News | Shadows of the Damned remaster will be released later this year

The remaster of Shadows of the Damned, called Shadows of the Damned: Hella Remastered, will be released later this year.

Grasshopper Manufacture has confirmed this. A new trailer was also shown, which can be viewed below. The remaster will be playable at PAX East 2024 from March 21 to 24.

Shadows of the Damned was released in 2011 on PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 and was a collaboration between Goichi Suda – known for No More Heroes, among others – and Resident Evil creator Shinji Mikami. The game is described as a “punk rock action game mixed with a psychological thriller” and centers on Garcia, a biker and demon hunter whose true love is kidnapped by demons. He has to fight his way through hell.

It is not known exactly which platforms the game will be released on, but the announcement stated that the game is “likely coming to all current systems”. This may include PC, PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, Xbox Series X and S, Xbox One and Nintendo Switch.


News | Rise of the Ronin launch trailer released

Sony and Team Ninja have released a launch trailer for the upcoming Rise of the Ronin.

The trailer is called ‘The Aftermath’ and – except for a few small scenes – contains live-action footage instead of gameplay from the game. The trailer can be viewed below. A trailer with gameplay footage was recently released.

Rise of the Ronin is an open world action RPG with a focus on combat set in the late nineteenth century. At the end of the long Edo period, Japan struggles with oppressive leaders and deadly diseases, while a war rages between the Tokugawa Shogunate and the Anti-Shogunate.

Players control a Ronin – a warrior who has no master and is allowed to make his own choices. Katanas and other weapons are used to fight. He can even float through the air with a special device.

The game is being developed by Team Ninja, known for Nioh and Ninja Gaiden, among others. Rise of the Ronin will be released on March 22 for PlayStation 5.


News | New footage of Empire of the Ants released

Developer Tower Five and publisher Microids have published a new trailer for Empire of the Ants.

Empire of the Ants will be a photorealistic, strategic adventure game based on the book series of the same name by writer Bernard Werber. Players visit a French forest and control 103 683rd, an ant who wants to guide his colony to a better location.

Players must plan the journey and have battles with other insects. In the new trailer, which can be viewed below, various environments can be seen, with 103 683rd walking around both alone and surrounded by his colony.

The game runs on Unreal Engine 5, which makes the photorealistic graphics possible. Seasons play an important role in the game, as they influence the environment and the behavior of the forest’s inhabitants.

Empire of the Ants will be released in 2024 on PC (Steam, Epic Games Store and GOG), PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X and S. There is no precise release date yet.


News | The Last Case of Benedict Fox will be released on March 26 for PS5

The Last Case of Benedict Fox will be available on PlayStation 5 from March 26.

The game was released last year on Xbox consoles, PC and Game Pass. This is the Definitive Edition, in which the graphics and gameplay have been improved. Players can expect new narrative content and more intelligent enemies. Xbox and PC gamers will receive a free update with the improvements on the same day.

The Last Case of Benedict Fox is a metroidvania set in 1925, with the titular detective searching for a missing family in Boston. He explores a country house. He can also delve into the minds of recently deceased people to relive traumas. The game is particularly striking thanks to the graphic style, which is sometimes somewhat Gothic and at times reminiscent of Tim Burton animated films.


News | PS5 system update brings better audio from DualSense controllers

Sony has released a new system update for PlayStation 5. One of the adjustments is that the audio volume of the DualSense controller and the microphone in the controller has been improved.

The bottom line is that the DualSense now has more volume and therefore sounds coming from the controller while gaming are more audible. In addition, improved noise cancellation has been added to the controller microphone. This means, among other things, that the sound of buttons being pressed should be less audible through the microphone. The update also requires PS5 owners to update the controllers.

Furthermore, the system update ensures that people who watch others game via Share Screen can now place emoji and tips on the screen. This way, viewers can interact with the person playing. This was already available last February for people who received the system update via a beta.


News | Nobody Wants to Die is a detective game in a cyberpunk setting

Polish studio Critical Hit Games has unveiled its debut title Nobody Wants to Die, a detective game set in New York in 2329.

In Nobody Wants to Die, players control James Karra of the Mortality Department, a detective hunting a serial killer operating in futuristic New York. According to the developer, technology in this world has advanced to such an extent that people have eternal life – their consciousness is stored in ‘memory banks’ and can be transferred to other bodies – at least for people who can afford this subscription. The game runs on Unreal Engine 5.

Developer Critical Hit Games is based in Poland. The game they are working on is partly funded by Epic Games through the Epic MegaGrants program.

Nobody Wants to Die should be released sometime this year on PC, PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X and S.


News | Nominations for Bafta Games Awards 2024 announced

The nominations for the 2024 Bafta Games Awards have been announced, with Baldur's Gate 3 having the most nominations, followed by Marvel's Spider-Man 2.

The Bafta Game Awards are handed out every year – the awards are based on the British Academy Film Awards. It is the twentieth year that the Bafta Game Awards have been handed out. The nominations were announced via the official website.

Other games besides Baldur’s Gate 3 and Spider-Man 2 that received many nominations include Alan Wake 2, The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom and Star Wars Jedi: Survivor.

The awards will be presented on Thursday, April 11 and will be broadcast live via YouTube, Twitch and X. The various categories with nominations can be seen below.

Animation:
Alan Wake 2
Hi-Fi Rush
Hogwarts Legacy
Marvel’s Spider-Man 2
Star Wars Jedi: Survivor
Super Mario Bros. Wonder

Artistic Achievement:
Alan Wake 2
Baldur’s Gate 3
Cocoon
Diablo 4
Final Fantasy 16
Hi-Fi Rush

Audio Achievement:
Alan Wake 2
Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3
Hi-Fi Rush
The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom
Marvel’s Spider-Man 2
Star Wars Jedi: Survivor

Best Game:
Alan Wake 2
Baldur’s Gate 3
Dave the Diver
The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom
Marvel’s Spider-Man 2
Super Mario Bros. Wonder

British Game:
Cassette Beasts
Dead Island 2
Disney Illusion Island
Football Manager 2024
Viewfinder
Warhammer Age of Sigmar: Realms of Ruin

Debut Game:
Cocoon
Dave the Diver
Dredge
Stray Gods: The Roleplaying Musical
Venba
Viewfinder

Evolving Game:
Cyberpunk 2077
Final Fantasy 14 Online
Fortnite
Forza Horizon 5
Genshin Impact
No Man’s Sky

Family:
Cocoon
Dave the Diver
Disney Illusion Island
Hi-Fi Rush
Hogwarts Legacy
Super Mario Bros. Wonder

Game Beyond Entertainment:
Chants of Sennaar
Goodbye Volcano High
Tchia
Terra Nil
Thirsty Suitors
Venba

Game Design:
Cocoon
Dave the Diver
Dredge
The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom
Marvel’s Spider-Man 2
Viewfinder

Multiplayer:
Baldur’s Gate 3
Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3
Diablo 4
Forza Motorsport
Party Animals
Super Mario Bros. Wonder

Music:
Alan Wake 2
Assassin’s Creed Mirage
Baldur’s Gate 3
The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom
Marvel’s Spider-Man 2
Star Wars Jedi: Survivor

Narrative:
Alan Wake 2
Baldur’s Gate 3
Dredge
Final Fantasy 16
The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom
Star Wars Jedi: Survivor

New Intellectual Property:
Chants of Sennaar
Dave the Diver
Dredge
Hi-Fi Rush
Jusant
Viewfinder

Performer in a Leading Role:
Amelia Tyler als Narrator in Baldur’s Gate 3
Cameron Monaghan als Cal Kestis in Star Wars Jedi: Survivor
Nadji Jeter als Miles Morales in Marvel’s Spider-Man 2
Neil Newbon als Astarion in Baldur’s Gate 3
Samantha Béart als Karlach in Baldur’s Gate 3
Yuri Lowenthal als Peter Parker in Marvel’s Spider-Man 2

Performer in a Supporting Role:
Andrew Wincott als Raphael in Baldur’s Gate 3
Debra Wilson als Cere Junda in Star Wars Jedi: Survivor
Ralph Ineson als Cidolfus ‘Cid’ Telamon in Final Fantasy 16
Sam Lake als Alex Casey in Alan Wake 2
Tony Todd als Venom in Marvel’s Spider-Man 2
Tracy Wiles als Jaheira in Baldur’s Gate 3

Technical Achievement:
Alan Wake 2
Final Fantasy 16
Horizon Call of the Mountain
The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom
Marvel’s Spider-Man 2
Starfield

EE Players’ Choice:
Baldur’s Gate 3
Cyberpunk 2077
Fortnite
The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom
Lethal Company
Marvel’s Spider-Man 2


News | New Game Plus update for Spider-Man 2 now available

A new update has been released for Marvel's Spider-Man 2, adding New Game Plus, among other things.

New Game Plus means that players can play through the game again after completing it, but with even higher levels, new styles for the Symbiote suit and new upgrades for gadgets. There’s even a new Trophy for people who complete New Game Plus mode.

The update also gives players the ability to change the time of the in-game day at any time. Missions can also be replayed and there are new packages for the main characters. Insomniac warns that the update consists of two patches.

However, the release of the update did not go entirely according to plan. The update allowed players to use a button combination to open the game’s debug menu, which is actually only intended for the developers. Parts of the game can be skipped via the menu and various modifications can be turned on and off. In addition, the menu showed missions that are not in the game and may indicate DLC, such as the mention of the character Beetle, who is not in the main game.


News | New trailer of Fallout series shown, first season released a day earlier

Amazon has released a new trailer for the upcoming Fallout television series. The first season will arrive a day earlier than planned: on April 11.

The release of the series – based on the Bethesda game series of the same name – was actually scheduled for April 12, but apparently Amazon has pushed the release date forward a day,

The entire first season can be seen on Amazon Prime Video from April 11. Cast members include Ella Purnell, Twin Peaks actor Kyle MacLachlan, Aaron Moten (Next), Xelia Mendes-Jones (Havoc) and Walter Goggins (Justified).


News | Helldivers 2 update adds new natural disasters

A new update has been released for Helldivers 2, adding new natural disasters to the game.

Version 01.000.100 was released earlier this afternoon for PlayStation 5 and PC. According to the patch notes, “many planets now have additional environmental hazards that can randomly appear, including fire tornadoes and meteor showers.” The patch then rebalances the Eradicate missions and certain weapons, and also fixes a number of bugs.

Mechs should also be coming to the game sometime soon, the developer recently confirmed. “The EXO-45 Patriot Exosuits are in production at the Tien Kwan factories. They will soon be ready for deployment on the battlefield!” It is not known at the time of writing exactly when the mechs will arrive.

Helldivers 2 developer Arrowhead Game Studios has also emphasized that it is an independent developer. Sony Interactive Entertainment is releasing Helldivers 2 on PlayStation 5 and PC, but Arrowhead remains independent for now.

In the co-op shooter Helldivers 2, players try to keep alien scum from ‘Super Earth’ as part of a team and are presented with various missions, such as obtaining important data or destroying an enemy nest. People choose their missions from a hub on a spaceship, which can also be upgraded. This ensures that players can expand and upgrade their arsenal.