokémon Home will receive Turtwig, Chimchar, and Piplup with Hidden Abilities.
Finally, Pokémon Home Version 2.0 adds new achievements and stickers. These can be obtained by reaching certain milestones or meeting certain conditions in the mobile device version of Pokémon Home.
Pokémon Home Version 2.0 is available on iO, Android and Switch.
The long-rumoured PlayStation 5 remake of The Last of Us could release before the end of 2022.
On the latest episode of the Kinda Funny Gamescast, VentureBeat reporter Jeff Grubb — a credible source of gaming leaks — said he’s heard that the remake is dropping this holiday. This lines up with what writer Tom Henderson, another reputable gaming insider, tweeted in January.
We first heard about the remake in April 2021 from Bloomberg‘s Jason Schreier, arguably the go-to journalist for behind-the-scenes games reporting. In a larger piece about PlayStation’s “obsession with blockbusters,” Schreier noted that the company was developing a remake of its beloved The Last of Us game for the PS5. He added that the yet-to-be-confirmed remake will feature the overhauled gameplay mechanics introduced in The Last of Us Part II, which include the ability to jump, go prone, dodge and more. Presumably, the remake will also have all of the technical bells and whistles you’d expect from a PS5 game.
Naughty Dog, the developer behind both The Last of Us titles, is said to be working on the remake. Adding credence to all of these reports was the fact that a Naughty Dog quality assurance tester had mentioned last month that they were working on an “unannounced remake project” on a since-updated LinkedIn page.
The Last of Us originally launched on the PS3 in 2013, with a PS4 remaster dropping the following year. Set in post-apocalyptic America, the action-adventure game follows a grizzled smuggler named Joel as he escorts a teenager, Ellie, on an important mission.
Notably, PlayStation still hasn’t actually said anything about The Last of Us remake. And on a broader level, we don’t actually know any of the company’s plans for first-party games this year, outside of the undated God of War: Ragnarok. (Third-party developer Square Enix is releasing Forspokenas a timed PS5 exclusive in October.)
What we do know, however, is that Naughty Dog has multiple projects in the works. On top of this yet-to-be-confirmed The Last of Us remake, the American developer has been toiling away at a multiplayer experience for The Last of Us, which was originally set to be included with The Last of Us Part II but was ultimately removed. The company is also reportedly making a new fantasy game, which would be its first new IP since The Last ofUs.
Outside of games, PlayStation has been working with HBO on a live-action The Last of Us series, which is currently filming in Calgary. Pedro Pascal (The Mandalorian) and Bella Ramsey (Game of Thrones) star as Joel and Ellie, while Neil Druckmann, Naughty Dog’s vice president and the co-writer/director of both The Last of Us games, has developed the series alongside Chernobyl creator Craig Mazin. The series will premiere in 2023.
Saudi Arabia has made a significant investment in Nintendo. Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund (PIF), a sovereign wealth fund controlled by crown prince Mohammed bin Salman, purchased 5.01 percent of the Japanese gaming giant for $3 billion USD (roughly $3.8 billion CAD).
The investment in Nintendo is the latest from Saudi Arabia’s PIF. Recently, the firm has been making further investments in the video game industry. This year, PIF acquired five percent of Capcom and Nexon. The firm has also made another $3 billion USD (roughly $3.8 billion CAD) investment across EA, Activision Blizzard, and Take-Two.
Electronic Gaming Development Company (EGDC), a subsidiary of the Bin Salman Foundation, also owns 96.18 percent of SNK Corporation. This is the studio responsible for the Metal Slug and Fatal Fury titles.
While it would appear as though Saudi Arabia has its eyes set on small investments across the gaming space, it’s also investing in tech companies as well. PIF has purchased a five percent stake in Uber for $3.5 billion (roughly $4.5 billion CAD). Additionally, PIF has made investments in Facebook, Disney, Boeing and more.
There’s no clear reason behind Saudi Arabia’s recent sprint to make investments in a variety of larger corporations. One theory, as pointed out by Polygon, could be driven by the desire to secure Saudi Arabia’s economy as global reliance of oil continues to drop. 70 percent of the country’s exports rely on oil and gas and it makes up half its gross domestic product.
Bin Salman is a very controversial figure. The crown prince is also responsible for the murder of The Washington Post journalist Jamal Khashoggi in 2018. Under Bin Salman’s leadership, Saudi Arabia is also known for its weakened regard for the LGBTQ community and women’s rights are also abysmal within the country. Bin Salman’s rule also sees the death penalty, corporal punishment and more cruel acts used frequently within the law system of the country.
I really enjoy Volition’s Saints Row series. For me, they’ve been the epitome of fun — perhaps not the most technically advanced or mechanically tight games around, but extremely enjoyable nonetheless on a raw, goofy level. Where Grand Theft Auto opts for realism, Saints Row has been all about over-the-top, arcadey sort of thrills, and I love it for that.
That said, I didn’t know what to expect from Volition’s reboot of the series, simply titled Saints Row. It’s not narratively connected to the previous four games at all, and it goes for a less zany tone, as well. While this was initially concerning to me, as I found that personality appealing, I was intrigued when I was invited to a virtual media preview.
After attending this event, my biggest takeaway is that this is sort of a “back-to-basics” for Saints Row — largely for the better. While I adore the outlandishness of Saints Row: The Third and Saints Row IV, I do have to admit that the latter game — which had you play a superpowered president who fights off an alien invasion — was pretty out there. Further trying to up the ante could lead to diminishing returns, and Volition clearly understands that.
“For us, we’ve closed that chapter,” said creative director Brian Traficante during a Q&A. “[We wanted to] reboot all of that but to ensure, more than a spiritual successor, that it’s a Saints Row game tried and true.”
And based on the demo I saw, it seems like Volition is mostly succeeding on that front. Saints Row has always been about a criminal gang, its leader (“The Boss”), and the relationships between them, and this demo emphasized how Volition has honed in on that concept. In this case, you’re in charge of a gang that’s facing off against three rival ones in Santo Ileso, a fictional city in the American southwest.
Right off the bat, this more rural setting offers a nice change of pace from the bustling urban areas of Saints Row, Grand Theft Auto and other open-world crime games. Likewise, I was quickly impressed with the new and surprisingly robust character creator, which includes everything from zany skin cosmetics and crazy hairstyles to inclusive options like vitiligo skin patterns and prosthetics. You really get to make Saints Row (2022)’s version of The Boss your own aesthetically, and it doesn’t stop there.
As is the case with a lot of modern games, Saints Row (2022) has some light RPG systems, which allow you to equip The Boss with different abilities. These include four skills (such as a hilariously anime-esque ‘Flaming Punch’) and passive perks (like flame resistance). This came in handy in a mission where you’re raiding a factory belonging to Los Panteros, a rival gang. Volition says each of the three gangs will be focused on a particular combat style, with Los Panteros being all about tough, brawler-heavy enemy types. Therefore, having a powerful melee attack, as well as passive resistance to the factory’s flames, came in handy.
This level of personalization seemed to extend to the side activities. In between missions, you can customize your base — “The Church” — with all sorts of artwork, statues and other decorations. You can also talk to allies here, Mass Effect-style, and even customize how they look. While I didn’t get a good feel for how much I’d like the characters themselves based on the limited dialogue available in the demo, it was neat to see some of the ways you can tailor The Boss and your comrades. Saints Row was at its best when it was endearing you to the Saints themselves, and these are some good initial steps to do that.
I’m also intrigued to see more of The Church’s War Table, which can be used to manage your criminal empire by controlling vacant land. While this has a trope-y “clear out this enemy district” element to it, I do like that you’re given the freedom to use these spaces as you see fit and, in turn, open up gameplay opportunities. For example, the demo showed The Boss converting one spot into the Shady Oaks medical clinic, which unlocks Saints Row‘s classic, incredibly entertaining “Insurance Fraud” minigame. (Basically, it’s like Skate‘s Hall of Meat where you deliberately cause as much damage to your character to rack up a high score).
The inclusion of Insurance Fraud speaks to a larger point about Volition staying true to the series’ roots. While the tone isn’t quite as ridiculous, and individual elements like the dildo have been removed, that lightheartedness silliness is still intact. The game’s list of driveable, customizable vehicles includes golf carts and hoverboards, and some cars can even receive add-ons like tow cables for further mayhem. The real highlight for me, though, was the ejector seat, which could be used in tandem with the new wingsuit for quick verticality — not unlike how The Dark Knight himself launches and glides from his Batmobile in Batman: Arkham Knight. As a particularly goofy touch, you can even bounce on people’s heads while gliding to regain altitude, allowing you to, in theory, maintain flight as long as you descend on some poor saps.
Ultimately, my biggest issue with the game based on the demo, if I were to point any out, is simply that Saints Row (2022) doesn’t really do anything particularly new. Those looking for a significant reinvention in the vein of, say, 2013’s Tomb Raider or 2018’s God of War will not find that here. The missions I saw, which included escaping cops after a heist and raiding the aforementioned factory, looked like stuff I’ve seen many times before in these sorts of games. The core shooting and driving mechanics look serviceable, but far from refined.
Having said all of that, not every game needs to be a super polished, narrative-driven, tightly-produced “Game of the Year” contender like those titles. That was never Saints Row, and it’s fine that it’s still not that. Sometimes, you just want a lighthearted game that you can kick back and enjoy. Nothing too deep or challenging; just having some good ol’ fashioned fun your way. So far, Saints Row (2022) looks to be accomplishing just that.
Saints Row (2022) will launch on PlayStation 4/5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S and PC on August 23rd, 2022.
The kneejerk reaction is to expect a number of early 2000s phrases like “Noob.” However, Sony actually managed to create something more than that. The list features a comprehensive list of phrases that may help someone who feels overwhelmed when discussing games.
“Discover the definitions of some of gaming’s most popular words, terminology and slang phases,” Sony writes in the dictionary. The company continues and actually succeeds in providing useful definitions.
Across the full A-Z list, Sony includes a number of definitions for genre-specific terms. Here, we see details for genres like “ARPGs,” “RPGs,” “CRPGs,” etc. Sony also goes on to provide definitions for terms that many players may think are pretty standard. “Dungeons,” “party,” and skins” are terms many players are probably used to. However, casual gamers or those dipping their toes into specific genres may not have the slightest idea.
The list also includes some terms that are pretty in-depth for players. “Min-max,” “RNG,” “OP,” and “Kiting” are all among those that can really be a headscratcher for those unfamiliar with the terms.
This is a project you’d expect to see come from a group of passionate players within the community. There is some humour here seeing Sony publish this list on the official website. It covers a breadth of terms that are commonly found within gaming but doesn’t necessarily add much in terms of the PlayStation ecosystem or its hardcore player base.
Unlike Sony’s PlayStation 5, getting your hands on an Xbox Series X is becoming increasingly more possible as stock slowly becomes more readily available.
In a recent tweet, Walmart Canada says that it now has Microsoft’s Xbox Series X in stock through Microsoft’s Xbox All Access subscription service. The retailer says there’s a limit of one console per household and that the console is only available online.
The Subscription plan includes Game Pass Ultimate, which costs $16.99 per month and packs in access to all Microsoft first-party titles, EA Play games, Xbox Cloud Gaming and Xbox Live Gold. The Xbox Series X regularly costs $599 in Canada.
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With more and more people opting to play games digitally, companies like Microsoft and Sony have offered lower-priced disc-less consoles, such as the Xbox Series S and PlayStation 5 Digital Edition.
Now, however, Microsoft may be working on a way to allow those who own its digital-only Series S console to play their disc-based games.
As first spotted by Game Rant, Microsoft has filed a patent, titled “Software Ownership Validation of Optical Drives Using Secondary Device,” that outlines such an option for gamers. Specifically, the patent proposes a system that allows an external disc drive to authenticate an Xbox game disc, which would then allow the player to access the digital version of that title via the Series S’ online store at no additional cost. Naturally, this would be a more consumer-friendly option instead of having to re-purchase games you already own.
In the patent, the company proposes an Xbox One to be used for this authentication process, but it’s unclear what other options consumers may have, especially for those without the last-gen console. It’s possible that a PC or even a disc drive that’s sold separately could be offered, but the patent doesn’t provide any other examples.
Interestingly, the patent application was made in November 2020, which is when the Series S originally launched. Therefore, it’s possible that Microsoft has been spending the time since toiling away at a “software ownership validation” solution. That said, it should be noted that patents are filed all the time without the proposed products or services ever seeing the light of day, so it remains to be seen what Microsoft will actually do.
Finally, here’s what’s leaving Game Pass on May 31st:
EA Sports NHL 20 (Console)
Farming Simulator 19 (Cloud, Console and PC)
Knockout City (Console and PC) EA Play
Resident Evil 7 Biohazard (Cloud, Console and PC)
Spellforce 3: Soul Harvest (PC)
Superhot Mind Control Delete (Cloud, Console and PC)
Yes Your Grace (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.
Further, Xbox Game Pass Ultimate costs $16.99/month and is required for streaming (which Xbox refers to as ‘Cloud’) to mobile devices and browsers. On top of that, this tier includes Game Pass for both Console and PC, as well as subscriptions to Xbox Live Gold and EA Play.
Find out what came to Game Pass earlier this month here.
Ubisoft has announced two services that are soon coming to PlayStation.
The first is Ubisoft+, its Xbox Game Pass-esque subscription that offers access to over 100 games, including day one releases, for $19.99 CAD/month. The service is currently available on PC, Google Stadia and the U.S.-only Amazon Luna, and will come to PlayStation (and Xbox, as previously confirmed) on yet-to-be-confirmed dates.
Additionally, Ubisoft is launching a special version of this service called Ubisoft+ Classics exclusively on PlayStation Plus, and it will include a selection of Ubisoft games on PS4/PS5 at no additional cost. These games include Far Cry 3 Remaster, Assassin’s Creed Valhalla, South Park: The Fractured But Whole and The Crew 2.
Ubisoft+ Classics will launch on June 12th in North America alongside the all-new PS Plus and be bundled with the expanded service’s ‘Extra’ and ‘Premium’ tiers.
Prices for Extra:
1 month — $17.99
3 months — $49.99
12 months — $114.99
Prices for Premium:
1 month — $21.99
3 months — $59.99
12 months — $139.99
Ubisoft says the full launch catalogue will include “up to 27” games depending on device and territory and surpass 50 titles by the end of 2022.
For more on the all-new PlayStation Plus, check out the recently revealed first batch of games that are coming to the service’s Extra and Premium tiers.
